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Andrew usually didn't care for any of the drink specials offered at Eden's Twilight. They were boring, and not to mention ridiculous, in his humble opinion. Bucket of beer! and ladies drink free! were just excuses to splurge on alcohol.
So when Nicky came running up to him, screaming something about a "nickel shot night," Andrew just leveled a blank stare at him.
"Come on," Nicky pleaded. "It's their Halloween special. Shots cost only five cents for anyone who goes dressed up. Come on, Andrewww, just this once?"
"I'm pretty sure we'll die if we go to Eden's." Aaron's input was delightful, as always.
"No." Andrew said, already turning around to head toward the roof for a smoke. Neil was out on a run with Kevin, but he'd texted Andrew fifteen minutes ago he'd be back in twenty.
He left Nicky's incessant whining behind, slipping a half-empty pack of cigarettes into his pocket and tugging on his coat. He lit the cigarette, leaving another one out for Neil when he came back, and stared out at the campus.
His mind was blissfully empty for once, filled only with thoughts of cigarette smoke and a certain auburn-haired boy.
Ten minutes later, the door clanged shut. Andrew didn't need to look behind him to check that it was Neil. He'd come to memorize the sound of Neil's footsteps, light and nimble, ready to take off whenever he needed to, but still purposeful.
Neil sat down next to him, smelling like coconut shampoo. His curls were dark and still damp, and Andrew purposely ignored the soft amusement in Neil's face as he lit the cigarette for him.
He opened his mouth, but Andrew cut in. "If my annoying cousin told you to try and convince me to take us to Eden's tomorrow, then go away."
"It's the girls' last year," Neil offered instead, cupping the cigarette in his hands and holding it close to his face. Andrew didn't scold him for wasting the good nicotine; Neil knew what he was doing, anyways.
"You act like I care."
"No. I know you don't." He shrugged, leaning closer so that his fingers just barely brushed Andrew's. "They would want to spend one last Halloween with us, though. And Nicky's never going to stop bothering you if you don't let him go."
"I could just gut him." Andrew sucked in a mouthful of acrid smoke, before tilting his head up and exhaling it into the blushing sky. Neil chuckled softly, and Andrew was suddenly very glad he wasn't looking at Neil. His stomach swooped, Neil's laughter gentle and rare like sun-kissed rain.
"I won't force you. I'm just saying. Just don't kill Nicky. We could still use some backliners that know what they're doing."
"If I tell the freshmen their vice-captain talked shit about them, they might throw a coup."
"They can try." Neil leaned close, his lips upturned in a private smile. A silent question swam in his eyes, glacial blue turned rosy and amber in the sunlight. Andrew found his breath catching in his lungs, his heart stubbornly beating slightly faster at the way the sunset cast brilliant colors over Neil's face, dappling his skin in soft shadows.
Finally, he closed the distance between them after a few more moments of silence, nearly knocking his teeth into Neil's from how fiercely he kissed him. A small, breathless laugh bubbled up in Neil, and Andrew felt the vibrations from where his hand settled against Neil's throat.
"I hate you," Andrew whispered against his lips, his fingers digging lightly into Neil's collarbone.
"I didn't do anything," Neil protested. Breath washing over Andrew's face, his eyes looked like a sea full of floating lanterns, flecks of light glowing beneath soft blue ice.
Andrew hated him.
He pushed Neil down, hovering over him. Neil gazed back up at him, an almost awed look glazing his eyes. Andrew's heart twisted, his fists clenched.
How Neil could look at him like he hung the stars in the sky and breathed life into him, Andrew didn't know. But it unsettled him, wove under his skin and threatened to shake him apart.
He hated Neil. Because he saw Andrew for who he was: Andrew. Not a monster, not a psychopath. Just Andrew. Because he didn't try to force anything out of Andrew, respecting his boundaries and pulling back whenever he needed it. Because Andrew let Neil in enough that losing him would destroy Andrew as well - and Andrew didn't want to let go.
"Andrew," Neil murmured, and his attention shifted back to the sunset boy underneath him.
Lacing his fingers through Neil's hair, Andrew leaned down and kissed him again. Neil made a quiet, breathy noise as Andrew bit down on his lower lip.
"Yes or no?" Andrew asked, to which Neil nodded eagerly. He wasted no time in shoving his hand under Neil's shirt, running his fingers over the terrain of Neil's skin. His scars were war trenches and battlefields that Andrew had memorized, as he traced his finger gently over Neil's abdomen.
"You know, I was supposed to just be a messenger from Nicky, but - " He trailed off in a quiet gasp when Andrew leaned down to press his lips against the patch of skin just above Neil's navel.
"What would you give me if I said yes?" Andrew asked, his hands settling on Neil's hips.
"What would you want?" Neil returned.
They were patiently unraveling each other, giving each other smaller but still just as important secrets, ones that they could tuck close to their chests and mull over beneath the sunset. But Andrew was okay with going slow. He knew what it took for Neil to say the truth after years of lying, and he knew what his own truths meant to Neil.
(Another thing he hated about Neil: Andrew was afraid of losing him, afraid of ruining him).
So he said, "Tell me a story."
Neil's eyebrow raised, and his lips twitched. "Of what?"
"You." Andrew rubbed his thumbs against Neil's bare skin, lowering his chin just slightly so that he could feel Neil's breaths beneath him.
The silence that stretched between them was short but comfortable. Neil gazed at Andrew with that misplaced softness only he seemed to be able to muster, a tinge of a smile on his lips. He eventually nodded, propping himself up on his elbows. His shirt fell back down.
"Okay," he said, before tugging Andrew forward for another kiss.
--
"This is your fault," Andrew whispered into Neil's ear as he glared out at the sea of dancing bodies and neon lights and wacky costumes. Neil laughed quietly, the noise getting lost in the music blaring through the speakers.
The rest of the Foxes were already getting five cent shots. Neil had assured Andrew he'd stay sober, so he wouldn't need babysitting, and had opted to stay at the table with him and Renee.
Allison came back with a tray of shots held above her head, slamming it down onto the table. The rest of the Foxes trickled in, gathering around the table.
"Everyone grab one," she instructed, picking up her own shot, ignoring the fact that both Kevin and Dan took two. "They gave me this many for a dollar, which is all I brought, so drink the fuck up."
"How many is this?" Nicky asked, his eyes wide. "How many fives go into one?"
"Twenty," Neil said, rolling his eyes.
"We get it, you're a math major." Allison gestured for Neil to take a shot, which he did. Andrew leaned closer as Neil observed the alcohol almost pensively.
"You don't need to do that," he murmured in German, and Neil glanced back at him.
"I'm okay with this," he replied. Andrew ignored the rest of the Foxes' looks as he took his own shot, holding it up close to Neil's.
"Okay, fellas." Dan took charge, lifting her shots. "Here's to another year of success, and another championship title. And here's to kicking the asses of anyone who thinks otherwise."
"I'll cheers to that," Matt said, grinning. They all knocked back their shots simultaneously. Andrew didn't even wince from the sting of the alcohol.
They'd finished the tray when Allison suddenly commented, "You know, it feels really fucking weird to be walking around with no money at all."
"Of course," Neil remarked. Andrew bit back a scoff - this was coming from someone who came to Palmetto last year with a practical fortune under his belt.
"Who wants to bet that I can make some money right now?" Allison continued.
"How? We're in a club," Kevin said.
"So you're betting against me?"
"I didn't say that."
"Sounds like a challenge." Allison tapped an empty shot glass against the table, raising her eyebrows at Kevin, who scowled deeply.
"Allison, you're thinking of something. I can see it on your face. It's your I'm-thinking-of-something-that-has-potentially-disastrous-consequences face," Matt said.
"Okay. I'm going to buy more shots," Allison said, ignoring Matt and thus proving him correct. "I'm bored of the dancing anyways. Let's make this a competition. Whoever can make the most money while drunk gets all the money we earn tonight."
"That sounds borderline illegal," Neil said.
"Like you care, Bambi."
"Mm."
"Don't be stupid," Andrew said, close to Neil's ear so that only he could hear him.
"I said I wouldn't get drunk. So I won't." Neil stayed close by Andrew as Kevin was the first to accept Allison's challenge, then the upperclassmen, and Nicky.
"Let's fucking go!" Allison grabbed the tray, hoisting it over her head, and maneuvering through the crowd again. The Foxes except for Renee, Aaron, Neil, and Andrew dispersed behind her.
The night progressed, and from what Andrew could see, the competition was going rather terribly. Five cent shots, it turned out, really impaired human judgement. At one point Kevin nearly got punched for trying to take one customer's tips, but luckily Dan was there to clumsily pull him back. They were all going to have one hell of a hangover tomorrow morning, but it wasn't Andrew's fault that they were so overly competitive that they were destroying their livers and trying to make money, of all things, in the process.
Neil was happy to give Andrew his promised story, tucked close to his side as Andrew rested a hand against his hip.
"We were in England," he was saying. "Mom didn't want us spending more money than we absolutely had to, so she taught me how to pickpocket. I got really good at it, too. While we stayed at my uncle's, I constantly pickpocketed him, just for the practice. He got so pissed at me, because he'd be looking for his gun or cash or ID, but I would have it. I think his face would've amused you."
"Nothing amuses me," Andrew said blandly, tapping his fingers absently against Neil's hip.
"Mm. Uncle Stuart told me to stop pickpocketing him, since I was only twelve at the time, tops. I started putting shit into his pockets to make up for stealing from him all the time. He got even more annoyed at me after that." Neil laughed quietly, and his breath sent shivers down Andrew's back. "Sometimes I'd sneak bread and tea bags into his pockets, just to poke some fun. Mom made me stop when she found out, said I didn't have time for jokes. It was fun while it lasted."
He reached out, picking up Andrew's glass of whiskey and sipping slowly from it. Andrew knew that Neil preferred whiskey over any other liquor, so he'd purposely ordered it, ignoring Roland's knowing look.
"Was that your story?" Andrew asked quietly.
"Yeah. A bit boring, but I didn't think you'd want to hear about the action sequences." Neil swished the whiskey around in the glass, his body growing heavy against Andrew's side.
They sat in silence, watching as Matt nearly crashed into the wall after linking arms with Dan to take another shot. Renee laughed softly at Allison's antics, while Aaron just went on his phone, probably texting Katelyn. Andrew was getting bored, and his side was beginning to grow numb from Neil's weight.
He shifted, and Neil sat up almost immediately. "Show me," Andrew said when Neil shot him a questioning look.
"Show you what?"
"Your pickpocketing."
Even in the neon darkness of the club, Andrew could see the sharp smirk that slowly cut across Neil's face. He raised his eyebrows playfully. "So you want in on Allison's bet too?"
"They are all too wasted to walk, so much as 'make money,'" Andrew said, putting the last phrase in air quotes. "This is your chance."
"Never knew you'd want to participate in this."
"I won't sit here all night."
Neil grinned this time, standing up and quickly finishing the whiskey. He set the empty glass on the table, before reaching out to Andrew with his palm up. They didn't usually hold hands, and when they did, it was mostly to make sure the other didn't get lost. Andrew took Neil's hand without hesitation, their fingers linking snugly together.
He glanced around at Renee, who was watching with a warm smile on her face. "Good luck, guys," she said.
Neil gave her a little wave, before leading Andrew off into the crowd.
Immediately, the amount of people dancing wildly threatened to make Andrew's skin crawl. He squeezed Neil's hand harder, using him as an anchor as he ducked to avoid a few stray elbows. Neil glanced over at him, before moving around toward the walls where there were less people.
"You okay?" he asked, raising his voice to be heard over the music. They paused by another empty table, and Andrew checked in with himself. He didn't feel too bad now that they were a bit separated from the throng. He wasn't prone to flashbacks or panic attacks as much anymore, and Neil was by his side. He figured he would be okay.
He nodded, and Neil stared at him for another moment to make sure. Then he led Andrew into the crowd again, making sure to keep close by his side.
They spotted their first target a few short minutes later. Neil shot a smirk at Andrew, before edging closer to the oblivious man. The shape of his wallet was clear in his back pocket, one corner peeking out. In a swift movement, Neil had plucked the wallet from the guy and was subtly rummaging through the contents with one hand. Andrew watched in muted amazement as Neil took out two twenty-dollar bills, before carefully slipping the wallet back into the guy's pocket and taking off again.
Andrew raised his eyebrows when Neil turned around and tucked the money into Andrew's belt. "Try not to look so smug, Josten."
"I think you're impressed."
Little shit.
Neil didn't let Andrew respond, taking him through the crowd while looking for their next victim.
He only stopped to pickpocket two other people, but it was clear that Neil had won Allison's challenge by the end of the night. He stole a wad of cash from a young lady by the bar, and stopped when he spotted Dan.
"Hey, Neil, what're you doing here?" she cried loudly, not even noticing when Neil reached behind her and took any money she had out of her back pocket. Andrew had to turn away to hide his scoff.
"Just winning a bet," he said smugly, before turning around and leading Andrew to a less crowded area.
Before Neil could do much else, Andrew was pressing him against the wall, their lips barely a breath apart. "Yes or no?" Andrew asked darkly.
"Yes," Neil breathed, and Andrew kissed him so intensely Neil moaned quietly, then promptly melted. Andrew ducked his head down and sucked a bruise into Neil's collarbone, tugging Neil's hands up and placing his fingers in his hair.
Andrew kept Neil pinned against the wall, both of them catching their breaths. A glimmering smile broke across Neil's face, like sun striking through heavy rain clouds. He was smiling more often, Andrew realized. That knowledge shouldn't have made his chest tighten the way it did, but his heart still skipped a beat when Neil turned a warm gaze toward Andrew.
(He hated that Neil could make him feel this much).
"So you are impressed," Neil panted, grinning when Andrew glared at him.
"I'm not impressed with that mouth of yours."
"You did just kiss me." Tilting his head to the side, Neil gently pulled Andrew closer, fingers rubbing his scalp. "Neck fetishes aren't attractive to you, but pickpocketing is?"
"Shut up," Andrew growled, puncturing each word with a harsh kiss.
--
It turned out that Neil won by a landslide.
Allison was the most reluctant to fork over her money, pouting and begging Neil to tell her his secrets, to fork over his "financial wizardry," while Nicky just gaped at the bruise beginning to form on Neil's neck. Kevin couldn't even respond, since he was passed out at the table.
Too many nickel shots.
Neil smugly took the Foxes' meager earnings, adding them to his illegally earned collection and shoving the cash into his pocket. Renee calmed Allison down, grabbing her arm and hauling her upright, since the latter couldn't even stand straight.
"That was fun," he remarked as Andrew led their group to the Maserati. "Never doing that again, though."
"I wonder whose fault that is," Andrew mused out loud, shoving Kevin into the backseat and threatening him with disembowelment if he puked. Aaron rolled his eyes but pushed Kevin against the window, sitting down in the middle.
"I think Eden's is going to have to take a loss on this one," Neil said, eyeing Nicky and Kevin. "Probably most of their customers got blackout drunk tonight."
"And you're tipsy. Get in." Andrew pushed Neil into the passenger seat before slamming the door shut. He purposely ignored Neil's quiet, buttery giggles and the jolt in his chest as he floored the gas pedal and sped through the traffic.
Getting Kevin and Nicky into the Columbia house proved to be an arduous task. Aaron was saddled with Nicky while Andrew and Neil both worked to drag Kevin into the living room. They dumped him unceremoniously on the couch, and Neil tossed a blanket over Kevin's snoring form.
"Doubt they'll remember anything when they wake up tomorrow," Neil remarked when Aaron slammed Nicky's bedroom door shut and retreated to his own room, cursing under his breath. Something about "fucking stupid tall blackout drunks."
Andrew took Neil into his room, shutting the door quietly. Neil left all the cash he got on the bedside table, rolling his shoulders and flashing a small smile at Andrew.
"Yes or no?" Andrew asked, crossing the room toward him.
"Yes," Neil answered as he let Andrew push him into the mattress. "Are you showering?"
"In a minute," Andrew murmured, before kissing him deeply and erasing anything else he had to say.