Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“So, what was your first date like?”

Nickys voice rung loud in the quiet court. The Foxes had just finished warmups and were just getting ready for a mock game. Neil was already in position at his place left of the goal. Renee had yet to take her place at his goal while Dan was at the other, subbing for Andrew who was at his weekly session.
This was one problem about being such a small team. Whenever Andrew was gone on Wednesday they had to rework the whole group, usually using Dan as a mock goalkeeper, as she is the most experienced.

Neil quickly glanced around himself in case Nicky was actually talking the invisible friend at his side.
“What?”
“You and Andrew’s first date? What did you guys do?”
Nicky was staring at him very expectantly, wearing the same face he always did when he attempted to pry into others' private lives.
Neil blinked a few times in a row. “Uh, we’ve never…?”

He knew Nicky would never have asked this question to Andrew, or even in Andrews perimeter, so why was he asking Neil?
Nicky made a very loud noise which resembled a cat being strangled. Kevin shot him a dirty glare from where he was talking strategy with Dan.

“You two have been dati-,” Nicky tripped over his words and quickly searched for a better word that described Andrew and Neils ‘thing’. “Er- hooking up for months and you still haven’t gone on any dates?”

Neil was about to answer when Aaron intervened from his spot on the court. “Have you seen how many times they’ve randomly left without telling anyone? Of course they have, now can we please get to this game before Kevin combusts.”

Nicky frowned at that but left Neil alone for the rest of the morning.
Maybe Aaron was good for something after all.
But even with Aaron's own answer the question still stuck with Neil.

Dates

The thought was so foreign but was so common between other couples. Dan and Matt went on dates all the time, to random restaurants or the movies. It was the same with Aaron and Kaitlyn.
It didn’t feel like something he could define, it was the same with the fact that although Andrew and Neil were considered dating they had never said the words boyfriend. It felt too mundane, too normal for what the feelings that Neil knew they were stuck with.

He just thought going on dates was on the same level.

Truthfully, Neil had never understood the whole significance of going on dates. Andrew and Neil saw each other every day, so why did they have to see each other extra or make an effort?

These thoughts distracted him enough to be caught off guard by a ball flying his way that Aaron had tried to pass to him. He stumbled for a second before ultimately letting it fall to the ground.

Wymacks voice boomed over from behind the glass panels, “Get your head in the game, Josten!”

_____________

Neil continued to think about this conundrum until Wymack released them. He then went back to the dorms and attempted to push it out of his mind. He had an assigned reading for one class that he kept procrastinating on, but not only that, he knew Andrew usually went back to the dorms after Therapy.

He put a chocolate chip bagel into the toaster and sat down at the desk to get some work done. It was insanely boring and Neil didn’t retain any of what the words were telling him. He got about half way done with the reading when the door opened. Neil didn’t look up, didn’t need to really.

The sound of a butter knife scraping against bread and the sink running for a second, then soft footsteps towards Neil, or not, felt very much like a routine that they did. He never knew what mood Andrew would be in after therapy. If he would be moody and distance himself, or if he would need company and someone else to lean on for a bit.

This time the footsteps went to Neil.

A paper plate, which held a toasted bagel with strawberry jelly spread over it and a handful of potato chips, was set on top of Neils's stack of books. Andrew took one side of the book Neil had been reading from and promptly closed it.
“I was sort of using that to study.” Neil’s voice held no malice and he had to force his mouth from curling into a grin.
“All you do is study and play Exy. Do you ever take a break?” Andrews's tone, however, was devoid of any emotion that gave any of his intentions.

Neil moved on and glanced at Andrews's plate. “Kevin is going to kill you if he sees you with those.” He gestured towards the chips.
“Why are they in the house if not to eat?”
“You’re the one that bought them.” Neil reminded him. He loved it when he and Andrew had these talks, they were easy and comfortable. Were these moments similar to dates? Where they would enjoy each others company? Sometimes in silence and sometimes not? That didnt make sense. If that was true then theyd be on dates more than half of the time. But what made an interaction a date? Was it explicitly explained? Like an invitation? He didn't think Andrew was much the type to be so...forward wasn't the word.

Neil was taken out of his thoughts when Andrew leaned in, ignoring whatever Neil had said prior and instead kissed him on the mouth, likely to shut him up. The familar slide of lips warm and comforting.

It lasted no more than a second and when Andrew pulled away Neil couldn't keep the smile that crept onto his face away.
Andrew rolled his eyes in silent reply and took a bite out of the bagel.

The two continued to stare each other down, hazel meeting blue. Neil wondered what Andrew was thinking, what was going on behind that barrier he'd put up. He knew Andrew had already given him so much already. He'd never ask for more, but the nosy and reckless part of Neil wanted to push just a bit more and understand the other mans thought process. The eye contact only lasted a few seconds more before Nicky and Kevin rolled into the dorm, Nicky explaining a story with wild hand movements.

Neil only caught the last quarter of the story but it sounded like Nicky was once again complaining about his classes. He didn't understand some people had a need to complain about things they could change very much. Nicky always went with the same classes but could always change them. Not to mention he was taking German which he was already fluent in and he'd already completed his math credits, which he expressed his strong dislike for.

After a few seconds, Nicky realised there were others in the room. He smiled grandly at Neil. “Whatcha readin.” He inspected the cover, and title, probably trying to recognize it. "Huh, never had to read that one. Is it fun?"

The moment Neil and Andrew shared only a few moments before was over, like always.
He never thought they would never come again though. Andrew was one constant in his life. Something he could rely on. A part of his brain - the part still in survival mode - would sometimes scream at him to be more careful, but he'd found that that voice was going away, slowly but surely.
Neil guessed that was just the greatness of having someone so close, you never felt like they may drift away.

Chapter Text

By the next week, Neil had completely shaken the whole idea of dates from his mind.
He had other things to think of, like Exy.

The weather was warm with little breeze and the few flowers the campus allowed to grow freely were starting to bloom in groups of carolina jessamine and oakleaf hydrangea. Neil didn't have much of an opinion on Spring, it was better than the bitter cold of winter but more refreshing than the humidity of Summer.

It was also his mom's favorite season. Mary, unlike most, enjoyed the season for the opportunity it gave two runaways. There was no worrying about heat stroke, if you stayed in the right places, and no stress about freezing to death.
Those four months were spent traveling if Mary suddenly decided they'd spent too much time somewhere.
Therefore, most of Neils memories of warm Mays was in the car, feeling the wind travel through his unruly hair and begging his mom to play the radio or even, god forbid, her The Doors CD.

Recently Neil had found that his exhausting memories of the past had been getting replaced by pleasant ones of the present. When he used to imagine huddling into a bed with his mom in a freezing room in winter, now he remembered when the Foxes went ice skating. Andrew had stayed off the ice, but Neil and Kevin had made a competition on who could skate the best. He had bruises for weeks after, but passing out next to Andrew, huddled in too many blankets for a normal human being, made everything worth it.

He was finished with his class for that day, which had been a very boring English class. His professor had a very monotone voice that seemed to just go on and on for the hour and a half they had.
Ranting on about the different translations of Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. He also had very sexist opinions on female writers, such as Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf. Neil himself didn't have much to contribute. While in high school he had tried to read more than he was assigned but only made it thirty percent into 1984 before he decided reading was not for him on a casual level.
The campus wasn't busy. There was a group of botany majors that were huddled over by the greenhouses, but other than that most of everyone was taking the time to study inside or pregame or whatever college students did on a Tuesday.

It was a good day for a run though. The sun was at a dull shine and he needed to get his muscles moving before whatever Kevin wanted them doing that night. His body had yearned to move around since he arrived in class. He needed the breeze brushing past him, the sound of shoes against gravel or grass.
It called for him like a drug.

Trees provided shade as Neil jogged under them, searching for any relief from the sun. It took him a solid 14 minutes to arrive back at Fox Tower.
Less cars littered the parking lot than usual, but it seemed like a slow day for everyone. He took note that Andrews’ Maserati was parked in its usual place, its black color reflected the sun's glare.

Neil decided to give himself a break and took the elevator up to his floor. He contemplated a shower, but felt it wasn't completely necessary if he'd be getting sweaty again later that night.

A cigarette was also starting to sound tempting.

The dorm was empty, so he set his bag down next to a desk and headed for the roof.
It was such a familiar routine by then. He could take those steps up the steps and gently shove open the door blind and deaf.
Warm air hit his face when the hinges creaked open.
He continued to walk the length of the roof, sighting Andrew sitting over the edge with a cigarette between his lips.

Neil sat down beside him. Neither of the boys said anything for a moment. The sun was setting, giving everything around them a gold and pink glow. It would have been pretty if not for a somber mood that clung to the air desperately.

That was such an interesting thing, how somebody else’s emotions could change the setting. Just sitting next to Andrew, Neil could tell something wasn't right.
It wasn't the quietness. Neil was used to that, but the way Andrews hand pressed against the concrete till his knuckles turned white and the purple that remained under his eyes even after sleeping in that morning.
He didn't know what was going on with Andrew but he did know that he wasn't okay.

Andrew went through days like these all the time and he never went to anyone for help except Betsy in extreme circumstances.

Neil also awkwardly remembered that he was out of cigarettes himself. On a normal day, he didn't have trouble stealing one from Andrew, but it felt like a bad time for that so he sat, inhaling the smoke from the other man's cigarette instead.

They sat in silence for a while, the sun was half gone behind the horizon when Andrew passed Neil a cigarette and lighter.
He lit it and let it burn for a moment before taking it to his lips, the sensation burned the tip of his tongue and the acrid taste filled his mouth and his lungs.

“Today was the first day.”

It stunned Neil a bit that Andrew was showing his trust in such a form but those four words were enough for Neil to understand.

Anniversaries never mattered to either of them. He knew Aaron kept the date that his mother died ingrained in his head, and that Kevin knew the week that Riko fucked up his hand.
But it was easier to forget. For Neil at least, he couldn’t remember the days that his father found him or even the exact day that his mom died.

With Andrew eidetic’s memory, forgetting was a task that would almost always fail.
Neil didn’t know which first day he meant, the first foster dad that ended up being a bad one, the first runaway, the first night with Drake.

He did know, though, that Andrew wanted company this time. He didn’t want to just dissociate alone with his thoughts.
Neil decided to unpack how this made him feel later.

His scarred hands lay, palms up, on the concrete roof. A silent question.
Andrew accepted the gesture, fitting his calloused hand over Neil’s.
“Does anyone else know?” Neil asked quietly.
Andrew shook his head.
“Do you need Betsy?”
This time Andrew paused before, “No.”

Neil believed him.

Andrew finished his cigarette and didnt fish for another.

“His wife didn’t believe me,” Andrew swallowed before continuing. “Before I left, I tried to tell her but she wouldn’t even listen to my case.” The blond said this monotone, but there was a roughness to it. His hazel eyes never left the horizon, and Neil didn't take his gaze off the way that the orange light illuminated his hair and eyes.

“They never did,” he fidgeted with the zippers on his cargo pants, a new show of humanity.

Neil felt a sharp pain in his chest. “Did you ever try again? To tell others?” He didn't want to push Andrew into saying any more than what he was willing to share, but thought these words were enough of a question and a comfort.

Andrew shook his head again. “They would threaten something, put something on the line to stop me from telling.”

Then, in a fit of unexplainable rage, to Andrews abusers and to the pain he went through, Neil squeezed Andrews hand.
Something that was supposed to be comforting felt peculiar to them both but Andrew didn’t pull away or flinch.

The two of them sat in silence until the air got too chilly to endure without an extra layer.

They walked downstairs slowly, preparing for whatever their roommates would be talking about, if they were up. Nicky and Kevin took later hours however, so the only hope was that they were out somewhere. Neil felt a slightly new protectiveness for Andrew in these moments. He'd felt it before, but it was stronger in those moments. He wanted to ensure Andrew wasnt bothered while in such a dark place.

The dorm was dark except for the TV, which was playing a movie, something Neil didn’t recognize.

Kevin was sat in one of the beanbags and Nicky was sitting on the couch. They both had bowls of alfredo in their laps and were very engrossed in the film, sadly not enough for the soft sound of the door closing to distract them.

“Dinner’s on the stove.”
“Where were you two?”

The two boys said this at the same time, one voice casual the other nosy.
It wasn’t hard to tell who said what.
Andrew left Neil to deal with their roommates and continued to the kitchen.
“What are you guy’s watching?” Neil attempted to change the subject, very smoothly.

Kevin squinted at the DVD, “Some Disney movie called Ratatouille.” He shrugged as if he didn't Interest him in the slightest, though his eyes which were glued to the screen a moment ago says otherwise.
The TV depicted a rat controlling a man by his hair.

“Nicky just picked it by random at the Food Lion.” Kevin amended, he shoveled a scoop of alfredo into his mouth and continued to watch the movie. For a moment Neil wondered if the boy was completely sober, the way he was lazily staring at the TV as if he wasn’t completely seeing it and his movements looked lagged, he decided to push the thought away, deeming it as unimportant.

To his despair, Nicky did not accept his bad attempt at discretion. “No, but, what were you two doing?”

He was suddenly reminded of the entire ‘Dates’ fiasco. Obviously their meetings on the roof weren't dates. They were just sitting next to each other and helping with their lung cancer develop.

But would Nicky see it that way? Or Dan and Matt?

Neil tried to summon a good lie, that wasn’t hard for him after long practice but Nicky was a human lie detector when it came to these things. He also knew he didn't need to lie. It was normal for them to step out to smoke, but it seemed weirdly incriminating in the moment.
“I went for a run.”
“And Andrew?”
Neil shrugged, “He was just outside when I got back.”
Nicky looked him up and down, probably deducing the fact that Neil didn’t look like he’d been sweating at all. “uh-huh.” He still sounded unconvinced, and a bit gleeful, but turned back to the movie.

Quickly assessing the situation, Neil decided to follow Andrew to the kitchen.

A plate of alfredo sat on the island for him. Andrew was staring into space and nursing his plate as well.

“Hot chocolate?” Neil asked, reaching into the cupboards for their instant packets(Kevin thought they were a disgrace to France), without checking for Andrews answer. He met Andrews gaze after setting two mugs in the microwave.

“Staring.” Neil remarked mockingly, trying, and failing, to suppress a smile from tugging on his lips. The other man narrowed his eyes and looked back at his food as though it had personally ruined his day.
“Finish the damn hot chocolate, Neil.”

…

After the hot chocolate was drunk and alfredo was consumed in large quantities, Andrew and Neil headed to bed.

Nicky had already fallen asleep on the couch, And Kevin was bent over his laptop, so they had the room to themselves for the time being.

Neil lagged a bit. They'd been sleeping in the same bed almost every night by that point but it was hard to tell where Andrew was.

He tugged on Andrews shirt to grab his attention before murmuring a; “Yes or no?” And gestured towards Andrews bunk.
A moment passed before Andrew nodded. They climbed into the bed and curled up in the, too many for anyone sane, blankets.

Encouraging words seemed best, in this quiet moment where it was only Andrew and Neil, but Neil didn't know what those would be. it was a new concept, so instead he laced their fingers together once more and whispered,
“Goodnight, Drew.”

“‘Night”

Was the response and that was more than enough.

Chapter Text

The Maserati made a sound, most like a chugging, when Neil jerked the gear. He huffed in frustration and muttered a curse. He'd been struggling to get used to the controls since Andrew had switched the original automatic to manual.

"You'd think a runaway could drive stick." Andrew pointed out, tone earily close to snark, as had been since Neil had asked to practice. He needed to learn how to drive the damn machine before they went out to Edens, since he didn't want Andrew worrying about how much he drank.

"Shut up, it's been a while." Neil hissed. He tried to speed up again, shifting gears, but shifting too far resulted in a momentary loss in control, they slightly drifted into the next lane. Neil was forever grateful for the barren South Carolinian back road.

Andrew didn't as much as flinch though. They came to a stop. Neil let his forehead fall onto the wheel and he groaned once more. He turned to glare at Andrew, who returned the look neutrally, almost like he was daring him to utter those words he had been dreading.

"Andrew."
"..."
"Will you teach be how to drive this monster."

If Neil didn't know better, he'd have said that Andrews eyes almost twinkled in amusement. He gestured for the other man to sit up.

"I'm going to use the stick, you focus on the clutch. When you see me change gears, let on the clutch." Andrew replaced Neils hand.

Neil did as instructed, watching the road and Andrews hand carefully. When he picked up speed, he pushed down on the clutch and Andrew shifted the gear up. The shift was smooth and resulted to null from the car.

They continued this a few times and had no complaints from the car or Andrew.

They slowed to a stop once more. At the silent question, probably evident on Neils face, Andrew answered. "The clutch allows the transmission to disconnect from the engine."
"That makes sense." Neil felt slightly stupid, but he couldn't sense any judgement from Andrew, despite his teasing.

Andrew gestured to the gear. Neil took it and started down the road once more, repeating the movements he saw Andrew do, while disengaging the clutch as well. It wasn't perfect, but it was progress.

He looked over at Andrew and grinned, before Andrews eyes met his, he noticed them linger on Neils hand before flitting back up.

Neil grinned at him. "Distracted?" He asked, but the car drifted towards the grass, he abruptly paid heed to the road again.
"Watch the road, Josten." Andrew mumbled.
_________

The practice lasted about an hour before Neil was comfortable, Andrew giving insight and explaining the inner components that caused the car act the way it did.

When he wasn't giving criticism, they drove in light silence, each others company enough as entertainment. It was like sitting out on the roof.

That was probably why Neil enjoyed driving with Andrew so much, which was surprising due to the fact that Neil had always cherished his own time. While on the run he was almost exclusively with Mary, never leaving her side, other than to go to school when he attended.

So, when she died, he quickly got used to being alone. He enjoyed it. All he had to worry about was himself. After joining the Foxes he got more accustomed to the company, as he passed class to class with friends and such. But, with the other Foxes he had to put on a face, even after everything had happened and even though Neil did consider them all family. He supposed that was how human interactions were. There was a different you that everyone knew, depending on how you showed yourself to them.

Then Andrew became a constant, whether it be in bed or on the roof or in the car. He didn't have to put on a face with him. They talked and smoked and kissed. It was nice and simple. He liked worrying about someone else.

Neil wondered what version of himself Andrew knew. He wondered what person Andrew had crafted in his head. He also wondered what Andrew thought of himself, or if he ever thought about these things.

Maybe he was just thinking too much though.

He distracted himself with a different train of thought; Andrews eyes on his hands, and made a quick decision.

"There's a camping spot up here, right?" He gestured to turn up a hill. At Andrews nod, he turned towards it, winding up the hill and up to the camping spot. There was a few trees to give shade, but the sun had started going down either way.

"Needed a smoke." Neil explained.
"Liar." Andrew accused with no malice.
He shrugged and left the care. There was a bench that displayed the...view? It wasn't much. A load of trees and the road. Farther in the distance you could see a gas station with half the lights blown out.

But he eyed the sky, mostly. You could start to see the stars in the darkening sky. He'd never been one to know astrology of any kind. He'd heard the girls talk about it sometimes. He knew that he was an Aries, while Nathaniel had been a Capricorn.

Andrew was soon on the bench beside him, lighting a cigarette. "That's the little dipper." He pointed to an array of stars.

Neil squinted. He couldnt see any difference with those starts specifically. "Really?"

Andrew shrugged. This startled a scoff from Neil. He stole Andrews cigarette from his mouth directly and took a drag.

"Really?" Andrew echoed in a much different tone. Neil attempted at a theatrical shrug, grinning wickedly. He handed the cigarette back though, finding the smell satisfactory for his needs.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while.
"How'd you learn to drive manual?" Neil asked, suddenly curious.

Andrew was silent for a moment. "Some foster dad - a good one. I watched him drive while I lived with them. He had a huge truck." He took a drag before continuing. "Tildas car was manual too. Learned to drive mostly on that."

Neil thought that all made sense. "My mom's car was manual for a while. I don't know why she switched near the end." He pondered on this for a bit, but really it was probably a preference led decision. "It was kinda hot watching you though." Neil said on a whim, knowing he was speaking Andrews thoughts into the universe.

Andrew was obviously caught off guard, with the way his hand paused halfway to his mouth. "Hand kink now too? Starting to think you're some kind of freak."

Neil leaned towards Andrew. "Maybe, but you haven't argued yet, so I have a hard time feeling ashamed about it."

"You should."

"Uh huh." Neil kissed Andrews cheek. When he retreated there was a certain glint in Andrews eye, not quite obvious emotion, but Neil could tell that he had caught him off guard again. He couldn't help but smile.

Neil raised his hand slowly, giving Andrew time to retreat. When he didn't, Neil set his hand on the back on Andrews neck, his thumb resting on his jaw. He relished in feeling the soft hair in his hand. Neil pulled him in once more, kissing his mouth gently, then his cheek and jaw. When his lips met Andrews neck, he decided to keep his kisses to opened mouth ones, peppering them on the expanse slowly, like he was in worship.

After a minute Andrew coaxed him up, kissing him, there was little heat in it, almost like admiration. Maybe the both of them were changing. Andrews hands cupped Neils face.

When they pulled away, Andrew stared at Neil not saying a word till. "Maybe one day I could memorize all of your freckles." His tone and face were blank of strong emotion, other than an almost sleepy effect.

Neils eyes widened and he'd be lying if he said his ears didnt burn dully. He gave out a small chuckle and kissed him again, this time he met Andrews mouth heated. Need to be closer to him dulling any proper thinking.

Andrew met the desperation willingly, opening his mouth for Neil, his hands moved to Neils shoulders, pulling him closer. Neils own hands gently pulled Andrews hair, coaxing a sharp inhale from Andrew which Neil played on repeat in his head.

He wondered how many make outs that bench, that view, had seen.
_______

Neil stretched out across the backseat of the Maserati, Andrew pulled close to his chest. He yawned. "Thank you, manual driving."

Andrew grumbled something and poked Neils rib hard.

"Ouch! My bad." He complained, laughing.

"You're driving home." Andrew mumbled, but he made no attempt to get up, instead pulling Neil closer.

After a few minutes Neils phone buzzed. He groaned before reaching for it and reading the text.

Do not pick up: Where the hell are you two??

Andrew grabbed the phone from Neils hands and read it, rolling his eyes he handed the phone back.

"Do extra laps sound pleasant tomorrow?" Neil asked, his limbs not wanting to move.
"No."
"Then get up."

After a few more minutes of procrastination, they headed back to the dorms. On the ride, Neil smoothly drove along the roads, relishing in the way the car responded to his movements.

"I think I'm seeing the appeal of manual driving."
"Keep it in your pants."
"Har har."

Back at the dorm, they were confronted by a pissed Kevin. "What time is it?"
"Okay, dad, we lost track of time. We can head to the court in a minute."
"We should have been there twenty minutes ago. I don't care what you two go off to do on your own time, but whatever that is shouldn't affect me."

Andrew ignored him and went to the kitchen. Neil silently cursed him for leaving him to deal with Kevin alone.

"It wont happen again, Kevin." Neil held his hands up in surrender. "Andrew was just showing me how to drive stick."

"Ugh." Kevin made a sound of disgust. "I didn't need to know that."

Andrew, surprisingly, barked a crude laugh from halfway in the fridge. Neil looked between the two of them and was about to question how anything he said warranted such a response but Kevin was continuing.

"Andrew out of the fridge, we're leaving." He stomped out of the door like a toddler having a temper tantrum. Neil turned to Andrew in silent question.

Helpfully as ever, Andrew just pat him on the shoulder once. "Don't want to leave the queen waiting." He followed Kevin before calling back. "Better sit in the back or she might have an aneurism."

Neil scoffed and followed them out.

Later during practice, he thought about that evening with Andrew and - against his will -he thought back to Nickys question. "Was that a date?" He asked himself.

Surely he was hanging out with him, but that was it? Andrew taught him how to drive a car and then they slept together in the same car. This was too weird and confusing. Him and Andrew were...different. Their relationship didnt follow a lot of the set rules that couples seemed to follow and he was completely fine by that.

That included going on dates. Him and Andrew were fine without those.

Lock in, Josten.

Chapter Text

"Nicky hurry up we've got to get going." Kevin pounded on the bathroom door where the man was "freshening up" as he stated. It was Friday night and after a very successful game, the Monsters were interested in a night out. Although, Neil had to admit to himself that they would have gone out if they'd lost too and Kevin would probably be getting the same amount of drunk.

Neil fiddled with the ends of his shirt absentmindedly. He was too busy trying to pretend he wasn't staring at Andrew, who was dressed up like he always did when they went out. Tonight he was clad in a skin tight turtleneck, the fabric hugged his shoulders and chest in a way that Neil couldn't get his eyes off of for some reason. He had leather jeans on, and for once they weren't also tight, instead going for a more relaxed fit that hugged his thighs nicely.

Hazel eyes suddenly met his as Neil was caught checking him out. There wasn't an obvious implication that the eye contact gave Neil, but they had enough where Neil simply smiled subtly at him and looked away.

He felt Andrews eyes on him for a few moments after before they were dropped as well.

It was at that moment that the bathroom door opened, a waft of strong cologne and Nicky Hemmick out with it. He wore a purple shirt and tight black jeans. Something that stuck out against the other Foxes in the room, that generally wore monochrome colors other than the occasional red or navy.
"Finally." Aaron muttered and headed for the door, not looking back to see if the others were following. Because they were nothing if not a unit, they indeed followed with out another word.

"That game was fantastic." Nicky commented as they all crowded into the elevator. "Looks like the freshman aren't gonna hold us back."

"Yet. They were still sloppy." Kevin pointed out. "Sheena still doesn't compare to any of the other strikers and Jack is too aggressive. He's gonna get us a red card one of these days. We can't afford that-"

Nicky made a shushing sound and put a hand on Kevin's shoulder. "What have I said about negativity on weekends? We won, Kevin. Now it's time to partayyy." He threw his hands up in the air as he said this.

Neil noticed how Kevin had to stop himself from smiling and forced a frown on his face instead. The ice queen was melting, slowly but surely.

"Robin did really good." Neil said. Out of all the freshman, Neil liked her best. So did Andrew, from the looks of it. She had a lot of ambition and a heavy load of her own baggage, but she fit in well. She'd swapped out with Andrew after half time and had kept up astonishingly well with her lack of experience comparatively.

Kevin sniffed. "True. Her foot work could use some work." This caused a loud sigh from Nicky.

Luckily, before more could be said the elevator door opened and the lot of them tumbled out and to Andrews Maserati.

The sun was just dipping down the horizon, turning the sky pink and orange. After a week of constant rain, the sky had finally cleared up, giving a beautiful view.

From up on the roof, it almost made you want to know what it felt like to fly. Neil felt a bit envious of birds that flew through the sky against all odds. They were truly free, held back by only the atmosphere keeping them on earth.

But then Neil caught sight of the Monsters getting into the car, Andrew driving and the other three in the back, and he didn't feel so envious anymore. If he were a bird he wouldn't have them for company. That was enough, and Neil thought maybe that was a true show of how far he'd come.

Once in the car the conversation ceased for the most part. The soft rumble of the engine and the radio turned on quiet. It was playing something that Neil assumed was from the late 90s or early 2000s. Some genre that he could only define as rock, but he was sure someone more knowledgeable could correct him. All he knew was that he had an itch to turn it up and feel the bass in his bones.

Watching South Carolina pass them by with...less than satisfactory scenery was familiar to him now. He could probably drive to Colombia with his eyes closed now actually. The grass slid past, trees and other cars with it, in a blur.

Eyeing Andrew, who's eyes were fixed on the road, he itched to put his hand over Andrews, which was lazily on the stick.

He remembered when Andrew, after critiquing him on how he handled manual driving - which wasn't his fault, give mind, Mary only had a manual at the beginning of his life and switched to automatic at some point - so Neil suggested he teach him OH MY GOD IDEA
After a bit, the sight must have lulled him to sleep, because in a second they were pulling into the parking lot to Edens Twilight.

Nicky was out first loudly stretching his legs and arms out. "It feels like that drive gets worse ever time." He rubbed his back sourly.
"Maybe you're just getting older." Aaron shot back.
"Okay, rude, I'm only a few years older than you."

The other three Foxes ignored their bickering and continued up to the building. It was dark now, a small line crowding outside the door. The group skipped the line entirely, jumping in front of someone getting their ID checked. The woman made an indignant sound when Aaron but in front of her to dap the body guard up.

They were ushered into the club, immeditially being engulfed in loud music and a bass that made your body vibrate. It was muscle memory to slide through the crowd as a unit, making their way to the first empty table they could find. It was a smaller round one, with a few stools around it. Andrew passed them all and headed to the bar, per usual, Neil followed.

The two leaned against the counter, side by side. It wasn't as busy as it was some nights, but busy enough where Neil was most comfortable leaning into Andrew, who never protested.
It wasn't but a minute before they were served, Roland sliding over soon after spotting them.

"Helloooo, my favorite customers. I saw that game. Y'all did great." He winked at Neil, an easy grin staying on his lips. "The usual?" Andrew nodded in confirmation.

When Roland turned to make their drinks, Neil turned to Andrew. He realized that Andrew was at eye level, which for a man that was supposed to be 3 inches shorter than him, that shouldn't be possible.

Neil glanced down and noted the large combat boots that Andrew was wearing. He wasn't arguing.

"I-" An elbow jabbed his shoulder before he could speak.

"Yo." Neil turned to see a tall man, who was swaying from foot to foot. His thick locs obscured parts of his face. "You Josten?" He stuck a finger into Neils chest when he asked this.

"Yeah. What do you want?" Neil was used to this. He was pretty recognizable with his scars, and especially when they came here on nights of games, they were bound to get noticed from time to time.

The man hiccuped as he attempted what sounded like a scoff. "You got a lot of..of..gall. You know that?"

"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about how you murdered the best fuckin' Exy player in the whole universe."
Neil raised an eyebrow. He felt Andrews body lean against his a bit more.
"I haven't killed anyone."
"Yeah, okay, sure, buddy." He drawled. "Everyone knows you snuck Riko into a little room and offed him cause of that little scuffle after the game, freak."

Roland's booming voice interrupted them promptly. "Hey, I got your drinks. I'll put it on your tab." He eyed the other man wearily and turned at him with a grin that said 'tip me'. "You want something?"
Neil grabbed his soda and two shots, letting Andrew handle the rest. When they got to the table, Kevin gave him a look.

"That guy bothering you?"
"How'd you see that?" Neil turned to inspect the bar, which was almost completely obscured by crowds coming and going back and forth. He passed Kevin his shot. "Just some asshole accusing me of shit."
He decided it was best not to mention Riko.

The group dissolved into easy chatter until Nicky and Aaron got tipsy enough to go to the dance floor. Neil slowly nursed his soda, not really wanting to have to use the bathroom any time soon, mostly because the bathroom was disgusting.

Neil turned to Andrew, finally having a moment to talk. "So, your boots. Enjoying seeing the world through a new perspective?"
"It's three inches."
"Important nonetheless."
Andrew didn't respond and just gave him a small scowl. He opened his mouth to speak when there was another interruption.

The man from earlier stumbled over to their table. "You never answered my question."
"You again?" Neil huffed, feeling annoyed now. "How about you take your drunk ass home."
"Damn, you think I'm sober enough to drive? You wanna kill me like you killed Riko?" Neil noticed how Kevin's head shot up at the name.
"I didn't kill Riko, but even if I did the guy deserved what he had coming." Before the man could continue, Neil took the chance. "Riko killed himself because he was so fragile he couldn't bare losing in a sport he had been bred to play. So the only thing I had to do with his death, is being good at what I do." Neil glared, fighting a grin, at the guy, suddenly happy with the height that his stool gave him. "Look, I'm trying to have a good night. Could you fuck off, please and thank you." Neil turned back to his soda, not enjoying the anger bubbling up in his chest, reigning it in.

"I think you just take after you psycho dad. Who knows what the son of the Baltimore Butcher would be willing to do if he felt threatened." The man stumbled out, with a face full of teeth, eyeing the scars on Neils face. "Crazy dad, crazy son." He barely got the words out before Neils fists connected with his jaw in a hard blow. The man stumbled but kept his balance.

Kevin finally interfered, getting out of his seat. "Yo, Neil calm down." He turned to the man, sobering up in an instant. "Get out of our faces before we get security."

The man scoffed and muttered something about "Teams full of psychos."

It took all of his willpower, and Kevin's hand on his shoulder, to stop him from instigating something. He took a breath and mentally leveled himself.

Kevin swore under his breath. "You okay?" He asked in French.
"I'm fine." Neil responded in English.
Kevin huffed in exasperation. "Take him to get some air. I don't want that guy coming back." He said to Andrew, who prompty got off his stool and started walking towards the exit. Kevin pushed Neil for him to follow.

Chilly air hit Neils face, refreshing the hot feeling he could feel spreading in his chest. He walked beside Andrew into the parking lot where he paused. "Where're you going? We can't drive." He knew his tone was less than appreciative, but he couldn't find it in him to care, and he knew he'd never offend Andrew. That comment about his dad had dug itself into Neils heart.

Usually, he could ignore the press and the articles and he always had another teammate with him during interviews to steer questions away from what went down in Baltimore.

But something about how his guard had been down, he had finally gone a day without thinking about his father, and maybe even a part of him itched for the fight as soon as the other guy started instigating.
All of this mixed into an awful concoction that gave him an ever growing sense of dread. He felt sweat bead on his forehead, despite the cool breeze.

He wasn't his father, he wasn't. Neil repeated the sentiment a few more times before he felt a familar grip on the back of his neck.

"Who are you?"
"Neil."
"Neil what?"
"Josten."
"And where's Nathaniel?"
"Six feet under."
Andrew nodded, maintaining his grip until Neils breathing leveled out.

Andrew pointed at the Waffle House that was across the intersection. "You hungry?"

Neil shrugged. "I could eat."

They quickly crossed the intersection, admittedly barely missing getting hit by a large truck. The Waffle House was oddly not empty, even though it was close to 12 at that point. They got a table immediately, a booth against an expanse of windows. The few other people that nursed coffee and breakfast foods paid them no mind.

The establishment was pretty vintage, the aesthetic fitting somewhere in the 50s or 60s. There was even a jukebox in the corner playing some whiney song about yearning. The menu was a simple laminated sheet with a few items on it.
A waitress, Claire, smiled tiredly at them when she approached. "Ready to order?"

They both got All Stars and Andrew got a milkshake. When Claire left, Neil ran a hand over his face.

"God, people like that fucking suck."

Andrew nodded, toying with a sugar packet.

"I mean, come on. Riko was an athlete. How can you act like you understand someone's personality through thr television screen. Every interview is practiced and perfected. Especially with the Ravens."

Andrew shrugged. "It's stupid to watch stickball either way." Neil scowled at this, but it didn't stick before a small smile returned to his lips. He kind of enjoyed bantering about Exy. Especially when Kevin was around.

"Uh huh. And now Kevin's gonna get on my ass about punching the guy. Who cares, my reputation is pretty much trash with the press either way." Neil continued his rambling, pressed on by Andrews eye contact and nodding more than actual anger.

Neil sighed loudly, letting his head fall back onto the window behind him. He felt the heat of Andrews eyes on him still, when he opened his eyes, the other boy was eyeing his jaw and neck, almost like in a considering manner.

Of course, in that moment Claire was back with their meal. Before she left Neil couldn't help but ask; "Do most people come here at such late hours?" She simply gave him a funny look and left without a word.

He looked at Andrew who was too busy devouring his drink and waffle, which had chocolate chips over it and probably too much syrup.

Neil chuckled before realizing that the feeling that was spreading in his chest was fondness. It didn't scare him like it used to, and he was starting to get used to the way his eyes would search for Andrew in a crowd first, or when his impulse after a great game was to celebrate with him, or a number of other countless things.

It was becoming his new normal, as crazy as that sounded to him.

Before Andrew could make a snarky comment about his staring, Neil distracted himself with his own food.

They ate in comfortable silence till Andrew was, surprisingly, the one to speak up. "He got his shit rocked the last night we were there, too."

Neil couldn't suppress the surprise on his face. He translated immeditially; It wasn't personal, at least the choice to antagonize wasn't. He didn't suppress the smile that lifted his lips this time, granting a small scowl on Andrews end.

They continued their meal in silence, occasionally making eye contact over the rims of cups. Neil moved his shoe, so that it knocked against Andrews.

"I'm not playing footsies with you, Josten."
Neil rolled his eyes. "Eat your grits."
___________

They finished up their meal quickly after that, the tension obvious. Neil didn't pay much attention to the bill, and just slapped a 20 dollar bill on the table as a tip.

When the two had made it outside, Andrew was pulling Neil behind the building and shoving him into the brick wall. The first sensation he felt was a dull pain, then Andrews lips on his, hot and heavy.

Andrews hands found his hips to keep him still, his tongue grazing Neils bottom lip, to which he opened his mouth willingly. Lips and tongues and teeth slotted together in a familiar rhythm the both of them were accustomed to.

Neil gently bit Andrews lip, earning a soft groan from the man. He pulled away slightly and raised a hand in silent question.

"Chest and up." Andrew murmured, moving to lean back in. Neil had other plans, however, gently grabbing Andrews chin and moving it to the side so that Neil could begin a slow assault on his neck, kissing and biting at the expanse, fueled by Andrews short and sharp inhales. Neils other hand felt up Andrews abdomen and ribs, the hard muscle subtly flexing at the new touch.

His kisses reached down to Andrews collarbone, when Andrew redirected his attention, capturing his lips once more. He leaned into Neil, fitting his thigh in-between Neils legs, the friction coaxing a small gasp from him.

"Impatient? Behind the Waffle House is a little much, even for you.." Neil teased in-between kisses.

Andrew made a sound of disapproval, but his response came with him pushing his thigh against Neil further. The two of them were breathing heavily and Neil was fully ready to do this in the alleyway, when Andrews phone buzzed. They both ignored the sound until it came again a minute later.

Neil huffed and fished it out if Andrews pocket himself. "They're ready to leave." He groaned in soft frustration.

"Better take care of that while we're walking down the street." Andrew commented, leaning off of Neil and starting towards the front of the Waffle House.

Neil was confused till he looked down and pulled his shirt down as far as it would go.
_______

Neil took stance as designated driver, even though Andrew was good as sober. He enjoyed the casual driving, so unlike what him and his mom had to do back on the run.

If he wasn't so aware of Andrew in the passengers seat, he might even cruise along the roads, knowing the drunk trio in the back would be seldom to notice anyway.

They arrived at the cousins place in the late night. The three in the back tumbled out, all complaining about one ache or another. Neil observed the behavior and thought it wasn't much different to how they usually acted.

The two other men followed close behind, skipping out on a cigarette that night. Kevin pulled his shirt off and threw it somewhere before chugging milk out of the carton - which Neil didn't think was too safe considering how random their stays here were.

"You know..Neil." Kevin was speaking in French, his words slurring together. "You're gonna get us killed one day, throwing punches like that." Neil must have hallucinated the admiration in Kevin's eye when he said this.

Kevin lived his life passing contract to contract, both in Exy and people. He was always property, even now, and that was likely to never change because he'd never fight it.

Just like how he never fought anyone that had any authority over him. He could yell and berade the Foxes all he wanted because he knew he was better than them, in technicality, and at the end of the day, they were family.

But if Ichirou Moriyama told Kevin to blow his brains out right then, he'd think about it and then promptly have a panic attack at what might happen if he disobeyed.

Neil could only imagine how badly a part of Kevin wanted to say 'no' just once. Live his life as he wanted. He was in shackles with the Moriyamas and Exy as his captures.

That was probably going to be the rest of his life, but maybe success was enough for Kevin.

"Anyhow, hope your date was good. Didn't appreciate interacting with Roland without Andrew." Kevin continued, voice lazy. Neil was distracted by the word 'date' and didn't hear what Kevin said after, watching, basically slack jawed, as Kevin retreated to his spare room.

Neil turned to Andrew, who had been watching the TV, but now met his gaze. "What is a date?" Neil asked, a bit incredulous. Andrew closed the space between them in a few steps.

"Don't really care." Andrew said before taking Neils face and pulling him in, their lips shifting together easily. Neil grumbled something unintelligible, even to him, to which Andrew bit his lip lightly.
________

That night Neil pulled his phone out - the team had basically forced him to upgrade from his flip phone. He still rarely used it, but at least it was charged - after he heard Andrews breathing begin to slow and he was almost sure the man was asleep

He opened Google and typed a question. Staring at the results, he sighed, not quite satisfied, put the hell spawn device down and tried to fall asleep, focusing on Andrews slow breathing beside him.

Date: a social or romantic appointment or engagement.

Vague piece of shit.