Dead Poets Society Oneshots

N.P - 'Languages can reveal many truths' A DR Inspired story

Inspired by my Dead Poets Society DR

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*Hades POV*

"To be honest," I started, reading aloud the short poem in my usual chaotic scribble on the yellow paper, the page worn and crumpled with time. I took a deep breath. In. Hold. Out, before continuing as I did before.

"You scare me
I'm terrified of letting you in
of seeing myself
more clearly through your eyes
wondering if I'm good enough
or if one day I'll lose you
but the truth is
not having you at all
scares me more
than all other
truths of love
and that thought
makes me brave."

I looked up from the page clutching closely to myself and observed the classroom I was standing in front of. I looked at Mr Keating, who had a knowing smile as he approached, patting me on the shoulder, "Well, Mr Anderson that was truly something. It looks like both Anderson boys are truly creative creatures."
"I guess so, sir," I responded, sharing a glance with my brother, who had read his poem just moments before. Mr Keating patted my shoulder once more before gesturing to my seat. Taking the hint I walked over and sat in the empty space I had occupied just moments prior, behind Neil but in front of Knox and Charlie. I leaned on my hand when Neil turned in his seat, "Who's the lucky person, Aidoneus?"
"Oh, wouldn't you like to know."
"I would, actually," Neil replied, his usual lopsided smile on his face. The lopsided smile I had learned to love, "That's the whole reason I asked, after all."
"Whatever, pretty boy, just turn round."
"Mr Perry. Something you'd like to share?"
"No sir," Neil replied, giving the teacher a smile, "Unless you want my poem?"
"Alright then Mr Perry, come on up then."

I watched as the brunette got up, taking his poem out of his pocket and reading it aloud at the front of the room,

"You have robbed me
of all heart & mind
and I love you
sweet bandit of my soul."

I made eye contact with him at that moment, the two of us staring at one another as if nothing and no one else in this world mattered. It was like being frozen in time, in a time where I could love him and hold him and be with him and he would want to be with me too, but that was all nothing more than my imagination.

I sighed and looked away from him, taking to looking out of the window as the Perry boy returned to his seat. Keating looked around at us all, "Well, gentlemen, it's interesting to see how much your poetry has improved since the beginning of the school year. I notice a lot of you have returned to that major theme: love. Platonic, romantic, familial, doesn't matter. It's all love. All your poems were wonderful and have shown how much progress you've all made."

We all heard the ringing of the bell and began to pack our things, Keating telling us our homework on our way out of the room. I sighed as I slung my bag over my shoulder and walked out, Ash being the first to meet me in the hallway, his boyfriend tailing shortly behind him, "Not having you at all scares me more than all other truths of love," he quoted, "Bro just tell the man you love him already!"
"Not happening, Ash," I replied, "And for gods sakes keep it down man he might hear you!"
"Who might hear you?" Charlie asked, playing at stupidity, not like that was particularly difficult for him, "You know who, dumbass. Stop playing dumb."
"So what if Neil finds out, Hades?" Ash mentioned, "It's so obvious he loves you. It makes me want to vomit every time I see the goo-goo eyes you make at each other."
"He makes a valid point," Charlie added, causing me to give him a sharp glare. He raised his hands in defence, "What? It's true! Plus, he is the only one that calls you by your full name."
"He calls me my full middle name. None of you call me Teo. He's just not as lazy as the rest of you."
"Fine, full middle name, whatever. The point is he's the only one that does it. And do you seriously think that Neil needs all that help with French?"
"I don't know trouble, alright? Just leave it out, would you?"
"Alright, alright," he responded, finally surrendering, "I'm leaving it." The three of us noticed the others begin to make their way out behind the crowd of boys, and together all of us made our way back to the dorms.

Later on that day, Todd and I sat in my dorm room doing our history work when Todd spoke up, "He's fluent in it, you know."
"Who is fluent in what, little brother?" I asked, not looking up from the notes I was scribbling in my notebook, "Neil. He's fluent in French."

"No, he's not," I replied, "If he was I wouldn't have to tutor him."
"Ever thought of the fact that he puts it on? Just acts like he doesn't know it?"

I put my notebook down, staring at the boy who sat across from me on Ash's bed, "And what possible reason would he have to do that?"
"O my god, Teo are you really that dense? He wants to spend more time alone with you."
"Oh come on don't be ridiculous, Todd! Why the hell would he want to do that!"
"Because he likes you," he replied in his usual calm manner, "If you don't believe me ask him, in French. Ask him if he likes you at the same time, put us all out of our misery."
"You're crazy, Todd," I replied, releasing a sigh, "Fuck it." I said and got up, "You coming?"
"I'll stay here," my brother replied, "I'll hear the cheers down the hallway if it goes to plan."
"I'm punching you if it doesn't!" I replied, leaving the room and leaving Todd behind.

I walked down the hall to where I knew Ash, Neil and Charlie would be. I opened the door without knocking, noticing that Neil had his head stuck in a book and Charlie and Ash were sitting on Todd's bed watching a movie on Ash's laptop.
"Neil, parlez-vous couramment le français?"
"Neil, do you speak French fluently?"

"Oui. Mon père me l'a fait apprendre. Pourquoi?"
"Yes. My father made me learn it. Why?"

"Alors pourquoi me demander de vous aider si vous n'en avez pas besoin?"
"So why ask me to help you if you don't need it?"

"Parce que cela signifiait que je devais passer plus de temps avec toi. Même si ce n'était que trente minutes ou diable même dix minutes, je m'en fiche," he said, putting down his book and approaching where I stood in the doorway, "Je veux passer chaque moment éveillé que j'ai avec toi, Aidoneus, et c'est terrifiant. et exaltant mais je t'aime tellement que je suis tout à fait d'accord avec ça."
"Because it meant I got to spend more time with you. Even if it was just thirty minutes or heck even ten minutes, I don't care, " he said, putting down his book and approaching where I stood in the doorway, "I want to spend every waking moment I have with you, Aidoneus, and that is terrifying and exhilarating but I love you so much that I am completely okay with that."

I froze as he lifted my head so I was looking up at him, him giving me a gentle smile as he continued, "Tu es tout ce dont j'ai rêvé depuis aussi longtemps que je me souvienne. C'était comme tu l'as dit en anglais aujourd'hui, Aidoneus, 'ne pas t'avoir du tout me fait plus peur que toutes les autres vérités de l'amour et cette pensée me rend courageuse'. Alors, laisse-moi être courageux et te demander si tu voudrais être mon petit ami?"
"You are everything I've dreamed of for as long as I can remember. It was like you said in English today, Aidoneus, 'not having you at all scares me more than all the other truths of love and that thought makes me brave'. So let me be brave and ask you would you wanna be my boyfriend?"

I smiled, the moment being one I knew would be permanently engrained in my memory for the rest of time. A moment, I knew, I would always look back on, even once I was old and grey and withering away with time, "Je n'aimerais rien de plus que d'être ton petit ami, Kore."
"I would love nothing more than to be your boyfriend, Kore."

The two of us heard a cough behind us, turning to where Ash and Charlie were still sitting, now looking over the laptop, its screen tilted downwards slightly as they peered at us, "Hate to break it to you but not all of us are faking not being fluent in French so can you be so gracious as to tell us what the ever-loving fuck just happened?"