✓ | FIAT NOX ✶ charlie dalton

⠀⠀⠀𝒙𝒙𝒗𝒊𝒊. epilogue, part two

⠀⠀⠀"Oh, my God!" Eliza exclaimed, her shaky hands reaching up to her trembling lips to feel her warm breath stutter against her palm.

⠀⠀⠀"Eliza!" the boys shouted, all rushing forward and taking her into a hug with Knox pulled in as well.

⠀⠀⠀Richard was reminded of when she and Knox had reunited in his dorm. They stood like this as if they were tethered to one another. Hugging like it was the only thing that brought her life.

⠀⠀⠀"Meeks! Pitts! Todd!" she cooed, her cool hand reaching for their faces to assure herself that they were there standing with her. She smiled more beautifully than Richard ever thought he had seen. Even more than the night, they had gotten engaged.

⠀⠀⠀Eliza's eyes landed on Charlie. Her figure became hesitant. She walked over to him, the backs of her fingers brushed against his cheek. A delicate tenderness different to what she had given the other boys. She smiled kindly at him, and he smiled back, something erupting in the pits of their stomachs as nostalgia and good feelings came to coat their insides.

⠀⠀⠀"If everyone could take their seats, we have a meeting to conduct," Todd called, a familiar navy book rested between his fingers.

⠀⠀⠀"Todd!" Eliza gasped as she settled beside him, Richard following. He wrapped his arm over his shoulders, taking hold of her hand as they relaxed beside each other. "You're going to read the introduction?"

⠀⠀⠀"Yes," Todd smiled, and the warmth of his confidence assured Eliza that Welton had done alright on him over the years. "I hereby reconvene the Dead Poets Society for one night. Tonight.

⠀⠀⠀"Tonight's meeting will be conducted by myself, Todd Anderson, in honor of our dear friend and poet, Neil Perry. And now, the opening message by society member Henry David Thoreau."

⠀⠀⠀Chris and Richard watched in amazement as the cave filled with the members' voices, reciting the text without hesitation.

⠀⠀⠀"I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life. To put to rout all that was not life, and not, when I had come to die, discover that I had not lived."

⠀⠀⠀Silence filled the cave, the quote reflecting on their time at Welton, pinching at their heartstrings. Richard squeezed Eliza's hand reassuringly, and across the cave, Charlie watched.

⠀⠀⠀"We want to thank Chris Overstreet and Richard Beasley for joining us," Knox began, raising his hand like he held a cup for a toast. "No one could replace Neil Perry, but Richard, you're doing a fine job of replacing another Richard we all know and hate."

⠀⠀⠀Richard smiled at the sentiment and clinked an invisible cup back.

⠀⠀⠀"Intermission," Eliza called, clapping her hands together to look at her boys. "What have you boys been up to? Tell me everything!"

⠀⠀⠀"Well, Pitts and I have worked for an engineering company," Meeks began with a wide smile.

⠀⠀⠀"That's interesting," Eliza stated, stroking her chin in thought. "You guys enjoy it?"

⠀⠀⠀"It's alright," Pitts shrugged. "I'd rather have my own... well, our own company where we come up with the designs, but even if that's possible or profitable, it's not in our cards right now."

⠀⠀⠀Knox rolled his eyes at the two.

⠀⠀⠀"It's definitely something you guys can do!" he claimed. "You made a radio from scratch at Hellton just to be able to listen to music on the roof."