tampered | (no subject)

(no subject)

When; December 25
Rating; presumably pg
Characters; Neil Perry, Todd Anderson, Justin Pendleton, and Rosella
Summary; some friends having Christmas brunch
Log;

It's still dark when Neil wakes on Christmas morning, though dawn isn't far off; even now the shade on the horizon is starting to fade, and soon enough the watery winter sunlight will creep over the City's streets. Still, it's a few quiet moments to lay in bed and savor the peculiar anticipation of Christmas morning.

He doesn't care in the least what he might get; Neil is only worrying, for now, about what Todd will think of his gift. Of what he will say.

Of course, it's not merely anticipation (and a little anxiety, if he is honest with himself) that has him staring at the shadows on the ceiling; this will take an early start. So it isn't long before he's quietly shaking his bedmate awake and urging him into clothes and coat and shoes and out the door, with the promise of a Christmas surprise and a staunch refusal to say any more about it.

Slipping through the streets, still more or less quiet as the rest of the City sleeps, he thinks of home-- or rather, of school, of sneaking out at night to go to the woods with poetry books and scraps of food stolen from the kitchen. It's just the same, and wholly different.

(His heart is racing, and he glances skyward with a brief smile, picking out the few stars bright enough to stand out even as it grows steadily lighter. None of them are the one he wants to thank.)

When it comes down to it, there really is only once choice.

They go to the woods.

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Todd really has no idea what to think, as he follows after Neil. He has his own healthy dose of anxiety to go along with Neil's, though his is borne of not knowing what's going on. Of course there's a bit of excitement, which really can't be helped after being roused from sleep with such urgency and insistence. But he's also a little nervous - with Neil both this excited and elusive, whatever is in store for him is almost certainly a considerable production.

Of course his questions have gone unanswered thus far - as they begin to make their way into the woods, though, he can't help but voice his curiosity again.

"So... you don't feel like maybe you'd like to give me a clue yet, do you?"

It only seems right that they all meet up in the woods, given the history the Dead Poets have with the forest--both the City chapter that Rosella remembers firsthand and the older, earlier one that inspired it. She's coming from a different direction than the boys, and excitement and anticipation had her up earlier than necessary this morning, so she's already waiting a short distance into the trees when Neil and Todd arrive, a bright splash of color against the morning landscape in her bright red cloak and hood.

When she spots them, she waves cheerfully--stomach already beginning to flutter with eager butterflies--and waits for their approach.

The only concession that Justin makes to the holiday is the donning of a dark green shirt that is, in all other ways, identical to every other shirt that he owns. At least he can claim that he tried.

Justin was up before Neil and Todd, but leaves the apartment shortly after they do. There's no need to get to the rendezvous point before they do; Rosella might be waiting there and, while she's nice, he would prefer to avoid one-on-one conversations with princesses today. Therefore, he shadows them as they traverse the streets and enter the woods.

This is a bold move, even for Neil. What if Todd panics?

What if it works and he finds himself living with a married couple? (Not that a ceremony of any kind would change the poets' living situation, but having their bond officially recognized does unsettle Justin. But that's self-centered thinking and, at present, what's important is finding out if Neil and Todd can both hold themselves together.

Justin spots Rosella when she waves--she's hard to miss--and follows Neil and Todd with equal parts dread and a muted sort of anticipation.

"Not yet," is all the response Todd's question gets, with a smile that tries to be reassuring and a light squeeze of his hand. The further they come, the more nervous and thrilled he is (in more or less equal measure, at least.)

He does grin at Rosella, when he sees her, without any trace of anxiety, and waves back enthusiastically. Maybe it's just an outlet for his nerves. At any rate, that's three of their small party-- and when he glances back the way they came, he catches sight of Justin as well. Which means... he's out of reasons not to explain.

He takes a deep breath, and turns to Todd, sticking a hand in his pocket to curl around the rings he bought them. The truth is, since the idea hit him, he's been trying to figure out how to say this, and he's come up with...

Exactly nothing.

"It's just the four of us," he says quietly, catching Todd's eye. It might not be the best sign that his first instinct is to try and keep the other boy from panicking. "And we don't... have to tell anyone else. But I wanted--"

He breaks off and pulls his fist out of his pocket, knuckles pale from being clenched around the rings. In spite of his anxiety-- or because of it, maybe-- he breaks out in a smile, and lets his fingers uncurl, offering up the two narrow gold bands.

"Let's get married?"

He shouldn't be surprised, really, that Neil wouldn't offer any sort of indication about what was going on. Of course he sees Rosella, and when he does, that's when his confusion deepens a bit. He doesn't get a chance to react, though, before Neil looks back and, following that glance, Todd sees Justin as well.

And then they're stopped, the four of them, and Neil turns toward him. Todd glances to Rosella, to Justin, and back to Neil, totally lost and anxious that he's very clearly the only one who doesn't know what's happening. Neil's instincts are right; Todd's almost ready to panic, even before the other boy speaks.

And then... he does. He speaks, and there are rings. It takes a very long moment of staring at the rings, his jaw just slightly slack, his brow furrowed, before he's sure he's heard the words correctly. And he goes over them again in his head, what's been said, what it means.

Slowly, he raises his gaze to meet Neil's. He's perhaps even more anxious now that he does know what's going on, but he's very still, his brow still furrowed, his mouth not quite closed. He swallows, closes his mouth and licks his lips nervously, then laughs. It's a quiet sound - more an abrupt breath, really - an involuntary expulsion of nerves.

"Married?" A quiet, disbelieving squeak of repetition. "Neil, you're... you know you're crazy."

Which he realizes isn't an answer.

Edited 2012-12-26 19:00 (UTC)

This isn't the first time Rosella's seen the rings, so she's far less surprised than Todd is when they ultimately come out; she'd been there when Neil had picked them out (as a friend as well as a convenient cover story), and they're just as lovely in the palm of his hand as they were beneath the lights of the store.

This is, however, the moment of truth, because it's the first time Todd has seen the rings, and while she's not precisely worried about the possibility that he might say no, she still remembers another snowy memory from long ago when he was Demetrius and she was Helena, and Neil has always had a way of rushing on ahead and carrying everyone else along with him. This time is no different, and here they all are.

She casts a quick glance at Justin, an uncertain twitch of her lips the only change in her expression, and waits to see what else unfolds.

You know you're crazy isn't the traditional response to Let's get married as far as Justin knows, but it's a valid assessment. Hopefully it won't be enough to damn Neil's impulsive action in Todd's eyes.

He stops, nods to Rosella, and waits.

"I know."

He smiles again, but it's bittersweet, all nerves instead of enthusiasm. There was a time when he would have lost hope at that response, but they've both grown here. He shifts his hand thoughtfully, the two circles of metal sliding over each other, before he meets Todd's eyes once more.

"I love you," he whispers, because saying that aloud is hard enough, and saying it for an audience nigh impossible. "I'm not trying to prove it. I don't think I have to, by now. But..." he trails off, mouth twisting uncertainly, but not without hope. "I thought it would be good-- a good symbol. Just for us."

Edited 2012-12-28 05:10 (UTC)

Todd can feel his cheeks coloring visibly, an affliction which intensifies with Neil's 'I love you'. It was difficult enough getting to the point where they could say that to one another at all, but having it laid out in front of others even potentially loud enough for them to hear - even their two closest friends in the City - is a bit much, His eyes are fixed on the rings, on Neil's shifting hand. He can't bring himself to look at Rosella or Justin, lest it be reinforced that they're not alone even more forcibly. He swallows slightly, nodding his head a tiny bit, though it's a slightly shaky motion. But he looks back up towards the other boy.

"I'm not... I mean. I..."

Another pause, taking a deep breath, before he laughs and shakes his neck in an attempt to dispel some of the nerves and tension. Part of him wants to run and hide - the rest of him fights that urge. Because this is Neil. Because... in truth, they may as well be. It's a thought that's already occurred to both of them, after Billy came and saw Neil last. And because... this is the only chance they'll ever have. Here, in the City. Even if Neil were alive, back home...

"We'll, I'm not going to say no."

A little of the uncertainty dissipates, and he manages a (somewhat nerve wracked) smile.

By this point, and as it unfolds, Rosella's hands have emerged from beneath the warmth of her cloak to clasp rather firmly over her mouth, both to hide her expression and to firmly remind herself to keep from making undignified noises that might ruin the moment that is currently passing between two of her oldest friends, and two of the best ones she's ever known.

She knew it was coming, of course, but there's something decidedly different about seeing it unfold in realtime--and at the eventual sight of Todd's smile, she finds she's smiling behind her hands too, which she realizes mostly as an afterthought when it occurs to her that her cheeks are starting to hurt.

This feels like spying. The moment's too intimate; Justin doesn't think he should be here. He looks anywhere but at the poets--the ground, the trees, the ridiculously picturesque snow. Neil couldn't have chosen a better atmosphere.

He doesn't share Rosella's joy or even Todd's lessening uncertainty. Not saying no isn't the same as saying yes, and he has no desire to see what happens if the answer is no. But it has to be yes. Considering how long Neil and Todd have been together, yes may as well have been said over a year ago.

(Justin has his own selfish reasons for being less than happy with yes, but it's the best outcome for his friends.)

For just a moment, Neil honestly forgets that they're not alone; he's only aware of Todd's eyes meeting his own, the cloud of breath between them, the soft hush of the snowy forest. And perhaps more than anything, the slight, cooling weight of the rings on his palm.

"I'm pretty sure you do have to actually say yes," he says with a breathless laugh, his cheeks equally flushed. But honestly, as far as he's concerned that's close enough for a brief engagement.

He takes a deep breath.

"Ready?"

And there, his eyes widen again. Now he breaks his gaze away from Neil, and looks around with silent, slight alarm.

"Wait, wait... Ready? You mean..."

And he looks back to Neil, hissing a bit more quietly. "Did you mean now?"

Well, of course, never let it be said that Neil is one to wait around lingering on an idea when he could be putting that idea into action, instead. Rosella can hardly blame Todd for that particular reaction.

(She still hopes he'll say yes.)

There's too much stalling. Yes or no, preferably yes; Todd needs to pick one before Neil jumps out of his skin.

"Well, if you'd rather we can always hold off, and have a big ceremony, and invite the whole City," he teases, grinning with relief, bold enough to tease now that he's got at least an implied yes.

"But the plan is-- Rosella's going to do it, and Justin's going to be our witness. And our best man," he explains, tossing a quick smile over his shoulder at each of their friends in turn. "And then we'll go have something to eat. If that's okay?"

Todd doesn't really respond to that teasing. He just gives Neil a very flat look, which might carry implications that the entire thing is just off altogether if that's how he's going to be.

Of course, with the explanation, the entire situation makes a good deal more sense, with Rosella and Justin being here. "I, um..."

He swallows, looking uncertainly away from Neil, and self-consciously toward each of their friends. Swallowing nervously, he shrugs.

"I... yeah. I guess that's okay."

'I guess that's okay' isn't precisely the enthusiastic response one might hope for when contending with matters of love and symbolic marriage and delicious breakfast, and while the exchange really is a matter for Neil and Todd to work out amongst themselves, Todd's discomfort isn't something Rosella can ignore or let pass without some comment.

"Is it really?" she asks gently, casting a quick look at Neil as she does so; the last thing any of them want, she's certain, is for Todd to be miserable, and there's a decided difference between persuading a reluctant friend into a play as opposed to a lifechanging ceremony. Maybe it'll be easier for him to answer if she's the one asking, and not Neil; she knows all too well, after all, just how hard it is to say no to him.

Rosella steals the words right out of Justin's mouth. Sort of. Not really. He was thinking them, but he wasn't about to say anything out loud, convinced as he is that this is something that should be strictly between Neil and Todd, however poorly they're going about it.

He can't quite meet Todd's eyes when he looks over.

Maybe it's a Christmas miracle that Neil's smart enough to keep his mouth shut at this moment; he just smiles, hopeful and uncertain, and waits. Honestly, he didn't expect this would be so difficult-- it's not just persuading Todd, it's being so open in front of other people.

That's just not the way things work.

But love has to be enough. Of that, he's certain. Mostly.

That lull really gives Todd a chance to stop, to think and to process everything. His concerns have nothing to do with love, or with the idea of spending the rest of his life with Neil - or his life in the City at least, though he hopes that's many, many years.

It's all about the circumstances, about the suddenness, the audience, being put on the spot.

But he looks at Rosella, as she asks the question, and then he looks down. It's a long, drawn-out moment, and the silence drags before he speaks again, softly.

"It is."

And, nervously smiling, he looks up.

"I mean... yes. I'll..." And here, he actually laughs. It's not derisive, not dismissive; it's an expulsion of nervous energy that bursts into something more, sort of acknowledging and embracing the absurdity, how insane it would have seemed to them so short a time ago.

"I will marry you."

And he laughs again, his smile spreading as he does.

"Even though you're crazy."

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