There were three things everybody knew about wings. One, they dulled when their bearer felt distressed or was in emotional pain. Two, if one meet their soul mate they would unconsciously open up- if their bearer wanted too or not. Three, after meeting your soul mate the feathers on your and your soul mate's wings would slowly start to match before becoming the exactly the same.
Neil Perry's wings had slowly dulled since he was born. The constant pressure from his father whether it be about school or his social life, had him feel caged and helpless, so with every year his wings would lose more of their brightness, while his father pretended to be ignorant of this fact. Only when Neil met Mr Keating and started living his own life, his wings started to brighten and shine along with his smile.
The first time Neil Perry's wings popped out without his consent was in the chapel or Welton. When he let his eyes roam through the room they fell on an unknown boy his age. Immediately his wings (and to his greatest joy the boys wings too) flared and shortly escaped their prison. Thankfully no one except the boy's parents seemed to notice and they were pacified by a quick shook of the boy's head. During the whole ceremony they just couldn't take their eyes from each other and Neil had never felt more happy in his life.
Neil Perry's soul mate was Todd Anderson. And he was also his roommate. The two would spend most of their time together and even though their romantic relationship hadn't yet developed further than a few kisses, they both never felt happier. Over the weeks the ( and their friends) notices how Todd's feathers slowly started matching the brown of Neil's. More often than not during free time or in the night they would lie on one of their beds, cuddle and admire their beautiful wings. Neil loved to wrap up Todd in his wings and protect him from the rest of the world, Todd would do the same for Neil after the occasional call from Mr Perry. And the brown wings would shelter the young lovers from the world, her expectations and troubles.
So when Neil stood in his father's study , gun in his hand, he felt the pressure of his wings and remembered the happy hours connected with them and his soul mate. He put the gun down, opened the front door and walked towards his future.