Anderperry Oneshots Collection

Mistletoe

"Enough is enough," Charlie groaned upon entering the cave.

"What's enough?" Knox asked from his seat by the fire.

The Dead Poets had only gotten better at building fires since their first meeting, which was lucky, because as Christmas neared it proved to be a necessary skill. Aside from the warmth it provided, which kept them safe from winter's cold bite, the fire also created a lovely ambiance that really helped the mood.

"All this beating around the bush. Anderperry needs to just kiss already and get it over with!"

"Anderperry?" Pitts questioned.

"He means Todd and Neil," Meeks explained. "Anderson, Perry. Charlie desperately wants them to be a couple."

He eyed Charlie, whose face was buried in his hands in frustration.

"A little too desperately."

"Well excuse me for living vicariously through them," Charlie jeered. "I just need it to happen!"

"You've been setting Neil up with people since the sixth grade, Dalton, and none of the relationships have worked," Cameron pointed out. "What makes you think this'll be different?"

"What makes Knox think he can get with Chris, even though it's totally hopeless and they've only met once? No offense, Knoxious."

Knox pouted. "None taken."

"I feel it! It's going to happen, I'm just tired of waiting," Charlie continued.

"Where are they anyway? Neil and Todd" asked Cameron.

"They're going to be late. Neil said they had some emergency business to take care of. I think he said something about his father or Todd's brother but to be fair, I wasn't paying attention," said Charlie.

"Well, we have time. Maybe there's something we can do to set them up before they get here," Meeks suggested. 

For a second, everyone brainstormed. Charlie tapped his foot on the cave floor, scanning the room. Pitts peeled the bark off a stick, tossing pieces into the fire little by little. Knox blew a tuft of hair from his eyes. 

Cameron fiddled with the piece of mistletoe pinned to his jacket. It was the school's pathetic way of spreading holiday cheer. No decorations, and no activities, but every boy was issued a sprig of mistletoe to pin to their jacket. And as Cameron adjusted and readjusted his, the gears began to turn in Charlie's head.

"Cameron, you magnificent bitchboy..." Charlie said, eyes lighting up.

"What?" Pitts asked. 

"Hand me your pins. Your mistletoe pins, I'm setting up a certain tradition..."

It seemed to be hours later when Charlie heard Todd and Neil approach. In reality, it couldnt've been more than five minutes.

"Act natural!" Charlie hissed. The boys ignored that they were, in fact, acting natural, and Charlie was the only one who seemed worked up over this.

A few seconds later Neil and Todd approached the cave entrance, Todd looking a bit happier than usual and Neil looking a little more nervous. 

"Sorry we're late," Neil announced. "Let's get this meeting star-"

"Freeze!" Charlie cut him off. The boys froze in place. "What is it you see hung above your head, Toddy?"

Todd looked up and was greeted with a sprig of mistletoe dangling from the ceiling. It was tied to a rock jutting down from the roof, and looked like it would fall apart at any second. "Your pins?" Todd questioned. 

"Mistletoe pins. And Neil, pray tell, is there a certain tradition that involves standing under a prig of mistletoe?"

"Yes, Charlie, I  believe there is," Neil played along. When Charlie was trying to get you to do something, it was best to just play along.

Neil turned to Todd and gave him a look, a half-smile that was asking permission. Todd shrugged as if to say, why not?

Then in a second, Neil and Todd's lips connected. Their kiss was met with assorted whoops and whistles from the rest of the boys. 

When Neil pulled away, Charlie clapped in approval. "See, was that so hard? See, Cameron, I told you it would happen! I just had to push them in the right direction."

"Yeah, well, unfortunately, we beat you to it," Neil quipped.

Charlie's jaw practically dropped. "What do you mean by that?"

"Emergency business? Charlie, I thought you of all people would know what I was getting at."

Charlie's jaw actually dropped. He hadn't even considered that. Todd smiled. He loved being sneaky, especially when he got away with it.

"Alright, I say let's get this meeting started," Neil said, making his way past Charlie to find a comfortable spot in the cave.

Todd followed, patting Charlie on the shoulder. "I hope you enjoyed this, because I didn't buy you a present."