the outsiders || preferences

darry imagine

id had a crush on the oldest curtis brother for years. could i even call it a crush now since i'm an adult? we graduated years ago, and we've lost touch.

i remember seeing him for the first time. i was a freshman, the only freshman on the varsity cheerleading squad, and he was a sophomore in varsity football. he was built like a body builder, even at 15. i was often mistaken for a senior because i looked older for my age. but every friday night, i always looked for him while standing on the track by the football field. rain or shine, i always was there and cheering the loudest for him. everyone in my friend group knew i liked him, and they told me to go for it. he "had to like me back. i was so effortlessly pretty and kind."

i got my nursing degree at a college in indiana before moving back to tulsa to work in the local hospital. it really felt different being in my home state again after so many years.

___

"22 year old, darrel curtis jr. roofing accident, just 6 stitches needed." the charge nurse told me. the second his name escaped her lips, my heart began to race and my stomach filled with butterflies.

"darry?" i whispered to myself.

"well, look who it is." darry was sitting up on the hospital bed, his hand wrapped in gauze. "y/n."

"darry, how are you?" i asked, slipping the gloves on my hands.

"fine. could be better." he laughed, trying to lighten to mood. he always did that, whenever it was gloomy, he would try and lighten the mood.

"well, luckily you just need a few stitches." i said. "you'll be out of here in no time." i grabbed the small syringe filled with a numbing solution.

"don't need it." he said. "pain don't hurt."

i smirked. same old darry right there. "okay." i smiled, grabbing the needle and thread. i slowly started threading the needle across his skin, closing the wound and stopping the bleeding.

i cleaned up the site and applied fresh gauze over the stitches to make sure they wouldn't snap. i knew darry would go back to work after this, even if he was in pain. "just take some over the counter tylenol or ibuprofen and be back in two weeks to get them removed."

"hey, y/n." he said as he stood up. "would you like to get coffee with me sometime?"

my heart stopped. coffee? with darry? this is the moment i've been dreaming of since high school! i turned to face him, surely my cheeks were red, i nodded and smiled.

"there's a new coffee shop opening up on 34th, you should go with me." he said, handing me the discharge paperwork.

"okay!" i said, happily. internally, i was jumping up and down. i had to keep a professional mindset because i was work, otherwise i probably would've fainted on the spot.

"well, i'll see next wednesday then? my place?" he asked as we walked out the door together.

"yeah." i said, stopping by the emergency department door. "you have a good day, mr curtis." i smirked, keeping my voice as professional as possible.

he gave me a soft smile before walking out the door, his coat in his arm and to his truck. i turned around to return to my work.

"next wednesday, coffee shop." i repeated to myself over and over again. i grinned happily.

coffee.

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