Chapter Text
May has been a boring month for Neil so far, his days were just repeats of the same thing, it was simply just waking up on a Wymack couch and going for a run, then spending his free time at Eifa's since he refused to practice and doing whatever he pleased.
He's sure that soon the upperclassmen will arrive and he'll be able to move into his dorm room and start practice or whatever, not that exy was something Neil looked forward to anymore.
Exy had long been forgotten in Neil's interests, so he wasn't sure why Kevin is still so persistent in dragging Neil to practice.
Alongside that, he'll probably just be sitting on benches for games, not doing anything, so he saw no real point in putting in effort until scheduled practice comes round after breaks over.
So far Neil's favourite spot is a park that's not far from Eifa's house, she had told him about it not so subtly when talking about how her kids were climbing all over it. Naturally, Neil got interested and then went and explored the quiet park.
It was nothing fancy at all, not that Neil was expecting it to be though, half of the stuff was rusty or just too child-sized to be used, so he settled for the swing set, letting his feet drag against the bark chips scattered around the ground of the park.
Neil looks up at the sky, watching the clouds move slowly like waves in an ocean. Mary would've never allowed him to just sit in one spot to simply watch the clouds, it's why he does it so much now, simply to spite his mother's rules.
He knows his father will catch up to him eventually even if the man is currently in a jail cell. Neil knows he's being looked for, he's not sure why his father is so obsessed with dragging him back to Baltimore and slaughtering him like an animal.
Neil had slowed down running. Not to stop, just a slowdown to let himself feel real for once in the sullen life he's living that sometimes doesn't even feel like his own.
All was peaceful till he heard the gate of the park creak open, the idea of no longer being alone made the hair on the back of his neck rise.
He can hear the crunching of said stranger's shoes until they pause.
"Josten?" ᴡᴀɪᴛ ᴀ ꜱᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ...
Neil's head snaps up from the ground at Aaron's voice, a strange wave of relief washing over him.
"Yeah" is all Neil manages to push out, planting his feet on the floor only to push himself on the swing again, this time not letting his shoes drag, letting the wind blow his hair back out of his face.
Wordlessly Aaron takes the second swing beside Neil, it almost makes Neil want to leave at how normal he feels around the blonde.
There are a few minutes of awkwardness; the swings creak as they both push themselves.
"Why are you here?" Aaron decides to ask. Neither of them are looking at each other, choosing to look at the empty park around them instead.
"I stay nearby" is all Neil gives back.
There's another few seconds of silence until Aaron speaks.
"You're staying at Wymacks, though?"
"A friend's place then"
"Didn't know you had those" Aaron mutters back dryly.
Neil can't even bring himself to be offended, he doesn't ever let himself bring up friends.
He had some friends and teammates in Millport that actually tolerated him for some reason, Neil still has a few of their numbers, occasionally sending a thumbs up to show proof of life.
Then there's his older cousins that Stuart had introduced to Neil a few days after Neil had first called Stuart.
Mariah and Lachlan, they were an interesting pair for sure; as soon as they had met Neil, they had immediately picked at his style and taken him shopping for a few new shirts.
He had thrown out all his old clothes he'd worn around his mother and replaced them with clothes his cousins got him.
When Stuart was sure Neil was going to be okay in the states and left back to the UK, Mariah and Lachlan stayed in the states with Neil, promising to keep distance.
Aaron's comment about thinking Neil doesn't have any friends doesn't bother him at all. It's better people think Neil only has a few people, not a lot.
"Why are you here?" Neil asks, his throat a bit dry as he kicks his legs up into the air to get more speed on the swing, ignoring the groan the metal frame lets out.
"To get away from everything," Aaron says, a hint of sadness in his tone. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 was something Neil hadn't been expecting.
It's something Neil relates to more than he'd like to, but it makes sense, more often than not, Neil would find himself on his own somewhere quiet outside, like near a lake or an abandoned building, just to feel the peace.
Neil's never been good at comforting himself, never mind other people, so he doesn't respond to Aaron and just lets his shoes drag in the bark until it pulls his swing to a stop.
Aaron also stops himself on the swing he's on, turning his head to look at Neil so he turns to meet Aaron's gaze.
The blonde is wearing a simple black hoodie with no design or anything on it and a pair of dark wash jeans with a keychain clipped to one of the belt loops, Neil focuses in on it.
A small white ceramic seal is attached to one of those metal loops that you have to pry apart, another part of the keychain is another seal that's a clear blue; somehow it also looks like a cat.
Aaron follows Neil's eyes to the keychain and lets out a small huff.
"Your bag made me want some." Aaron admits with a tight look on his face, looking Neil over like he's looking for said duffle bag that he had left in his room at Eifa's house.
For a moment his brain tells Neil to tell Aaron to fuck off, but Neil shakes that thought away. Aaron is decent, and Neil doesn't need enemies so soon he supposes.
"My bags at my friend's house," Neil says, standing up and crouching down to retie his laces, which were never tied to begin with.
Aaron lets out a short hum and slides off the swing he was on to stand in front of Neil because apparently they're leaving at the same time now.
"She's making brownies. " Neil adds on just to try make Aaron jealous. Neil gives up with his laces that are basically string, shoving them into his shoe beside his foot.
He almost smirks when he hears Aaron let out a quiet curse.
Neil stands back up, his knee popping slightly, he feels like an old man at this point.
Aaron crosses his arms, shifting from his left foot to the other, eyebrows knitted together slightly.
"What's with the wrist brace, by the way?" Aaron asks, probably remembering seeing it at Abby's.
"Bad joint pain" Neil says honestly, he doesn't feel like lying to Aaron. Neil also knows about how Aaron's mother used to be before the supposed car accident that killed the woman. Stuart had dug up quite quickly a bunch of evidence of abuse and neglect.
At the time Neil didn't think about Aaron that much, he was only probably going to stay in Palmetto for a few months and then leave to somewhere else, maybe go stay with his cousins.
-But something about Aaron made Neil interested, not as interested as Neil felt about Andrew, though.
Andrew is a strange thing whose past is like a shattered mirror being held together with shitty craft tape and a dream.
From what Neil understands, Andrew grew up in the foster system after being given up at birth by Tilda Minyard. Neil isn't an idiot, he knows what happened to Andrew. It's not like it's obvious or anything, but for a child the foster system is its own personal hell, and more often than not children go through sexual abuse.
Just before Neil can lose himself in thought about Andrew like he had a few days ago, a hand waves in front of his face, he refrains from slapping the hand but does flinch back away from it until his back hits the cold metal post of the swing set.
"Sorry," Aaron says quickly, flinching back at the same time as Neil, "you weren't answering when i called out to you."
Aaron looks a bit afraid, like Neil's going to hurt him with a knife or something, which he could but won't.
It makes sense with Aaron's past, he's been accustomed to abuse growing up, so it's no shock Aaron flinches back from people, especially with having a brother like Andrew.
"Would you want some brownies?" Neil asks, instead of acknowledging the awkward silence, where he's sure Aaron was waiting for reassurance or something that Neil won't give.
Aaron looks surprised at the offer, then looks around the park and digs his phone from his pocket.
"Yeah, uh, I'll just text Nicky." Aaron says, hands trembling a little as he types, and Neil chooses not to focus on that.
He's sure Aaron must have questions, so he mentally prepares some answers incase the blonde decides to ask.
Suprising no questions get asked but Neil can practically hear Aaron's brain cycling through questions he can ask but does not.
The walk to Eifas's house is calming. Neil usually wouldn't let someone he's technically just met get close to Eifa or her kids, but Neil has long since blocked out Mary's rules about friends and not getting too close to people, so he supposes Aaron will be the only one to meet Eifa properly.
Once in front of Eifa's door, Neil digs his keys out of his jean shorts pockets and slides the key into the lock, twisting it until he hears the almost silent click. Grabbing the door handle, Neil pushes it down, and the door opens smoothly. Perks of a brand new house are barely anything makes those noisy creaks.
Neil steps inside first, toeing off his shoes because he respects that Eifa likes to keep her carpets clean even if it means his odd socks are visible. Behind him, Aaron does the same and looks around at the walls and hallway.
"This way," Neil says, tipping his head toward the kitchen to get Aaron moving.
As the pair gets closer, the sounds of baking in the kitchen become clearer as well as Melody's giggling, which means she must be causing chaos.
The smell is amazing and fresh as Neil walks into the kitchen, Elliot is sitting on one countertop staring at a bowl with a massive floury grin, Melody is on another countertop with flour in her hair and clothes, and Eifa has a wipe, scrubbing Melody's chubby face.
"Neil!!" Elliot yells out when he spots Neil and Aaron in the doorway, catching Eifa's attention.
"Hi." Neil nods to Elliot, shifting to the side to let Aaron be seen.
"Back already? Who's this?" Eifa asks with a smile, dropping the wipe into the bin and stepping a bit closer.
Neil can feel Aaron tense even though he's not even touching him.
"Aaron, Eifa, Eifa, Aaron." Neil introduces the two, Eifa doesn't offer her hand to shake, which means she must've caught how tense Aaron is.
"Hello, Neil invited me." Aaron says with an awkward wave, Melody and Elliot have already trotted over and stare at Aaron till their eyes go bug.
"Nice to meet you, Aaron," Eifa responds gently. Neil leans down and lifts Melody onto his hip, carrying the little girl back to the kitchen, letting Eifa introduce herself properly.
Neil spies the brownies on the countertop still cooling down, carefully he balances Melody on one hip to grab a spoon and scoop straight from the center.
"Neil," Eifa chides, seemingly finished talking to Aaron. "That's still hot," Eifa warns. Neil looks her straight in the eye as he eats the bite.
It is, in fact, still hot, but Neil holds back making a face as the gooey hotness burns his tongue.
Melody laughs against Neil's shoulder at his slightly pinched expression.
Even Aaron's lips twitches a bit into a half smile, he's a lot less tense now, which means Eifa must've used her secret therapist words. Neil only called them that since she always manages to make herself a calming presence.
"Well, Aaron, would you like to help us bake? We're doing muffins next." Eifa offers whilst holding Elliot's hands so the boy doesn't wipe his flour-covered hands on his new clothes.
Aaron shrinks a bit when all eyes go to him, not Neil's, though. Nope, Neil sees this from the corner of his eye and then happily goes back to scooping at the still burning hot brownie.
He didn't used to be a huge fan of sugary sweets, but then he'd tried some of Eifas's baking and decided that maybe he can tolerate some after all.
"Are you sure that's okay?" Aaron asks, looking around again like someone else is going to appear from the shadows and attack him. Neil decides Aaron is like a baby deer or just an animal that freezes when something actually pays attention to it.
"Absolutely, as long as you don't mind getting a little messy, the kids will most likely throw flour again." Eifa reassures the blonde, who nods and takes off his hoodie, wearing a simple white shirt that has a pattern on the back. Neil doesn't look too much though, just sets Melody onto the counter and keeps eating the brownie that's slowly cooling down.
Neil has been long banned from moving around the kitchen whilst the small twins are in it after he'd grabbed a knife on instinct when Elliot had accidentally dropped a cup behind him.
The sound was a bit too much like a gunshot when it hit the floor for Neil's liking. Ever since then he always sits on the countertops when he does stuff, never turning his back to the room.
It's interesting watching Aaron settle in the kitchen, helping stir the mix whilst Neil occasionally scoops up a brownie and offers it to Aaron, which the first time the blonde hesitates but takes the bite and gives Eifa a thumbs up and an awkward smile.
There's not much conversation other than Eifa giving instructions, Neil lets out a few quiet chuckles when Melody wipes her flour-covered hand on Aaron's cheek.
Aaron pauses, then lets out an almost inaudible huff and swipes his thumb across her forehead, making Melody laugh more.
It's such a domestic scene that Neil's never been allowed to have, so he just sits and watches, occasionally helping out but mostly just throwing chocolate chips at Elliot's and Aaron's head, which he will have to clean up later with Eifa, not that he minds, he knows how to clean and doesn't mind doing it.
At Eifas's old house when Neil first came over, the first thing Neil did was ask if he could help clean because her house was scattered with kids' toys and clothes.
The task had taken 2 hours give or take to do her whole house, including the kids' room. Eifa had been very grateful for the helping hand. Neil had confessed in a session that organising and cleaning are something he's good at only because of his mother's strictness; even if her rules are gone in Neil's mind, his body still automatically cleans and organises anything he's used or moved around.
Finally the muffin mix gets put in the oven, and Eifa wipes her hands on her apron with a beaming smile.
"Neil, will you show Aaron to the bathroom?" Eifa asks, gesturing to Aaron's now floury face. Neil nods and silently goes upstairs with Aaron following.
"Thank you," Aaron says quietly when at the bathroom door but makes no move to go inside yet.
"It's just baking," Neil says, shrugging off the thanks, his skin prickling a bit.
"Can I ask about when you went to the bathroom at Abby's?"
"You just did," Neil deadpans back, his left hand unconsciously going to his right wrist.
"Jeez, asshole, I was—"
"I threw up," Neil interrupts, getting a bit sick of talking about this topic he wouldn't call it a sensitive topic, but it's definitely not one he likes.
Aaron freezes, his hazel eyes widening.
"Why?" Aaron asks, taking a shaky breath in.
"Bad stomach, go clean yourself" Neil responds, opening the bathroom door and nudging Aaron inside.
Once the door shuts behind Aaron, Neil lets out a barely audible sigh, running his tongue over his teeth and turning towards his room, opening the door and immediately spying his duffel at the foot of his bed, just where he'd last left it.
Some tension leaves his shoulders as he walks over and unzips it, he still hasn't unpacked like he's been meaning to, he plans to leave his current clothes at Eifa's and get his Mariah and Lachlan… or maybe just Lachlan to bring him shopping for his dorm.
Don't get Neil wronge he doesn't mind Mariah, but she often chooses clothes that are far too tight-fitting for Neil's liking, so Neil would much prefer Lachlan, who also prefers baggy clothes like Neil does and will definitely pick out go options, which probably won't be jorts since Lachlan is a firm believer jorts look boring.
Neil spends a few minutes putting his shirts away in the top drawer of his dresser, he's just finished folding his second pair of jeans away into the drawer when there's a knock on the door.
"Yeah?" Neill answers, assuming it's Eifa, but his hand goes to one of the small daggers he tucked in the drawer.
"Just me" Aaron says, stepping into the room and looking around the empty room, face and hands clean. Neil can smell the floral soap.
"Oh, hi" Neil mutters, a bit surprised. He had thought Aaron would go straight back downstairs, but it makes sense, Neil's bedroom door wasn't open when they were both in the hall, so Aaron must've taken a bit of a guess Neil was in here.
"Is Eifa your mother?" Aaron asks straight up, walking over to the closed window and unlatching the lock to peek his head out into the garden.
Neil is tempted to call Aaron out on being so nosy, but then again, as soon as Neil signed with the foxes, his uncle dug into their pasts and Neil got to learn everything, not that Aaron knows that though.
"She is not" Neil answers truthfully, he wishes she were, though.
"Right..." Aaron mumbles to himself.
Neil turns his attention back to unpacking his socks next, which are colorful and bright, something Mary would hate.
Aaron's presence is nothing like Andrews is.
For such a short person, Andrew has quite a large presence, dangerous maybe, and is definitely meant to be strong one.
Aaron's presence feels smaller, like he's trying to just exist normally but is terribly failing somehow, if Neil were to guess Aaron prefers normal and not sticking out.
After a while of sitting in silence just letting the sounds of the younger twins in the living room filter up the stairs, Eifa calls upstairs that the muffins are finished faster than usual.
They exit Neil's room and descend the stairs. Eifa is in the kitchen putting two hot muffins into a plastic container with a few squares of the leftover brownie, the rest of the muffins cooling on a rack beside the stovetop.
"Aaron, you can bring these back for your family." Eifa says pleasantly, snapping the plastic lid onto the container and putting it beside Aaron's now folded hoodie which is on the dining table.
"Oh, thank you, ma'am," Aaron says, eyes bouncing between Neil and Eifa.
"Just call me Eifa."
"Right." Aaron nods and grabs his hoodie, pulling it back on, and then with a little bit of hesitation grabs the plastic container filled with the baked goods that's still hot.
"Got everything?" Neil asks, walking with Aaron back to the front door, then watching Aaron slide his sneakers back on.
"Yeah, I'll get this back to you whenever I can," Aaron responds to Neil, then speaks to Eifa, tapping his nail on the side of the container.
"Don't worry too much about it. Get home safe." Eifa says with a wave.
Aaron nods and then waves to Neil, who nods back and watches Aaron open the front door, pause for a second, then step outside and close the door behind him.
Neil listens until the steps retreat down the porch steps before turning to Eifa.
"Glad you're making friends." Eifa smirks.
"Wasn't really trying." Neil rubs at his eyes and locks the front door, then steps towards Eifa, who puts her slender hand on Neil's head slowly, her fingers sinking into the dyed curls.
Neil shuts his eyes and brings his hands to cover his ears, effectively cutting off his senses just to feel the care of Eifas's hand.
They stand there for a moment until Neil takes his hands off his ears and opens his eyes.
Eifa takes her hand away only after stroking her thumb over Neil's forehead, then she turns to the living room where the twins are watching cartoons.
That night when Neil's peaceful attempt to sleep is intruded on by flashes of white walls, hospital gowns, a bandaged arm being grabbed, and a paper cup of multiple colored pills.
The thing that startles Neil awake is the all too real feeling of a hand on his chin gripping tightly, but when he snaps his eyes open and looks around his room, there's no one else but him and his own heavy breathing, his door is still shut and locked.
Neil flicks the lamp on and slides out of bed, letting his bare feet sink into the soft carpet.
He'd left his lighter and cigarette pack by the window for whenever he wanted to smoke.
He grabs both items and unlatches the lock, opening the window and letting the cold night air wash over his overheating sweating body.
Neil sits down as best he can on the windowsill and lifts a cigarette. He only takes around four drags before he pulls his leg to his chest and presses the burning cigarette out against his ankle.
He doesn't look at said ankle until the cigarette is out and he flicks it out the window, mentally planning to steal Wymack's ashtray so he doesn't litter Eifas's new garden.
His mind doesn't register any pain on his ankle. Neil's starting to think he's put a bit too many cigarettes out on his ankle that it's starting to just not hurt as much, pain is a normal thing for Neil, though, and he already had a high tolerance to it thanks to the people he grew up with, but he could've swore it used to hurt more.
The skin is red raw on his ankle in multiple spots, with a few bits of black lingering on the burn that he doesn't bother to flick off.
A small wave of the smell hits his nose, and he almost wants to puke at the smell of burning flesh.
Neil tips his head back against the wall, eyes shut as the night breeze cools him off.