Work Text:
Jean hadn’t been sure how to feel when his parents had decided to pack up their entire lives and move to South Carolina. On the one hand, leaving his best friend Jeremy is definitely a downside, but it wasn’t like they didn’t have each others phone number and five different social media accounts to stay in touch with.
He is looking forward to not getting texts at four am from his soccer captain. Well,his ex-captain now, he supposes. Jean and Riko are sort of friends, but Riko takes high school sport way too seriously. His aggressive need to win might make him an excellent choice for leader, but not a great choice for an empathetic friend. Jean thinks he might just have to let that one go.
Jean fiddles with the straps of his backpack outside of the soccer coach’s office. He’d talked to Coach Wymack on the phone a couple of times to talk about his stats and his transfer to Columbia State High School. Considering that he’d been one of the best players on his old team there really hadn’t been any issues. It had also helped that Kevin Day, Wymack’s son and another Edgar Allen Academy Alumni, had also put in a good word -- which Jean was surprised but grateful for. He thought Kevin would have forgotten him.
Jean lifts his hand and bangs his palm loudly against the door three times. The door opens, and he steps through the threshold into a new life.
*
“...and just stay away from The Twins, they’re nothing but trouble,” Kevin is saying, but Jean tuned him out at least ten minutes ago.
“Don’t be a fucking dickhead, Day,” comes a voice from behind them. Jean turns to find a redhead boy wearing red ripped skinny jeans, black converse shoes and what he assumes is a band t-shirt. He has a leather jacket thrown over his arms and a lip ring at the edge of his mouth, something Jean knows is explicitly forbidden.
“Hello Neil,” Kevin greets with a fist bump.
“New kid?” Neil tilts his head towards Jean. Jean doesn’t appreciate the scrutiny or the conversation they have with their eyes. “I’m our Second Striker.”
“Defensive Midfield.”
“Centre Forward,” Kevin says with an eye roll. “Let’s introduce you to the rest of the team.”
*
The rest of the team is a mixed bag, to say the least; he knows a couple of them from playing against them. Matt Boyd actually lights up happily when he walks out onto the field. Allison Reynolds has the exact opposite reaction, and Jean is momentarily afraid she’s going to deck him right there. It can’t be blamed, he supposes. They’d had a particularly rough match together last year.
“Jean, Team, Team, Jean,” Kevin says by way of introduction. Neil rolls his eyes so hard that Jean is impressed his eyeballs stay in their sockets. He grabs onto the back of Jean’s t-shirt and propels him towards the others.
“Let’s see now.”
“I can walk myself,” Jean says making no moves to fight Neil off. If he’s honest he likes the feeling of a hand grasping on to him.
“So talented,” Neil quips. There’s possibly another eye roll, but Jean can’t see his face this time. Neil nods at his teammates. “Jack is a douchebag.”
“Hey!” A disgruntled looking boy shouts. He’s somehow got a freshman look on his face so he hasn’t been here long.
“Renee is a sweetheart. Also, she will wreck you so...”
“...stay on her good side,” Jean finishes. Renee gives him a wave, and he waves back. She’s cute.
“Right. Matty, I think you know.” Matt takes a couple of paces forward and gives Jean a high-five strong enough to sting. “Dan, Matt’s her boyfriend, Alli, Sara, Laila, Seth, Kevin obviously, Nicky.” Neil points to every person one by one and then turns towards the stands. “And those are the twins but we ignore them because they’re assholes,” he calls loudly. A pair of blonds is sitting there, dressed almost exclusively in black with enough rips, chains and piercings to cause even the most lenient of uniform policies to scream in horror.
“Suck my dick,” one of the twins shouts but without much bite.
“Suck your own dick Aaron.”
“Can we practice instead of yelling insults at each other? Neil go change and then take Jean through some drills.” Kevin says and the team scatters obediently.
Somehow this team practices harder than his old team, which he didn’t think was possible. They also laugh more and Jean thinks the burn in his legs and the sweat dripping down his back is worth it.
They pack it up after three hours of practice and a couple of breaks. The twins come down from their perch and collect Neil and Nicky, who Jean is surprised to discover is their cousin.
“We’re going for ice-cream if you want to come,” Neil tells him. Jean looks at his watch and shrugs.
“Sure.”
*
They take him to a place called Sweeties and Kevin joins them sometime later grumbling about packing up equipment by himself.
“Then don’t be captain,” one of the twins -- Andrew -- quips.
“You know Kev would shrivel up and die if he didn’t have people to boss around,” Neil says, his mouth full of ice-cream that he’s stolen out of Nicky’s bowl.
“Why don’t you just buy your own?” Jean asks curiously. Five sets of eyes snap up to stare blankly at him. Jean shakes his head at them. “Okay then, you weirdos.”
Neil digs his spoon into Andrew’s bowl this time and grins widely when Andrew whacks him over the back of the hand. “Down boy.”
“Would you like some of my ice cream too?” Jean asks. He’d gotten some sort of white chocolate and honeycomb.
“Oh yes,” Neil says, sliding across the table. He has to lean over Aaron to get to Jean’s bowl and Aaron pinches him in the side. Neil lets out an annoyed sound as he sits back down.
“Neil doesn’t really like sweet things, but he still wants to try all the flavors,” Kevin says, finally giving Jean an explanation.
Huh, that’s interesting, Jean thinks.
*
Jean scrunches his schedule into his hand. He’s got Biology, Social Studies, Lunch, English, History and no idea where he’s going.
“You look lost,” a voice says from behind him. One of the twins -- he hates that he can’t tell which one. He holds his schedule up between two fingers and the twin plucks it out of his hand.
“That’s my Bio class, I’m pretty sure Kev, Matt and Sara are all in Socials with you, half the team has lunch then but if you can’t find the cafeteria on your own I don’t have hope for you. Neil is in your English, I suggest not sitting near him though, he’s a pest. History, Kevin again and Andrew.” Aaron hands the paper back. Jean looks at him in surprise. He hadn’t expected help for some reason. Aaron starts off down the hallway and Jean has to rush to catch up to him.
When Aaron walks into the classroom, he lets out an irritated sigh and shifts the teacher's desk by dragging it several inches across the floor. Jean’s eyebrows knit together as he shoots the other boy a questioning look. Other students start to file in and Aaron points to a desk in the middle row. Jean slides into the chair and nods his thanks. The door to the classroom swings open and there’s a breath of silence. The first thing Jean notices is a mess of tight black curls, then he sees the red stick and the way her hands touch the blackboard as she moves. Jean is ready to be angry. How could Aaron do something like that to her? But she finds her desk with complete ease. He realizes then: Aaron moved it back to where it was supposed to be.
“Good morning everyone. I believe we have a new student today. Jean could you come up here and introduce yourself please.” She pronounces it in that American way that makes him sound like a pair of pants. He stands up and walks towards the desk.
“Hi I’m Jean. I’m new. I uh, play soccer.” Jean tries not to let his voice shake, but he doesn’t like public speaking.
“Soccer sucks,” someone from the back row yells.
“You suck,” Aaron quips back and Jean can’t help but smile gratefully at him. A smile plays on the teacher's lips, and Jean feels as though she’s trying not to laugh.
“As much as I love a heated debate about sport, this is biology and I have a lesson plan.”
“Yes, Ms Winfield,” the class choruses and Jean takes that as his cue to sit down.
*
Social Studies passes by in a blur and Jean could not tell you anything he’d learned. Jean stands in line at the cafeteria. His mum had given him plenty of change to buy lunch and he’s trying to decide what to buy before he gets to the counter. Neil appears by his side and presses a bunch of notes into his hand.
“Buy me some fries and a drink.”
He’s dashed off before Jean can even ask him what kind of drink he wants, fuck he’s fast. In the end, Jean settles for buying Neil a couple of apple flavored juice boxes. It takes him a while to find where the others are. He spots Neil perched on a table swinging his legs and arguing loudly with Seth. Jean slides into a seat next to Andrew who gives him a look balanced somewhere between boredom and exasperation. He swipes a couple of the fries from Neil’s container and throws them at the redhead. Neil stops talking to turn and glare at him.
“Eat your food, fuckface.”
Neil comes down off the table and takes a seat between Dan and Renee. Jean passes him down his food and drinks.
“These” Neil says, ripping open the straw and stabbing it violently into the top of the juice. “Are my favorite,” He takes a long slurp and makes a popping noise with his mouth. Jean blushes.
Renee looks over at him and he turns away from her feeling embarrassed.
*
Jean does not heed Aaron’s advice and sits next to Neil in English. Jean’s excuse is that Neil is the only person he knows. Really it’s because Neil is very very very pretty and Jean is very very very gay, or bi, or pan, or whatever. It doesn’t matter. He just kind of wants to kiss the inside of Neil’s thighs.
It turns out the warning is because Neil is restless. At one point he steals Jean’s pencil for seemingly no reason and starts to chew on it. Jean leans over and pulls it gently out of Neil’s mouth.
“Stop,” he chides. Neil folds his arms but he does turn his attention to the board.
*
“Hey Neil, did dad put my field trip note in your bag?” Nicky asks panicked and Jean is confused.
“This wouldn’t be an issue if you packed yourself, but as it turns out yes.” Neil hands the slip over and turns to address Jean. “We live together.”
“You and Nicky?”
“Yeah, and the twins and Kevin” Neil explains. Jean hadn’t known that. Kevin hadn’t thought it was worth mentioning, which Jean shouldn’t find upsetting but he does anyway.
“So dad is…”
“...Wymack yeah.”
It makes a lot of sense. Jean doesn’t think any other coach would put up with the same amount of crap from two teenage boys. The twins are technically on the roster he’d found out through conversations. Andrew, apparently, is a frustratingly good goalkeeper.
“Wanna come over and study sometime?” Neil asks.
*
A few months later, Jean has completely settled in. He’s slotted into the team easily. He sets up a facetime call with Jeremy and hugs his pillow as it dials.
“Hey! Buddy!” Jeremy says, his signature sunshine smile lighting up the screen. Jean grumbles at him and wriggles underneath his bedsheets.
“Hey, Jer.”
“How’s the love of my whole life?”
“I thought Butter was the love of your life?”
Jeremy lets out a laugh and pats the bed until a golden colored labradoodle jumps onto the bed. “Butter is the puppy love of my life,. It is different.”
“So, my crush on Neil is worse,” Jean groans miserably.
“Yes, Kevy informs me you walked into a pole because he had on a skirt,”
Jean scrunches up his nose. He’s going to murder Kevin. “It was so short, okay, and he had this, like, little strap around his thigh. If Mr Donovan hadn’t yelled at Dan about the dress code, this wouldn’t have been a problem. So screw that guy basically.”
“Mmhmm.”
“Shut up.” Jean blushes, thinking back to the skirt. Neil hadn’t been the only one, but he’d certainly being the most noticeable.
‘He’s very pretty isn’t he?’ Renee had said knowingly and Jean had groaned helplessly into his hands.
*
“We’re having a party,” Nicky tells him, slinging his arm around Jean’s waist. Jean is used to this now and side steps away from him. Nicky wrinkles his nose, “Rude.”
“Who’s having a party?” Jean question. Nicky shoots him a look that makes Jean wonder if he’s suddenly sprouted a second head.
“The team, you dumbass,”
“Oh. Cool. I guess I’ll show up.”
Nicky runs a hand up and down his face. “He guesses he’ll show up. He guesses he’ll grace us with his presence.”
“Fine. Nicky okay I’ll be there!”
“Wear something cute,” Nicky says, winking.
*
Jean isn’t sure this counts as cute, and he wishes his top was longer, but Jer had said showing off his stomach was a plus. He rings the doorbell and Aaron flings it open.
“Why didn’t you just walk in?”
“Because that’s rude,” Jean tells him.
“Yeah, cause we care so fucking much about being polite.” Aaron retorts
Most of the team is already there, all crammed into the living room, along with Aaron’s girlfriend Katelyn and Nicky’s boyfriend Erik. There’s a table in the corner with a couple of bowls of punch and he makes his way over to it. He could really use a drink.
“Alcoholic, not alcoholic,” Matt says pointing to each bowl in turn.
“Thank you.” Jean fills up a cup with alcohol and downs the whole thing. Matt raises an eyebrow and then shrugs.
Andrew walks past him with his phone to his ear and gives Jean a slight nod. From the conversation, Robin must have arrived. Jean puts his empty cup down and follows him out. They maneuver the ramp for her wheelchair over the front steps, and she pushes herself into the house. She pushes herself up out of it and into one of the armchairs. Seth wordlessly packs it up and puts it in the corner for her.
“Let me know if you need it,” Seth says.
“What I need is a beer.”
“Screw you,” Seth bites, but he goes and gets her a bottle anyway. The two of them knock their bottles together, and he sits down on the arm of her chair.
“Allison looks sexy tonight,” Robin observes.
“Yeah hands off my girlfriend.” Seth quips back. Allison flips Seth of from over the other side of the room, Robin and he both snort with laughter and Jean can’t help joining along with the giggling
“Possessive much?” Robin teases.
“The crop top suits you,” Neil says, walking up to him with a red cup full of either water or vodka.
“Thanks,” he stammers, standing up a little straighter so it shows off a little more skin. Neil’s eyes actually skirt across his body, so he guesses that’s a plus. It’s not even that he’s trying to get Neil into bed or anything. The twins had been very clear that he wasn’t interested. Jean just likes the attention, and has he mentioned he’s weak?
“I think we’re going to play spin the bottle,” Neil tells him.
“Oh okay? Sure,” Jean replies, his throat suddenly feeling dry.
They settle into somewhat of a circle and Erik donates the wine bottle he and Nicky have been sharing, after Nicky downs the last few mouthfuls straight from it.
“You’re so hot, babe,” Erik says only somewhat sarcastically.
It goes like this: Dan kisses Allison, Allison kisses Robin (Seth grumbles), Robin kisses Seth (Robin grumbles), Seth kisses Aaron, Aaron kisses Matt, Matt kisses Laila, Laila kisses Jean (it’s nice and soft) Jean kisses Kevin (it’s less soft with more tongue) Kevin kisses Sara, Sara kisses Andrew (on the cheek) Andrew kisses Neil (Jean cannot tell if he’s jealous, impressed or turned on) Neil kisses Erik, Erik kisses Matt, Matt kisses Nicky, Nicky kisses Seth, Seth kisses Allison, Allison kisses Aaron, Aaron spins and it lands on Nicky, so the two of them just hug half-heartedly, Nicky kisses Jean, Jean kisses Andrew (he’s an excellent kisser), Andrew kisses Kevin, Kevin kisses Katelyn, Katelyn kisses Renee, Renee kisses Laila and then they stop because everyone has been kissed and everyone is turning into giggling teenagers.
Jean catches Neil rolling his eyes and he can’t help but smile.
*
A boy is pushing at Robin’s chair and it’s clear even from a distance she doesn’t like it. Jean doesn’t know his name but he’s certainly going to have words with the fucker. He marches forward cutting through the crowd of students mulling between periods with determined ease.
Neil still manages to get there first coming from absolutely nowhere to deck the guy with one swift punch and a simple kick. The guy staggers despite being twice Neil’s size. He advances on Neil menacingly the full embodiment of a cartoon supervillain. Jean steps between them before anything happens.
“I suggest you fuck off,” Jean tells the asshole, pulling himself up to show off his full size. The guy actually growls at him before staggering off down the hall. Jean relaxes and turns to check on his friends. Neil is flipping off the retreating back of douche canoe.
“God why is it always you that’s swooping in to save me?” Robin asks disappointed. “Why can’t it be Dan for once? Dan is hot”
Neil throws his head back when he laughs and Jean is once again fucked.
*
The following month he gets a text from Riko and ignores it for three days.
“Why are you ignoring him?” Kevin asks while they are trying to study for their history test.
“I’m not.” Jean interjects defensively, he’ll probably get around to replying eventually. It isn’t like Riko cares.
“You are. I’m not saying you shouldn’t, just like, why?”
“Because he’s a dick and I’m fucking busy?”
“Yeah well, he told Jeremy, who told me, that--”
Jean holds up a hand to cut him off. “I don’t care. I’ll talk to him when I’m ready.”
“You mean you’ll talk to him when you aren’t interested in sucking Neil’s dick?” Kevin bites.
“Yeah, whatever,” Jean snaps back. Andrew walks in from the kitchen and drops a handful of candy in his lap.
“Lover’s spat?” Andrew asks. Jean opens a piece and pops it in his mouth.
“Sure,” he replies. His phone buzzes in his pocket and he groans at the caller id. Andrew snatches his phone out of his hand and answers it before he can protest.
“Jean can’t come to the phone right now,” Andrew says and then turns Jean’s phone off and slides it into his pocket.
Kevin lets out an annoyed sigh, but largely ignores the display in favor of reading his history textbook.
“I could have handled that.” Jean says.
“That’s fantastic. You and Neil are going out for dinner on Saturday night.”
“Since when?”
“Since the whole fucking team is sick of you two both pining. Also you’re the first person Neil has had a crush on so if you screw this up I will cut off your dick and shove it up your ass.”
“Neil has a crush on me?”
Andrew punches him in the arm.
*
Halfway through dinner, Jean is positive he’s going to get castrated. Things had been going well, and then Jean had to stupidly ask about Neil’s parents. Neil freezes and says quietly,
“Don’t ask that.” Jean looks down at his food and shoves a jalapeño popper into his mouth because he honestly has no idea what to do. Neil’s breathing is getting a little unsteady and Jean thinks maybe he should call Andrew.
“Are you okay?” Jean asks. Neil shakes his head and presses his lips together slightly. “I’m going to pay, and then we’re leaving.”
Jean feels a tug at his sleeve and he turns to Neil. “We haven’t finished eating,”
“That’s okay. I’ll just get them to pack it up.” Jean says. Neil lets go, and Jean finds a hostess to help him settle their bill.
“They weren’t good people.” Neil says this once they’re out in the cold late autumn air. “My dad used to hurt me, like a lot, and my mum didn’t really do anything. She did try to run away with me, and he killed her. He’s serving life in prison.”
“Good.”
Neil lets out a burst of laughter and wipes his face.
“Yeah, and then basically I was in the foster system for a couple of months until Coach took me in when I was eleven.” He shakes his hands theatrically.
“Do you like living with Wymack?” Jean asks. Neil jumps up onto a low brick fence and walks along it, touching his toes to the back of his heels like a tightrope walker.
“Well, I guess I’m used to it now. Kevin’s newer, but it still works. I just wish he wouldn’t spend so long in the bathroom. Nicky was bad enough. Also, the twins like to steal my clothes all of the time. Like that jacket Andrew always wears that’s a little too big, that’s my jacket you know.” Neil jumps down, bending his knees as he lands.
“I did not know that.” Jean tells him, the jacket in question is black with silver buttons down the front and a soft gray wool lining.
“Also Kevin totally snores.”
Jean laughs, he’s roomed with Kevin before at Soccer Camp. “That one I did know.”
“I had a nice time tonight. I’m really sorry that I freaked out back there.” Neil tells him. Jean feels his shoulders sag in relief, he’d been so worried he’d completely screwed up this whole evening.
“It’s okay, we all have our things and I’m not going to hold yours against you.”
“Good to know, so like you want to hang out again? Just us?” Neil asks, shoving his hands in his pockets
“Sure, I’d like that.”
“Me too.”
*
Matt and Dan decide to host a Christmas party at Matt’s mom’s house and invite the whole team, Jack included, even though literally no one in the known universe likes Jack. He does bring along his girlfriend Sheena and she, at least, is tolerable.
“Have some of the eggnog,” Seth tells him and hands him a mug. It's warm against Jean’s fingers.
“I heard you and Alli broke up.” Everyone had heard, but he hasn’t really seen that much of Seth lately without soccer practice.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure she’s got a crush on Renee, so like, that’s cool.” Seth says taking a sip of is own drink. “Although, I feel like Robin will be disappointed.”
“Maybe yeah. I thought she had a crush on that girl in her math class now?” Jean asks and Seth hums in acknowledgment.
“How’s Neil then?” Seth asks, changing the subject. Jean huffs at him a little.
“Dickhead.”
“Hey I just want to know when you’re making it official.” Seth says, as Renee and Allison join them.
“Yeah I’ve got a lot of money riding on you idiots so don’t disappoint me now.” Allison remarks, taking a sip of her red wine.
“They’re just friends.” Renee says, drops of amusement threading her words like the delicate string of fate.
Matt grabs Jean by the hand and starts to drag him off somewhere. Jean frowns but lets himself be lead by through the crowd by his frankly gigantic friend. Matt stops him in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room. Aaron drags a confused Neil into the same position and points upwards. Jean looks to where he is pointing and spots the mistletoe immediately.
“Um,” Jean says eloquently, looking down at Neil.
“This is the part where you kiss me, shithead.” Neil grins mischievously and Jean laughs.
“Don’t act like you planned this, I know your best friend dragged you over here.”
“I have no complaints.” Neil says.
So Jean places a hand on either side of Neil’s face and leans down. He gives him an experimental kiss at first, and then he keeps kissing him until he can no longer hear the noises of the party going on around him.