Archive of Our Own ^beta

Andreil Hugs HC for books-and-draws-eclectic and sahana-draws

• Post-TKM Andrew and Neil become a lot more comfortable with physical touch
• In fact, physical touch between them becomes one of their comforts
• It starts, funnily enough, with Andrew. After startling awake from a too real dream where Neil never made it back from Baltimore, he needs some reassurance. That Neil is here, that he’s real, that he’s safe.
• Andrew just walks up to where Neil is doing math homework at his desk and steals Neil’s papers. He plops himself down on a beanbag and silently waits for Neil to get the hint.
• “What?” Neil asks.
• Andrew just gives him a look. Neil finally heads toward the blonde, who just looks down at his lap. “Sit.”
• Carefully, Neil crouches down until he’s situated in Neil’s lap. Andrew just hands back Neil’s homework and wraps his arms around Neil.
• And Andrew doesn’t feel burdened by Neil’s weight, instead, he feels safe, calm.
• Maybe he falls asleep for a little bit while Neil works.
• The next time they hug, the first time they hug “for real,” is initiated by Neil. The junkie, of course, does it after an exy game.
• When Andrew asked for a number earlier, Neil said zero. It’s not that he wasn’t completely confident in Andrew’s exy abilities, he just wanted to see if it could be done.
• After winning 8-0 to the Dolphins, Andrew playing the full game, Neil holds back the strong pull to run up to Andrew in the middle of the goal and jump him. Instead, he waits until they get to the locker rooms, all the other guys already in the showers, and Neil asks “yes or no?”
• After a reluctant (not really) yes from Andrew, Neil wraps his arms around him, placing a quick kiss on his cheek.
• “You’re so amazing.” Neil whispers.
• “Junkie,” Andrew fights back but is undermined by his cheeks turning bright red under Neil’s lips.
• After that, it becomes a tradition for Neil to congratulate Andrew after a game with a hug and a kiss on the cheek (in private, of course).
• Andrew hates it. 
• The first time they hug in bed, isn’t the first time they’ve slept in the same bed together. 
• It has taken them a lot of time and practice and patience to fully become comfortable sharing a bed, but once they did it was so worth it.
• It happens when they come back from Eden’s, Andrew tipsier than normal.
• After stumbling their way up to Andrew’s bedroom and getting ready for bed (Andrew needed a lot of help from Neil with that), the two of them are laying in bed.
• And Andrew when he’s tipsy isn’t necessarily softer than normal, it’s just - he doesn’t leave as many of his walls up. 
• So he tells Neil to turn around and scoot back towards him.
• Andrew wraps his arms around Neil’s stomach, smooshes his head in the back of Neil’s neck, and has some of the best sleep of his life.
• The first time they hug in front of someone it is, surprisingly, Bee. 
• Neil has been going to therapy regularly for a few weeks now, with the stipulation that Andrew join him.
• Today was harder than normal for Neil.
• He’s talking about his early childhood. The first times he was exposed to violence and horror instead of love and joy.
• Finally looking back on it now, Neil feels a sense of- grief. For the childhood he never got to have. For the child he never got to be.
• It makes him feel some type of way, small, vulnerable, day he say even needy. (though if he were to voice that he’s sure he’d be immediately challenged by both Andrew and Bee).
• Andrew assesses the situation, looking from Neil to Bee, to checking in with himself. He slowly slides his way towards Neil on the other end of the couch and slowly engulfs him in a hug.
• Neil feels more solid than he has in the past hour, more solid than he’s been in his life, really.
• He hopes Andrew doesn’t notice any wet spots on his shirt from where he had been unable to hold back his tears while hugging.
• The first time they hug in public is the first time they reunite after Andrew moved to Denver to join the pro exy team. It’s been one month too long, and Neil has missed his nothing.
• He hops on a flight to Colorado, only letting Andrew know in advance so he’d have a ride home on the airport. 
• Neil rushes off his plane, duffle bag on his shoulder. Like all those years ago, he barely holds back the need to touch Andrew when he sees him at the airport. After a silent greeting, the two men walk towards the parking lot. Before Neil gets in the car though, Andrew looks around, and pulls the redhead into his arms for a hug.
• “I missed you,” Neil whispers. And swears he can feel Andrew’s head nod against his neck in agreement.
• The first time they share a hug with other people is after they’ve finally managed to settle down. Living in the same apartment, playing for the same team, even adopting a pair of cats.
• It’s when they finally finish setting up the apartment and adopting the cats.
• They’re exhausted, the cats too.
• So Andrew and Neil lay down on their new couch, quickly joined by two small furry bodies.
• The four of them curl around one another and fall asleep.
• Neither Andrew nor Neil ever thought they could be the type of person to like hugs, or even want hugs.
• But with time, and growth, and patience, they’ve learned that physical touch isn’t necessarily a bad thing - that it can be a good thing.
• Physical touch becomes a casual thing.
• Holding hands on a late night drive.
• Andrew leaning on Neil while he cooks them breakfast.
• Sitting with their thighs pushed against each other surrounded by their family of Foxes.
• And hugging.