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Neil never were drunk like that before. Actually, he never were drunk at all in his entire life; but it didn’t felt bad to be honest. He felt happy, free, a little bit numb and especially funny.
It was his seventeenth birthday, a year closer to adulthood. He had mixed feelings about that. Adulthood... However it wasn’t the moment to think about that, he was having fun and nothing could make him feel otherwise, not even the annoying fire he felt in the throat everytime he swallowed the cheap vodka Charlie sneaked in the room, which was actually a really hard job, to brought four bottles of different liquor to the school. He smiled at the thought. Charlie was a great friend wanting to make his birthday something special. He decided then to look for Charlie in the crowded room, finding him talking to Knox right beside the bed.
Then, he spotted Todd sitting in Charlie’s small bed. He was laughing about something Meeks was telling him with a glass of whiskey in his hand enjoying the night, clearly.
But oh, Todd Anderson. A true beauty, that young man.
He had all of Neil’s interest since the first moment he placed a foot in Welton's grounds. Blond, with a shy and cheerful smile, a soft voice and heavenly ocean blue eyes. Those eyes could easily kill a man with a sight, and yet they were the most delightful eyes Neil had ever seen in all those years he had alive.
If he could, he would go and ask him to scape with him, live with him, maybe elope and have a beautiful and enormous house next to a lake with a precious white picket fence, a tree on the backyard, a dog (which he would name Lancelot) and five cats, all named after poets of Todd’s preference, and they would have two bicycles in the front to have peaceful rides around the lake in sunny days.
He wasn’t in love though, that was too much of a strong word to say. He felt... attached to the guy. Like a close friend. Maybe not a close friend like Charlie, because he didn't want to marry him; but something close.
Or maybe the feeling was actually love and he was too much of a coward, but thinking about that made him nervous and gave him a weird urge to go with Todd and kiss him... Uncanny, right?
So he stayed there, standing by the small desk Charlie kept filled with more clothes than books until he noticed the clock in the wall that marked three a.m.
They had classes the next day since it was a Tuesday and he couldn’t be late again to latin class or he would get called out, therefore he decided to tell Charlie about it, he wasn’t talking to Knox anymore anyway.
Charlie gasped the moment he heard about the hour and sent everyone in the room to go straight to their dorms making sure to not get caught and then kicked him and Todd out.
Todd only chuckled as a response to Charlie’s scared “Oh and you two go away too!” He said, and then laughed. “Too-too”, smiled.
Neil laughed too and so did Todd and then both of them were out in the hall.
They giggled like naughty kids in their way to adventure all the way to their dorm until they were in.
There, Neil noticed the fact that he didn’t felt that drunk, and Todd was all funny and smiley and that was new. So he decided to have a little chat with the new cute little giggly ball Todd was made in the moment and got close to the bed.
“Hey Toddie!” He said and Todd giggled even more “How you doin’ buddy?”. Asked then.
Todd gave him a big smile, then said; “M’ doing great Neil... Did you know you have a pretty name? It’s also pretty silly... Neil...” And the went back to the giggles.
Neil smiled fondly. Todd was really a cutesy drunk. The cutest one.
“Oh yeah? Why is it silly Toddie-bear?” He asked. And Todd made a small ‘o’ with his mouth.
“Toddie-bear?” He asked.
Neil nodded.
“I thought it was Teddy bear...” He sounded confused.
“Well, I don't know any Teddy’s. Do you?” Todd shaked his head denying.
“That's why you are Toddie-bear. Because there’s no Teddy bear for us!” He said.
Todd laughed.
“I think your name’s silly because it’s yours... And you are very silly, Neil Perry.” He said. Then bursted out laughing again.
Neil smiled mischievously. “Oh, so Toddie-bear thinks I’m silly?” He asked. Todd nodded. “What should I do to him?” Neil asked. Todd shrugged. “So you don’t know?” Todd denied. “Hum...” Neil thought, putting a finger in his chin and then scratching his head with the same finger looking like a cartoon, which made Todd laugh more. “I think I should tickle him, don’t you think?” Todd denied surprised. “No, no, no!” He said.
Neil grinned. “Oh, you are so done, Toddie-bear Anderson.”
And jumped straight to the bed starting to tickle Todd’s sides.
The boy couldn't get himself to stop laughing and fight for his life at the same time. He tried to push Neil away, but he couldn't so he giggled once again.
He tried then to push once more but bad boy Neil captured his arm and kept tickling him with his free hand. And, oh, how funny was this game!
At that point he remembered it was the middle of the night so decided to place his hand in his mouth to baffle all the laughing, but Neil, now in a brand new position, every leg at each side of Todd’s body took his hand out of his place over his mouth and whispered in between giggles.
“Don’t do that, Toddie-bear, I love the sound of you laugh” With a soft smile. And then, went back to his job. Freeing his hands and tickling and touching everywhere in his body making Todd feel happy and funny.
It lasted a few seconds more until he said “Okay! Okay! I give up! Your name is not silly, Neil!”.
Neil grinned with that spark in his eyes that screamed to the world “I'm a winner”.
“That’s what I thought” He said.
“Neil...” Todd whispered with that sweet voice of his. “Can you get a itty-bitty-little bit closer?” He asked softly.
The brown haired boy smiled and nodded and did just as Todd asked. Got just a little bit closer.
Todd then made the world famous “Come here” sign with his hand, asking him even closer.
When their faces were almost touching each other, Todd placed his left hand in Neil’s hair, playing with it, and asked for another thing.
“Can you... kiss me?” He questioned. “I want to make sure I really love you before I ask you to marry me...” Explained afterwards.
Neil chuckled and nodded, then leaned towards him, placing a sweet kiss in Todd’s lips.
“Uhm... I’m not really sure” He said. “Maybe if you do it again...” Todd joked.
Neil then kissed him again.
Todd's lips were soft, maybe as much as a flower’s petals, even if that sounded generic and lame, that was the truth. They were soft and sweet just as his voice, and just like honey. Sweet, pleasant, just stupidly charming.
“I think I love you...” Todd said, right after they separated.
Neil smiled softly, and noticed how Todd’s eyes were starting to get filled with tears.
“What’s wrong?” He asked. Getting off the bed.
Todd then sat in the edge of the bed.
“Loving you is scary” He cried. “You are a boy, like me, and you might not feel the same.” Neil started to pet and play with Todd's hair.
“That’s not true, Toddie-bear. I love you too” Neil said. “And it's scary but it feels nice” He secured.
“But it’s wrong” Todd mumbled.
“Yet it feels right” Neil consoled. “Loving you makes me feel happy. Now I’m sure.” He said.
“I feel happy too” Todd said, wiping the tears off his face. “It’s just scary, and I’m a little bit drunk.” He talked fastly.
Neil nodded, understanding.
“Can I kiss you again?” Todd asked, suddenly.
Neil chuckled and nodded again.
“Of course you can, Toddie-bear” He replied. “Whenever you want to”.
Todd then sat on the floor in front of him, grabbed his cheeks and kissed him clumsily.
“I love you, Neil”. Todd said softly after the kiss.
“I know, love, I love you too.”, Neil smiled.
“I would like you to sleep with me...” Todd suggested.
“I’d be pleased” Neil accepted.
And they both got in the bed between giggles and smiles. Best birthday gift ever.