#outsiders fandom

Also always looking for more advice on:

I've rewatched up until then so many times I think convinced myself I finished it, but I'm pretty sure I always turn it off before the rumble. I'm fine rereading johnny's death and stuff I just CAN NOT get myself to watch it for whatever reason. It's really odd bc I don't get really emotional with movies so...idk

Not even to his death? The rumble happens right before that 😭 it’s such a good emotional moment the absolute destress is so good ….

Do recommend the complete novel if you’re going to do a complete watch for the first time lol, I know you probably do but some people genuinely didn’t know it exists and I feel it’s my scared duty lmao.

I think it’s another case of “over correction” in the fandom. Where people go so far as to make the other guys anti- book/movie or literally incapable of being able to watch/sit to read something when that’s not the case.

you heard his footsteps on the porch before he knocked. three soft raps on the screen door, like he wasn’t sure if he should even be knocking that gentle, or at all.

your stomach fluttered, even though you’d been ready for the past ten minutes— towel rolled up, jean shorts thrown over your bikini, hair brushed, everything. you glanced at yourself in the mirror one more time, then walked out, heart already thudding.

johnny was standing there with his hands stuffed in his pockets, looking down at the porch like it had something to say to him. his hair looked like he’d tried real hard to get it right— still a little messy, but you could tell he’d combed it, and maybe even washed it this morning. he looked clean, and nervous. and kind of adorable.

he looked up the second he heard the door creak open. and when he saw you, he froze. “hey,” you said quietly, hugging your towel to your chest. his eyes flicked down to your bare legs, then right back up like he got caught. his ears turned red almost instantly.

“hey,” he said, voice soft. “you look real nice.”you shifted your weight a little, trying not to smile too hard. “thanks. you do too.” he scratched the back of his neck. “you ready?” you nodded. “yeah.”

you locked the door behind you and started walking down the sidewalk with him, quiet at first. the sun was already hot, and the air smelled like dust and grass and distant water. every now and then, your hands would swing a little too close, brushing just barely. neither of you said anything about it, but it made your heart flutter every time.

johnny didn’t talk much— he never really did— but when he did, it was soft little comments. “kinda hot out today,” or “hope the water ain’t too cold.” and you answered just as quiet, even though you were dying to say more, to ask him what he thought of your swimsuit or if he was nervous too.

after a little while, the path turned to dirt, and you could see the lake just through the trees— wide and blue and shining like glass under the sun.

by the time you stepped onto the dock, your heart was beating louder than it had the whole walk there. the dock creaked under your feet, and you toed off your sandals, letting them sit in the sun-warmed wood. johnny was behind you, towel slung over his shoulder, glancing everywhere except directly at you.

you hesitated a little before pulling the denim shorts down your body, folding it quickly and setting it down. you were nervous, more nervous than you thought you’d be— standing there in your bikini with the breeze skimming over your skin.

you turned, and johnny was definitely staring. he looked away so fast it almost made you laugh. “sorry,” he mumbled. “i wasn’t tryna— i just—” you shook your head, cheeks warm. “it’s okay.” he looked back at you for real this time. slow. careful. like he wasn’t sure if he was allowed.

“you, uh— you look real pretty.” you smiled, a little shy. “thank you.” his eyes dropped again, more to your hips now. then flicked back up. “you gonna jump in?” you nodded, stepping closer to the edge. “you’re gonna follow me, right?”

he gave a crooked little smile. “depends how cold it is.” you grinned over your shoulder. “guess we’ll find out.” and then you jumped. the water was colder than you thought— sharp and clean and full of summer. you came up with a gasp, hair slicked back, laughing as you wiped your eyes.

“come on, cade!” you yelled. “don’t make me swim alone!” he hesitated at the edge for half a second, then muttered, “to hell with it,” and jumped in after you.

he surfaced right in front of you, blinking and coughing out a little laugh. you drifted back, treading water, cheeks already sore from smiling.

you kicked gently at the water between you, sending a tiny splash his way. you glanced at him, half-smiling. “you like what you see or somethin’?”

johnny blinked nervously, a giddy smile tugging at his lips as he fidgeted with his hands. “yeah. guess you could say that.” you tilted your head, trying to play it cool even as your heart flipped.

“then i guess that works out,” you said softly. “’cause i like what i see too.” he went quiet again, the grin still pulling at his mouth, smaller now. the sun lit up his cheekbones, and his wet hair clung to his forehead in messy curls.

he didn’t say anything. just looked at you like you were something he couldn’t believe he had the privilege of looking at. you leaned in, just a little— and he met you there, nervous but sure, kissing you soft and quick like he’d been thinking about it all day.

your noses bumped. the water shifted around you. and still, he smiled against your lips “you’re blushing,” you whispered when you pulled back. he rubbed his hand over his face. “yeah. well. you kissed me.”

you laughed, brushing your fingers through his hair. “yeah. guess i did.” you both stayed there for a while, fingers intertwined under the water, barely talking, hearts thudding.

it was clear to him then, that nothing else needed to matter right then.

he could just think about you.

a/n : going to the pool today and thought this up <3

the fair smells like fried dough and kettle corn. lights blink and spin everywhere, throwing streaks of color across johnny’s face as you walk beside him, too close to be just friends but not quite touching yet.

he keeps glancing over at you when he thinks you’re not looking— eyes flicking down to the hem of your skirt, then up to your face, like he’s afraid to get caught. his fingers twitch at his sides, like he wants to hold your hand but doesn’t know how to ask.

“you ever been to one of these before?” you ask, bumping his arm gently. “once,” he says, smiling soft. “when i was real little. but it wasn’t like this. not with, uh…” he trails off, cheeks going red as he looks away. you smile down at your shoes, heart skipping. “me?”

“yeah,” he mumbles, barely audible. you stop at a booth selling cotton candy and he insists on paying. dally had been helping him prepare for this date all week. gave him a nice new haircut, lended him some nice lookin’ clothes, and even gave him a $20 to spend on you. dal said ‘he needed to make the right impression on a girl like you.’

you tear off a piece of pink fluff and offer it to him. he eats it from your fingers and his eyes go a little wide, like he wasn’t expecting the sweetness. or maybe it was just the closeness. “good?” you ask. he nods, lips sticky. “real good.”

you walk past the game booths, where people are throwing rings and shooting darts and missing miserably. one has a wall of tiny stuffed animals hanging from clothespins and johnny stops, stares for a second, then swallows. “wait here,” he says, suddenly brave.

he hands the guy a couple of coins and picks up a baseball. he takes a step back, squints, then throws—and misses. second try, a miss. but he’s determined now. jaw set, eyes sharp, just for you. third throw hits dead-on. you clap your hands, grinning wide as the guy grunts and hands johnny a tiny pink bear.

“for you,” he says shyly, holding it out without meeting your eyes. “johnny,” you whisper, touched. “he’s perfect.” he shrugs, looking down, but he’s smiling, proud. “figured you should have something to remember tonight.” your heart’s practically beating out of your chest.

he’s so soft, so sweet, and you don’t know what to do with the way he’s looking at you now— like he’s trying to memorize your face. “thank you,” you say, hugging the bear to your chest. he finally takes your hand. just slips his fingers between yours, gentle and nervous, like he’s asking a question.

you squeeze back, answering it. when you get in line for the ferris wheel, he fidgets the whole time— messing with the hem of his jacket, glancing at you like he’s working up the courage to say something.

when your turn comes, you climb into the cart together, shoulders brushing as the seat rocks slightly. the ride lifts you up slow, the fair shrinking beneath you. lights blur. music fades. up here, it’s just you and him.

you look over, and he’s already looking at you. “you’re really pretty,” he blurts, like he couldn’t hold it in any longer. then instantly panics. “i mean— sorry, i didn’t mean to make it weird, i just—” you don’t answer.

you just lean in, hands still wrapped around the stuffed bear, and kiss him. it’s soft. shy. a little unsure, like neither of you know what you’re doing— but his lips are warm and sweet, and he melts into it like he’s been dreaming about this. like it’s something he never thought he’d get to have.

you pull back slowly, heart racing. “not weird,” you whisper. “not at all.” he stares at you for a second, lips parted, cheeks flushed. then he lets out the quietest little laugh— barely more than a breath— and ducks his head, pupils blown with nothing short of love.

you sit in silence for a moment, faces warm, hands still linked. the tiny bear rests between you like proof this night really happened. when the cart reaches the very top, it pauses, swaying slightly in the breeze. “kind of scary,” you say quietly.

“i got you,” he whispers back, squeezing your hand. you lean your head on his shoulder and he stills completely—like he’s afraid to move, like he wants to stay in this moment forever.

and for a second, it feels like you do too.

a/n : omg this is so gut wrenchingly cute