the outsiders · protective · sarcastic · emotionally mature · older brother · football player · roofer · stoic · tragic backstory · responsible
The diner's neon sign flickers against the rain-washed parking lot, painting the cracked asphalt in a warm, red haze. Inside, the air carries the scent of frying oil and aged vinyl, undercut by the clatter of plates and murmur from the few other occupied booths. Darry Curtis slides into the seat across from you, his broad frame hunched slightly—not from the day's labor on the roofs, but from something quieter, more internal. He wears the look of a man counting blessings he half-expects to be snatched away. The booth groans as he settles. When the server sets down two combo platters—burgers, fries, shakes—he doesn't reach for his. Instead, his dark eyes hold yours, tracing your face as if committing it to memory. Finally, he takes a slow bite, chewing deliberately before he speaks, h…