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There's no real purpose as to why he says it, they aren’t even doing anything remotely related to Halloween right now, despite the upcoming holiday. Maybe it's because he’s bored, his mind wandering to things he’s never done, things he ought to have done before, like skiing. Maybe, on the drive back from Columbia, the sight of the attraction had caught his attention and had burned itself in his brain. Maybe, just maybe, Kevin Day is thinking of something other than exy for a change and he’s not even sure why.
“I've never done a horror house before.”
The words spill out from his mouth like vomit, it’s more of a murmuring to himself than an announcement to the room, but the rest of the Foxes silence anyway. All staring at him with vague looks of confusion. It’s not like Kevin is boring, he has interests that lay outside of exy despite what everyone thinks and he has desires and wishes and mild thoughts of activities that lay outside of an exy stadium. He just doesn’t exactly like to voice the long list of things he’s missed, being who he is and living where he did for so long, trapped in the claws of those desperate to control him.
Kevin blinks, broken from his reverie when Neil finally snorts from his position on the floor, leaning against Andrew’s legs. He tilts his head back with a thump to look over at Kevin and Andrew grasps a handful of hair and tugs. It’s an action Kevin doesn’t miss but doesn’t point out, instead he focuses on Neil, an eyebrow arched.
“You serious?” Neil says, “Even I’ve done that.” Andrew tugs at his hair again and Neil shoots him a smile. “I’m not a total lost cause.”
It’s Allison this time, who chokes back a laugh as Nicky looks up from the bean bag he’s sat in, painting Allison’s toenails.
“Neilio, you know what we mean by a horror house right?”
“Did you miss the part last year where you found out my father was a serial killer? My entire childhood home was a horror house.” Neil shrugs and Kevin rolls his eyes, kicking him in the shoulder lightly.
“Oh babe,” Allison says derisively, waving a polished hand at Nicky to continue. “That is not the same thing.”
Kevin thinks it might be the same thing. Sort of. He’s been unfortunate enough to see in person exactly what Neil’s father was capable of, despite how Neil came back to them last year, cut up from head to toe a bleeding mess. He shudders, because even now in the dead of night when he thinks he’s his safest, those memories creep out from the shadows to taunt at his subconscious. Running red with the screams of a victim long since forgotten, and while Kevin has dealt with a lot in his life, it probably doesn’t compare to the amount of death he knows Neil has seen. Has experienced.
Allison looks over at him this time, it’s not pity exactly, maybe understanding that flashes across her face. “Well we know fun isn't exactly in the ravens repertoire. Not that horror houses are what I would call fun… ”
“And what would you call fun?” Aaron pipes up from his perch at the desk on the other side of the room. There’s a textbook from one of his classes laid out across his knees as he rests his feet on the desk chair, a pencil tucked behind his ear and his glasses are slightly wonky. It’s kind of endearing to look at, but that thought goes right out Kevin’s mind whenever Aaron tends to open his mouth.
“Looking hot in a sexy two piece, hanging out on a remote beach somewhere with a couple margaritas and equally hot company? Why? You jelly?” Allison replies with not so much a thought to it. Aaron sneers at her, returning to his book as Allison smirks.
“Why are we even talking about this?” Nicky says, waving a hand over Allisons feet as he finishes.
“There's a pop one just outside Palmetto for the season I think?” Matt, who is lying flat out on the floor lifts his head to speak, shooting a questioning look over at Kevin, who nods in confirmation.
“Why can't we just go and get drunk at Eden's?” Nicky complains.
“Why not do both…?”
Kevin tunes out the impending argument the rest of the foxes begin to get into when he suddenly feels a slow and steady warmth wrap itself around his ankle. He turns his head to see Andrew staring at him, a hand grasped around the appendage. His eyes, as usual, are calm, but Kevin can already see the question there, poised on the tip of Andrew’s tongue. He glances over at Neil, whose own gaze is too, focused on him.
Do you want to go?
It still amazes him, even after all this time, even after everything, that they chose him. That they know him so well, and he they, that they don’t even need to vocalise exactly what they need to say, what they want to know. It’s as comforting as it is terrifying, to be known so soul shatteringly by not only one but two people, and in return knowing that you have their hearts in your hands. So easily he could crush them, could tear down everything they built themselves to be but instead he holds them close and so, so tenderly.
Kevin shrugs, I don’t know.
Andrew nods, squeezing his ankle before he releases it and nudging at Neil to move so he can stand. He pats his pockets, no doubt looking for his cigarettes before he motions to Neil that he’s going up and Neil nods, already on his feet to join him. Kevin pokes them both his foot, shooting them a disapproving look which Andrew returns with a middle finger as he moves past and Kevin feels Neil trace his fingers lightly along the back of his neck as he follows. It makes him shiver.
Kevin smiles to himself as the door closes behind them. Understanding the touch for the apology for what it is, knowing that he can probably never change Andrew or Neil and their habits. It’s a small thing to accept for the bigger payoff he gets to be with them.
“Kevin?”
Kevin, broken from his train of thought, looks over at Nicky who is staring at him with large, pleading eyes.
“What?” He says.
“I asked you if you think Coach would let us open our own horror house at the stadium?”
The idea is so absurd, Kevin can’t help but laugh.
Three days later Kevin is still thinking about the horror house. It's not like it's even really that big of a deal. Despite missing out on loads of conventional things growing up, he isn't mad about it. He likes his life as it is now. He likes the comfortability he has with his Foxes and Andrew and Neil. The comforting familiarity of friends and lovers and family that comes with being a part of something like the foxes.
He revels in the newly repaired relationship he has with his father and all the places that's going, how it thrives on every interaction they have.
He's proud of himself and the progress he’s made with Betsy in understanding and accepting his trauma. It's been a long hard road, and Kevin thinks he'll probably never really be over the complicated array of feelings he has whenever memories of Riko and the nest creep up on him. He can accept that now though, and living without the constant terror of them or the imminent threat of the Moriyamas has never been more exciting.
The point is, Kevin's life is going as perfectly as it could right now, which is why it throws him for a loop when Andrew strolls into the dorm a few evenings later and smacks the back of the couch. Both Kevin and Neil, who is draped over Kevin watching some mindless quiz show, startle and stare up at Andrew in confusion.
“Get in the car idiots. We’re leaving," he says, his tone leaving no room for argument. That doesn't stop Kevin from staring at him dumbly.
“What?” Kevin finally says, huffing out a breath as Neil elbows him in the stomach when he rolls off Kevin's chest and straight onto the floor with a thump.
“Up. We’re leaving.” Andrew repeats, turning on his heel and strolling back out the door. Kevin still doesn't move, instead looking over at Neil who is struggling to pull his sweater over his head.
“Do you…?”
“Nope!” Neil's voice mumbles through the cloth, his tone is awfully chipper however and that tells Kevin all he needs to know, that Neil does actually know exactly where they are going.
“Better do as he says though Kev,” he carries on with a wink as he finally gets his head through the right hole. Kevin stays frozen until Neil is shoving his feet into a pair of ratty sneakers that he had thought Andrew had managed to finally throw out, when Neil looks over at Kevin with mirth alight in his blue eyes.
“Chop chop K, or we’ll leave without you.”
Kevin is out the door in less than ten seconds flat.
He doesn’t bother to question Andrew when he gets in the car, nor while they drive out of campus and then further out of Palmetto. In fact, Kevin chooses not to say much of anything, that is until they are pulling into a car lot filled with bright red and blue lights and projections of ghosts and pumpkins skittering over the tarmac.
He doesn’t miss the smug look Neil sends Andrew as the latter gets out the car and tucks his hands into his pockets, starting to leisurely stroll toward a large group of people. Kevin jumps out of his seat, taking in the sights and sounds around him. It's loud, almost suffocatingly slow and not in the good way it is when they go to Eden's. There's pockets of people everywhere, some dressed in ridiculous costumes and others, like him, barely dressed for the current cold climate in nothing but a shirt and jeans.
He moves out of the way of a group of giggling high schoolers as he catches up with Andrew, who lifts his car keys over his shoulder without looking and hits the lock button.
“What are we doing here?” Kevin asks, absorbed in the large building looming before them. The front has been set up to look like the entranceway of an old, seventeenth century castle. There is a huge gargoyle sitting atop the doorway with glowing red eyes and a head that slowly moves back and forth. As they get closer through the thrums of screaming and laughing guests, Kevin can hear the beat of heavy music playing a slow and eerie tune.
“Andrew wha-” Kevin begins again, but this time Andrew cuts him off.
“We have tickets.”
Kevin turns to stare at him, confused.
“Why do we have tickets?”
Andrew sends him a pointed look but doesn’t deem it necessary to say anything. To his left, Kevin can see Neil bouncing on the balls of his feet.
“This could be fun.” He comments, a wide smile on his face and Andrew rolls his eyes.
“Simmer down junkie, there’s no exy here.”
Neil nods somberly, “ah, yes. Then it’s a true house of horror.” Andrew’s hand shoots out, moving to knock Neil on the head for his sheer annoyance but Neil sees it coming, laughing as he moves swiftly out of dodge.
“Gotta be quicker than that Minyard.” Andrew glares at him, huffing as he quickens his step.
“I hate both of you. Now hurry the fuck up.” He grumbles and Kevin looks over at him affronted as he takes three long strides to catch up.
“What the hell did I do?” Kevin says as they reach the back of the queue line. Andrew spins on his step, grabbing the back of Kevin’s neck and kissing him fiercely.
“Shut up and have fun,” he says against Kevins lips before he pulls away, turning his back to him and pulling out his phone.
Neil nudges Kevin’s side, a smile playing on his lips as Kevin licks his own.
“Oh shut up.” Kevin pouts as he feels his face heat up, he knocks Neil back in retaliation.
The queue doesn’t take that long to get through and before Kevin knows it they are at the front, staring through cheap, painted drywall and down into a barely lit abyss of supposed halloween horrors. Andrew pulls out three small strips of paper from his pocket and shows them to the girl manning the entrance. Her face is painted with an eerie clown make up and she has fake blood dripping from a fake cut along her neck. She stamps each of their hands and waves them along without saying anything, clearly bored from another night at the job.
As they step through the large doors they catch sight of the group of lads who entered before them, who haven’t made much progress at all as they push and yell at each other down into a dark corridor. It’s decorated with the kind of stereotypical decorations you would find in a store. Plastic and utterly cheap looking, hanging sporadically from the ceiling and pinned to the walls. Kevin’s never been a huge fan of spiders, but the large neon pink ones lining the walls don’t really give him much hope for the rest of the house.
Not that Kevin’s expectations were that high to begin with. He’s not even really sure how he’s feeling, he hadn’t actually thought that for one moment Andrew would take it upon himself to get tickets. Not that it wasn’t in the realm of things Andrew would do for him, but the thought that Andrew had taken a somewhat silly notion of his, and planned ahead enough to take the three of them to it despite what he himself may be feeling about it, leaves a warmth trembling in Kevin’s stomach and smile playing on his lips.
His relationship with both Neil and Andrew has evolved so much from where they first began in Neil’s first year, Kevin almost can’t believe it. If anyone had told him this time last year that he would be here, in a horror house because of a throwaway comment he made and with the two of them no less; the feel of Neil’s hand winding into his own as they walk, Kevin would have laughed them out the door.
The corridor finally ends and opens into a room that is almost pitch black apart from the occasional flash of light. There are human sized statues dotted around that seem to move position after every flash. A gaggle of girls behind them scream as a piercing laugh echoes through hidden speakers, and Kevin feels more than sees Neil laugh.
“Pussies.” He says and Kevin can’t help but chuckle too. In the fractures of light, he sees Andrew's figure moving slowly in front of them and though he can’t see his face the relaxed posture of his shoulders tells Kevin all he needs to know about how ‘scary’ Andrew is finding this whole experience.
There is a thump of heavy music that moves in time with each flash of light, and Kevin feels the beat in his chest. He watches, almost casually, as the actors change position in pattern, appearing next to groups of scared teens and laughing couples. Their faces are painted a mottled grey, their costumes barely moving and they look so realistic to the statues they are emulating. He supposes it could be scary, if that’s the kind of thing that scares you coming out of the dark, but Kevin has seen real monsters that lie in the night and he knows exactly how much scarier they are.
There is a noise to the right of him and when Kevin looks the lights flash and there is one of the statues. The actors eyes are closed but Kevin can see, even in the poor light, the heaving of their chest with the effort of constantly scaring and moving. He briefly wonders what their exercise regime is like, if something like this requires some level of cardio training as exy does, though definitely not on the same level. It’s a stupid thought, one that catches him for a second as he stares at the statue until the lights flicker out again and the actor moves on to his next victims.
The group of guys in front of them begin to break off into two smaller groups as they head into the next section, which means the three of them can walk a little faster and actually move through the house with ease. There’s not exactly a rush, but Kevin knows that boredom will only take Andrew and Neil so far in their allowances when it comes to him.
The heavy thrum of music dramatically changes and they walk forward, so much that it takes a second for Kevin to adjust. The tinny chimes of old merry-go-round themes play, but there is something off about it. The sound distorting as it moves from one chord to the next. It sounds wrong, even to Kevin’s ears, which he thinks it’s probably the whole point.
The room is decorated like a big top, the bright colours of the circus and the smells of burning popcorn assault Kevin’s senses. There are red and yellow lights spinning and flashing around them, enough that Kevin finds himself cringing away. The room is spread out enough that there are other small pockets of guests gathering around odd displays of somesort. Kevin, Neil and Andrew stop and stare at a display of a clown riding a bike headless, while the head itself is propped onto the handlebars as blood drips down its eyes. Kevin doesn’t necessarily find it scary, just weird, and he looks over at Neil who looks equally as unimpressed.
Kevin doesn’t get a chance to see Andrew's reaction when he finds himself jumping at a clown, who suddenly appears to his right, cackling madly. The clown's makeup is skewered, with tear tracks running down in thick black lines and a wilted red nose.
Neil laughs as Kevin’s grip on his hand tightens and Kevin had never thought of clowns as particularly scary, but apparently in this kind of environment he’s finding them something to be wary of. Although he knows the guy in the mask probably can’t see him that well, he glares at him regardless, huffing as he moves closer to Andrew's back and they venture further through the room.
Another three actors in clown costumes jump out at them, but this time Kevin finds himself more prepared and by the time they reach the end of this section and are heading into a narrow corridor; Kevin thinks any further fear of clowns he may have has withered away and died.
“Having fun yet?” Neil asks, leaning on his tiptoes to get close enough to Kevin’s ear. Kevin shrugs, not sure exactly what he’s supposed to be finding fun. He knows on some level this was his idea, that his own musings are the reason he’s finding himself dragging behind Andrew and Neil and no one else’s. Still, all this time staring at strange and weird things he could have been at the stadium for a late night practice. Kevin could probably have easily just hit a Spirit Halloween and had the same experience.
This is probably the kind of thing that gets most people going when it comes to this time of year, and Kevin’s never really been big on Halloween celebrations, but more than anything Kevin’s used to being trapped in the dark.So much so that this kind of thing really doesn’t seem affect him so, especially since he’s here with Andrew and Neil. In this land of make believe there probably isn’t much, if anything, that can touch him.
The corridor they’re in eventually starts to get narrower and narrower, until Kevin finally has to let go of Neil’s hand and the three of them are walking in single file until they come into the next room. This time, the room is filled with bodies swinging from the ceiling. Some of them are concealed in black bags with the odd arm or leg hanging out and others are simply corpses missing heads or long gashes along their stomachs with their fake entrails hanging out. Kevin pulls a face at the grotesqueness of it, but otherwise doesn’t feel too fazed.
Andrew turns toward him, eyebrows raised and Kevin offers him a half shrug. It’s apparently all Andrew needs to know, because his lips twitch upward before he turns back and carries on walking.
The sounds of robotic screams and dripping echo through the room but otherwise, the only other thing that can be heard are the sounds of footsteps. Kevin feels Neil grab his hips, pulling their bodies awkwardly together while they walk and Kevin opens his mouth to say something over his shoulder when suddenly there is a loud yell and a guy brandishing a chainsaw appears screaming from inside a cage. A bright light illuminates him from behind and then another figure crawls out from next to him. Slowly, they stand to full height, holding up a crooked knife, right as they run toward Kevin and coming to a sharp stop right in front of Neil when Kevin steps out of the way.
Neil looks at him completely unphased and uncaring. He sighs, picking at some imaginary dirt under a fingernail before addressing the actor. “I wouldn’t hold a knife like that while you run if I were you. If you go to stab someone you won’t have enough force behind it to truly do enough damage.”
The guy stands there, the arm raised that was holding the knife drops limply to his side and it doesn’t take a genius to know this guy is totally and utterly confused. Kevin’s sure his usual clientele probably just scream or laugh their way away from him, but Neil’s set his eyes on this guy like a viper set on its prey and there is usually only one way this ends.
“Neil…” Kevin says, grabbing his arm and tugging him forward.
“I’m just saying!” Neil pouts, ignoring Kevin’s insistent pull. “That is no way to hold a knife if you’re aiming for a running kill. Or any kill for that matter. You want to hold the knife back and angled up for maximum damage.” It’s Andrew this time, who saves them, grasping a handful of Neils shirt and yanking him forward.
“Stop scaring the children. We paid them , not the other way around.”
They carry on to the next section and Neil’s still laughing when they enter the next room, though his laughter dies almost instantly when he sees what it is. Instead of a vast room or another winding corridor, the walls are instead mirrors. Everywhere Kevin looks, he can see their reflections staring back at them. Neil’s eyes are wide, his skin almost pale in the low light.
Kevin has never really understood Neil’s issue with his reflection. He knows that Neil finds his reflection a starch reminder of a ghost no longer hunting him. That man is long since dead and with his death has come the safety and protection of the foxes, and the Moriyama’s as long as he earns them a fair dollar when he graduates. Neil is somewhat untouchable now, and the grasp of a man who bears only slight resemblance should not affect him as much as he does.
Trauma has never been one to make sense however, Kevin knows that intimately.
“Neil, you okay?” He asks, winding his fingers around Neil’s own and squeezing, hoping for something, anything back. Andrew, who had stopped when Neil’s laughter had awkwardly drifted, moves back into Neil’s space, grasping the back of Neil’s neck.
“Neil.” He says, and Neil takes a shuddering breath. His eyes are darting everywhere, and Kevin can bet he’s looking for anywhere that doesn’t automatically show his face staring back at him.
“I’m fine.” Neil finally chokes out, and its falsity is not as reassuring to them as Neil probably hopes it is. Nights like this often leave Neil lying between Kevin and Andrew, solid presences reminding him of what he has now, what he has in the future. Kevin wishes they were back in the dorm now, that they could give Neil exactly what he needs and show Neil all that he and Andrew see.
“I’m fine,” Neil says again, his voice firmer this time and Andrew and Kevin glance at each other over his head.
“Stand behind Kevin,” Andrew tells him, signalling for Kevin to go ahead as Neil falls in line behind him, his hand grabbing at the back of Kevin’s shirt. It’s not home, Kevin thinks, but it’ll do.
It takes longer than Kevin likes to get out of the mirror maze, mainly because he keeps walking into mirrors that he thinks are pathway. It’s frustrating more than anything and Kevin can completely understand why no one seems to linger at this part of the attraction. His face catches him at every corner, at every turn. His Queen tattoo stands out against the eerie glow of his skin. Kevin’s never feared his reflection, and over the past year it’s become something of a comfort whenever he catches himself in the mirror. To finally see himself as he wants to be seen, not just Riko’s number two, a part of a perfect court but Kevin Day, the history major with two outrageously short tempered boyfriends but not less haplessly in love with them.
His pace increases when he finally sees the doorway leading out, and Kevin almost breathes a sigh of relief until he sees what’s in the next area.
Dolls.
Shelves upon shelves of dolls, lining the walls around them. Some of them are missing heads or have cracked or broken faces. Some are in near pristine condition while others are covered in splashes of blood. There is a soft tune playing, reminiscent of a childs nursery rhyme which makes the whole room even more jarring.
“This is…actually creepy.” Kevin comments, moving slowly as Neil and Andrew come to stand beside him. The dolls that have eyes seem to move with them, following them as they walk. It reminds him of days back at the nest, feeling the eyes of everyone staring daggers into him as he passed, no room for peace and no room for privacy.
Out of everything, Kevin thinks he hates this room the most.
A scream suddenly pierces through the room as the group of girls that were once somewhere behind them have finally caught up, causing both Neil and Kevin to jump.
“Assholes.” Kevin says, looking at the group in disgust as Neil flips them off.
Andrew rolls his eyes at them, but his fingers click in agitation. It’s an action that doesn’t escape either Kevin or Neil, a sign that Andrew’s patience has come to an end more than anything and there's a wave of relief when Kevin spies the large neon EXIT sign above them.
“Let’s get the fuck out of here.” Neil says, sliding past Kevin to Andrew where he locks their fingers together. Too many people, too much noise, too much sensory input for all of them in an unknown place and Kevin’s amazed that they’ve made it this far with very little incident.
“You good?” He asks and Kevin feels his heart clench at the look Andrew gives Neil. There are so many layers to Andrew, so many sides that people have never got to see and Kevin has never been so thankful that he is one of the lucky ones that does. Andrew nods, glancing over to Kevin he tilts his head to the side.
You ready to get out this dump?
Kevin smiles, bringing an arm up to gesture after them and Andrew rolls his shoulders and storms forward, Neil flailing as he’s pulled forward.
The air is fresh when they get outside, a cold breeze nips at Kevin’s arms but he doesn’t mind, happy to just be out and under the vast sky of stars. It’s still busy as they leave, no doubt the attraction still open for many more hours before they close, but neither Kevin, Andrew or Neil are planning on staying even a minute longer.
“So. Kev. Was that everything you hoped for?” Neil says, as they clamber back into the maserati.
“What exactly did you think I was hoping for?”
“Who knows.” Neil pauses for a moment, “Was it that though?”
“Hell if I know. Let’s just never go back there.”
“Good idea. Play to your one and only exy strength.” Andrew comments, meeting Kevin’s eyes in the rearview mirror.
Kevin flips him off, knowing exactly when he’s being played. He sinks back into the seat as Andrew starts the car. Was it what he had hoped for? He really doesn’t know, but now at least it’s another thing he thinks he can cross off his list.