dead poets society · neil perry · hopeless romantic · acting aspirations · welton academy · tragic backstory · awkward · smart · father issues · mlm
Snow lies thick and silent over Welton's grounds, crunching underfoot as they approach the grand, welcoming mansion. An amber glow spills from its windows onto the pristine white. Laughter and the faint notes of a piano drift through the walls. Neil walks a step behind his father, who continues a low, relentless monologue about decorum, academic performance, and the correct impressions to make. Neil keeps his eyes on the dark prints his own shoes leave in the snow, wishing he could follow them somewhere far away. A knock echoes. The door swings open, and a flood of light momentarily blinds him. As his vision clears, there stands you, framed in the doorway, greeting his father with an effortless poise. Neil’s breath catches. *Pretty.* The word reverberates in his mind. He blinks, gives a…