Chapter Text
Before Todd knew it, he and the boys had taken residence at Keating’s for over a month.
Meeks and Cameron healed faster than Keating thought. He chalked it up to the “youthful genes” or whatever that meant. They were up and out of bed just four days after the shooting, though the boys made sure they didn’t do anything strenuous in fear that they’d keel over and die.
But life went on as normal. Meeks and Pitts worked with Mr. Keating on his home radio. They were making decent progress, and Mr. Keating was kind enough to lend them a notebook and pen to jot down their successes. They utilized the record player every single day, with something new being played every day. With each new record played, everyone’s music tastes began to step into the light.
Meeks and Cameron loved classical, Knox liked upbeat love songs, Pitts and Charlie liked rock (though Charlie’s love for the genre was more rebellious), Jeffrey enjoyed bits of country and pop. Keating was hard to place, but Todd thought he enjoyed the older records the most–the stuff that sounded older than Todd’s parents. He couldn’t blame the man because the music was good. Neil was not as difficult to place. He enjoyed pop and soft rock, but he’d listen to anything like everyone else would. Why wouldn’t they listen to anything they could get their hands on? It had been so long since any of them had heard music, except for when they stopped in Milwaukee.
Todd enjoyed everything except country music. He didn’t necessarily see the appeal of listening to songs about beer, trucks and women, even if they sounded nice.
The first two weeks after the shooting were dedicated to adding more secure measures to the island. Keating installed tripwire all over, making sure to note down where he placed them. He attached the tripwire to a system that was too intricate for Todd to follow. It led to the man’s bedroom, where he installed a series of bells. The labels above them were adjacent to the location of the tripwire. He installed traps near the docks, the woods, the barn, and in a small circle surrounding the house.
“There’s nothing much else we can do to secure the island. Unless we wanted to build giant walls,” Keating said as he tugged on the wire, looking to his bedroom window where Knox stood. The boy threw up his thumb with a smile. “But I feel like that would just paint a bigger target on our backs. Sneakiness is not the way I’d usually go about defense, but it’s the only option I like at the moment.”
“What about…” Todd thought, walking alongside the man to test the next tripwire. “What about starting night watches? Or installing lights around the island?”
“All great ideas in theory, Todd, but would be impractical to use. The lights would draw attention, which is what I’m trying not to do. Plus, I don’t have long enough cables to install lights everywhere, unfortunately. As for your first idea, I wouldn’t be opposed, other than the possibility of you boys getting hurt. I’m not taking that risk again,” Keating said seriously. “You’ve gotten hurt under my roof, and now… I failed to protect you boys, but I promise I won’t fail again.”
Todd didn’t think of it as Keating failing to protect them. They were all unprepared for an invasion, let alone someone kicking down the door and shooting. Nobody could have predicted any of the events that happened. Still, Keating had handed out his smaller pistols to Jeffrey and Neil, claiming for them to only use it when necessary.
So now Neil, Todd, Charlie and Knox slept with a pistol concealed in the drawer of the nightstand closest to Neil. The boy was quick to learn how to shoot, how to handle the weapon with respect, so the others collectively agreed that he’d be the bearer of the weapon in Todd’s room. In the guest bedroom, Todd guessed they went by seniority instead of skill. He had no doubt Jeffrey knew how to use a gun–he was just surprised the others didn’t fight harder for the opportunity to wield such a weapon for protection.
The first day of their second month at Keating’s, the man tasked Neil and Todd with catching the fish for their dinner. Todd ignored the snickers and suggestive eyebrow raises from Charlie and took the keys from the man. Knox decided to tag along at the last second. He’d been kicked out of the kitchen ever since…the great baking incident.
The three set out towards the docks, making sure to step over the tripwire. Luckily for them, most of the fishing gear was already onboard. The only thing they had to do was find bait. Keating had fake lures in a tacklebox somewhere on board, but he’d also insisted they use worms to catch fish. Something about running low on lures.
They spent a good hour digging up little holes near the dock. Any worms they found were placed into a jar. Knox, Todd thought, was like the worm wizard. Anywhere he dug, there was a pile of worms squirming through the soil. He’d always look up with a bright grin and say, “found some!”
Once they were on board, they let Todd take the reins of the boat, since he’d been at Keating’s the longest. That logic didn’t make sense to Todd, since he was never the one actually driving the boat, but he captained the vessel nonetheless.
He parked nearly smack dab in the middle of the lake. “Alright, let’s use the worms first, then the lures.”
“Ok, Mr. Fish expert,” Neil joked. He took one of the fishing rods that rested on the bench. He glanced between the jar of fish and the fishing rod. “So uh… how exactly do we start?”
“You’ve been fishing before, Neil, you know how to do this,” Knox said as he readied his own bait.
“Wrong, I’ve been line fishing before. I’ve never used a rod,” Neil corrected.
“Okay, well, either way, you just take a worm and put it on the hook, then cast your line,” Todd explained, gesturing to his own fishing rod which was ready to go. “It’s easy. You press down on the button, pull back and then throw!”
The fishing line whizzed by Neil, out a good ten yards into the water.
“Woah…” Neil said.
“Damn, Todd, you’ve got a nice arm,” Knox complimented before casting his own line on the opposite end of the boat.
Todd watched Neil digest the information. It was comical, really, and just what Todd needed after the shooting. He turned the rod over in his hands, calculating like it was a math problem. It took him so long that Knox’s pity took over, helping Neil get started in order to cast his line. By the time Neil had successfully cast his line out fifteen feet from the boat, Todd had managed to catch two small fish.
Conversation was light on the boat, and few and far in between. Todd focused on concentrating his eyesight on his bobber in the water, hoping that for just a couple of minutes his brain would allow him to not worry about his friends back at the house. Cameron and Meeks were completely fine. They’d healed as well, if not better, than anyone else in their situation according to Keating. They were up and about, cleaning and cooking and organizing things. So, Todd shouldn’t actually be worried because they were completely fine.
He guessed there was always that part of him that worried about his family no matter what. He certainly worried about Jeff for the ten years they were apart.
“So…” Knox drawled as he reeled in his line a few inches. “I’m not the only one who’s been losing sleep over the thought of another invasion, right?”
“Not at all,” Neil agreed. He was yet to have a fish bite the bait. With each passing second that a fish didn’t choose his bait, Neil’s expression soured adorably.
Todd shrugged. “I can’t stop thinking about it. The thought of something like that happening again scares the hell outta me.”
Knox grunted as his fishing rod surged forward. He fought against the pull for a moment before reeling in his victory in the form of a fish. “I find it weird that they were able to get on the island without us noticing . I mean, if it wasn’t for your weird feelings, Todd, we’d probably be burying each other instead of fishing.”
“Yeah, I’ve actually been wanting to ask about that. What’s with the weird feelings? Like, how are they so accurate all the time?” Neil asked curiously.
“I dunno. It's an intuition thing, I guess,” Todd said. He cast his line again, the bobber landing in the water with a plop .
“Well, whatever crazy Anderson ancestor gave you that ability, I thank them for it.”
“Literally,” Knox agreed. “That was, what, like the fifth time you’ve said you had a bad feeling and then something bad actually happens? I would go as far as to say it’s a superpower instead of intuition at this point. I wish I had some ability like that.”
“We already have a resident psychic, Knoxious. Maybe you could be the group’s counselor.” Neil jumped to his feet after his fishing rod moved.
“Counselor? Have you met me?” Knox exclaimed. “I have enough issues as it is. I don’t need any of you guys’ baggage.”
“Woah, what issues?” Todd interrupted.
Knox tossed his line back in the water. “Actually, I don’t think I’d call them issues… more like…wanting to do basic teenage activities. Like, I’ve never even held hands with a girl! I’ve never gone on a date! We’re teenagers and it’s the apocalypse. We can literally do anything we want!”
Todd understood that Knox was the type of guy who lived in the moment, but he didn’t know of these desires. If anything, he agreed with Knox. They could do anything they want. Why didn’t they go back to Milwaukee and try and build up a new life there? Maybe Knox could charm a girl into a date, and Meeks and Pitts would start up a repair business.
Todd never really got the normal life of a kid, anyway. He was always studying or going to soccer games and practices. He never had time to foster friendships and be a normal kid. Mr. Anderson would always be pushing him academically to the point of mental breakdowns. He didn’t have time to be a kid when he was trying to keep himself together.
“Sounds great, Knox. I’ve never been on a date either,” Neil said, sending a not so subtle wink to Todd as he reeled in his line. He caught a sunfish.
“Bullshit!”
“Bullshit how?”
“You’re charming enough to get a date!”
Neil opened his arms in a so what gesture. “So are you!”
“Yeah, but you actually got to go on a date! I saw you and Todd in the restaurant in Milwaukee!” Knox said. He backpedaled seeing Todd’s nervous look. “Not that that’s a bad thing, not at all! I’m just saying that I wish I had something like you have…”
Neil tied the fishing net closed, his fish secure inside. He glanced at Todd with a frown. Knox’s character, as Todd had observed, was caring, kind, boy-ish, charming. It’s a wonder that he hasn’t gotten a date before when they stopped by different camps. Especially if they were in New York all those weeks ago when Charlie ran into Todd. Todd, for his limited time spent in New York, would see dozens of couples walking down the streets. Some, he thought, were living proof of opposites attract.
Knox was a boy with a heart bursting with love to give, only to have no recipient. It honestly made Todd feel guilty for telling Knox about him and Neil’s relationship before the others. He knew Knox probably didn’t think of Todd’s relationship admission as a haha I got a date first kind of way, and yet seeing Knox’s saddened expression on the boat made him think that being around the only two people in a relationship in the group isn’t doing him well.
Todd pulled his fishing line back in, setting his rod down on the deck before sitting beside Knox. “I’m gonna be honest. I never, and I mean never, thought that I’d have what I have now, And I’m not just talking about my boyfriend.”
Knox glanced at Todd for a moment before readjusting his sight to his moving bobber. Good, he was listening, then. Neil was too, if his surprised expression were anything to go by.
“Growing up, I was never allowed to do normal things like hang out with friends–mostly because I didn’t have any friends, but I digress. I was always seen with my nose in a book or being yelled at by my father for being over-emotional. I was in soccer even though I hated it. And when the world ended, after I lost Jeff, I felt like I could do whatever I wanted. I felt free . For the first time in my life, my father didn’t dictate what I did. For the first time in my life, I didn’t know what to do with myself.”
Todd didn’t understand just how much he needed this conversation. He’d heard the other boys’ lives and their childhoods, but had they actually heard about his? He tried to ignore Neil’s concerned eyes boring into his head.
“Still, even though I could do anything, I never branched out and met people. That’s just who I am, though. I’ve always been alone, and that’s how I figured it should be. Not until I met you guys. You taught me that I’m better off with my family than I am on my own. You are my family, if that wasn’t clear enough.”
Knox snickered lightly, wiping under his nose with the back of his hand. Todd actually had no idea where he was going with the one-sided conversation. He just hoped his words were enough to get through to Knox, to pass through the walls he built up in mere seconds.
“I never planned on dating Neil–”
“Hey–!”
“–and I think it’s funny that you guys knew we were dating before we did. But Knox, there is someone out there waiting for you to sweep them off their feet. Maybe we haven’t gotten the chance to meet them yet. That doesn’t mean it’ll never happen to you. It took me ten years in order to meet my people.”
“Yeah, I just…” Knox started, leaning forward and resting his fist against his cheek. “I just wish it would happen sooner rather than in ten years.”
Todd chuckled. “I hope you meet your person soon, too. You deserve to find happiness and love, Knox. And um… I know it’s probably not my place to give this advice, but don’t compare yourself to others. It’ll do nothing for you but bring you down.”
Knox nodded, smiling brightly. “Nice advice, Todd. I’ll take it into consideration as long as I don’t see any PDA at the breakfast table.”
“It was one hug , Knoxious!” Neil dramatically exclaimed. “I give Todd one hug in front of you guys and all of a sudden I’m the bad guy.”
Knox laughed. “Just kidding! You’re boyfriends, are you not? It’s normal to hug and stuff. I don’t care.”
The rest of the day they spent laughing and fishing. They decided to spice things up and make it a competition to see who could catch the most fish. Neil backed out of the competition early because he got so excited when a fish bit his line that when he reeled it in, he toppled over into the water. Todd still wasn’t exactly sure how that happened, but he was in tears laughing with Knox as Neil climbed back aboard with another sunfish in hand and a smile on his face.
Todd parked the boat at the docks, helping Knox and Neil haul their goods back to the house. In a surprising underdog fashion, Knox had gotten the most fish. Todd came in a close second, only losing by one fish.
That night, dinner felt especially bittersweet. Todd glanced around the dinner table. Charlie sneaking extra portions onto Cameron’s plate, Meeks and Pitts discussing their latest breakthrough and how helpful jotting down notes has been, Knox and Keating discussing romance through literature and how unrealistic some works are. Jeffrey, like a true Anderson, stuffed his face with the fish Mr. Keating prepared, listening in on Keating and Knox’s conversation.
Neil held Todd’s hand under the table, periodically sending loving squeezes. Todd had never felt more love and happiness in his heart, staring at his family at the dinner table with mismatched chairs that gave it even more charm. Mr. Keating in particular had a boisterous laugh. Todd hadn’t seen such happiness grace the man’s wise eyes. He, too, took opportunities to glance around the table. He locked eyes with Todd for a brief moment, sending a subtle nod his way.
Family not built by blood, but by love. One Todd would never give up for the world.
Later in the night, Todd lay awake in bed, still paranoid. His intuition rested like a sleeping beast. Todd imagined every scenario he could think of. From burglars to forest fires, he thought of it all. For the first time in a couple of nights, Neil was actually dead asleep beside him. Charlie lay to his left, also sleeping soundly. He’d somehow contorted his body to trap Todd on the mattress with his leg. Todd would never tell this to his face, but Charlie does make odd snorting noises in his slumber.
Todd knew for a fact he wasn’t going to be able to sleep for a while. It was just by chance that his stomach growled. He sighed and climbed out of bed, careful to replace his sleeping body with a pillow so Neil had something to cuddle with.
He made his way downstairs as quietly as possible. He kept the kitchen light off and raided the fridge. Keating had put the harvested strawberries in a plastic container in the fridge, easy and accessible. The contents of the fridge, Todd noticed, were getting a little low. The boys had all decided it would be best if they remained inland for a while after the shooting. Just in case. The mere thought of going inland kind of terrified Todd.
But the idea of staying on the island for a prolonged period… it was sounding better and better. Unlimited food and water. Animals and land to take care of. It was Todd’s dream. All they needed was to build a couple more houses on the island unless Keating still wanted to share.
Todd heard a click behind him. He jumped, nearly dropping the container of strawberries on his toes as he whirled around. Keating stood in the dark, shotgun in hand. Luckily, the weapon wasn’t raised at Todd, but it was terrifying to look over and see Keating’s hardened expression over a gun.
“Just me! Just me! Todd!” the boy cried, raising his hands in surrender.
“Oh, God! Sorry, Todd!” Keating replied before hastily lowering the shotgun. “Sorry, my boy.”
“‘S okay,” Todd said. His heart betrayed him, hammering loudly in his ears. “Just uh… wanted some of those strawberries.”
“Help yourself, please. There will be more to harvest next week, if I’ve been keeping track correctly.”
Todd moved to sit at the dinner table, opening the container and eating straight from the box. Keating joined him, sitting to the boy’s right and gently placing the shotgun on the table.
“Couldn’t sleep?” the man asked.
“No. It’s been tough trying to go to bed recently.”
“Because of your killer intuition?”
“You know why.” Todd shook his head, popping another strawberry in his mouth to avoid conversation.
Keating hummed. “You know, Todd, I’ve been thinking about… a lot of things. I understand you came back here not just to visit an old man, but to ask for help in construction. What would you think about building houses here on the island?”
Todd nearly choked on a strawberry. “I’m sorry, here?”
“Yes. It’d be beneficial for all of us, and it’ll also save you boys the grueling task of cutting lumber. I have all the tools needed to do so. I’m sure your brother’s watch tower doesn’t.”
“Right, but the plan was to settle in Black Hills. If we were going to deviate from that plan, I’d want to discuss it with the others first.”
“Of course, of course,” Keating reassured. “I’m not trying to force you all to stay here, I’m bringing up the fact that it is an option. I wouldn’t mind having you boys around. I’ve told you before, but the house feels so much more alive with you all here. I’ve lived alone here for so long that it's nice to have company. Especially a company that appreciates the oldies with both music and literature.”
Todd relaxed his tense posture. “Honestly, I think the others love having you around, too.”
“How so?”
“I dunno. Well…” Todd debated internally on whether or not he should spill about his friend’s parents. They all had fucked up parents. Well, maybe except Meeks. “The majority of us, you have to understand, come from families that saw us as future piggy banks. Our parents weren’t kind or loving, they were strict and punctual.”
Keating nodded along with his explanation. Todd often found the man’s expression to be unreadable. Keating knew how to hide his emotions pretty well and it was messing with Todd. Would his friends be mad that he spilled their family life to Keating?
“So because of that, we’ve never had this kind of household before where everyone does everything for each other. Where you don’t get mad at us if we accidentally break something. Where you actually teach us real life skills instead of telling us to hit the books and study until our eyeballs fall out,” Todd said with a sigh. “It was so exhausting trying to live that way. Living with you? It’s…you’re like the father figure we never had.”
The man’s eyes were growing misty. Even in the darkness, with the moonlight filtering in through the trees and windows, Todd could see the sheen of tears lining Keating’s eyes. Not sad tears. More like proud and loving. Keating quickly hid his tearful expression by looking at the oven, bringing his hands up to wipe at his eyes.
“And I told you this already, but you’re my students. I have the privilege of teaching you as I taught my students years ago,” Keating said in a shaky voice. “You don’t know what it means to me to have…to have seven teens running around that are like my own kin. Yes, you often drive me crazy, but what children don’t? It doesn’t make me hate you, it makes me fond of you boys tenfold.”
Todd pushed the container of strawberries to rest in between the two of them. Keating smiled and took one of the fruits.
“They’re really good, aren’t they?” Keating asked jokingly before eating one.
Todd snickered. “Yeah.”
“Todd, what do you think about living here?” the man asked curiously. “When I asked earlier, you deflected it onto what the group might think. But what do you think?”
Todd shrugged. “W-well, I think, like you said, that it would be beneficial for all of us. We already feel like family. We’ve been living like one for a month now. I don’t think anything would change if we did, and I love the idea of that happening. I never had a decent family. None of us did.”
“Neither did I,” Keating admitted, “but it’s never too late to start anew.”
The boy couldn’t fight the smile that tugged at his lips. “I like that idea.”
“It may not get as cold here as it does in Black Hills, but if you ask me, I think we’re going to have a white Christmas,” Keating smiled back.
“At least it gets cold here.”
They shared a laugh before the conversation died. Keating took the opportunity to scan the living room, then the glass doors behind him. His hand never strayed too far from the shotgun. Todd felt a little nervous about having a gun at the table but he trusted Keating with his firearms.
Though, sitting with the man in the middle of the night, Todd thought back to where he was just mere months ago. He was alone, tired, afraid of a truth he didn’t want to face and a past he couldn’t remember. He was barely living. He was simply going through the motions of life, but not yet living.
He was alone, and then he bumped into Charlie, tipping the first domino in the line. He refused to become friends with the guys because of his own doubts about himself. He broke his ankle and had no choice but to accept their help. He hated that he’d been so weak and unable to take care of himself, which, looking back on it now, was a ridiculous thought process. He’d broken his ankle. There was no way he was going to make it to Black Hills in the timeframe he’d given himself.
Todd had gone from being a closed off loner to someone with a loving family that drove him insane sometimes. Despite everything that has happened over the course of his life, he finally has everything that he’s dreamed for.
He’s got his brother back safe and sound.
He’s got lifelong friends who see him as an actual person. Not the lesser Anderson.
He has a father figure sitting across the table from him. A father figure that promotes healthy relationships and teaches them about life and the pursuit of happiness through literature.
He has a boyfriend sleeping soundly upstairs who adores him. How he got lucky in the love department of all things, Todd thinks he will never know the answer to that, but he has Neil. Neil loves him undoubtedly, and he, Neil.
Meeting Charlie, Meeks, Pitts, Knox, Cameron, and Neil has been the best thing that’s ever happened to him. In the course of a couple of months, he’d managed to grow bonds he’s never had in his life.
Everything he could have ever wanted, he finally has. In the apocalypse, where dreams are dead and everything has come to a stop, Todd pushes past the boundaries. Todd breaks the mold of the typical apocalyptic survivor. Sure, he’s had his near-death experiences (too many, in his opinion) and his moments of violence (self-defense), but he’s come out on top where others would have faltered.
In that aspect, he is not the lesser Anderson child. He’s more than his parents ever thought he’d be. That in itself is something Todd never thought he’d be able to say to himself. To be able to prove his parents wrong is to prove that he is stronger than he thought and certainly stronger than his father thought.
He’s grown to be Todd Anderson, his own being.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Keating said.
Todd snapped back into his body sitting at the dining table. Strawberry juice coated his fingers. He’d been turning a portion of the fruit over in his hands, staring at it. He popped it in his mouth, thinking of an appropriate response instead of dumping every single thought into conversation.
Wow. He’d really grown into his own body. Never had he ever thought about talking to someone about his every thought from the past minute. He didn’t think he’d ever talked that much.
“Just… thinking about how I got here,” Todd settled.
Keating nodded. “The journey we take to become the people we are may not be the one we expected it to be, but it brings us to the place we wish to be nonetheless.”
Todd clapped, pointing at the man. “This is why we love staying here.”
“Wisdom is needed in all sorts of bouts, Todd. I’m happy to provide that,” Keating said. He looked out the front windows once more. “So, when would you like to start building?”
“Preferably before winter.”
“So now?”
“Yep.”
“Perfect.”
Building the cabin took a lot longer than Todd imagined.
From the night he and Keating conversed about the idea, Todd gathered a couple of things : the house would take a decent amount of time to construct, and the amount of resources needed would be grand.
Needless to say, by the time the six month mark had been hit, the house was 75% done. The floor plan was simple but large: three bedrooms, two baths, living area, kitchen, laundry area, storage. Neil, Todd, and Jeffrey had opted to stay in the house with Keating. Todd didn’t think he’d be able to handle living in a house with no actual structure. He knew Charlie would most likely instigate something crazy that Todd didn’t feel like dealing with. Neil had expressed his desire to always be by Todd’s side, so it was a no-brainer they’d continue to share Todd’s room. Jeffrey wanted his own room, so Keating offered the extra guest room.
The rest of the boys paired up and assigned roommates. Cameron instantly laid claim to the third bedroom, which was smaller than the other two but perfect for one person.
As construction began, Keating split the boys up into groups. Four would work on attaining lumber and the others would begin laying the foundations. In the sun, it was brutal work like Keating promised, but the progress the youngsters made was undoubtable.
Six months flew by without much interest. Every day they were outside, building away with Keating’s power tools and wisdom. Turns out, though, Meeks and Pitts had been working throughout the night on the radio in Keating’s living room. One day, they ran outside, hollering and waving their shirts over their heads as they presented the working radio to the man. Keating was flabbergasted, to say the least. His grin was broad as a classical tune bounced from the speakers.
Listening to the radio made it a lot more fun to build despite the temperatures nearly freezing their fingers and toes off. There was always a five to ten minute dance break every day, even if the music playing was slow and serene. On the off chance it was upbeat, Jeffrey always made sure to end the dance session with a well-timed kartwheel. Todd didn’t know he could do that.
Keating was right when he said they would have a white Christmas . The morning of Christmas eve, Todd was awoken by Neil jumping beside the window. Todd thought he’d seen the brightest smile Neil had to offer, but this one was on a whole other level.
“Todd! It’s snowing outside! Get up, look! Look!”
Neil practically dragged him out of the warm cocoon of a bed and held him up in front of the window. Todd’s eyes widened in disbelief, utterly speechless seeing the horizon. The wind outside whistled, knocking mounds of snow off of the branches of the trees. Todd couldn’t see the trail leading to the docks. He couldn’t even see the boat, it was covered in snow! The foggy atmosphere pelted wet snow against the window.
“Let’s go outside!” Neil exclaimed.
The others were downstairs digging through a box Keating had dug up from his storage room. Knox had decked his head out with knitted hats of various colors and sizes. Pitts and Meeks tried putting multiple layers of mittens on each other because they could barely move their hands with the amount of layers they already had on. Charlie and Cameron were arguing over who would get the coat with the fur lining on the hood. Jeffrey…Jeffrey just put on whatever he found with a smile, offering Todd a pair of black gloves.
Keating watched them play in the snow with a fond smile. The amount of snowball fights that occurred in less than two hours left Todd breathless and chilled to the bone. Every game the boys could think of from their childhood, they played. In the end, Keating had to round them up to get them to go inside and warm up. Meeks’s lips were nearly blue.
And the next morning, Keating had decorated the living room with various lights and tinsel. It was magical, really, just how quickly the man put the decorations up. The morning was spent around the fireplace, listening to the record player and sharing embarrassing stories about one another. Todd nearly got into a fight with Jeffrey after he tried to tell the story of how Todd got kicked out of pre-school.
By the eight month mark, Todd could confidently say that the cabin was finished. Keating had some spare paint lying around in his storage, which he allowed the boys to use. With an extra couple of days’ work and much difficulty, the boys had successfully painted their cabin a rich brown color.
Todd helped his friends decorate the house, which involved a lot of shouting matches over whether or not they could put certain things on the shelves Keating built for them. Over the years, though, the boys had accumulated a multitude of things: books, clothes, memorabilia from stuff they didn’t know about, small trinkets and broken technology they were hoping the radio geeks could fix.
A couple of times, the boys ran out to the local town and raided the record store and a couple of other places Keating recommended. After washing everything they brought home, Knox laid out a nice jade color rug, Cameron and Meeks installed an overhead lamp with painted glass that bestowed the kitchen in a light blue glow, and Charlie and Pitts decorated the kitchen with ceramic frogs.
It was an odd-looking home, but it was coming along nicely. Todd wondered how they would find a couch. Or even possibly build one. And what about the beds?
The whole week after they finished the cabin, the group took the opportunity to catch up on sleep. Because the furniture in the new house was missing, the boys spent the week in Keating’s house. Slumber had become a lot easier for Todd to reach as the months went by without any intruders or burglars, and his paranoia slowly began to dissipate. He and Neil slept in when they could, but they also felt terrible when they woke up late and Keating and Jeff had made everyone breakfast/lunch without their help.
One night, a year after they officially took residence at Keating’s, the man held a celebratory bonfire. He roasted pig and fish, and offered fruits and vegetables grown from his own garden. He’d even brought out a couple of bottles of wine in celebration of the birthdays that passed that didn’t get an opportunity to be celebrated. Todd drank along with the others, passing the bottle to Meeks beside him.
The night went on, laughter as joyous as ever echoing in the night. Todd ate to his heart’s content, occasionally letting Jeffrey pour a bit of wine in his cup based on the grounds of let loose, Todd! It’s a celebration!
Soon, Todd was swaying on his feet, blinking heavily. He occasionally bumped into Meeks, who wasn’t faring any better than him. Still, Todd enjoyed watching Neil and Charlie perform Romeo and Juliet better than they had a year ago. He loved seeing Neil’s smile brighten with each laugh he drew out of the crowd. He loved seeing the life in his eyes shine, illuminating them all with his beloved presence that was brighter than the moon. He loved seeing Neil’s passion come to life with such ease.
He loved how, between every other line, Neil would glance up at him with a smile so lovesick and gorgeous that Todd swore he dropped dead from Cupid’s arrow to his heart.
When the night was over, the fire was put out and everyone went to bed. Todd sat on the mattress, nursing a headache. He never really drank much, even when offered at different camps. He thought if he ate more, it would balance out the alcohol, but perhaps he drank more than he thought he did.
Neil came into the room with two glasses of water and a tired smile, lightly kicking the door shut behind him. “How’s the headache?”
Todd groaned in response, rubbing his temples. Neil chuckled and sat on the bed beside him, putting the glass of water in his hand. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome, my love.”
They sipped their drinks in silence, letting conversation die out in fear of making the headaches worse. That was until Todd turned to really look at his partner.
Neil was always handsome, but even more so in the warm lamplight. Todd could gush about him for hours. His hair had grown a bit during the construction of the new cabin, but upon the request of Jeffrey, they took a day to cut everyone’s hair if they wanted it. Neil had wanted to keep his short and just requested a trim, but by God did it look good. Somehow, in the apocalypse, his hair seemed to get fluffier.
He was slightly tanned from working outside like everyone else. The boys had grown a bit of muscle during construction, Neil especially. His arms were definitely more defined on his t-shirt sleeves. His eyes, always so intriguing and captivating, never failed to make Todd get lost in them. He could see flecks of auburn in his eyes, something he’d never seen before.
Not to mention his personality had flourished. Turns out, Mr. Keating’s addition to the family was just what everyone needed. With the proper encouragement, Neil’s passion for acting had excelled every expectation. He’s visibly happier, smiling brighter by the day, and always tossing about some sort of Shakespeare quote that entices Mr. Keating into quoting back.
Todd had never been more in love watching his partner grow into the person he is today.
“Love you,” Todd said sluggishly. “Love you forever. Forever and ever.”
Neil’s full smile sent his heart into a frenzy. “You know I love you more. Every performance is for you!”
“Every…ever–every poem is for you.”
“Everything I do is for you,” Neil admitted quietly. He grabbed their glasses and set them on the nightstand. “Including making sure you don’t hate yourself in the morning because you got no sleep. Come on, lay down.”
“Y-you just know wha–” Todd hiccuped “–to say. You’re so pretty, t-too.”
“I know, you tell me every day.”
“Not enough, though…”
Neil laughed, hopping into the bed beside him and turning the lamp off. He got comfortable under the covers before facing Todd again. “Well, you can always tell me tomorrow. There’s always tomorrow.”
“Always?” Todd asked hopefully.
Even through a slightly-drunken haze, Neil’s genuine smile broke through. He kissed Todd’s cheek as lovingly as possible.
“Forever.”