#dead poet society x reader

[saint-petah-the-good]

my biggest fear is being closed in a room with all of my fictional crushes

[star-dust-stuf]

Knox Overstreet x fem!reader

title: then you might fall in love baby

warnings: angst, fear of the dark, heart aching fluff

a/n: I’m not scared to say, yes I am scared of the dark. I wrote this so if anyone is scared of the dark they’d know that it’s nothing to be ashamed of. sorry for typos, with love.

-

As soon as studying was over and Dr Hager told all the students to get read for bed, of course my fears carried on every night and I barely slept but I felt pathetic, why would I be scared of the dark? Especially at my age.

When I finished brushing my teeth I knew I was going to have one hell of a night so I tried to stay around the girls in the bathroom for as long as I could, not wanting to submit myself to the dark too soon.

And yes it was a rule in Welton you had to have lights out at nine-thirty. I hated it, and none of my friends knew, gosh if Charlie knew he’d never let it go. I stood outside my dorm room door, it was dark in there it was almost like I was getting ready to fight demons.

I couldn’t see in the dark, I couldn’t see what was in front of me and it scared me. I didn’t have a choice, but then someone came up behind me and made me jump a little.

“Hey… oops.” Knox smiled at me, but his expression shifted when he saw my stressed eyes. “Hey, what’s the matter?”

I could take the tension, nor the lack of sleep. Besides that, Knox was always so sweet. “Knox… I- I cant sleep…” My voice trailed off.

“What do you mean. Insomnia?” I shake my head, rubbing my arm. “Why cant you sleep… Mh?”

I sighed, “Knox.. I’m scared of the dark.”

Knoxes eyes shot, “oh. Oh! Well, why didn’t you say?”

“Because Charlie doesn’t exactly have a filter.”

Knox chuckled. “Yeah, I get it. Him and his big mouth. I won’t tell, y/n.”

I smiled. “Thanks but, it’s something that’s always bothering me and I can’t sleep at all!”

Knox nodded understandably, “okay, how about this. Stay here, I’ll be right back!”

He ran off towards his room down the hall, some other boys and girls still getting ready for bed, scampering through the hall. “Five minutes!” Hager said loudly.

I sighed, waiting. And then Knox came back. A string of… stars? Wrapped around his arm, he gestured I go into my room, so I did.

It was dark but he was there with me so I had no fuss. He shut my door, now it was really dark, he jumped up onto my bed and started to hang the small lights across the wall, then plugging them into the outlet over my bed.

The stars lit up a warm color of light and it spread across my room. “There. Like it?” He hopped down.

I nod. “You didn’t have to-.”

He shrugged. “If you can’t sleep then it’s a problem, trust me. I’ve had those in a box under my bed for most of this year.”

I smiled a little and looked to my feet. He nudged me softly, “hey, what’s up?”

I smiled, “I feel… stupid.”

“For what? Being afraid of the dark. Ha! You got me there.”

I look at him. “You don’t think I-.”

He cut me off. “I don’t think anything bad about it. Sometimes we don’t grow out of our childhood fears. And sometimes things like these are reasonable, everyone’s scared of the dark sometimes, sometimes longer than others.”

I smiled a little, and I meant it this time. “Don’t feel like you can’t be scared of the little things just because they feel… well, childish. If I watch a horror movie I won’t fully recover for weeks!”

I laughed a little, so did he. “You know, Hager won’t know if I spend the night with you? I don’t want to imply anything honestly, I just want to make sure you sleep.”

I smiled and leaned on him a little, “I’d like that.”

I only had a twins sized bed but we were able to squeeze together, it was a lovely excuse to be close to one another. He struggled, he placed his arm around me finally and I snuggled against him… I felt his breath grow heavy, like he was nervous but relived and it made me want this to lady forever.

After a bit of time as I drifted off he slowly stroked my hair and rubbed my arm softly till his eyes got heavy. Who knew he snores.

[soontobeadeadpoet]

when you started at the prestigious boys school, welton academy, you never guessed you would be skipping a class. let alone skipping a class to make out with the insufferable charlie dalton.

charlie was nothing but charismatic to the point it almost annoyed you yet you couldn't help but fall in love and now here you were. the two of you were crammed into an old storage closet, your back continued to bump into the shelf as charlie pushed you against it, his lips had captured yours in a passionate frenzy. his hands gripped your hips as you ran your own through his brunette locks. his lips fit to yours in such a perfect way as you pushed him back to take a much needed breath much to charlie's dismay. he couldn't help the smile that spread across his lips as he looked down at your flushed face. his fingers snaked along your sides, tickling you gently. the action caused you to tense, pulling a laugh from your lips. it was one of charlie's favorite sounds and god help if the two of you got caught because they'd have to pry charlie away from you.

[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.

[kafkamus]

i don’t know how to explain to normal people that i’m madly in love and feel an actual emotional bond with a fictional character without sounding like i should be locked in a psych ward.

[graciepasty]

Neil Perry. Dead Poets Society (1989).

[chelestials]

nothing is more humbling when you’re watching an edit of your favorite actor and then the screen goes black and you see yourself on your screen basically thirsting over them

[jinxfestival]

boyfriend reveal

[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 💕

[dead3ve]

Neil Perry x fem!shy!reader

Summary: When Welton's sister school burns down, the female students end up residing at Welton as well. Neil Perry, one of Welton's finest, begins to take a liking to one of the quieter ladies.

Warnings: This is a first post :) reader referred to as female, lady, girl. gender neutral (they/them) pronouns used. No use of y/n. shy reader insert

Neil Perry was waiting outside of the ladies' quarters. The refurbished section of Welton now dedicated to the housing of the new female teachers and students was so affectionately named the 'ladies' quarters' thanks to one Charlie Dalton. The same Dalton that had forced Neil to wait for a certain lady to exit her room. With a book in hand, Neil contemplated whether or not the girl would like his attempts of flirting.

Neil had taken a liking to this girl. They were quiet, but knowledgeable. He knew this because Neil sat next to them for his beloved English class with Mr Keating, where whenever a question was asked a whispered and correct answer comes from the desk to his left. Once, Neil caught their eye when they were whispering the correct answer. They blushed and turned to look straight down at their desk for the rest of the lesson. Neil did not wish to offend them, just to simply admire them and their mind. So, after class he caught them by the elbow, and asked "Why don't you speak in class? Your answers are always right." Neil was left holding onto the elbow of the girl whilst they looked up at him with eyes so full of longing, and a mouth sealed shut by the restraints of fear.

They responded with a meek "I'm not always right."

Neil watched the girl pull away from his hold and hurry along after their friends, each of the ladies' heavy, uniformed skirts grazing the others' as they walked to their next class.

Neil looked down at the book he had bought for the girl in his hands. A special edition of one of their favorites, according to their friends, who all giggled at Neil's shy appreciation of the girl.

Down the hall, the thick clunk of school shoes approached Neil. He looked up after being in a romantic daze. He saw them. In their regular school skirt and button up shirt. They wore a cardigan though. Autumn had entered the hallways of the school. Neil stepped into the middle of the quiet hallway.

"Hi." Neil said. The girl faltered in her walking. Slowing her approach, seeming like they were questioning that Neil was actually there to see them.

"Hi." The girl began to speed up again, once they realized he was here to speak to them.

They stopped in front of him and smiled. Big and shy and bright all at the same time. The book in Neil's hands caught the girl's attention. The colors were so clearly representing a certain franchise and the picture on the front seemed to depict a familiar character. Neil noticed their eyes wandering and smiled at their silent curiosity. He held the book out to her.

"It's for you." Neil said with a smile on his lips as the girl went to take it cautiously with a small grin. Not because they were scared of Neil, but because they did not know if they were overstepping. They were very interested in the boy, after all.

Neil, realizing that they might not understand the display of affection being attempted, decided to pull the book back to himself before they could take it.

"It's yours, I promise. But I am giving it to you because I like you, and maybe we could go get a coffee sometime?" By the end of the sentence, Neil was losing confidence. His voice grew higher, making a slight crack in the middle of the word "sometime".

Unbeknownst to Neil, who was looking down at the cover of the book held in his hands, they were beginning to smile wider as he grew more nervous. Eventually the girl took the book from Neil and began to walk away from him. Neil stopped thinking. Stopped moving. Did they not like him? Was the book the only valuable thing presented? Did Neil get the wrong idea?

"You said it would be mine. I'd like to read it so I can tell you about it on our coffee date." They spoke loud enough for Neil to hear. He was stood maybe 2 meters away, back turned from the girl. They spoke loud enough so Neil had to have heard them.

Neil turned and took a breath when he saw them looking at him already with a bashful grin and pink cheeks. The book clutched against her chest. Neil took two paces towards the girl. He pushed some fallen hair behind her ear, making her pink cheeks turn red. Neil asked:

"Sit next to me in study hall?"

[saint-petah-the-good]

So for most people that watched dead poet society it seemed they had dark/ligh academia ,started liking poetry type intrest ...but for me it was the contrary effect ,after that movie I kid you not I became punk out of pure envy and sadness because they had an inspiring teacher and I never had one,each time someone mentions having had inspiring teachers it makes me angry and stiff and I'm frustrated for the hole day .

[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

[soontobeadeadpoet]

waking up in charlie dalton's arms on a snowy morning might be the closest to heaven you'll ever get. the cold outside is nothing but a background to the warm loving embrace charlie keeps you in, even if he's asleep. his brows released from the near constant furrow they end up in from classes, his brunette hair messy splayed against the pillow as his soft breath leaves a gentle tickle against your skin. you can't help but let him sleep as you admire his beautiful features.

[got-the-cheese-touch]

first date idea!!

you nervously read poetry to the whole class while i stare at you like you made the sun and hung the stars

[dearsnow]

ORLANDO (FIRST KISS)

- charlie, your best friend, attempts to set you up with the crush he is convinced you have. (charlie dalton x gn!reader, includes some neil being a good friend, slight angst into fluff, happy au, no beta we die like real men)

word count: 2,647

a/n - i love charlie so much oh my god 😭 hopefully there’s more to come with him! i’m planning a very long fic for him, hopefully similar in feeling to my neil fic “the last time” :) this is slightly inspired by the song “orlando” by leith ross so pls check them out!!

It’s 1:32 AM on a Friday night (Saturday, technically, but that rarely seems to matter), and Charlie Dalton is refusing to let you sleep.

“You’ve got to tell me. I swear, cross my heart, I won’t tell a soul.” He begs.

Charlie has been your best friend for god knows how long. You met so long ago that you don’t even remember how or why; it just was. That’s exactly what your relationship is. There’s really no rhyme or reason, considering you would detest anyone else with his personality, but you’re friends anyways, and you love him with all your heart. Opposites attract, you suppose. You don’t know for sure. Most days, including today, he is extremely and desperately annoying.

You slump down onto his bed, covering your eyes with your hands. He’s gotten it into his mind that you have a crush, and he won’t rest until he finds out who it is. Lucky you.

“Charlie, it’s no one.” You groan, peeking past your fingers to stare at him with a cross expression. “Even if I did like someone, I wouldn’t tell you.”

The problem is, you do like someone, and he’s sitting right in front of you with messy hair and pajama pants.

Your feelings for him, just like your meeting, are so far buried in the past that you couldn’t dig them up with an excavator. One day, you suppose, you just started to fall in love with him. He’s annoying and rich and a total smart-ass, but you love him. In some soft, quiet ways, he is the kindest boy you’ve ever met.

He notices when you get cut off mid-conversation or when you’re just a little too uncomfortable to talk to the person in front of you. He knows you like the back of his hand and puts his knowledge to use without ever having to ask, like how he always gets you exactly what you want on your birthday. He’s smart and energized and a breath of fresh air, no matter how stale the room is. And, of course, though you would rarely tell him, he is dashingly handsome.

He sits up straighter and begins listing every boy you’ve ever come in contact with. “Meeks? You always did like his type. Ooh, or Pitts? He’s a pitiful lady-killer. Todd is another good choice. Knox has got his thing with Chris, so you probably wouldn’t like him unless you’re into getting your heart broken.” He stops his ranting to take a breath, then continues on. “You cannot like Cameron because if you do, I won’t ever talk to you again. It isn’t Cameron, right?”

You scoff. “I don’t have a crush. Stop trying to guess a person that doesn’t exist.”

“Neil?” He questions. You hesitate just a bit before waving away his suggestion. Neil is a very good friend of both yours and his, and truthfully, he would definitely be the best boyfriend out of all of them. Despite that, you do not love him like you love Charlie. Not even close.

He catches on to your hesitation with scary accuracy. The tilt of your head, the twitch of your hand, the way the corners of your mouth almost curved up into a smile. Charlie feels his heart drop. “Oh my god, it’s Neil. Of course it’s Neil, it’s always Neil! You like Neil.” Neil is, unbeknownst to him, a complete catch. It makes sense that you would like him. After all, he’s kind, outgoing, and a whole lot nicer than Charlie is. That doesn’t make it hurt any less.

Like you, Charlie doesn’t exactly know when you came into his life. Maybe a stuffy dinner party or a prep event- all that matters to him is that you’re here now, and he loves you. He does, however, know when he started loving you.

It was seventh grade at a school dance, and you had decided to go with a boy he barely knew. When the boy asked you out with a pocketed rose and a shy smile, Charlie felt his blood boiling. How dare he, he thought, take you away from him? You’re his best friend. He would have bought you an entire flower shop had you said the word.

Seeing you waltz with him in your pretty outfit, as awkward and stiff as you both were, was too much for him to bear. Charlie left early, prompting you to follow him. The scene that resulted was one you both tried heavily to erase.

“Charlie, what’s wrong?” You panted, hurrying after him as fast as your pinchy shoes would allow. “Charlie. Charlie! Talk to me.”

“It’s nothing. Just go away.” He sniffled. You turned the corner to see him sitting on a curb, tears tracking down his face. If you knew one thing about Charlie Dalton, it was that he hated crying. You sat down next to him, but he turned to face the trees to his left.

“What happened?” You asked gently. How he despised your gentle care.

“I hate you. Go away.” His voice broke in the middle of his sentence. “I never want to see you again.”

Something in you snapped in that moment, something angry and sad all at once. He was hurting, and you loathed it, but Charlie always got what he wanted in the end.

You stood up and left, muttering a “sorry” over your shoulder.

He tried to avoid you for a while after that, but as with all fated things, he couldn’t stay away for long. He went back to you without a hint of apology, and you took him. Begrudgingly, you just couldn’t be without your best friend for very long.

He knew he loved you then, and that fact hasn’t changed in the present.

“I don’t like Neil.” You insist. “Trust me.”

Charlie stands to pace around his room, talking with his hands as per usual. “Y’know, you always seem smiley around him. I should’ve seen it coming, really. The way you talk to him can’t be platonic.” You sigh from the bed, and Charlie flops down beside you. You can feel the heat radiating from his skin. It’s pleasant, like a ray of sun on a cold day. You instinctively move closer to him as he opens his mouth. “I could probably get you a date with him. Not that you couldn’t do it yourself, but,” he pauses, a hint of hurt humor in his eyes, “I could be your wingman.”

He doesn’t want to be. He really doesn’t want to be, but what can he do? He would rather see you happy with Neil than miserable with no one. Despite how much he hates it, he’s gotten over most of his prepubescent jealousy. He knows deep down in the very achingly sad part of him that you don’t love him. At least, not the way he loves you.

You’re facing him, your nose inches away from his chest as your heart pounds in yours. He really wants you to get with Neil. Well, if that’s how he feels, you don’t feel the need to reject the offer. Maybe this is just the thing you need. What’s the point in pining after him when he’s actively trying to set you up with his second best friend?

“Yeah. That… I would like that.” Charlie’s heart crumbles in his chest.

“Then I’ll get right on it.” He grins. Behind the smile, sadness is swimming in his eyes, but you don’t bother to look at them.

It’s winter break, one of Charlie’s favorite times of the year, but he doesn’t think he’s ever felt this sad before.

By the time the next weekend rolled around, you had almost forgotten about Charlie’s proposed setup. But, on this Saturday when you’re cozy in your room, Neil comes knocking at your door.

You open the door, slightly surprised. He’s holding a bouquet of flowers with a small grin on his face. They’re your favorite flowers.

“Hi.” He says. His voice is breathless.

You raise your eyebrows, but for some reason, you can’t help but smile. Neil is standing in your doorway, and you feel like you know what he’s going to ask. “Hey.”

“Do you want to go on a date with me?” He implores, holding the bouquet out for you to take. “It doesn’t have to be right now, but… I’m ready if you are.” He’s dressed in a crisp suit, and if you’re being honest, you’d hate to make him go home without putting it to use.

You laugh lightly, the feeling bubbling out of your stomach. “Yeah, I’d love that. Just let me get ready and I’ll be out in ten minutes.”

Two days prior to Saturday, Charlie proposed a dead poets town trip. They were milling around, bouncing from shop to shop before Charlie clasped Neil on the shoulder.

“What do you think about Y/N?”

Neil turned, confused. “What do you mean?”

There was a smirk on Charlie’s face, but he hesitated like he didn’t actually want to say the words he was about to say. “I mean, I think you two would be a pretty cute couple.”

Neil let out a huff of air, almost in disbelief. “You’ve been in love with them since seventh grade, Nuwanda. Don’t try to act like you aren’t.”

Charlie gasped exaggeratedly and put a hand over his heart. “How dare you suggest that! I just want the best for my dearest friends.” The others laughed. Every single one of them knew that Charlie harbored deep feelings for you- and every single one of them knew he would never admit it. “Look, just one date. Ask them out on Saturday. They really like you, and I know they’re free, so they can’t pull any excuses.”

“I just don’t know.” Neil admitted. “They’re great and all, but I’d feel bad if I stole away your crush of four years.”

“You won’t be stealing anything, my boy. Just think about it.” Charlie knew he was lying, and it left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he also knew that somehow, he was making the right decision.

Like all of your romantic endeavors, your date with Neil is slightly awkward. He’s your friend, sure, but you’ve never really thought about him like this before. You never even considered dating him. It’s always been Charlie. Maybe, just maybe, it’s time to broaden your horizons.

After the initial tension, you would like to believe it went well. Neil walks you out of the restaurant, holding your arm. He’s smiling, and you feel your own expression falter. You like him, you really do, but some part of you knows that he will never be Charlie.

He leans closer to you, almost close enough to touch. Your heart pounds in your chest as he whispers something into your ear. “Don’t look, but Charlie’s watching. Pretend I’m kissing you.”

You’re taken aback as your eyes try to search for his brown hair, but after a second, you comply. You shut your eyes and thread your fingers through Neil’s. To anyone else, especially anyone inside of the restaurant, it looks like you’re smashing tongues with him.

Neil walks you home as the day fades into night, and as much as you ask, your questions are left unanswered with a sly wink.

“I can’t believe you would do that.” Charlie rages. “It was meant to be a date, not a date and a tongue fuck! That was their first kiss, Neil, and you’ve stripped them of it!” He doesn’t know why he’s so outrageously enraged. It was a quick kiss from the boy you’ve been crushing on. He should be overjoyed for you.

“It wasn’t like that, Charlie. Just ask them.” Neil is surprisingly calm, considering his friend is screaming at him. “Ask them. Go on.” He pushes Charlie’s shoulder. “I walked them home.”

Charlie grumbles, his gut twisted into shaking, angry knots. “I will. If they tell me you did anything weird, though, you’re dead.” Neil shakes his head.

“I think you’d kill me even if I didn’t kiss them.”

For the second time, you hear a knock at your door. This one is loud and frenzied, but through the haze, you can tell who it is. Who else would knock so harshly at 11:23 at night? It’s a good four hours after your date, so it definitely can’t be Neil.

You open the door, clad in pajamas and a frown. “Seriously, Charlie? You’re gonna wake the whole neighborhood.”

“Did he kiss you?” Ah, straight to the point. He’s never one to beat around the bush.

“What’s it to you?” You defend. “You didn’t care about that possibility when you wanted me to date him.” You cross your arms. Why the hell is he so upset? You don’t understand anything about this. His motives, his feelings, right now, they’re more confusing than he’s ever been. Well, save for one night. Oddly, this reminds you of that dance a few years back. You don’t want that to happen again, so whatever’s going on has to stop.

He opens his mouth and then closes it like he’s actually considering what he wants to say for the first time in his life. “I just…” A defeated expression tugs his face down. Your heart plummets. You rarely ever see him crestfallen. The last time was four years ago, and you had hoped you would never see him like that again.

He turns to walk away. He can’t do it, he just can’t. He’s walking so fast the pavement under his feet is a blur, and you chase after him.

“Charlie, what are you-“ He turns, seeing the confusion on your face.

When he looks at you, all Charlie can see is love. He loves your voice, the curve of your lips, the way you do anything and everything. In that moment, when he sees you with tired eyes, his inhibitions flee like rabbits from a wolf. Maybe, just maybe, he can.

Before you can ask, yet after you see the fire in his eyes, he grabs your arm and cuts you off.

“Can I kiss you?”

You’re taken aback for a moment, lips parted, not speaking a word. His hair is messy and the tear tracks on his cheeks glisten in the street lights. It’s like everything you’ve ever wanted has sprung to life before your eyes. “Yes, but-“

He presses his lips to yours, effectively cutting off any further communication once again. His grip on you softens as his hands reach up to cup your face. Your eyes flutter shut, and a million different things race through your mind. All you can consciously think is that you never want it to end.

When he pulls away, breathless, something new is shining in his eyes. “I hope that wasn’t bad for a second kiss.” He smiles. He’s still worried, more so than he’s ever been, but that was the most amazing thing he thinks he’s ever done.

“Second? Charlie, that was my first.”

He pauses. “So Neil didn’t kiss you?”

You laugh, and upon seeing his even more excited face, you laugh so hard you double over. He joins, and your giggles are probably too loud for how late it is. “No! God no, he told me to pretend because you were watching.” Your voice comes out humorous and strained, with so much joy behind the tone that Charlie can feel himself starting to laugh again. “Were- Were you in the restaurant for our whole date?”

“Yeah.” He chokes out. “I couldn’t just let the love of my life date some other guy without my knowledge, right?”

“Oh, totally. Maybe you should ask me out next time, then, to completely avoid this whole scenario.” He pulls you in, laughing against your shoulder.

“Sure. Yeah, I think I will. Next time, I’ll make sure of it.”

[graciepasty]

Charlie Dalton/Nuwanda. Dead Poets Society (1989).

ily @h3x-ed ! im not using ur request cuz it messes with my format :( but p.s.a this girly is my number one fan !