Work Text:
The dorm room was bathed in the warm light spilling from the lamp on the nightstand beside Neil’s bed. Rain poured heavily outside, and the scent of petrichor lingered in the air. It was still daytime, but he had drawn the curtains to fool himself. The brunet was curled up beneath heavy, warm blankets, a book in one hand while the other turned pages and occasionally reached for the lukewarm cup of tea Todd had brought him some time ago.
Neil read each paragraph carefully, furrowing his brow at every line of dialogue. Every now and then, he would pick up the teacup, take a short sip, set it back down, and continue reading. And it was during one of those moments that the accident happened.
The handle of the cup slipped from his fingers in an ordinary, but fatal movement. Thanks to Neil’s quick reflexes, the book was spared, but the sheets and blankets were not. Neil huffed in disappointment.
"Shit," the brunet muttered, setting the traitorous cup back on the nightstand and getting up, stripping the sheets and blankets from the mattress. To his misfortune, the mattress was ruined too. He got ready to take the bedding to the laundry room and leave the mattress to dry. Neil hoped it would be dry by bedtime. "You’ve got to be kidding me," he complained.
Neil was sitting on Todd’s bed, miserably staring at his own bed across from him, horror written all over his face. The hours passed, bedtime crept closer, and the mattress refused to dry. The smell of chamomile had soaked into the room, and he didn’t dare open the window unless he wanted pneumonia. It felt like a curse.
Where was he going to sleep?
The very moment he thought that, Todd walked into the room, yawning as he took off his coat and hung it neatly in his wardrobe. Their eyes met, and a lightbulb practically lit up above Neil’s head. The brunet bit his lower lip at the idea that had just come to mind, a perfect opportunity.
"Todd?"
"Yes?"
"So..." Neil put on a look of fake discouragement, staring down at his feet. He knew Todd would never say no to him if he looked like this.
"This morning, I spilled tea on my bed. It still hasn’t dried, look." The brunet pointed toward the bed, and Todd followed his gesture, seeing that it was indeed still soaked. A sympathetic expression crossed his face. Todd was falling for it perfectly.
"Can I... sleep with you tonight?" Neil gave him a small smile. "I mean, in the bed."
Todd turned to him immediately, his face so red it looked like steam might start pouring out of his ears like a chimney. The blond’s eyes widened, but he tried to compose himself. Share a bed with Neil Perry? It was only the person he had been in love with since the day he stepped foot in Welton.
Todd opened and closed his mouth, trying to find words. When he realized how foolish he looked, he forced himself to speak.
"Sure..." he stammered, his voice weak. Neil grinned from ear to ear.
"Thank you!" Neil said, pretending to be relieved. He got up from where he’d been sitting on Todd’s bed and headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth. As he passed the blond, he gave his shoulder a small, casual tap.
When Neil came back, Todd was already lying on his side in bed, stiff as a board. Neil walked over and first sat on the edge of the mattress, looking directly at the blond, who quickly looked away in embarrassment. He glanced from one end of the spacious bed to the other, but it suddenly seemed much smaller now.
"Comfortable?" the brunet asked.
"Yes," Todd lied.
Neil switched off the lamp beside the bed and slipped beneath the covers, deliberately brushing his knees against Todd’s. The shyer boy was painfully aware of everything about Neil now, how their arms were touching, the scent of his freshly washed skin. Todd was rigid, but the other boy seemed completely relaxed.
Todd stared fixedly at the wall on the other side of the room, as if it were the most important thing in the world right now. Neil turned slightly onto his side, his hands resting beneath his head.
"You look like you’re waiting for an execution, not a night of sleep," Neil broke the silence, his tone teasing.
Todd shut his eyes in the same second, pretending to be deeply asleep.
"Good night, Todd," Neil whispered, tucking the blanket more securely around him.