Chapter Text
The woods were full of energy as wind whipped through the branches creating a melody of hope and fear. Todd was walking to the poets cave, his favorite book tucked under his arm. He was close to the cave a few paces or so when he heard laughter coming from inside. Todd thought that the poets had started without him and rushed into the cave.
He was greeted by the sight of Charlie and Knox sitting next to each other. They were the ones who were laughing. Charlie was hanging on to every word that fell from Knox's lips like a man clinging to water in the desert. Todd didn't want to interrupt the boys fun, but Charlie noticed him standing in the entrance.
"Hey Todd, come on in you aren't interrupting anything." Charlie says happily.
"Where is everyone else? I though this was supposed to be a meeting?" asked Todd as he moved to sit across from the two.
"Did we say that?" replied Knox in a nonchalant tone.
"Yeah. You guys said that we were reading Walt Whitman today," said Todd slowly.
"Oh well. We lied!" responded a cheerful Charlie.
"Wh- why - what?" stuttered a confused Todd.
"They lied for me. I needed to talk with you and they offered to help. This is the only way we came up with. I'm sorry if they got your hopes up." offered a voice from the entrance to the cave.
Todd turned around and saw a sheepish Neil standing by the caves opening. He gasped quietly and moved away from his friend. When their eyes met Todd's symptoms began again. His pulse began to race, his hands got clammy and his stomach felt like it was doing somersaults.
"What are you doing here" accused Todd.
Neil raised his hands, the way you do to calm a frantic animal. "I just want to talk. That it"
"We'll leave you guys to it. Come on Knox," Charlie said as he pulled the boy toward the exit. "Those two have a lot to talk about."
The cave filled with silence after the two boys went to stand outside. Neither of the boys in the cave made a move to speak. Todd refused to make eye contact with Neil, instead focusing on a spot on the ground. Neil took this as an opportunity to take a few steps forward. The dark haired boy broke the silence first.
"Why have you been avoiding me? Do you hate me or something?" asked Neil as he came to a stop a few feet away from Todd.
"No it's not that," replied the blushing boy.
"Then what is it? Why do you suddenly hate me? Why have you been avoiding me for weeks? I miss you Todd," declared a desperate Neil.
Hearing that Neil missed him as well made Todd's face flush even more than it already had. "Do you really want to know?" questioned Todd as he finally made eye contact with Neil.
"Of course I do," replied Neil staring back into the blue eyes of his friend.
"Whenever I'm around you my stomach feels funny and my heart starts racing and it gets harder and harder to breathe and.."
"Todd.." interrupted Neil as he took a step closer to his roommate.
"I'm allergic to you Neil." stated Todd.
"What."
"I'm allergic to you," he repeated.
"Todd you can't be allergic to me." said a deadpan Neil.
"What else could it be then?" asked Todd.
"Do you sneeze around me? Do your eyes water?" stated Neil.
"Well no but... what else could my symptoms mean?" Todd stared at Neil with a thousand questions scattered around in his eyes.
"Charlie's right. We really are idiots." exclaimed Neil.
Neil finished his statement and stepped closer to his friend. Todd's heart felt as if it were leaping from his chest. The taller boy leaned down ever so slightly, bringing their faces nearly an inch apart.
"What do my symptoms mean?" whispered Todd.
"They mean you're in love," replied Neil. Neil's hand came up to brush against Todd's cheek.
They both closed their eyes and brought their lips together to meet in a sweet kiss. The first of many to come. Todd's knees almost buckled. His arm reached around and held onto Neil as though he would leave him any moment. Neil's arms wrapped gently around Todd's waist and he was home.
From outside the cave, the other two boys were reflecting on the situation going on inside the cave. Knox and Charlie stood, waiting for their friends to be done with their sappy love confessions.
To break some of the tension between him and his friend Knox said "I can't believe that they were both so dumb about their feelings. If someone was in love with me I'd definitely know about it"
Charlie took a moment to respond, "Knox I have been in love with you for three years." He stated as he began to walk back to Welton.
"Wait what? When did this happen? Charlie don't you walk away from me!"
The wind blows through the trees as the two sets of boys end up far from their starts, their paths intertwined , proving that anything can happen. Anything at all.
Fin.