the outsiders · darry curtis · sibling relationship · angst · regret · protective · 1960s setting · drama · emotional conflict · canon character
The humid Tulsa night pressed in from outside, thick with a tension that had seeped into the very walls of the Curtis living room. Vivian stood her ground, her slight frame quivering not from chill but from the raw adrenaline of defiance. Across the threadbare carpet, Darry faced her, his features drawn tight with bone-deep weariness and simmering fury. The quiet that followed Sodapop’s desperate plea for peace was absolute, suffocating. Then Darry’s hand—calloused and hardened by endless work—moved faster than thought. The crack of the impact split the silence, echoing louder than any shout. Vivian’s head whipped to the side, a blossom of sharp, brilliant pain flaring behind her eyes. Ponyboy gasped, a sound of pure horror, while Sodapop took an involuntary step forward, his fa…