Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Dead Poets Society... I am just inspired by it.

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Todd and I do make a point of stopping by McAllister's office on Monday, under the pretext of asking a question about the homework. True to his word, he hands us a few color snapshots from the wedding reception. We both chuckle at the one of Mrs. Keating feeding the cake to the Captain... apparently she shares his sense of humor, because she's mashing frosting onto his nose. We thank him for showing us the photos, but as we start to leave, Todd pauses.

"Sir? I was wondering... since you're obviously still in contact... if we took some pictures of us at the Halloween dance, would you be willing to send him copies? I... suspect he might like that... like to see that we're all doing all right after... everything."

McAllister's eyes soften a bit. "Aye, lad, I suspect you're right about that. He asks after you all in his letters at that. Sure, if you get some pictures, I'll be glad to send them on for you. Just don't tell the Dean, all right, lads?"

"We won't," we promise, then we hurry back to the dorm.

Come Saturday and the Halloween dance, all six of us are in a very cheerful mood. My grandfather sent me a brand-new Nikon F camera for my birthday this year, so I'm all set to be the group photographer tonight. Of course, Todd insisted that I show him how to use the camera, pointing out with perfect logic that if I'm taking all the pictures, I won't be in any of them.

As this dance is far less formal than the Valentine Ball, there is no sit-down dinner with the girls beforehand. We simply meet up with our dates (or our random draws) in Welton Hall, then proceed to the gymnasium for the start of the festivities. Knox, Meeks, and Pitts spot the girls first, as Chris's Valkyrie helmet and Amy's and Tina's Martian helmets help them to stand out from the crowd. We all head over to greet them, and I hope to get some pictures before we head in to the dance.

However, the first thing I do is blush, when Carol greets me with a wolf whistle. "There's just something about a man in uniform!" she declares to appreciative giggles from the other girls.

"Oh, I don't know, I like the ray gun better than a tail gun," Amy quips, patting the toy weapon at Pittsie's waist.

I take a deep breath, thankful to have the attention off of me. "How about the Martians get their pictures first? Each couple, then all four of you together," I suggest.

They agree, Amy and Tina cheerfully, Pitts and Meeks a little reluctantly. Then I shoot Siegfried and Brunhilde, more commonly known as Knox and Chris. Ginny and Nuwanda have managed to put together outfits straight out of the Disney Cinderella movie. She's even managed to find a pair of shoes made of some sort of clear material. After I photograph them, Todd does a credible imitation of the Scarecrow giving directions to Dorothy. Linda laughs when a bit of straw escapes his sleeve and lands in her hair when he swings his arms around to point in both directions at once.

Then Todd takes the camera and shoves me forward. I stand ramrod straight, saluting Carol, who is standing in the "We Can Do It" poster pose, flexing her arm with a determined expression on her face. After he's done, I check the camera. There are only two shots left, so I set everyone up for a group shot, then grab Jim Chapman to take the last couple of pictures. With luck, they'll come out all right. I run the camera back up to the dorm, then we all head into the dance.

It's actually sort of fun, having Carol as a date rather than a random draw. Of course, it helps that she and Linda are friends, so that the two of us are sticking pretty close to Todd and Linda throughout the evening. Todd is clowning around, trying to dance like Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow, and swiping the toy dog Toto out of Linda's basket and declaring his undying love for it. Carol, meanwhile, is strutting around, even as we're dancing, grinning about having the most comfortable feet at the dance, at least among the female half of the population.

Of course, I have to admit, for all I'm enjoying myself, I wish things were different. It hurts to watch Knox and Chris together, or Nuwanda and Ginny, or Amy and Pitts, or Tina and Meeks. Because they can be with the ones they care about, and I can't. Not in public, anyway, not here, not now. Maybe not ever, and that thought hurts more than anything. It's crazy of me to be feeling like this, I know it is, but I can't help it. I'm jealous. Jealous of our friends that can show off their feelings. And even a bit jealous of Linda, simply because she's the one dancing with Todd tonight, and I can't be.

Eventually the evening ends. We escort the girls back to the Henley Hall buses, saying our farewells under the watchful eyes of Dean Nolan and Dr. Hager. Once they're aboard for the trip across town, we head back inside to get out of our costumes.

"I'm glad this night is over," Todd sighs as we shut the door of our room behind us. "This hay is itchy!"

"I'll help you find it all," I offer, tossing the uniform hat onto my desk and loosening the tie.

He smiles, then grabs the tie and pulls me close. "Carol was right about one thing," he murmurs. "There really is something about a man in uniform... do you know why I was being such an idiot tonight?"

I shake my head, my hands moving to pull the hat from his head. "You were just having fun, I thought... playing the part of the Scarecrow."

He wraps his arms around me then, pressing his hips against mine. "I wanted to make sure Linda didn't think this," he shifts slightly, letting me feel his arousal, "was for her. I've been wanting to drag you off somewhere private ever since we got dressed up. By clowning around, I managed not to dance especially close with Linda."

"Oh," I manage to breathe before giving in to what I've wanted to do all night and capturing his lips with my own.

We pull apart just long enough to undress, then we fall back into each others' arms. I chuckle as I hear the distinctive sound of creaking bedsprings from next door. Someone's been affected by his date to the point of taking matters into his own hands, as it were. So much the better, actually, if anything is heard from our room, people will assume that one or both of us is doing the same thing.

I start nuzzling Todd's neck, licking at the spot that I know drives him wild. He retaliates by leaning over to take me into his mouth. I barely contain my moan, twisting around to do the same to him. We haven't dared this too often here at school, but we both seem to need the reassurance of being together, after our dates tonight. Todd's hips start to rock against my face and I know he's close. Daringly, I reach around, caressing his backside, then letting one finger drift along the split, just brushing over his opening. That gentle touch is all it takes to push him over the edge, and his reaction triggers my own.

He turns once more to snuggle into my arms, kissing me gently. "I love you, Richard," he whispers.

"And I love you, Todd," I whisper in reply, my breath gently stirring the hair by his ear. I press a soft kiss to his temple as we both relax. "We should write to the Captain tomorrow," I mumble.

"Mmhmm," I think I hear as sleep overtakes us both.