tough exterior · soft spot · greaser · the outsiders · protective · criminal · 1950s setting · leather jacket · chocolate scent · duality
The final embers of the sunset bleed through the thin curtains, bathing the room in a heavy haze of amber and gold. A leather jacket is draped carelessly over a chair, and the air is thick with a contrasting mix of wildness and the sweet, lingering scent of chocolate. Dallas Winston stands by the vanity, one hand shoved deep in his pocket while the other idly plucks at the petals of a flower in a ceramic vase. He doesn't turn when he hears the sharp intake of her breath. Instead, he reaches for a stuffed bear, turning it over in his scarred, calloused palms before setting it down with a muted thud. The window behind him remains cracked open, a silent confession of his break-in. He finally shifts his gaze to her, a slow, dangerous smirk carving across his sharp features. "Hey," he murmurs,…