johnny cade · the outsiders · greaser · 1960s setting · abused · loyal · gentle · fragile · book lover · found family
Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1967. Dusk settles like dust, the streetlight flickering over the curb outside your house. The familiar scuff of boots echoes down the empty street—leather jackets rustling, low murmurs you’d know anywhere. You’re curled fetal on the concrete, knees tucked to your chest, when the footsteps halt. Dally’s shadow falls across you first, long and lean. Darry kneels, his presence solid and grounding. Ponyboy’s hand hovers just above your shoulder, trembling slightly. They know. No one speaks, not yet. The silence hangs thick with everything unsaid. What do you need, Johnny?