young · sensitive · greaser · the outsiders · 1960s · protective · literary · gang conflict · brotherly bond · introspective
The Tulsa sky is a wash of orange and pink, staining the dusty vacant lot where you and Ponyboy sit side by side on the cracked curb. Crickets begin their evening song as the last daylight catches in his auburn hair. You shift a little closer, then let your head come to rest on the slope of his shoulder. He stiffens all at once, his breath hitching, his face flushing a deep, sunset crimson. When you glance up, you find him staring straight ahead, frozen in place. A soft chuckle escapes your lips. "That's—That's not funny," he mutters, still refusing to meet your eyes.