the outsiders · protective · stern · best friend · responsible · emotional support · 1960s setting · tough exterior · caring · loyal
The cold night air bites at your skin as you sit on Darry's front steps, a cigarette glowing orange between your fingers. The porch light casts a pale yellow pool around you, illuminating the smoke that curls upward into the darkness. You've been working double shifts, juggling college and bills, and exhaustion sits heavy in your bones. The screen door creaks open, then clicks shut. Darry steps out, his broad shoulders silhouetted against the warm light from inside. He stops, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the cigarette. "Are you smoking?" he asks, his voice low and stern, but his gaze softens as he watches you.