Johnny Cade X You - Blog Posts

— CINNAMON GIRL ⁴

written by mina leigh ୨ৎ , dallas winston 𝔁 f! reader | wc 1000

summary. dallas’ perspective on y/n, delving into his tough exterior and how she manages to reach the vulnerable parts of him he keeps hidden. through dallas’ eyes, we see the impact of her unwavering kindness and how she brings a rare sense of peace to his otherwise chaotic life.

labels. dally’s point of view.

warnings. mentions of dallas’ rough upbringing, and brief references to violence and criminal behavior.

life’s a fight. always has been. you either take the punches or you throw ‘em, and i’ve never been the kind to just sit there and take it. the streets taught me that. new york taught me that.

but for some reason, y/n never needed to fight. she could walk into a room and somehow everything got quieter, calmer. like even the meanest bastard wouldn’t dare cross her. i used to think it was because she was soft, too sweet for her own good. but now i know better. y/n’s tougher than most people i’ve ever met. just in a different way.

the first time i met her, i thought she was a joke.

it was a couple years back. i’d just started hanging around with the curtis boys and their little crew. didn’t trust any of them yet, not really. but they had my back in a fight, and that was good enough.

y/n was sitting on the couch at their place, holding pony’s arm and telling him to quit squirming while she bandaged him up. he’d taken a tumble during a game of football, and the kid was whining like he’d lost a leg or something.

saw two other kids, looked just like her. the younger boy spoke.

❝im so sorry pony! i didn’t mean too, i’ll do anything to make it up to you!❞

i already don’t like him, why are his glasses so big?

pony, one i was familiar with replied.

❝don’t worry ‘bout it charlie, we were just playing around ... ouch! y/n … that hurts.❞

❝you’re fine, pony,❞ she said, her voice calm but firm. ❝just sit still.❞

i leaned against the doorframe, watching her. she didn’t look like she belonged in a place like this — too clean, too pretty, too … good.

❝who’s this?❞ i asked, jerking my chin toward her.

❝that’s y/n,❞ soda said, grinning. ❝she’s like our guardian angel or something.❞

❝angel, huh?❞ i smirked, crossing my arms. ❝doesn’t look like much to me.❞

y/n glanced up then, her eyes meeting mine. they weren’t soft like i expected. there was steel in them, and it threw me off.

❝and you must be dallas,❞ she said, her voice steady. ❝i’ve heard about you.❞

❝yeah? what’d you hear?❞

❝that you’re trouble.❞

i grinned, stepping closer. ❝and you’re not scared?❞

she smiled back, just a little. ❝should i be?❞

i didn’t know what to say to that, so i just shrugged and walked away. but that was the start of it, i guess. the beginning of whatever this thing is between me and her.

y/n’s different from anyone i’ve ever known. most people take one look at me and decide i’m not worth their time. hell, half the time i don’t blame ‘em. i’m a mess, and i know it.

but not y/n. she sees through all the crap, like she’s got some kind of sixth sense for knowing when someone’s not as tough as they act.

there was this one night, a few months after we met. i’d gotten into a fight with some socs down by the tracks. they jumped me, four against one, and i didn’t exactly come out on top. i managed to drag myself to the curtis house, bloodied and bruised, thinking maybe darry could patch me up.

instead, i found y/n sitting on the porch, reading some book i didn’t recognize.

❝what the hell happened to you?❞ she asked, her eyes going wide when she saw me.

❝just a little disagreement,❞ i muttered, trying to brush past her.

but she wasn’t having it. she grabbed my arm, surprisingly strong for someone so dainty, and pulled me inside.

❝sit,❞ she ordered, pointing to the kitchen table.

i thought about arguing, but something in her voice made me shut up and do as she said. she grabbed a towel and some ice, cleaning me up without a word.

❝you’ve got to stop doing this to yourself, dallas,❞ she said after a while, her voice quiet.

❝doing what?❞ i asked, wincing as she dabbed at a cut on my forehead.

❝acting like you don’t matter,❞ she said, her eyes meeting mine. ❝like it doesn’t matter if you get hurt.❞

i didn’t know what to say to that, so i just looked away.

it’s funny. i’ve been through more fights and close calls than i can count, but the only thing that’s ever really scared me is the thought of losing y/n.

i don’t mean that in a romantic way or anything. it’s just … she’s the only person who’s ever made me feel like i’m worth something. like maybe i’m not as screwed up as i think i am.

she’s always there, no matter what. when i screw up, when i push people away, when i do something stupid that lands me in trouble — y/n’s there, not judging, not lecturing. just … there. in a good way.

there was this one time, not too long ago, when things got really bad. i’d been arrested again, and when i got out, i didn’t want to see anyone. i holed up in my crappy little room, trying to pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist.

but y/n didn’t let me. she showed up one afternoon, knocking on the door until i finally let her in.

❝what do you want?❞ i asked, my voice rough.

❝to check on you,❞ she said simply, stepping inside like she owned the place.

she didn’t say much after that, just sat with me, her presence steady and grounding. after a while, i started talking — about new york, about my parents, about all the crap i never tell anyone.

and she listened. she didn’t try to fix me or tell me everything was going to be okay. she just listened, and somehow, that was enough.

y/n’s the kind of person you don’t expect to find in a place like this. she’s too good for it, too good for any of us, really. but she stays anyway, and i don’t think i’ll ever understand why.

all i know is, i’d do anything to protect her.

© MINA LEIGH 2024 - 2025

. . . prologue darry curtis sodapop curtis ponyboy curtis

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