#charlie dalton x overstreet reader

[unhappycylinder]

Sonorous (Charlie Dalton x fem!Overstreet reader)

Word Count: 5.8k

Summary: While dropping your brother off for his 3rd year at Welton, one of his best friends catches your eye.

Warnings: Drinking (you know I had to include Chet’s party), slight violence, kissing

---

“Tradition, Honor, Discipline, Excellence,” the booming voices of hundreds of Welton Academy pupils and alumni rang out through the small chapel. Mr. Nolan stood at the front, aged hands resting on the sides of the lectern, Welton’s crest displayed proudly across the front. This was your third year attending a Welton introduction ceremony, your third year sitting in the uncomfortably ancient pews with your parents while your brother and his peers were welcomed with watchful arms into the halls of America’s finest preparatory school.

Knox had found his seat next to you after leading the ceremony with the banners which represented the four pillars. His suit, which your parents had purchased for him at the beginning of his freshman year at Welton, was now ever so slightly too tight on his young adult frame. The seams squeezed at his shoulders, the leg of the pants threatened to expose the top of his socks as he sat, and the button in the front took just a little more effort to close. Examining your brother it finally hit you that he was growing up, and so were you.

Knox and you had always been close, especially as children before your parents sent him away to Welton, and you to Henley Hall. Now, seeing him all grown up, the body of a man replacing that of the boy you once knew, you realized that your time with him was limited, that your childhood was coming to an end.

Seemingly sensing your anxiety, Knox turned to face you, his eyes meeting yours with a sympathetic gaze.

“You okay, Overstreet?” he whispered, mouth curling up into a smile as he called you by your last name.

“Never been better, Overstreet,” you feigned a smile. Knox merely rolled his eyes, his hair falling in front of his forehead as he turned his attention back to Nolan. You watched him, catching him stop and giggle at something, or rather someone, before he could return his attention to Nolan. Curious, you leaned in front of your brother, tracking his gaze to a boy sitting several rows up from you, turned around with a giddy smile flashing across his face. 

His hair was dark blonde like Knox’s and his cheeks rounded into rosy apples when he smiled, his eyes full of mischief and wonder. As you scanned his face, his eyes dropped from Knox’s to yours, his already rosy cheeks flushing an even deeper crimson. Flashing quickly between you both, you could see it click in his brain that you were Knox’s sister, his eyes widening at the realization. In a move that you would learn was characteristic of the boy, his eyes locked with yours again, giving you a quick wink before turning back around to Nolan.

You blushed…you blushed hard. Knox gave you no reaction, seemingly having shifted his attention back to Nolan before your interaction with the boy concluded. Fixing you hair and settling back into your seat between Knox and your parents, you tried your best to pay attention to the presentation at the altar, your mind refusing to acknowledge anything other than the boy on the other side of the room.

–

“Wonderful service Mr. Nolan,” your father greeted the principal at the door.

“Ah thank you Mr. Overstreet. Knox is one of our brightest, we look forward to another impressive year from him,” he gestured to your brother, who was standing directly behind you.

“Thank you sir,” your father and brother said in unison, eliciting a chuckle from your mother. 

With a nod, the four of you said your goodbyes to Nolan and left the chapel.

“Knox, y/n, we’ll pull the car around so you can grab your things,” your mother said, following your father towards the parking lot just outside of campus.

“Alright we’ll be here,” Knox answered, turning to you.

“Another year at Hell-ton, you must be thrilled,” you teased, bumping your shoulder into your brother’s arm.

“Unimaginably,” he retorted, eyes scanning the fields around the chapel where hundreds of families were hugging their boys’ goodbye.

“Ah,” was all Knox said before shoving his hands in his pockets and walking towards one of the fields.

“Oh?” you asked, beginning to walk behind him, “Okay?”

Your brother turned around to face you as he walked backwards toward a group of men chatting in the field, “my friends. You met Neil last year I’m pretty sure, but I don’t think you’ve met anyone else”

“No I don’t think I have,” you responded, keeping pace with your brother as he turned around and briskly walked toward the group. You were about to speak up before the nasaly voice of one of the men cut through the air

“Knoxious!” You winced at the nickname, chuckling to yourself as you and your brother finally reached the group of boys.

“Dalton,” Knox said, walking through the group to embrace the shorter man who had winked at you earlier. You stood a few steps behind your brother, glancing between the five men. The tallest of them, a rather thin man with hair that stood up in an almost militant fashion, and a shorter ginger man next to him stared at you mouth agape. You broke the tension with a small wave, which the shorter one reciprocated, lifting his hand ever so slightly.

“So this your girlfriend, Knox?” The boy from the chapel asked, sauntering over to you with his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

“Ew Charlie no, that’s my sister,” Knox responded, turning to face his friend who was now mere feet from where you stood.

“Sister, huh? I never would have guessed,” Charlie said, staring you directly in the eyes, “you see she’s good looking and you’re-”

“Alright alright,” Knox said, stepping closer to you two.

“Charlie Dalton,” the boy said, extending a hand to you, making you blush again. This time he absolutely noticed, as a smirk threatened to spread across his face at the sight of it.

You collected yourself, “Y/n Overstreet,” you replied, taking his hand and giving it a firm shake.

“Her handshake is stronger than yours, Knox,” Charlie joked, turning around to face your brother, who was rolling his eyes.

“That’s enough Dalton,” Knox said, stepping towards you and gesturing for you to come closer to the rest of the group. Charlie let go of your hand and turned to face the group with you, his shoulder so close to yours that it threatened to brush against you as your brother introduced you to the rest of the group.

“So thats Neil, who you already know,” Neil offered you a gentle smile and wave, which you returned, “and thats Pitts and Meeks,” he said while pointing to the tall man and the ginger, both of whom still stood with their mouths agape…

“Shape up boys, say hello to the lady,” Charlie quipped, snapping the pair back to reality. They both blushed before timidly waving, turning away to gossip amongst themselves, you couldn’t help but laugh.

Knox pointed to the last boy, a shorter blonde kid who was obviously new to the group, as he avoided talking to any of them, let alone you.

“This is my roommate, Todd Anderson,” Neil chimed in, patting the shoulder of the boy next to him, who looked up briefly before turning away again.

“Anyway fellas, this is my sister Y/n, she goes to Henley”

“Oh good school,” Pitts spoke up with a smile

“Yeah…” you replied awkwardly. Meeks smacked Pitts with his shoulder, making the taller boy wince.

“Pittsie here has never seen a woman before,” Charlie joked, “that’s why he doesn’t know how to talk to them. I on the other hand-”

“No Dalton,” Knox proclaimed, “not my sister, she’s off limits”

You giggled at Knox, “16 years and I’ve never once seen you be protective of me, Knox, what’s gotten into you?”

“Y/n there’s some sort of unspoken rule that your friends are never supposed to flirt with your sister, which Dalton doesn’t seem to be aware of,” Knox replied, locking eyes with his friend who stood against your opposite shoulder

“What, what?” Charlie asked breathily, shrugging his shoulders, “who says there’s any flirting going on here?” He asked before swinging an arm over you, pulling you closer to him.

Pitts and Meeks ooh’d at Charlie, spurring him on. You looked to your right, locking eyes with the boy as he pulled you in closer. Smiling up at him, you giggled as he shot you another wink, sending butterflies through your stomach.

“Charlie I swear to God-” Knox began before he was cut off from a voice behind you.

“Overstreets!” Your father’s brash voice rang out from their parked car no more than 100 feet from you, “Come get your things Knox!”

“You got lucky this time, Dalton,” your brother said, pointing a finger at his friend before marching off towards your parent’s car.

“Its a shame you’re off limits,” Charlie said while removing his arm from you and shoving his hand back in his pocket, “I was gonna say I’d sure like to do this again sometime”

“What, taunt my brother in front of all your friends?” You smirked at him, “who says I wouldn’t want to do the same?”

Charlie smiled at you, nibbling his bottom lip between his teeth. He simply nodded at you as you jogged away after your brother. Cheers from the other boys could be heard from behind you as you ran. Turning around, you caught sight of the four other boys shaking Charlie’s shoulders and teasing him while he just smirked at you, eyes never leaving you as you followed your brother.

–

“So you’re telling me the plan is to sneak into your brother’s party…which is in your own house?” You asked Ginny, turning around from the vanity where you had been applying your makeup.

“Yeah, that’s pretty much it,” Ginny shrugged

“Oh god, Ginny, this is gonna be a night for the books,” you chuckled as you turned back to your friend’s mirror.

“So what about this Charlie boy?” Ginny squeaked, a taunting tone in her voice letting you know she knew of your crush on your brother’s friend

“How do you know anything about Charlie?” you stared at the mirror, it was your best attempt at maintaining a poker face while your best friend interrogated you

“Y/n, last year you hardly ever called Knox when he was at school. And now you guys are on the phone like everyday, and you always ask him how Charlie is. You don’t expect me, your best friend, to wonder who the guy you’re always asking about is?”

“I’m not always asking about him, Ginny, I just thought maybe I should take a greater interest in my brother’s social life…that’s all”

“Oh what a load of bull!”

“Ginny!” You squealed, still looking at the mirror.

“You know I’m right! Cause if I wasn’t, you wouldn’t still be facing away from me trying to hide your blush!” She exclaimed. Embarrassed, you turned around, hands covering your face.

“I don’t know what blush you’re talking about,” the muffled words sounded from behind your hands. Erupting in a fit of laughter, you moved from the vanity seat to the floor where Ginny was sitting, giggling with your best friend as you daydreamed about the boy you had met only once before.

– 

Hey Little Girl was blaring on the speakers in Ginny’s living room; the party was now in full swing and you and Ginny were both fairly certain that nobody would notice if you slipped downstairs to enjoy the antics. As you exited her room and made your way down the stairs into the kitchen, the last thing you expected to see was your very own brother, Knox Overstreet, slumped against the counter taking shots with Chet Danburry’s teammates.

“Shit!” You whispered, flipping around the kitchen wall and turning to Ginny.

“What? What? What is it?”

“Knox is here, did you know he was gonna be here?” 

“Knox?” Ginny asked, leaning in front of you to peek her head around the corner.

“For God’s sake Ginny don’t look!”

Ginny slammed her back against the wall next to you, “damn it really is him!” 

“Why on earth would Chet invite my brother to a party? How does he even know him?”

A lightbulb must have gone off in Ginny’s head, because she turned to you with bright eyes and exclaimed, “he came over for dinner a couple weeks ago! I heard him talking to Chris, uhhh and they seemed to hit it off…so maybe she invited him?”

“Chris? Like Chet’s girlfriend Chris?” You exclaimed. Ginny only nodded, a smirk flashing across her face, “oh Knox!”

Keeping a watchful eye on your brother the entire night, you and Ginny worked your way around the party, flirting with the boys who clung to the walls and chatting with the girls you had known in elementary and middle school. Whenever Chet and Knox were both clear of the kitchen, you would sneak in and snatch drinks for you and Ginny, giggling as if you were the only ones breaking rules that night.

After what felt like hours of mingling, flirting, drinking, and playing the game of avoiding your older brothers, the roar of the party had finally died down and you and your best friend found yourselves propped up on the kitchen counter watching the stragglers mingle in the living room. The football team had congregated around the bar, still taking shots and cheering for Chet whenever he did something mildly average, and the rest of the partygoers were scattered around the coffee table and the many chairs and couches which surrounded it. Your buzz was beginning to wear off as you found yourself scanning the living room for your brother, who you quickly realized you had not checked up on in at least half an hour. Next to you Ginny was nursing a crystal glass of gin, her eyes locked on the ripples it made when she shook the vessel. She was out.

A panic starting to settle in, you turned to the window behind you and peered through the curtains in case your brother had ended up outside somehow. Just as you glanced through the glass you heard commotion behind you.

“...Sander’s brother! And he’s feeling up your girl!” One of the footballers said, drawing your attention to the large group of athletes who now stood facing the couch behind them. Suddenly, Chet launched forward toward the couch, his arms raising as if he was about to punch someone. You launched yourself off the counter, taking a few steps across the kitchen to watch the situation unfold. As Chet began throwing punches at someone next to the couch, you noticed his girlfriend, Chris, sleepily standing up next to him.

“Chet, stop!” She screamed as soon as she was awake enough to realize what was happening. Her screams spurred you to move closer, a decision which would reveal that the victim of Chet’s brutal swings was your very own brother.

“Knox oh my god!” You screamed, jumping over the couch and grabbing onto Chet’s jacket, pulling him off of your brother.

“Chet stop you’ll hurt him!” Chris squealed, grabbing onto her boyfriend’s shoulder as he stood up.

You crouched down to your brother, cradling his head in your hands as you examined his wounds.

“Next time I see you, you die,” Chet threatened, holding onto Chris like she was nothing more than an object.

“Why don’t you fuck off Chet,” you responded, making the men around him chuckle.

“Oh yeah? That the type of man you are, Overstreet? Your little sister’s gotta finish your fights for you?”

“Leave him the hell alone,” you stood up to face him, “and next time, maybe don’t let your girlfriend black out alone on a couch.”

Chet scoffed and led Chris away, her muttering gently apologies to Knox as she walked away.

“Y/n?” Knox questioned faintly, you turned around to join your brother on the ground once again, “What are you doing here? How’d you get here?”

“I’m here with Ginny, Knox,” you lifted up his hair to look at a bruise that was now forming on his temple, your heart breaking for your poor brother, “we’re gonna get you back to Welton okay?”

“Thanks,” he said quietly, “for sticking up for me y’a know, Charlie was right about you,” he slurred his words lightly as his eyes grew tired.

“Charlie?” You questioned, “he was right about what?”

“He won’t shut up about how you probably beat my ass,” he laughed, his eyes now fully closed.

“Charlie…” you wondered out loud.

–

“Welton Academy, hello.” The tired voice of an old man spoke on the other side of the line.

Clearing your throat and shooting a quick glance to Ginny, who was sobering up as she sat next to you in her father’s office. Putting on your most mature voice you responded.

“Good evening sir, I apologize for calling you so late but I was wondering if I could have a word with Mr. Charles Dalton?”

“Ah…Dalton. Well you see its after hours and the boys are all asleep right now…if you call back in the morning–”

“It’s urgent sir,” you feigned seriousness, “I’m his mother you see, and I’m afraid there’s been a um…”

Ginny smiled up at you, shrugging her shoulders.

“An incident, yes, in the family. And um, well, Charles must hear about it immediately.”

“Might I relay the message to him?”

“I’m sorry sir, but it’s quite sensitive and I feel as if I should deliver it myself,” you nodded your head, Ginny bit her hand to prevent her laughter.

The phone laid silent for a few painstaking minutes as you paced around Mr. Danburry’s desk, you and Ginny spiraling over how to get Knox back to Welton without causing a scene.

“Mom?” Charlie’s nasaly voice echoed on the other line, lacking the same sleepy tone as the older man.

“Charlie!” You practically squealed.

“Huh?” Charlie sounded perplexed over the phone, “wait, Y/n?”

“You recognize my voice?” You asked, butterflies filling your stomach.

“Well of course I did, how could I forget the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard,” you could sense his smirk through the phone.

Ginny cleared her throat, turning your attention to her, snapping your awareness back to the issue at hand.

“Oh right, um, Charlie,” your voice grew serious again, “I need your help.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he said seriously, concern growing in his voice, “what’s wrong, what can I do?”

“I’m at the Danburry’s and um Knox is here”

“Okay,” he chuckled, “what’s the problem with that?”

“Well, you see, Chet sorta attacked him and…well…he’s not doing too hot and I don’t know how to get him back to Welton”

“Oh shit,” he squeaked on the other line, “is he doing okay?”

“Yeah I mean Chet beat his ass but-” Ginny grabbed the phone from your hand, “but then Y/n grabbed him by the collar and put him in his damn place,” she practically screamed into the receiver.

“Atta girl, Overstreet!” Charlie cheered for you, making you blush as you returned the phone back to your ear.

“Anyway Charlie, can you help?”

–

“Okay and then just a left up here,” Charlie whispered, groaning as he supported half the weight of your brother. You had decided the best way to get Knox back to his room was to just carry him, you and Charlie each hoisting one of his arms over your shoulders. Knox began to groan as you reached the top of the stairs,

“Knox shhhh,” you said quietly, trying your best not to wake any of the pupils, or God forbid the teachers, who lived in this hall.

Charlie chuckled at you both, turning the corner and gently opening the door to Knox’s room. His roommate was sound asleep in his bed, and you and Charlie made quick work of laying your brother down, removing his shoes and jacket, and tucking him into his bed.

“Sleep good darling,” Charlie joked, placing a gentle kiss on your brother’s forehead. 

You and Charlie exited Knox’s room, closing the door as quietly as you could as you giggled to yourselves.

“Thank you so much,” you whispered

“Yeah, yeah, of course,” Charlie said, stuffing his hands in his pockets, “let me…let me walk you home”

“Oh no its okay, really,” you blushed, “I mean you live right here,” you pointed to his room.

“Y/n you’re crazy if you think I’m letting you walk back to Henley Hall by yourself”

“Charlie I’ll be fine”

“Dead poets honor, I’m walking with you,” he said sternly, taking a step closer to you.

“I don’t know what that means, but yes sir,” you nodded, eyes locking with Charlie’s as you two stood no more than a foot from each other in the dark hall for a secon longer than normal. Charlie’s gaze dropped to your lips, his pupils growing darker as he examined them. Your heart beat picked up, and so did your breathing, as your eyes scanned his face, your mind racing with curiosity.

Just as Charlie’s eyes began to close and his face approached yours, a door handle rattled behind him, snapping you both to attention.

“Shit we gotta go,” Charlie whispered, his hand snaking around your waist to spin you around and usher you around the corner and down the stairs.

Once outside you felt a weight leave your shoulders as you and Charlie heaved a sigh of relief. During your escape his hand had traveled from your waist to your hand, his calloused fingers interlaced with yours. Slumped against a tree outside Welton’s gate, you and the boy giggled as you relived the details of your narrow escape from the all-boys school.

“Come on,” Charlie tugged at your hand, standing up from the tree, “lets get you home.”

You used his hand to help pull you away from the tree. As you began walking he threatened to unlace his fingers from yours, but you strengthened your grip, shooting him a quick glance which rested somewhere between pleading and commanding. Charlie simply responded with a simple smirk and the relaxing of his hand into yours as you walked down the empty road.

“So…” Charlie began, “what were you doing at Chet Danburry’s party?” You could sense a hint of jealousy in his voice.

“Oh you know, flirting with football players, taking shots, playing strip poker…” you joked, Charlie’s eyes widened as his cheeks blushed, you couldn’t help but laugh at him.

“Oh really now?” Charlie quipped back, his hand swinging yours, “I wouldn’t suppose football players would be your type then, would they?”

“Most definitely not Mr. Dalton, how dare you suggest such a thing,” you tauntingly reprimanded him.

“Then what would be your type?” Charlie smirked to himself, your hands now swinging quicker between the two of you.

“Hmmmm let’s see,” you pretended to ponder, “I’m particularly fond of boys who go to a certain private boarding school in Vermont…Welton? You may have heard of it,” you joked.

“Oh yes, very prestigious institution,” Charlie retorted.

“And within that category, I must say I’m rather partial to a Welton man who is funny, outgoing, never follows the dress code, has a reputation as a rule breaker,” you sighed, “definitely someone who would help me carry my idiot of a brother back home after getting his ass kicked. Oh, and absolutely someone who would walk me home after helping said brother home,” you scanned the forest to the side of the road, “and I like light brown hair too”

Charlie stopped walking, his hand ceasing to swing with yours. Before you could even process the confusion, the boy who had occupied every single one of your thoughts for the past month was suddenly directly in front of you, his free hand firmly grasping the side of your face as his lips crashed into yours feverishly. His hand let go of yours and slipped around the back of your waist, pulling you flush against his chest as his tongue worked to part your lips and let him inside. Your heart raced as you kissed him back, closing your eyes and sliding your hands up around his neck. You played with the hair on the back of his head as you pulled him closer to you, deepening the kiss even more. As suddenly as it began, your feverish makeout session with Charlie Dalton ended. 

“I’ve been dreaming about doing that for so long Y/n, you have no idea”

“Trust me Charlie,” you said breathlessly, “I do.”

He pulled you into a tight embrace, placing a sweet kiss to the top of your head.

“We can never tell Knox about this,” he whispered.

“Nope, never,” you said into his shoulder

–

“Good morning sleeping beauty,” Meeks joked as Knox groggily walked into Mr. Keating’s classroom. He was obviously hungover and entirely drained after last night. As he walked by Charlie’s desk in the back corner, his friend grabbed his shirt sleeve and pulled him back.

“Hey, you okay?” Charlie asked him, genuinely worried about the state of one of his best friends.

“My head hurts like a bitch and I have no idea how I got home…but yeah I’m okay,” Knox palpated the scab forming under his hair. 

“Don’t worry your pretty head Knoxious, we made sure you got home safe,” Charlie slapped his friend on the back.

“We? Oh god how many of you guys were there?” Knox sighed, glancing around the room at all his friends, “and how did you know I was there? I snuck out, didn’t tell any of you where I was going”

“This is the first I’m hearing of it,” Neil said without looking up from his books

“I can tell you for certain I was sound asleep in my bed,” Meeks responded

“Me either,” Pitts chimed in,

As Knox’s attention of the group turned to Todd, the final member of the group, Charlie bagan to panic.

As Todd stuttered, Charlie spoke up, “Y/n.”

“Y/n?” Knox looked back at him, confused.

“She called me, man,” Charlie held his hands up innocently, “told me she didn’t know what to do, so I helped her out.”

“Dalton I told you not to mess with my sister,” Knox rubbed his temple.

“We saved your damn life, Knox. She innocently asked for my help, and I’m a gentleman, so I obliged,” Charlie smirked.

“God dammit Charlie, you can’t date my sister,”

“Who said anything about dating?”

“Charlie, she likes you, everybody knows that. But she’s off limits–”

“Take your seats, gentlemen,” Mr. Keating projected as he waltzed into the room, slamming his poetry book down on his desk, turning to face his students, “Mr. Overstreet, Mr. Dalton, everything alright?”

“Yes captain,” both boys said begrudgingly, Knox taking his seat in front of Charlie. 

–

As the Dead Poets walked down the hallway past the main office, Mr. Nolan opened the door abruptly, “boys. I have a call for you.”

“For me?” Knox questioned, pointing to himself, but Nolan was already in the office. Shrugging, all six boys entered the office, crowding around the small phone on Nolan’s desk. Mr. Nolan gave them a knowing look before closing his office door behind them.

“Hello?” Knox asked into the phone.

“Knox?” You questioned, confused as to why your brother and not the boy you asked for was on the other end.

“Y/n?” Knox covered the phone as he turned to the other boys, “its Y/n”

“Yeah we gathered that much,” Meeks retorted

Knox rolled his eyes at him before uncovering the phone, “why are you calling? Is everything okay?”

“Oh yeah no everything’s fine, I was um,” you panicked, not wanting to expose your intentions, “I um just wanted to check in with you….how are you?”

“Check in with me?” Knox questioned, once again glancing around to the boys.

“Here, give it to me,” Charlie muttered, grabbing the phone out of your brother’s hands, “he’s keen…how are you Miss Overstreet?”

You squealed his name over the phone, making Charlie move the phone away from his ear as the other boys all turned their attention to Knox who was fuming.

“Who all is there?” You asked 

“Oh you know, just everybody,” Charlie laughed, blushing as he played with the phone cable

“Dear god, why?”

“Nolan didn’t exactly specify who you were calling for so we uh, we all just filed in…who are you calling for?”

You whispered, not wanting everyone to hear, “you of course, but Knox can’t know that.”

With a nod, Charlie covered the phone, handing it to Knox, “she’s calling for you, wants to know if you think your parents would let her try out for a play”

“A play?” Knox questioned, “Y/n since when have you been into acting?” your brother asked, grabbing the phone from Charlie

“Since um….recently? I don’t know, I figured I should give everything a try in high school. You never know I might have some undiscovered talent” you bluffed.

“Talent, huh? Well I don’t see why you shouldn’t try it. You’re not graduating or anything so you might as well do some non-academic stuff while you can.”

Charlie chuckled at his friend who had taken the bait.

“Yeah yeah, good thinking Knox. Okay well I gotta go, love you, tell everyone bye!” You hung up the phone, leaving Knox standing confused in an office full of all his friends.

“She’s never mentioned acting before…” Knox muttered as Charlie smirked, “what are you looking so smug for, Dalton?”

“What,” Charlie shrugged, smirk growin, “what?”

Knox scoffed as he led the group of boys out of Nolan’s office and back down the hallway.

–

“Why can’t I talk to her, Knox? What’s the harm in that?” Charlie argued with his friend in his room, Cameron seated awkwardly at his desk as the heated exchange continued.

“Because she’s my sister, Charlie! Everyone knows how you are with girls, right Cameron?”

“Not getting involved…” Cameron waved them off, keeping his nose buried in his chemistry book.

“The point, Charlie, is that she’s off limits.”

“Why?” Charlie was pleading at this point.

“Because she’s my sister! How many times do I have to say it?”

“So what? I’m your best friend! And I like her, I really really like her!”

“Come on Charlie you barely know her”

“Yeah but I want to change that, I want to get to know her, I want to know everything about her,” Knox rolled his eyes, “Knox I know I have a reputation with girls, I know, but I’ve never felt like this before. I’ve never really liked a girl like this before…she’s special”

“Yeah, Dalton, she is. And that’s exactly why she’s off limits”

“So it doesn’t matter that she likes me…her feelings don’t factor in at all”

“Of course they do, but as your friend you just can’t date my sister. Its like a rule”

“Says who, Knox?” Charlie was yelling at this point, unbelievably frustrated at his friends stubbornness.

“I don’t know,” Knox scrambled for words, “but its a thing, and you can’t break it!”

“What if I love her,” Charlie said softly

“What if you what?”

“What if I love her?”

“Charlie you don’t know her,” Knox’s tone matched Charlie’s

“The parts of her that I know…I love”

Knox sighed, placing his hands on his hips as he paced around the room. Cameron turned around to watch the interaction, playing with the end of a pencil in his mouth.

“You mean it?” Knox finally asked after what felt like eternity.

“Yeah, Knox, I mean it.” Charlie nodded, heart pounding.

“Okay”

“Okay?” Charlie questioned

“Okay, then, if you love her, tell her. Tell her how you feel and if she feels the same then there’s nothing I can do about that. Love is a whole other thing, Charlie, I can’t get between that.” 

“So-” Charlie began

“But,” Knox interjected, “if you ever hurt her you’re a dead man.”

“I never will, dead poets honor,” Charlie smiled at his best friend.

“Dead poets honor,” Knox nodded, leaving Charlie’s room with a pat on his friend’s back.

“Dalton gets the girl, what’s new?” Cameron scoffed as he turned back to his schoolwork.

Smacking him across the back of his head, Charlie responded “get your head out of your ass, Cameron”

–

“I don’t actually have to try out for a play do I?” You asked innocently, pulling away to search Charlie’s eyes for an answer

“No,” he laughed, holding you close by your waist, “I think Knox has realized that was a cover by now…at least I hope he has”

“He’s a bit of an idiot…kinda stubborn,” you giggled

“You’re telling me,” Charlie laughed as he pulled you closer, resting his head on top of yours.

The two of you stood in a quiet embrace, eyes closed as you inhaled each others’ scent, warmth and endearment filling your body with each breath.

“Y/n I gotta tell you something…” he sighed, anxiety threatening to get in the way of his confession.

“What’s up?” You asked calmly, pulling away to look up at Charlie

“Um,” he began, eyes searching the sky in an attempt to avoid your gaze, “God I know I shouldn’t say this…and I know its way too soon…and I’ve only really seen you a handful of times…”

You nodded, gaze never leaving Charlie as he stared around you and his adam’s apple bobbed up and down.

“But there’s something you need to know, and for the sanity of both myself and your brother, I just need to tell you.”

“Charlie you’re stalling,” you said, growing more anxious as he blabbled

“I love you,” he said with a sigh, closing his eyes as his head craned up to the sky.

“Hey,” you chuckled, your hand traveling up to caress his cheek and pull his gaze down to meet yours, “I love you too”

“You do,” he snapped out of his daze, his facial muscles relaxing as he looked down at you, “really?”

“Really, Charlie. Yeah its soon, and yeah I don’t know everything about you, but the parts I do know I love,” you smiled.

“That’s exactly what I told your brother”

“You talked to Knox about this?”

“It was either I tell him how I really feel or he kills me”

“I’m glad you picked option A”

“Yeah I am too…I was so scared you weren’t gonna feel the same”

“How could I not?” You laughed as you embraced him, his strong arms wrapping around your shoulders as you nuzzled into him.

[got-the-cheese-touch]

medicine

law

business

engineering.

these are all noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life.

but poetry,

beauty,

romance,

love,

these are what we stay alive for.

happy aniversary dead poets society. you make me bawl like a little baby every time.

[sustiawan-author]

I find it FUNNY how the boys in Dead Poets Society presumably (and so have been depicted) have not seen or interacted with the opposite sex properly before that the mere thought of talking to one gets them gaping and closing their mouths like a bunch of goldfishes.

Like hello?? Pull yourselves together

[readbyred]

may i request how the dps boys would react to realising they have a severe crush on a, preferably shy, reader! tysm <\3

Oh, I've been waiting for dps requests! Sorry for my late replies everybody, I got demotivated again because tumblr deleted a few of my x reader posts (and a few others). But I'll try to not let that happen again if I can even help it

I think Knox would have such a silly time trying to approach you. Because we all know he’s awkward, but determined at best and, well… pushy at worst. I'm trying to go with the version I saw in a play, because thankfully they cut out the party scene which means he’s still delightfully insufferable but not awful. Anyways, he would jump on every occasion to talk to you. And then just. Stand there. He’d try to give you flowers and poems, everything really. But he loses brain cells every time he’s around you. At least you’re both equally stressed about social interactions. He gets a little braver when you give him a smile or any other sign you like him. Not less awkward, but a bit more motivated to go for it. His main problem is that he can't read you well and despite being big on feelings and all, he still has a hard time actually talking to you. Clumsily, he showers you with over the top things, that most would find cringey but you think of as endearing. And if he thinks there's a chance he’ll lose you, he’ll confess right away. I think he is brave and pretty open about feelings. Just stressed out

With Neil, it's not an issue at all that you're shy. He’s more so taken aback by his own strong feelings. Because he wasn't expecting to fall this hard. But give him like five work days to process and he’ll be all in. I feel like he would take his time to confess but he’d make it known that he cares about you. He’d be checking up on you every time he can, bringing you coffee, asking to practice lines together, go to the movies in town. Even before you two start dating you just wake up and half of his sweatshirts are in your drawer (he likes to borrow you his clothes if you’re cold) and your desk is littered with poems he shared with you. He’s a gentle lover, but he knows what he wants and when the time is right Neil has no problem confessing

It's much funnier with Cameron because this boy is in panic mode 24/7. At first he legit thought he was sick because he always felt dizzy and distracted around you. And he’s a traditionalist. Everything has to be perfect when you’re around. Like he beats himself up about every little mistake he made around you. But also makes a point to treat you RIGHT. If you’re shy he might not know how to approach you at first, because he’s not sure if you’re even interested. And how to make you like him. After much teasing (mainly from Charlie, of course) he gets fed up with his friends and decides to make a move. It might not be the most romantic when he does, but it's sweet and genuine

Another one that would take time to confess is Meeks. He’s pretty quick to accept that he’s crushing on you. He’s like, yeah obviously they are amazing, now what do I do with that? He tries to give you things. Small things. Like maybe he could borrow you a book that you’ve wanted to read for a long time of buy you a coffee/tea if you’re out in the town. He doesn't explicitly say that he liked you but it's easy to tell and he’s not one to be shy about it either. So when you guys do get together, you already know his more… romantic side

On the contrary, Charlie takes time to process his feelings. He had crushes before, but real feelings (strong ones at that) aren't the norm for him. Sometimes he catches himself losing his cool around you and it messes with him so bad. He would probably ask Knox for advice. Which is a bad move. But he figures that at least his friend is more familiar with having those sorts of feelings. Nothing much comes of it because I can't imagine Knox giving him any good advice on the subject, but after he was able to talk about liking you, he decides to just go for it. Well, in small steps. Primarily because he’s just not an intense guy, but also because he’s surprisingly mature when it comes to respecting your levels of comfort. Doesn't mean it gets boring though, it's Charlie we’re talking about. Once you get together there's not a one dull moment with him by your side

With Todd, it might be difficult at first. He’s overwhelmed by fis feelings and has a tendency to talk himself out of making any sorts of moves. Why would you like somebody like him? He tells himself he doesn't have a chance, surely. It only confirms his suspicions when you don't take initiative. It's only after he’s been moping around for a few days that Neil approaches him about it and proceeds to give him shit for not doing anything to let you know his feelings. He’s like, bro, so you care about them so much that you’d rather not have them in your life because you want them in your life so much??? Make it make sense. So with Neil's encouragement, he tries to at least talk to you and see where it goes from there. Still shocked when you end up returning his feelings. You’re in his poems now, even if it's not very obvious (he's not as straightforward as Knox, so it's not ‘i love (yn) and I want them to be mine’ kind of deal). This is the only one where I'm sure you might have to make some sort of a move. Todd’s like a spider - he’s more scared than you are and if he could, he would just silently hang out in the corner of the room you’re in. But he gets a little braver after he starts feeling more secure

Lastly, Pitts is not as bad as Todd, but still takes his time. He’s comfortable with liking you and he knows what he likes, but he’s not in any rush to make things official. So any time he has any chance to talk to you, he does and just wants to see how things go from there. He jokes around with you, asks to come study together, tries to be close. He does care, just in a more chill way than some of the other poets would. If you two have been talking for some time, he would have no problem asking you to go out with him, doesn't make you feel pressured or anything. If the others are cool with it he will do his best to have you come to their meetings at night as well. So you do not only get an awesome boyfriend out of it, but also a great friend group

[iamgonnagetyouback]

𝟷𝚔 || 𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐀𝐘

♡ ︎ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: Just another normal day with the boys.

♡ ︎ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ: None

♡ ︎ꜱʜɪᴘ: Dead poets society x Reader

You’re late to breakfast again, because, let’s be honest, getting up at the crack of dawn isn’t your idea of fun. Neil is already waiting outside your dorm, practically bouncing on his heels.

"You're going to make us late for chemistry," he says, grinning, but you know he doesn’t care. He’s more excited about rehearsals later.

"Please, it’s just chemistry. What’s the worst that could happen?"

Cue Meeks walking by, fiddling with some kind of strange contraption made of wires and gears. “The worst? You could accidentally discover a chemical that wipes out our entire dorm.”

You blink. “…Is that what you’re working on?”

"He's not wrong," Pitts chimes in, balancing a stack of textbooks. “I’m still not sure what we made in class last week. Meeks said it was a radio, but—”

"It was a radio!" Meeks interrupts, offended. “We just… haven’t found a signal yet.”

Charlie greets you all with a dramatic bow at the dining hall entrance, smirking as always. “Ah, if it isn’t my favorite lady. Come, join me for breakfast. I saved you a seat next to yours truly.”

You roll your eyes but take the seat, because let’s face it—arguing with Charlie Dalton is both pointless and highly amusing.

Todd’s already there, quietly poking at his scrambled eggs like they might come alive and attack him. He looks up, glancing at you, then quickly averts his eyes.

“Good morning, Todd,” you say, leaning a little closer just to see if he’ll blush.

He does. "Uh, g-good morning."

Neil slaps him on the back a little too enthusiastically. “Relax, Todd! She’s not going to bite.”

Charlie, leaning back with an exaggerated sigh, stretches an arm across the back of your chair. “Although, she does seem like the type, doesn’t she? A real heartbreaker.”

Neil elbows him before you can respond. “Careful, Dalton, she might take that as a challenge.”

Across the table, Knox is staring wistfully into space, most likely daydreaming about Chris—again. He hasn't touched his food, too busy scribbling something in his notebook, probably a love letter.

“You’re still writing those?” you ask, raising an eyebrow.

“I think she’ll appreciate the poetry,” Knox says dreamily. “I’ve just got to find the right words. Something that’ll really speak to her soul.”

“Yeah, you and every other lovesick poet in history.” Charlie says, leaning in way too close to you with that smirk. “You know, I could write a love letter… right now… addressed to you.”

“I could throw a book at you right now,” you fire back, raising your diary threateningly. He raises his hands in surrender, but not before tossing in another playful wink.

Todd's buried in a book, his foot tapping nervously under the desk. You nudge him, trying to bring him back to reality. “Relax, Todd, it's just a pop quiz. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Todd looks at you with wide eyes, whispering, “Uh… failing? Public humiliation? Charlie staging a protest because we’re being ‘oppressed by academia’?”

You grin. “I’m surprised Charlie hasn’t done that already.”

Across the room, Pitts and Meeks are still quietly tinkering with the radio, muttering about antenna lengths and frequency adjustments. “Try 89.5,” Pitts suggests.

Meeks sighs. “We’ve tried 89.5 like six times, Pitts.”

Charlie overhears, leaning back in his chair. “Maybe it’s not the signal you’re missing. Maybe the universe just doesn’t want you to hear it.”

You roll your eyes at the dramatics. “Or maybe you two just need to admit your invention is a little cursed.”

Mr. Keating’s class is the highlight, as usual. Today, he’s making everyone stand on their desks to recite poetry.

“Well done!” he says, clapping. “That’s the spirit, seize the day!”

Charlie gets up next and, of course, winks at you mid-recitation. "What is life, if not the pursuit of—”

“Dalton, sit down before you fall,” Keating interrupts, though he’s clearly holding back a smile.

"Today," Keating says with a gleam in his eye, "we’ll be looking at life through a different lens."

Neil nudges you, whispering, "This is gonna be good."

Charlie, lounging in the back, raises his hand. "Mr. Keating, does that lens involve skipping the rest of class for some fresh air?"

Keating grins, not missing a beat. "Now, Nuwanda, where’s the fun in that? We’ve got poetry to read, minds to bend."

Knox is still writing furiously in his notebook, glancing up every so often to see if anyone’s noticed. "Do you think Chris likes daisies? Maybe roses? What if she’s allergic? Should I ask her?"

Neil glances over. "Knox, you haven’t even spoken to her yet."

Todd, beside you, whispers, "Maybe he should just… say hi?"

"You’re all missing the point!" Charlie exclaims, dramatically flinging his arms. "The real romance is right in front of you!" He points to you, leaning in like he’s about to make a grand declaration.

"Charlie, if you flirt with me one more time—"

"You’ll fall in love with me?"

"Absolutely not."

By the time the day winds down, Pitts and Meeks are still muttering over their radio. "Maybe if we try it with a wire hanger," Pitts suggests, looking deeply contemplative. "I swear I heard a sound earlier."

“I think we need to recalibrate the frequency,” Meeks mutters, twisting a knob.

“You’ve been recalibrating the frequency for three days,” you point out, biting into an apple.

“It’s all about persistence,” Pitts says with a determined nod.

“Or delusion,” Charlie adds, stealing your apple out of your hand and taking a huge bite, just to annoy you.

Afternoon rolls around, and you’re barely keeping up in Latin class, but Neil’s right beside you, scribbling notes like a machine. He gives you a reassuring smile, as if to say, You’ll get it. You won’t, but it’s sweet that he believes in you anyway.

After classes, you all meet by the cave for a Dead Poets meeting, the air filled with the smell of damp earth. Charlie’s reciting some scandalous poem he found, Knox is asking for feedback on his latest love letter, and Todd’s nervously glancing at the fire, probably worried it’s going to get out of control. Neil reads Shakespeare with such passion that you’re half convinced he’s going to run off to join a theater company by the end of the week.

By the time the sun sets, you’re all laughing, a little too loud for the quiet woods around you, but who cares? It feels like, for a moment, the whole world belongs to you and this crazy group of boys.

As you head back to the dorms, Charlie walks beside you, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “So… you coming to watch me play tonight? I’m thinking of dedicating my next solo to someone very special.”

You laugh, pushing him away. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Dalton.”

He leans closer, voice low. “You can deny it all you want, but we both know you’re just here for my charm.”

“You wish,” you say, shaking your head, but smiling anyway.

Todd trails behind, stammering about needing to study for tomorrow's exam, while Neil drags him back to the group, promising they’ll make time for both. Knox, lost in thought about Chris, sighs dreamily. Pitts and Meeks are still discussing their radio, determined that one day, it will pick up a signal.

As everyone heads back to their rooms, Neil gives you a tired smile. "Another day survived."

You laugh. "Barely."

Todd lingers awkwardly, giving you a shy wave before scurrying off, while Charlie blows you a kiss. "Until tomorrow, my muse."

thank you so much for the request @march32nd!! i loved writing this one 💕

[masivechaos]

truth or dare!

── ☆ neil perry x gn! reader

Request: yes / no

Synopsis: neil asks you to go to a dead poets society meeting with him but a game reveals secrets...

Warning/content: little mention of drinking, my english

a.n.: 1k words-

masterlist / dead poets society masterlist / navigation / taglist

── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.───･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.──

When Neil asked you to join his friends for the night, you didn’t think of this. You had met him during a theatre rehearsal and quickly got along. And tonight you were finally meeting his friends.

You thought of a party or something, not a… meeting in a cave?

You weren’t complaining though, his friends were sweet and the mood was light and fun. The boys read poems and Neil insisted that you had to read one, too. So you grabbed the copy in his hands and browsed through the pages before finally picking one.

“So… I just read it?” you asked, not really knowing if anything else was needed to do.

Neil offered you an encouraging smile, “Yeah,” he said “Just go for it.”

You cleared your throat “Shapes and Signs,” you announced, eyes darting in the room to watch everyone’s reaction.

“I see black dragons mount the sky,

I see earth yawn beneath my feet —

I feel within the asp, the worm

That will not sleep and cannot die,

Fair though may show the winding-sheet!”

You finished reading the poem and the boys clapped and cheered “See? Wasn’t so bad” Neil grinned.

“Neil’s new friend’s a real poet,” Charlie teased and you rolled your eyes.

You watched, amused, as the whole group started to talk and tease each other. This went on for a little while until Charlie got up. The bottle of alcohol you had brought (which was already open because you stole it from your parents) was empty and in his hands.

“Now… We’re going to do something a little different…”

You all looked at him, intrigued “What?” Knox asked.

Charlie placed the bottle in the centre of the circle the whole group formed, “Truth or dare,” he grinned. You could hear some of the boys groaning in annoyance or whining but Neil chuckled by your side.

Charlie spun the bottle, it landed on Todd. “Truth or dare?” Charlie asked with a smirk

“Uhm… truth,” Todd mumbled.

“Have you had your first kiss yet?” Todd’s cheek turned red, and he shook his head “Alright, alright,” Charlie chuckled. Todd spun the bottle and the game kept going.

After a few rounds and weird imitations, the bottle landed on you. It had landed on Charlie the turn before so he was the one asking “Truth or dare?” he asked mischievously.

You thought about it for a moment, most had chosen truth and you wanted to play “Dare”

Charlie smirked and his eyes flickered quickly to Neil before finding you again “I dare you… to kiss the hottest person in the room.”

You stared at him without saying anything, your lips slightly parted and your cheeks warm. You heard the boys whispering and a ‘oooh’ from Meeks. “Uhm… alright,” you said.

You took a deep breath and turned to your left so you could face Neil. You slowly leaned in and pressed your mouth to his. The cave was now filled with cheers and ‘wooh ooh” from the boys. It was nice kissing him, his lips were soft and smooth and you didn’t really want to stop.

 Neil’s cheeks were red when you pulled away– a second too late to pretend you didn’t like it. You looked away, breath heavy, you were still flustered and so was he.

After a minute, the noise calmed down and they went back to playing. But you couldn’t look at Neil anymore, too shy now. Eventually, it got late. The cave wasn’t really far from Welton but you still had to bike home after reaching their school. “I might have to go now,” you announced.

Everyone said goodbye and you put a foot outside, turning your torchlight on. As you started to walk you felt a hand on your shoulder “Wait-”

It was Neil, with his soft smile you wished you could kiss again “I can walk you back so you don’t get lost,” he said as he walked by your side.

“O-oh,” you smiled “Okay.”

You both were silent the entire time, both of your mind preoccupied by the kiss. It was supposed to be a simple, meaningless kiss. But no, you wanted more.

When you reached Welton, your bike waiting against a wall, you turned around “Well… I guess that’s where we split up,” you said.

“I guess, yeah,” he smiled. He watched you as you got on your bike. He had to say something before you left. “Hey I just…”

You glanced at him, head tilted, you waited for him to say more. Even in the faint light from the torchlight you could still see the crimson shade of his cheeks.

He let out a long exhale “For earlier. I mean… the kiss. You… You really thought I was the hottest guy in the cave?”

You chuckled, not expecting this “Well yeah of course, Neil”

Neil’s smile widened “Okay, good.” You could see he was a little nervous “Maybe I’m reading things wrong but… I… I think to me the kiss meant more than just a truth or dare. I mean… I like you and yeah…”

Your heart was about to explode. No way. “I… really?”

“Yes,” he smiled “really.”

You grinned “Well… I like you, too,” you said “And I guess… I kinda want to kiss you again.”

Neil stepped closer “You do?”

“Mmh hmm,” you smiled, you leaned in and your lips brushed his.

You kissed again, but this time it was just the two of you, no cheers for anyone, no boys to watch you amused. You rested your hand on his cheek as you slowly deepened the kiss. His hand got tangled in your hair.

“I could definitely get used to this. Yeah we should do it again,” he said when he pulled away

Your lips tugged into a smirk “Is that a truth or a dare?”

“Both,” he said before kissing you again.

── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.───･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.──

⋆ ★ neil perry taglist: @cauliflowertree @moonlitmeeks @toindeedbeag0d @meredarling @juneberrie @mystic-writings @natashxromanovf @goodoldfashionedluvergirl @spookydarkwitch @duxpuella @imshiningjustforyou @vancitycharlie @venussflytraps @diorgirl444 @dori-and-gray @maddipoof @starlit-epiphany

[augiewrites]

"secret admirer" - dead poets society

summary: y/n receives yet another profession of love under their door—too bad the hallway is always empty when they open the door

pairing: anonymous!dead poet x gender neutral reader

word count: 591

i am back two years and one english degree later to write a fic that no one asked for! now that's what i call self care!

part two

Winter proved the student body of Welton wrong when they thought the school couldn't get any more dull. The cold can be cruel like that.

Just like the winter stripped the North of all life, Welton stripped it's students of all identity. In a place where boot licking is the norm and conformity is the goal—Y/N's only retreat was the 200 square foot box they called home for ten months of the year. The only place anyone in Welton was allowed to be themself.

That was exactly where Y/N and their roommate—Quinn—found themselves on a particularly cold Sunday morning.

Y/N sighed and looked from their homework over to Quinn, who had yet to get out of bed, "Do you know that guy that's like...scary good at latin? What's his name? Minks?"

"Hmm," Quinn hummed, wrapping the blanket closer to their body, "the ginger kid? Always hanging out with that tall dude?"

"Yeah, him," a pause and yet another sigh from Y/N, "I think I need a tutor if I want to keep an A this semester. I—"

Suddenly an envelope skidded under the door and across the floor. Rapid footsteps followed soon after and Y/N could hear a door slamming further down the wing.

Quinn rolled their eyes, "God. Not another one."

Y/N just shot them a look and picked up the envelope—one of many addressed to them and left unsigned.

"You wouldn't be rolling your eyes if you were the one with a secret admirer."

"You wouldn't be rolling your eyes if you were the one with a secret admirer mehmheh blah," Quinn mocked in a high tone, "Yeah. If they were for me, they'd be romantic. For you? Prepare to be murdered."

"Shut up."

Y/N opened the letter and dove in. Their heart was beating much faster than they would like to admit.

Lovely Y/N,

She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that’s best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes; Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

I couldn't help but think of you when Keating had us reciting Lord Byron's work last week. The sun was so bright for a dreary winter day, and the rays illuminating from the window painted an image of heaven around your silhouette. You looked so lovely, I could barely register Byron's words.

I would happily go toward the light if I knew you were waiting for me within it.

Sincerely,

Yours.

Y/N could feel Quinn's eyes on them as their cheeks burst into a rosy flame.

"He's in my English class."

Quinn gasped, "Finally! We have a lead!"

"Quinn, I really don't want to play detective on this...what if I think it's the wrong person and make a fool of myself? I think I would have to drop out. Die, even."

But Quinn kept rambling on, completely ignoring their roommate's apprehension, "it's too bad I'm not smart enough for AP English—I would for sure be able to catch that creep staring you down. You're so oblivious. He could be telling you all these things to your face and you would doubt that he's into you."

"I'm not that oblivious, Quinn."

"Oh, please," Quinn exclaimed, "you're so romantically challenged! This guy has been right under your nose and you don't have a single clue!"

Y/N scoffed and returned to their homework.

"Whatever you say, Quinn. We're just going to have to wait and see."

~~~

a/n: who could it possibly be?? 🤯

part two

[redsummermoon]

Pretend?

Charlie Dalton x reader CW: female reader, use of Y/N, making out, Knox and Chris, slight underage drinking [2.7k words]

“You guys gotta help me! It’s an emergency!” Knox burst into Charlie’s dorm room, breathless and frantic. He barely noticed the way Charlie and Y/N were laughing over some inside joke, their textbooks abandoned on the desk. He knew Y/N would be there; she always was.

Charlie looked up, his eyes narrowing with a mix of curiosity and concern. “Whoa, slow down, Overstreet. What’s the crisis?”

Y/N’s smile faded into a slight frown as she turned to Knox. “What happened, Knox? Are you okay?”

Knox took a deep breath, knowing this was a long shot but feeling like he had no other choice. “I need you two to fake date each other,” he said in one breath.

Y/N blinked, her frown deepening as she tried to process what Knox had just said. “Wait, what?”

Knox pressed on before he could lose his nerve. “Chris thinks we have something going on. You know how we flirted at one of her parties so I could make her jealous? Well now she thinks you and I are a thing, Y/N, and I need her to know that we’re not. Because you’re with someone else.” Knox took a breath. “I don’t care if it's Charlie you fake date. Hell, I can ask Cameron if you want.”

Y/N gasped at the thought of even fake dating Cameron, “Do you really think so low of me?”

Charlie raised his eyebrows, curious to see how Knox could get out of the grave he's digging for himself. 

“No, I don’t. I promise,” Knox whined. “I’m just a guy in love making stupid decisions. So please, help me out, would you?”

Y/N opened her mouth to tell him he’s out of his mind, but before she could get a word out, Charlie’s lips curled into a mischievous grin. “You know what? We’ll do it,” he said, cutting her off, his tone filled with a teasing edge. He shot Y/N a wink, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

Y/N’s initial shock faded as she caught on to Charlie’s playful mood. A slow grin (and a lot of blush) spread across her face as she realized this could be a lot more fun than she’d initially thought. “Alright, yeah,” she agreed, turning to Knox with a smile. “We’ll help you out.”

Knox’s shoulders slumped in relief. “You two are the best,” he said, though he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something he was missing in this whole arrangement.

“Not so fast,” Charlie said. “Our fake relationship comes with a price.” 

And there it was, Knox thought, the missing piece. “Alright, what?”

“We each get a request. Only fair because this is Y/N’s second time helping your sorry ass out,” Charlie said.

Knox looked at his shoes, as if contemplating, however everyone knew he would do anything for a chance that Chris even looks at him. “Fine, but you have to decide now what you want.”

Y/N and Charlie looked at eachother and high fived. “Score!” Y/N cheered. 

“Alright, I want folded laundry for a month,” Charlie requested. 

“A week,” Knox retorted.

“Two weeks and I’ll give you a pick-up line pep talk.” Charlie shot a wink towards Y/N. “Angels should be in heaven. How'd you escape?”

Y/N giggled and put her head in her hands to stop them from seeing her face blush. It wasn’t even that good of a line, but it was Charlie delivering it. 

This got Knox to reply quickly. “Deal. And for you?” 

“Hmm. Twenty dollars so Charlie can take me out,” she responds. 

“Done and done.” 

Charlie pauses to argue, “Hey wait, how come you didn’t negotiate with her? Twenty bucks for one date? That’s so much!”

“Can it Charlie, he already agreed,” Y/N hushed. “And aren’t I worth an expensive date?”

“You know that's not what I meant,” Charlie pleaded.

“She’s worth more than you and has helped me out multiple times,” Knox explained.

“Fair enough,” Charlie shrugs. “Okay, so. How is this gonna work?”

“Well…” Knox starts. 

The plan was simple: Knox and Y/N were both invited to one of Chris’s parties as usual, and this time, they invited Charlie to tag along. The idea was that Chris would see Y/N with Charlie and realize Knox was available, and maybe, just maybe, Chris would stop thinking there was something going on between Knox and Y/N and then make a move on Knox.

The night of the party, Knox was a nervous wreck. Charlie tried to help calm his nerves when he gave his Flirting 101 Pep Talk, but Knox still felt a knot in his stomach as they arrived at Chris’s place, a large, bustling house filled with students and the sound of music booming from the speakers. Y/N and Charlie walked in together, Charlie's arm slung casually over Y/N's shoulder, their smiles easy and relaxed. Knox followed close behind, trying to keep his cool.

Chris greeted them at the door with a smile, but her eyes quickly darted to Y/N and Charlie’s closeness, then finally to Knox.

“Hey guys. Come on in,” Chris welcomed the group. For a moment, her face hardened with suspicion, looking mildly uncomfortable. 

“Chris, hi!” Y/N called. She moved to give Chris a hug, but Chris deflected, moving to let them all inside.

“Well you all know where the drinks are. See you around.” Chris ran off into the party, leaving the three friends in the foyer of Chris’s massive house. 

“What did you do, Overstreet?” Charlie asked, turning to Knox. 

“What do you mean, me?” Knox said with his hands up. “It was obviously Y/N she’s mad at.” 

“Yeah, I didn’t like that at all. We were really starting to be close friends too.” Y/N hugged herself, feeling shame for something she didn’t understand. 

“Hey, we’ll figure it out.” Charlie reached out to rub Y/N’s arms. “It’ll be okay, angel.”

“Let’s just get to the party to carry out Knox’s plan.” 

“Right, let's loosen up.”

As they made their way through the crowd, Y/N and Charlie naturally gravitated toward each other, their banter flowing easily as they exchanged inside jokes. Knox couldn’t help but notice how well they got along. Better than most fake couples he’d ever seen (which was zero). They sat down on a couch in the corner of the room, and Knox awkwardly squeezed in between them. 

Chris hovered nearby, her eyes darting between Knox and Y/N before she excused herself to grab drinks. Y/N and Charlie, noticing this, looked at each other and then at Knox’s sad face. 

“You know what, Y/N and I will get us something to drink,” Charlie said, standing up. He offered Y/N his hand, which she accepted.

“Yeah, you just.. save us this spot, okay?” Y/N offered. 

They received a groan in response, so they made their way to the make-shift bar. 

Charlie got to the bar first and started grabbing multiple different bottles and cups at once. 

“Careful with that, Dalton,” Y/N teased as Charlie attempted to pour them both a drink. “You might spill it all over yourself.”

Charlie smirked, deliberately overfilling his cup. “Maybe I just need someone to clean me up,” he quipped, leaning a little closer.

Y/N laughed, shaking her head as she reached for her drink. “You’re impossible.”

“And yet, you’re still here,” Charlie shot back, his tone light but his gaze intense. He brushed a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering a moment longer than necessary.

Y/N’s heart skipped a beat, and she playfully nudged him. “Don’t get too full of yourself, Dalton.”

Just as Charlie was about to retort, Chris appeared beside them, her expression unreadable. “Hey, Y/N, can I talk to you for a second?”

Y/N glanced at Charlie, who gave her a small, encouraging nod, before turning back to Chris. “Sure, what’s up?”

Chris crossed her arms, her voice edged with frustration. “It’s not fair, you know. How you’re treating Knox. Last party, you two were all over each other, and now you’re with Charlie? What’s going on?”

Y/N sighed, realizing how things might have looked from the outside. “Chris, it was just for fun. There’s nothing between Knox and me. We were just trying to have a good time. I’m with Charlie now.”

Chris looked between Y/N and Charlie, processing this new information. “So, Knox is single?”

Y/N nodded, trying to keep her voice gentle. “Yeah, he is. I didn’t mean to lead him on or anything. He’s just a friend.”

Chris’s shoulders relaxed slightly as if a weight had been lifted. “Okay. I just.. I wanted to look out for him, you know?”

Y/N offered her a reassuring smile. “I get it. But seriously, there’s nothing going on with Knox and me.” Chris looked down, bashfully. “If you like him, you should talk to him.”

Chris nodded thoughtfully. “We’ll see. Thanks, Y/N.”

Chris left quickly, leaving the two of them to watch her go. 

“Do you think that solved it?” Charlie asked.

Y/N kept her eyes on Chris. “Well, she’s heading upstairs instead of to Knox or at least the party.”

“I don’t know if that's a good sign or not.” Charlie rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m starting to think that Knox’s plan isn’t going to work.”

“Well, I don’t want to upset Knox, so I think we should stick to our plan and be by his side in case things go sideways for him.” Y/N picked up her drink and took a sip. “Here, get him a drink and we’ll go back.” 

“Yes ma’am,” Charlie saluted and grabbed a beer for himself and a mixed drink for Knox. They both made their way back to where Knox was seated.

“Here you go,” Charlie said, putting a drink in Knox’s hand. “Made your favorite.”

Charlie sat down next to Knox, and instead of Y/N sitting on Knox’s other side, she sat on Charlie’s lap.

“Oh, hello.” A smile spread across Charlie’s face as he situated himself for Y/N. She sent a smirk back. 

Knox leaned in toward the two of them, lowering his voice so no one else could hear. “It’s not working,” he hissed. “She’s still ignoring me.”

Charlie rolled his eyes, an exasperated sigh escaping his lips. “Knox, you can’t think it's that easy. Even if she knows Y/N and I are together, she might want to take her time with you. Relationships aren’t that simple.”

Knox frowned, his frustration bubbling to the surface. “Then what do you suggest? Because it looks like you’re just sitting there talking, and she’s still convinced Y/N and I are a thing!”

Y/N, who had just about enough of Knox’s bullshit and bad flirting ideas, finally spoke up, her voice tinged with irritation. “Maybe the problem isn’t us, Knox. Maybe you just don’t know how to talk to her.”

Knox opened his mouth to protest, but Y/N wasn’t finished. She turned to Charlie with a determined glint in her eye. “You want to see what a real relationship looks like?”

Before Knox could respond, Y/N leaned in close to Charlie, her hand gently cupping his cheek as she whispered, “Let’s give him something to believe in.”

Charlie’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, but a slow, confident grin spread across his face as he caught on to what Y/N was planning. “As you wish,” he murmured, his voice low and playful.

Without another word, Y/N closed the distance between them, her lips meeting Charlie’s in a kiss that was anything but fake. It was slow and deliberate, filled with an intensity that took both of them by surprise. Charlie responded immediately, his arms wrapping around her waist as he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. They could feel the electricity between them, a chemistry that neither had fully acknowledged until now.

Knox stared at them in shock, his jaw dropping as he watched his friends completely lose themselves in the moment. He could barely comprehend what he was seeing. Their kiss was so convincing, so real, that he almost believed they were a couple.

As the kiss stretched on, Chris reappeared with slightly more makeup on and a new shirt, her eyes widening as she took in the sight of Y/N and Charlie locked in a passionate embrace. She turned to Knox, her expression a mix of confusion and curiosity. “Knox, can we talk for a minute?” she asked, her voice soft.

Knox snapped out of his stupor, nodding quickly as he stood up. “Uh, yeah, sure,” he said, casting one last glance at the kissing couple before taking out a twenty dollar bill and leaving it on the table nearby. 

“Let’s leave those two lovebirds alone,” Chris said with a small smile, taking Knox by the hand and leading him away.

Once Chris and Knox were out of sight, Y/N and Charlie finally pulled apart, their breathing heavy, their faces flushed. They looked at each other for a moment, a mixture of surprise and amusement dancing in their eyes. And then, simultaneously, they both burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the room.

“That was..” Y/N started, but she couldn’t stop giggling long enough to finish her sentence.

“Amazing?” Charlie offered, his grin wide and unrestrained.

Y/N nodded. “Yeah, amazing.”

Little did Knox know, Y/N and Charlie had been secretly dating the entire time. Their relationship had started out quietly, both of them preferring to keep things low-key, but tonight had changed everything. There was no fooling anyone about their status anymore, not after that kiss.

“So, what now?” Y/N asked, her voice softening as the laughter died down.

Charlie leaned in closer, his forehead resting gently against hers. “Now, we stop pretending,” he said, his voice tender but firm. “No more hiding. No more fake relationships. Just us.”

Y/N smiled, her heart swelling with happiness as she nodded. “Just us.”

“So how about I take my best girl out on a date she deserves,” Charlie says, picking up the twenty dollars as Y/N’s reward. 

Y/N laughed, “I don’t know, Charlie. Someone told me that was too much for a date.”

“Yeah, well, that was before the hottest make out of his life.” Charlie winked and stood up. “I think my baby could use some pampering.”

“Well if you insist.”

Charlie bent over and picked up Y/N as she squealed in excitement. He gave her a quick kiss before starting to make his way through the party to leave. 

“Well, I’m glad to be out of a fake relationship and into a real one. With the same person, if I might add. Gets a little confusing, don’t you think?” They were approaching the front door and finally getting outside. 

“I think I��m more happy to be done flirting with Knox,” Y/N shuttered. “Do you think your pickup lines helped him at all?”

Charlie stopped walking and stared straight ahead. “Well, either that or you talked some sense into Chris to finally talk to Knox. Look.” Charlie tilted his head forward, pointedly. 

There stood Knox and Chris sharing a kiss (really getting at it for a first kiss too). 

“Awe. Charlie, I think we did that.” Y/N hugged Charlie tighter, pushing their heads together. Charlie slowly set her down, keeping her wrapped up in his arms. 

“No, baby, I know we did that. We’re gonna have to make speeches at their wedding about tonight. They’re gonna have to repay us by naming their kids after us.” 

Y/N laughed, turning to Charlie. “I hope Charlie’s a girl then.” 

Charlie rolled his eyes. “Well, as long as she’s beautiful. Gotta live up to the name, if you know what I mean.”

“Oh I do know. You are quite beautiful Charlie,” Y/N said, looking at Charlie as if he was the only thing in the universe. 

Charlie blushed. “You know I could never compare to you.”

“I love you, Charlie.”

“I love you too, angel.”

They both leaned in for a kiss, this one slow and tender, a stark contrast to the heated exchange they’d shared earlier. It was gentle, filled with warmth and affection, a moment that spoke of love more than anything else. 

[ilovemilestellersmoustache]

The Tortured Poets Department

Charlie Dalton x Reader

Summary: You and Charlie were always more than just friends too bad Charlies too scared to admit it

Word Count: 9K

The cave loomed before her, its entrance bathed in soft shadows, while faint candlelight flickered from deep within. Y/N paused at the threshold, the cool night air brushing against her skin. The sounds of voices—laughter, snippets of poetry, and the occasional hushed murmur—floated out to her like a familiar melody. This place had always been her refuge, ever since Neil Perry had taken the chance and brought her into the fold. It wasn’t her school, and the legacy wasn’t hers to claim, but it didn’t matter. The poets had welcomed her as one of their own, and the cave had become her home in ways she hadn’t expected.

She shifted her weight, her fingers lightly brushing the rough surface of the stone. Inside, the group’s energy ebbed and flowed, alive with creativity and rebellion, each voice adding its own spark to the mix. This wasn’t just a gathering; it was freedom—the kind of freedom she could never find elsewhere. The words spoken here carried weight, every verse and line a quiet act of defiance against the world that tried to confine them.

And yet, as much as the society itself meant to her, there was one reason she couldn’t stay away. Charlie Dalton. He was the storm in this quiet sanctuary, the wild streak in the poetry, and the wildfire she could never ignore. His laughter rang out now, sharp and unrestrained, a sound that seemed to carry all the mischief and thrill he lived for. It sent a shiver through her, one that was as much anticipation as it was nervous energy.

Charlie had always been different. Where the others found solace in the safety of their words, he turned his into challenges. He pushed boundaries, dared authority, and refused to let anyone dictate who he should be. And yet, beneath that wild energy, there was something else—a passion, a brilliance, and a vulnerability he rarely showed. It was that combination that had drawn her in from the beginning, that kept her coming back to the cave night after night.

Her eyes scanned the group as she stepped inside, the soft glow of candlelight illuminating familiar faces. They turned to greet her with warm smiles and knowing glances, but her focus was already fixed. She found him easily—Charlie always had a way of standing out, even in the dim light. He sat perched on a rock near the back, his unruly hair catching the flicker of the candles as he gestured animatedly, no doubt telling a story or reciting a verse.

He noticed her almost instantly, his grin widening as their eyes met. That grin—so full of life, so full of trouble—sent her pulse racing. For all his chaos, for all the ways he drove her mad with his recklessness, Charlie Dalton had a gravity she couldn’t escape. And she didn’t want to. With his untamed energy and mischievous grin, had a way of drawing her in like no one else ever could. He was a wildfire, dangerous and beautiful, and she couldn’t help but get burned.

Y/N sank into her usual spot, the cold, uneven surface of the rock grounding her as Knox animatedly recounted the details of his latest victory: finally winning over Chris. His enthusiasm was infectious, and the group roared their approval, clapping him on the back and offering exaggerated toasts to his triumph. Y/N joined in with a soft smile, genuinely happy for him, but the ache in her chest persisted—a familiar weight she could never quite shake in moments like this.

Her eyes drifted across the flickering circle, landing on Charlie. He was sprawled out on his back, one arm tucked behind his head and the other holding a cigarette loosely between his fingers. The lazy grin on his face was pure Charlie—reckless, confident, and entirely at ease, like he had the world in the palm of his hand. He caught her staring and winked, a quick, casual gesture that set her pulse racing and her stomach twisting into knots. How did he do that? How did he always make her feel like the only girl in the room, even when he wasn’t trying? Even when he was chasing someone else?

She averted her gaze, biting down on the corner of her lip as Knox’s story came to an end. The group shifted seamlessly back to their poetry, the warm, familiar cadence of voices reading aloud by candlelight filling the cave once again. But no matter how she tried, Y/N couldn’t focus on the words. Her mind was elsewhere, drawn back to the boy across the circle—the boy who drove her mad in ways no one else could.

They weren’t together. Not officially, anyway. But sometimes, it felt like they were. The stolen glances, the late-night whispers, the way he sprawled across her lap during their quiet moments, tracing lazy patterns on her arm—it all blurred the lines. It was more than friendship, but less than certainty. And it was slowly tearing her apart.

Charlie was a flirt—always had been, probably always would be. His charm was magnetic, his boldness impossible to ignore. He’d flirt with anyone, and he made it look so effortless. It didn’t matter if it was a fleeting smile, a well-placed joke, or an offhand compliment—he always knew exactly what to say to leave people wanting more. Sometimes, that person was her. And sometimes, it wasn’t.

Her chest tightened at the thought, her smile faltering. Who else holds him like I do? she wondered bitterly. Who else deciphers the chaos behind his smirk, sees the cracks he hides so well? Who else knows him, if not me?

But knowing him wasn’t enough. Not when he turned those same grins and careless winks to anyone who crossed his path. Not when his attention, so intoxicating when it was hers, could so easily shift to someone else. It was a cruel game, one she wasn’t sure she wanted to keep playing—but one she couldn’t bring herself to quit.

The Summer Before, the memory came to her unbidden, vivid as if it had happened yesterday. Pulling her back to a warm August evening that felt like a lifetime ago. It was the last stretch of summer, the kind that tasted of freedom and endings all at once. The school year loomed just over the horizon, but for one fleeting day, none of it mattered.

She had spent the afternoon at the Dalton house, sprawled across Charlie’s bed as sunlight streamed through the half-drawn blinds, painting the room in a muted gold. The air was thick and lazy, and she’d made herself comfortable while he disappeared downstairs, claiming he needed to “liberate” something from his father’s liquor cabinet. His room was unmistakably his—a cluttered chaos of books, vinyl records, crumpled clothes, and scrawled notes on scraps of paper. It smelled faintly of cigarettes and cologne, a scent she could still recall with aching clarity.

When Charlie returned, triumphant and grinning, he carried two mismatched glasses and a bottle of whiskey. “The finest my old man has to offer,” he declared with a mock bow, pouring them each a generous measure. The whiskey burned her throat, making her cough and wince, but she drank it anyway, unwilling to let him see her flinch.

The hours passed in a haze of conversation and laughter. They dissected song lyrics like philosophers, debated poets like scholars, and mocked their own pretentiousness until they were doubled over with laughter.

“We’re not Patti Smith and Dylan Thomas, you know,” she teased, lying back against the pillows. Her fingers trailed absently over the worn quilt on his bed, the fabric soft and familiar under her touch. “This isn’t the Chelsea Hotel.”

Charlie snorted, settling beside her with a cigarette dangling from his lips. “We’re modern idiots,” he agreed, his voice warm and full of mischief. In his other hand, he clutched a half-eaten chocolate bar, and she watched as he absentmindedly alternated between taking a bite and flicking his lighter open and closed.

The afternoon melted into evening, the air cooling as the golden light gave way to a soft, dusky glow. Somewhere between their debates about the superiority of punk rock versus jazz and their shared musings about life’s absurdities, Charlie’s head found its way to her lap. She didn’t question it, didn’t hesitate, only smoothed his unruly hair with gentle fingers. His hair was soft, messier than usual, and tickled her skin when he shifted. He was unusually quiet now, his endless energy dimming as the day wore on.

“Y/N,” he murmured, his voice low and almost drowsy. The cigarette in his mouth bobbed slightly as he spoke, his words slurring just enough to reveal how tired he was. “You get me, you know that? Like, really get me.”

Her hand froze for a moment, mid-motion, as her heart stumbled in her chest. The simplicity of the statement caught her off guard. Charlie wasn’t one for heartfelt confessions, at least not ones that felt this raw, this real. She opened her mouth to respond, her mind scrambling for something to match the weight of his words, something that would let him know she felt the same. But before she could speak, his eyes slipped closed, the cigarette still loosely balanced between his fingers.

She eased it from his grasp and crushed it in the ashtray beside the bed, watching as his breathing evened out. His face was so different like this—peaceful, unguarded. Vulnerable in a way he rarely let anyone see. She stayed there for hours, running her fingers through his hair, memorizing every detail of the moment, knowing she’d carry it with her long after the summer faded.

That night became a part of her, etched into her memory like an old photograph—beautiful, bittersweet, and impossible to let go.

Sitting in the cave now, the air thick with candle smoke and murmured poetry, Y/N’s thoughts swirled like restless waves. She stared at the flickering light on the walls, trying to make sense of the ache in her chest. The cycle with Charlie—the stolen moments, the blurred lines, the lingering looks that promised everything but delivered nothing—was wearing her down. It felt like chasing shadows, reaching for something just beyond her grasp.

She’d thought about walking away more times than she could count. Maybe if she distanced herself, the pain of wanting more than he was willing to give would finally subside. Maybe the hollow ache that followed her home after nights like this would stop gnawing at her. The idea of pulling away, of reclaiming her peace, had a kind of seductive appeal. But just as quickly as the thought came, it unraveled, replaced by the fear of what that distance might mean—for her, for him, for whatever fragile connection they shared.

Her resolve had wavered countless times, but there was one moment that kept her tethered, one confession she hadn’t been able to forget. It had come from Meeks, of all people, on a night when the Dead Poets Society had celebrated a little too freely. She remembered the slurred edges of his words, the glassy look in his eyes as he leaned toward her, his sincerity cutting through the haze of whiskey and laughter.

“Charlie told me once,” Meeks had said, his voice low and unsteady, “if you ever left, he wouldn’t know what to do.”

The words had stunned her, slicing through her doubts like a blade. She’d pressed him for more, her pulse racing, but he’d only shrugged, as if it was the most obvious truth in the world. At the time, she’d dismissed it as drunken rambling, a loose thread of half-truths spun in the moment. But the memory had lingered, replaying itself in her mind over and over, as vivid and persistent as a song she couldn’t shake.

It had become an ember she couldn’t extinguish, no matter how much it hurt to keep it alive. It burned quietly in the back of her mind, a stubborn flicker of hope that refused to die. What if Meeks had been right? What if there was more to Charlie’s carelessness, his charm, his aloofness than she’d let herself believe? What if, behind the easy grins and bold declarations, he was just as lost as she was?

The possibility both thrilled and terrified her. Because if it was true, if there was something real beneath all the layers Charlie used to keep the world at bay, then leaving wouldn’t just be an escape. It would be a betrayal of something fragile, something she wasn’t sure either of them knew how to name. And if it wasn’t true? If she was clinging to a hope that didn’t exist? Then she’d only be prolonging the inevitable heartbreak.

The uncertainty was maddening, but still, she stayed. Still, she waited. Still, she burned.

The breaking point came a week later, during one of those evenings that felt deceptively ordinary. Charlie had invited her over, as he so often did, and they sat across from each other at the long, polished dining table, the soft clinking of silverware filling the spaces between their laughter. The Dalton house had always felt cold, more like a museum than a home, but Charlie’s presence had a way of softening the edges, making it bearable.

His parents barely acknowledged them, as usual. His father sat at the head of the table, eyes buried in a newspaper, while his mother moved in and out of the room, her focus elsewhere. It was always like this—a hollow kind of civility that Charlie seemed determined to fill with his wit and charm. Y/N had grown used to it, though it never stopped tugging at her heart. She knew how much he hated the emptiness of it all, even if he never said so outright.

They bantered easily, trading jokes and teasing each other like they always did. For a while, it was enough to keep her grounded, to remind her why she stayed, why she kept coming back even when it hurt. But then, in a moment so casual it felt almost unintentional, everything shifted.

Charlie reached beside her, his fingers brushing hers as he picked up her hand. His touch was light, almost absentminded, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Her breath caught as he toyed with the ring on her finger, sliding it off and holding it up to the light with a mock-critical eye.

“Nice ring,” he said, his voice smooth and teasing, though there was an edge of something else beneath it. Mischief, maybe, or something quieter, harder to define.

He slid the ring onto his own finger, grinning as he wiggled it in the air. “Think it suits me?” he asked, his tone light, though his gaze lingered on her in a way that made her stomach flip. Before she could answer, he pulled it off again and reached for her hand. This time, he slipped it back onto her finger, but not where it had been. Instead, he placed it on her left hand, on finger one reserved for promises neither of them had made.

Y/N froze, her heart lurching into her throat as she stared down at the ring. It gleamed faintly in the soft light, impossibly small but suddenly heavy. Her pulse pounded in her ears as she looked back up at Charlie, searching for some kind of explanation.

He didn’t offer one. Instead, he smirked, his thumb brushing lazily against her knuckles, the gesture so casual it felt almost dismissive. But his eyes… his eyes held something else entirely. A flicker of something she couldn’t name.

Her heart exploded in that moment, a chaotic mess of hope and despair that left her breathless. Did he even realize what he was doing to her? Did he have any idea how much weight that single action carried, how it sent her thoughts spiraling in every direction?

It was Charlie in his purest form—effortless, infuriating, and entirely unaware of the havoc he wreaked on her heart. Or worse, maybe he did know. Maybe he knew exactly what he was doing, and he just didn’t care. The thought made her chest tighten, the ache of uncertainty threatening to swallow her whole.

Y/N didn’t make the decision all at once. It wasn’t a grand epiphany or a sudden resolve to cut Charlie out of her life entirely. Instead, it came in quiet moments, in the spaces between his laughter and her silence. It was the ache in her chest after nights spent waiting for something more, the hollow feeling that lingered after he turned his charm to someone else. Slowly, she began to pull away—not enough for anyone to notice at first, but enough to protect herself.

It started the next time he tried to sprawl across her lap during one of their quieter gatherings in the cave. Normally, she would have let him, her hands instinctively finding their way into his unruly hair. This time, she shifted slightly, leaning forward just enough to make the gesture awkward. He paused mid-movement, a flicker of confusion crossing his face before he laughed it off, settling against the rock beside her instead.

“You’re getting stingy with the lap space, Y/N,” he teased, shooting her that boyish grin that used to undo her. She forced a laugh, light and unbothered, and Knox jumped in with a joke that shifted the group’s attention. She was grateful for the distraction, even as she felt Charlie’s gaze linger on her a second too long.

She didn’t stop coming to the cave, didn’t stop sitting beside him during meetings. That would have raised questions, drawn attention she didn’t want. But she started drawing boundaries—subtle ones that only she noticed at first. When his fingers brushed hers, she pulled away just a little too soon. When his touch lingered on her arm or her shoulder, she found excuses to move, to shift her focus elsewhere. She stopped letting him hold her gaze for too long, stopped answering his teasing remarks with the same soft warmth she once had. Her responses grew neutral, her smiles polite but distant, her laughter quieter, less personal.

The hardest part was changing the way she spoke to him. She started to choose her words more carefully, deliberately moving their conversations away from the intimate territory they’d once inhabited. She spoke to him the way she spoke to Knox, or Neil, or Meeks—warm but friendly, never crossing the line into something more. When he teased her, she teased back, but the softness in her tone was gone. When he leaned in close, whispering some private joke just for her, she pulled back, laughing lightly but keeping the space between them.

Charlie noticed, of course. He wasn’t oblivious, even if he sometimes pretended to be. At first, he brushed it off with jokes, playfully calling her “cold-hearted” or “aloof.” But as the days turned into weeks, his remarks grew sharper, edged with a frustration he didn’t bother to hide.

One evening, after the group had dispersed and the boys were walking back toward Welton, her the other way, he finally called her out.

“You’ve been weird lately,” he said, his voice more serious than she’d expected. He shoved his hands into his pockets, his steps slower than usual as they walked side by side.

“Weird?” she asked, feigning confusion. “How so?”

He stopped, turning to face her. The dim light from the nearby lamppost cast shadows across his face, making his expression harder to read. “Don’t play dumb, Y/N,” he said, his tone softer now, almost pleading. “You’re pulling away. I can feel it.”

Her stomach twisted at the raw honesty in his voice, but she held her ground. “I’m not pulling away,” she said, keeping her tone even. “I’m just... trying to make things easier. For both of us.”

“Easier?” He frowned, his brows knitting together in confusion. “What the hell does that mean?”

“It means,” she began, taking a steadying breath, “that I think we need to set some boundaries. Clear ones. You’re my friend, Charlie. That’s all we’ve ever been, and that’s all we’ll ever be.”

Her words hung in the air between them, heavy and final. She saw the flicker of hurt in his eyes, quickly masked by a smirk that didn’t quite reach his usual bravado.

“Boundaries, huh?” he said, his voice tight with forced humor. “Didn’t realize you were such a rule-follower, Y/N.”

“I’m not,” she said quietly. “But I can’t keep doing this—not when it feels like I’m the only one who doesn’t know where we stand.”

His smirk faltered, and for a moment, she thought he might argue, might try to convince her to stay. But then he shrugged, his usual nonchalance sliding back into place like armor. “Whatever you say,” he said, turning and walking ahead without another word.

She stood there for a long time after he disappeared into the night, the ache in her chest sharper than it had ever been. But this time, it wasn’t unbearable. This time, she felt the faintest stirrings of relief beneath the pain—relief that she’d finally taken a step toward reclaiming her heart, even if it meant leaving part of it behind.

The shift was palpable, and everyone in the Dead Poets Society felt it. Where Y/N and Charlie had once been inseparable, now there was only a careful, deliberate distance. She no longer sat beside him in the cave. Instead, she found a spot near Knox or Neil, her focus firmly on the poetry or the discussions at hand. She laughed with the others, joked with them, even debated them—but with Charlie, there was only silence.

Charlie didn’t handle it well.

At first, he tried to keep things normal, filling the gap with his usual charm. He’d toss jokes her way, flash his signature grin, lean casually in her direction as though daring her to ignore him. But when her responses came clipped and polite, or worse, not at all, he started retreating too. His jokes turned sharper, tinged with bitterness he didn’t bother to hide. When she ignored those, he stopped trying altogether.

The quiet between them wasn’t hostile—it wasn’t anything at all. It was the absence of everything they’d once shared, and that was worse than any argument could have been. The others noticed, of course, though none of them dared to bring it up directly. Neil, ever the peacekeeper, occasionally tried to draw them both into group conversations, but it always ended awkwardly, with Y/N excusing herself early or Charlie storming off. Knox exchanged worried glances with Meeks and Pitts, but even they didn’t know how to fix something that had already fallen apart.

One evening, as the group gathered in the cave for another meeting, the tension came to a head. Y/N sat near Neil, her notebook open in her lap, the candlelight casting soft shadows across her face. Charlie was at the far end of the circle, sprawled on the ground with a cigarette dangling from his lips. He wasn’t paying attention to the poetry being read, his eyes instead fixed on her, unrelenting and unreadable.

She felt his gaze but refused to look up, her focus firmly on the poem Neil was reciting. Her heart beat faster, her pulse loud in her ears, but she forced herself to stay composed. This was what she’d chosen—distance, clarity, self-preservation—and she wasn’t going to backtrack now.

When Neil finished reading, the group broke into soft applause, and the conversation turned to the next meeting’s plans. Charlie stayed silent, which was unusual enough that it drew attention. Knox nudged him lightly, murmuring something she couldn’t hear, but Charlie only shook his head, his expression dark.

Finally, he broke the silence. “So, what? We’re just pretending this is fine?” he asked, his voice cutting through the chatter like a blade.

The group froze, everyone turning to look at him.

“Charlie,” Neil said cautiously, “what are you talking about?”

Charlie’s eyes stayed locked on Y/N. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

She felt the weight of his words like a physical blow, but she refused to rise to it. She closed her notebook slowly, meeting his gaze with a calm she didn’t feel. “This isn’t the time or place for whatever you’re trying to start,” she said evenly.

“Isn’t it?” he shot back, sitting up now, his cigarette forgotten. “Because it seems like you’ve been avoiding this conversation for weeks. Or avoiding me, more like.”

The others exchanged uncomfortable glances, clearly unsure whether to intervene or let it play out.

“I’m not avoiding anything,” Y/N said, her voice firm. “We’ve already talked about this, Charlie. There’s nothing left to say.”

His laugh was bitter, humorless. “Nothing left to say? That’s rich, coming from you. You used to never shut up around me.”

“That was before,” she said softly, her tone steady despite the ache in her chest. “Before I realized I needed to step back. For my own sake.”

“For your sake,” he repeated, the words laced with disbelief. “And what about my sake, huh? Did you ever think about that?”

Her composure wavered for a moment, but she held her ground. “You don’t even like me like that, Charlie,” she said quietly. “You never have. And I can’t keep letting myself believe otherwise.”

The silence that followed was deafening. Charlie stared at her, his jaw tight, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. For a moment, she thought he might argue, might try to tear down the walls she’d built around herself. But then he laughed again, low and bitter, and stood abruptly.

“Fine,” he said, his voice cold. “If that’s how you feel, I won’t bother anymore.”

He turned and walked out of the cave without another word, his footsteps echoing in the stillness. The group sat frozen, the tension lingering like smoke in the air.

Y/N exhaled slowly, her hands trembling slightly as she clutched her notebook to her chest. She could feel the others’ eyes on her, their unspoken questions heavy with concern, but she didn’t have the energy to explain. Instead, she stood and followed the path Charlie had taken—not to chase him, but to leave the cave entirely.

Outside, the cool night air hit her like a balm, soothing the raw edges of her emotions. She looked up at the stars, their distant light a stark contrast to the turmoil in her heart. She’d done what she needed to do, what she should have done months ago.

So why did it feel like she’d lost something she could never get back?

Y/N, once a vibrant and steady presence among the group, had grown quieter, more reserved. She still came to the meetings, still participated in the discussions and laughed at the jokes, but something in her had pulled inward. She became deliberate, careful, every word she spoke measured and free of vulnerability. It was as though she’d wrapped herself in armor, impenetrable and unyielding.

Charlie, on the other hand, was chaos. His laughter was louder, his jokes sharper, his need for attention almost desperate. He’d started flirting more—brazenly, recklessly—with anyone who would entertain him. Girls from other schools, waitresses at the diner, even strangers at the train station. It wasn’t subtle, and it wasn’t lost on the boys, who exchanged worried glances every time he sauntered into the cave smelling faintly of perfume and cigarettes, a cocky grin plastered on his face.

“Where’ve you been, Dalton?” Neil asked one evening when Charlie arrived halfway through their meeting, his tie loosened and his shirt rumpled.

Charlie shrugged, leaning lazily against the cave wall. “Busy,” he said with a smirk that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You know me—always finding trouble.”

The others laughed uneasily, but Y/N didn’t look up from her notebook. She could feel his eyes on her, searching for some reaction, but she gave him nothing. Her pen moved steadily across the page, her posture calm and detached.

“You’ve missed three meetings this month,” Neil pressed, his tone gentle but firm. “That’s not like you.”

Charlie scoffed, running a hand through his hair. “Relax, Captain. Poetry isn’t going anywhere.”

“Neither is your mess,” Meeks muttered under his breath, earning a nudge from Pitts.

Y/N’s chest tightened, but she didn’t lift her gaze. This was what she’d wanted, wasn’t it? Distance. Separation. A clear, definitive line between them. She had no right to feel hurt by the way he threw himself into distractions, just as he had no right to demand anything more from her. They were nothing but friends now—or less than that, perhaps. Just two people occupying the same space, their connection unraveling thread by thread.

But Charlie was unraveling in his own way, too.

He stopped coming to the meetings altogether for a while, and when he did show up, it was always late, his energy frayed and restless. The easy charm that had once defined him now felt like a mask, a shield he wielded to deflect attention from the cracks forming beneath the surface. The boys tried to pull him back in, tried to anchor him, but Charlie only laughed and brushed them off, his bravado growing more transparent with each passing day.

And Y/N… she stayed silent.

She didn’t ask where he went or who he was with. She didn’t press him to stay when he left early or try to fill the space he left behind. She told herself it wasn’t her place, that this was the natural progression of the distance she’d chosen. But late at night, when the meetings were over and the others had gone home, she’d lie awake replaying every moment in her mind—the sharpness in his voice, the emptiness in his laughter, the way his eyes lingered on her even when he pretended not to care.

It wasn’t until one particularly quiet night in the cave that the weight of it all came crashing down. The group was smaller than usual—just Neil, Knox, Pitts, and Y/N. The absence of Charlie’s energy was stark, the silence stretching long between recitations.

“Have any of you talked to him?” Neil asked finally, his voice low.

Pitts shook his head. “He’s… distracted, I guess.”

“More like self-destructive,” Knox muttered, earning a sharp glance from Neil.

“What are we supposed to do?” Pitts asked, his tone heavy with resignation. “He won’t listen to us.”

The conversation hung in the air, fragile and unresolved. Y/N didn’t speak, her gaze fixed on the flickering candlelight. She knew the boys were looking at her, waiting for her to say something, but what could she offer? She’d made her choice. She’d drawn her lines.

She told herself it wasn’t her responsibility to fix him.

And yet, as the meeting ended and the others began to pack up, Y/N found herself lingering, her notebook forgotten in her lap. She didn’t know what she was waiting for—an answer, a sign, or maybe just the courage to admit that no amount of distance could stop her from caring.

Because for all the defenses she’d built, for all the ways she’d tried to let him go, one truth remained: she wasn’t sure she could.

Charlie had always been the one who could keep his cool, who could laugh off anything and never let the weight of the world get to him. But now, as the boys confronted him, his carefully constructed walls were crumbling. They found him in his room that day, pacing back and forth, looking more disheveled than any of them had ever seen him. His eyes were bloodshot, his usually perfect hair was messy, and there was a distinct emptiness to his movements.

“Charlie,” Neil started, his voice firm but gentle, “this isn’t you. You’ve been avoiding us. Avoiding everything.”

“I’m fine,” Charlie muttered, brushing a hand through his hair in frustration, as if trying to push the emotions down. “I’m fine. Leave me alone.”

But the boys weren’t buying it anymore. They had seen it for weeks—the cracks in his facade. It wasn’t just about missing meetings. It was the way he was drowning in distraction, pushing everyone away. And they all knew why.

“You’re not fine, man,” Pitts added, his voice hard with concern. “We’ve seen how you’ve been acting. You’re hurting. You’re pushing Y/N away, and you’re not talking about it.”

At that, Charlie’s expression darkened. “Don’t bring her into this,” he snapped, his fists tightening. But it was clear the mention of Y/N hit a nerve, and Charlie couldn’t mask the raw frustration that bubbled up inside of him. “I don’t get it, okay? I don’t get why I didn’t just make it official, why I danced around it for so long. I liked her. I always did...”

His voice faltered. He sank onto the edge of his bed, his hands in his lap, staring down at the floor as though trying to find some sense of direction. “I kept thinking she would stick around, that it would just work itself out somehow. And now she’s gone, and I’ve got no one to blame but myself.”

The boys exchanged uneasy glances, each of them uncomfortable with seeing their friend so broken, but it was clear that Charlie needed to hear this. He needed to hear what they were all thinking, needed to confront the reality of what he had done.

“You can’t just shut people out, Charlie,” Knox said, stepping forward with his usual calm voice but a hard edge to it. “You can’t keep running from your feelings. You had something real with her, and you messed it up. But you’re not beyond fixing things.”

Charlie didn’t respond right away. He just stared at the floor, the weight of it all pressing down on him. Finally, he mumbled, “I don’t even know if she’d want to fix it. I didn’t do anything, anything right. I just... I didn’t make it real. I let it slip away, and now she’s gone.”

He collapsed back onto the bed, his voice breaking as he admitted what he couldn’t say before. “I don’t know how to fix it. I don’t even know if I deserve to.”

The boys stood around him, all of them unsure of what to say. But Neil finally spoke, his voice softer than before. “You don’t fix things by running away, Charlie. You show up. You make it right. And maybe, just maybe, she’ll meet you halfway. But you have to do the work.”

Charlie’s gaze softened slightly, but he couldn’t shake the heavy weight in his chest. He had lost her. It felt final. And the thought of walking into that silence, of confronting the mess he had made, terrified him. But the boys wouldn’t let him off the hook. Not this time.

A few days later, Charlie started showing up to meetings again, his presence there a little less chaotic, a little less desperate. He was still messy, still a little broken, but there was an attempt to pull himself together. He threw himself into the work, into the distractions. But each time he looked around, there was something missing. And it wasn’t just his usual spark; it was her.

Y/N wasn’t at the meetings anymore.

At first, Charlie assumed it was just an off day. But then the days turned into weeks. Others tried calling her, but the replies were few and far between. She didn’t show up at the hangouts, didn’t respond to calls. Slowly, the silence between them grew louder.

He didn’t understand it. He hadn’t expected her to come running back, but he had hoped—hoped—that she would at least reach out. That she would be there. But she wasn’t. She had distanced herself completely.

The boys had no answers either. She was simply gone.

But Charlie couldn’t just sit idly by, pretending like everything was fine. He missed her. He missed her laugh, the way she used to tease him, how everything seemed lighter when she was around. He hadn’t known what he had until it was too late.

Still no sign of her. It was as if she had vanished into thin air. Charlie felt it in the pit of his stomach, the gnawing emptiness that had begun to fill the space where her smile used to be. He had lost his chance.

Meanwhile, Y/N was going through her own quiet spiral. Cutting off contact with the boys had been easier than she expected. She and Charlie no longer shared the same circles, and the distance between them felt... necessary. The absence of Charlie in her life was heavy, but it was also a relief. She had needed space, needed time to reclaim herself after everything had fallen apart. The constant reminders of him, the brief, desperate calls she couldn’t bring herself to answer, were all too much.

She didn’t show up to meetings, didn’t respond to group invitations. The boys didn’t know what to think, but they knew Y/N had made up her mind.

It hurt. It hurt more than anything she had ever felt before. But it was the only way she could breathe again.

Y/N’s mind had been racing for weeks. Every moment of silence, every unanswered call, every time she passed by their usual hangouts, it was like a weight on her chest. She had let go of so many things to protect herself from the fallout. But deep down, she couldn’t stop questioning everything. Maybe I’m the childish one—the thought had haunted her.

She couldn’t focus anymore. Her grades were slipping, her friends at school barely knew her, and the loneliness kept seeping in like an endless tide. She had lost more than just Charlie—she’d lost the version of herself that had been full of hope, that had been able to laugh through the awkwardness. Everything had been wrapped in him, and now that he wasn’t there, she felt like she was floating in a sea of nothing.

She couldn’t help but replay everything. Their late-night talks, the stolen glances, the laughter... but the part that stung the most was that she hadn’t gotten the closure she needed. She had cut off all contact, telling herself that it was the only way to move forward, but it had come at a cost. The truth was, she had never stopped loving him.

But moving was the final step. It felt like the only way out. Another prep school, in a different state, far enough from everything to finally heal—or at least, to try to. She hoped that the distance would give her space to breathe, to find herself again without the constant reminder of a love she couldn’t have.

Packing up her things felt surreal. It was like she was closing the door on so much more than just a school—she was leaving behind the girl who had once laughed with Charlie, the girl who had dreamed of what they could have been. She didn’t know if she’d ever be able to go back, to talk to him again. But she had to do it. She had to move on.

Still, as she looked at the empty room, the reality of what she was doing hit her. She couldn’t deny it—leaving him behind didn’t stop her from still caring. And maybe, just maybe, it didn’t stop him from thinking of her too.

But for now, she was going to face the next chapter alone, hoping that the distance would help her forget the pain and allow her to rebuild herself from the pieces left behind. She didn’t know how long it would take or if she’d ever fully heal, but the decision was made. She had to move on, even if it meant leaving everything behind.

The moving van was parked outside the gates of the all-girls prep school, a stark reminder that Y/N was leaving. It had been a quiet afternoon, most students still milling about after classes. The air was heavy with the fading warmth of the day, and the bustle of Welton kids heading out was like a dull hum in the background. But there, on the far side of the field, Charlie stood frozen, his eyes locked on the scene unfolding before him.

Y/N’s parents were in the process of packing the last of her things into the van, a finality to the motion that seemed to pierce through the haze of everything else. Charlie’s chest tightened at the sight, his mind spiraling as his fingers ran through his already messy hair. His breath came out in short bursts, his heartbeat racing in anticipation.

What the hell am I doing?

He had been circling the field for what felt like hours, rehearsing his lines in his head. He had a plan, didn’t he? A speech. Something that would fix this mess he had made. He was supposed to be calm, collected. He was supposed to tell her everything—the truth about how he felt, how sorry he was, how much he wanted to make it right. But the more he practiced, the more the words seemed to slip through his fingers like smoke.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. I should have told you how I felt rather than protecting my ego. I should have told you from the start that I was afraid of losing you... that I never meant to hurt you.”

It sounded so simple in his mind, but when it came to saying it out loud, it all felt so... impossible.

His eyes darted back to the van. It wasn’t just any van. It was the symbol of everything he was about to lose. Y/N was leaving, and he was just standing here, caught in his own head.

Why didn't I just tell her? Why did I wait so damn long?

His stomach churned with the realization that he hadn’t done enough. He had let her slip through his fingers. He’d taken too long to make up his mind, and now it felt like it was all slipping away, out of his reach, and he couldn't fix it in time.

His heart pounded as he moved closer to the edge of the field, his feet dragging like they were stuck in quicksand. He could see her parents now, their backs turned as they focused on the last few things to load up. Y/N wasn’t in sight, and that made everything worse. She wasn’t even there to hear him out, to let him try.

He reached the fence line and stopped, staring at the van. This is it. She’s leaving.

Charlie closed his eyes, shaking his head. He had to act. He had to move. There was no more time for hesitation.

And then, from the corner of his eye, he saw a figure approach—the unmistakable outline of Y/N. She was walking toward the van, her movements slow and deliberate. Every step she took made his chest tighten. He opened his mouth, but the words stuck, choked by the knot in his throat.

I can’t lose her. I won’t.

With a sudden burst of clarity, he pushed forward, determined to speak his truth before it was too late. As he crossed the field, the world around him seemed to slow, the sounds of laughter from other students fading into the background. There was only Y/N now, and the desperate need to make things right.

Charlie’s feet moved faster now, the space between him and the van growing smaller with each hurried step. His mind raced, the words he’d rehearsed countless times rushing through his head, but none of them felt right. He wasn’t prepared for this moment. He’d spent so long hiding behind jokes, distractions, and that perfect mask of arrogance, but now it was just him—raw, vulnerable, and completely terrified of what he was about to admit.

As he reached her, Y/N was just turning away from her parents, adjusting the strap of her bag. The moment she saw him, her expression faltered—just for a second—before the familiar walls went up, that guarded look he had become all too familiar with. It was that same look she’d been wearing ever since he’d distanced himself, ever since he'd messed everything up.

“Y/N,” he said, his voice breaking slightly as he approached her, stepping into her personal space without thinking. She paused, and for a brief, stupid second, he thought she might walk away again. But instead, she just stood there, silent, watching him with those unreadable eyes.

He swallowed hard, heart hammering in his chest. “I don’t know what I was thinking.” His voice was barely above a whisper, the words tumbling out before he could stop them. “I’ve been an idiot, Y/N. And I’m so sorry for... all of it.”

Her eyes flickered, but she said nothing, and it pushed him to keep going, to explain what had been gnawing at him for so long.

“I’ve always loved you. I know that sounds insane,” he laughed bitterly, shaking his head, “but it’s the truth. I’ve always known. Even when I was with someone else, or when I was being an asshole and pretending I didn’t care, it was always you. I was just... scared, okay? I was scared to change what we had, scared that if I admitted it, it would ruin everything. You... you were always there for me, and I didn’t want to lose that. I didn’t want to mess it up.” He took a shaky breath, his gaze never leaving hers.

“I didn’t know how to deal with how I felt. So I pushed you away. And I got confused, and I lashed out.” His chest tightened, words getting harder to force out. “I was emotional. I didn't know how to handle it, how to handle you—what I wanted with you. I didn't know how to be the kind of person you deserve."

His hands, which had been shaking, curled into fists at his sides, but his eyes never left hers. "All I ever wanted was to be with you. But I kept screwing it up. And now, here you are, and I—" He stopped, frustrated. "I'm not good at this. But I need you to know, Y/N... I've loved you for so long. And I don't want you to go without knowing that."

His voice broke as the weight of it all hit him, all at once—the guilt, the pain of knowing he was losing her, and the overwhelming feeling of having waited too long.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered again, his throat tight, his heart aching with every word. “I don’t know why I waited. But it’s always been you. And if I lose you now... I don’t know how to fix it. I’m so in love with you, and I’m so scared.”

Y/N’s face was unreadable. For a moment, she said nothing, her gaze flickering between him and the van. Charlie’s chest tightened as the silence stretched between them, and he could feel his heart pounding so loud he was certain she could hear it. She slowly turned away.

“I don’t expect you to forgive me,” he said, each word feeling like it took all of his courage to speak, but it was the truth. “I don’t expect you to just forget everything and come running back, but you need to hear this, okay?”

She hesitated, her fingers gripping the strap of her bag, but she didn’t say anything.

“I’m not perfect,” Charlie continued, his voice thick with emotion, “I’ve never been perfect, and I was a damn fool to not see how much you meant to me. You were never just a ‘friend,’ and I know now that I’ve been holding onto something—stupid pride, fear of change, who knows—but it’s you. You’ve always been it for me. I was scared of what we could be, scared of losing you if I messed it up. But I messed it up anyway.”

Charlie’s breath hitched, his chest tightening as he took a step closer. “I’ve spent so much time telling myself I could move on, that I could just... distract myself with all this other nonsense. But no matter what I did, it was always you. Always.”

His voice softened, and now it was all that was left to say. “I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want to be this person anymore—someone who hides from what he feels, someone who runs away from the one person who truly makes him feel like he belongs somewhere. Y/N, I know I don’t deserve another chance, but I’m asking you to let me prove to you that I’m ready to be with you. I want us. I want to try. I want you to know that this... us... this is real. It’s always been real.”

Y/N’s back was still turned, but Charlie could see the slight shift in her posture—the hesitation, the quiet battle inside her. And then, after a long pause, she slowly turned around, her eyes no longer as guarded, but still cautious. Her lips parted as if she were about to speak, but she didn’t.

Instead, she took a step closer, her gaze searching his. "Charlie, you hurt me," she said, her voice quieter now, not angry, just sad. "You made me feel like I was nothing more than an option, someone to keep around until you figured things out. I couldn’t just sit there waiting for you to wake up." Her words were heavy, but they held a sense of vulnerability that Charlie had never heard before.

He nodded slowly, his chest tightening at the honesty in her voice. "I know, and I’ll regret that for the rest of my life. But you don’t have to wait for me anymore. I’ve been waiting for you, Y/N. I’ve been waiting for us, for the right time, and I was wrong. I know I can’t change the past, but I want to be with you. I want to make it right. Please, let me try. Let us try."

Her eyes softened, just a little, but she took another step back, as if unsure. "I don’t know, Charlie. I can’t just go back to how things were. I can’t pretend it didn’t hurt."

"I don’t want to go back to what we were either," Charlie said quickly, his voice firm. "I want something real with you. Not games. Not confusion. I’m not asking for everything at once. I’m asking for a chance—just a chance to show you that I’m not the same person I was before." He paused, stepping forward. "I know we’re both scared. Hell, I’ve been terrified the whole time, but I’m not running anymore. I want to be with you. That’s all I know for sure."

She was silent for a moment, studying him, the conflict clear on her face. Charlie’s heart raced in his chest, the waiting unbearable.

And then, finally, she took a deep breath and smiled, just a little. Not the carefree, sarcastic smile he remembered from before, but something softer, more tentative. “You’ve got one chance, Charlie,” she said, her voice steady but warm. “One. Don’t make me regret it.”

Charlie felt something light and pure spread through him, like the weight of the world had finally lifted. He smiled, his heart leaping. “I won’t. I swear.”

And with that, she stepped closer, her hand brushing his in the briefest touch. It wasn’t a grand gesture, but it was enough. Enough to tell him that maybe—just maybe—they could make it through this together.

“I’ll hold you to that,” she whispered.

“I know,” Charlie said, his voice quiet, but full of the promise of everything he was willing to give to make it right.

Charlie couldn’t believe this moment was actually happening. All the fear, the confusion, the mistakes—all of it had led him here, standing in front of her, heart racing as he waited for her to make her decision. She wasn’t just someone he cared about anymore—she was everything. And now, after all the time apart, he couldn’t let this chance slip away.

Y/N’s eyes softened, her lips parting as if she was about to say something, but for once, Charlie didn’t need to hear the words. He could feel everything she was trying to say in the way she looked at him. The hesitation in her eyes was still there, but there was something else now—something warmer, something that told him she was willing to take that first step toward them again.

"Charlie..." she whispered, her voice trembling slightly, and he could see her vulnerability mirrored in his own.

He took another step toward her, his pulse hammering in his ears, but he wasn’t afraid anymore. Not of her, not of what might happen. He just knew he couldn’t walk away again. Not without knowing if they could truly have what they’d both wanted for so long.

For a moment, everything was still. Her gaze flickered down to his lips, and that was all it took. With a breath that seemed to catch in her chest, she closed the distance between them, her hand reaching up to rest lightly on his chest. She leaned in, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Charlie closed his eyes, letting everything around them fade away.

When their lips finally met, it wasn’t just a kiss. It was everything he’d been holding back—the months of silence, the longing, the regret—and in that single touch, it all came crashing down. Her lips were soft and warm, and Charlie felt like he was breathing again, as if the weight of everything that had gone wrong could somehow be erased in this one moment.

She kissed him back with the same intensity, her hands moving to rest against his neck as they held each other, both of them finally understanding what they’d been too afraid to admit before: they were meant to be together.

As they pulled away just slightly, their foreheads resting against one another, Charlie couldn’t help but smile. "I swear to you, Y/N, I’m never letting you go again."

Y/N chuckled softly, her voice still full of warmth. "Good. Because I’m not going anywhere either."

And in that moment, surrounded by the soft glow of the fading afternoon light, everything felt right. The past didn’t matter anymore. They had found their way back to each other, and this time, Charlie knew he wasn’t going to let fear or doubt take it all away.

They were finally together, and that was all that mattered.

[jentrovert]

Love to Hate You ♡

(Charlie Dalton x Fem Reader)

Enemies to Lovers Oneshot!

Warnings: Swearing, 1950’s stereotypes (purity, clothing style, cigarettes), mentions of neglect, immature high school drama, talk of paddling at school, dumb pranks, kissing, romance, teen partying, suggestive flirting, mention of a diet, moral grayness, parental issues, arguing, drinking, jealously, reader possesses slight anger issues, Neil lives and all is well.

Synopsis: The highly regarded Welton Academy has two buildings, one strictly for girl students, and the other for young boys. By a turn of events, they all end up having to share study hall together in the afternoons. (Y/n), your typical rich, hyper-feminine prima donna, thinks she’s in charge of Welton Academy. With her squeaky clean reputation and unwavering confidence, surely no one will ever see her sweat. However, being the drama queen that she is, she takes her first encounter with Charlie Dalton as a personal attack. Teenage chaos ensues. ~

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Authors Note: Hello! I just got into DPS, and I don’t write very much, so be gentle. This was originally supposed to be a dumb little blurb I wrote without intent to post. Short and silly. Obviously it’s based on the movie, but I also made it my own. Reader is referred to as a female, woman, and girl. She/Her pronouns used. It’s mentioned once that the reader has hair, but other than that, if something doesn’t feel neutral as far as the reader’s appearance, please let me know. Feel free to request! :)

Dramatic Princess Society

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To say you were a diva was a staggering understatement. Everyone who graced your presence could see that you were in control of any room you happened to wander into. You weren’t a princess; you were the princess. A fond nickname you’d developed as well. You were never afraid to say whatever was on your mind, and you figured that really wasn’t such a bad thing. You just knew what you wanted, and that was all.

It didn’t help that your wealthy parents constantly fed into your ego, insistently showering you with lavish clothes and gifts to distract you from the fact that they only saw their child a few times a year. The only time your mother really gave you any guidance or contacted you at all was to ask about your diet or your clothing size, which was honestly fine by you. You had a social hierarchy to rule over, and that kept you plenty busy. Yeah, you were vain, and maybe even a bit too proud, but if anyone had the right to be, it was certainly you.

Your parents had pushed you into doing all sorts of extracurricular activities throughout your childhood and adolescence. They put a lot of weight on status and education, so failure just wasn’t an option in their eyes. You were meant to sit above everyone else at all times with a crown fixed on your head. Maybe if you could accomplish that, then you’d have to be good enough in their eyes.

What most people didn’t usually see, however, was the bleeding heart beneath all of that pompous prestige. Just below the surface, there was a young girl who wanted the same thing every other teenager so desperately did: to be accepted. But no one was going to knock down that wall you’d built.

On par for the course, you attended Welton Academy, one of the most distinguished prep schools in the country, made strictly for young women like yourself. The catch was that just across the lake from your school, there was another high school identical to your own, except it was made for young men instead.

The girl’s building was a fairly recent addition to the school grounds themselves. The schools weren’t necessarily close in proximity, but they were close enough that you could always see the opposing building. On the rare occasion of a mixed assembly, the Welton staff were always swift to pull you in opposite directions when the event had ended. There would be absolutely no one partaking in any premarital activities on their watch. The adults around you were very strict in that regard.

“What do you think the boys are doing over there right now?” Your roomate Maddie wondered aloud, her elbows propped up on the seal of your dorm window as she ogled dreamily across the lake.

You gave a teasing scoff as you turned away from your chemistry work to face her. “Probably using binoculars to stare at our building.”

“You think?” She chirped in almost a hopeful tone, glancing over her shoulder at you.

Your eyes nearly rolled out of your head. “That would not be a good thing, Madison. They’re a bunch of little perverts, and everyone knows it.”

“Maybe I should wear prettier night gowns,” She mused, ignoring your input completely.

You groaned. “Gross. Please just close the shutters.”

“At least you said ‘please’ for once,” Madison grumbled, doing just as you’d told her before deciding to turn in for the night.

You sighed, playing with a strand of your hair. “Madison. They’re just boys; I promise you, they don’t have anything special.”

Once you heard Maddie’s mischievous giggle, you already knew where she was about to go with that statement.

“Oh, I’d beg to differ on that one.”

You waved a dismissive hand in her direction.

“Well, maybe if you weren’t so uptight, then boys wouldn’t be so scared of you all the time,” She laughed.

You looked over at her again, brows raised. “Ha! That’s the way I like it,” You hummed, shrugging your shoulders as you inspected the polish on your nails. “But who could really blame them? I’m pretty intimidating, if I do say so myself.

Now it was Maddie’s turn to roll her eyes. “Whatever you say, princess,” She said, bowing theatrically before flopping back on her pillow. “Can you cut the lights off already? You’ve been looking at that forever.”

“Oh, I have to say ‘please’, but you don’t?” You huffed, but obliged anyway.

Cutting off your lamp, you followed Maddie’s lead and crawled beneath your own blankets, curling into a cozy little ball. Your eyes lingered on the ceiling for a while before you finally drifted off. You couldn’t stop yourself from wondering if there really was anything interesting about the boys over there. You doubted it, but you wouldn’t know unless you saw for yourself. Perhaps they could make things a little less boring in your current life. As much as you appreciated all the praise from your female peers, it was getting a little tired.

The next afternoon, it was nearing the end of the school day when you were sitting in Mrs. Newman’s class, daydreaming about your next salon appointment before dismissal. That’s when the older woman made an extremely important announcement to the class. Apparently, the boy’s library was under some new renovations, and as such, all of the boys who still wanted to attend study hall were instructed to use the girl’s library in your building until construction was over.

Your eyes widened when you heard the news, and you’d never admit it, but your heart also sped up a little at the thought. A few coy giggles echoed through the room as Mrs. Newman spoke.

“Now, ladies,” Your senile instructor boomed, scanning the room with a very firm look on her face. “I expect nothing but professional behavior from you all, and anything to the contrary will not be taken lightly. Do you all understand?”

“Yes, Mrs. Newman,” The class cooed in unison, not sounding nearly convincing enough.

You never thought you’d live to see the day Welton Academy would actually allow males and females to mingle. Hell had finally frozen over, you thought.

Newman kept a narrow eye on all of you as she dismissed class, but none of you seemed to pay her any mind. You were all too busy laughing and gossiping about what it would be like to merge study hall with boys. You must’ve heard your name being called a hundred times as you made your way to your locker.

“(Y/n)! (Y/n)! Did you hear?! We get to be with the boys every single day for the next few weeks!” A freshman girl named Rachel beamed as she approached.

The mundane expression never left your face. “Duh, of course I did. That’s all anyone’s talked about for the last five minutes.”

She deflated a bit. “Oh. Right. Um, I like your makeup today, by the way… Always, really.”

“Of course, Rach. You know me,” You remarked, stopping to fiddle with the combination on your locker. You could see her grin from your peripheral as she started to turn away.

“Alright, well, I’ll see you later, (Y/n)!”

You wiggled your fingers in her direction as you sorted through the books you wanted for study hall. You liked Rachel; she had great fashion sense, but she was a little too boy-obsessed for you, even worse than Maddie. You refused to give young men so much of your attention. They should be excited to see you, not the other way around. You’d never judge her or anyone else for it, but there was no way you were going to be dubbed a ‘tramp’ and end up being an outcast from your social groups. At least that’s what your parents told you would happen. So a boy would need to have something truly magical in order to make you break a sweat over them.

As you gripped your stack of books and began making your way to the now highly sought-after library, a small group of girls began trailing close behind you, a couple of them throwing affirmations your way about your hair or outfit. A few of them you knew, a few you didn’t, but at least you never had to worry about sitting alone.

“(Y/n), I love your pink socks.”

“Thanks. You know I just can’t be bothered with their horrid dress code. The patterns on the skirts are bad enough.”

“(Y/n), where did you get your bag?”

“Don’t remember. I just grabbed one this morning.”

“(Y/n), are you going to talk to any boys?”

“They can come up and talk to me if they want.”

“If they dare,” Maddie laughed, amplifying the string of constant giggles behind you.

You had your hand on the library door, ready to push it open, when a high-pitched voice startled you by crying, “Wait!”

You pulled away, immediately recognizing a sophomore named Jenny as she rushed over, peaking her head through the window of the large double doors.

“Ohmygosh,” She whispered. “They’re really in there.”

The group laughed, but you simply nudged her aside. “Please, Jen. Of course they are.”

“Oh! Let me pick where to sit!” Maddie begged with her sad brown eyes.

You thought about it briefly and ultimately caved in to her request. She cheered as she took a turn looking through the window, scanning each male specimen with great precision. A few women were in the library already, but not too many just yet. You tapped your foot impatiently, staring at the side of Maddie’s head while you waited on her decision.

“Pick cute ones to sit by!” A little red-headed girl commented, and the rest of them whispered amongst themselves in agreement.

You huffed, stamping your foot a bit as you began to push by your classmates. “For God’s sake, women, can we pull ourselves together a bit? Maddie Garcia, you’ve got two seconds before I pick for you.”

“Okay! Okay!” She squealed. “Um… That one! That table right there.” You stepped beside her, observing the large table that she’d pointed out. It was only half full, with one side harboring a fairly normal-looking group of young men, and the other side vacant.

“Fine. Perfect.”

Giving the entrance a quick shove, the group began filing in to the library one by one. Maddie and Rachel stayed by your side in order to get a closer look at the scope of people, and the rest of them hung behind you shyly. If the boys weren’t looking your way already, they certainly were after you haphazardly dropped your pile of books on the table. The rest of the girls sheepishly sorted out which chairs to take, making sure to leave a space between them and any boys. Almost instantly, you began burying yourself in your chemistry book, ignoring the girl’s whispering and the boy’s eyes that were burning holes in your head. You couldn’t believe all that fuss was just for them to not even talk to a single male in the room. You simply had no time for the nonsense.

After a while, everyone seemed to settle in and get back to their books and homework like normal, but every minute or so, Maddie would tap on you and ask, “What about that one? Is he cute?”, only for you to look over and shrug. More and more students came through during the hour. The library had stayed surprisingly quiet, so you figured the boys must be on their best behavior in the new environment. They were very careful not to say anything too loudly about any of you, though you knew what they were probably talking about when they lowered their voices. It was fine by you as long as they weren’t being overly distracting.

Your friends, on the other hand, weren’t doing anything with their time except yammering on; their books were open to a random page in the hopes that none of the teachers would actually notice. That day probably set a record for how many students attended study hall in Welton history, and the ironic part was hardly anyone was studying.

“Hey, (Y/n)?” A girl named Tayla asked, catching your attention.

You looked up at her in acknowledgment, so she continued. “How do you always keep from getting in trouble during Mr. Baker’s class?”

You thought about it for a second and laughed. “Well, you see, if you misbehave in a male teacher’s class, but you simultaneously wear a skirt that’s two sizes too small, then they won’t paddle you. None of them would dare make you bend over in a skirt that short.”

And you were right; teachers wouldn’t paddle you if your clothing seemed too short, so you always made sure wear clothing from previous school years if you were planning on causing problems. It may have been a shoddy thing for you to do, but so was hitting your students with an object, you thought. At least this way you could laugh about it.

A few of them giggled, one calling you a ‘genius’ in a playful manner. However, you could see from across the table that a few of the boys had suddenly turned rather crimson, and you knew it was likely from your conversation. You couldn’t fault them, because you weren’t exactly being quiet. Though you wouldn’t concern yourself with it either. If they were embarrassed, that was their problem.

A toothy smile graced your lips as you returned to your book, feeling oddly triumphant in your “advice”. But alas, you couldn’t revel in it; you had chemistry work that desperately needed your attention as well. Your parents would have your head if your grades proved any less than perfect.

You’d sat at the head of the table, trying your best to focus for at least a few minutes once everyone had gone quiet. However, rather than focusing on chemistry formulas, you’d slowly started to take notice of a young brunette who sat opposite you. He wasn’t doing anything particularly special, just chewing gum and trying to kick one of his friends under the table, not paying much mind to the new female table-mates. One of his classmates had called him “Charlie”, which was a name you actually recognized. You’d definitely heard a few of the girls talk about him before, and his not-so-appropriate stories.

You took a moment to observe the details of his face and the way he interacted with his friends, your work now long forgotten. He seemed so confident and loud, clearly a class clown as well. His boyish features were pretty charming, if you had to admit it. Soft and mischievous at the same time. The uniform looked handsome on him too. His looks and mannerisms definitely made you want to get to know him a bit better.

Suddenly, the same male you were admiring cleared his throat in a loud, dramatic sort of fashion, catching everyone at the table’s attention. He made quite a show of folding his hands out in front of him on the table, leaning toward you with direct eye contact, so you knew that whatever he was about to say, he was talking to you.

You cocked a brow at the boy, clueless as to what he could possibly be drawing so much attention for.

“Ma’am, since I don’t see any paint or an easel in front of you, I’m going to have to ask that you refrain from staring, please. Not that I don’t enjoy it, but it is very distracting at the moment,” He explained in mock concern, smiling in almost a taunting sort of fashion.

Your eyes blew wide, your jaw all but dropping to the floor as everyone who was listening turned to see your reaction. A few other tables had heard the disturbance as well. Your back suddenly straightened, and you opened and closed your mouth a few times in an attempt to defend yourself, but nothing came out. Normally, you’d fire off something snarky in return, maybe even insulting, but instead, your mind was rendered completely blank. It was strange, really. Sex and everything related to it were extremely taboo, especially with the way you’d been raised. It was one thing when you were talking to your female peers, but having a male address you in that sort of manner was kind of petrifying.

Your cheeks burned with humiliation from all the giggles that met your ears. His gaze never left yours as a huge smirk began to paint his features, causing you to avert your eyes. You couldn’t remember when you became so shy.

“I, uh...” Your eyes darted around to various on-looking students. “Whatever,” you muttered, propping your book up in a way that would block most people from seeing your face.

A symphony of “Ooo’s” echoed from all around you, the group of boys laughing as they playfully punched their friend on the shoulder. Only one boy in a vest who sat closest seemed to give Charlie a displeased look. Some of your own friends began poking you and laughing themselves. Your skin was on fire. You hardly even interacted with men in your day to day life, much less experienced this. You were mortified. You could only take it for a few more moments before you stood straight up from your chair, slamming your chemistry book. Charlie and a couple of your friends were the only ones who noticed the tantrum you were throwing, and Maddie stood to follow you as you made your way out of the library.

You practically stomped out of the room, never once looking behind you. “Who the hell even is that? Who does he think he is talking to me that way? This is why they shouldn’t be over here,” You ranted, directing it toward Maddie, even though she hadn’t caught up to you yet.

Before the door could shut behind both of you, someone had flung it open once more. You turned to see if the rest of the girls were following you, only to be met with his face again. You groaned and began walking faster to your locker.

“Hey!” The boy laughed, hurrying to catch you. “Hey, hold on-”

You didn’t answer, the click of your heels being the only noise you made. Maddie didn’t say anything either, but she watched the two of you with suspicious eyes.

“Wait a second,” He urged, attempting to grab your sleeve before you swatted him away.

“Who do you think you are, exactly?” You snapped, suddenly spinning on your heel to face him. He nearly tripped over his feet to stop himself from running into you.

“Uh, I think I’m Charlie,” he stated, taking a couple steps backward.

Your eyes narrowed. “And what do you want? Why are you trying to humiliate me?”

Charlie stared at you for a second, then let out a small chuckle as he began rolling his sleeves up to his elbows. “Ah, I see. You’re one of those types.”

“Excuse me?” You seethed, digging your nails into your textbooks. “One of what type? Nobody is like me, not even close, so get that straight.”

The male put his hands up in defense. “Now, I didn’t mean it like that, babe.”

Throwing him a fake laugh, you rolled your eyes and continued the journey to your dorm. “Babe? I’m not your babe; my name is (Y/n). Now go torture some other girl.”

Charlie stuffed his hands in his pockets as he watched you walk away, glancing over at Maddie, who had yet to follow you again. "Well, now I have to torture her,” he said.

“Good luck with that. She’s, like, the queen of Welton,” Maddie laughed. “Although, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody work her up that much before.”

Charlie hummed, fixed on the spot you once stood. “Well, then the king himself will just have to take that as a challenge.”

.

The next few days went by with you avoiding study hall like the plague, no matter how much any of the other girls begged you to go. You were sick, you were hungry, you were tired—anything it took to avoid him until you were certain the whispers had died down. You hated his cocky demeanor. You were the only one who should be cocky at Welton. Of course, the rumor of your “crush” had made its rounds by now, much to your dismay. Maddie told you she’d heard some of the boys talking about it as well. The majority of girls just couldn’t shut up about how cute you’d be together with one the “poetry nerds”.

You must’ve been asked a dozen times if you and Charlie were dating, and for once you wished people would stop paying so much attention to you. That was the point where you’d had enough. There was no way you were going to let people think you had a thing for that clown, absolutely no way. You knew he just liked to flirt with every girl anyway, so his advances meant nothing to you. He had embarrassed you on purpose, and you were going to make damn sure you returned the favor someday. These were your school grounds, not his, and not anybody else’s either. Mr. Nolan, the old bat, could take that fact and shove it for all you cared.

The day you finally went back to study hall was on a Friday. There was a chemistry test on Monday morning, and no matter how much you detested it, you really could’ve used one of the boys’ help to study. This chapter of Chemistry was your weak point, and you’d heard a lot of good things about a boy called “Meeks” and his godlike abilities in that realm. You’d seen him sitting around Charlie on that fateful day, which troubled you at first, but once you thought about it for a while, an idea started forming in your brain. That’s where your friend Rachel came in.

Rachel had an affinity for lizards, frogs, and any other small creature that crawled along the ground, which was just perfect for you. You just hoped Charlie loved lizards as much as she did. By the time Friday afternoon had rolled around, you all but dragged Rachel out and down to the library. You could tell she was very unsure, but went along with you anyway.

You stopped and turned to her right outside the doors. “Did you catch one?”

“Yeah,” she sighed, crouching down to fish through her bag.

After a moment, she stood, holding out her hand to reveal a small lizard gently clenched in her grasp. You grinned a wide, maniacal grin, carefully taking the creature from her hands. He was small enough that he would hopefully go undetected for a while, which is exactly what you wanted.

“Thanks, Rach. Alright, c’mon, let’s go,” You instructed, holding the creature in one hand behind your back.

“Ok—ay,” Rachel replied, trialing behind you with your chemistry books in hand.

You strutted right through the room and towards Steven Meeks’ table, ignoring any whispers you heard along the way. Sure enough, Charlie was sitting right beside the Meeks boy, laughing at something his friend had said.

Perfect.

As you approached, most of the table’s attention had turned your way. Charlie immediately plastered that smug look across his face at the sight of you. You scowled at first, but quickly switched your expression to something nice and welcoming as you looked toward Steven, leaning down to his level once you were beside him.

“Hello, gentlemen. Do you mind if I steal your friend Steven for a moment? Rachel and I are seriously clueless when it comes to chemistry, and we need some help for our test Monday,” You explained in a sugary sweet tone, intentionally placing your hand on Meeks’ shoulder. You knew they would fold like wet paper at your request.

The group exchanged several glances with one another, during which, you took the opportunity to place your lizard friend into Charlie’s uniform coat, carefully planting him where he’d likely go down rather than out the top.

“Uh, yeah, alright, sure,” Meeks agreed, gathering up his things and rising from his chair. Rachel chuckled awkwardly, giving a timid “Thank you” to the boy for his help. You couldn’t distinguish whether she was nervous about what you’d done or if Rachel actually had a thing for Meeks. Either way, it didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting to witness the events that unfolded when Charlie realized something besides him was moving in his clothes.

You and Rachel led Meeks to a vacant table off to the left and began setting up things to study. You could tell the boy was a bit nervous around you, but he but shook it off pretty quickly. You, however, were still too distracted with watching Charlie. Once Meeks noticed this, he chuckled, gaining your attention.

“What is it?” You questioned.

“It’s just that… I noticed you staring over there.”

You shot him a chilling glare.

“I was not staring at him!” You blurted a little too loudly. A few students glanced your way before going back to their work, making you take a breath and sit back in your chair. “I apologize. Continue, please.”

Rachel held in a laugh, but said nothing.

A few minutes had gone by before you finally caught a sign of Charlie feeling around in the sleeve of his clothes. You leaned forward in anticipation, waiting eagerly for some sort of panic to ensue. However, rather than panicking, Charlie stood up, removing his jackst and flipping it to search the inside. After some investigation, he found whatever he was looking for.

“Oh, man!” You heard Charlie exclaim as he pulled something from the article of clothing. “Guys, check this out.”

He seemed excited about it, much to your utter frustration. The group all gathered around to view the animal Charlie now held in his hand, all taking turns viewing the small reptile. You were fuming, now sunken down in your chair with your arms folded.

“Yeah, I wonder where he came from, too,” Charlie articulated louder than before, peering over his shoulder at you with a knowing look.

That cocky smile of his made you stand up so hard that your chair fell backwards. You snatched your book off the desk and started to walk out, not bothering to say anything other than, “I’m going to study in my room.”

“Okay,” Rachel squeaked as she and Meeks’ eyes followed you out the door.

Charlie couldn’t stop the laughter that nearly doubled him over as he witnessed you pretty much barrel through the door on your way out. You ignored him, walking briskly to your locker to grab another book, accidentally bumping into a few people on your way. Once you stopped in front of your locker door, a puzzled look replaced your once furious one. The combination lock on your locker had completely disappeared, initially making you think someone had stolen something out of it.

In a panic, you threw open the door to see what might be missing, but rather than finding an empty space, you found the exact opposite. The second you tore it open, an absolute mountain of paper came toppling out like a waterfall, making you shriek as they pooled all around your feet. You stood staring at the ground for a moment, desperately trying to process what just occurred. That’s when you heard footsteps approaching to your right. You didn’t even have to look to know who it was.

Charlie was stifling laughter as he closed in on you. Then he dug around in his front pocket for a moment before pulling out your missing lock and holding it towards you. “Figure you’d want this back,” he offered between chuckles.

“You put these here?” It came out as a statement rather than a question.

“Yeah, kinda like you put a lizard in my shirt. Funny coincidence. Mine was funnier, but I guess we’re even now, eh?”

You studied the inside of your locker for a second more before slamming it shut as hard as you could and pivoting on your heel to face him. His expression faltered a bit when he saw the rage evident in your features.

“Babe, hold on, it was just a jo-”

“How did you get my lock off of there?!” You roared, kicking papers away as you shoved your manicured finger right in his face.

Charlie smirked. “The same way I knew it was you who got that lizard in my blazer, I’m just smart, is all.” He didn’t seem too fazed, which angered you even further. “That was pretty corny, by the way. You should know that we men aren’t afraid of our own shadows like you ladies are.”

You thought your head was about to spin around.

“Afraid of our own shadows?! Are you aware that it was a girl who got the lizard in the first place, you hoity, lame, stupid, conceited-”

“Children!” An adult’s voice boomed from down the hall, making you both whip your heads in that direction.

“Shit,” You and Charlie whispered in unison.

“What on earth is going on here?! What’s all of this mess for?!” Mrs. Newman screeched as she advanced toward you, her brow carved into a deep, wrinkled frown.

You quickly began straightening your outfit, scanning your brain for an excuse to the papers.

“Well, Ma’am, I, uh- Um, Mr. Dalton here had accidentally bumped into me, and I dropped a bunch of papers on the ground,” You rushed out, flashing her an innocent smile as you flattened your skirt.

She gave you a skeptical look up and down, then turned her attention to Charlie. “Is that so? Then what’s with all the noise?”

Charlie coughed into the crook of his elbow before he spoke, giving himself a moment to think.

“Were we being loud? I’m so sorry, Mrs. Newman; we’ll keep our voices down. Won’t happen again, I promise.”

After contemplating it for a minute, she finally let the two of you off the hook, scolding you not to let it happen again and instructing Charlie to help you clean up. Once she was out of sight, the boy grinned at you, kneeling down to help you sort through the sheets of paper littering the floor. “You lied for me, babe?”

You could hear the satisfaction in his voice. “Don’t flatter yourself. I knew if I told on you, then you’d probably narc me out too.”

He paused for a second, then laughed under his breath. “You hardly look at me when we talk like this. Do I make you that nervous, babe?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, you reached over and kicked the foot he was balancing his weight on, effectively toppling him over. Charlie was quick to catch himself, though, cackling like it was the funniest thing he’d ever seen happen.

You stood to your full height, intending to leave him on the ground to fend for himself. “I told you to stop calling me that!”

“Hold on!” He cried rather dramatically, grabbing you by the hand while on his knees in front of you. “I’m sorry. How could I have ever upset the most amazing girl at Welton? A beautiful flame that I’ve tried to snuff out. Could you ever forgive me?”

It was almost weirdly poetic, but still very sarcastic.

Your expression couldn’t have been less amused than it was in that moment, but it quickly twisted into one of shock and horror as the boy leaned forward and planted a curt kiss on your knuckles, still staring up at you with a look that feigned remorse. Those auburn eyes froze you in place for just a moment before you finally snapped out of it, tearing your hand away. The recoil of your action caused you to stumble back a step, which Charlie was thoroughly entertained by, of course.

You shook your head. “Ugh! Can you just stop messing with me, Dalton?! There’s a hundred other girls here; try one of them.”

As much as you hated it, Charlie was right about one thing: You did have a difficult time meeting his gaze. Something about those eyes just made it frustratingly difficult for you to string the right words together. So instead, you scooped up your books and trudged back to your dorm, leaving him surrounded by mounds of paper that still needed to be dealt with.

It seemed that the more irate you became, the more Charlie couldn’t help but laugh. Whatever the reason was, you were not amused in the slightest. You were really about to snap, and dumb little pranks weren’t going to alleviate your feelings. As the day crawled to an end, you took a shower, ate a snack, and eventually decided on going to Maddie’s house for the weekend. You figured it would do you some good to hang out and relax rather than staying at school, and it wasn’t as though your parents cared anyway.

Madison lived close by, and her parents would always come pick her up if she wanted. They were happy to have you since they got along well with your family, so it worked out perfect anytime you needed to get away. By the time you got there and caught up with her family for a bit, it had grown dark outside. She was quiet for a while as she put her things away and meandered around aimlessly, obviously stalling for something she wanted to say.

“So,” she finally said, drawing out the “o” at the end. Your eyes flickered up from your book to see Maddie fighting a smile, her hip cocked with one hand placed on top of it. “I heard about your locker.”

Your jaw clenched. “Maddie, let me stop you right there. I do not want to talk about it. I do not want to think about it. And it was hardly a joke at all; it was just stupid. I had no idea he’d actually pull something so dumb.”

She let out a breathy laugh and picked up a book of her own, beginning to immerse herself in its contents after plopping onto her bed. “Right, so stupid. It's almost as stupid as putting a lizard in someone’s clothes.”

Your nails nearly tore the page you were pretending to read. “I asked you to drop it. I do not want to talk about that man child anymore this weekend.”

“Actually, you didn’t ask,” She hummed. “And it’s funny, since he’s all you’ve wanted to talk about for the past week.”

“Is not!” You wailed, dropping your book on the desk to look at her.

Maddie blinked at you owlishly, though she was plenty used to your antics by now. “(Y/n), I know how much you adore drama, but don’t you think you’re being a touch dramatic here? He probably just likes you.”

“Well, he has a horrible way of showing it.”

“He’s a teenage boy, (Y/n).”

“I don’t care. You all are gonna make me take up smoking.”

She pursed her lips, observing you for a moment. “Are you sure you don’t think he’s kind of cute..?”

You heard the skepticism in her voice. “... Absolutely not.”

She didn’t acknowledge the fact that you hesitated for a split second, she just smiled and went back to reading. “Whatever you say, princess. I’d say you match each other’s egotism.” She paused for a second. “I was going to tell you something else, but now I forgot what it was.”

“Mm. That’s a shame; I would’ve really been interested to hear more of what you had to say,” You drawled, sarcasm dripping from your words.

She grinned. “Shut up, you-… Hold on, do you hear that?”

You glanced around. “What? It’s quiet.”

Maddie lived in a pretty wealthy neighborhood so everyone, including her parents, had turned in by half an hour ago. It stayed generally pretty mundane.

“Listen,” She said, walking to her window and moving the curtains. Both of you stilled as you strained to hear something, and sure enough, the sound of distant music met your ear.

“Is someone throwing a party?” You asked.

“Must be that girl across the street. I bet her parents are out for the weekend.”

“Hm. And where does she go again?”

Maddie shrugged. “One of the public high schools nearby, I suppose.”

“Whatever,” You sighed, standing up. “I guess I’m going to head over to the guest room and get some sleep.”

Maddie nodded. “Alright. Let me know if you need anything. I’ll be next door.”

“Thanks, Mads.”

Surprisingly, it didn’t take much for you to doze off once you’d gotten comfortable. Perhaps you were exhausting yourself worrying about nonsense. The unfortunate part was that you didn’t stay asleep for very long. About three hours went by before Maddie was shaking you awake again.

“Ugh,” You groaned in annoyance, shifting as your stirred awake. “Wha—at, Maddie? My beauty sleep-”

“Don’t you hear that? I haven’t been able to sleep forever!” She interjected.

Your eyes fluttered open as you listened. That’s when you finally processed how excessively loud the party music was playing from outside. Maddie was hardly visible in the darkness, but you could still make out the aggravated expression etched on her features.

Now you were pissed.

The absolute last thing you wanted to deal with was being woken up out of your sleep by some inconsiderate bunch of teenagers with nothing productive to do in their spare time.

“I’m surprised no one in the neighborhood has called the police on those kids or something,” She grumbled, folding her arms over her chest. “I guess none of them are as close to her house as we are.”

You kicked your legs over the side of the bed, weaving past the young girl and practically growling as you went digging around for some shoes.

“What are you doing?” Maddie quizzed, watching as you tugged some slippers onto your feet and started towards the door.

“I’m going to make sure they quiet down. Come on.”

She was quick to follow after that, not uttering a word as you padded down the stairs and out the front door. You were careful not to alert her parents of your exit, even though you knew they slept through everything anyway. Maddie almost had to jog to keep up with your pace.

As you made your way across the street, it became even more glaringly obvious where all the noise was coming from. The neighbor’s backyard was practically lit up like a rock concert. You didn’t even bother with the front door at that point and instead looped your way around the back of the house, straight for the source. You could hear Maddie faltering behind you.

“(Y/n), wait, if there are boys here, we can’t be in nightgowns! What are you even going to say? What if-!”

“Listen, I know you’re a ridiculously light sleeper, and this noise is just stupid, so I’m fixing it right now. Either follow me or don’t,” You snapped, not bothering to look in her direction.

She didn’t reply, but never stopped following you. You were on a war path, but the instant you rounded the corner, you came to a screeching halt, causing Maddie to smack into your backside.

“Ouch!” She yelped, stepping backward. “Why did you…” Maddie trailed off as she caught sight of what you were staring at—the very thing that had caused you to stop in your tracks.

“No. Way.”

Just as you suspected, there was a crowd of high school kids everywhere, some drinking, some smoking, and others dangling their feet in the large pool. You didn’t recognize any of them—none of them except two teenage boys standing by a large table of refreshments. One of them you knew as Knox Overstreet, and the other was Charlie Dalton himself, right there in the flesh, sipping on a cup of God-knows-what with his arm slung around a young brunette girl’s shoulders. They were preoccupied laughing at something Charlie had said, completely oblivious to your presence.

God, he looked just as arrogant as ever with that horrible smug look slapped across his face. To you, it looked like he thought he was getting somewhere with that girl.

You were initially shocked to see them both, but quickly shaped up when you remembered why you were standing there in the first place.

“That’s Mary, the girl that lives here. Is she with Charlie?” Maddie asked.

“Over my dead fucking body,” You mumbled, marching right towards where they stood. It only took a second for them to notice you approaching. The girl, Mary, seemed only bewildered by your clothing choice, while the two boys looked like they had suddenly seen a ghost.

You got about six feet away before stopping and jamming a finger in their direction. “I apologize, but this music is-!”

“What?” Mary yelled over the music. You could tell by her body language that she really wasn’t all that interested in what you had to say regardless. Like you were the one being a nuisance, not the other way around.

You gritted your teeth, glaring down at one of the radios that blasted on the table beside you. You all but ripped the knob off that damn machine trying to turn it off. At that point, nearly everyone had turned to look at the commotion you’d caused, but you truly couldn’t have cared less. The perplexed expression had melted off Charlie’s face, now seeming more impressed than anything. But what he was impressed by, you weren’t quite sure.

“I said,” You snarled, practically boring holes into the girl’s head. “I’m sorry, but music is over the top. I’m at my friend’s house across the street, and it’s clear as day through the walls. It’s late. We and everybody else in the neighborhood are really trying to sleep, and you’re being a bit inconsiderate with this. There is zero reason for it to be that loud all night.”

Your head snapped to Charlie when you heard his laugh, and it was all you could do not to tackle him, then it went back to the girl.

“Or maybe,” Mary said slowly, “You should try putting some clothes on before you decide to come stomp on everyone’s fun. I mean, seriously, are you a prostitute or something?” Her words were slurring together. Then she took a final swig from a glass bottle she held before tossing it in your direction.

You stepped back quickly, listening to her giggle as the bottle rolled along the grass and bounced off your foot. Charlie chose to step away from her at that point. Taunting “Ooo’s” came from the crowd of people, who were now fully engrossed as they moved closer to watch the show. You stood there stunned for a moment, in disbelief that someone had actually thrown a glass object at you. Sure, you could be catty sometimes, but you’d never done anything like that to a stranger.

“(Y/n)..?” Came Maddie’s meek voice. You could hear her take a few steps in your direction.

You ignored her and instead looked up at Mary again with a calm smile.

“Hey, alright, look, you can’t-” Charlie began to tell her, but you stopped him politely.

Her smugness seemed to diminish at your mellow reaction, which was quite the opposite of what everyone thought. She had clearly anticipated on you being angry.

But you were angry. You were literally shaking with anger. However, you opted not to express it right away. You weren’t going to give her the pleasure of seeing you scream or cry over her actions.

Still sporting your gentle expression, you sauntered around to the back of the refreshment table and stood there for a moment, all while maintaining eye contact with the young girl.

Mary furrowed her brows, almost ready to laugh at whatever you were doing, but just as she did, you reached out in a quick motion, and flipped the table completely over onto its side, emphasized by a deep ‘thud’ as it hit the ground.

Food went cascading in various directions, the radio rolled several times, and the punch bowl’s contents shot out so far that it covered almost all three of their shoes, causing Mary to shriek and jump backwards. You could tell she had some nice shoes on, too. Well, they were nice.

“Oops,” You sang, “My mistake.”

You could tell she was furious, but thankfully for her, she didn’t move to approach you.

“What in the hell is wrong with you?!” She screeched, face now glowing with anger.

“What’s wrong with me? It’s you, bitch. You’re what’s wrong.”

Noises of surprise and astonishment came from the other teenagers, some egging you on and others commenting on how unladylike you were. You didn’t care; you were ready to shove her in the pool if she tried something else. However, Maddie was there to snatch your hand and start tugging you in the opposite direction.

“(Y/n), let’s go,” She demanded.

You pulled your arm back, knocking her aside as you left all the laughter and commotion behind you. She was about to take out, but Charlie stopped her.

“Hey, head on home, I’ll handle it.”

Maddie sneered at him. “Are you kidding me? You? You think you’re going to help?”

“I’ve got it, I promise. She’ll be back at yours afterward,” He assured.

She sighed, and begrudgingly allowed him to go after you. It didn’t take him long to catch up, but he was confused to find you walking down the road rather than back toward Maddie’s house. You knew from the weight of the footsteps that it wasn’t Maddie behind you, but that didn’t concern you in the slightest. You were too busy fighting tears that threatened to swell in your eyes, the adrenaline making your emotions run rampant. You just wanted to walk and cool your head a little bit, and you were deaf to anything else going on around you.

“(Y/n)! Shit, I didn’t know you had that kind of fire, babe!” Charlie hollered, but when you didn’t stop or even slow down after a few more steps, he took the liberty of grabbing you by the shoulders and spinning you around to face him.

“(Y/N)! Where are you-“

“What?!” You yelled, not bothering to fight him as he held you. He let go when he saw the way you were looking at him, then opened his mouth to say something, but you immediately cut him off.

“What do you want with me? What did I even do to you?”

“What? I’m pretty sure you started this whole thing, not me. Besides, where are you even going?” Charlie laughed.

You glared. “Does it really matter? And what the hell is so funny? What are you so amused with all the goddamn time?!”

“You,” He stated dryly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Me?” You quizzed. “I’m is amusing? Is that why you embarrassed me in front of my friends the first day we met?”

He pulled back. “I wasn’t trying to embarrass you, I was trying to get your attention.”

“Well, congratulations, you’ve got it!” You ridiculed. “What are you even doing here? Did you sneak out with Knox to go to that stupid party? And who was that girl hanging all over you like that? She’s awful.”

A broad, playful smirk stretched across the boy’s cheeks. “Why do you care who she was?”

You straightened, placing a hand on your chest. “I don’t. I just don’t see why you have to throw yourself on every girl like that; it’s gross.”

He stepped forward with that ever-teasing look on his face. “Oh, but it was okay when you were rubbing Meeks’ shoulder at school?”

“I wasn’t ‘rubbing’ his shoulder!”

“Yeah, and I don’t actually ‘throw myself’ at women, either,” He shrugged. “I only talk a big game. I make jokes, it’s what I do.”

You tried to fight it, but it was useless. He just looked so attractive under the warm street lights, the wind making his hair all ruffled and messy. Your resentment diminished at the sight, and instead was replaced with a pang of jealousy. The reality was that you wanted Charlie’s arm around you instead. You needed it to be you, and not Mary or anybody else. The facade had finally lost its luster. Realization was now staring in the face: you had feelings for Charlie Dalton.

“Yeah, right, Dalton. That’s what I’d say too,” You uttered, demeanor now flat.

“It’s part of my charm,” He affirmed.

“Of course…”

Charlie was so easy to admire that it made you loath him for it. A thick silence hung between you both for a second.

“I wasn’t trying to make you that angry, for the record. I was just teasing. You’re absolutely gorgeous, and everyone at school wants your attention, so I was trying to make sure I kept it to myself for more than two seconds,” He mused, scuffing his shoe on the pavement. “Although you are pretty hot when you’re mad, so I’ll admit it was a little fun.”

Chills ran down your arms, eyes drifting to the ground bashfully. “You’re crazy, Charles Dalton.”

“Hm. Then I guess we have a lot in common,” He retorted.

“Really? You can’t be serious for two seconds?”

“You can’t loosen up for two seconds!”

You wheeled around, ready to walk away from the conversation and let your crush die with it, but Charlie grabbed you again. This time he wrapped one arm around your waist and pulled you dangerously close, using his other hand to firmly grasp your chin so you’d have to look at him.

You were about to reprimand him, tell him to unhand you and to go back to that other girl, but before you knew what was happening, he’d already leaned in and smushed his lips right up against yours.

A bolt of electricity ran through your body upon contact, and the words that died on your lips came out as a small moan of surprise. He was kissing you. You couldn’t believe it, Charlie was actually kissing you. A real kiss. The sharp scent of cologne and cigarettes invaded your nose, overwhelming your senses. It took a moment for your brain to process the situation, but when it did, you relaxed against him, instinctively letting your eyes close and snaking your arms around his neck. You felt him smile against you as you pulled him flush to your body. It was sweet, meaningful. Your heart thumped wildly in your chest, making you slightly lightheaded.

Oh, you were so screwed.

You had no foggy idea what came over you, but you didn’t have to think twice about it. You began running your fingers through his chocolate locs of hair, nails grazing his scalp ever so slightly in a way that had him sighing against you. He ran his hand to the back of your neck began moving his lips feverishly with your own. You could taste whatever fruity substance he’d been sipping on earlier, but it was heaven. The way he kissed you caused your tongues to brush together a few times, and your stomach flipped each time it happened.

All the built-up tension you’d acquired over the past week was completely released in those few moments as his hands moved up and down your torso. You were fully content to stay like that for the rest of the night, but of course, it was over all too soon.

“Hey, Dalton! Why can't we leave you alone for five minutes, man?” Knox’s voice made you jump away from Charlie, ears warm from being caught.

You weren’t exactly being discreet about it by making out in the middle of the street, but you were still surprised and suddenly much more aware of the fact that you were in nothing but a nightgown.

“Hey, Carpe Diem, man!” Charlie called back to him from down the street, sporting a grin that was probably less than trustworthy.

He continued when all he got was silence in return, “Hold on a second; I’ll be right there, I swear!”

Knox rolled his eyes, turning back toward the house. “Make it quick; we’ve gotta get back before someone misses us!”

Charlie gave his friend a thumbs up, then turned back just as you shivered from a gust of cool night air. Without missing a beat, he peeled off his jacket and placed it over your shoulders, shooting you a goofy smile.

You pulled it around you while shaking your head, then leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, and watched as youthful excitement erupted on his face.

“So you were staring at me that day.”

“Mmm, let’s not push it, Dalton. You’ve been having way too much fun this week,” You warned, stifling a smile.

“Neil owes me a dollar.”

Eyeing the wet grass for a moment, you thought carefully about what you wanted to say next, but it proved difficult to come back down from the high that kiss had put you on.

“You know… I really am sorry about everything that happened,” You said ashamedly.

Charlie’s silence urged you to continue.

“You… I like you, truthfully. And I’ve never really been interested in a boy like this before. When you called me out that day in the library, it sort of hurt my pride a little bit for everyone to see how flustered I got.” Your breathing trembled. "And… I don't know, I guess I just panicked when I realized I couldn’t be cool in front of you."

It felt foreign to open up like that. Showing soft emotions was just not your forte. You were always taught to suck it up and keep going; you were to cry about things in private and smile like a lady in public. But fortunately, Charlie didn’t care about that, and he listened to you ramble with perfect patience. You couldn’t tell if you wanted to cry or throw up at that point, but you were glad you got it out.

“That’s what all this was about?”

You nodded.

“(Y/n)… You need to stop worrying so much about what everyone else thinks. I was sure you just hated me by this point.”

“Charlie, I can’t help it. I’ve worked hard all my life trying to impress everyone,” You defended, feeling a twinge of sadness as you thought back to your parents.

“Well, whether you believe me or not, I would never want you to feel like you had to earn my acceptance. Never.” He gave you a sympathetic look. “And please trust me when I tell you it’s not worth trying to be whatever your family expects you to be. You’re better than whatever they have in their head for you.”

You nodded, and he smiled. A genuine smile, not that patronizing smirk.

“I could’ve approached you so much better than I did, and it was immature to keep antagonizing you like that. I’m sorry, (Y/n).”

You shook your head. “No, I should’ve controlled my temper. You and that poor lizard didn’t deserve it either. And now I need to go apologize to Maddie for the feud her family is going to have with the neighbors for the rest of their life.”

He grimaced. “Eh, they sort of had it coming, if you ask me. I should’ve known you could handle yourself just fine.”

“Don’t encourage me,” You hummed in amusement, watching the trees sway in the breeze.

“Man. Nobody gets the last word with you, do they?” He said through chuckles. “Honestly… What you did was pretty funny. And you were right; the music was obnoxious. It was giving me a headache. Also, let it be known that none of this was my idea, by the way; Knox dragged me here.”

You smiled back at him half-heartedly. “Yeah, I’m never going to hear the end of it… Not that I necessarily deserve mercy.”

“Well, regardless of how it started out, I hope it can continue.” Charlie took your hand, kissing your knuckles just as he’d done before, mumbling against your skin, “If I had known all it took to get on your good side was to stick my tongue in your mouth, I would’ve done it a while ago.”

You took your hand away and whacked his shoulder gently. “Shut it.”

You didn’t have to look at him to know he was grinning from ear to ear.

“I’ll see you Monday! And I’ll have to properly introduce you to my friends,” He joked, walking backward toward the direction Knox had disappeared in. “They all think you’re pretty, but they’re also scared of you, so you have to sit by me.”

“Wait! Do you want your coat back?”

“Nah, I’ll get it Monday, and I’ll get you your lock back, too,” He laughed. “And next time we’ll have to do this at my place, babe!”

You rolled your eyes. “Only if you wear the nightgown next time, Charles.”

[theladwhoisweird]

I was good. I was really good.

It's been 64 years, Neil.

[unhappycylinder]

Masterlist

Top Gun

Nick "Goose" Bradshaw

Saunter Working as Viper's assistant, you see a new set of hot-shot pilots every six weeks, but one in particular happens to catch your eye...

Take Care of Yourself, Okay? When Y/n’s heart breaks under the weight of loving a man always just out of reach, she’s ready to walk away — until Nick shows up on her doorstep on Christmas Eve, begging for one last chance to make things right.

Jake "Hangman" Seresin

Gonna Be Trouble you meet Hangman at an airshow while on a break from college. Will your careers draw you apart or will your love for each other bring you together? ONGOING

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12

Masters of the Air

Robert "Rosie" Rosenthal

My Lucky Charm (Robert ‘Rosie’ Rosenthal x Reader) As a flight mechanic, its your job to keep the planes in tip-top condition for the boys, one of whom seems to have his eye on you

Dead Poets Society

Charlie Dalton

Sonorous (Charlie Dalton x Fem!Overstreet!Reader) Falling for your brother's best friend was the last thing you intended to do...but he was just too charming

No Unreturned Love (Charlie Dalton x Male!Reader) Charlie's feelings were mutual after all

Paddle (Charlie Dalton x gn!Reader) Mr. Nolan's ruthless punishments have you seeking comfort from your friend Charlie

First Kiss (Charlie Dalton x fem!Reader) You find out your first kiss back in Elementary school was with one of your best friends

Steven Meeks

Steven Meeks x Fem!Reader A game among friends to beat the summer heat leads to an accidental intimate moment between you and Meeks.

Stranger Things

Hellfire’s Newest Member (Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader)   The new girl at Hawkin’s high catches the eye of Eddie, and her affinity for DnD makes her the girl of his dreams.

Part 1  Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14

[got-the-cheese-touch]

I am sick and TIRED of slutty little men and their slutty little waists

[sustiawan-author]

Neil Perry SFW Alphabet . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

Aw finally a post for our favorite Puck. Let's get into it.

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

He is so sweet. He's the sweetest boy you've ever met, and it shows each time you spend time with each other.

He shows his love through gift giving; buying you notebooks before you even asked just because he knew you've ran out of paper (he found this out by taking a peek at your desk when he visited you), finding floral hairclips at the store just to buy them for you because he thought they'd look "just heavenly" on your hair (lol).

He's lowkey obsessed with making you look like a Shakesperean dream. To him, you are already — but looking the part? Ohhhh boy, you'll get him breathless. And I'm talking about greek stolas, medieval wear, all that good stuff.

Accompanies you on errands (yes, he's big on quality time.) You probably cycled your bicycle around town to find some newspapers to read, and he'd be there with you. Either walking along, or riding the bike while you sit tight and hold on at the backseat. It's just so romantic.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

So annoying lol.

It's only fair since he visits you so often, but he'd find any — and I mean any — excuse to be with you. Maybe he'll say to his father how he's got homework (which he's probably smart enough to not need to be tutored by the girl across the street from his school), or he'll use the recreation time provided by Welton to plan anything with you.

Honestly, he's too much of a romantic to not be so obvious about it.

He might not tell his parents yet until he's ready because as far as he can allow it, to them you're just his "extremely good friend (for now)". But to his friends, he makes it clear as day — no matter how much he attempts to deny it.

They just know someone like him won't be going out for three hours without clear purpose, okay.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

HE LOVESSSS IT OMG.

Girl give this man a hug. Many hugs. Deep, devoted hugs with the sweetest kisses.

Any of you who volunteer to love on this man with faith, the entire fandom will THANK YOU because at least now he knows someone has true faith in him.

Kiss his hair, kiss the side of his mouth, kiss his forehead. He loves it all. There's no such thing as too much affection with him

If you're in public, he'll settle for holding your hand. It shows others that you're his.

If you kiss him in public, though, he probably won't be as good at kissing you back. He gets far too red, far too quickly. It emits that stifled, giddy laugh he always does.

Hold on to his bicep. It's his favorite thing in the world. Makes him feel in charge, like he's your husband or something. He eats that UP.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

YESSSSSSSS. (lol)

Almost to a fault since he's the rushing type. His dream, even if he hadn't realized it as strongly before he got inspired by Keating, is to love and be loved.

Slipping a ring on your finger is just the cherry on top then ^_^

Neil loves you. He loves imagining a future with you, the present with you, and how different his past would be had you been there for him and near him.

He kisses you so gently each time that he wishes no more for you two to have your own space, to have your own privacy, to love without the meddling of others (including his parents.)

That being said he is... not too good at cooking with a recipe.

He's amazing at doing individual tasks, though, we have to give credit to that. Neil helped his mother out in the kitchen often already, so he knows how to cut, slice, mix, blend. All that. He probably knows how to make a good stew, but you have to watch over him and guide him over the recipe or he'll accidentally knock over the food processor.

He's a clean guy, okay. Both to himself and his surroundings.

Neil irons his clothes himself, he steams them even, he washes them, he sweeps and wipes his dorm. You'll be satisfied.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

I SEE YOU ANGST LOVERS BEING SNEAKY WITH THIS LETTER

Thank you, next.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

He's gonna roar at this lol.

Like,,, really quick. Right after school. A maximum of a year.

He's just ready to treat and commit to YOU, okay... like please let him build a home and life with you.

His parents would expect that he settles down with a nice girl too, so having you is a blessing to them.

Speaking of their conventionality and conservativeness, Neil would probably find it so relieving if you do want to marry him just as quick.

Give this man kids y'all.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

♡o♡ He loves you. No question about that.

You know how he has big hands? He says their purpose is to hold yours when you almost trip after trying to manouver around a big oak tree.

That's your hangout spot btw lolz.

He always gives you those puppy eyes when he's admiring you, resting his chin on his arm when you're doing something.

Neil smiles wider when you poke his nose and nuzzle it against his.

Yeah, pretty self explanatory.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

They're warm, loving. It feels like home, like safety. He's so broad and tall that hugging him feels like a weighted blanket.

You love it most when he's rested against you when you both fell asleep after reciting Romeo and Juliet with each other.

He hugs you like you could dissipate from him any second; with desperation, a little bit of insistence, and a lot of devotion.

Sigh.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

This is adorable.

Neil saw you, his "best friend" (whom his parents already approve of, so thank goodness for that peace), sitting on his second play; a proud beam on your face and clapping the loudest applause.

It's only possible that he got to participate in it to begin with because you convinced his parents during dinner that theatre could "provide as a stress relief" for him before he entered Ivy League.

At the end of Hamlet, he pulls you onstage and kisses you in front of everybody. Yes, even his buddies.

He gave you his biggest bouquet full of carnations, delphiniums, lilacs, and pomanders and latently (not so much) declares you as his.

You can't help but agree since he's been the love of your life even before you've both verbally admitted it.

He kisses your temples right after, a show of gratitude, and whispers those words you've only heard in your dreams. Everyone's never been so proud of him. You're his success.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Ohhh yikes. This one is interesting.

He does. LOLLLLL

Let's say you've married (YAYY omg), and you've settled down for quite some time. Maybe a year or two. He's your loving husband, and you're his delightful darling wife.

One day, he got an invitation for a reunion (yes, at Welton.) You both attend and all went well, but there was a reason why he didn't tell anyone outside of the Dead Poets about you while you two were in high school.

You're pretty. So, so pretty. All he's ever hoped and dreamed of — and apparently others too.

There's a reason why he grasps your shoulder closer during the event when his other classmates came to say hello.

It's less jealousy and more protectiveness.

He's your knight in shining armor and he needs to know you keep viewing him that way :( even while others might not believe so.

But he's awesome, so a little rub on his chest and a nice "I'll get us some hors d'eouvres, darling? I know how much you love the raspberry tarts ^_^" gets him all settled

And a bit smug, let's not lie.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Oh, this is soooo ଘ(੭◌ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ♡‧₊˚

He cups your jaw and caresses his thumb there, and he kisses you like a promise. Like he's going to war.

Don't be surprised. You literally married a theatre kid.

Neil makes sure you're both somewhat secluded, be it under a sycamore tree or by the corner of the library shelves, and backs you up before kissing you like he'll be the only one you'll love for eternity.

He loves to be kissed by his knuckles. It makes him feel so mighty and brave. Don't ask me why, it's a man thing. Lol.

Sometimes he'll bury his face on your neck and hug you from behind. You two will share stories and he'll be content just guarding you there.

Sigh. Love.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Neil loves them. Finds them especially adorable if you were the one to interact with them.

He's especially good at handling his baby niece. She's just two years old, but she calls him 'Ni-ni' each time she visits his parents' home.

They almost always make him babysit her when the parents are downstairs eating or just talking, and he always has such good fun.

He's an imaginative man, so he'll go out of his way to read a story to her and make funny noises until she cackles in her little voice and tumble backwards.

It all changed when you came into the picture.

He doesn't wait until he gets told to take care of her now — no, he offers himself to the position.

His parents love inviting you over for dinner or for thanksgiving and other holidays if you're not back at your parents' place, so he'll bring his niece to you and you'll both take care of her together.

It's the most fun he's ever had.

Let's say he'll probably talk about having kids that exact same night. Just entertain him. He's having a moment.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Once you're married, he probably works quite early. So you'll help fix his breakfast and he'll kiss you on the forehead, and while you're cooking, he'd tell you how gorgeous you are, how he's so happy to have you there, and how he's going to write you in his next playwright.

He groggily insists you should stay home beforehand, but both of you know you two are far too carpe diem-ish to sit still and do nothing.

You spend the day doing activities with the other in mind and heart.

Such a lovely routine.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Assuming he works long hours, by the time he's home you're both already tuckered out.

He mumbles something incoherent and slips behind to hug you like a grizzly bear preparing for hibernation

You just giggle and remind him to change and wash up first, since you've gotten a bit more sleep while waiting for him to return.

Neil pouts when you prompt him to get upright, but he eventually caves when you kiss him with the promise of more affection when he manages to change his clothes and get a nice wash.

Then he goes down to lock up everything before you two go off to peaceful slumber.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

He's the type to prefer the attention to be just around the both of you in the beginning.

He generally avoided talking about things surrounding his home life, or other things that revolve around that.

Once you've become familiar to one another and you assure him, with great vigor, that whatever he's been through or will go through in terms of family ties won't deter you from the relationship, then he'll open up.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

He's only ever angered by principle. If injustice is committed, if the people he cares about ever gets into trouble or unjustified danger, or something unfair ever happens.

He used to bottle it up and just say 'forget about it,' but you rolled your eyes and crossed your arms and berated him there and then.

Ever since, he's seen his anger as not a form of rebellion, but as an expression of care and genuine passion.

"If my love that envelops you is one of good passion, then I don't doubt that my rightful anger should be any less than."

Read that in his voice because yes, he said that.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He's a poet, baby.

Yes he does.

Even the way your fingers move in tandem when you wash your hair does not get missed out by him.

He's not perfect, though, and he knows you prefer him this way; he forgets your friends' names. Lol. I have to say it. Unless you mention them a lot of times or they're seen like 24/7 with you, he won't be able to tell who they are.

Everything else, he associates with you though. Like to him, your favorite color is his definition of you, your favorite flower is you. You become everything he's remembered about you.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

Ah, love.

He remembers the moment you first declared your feelings for him, backstage when everyone has started to go home.

He stayed a while to talk to you with the excuse of taking off his costume and makeup, but you stayed there.

You sat on top of the vanity, swinging your legs as you looked up to him with sparkles of admiration in your eyes.

He leaned closer, savoring you. He didn't want to kiss you yet. Neil just wanted to make sure you're there, you're his, and that moment was shared just between the two of you.

His greatest dreams of love had just been declared into fruition, and he couldn't have been happier.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

The first bit of this has already been answered so the second part it is.

He does it way more to you, but anytime you do it back, he finds it soooo ଘ(੭◌ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ♡‧₊˚ when you step up for him.

Like the time you had to convince his parents? Or that one time you snapped back a snarky retort at Charlie for teasing him? Ooh boy. Gets him going.

He just likes the feist in you, okay.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

This is the sweetest thing because tell me he wouldn't absolutely write a journal's worth of poems for each of your birthdays.

He has the money to buy you trinkets and he would, like heart-shaped pendants, flower promise rings.

But he also loves to put in effort for the DIY gifts. I'm talking about scrapbooks with the photo of you two together, complete with the lipstick kiss mark you've left on his old notebook, torn neatly and stuck to the journal with some patterned tape.

His concept of love is to go all out for his beloved. In this case, you ♡☆♡ ^_^

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

I'm gonna be so real...

He is such a crybaby when he's sick.

He'll go all out with the sniffles, the red nose and the coughing.

"Honey, come on. Please :(( I can't grab it myself," as he feigns reaching for the flu medicine. He hides himself under the pillow and whines for you.

You dated and married a theatre kid. Don't blame me for his dramatics.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Oh, man lol. Boy has his self perception changed since he's met you.

"Honey, don't you think I look just as divine as you are? My arms grew quite stronger," as he flexes in front of the mirror. And he is locked IN to his reflection as he mutters this.

He used to be quite modest about himself, but now he's thrown it all to the side. Thanks to your endless compliments and praise that he let into his head!

"Darling, won't you hold the mirror for me, please? Need to look my best as your man."

You smack his arm with a hearty laugh before you two go out. He loves it.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

He's a lovely, mature, and sane man.

Secure attachment is all I'll say.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

Let me just mention a couple of out-of-context phrases he'd say to you.

"But I wanted those bags of candies!"

"You promised to stay" (yes, he is guilt-tripping you. he does that often with his puppy, brown eyes)

"I love the way you smell. Honey, you're just as good as pie."

Like dude alright you're smitten leave all of us be.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

He has an unspoken (yet often expressed) disgust about porridge.

Yes, he eats it when he's sick because he couldn't possibly have said no to his mother. But yes, he does gag a number of times when she isn't in the room because of how awful the texture is.

If he's sick, just make him soup. He wouldn't ever tell you if he doesn't like your cooking, but for the sake of his stomach.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

Y'all r gonna laugh so hard but he's a drooler.

Like he drools and he curls up like a humbug.

It's okay, just put a napkin on top of his pillow and the problem will be solved.

You won't be able to deny his bear hugs anyway and you love him too much so.

You'll live.

taglist ⤷ @astridstark13

[ash5monster01]

DPS Masterlist

Main Masterlist

all works include a femreader. requests are open for any of the boys. I hope you enjoy <3

Charlie Dalton

Getting Red

Only Thing Left to Live For

Snowed In

Red Lips 18+

I Can See You

First Snow

You’ll Be Okay

Perfectly Me

Guilty as Sin? 18+

Turn Back Time

The Best I Could

Not The Same

Just The Way You Are 18+

What I Always Wanted

Not So Cocky Now 18+

Christmas Tree Farm

Truths Of Our Past series

Goes On series

Getaway Camp series

Neil Perry

New Romantics 18+

First Time 18+

Sick Day

It’s Just Practice 18+

In The Woods

Not Prepared 18+

The Hot Doc 18+

Todd Anderson

Study Buddies

Enough For The Both of Us

All (not including reader)

Trapped in Time

It’s Not Christmas Without You

One’s Hour Has To Come

A Dead Poets Holiday

[angelbowerz]

your only girl at welton fic is such a guilty pleasure for me lmao. if you ever wrote more for it i would forever be thankful lol, esp if it had mr keating taking them under his wing or smthn haha

Of course! I'd love to do more, if you have any other suggestions I'd be more than happy to do it!

Keating taking you under his wing♡

Movie-dead poets society

Summary-continuing on from 'being the only girl at Welton'

-he obviously knew about your arrival before the students, the second Mr Nolan told him, he knew he'd become your 'school father'

-since you had no classes on your first day, you first got introduced to him when he came into the common room

-he pulled you aside and basically said about how he's excited to meet you in class, and that you could always go to him for things (since all the other teachers look on the brink of death lmao)

-when you enterd his class the next day, he placed you next to todd (awhhh his two fake children🫂)

-After class he pulled you aside to check in on you, also telling you where his bedroom is when you need him after lessons

-at lunch or when you're passing him through the halls, he'll give you one of those encouraging dad smiles

-he'll give you a nickname like 'Dear miss l/n'

-now since Mr Nolan gave the rule of NO dating,if you do get a boyfriend, keating would be so happy for you, basically the opposite of Nolan

-okay...being at an all boys school would be hard being the only girl, especially at that time of the month so who do you go to? Your school dad of course

-if you ever run out of products after free time is over, you just go to Mr Keating's room where he has a box of things for you

-On some weekends, he would take you and Todd out into the town and will sometimes buy you two gifts (only if you keep it a secret)

-lets say your parents couldn't make the open day thing, you was obviously very sad...but who was there to pretend to be your father? KEATING OF COURSE! Also with Todd (cute lil family🤗)

-on the last day of school before the Christmas period, he would give you the cutest lil present (proud dad)

-when you graduate, you'll miss him SO MUCH (in my world keating didn't get fired and Neil is still alive SHHHH)

-you both would write to eachother once you leave Welton and would stay in contact until Mr Keating passes or something happens