Anderperry Oneshots Collection

Taken

AN: Yeah idk, It's two in the morning and I have four assignments due. Angsty jealousy fic? Yes, sir-ee

Neil was late to the meeting the day that Todd found out.

He came barreling into the cave, practically shedding paper as pages of Five Centuries of Verse fell out around him.

"Sorry I'm late," he muttered. "Rehearsal ran long. Should we get this meeting starte-"

"Now hold it right there, loverboy," Charlie paused him. "Isn't there something you'd like to share with the class?"

Neil thought for a second. "I had to watch Clara seduce a donkey today?" 

"Not about your rehearsal, about why it rang so long," Charlie clarified. 

Neil considered this. "Henry got stuck in the donkey suit?"

Charlie sighed. "Maybe I can help. Our main man Neil here," he announced. "Has found himself a girlfriend."

This was met with mixed reactions, some jaws dropped while others whooped in support. Neil looked to Todd, who made an effort to smile slightly before taking on a much more neutral expression.

"That's great, Neil! What's her name?" Pitts asked. 

"Ginny," Neil replied, blushing.

"Ginny Danburry?" Knox cried out in bewilderment. Neil nodded.

Another round of whoops and cackles. 

"Really, guys, it's not a big deal," Neil tried to calm them down.

"Not a big deal? Neil, you won!" Charlie cried out. 

Neil shot him an annoyed look. "I'd like to start the meeting now, if everyone's done gawking?"

The next few days were filled with questions. Where did you meet? When did you start dating? Is she pretty? Neil did his best to answer them (Henley Hall, about a week ago, she's incredible), but avoided them when possible.

Todd watched all this happen, a sick, jealous feeling taking over. He tried to be reasonable. Neil was never his, after all. And he's happy with this girl. Isn't that what he should care about? That Neil's happy?

But he couldn't find it in himself to congratulate Neil, or even ask questions.

Neil started coming home late. Todd would go to sleep in the empty silence of his dorm, and wake up to the click of the door opening in the middle of the night, and then a clumsy Neil clamoring in. Neil always thought he was sneaky in the way he changed into pajamas and climbed into bed. He wasn't.

Neil kept inviting Todd to come to see his rehearsals, but Todd would respectfully decline.

"Will Ginny be there?" he'd ask.

"I suppose, she has to rehearse, too."

"Then I'll just, uh...sit this one out. You'll have someone to keep you company." And Todd would smile good-naturedly.

"Oh, okay," Neil would say, and would go back to his reading, or homework, or whatever was stealing away his attention that time.

And Todd would seethe. 

Eventually, his behavior began to change, and Neil was the first to notice. He didn't walk with Neil as often. He seemed more drawn away, and spent a lot of his time writing. On the bright side, his poems became more lovely than ever before.

The next week, it rained. Far too much to go out, with roaring winds that unearthed trees.

On one particular day, Neil and Todd sat burrowed away in their room, waiting for the rain to clear up enough to go anywhere, do anything. 

Neil stared at Todd. The power had gone out, and a lit candle sat on each of their desks. The glow of the flame cascaded on Todd's face in just the most perfect way, making his eyes appear twice as bright as usual.

Todd scribbled on his notebook. He'd been trying to write a poem, but his mind, like the sky, was far too clouded, and he'd given in to doodling.

"Todd?" Neil begged his attention, and Todd locked eyes with the brunette. "You never asked any questions about Ginny at all. Don't you have questions?"

"No," Todd shrugged. "She seems nice enough."

"Right, but that's not the point. You, specifically. I want to know what you think."

"N-no, you don't," Todd said. Even he was repulsed by his thoughts about her, about Neil, about himself.

"Todd..." Neil begged. Todd rolled his eyes, put down his notebook with a slam.  

"Fine," he gave in, and thought for a second. "Does she kiss you?"

Neil seemed puzzled. "Yeah, she does. But what's that got to do-"

"And what's that like?"

Neil paused. "It's nice," he said finally, voice blank of emotion.

I can be nice, Todd thought. I can be sweet, and lovely, and all the things Ginny is, so why can't he just choose me?

Why not me?

Todd grit his teeth and went back to his scribbling. "There, y-you got your question. Two, actually, so now you can leave me alone."

"Todd..."

"Neil, stop it!" Todd said. He made an effort not to let the crack in his tired voice shine through. "You found someone you like, I'm happy that you did, I'm happy for you, but just stop it. I am not the person to talk to about it."

"Todd..."

"Jesus Christ, I can't sit here and listen to you talk about how great Ginny is, how good she is for you." Todd was trying not to yell. "Not when...you know what? Forget it. Forget this, I'm out."

Todd left without his jacket.

"Todd, Todd!" Neil called after him.

Neil found him on the dock, rain slicking his hair to his forehead.

"Todd, you're going to freeze out here," Neil said, bundled up in his Welton jacket. "Let's go inside, we can talk."

Todd looked at him, a horrible, pitiful gaze that made Neil sick to his stomach. "Why not me?" Todd said breathlessly. Neil couldn't tell if Todd was crying or if the drops that ran down his face were rainfall.

There was a silence, and a crack of thunder rang out. 

"I mean," Todd continued. "Why do you have to choose some..some girl that you only just met? Why not me? I love you the same as she does."

Neil pulled Todd into a soaking-wet hug. "I know," he said, not letting go. "I know, I'm sorry."

"I'm not gonna cry," Todd stated, his voice cracking with sobs.

Neil could feel every contour of Todd's body, the desperate way he clung to him, shivering. 

"Kiss me," Neil said suddenly. 

Todd broke free. "No, I can't. I won't," he said firmly. "I'm not a..a bad person, I-I...you're with Ginny."

Neil shook his head. "I was never with Ginny!" he said, raising his voice loud enough to be heard over the downpour. "It was stupid. She wanted to get with Chris, and I wanted to be with you. It was all fake, honest! We...I wanted you to notice me."

Todd's eyes widened. 

"I love you, Todd Anderson. Please kiss me."