~ Thanatophobia ~ Dallas Winston x Reader

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Stephanie's Pov ||

The sound of footsteps echoed through the Curtis house as the boys filtered in, laughing and joking like they'd just won the world. There were cuts, bruises, and a lot of sweat, but they were grinning like they were invincible. Victory looked good on them. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of them—beaten, bruised, but all still standing tall, their spirits lifted from the fight.

I was sitting on the couch when they came back, Ponyboy the first to crash through the door. He was holding his side with a slight wince, but his eyes were bright. "Hey Steph!" he greeted me cheerfully, though he couldn't hide the scrape along his jaw. "Guess what? We won!"

I grinned at him. "I figured that out on my own, genius." I stood up, grabbing the first aid kit off the counter and getting to work on his face. There was a lot of blood, but nothing too serious. He hissed a little as I cleaned up the cut, but it didn't slow him down.

"Don't worry about me, Steph," he said, making a half-smile. "I'm fine. But Johnny..."

I glanced at Johnny, who was sitting on the couch, his arm wrapped around his ribs and a bruise already forming across his forehead. I walked over to him next, grabbing a rag and dabbing it carefully against the swelling near his eye.

"Thanks, Steph," Johnny said softly, his voice almost too quiet. He was always like that—grateful, but never asking for too much. I couldn't help but feel bad for him. "You're a lifesaver."

"Don't mention it," I said, brushing some hair out of his face as I finished with his cuts. "I'm just glad you guys came out on top."

Steve wandered over, a cocky grin on his face, despite the cuts and bruises that were starting to mark his body. "So, Steph, you ready to clean me up next? I gotta look good for the victory party." He flexed his arm dramatically, and I raised an eyebrow.

"You're lucky you're still standing, Steve," I teased, taking his hand and starting to clean the blood off his knuckles. "You got off easy compared to the rest of these guys."

Steve shrugged, his smile never faltering. "Guess I'm just that good."

"Sure, Steve," I said dryly, finishing with his hand and shoving him toward the kitchen. "You're great."

Darry was fine, looking as calm as ever with only a few minor bruises. He was always so careful during these things—never got too caught up in the mess. He gave me a nod of thanks as he grabbed a drink from the fridge, as well as a beer for Soda to put on his bruised face.

But then came Dally.

Dally strolled into the room, the last one to walk in, his eyes sparkling. He wasn't limping like I thought he might, and there was a noticeable smirk on his face. He had a few cuts here and there, but nothing major. In fact, he seemed to be in better spirits than I'd expected. He locked eyes with me and didn't hesitate.

"Steph," he said, with that trademark smirk of his. "You mind helping me out?"

I raised an eyebrow, the corner of my mouth twitching. "What's up, Dally? You want me to clean you up?"

He nodded, that same smirk curling up on his lips. "Yeah, I figured you'd be the best one for the job. I'm a mess."

"Don't look so surprised. You actually want help?" I teased, holding up the first aid kit like I was ready to go to war.

Dally laughed and walked over, dropping himself casually into the chair in front of me. "I'm a gentleman, you know? I like it when you take care of me."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't stop a grin from spreading across my face. "Oh really? That's rich coming from you."

He leaned back in the chair, winking at me. "You're not complaining, are you?"

"No," I said, carefully cleaning off a cut along his jaw. "But don't think I'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart, Winston. You owe me."

"Yeah, yeah," Dally said with a laugh, his usual cocky attitude still intact. "Whatever you want, princess."

As I worked, I noticed that he was actually being... well, he wasn't being too Dally. His usual cold exterior was cracking a little, just a bit. I cleaned up the blood on his chest, trying not to get distracted by how close we were.

"You know," he said, breaking the silence. "This victory feels good, but it'd feel even better if you'd give me a kiss for good luck."

I blinked, looking up at him with mock disbelief. "You seriously just asked for that?"

"Why not? You've been hanging around me all yesterday. Might as well seal the deal." His grin was downright mischievous now.

I scoffed, smacking him lightly on the shoulder. "You're unbelievable."

But I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head. There was something about his playful charm tonight that was different. Maybe it was the adrenaline from the fight, maybe it was the way he was letting his guard down... either way, Dally was in a rare mood.

I finished cleaning up his cuts, making sure to put extra care on his knuckles. "There. You're all set, Winston," I said, stepping back and looking at him.

He looked down at himself with a dramatic sigh. "Well, I guess I don't look too bad now."

I crossed my arms, giving him a playful smirk. "You're welcome. Try not to mess yourself up again."

"I'll do my best, doll," he replied, winking at me. "But, you know... I'm not promising anything."

And just like that, the Dally I knew was back—cocky, confident, but with something softer underneath. I couldn't help but feel a little lighter myself. Tonight had been crazy, but in the end, we were all here, together, and that was what mattered.