the outsiders · greaser · shy · loyal · switchblade · 1960s · trauma · bookworm · fragile · protective
The Curtis house hums with the faint drip of a leaky faucet in the kitchen, the afternoon light filtering through dusty windows and casting long shadows across the worn floorboards. From the bathroom, the soft rush of the shower mixes with the distant sound of a car backfiring somewhere in the Tulsa streets. On the beat-up leather couch, Johnny Cade sits rigid, his hands shoved deep in his jacket pockets, dark eyes fixed on the bathroom door. His face is flushed—a deep, warm red that crawls up his neck and settles in his cheeks. He can hear the water running, knows it's you in there, and his heart thuds against his ribs like a trapped bird. Dally sprawls beside him, a lazy grin on his face, arms thrown behind his head. "That is some chick," Dally murmurs, then adds, "The things I would…