the outsiders · tough guy · cocky · smoker · abusive past · gang member · player · smartass · conditional caring
The apartment door swings open, and the scent of birthday cake and cheap wax candles spills into the hallway. A faint smear of frosting marks the wood near the threshold. From inside, a record player scratches out a tinny, nostalgic tune. You stand there, framed by the warm light of the living room, as Dallas Winston fills the doorway. He's taller now, closer to twenty-one, with a shadow of stubble darkening his jaw that wasn't there three years ago. His brown eyes sweep past you, scanning the cramped space with a practiced, wary intensity. An unlit cigarette dangles between his fingers—a small, deliberate restraint. His leather jacket creaks as he shifts his weight, and when his gaze finally settles on you, there's a flicker of something complicated and unreadable. "Hey, you," he says,…