Dead Poets Society Imagines/Preferences

Five - Your First Date

Neil: "Neil, where are we going?" You asked, Neil guiding you while a blindfold sat over your eyes. He'd shown up at your house randomly the following week just after school had let out one day, how he figured out where you lived you had no idea. You weren't complaining, though. You'd answered the door because your parents weren't home yet, thankfully, and he'd greeted you with a smile, like always. "What are you doing?" You asked him, scared your neighbors would notice and tell your parents. "We're going on our first date." It didn't take him long to convince you, and you ended up leaving a note for your parents saying you were going over to a friends house to study for a test. You weren't sure what your parents would think if they knew the truth, or if they'd even be happy about you leaving without their permission. As Neil guided you around town, he held your shoulders in his hands, walking behind you while he steered you. "We're almost there," he told you, opening up a door and leading you inside a dark building. You recognized the slam of the door behind you—you were back in the auditorium where you'd met Neil and performed your play together. But why did he bring you here? "Okay!" He exclaimed, removing the blindfold from your face to reveal a picnic set up on the stage, the rest of the building empty. Spotlights shone on the two of you, but everything else remained pitch black, like it was while you were performing. He'd prepared tiny sandwiches, a cheese tray and fruit tray, and a bottle of something that looked bubbly. "Where did you get all this stuff?" You asked him, turning back towards him in awe. He held a smirk on his face as he admired you, "I have my ways, you know." He took your hand and helped you sit down on the blanket before taking a seat himself, his legs crisscrossed. "I hope you like everything. I just had to go with my gut here." "It all looks delicious," you reassured him. His eyes lit up as he looked down at the food he'd prepared. "Oh! You must try this!" He picked up one of the finger sandwiches and leaned forward a bit towards you, holding the food towards your mouth. You took a bite, your heart swelling because of how cute it was that he fed you like that. "Oh and the fruit dip!" He picked up a strawberry and dipped it in something resembling yogurt before leaning forward again. You had barely finished chewing and swallowing the bite of sandwich beforehand. This time, he missed your mouth a little bit, smearing a tiny bit of the dip on your lips and cheek. "Whoops," he said, as both of you laughed. "Here, let me get it." He picked up a napkin and wiped your face for you as you felt yourself blush. He'd been so gentle and sweet. The two of you continued eating and talking about your home lives. You told him how your parents didn't know about the date, and he admitted he could never tell his father about the two of you because his father would be sure they'd never see each other again. The date ended up being everything you hoped for and more, warm feelings tingling in your chest by the end of it. He wanted to walk you home, but understood you could get in trouble with your parents if they saw him with you. On your walk home, you began to wonder if dating Neil truly was a good idea. Sure, he was sweet and he made you happy, but what would your parents think? And what would happen if the two of you grew close just for his father to forcibly end things between you both. Your heart ached at that thought and left you confused.

Todd: Neither you nor Todd could figure out what you wanted to do on your first date, you just knew you had to avoid Welton so that your brother wouldn't see the two of you together. After deliberating some more, the two of you decided to just take a walk together along the river near the school. Neil said he'd find a way to distract Gerard, helping Meeks tutor him that day and making sure he didn't sneak off and spoil the date. "It's a beautiful day today," you told Todd, trying to break the awkward tension between the two of you. He looked at you and nodded shyly, a smile on his lips. "Though the weather's getting colder and colder. It's kind of chilly." You eyed Todd, seeing if he'd take a hint. Luckily, you caught his eye and he stuttered, "Oh, s-sorry. Do you... do you want my coat?" He took it off without bothering to wait for an answer, placing it around your shoulders carefully. You wrapped yourself in it, breathing in his smell deeply-a dewy smell mixed with a hint of pine. Without thinking, you moved closer to him as the two of you walked together, your arm brushing his. His breath hitched for a second, and you took another glance at him. "Todd, do you remember what I said to you when you and Neil came to my school? Please talk. I'm not going to bite. Just tell me about yourself. I know nothing of you except that you go to Welton and play soccer really well. And that you're incredibly shy." You added that last part and gave him a slight nudge with your elbow. If he didn't start talking soon, you didn't think you'd be able to go on a second date with him. "Uh..." he breathed in deeply, trying to think of something to say. "I'm not really sure what to tell you about myself," he finally admitted. "I'm not an interesting person." He couldn't look at you at all, now. You grabbed his hand in an attempt to help him warm up to you and he stiffened. "Sure you are," you replied. "Everyone is interesting in their own way. What do you usually do in the evenings after classes are out for the day?" He shrugged, "I work on homework." "What else?" "I talk to Neil." He answered. "What do you guys talk about?" You both had stopped walking now, and you turned to Todd, who still refused to look at you. "I don't know," he sighed. "He usually does the talking. I'm more of a listener, myself." You let out a soft chuckle. "Well, lucky for you I enjoy talking, too. But I also like conversation, like back and forth, you know? What's your favorite subject in school?" "English, I guess," he answered, then added on, "I like poetry." "Do you write?" You asked him, earning a glance from him. You were mesmerized by how enchanting his soft eyes were. "Sometimes. Though none of it is good. Well..." He zoned off, acting like he wasn't going to finish his thought. "Well what?" You asked him. "My English teacher helped me create a poem one time out loud in front of the entire class, though I don't remember much of it... but I know it was good." "It's a shame you can't remember," You replied, and the two of you walked over to the edge of the river and sat down together. "Do you remember what it was about?" "Walt Whitman," he said, then for the first time all afternoon, you heard him laugh. "And a blanket, I think." You joined in on the laughter. "Walt Whitman and a blanket, you think? Sounds like the best poem ever." You both laughed uncontrollably at that, and when you finally stopped, your stomach muscles were hurting. "Will you write me a poem sometime?" You asked him, suddenly getting serious. He remained silent for awhile, and just when you thought he wasn't going to answer, he said, "We'll see, okay?" The two of you talked a little bit longer, laughing some more, too, because Todd had finally broken out of his shell more. When you reached the edge of Welton's campus again, neither one of you noticed the three boys walking along the edge of the lake until it was too late. Gerard had seen you both, hand in hand with Todd's coat still wrapped around you, standing and staring in shock at the two of you. Neil came running up to you both, a frown on his face as he explained, "We tried to keep him from coming outside, but it's Pitts. He knew something was up. He's headstrong, and so much taller than both me and Meeks. We couldn't stop him." Behind Neil, you watched your brother shake his head angrily, turning and stalking back up to the building. "Well, I'm dead..." Todd whispered beside you, and as much as you wanted to, you couldn't bring yourself to laugh.