Work Text:
It was their second spring break together and would be the girls’ last one with them since they were fifth year seniors. Dan, Matt, Renee, and Allison had decided to rent a cabin again.
Even though they were no longer roommates, or maybe because they were no longer roommates, Neil and Matt kept up with their fighting lessons. Neil showed up just as the upperclassmen decided it might be nice to go to the same place as last time.
“Think Andrew would let you guys come along again?” Dan asked.
“I’ll ask,” Neil said.
“Then it’ll be a definite yes,” Matt grinned.
Neil smiled, a little less socially awkward after nearly two years with the Foxes. “Are the freshmen coming?” he asked.
“God no.” Allison groaned. “Spring break is supposed to be relaxing and fun. It’ll be hard enough with the monsters around.”
All Neil said was, “Okay.” He knew she had a soft spot for them even if she still hated them all. Also, he was pleased they didn’t want the freshmen around as much as he didn’t.
He joined the others in the lounge after his shower and Wymack went over notes for the coming week. He ended with, “Don’t fail your midterms.”
“So?” Allison asked Neil.
“I haven’t asked, yet,” he told her.
“Asked what?” One of the freshmen questioned.
Neil turned to Andrew and spoke in German, “They want to know if we want to join them for spring break like last year.”
“Hell yeah!” Nicky shouted in English.
“It’s not fair when you guys speak in German,” Sheena complained.
Aaron looked at her and said, “If it’s in German, it’s not your business. You don’t hear Kevin complaining.”
“That’s probably because he’s just relieved he doesn’t have to listen to Neil and Andrew’s dirty talk and understand.”
If it wasn’t Exy, Kevin didn’t care so he didn’t respond. Neil ignored the comment and relayed the invitation in French.
Kevin shook his head. “There wasn’t a court last time.” His response was in English.
Neil kept on in French. “Will you go if they find a place with a court?”
“Nobody likes it when you guys speak French either!”
“No one likes it when you speak.” Aaron returned.
Kevin pointed at Allison. “Find a place with a court.”
She glared. “You’re so fucking predictable.”
“Fuck you.”
“In your dreams, asshole.”
One of the freshmen blurted, “You guys are making plans and only inviting half of the team?”
They ignored the freshmen and started for the door. “Aaron?” Dan asked. “You can bring Katelyn.”
This started another round of protests from the freshmen. “She’s not even on the team!”
Aaron shrugged and Dan grinned. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“Thea can come, too.” Renee said kindly to Kevin.
“No.”
Neil nudged Andrew and got a glare. “So we’re going?”
“Make sure there are enough rooms. I want the one farthest away from them,” he shot over his shoulder.
“Hey, Renee,” Nicky said. “Is Jean coming?”
“Are you kidding me?” Jack yelled when Renee nodded. “He’s on another fucking team!”
Dan/Matt
Kevin/Nicky
Andrew/Neil
Aaron/Katelyn
Allison
Renee/Jean
They left Saturday afternoon. They took three cars since they had two extra people coming along. Matt drove Nicky, Aaron and Katelyn since Aaron still refused to have Katelyn and Andrew in the same space for long. Allison drove Dan, Renee and Jean since Renee wanted to avoid the awkwardness that was Kevin and Jean. Andrew, Neil and Kevin were the last to arrive since they stopped for alcohol.
Neil thought there wasn’t much difference between this place and the one they stayed at last spring. The set up was much the same with one bedroom on the first floor and four on the second. The only difference was there was a loft/attic that acted as a sixth bedroom.
The others had left the first floor bedroom for Andrew and Neil again so Kevin went upstairs to find the room with Nicky’s bag.
Their first day was remarkably similar to their first day last year. The others were already in the hot tub. Nicky helped Andrew mix drinks for the others. Andrew and Neil isolated themselves in view of the others and sipped whiskey.
They ate dinner together then settled on couches and raced to see who could get wasted first. They ended the night with Allison calling out the same warning she had the year before. “The walls are thin! I better not hear any of you stupidly happy couples fucking.”
“I bet if you ask nicely Kevin will keep you warm tonight,” Nicky singsonged.
Kevin shot him a disgusted look at the same time Allison told Nicky, “It wasn’t funny the last five times you said it.”
Late Sunday morning the Foxes slowly convened in the front room so they could head to breakfast together. They talked quietly, most of them hungover, all of them still waking up.
“I’m hungry,” Nicky complained.
“Then go wake up your cousin,” Allison snapped back.
“They have to be awake,” Dan said, eyes closed and head leaned on Matt’s shoulder. “I heard one of them get up to shower this morning.”
Nicky glanced at their door. “If one of them is up, the other is, too, but I haven’t heard a sound from their room. Have you?”
He crossed the room and knocked. There was no answer so he tried the door knob and was surprised to find it was unlocked.
His jaw dropped when he took in the scene before him. Neil was leaned back against the wall, hands in Andrew’s hair, and Andrew was on his knees.
Neil’s eyes snapped open with the door and he spluttered, “Fucking hell, Nicky -” He made a noise Nicky never in a million years thought he’d hear coming from him in real life and struggled to keep his eyes open. “G-get the fuck out!”
Nicky slammed the door in his haste and turned to the others who were looking at him curiously. “I think I just saw Neil enjoying himself while not playing Exy,” Nicky deadpanned and couldn’t keep the grin off of his face.
“You’re lying,” Matt accused but he was laughing like the rest of the team.
“Andrew was -” Nicky mimed giving a blowjob and the others lost it.
“You’re gonna make me puke,” Aaron was perhaps the only one less amused than Kevin.
“They’re so quiet,” Matt looked back at their door.
Allison stood. “Let’s go to breakfast, then.”
The others agreed and stood up. About half of them were out the front door when Andrew emerged from his room.
He grabbed Nicky by the shirt and hissed, “Don’t do that again.” His cousin struggled to hold back his laughter but nodded.
“You look wrecked,” Allison commented and Andrew glared.
“Shut up.” More than a couple of the others snorted. It was hard to take him seriously when his lips were swollen and red, his pupils were so dilated his eyes were almost completely black, and his hair was sticking up in weird angles thanks to Neil’s hands.
Allison only allowed a small smile and said, “It’s a good look on you,” before walking out the door. It wasn’t a lie.
Andrew refused to come out of his room for the rest of Sunday which meant Neil didn’t either. The others left them alone until after dinner.
“They could be having sex,” Nicky slurred, already tipsy. “And we wouldn’t even know.”
“Is it normal?” Matt looked toward their door again. “To be so quiet?”
Renee cleared her throat softly and the others looked to where she was curled up with her feet under her and Jean’s arm around her. “I think that everybody’s different. Different experiences and all that.”
“What?” Katelyn asked.
Aaron groaned but kissed her temple. “If the only experience you have is being raped and having your life threatened if you make a noise, you’re used to being quiet.”
He waited for Katelyn to show she understood. The alcohol made her brain sluggish so it took her a few seconds. “Okay, but what about Neil?”
“I heard him tell Andrew that his mom used to beat him any time she caught him with a girl.”
“Damn!” Nicky laughed and Aaron turned to glare. He had been speaking quietly but hadn’t realized the others had gone silent around him to listen. “I’ve heard of people trying to beat the gay out of you but never have I heard of someone beating someone n-not straight!”
Aaron ignored the others as usual and told Katelyn. “Also, Neil’s a liar. The first nineteen years of his life he spent controlling what other people saw of him. I imagine it’s not easy giving up control after so long.”
“Neil ‘I’m fine’ Josten,” Matt agreed.
“What does that mean?” Jean instinctively looked toward Kevin for an answer.
The others hadn’t really seen the two former Ravens interact except for at the banquets when Riko had a collar around Jean’s neck. They also knew the reason Jean wasn’t playing with the Foxes was because there was too much history between him and Kevin.
They didn’t know what they expected but it wasn’t an open expression and Kevin telling Jean, “Last year, whenever anyone asked Neil how he was or if he was okay he would automatically say, ‘I’m fine.’ Even after he came back from Christmas break he told everyone he was fine.”
Jean nodded at this. He changed to French. “The two weeks he spent with the Ravens he never said how he was doing. Mostly just screaming and groaning.”
“Nobody asked,” Kevin assumed. “Nobody would’ve cared.”
“When we talked, it was mostly about Riko, Exy, and you.”
Riko’s name spiked interest in their conversation even more. Kevin only slightly stiffened. When Jean finally looked at the others he said in English, “I’ve never heard Neil say, ‘I’m fine.’ If I had to give him a name like that it would be Neil ‘fuck you’ Josten.”
His comment lightened the mood again and the others went back to talking about random things. Allison motioned for Dan and Renee to follow her so they got up from their seats. Renee looked at Allison and pointed to Katelyn with her eyes and Allison shrugged. While Dan kissed Matt, Renee went over to Aaron and Katelyn and said, “We’re going upstairs. Care to join us?”
“Sure,” Katelyn looked only slightly surprised. She kissed Aaron’s cheek then let Renee help her to her feet.
“Come on, Dan,” Allison whined. She pulled Dan away from Matt and grabbed the fullest bottle she could on their way to the stairs. Renee brought up the rear in case any one of her tipsy friends decided to trip.
When they reached the attic, they all climbed onto Allison’s bed. Allison and Dan turned to Katelyn.
Her face was already a little flushed from alcohol but blood rushed to her cheeks when Allison asked, “So is Aaron loud?”
“Wh-what?” she stuttered, then laughed a little nervously. “Why?”
“We just got proof his twin’s not.”
“No, we didn’t,” Katelyn said. “We got proof that his twin’s boyfriend isn’t loud.”
Dan nodded. “Yeah, but you heard what Aaron said.”
Allison rolled her eyes. “Okay, but both of them are very controlling. The only time we’ve ever seen Andrew show any personality was on his drugs. After that, nothing. I think it’s safe to say neither of them is able to give up that much control even when they’re getting each other off. I think Andrew’s less likely than Neil.”
Dan giggled and choked on a mouthful of liquor.
“So, back to Aaron,” Allison tried to gesture to Katelyn.
She shrugged and took a gulp from their shared bottle when Dan offered it to her. She grinned and said, “Mostly only when he’s drunk. Otherwise, he’s not. He’s kind of serious and sweet.”
“Aaron? Sweet?” Dan hiccuped. She paused then said, “Last year I would’ve never believed it. But now - now that we’ve seen him around you - Oh, my god! He does have a soft side!”
She said it like a revelation. She turned to Allison. “Do you think Andrew is sweet to Neil?”
Allison blinked lazily up at the ceiling. “I don’t know. Remember when Nicky thought it was just hate sex?”
“Yeah, but they’ve been together for a year now,” Dan took another swig from the bottle.
“I’d be more shocked to find out Andrew is gentle when they’re - do you think they’ve even had sex? I mean, like, besides handies and blowjobs. Like, I’d get it after all that shit with Drake last year.” Allison leaned up on her elbows suddenly to look at Renee. “Does he tell you that stuff?”
“No,” she said and left it at that.
Allison fell onto her back again and dragged Dan with her. Katelyn drank from the bottle and swallowed. Then she said, “Which one of your teammates do you think is the loudest in bed?”
At the same time Dan and Allison answered, “Nicky.” This sent them into a fit of giggles. Renee smiled down at her friends.
“Hm,” Allison hugged Dan and snuggled into her warmth. “Now we know two are quiet, two are loud and one -” She pointed at Katelyn and nodded once in thanks. “Is both.”
She gasped and blurted, “What about Kevin?”
“Someone so uptight has to let loose somewhere, right?” Dan rolled so that she was on her stomach.
“I don’t know,” Renee said and the other women immediately gave her their undivided attention.
When she didn’t elaborate, Allison and Dan both complained.
“C’mon, Renee-nay,” Allison leaned across Dan’s back to tug at her pastel colored tips. “What do you know?”
She pursed her lips. “This doesn’t leave this room,” she finally caved. They waved her off and she spoke quietly, not wanting Jean or Kevin to hear her even though there was an entire floor between them. “Riko decided when Kevin and Jean had sex for the first time.”
“What? Like he fucked them?” Allison shrieked.
Renee shushed Allison and said, “No. He chose the girls for them and was there when it happened. Ravens weren’t allowed to go anywhere without another Raven. Kevin was literally by Riko’s side for most of his life and when he finally left, Jean was.”
Dan grimaced and spoke slowly. “That’s sick. So they were only allowed to have sex if someone else was watching?”
“I don’t think the rules were as strict with the other Ravens but I don’t know. Neil said Riko and Kevin shared a room in one hall and all the other Ravens were in a different hall.”
“But if he was always with Riko, how’d he and Thea get together?”
Renee shrugged, deciding she had shared way too much information for the night.
Allison was on her back again, blinking lazily at the ceiling. She asked, “Is Jean loud?”
Renee’s eyes looked empty. “I imagine it’s a little bit like Andrew’s situation. He learned begging and fighting didn’t make them stop.” She flinched and she was sweet Renee Walker again. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud. We’ve kissed and that’s it. I don’t really know.”
Dan grabbed her hand and squeezed. It was hard to believe Renee when she said she and Andrew were very similar but times when they were reminded of her past and now that they knew a little more about what he had gone through, it was hard to believe she didn’t turn out exactly like him.
“I thought Kevin was gay for the longest time,” Allison admitted, subdued. “Like, I thought it was the reason he couldn’t fully give up Riko.”
“Do you think he was ...” Katelyn wondered. “Is that why you said you don’t know if he’s loud in bed?”
Renee shrugged. “I don’t know. Everyone’s different. Even two people who go through the same situation can react to things differently.”
“Geez,” Dan said. “Sorry, Katelyn. We promise our hangouts aren’t always such downers.”
“It’s interesting,” Katelyn admitted, laying next to Dan . “I know not all the girls on the squad had perfect lives but I feel like we live in a bubble sometimes, you know? I feel like everything I’ve learned about your team is stuff you only see in movies. Abuse, rape, murder. After hanging out with you guys, it’s just something so different hanging out with the squad.”
“I guess after dating one of the monsters, nothing can really surprise you, huh?” Allison’s eyes were closed and she reached out blindly to squeeze Katelyn’s arm.
Dan threw an arm over Allison’s waist and snuggled her face into the side of her neck. “Remember that thing that Neil said? Uh, it-I, um, if we got what we deserved we wouldn’t be foxes.”
“Hm,” Allison sighed, already asleep.
Renee woke up before the sun rose and couldn’t fall back asleep. She turned over under Jean’s arm and studied his face. It was weird, the contrast. She had seen all of her teammates awake and asleep at some point and it never ceased to amaze her.
They all looked so peaceful and it made Renee sad to think that anyone could hurt them. The thought passed through her mind again and she remembered why she couldn’t fall back asleep. She felt guilty.
Jean’s and Kevin’s lives at Castle Evermore were their business and for some reason Renee had shared some of Jean’s and Kevin’s experiences. She wouldn’t want Jean telling his teammates that she had been raped. Yet, she had all but stated that multiple people had forced themselves on him.
Lightly, she pressed a fingertip to his cheek and traced the three she knew was underneath his coverup tattoo. His eyelashes fluttered and he breathed deeply, moving a hand to cover hers. He moved their hands down until he could press a kiss to her palm.
“Morning,” he sighed against her skin and she felt his lips quirk up into a smile.
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” she said softly.
He squinted his eyes open and turned to grab his phone off the nightstand. “You didn’t,” he told her after checking the time. “I always get up now.”
A door opened on the other side of the space separating Dan and Matt’s and Renee and Jean’s rooms from Nicky and Kevin’s and Aaron and Katelyn’s rooms. Quiet footsteps crossed that space and stopped in front of their door.
The knock was light and Renee looked up at Jean before sliding off the bed and going to answer it. She knew who it was going to be but she was still a little surprised.
Kevin leaned against the doorframe, looking slightly surprised to see Renee as well.
“Kevin, good morning,” she said.
“Hi, Renee,” he responded. “Is Jean up?”
She had a feeling he already knew the answer. She opened the door the rest of the way and moved so Kevin could see Jean.
“Neil and I are going to the court.”
Jean sat up. “Meet you downstairs.”
Neil finished tying his shoe before turning back to look at Andrew. “Are you planning on leaving the room today?”
“I might kill Nicky if I do.”
Andrew’s eyes were closed so Neil rolled his eyes and leaned in close. “Yes?”
“Mm,” Andrew hummed. Neil kissed him.
When Neil closed the door behind him he was greeted with an annoyed look from Kevin. He looked at his watch, making sure he wasn’t late, then shrugged it off, knowing Kevin was displeased with Andrew’s failure to join them.
Kevin didn’t move so Neil shot him a questioning look. He looked up at the second floor when he heard a door open. Kevin waited for Jean to get halfway down the stairs before heading outside.
Neil drove them to the court. He would’ve preferred to run but then he couldn’t take his racquets. They started with laps around the court which was nice but slightly smaller than an actual Exy court. They stretched like they usually did at their morning practices with their teams before running through the Raven drills. Kevin let Jean borrow one of his racquets since he and Neil both used heavier racquets more commonly used by backliners and was closer to Jean’s height.
Three hours later other people started showing up at the court much to Kevin’s annoyance. He started collecting the balls into a bucket but he was Kevin Day and he was with Jean Moreau and Neil Josten. He was one of the sons of Exy and now he was the only son of Exy. They had all been marked for Riko’s perfect Court.
Of course he wasn’t able to gather more than a couple balls before someone approached him. Kevin half assed one of his press smiles which was more than enough.
Neil took over collecting balls. Kevin and Jean were media trained; Neil was known for saying controversial things and pissing people off. As soon as he finished collecting the balls, he called out to Kevin.
The boy who was posing for a picture with Kevin and Jean looked at Neil. Kevin motioned for him to come over and Neil tried to wave him off.
It was a repeat of Kathy Ferdinand. Kevin called out in French, “You gave me your game so get the fuck over here. Play nice.”
Jean raised his eyebrows at that. “Really?”
Neil called out, “Fuck you, both.” Kevin and Jean laughed like Neil had made a joke. None of the people there had understood their conversation so they laughed, too.
They posed for pictures and gave autographs for ten minutes before Kevin said, “We better get going. It was great meeting you.”
“Play a game with us!” Someone suggested.
Neil thought Kevin would decline. These people were only playing for fun. They weren’t dedicated enough that Kevin would be wasting his time.
“Sure, one game,” Kevin agreed and Neil gave him a look. “Jean needs to borrow some gear though.”
They headed over to their duffle bags and Kevin muttered, “Stop looking like Nicky just walked in on Andrew giving you a blowjob.”
Neil gaped. “Did you just make a fucking joke?”
They pulled on their helmets and gloves, deciding they’d do a short first-team-to-five-points kind of game. They were just deciding teams when Andrew and Renee showed up.
Neil watched as one man was brave enough (or stupid enough) to try to introduce himself to Andrew. He offered him a hand to shake and Andrew stared at him uninterested. Renee intervened and shook the poor guy’s hand, introducing herself.
Andrew left them and went straight for Neil. He hooked his fingers through the grating of Neil’s helmet and said, “You’ve been gone for more than three hours.”
“Don’t blame me,” Neil couldn’t help but smile knowing Andrew had run five miles to get here. “Blame Mr. Celebrity, Queen Day, over here.”
“I want ice cream,” Andrew said and a piece of sweat-darkened hair fell into his eyes. “Give me my keys.”
“Play a game with us,” Kevin said.
Andrew’s gaze floated over to Kevin. “No.”
“Neil will get wasted after.”
“No, I won’t.”
It was amusing watching Kevin try not to scowl because so many pairs of eyes were on him. “I’ll fill the freezer at the cabin with your favorite ice cream and won’t say anything when you make yourself sick off it.”
“I’m not putting on any gear.”
Jean and Renee joined them, both wearing borrowed helmets and gloves. They each had an arm wrapped around the other. Under her free arm, Renee carried an extra helmet and gloves.
“Here you go,” she smiled at Andrew.
He took it and said, “I’m not guarding your goal.” He crossed the court and went to stand in the opposite goal.
Renee smiled at the other three and said, “I’ll be a backliner for the other team.”
They had more than enough volunteers to fill their team. They ended up having to play three games because so many people wanted the chance to say they played on Kevin Day’s team.
Andrew rebounded most of the balls off of Kevin’s helmet whenever he got the chance. Neil was relieved Renee was put on as Kevin’s mark because she knew what he was like when he was frustrated or upset with Andrew. Whichever striker Jean guarded had a hard time getting the ball at all but their other backliners weren’t very good and their goalie was worse.
After the third game, Andrew walked off the court. Kevin declined another game and Renee made sure to thank everyone she played with. Jean waited and held a hand out to her when she started toward him.
They changed out of their sweaty clothes. Jean gave Renee his clean shirt and she smiled gratefully. He replaced his dirty shirt with his jacket. Neil threw Andrew his hoodie before going into a stall to change.
“I will leave you,” Andrew called so Neil could hear him from his bathroom stall.
“Just like you’ll push me off the roof of Fox Tower.” Neil came out and joined the others.
In the car Jean checked his phone and frowned. “What’d you do to piss off Thea?” he asked Kevin.
Kevin didn’t turn around and he answered in French. “We had an argument about Riko and the Ravens. She didn’t like what I had to say so she dumped me.”
“I thought we convinced her last year that you were telling the truth,” Jean switched to French to humor Kevin.
“She wanted to know more so I told her more. She’ll get over it.” Kevin turned the volume up on the radio to end the conversation. Andrew slapped his hand but didn’t turn it back down.
Andrew parked the car in the farthest parking space possible and told Kevin, “Buy me a spoon, too.”
Jean and Renee went with Kevin. Neil waited until he couldn’t see them through the back window before leaning forward. “Shower when we get back?”
“Not with you.”
Neil kissed the side of Andrew’s neck and murmured, “Why not?”
He didn’t answer. He wouldn’t answer for two reasons: Neil already knew the answer and Andrew wouldn’t admit to weakness.
When the others came back, they filled Andrew’s trunk with ice cream. Renee passed him a pint and a spoon and he ripped the plastic seal off with his teeth. Kevin looked disgusted but true to his word didn’t say anything.
On Tuesday the group went on a five mile hike. It was a loop trail through a densely wooded area. They paired off on the narrow trail talking about anything and everything.
It was one of Neil’s favorite parts of spring break. Their team blended together and “upperclassmen” and “monsters” was scarcely used, if at all. They still argued a lot, but it was over stupid things that normal twenty-somethings would fight about.
Neil hung back until he was bringing up the rear with Andrew. They walked in silence, listening to their teammates laugh and shout.
As they approached a part in the path where sunlight broke through leaves and branches, Neil nearly toppled over the side of the trail. Andrew’s grip on his hand tightened and to anyone who looked back at them it would seem that Andrew only grabbed Neil’s hand to stop him from falling. In truth, Neil had tripped because he wasn’t expecting Andrew to hold his hand with all of the others around.
He looked at Andrew, hair and eyes unnaturally pale in the sunlight. Andrew stared back, mouth straight, eyes only Neil could read as defiant.
“Aw,” Nicky cooed and the couple’s attention snapped forward.
Andrew dropped his hand and Neil glared at Nicky for ruining this moment. Katelyn was peering over his shoulder at his phone.
“This is a great picture,” she said. “Dan will want to put it on the wall.”
“I will kill you,” Andrew fixed Nicky with a look.
Nicky rolled his eyes but forced his way to the front of the group as he yelled, “What’s new?”
Four miles in Allison stopped.
“Where’s Dan?”
The others looked between themselves and shrugged. Neil frowned. “Matt’s missing, too.”
“Oh,” Allison smirked.
“We should go look for them,” Neil said.
“Dan and Matt are missing together,” Nicky emphasized. When Neil still looked confused, he said, “They’re probably doing the straight person nasty.”
The others groaned. “Do you always have to call it that?”
“What if they’re actually hurt?” Neil didn’t look convinced. “We’re in the woods. One of them could have twisted an ankle or fallen.”
“They’re fine,” Allison put her hands on Neil’s shoulders. She breathed in deeply through her nostrils. “Fine. Let’s go everyone!”
The others protested but they all headed back the way they came calling out to their ‘lost’ teammates.
They didn’t have to go far before they heard Dan moaning and Matt grunting through a patch of trees. The others tried to keep straight faces. Aaron was the first to turn away.
“Happy?” he asked. “They’re fine.”
“More than fine,” Renee agreed, taking Jean’s hand and following Aaron and Katelyn.
The others started to follow but Neil stood frozen in place. He felt the burn in his cheeks.
“Neil?” Kevin looked over his shoulder when he didn’t hear them following behind.
“Wh-why?” he stuttered. “Why would anyone want to do th-that out here?”
Nicky put a hand over his heart and sighed. “Oh, you sweet, sweet boy.”
Andrew shot him a warning look and Neil glared. “I’m serious.”
“Andrew, take Neil about a mile back and show him why.” Nicky winked.
“No.”
Nicky laughed. Andrew took Neil’s hand and dragged him along in the opposite direction from the others. Neil looked back and forth between the cousins.
“Have fun, you two!” Nicky called.
“Andrew, stop,” Neil said. He immediately loosened his grip and waited. “We’re not actually going to - like, we’re not going to do whatever Matt and Dan are doing, are we?”
Andrew shrugged.
“I don’t want -” Neil sighed.
“What?” Andrew demanded, impatient, not angry.
“Our first time to be in the mud,” Neil finished, rushed, eyes locked on Andrew’s.
Neil could have sworn Andrew nearly smiled. “Can I blow you in the mud?”
He wasn’t Andrew so he grinned, suddenly at ease. “Can I blow you?”
The upperclassmen wolf whistled when Andrew and Neil finally returned from their eight mile hike. Andrew ignored them and went straight to the porch, pulling out his pack of cigarettes.
“So now do you understand why people do that out there?” Matt smiled knowingly at Neil.
“No,” Neil tried to keep a straight face. He turned to Nicky, “Thanks for pissing off Andrew.”
“Anytime.” Nicky winked.
Neil crossed his arms. “Stop winking at me. I had to walk an extra three miles because Andrew refused to finish the hike with you guys.”
Nicky frowned. “You mean you guys didn’t -”
Neil shrugged and went to find Andrew. When he joined him at the railing, he leaned in close and asked, “Yes or no?”
“Yes.” Andrew exhaled his lungful of smoke in Neil’s face.
Neil closed the distance, smiling as the taste of Andrew on his tongue was replaced with the more familiar taste of his cigarettes.
“Smells like rain,” Dan commented as she came out of the bathroom toweling her hair dry. “Did Neil and Andrew come back, yet?”
The others pointed around a table, through the archway toward the sliding glass door. Dan tilted her head.
“Guess they didn’t get enough of each other out on the trail.”
“Do you think Neil’s only allowed to touch Andrew’s hair?” Matt asked, not able to drag his eyes away.
“Five dollars - yes,” Nicky responded.
Allison shook her head. “Fifty for no.”
“I’m with Nicky,” Matt said.
“Oh, honey.” Dan plopped down next to Matt. “You boys are so wrong. Fifty for no.”
“Are you going to bet?” Jean asked Kevin.
The others immediately started protesting. “That’d be unfair.”
“Kevin has an unfair advantage. He shares a room with them. He spends extra time with them on the court.”
Kevin glanced at the others. “We go to the court to play Exy and run drills. I see what the rest of you see.”
“Liar.”
He shrugged, unaffected.
Dan groaned at the sunlight coming in through the window. She pressed her naked body closer to Matt’s, one leg thrown over his thigh, and kissed his chest.
“Good morning,” he whispered, his lips pressed to the top of her head.
“Ugh, five more minutes.” She stretched against him before curling up again.
They had been up late, talking, drinking, betting. Despite Kevin’s protests they all went out and tossed a ball around in the rain.
“Ok-” Matt started to agree but a loud clatter had them both shooting up in their bed.
They exchanged looks and paused, waiting to see if a fight would break out. They heard Allison give a shout and Dan was out of bed in a split second, pulling on shorts and a tank top.
She ran downstairs accompanied by a few other bedraggled Foxes. Neil was the first to reach Allison since his and Andrew’s room was on the first floor.
“What’s going on?” Dan crouched next to Allison who had sunk to the floor and pulled her legs up to her chest.
“That fucking asshole motherfucking cunt,” she seethed through her teeth. She was glaring at the pieces of her cellphone across the room. She was yelling and angry but Dan could see how she held back her tears. “Fuck him!”
“Allison,” Renee said from the stairs. “What happened?”
Allison turned to look at the others behind her. “He fucked a Vixen.” She fixed Katelyn with an accusatory stare and Aaron grabbed his girlfriend’s hand defensively.
“Who did?”
“My good for nothing virgin ex-boyfriend. Ha!” Allison’s laugh was humorless. “Ex-virgin ex-boyfriend, if he really was one. There’s a video and everything.”
Kevin emerged from the bathroom, hair wet.
“Get your laptop,” Allison told him.
“Why?” Kevin asked, dully.
“Because I fucking said so!”
His expression went from bored to angry but before he could say anything, Dan said tiredly, “Just do it, Kevin.”
Dan insisted they do whatever Allison wanted for the rest of the day which mostly meant sitting on couches and piles of blankets, drinking. Whenever Allison sent him a pointed look, Neil took a sip of his drink.
Soon enough even Neil was feeling warm and light. It was only one in the afternoon.
They spent the first hour listening to Allison talk shit about her stupidly tall basketball playing ex boyfriend. The conversation slowly moved on to worst breakups - personal and in the celebrity world.
Nicky pulled up a list on his phone and the Foxes made bets as to which breakup was number one. They were all wrong.
“Number one,” Nicky read aloud. “Kevin Day and Riko - uh.”
The group fell silent. Finally Jean said, “Go on. Finish the article.”
Nicky looked stunned but obliged when Kevin said nothing. “They may not have been an actual couple, though some fans dispute this claim - but many will agree the breakup of the sons of Exy was a horrible one. Inseparable from the time that Kevin was adopted by Riko’s uncle and cofounder of Exy, there was mass hysteria among Exy fans when it was discovered that not only did Kevin break his hand but also that he would be leaving the Raven’s for the last-ranked Foxes. Kevin only continued to add to the confusion over a year later when he implied something else had happened to his hand that conflicted with the original statement offered by the Ravens.”
“Stop,” Neil said. “We all know what happened. This is just some stupid recap.”
“I need another drink,” Matt said.
“Nicky, what was that drink you made yesterday?” Dan asked.
Nicky got up, only a little wobbly. “Aaron has dust, right?”
Aaron reached into his pocket and pulled out some packets.
“When did you get that?” Neil questioned.
He shrugged and handed them to Nicky. Andrew got up and went outside to smoke.
“Neil?” Renee offered a packet to him but he shook his head. She gave them to Kevin instead.
Nicky returned fifteen minutes later, using a circular pan as a tray. “I made one for everyone!”
The bright blue drinks got passed around as Dan enthusiastically insisted, “You have to try it! It’s the best drink ever.”
A glass was shoved into Neil’s hand as he stared toward the porch at Andrew. Allison wrapped an arm around Neil’s neck and hoisted her glass toward the center of their deformed circle.
“Fuck cheaters!”
The others echoed her toast and sipped their drinks. Neil grimaced a bit but took another sip. Even he had to admit it tasted better than most alcoholic beverages.
He accepted the shot Allison messily poured for everyone and toasted the “lying bastard” before tipping his shot back like the others. He hadn’t finished Nicky’s first drink but another was passed to him anyway - pink and glittery.
“Why is it sparkling?” he asked, his tongue starting to feel heavy in his mouth.
“Edible glitter!” Nicky yelled over the music that had been turned up once Allison started pouring shots. “It makes everything better!”
Neil barely tasted the second drink. The sun was setting outside and the lights were blurry inside.
“Drink!” Allison called from where she was dancing with the other girls. They all obliged.
Neil was three quarters through the glittery pink drink when he felt someone behind him. He startled, trying to blink the haziness from his eyes.
“How much did you drink?”
“Andrew!” Neil twisted around and pulled Andrew’s hands so he could sit next to him. He started to crawl into his lap but paused. “Is it okay if I -?”
Andrew reached around him and picked up a glass. He kept his other hand on Neil’s hip as he took a sip.
He licked his lips and Neil watched, mesmerized. “Dust.”
“What?” Neil sat up quickly.
“You’re all high,” Andrew stated.
Neil’s brain slowly processed that information. “You’re not?”
He was rewarded with an annoyed stare. “You told me no more.”
“Well,” Neil thought, still staring at Andrew’s lips.
“Well, what?” Andrew snapped his fingers and Neil realized he’d been reaching a hand up to touch his lips.
“You should tonight.”
Andrew shook his head.
“An exception,” Neil insisted. His head felt heavy so he leaned it against Andrew’s shoulder, feeling himself go crosseyed trying to keep his gaze on his mouth. “I had some so it’s okay if you do, too.”
“Not tonight.”
“Can I kiss you?” He saw the hesitation. “We won’t do anything else but I want you to kiss me.”
Andrew looked around the room.
“No one cares. They’re all high,” Neil reminded him.
He stood up and Neil pushed his bottom lip out, prepared to pout. Then Andrew helped him stand and he smiled. “Yes?”
“Yes.” Andrew told him and Neil went in too quick. Their teeth clacked and Andrew hissed, forced himself to unclench his tight grip on Neil’s wrists. “Not here.”
“Why not?” Neil knew he sounded pathetic but he couldn’t help himself. He almost never drank and now he was on drugs, too.
“Hey, when’d you come back?” Matt asked on his way to the kitchen.
Andrew stared at Matt’s retreating back as if that was Neil’s answer. It was but Neil’s brain wasn’t working enough for him to comprehend why.
“Kiss me?” Neil said, question mark at the end.
“Not here,” Andrew repeated.
“If we go to our room, I’ll just want you to fuck me,” Neil said, exasperated. He tried to pull himself free but Andrew ended up having to steady him again.
Nicky, Allison and Dan were close enough that they called out obscene support.
Andrew tensed and Neil tried to take a step back. “Never mind. We don’t have to,” Neil slurred and tried to backtrack. “We can just be here. Not touching. I want to kiss you but it’s okay if you don’t want to kiss me. I shouldn’t have - like, I’m high? And drunk? And high? I want you to be okay and if that means -”
A hand shot out and Neil stumbled forward. It took him a moment to react but then he registered Andrew’s hand clutching the front of his shirt and his lips moving against his.
Neil kissed him back, then put a hand between them. “You don’t have to.”
“I want to,” Andrew growled and grabbed Neil’s hand, bringing it to the back of his head. He turned them so Neil’s back was to the wall, fingers digging into his hips. He nipped at his lip then pulled back just enough to study Neil’s face. “Yes or no?”
Neil blinked his eyes open, confused as to why he wasn’t being kissed anymore.
“Yes or no?”
He realized Andrew needed to be extra sure when Neil was in this state and said, “Yes.”
He loved that Andrew put everything into kissing him, even now - especially now and he moaned. Andrew bit his lip in warning so he tightened his grip in his hair.
Some of the others started wolf whistling and cat calling. Neil didn’t notice until he felt the lack of pressure on his right hip. He opened his eyes and saw Andrew flipping them off. They laughed and Andrew stopped kissing Neil.
“Stop!” Neil nearly whined but caught himself. He tried to remember who he was without the extra stuff running through his veins. He forced an edge into his voice. “You’re ruining everything!”
The others laughed harder, Neil knew he had failed, and Andrew took a step back, forcing Neil to release his grip. Andrew shot the others a cool look before walking toward the porch.
Neil quickly sank to the floor and pulled his knees up to his chest to hide his arousal. “Sometimes I really can’t stand you guys,” he muttered.
“Aw, Neil!”
“Fuck off, Nicky.”
Kevin didn’t know how he found himself alone with Allison but here they were outside in the cold night, both drunk and both recently single. She tipped her head back and finished her drink before saying, “Being cheated on rea-really sucks.”
Any other night Kevin would have just ignored the comment. Tonight he said, “I wouldn’t know. You can’t be cheated on if you’re not allowed to be in a relationship and everybody is fucking everybody.”
“How could he cheat on me?” Allison was still whining and still drinking.
Kevin sipped his drink and said, “You’re annoying as fuck.”
“What?” she tried to glare at him. “I’m fucking hot as fuck, I’m beautiful, I have great boobs and I’m fucking good at fucking. Fuck!”
“Hm,” Kevin shrugged.
Allison stepped closer. “What’s that supposed to mean? Queen Day. You’re the most condescending asshole I’ve ever met and you’ve seen my father! You’re the fakest - stupidest, dumbest person ever. You needed a short little psychotic midget to protect you. You’re incapable of loving anything but Exy and yourself! No wonder Thea dumped you.”
“Thea dumped me,” Kevin was over enunciating to avoid slurring and tripping over his words like Allison. “Because she didn’t like the idea that I was telling the truth when I said Riko had her teammates fu -”
He turned away suddenly. “Fuck you.”
Allison grabbed his arm. “No. Fuck you. I’m amazing.”
Kevin looked at her, an eyebrow cocked. “Ha.”
The next morning Kevin woke up to the sound of Allison puking over the side of her bed. He shot up, ripped the sheet off of her to wrap around his waist and ran downstairs. He ignored stares from the others as he tripped into the bathroom, barely managing to get the toilet lid up before he emptied the contents of his stomach.
Allison appeared a few minutes later, wearing Kevin’s shirt from the night before inside out, sprinting for the other bathroom. Nicky leaned against the doorway to the bathroom by his and Kevin’s room and wrinkled his nose. “What’d you guys do last night? Rob a liquor store?”
Kevin flushed the toilet and kept vomiting.
“Renee gathered the clothes you two discarded on your way up to - ugh,” Nicky shuddered.
Kevin flipped him off and Nicky laughed, closing the door to the bathroom.
Matt, Nicky and Aaron kept driving even when Allison’s and Andrew’s cars pulled off at the first gas station. Allison groaned and said, “I think I’m still drunk.”
Neil went inside and came back out a few minutes later. He stopped by the pink Porsche and Renee rolled Allison’s window down. “Shut up.” Allison commanded even though no one was saying anything.
He handed over a couple of water bottles, something for her headache and a few plastic bags (”just in case”), then got back into Andrew’s car, presumably giving Kevin the same. The passenger door opened and they heard the splash of sick hitting the pavement.
“Ugh,” Allison groaned, holding her stomach. “Get me away from him.”
Renee obediently pulled out of her parking stall and got them on the road again. The drive was a few hours long so they let Allison try to sleep off her hangover. Dan and Katelyn dozed as well as none of them had gotten much sleep the night before.
An hour out from Palmetto Dan’s phone buzzed and she answered it sleepily. “Hello? Hm? Yeah. Tell them -” She got Renee’s attention. “How long?”
“One hour.”
“One hour. Love you. Yeah, I’ll call Neil. Love you.”
Dan selected Neil from her contacts and waited for him to answer. “Just a reminder to dress nicely.”
The freshmen had agreed to shut up about not being invited on their spring break plans if the upperclassmen treated them to an expensive meal when they got back. They stopped at another gas station to change and Andrew’s car pulled in not far behind them.
Kevin and Allison reached the doors at the same time and they stopped to glare at each other before going inside. Renee wrapped her arms around Jean’s waist and sighed. “Think this will be a problem for our team?”
“No,” Jean said honestly. “Kevin would never let anything as trivial as a one night stand with someone he hates get in the way of his game.”
When they arrived at the restaurant the freshmen and Matt’s car were already there. They joined them at a group of tables pushed together. Nicky had made sure to save the end spots for Andrew and Neil.
“You guys look exhausted.”
“That’s because somebody woke us up in the middle of the night and kept us awake for quite awhile,” Dan said without any heat.
“A couple of somebodies,” Nicky smirked.
The freshmen looked around at the others’ faces trying to figure out who they were talking about. Katelyn laughed. “Dan came out of her room because she thought she was going to have to break up a fight.”
“What convinced her it wasn’t?” someone asked.
“She tripped over Allison’s bra,” Katelyn giggled.
“Shut up before I tell everyone what you said about Aaron in bed,” Allison threatened through her teeth.
Aaron shot Allison an annoyed look but he turned and raised his eyebrows at his girlfriend. Katelyn blushed and shook her head.
“I’m sure Allison was only doing it for science,” Dan mused.
“Fucking Kevin was a science experiment?” Nicky’s jaw dropped. He winced. “Don’t kick me, Kevin.”
“What?”
“Kevin and Allison?”
“I thought they were both seeing other people?”
Kevin continued fixing Nicky with a loathsome stare. When someone brought up cheating Allison whipped around. “I am not the cheater,” she seethed.
“But how?” Sheena questioned. Everyone looked between Allison and Kevin, legitimately confused.
Finally Allison stated, rushed, “Because we were so wasted his face was blurry.”
“Oh, I’m sure you guys knew who you were fucking. Also, we all know it’s not his face that’s hard to handle. The amount of bickering between was enough to know you knew. Never mind the ‘fuck, Kevin, god.’” Nicky mocked.
“Kevin always talks shit,” Jean offered, maybe thinking he was helping by offering a fact that negated Nicky’s statement that the bickering is what gave them away.
“Not surprised,” someone said.
Nicky looked at Allison. “So really, how the fuck did that end up happening?”
“Have none of you ever been cheated on?” Allison demanded. “You choose the best looking guy around and fuck him.”
“But you and Kevin?”
Allison groaned. “God, Nicky. We were wasted and both recently dumped. That’s enough. End of story. It won’t ever happen again. Mind your own fucking business, you creep.”
“Okay, okay, okay,” Nicky conceded. “Just one more question though because I mean damn! I thought I was loud but, could you be any louder?”