Chapter Text
Aaron doesn’t understand Nicky’s ongoing problem with time management and that no matter what he’ll always be late. Aaron himself is that type of person who stresses about being late and ends up showing half an hour early.
He’s able to wait for whole seven minutes before he sighs deeply, thinking screw this, and goes to the monster’s dorm to fetch Nicky. Normally he would just let it go, because Nicky would end up showing up sooner or later, but today he’s hungry already and Nicky promised to pay and if there’s something Aaron won’t refuse, it’s free food.
He doesn’t go to the monster’s dorm a lot these days. Most of the time it’s Nicky – and lately Kevin as well –, who ends up hanging out with them in the girl’s dorm, leaving Andrew and Neil doing whatever they are doing. Aaron doesn’t really want to know. Just because he doesn’t bitch about their relationship that much anymore, doesn’t mean he’s not disgusted at the mere thought of his brother and Josten being alone behind closed door.
He knocks on the dorm door, but no one answers, which isn’t exactly surprising, so he just walks in.
To his irritation, Nicky’s nowhere in sight. The only people he finds are Neil and Andrew, who are lying entangled on the couch in the living room, relaxed and asleep. For fraction of second Aaron contemplates waking them and asking if they know where Nicky is, but then he decides he quite likes having all of his limbs still attached to his body, and doesn’t disturb them.
Aaron has to admit that while sleeping, the two of them look almost like a regular couple, which is something they were surely not. Neil is lying tucked to Andrew, his back against Andrew’s chest, one of Andrew’s arms loosely wrapped around Neil’s waist, his fingers intertwined with Neil’s.
That’s when Aaron realizes neither of them are wearing their armbands.
He’s seen Josten’s scars before, obviously. He’s been there in the motel in Baltimore when they got him back and has seen the mess Josten’s father and his people have made. So seeing it now isn’t that much of a shock.
What does shock him though, is Andrew. He’s never seen him without the armbands on. Aaron was pretty sure he slept in them. There’s no way he’d take them off in front of other people. Apparently Josten is an exception. Like every fucking time.
But Aaron doesn’t have time to care about who Andrew trusts, because he’s busy staring at Andrew’s bare forearms and the countless scars there. He genuinely thought Andrew wears the armbands because of the knives and because of the knives only.
“Shit,” he breathes out quietly, trying to remember his psychology class when they mentioned self harm.
In that moment the door opens and Nicky walks in. “Aaron! There you are. I’m just going from your dorm. Ready to go?” He follows Aaron’s gaze and when he finally notices Andrew and Neil, fortunately still asleep and oblivious to their surroundings, he lets out an excited noise. “God, they are so cute!”
Aaron shakes his head. “Let’s just go.” He can think about this whole thing later. Preferably with full stomach.
...
Aaron spends the next few days trying to figure out how to talk to Andrew. Or how to bring up such a sensitive topic without ending up with a knife in his stomach.
Unfortunately, ever since he moved out of the dorm, Aaron rarely saw his twin besides practice and their therapy sessions. Of course he could bring it up there, but for some reason it felt wrong. He knew Dobson would probably make them talk about it and there was a big possibility Andrew would hate it.
So when the opportunity presents itself, Aaron decides to take it. It’s after practice and everyone has already left, apart from Neil and Kevin, who are still on the court, and Andrew, who’s waiting for them, sprawled on the couch in the lobby. He pointedly ignores Aaron, when he steps to him.
Aaron looks down at his twin, patiently waiting for him to acknowledge his presence. When Andrew doesn’t, Aaron rolls his eyes. “Andrew.”
Andrew doesn’t open his eyes. “What.”
“Can we talk?” Aaron asks cautiously.
“Don’t you have other people to talk to?” Andrew sneers in response.
Aaron has sort of thought of what he’d say, how he would start. But now, when he’s actually supposed to be talking, all he manages is to blur out: “I saw your scars.”
Good job, Aaron , he thinks bitterly, that’s how you decide to approach the topic. Careful and with sensitivity.
Andrew finally opens his eyes, blinking at him, his expression unchanging. “I’m not hiding them,” he says after a second of consideration. Aaron gazes at the armbands, clearly unconvinced. Andrew just raises an eyebrow at him, unimpressed. “Is this what you wanted to talk about?”
“Yes. No. I mean, yes.” Jesus, this is going really great.
Andrew crosses his arms over his chest, which Aaron tries not to take as a bad sign. “So?”
Aaron could’ve sworn he thought this through. But now, with Andrew’s eyes on him, he can barely think, let along talk. “I just wanted to make sure you’re… okay?” He cringes at himself as soon as he says that.
Andrew practically snorts. “I’m fabulous.”
Aaron gives him a meaningful look. “Andrew.”
“Aaron.”
Aaron sighs in frustration. “Do you realize how much it could fuck up your life? How addictive it get get? How you’re going to destroy yourself?”
Andrew narrows his eyes at him and sits up, making Aaron take an involuntary step back. “No, Aaron, I did not realize any of those things all these years up until now,” he says in low, vicious voice and Aaron knows he’s screwed it up.
“I… I just don’t want you to hurt yourself… You’ve already suffered enough,” Aaron whispers.
Andrew just watches him for few seconds, but then sighs at last and rubs his eyes. “I’ve stopped.”
“Oh.” Before can Aaron manage to figure out what to say to that, Andrew continues.
“One more sentence and you’re walking back on your own.”
So Aaron decides to drop it. For now.
...
“Josten? You got a minute?” Aaron asks two days later when he’s able to find Neil in otherwise empty dorm.
Neil looks up to him from his notebook, which is filled with random equations Aaron doesn’t try to pretend to understand. “Hm? Something’s wrong?”
Aaron runs his hand through his hair. “Um. It’s about Andrew…”
Neil sits up a bit straighter. “Okay?”
“You know about his… his scars, right?”
Neil blinks at him and his expression goes from concerned to reserved. “I’m not talking with you about this. That’s Andrew’s thing. Talk to him if you want to.”
Aaron doesn’t know whether he should be glad Neil doesn’t want to invade Andrew’s privacy, or be mad that he doesn’t want to help him. “I talked to him,” he tries.
Neil raises an eyebrow. “And?”
“He told me he stopped.” When Neil doesn’t respond, Aaron asks: “Is it true?”
Neil only shrugs and says: “Andrew doesn’t lie.”
Aaron scoffs. “He’s fond of saying that but you know it’s bullshit.”
Neil frowns at him. “What are you going to do if he lied? Get him admitted into a psych ward? Or force him onto more meds?”
“Of course not,” Aaron replies immediately. “I just want to know if he’s okay. I thought you, from all people, would understand that.”
Neil narrows his eyes at him, but then nods and slowly says: “It’s true.”
Aaron doesn’t realize how scared he was, until Neil assures him Andrew was telling the truth and he can finally exhale in relief. “Good. Thanks.”
Neil offers him a small, almost friendly smile in response, which Aaron does his best to reciprocate. Maybe he’s not the biggest fan of Neil, but at least he knows Andrew has other people who are looking after him.