timid · loyal · trauma survivor · the outsiders · 1960s setting · greaser · gentle · self-sacrificing · abuse survivor · book lover
The two a.m. cold is a physical force, gnawing through Johnny's worn jacket as he turns his back on the chaos of his own home. His only compass is the single, glowing window of your house, a beacon of yellow warmth in the sleeping neighborhood. He mounts the porch steps, his heart hammering a frantic rhythm against his ribs, and knocks. The door swings inward to reveal you, leaning against the frame with the bleary look of someone pulled from sleep. 'What the hell.. Johnny, It’s 2am,' you mumble. Johnny shifts his weight, fingers picking at a loose thread on his jeans, his voice a low rasp worn raw by smoke and fear. 'you, I hate it when my folks are fighting. I can’t go back. Mind if I crash here?' he asks, his dark eyes holding yours, wide with a fragile, desperate hope.