imagine knox showing up at your doorstep to pick you up for your first date like this. with an ironed white button up shirt, not a wrinkle in sight, and flowy hair shining in a nice yellow/orange hue due to the sun hitting it just right - with no hair gel because you prefer it that way, even tho he himself isn't used to it. holding the prettiest lilly bouquet you have ever seen. the cutest shy smile on his face. and he already met your parents - ofc he did, he even asked permission to take you out on a date.
summary: you and knox are not allowed to be together, but can’t bare to be apart
warnings: none i think
"you're too loud!" you scolded, when knox tried to whisper something which was clearly spoken loud enough to echo off the walls and make it's way right into the headmasters chambers in the entryway of the school.
"it's fine" knox shrugged, opening another door that you had to walk through before you would be able to climb the stairs to his room.
the door squieked loudly, making your eyes widen as you looked back at knox, who seemed to be alarmed now too.
footsteps echoed off the stone walls from he corner in front of you and you exchanged panicked gazes, but it was already too late for you to do something as a grey-haired man turned the corner and looked up from him lamp in surprise.
"mr. overstreet!" he gasped, his eyes widening as he took in the sight of you and knox. his surprise quickly turned to disapproval. "and you! what are you two doing here at this hour?"
neither you or knox knew what to answer. whatever you would say would probably only worsen the situation, as there was no plausible explanation for what you were doing in the halls of a foreign school in the middle of the night. well, apart from the obvious one, of course.
"we will have to call your parents, young lady" the man furrowed his brows, making a gesture for knox and you to follow him.
"please don't, dr. hager" knox tried to plead, but his words fell on deaf ears.
"someone is gonna have to pick her up, mr overstreet" dr. hager shook his head, as if he was seriously regret that he had to drag your parents into this mess. "she's not a student here and we can't send her out alone in the dead of night"
"my parents can't know of this" you tried, exchanging glances with knox. your parents were just as strict as the rules of welton, if not stricter, forbidding you from any contact with boys.
"i'm sorry, children" dr. hager said without so much of a hint of sadness in his voice. "this is the only way"
you sank your head, accepting your fate and sinking down in the chair in front of dr. hager's desk, knox following suit.
"what's the number?"
you sighed, before you told him the number to the telephone in your house, imagining how your parents would dash out of bed, taking the call.
dr. hager would tell your father you were sitting here in his office and your father would send your mother to go look if your bed really was empty, as if it was normal for teachers to call and lie to him in the middle of night.
it took about twenty minutes for your parents to arrive. your mother had even taking out her rollers, the look of disdain all the more evident as her hair was standing up in volumes, the curls circling around her face.
your father did not look less angry, quite the opposite actually. he had to be physically stopped from screaming when he entered the office, as not to wake the entire school.
"i'm sorry" dr. hager excused, as your parents thanked him for informing them.
"me too" knox stumbled up from his chair, before the door was able to close behind you and your parents. all three of you turned around in surprise.
"knox!" you scolded in a whisper, pleading for him not to make the situation any worse than it already was.
knox ignored you. "i shouldn't have brought her here, and definitely not this late anyway."
"damn right you shouldn't" your father burhsed past you, holding a finger in front of knox' face. "and don't you ever think about contacting my daughter again"
"father" you pleaded.
“no, y/n” your father shook his head, unwavering anger on his face. “come on, now”
you hadn’t spoken to knox since the incident. the punishment had been swift and unforgiving. your parents were furious, forbidding you from seeing Knox again. they had imposed strict curfews and even threatened to move you to a different school, one far away from the one you were visiting.
knox didn’t have it any better. his parents had been informed too, promptly visiting the school and scolding him, how he could’ve dared to break the rules.
there was no possibility to see each other again, but knox wasn’t one to give up so easily.
one evening, just after curfew, you were lying on your bed when you heard a gentle tapping at your window. you sat up, confused. there it was again—a soft knock. you moved toward the window and pushed back the curtains.
there, standing on the tree just outside your window, was knox.
“knox!” you whispered, shocked. “what are you doing here?”
knox grinned, balancing precariously on a thick tree branch just outside your window. his eyes were full of that same mischievous spark that had first drawn you to him, but now it was paired with an urgency you hadn’t seen before.
“i missed you,” he whispered, his voice barely audible, but the intensity behind it was unmistakable.
your heart skipped a beat, torn between excitement and fear. “you’re crazy! if my parents find out you’re here, they’ll lock me up for good.”
“i’ll climb the walls every night if i have to,” he responded, his voice soft but determined. “i can’t stand not seeing you.”
you sighed, pushing open the window a little wider. “get in before someone sees.”
knox didn’t hesitate. with surprising strength, he swung himself through the window, landing quietly on the wooden floor of your room. you quickly closed the window behind him and turned, feeling the weight of your current situation. your curfew, your parents’ anger, the fact that you weren’t supposed to be seeing him—all of it loomed over you like a storm cloud.
“you shouldn’t be here,” you said, even though deep down, you were relieved to see him. “if my dad finds out…”
knox moved closer, his expression softening as he placed his hands gently on your shoulders. “i know. i’m sorry for getting you into this mess. i didn’t think we’d get caught that night at helton.”
you looked down, feeling the weight of everything that had happened since that night—your parents’ fury, the strict curfew, the constant watchful eye over you. but seeing knox here, risking so much just to be near you, made your heart ache in a different way.
“i couldn’t bear it,” he continued, his voice hushed but filled with emotion. “being away from you. it’s driving me insane.”
“i know,” you whispered, finally meeting his gaze. the tension melted a little as you looked into his familiar, earnest eyes. despite everything, he was here, standing in your room, just as desperate to be near you as you were to see him.
“what if we get caught again?” you asked, but there was no real fear in your voice now. just a quiet acceptance that this—whatever it was between you and knox—was worth it.
knox took a deep breath, his hands sliding down to take yours. “then we get caught,” he said simply. “i don’t care what happens, as long as i can be with you.”
your heart swelled at his words. you both knew the risks, the consequences, but in this moment, it didn’t seem to matter.
knox leaned in closer, his forehead resting against yours. “we’ll figure it out,” he murmured, his breath warm against your skin. “we’ll find a way.”
you closed your eyes, letting the comfort of his presence wash over you. for now, at least, he was here, and that was enough. even if the world outside was determined to keep you apart, in this moment, it was just you and knox, standing together in the stillness of the night.
Summary: Anon Request: Oh my gosh Knox is so adorable he has my heart and the head canon that he writes letters to his mate makes my heart melt
Warnings: None
Word Count: 759
Notes: You guys he’s just so cute 😭
_________________________________________
Knox sighs, head propped on curled fists as he watches the night sky. He’s leaned across the deep stone of his balcony, and as much as seeing the smattering of stars and the bright moon hanging high above him calms the male, he’s buzzing with nerves.
He’s tired, beyond so but he can’t sleep, and won’t until she writes him back.
His mate. The word still makes his heart rush in his chest, and he curls his fingers around the pen he’d been playing with to expel his nervous energy. His book sits open and abandoned on the lounger behind him, sketchbook tossed to the side in frustration because he couldn’t get the curve of her lips just right. Loose papers ruffle in the wind from where they’re pinned under the weight of his supplies, a gentle flutter that reflects the pounding of his heart.
Gods, he must be crazy, he thinks, pushing himself away from the overhang. Knox paces the short distance, stretching his wings as if that might stave off some of the nervous energy zipping through his body. She could be asleep, and for a fleeting moment he thinks he might just run and jump off the balcony to find out for himself. He doesn’t want to scare her away when she hardly knows the truth.
But he’d felt her amusement ringing down the bond as he read his letter. Or he assumed she was reading his letter. She could be doing several things instead; baking those treats she seems to like or maybe she’s also reading, lost in the adventures of her novel, not noticing the letter delivered on a bed of darkness.
His hands have a tremor to them, and he stuffs them into his pockets instead, rolling his eyes when his twin’s voice rings through his mind.
What are you doing? Go to sleep.
I can’t, he sends back, trying not to sound defeated. He doesn’t have an excuse, can’t think of one because he truly is bone tired after the day he’s had, training with his father and uncles this morning until noon before he’d been dragged out with Baz for drinks by the Sidra. That, had turned into his older brother stark naked in the cold waters, flirting with a wraith whose red, hot cheeks could’ve boiled the river dry.
Well, all that thinking is bothering me, she responds, and Knox knows his sister is scowling. It makes his lips twitch into a smile, her banter helping to distract him. And some of us need our beauty sleep.
He snorts. I didn’t know my twin was replaced with Zuz. Tell me sister, no midnight rendezvous? He knows she’s been sneaking out just as much as he has lately, and even though his shadows are shared with his sister and he can talk into her mind, even he doesn’t know where she slinks off to in the late hours of the night.
Not tonight, Malos yawns lazily and he cringes because he hates when she does that in his mind. Now fuck off and go to bed.
Love you too, Mal, Knox says, rolling his eyes once more as he feels the strong, steel shield of her mind slides back into place.
And then Knox is pacing again. Maybe he should go for a fly, the open air always makes him feel better. But if she does write him back then he might miss it and that’s the last thing he wants.
His attention is drawn to a whisper of darkness drifting across the night sky like its own cloud of black. It shrouds the moon as it passes and his heart jumps once, twice. Knox all but snatches the neatly folded paper from the grasp of night. He takes a deep breath and can smell her on it. It makes him shiver, like she’s right there with him, the scent of stardust and sugar invading his senses.
The flourish of her writing makes his heart ache. How delicate the curves of her letters are, how light, so the ink doesn’t seep through the paper, the thought she’d gone through to make it look so perfect for him. He traces the letters of his name idly, a small smile pulling at the corners of his lips as he stares, heart calm in his chest as he fingers over the shape of the heart, hastily drawn and still wet, as if she drew it and sent it off before she could change her mind.
An eternal journey, dancing among the celestial wonders.
Status: unedited
Masterlist
As fate dealt its final hand, you uttered your last words with unwavering determination, "I'm ready to meet the stars."
As your life ebbed away, Ronald stood beside you, his vibrant blue eyes filled with a mixture of sorrow and understanding. He held your hand gently, providing a comforting presence as you prepared to embark on your final journey.
"I'll be with you every step of the way," Ronald whispered softly, his voice a soothing balm to your weary soul. "Together, we'll dance among the stars and explore the wonders of the universe."
In those precious moments, Ronald became your guiding light, promising to accompany you beyond the realm of mortality. His words infused you with a renewed sense of hope, even as the shadows of impending darkness loomed.
As your vision grew hazy and the embrace of death drew closer, Ronald's touch remained steadfast, evidence to the unbreakable bond you had forged. Time seemed to stand still as you prepared to step into the unknown, your heart brimming with bittersweet anticipation.
And as you took your final breath, your soul soared beyond the earthly realm, leaving behind a life well-lived and a legacy of love. In that ethereal expanse, you felt Ronald's presence, a comforting presence guiding you towards the celestial wonders that awaited.
Among the twinkling stars, you discovered a realm where pain and suffering were mere memories, replaced by a serenity that transcended the limitations of mortal existence. Ronald's hand remained entwined with yours, a symbol of his unwavering dedication and the promise of eternal companionship.
In this new realm, the stars became your guiding lights, illuminating the path of your eternal journey. As you traversed the cosmic tapestry hand in hand, you realized that the stars were not merely distant celestial bodies but gateways to eternal connection and love. Your last words, uttered with fervent determination, had become a promise fulfilled, as you truly embraced the majesty of the universe alongside Ronald.
Though your mortal life had come to an end, your spirit thrived among the stars, forever entwined with Ronald's. Together, you embarked on a timeless adventure, exploring the celestial wonders that would forever be your sanctuary.
And as the stars illuminated your eternal journey, your love for Ronald Knox continued to shine brightly, a celestial bond that defied the boundaries of time and space.
requested by this anon who decided to rip my heart out: "hello!! i just finished speed tunning through your account and i love your writing! and im really sorry if this request is too much!! i wanted to request what will the dead poets react to it being y/n instead of neil that y'know y'know.. wink wink☹. i hope it can be more to the romantic side if you dont mind😩. tysm and have a nice day/night!!<3"
The Dead Poets x reader {implied polyamory, if you want separate, let me know and I can make a separate version}
Trigger warnings: character death (yours), suicide, suicidal thoughts, swearing, grief, I'm upset
premise: You were good, you were really good; but that didn't seem to be enough for your father. You're acting debut ended with you being practically dragged out of the theater by your father, with a promise to keep you away from everything- and everyone- you loved, so you could get a useful career. The idea of leaving Welton, of leaving your boys, to go down that dark path you didn't choose- it was too much, and now everyone would feel the affects of your decision.
{please send me fluff requests- I almost broke down crying too many times writing this}
{also I might make a different universe of this version, thats happier, of a poly relationship, cause I feel like that could be good}
Neil knew something was wrong, before the show was even over.
Something about your attitude on stage had shifted, and, when he had the chance, he searched the crowd, finding your father, standing at the back of the auditorium, looking mad.
He'd tried to ask you, between scenes, but neither of you got much time offstage.
"I thought you said you had talked to him?" He whispered desperately, in the tiny break before curtain call.
You were already being pushed forward and the curtain rising again, so all you could give him a tight lipped smile, hoping he would understand.
For a few minutes, he had been able to ignore the feeling in his gut, as he looked out over the audience, the rest of the poets cheering, and celebrating with you and the rest of the cast as everyone swept backstage.
The sinking terrible feeling came back as soon as one of the directors approached, "Mr/Ms (y/l/n)?"
Your head had whipped up, turning away from the conversations, "Yes?"
"Your fathers here. He says it's time for you to go."
You nodded, standing up and beginning to gather your things, and starting to the door, only for Neil to grab your hand, "Wait, I'll come too. Everyone will be waiting."
You could hear the forced laughter in his voice, "Okay. Can't keep Charlie waiting, can we?"
You headed out into the auditorium, hand in hand, but that feeling still never left his gut.
~~
Knox had had a nightmare; something god awful, happening to you, and to the rest of the poets.
He wasn't quite sure of what is was, by the time he had woken up, breathing heavily, the details had slipped his mind, but he knew it was bad.
On the other side of the room, his roommates loud snores continued, so he forced himself to roll over, staring at the wall.
He wanted to go back to sleep, he really did, but something in him wouldn't let him.
He couldn't help but feel as if something wasn't right.
Of course, he was right, and he knew that; you hadn't been allowed to return to Welton, after the play, dragged off by your overbearing father, and not given the time to give so much as a few words to any of the boys, or Mr. Keating.
In his mind he tried to rationalize it, that you would probably be back after winter break, your father couldn't keep you away from the boarding school for that long, could he?
Besides, Knox knew that your father had at least seen part of the show, there was no way he could truly be mad at you after a performance like that.
Still, something felt off.
Maybe it was in the way he hadn't been able to give you the flowers he'd gotten, or the way he knew that the plans the rest of the poets had made to go to the diner in town after the performance had been ruined without your presence.
The flowers he'd gotten seemed to taunt him from his desk, and he wished he'd given them to you before you had reached your fathers car; maybe that would easy the pang in his heart.
~~
Charlie wasn't sure why he had to be the one to be woken up.
At first, when the cold hand had gripped his shoulder, oh so early in the morning, he'd thought it was Pitts, waking him up yet again because he'd thought the sunrise was beautiful, and needed someone else to see it with he and Todd.
Unfortunately, he was met with the deeply set frown of Dr. Hager, Mr. McAlister standing behind him.
"What's going on?" He mumbled, sitting up, unable to stop himself from glancing over to where Cameron was also starting to stir.
"Your going to need to come with us, Mr. Dalton."
Fear wasn't an emotion Charlie dealt with well, so he was quick to get up and follow the man out of the dorm, mind moving a mile a minute, wondering if they had found out about the dead poets society.
Dr. Hager led him down the hall to the teacher office for the dorm floor, offering him a seat across from a desk.
Mr. Keating, too, was sitting in one of the chairs, something Charlie had never seen etched onto his face.
"I'll-" Dr. Hager cleared his throat, uncomfortably, "I'll let you explain, Mr. Keating."
"Thank you, Dr. Hager." Mr. Keating muttered, still staring down at his hands.
Charlie frowned, looking between the adults, "What's going on? Captain?"
Slowly, Dr. Hager backed out of the room, as if he couldn't bear to hear what was about to be said.
Mr. Keating took a deep breath, looking up to meet Charlie's eyes, his own full of tears, "Charlie- we've- we've received some rather- rather unfortunate news."
"What happened?" He demanded, "What's going on captain?"
Keating took a moment to steady himself, "Charlie- the school received a call, late last night, after the play-"
A pit seemed to open in Charlie's stomach.
"It was from Mr. (y/l/n). (y/n)-" He took another deep breath, his voice wavering, "Last night, after the play... (y/n)... took their own life."
It took a very long moment for the words to register in Charlie's brain, "..... What...?"
"(y/n)- is dead." Mr. Keating gulped, hurriedly wiping at his eyes, "Mr. Nolan- Mr. Nolan plans to announce this, and begin an investigation into how it could've happened, this morning."
"Captain- Mr. Keating... please tell my your joking," Tears were beginning to brim in Charlie's eyes, and he swallowed thickly, "Please tell me your joking."
Mr. Keating shook his head, glancing up at the ceiling, "I wish I was Charlie."
"What the fuck- what the fuck- no, no, Mr. K-" He trailed off, looking to where Mr. McAlister had lingered in the room.
The man nodded, slowly, "Mr. Keating thought it best to tell you boys first; what with how close you all were."
Tears were falling from Charlie's eyes now, he was crying, and in front of adults, and yet he couldn't bring himself to care.
"You want me to tell them- don't you?" It was almost a quiet accusation.
"Charlie..."
He was already getting up, and leaving the room, pacing back toward his room.
~~
Cameron had been half woken by the sound of voices in his room; and now, as he was attempting to fall back into a proper sleep, he was awakened again, by heavy, almost panicked breathing, and the sound of Charlie's pacing.
With a yawn, he sat up, "What's wrong-"
When Charlie turned to look at him, tears streaming down his face, Cameron cut himself off, quickly climbing out of bed, and moving over to him, "What happened? What's wrong?"
Charlie could hardly make eye contact with him, "(y/n)'s dead."
Cameron rolled his eyes, quickly backing away, "Ha. Ha. Real funny Charlie. You had me worried!"
"I'm not joking," It was the quiet, choked voice that scared Cameron the most, "Their dead... Keating- Kea- Keating wanted me to tell everyone."
"Oh my god... Oh my god... oh my god..." It seemed like in an instant, tears were filling his eyes, already threatening to spill over.
Blindly, he felt Charlie's arms wrap around him, "I know... I know..."
He wasn't sure how long they stayed there, but he did know, that now it would be their job to tell the others.
His hand locked with Charlie's as they made their way across the hall, to Pitts' and Meeks' room first.
"What's going on?" Pitts asked with a yawn as he opened the door.
~~
Meeks stared down at the snow, and the ruined and crushed flowers that littered the ground of the courtyard.
Almost distantly, he could still hear Knox kicking at snow, yelling and shouting at Pitts, who was just trying to get him to stop attacking everything.
Slowly, Meeks lowered himself to be sitting in the snow.
They had to be wrong- Charlie had to be wrong- whatever Mr. Keating had told him HAD to be wrong.
You were just here.
You had just been up in his room, trying to explain the meaning of a poem Mr. Keating had assigned.
You had just been squashed between he and Cameron in a diner booth after rehearsal; laughing at some dumb joke Charlie had made.
You couldn't be gone- you couldn't.
Meeks didn't even register Neil sitting down beside him in the snow, until something was pressed into his hands.
He looked down to find the crown of twigs and flowers you had wore during the play; his fingers curled around it tightly.
"They told me to keep it," It was the most broken he had ever heard Neil, quiet and hoarse, almost drown in tears, "They- they were just-"
"They were just here," Meeks nodded, "They wouldn't leave us! (y/n) wouldn't leave us!"
His tears started up, fresh again as he leaned into Neil's shoulder, "They wouldn't do this- (y/n) wouldn't- they just- they loved living too much..."
~~
Todd wasn't sure what was going on anymore.
In fact, he had only registered a few things after Charlie and Cameron had appeared in the door, Pitts and Meeks behind them.
Neil's reaction had been bigger.
Why wasn't his bigger? Why wasn't he crying out, like Meeks? Or angry, like Knox? How come he felt everything- but nothing all at once.
He was outside now, he knew that much.
He also knew he still had the poem he'd written, the one about you and Neil, that his fingers had itched to write throughout the entirety of the play, clutched in his fist.
He also knew that it was too beautiful outside, too beautiful for a sad day.
"Todd- Jesus Todd! Say something! Please..." Charlie was half demanding.
"It's... it's so beautiful..." He looked up at the fat flakes of snow drifting through the sky.
"Todd..." Cameron was still holding onto his shoulder.
Through the snow, he could still see the lake- he could still see the dock, the dock that had been your spot- yours.
Distantly, he wondered how cold the water of the lake was.
"Todd?"
He took off running.
~~
Pitts felt like his life was crumbling before his eyes.
You had been the glue that held the poets together.
You mediated Cameron and Charlie's arguments, you stopped Meeks from being frustrated when a project wasn't working, you got Todd to come out of his shell, and you had settled bets between Pitts and Neil- hell you had even managed to help Knox rationalize his thinking.
You had been everything.
And now that you were gone...
Everything was crumbling.
Pitts had only just managed to pin Knox down, stopping his from breaking his knuckles against the brick of the building, even getting punched once or twice in his efforts.
Neil and Meeks were sitting in the snow, some feet away, Meeks still trying to deny what had happened; and distantly, he could see Charlie and Cameron struggling to stop Todd.
He'd had to watch it all, watch it all fall apart... as Neil seemed to grow frustrated with Meeks' rambling, Knox managed to fight his way out from under him, and Charlie and Cameron's argument became louder and louder.
Charlie was shouting at him, to just let Todd be, but Cameron couldn't let that happen.
He watched, almost in slow motion as Todd took off running away from them, down towards the lake.
Everything was falling apart, and even as adults and students flooded outside, some helping to drag Todd out of the water, no one even seemed to care.
God Damn Helton. Damn it to pieces, he thought bitterly.
the easiest way to win knox's heart is overdoing him with an even bigger and over the top romantical gesture.
he read you a poem? serenade him outside of his dorms!
he gives you a cute little note? give him a 10 page letter confessing your love and full of declarations!
he gives you a plushie he won at those claw machines? buy him a 3 feet tall teddy bear!
he picks a beautiful flower at the park and gives you? you order a 8 pound bouquet to be delivered at welton with a red card that reads "to the most romantic poet~".
he gives you a necklace with the letter "k" on it? you give him a collar with your name written inside!
he will eat that ship up everytime! you can swear there are pink hearts on his eyes whenever you show him love
the more you show affection the more you have him wrapped around your fingers, it gets to a point he's literally unable to tell you no.
