Work Text:
“You stupid son of a bitch!”
Todd’s eyes flicked open at the sound. The cold air suddenly hit him like a truck. Todd groaned. There always was the possibility that it was a bad dream. After all, though the sound was loud, it was pretty faint. Todd looked next to himself, barely moving. He sighed with relief once he realized that Neil was there. Right where he should be.
Todd tightened his grip around his boyfriend. Wow, that felt good to say. Boyfriend. Yeah. Todd smiled. He felt the urge to do something, maybe kiss him on the forehead. The last thing Todd wanted though was for Neil to wake up. The poor thing had been up all night, and not just because of theater. He pulled the few blankets they had closer to their faces and nestled back in.
“I’m gonna fucking kill you!”
Todd’s body jerked up. Yeah, he wasn’t dreaming. He turned his gaze to Neil, who seemed to have also heard the noise. Neil laid there, eyes suddenly wide.
“What the hell was that?” he asked.
Todd grabbed his hand. “I don’t know,” he replied, voice full of worry.
“Neil brushed his thumb over Todd’s knuckles. “It’s fine, Todd,” Neil reasoned. “It’s probably those seniors again. I’m still surprised that they haven’t-”
“Fuck!”
Todd flinched. He recognized that voice. He couldn’t quite place it, but he was sure that-
“God damn it Charlie!”
“Knox?” Neil laughed.
Todd turned towards the window. The boys were on the second level of the building, which made it easier to hear what was going on outside. At least, that’s where Todd assumed this argument was occurring. He pulled himself off of the bed, refusing to let go of Neil’s hand.
“Wait.” Neil stopped him before he opened the curtains. “Put some clothes on first.” Todd blushed before grabbing his robe and Neil’s, which were both carelessly thrown on a desk chair.
After a moment, the two boys peered out the window.
“Oh my God,” Todd chuckled.
There they were: Knox and Charlie, throwing snowballs at each other while sprinting across the cloud like ground. Neither of the boys had the correct clothes for that type of weather. They both had on some random t-shirt and a pair of pants. Neither of them actually had a jacket. Then there were Pitts and Meeks. They both seemed to have been dragged out of bed to be a part of what Todd assumed was a very intense snowball fight. They were ducking behind trees covered in mounds of snow, sometimes throwing a snowball at the other two boys.
It took a minute for Todd to realize that Neil had let go of his hand. He clutched the air as he turned around, a grin now plastered on his face. “Neil, what are you-” Neil tossed Todd his winter jacket.
“Put some real clothes on,” he laughed. “We’re going out there.”
“Neil-” Todd’s face hurt from grinning so wide. “You’re crazy.”
Neil tosses him a pair of pants while pulling up his own. “I’m not crazy! I’m living!” Todd’s pants were halfway up on his legs when Neil pulled him in for a kiss. Todd staggered back, almost falling if not for Neil grabbing his hand.
Todd blushed. “Thanks, Neil.” He slid on a sweater.
“Anytime, Todd.” Neil zipped his jacket up before grabbing Todd’s hand, pulling him out of the dorm. “Carpe Diem!”
Xxx
Neil carefully opened the back door to the dorm room complex. The air nipped Todd on the nose. A shiver ran down his spine.
Memories. It was sudden and swift, but Todd saw himself in the snow, crying his eyes out and vomiting. He remembered that day perfectly. It was the day he learned that Neil attempted suicide. He was lucky. Very lucky that the gun had misfired. Lucky that his dad let him go back to Welton. Lucky that they all, against all odds, got into the same college. (Which Todd still didn’t believe was a coincidence.)
Neil saw Todd staring aimlessly into the snow and squeezed his hand. Todd squeezed his as tight as he could, until his knuckles were white in fact. Neil leaned over and planted a kiss on Todd’s lips.
Neil pulled Todd along the now snow covered path to where they’d seen the boys. However, everything was quiet. Too quiet in fact. It was as if the world had stopped. There were no birds chirping, no footprints, no sounds relating to movement, nothing.
“Where did they all go?” Todd asked.
Neil hummed. “I don’t know.” He turned around to look at the woods surrounding the area. For all he knew, the boys had gone deeper in there.
“Did they go back inside or-” Todd felt something cold hit his back.”Oh fuck!” Next, something hit his cheek. He felt the cold, now melting snow, drip onto his jacket. Todd heard another snowball hit Neil.
“It’s an ambush,” Neil cackled, pulling Todd away. He looked behind himself to see the other poets sprinting towards them. Todd screamed.
“GO!” He yelled, refusing to let go of Neil’s hand. The wind whipped around them as fresh snow landed on the hoods of their jackets. Todd felt another snowball hit his back as Neil pulled him behind a tree. He let out a sigh of relief when he was finally able to sit down. He laid his head against the tree trunk, though not for long, since Neil shook him awake.
“Wha-”
“Todd. Snowballs. As many as you can make.” Neil shoved a snowball at him. “Anybody there?” Todd looked behind the tree, heart racing.
“Nothing, captain,” Todd answered. Neil couldn’t help but laugh. God, he’s beautiful. “You’re beautiful, Neil.”
Neil blushed and turned away. “I’d say save it for when we’re off the battlefield, but how could I resist you.” He pressed a kiss on Todd’s cheek.
“I love you t-”
“Come out lovebirds!”
“Is that Charlie?” Neil asked.
“Fuck,” Todd muttered. “Yeah. He’s clo-” A snowball hit the tree trunk. Todd jumped. “Fuck! Wait. He’s walking away. I don’t think he sees us.”
“Phew,” Neil sighed. “I love you too.”
Todd couldn’t help but smile. God. It was so beautiful outside. Neil was the most beautiful thing of all though. His eyes, the way his hair fell in his face, his smile. If Todd had to relive one day forever, this wouldn’t be a bad one to relive.
“Neil, I love you so much.”
“Todd-”
“And I know I say it alot,” Todd continued. “-but I need you to know that you’re the greatest thing that ever happened to me.”
“Todd, there’s-”
“I know. It’s not a good time and whatnot,” Todd sighed. “But I hope that I get to live every day of my life with you from now on.”
“That’s really sweet, Todd,” Neil interrupted. “But…” Neil pointed to the trees in front of them. Behind each one was a person.
Todd’s stomach sank to his ass. “Fuck.” He grabbed a snowball and threw it at one of the trees, just barely missing the trunk. Neil began scooping up the snowballs as the two of them ran as fast as possible. A storm of snowballs came down on them. One hit Todd’s cheek, again. He giggled and reached for one Neil was holding, almost dropping it. He threw one over his head, and it crashed back down on his hood.
“I take it you’re not good at throwing things,” Neil laughed.
“Really?” Todd replied. “I hadn’t noticed.”
The two boys were able to make it until they both tripped over a stick. Every snowball broke in the process. They both sat up, hoods down and hair covered in snow. Todd, eyes blinded by the snow in them, could make out only three figures. Charlie, Knox, and Meeks. However, one notable person with plaid pajamas was notably missing.
“Where’s Pitts?” Todd mumbled as he heard footsteps behind him. He turned his gaze to Pitts, who was holding a giant bucket of snow.
“Well, shit.”