poeta nascitur, non fit ~ steven meeks x fem!reader

the morning after~

song of the chapter: fairytale by alexander ryback

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Todd." A gentle voice lulled the blonde boy out of a rather peaceful dream, getting him to release a sleepy groan in complaint. 

"Todd," the same voice, again. Urging him to wake up, open his beautiful blue eyes to the world. Finally, he did - giving his waker his most grouchy look. Which of course, on the dear boy, looked rather like an angry puppy. 

Still, he tried admirably. 

"What?" he groaned groggily, mind becoming clearer very slowly. He recalled the play, seeing Neil's wretched father, being kissed, and then falling onto the bed - happy to be leaving reality behind if only to sleep. 

Charlie knelt next to the bed, staring eagerly at his tired face. The rest, he noticed, of his friends were lingering about the room as well. 

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty," (y/n) sang, standing in Meek's sweatpants near the doorway. Everyone gave various stages of half-asleep greetings, obviously not have awoken of their own accord. 

Cameron, however, was not present this morning. At this, Todd's heart began to constrict with what felt like panic. 

"Is everything okay?" he begged to know, but their faces betrayed nothing. Nervously, Charlie cast glances to everyone but Todd, as if gaining consensus through telepathy. The moment of quiet let Todd take note of the gray sheen to everything in the room, signaling that the sun had not yet risen and it likely would not - gray skies meant snow. 

Finally, Charlie spoke. 

"Todd, it's about the Dead Poets Society," and then came the story that possibly altered the outcome of Todd's life, forever.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

That night, following what happened at the Perry residence, (y/n) stood hugging Meeks close to her for many minutes(instead of their usual goodnight ritual), simply breathing him in and relishing in the gratitude that she'd found him in this crazy world. 

"Okay," he sighed, pulling away. "you need to get some sleep, darling. I'll see you in the morning for coffee?" The girl smiled slyly.

"You know me too well, Steven. Sweet dreams!" with a wink, they went their separate ways - although sleep did not find the girl that easily. 

When she awoke the next morning and did her early yoga; there was nothing the girl could do to get her mind to grow quiet. So many 'what if' scenarios flew about her brain like autumn leaves on a windy day - varying from her possibly expulsion or what might happen if Mr. Perry were to change his mind. 

The reality, however, was much worse. Charlie burst into him room in a fury, the spare key she'd given him clutched in his palm. (y/n) was still in her pajamas - sweatpants stolen from Meeks and a fleece shirt - when he finally seemed to realize she could have been changing. 

"Shit." he cursed, running an anxious hand through his hair. 

"Charlie?" she rushed over, grasping his elbow gently in concern "what's wrong? Is Neil okay?" Irrational thoughts of Neil's skin gone cold and ashen with death by his own hand flooded her brain, causing bile to rise up in her throat.