Archive of Our Own

Neil sat on the bean bag chair and watched as Nicky and Aaron puttered around packing up their things. It was the end of the school year and everyone was getting ready to go their separate ways. Since Aaron no longer had to keep his relationship with Katelyn under wraps they were going to go on a trip together and do whatever it was they planned. Aaron had told them what they were doing, but Neil hadn’t been paying much mind, so he really didn’t know. Nicky was heading to Germany for a month, and the past month had been torture for him and subsequently everyone else as well.

Neil’s attention was pulled away from those two when the door opened and Andrew and Kevin walked in. Andrew’s eyes flitted over to Neil and away again in an instant as he watched the chaos of his family packing. Kevin walked over to slump into the bean bag next to Neil.

“Why does Aaron look pissed?” Kevin asked quietly. He shifted slightly closer to Neil and Neil shrugged.

“Apparently he left something in here and Nicky says he didn’t. Aaron thinks Nicky lost it.” Kevin huffed in laughter as he rolled his eyes.

“So nothing unusual?”

“Nothing at all.” Neil looked at Kevin through his peripherals. Kevin was a new addition to his and Andrew’s not-relationship, and Neil’s mind was still reeling from it all. They really did need to have a sit down and talk about what their relationship is and what the parameters are, but they would prefer to have that conversation in private and the dorms aren’t exactly the best place for that kind of thing. Neil tilted his head back and sighed quietly as he closed his eyes.

It was nice, but damn if it wasn’t a confusing situation to be in. Neil wanted defined lines and areas he could easily map out, but when the relationship involved three men of varying emotional stunting, things weren’t always a walk in the park.

Neil felt a presence by the top of his head and felt a shadow fall across his face. He opened his eyes to see Andrew staring down at him.

“Staring.” Neil copied and Andrew rolled his eyes. He kicked the back of the bean bag and jostled Neil around.

“Junkie. We’re staying in Columbia over the summer. We leave tomorrow after we take Nicky to the airport.” Neil nodded. He hadn’t made any plans for the summer, only hoping he could couch surf between Abby and Wymack at the very least.

“Kevin, you’re coming too.” Andrew said as he turned to go into the bedroom. Kevin looked surprised for only a moment responding.

“When are we taking Nicky to the airport?” He asked.

“His flight leaves at 5 am, so we have to leave by 3.” Kevin groaned audibly and laid back for a moment before checking the time on his phone. It was nearing midnight, so Kevin reluctantly heaved himself out of his seat.

“Should go to bed. All of our stuff is packed up anyways.” Kevin said as he offered a hand to haul Neil up as well. Neil took it and let Kevin pull him up. Neil never thought of strength as something attractive, but Kevin and Andrew both being able to move him around so easily was definitely a plus in his mind.

“Yeah, yeah.” Neil agreed as he reluctantly let go of Kevin’s hand. He glanced around at Nicky and Aaron who were still milling about in their room. “Go on to bed, Kev. I’ll wait until they’ve gone back to their dorm.” Kevin paused and glanced over at the other two briefly.

“Want me to wait for you? I want to sleep with you tonight.” Kevin switched to French, not wanting the other two to hear.

“Go lay down, I’ll be there soon. Clingy.” Neil returned easily. Kevin nodded and went back to their room while Neil moved into the kitchen to watch the others. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms as they moved about. Nicky noticed him first and gave him a smile.

“Want to go to bed? Aaron’s book is obviously not here, so we can leave and let you go to bed. We should go to bed anyway, we all have busy days tomorrow.” Nicky bumped Aaron lightly and Aaron huffed.

“Fine. But if I find out you lost my book-” Aaron started, but Nicky waved him off.

“I’ll buy you a new one, no biggie. But seriously, didn’t do it. You always assume the worst of me, and I’m offended you would even think I would do that.” Nicky guided Aaron out of the dorm and into the hall with a wave towards Neil.

“Night Neil! See you in the morning!” Nicky called as Neil followed them towards the door.

“Night guys. See you in the morning.” Neil replied before shutting the door and locking it. He stood in the living room for a moment and took in how bare everything seemed. It was off putting, to say the least. He sighed to himself and shook his head before shutting the lights out and heading towards the bedroom. He opened the door as quietly as he could and snuck in, hoping the other two were already asleep. As his eyes adjusted to the dark of the room he saw Andrew shift in his bed and freeze.

“It’s just me.” He whispered, and he saw the lump that was Andrew under his blanket relax. Neil continued into the room and got undressed in the dark. He threw his clothes into the corner of the room and walked over to Andrew. He knelt beside the bed and waited until Andrew’s eyes were on him.

“Kevin asked if I could sleep with him tonight.” He spoke softly as he placed a hand palm up on the bed. Andrew glanced at his hand and moved slowly to put his hand in his lightly. Neil smiled to himself as he rested his chin on the edge of the bed. “Are you okay with that?” He continued.

“Better you than me.” Andrew said lowly, and Neil laughed softly.

“What, don’t want to wake up with Kev spooning you?” He teased. Andrew rolled his eyes and tightened his grip on Neil’s hand once before letting go.

“Better you than me.” He repeated. Neil watched Andrew for a moment, trying to memorize his face, even in the dark.

“Can I kiss you goodnight?” Neil asked. Andrew nodded and shifted out of his blanket cocoon to let Neil reach him. Neil leaned in and kissed Andrew once, twice, and a third time before pulling away.

“I’ll see you in the morning, Drew.” Neil said as he stood up. He stretched and walked over to where two beds had been pushed together. When Nicky and Aaron both left the room they kept two of the beds bunked but pushed the other two together to make a larger bed, and Neil enjoyed it immensely. Kevin was on the side closer to the wall and sprawled out. He was mostly asleep, but the last dregs of consciousness were making his eyes flutter. Neil tugged the blanket out of his way and climbed in, where Kevin immediately pulled him to his chest. Neil fixed the blanket and got comfortable with his head on Kevin’s chest, his steady heartbeat lulling Neil to sleep.

Neil never thought grocery shopping could be anything other than dull. That being said, Neil supposes, that was when he didn’t have Andrew and Kevin to make everything a little more interesting. It was late at night, closer to two in the morning than one, and Andrew was sitting in the cart with food slowly piling around him. Kevin was trying his best to argue the fact that they didn’t need three different types of ice cream, and maybe they should get something that, at the very least, resembles something healthy.

“Andrew! I swear, I’ve even agreed to not ask about practicing while we’re here. We can eat healthy.” Kevin threw his arms up and crossed them over his chest, looking all the world like a child about to throw a tantrum. Andrew watched him with a hint of amusement in his eyes. Neil wondered if Kevin even realized half of the time Neil and Andrew only did things like this to get a reaction from him, it was something entertaining.

“Absolutely not.” Andrew drawled as he finally popped the lollipop he snagged earlier from his mouth. “Get fucked.” And with that the lollipop went back in his mouth and he reached a hand towards the ice cream. Neil reached over and popped the door open and let Andrew grab another pint and laughed at the betrayed look on Kevin’s face.

“We should get actual food though, Drew. We can’t all survive on sweets alone.” Neil reminded him. Andrew rolled his eyes.

“You’re both weak and natural selection is coming for you both.”

“Hmm. If natural selection hasn’t taken me out yet do you really think this will be the thing that does me in? All things considered.” Neil speculated.

“If not natural selection, then me.” Neil laughed and shook his head.

“The more you say you’re going to kill me the less I believe you, you know. A man’s got to follow through. Don’t let natural selection take that from you, kill me yourself.”

“One day I will commit to it.”

“Why do I even bother with you two.” Kevin grumbled as Andrew and Neil turned their looks on him.

“We’re fun to keep around.” Neil shrugged. Andrew snorted and went back to looking at his phone. He held it up to show them both a recipe he wanted to make, something that would satisfy them all, health junkie or not.

“That looks really good.” Kevin admitted. “And to that, you’re both going to give me gray hair at a young age. A stroke, something.” He finished.

“I could say the same.” Andrew said easily, and Neil watched him bookmark the recipe and go to something else. Neil leaned over the top of the cart and smiled as Andrew looked up in annoyance.

“Kiss, yes or no?” He asked quietly. Andrew huffed and nodded, craning his head back to kiss him. Neil felt Kevin’s gaze on them both once he pulled away and grinned at Kevin.

“What, want one too?” Neil teased lightly. A faint blush crossed Kevin’s nose and he shrugged as he shifted his weight and looked away.

“No, I don’t.” It was a poorly told lie, and Neil raised an eyebrow.

“Mhmm. Well, if you change your mind I’m sure one of us wouldn’t mind giving you one.” And with that, Neil pushed off the cart and began pushing Andrew down the aisle. He reached into another freezer and grabbed some quick meals, ones they could make in less than thirty minutes, if they were feeling particularly lazy that day.

“Can I?” Kevin asked from behind them. Neil and Andrew both paused and turned to look at him.

“Have a kiss.” Kevin clarified, his face growing more red. Andrew motioned him closer and Kevin came up slowly.

“All you had to do was ask.” Neil reiterated as he stretched up on his toes and wrapped a hand gently around the back of Kevin’s neck.

“Yes or no?” Was barely out of Neil’s mouth before Kevin was agreeing and bending down to meet Neil in the middle. It was far from their first kiss, but it was still so relatively new that Neil was adjusting to it. He had limited experience kissing other people, but kissing Andrew and Kevin was quickly becoming one of his favorite things to do. He fell back onto his feet with a soft sound and reached up to run his hands through Kevin’s hair before letting his hand fall back down.

“And you?” Kevin asked, turning his attention to Andrew. “Can I kiss you too?” Andrew watched him for a moment before nodding and reaching up to grab onto Kevin’s shirt. Andrew made no extra effort to reach from his spot and Neil laughed as Kevin bent at almost ninety degrees to kiss him. Neil kept his eyes on the aisle around them, confident in the fact that no one would actually be there but wanting to make sure just in case. The other two finally pulled away and with that their grocery trip got back on course, albeit Kevin’s face remained faintly pink the rest of the trip.

“I’m not sleeping in the middle.” Andrew said bluntly. They had all been staring at Andrew’s bed, quietly trying to decide the sleeping arrangement.

“Of course not.” Kevin agreed. Neil nodded as well as he scrunched up his face in thought.

“Maybe I could be?” He said finally. Both Kevin and Andrew turned to look at him.

“Well, let’s look at it. Andrew doesn’t want anyone touching him when he’s asleep, unless he knows about it. I don’t move in my sleep. Kevin likes to be a fucking octopus and wrap himself around whoever is nearest him. So, by that logic I should be in the middle. Right?” When neither man disagreed, Neil motioned for Andrew to get in first. Andrew sighed and tugged the blankets down and got comfortable in his spot. Neil crawled into bed next and waited expectantly for Kevin to get in. Kevin was standing still and staring at the spot left open for him.
“Are you really sure?” He asked. “I can go sleep on the couch, I don’t want to mess this up for either of you. I’m sure you have your sleeping arrangement down by now.”

“We wouldn’t have offered it if we didn’t mean it.” Andrew stretched and rubbed at one of his eyes. Neil yawned and patted the bed next to him.

“Get in bed Kev. We can change how we sleep, that’s fine.” Kevin nodded once and got in bed next to Neil and curled up on his side, his back to the door. Kevin yawned and pulled the blanket back into place, but Neil could still see he was tense.

“Are you planning on sleeping like a rock the whole time? Relax, Kevin.” Neil murmured as he rolled onto his side to face Kevin. The moonlight filtered through the blinds, causing streaks to fall on Kevin’s face. He reached out gently and placed a hand on Kevin’s cheek and traced small circles. Kevin huffed and Neil felt him relax, his whole body stretching out. Kevin sighed quietly and wrapped an arm around Neil’s waist and tug him close. Kevin’s hand bumped into Andrew and he paused.

“Sorry, Andrew.” Kevin said as he went to move his hand away. Andrew caught his hand and looked over Neil’s head at Kevin.

“Stomach. No where else.” Andrew replied and scooted a little closer before dropping Kevin’s hand on top of his stomach. Kevin watched him closely for a minute before nodding. Neil let a small smile cross his face and Andrew rolled his eyes before reaching over and putting his hand over Neil’s mouth.

“Not a word.” Andrew warned. Neil kissed the palm of Andrew’s hand and nodded.

“Fine, fine.” Neil placed a hand on Kevin’s arm and let his other hand fall into the space between him and Andrew. Andrew’s gaze fell on it for a moment before he sighed and tangled their hands together.

Tomorrow morning would find them with Kevin practically on top of Neil, his leg thrown over him and close to Andrew’s, but no one would complain. And if they were all still touching each other, well, that was no one’s business but their own.

A hush fell over the dinner as soon as the words were out of Neil’s mouth. Kevin shifted in his seat, obviously wanting to know the answer as well, but unwilling to voice his question as well. Andrew froze with his fork halfway to his mouth, eyebrow raised.

“What? We should really label this at some point, especially if this is going to continue. Which, honestly, I really would like it too.” Neil continued eating and looked at the other two. He had finally lost what self control he had and bit the proverbial bullet. He asked what they were and wanted answers.

“This is-”

“Nothing, yeah yeah. But let’s be real. This hasn’t been nothing for a while Andrew. Not between us and not when we brought Kevin into this. I know he wants to know too, but he won’t say anything. So I’ll ask for us.”

Andrew set his fork down and stared at Neil, then at Kevin. They both stared back, Neil a little more defiantly than Kevin. After neither one said anything Andrew ran a hand through his hair and sat back.

“Fine.” He started, and it was obvious from even one word that Andrew did not really want to talk about this. But, Andrew knew the others needed this from him. This, he could give them.

“This isn’t nothing.” He admitted. Neil’s triumphant grin was enough that he wanted to walk away, but the underlying hope in his and Kevin’s eyes made him sit still.

“I hate both of you. You’re both exy obsessed, infuriating, instigating assholes.” He continued, “but I suppose I wouldn’t hate it if this stayed a...thing. Us three. No one else.”

“I’d like it too.” Kevin agreed. “I’ve liked both of you for a while, lord knows why. But this is...nice. I don’t want to lose this, lose you both. I can’t imagine not having you both with me.”

“So, are we boyfriends?” Neil asked. Kevin and Andrew both turned to him, two very different looks of disbelief hitting him. Andrew’s was definitely more of a ‘you’re an idiot, why did it take you this long,’ and Kevin’s more like he couldn’t believe this was real.

“This is something we get to keep.” Neil said outloud, ignoring the looks. Maybe he was speaking to himself more than anything, feeling wonder at something else he never thought he could have. Even a year ago a boyfriend would have been out of the question, let alone two. He laughed and shook his head.

“I’m sorry, I’m just imagining what would have happened if you had told us this time last year we would have two boyfriends.” Kevin snorted and Andrew huffed.

“With you two? Not in a million years.” Kevin said as he went back to his food.

“I would have killed both of you and rid myself of this headache.” Andrew agreed.

“I would have ran away.” Neil admitted.

“We know.” Andrew and Kevin said almost simultaneously.

Summer was hitting its peak, and the night air was only marginally cooler than it was during the day. The sounds of the fair filled the air around them as they bought their tickets. They had been relaxing for about a month, doing whatever it was that pleased them. They heard the fair was coming to town and decided to go. They found out that only Andrew had gone to a fair before, Nicky dragging his cousins with him.

“So we just...ride the rides?” Neil asked dubiously as he watched a ride shudder as it hit its peak. From what he could see there were really three choices. Heights, spinning, or both. Unless they went on children’s rides.

“There’s food and games too.” Andrew pointed out. He motioned towards paths lined with booths all with people shouting and playing games gleefully. The vendors were calling to the crowds, trying to get strangers' attention and get them to come play. There were stuffed animals that looked almost as big as Neil, and he scanned them curiously as he led them down the path. There were cartoon characters, food, and plenty of animals. There were inflatables too, on closer inspection, but he couldn’t fathom why someone would want that. He stopped suddenly in front of a ring toss booth and looked up at a giant fox dangling enticingly above them as Kevin bumped into him.

“Neil, what is it?” Kevin asked, frowning. “Do you want to play?” Neil pointed up at the fox and Kevin laughed.

“You want the fox?” Kevin asked. He slung an arm around Neil’s waist and stepped close to Neil to avoid the people curling around them.

“Yeah, I want it.” Neil nodded. He stepped forward and Kevin followed behind as he checked the prices on a laminated paper on the counter. The worker immediately stepped forwards, plastic rings around her wrist clacking together as she moved in.

“Wanna play? Think you can win?” The woman rocked on her heels, ponytail swinging and rings still clacking. Neil shrugged and handed her enough money for ten rings.

“Probably. Doesn’t seem hard.” Neil said as he watched the woman put the money in her apron and drop the rings on the counter in front of him.

“Well, the rules are simple! Land two rings get a small prize, four gets medium, and six or more gets the big one. Are you gonna play too?” She asked Kevin. She hadn’t stopped moving since they got over and it made Neil a little antsy.
“Uh, no. I’m just gonna watch him play.” Kevin stepped up next to Neil and turned to look in the crowd. “Where did Andrew go? We lost him.” He frowned and checked his phone. He hadn’t gotten a message, so he’d wait until Neil was done with his game. If Andrew hadn’t come back then he would worry.

Neil tilted his head and looked at the rings. Something felt weird about them, but he couldn’t place what. He shrugged and tossed the first ring, watching it bounce haphazardly off one of the metal bottles. He frowned and tossed the second one. It landed half on a bottle before slipping off.

“Really? I know your aim is better than that.” Kevin said. Neil rolled his eyes and glared at him.

“Oh, shut up.”

“Doesn’t seem like he has good aim.” The woman taunted. She hopped up and sat on the counter and kicked her legs.

“I do too.” Neil argued as he threw the next one. It landed on one and he felt a wave of satisfaction.

“Okay, okay! The boy is getting the hang of it. Can you keep it going though?”

The answer was no. Neil scoffed in annoyance as the last ring missed a bottle.

“C’mon, you almost had it! Try again?” She egged him on. Neil could see how these games could quickly get a lot of money. It was infuriating having her taunt him the whole time, and a little hit to his pride that he couldn’t land them.

“No, I’m good.” Neil said as he stepped back. He walked away and spotted Andrew sitting on a bench. Neil came over and sat down next to him and looked at what was near them. Andrew had a cup almost as big as his head sitting by his foot and something fried in his lap.

“Having fun?” Neil asked. Kevin stood in front of them and glanced at the plate in disgust.

“I dont’ know how you could eat that much fried food. It would make me sick.”

“Good thing I’m not you then, Kevin.” Andrew said as he tore another piece off and popped it in his mouth.

“What is it?” Neil asked. Andrew tore off a piece and held it out for Neil.

“Funnel cake.”

Neil took the piece and looked at it warily before popping it in his mouth. Andrew watched him eat it before Neil shrugged.

“It’s not bad. A little too sweet for me, but good. I don’t think I could eat a whole one by myself.” He decided. Andrew’s eyes went past Neil towards the game he had tried playing and back towards Neil.

“Didn’t win it?” He asked.

“No, I kept missing.” Andrew could practically hear the pout in his voice and he stood and stretched.

“If you want one so bad you can find one online.” Andrew ate the last piece of his funnel cake and threw the plate into the trash before he checked his phone.

“The fireworks are starting soon, we should go find a place.” Andrew guided Neil away from the bench.

“Oh, okay. But where’d Kevin go?” Neil tried turning to look for him, but Andrew put his hand on Neil’s back and kept him moving forward.

“He went to the bathroom, he’ll meet up with us.” Andrew said as he stepped in front of Neil and led them towards a grassy hill. Families were all sitting on blankets or chairs and kids were screaming and playing. Couples were sitting close together and Neil could see people relaxing for the night.

Andrew pulled Neil through the crowds and over towards a set of stairs leading towards a pavilion. Towards the back it was less crowded, most people wanting the grass to lay in. Andrew sat down on a bench with enough room for all three of them and motioned for Neil to sit next to him.

“Have you watched fireworks before?” Neil asked. He set his hand palm up on his thigh, leaving the invitation for Andrew. Andrew glanced down at it and took his hand.

"Can I lean on you?" Neil asked. Andrew paused and thought for a moment. He nodded once and Neil happily rested his head on Andrew's shoulder. Andrew was so steady, Neilfelt himself relax completely.

"Kiss your cheek?" He asked quietly. Andrew hummed in agreement and tilted his head to give Neil room. Neil pressed a soft kiss to Andrew's cheek and smiled.

"Am I interrupting?" Kevin called from out of Neil's eyesight. Neil turned and paused when he saw what was in Kevin’s arms. The fox stuffed animal was huge and bulky, two seconds away from falling out of his arms.

"You got it?" Neil asked, as Kevin sat down next to him.

"No, it's just a figment of your imagination." Kevin said sarcastically as he handed it over.

"Fuck off." Neil said, but his eyes were sparkling as he picked it up and stared at it joyfully.

"Thank you." Neil said after a moment. He sat it down on the ground in front of them and leaned into Kevin.

"Kiss?" Neil asked. Kevin nodded and leaned down at meet Neil for a kiss. Neil hummed quietly and let one hand run through Kevin's hair before the sound of a firework going off made him jump. He turned and saw the fireworks. Colors were lighting up the sky and he turned to see them reflecting off Andrew's face, and then turned to see Kevin. He leaned into Kevin, who lifted his arm and wrapped it around Neil's shoulders as he reached out for Andrew's hand.

With his boyfriends close and relaxed as they watched the fireworks, he thought he couldn't of asked for a better summer.

"How much longer until everyone shows up?" Neil asked from his spot spread out across Kevin and Andrew's laps. His head was in Andrew's lap and legs thrown over Kevin’s.

"At least an hour." Andrew said as he checked his phone. "Reynolds and Renee will be back first." Neil nodded and stretched. Kevin's hand was rubbing circles idly on his calf while he read a book. He could tell he was antsy to get back to training, but was trying to wait.

"Hey, Kev." Neil said as he rocked himself up.

"Hmm?" He asked, distracted. He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head towards Neil. Neil reached over and plucked the book from his hand and ignored Kevin's scowl.

"The hell, Neil?" He complained. Neil shrugged and leaned in close.

"Just wanted to kiss you before everyone got here. But if you're gonna be like that…" He trailed off and shrugged. Kevin's eyes lit up and a faint blush covered his cheeks.

"Oh. Oh, yeah. That's fine." He agreed.

"Just fine? I tell you I want to kiss you and all I get is fine? I’m insulted.” Neil said, and Kevin rolled his eyes.

“Come here you dramatic little asshole.” Kevin tugged gently on Neil’s shirt, bringing him close.
“I’m not the dramatic little asshole, that’s Andrew.” Neil argued and jumped when Andrew pushed on his back with his foot.

“I’m not dramatic.” Andrew said. Kevin and Neil both snorted.

“Is your spine the spine of the righteous?” Neil mimicked and Kevin laughed.

“It’s more fun to tell you no.” Kevin added on.

“I’m going to kill both of you and be done with this.” Andrew warned.

“Sure, sure.” Neil waved him off with a laugh. “Anyways, kiss?”

Kevin pulled him back close and kissed him gently before pulling away.

“This summer was fun.” He said after a moment. Neil nodded his head in agreement. He turned on the couch and slumped against Kevin and threw his legs across Andrew’s lap. Andrew raised an eyebrow and looked over at them. He shrugged and reached over to pull Kevin’s arm around his chest.

“It was entertaining.” Andrew admitted. Neil and Kevin both smiled at that before Kevin turned to face Andrew, Neil still slumped against his chest.

“Can I kiss you?” Kevin asked. Andrew sighed heavily and nodded. He leaned across the couch to meet Kevin, his hand already reaching out to tangle in the taller man’s hair. Neil watched from his spot as they kissed, and once they pulled away he sat up a little taller. Kevin wrapped his arms around Neil’s waist and slumped into him as Andrew stared at Neil.

“What? Can’t I just look at you?” Neil asked, reading the look on Andrew’s face.

“No, absolutely not.”

“Can’t a man just look at his boyfriends anymore?” Neil complained.

“Did you just say boyfriends? As in plural?” A new voice from the entryway said. All three men tensed up and turned, seeing Allison Reynolds in all her glory. Renee stood next to her, a slight look of surprise on her face.

“Fuck.” Kevin groaned and hid his face in Neil’s back.

“Fuck.” Neil agreed. Allison’s shocked laughter echoed through the room. This wasn’t the way they were planning on telling the team, but knowing Allison the whole team would know by tonight. Well, Neil supposes, it isn’t the worst thing if the team knows.