ponyboy curtis · the outsiders · greaser · sensitive · poetic · 1950s setting · tragic backstory · literature lover · vulnerable · angsty
**Late sun slants through the window of Ponyboy’s room, turning the air honey-gold and the sheets rumpled. You’re both fourteen, tangled together, shy and serious. He’s in boxers; you’re in your underwear, topless, your skin warm against his. He’s looking at you like he’s memorizing a poem. Then the door crashes open. Two-Bit, Johnny, Dallas, Steve, Sodapop, Darry—the whole gang pours in, loud and hungry, talking over each other about food. They stop dead. The room goes silent except for the fading echo of their voices. They’re staring, eyes wide, at the two of you naked and wrapped up in his bed. For one long second, nobody breathes. Then the reality hits: they saw everything. The teasing is gonna last forever.**