2
A/N: Hey, you guys! Yes, you, out there, who didn't review! Here's the second and last chapter (TA-DA!). Hope you enjoy it! Again, if you notice anything wrong or inaccurate, please let me know!
Disclaimer: I do not own DPS. Well, obviously, since I'm writing on a site called FANfiction!
Two days had passed after Neil's talk with Mr. Keating. Neil was at study hall, thinking about Todd. There were so many things he hadn't told his teacher about him.
When Todd appeared in the picture, Neil was immediately intrigued by the shy boy and tried to be friendly. He had reached bitter disappointment when the other boy wouldn't seem touched by anything, not even by Mr. Keating! Yet, when Mr. Keating forced him to come up with a poem on the spot during the English lesson, Neil was shocked – pleasantly shocked, though. That boy,who seemed worthless – who thought himself worthless, - hid such a great talent? Neil just sat there while everyone was clapping as loud as they could, overcome by emotions – pride mixed with admiration and awe mixed with something else completely foreign he couldn't identify that made Neil's heart so full. No, Todd was not just a friend to him anymore. He wasn't like a brother to him, either. He was something way more important.
Was it love what he felt for Todd? How could Neil know? He had never been in love before. But Mr. Keating was right. Neil should tell Todd about his feelings the way he should have told his father about the play. Neil didn't listen to Mr. Keating the first time – and look how that ended! Neil begging his father not to send him away to military school! No, he would speak. He would be a coward no more. He owed that to himself, he owed that to Captain. He would talk to Todd, otherwise he would explode.
Once he concluded in this decision, he couldn't contain himself. He kept fidgeting with his pen, and when it finally broke causing ink to destroy Cameron's chemistry homework assignment, Neil couldn't care less. He even complied to rewrite it and didn't flinch when Meeks dropped accidentally all of his books on his foot. And, of course, he completely ignored Charlie's suspicious look.
"Is Neil in here?" asked Knox tapping gently his fist on Neil's skull when Neil entered Knox's room instead of his full of excitement.
When Todd and Neil were finally in their dorm room ready to go to sleep, Neil had already opened and closed his mouth nearly twenty times. He just couldn't figure out a way to start a conversation. "Hey, Todd, I might be in love with you! How does that sound?" Ugh! Neil was usually good with words, but this time his brain and mouth failed him.
Now the lights were out, and Neil kept turning in his bed restlessly. He had to say something tonight. Did he? Yeah, he did! But…say? Couldn't he do something? Neil frowned. That was weird. He didn't hesitate for one second to audition for the play, but now he chickened out? The boy swallowed and set his jaw in determination. He was going to do it. If you don't have guts, you don't get the blonde – and Todd was slightly blond.
Neil got out of his bed and approached his roommate's. He sat on Todd's bed and felt him stir, acknowledging the foreign weight on his mattress. He came closer to Todd – his heart pounding so hard that he couldn't hear anything else. His face was now so close to Todd's that he could feel Todd's quick breath on his face, which made the hair at the back of his neck stand up. Todd was staring at him – Neil couldn't distinguish his eye color, but he knew it was blue. He looked kind of frightened, Neil realized.
"N-Neil?" asked the shy boy. "W-What are you doing?"
Neil grinned at his stutter.
"Shh," he reassured him. "Just let me try something."
And with that he closed the distance between their faces. He brushed lightly his lips to Todd's, and when he got no resistance, he dared to deepen the kiss full of caution and curiosity. Neil didn't know what his feelings for Todd were, but this, his lips against Todd's felt right. It didn't last long, though, since Todd pushed him away gently, but firmly. Neil knew that his grin was formed on his face, starting from one ear and expanding to the other.
"N-Neil? What-what was that?" Todd whispered panicked.
Neil's smile suddenly faded when he realized what he had done. What was he thinking? Boys couldn't kiss boys just like that!
"I'm sorry, Todd." he apologized quickly. "I…I should have never done this. I'm so sorry. I just – I hope I didn't freak you out."
"N-Neil," Todd reiterated. "You kissed me."
The boy didn't know if that was a question or a statement, but he nodded anyway. Shit, he could feel Todd blushing.
"Stop it, Neil."
Neil blinked in surprise. Todd's voice sounded unnaturally cold and distant.
"Stop what?"
"S-Stop playing with me!"
Todd blushed even more – maybe in shame, maybe in anger – which made Neil chuckle.
"S-Stop making fun of my feelings! Don't you understand? It's not a j-joke!"
"Of course it's not a joke!" shouted Neil and then burst out in a hysterical laughter that could wake up half of Welton. Oh, sweet Todd thought that he was making fun of him? So he did feel the same way! The idea was so wonderfully beautiful, and Neil felt as if a heavy burden was lifted from his heart, a burden that he carried his whole life without even knowing it existed.
"N-Neil!" Todd whispered urgently. "Cut it out!"
"You think I'm making fun of you?" Neil repeated his thoughts out loud, taking Todd's face in his hands without noticing his slight protest. "Jesus! I…I like you, Todd."
Todd's eyes widened.
"Y-You do?"
"No," said Neil skeptically causing Todd's bottom lip to quiver. "I don't. Wait." He paused. "I love the way you blush all the time. And I love your stutter – although I find it annoying at the same time. And I love your smile. You're so beautiful when you smile. And I love your poetry. Well, technically, I've only heard one of your poems since I didn't read the other one that I stole, but I think we can fix that, can't we? And… guess what?" he grinned.
"W-What?" asked Todd, and Neil knew he had confused him.
"I love you, dummy."
The moment he said it, he knew it was true.
"Y-You do?" Todd repeated.
Neil laughed again.
"Um, yeah! Why the hell would I kiss you otherwise, you idiot?"
It was Todd's turn now to laugh – a quiet chuckle that made Neil grin so hard his cheeks hurt, but he didn't care at all.
"I-I thought you wanted to play with me or something. Mess around with me just for fun – you know," he mumbled. When Neil's laugh didn't stop after a few seconds, he continued, "Please, stop laughing. You – you'll wake up the entire school."
Neil hushed, as he was instructed.
"Well, Mr. Todd Anderson, here's something important you must never, ever forget," Neil whispered while bending down to reach Todd's ear. "I would never even think about playing with you." He kissed his cheek. "Except if that was soccer. Then I would definitely play with you."
His lips found Todd's in no time, and this time Todd responded immediately. Todd locked his hands around Neil's neck, pulling him closer and urging him to deepen more the kiss. Neil felt a shiver running through him, finding its way even to his tiptoes. His mind was swirling, and he felt dizzy from the sudden bliss that overwhelmed him. When they were both out of air, they parted. Todd was smiling widely – this smile Neil saw so rarely but adored so dearly.
Then it hit him. Neil thought Todd needed him desperately – maybe he did – but Neil needed Todd just as much, maybe even more. Together, they were perfect. The one completed the other like puzzle pieces. Together, they made one perfect person.
"Guess what, Neil," Todd said calmly, interrupting his thoughts.
"What?" Neil grinned.
"I love you, too."
A/N: Believe it or not, this is the first thing I ever completed in my entire LIFE!
The phrase "If you don't have guts, you don't get the blonde." is shamelessly borrowed (stolen) from the Princess Diaries Series (I think it's in Book #3).
Anyway, I have another idea for a fanfic (a multi-chapter one that *hopefully* will finish someday). It's about a girl, fan of DPS, that ends up in the DPS universe trying to prevent Neil from killing himself (no, she won't attend classes in Welton, but she will be a member of DPS). If you're interested in reading it, please leave a review or PM me (come on, guys! It will only take a few seconds!) and I'll start writing right away! Otherwise, I might write it for myself.
Review, pretty please?