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Neil despised Mondays. His first class was at nine and his least favorite subject was next, biochemistry. Since science lectures were held in a separate hall he had about a mile walk he always took a shortcut to through the athletic center. He came to like the silence of the corridor during the daytime, comfortable in this routine his mother would have killed him for. It wasn't the foxhole, just the pool and basketball court but today it was a reprieve from the torrential downpour that threatened to drown him. Right before he opened the door to step outside again he heard the squeak of wet sneakers against the floor behind him.
"Neil! Hey wait up!"
Neil turned to watch Wesley almost bust his ass on the floor and snickered as he barely righted himself. Wesley smiled and they did the handshake when he caught up with him.
"What's up?" Neil asked as they stepped outside under protection of the tin roof. Wesley brandished a rather large, Superman umbrella in front of them.
"Figured you could use some transportation, although..." he nodded down to Neil's gray shirt and darker-gray zip up that was nearly soaked through.
"You're a little late." Neil said, picking at the clinging material. "You headed there?" He added, gesturing to the science building.
"Yeah. I can't believe that's all you're wearing! It's like forty outside, and raining." Wes opened the umbrella so that they could huddle underneath it for the short remainder of the walk. Neil shrugged.
"I'm used to the cold."
"Really? I can't stand it. My dad always seemed to get stationed in snowy places."
"Stationed?"
"Oh yeah, army brat." Wes gestured to himself. "That's why I could never play exy. We moved around too much when I was growing up."
Neil hummed his acknowledgement as they slid through the door of the science hall. To escape even a minute of the harsh wind was a blessing. He wanted to sink into the too-hard plastic chair next to Andrew. He was freezing, but the heat worked fast.
"I'm upstairs," Neil told him.
"Me too," Wes said, already taking the stairs a he shouted apologies to the people below when he shook his wet umbrella on them.
"Anyway," Wes continued as he ran a hand through the damp strands of his blonde hair.
"We should get together sometime? I'd like to get to know you better."
Neil nodded hesitantly. He learned a long time ago that making empty promises was easier than explaining why his mother never let him make friends. He wasn't sure that was the case with Wes, the kid was alright, but he wasn't exactly sure that he was 'monsters' material per se. Kevin already hated him and told him so quite frequently on the court. Wes seemed to be taking the kill them with kindness route. Neil didn't think it was working.
"Yeah maybe," he said as he cut behind him to the open door of his lecture hall. "Thanks for the transportation," he mocked, not unkindly. Wes grinned back as he waved goodbye, taking off down the hall before he was late.
Neil spotted Andrew in the back row. It was raised above the front rows and therefore had a great vantage point to keep an eye on everyone. The only reason they had a class together was because Andrew procrastinated taking biochem for so long. As if he couldn't remember everything the teacher said and pass with little effort.
He shouldered his backpack and felt a giddy leap in his chest at the sight of him. He climbed the steps and dumped his bag before taking the seat next to him. Andrew was dressed in all black, his hair messier than normal because it had dried from the rain. He has his feet up in the chair next to him in clear indication of wanting to be left alone.
"Hey." Neil said so just he could hear, like it was a secret. It was just one word but he couldn't stop the affection that coated his voice when he spoke it. He leaned over and pressed his lips to his temple, a quick gesture.
"Into public displays of affection now, are we?" Andrew snapped quietly, though he didn't look displeased. No one could see them anyways.
Neil bit his lip in faux thought. "I missed you this morning."
"Well if you could keep your flighty tendencies in check and skipped your run, you would've seen me."
Neil only hummed, to which Andrew scoffed.
"What did Wesley want?" Andrew trained his voice to remain even. It wasn't that hard despite what he was thinking.
"Nothing. I mean, I ran into him and he shared his umbrella even though I was already drenched. Asked to hang out sometime." Neil was busy digging in his backpack for a pen, seeming to think all was well. He might as well have been reading a shopping list.
"Hm," was all Andrew said.
"I know, if it was you you would have made me walk in the rain." Neil said with a smile playing across his pretty mouth. Andrew relaxed, watching a bead of water drop from the end of an auburn curl onto Neil's freckled nose.
"Yes." Andrew agreed, "you look good wet."
Neil nearly spit his water onto the girl in front of him. After swallowing hard, he rolled his eyes at him and tilted his head down to brush their lips together. Andrew was so warm after the freezing weather that he wanted to curl up in bed with him for the rest of the day.
"Wanna skip practice?" Andrew asked, clearly in the same thought process. Neil's eyes were so full of affection then, that he had to slide a dry hand around the back of his neck just to feel his skin. That one point of contact settled a buzzing in his ears he'd woken up with. Neil made a delicious mmm sound and leaned into his touch, relaxing into his chair so they were level.
"Don't tempt me," he warned.
"It's a serious offer," Andrew said lightly. The professor had walked in and switched off the lights to start the presentation. The dim glow of the slides casted shadows on Neil's face.
"I would but Kevin's already pissed about having to train Wes and he'll be unbearable if I ditch him."
Andrew's hand slid away. Neil's eyebrows furrowed slightly, skin cold with the absence of Andrew's touch. He quickly brushed it off and sat straighter to begin his notes.
"Okay."
"Okay?" Neil asked, the tiny crease forming between his eyebrows that showed his concern. Andrew shrugged.
"Don't blame me if Wesley ends up in a ditch."
Neil was silent for a moment as he recalled the conversation at Eden's. He hadn't thought about it since then, the slide of Andrew's hands against his slick skin had beat out any other memories of the night.
"What did he do this time?"
Andrew looked at him blankly as if he was being oblivious on purpose.
"You really don't get it do you?" Andrew looked away and shook his head, before looking back. "He likes you. I could see him wiping the drool off of his chin from here."
Neil's eyebrows drew together even more. He recalls how Wesley had offered Superman and they'd talked.
"When? There was no drooling over me."
"There is always drooling over you." Andrew said shortly. "He asked you to hang out."
"We're friends," Neil protested, trying to convince himself too. He didn't think he was that oblivious.
"I'm just saying. I might have a chat with him."
"If you feel it's necessary." Neil replied, annoyed that Andrew was still under the illusion he wanted anything to do with anyone else. They didn't talk the rest of class, even though Neil didn't want to argue. Andrew was wrong about this, but even if he wasn't... even if Wes liked him he should know better than to think Neil cared in the slightest.
-
Things were strange at evening practice. Everyone was eager to start warm-ups so they could literally warm up. The rain was not relenting for anyone or anything. He and Andrew hadn't said anything to one another since class and that was as close as they came to fighting. Neil hated not talking to him, to not be able to look across the court and catch his eye. He didn't want to fight.
Andrew wasn't angry, but annoyed. He knew he didn't own Neil, he of all people knew that. He was not Andrew's property; but he was... was... Neil was his. He was the first thing Andrew ever got to have, to keep because he intended to stay without ulterior motives, and cared about him like no one else did.
After practice was over and everyone made their way to the locker room, Neil made sure to grab Wes' sleeve and stop him in the lounge.
"What's up?" Wes asked, a loose smile on his face. He was still panting, sweat beading by his temple. Neil guessed he could see where people found him attractive. Other people; people who didn't have Andrew Minyard as their nothing.
"I just...." he didn't know how to word it. Wesley was alright, he was the first person Neil had become sort-of friends with outside of the foxes. "I want to make something clear. You know that Andrew and I are together right?"
Wes nodded slowly, mouth quirking to the side in confusion. Neil shifted back and forth on his feet, hoping the delay would allow him to catch on.
"Obsessed with exy remember? I know a lot about the team. I mean, I pretty much stalked all of you before I met you." The tips of his ears flushed bright red. "Why?"
As soon as he said the words aloud it seemed to click into place because his eyes grew wider and his hands came up in an innocent gesture.
"Oh. Oh oh oh! You don't think– I wasn't trying to come on to you. Earlier I mean."
Neil felt stupidly relived. He knew there wasn't any drooling. He was right but Andrew was still Andrew which meant he was stubborn as hell.
"Don't get me wrong, I'd be lying if I said I didn't think you were attractive but I would never pursue you because you're taken. No dude, it's not like that. I just want to be your friend."
"That's cute," Andrew cut in. He was leaning against the doorframe, blonde hair wet from the shower and black covered arms folded across his broad chest. Neil looked over to shoot him a pointed look. Andrew scoffed and waved his hand dismissively. Neil then pointedly ignored how good Andrew looked and focused on the flush of annoyance at that hand. Andrew was acting like the proof he was right wasn't standing in front of them, sweating all over the floor.
"Andrew, I would never try to come between you." Wes promised, edging back minutely as Andrew walked towards Neil. He looked over him for a moment, knowing he was being stupid and not being able to stop it. Neil's eyes were burning blue with everlasting defiance and Andrew hated it. He hated it so much he had to warp an arm around Neil's waist so that they were close. Andrew finally looked back at Wes like he was especially bored with him. It was a cruel look, twisted by jealousy.
"Just to be clear, you couldn't." He said, deadly. Neil felt himself flush warmly all over. Andrew saying that — admitting that made his heart do stupidly wild things in his chest. The curl of his fingertips around Neil's hipbone was distracting. Andrew was staring Wesley down as he nodded like he agreed with Andrew. His eyes quickly flicked to Neil in a distress signal.
"Anyway..." Neil broke, overly loud to end the awkward silence. He clapped once and said "glad we cleared that up...?"
He ended up dragging Andrew to the locker room to wait for him to take a shower. Mostly though, to end the stare down before Andrew actually set Wesley on fire with his willpower. After he got out of the hurried shower he dressed and sat down with a leg on either side of the bench facing Andrew.
"What did I tell you?" Neil said, tired of this already but needing Andrew to know what he always has.
"I wasn't wrong."
"Yes, you were!"
"He likes you, but he's not a threat." Andrew turned to him, expression unreadable.
"I could have told you that, asshole."
They were silent for long moments that allowed them to calm down. Neil drooped a little, head coming to rest on Andrew's shoulder. They were both exhausted. One point of contact between them seeped the tension straight from Neil's core.
"I'll make a deal with you." Neil said to the floor. He lifted his head, face inches from Andrew's. "I was right about the first part. You were right about what you said to Wes."
"What did I say?" Andrew asked even though the bastard knew.
"That nothing could ever come between us."
Andrew made a hmm sound, as if contemplating the thought. He slid their hands together, fingers squeezing around Neil's reassuringly. Neil sighed, something in his chest going haywire at the slightest touch. He squeezed back and tilted his chin for a kiss to which Andrew obliged eagerly. The feeling behind his ribcage shot off and fizzled in the air between them as he twined his hand in Andrew's hair.
There was a loud sound from behind Andrew; the lounge door slamming open.
"What the fuck!?" Kevin groaned, catching sight of them tangled up for the umpteenth time. "I thought we were getting drunk in the basement tonight."
Neil surged forward for one more quick kiss and then settled for flipping Kevin off. They both stood and went willingly to the car, Andrew's keys jingling in his jeans.
"You might be," Andrew informed him. That was the plan. But with Kevin's bitching and and Aaron's disdainful noise when Neil took his hand over the center console he decided he had better things to do. From the way Neil's hand held his, thumb rubbing over the back of his palm it seemed he had the same idea.
He did fifteen over on the way to the tower.