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The late summer air felt warm over Tulsa. The streets glowed golden as the sun set.
Most evenings, the gang was all at the Curtis house, tonight, Dallas Winston disappeared.
Nobody questioned it anymore. Dallas was unpredictable. Sometimes he'd vanish for hours and come back with a bruised knuckle, a stolen pack of cigarettes, and a grin that said he'd gotten away with something. Only one person knew where he actually went, Two-Bit. Two-bit knew he often went to some place called Garyville to see his half-brother, Tex, his name was.
He was already sitting on the monkey bars near the fountain that his kid-sister, Lilly, splashed about in with her friend, while swinging one leg lazily.
"You took forever," he called.
Dallas climbed over the fence instead of using the gate.
"You talk too much."
"And yet ya keep comin’ back."
Dallas rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward.
"Don't flatter yourself."
Two-Bit laughed and scooted over to make room.
For a while, they just sat there.
The West side buzzed in the distance while crickets chirped around them. It wasn't awkward; it never was.
People thought Two-Bit couldn’t stay serious for more than thirty seconds.
People thought Dallas didn’t enjoy anybody's company.
Turns out everyone was wrong.
"You got a cancer stick?" Two-Bit asked.
Dallas tossed him a pack, "You owe me."
"I owe everybody."
"Yeah."
Silence again.
Two-Bit leaned back on his elbows."You ever think about leavin’?"
Dallas looked toward the faint glow from the West side, "Every day."
"But?"
"...Never had a reason."
Two-Bit didn’t answer right away…"I'd miss you."
The words came out so casually that Dalla almost missed them, almost. His heartbeat stumbled.
"...Would you?"
Two-Bit looked over. “Course I would."
Dallas wasn't used to people saying things like that, he didn’t know what to do with them. So he settled for muttering,
"You're an idiot."
"I know."
Another pause, "You'd miss me too."
Dallas snorted. "Would not."
"Liar."
"...Maybe."
Two-Bit smiled so brightly it almost hurt to look at.
It became their routine, every few nights, they'd sneak away.
Sometimes they climbed onto rooftops.
Sometimes they wandered the empty railroad tracks.
Sometimes they simply sat together, talking until sunrise.
Dallas never admitted it out loud, but those nights became his favorite part of the week. Around everyone else, he was sharp edges.
Around Two-Bit...he laughed.
Actually laughed, the kind that made his shoulders shake. The first time it happened, Two-Bit stared,
"What?" Dallas asked
"I don't think I've ever heard you laugh like that."
"Shut up."
"You got a nice laugh."
"I'm gonna push you off this roof."
"You wouldn't."
"...Probably not."
Two-Bit grinned, "I knew it."
Weeks passed. Neither of them called their relationship dating.
Neither of them really knew what it was.
They just...Stayed close.
A shoulder bump became sitting pressed together.
A playful shove became fingers brushing.
Late-night conversations became falling asleep beside each other beneath the stars.
Nobody noticed, or if they did...
They stayed quiet.
One Friday evening they wandered farther than usual, downtown was nearly empty.
Storefront lights reflected in puddles left by the afternoon rain. Two-Bit walked backward, talking with his hands.
"So then Steve says—"
"Watch where you're—" Too late. Two-Bit bumped into Dallas, the collision knocked them chest to chest.For one strangely quiet second… Neither of them moved.
Two-Bit's smile faded into something softer. "Dallas?"
"...Yeah?"
"I think..."He laughed nervously. "I think I'm in trouble."
"What're you talkin' about?"
"I think I like you, Dal."
Dallas blinked, "...That's your big emergency?"
"What?"
"I've known."
"You—"
"You ain't exactly subtle.", Two-Bit's ears turned bright red. "You serious?"
Dallas nodded once, "I like you too."
For perhaps the first time in his life...Dallas Winston looked genuinely uncertain.
"So..."
"So?"
"...Now what?", Two-Bit smiled. "I was hopin' you'd know."
"I don't know nothin'."
"Fair." They stood there awkwardly, then Two-Bit reached over.
Slowly.
Carefully, he took Dallas's hand. Dallas looked down at their fingers.
"...Huh."
"What?"
"Nothin'." He squeezed back. "...Feels nice."
Two-Bit's grin returned. "Yeah." he paused. "It does."
Keeping it secret wasn't hard. Nobody expected Dallas Winston to be secretly in love. Nobody expected Two-Bit to stop flirting with every blonde he saw long enough to fall for one person.
It almost felt… Safe.
They stole tiny moments.
Cigarettes shared behind the Curtis house.
Hands brushed whenever nobody was looking.
Sometimes that was enough, sometimes… It wasn't.
One evening, they found themselves behind the DX station after everyone else had gone home. The sky was an ombre, from blood orange to golden yellow. Two-Bit leaned against the brick wall. "So..." He started.
"So?"
"You still haven't kissed me."
Dallas nearly dropped his cigarette, "What?"
"I mean… "Two-Bit scratched the back of his neck. "You don't gotta."
Dallas stared."You really just said that."
"...Yeah."
"...Idiot." Before Two-Bit could answer— Dallas stepped forward, grabbed the front of his jacket, pulled him closer, their foreheads bumped first, then, very gently… Their lips met.
It wasn't dramatic.
It wasn't perfect.
It lasted only a few seconds.
But it was enough to leave both of them smiling when they finally pulled apart.
Two-Bit laughed first., "That wasn't so scary."
"...Don't tell anybody."
"I won't."
"You better not."
"I like secrets."
Dallas shook his head, "You are impossible."
"And yet...", Two-Bit nudged his shoulder. "...you kissed me anyway."
A car door slammed somewhere nearby.
Then, Four voices.
Laughing.
Mocking, Socs.
"Well, well, well"
A tall blond Soc stepped forward, "Look what we found." Another snickered."The queers are out on a date."
Two-Bit's stomach dropped, Dallas moved in front of him instinctively.
"Keep walkin'."
"Nah."
One of them shoved Dallas hard."You got somethin' to hide?"
"We ain't got anythin’ "
The first punch came without warning. It hit Dallas across the jaw. He punched the soc back immediately.
The alley exploded into chaos.
Two-Bit grabbed one Soc before he could reach Dallas.
They slammed into garbage cans.
Someone swung, someone yelled.
A bottle shattered nearby.
Dallas took another hit but landed two of his own.
Still… There were too many.
One Soc kicked Two-Bit's knee, sending him crashing to the pavement.
"Dallas!"
Dallas spun, The distraction earned him a brutal punch to the ribs.
He staggered. Another Soc grabbed him from behind.
Two-Bit fought to his feet despite the pain, "Get OFF him!"
He tackled the guy holding Dallas, the two crashed together. Dallas didn't hesitate, he grabbed the back of Two-Bit's jacket and pulled him up. "We're leavin'!" Dallas yelled
"They ain't done!"
"I said RUN!"
They sprinted back down the alleyway, Footsteps thundered behind them. Their lungs burned, Dallas’ ribs hurt like the very devil, They cut through back alleys, jumped over fences, and finally ducked into the abandoned lot where they'd first started meeting. Silence. Only their breathing remained.
Two-Bit bent over, clutching his side. There was some blood dripping down his face from when he fell on the concrete."I …think..." he stopped, gasping for air "...we lost 'em."
Dallas leaned against the fence, blood trickling from a split lip, a bruise already forming on his jaw "You okay?" Dallas asked, his voice softer than usual, his Russian accent slipping in.
Two-Bit nodded. "You?
"I've been worse." He replied, for a minute neither spoke. Then Two-Bit noticed Dallas was shaking, not from fear, from adrenaline. Without thinking he stepped forward. Wrapped both arms around Dallas. Dallas froze.
"...What're you doin'?"
"Huggin' you."
"...Why?"
“'Cause I almost lost you." Those words hit harder than any punch.
Slowly… Very slowly...Dallas hugged him back.
"You ain't losin' me." He mumbled into Two-bit’s chest
"You promise?"
"...Yeah."
"I mean it."
"I know."
They stayed there until their breathing slowed.
Dallas rested his forehead against Two-Bit's."You scared me."
"I know."
"I hate that."
"I know."
Another tiny smile appeared."You say 'I know' a lot."
"'Cause I know you."
Dallas laughed quietly."You really do."
Two-Bit brushed a thumb over Dallas's bruised cheek, "We should probably head back before Ponyboy starts thinkin' we've been arrested.
"He'd probably believe it."
"Fair point."
They started walking. Halfway across the lot...Dallas caught Two-Bit's hand.
Not because nobody could see.
Not because it was safe.
Simply because he wanted to.
Two-Bit looked down, then back up with a smile that lit up the streetlights.
They still had bruises.
Split lips.
Sore, probably cracked or bruised ribs.
Tomorrow they'd probably have to explain where they had been all night.
Maybe they'd make up another story.
Maybe the gang would figure it out eventually.
But for tonight...
They walked side by side through the quiet streets, fingers intertwined.
Whatever came next, rumors, fights, or another run-in with the Socs, they’d face it together.
For the first time in Dallas Winston's life, the future didn't seem like something to survive, it felt like something worth looking forward to.
And with Two-Bit beside him, that was enough.