DEAD POETS SOCIETY BOYS x READER || Reader tells the boys that they've got no other friends.
a/n: I JUST WROTE SOME BULLCRAPP!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay on with the story,
❀ This is a platonic scenario fic with a GN!Reader. This is purely the reactions of your chosen boy as your (close) friend to telling him that you've got no friends other than him. I did add some romantic hints, though. But, I can do a part 2 with y'all in an actual romantic relationship...Lmk if y'all want that..
❀ Also, the reader isn't friends with the other dead poets. Just with their chosen dead poet.
❀ TW // Mentions of mental health struggles, extreme loneliness, most of the boys don't know how to properly handle mental health issues because it's the 50s-60s. Also Knox's section is hurt without comfort so I'm sorry for that 😭
-"Oh, that's terrible..." Neil would say quietly, before inching just a little closer to you in case you needed a hug or extra reassurance.
-"I'm so sorry, Y/N. But... But still— that's sort of amazing..." He saw your confused look and quickly added, "T-To me. I— I'm honored. Really. You trust me far too much." He said with a nervous laugh, hoping that he didn't make things even more awkward.
-His warm smile saddened you a little more. Why? Because it was the same warmth he always gave Todd. Neil's your only friend but he's definitely got friends he puts ahead of yo—
-"...Y/N?" Neil's voice pierced through your storm of thoughts. You looked up at him, "oh goodness. I'm so sorry. I spaced out..."
-Neil shook his head and simply smiled at you, holding your shoulders in a quiet hug. "You know, I read this poem once. I was alone and it was cold." He said, before gently putting his chin on your shoulder. As bros, of course.
-He began to recite the last stanza of William Wordsworth's 'I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud' ever so tenderly. So tenderly that it was a little muffled by your shoulder.
"For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils."
-You didn't care that you didn't hear his words properly. You just cared that they were filled with a type of warmth reserved possibly just for you.
-WAIT he knows exactly what to do but he also doesn't!!! His heart tightened, both in empathy to you, and in his nervousness of not knowing how to immediately react. He never knew he'd be the one doing the comforting.
-Despite his obviously thunderstruck mind, he was able to nod quickly. "Oh. I understand. My only friends so far have actually just been the dead poets and you. W-We're not so different." He said, before trying to look into your eyes completely.
-"But you've had Neil and the others at least. I... I've only ever had you." You replied in a meek voice. Todd's clenching heart simply broke under the pressure.
-The already tense boy didn't know what else to do but... Give you a hug. One tight enough to try and radiate his own care and concern to you.
-"I'm sorry." He said quietly. "I— I..." He didn't want to say, 'he didn't know it was getting that bad.' He hated it whenever people told him things similar to that.
-"...I'm here for you." He was able to whisper out quietly, in a tone that was as meek and vulnerable as yours.
"O-Oh. I'm sorry." He said quietly, his brows furrowing as his lips pulled down in a frown. His look could have been seen as a deep concentration. He very gently reached over to pat your back.
-He honestly didn't know how else to react; he's somebody who has always had a large or decent group of friends— he's not used to being somebody's sole safe space. He thought you must've seen him like how he saw Chris Noel, a beacon of shimmering hope he'd never seen before... Just in a tamer— less obsessive—manner. That's the only way he could make sense of it.
-He continued to rub your back quietly, his expression lowering, "...We can hang out with the other poets if you'd like. I can introduce you to the others...!"
-"I don't want that, Knox. I... I sort of just want to hang out with you for now." You replied lowly. Knox nodded despite a faint hint of confusion revealing itself through a twitch in his bottom lip. "Oh, okay... Well, I'm glad you want me around."
-Slowly, his expression relaxed. He retracted his arm back to his side, staying beside you in silence. His mind occasionally drifted from your own melancholy to his hopeless dreams of Chris. You could tell his mind wasn't set on you, and all of a sudden, you regretted telling him.
-"Well that was obvious." He'd say. He's wasn't trying to be a jerkoff, he's just always that teasing, especially with his friends. He didn't really believe you at first either.
-"Hey, it's a joke! Don't go all sad on me now—" He murmured while tapping his cigar pipe on a table to remove some ash.
-He tilts his head while taking a puff. "Come on. You're joking. We both know it." The smoke wafted straight to your face, irritating you heavily.
-"Charlie. It's not a joke. I've been struggling with this for a long time." You couldn't help as tears creeped up in the corner of your eyes due to sheer overwhelm and disappointment. Charlie realized the gravity of the situation and put his cigar down, going over to you and hugging you with a single arm a little awkwardly.
-"Okay, okay, yes I get it. I'm sorry. Hey, if it makes you feel any better, we can sneak to the cave later. I'll show you this new poster I've got... If you're up for it. I think you'll like it a lot this time!" He said, waggling his eyebrows at you before tentatively letting go of the hug. You sighed.
-"...Actually, let's go to the cave... now. What's the point in waiting, right?" He said with a little smile, his pupils focused on the tiny puddles of water seemingly stuck in your eyes. He hoped they didn't fall down.
-He didn't do his usual dash-off, sensing how you needed to take it slow for today.
-"Really? I find that a little hard to believe. You're really nice to hangout with." Meeks would say casually, continuing to tinker with whatever stupid mechanism he's got. The chair he was sitting on creaked quietly.
-Upon noticing the air in the room thicken with your silence, he realized you weren't joking. His tone softened as he put his hands on his table.
-"Hey, I'm sorry. At least you've got me and Pitts. If you want me to get you a book on how to make more friends, I think I've got one." He said, his tone gentler. Before you could organize the jumbled word salad in your mind, he cut you off.
-"Here—" He rummaged through his pile of books, reaching to the dusty bottom section and pulling out one that was starting to tatter and crumple. "—Here. 'How to Win Friends and Influence People.' It's by Dale Carnegie." He reached the book out to you, which you hesitantly accepted.
-"Thanks, Meeks, but I don't think a book can solve all my issues." You mumbled quietly, quite disappointed at his reaction to one of your deepest secrets. Meeks crossed his arms.
-"Maybe you should join a society meeting. You don't have to talk. Or... Maybe we can hang together with Pitts more. Whichever helps you." His hands went back to messing around with his gadget, but his eyes undoubtedly had a flicker of concern within them.
-Honestly Pittsie was FAR too chill about it.
-"Yeah, I didn't have that many friends growing up either." He'd say while sitting on a bench, his eyes fixated on a pigeon on the ground.
-"...It gets tough, though." He said, his gaze flickering back up to yours. "How do you get through it? You know," He gestured vaguely and didn't elaborate. He knew that he always felt better when somebody asked him questions.
-After listening to you, he'd nod carefully and looked to the side. He was asking you to sit next to him. You did.
-"I had about 2 close friends when I was younger. Even up until now the only person I'd consider to be my close friend is Meeks. It was lonely." He'd say softly as an attempt to reassure you. "But at least I have Steven. And you. And you have me and Meeks. I don't think we need that many friends anyway."
-Honestly this guy is probably the best one to admit that u got not friends to. He's so chill, and he was quite happy to have somebody who shares the same quiet issue as him.
-He'd talk until the day ends, or listen to you talk until the day ends... If you wanted any of those things.
-He was a little stunned and didn't know what to do at first. He wanted to brush you off or minimize the situation to not get too up in these harsh, confusing feelings of his.
-"I'm sorry." He'd say in a low voice after realizing he might've been silent for too long. You could tell from the way his eyes darted away from your form that he was truly nervous.
-Eventually, he'd try to lighten the situation by asking questions he thought of as lighthearted. "I... So it's just me, then? What about the others? Neil... Not even Charlie? Really? I honestly find that a little difficult to believe, but-- I'm just a little confused is all—"
-Cameron's voice would crack as he saw your expression droop at his insensitivity. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's gotten into me." He laughed nervously before tentatively touching your shoulder. "Thank you for telling me this. Let's study together again later." It was really just an invite to hangout, though. He wanted to understand you.
-He doesn't mean to hurt you, he just doesn't know how else to react. Nobody around him has told him how to properly comfort somebody in mental distress or isolation, but he's willing to try his best. At least to just understand you.
-Yes you did make him pinky-promise to not tell anyone else.
