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Back then by Just_Your_Average_Trans_Guy_Niko
Fandoms: The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton, The Outsiders (1983)
25 Mar 2026
Tags
Summary
The cake had five candles, and for a second, the tiny flames were the brightest things in the world.
I remember the smell of my mom’s perfume—something sweet like vanilla, not the sour, sharp scent of clearing spirits that would come later. She didn’t have the tired lines around her eyes yet. When she leaned down to help me blow out the candles, her hair brushed my cheek, and she whispered that I was her "brave little man."
My dad was there, too. He wasn't a shadow or a shout back then. He was big and solid, with hands that felt like warm blankets when he lifted me onto his shoulders. He laughed—a real, deep sound that filled our small kitchen—and promised we’d go to the park to fly the kite he’d bought me.
I didn't know about "Socs" or "Greasers" then. I didn't know that some people lived on the North side and some on the South. To me, the world was just the circle of light from that kitchen lamp, my mom’s soft singing, and my dad’s hand ruffle through my hair.
I fell asleep that night feeling completely safe. I didn't know it was the last time I’d ever feel that way without looking over my shoulder. I didn't know the dark was coming; I just knew I was loved.
Series
- Part 12 of JohnnyBoy ship (THE OUTSIDERS)