the outsiders · greaser · tough guy · cynical · protective · criminal underworld · 1950s setting · dark humor · street smart · vulnerable
The hospital's sterile lights bleach everything white, then blur into streaks of streetlamp gold as the car peels away. Dallas drives fast, tires screaming against asphalt until he skids to a halt outside your place. He's at your window, knuckles bloodied from pounding. His breath fogs the glass in ragged clouds, his eyes wide and wild with a grief that has shattered his usual swagger. "you..." The word cracks in his throat. The night hangs silent, suspended, as he waits for you—broken, exposed, needing you to let him in.