` ❀ 𝓘 want to wear his initial on a chain 'round my neck, chain 'round my neck not because he owns me but 'cause he really knows me . ݁ ꒱

– It was a cold, cloudy afternoon at Welton Academy, and the icy wind blew through the windows of the old brick building. You were sitting in the library, leafing through a book, when Neil Perry appeared with his always kind smile and his eyes shining with that mix of enthusiasm and sweetness that you knew so well.

You had kept your relationship a secret, protecting it from the judgmental looks and the strict rules of the school. Being with Neil was like being in a world apart, where the weight of expectations and the future disappeared, leaving only the moments shared between the two of you.

– "Hey..." – Neil said quietly, approaching and sitting next to you, his hands nervously fiddling with the pockets of his uniform jacket. He seemed more restless than usual, as if he was about to do something that worried him.

You looked at him with a curious expression. – "What is it?" –

He bit his lip, hesitating for a second, but then he took something small and shiny out of his pocket. It was a silver necklace, simple, but with a deep meaning. On the chain, there was a small pendant with the initial "N" carefully engraved.

– "I... wanted to give you this." – Neil said, holding the necklace out to you. – "I know you might have to hide it... put it inside your shirt, so no one would suspect. But... I wanted you to have something of mine. Something that can remind you that... I'm always with you, even when we can't be together." –

Your heart beat faster. The simplicity of the gesture, combined with the intensity of the feeling, made you smile. It was risky, of course. Wearing something like that, so personal, could easily raise suspicions. But, at the same time, it was a symbol of what you shared, of what you had built together in secret, and of what you meant to each other.

You took the necklace, feeling the cold metal between your fingers.