Anderperry Oneshots Collection

First Impressions

AN: This is very wholesome and heavily inspired by a tumblr post. 

"I didn't like them," Neil announced as he walked with Todd back to Welton. 

The boys were all on edge from Charlie's news--the article he'd published in the name of the Dead Poets--and they walked back disjointedly instead of in their usual group.

Neil and Todd migrated towards each other, as they usually did, and found themselves walking just the two of them by themselves. But that was fine, the best friends were good company.

"The townies? Why's that?" Todd asked, nearly tripping over a root.

Neil held out his arm, stopping the fall. "Well, they clearly didn't know anything about poetry. They really thought Charlie wrote 'shall I compare thee to a summer's day?'. That's ridiculous."

Todd nodded thoughtfully. "There's no way they can seriously join."

Neil huffed an agreement. "So what did you think of them?"

"I don't know. They didn't talk much."

Neil paused, giggling. "Well you didn't talk much either, Todd, but I knew exactly what I thought of you."

Todd blushed, hoping to God that it was invisible in the darkness. "Oh yeah? What did you think of me?"

Neil thought back to that fateful day, the day that had started this all. How little he knew back then! By now, the memory was hazy. He tried to put himself in his past shoes. 

"Oh, so you're that Anderson." The simple shrug of a response. The way Todd's eyes had darted to the ground. Neil thought he said something after that, but couldn't quite remember.

"I think I was excited to meet you. I'd heard so much about your brother, and I thought you would be a carbon copy. But you weren't. You were...different."

"Different?"

"Better," Neil clarified. "You were so intelligent and mysterious. All I knew was that I wanted to know more. You were like a puzzle, I just needed to figure out how to get you to open up so I could meet the real Todd."

"Hm," Todd vocalized, satisfied with that answer. Neil obviously thought very highly of him, much higher than he thought of himself. 

"And what was your first impression of me?"

Todd thought for a moment. "Honestly?" he said, swerving through trees. "I was terrified of you."

"You were scared of me?" Neil laughed.

"Wha...Well, not anymore!" Todd sputtered. 

"What did I ever do to you?"

"Nothing! You were just the type of person who was...what did you say the other day? 'Being in the club means...'"

"Stirred up?" Neil offered.

"Yes, you were so stirred up. I just wanted to mind my business, but you kept trying to invite me to your study group."

"I was trying to be nice," Neil defended.

"That's right, you were being nice. I, however, was a hermit crab."

The boys laughed. 

"You wanna know what's ironic?" Todd asked, and Neil leaned in with a 'go on' type of look. "I used to be scared of you, but now I think you're the one I feel the most comfortable around."

Neil smiled proudly. "Well, that's good. If you were still scared around me after all my efforts, I'd have to seriously rethink my methods."

Todd laughed. 

"In all seriousness though," Neil said. "I'm glad you're comfortable around me now. I'm comfortable around you, too."

Todd smiled his crooked smile. Everything was going so lovely. 

"Race you to the dorm?" Neil offered.

Todd took off running before Neil could count to three.