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Kevin likes sunflowers. He won’t admit it, but Andrew can tell from the way he shifts his face ever so slightly when they pass a field driving from Bumfuck-Middle-of-Nowhere, Arizona to the nearest airport to catch their flight back to Palmetto State.
Meeting the new recruit went well. Well enough. Andrew got to hit him with a racquet, so he would consider that a success. Wymack might not, but that’s not his problem.
Andrew pulls the car over and parks on the side of the road.
“Why are you stopping?”
“Get out.”
Kevin does as he’s told. He’s not happy about it. When is Kevin ever happy about something besides Exy?
Andrew laughs.
Kevin glares at him even as Andrew grabs his wrist and pulls him into the sunflower field. He keeps glaring and Andrew keeps laughing.
“What is this?”
“It’s a date, Day.”
“We have a flight to catch. We cannot waste time on the side of the road.”
“Yes or no?”
Kevin sighs. “Andrew…”
Andrew doesn’t repeat himself.
“Yes.”
His hand finds the back of Kevin’s neck and grips tightly to pull his head down. Kevin can’t stand gentle touches and Andrew won’t rise onto his toes for anyone. It’s their compromise. He kisses Kevin hard, kisses him until Kevin’s body shifts into his starting stance at the beginning of each Exy game.
Good. He’s taking this seriously.
Andrew stops kissing him. He still holds the back of Kevin’s neck, keeping him close.
“You will be at the airport in time.”
“Yes,” Kevin says. Andrew likes the trust that he has, the trust that Andrew only speaks truth, the trust that whatever Andrew says will happen, will happen.
He lets go of Kevin and walks away into the sunflower field. Kevin follows. Of course he does. It’s like there’s this string between the two of them. Not a leash, never a leash. Leashes are for the Moriyamas. Maybe not a string either, then, but more of a tether. They hold each other together.
“What do you think of Neil?”
Andrew scowls. They’re out here together in this sunflower field where the color of the flowers is as bright as the light in Kevin’s eyes when he steps onto the Exy court and Kevin wants to talk about Neil Josten?
“You want him,” Andrew says. “So you’ll have him.”
“Do you want him?”
“He has only been playing for a year. Why do we want him?”
Kevin smiles and Andrew knows that he has slipped up but he can’t bring himself to care, not when Kevin is smiling like that.
“You are talking about Exy.”
“Don’t get used to it.”
Andrew stalks away deeper into the field. He stops after a few paces, feeling Kevin’s gaze still fixed on him.
“What are you looking at, Day?”
“The flowers are taller than you.”
Andrew tears the stalk of one and brandishes the flower at Kevin. It isn’t very threatening.
“And we,” Kevin savors the sound of the word. “We want Neil because he is going to be Court one day.”
Andrew lowers the flower. He doesn’t ask if Kevin is being serious. This is Kevin. This is Exy.
“We want Neil,” he agrees.
Kevin smiles again and takes the flower from Andrew, who has never seen him smile this much outside of the plastered-on grins he gives to the press. It’s a good look on him, smiles and sunflowers.
“I think,” Kevin begins.
“That’s new.”
“I think that Neil will want us, too.”
Andrew considers Kevin’s words. Josten is small, not as short as Andrew, but smaller shoulders, bonier limbs, lean muscles that hide under his loose clothing. He’s fast. Not as fast as Andrew when he’s swinging his racquet, but faster than any of the other Foxes. Is he smart? Andrew hopes not. Nobody with a brain would ever willingly tie themselves to Andrew and Kevin.
Not that Andrew cares what Josten thinks of them. Kevin may be starry-eyed over his Exy skills but Andrew could not care less about the new striker on the court.
Well…
“Don’t get your hopes up,” he tells Kevin.
“As if you are not interested by him,” Kevin scoffs. “Yes or no?”
“Yes,” Andrew mutters and lets Kevin take his hand. “He is interesting, isn’t he?”
“He is. I want to know more.”
“Neil Josten. Striker for Millport, Arizona’s high school Exy team. Started playing one year ago when he moved to town. Sleeps in the locker room most nights. Parents are never in town, likely abusive. Wears contact lenses. Do you want me to continue?”
“I did not know about the contact lenses.”
“Cosmetic, not prescription.”
“They will not affect his gameplay then.”
“Do you care about anything besides Exy?” Andrew knows the answer even as he asks the question. Not that he expects Kevin to respond out loud.
Kevin squeezes his hand even tighter and it’s answer enough for Andrew.
“I care about you,” Kevin says. His voice is less dry than usual.
“Don’t get sappy on me, Day.”
“You are the one who insisted we walk through this sunflower field instead of catching our plane. Wymack will be waiting at the airport.”
“Then you don’t need to worry about him. Focus on me, Day. Think about Josten if you must. But don’t worry about Wymack and don’t worry about anything else. You are with me.”
Kevin nods. He’s still holding the sunflower in his free hand and brings it up to Andrew’s face now, tucking it behind his ear. Andrew raises an eyebrow but doesn’t remove the flower. He starts walking back to the car, tugging Kevin’s hand until he moves to walk beside him.
“We will bring Josten to your late night practices.”
Kevin frowns. “You think he will want to?”
“He isn’t a big enough fool to reject us. After Columbia, when he knows that he is one of us, then he will come. I cannot watch both of you if you are not together.”
“Good,” Kevin says. “He will need the extra practice to keep up with us.”
Andrew doesn’t mention the us. He just keeps walking back to their car still parked on the side of the road.
And if he holds Kevin’s hand on the drive to the airport and presses the sides of their thighs together as the plane taxis down the runway? Well, he and Kevin have more important things to care about than the thoughts of others. They have a new striker on their team.