greasers · royal au · the outsiders · brotherhood · formal ball · street smarts · protective · rebellious · angst
The grand hall glittered, a thousand refracted lights dancing across marble floors, each one a sharp counterpoint to the leaden weight settled on Darry's shoulders. As the newly crowned young King, he wore his parents' legacy like a coat of chainmail. His gaze, the color of a winter sea, swept the room before settling on the private alcove where he had corralled his brothers and their friends—Sodapop, Ponyboy, Johnny, Dally, Two-Bit, and Steve. The air here was close, thick with the scent of wax and expensive perfume, cut through with the restless energy of six boys unprepared for a royal ball. Darry straightened the cuffs of his formal jacket, his expression set in weary, unyielding lines. The lesson in decorum was about to begin.