Tommyinnit Oneshots

Dead Poet

A/N - Buckle up, it's a long one. The chapter is more or less the plot of the movie Dead Poets Society but simplified with some character changes. Please don't read if you want to watch the movie, it's a really good one, although I definitely wouldn't watch it if you're sensitive to suicide. If you're one of those people, please don't read this either! 

Edit: Grrr it didn't save my edits so I had to unpublish it, sorry! It's all edited properly now.

TW: Heavy themes of suicide, swearing

Ranboo hesitantly opened the door to his dorm at his new boarding school, peeking in to see a few kids gathered on the right side bed and passing something around. As soon as they noticed he was there, they tucked it underneath the covers. "Um, hello, I'm Ranboo. I'm going to be... one of you guys' new roommate." He stumbled over his words but was saved as a tall, stick-thin blond bounded over to him and held his hand out with a friendly smile. "Nice to meet you, Ranboo! I'm Tommy, I'm your roommate this year. These are my idiot friends - that one's Tubbo, there's Sapnap, that's Purpled, and those two are George and Dream." He pointed respectively to a small brunet who offered him a shy smile, a smirking guy wearing an orange bandana around his forehead, a blond boy in a purple hoodie, and two others cuddled up to each other - one short with dark brown hair, the other tall with blond hair.

All of them looked very friendly, but Ranboo found himself intimidated by the sheer number of strangers packed into this small space. He hustled over to the empty bunk on the left side of the room, dropping his duffle bag before turning around nervously. "It's nice to meet you all, I'm Ranboo. Although, you already knew that so..." 

Luckily, the boys knew how to make Ranboo feel welcome despite his awkward nature, and he quickly got to know the group. He gleaned that night that he had found himself among troublemakers with a passion for poetry, as was revealed when they brought out the object they had been hiding under the covers like it was illegal. They discreetly showed Ranboo the cover, The Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson, and he promptly let out a barking laugh. 

"Why are you guys hiding a book about poetry? Don't we literally take an English class focusing on poetry?"

"Yes, but that's not the point," Tommy said a bit defensively, holding the book close to his chest. The group shared a look, all nodding slightly after a moment and leaving Ranboo baffled. Dream looked at Tommy, who raised his eyebrows. After holding the stare for a moment, Dream broke it with a loud sigh, taking the book from Tommy's outstretched hand. "We have... a secret club sort of thing. It's called the Dead Poets Society. We meet after curfew in a shack in the woods, and we just... read poetry."

Ranboo just stared at Dream for a moment, shifting uncomfortably. "Is reading poetry code for, you know... doing drugs?" He whispered the last part. "No, it's literally just poetry because they don't know how to have fun. Don't let them fool you; they're all nerds, just depressed." George piped up from Dream's lap, where Ranboo had thought he was sleeping. Apparently not. "Do you not go to the meetings?" Ranboo questioned. "He goes, he just insists that it's only for some excitement and rule-breaking, not for the poetry. But I know he likes it and has a few favorites," Dream teased, ruffling George's hair, who grumbled but didn't fight it. Ranboo wondered if they were dating. 

"Anyway, you're more than welcome to join us, Ranboo," Tommy offered. "Yeah, you seem really cool," Purpled spoke up, talking for perhaps the first time that entire evening. Ranboo blushed, and tried to play it off with a casual "sure, if I have time," but Tubbo poked him and giggled before they all filed out of the room to go to bed. 

When the dorm room was empty, Ranboo took that as a chance to unpack. "Ran?" Tommy said from the other bed. Ranboo was startled by the nickname but found he liked the sound of it. "You don't have to read at the first meeting, but if you want to, just pick a poem you like and read it. There's no judgment at the meetings, I promise. It's about acceptance and... finding a place of our own when our families hide us away in this shit fuckin' school. Anyway, you can take a look at my book if you want, or one of your own if you have any. It's up to you." With that, Tommy clicked the lamp on the bedside table off and rolled over, leaving Ranboo to mull over his words.