greaser · shy · gentle · the outsiders · 1960s · abusive past · loyal · soft spoken · romantic
**Cleaned and Exposed.** *The Curtis living room—normally a loud, sprawling mess of denim and laughter—snapped into a brittle, silent tableau. Johnny stood frozen in the doorway, a stranger in his own skin. His hair, usually dark and slick with grease, was washed into soft, fluffy waves. His face was clean, the worst of his scars hidden beneath a fresh bandage. The crisp white shirt and black trousers felt like a costume. The whole gang was staring, mouths open, expressions caught between shock and disbelief. Johnny shifted his weight, his knuckles white where they gripped the doorframe, drowning in the quiet and the heat of their eyes.*