Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Arthur Minyard was a normal guy. He had a normal office job, normal friends, and a completely normal life. He had gotten a divorce 5 years ago, but the relationship hadn’t lasted that long in the first place. Then his whole life was turned upside down when he saw his ex-wife while grocery shopping, her holding the hand of a small child who looked suspiciously like him.

Arthur had met Tilda Hemmick about 6 or 7 years ago, on a dating website. They had gone on a few dates and eventually decided to go steady. Within less than a year, they had gotten engaged and married. Everything seemed great, and he was happy. That was until he found out that Tilda was using drugs, and upon confronting her, they fought. He expected it to be a one-time thing, but the arguments kept getting worse until they finally separated. What he didn’t know was that Tilda had been pregnant with twins at the time of the divorce.

Now, about 5 years and 9 months later, here he was. Staring at his ex-wife and her child in the middle of the store. Arthur looked at the child, who looked around the same age and like him enough to be his child, and decided that it was about time to reconnect with Tilda.

“Hi, Tilda. It’s been a while.” Arthur finally said after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. Tilda looked at him in shock and horror.

“Arthur. It’s been a while. How have you been?” She asked, a kind tone for how badly things had gone the last time they saw each other.

“Life’s been fine. I’m surprised to run into you. I thought you were going to move back to South Carolina after our separation.” He said, a question phrased as a statement.

“After I found out I was pregnant, I thought it best to stay in California.” Tilda replied.

“Oh. Is he…” Arthur trailed off, too afraid to ask if the child was his.

Tilda looked at the small child standing slightly behind her and bit her lip anxiously. “Yes. I hadn’t slept with anyone else between our divorce and finding out I was expecting him.”

The air was knocked out of Arthur. He had been a father for 5 years, and he didn’t even know. “Oh.” Was all he could manage to say. After a moment, he managed to speak again. “What’s his name?”

“Aaron. He’s five.” She said, gulping.

“I would expect him to be, given the last time I saw you was a little over 5 years ago.” Arthur said. He was concerned over what to do, given this had just been dropped on him. Should he offer to get partial custody over Aaron, or just leave him with Tilda? Arthur didn’t think he was really ready to be a parent, but if Tilda was the same kind of person that she was when she separated, his child could be living in an unsafe household, with a drug addict mother.

“Have you moved on, or are you raising him on your own?” Arthur finally asked, testing the waters.

“I’ve dated a couple of men, but nothing too serious. He hasn’t called any of them his father.” Aaron tugged on Tilda’s shirt, and a look of annoyance crossed her face. She squatted down, letting Aaron whisper in her ear. “Aaron, this is Arthur. He’s- He’s an old friend.” Tilda told the young boy, apparently unsure of what she should call Arthur.

Arthur squatted down and offered his hand to Aaron to shake. Aaron just hid further behind his mother, away from Arthur’s outstretched hand. Arthur wasn’t deterred by his shyness. “Hi buddy, I’m Arthur, like your mommy said. We used to know each other a while ago. I might visit you to try to get to know you a bit better sometime soon, if that’s okay with you?” Arthur asked, speaking softly so as not to scare the child.

Aaron nodded slowly, and Arthur smiled at him. He stood back up and faced Tilda. “Let me give you my new number, so we can keep in contact. I think I’d like to be in Aaron’s life.” Arthur said firmly, holding out his hand so Tilda could place her phone in it.

He entered his contact info and texted himself so he would have her number. He considered his next words for a few seconds, before parting with “It’s nice to see you again.”. He smiled and said goodbye to Aaron before heading home.
…
Arthur collapsed on the couch after putting his groceries away. He had to process what had happened earlier, still not entirely sure what had happened. Okay, he was apparently a father, and he had no idea if his child was in a safe home.

He opened the text he sent himself from Tilda’s phone, and added her contact. He decided that he would deal with this tomorrow, after a good night’s sleep.

Arthur lived in a small apartment. His office job meant that he could afford a nice, basic house in the suburbs. After the failure of his marriage, Arthur hadn’t seriously dated anyone or settled down, so it was just himself. He didn’t need that much space, so he just got a one bedroom apartment close to his job.

The next morning, Arthur woke up feeling confused. He had just dreamed about being an actual father to Aaron, things like taking him to sports games, and other general fatherly things. What the fuck, he thought. Arthur had never considered having kids, not after the disaster that was Tilda Minyard (she had changed her last name when they got married, and he assumed she kept it). Now, he realised how lonely he was. While he probably should have thought this through further, he opened his phone and texted Tilda.

Arthur: Hello Tilda. I was hoping that I could visit sometime soon and get to know Aaron. It would also be nice to get a paternity test, so I can be sure he’s mine. I think it would be good for him to grow up with at least a bit of a father figure. Could we set up a time to meet soon?

She responded an hour or two later, probably having just woken up.

Tilda: Arthur, I think that would be a great idea. Does tomorrow at 4 pm work for you?

Arthur: That sounds great.

Tilda: Okay.

She sent her address, an apartment complex a little bit further out of town.
…
The next day, Arthur showed up at Tilda’s door at 4 pm, unsure if this was a good idea. He knocked before he could convince himself not to, and Tilda opened the door a few seconds later.

He walked into the apartment, putting his shoes where Tilda gestured for him to. He was led to the living area, where Aaron sat on the couch, playing with a plushie fox. It looked well loved.

“Aaron, this is Arthur. Remember him?” Tilda asked.

“Yeah.” Aaron said, looking up at Arthur. The resemblance of himself really was weird, it was like looking at an image of himself as a child, only with some of Tilda’s features. Arthur sat on the couch and turned towards the small child on the other side.

“What’s your fox’s name?” Arthur asked Aaron.

Aaron held the animal close to his chest. “Foxy.” He said, looking at Arthur uncertainly.

“That’s a very nice name. Did you know foxes are my favorite animal?” Arthur asked, even though foxes weren’t his favorite animal. He would make them his favorite, if it brought him closer to his son.

Aaron shook his head and replied softly. “Mine too.”
…
After that, Arthur regularly visited Aaron, getting to know the boy better. He got the paternity test, and it was positive. Aaron Minyard was his biological son. Having become attached to him, Arthur decided to pursue getting custody, or at least partial custody. He had no evidence, but it was likely Tilda was still using drugs, and Arthur wanted Aaron to grow up in a healthy household.

For what he knew, Tilda had stopped as soon as she found out she was pregnant, but it was unlikely.

Firstly, he had to move. His one bedroom apartment wouldn’t be fit for a five-year-old child, even if he would only be there partially. Arthur found a nice two bedroom house in the suburbs, and set to work on buying furniture.

He had convinced Tilda to let him take Aaron places, and let Aaron pick out the furniture for his room at Arthur’s new house. Aaron seemed to be really interested in nature, specifically foxes. Arthur found it endearing.

After discussing it with Tilda, Arthur and Tilda set up partial custody. He got Aaron every other week, and was officially one of his legal guardians. Aaron had warmed up to him in the weeks after meeting him, and began tentatively calling him ‘dad’ after he and Tilda told him the truth.

Arthur was sitting at his desk, working, when he got the call. Arthur only had vague evidence that Tilda was still using drugs, such as a light glaze to her eyes occasionally, but it was only confirmed when Arthur finally got that life-changing call.

“Hello? This is Arthur Minyard speaking.” He said upon answering his phone.

“Hello Arthur. This is social services. You are the father of Aaron Minyard, correct?” The person on the other side of the line said, and Arthur felt his heart sink.

“Yes, is he okay?” He said, panicked.

“Aaron is okay, but Tilda is not. We received a call from one of Tilda’s neighbours today, saying that her child had been crying loudly for multiple hours. They knocked on her door to ask if everything was okay, and Aaron somehow managed to open the door, after hearing it was the neighbours. Upon entering the apartment, they discovered that Tilda Minyard had overdosed. Mr. Minyard, She’s- She’s dead.” Arthur dropped his phone.

He picked the phone back up. “Does that mean I have full custody of Aaron?”

“Most likely. Tilda has a brother, who might attempt to fight for custody, but you have a good chance of getting him, being his biological father.”

“Okay, thank you. I’ll come and get Aaron then.”

“I’m sorry for your loss, Mr. Minyard.” The person gave him the address of the location to pick up Aaron, and they exchanged goodbyes. He left to go pick up his son.
…
Arthur got in touch with Luther Hemmick, and they planned Tilda’s funeral. They decided it would be best to bury her in South Carolina, where she grew up.

Arthur was tasked with cleaning out Tilda’s apartment. He had Aaron grab everything he wanted while he searched through Tilda’s stuff for important things. He would most likely sell the furniture, having no use for it.

Arthur searched the safe underneath her bed, having figured out the code was Aaron’s birthday. He found some legal documents, like Aaron’s birth certificates. Then he found something weird, a certificate for a child named Andrew Joseph Minyard. The father spot was left empty, but the mother was filled out as Tilda Minyard. He had the exact same birthdate as Aaron, only a few minutes earlier. He stared at it in shock. Tilda had never said anything about another child. Maybe she had twins, and Andrew died. Or, Andrew was out there somewhere, growing up without his biological parents.

Arthur put the document away for safekeeping, planning to ask Luther about it when they went for the funeral. He and Aaron finished going through the apartment and left.

Arthur and Aaron flew out to South Carolina the day before Tilda’s service. The Hemmicks had graciously offered to let them stay in their guest bedroom.

Arthur had learned through speaking on the phone that Luther was a minister. He had a wife, Maria, and a son, Nicholas, or Nicky. Arthur was uncertain of spending time with Luther, him seeming to be a very conservative and bigoted type of Christian. Arthur didn’t usually fuck with guys like him.

Luther picked him and Aaron up from the airport, a carseat in the back of his nice car. “It’s lovely to meet you.” Arthur said after they had gotten in the car.

“Likewise. I’m glad Aaron has a family to go to. Me and Maria would have happily taken him in, and if you can’t handle taking care of him, we are a great option. We would be very good influences on him.” Luther said, and Arthur internally cringed.

After they had gotten settled in the guest room, Nicky, who was 8, had brought Aaron to his room to hang out. Nicky seemed like a sweet kid, and Arthur hoped that his parents wouldn’t mess him up too much. He even called Arthur ‘Uncle Arther’.

Arthur found Luther in the living room, with Maria. After properly introducing himself to both of them, and getting to know each other a bit, Arthur decided to ask about what he had found in Tilda’s room.

“I know you and Tilda haven’t talked much, but I was wondering if you could clear something up for me.” Arthur implored, hoping Luther would have the answers.

“Of course.” Luther replied.

“I found something while cleaning out Tilda’s apartment. A birth certificate, for a child named Andrew. Only a few minutes apart from Aaron’s birth. Do you know anything about this?” He asked.

Luther froze for a second, clearly not expecting this. “Yes. Well, Tilda actually had twins. She called me in a panic after giving birth, yelling about how she couldn’t handle them. I told her that she could put them in foster care, and they would find better homes. She followed my advice, however I got another call a day or two later. She came back for one, and got Aaron.”

Arthur was enraged. Tilda had twins, and hadn’t told him. His other son, Andrew, was out there somewhere. Perhaps he had found a good family, but maybe not. Arthur had to try to find him.
…
Arthur and Aaron flew home to California a few days after their funeral. Before leaving, Arthur had left his number and address to Nicky, because he had a bad feeling about Luther and Maria’s parenting skills. He didn’t want this child to end up in a bad situation, and told Nicky to contact him if he ever needed anything.

Since their flight had been late, Arthur only had enough energy to tuck Aaron into bed before he himself had to sleep.

In the morning, Arthur looked at Andrew’s birth certificate, and started his search. First step, calling social services to see if they had any records of him.

Chapter Text

Andrew had always been a Doe. Whoever entered him into the system hadn’t given him a last name, so they gave him that one. Kind of like an unidentified dead body. No, exactly like an unidentified dead body. Andrew had gone through about 7 homes by the time he was six. He was starting to lose the last bit of hope that a biological family member would come and save him, or even that he would get adopted by a nice family.

The information of his birthday had been long lost, but they knew it was sometime in November. The foster family he was currently placed with wasn’t too bad, and they had gotten him a small rabbit for his “birthday”. It was most likely a hand-me-down, based on the scraggly and well loved appearance. Andrew didn't care, it was something of his, and he didn’t want to ever let go.

Andrew didn’t dare name the rabbit, having figured out that it would probably be taken away from him at some point. He kept it hidden from all the other children in the home. Discovering the hiding places was one of the first things Andrew did when moved into a new house, knowing that other children could be cruel when they found something that mattered to you.

Every night since he had been given the rabbit, Andrew pretended to sleep until he was sure the other kids were actually asleep, and he brought out the rabbit. He held it close to himself, holding on to the hope that someone would come and save him.

It was sometime in December when Michelle, his social worker, told him they were going to go get breakfast together and meet some new people. Andrew had long since learned that this was code for “you’re getting rehomed”. His heart sank. There was a chance that his next family would be extremely horrible. While there was a chance they would finally be the nice family to adopt him, it was unlikely. At least this place wasn’t too bad.

She brought him upstairs so he could pack up his meager belongings. She handed him the trash bag that would be the new home of his possessions. Andrew put his clothes in and looked at the place he had hidden his rabbit, wondering if he would be able to bring it along. Michelle didn’t seem to be paying that much attention, so he grabbed it and hid it in the clothes in the bag. He turned back towards Michelle.

“I’m done.” He said, walking towards her and the exit of what used to be the place he slept.

“Wonderful. Shall we go? Or do you want to say goodbye to any of your friends?” She asked, an attempt at kindness.

Andrew shook his head. They headed out to the car in the driveway, and he waved Michelle off as she tried to help him buckle into the car seat in the back. Michelle backed out of the driveway and Andrew looked at that house for the last time.

“So, Andrew,” Michelle started, and Andrew stared at her in the rearview mirror. “I think this new family will be of special interest to you,” She started, and Andrew rolled his eyes. She always gave him a talk like this before introducing him to new foster parents.

“I know you’re skeptical, but it’ll be of special interest to you because this is your biological family.” Michelle said. Andrew stilled. His family had found him, and was coming to save him. He felt his heart soar, before shoving it back down. He had to be realistic.

“What if they don’t like me?” He asked. “They could put me back just as easily as they put me in.” Andrew said pessimistically.

Michelle sighed sadly. “Look, Andrew, it’s different this time. Your mo-” She paused halfway through her sentence, making Andrew wonder what happened with his mom. “I’ll let them explain.” She finally said, not saying another word until they reached their destination.

They pulled up in front of the restaurant, and Andrew felt the nerves settle in. His actual biological family. He had dreamed of this moment for so long, and it was finally happening. Michelle led him into the restaurant, and to a booth. It wasn’t until they had fully sat down that Andrew observed the people in front of him.

First of all, the father. Blonde, clean shaven, and seemingly oddly short. Andrew had always been on the smaller side, and it was a recurring thought as to whether that was genetic or due to malnourishment. The most likely answer was probably both.

Next to the father, instead of a mother, was a small child. A small child that looked exactly like Andrew. He felt his breath catch. There was no way that this wasn’t his biological family. Even if the kid across from him wasn’t his twin, they looked way too similar.

Michelle noticed that Andrew and the other kid were too busy staring at each other to say anything, so she started the conversation. “Arthur. It’s lovely to meet you in person. This is Andrew, as you could probably guess.”

The man, Arthur apparently, smiled. “It’s lovely to meet you as well. Hi Andrew. I’m your father. I’m looking forward to getting to know you better. This is Aaron, your twin brother.” He said, gesturing to the child next to him.

After Andrew didn’t respond, Michelle gently nudged him with her elbow, and he spoke. “Hi.” Andrew stared at the table, too scared to start a conversation with the people who were apparently his family.

“We should probably explain how you ended up in foster care. I separated from your mom before we knew she was pregnant with you. When she gave birth, she surrendered you both. She later decided she wanted one of you, and came back. She got Aaron, you remained in foster care. I’m so sorry, my son. If she had told me I never would have let you live through that.” Arthur explained. Andrew felt a mix of emotions. First of all, his mother had left him, while Aaron had gotten to grow up with her. Second of all, said mother didn’t seem to be present. Lastly, and the weirdest emotion, Arthur had called Andrew his son. Andrew had never been called something like that before, and he didn’t know if he liked the warm feeling that felt like hope taking control over him

“Where's my- my mom?” Andrew asked, his voice at first unable to speak the words ‘mom’, seeing as he had never met her.

Aaron frowned. “She’s- dead. She overdosed a couple of months ago.” Wasn’t that interesting. Andrew thought Aaron had gotten the better side of the deal, but apparently ‘mommy’ had been a drug addict. Andrew looked at Arthur again. He didn’t look like he was on anything, but nothing was impossible.

Arthur seemed to understand the heavy weight of Andrew’s gaze. “Don’t worry, I’m completely clean. We actually broke up because of her taking the drugs.” Arthur said, seemingly attempting to soothe Andrew. It at least partially worked, seeing as Andrew relaxed in his seat.

They spent the next forty-five minutes at the restaurant getting to know each other, and also getting breakfast. Andrew learned that he had an aunt, uncle, and cousin on his mom’s side. Arthur also explained to him that he and Aaron would be sharing a bedroom, at least until he could get them a bigger house. Andrew assured him that it would be fine, he had lived in rooms with more people.

When it came time to leave, Arthur revealed that he had brought a small suitcase for Andrew to place his stuff in. Andrew placed the trash bag inside before zipping it up.

The house seemed to be a nice, normal, 2 bedroom home in the suburbs. Arthur had set up another bed in Aaron’s room, which was nature themed. Andrew looked around the room in wonder at the amount of stuff Aaron had. Andrew’s side of the room was a little less cluttered, but it was clearly still decorated with care. Arthur had told him that he would bring him shopping to personalize his side soon, but Andrew would be fine if this was all he would get.

Andrew remembered overhearing Michelle and Arthur’s conversation. They had been discussing his adoption. Arthur had asked for the paperwork to be delivered as soon as possible. It was a literal dream come true for Andrew. They had known him for less than a day, and were already going to integrate him into their lives forever.

Arthur had assured Andrew that it didn’t matter what he was like, because Andrew was his son and he refused to leave him in the system. Andrew was overcome with the urge to hug him, and he gave in. It wasn’t very like him to hug people he had just recently met, but something about Arthur just seemed kind and unlike he would hurt anyone. Andrew still kept his guard up. You never knew when an adult would finally snap and turn on you.

Later that night, Andrew and Aaron sat criss-cross on their beds, talking to each other while waiting for Arthur to come and say goodnight. Andrew had decided to reveal his rabbit to Aaron, after his twin showed him Foxy, who clearly meant a lot to Aaron.

“What’s their name?” Aaron asked, tilting his head and cradling Foxy in his arms.

“They don’t have one.” Andrew replied.

“But they have to!” Aaron exclaimed, clearly invested in this. “Dad says that giving things names makes them feel more alive. If they’re more alive, then the better companionship they’ll give you. Foxy used to be my best friend, but maybe you can both be my best friends. I heard someone say that siblings are like built-in best friends, and I hope that’s true.” Andrew noted the use of ‘Dad’ in reference to Arthur. From what he had been told, Aaron had known Arthur for only about a year. Andrew wondered if he would grow attached to him as quickly.

Andrew gave Aaron one of his rare grins. “I hope so too. I think if I had to name them, I would name them Bunny.” Andrew said, looking at the worn rabbit in his arms.

Aaron cocked his head. “But aren’t they a rabbit?”

“Yeah. It’s funny.” Andrew smiled at Aaron. It had been a long time since he had been able to connect with a child his age, and it felt nice. Andrew shouldn’t definitively label this place yet, but it felt safe. He thought that maybe this could become home.

Eventually, Arthur knocked on the door to wish them a goodnight. He sat on the edge of Aaron’s bed and told him how much he loved him, before giving Aaron a kiss on the forehead. Andrew was afraid Arthur would leave without saying goodnight to him, but his fears were rectified quickly.

Arthur asked before sitting on the edge of Andrew’s bed. He gently carded his hands through Andrew’s hair, soothing him.

“You’re doing so great. I know it’s probably hard, getting all of this information so soon, but it’ll be okay. You’re safe now, okay? I won’t let anyone hurt you. I love you, my son.” Arthur ruffled Andrew’s hair before kissing him on the forehead. He headed out of the door after turning off the lights, leaving Andrew and Aaron to sleep.

Andrew held Bunny closer to his chest and realised how tired he was. He considered calling out to Aaron, but was asleep before he could think of what to say. Andrew slept the best he had in 6 years that night.

Chapter Text

Aaron Minyard had always been lonely. Until he was five, he was raised solely by his mother. Tilda tried her best, but he never quite got the attention he needed, so Aaron learned to rely on himself. He made a friend in Foxy, and that was good enough for him. He also had an uncle and cousin, but they lived across the country and rarely saw each other. Eventually he met a man named Arthur in a grocery store, and he found out what attention and care could feel like. Then Arthur became Dad, a welcome change.

Then the woman who was all he had for the first 5 years of his life died, and Aaron was left with his dad, and he realised things would eventually get better. He may have lost his mom, but at least Arthur was genuine and caring in his love.

A month or so after his mother’s death, his dad sat him down and talked to him. He told him that he had an identical twin named Andrew, and that he was in foster care. Aaron was shocked. All of this time, he had a match out there somewhere, someone who could have kept him company when the loneliness got to be too much. Maybe Andrew was lonely, too.

His dad had told him that they hadn’t found Andrew yet, but they wouldn’t stop looking. Some time after Aaron’s 6th birthday, his dad came up to him with a huge smile on his face. He had found Andrew! Aaron was excited. He had a brother, and they were going to meet him, and hopefully they’d become friends. Sure, Aaron had friends at school, but having a twin brother was different. Aaron tried not to have too high hopes, but he was desperate for this to be a good thing in his life.

They were going to meet his brother at a restaurant. When Andrew walked in with a woman who his dad had called Andrew’s social worker, Aaron was shocked. He knew they were identical twins, but it was like looking in a mirror. Andrew’s hair was a little wilder, but it was the exact same light blonde as Aaron’s. The exact same nose, the same eyes, even their height.

The meeting went well, it seemed, and Andrew came home with them. His dad had gotten Andrew’s bed a week before they met him, and Aaron had taken to staring at the empty side of the room and hoping. Now, Andrew was here.

Then Andrew and he bonded over Foxy and Bunny, and Aaron thought he might not have set his hopes too high.
…

Andrew started at his school not long after he moved in. People were incredibly shocked that there were suddenly two of Aaron, but eventually Andrew had settled into the school's environment. They weren’t in the same class, but always spent lunch together. Their lunch table was fluid, never having the same people, but Andrew and Aaron were like a matched set.

Kids were often asked the question “what do you want to be when you grow up?” when adults didn’t know what to say to them. Aaron had never had an answer for this question, except he thought he was starting to get an idea of his answer. Science was his favorite topic, and he was especially interested in how everything functioned.

After Andrew was adopted back into the family, Aaron learned from him how neglectful some of his families had been, and a lot of times his health or nutritional levels were really bad. Aaron compared this to how he had grown up, with Tilda. He had probably gone to a doctor's office at least once or twice, but he couldn’t remember much of it. Once his dad got into his life, he started getting the medical care he needed, like dentist appointments.

Aaron realised he had an answer to that long asked question at lunch one day in second grade, about 2 years after they had been adopted by their dad.

“I want to be a doctor.” Aaron blurted out, shocking Andrew with the suddenness.

Andrew swallowed the bite of sandwich he had been chewing. “That’s nice. Why?”

“I want to help people.” Aaron said quietly.

“I want to help people too. Maybe I’ll be a social worker.” Andrew mused. Aaron hummed in acknowledgement.

…

Andrew and Aaron had just turned nine when Andrew started calling their dad ‘dad’. He took them to an amusement park for their birthday. They got cotton candy, which both of the twins instantly loved. Andrew had coerced Aaron into going into the haunted house, and it was pretty fun besides them jumping at every tiny sound. They both really enjoyed the roller coasters as well.

It was on the ferris wheel that it finally happened. The wheel was one of the main attractions of the park, towering over nearly everything. It was the kind with the actual cabins, rather than chairs.

When they reached the top Andrew started panicking over the height. When their dad held him, Aaron heard him whisper “I’m scared dad.”. The smile that broke out over their dad’s face was so bright it could’ve lit up an entire room.

They never talked about that moment, but Andrew always called him dad after that.

…

It was fourth grade when Andrew had to stand up for Aaron for the first time. Aaron had pretty good grades and was therefore labeled a nerd. The twins were still short, and easy to pick on. One day in the cafeteria, two guys came up to them and started messing with Aaron.

Andrew stepped in front of Aaron, who was cowering slightly. Aaron watched as his brother swung his closed fist at the one of the bullies, breaking his nose.

While the one who got punched held his nose, trying to keep the blood under control, the other was enraged.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” he said, towering over Andrew.

“No one messes with my brother.” Andrew said defiantly.

“Awww, you’re so adorable. Is he too weak to protect himself?” the guy sneered.

Andrew swung again, but this time his target was expecting it. The guy caught his fist and shoved Andrew back. Andrew stumbled, nearly running into Aaron, who was still hiding behind his brother.

“Wimp. Come on, let's go. They’re not worth our time.” The guy glared at them and grabbed his friend with the broken nose, walking away.

Andrew turned around to check on his brother. Aaron looked up at Andrew, and even though he was grateful, he was upset that Andrew got hurt.

“Andrew, you shouldn’t have done that.”

“Well I did. I won’t let you get hurt.” Andrew sounded angry, but Aaron could see the fear in his eyes. “How about we make a deal? I protect you, and we stick together. I just don't want you to leave me.”

Aaron looked at him for a few seconds, conflicted.

“Please.” Andrew sounded so desperate. Aaron thought about Andrew’s past and suddenly understood. Even after the four years that they’d lived together, Andrew was still scared they were going to leave him, and he would be left with another foster family.

Aaron surged forward and hugged Andrew. His brother seemed shocked, but he held him back after a second.

“Okay. I promise. You still don’t have to protect me though, I’ll stay no matter what.” Aaron said when they broke away from the hug, reassuring his twin.

“I want to. I don’t want to see you get hurt.” Andrew said, wiping a tiny sheen of wetness under his eyes away.

Aaron just smiled at him. They ate the rest of their lunch without discussing what happened.

…

The twins turned 11 in the November of 5th grade, and this time Luther, Maria, and Nicky came to visit. The last time Aaron saw his cousin was Tilda’s funeral, when Nicky was eight and Aaron was five. He realised that Nicky had yet to meet Andrew, which was sure going to be interesting. Now, Nicky is 14.

Luther and Maria had called a few weeks before Aaron and Andrew’s birthday, asking about coming to visit and finally meeting Andrew. Aaron was excitedly assuring Andrew about how much the Hemmicks would love him. He’s related to them, so they have to like him.

The twins' father had worried that they wouldn’t want to share a room, and wondered if they wanted to move to a bigger house. They had assured him that they liked sharing, so they still lived in a two bedroom house. This meant the Hemmicks had booked a hotel room not far from their house.

The doorbell rang sometime around noon, signaling the arrival of their family. Aaron perked up at the sound and dragged Andrew to the door to open it.

“AARON! It’s been so long!” Nicky was as exuberant of a person as always. Aaron had always found it interesting how happy he seemed to always be. Nicky lunged forward to hug Aaron, and then turned and looked over at Andrew. “Oh my god, this must be Andrew! You really are twins!” Way to state the obvious, Nicky.

“Nicholas. We do not take the Lord’s name in vain.” Luther reprimanded. Luther wasn’t physically strong, but something about him was very imposing. It might be the way he believed he was a better person because of his faith and how everyone who was different was bad.

Instantly the smile faded off of Nicky’s face. “Sorry dad.”

Aaron could sense his brother tense from behind him. “Hi, Nicky.” Andrew greeted him. He looked Luther up and down before addressing him. “Luther.”

“Hello Andrew. It’s lovely you could find your way back to the family.” Luther said.

The twins’ dad came up behind them to see the Hemmicks. “Hello Luther. It’s great to see you again.” He gestured for them to enter. “Make yourself at home.”

Luther and Maria sat on the couch, while Nicky followed the twins to their room. Aaron hadn’t seen him in 6 years and wanted to catch up, and he also wanted Andrew to meet him.

…

When it came time to leave, Nicky hugged both Andrew and Aaron goodbye. Their dad, after giving his goodbyes to Luther and Maria, gave Nicky an extra long hug and told him he’d always be there for him.The Minyards had driven the Hemmicks to the airport to drop them off.

Aaron and Andrew waved goodbye as they watched the Hemmicks board the plane. Aaron hoped it wouldn’t be another six years before he saw Nicky again, and he thought Andrew would agree with him.

Chapter Text

Arthur always stopped at the same coffee shop every day. They had really good coffee and pastries, and he was friends with all of the baristas since he had been coming since he moved to this area after divorcing Tilda. On slow days, while he waited for his coffee, he would chat with the person running the cash register.

Aspen was one of Arthur’s favorite employees, but he would never tell them that. Aspen was around his age. Along with the job at the coffee shop, Aspen was also an author. They had let Arthur read some of their works, and he knew they were really good at writing. In the long time that they had known each other, Arthur and Aspen had become good friends, and Arthur looked forward to seeing them everyday.

Aspen Greene was just shorter than Arthur, at about five foot three. They had their hair cut in what they always called a ‘gay mullet’, even though Arthur was pretty sure that wasn’t the name. They often died their hair multicolored, but currently it was a light purple. Whenever Arthur saw them, they were in their uniform for their job, with a plain brown apron, forest green pants, and white t-shirt, along with their chosen addition of a they/them pronoun pin.

“Arthur! It’s lovely to see you.” Aspen said. As always, their smile was too bright for this early in the morning, but it was always a welcome sight.

“Hi Aspen. Lovely to see you as well.” Arthur nodded at them, smiling weakly. He had just dropped the twins off at school, and they had been particularly difficult to get out of bed today.

“The usual?”

“Yep.” Arthur almost always got a mocha with oat milk, and today was not one of those days where he felt like reaching out with his drink choice.

While Arthur was very tired and in need of caffeine, he was also here for another motive. Arthur hadn’t dated seriously at all since Tilda, and since it’s been about 6 years since he adopted Andrew and Aaron, he thought it might be time to start dating again.

Arthur had always known he was bi, which was a fact that Tilda didn’t take well. She had partially blamed her turning to drugs on her constant fear that he was going to cheat on her, even though he knew that that was a bullshit excuse. Over the long period of time he had known Aspen, he had grown to have feelings for them, and had decided that he was going to ask them out today.

Aspen entered his order into the register and Arhur paid. He swallowed his fears and spoke. “I’m sorry if this is overreaching, but Aspen, do you want to, uh, go on a date with me?” He finally asked, prepared for them to reject him.

Aspen smiled. “I thought you’d never ask. That sounds great! I’ll, uh, give you my number, and then we can plan something?” Arthur felt a rush of relief flow through him at their accepting answer, and offered them a large smile. He held out his phone for them to enter their contact. It felt oddly reminiscent of the time about 6 years ago when he’d ran into Tilda in a grocery store, except he didn’t think this was going to end up like that again. He wouldn’t do that to the twins, and he trusted Aspen to be a good parental figure, even if they don’t meet Andrew and Aaron for a little while longer.

…

Arthur and Aspen ended up going on their date the next Saturday, when neither of them had work. After exchanging numbers, they had been texting non-stop. Aaron and Andrew had noticed, and them being eleven year-old boys, they constantly teased Arthur about “his crush”. This lead to him giving them a long talk about how he wanted to wait a bit before they could meet his partner, seeing their past experiences with parents. He also had to explain sexuality to them, making sure they knew he would accept them no matter what they were.

That conversation had been slightly awkward. Aaron, being raised by Tilda, and seeing the Hemmicks a few times growing up, had been confused at first. He wasn’t sure how even though what Arthur was saying went against what he had heard from his other family, what Arthur was saying wasn’t wrong. It took a while, but they got there eventually.

Arthur was so glad he was able to give Andrew and Aaron the childhood they deserved, not knowing how bad it could have gotten if he never interfered. When he married Tilda, he didn’t expect to end up a divorcee with two twin sons, but he wasn’t complaining.

They had decided to go for a nice restaurant as their first date. Arthur was wearing a button up, slacks, and a tie, but he wasn’t sure if he was too dressed or not dressed enough. He waited outside the restaurant for a couple minutes before Aspen showed up. They had on an all black pantsuit, and Arthur had to admit that they looked really good. His heart jumped up to his throat at the sight of them.

Aspen walked up to him, and Arthur pulled them into a hug.

“Hey. You clean up nice.” They said.

“You don’t look so bad yourself.” Arthur said, smiling at them.

The date went well, and Arthur and Aspen made plans to go on a date again. Arthur returned home with a smile on his face.

…

Arthur had been letting Andrew and Aaron stay home alone for small amounts of time more and more in the past few weeks. This was the longest he left them for, even though it was only a few hours. He was happy from a good date, but became worried that Aaron and Andrew had somehow gotten into some sort of trouble. They were good kids, so his fears were probably out of bounds, but he was a nervous father, okay?

He opened the door to their house and sighed in relief when he saw the twins. They were simply sitting on the couch, watching a movie. He felt the happiness and excitement from before seep back in.

“Hey boys. How was your night?” Arthur said, putting his shoes away.

Aaron was the first to respond. “Pretty good. We made popcorn!” He said, holding up the popcorn bowl in the air. Arthur could smell that it was slightly burnt, but Aaron seemed proud of their ability to microwave popcorn.

“That’s great bud.”

“How was your date?” Andrew’s smile and tone were teasing. Arthur probably should have realised that obviously two pre-teen boys would tease him about going on a date.

“Pretty good.” Arthur said nonchalantly.

“Should we prepare to get a new mom soon? Or dad, either’s fine.” Aaron seemed to be joking, but Arthur could detect the nervousness in his son’s tone. He was probably a little worried that Arthur would end up marrying another person like Tilda, and Arthur felt a pang in his chest. He would never do something like that to the twins.

“I think they’d prefer just to be called ‘parent’. It’s nothing serious, for now. Anyways, you kids should probably be getting to bed soon.It’s late.” Arthur said, smiling.

Aaron and Andrew got up to get ready for bed, but Andrew hesitated until Aaron was out of the living room. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but seemed nervous. Arthur looked at him with concern and Andrew finally spoke up.

“Dad, I want to learn how to fight.”

Arthur was taken off guard. Why does Andrew want to learn how to fight? Did he not make Andrew feel safe enough?

“Why?”

“Since Aaron and I are so small, well, people see us as easy targets to pick on. I want to be able to defend us.” Andrew said, looking down at the floor. Arthur felt his heart soften. His sons were getting picked on, and he had no idea.

“Alright, I’ll look into finding something for you. Remember that violence isn’t always the answer, Andrew.” Andrew nodded and Arthur ruffled his hair. “Now get to bed, it’s late.”

…

After about a month of dating Aspen, they had a family movie night. They had established this tradition about a year after he had adopted Andrew. Arthur had wanted a way to get closer to the boys, and setting a time to hang out every other week let him do that.

They did their usual routine, Arthur pulling up a movie while Aaron and Andrew fought over the corner seat. It was all incredibly domestic and even after the 6 years of having the twins, Arthur was still surprised that this was his life.

During the movie, Aaron and Andrew fought over who got the blanket. They ended up begrudgingly sharing it, and Arthur felt a smile cross over his face. He imagined Aspen fitting in with his small family, and realised he wanted to introduce them to the kids. Aspen had agreed to being his partner after the second date. He had explained to them the dynamic of his family, about an ex-wife who put one of the kids into foster care and then overdosed on drugs. Arthur had thought they’d not want to be with him after telling them that. After all, who would want to have to deal with two eleven-year-old boys with trauma? But they had accepted his story, telling him they’d love to meet the twins eventually. He asked them to be his partner and they said yes.

“Hey, kids?” Arthur asked after a few minutes of contemplating.

“Yeah, dad?” They asked in unison. Arthur blinked, still slightly disturbed whenever they did that.

“You know how I’ve been seeing this person?” They nodded. “I was thinking that I want to introduce them to you.”

A hopeful smile crossed both of their faces. “That sounds great, Dad.” Andrew said, Aaron nodding along in agreement.

“Okay. I’ll ask them if they want to meet you soon.” Arthur smiled, excited to see the people he cared about finally interact.

Chapter Text

Andrew’s foster parents were always a married heterosexual couple who rarely held any love for each other. He grew up with a horrible representation of romance, at least until he was adopted by his father.

In the six years he’d been living with Arthur and Aaron, his dad had never dated anyone. That’s why it was such a shock when he was sitting on the couch one day and his dad came up to him and Aaron and told them he was going on a date.

Andrew had frozen, not prepared for the possibility that his dad would eventually start dating again. What if she wasn’t good for him? What if Andrew and Aaron ended up with another abusive mother . Andrew couldn’t let that happen to his twin. Arthur Minyard was the parent he thought he’d never deserve, caring and loving, but he would do anything to keep Aaron safe.

Andrew, caught up in his thoughts, hadn’t responded quickly, but Aaron did. “Oh my god! That’s amazing! What’s her name?”

Arthur hesitated for a second, a look of fear glancing off of his face. “Uh, they’re not a girl. Or a boy. Their name is Aspen.”

Following had been a long and awkward conversation about gender and sexuality, which had not been very well received by his twin brother, but Aaron got there in the end.

Andrew had noticed that his dad seemed happier after he started dating Aspen. Andrew was glad that his dad was getting someone to finally look after him, rather than him just taking care of the twins.

Now, Andrew was about to meet Aspen, and he was worrying slightly about it. What if they hated him? What if he ruined his dad’s relationship with them? Arthur had been constantly affirming him and Aaron that Aspen would love them.

They had decided to have dinner at home when inviting Aspen over, a way to get to know them in a familiar space.

The door rang at 5 pm, the exact time that his dad had told him that they’d be here. Andrew took a deep breath in, and stood up with Aaron, walking closer to the door. Arthur was the one to open the door, but Andrew and Aaron were right behind him. They watched as he grabbed Aspen into a welcoming hug, and they kissed him on the cheek. Andrew and Aaron shared a look, unused to their dad being affectionate like that with someone.

Arthur took Aspen’s hand and led them inside. He turned towards the twins, and gestured at Aspen. “Kids, this is Aspen. My partner.”

“Hi.” Aaron said first, sort of quietly. His timidness was slightly shocking to Andrew, since Aaron had started becoming a more outspoken and liked person in their class. Sixth grade, and therefore middle school, had brought lots of changes to Andrew and Aaron. Andrew learning to fight and standing up for himself and Aaron and him had brought him a reputation of being a fighter and troublemaker. Andrew didn’t see much issue with that, because it meant people left him and Aaron alone, but Aaron had expressed that he thought it wasn’t good for Andrew. Andrew had told him that it was fine, and brought up the point that no one bullied Aaron anymore. Aaron had begrudgingly accepted Andrew’s defensive response and moved on.

“Hello! It’s so lovely to finally meet you guys. Arthur talks about you all the time.” Aspen said, casting a fond look towards Arthur.

“It’s, uh, nice to meet you too.” Andrew attempted, sounding awkward.

Arthur pointed at Aaron. “That’s A-” he began to say, but Aspen cut him off.

“Wait. I want to try to guess which one’s which.” They inspected Andrew and Aaron further. They looked at Aaron, who Arthur had pointed to and said “Aaron,” They looked over at Andrew and said “and that’s Andrew.”

“I’m impressed.” Arthur said, smiling. “How’d you know who was who?” He asked.

“You told me that Andrew was the one who was most likely to be distant, and his posture just gave off those vibes.” Andrew thought about his posture. He realised that he was, in fact, crossing his arms and was most likely glaring. He shifted, uncrossing his arms and relaxing his face.

Arthur made spaghetti for dinner. Over the course of the meal, Andrew learned a lot about Aspen.Things like how they had just signed a book deal, their parents weren’t really involved in their life anymore, and how absolutely enamored they were with Arthur. Andrew could tell that his dad was equally as infatuated with Aspen as they were with him, and it was almost sickening how cute they were together.

After Aspen left, Arthur turned to Andrew and Aaron, seemingly nervous. “So? What did you think of them?”

“They were great, dad.” Andrew said.

“I think they were really cool.” Aaron says.

Arthur beamed under their approval. “I’m so glad you guys like them. I’m so luck to have kids as great as you, you know that?” Andrew and Aaron nodded.

…

Aspen slowly became integrated into the twins’s life, and they often hung around the house. Andrew had grown comfortable around them, and was getting used to the idea that they could become a permanent fixture in his life. Arthur seemed to somehow become even more in love with Aspen every day, which was surprising.

A couple months after meeting Aspen for the first time, Andrew got into a fight at school. Two of the guys who were regularly assholes to everyone there had started saying rude things about him and Aaron. They had said things about Andrew being in foster care, being unwanted. They had said stuff about how Tilda died and how Aaron was probably going to end up another useless drug addict like his mother. Andrew didn’t care much for people saying things about himself, but saying things about his brother was a declaration of war.

He walked up to the guys and told them how they were probably more likely to be worthless addicts, how his brother would be successful and change the world eventually. Eventually it turned into a physical altercation and he had the guys on the floor with broken noses. He had obviously gotten called into the office, but it wasn’t Arthur that picked him up.

Aspen walked into the waiting room of the office, a concerned look on their face. They led them to their car, and Andrew stared at his feet as they drove him home. He had only gotten suspended for the rest of the day, but he wasn’t looking forward to the disappointment from his dad.

“Kiddo, can you tell me what happened?” They didn’t seem angry, but rather concerned.

He sighed.”They started it.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“I was just trying to protect Aaron.” He muttered.

“It's great that you care for him so much, but violence isn’t always the answer.” They said calmly.

“They wouldn’t listen to anything else.”

“I just want you to know that I care for you. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Andrew was shocked by the casual admission. Could they actually mean that? “You do?”

“Of course, kid. I love your dad, and I love you guys too. I’ve rarely interacted with kids before, but I feel as if you and Aaron are my own kids.” Aspen turned onto their street, parking in the driveway.

Andrew processed the information for a few seconds. He knew Aspen didn’t hate him and Aaron, but how could they love them? He wasn’t used to having two adults really care about him. He was fine with just having Arthur, but he thought he could get used to this.

…

About a week after the fight, they had a movie night. Aspen had never come to one before, Andrew assuming it was because they were too scared to interject in such an established ritual. Aspen was coming tonight, though. Andrew wondered if it was because of the breakthrough they had with them the other week, but he had no idea. They had just started the movie when his dad’s phone started to ring.

Andrew was slightly upset that the movie had been interrupted, but his irritation disappeared when he saw his dad’s face after seeing the caller ID.

Arthur accepted the call while Aspen paused the movie, looking at him with concern. “Hello, Luther. Why are you calling so late?”

He paused for a second, listening to the response. His face paled even further, and Andrew was starting to worry. Then his dad asked “Nicky? What’s wrong?”. Aspen looked more concerned, and mouthed “Nicky?” at Arthur.

Andrew and Aaron shared a look. What could their cousin, who they had rarely seen, need at such a late hour that made their dad sound so worried?

They could only hear Arthur’s side of the conversation, but it was still concerning.

A pause. Then, “Luther and Maria are?”.

A shorter pause. “Why? Where?”

Another pause, a look of horror crossing his father’s face. “Oh. Nic-” He started, but was probably cut off by Nicky.

His voice sounded broken when he spoke next. “Kiddo, I won’t let them. Give me a day or so. I’ll be there.” At the sound of how sad he sounded. Aspen moved closer and gently took Arthur’s hand, massaging it comfortingly while looking concerned.

A pause again. “I’m sure. I’ll see you soon.”

One final pause before Arthur hung up.

“What’s wrong? What’s going on with Nicky?” Aspen asked, concern evident in their tone.

“Nicky needs our help. We need to get to South Carolina. Now.”

Chapter Text

Arthur had intended on ignoring his ringing phone until he saw the caller ID. Luther Fucking Hemmick. It was already late in California, but it was way later in South Carolina. Luther never called him, the last time they talked being the twins’s eleventh birthday. Either Luther was calling for some stupid reason, or there was something seriously wrong.

He answered the phone and asked, “Hello, Luther. Why are you calling so late?”

The response drained all the blood from his body. “Hi, Uncle Arthur. It’s- It’s Nicky.” Nicky sounded so broken, his voice sounded as if he had just been sobbing.

“Nicky? What’s wrong?” Arthur said, panicked. He noticed Aspen seeming to react at his tone in the peripherals of his vision, but the only thing he could offer them for now was a small smile, reassurance.

“They’re sending me away.”

“Luther and Maria are?” He didn’t think there was anyone else that would be the ‘they’ Nicky referred to, but it couldn’t hurt to check.

“...Yes.” Nicky had gotten quieter.

“Why? Where?” Arthur was in full on panic mode. This was not good.

“They found out- They found out I’m gay.” Oh shit. Oh fuck. This was really not good. That couldn’t have gone well.

“Oh. Nic-” He said, but got cut off.

“They want to send me to a ‘pray the gay away’ type camp. I can’t- I can’t go.” Nicky sounded so desperate. At that moment, Arthur remembered that Nicky was only fifteen years old. His birthday had just recently passed. He was so young. Arthur couldn’t let him suffer.

“Kiddo, I won’t let them. Give me a day or so. I’ll be there.” Arthur said, determined.

“Are you sure? They probably won’t let you-” Nicky sounded hopeful, but despondent at the same time.

“I’m sure. I’ll see you soon.”

“See you soon.”

Arthur turned to his family. Aspen spoke first. “What’s wrong? What’s going on with Nicky?”

“Nicky needs our help. We need to get to South Carolina. Now.” He was starting to feel a little uncertain in his plans, but he couldn’t let Nicky down.

“Woah. What?! Hold on- what?” Aspen sputtered, dumbstruck.

“Luther and Maria are sending Nicky to a conversion camp.” A horrified look crossed Aspen’s face.

“Oh shit. You’re right. We need to go.” Aspen was already getting up and moving towards Aspen.

“What’s a conversion camp?” Aaron asked, both of the twins seeming utterly confused as to what was going on.

“Uh- It’s uh-” Arthur didn’t know what to say. “It’s a place where queer people are sent in an attempt to make them straight. It’s a very bad place.”

“Oh.” Andrew and Aaron said in unison.

“Let's go then. We can’t let Nicky go.” Andrew said, defiant.

Arthur beamed at his family, before realising the time crunch he was in. He directed them to pack for a night, knowing he’d probably have to stay in South Carolina for the night.

He bought the tickets, and rushed to the airport. Thankfully, traffic wasn’t that bad. The flight was long, but Andrew and Aaron passed out pretty quickly.

“I’m so sorry for dragging you along with us.” Arthur told Aspen quietly.

“Don’t worry about it. Your nephew sounds like a sweet kid. I couldn’t not help you.” They took his hand in theirs and kissed his knuckles. Arthur could feel his face turning bright red. Even after the many months he’d been seeing Aspen, it still felt like he was levitating after every instance of affection.

“Get some sleep, love.” Arthur said, already closing his eyes.

…

Arthur woke up as the announcement was being made that they were landing. He shook Andrew and Aaron awake, who both glared at him upon being woken up, but settled when they realised what was happening.

They arrived in South Carolina very early in the morning, so after renting a car they booked a room in a hotel not far from the Hemmick’s house. Andrew and Aaron passed out almost immediately, but Arthur and Aspen stayed up a bit later to quietly talk.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do. It’s been hard enough to raise the twins on my own, how can I raise a likely traumatised fifteen year-old as well? That’s if I can even get him.” Arthur was panicking a little.

“It’ll be fine. I believe in you.” Aspen said, looking him in the eyes. “You know, you don’t have to raise him on your own.” They sounded uncertain of themself.

“What do you mean?”

“Okay, this is probably way too soon, and my feelings absolutely won’t be hurt if you say no, but we could move in together? With your salary, and the money I get for my writing, we could buy a bigger house so that all of the kids could have their own rooms. I could help out with them, and be there for you.” Aspen said quickly, as if fearful Arthur was going to shut them down immediately.

Arthur was stunned. He wasn’t expecting them to say that, but after thinking it through for a moment, he realised he quite liked that idea. It would be nice to have another person, and he thought moving in with Aspen would be nice.

“Okay.” He said, as if not believing his own words.

“Really?” Aspen seemed bewildered.

“Yeah. That sounds amazing.”

“Okay. We’re buying a house together. Wow.” Aspen said, their face breaking into a huge grin.

“We are.” Arthur said softly, before yawning.

“Guess we are. We should probably get a bit of sleep. Got a long day ahead of us.” They both fell asleep quickly.

…
Arthur parked the rental car in front of the Hemmick’s house and mentally prepared himself for what was going to happen. He was really going to walk up to his ex wife’s somewhat-estranged brother’s house and attempt to take their child. How the fuck had this become his life? At least he had Aspen and the twins, but holy shit this was terrifying.

“Here we go.” Arthur said, grimacing slightly.

He walked up to the front door, trembling slightly. Then, he knocked.

The door opened, and there was Luther.

“What are you doing here?” He sounded slightly annoyed.

“What needs to be done.” Arthur said. “Can I come in?”

“Uh- Okay.” Luther held the door open further so the family could come inside. “We weren’t expecting you. We were just getting ready to bring Nicky to a summer camp. It’s a bit early of course, but I think it’ll be good for him.” Luther droned on, before he noticed Aspen, who was both pretty visibly queer and also holding Arthur’s hand. “Who is this?” Luther questioned, a bit of disgust well masked but still evident in his tone.

“My partner, Aspen.” Arthur said, smiling. Luther stared at the two of them, blinking. “I was actually here to see Nicky. Do you know where he is?” Arthur asked in as innocent a sounding tone as possible.

“Nicky! You have… visitors.” Luther yelled upstairs, and footsteps loudly sounded from the stairs. Nicky appeared, dragging a large suitcase behind him and carrying a backpack on his shoulders.

“Uncle Arthur! You’re here!” Nicky exclaimed, already rushing forward to hug Arthur. Arthur immediately noticed that Nicky seemed exhausted, the bags under his eyes suggesting he had spent the night awake, stressing over the future.

“Of course, Nicky.” Arthur let go of Nicky and turned to Luther. “We need to talk. Alone.”

Luther smiled, but Arthur could tell it wasn’t genuine. “Of course. Right this way.” Luther brought Arthur into the kitchen, and pretty much dropped the ‘courteous host’ act.

“Why have you come all the way across the country, with your partner?” He pronounced the word partner as if it were a slur. “What do you want with my son?”

“I’ve come to bring him to California with me. I can’t let you take him to that camp.” Arthur sneered, outright hostile.

“You can’t just-” Luther started to complain, but was cut off by Arthur.

“I can. I won’t let him be fucking tortured just for his sexuality. I think he’ll find much better influences with me and Aspen. I have a stable job and income, and Aspen has a pretty stable income as well. I won’t make him feel shame for who he is, Luther.” Arthur ranted, staring Luther down. Daring him to argue.

Before Luther could say anything, Arthur spoke again. “I’ll be going now, and I’m taking Nicky.”

Arthur sped walk out of the kitchen, making his way to the front door. “Come on, we’re going.” He said over his shoulder, the rest of his family jumping up to follow him, Nicky included.

Arthur opened up the trunk of the car and put Nicky’s suitcase in with theirs. Nicky looked kind of odd sitting in between his cousins. Tears ran down his face while Andrew and Aaron comforted him, letting him know that they would accept him fully, and that it’ll get better. They weren’t the best at comforting people, but it seemed to help Nicky at least a little.

…

They reached the house, and Arthur realised that they didn’t currently have a room for Nicky. He had gotten a pull out couch not that long ago, but still felt bad about making him sleep on the couch.

“Nicky?” Arthur asked over his shoulder, Nicky perking up immediately at the sound of his name. “Are you going to be alright to sleep on the pull out couch for a little while? We’re working on buying a house, but we only have two rooms right now…” Arthur trailed off, not sure where he was going with that sentence.

“It’ll be fine.” Nicky said, smiling a bit. “Thank you so much for taking me.”

“No problem kiddo. We still have to find an agreement with your parents though. They could probably call the police on us for kidnapping you.” Arthur said, chuckling nervously.

“Oh.” Nicky said.

“We’ll figure out, okay?” Aspen said, in an attempt to comfort Nicky. He slouched back in his seat and started staring at the window.

…

A few days later, Arthur summoned all of the courage he had and called Luther.

When Luther picked up, Arthur started speaking before Luther could even greet him. “Luther. I want to keep Nicky here with us, in California. A camp like you were planning to send him to would break him. I won’t let that happen to him. So we need to figure something out because I’d really rather not get arrested for kidnapping.”

“If he stays with you, he is only my son in name. I won’t have anything to do with you and your family, and neither of us will bother each other. Are we clear?” Luther’s tone was cold as ice, but it was what Arthur would expect from him.

“We’re clear.” Arthur said, before realising this decision should be left up to Nicky. “Hold on, let me let Nicky decide. It is his future, after all.” Arthur pulled away from the phone and yelled for Nicky. The teenager soon appeared in the doorway, looking confused and a bit scared.

“Uncle Arthur?” Nicky asked.

Arthur held the phone out for him. “Your father.”

Nicky grabbed the phone and held it to his ear. “Hi Dad.” Nicky’s voice was laced with nerves as he talked to Luther.

There was a pause as Luther most likely explained the situation. Nicky seemed to be frozen, taking the news in but not reacting on the outside.

“I understand. I want- I want to stay with Uncle Arthur.” Arthur felt himself intake a breath sharply. Nicky was going to completely cut off his family to live with him. Arthur was happy, of course, but he was also concerned for Nicky’s self preservation skills. He had only ever seen Nicky in person twice before this, for all Nicky knew, Arthur could be worse than Luther. Arthur didn’t think he was, but Nicky couldn’t fully know that.

Nicky hung up after a short “Bye.”. He turned towards Arthur and started breaking down. Arthur held him while he sobbed. In that moment, Arthur decided that Nicky never had to cry like this again.

…

It was difficult to find a house in California with at least four bedrooms for the money Arthur and Aspen made, but they managed. The house was nice, perfect for what they needed. Four bedrooms, three bathrooms. The twins would have to share a bathroom, but at least they didn’t have to share a bedroom anymore. They were nearing the end of their sixth grade year, while Nicky was almost done being a freshman.

Damn, time had really flown. But that was how life works. He had an amazing partner who he loved, two preteenaged twin sons, and a fifteen year old nephew who was like his son. Life was good, for now. Chaotic, probably, but good.

Chapter Text

Aaron had only seen his cousin Nicky a few times growing up. The Hemmicks lived all the way across the country and Tilda didn't want to waste money on a plane ticket, and his dad didn't care much for the Hemmicks. Now, Nicky was living with them, and it was… different. He was such an exuberant personality that it got a little tiring at times, but it was still nice to see him more often.

Despite Nicky's seemingly endless joy, Aaron still felt like his cousin was holding back, as if there was something weighing him down. It was like this until one time when Aaron was sitting on the couch with his cousin and his brother. Nicky was texting someone on his phone, while Andrew and Aaron had a tv show on. He seemed happy, but was constantly looking around nervously. Aaron paid little attention to Nicky, but Andrew seemed concerned. Aaron's dad walked in and sat on the couch next to him, and Nicky rushed to put his phone away, tense but relaxing after he looked at Arthur for a few seconds.

When his dad left, Andrew spoke. "What was that earlier? What kind of stuff are you texting people about that you're so scared dad's going to see? Oh my god, are you doing drugs?" Nicky seemed shocked, as if he had forgotten just how out of pocket kids could be. Aaron was floored that Andrew would say something like that, but he realised that Nicky's behavior was a little odd.

Still, he hissed "Andrew! You don't just ask people that!" at his brother, and Andrew just shrugged.

Nicky emptied his face of emotion. "I was just texting a guy. He's in my ceramics class. He, uh, wanted my advice for his mug." Nicky's nervous tone took to a slightly dreamy one, smiling softly. "He said mine was really good. I mean, I don't really see it, but we got talking. We get along really well."

"That's great, Nicky, but it doesn't explain why you were acting so shifty." Andrew said, accusatory.

Nicky grimaced and spoke carefully. "Do you know why I'm living with you?"

"Dad said that you were going to be sent to a very bad place that's supposed to turn you straight." Andrew said.

"You know what that means, right? Straight?" Nicky asked. Aaron and Andrew nodded in synchrony.

"I'm just still a bit scared that Uncle Arthur will be like my father. It makes me nervous to text guys in the presence of older men." Andrew and Aaron both nodded along in understanding.

"Dad won't hurt you." Andrew reaffirmed Nicky before they went off to bed that night. Nicky smiled at them, and it felt like the ice had been broken between them.

…

A few months after Nicky had moved in, summer came. Nicky had started a tradition with Aaron and Andrew to take them to get ice cream every Friday. They had really bonded, and even though Nicky was older than them, they got along well, minus the occasional bickering.

Nicky had recently brought up an exchange program to go to Germany that he was hoping to work for.

"Y'all, my German is really good. The teacher said I was her top student! It would be such a great experience too. You know, I could totally teach y'all German, and then we could use it to talk without other people understanding us!" Nicky sounded really excited for this idea.

"Sounds fun." Andrew admitted, after swallowing a bite of his sundae. "I'd like that."

"Same." Aaron agreed.

It turned out Nicky wasn't so great of a teacher, but he was certainly enthusiastic. Andrew and Aaron weren't going to have a conversation with a native German any time soon, but it was a good start for highschool. Their middle school didn't offer German, though, so they still had to waif another year.

..

Sometime during June, Aaron walked out of his house to find a small lumpy object on the porch. Aaron inspected it and realised it was a kitten. He obviously picked it up and brought it inside, because what else would he do?

He placed the cat on the counter, garnering confused looks from Andrew, who was drinking a lemonade in the corner of the kitchen. His twin brother walked over and looked at it.

"Where did you get a cat?" Andrew asked.

"It was on the porch. I don't really know what to do with it, but I couldn't leave it out there."

"We should probably tell Dad and Aspen." Like most times, Aaron's twin was probably right.

"Yeah." Aaron turned around and yelled "DAD!" Arthur arrived pretty quickly. He stopped at the sight of a small cat sitting on the counter, his sons standing in the middle of the kitchen.

His mouth moved in an attempt to make a noise, but failed at first. "Why is there a cat on the counter?"

"Aaron found it on the porch." Andrew said, pointing at Aaron. Arthur raised his eyebrow.

"Okay. What are we doing with it?" Arthur asked.

They ended up taking the cat to the vet to check if it was microchipped or if it had any diseases. Once they were done with the vet, Arthur let the kids pick out a name for her. Aaron, Andrew, and Nicky finally deciding on Sir Fat Cat McCatterson, Sir for short.

Later that night, when all five people in the household sat and played with the cat, Aaron thought about his life. If he had never seen his father in that grocery store, he might have been miserable. Maybe he would have never met Andrew, maybe Nicky would have been sent to conversion camp. Maybe a lot of things. Aaron was content with his life, and hoped things would stay as good as they were.

Chapter Text

Andrew and Aaron turned fourteen in the November of his eighth grade year. Their dad and Aspen brought them out for dinner to celebrate. It was just Olive Garden, but Andrew thought it was nice.

Eighth grade wasn't really anything like Andrew would think it was, but nothing ever was. His teachers were okay, his friends were okay. Sir was great though.

Despite Aaron being the one to find her, Sir had seemed to latch onto Andrew, a fact that made Aaron annoyed. Sir could often be found curled up on Andrew's bed. Aaron would argue that it was because the sun hit his room better, but Nicky always said it was because she liked Andrew better. (Andrew agreed with Aaron, but always sided with Nicky out loud to tease his brother).

What really shook Andrew were the changes in Aaron. For some reason his twin had become very interested in the girls in their grade, which was kind of odd to Andrew. Sure, they were nice, he guessed, but there was no reason to act like Aaron was.

Once, near the end of eighth grade, Andrew was hanging out in his room with Aaron and Nicky on the floor. Aaron was talking about a girl while Andrew read a book and Nicky listened intently. They had been trying to practise German earlier but it had run off into Nicky and Aaron talking.

"I'm glad I'm the gay cousin, being straight sounds so boring." Nicky said after Aaron had been talking for a while. Aaron huffed and rolled his eyes fondly. "Andrew, do you have any special girl for you? Or guy?" Nicky asked.

Andrew paused. He had never thought about it before. His brother and cousin stared at him from the floor, while he thought. Eventually Andrew came up with the eloquent response of silence. He thought it was a perfectly reasonable response.

"Nicky, you broke him." Aaron deadpanned to his cousin.

"Shut up, Aaron." Andrew joked.

"You know what Aaron, I think we should leave Andrew to his thoughts." Nicky hauled Aaron up and out of Andrew's room, smiling as he walked out.

Andrew had plenty of thoughts to think, of course. Did he like anyone? Did he not like girls? He fell into a bit of a sexuality crisis.

Nicky was very patient when Andrew came to him and ranted about his issues. Andrew came to the conclusion that he is, in fact, gay, and Nicky hugged him when he told him.

Andrew told his parents a week or so after the breakthrough. Obviously they accepted him, Arthur and Aspen being a queer couple, but it was still a weight off of his shoulders.

Andrew stayed mostly closeted at school, because middle school boys could be mean.
..

Life was pretty good for Andrew. He was happy, with a good family. He and Nicky regularly teased Aaron about being the straight cousin, (affectionately, of course), he was becoming much better at German, and he was going to high school in just a few months.

It was a normal June day from the outside. Sun was shining, Nicky taking the twins out for ice cream. It was also the day Andrew’s life would change forever.

The diner they went to was just two blocks away from their house, so when Nicky realised he forgot his wallet at home, he just walked back while leaving the twins at the diner.

He had been gone for a while when Andrew and Aaron started to get nervous. They decided that Andrew would go out and look for him, so he left.

Andrew looked all around on the walk to his house. About a block from the diner. he heard voices from an alley, and then a loud crash. Andrew ran towards the commotion.

In the alley was Nicky, and two guys who didn't seem too much older than Nicky. The guys were beating the shit out of Nicky, yelling slurs and insults.

Andrew's protective sense kicked in and he pulled the guys off of Nicky. Along with the fighting lessons he had been getting for a long time and the fact he had been weightlifting pretty regularly since the beginning of eighth grade, he was able to match them in a fight.

It ended like this: The guys, who were on Nicky's Exy team, ended up beaten nearly to death. Nicky was passed out in the corner. Andrew had gotten a few bruises. but nothing too bad. It was stopped when Aaron got nervous and asked one of the employees at the diner, who they had gotten pretty close with in their time going there, to check if his family was okay. The waiter called the police when he found them, and went back to tell Aaron. Their icecream that day was on the house.

Andrew was the one who got arrested. He got 17 months in juvenile detention, and would be getting out just after his 16th birthday.
…

Time passed both slowly and quickly in the juvenile detention facility. He learned German, exercised, and layed in bed staring at the ceiling. No one really messed with him, because he got a reputation as 'the guy who beat two athletes nearly to death'. He got to visit with his family once a month, which was nice. He didn't have a roommate. Which was both a good and bad thing, because he liked the privacy, but it was also lonely. The buzzed hair was definitely weird, though.

He spent his fifteenth birthday in juvie. It was a bit depressing, but there was nothing he could do to make it better.

The facility he was in forced him to join a team sport, and he landed on Exy. It was a bit boring, but he turned out to be a really good goalie.

A month or so after his birthday, something interesting finally happened. He got a new roommate.

The guards opened his door and shoved the new guy in. He wasn't much taller than Andrew, which was interesting because Andrew had gotten used to everyone being taller than him. The kid was covered in bandages, his hair buzzed like everyone else's in the facility, with slightly red looking roots. His face was attractive, but hidden with bandages. Andrew was caught in his icy blue eyes, filled with tension. His entire frame gave off the vibe that he would run at any given chance. Definitely interesting. And attractive. Andrew couldn't tell if that would be good or bad for him.

"This is your new roommate, Neil Josten. Be nice."

Chapter Text

Nathaniel Wesninski was born to Nathan and Mary Wesninski. He grew up under the heavy hands of the Butcher of Baltimore and the daughter of the influential British crime family, the Hatfords.

Nathaniel's mother put him in little league Exy when he was six, a welcome change from his father's 'lessons'.

Nathaniel killed his first man when he was seven.

Eight year old Nathaniel was hit with an iron when he couldn't stay still enough for a visit from the police.

When Nathaniel had turned 10, he was brought to Evermore stadium. He didn't know why, but it was pretty cool, in his eyes. He got to play in a huge stadium with Riko Moriyama and Kevin Day, which was really cool. It was nice to play with kids near his age.

The scrimmage was interrupted when one of the strong looking guys in fancy suits brought the kids up to the East Tower. What was waiting for Nathaniel was a familiar thing, murder, in a different setting. Kevin was horrified, Riko seemed a bit disgusted but also disturbingly had a bit of glee in his eyes, and Nathaniel watched detached, occasionally telling his father what to do when prompted.

Later that night, Mary grabbed Nathaniel and they ran.

…

When Abram was 10, he spent a week at his Uncle Stuart's house. Mary panicked, thinking her brother's was too obvious of a hiding place, and they ran again.

Eleven year old Alex moved to France, and his mother forced him to learn French.

Stefan moved to Germany when he was twelve, and began learning German.

Chris was shot at thirteen, and he didn't take off his kevlar vest for weeks.

Chris was thirteen, a few months from fourteen when a girl kissed him. Chris felt nothing, except for the reprimand from his mother later. They ran again.

Neil Josten had just recently been given his new name when Nathan caught up to him and his mother.

Mary, or Catherine as she was currently, got beaten pretty bad in the altercation with Nathan. The Jostens made it to California before Catherine bled out, and Neil burned the entire car on the beach because he couldn't bear the sound of her body tearing off the vinyl.

Neil was caught less than an hour after burning the car, but not by his father. The police don't usually like it when people commit arson. He was brought to a juvenile detention facility where they took minor care of his injuries before dropping him off at his cell.

His roommate, or cellmate, was an angry looking blonde guy with a heavy gaze. He was sitting on the desk, an open book on his lap. Neil crossed his arms and stared back at the guy.

"Hi. I'm Andrew." The guy, Andrew apparently, said.

Neil debated responding. "Which bunk is mine?" He finally asked.

"The bottom one." Andrew looked at him a few seconds longer, before returning to the book on his lap.

Neil was exhausted, so he laid down and fell asleep pretty quickly. The only noise in the cell was their quiet breathing and the turn of pages.

…

What followed Neil's arrival was much speculation from the other inmates. Neil felt uncomfortable under the attention, raised to not be noticed.

Neil overheard a conversation from two other boys a few days after his arrival.

"I heard the new guy committed arson." One of them said.

"No way. He probably just did something boring, like shoplifting." The other replied. Neil internally laughed. If only he knew.

"Dude, have you seen the bandages on that kid? They seem like he did something serious."

"Sure. Did you know he's rooming with the monster?"

"Damn, I almost feel bad for him." Neil walked away after that, disinterested in that conversation. He wondered why they called Andrew 'the monster'. He seemed like a relatively harmless guy.

Neil asked him about it later. "Why do they call you 'the monster'?"

Andrew shrugged. "I don't let people mess with me."

"That's reasonable."

"Some people think it's not." Neil hummed in agreement.

That small conversation broke a bit of the dam between them, and Neil sat with Andrew at lunch after that. It wasn't much, but it was something.
…

Arriving at the facility, Neil had thought he wouldn't give a shit about anyone there. But now, he was reconsidering. Hanging out with Andrew had opened his eyes a bit. Maybe, just maybe, there was a tiny possibility Andrew could be someone he could give a shit about.

First off, hanging with Andrew gave him protection. Most people didn't try fucking with him, and those that did regretted it. Andrew told the truth about not letting people mess with him. Second, Andrew never asked too personal of questions, at least in that first week. Third, he was actually kind of… nice. Andrew was funny, and they got along well. Neil hadn't been allowed friends in his childhood in Baltimore, or on the run, but he considered Andrew a friend now.

Christmas came a few weeks after Neil arrived. Andrew seemed off in the days leading up to Christmas day. From what Neil had heard about Andrew, who seemed like he had a loving, normal, upper class family, he would probably mourn the loss of his family for the holidays.

Neil asked him about it on Christmas eve. "Missing your family for the holidays?" Neil's was genuine but his tone teased a little.

"Yeah. It's the first Christmas I won't be spending with my dad and brother since I was six. You?" Andrew raised an eyebrow at him. Neil thought about it for a moment. He definitely didn't miss his dad. Christmas in Baltimore was all for show. Empty wrapped boxes under a tall, bright tree. Lights all around the upper parts of the house, but darkness in the basement. Neil repressed a shudder.

Did he miss his mom, though? It was his first Christmas without her, but there wasn't much connected to her with it. The most they celebrated on Christmas while on the run was her giving him something like a gun, or a new identity. Yay.

After a few seconds of thought he finally responded. "No."

They sat in silence for a few seconds. "What did you do to get in here?" Neil asked out of curiosity.

Andrew raised an eyebrow, seeming to not have expected the question. "I have this cousin, Nicky. He lives with us. Well, he's currently spending his senior year in Germany, but that's not the point here. Two guys who were on his Exy team beat him up in an alley near our house. I stepped in. The court decided I 'grossly overreacted', and now I'm here." Andrew paused. "What did you do?"

Neil froze. He obviously couldn't say 'Oh, my murderous father caught up with me and my mom and he killed her. Then burnt a car with her body inside.'.

"Arson." He finally said.

"Arson. Really?" Andrew asked.

"Yep. There's more to the story, but I can't tell you."

Neil waited for Andrew to push for the full story, but he just shrugged and said, "Okay."

…

Andrew played Exy on the facility's team. He managed to get Neil a spot as a striker, despite Neil's experience as a backliner.

Neil thanked him, but Andrew waved him off and called it a Christmas present.

It had been a while since Neil played. but he discovered he still loved the sport, especially with Andrew as either an unmovable wall behind him or a tough opponent to beat.

…

"I have an idea." Andrew said on New Year's Eve.

"Okay?" Neil gestured for Andrew to elaborate.

"Truth for truth. We take turns asking questions, and you have to answer truthfully."

"Can we refuse to answer questions? There's a lot of things I can't tell you yet."

"Of course."

"Okay then. What's your favorite colour?"

"Really? That's the question you're going for first?" Andrew asked.

Neil nodded, and Andrew sighed. "Purple. Yours?"

"Grey."

"That's not even a fucking colour." Neil just shrugged and smiled. Andrew sighed in a way Neil chose to interpret as fondly.

…

Neil learned a lot about Andrew through their game of truths. For example, his family consisted of his dad, who he hadn't met until he was six, a twin brother who he also hadn't met until he was six, a cousin who was in Germany, his dad's partner, and a ridiculously named cat. His mom died before could meet her. (Neil still didn't know why he didn't meet his family for the early part of his childhood). He liked fast cars, cats, and Exy (though he'd never admit it).

In return, Andrew knew things like that he played Exy when he was a kid, his mom was dead (though he didn't tell him why), and he hated vegetables but loved fruit.

Neil jolted from a nightmare with a gasp on January 19th. It's as if the universe was telling him "Happy Fourteenth Birthday, here's a nightmare about your father finding you and killing your cellmate and only friend in front of you!".

Neil sat up, narrowly avoiding hitting his head on the bottom of Andrew's bunk. Andrew must have woken from Neil's gasp and erratic breathing because he climbed down the ladder less than a minute later.

Andrew kneeled at Neil's feet and quietly asked "Can I touch you? Yes or no?".

Neil managed to choke out a "Yes" through his panic. One hand landed on the back of his neck, and the other gently took his hand. Andrew guided Neil through breathing, rubbing calming circles on the back of his hand and providing a soothing weight on the back of his neck.

Once the panic had largely subsided, Neil spoke. " Today's my 14th birthday, and it doesn't really hold all that good of memories for me. My father… Was not a good person. He hurt me and my mother growing up, and a lot of other people too. I dreamed- I dreamed he found me, and he- he hurt you."

"My dad and mother divorced before he knew she was pregnant with me and Aaron." Andrew started.

"Wait, you don't have to tell me this." Neil interrupted.

"Trust me, I want to. When we were born, she put us up for adoption. She came back for Aaron, but left me for foster care. There were some foster parents that hurt me. Anyways, from what I heard from Aaron, Tilda was a drug addict with heavy hands. Dad found out about Aaron when we were five, but didn't find out about me until she died of a drug overdose a few months later. Arthur got custody of me when I was six."

"Thanks for telling me that." Neil said, and Andrew smiled at him.

They fell asleep in Neil's bunk, hands still intertwined.

Chapter Text

Andrew woke up with the light filtering in through the cell window. Unwilling to get up, he buries his head deeper into his pillow, only to have something soft that was not his pillow rub in his face. He opened his eyes to get a faceful of red curls splayed out on the pillow next to him, and he registered the warmth along his body. Andrew then realised that he had fallen asleep spooning Neil. Oh god. Oh shit. Oh fuck. He was too gay for this.

Andrew had thought that what he felt for Neil was purely platonic and the attraction was just aesthetic, but he could not ignore that he 100% had the urge to kiss Neil’s forehead, and not in a platonic way.

Andrew debated whether he should curl around Neil one again and go back to sleep or to get up. He reasoned with himself that they had known each other for about two fucking months and it would definitely be weird to consciously make the decision to cuddle him. Andrew tried to leave without waking Neil up, but Neil stretched and started blinking his eyes before Andrew could get out.

“Drew?” Neil croaked, sleep clinging to his voice. Andrew flushed at the nickname.

“Yeah?” Andrew said apprehensively.

“Were we… cuddling?” Neil didn’t seem disturbed like Andrew thought he would, like most teenage boys would be after sleeping in the same bed and cuddling with another guy.

“Probably.”

“The uh- the last person I shared a bed with was my mom. I’m actually still not used to sleeping alone. That was… Nice.” Neil had sat up at that point and was rubbing his neck sheepishly.

Andrew and Neil just stared at each other for a few seconds, still close in proximity. The look in Neil’s eyes seemed a bit nervous, but there was an intensity to them that Andrew couldn’t figure out. The moment was broken when the buzzer signalling breakfast rang, and Andrew stood up.

…

Andrew could write off the morning of Neil’s birthday as a one-off, his feelings a mistake caused by the sharing of their pasts and the proximity to a hot guy, but it was hard to ignore all the other things.

Whenever Andrew made a save, even if it wasn’t difficult at all, Neil would run over to him and tell him how amazing it was, his care and his stupid, grinning, flushed and sweaty face never failing to put butterflies in Andrew’s stomach. There was also Neil always giving Andrew his dessert because he didn’t like sweets, and that one time that Neil jokingly fed him the dessert with his fork, and it was all so domestic and sweet and Andrew almost kissed him right then and there. Key word being almost. Andrew reasoned with himself that Neil was younger than him, and most likely also straight, and that it was probably just teenage boy hormones. He should not like Neil.

In the last letter Andrew sent to Nicky, who was currently in Germany (and pining hard for his host-brother, apparently), he told him about his feelings for Neil, hoping Nicky would help bring him back to reality, and help him get over Neil. After all, it was February, and Nicky only had a few months left until graduation.

Unfortunately for him, Nicky’s letter did not include the answers he was hoping for. Nicky wrote a detailed description of how he and Erik had invited him on a hike, only for them to picnic on top of a hill, where Erik formally asked Nicky to be his boyfriend. Andrew was once again reminded just how much of a romantic his cousin was. At least he was happy. At the end of the story, Nicky told him that he shouldn’t give up hope on this guy, and that he might like Andrew back. Andrew sighed, and buried the letter in a drawer.

…

The facility that Andrew resided in required all of the kids to get therapy twice a month during their sentence. Andrew had thought it wasn’t necessary for him, but it had turned out to be really helpful. His therapist was a nice middle aged woman named Tiffany, who always listened whenever he told her something. She helped him realise how he was constantly terrified the people in his life were going to leave him again.

Andrew’s sessions were always right after Exy practice, which he didn’t mind. He was grateful for a chance to talk to his therapist after a particular practice during late March. It started near the end of practice. Andrew made a particularly difficult save just a minute or so before the coach blew the whistle.

Neil bounded up to Andrew energetically after peeling off his helmet. “You did so good, Drew!”

Andrew couldn’t hide the flush that creeped up his neck as he removed his own helmet. “I’m not that good.”

“You’re probably the best goalie in the entire state. You should go pro!” Neil smiled at him, stepping closer.

“That’s your dream, Junkie, not mine.” Andrew couldn’t let himself hope for something as large as that. People like him don’t get to go pro.

Neil gently took Andrew’s face in his hands and gazed deeply into his eyes. Andrew swallowed at the proximity and the warmth that spread through his body, flowing like a stream from Neil’s hands. Andrew could see Neil’s impossibly blue eyes track the movement of his Adam's apple as he swallowed before gazing back up to rest their stare on Andrew’s lips. His voice came out in a light whisper filled with an emotion Andrew couldn’t name. “Trust me, Andrew. You’re fucking amazing.”

Andrew tries to find the words to respond, but the moment is interrupted when Coach shouts at them. “Minyard! Josten! Stop being weird and get off the damn court!” Neil turned bright red and pulled away. They slowly made their way back to the locker room, which was nearly empty.

Andrew walked into the therapist’s office and sprawled out on the couch. “Tiffany, I’m having a crisis. I have feelings for Neil, and I don’t know what to do with them.”

A look of shock crossed Tiffany’s face for a second before she regained her composure. “I’m glad you’re able to admit that, Andrew. What’s causing the crisis?”

“He’s- He’s my roommate and probably straight, and I don’t know how to stop the feelings. They’re annoying.”

Tiffany sighs. “Andrew, it’s perfectly normal to like someone that close to you. Have you tried telling him?”

Andrew turned his head to look at her and groaned. “No, I obviously can’t. We live together. I would have to face him every day after he rejects me.”

“Okay then.” Tiffany grabbed the notepad she always uses and flips through it to find her notes from the last session. “What were we discussing last?”

Andrew sighed and prepared himself for the hour he had to spend there.

…

April’s family visit brought good news. When Andrew sat down at the table in the large room filled with juvenile delinquents, their families, and guards, he could immediately tell his father seemed excessively happy.

“What’s up?” Andrew asked, sliding into the cold metal chair.

“Nothing much.” His dad replied, his voice joyful. Andrew raised an eyebrow at him. “We actually have some big news.”

“We’re getting married!” Aspen exclaimed. Andrew now noticed the simple engagement ring sitting on their finger.

“That’s great, guys.” Andrew said, genuine. A smile crossed his face.

“It really is.” Arthur said, looking at Aspen absolutely lovestruck. “So what’s going on with you, kiddo?”

Andrew spent the rest of the hour catching up with his parents. It’s a nice reminder every month that his family loves him, and they actually care.

…

By June, Neil and Andrew had created a routine for when one of them had a nightmare. Both of them were light sleepers who would wake with the sharp gasps of breath from the other. After being woken up, they’d go to the other’s bed and hold them to help calm them down.

This night, it was Andrew who woke from a nightmare of his father deciding that he didn’t want Andrew and Aaron anymore, and they ended up in one of the worse homes he had during the system. Neil gently spoke his name, pulling him from sleep before climbing in with him. Neil wrapped his arms around Andrew. Andrew grabbed Neil’s hand, lacing their fingers together. He fell asleep quickly after that.

Chapter Text

“Which way do you swing?” Neil was caught off guard by Andrew’s choice of question one day. They never really asked questions like that, and Neil thought Andrew was probably one of the last people to ask something like that.

“Why’d you choose that?” Neil asked.

Andrew shrugged. “I overheard some of the guys speculating. I was curious.”

Neil hummed in acknowledgment and thought for a moment. “I don’t really know, honestly. I’ve never had feelings for anyone. I kissed a couple girls, but never felt anything. It wasn’t worth the beating my mother gave me when she found out.” Andrew’s eyes darkened and his face soured at the mention of Neil’s mother. Neil knew that Andrew didn’t like his mom, but he let it go. He knew that some of the things she did were wrong, but he was alive because of her. It was hard not to grieve.

“‘Okay.” Andrew responded, and left it there for the moment.

…

After Andrew visited with his family, he would always walk in and drop on his bed with a large sigh. Sometimes he’d tell Neil about the visits while he rested, something Neil looked forward to. Andrew’s family seemed nice and Neil liked hearing about normal people things.

After July's visit, he told him about his cousin, Nicky. “I saw Nicky for the first time in a while today. He graduated high school.”

“Nice. Is he going to college?”

“Yeah, but he’s going back to Germany. He’s going to live with his boyfriend, Erik. Apparently Erik is going to help him get a job once he graduates. I’m glad he’s happy, but I’ll miss him.” Andrew paused for a moment, laughing softly. “He’s such a romantic. He was so giddy to tell me about Erik in person.”

Neil hummed in acknowledgment, and Andrew rolled over to look at him from where he was laying. “Have I ever told you about my uncle?”

“No. Andrew, you don’t have to.”

“I know. Anyways, Luther was the one who told Tilda to give up Aaron and I. I didn’t even meet Nicky until I was eleven because of his dad. She might have given us up if he hadn’t told her to, but we’ll never know.” Neil nodded along to the story. “Luther is a minister, and super religious. He almost sent Nicky to conversion therapy, but he ended up living with us. We haven’t seen him since because Aaron is the only straight person in our house and he would probably try to like, exorcise us or something.”

Neil wasn’t sure whether to laugh or to say sorry. Then he got caught on the last thing Andrew said. “Wait, what do you mean Aaron’s the only straight one in your house?”

“Neil, I’m gay. Wait, I thought you knew this.” Andrew said, sounding slightly confused.

“Uh, no?” Neil said, equally confused.

“Huh, I thought I told you.” Andrew said. Neil rethought things, and realised there wasn’t much to rethink. He still thought of Andrew the same.

“It doesn’t change the way I feel about you, if you’re worried about that.” Andrew rolled his eyes but Neil could see the way he seemed to relax.

“Now that we discussed that, what I was trying to say with all that stuff about Luther, is that I don’t understand how Nicky is so… happy after everything he’s been through. It seems impossible.” Andrew said.

“Sometimes when the darkness gets too bad you have to be your own light, until you find something else. It sounds like Nicky found his sunlight in Erik.” Neil said, tone sarcastic.

“Shut up, cheeseball.” Andrew huffed. Neil smiles to himself.

After a few moments of silence, Neil spoke, softer this time. “Hey Andrew?” Andrew grunted softly in response. “You’re my sunlight.”

“Really?” Andrew deadpanned, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah. I was in a really bad place before I came here, and you just- you brought me back to life.” Neil said, awkwardly looking down at his hands.

“I hate you.” Neil laughed, as there was no anger behind Andrew’s words, especially as Andrew smiled.

…
July in California is hot, unsurprisingly. Thankfully, they were allowed to wear tank tops during exercise, but Neil never did for fear of his scars showing. The Exy team got to use the exercise room a couple times a week, which was nice because Neil could run as long as he wanted on the treadmill, while Andrew preferred to lift weights.

Andrew was extremely strong for his height. The treadmills’ sides were facing towards the weight, so Neil could glance over at Andrew while he lifted. Neil started his run.

After a few minutes or so, Neil wiped a tiny bit of sweat off of his forehead and turned his head to look at Andrew. His friend had opted to wear just a tank top, which let his muscles really be shown off. Neil watched him pick up the bar loaded with weights and thought about how strong he was. Andrew seemed like he could hold up Neil and all of his issues, which seemed unfair to pin that on Andrew, but Neil let himself hope.

Then Andrew noticed Neil looking at him. Andrew picked the bar up once again, his muscles flexing, sweat dripping down his face. Andrew made eye contact with Neil, his eyes flashing golden in the light, filled with concentration. Neil is unable to look away, drawn to him. Warmth spreads through his chest, and his heart accelerates, which Neil attributes to the cardio. As if he could hear his thoughts, Andrew smirks, and Neil looks at the wall, face burning.

…

While Andrew was a truly amazing goalie, sometimes he refused to do anything. Today was one of those days, with Andrew leaning on his racquet while standing in goal and watching the balls fly past him and scoring. Neil could feel the way their teammates were starting to get annoyed with his friend, but Neil didn’t do anything about it. Yet.

Then one of their teammates, number 15, (Neil hadn’t bothered learning their names) came up to Neil, clearly upset. “Get your boyfriend to guard the fucking goal.” He sneered at Neil.

Neil caught the use of the word boyfriend. He blinked, as his brain ran in circles trying to process what had just been said by the other boy. “My- What?” Neil asked, confused.

“Your- You fucking dumbass. Andrew.” The guy said, like it was obvious that Andrew was Neil’s boyfriend. “Get him to try.”

“He’s not-” Neil tried to say, but the guy had already walked away. Neil sighed and went up to Andrew.

Andrew glanced over at Neil as he arrived at his side, and then resumed his staring into nothing. “Andrew.” Neil said.

“Neil.” Andrew replied, mockingly.

“Can you start playing?”

“Junkie. There’s no reason to.” Andrew’s voice was disinterested, as if his mind was somewhere else.

Neil sighed impatiently before pausing to think. “If you really try, I’ll let you see my scars.” Neil said slowly, not sure of his words. Andrew froze, and Neil could tell he was thinking about it.

“Are you sure?” Andrew’s voice was low, and it sent a shiver through Neil.

He swallowed. “Yes.” Neil said, staring Andrew in the eyes. Andrew nodded, and Neil turned around.

That practice was the hardest Neil had ever seen Andrew try.

…

Andrew sat on Neil’s bed, watching him. Neil’s hands were shaking as he lifted them to the hem of his shirt. When he hesitated, Andrew noticed. “You don’t have to do this.” Andrew said, his voice portraying a softness only Neil had ever seen from him.

“I want to do this, Drew. It’s just… ugly.” Neil said, finally peeling off his shirt. The cold air of the cell hit his exposed chest, and Neil looked away from Andrew.

After a moment Neil heard Andrew stand up and walk towards him. Neil looked back at his friend, who was now standing only inches away from him. Andrew tentatively raised his hand in an unspoken question.

Neil nodded. “You can touch.” He said, his voice soft and cautious.

Neil held back a shiver as hands calloused from exy brushed against his scars. Andrew’s hand continued to move up, gently tracing the iron burn on his shoulder. “I couldn’t stay still enough.” Neil said, and Andrew’s jaw clenched.

Andrew’s fingers carefully explored the patchwork of scars as Neil explained each mark. When Andrew was done, he dropped his hand to his side, but didn't move away.

Neil noticed the continued proximity but didn’t comment on it. “That guy- The one who told me to get you to try- He called you my boyfriend.” Neil said, looking down at Andrew.

“Probably because we’re oddly close for two teenage guys.”

“Yeah, but- I mean- We have a deal. That’s all I am to you, isn’t it?” Neil said, stumbling over his words.

“We do have a deal. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t kiss you.” Andrew said, his voice very slightly trembling.

Neil’s jaw fell open. He froze as he attempted to process what he had just been told. “You like me?”

A flush of red creeped up Andrew’s neck and tinged his ears. “I never said anything, because nothing will ever come of it. You don’t swing.”

Neil closed and opened his mouth. Before Neil could come up with a response, the cell door buzzed open, and a guard stepped in.

“It’s time for therapy, Andrew.” The guard said, seeming confused as he took in the scene before him. Andrew walked out of the door, and the guard gave one more odd look to Neil before closing the door and following Andrew.

…

Neil paced the cell, his brain a hurricane of thoughts. He revisited the moment from earlier again and again, replaying it in his mind. Andrew liked him, but didn’t expect anything to happen.

At first Neil thought he wouldn’t want anything to happen. He didn’t swing- couldn’t swing. Then he took a deep breath and really thought about it.

He thought about the way Andrew’s muscles flexed while he lifted weights, the way his hair would glow white and his eyes would glow golden in the light. How soft that hair felt in his hands on the rare occasions he got to touch it. The way Andrew held him through the night, a solid wall at his back and comforting arms wrapping around to his front. The way Andrew treated him with care, how his voice was low and slightly raspy. The way his lips look, pink and soft.

Neil thought about kissing Andrew, and realised he liked the idea. He wanted to do that. He also wanted Andrew to hold him, wanted to kiss Andrew on his cheek, wanted to hold his hand, wanted so much more.

“Fuuuck.” Neil said out loud, accepting the conclusion his mind had reached.

Andrew liked him, and Neil liked him back.

…

Neil didn’t know what to do when Andrew came back from therapy. Did he tell him? Act like it never happened? Neil nervously chewed on his lower lip as he waited for Andrew to come back.

After what seemed like hours, the door opened again and Andrew walked in. Neil swallowed and turned to the door.

Andrew stood by the door, his stance cautious. Neil tentatively walked up to him. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but he didn’t know what to say.

“What’s wrong? Did I- Did I cross a boundary or something? I’m so-” Andrew started, voice tinged with nerves.

“Don’t be sorry. I just- I’ve never felt like this before. I can’t- it’s dangerous and could get us both killed. I mean, everything I’ve already told you, and how close we are puts us in danger already but this- this is taking the plunge into extremely dangerous territory.” Neil pauses and Andrew opens his mouth to speak but Neil shushes him. “The thing is- I like you so much. I like everything about you, from your fucking beautiful eyes, to your strength, to the way you treat me like I’m a piece of gold, not the shifty runaway I am. Your confession, it opened doors for me, and I can’t ever close them.”

“Nothing has to happen if you're not ready.” Andrew says, his voice strong but his posture relaxing.

Neil steps closer and whispers, the words feeling too heavy to be spoken at a normal volume. “I am ready. I want you, if you’ll have me.”

Andrew leans into Neil’s space. “Yes or no?” The question fills the air, the weight of it like a weighted blanket, heavy but comforting.

“Yes.” Neil whispers, nearly inaudible but Andrew is so close he understands.

Andrew’s hands land on Neil’s cheeks, gently holding his face. Then Andrew’s lips touch Neil’s, and his world explodes.

The first press of lips together is gentle, and ends quickly. Andrew pulls back for a second, grabbing Neil’s hands and putting them on his head. Neil quickly buries his hands in Andrew's buzzed hair, and leans in again.

The second kiss is more- just more. It’s firmer. Then Andrew’s tongue gently brushes Neil’s lips in question and Neil opens his mouth in answer. Andrew kisses him like he’s trying to climb inside Neil, and pushes him up against a wall.

They kiss for what feels like forever before they finally come up for air.

“Good?” Neil asks, breathless.

“Good.” Andrew responds, a smile lighting up his face.

Neil falls asleep in Andrew’s arms again. He thinks he feels Andrew drop a kiss on top of his head before he drifts off.

…

By September, they fall asleep in the same bed more often than not. Neil finds he likes falling asleep with strong arms around him, and Andrew is more than happy to oblige.

Neil wakes to gentle fingers carding through his hair one morning. He blinks awake and looks up at his boyfriend. Andrew smiles at him, and like always, Neil’s heart swells. He leans up and kisses Andrew good morning, and lays back down on his chest.

After a few seconds, Andrew speaks. “You should come to me when you get out.”

Neil sits up quickly in surprise. “I can’t- Andrew they’d find me, and they’d kill us and your family. It’s too dangerous.”

Andrew looks him in the eyes. “You can. I’ll keep you safe.”

“Drew, you can’t fight them.” Neil argues.

“We’ll be fine. I can’t bear to lose you.” Andrew says, voice broken.

“I can’t bear that either, which is why I can’t come to you.”

“Neil. Please. Promise me you’ll come to me. We’ll figure something out.” Andrew takes Neil’s hands in his own. “If you don't, I'll spend the rest of my life searching for you. I can’t imagine a world where we never see each other again.”

Neil chews on his lip. “Fine. I’ll come to you when it’s safe enough.”

“Thank you, Neil.” Andrew says, squeezing Neil’s hands.

Neil knows he can’t put Andrew and his family in danger by going to him, but he lets himself pretend for the moment. He lets himself want.

Chapter Text

Aaron stared out of the car window at the Californian landscape as they drove to the facility where Andrew had spent the last 17 months. He was excited to have his brother back but also terrified that juvie had further traumatised him.

They finally pulled up to the facility, a large concrete building. Even after the monthly visits to the place, Aaron felt very threatened by the place. The sun beat down on him as he walked up with his parents.

The lobby was familiar to him after many months. Plain checkered tiles, light grey walls, uncomfortable chairs. Aaron and Aspen sat in one of the paired chairs against the wall to the right of the entrance. Aaron stared at the generic abstract art on the wall across him as his father stood at the desk, waiting for the secretary to hand him the paperwork to release Andrew.

Aaron zoned out until he was snapped out of his thoughts with the large door next to the desk opened loudly. First a bulky guard stepped out, followed by Andrew. Aaron jumped up from his chair and speed walked over to his brother.

While Aaron saw his twin monthly, they weren’t allowed to touch during the visits. Andrew took his newfound freedom and pulled Aaron into a bone crushing hug.

When they pulled away from each other, their dad swooped in and hugged Andrew as well. Aaron and Aspen stood at the side of the room, watching them reunite. Aaron could see the genuine relief on his father’s face at having Andrew free again.

A smile crossed Aarons face as he reflected on his gratitude for having such a great dad. If Arthur hadn’t found them… Well, Aaron didn’t want to think about it.

They didn’t linger at the facility. The car ride home was fairly silent, Aaron not sure what to say, and Andrew staring out the open window letting the warm wind blast against his face.

When they get out of the car, Andrew makes no move to enter their house and instead leans against his car door for a moment. Aaron walks over to him.

“You good?” Aaron asks, searching his brother’s face for signs of emotion, a practiced skill.

Andrew looks over at him, sighing happily. “Yeah. Just- taking it all in. I’m home, finally.”

Aaron laughs quietly. “Yep.”

…

The night after Andrew got home from juvie, Aaron couldn’t sleep. After what felt like hours of staring at the ceiling while his thoughts swirled around his room, he finally groaned and got up.

Sir nudged her head against Aarons legs as he trudged across the hallway. Aaron picked her up before knocking on Andrew’s door. It swung open quickly to reveal a tired looking Andrew.

“Couldn’t sleep either?” Andrew asked.

“Nope. Can I come in?” Aaron held up Sir. “I have a cat.” Andrew smiled and let Aaron in closing the door behind him. They both sat on the floor, Andrew’s back against his bed, Aaron’s against the opposite wall. Sir, the absolute traitor, immediately jumped out of Aaron’s lap and ran over to his brother.

“So…” Aaron started, not sure what to say at first. “I joined the Exy team.”

Andrew looked up at him, startled from his focus on petting Sir. “Really.”

Aaron nodded. “Yeah, and uh- I’m dating one of the cheerleaders.” Andrew hummed, his only confirmation of having heard what Aaron said. “Her name’s Emily.”

“Wow. Never expected you to be one to date a cheerleader. How’d that even happen?” Andrew’s tone was serious but Aaron could hear the laugh in his words.

“A party.” Aaron smiled as he thought about it. “Well, I got her number at the party. I asked her out a few days later.”

“You go to parties?”

“Mostly with the team, but yeah.” They were silent for a moment. “You should join the team. If what you said about your skills was true, you’d really help us.”

Andrew feigned offence. “How dare you.” They both laughed, the sound filling up the room. “I’d like that.” He took a deep breath. “I- I met someone too. In juvie.”

It was like Aaron’s brain stopped for a moment. What. The. Fuck.

“You-you what?” Aaron sputtered out.

“My cellmate. His name’s Neil.” Andrew’s face was wistful, sad and happy at the same time. Lost in his head. “He gave me this to remember him by.”

Andrew rolled up his pajama shirt sleeve to reveal what looked like a tattoo. It was extremely simple, but Aaron could tell it was a sun. Aaron’s jaw dropped. “Andrew what the fuck?

“Save me the lecture. I know it’s probably stupid, but I might never see him again. He’s a runaway.”

Andrew tells him about Neil, in depth. Aaron listens attentively, realising just how much this guy affected Andrew. They stay up most of the night talking, until they both fall asleep on the floor.

…

While Andrew quickly adjusted back to home life with the Minyards, school was a different story. When the twins turned 16, Aaron got his driver’s license and his parents bought him a really shitty car. Aaron almost gloated over the fact that he was the only one who coiled actually drive it, but then remembered spending his birthday without Andrew and chose to keep his mouth shut.

They pulled up to the highschool and Aaron cast a glance to the passenger seat before he got out. Andrew’s face was blank but Aaron could tell he was nervous. Aaron gave him an encouraging smile and Andrew rolled his eyes.

It was familiar territory for Aaron, the only thing having changed was his brother being at his side. Well, and the people staring at them. That was fine though.

“Aaron?” He turned at the familiar voice. Emily. His girlfriend.

“Em! Uh- hi. This is my brother, Andrew.” Aaron gestured awkwardly to his right, Andrew nodding his head at her in greeting.

“Nice to meet you.” She told him, holding out her hand for him to shake. Andrew looked at her blankly until she dropped her hand.

Aaron carefully took her hand. “Andrew, you should probably talk to the office people, since it’s your first day back.” Aaron pointed at the very obvious office in an attempt to make the situation less awkward.

“Right.” Andrew said, walking away.

Emily gently dragged Aaron over to the side of the large entry area at their highschool. “He seems… interesting.”

“Yeah, I guess.” While Andrew seemed to be doing well adjusting, Aaron was still working through it, and didn’t have the mental capacity to do this right then.

“Ricky’s throwing a party Saturday night.” Emily said, her tone suggesting she had more to say.
‘
“His parents leave him alone way too much.”

Emily laughed softly. “Well, you know how big his house is. I’m sure we could find some privacy there.” She looked down at him expectantly.

“Em, you know I’m not really ready-” Aaron was cut off by a bunch of the team arriving, loud as always.

Emilly looked at him apologetically, mouthing “We can talk about it later.”

Aaron smiles and nods, like everything is okay.

Chapter Text

Nicky came home for Christmas, Erik in tow. Andrew had heard a lot about him from Nicky’s letters, but it was different to see him in person.

He was taller than their father, an impressive feat seeing as Arthur was over 6 feet tall. The twins had unfortunately gotten Tilda’s height, none of Arthur’s tall genes passing over to them. His hair was blonde, but more golden as opposed to Andrew and Aaron’s white blonde. His size and muscles made him seem intimidating, but with the way he looked at Nicky, like a man stranded in a desert seeing a freshwater fountain, Andrew didn’t classify him as a threat.

After Nicky set down his bags, Arthur immediately pulled him in for a hug, Nicky happy to oblige. Once he let go, Nicky gave a quick hug to Aspen before returning to Erik’s side.

“Hello, Mr. Minyard. I’m Erik.” Erik said in heavily accented English.

“Please, just Arthur. It’s so lovely to meet you.” Arthur said warmly, grinning at Erik. He immediately seemed to relax, letting go of tension Andrew hadn’t noticed before. Andrew’s dad had that effect on people, making them feel welcome. He always meant it too.

They made their way to the living room, but Andrew stopped Erik in the entryway. “Hurt Nicky, and I will kill you.” Andrew said in German.

Erik nodded. “I would never. By the way, your accent is pretty good for an American. Who taught you? As much as I love Nicky, he’s a horrible teacher.”

“Hey!” Nicky shouted over from the other room. Erik laughed.

“My cellmate taught me.” Andrew said after clearing his throat.

“Ohhhh. Neil taught you German, huh?” Nicky asked, appearing the doorway. Andrew’s brain paused for a moment. Oh shit. He hasn’t told Nicky he and Neil actually got together. Nicky was going to have a field day over that when he found out.

…

Nicky dragged Erik and the twins out to some sort of Christmas festival thing their city put on. Despite the warm Californian weather, the large park was decorated with fake Christmas trees covered in shiny decorations, strings of lights illuminating the area, as Nicky had taken them after sunset.

Aaron had brought Emily, and almost immediately she tugged him away from the group. Aaron shot them an apologetic glance as he was led into the crowd.

Andrew followed Nicky and Erik, deciding not to worry about Aaron. It was fruitless, of course. Finally having his brother back but losing Neil in the process had lead Andrew to focus on Aaron’s safety, not the mentally healthiest option, but it was better than tearing himself up over Neil.

Who was he kidding? He was absolutely still tearing himself up over Neil.

Even now, Andrew looked around the market. It was mostly populated with families and their kids, so… happy. Andrew watched as Nicky excitedly grabbed Erik’s hand and pointed at something. Andrew couldn’t hear what they were saying of the roar of his own thoughts.

A strange sensation ran over Andrew’s own palm, the urge to wrap around the warmth of someone else’s. He made a fist instead. Instead of trying to push away his thoughts, let go for a moment, he gave urge to the masochistic thoughts of if Neil was here.

He could almost imagine the way the blue of his eyes would be a stark contrast to the warm Christmas lights surrounding them, the way Neil would smile, and it would be like Neil’s smile was only for him, like they were the only people on the earth.

Andrew blinked away the fantasy. He couldn’t dwell on Neil. If Neil never came back… Well Andrew would cross that bridge if it ever came to that.

“Andrew? Andrew!” An insistent voice broke through to Andrew’s mind, and he snapped his head to find the source.

“Yeah?” He asked, mildly confused as to why Nicky looked so concerned.

“Sorry, you just seemed a little out of it. You weren’t responding.”

“Oh”

Nicky’s usual smile replaced the look on his face. “Anyways, what do you think? I know there’s no snow but I hope you still like it. Since I’m home, and you’re out of juvie, I just wanted to make the most of my time with you and Aaron but I don’t know if-”

“Nicky. It’s great.” Andrew reassured him.

Nicky beamed at him, and Andrew couldn’t help but to smile at his cousin. Andrew stepped up besides Nicky, letting Neil slide out of his mind as he enjoyed the market.

…

Andrew forces disinterest onto his face as he walks onto the school court, Aaron at his side. Andrew vaguely heard his brother telling him about the players and their deals, but it was mostly rushed out with the wonder of being on a full sized court. The juvie’s court was small, barely funded.

Aaron’s girlfriend, Emily or whatever her name is, sits on the bleachers, doing homework. She glances up and waves at Aaron. He waves back. Andrew scowls. There’s something… off about her. The first time they fully had a conversation she asked about juvie, looking at him like he crawled out of a sewer. He told her it was fine, and that if she hurt his brother she would kill him. Either way, she just didn’t seem to like Aaron that much. From what Andrew had seen, their relationship was more parade than anything real.

If it was what his brother wanted, he wouldn’t say anything.

He shook off thoughts of Emily and tuned back into what Aaron was saying. “Henry’s an asshole, but there’s clearly just some stuff he’s dealing with. He’s a solid goalie though.” Aaron stopped and turned to him. “Andrew, are you even listening?”

“Yeah, of course I am.” Aaron rolled his eyes.

“Sure you are. Anyways, you need to have your full focus if you want to get on the team.”

“It’s highschool exy, not the fucking military.” Andrew and Aaron sat on the Home bench, as directed to by the coach.

“It’s an opportunity. Andrew, it could help us get scholarships, you could go pro!” Andrew thought of Neil, the pipe dream who told him many times over that he could go pro. If he held true to his promise, he should probably be showing up soon.

Andrew sighed. “Fine, I’ll try.”

…

In the end, Andrew didn’t have to try that hard to get on the team. Most of the other people there were absolute shit, and the coach seemed to gain excitement after he watched Andrew clear out goal after goal.

The coach pulled him into his office when everyone went to change out. “Kid, you're good. Really good”

“Okay, and?” Andrew replied impatiently.

“I’ve just heard that you have a tendency to… not try. I really think that if you put your all into this you could go places. Big places. Edgar Allen, even.” Andrew held back a flinch at Edgar Allen. Neil told him about the scrimmage he attended there, the man he saw get murdered. There was no way in hell he was going there.

“Right. Maybe I will, maybe I won’t. It’s up to me whether I decide to try or not.” Andrew looked around his coaches office before leaving, covered in a bunch of random trophies and team photos. There was also a calendar, crossing off days that had passed. He paused for a second. Neil got out today. Andrew’s hands clenched into fists.

Andrew turned around, walking back to the changing rooms. He glared at anyone who looked at him, too busy thinking about Neil to be able to deal with anyone.

…

It had taken a long time for Andrew to get a time to actually take the driver’s test. He had to take a long course with a bunch of stupid safety information that he already knew, then he had to take a test on that, and then there were no appointments until late May.

The worst part was that Andrew was spending most of his energy worrying about Neil. The runaway had still yet to show up, and Andrew was scared. He’d been thinking about Neil more again.

He attempted to push Neil out of his mind as the instructor called him up from the waiting room. He wrung out his hands as he made the way out to the car. Aaron gave him a thumbs up and an encouraging smile and Andrew rolled his eyes at him.

The test wasn’t too difficult, and Andrew passed with ease.

When he received his license in the mail a few weeks later, he ran his fingers over the Andrew Joseph Minyard labeled on it and smiled about how far he’d come.

…

It was June. It was June and Neil still wasn’t back. He had been out for months. Andrew had taken up the habit of sitting in his bed, back against the corner, while staring at the wall and tracing the sun on his arm.

Today was especially difficult. Andrew didn’t know why, but everything reminded him of Neil. A stranger with bright red hair, the clear blue of the sky, the exy racquet standing in the corner of his room.

He dragged Aaron to the court with him. While Aaron was a backliner, not accustomed to shooting, it was good practice. Andrew thought of how Neil would react to him willingly practicing. He imagined the smug smile that would cross Neil’s face, the way he’d push Neil’s face away and he’d laugh, a joyful, clear sound Andrew had grown to love.

Of course, Aaron and Nicky and their parents were enough for him. He didn’t need Neil to survive. That didn’t mean Andrew wasn’t out of his mind with worry.

His brain rang in a chorus of ‘He’s dead’, ‘He ran away and won’t ever come back’, among other thoughts. Against his best wishes, his eyes welled up and a tear fell. He felt it drip from his chin and wrap around his neck. Reaching up, he swiped its friends from his face.

A knock on the door clanged around the room. Andrew called out, “Come in”, wincing at the wrecked tone in his voice.

Aaron slid in, glancing at Andrew for confirmation before gently sitting on the bed next to him. “Are you okay?”

Andrew took in a shaky breath, and squeezed his eyes shut for a second. He glanced over at Aaron. “Yeah. Can you- Can you just talk to me? About anything.”

“Of course.” Aaron’s voice flooded Andrew’s mind, softly flushing out the bad and bringing a sense of calm.

Andrew began to fall asleep after a few minutes. Aaron gently stood up and crept toward the door. He seemed to pause at the door a moment before leaving.

Chapter Text

Neil brought his fingers to his lips, trying to recall the memory of Andrew’s mouth on his. It had only been a minute since Andrew left, but it felt like hours.

In the weeks leading up to Andrew’s release, panic lurked in the back of his mind. Andrew’s presence brought peace, but with him gone, and Neil alone, panic was free to roam, quickly taking its hold on him. Neil tried to find something, anything to calm the rapid beating of his heart.

His mind settled on something Andrew said a week or so ago. “We’ll see each other soon enough. You get out in a few more months, and you’ll come to me. Believe me, I don’t want to leave you, but we’ll get to be happy outside of juvie. It’ll be okay, I promise.”

Neil had chosen to believe him, but now it was difficult. Andrew was gone and Neil had to face reality. There was no way he could go to Andrew. His father would find him, he would find Andrew and his family and Neil would be forced to watch as his father slowly killed each and every one of them in front of him before killing Neil himself.

For now, all he could do was wait to get out. He’d cross the bridge of what to do when he came to it.

…

Sunlight jabbed at Neil’s eyes even as he covered them with his hand. A yawn escaped from his mouth, a sign of the lack of sleep due to thinking.

He had prepared a long speech about his relatives out of state that he was going to go live with, but the front desk people just waved him out, wishing him well.

Neil buys a ticket for Phoenix. He remembered his mom telling him something about a contact there. Changing his identity was probably the best plan of action. Neil Josten’s criminal record would make him stand out.

A new identity also meant Andrew would be unable to find him. If Andrew looked for him, it would be like he dropped off the face of the planet. That was good. He could not let Andrew get hurt because of his father.

…

Neil stood in the sweltering Arizona heat, staring at a map. He, stupidly, hadn’t planned for what came after getting the new identity. Eventually he gave up on the map and pulled out his phone.

He googled “High school exy Arizona” and scrolled through the results. If he couldn’t be with Andrew, at least he could still play exy. Of course it was a bad idea, but Neil didn’t care. He’d made enough mistakes recently that one more wouldn’t hurt.

Finally, an option he liked showed up. Millport. There was barely any news from there, but there was a website for the highschool. There was also an exy team, not the worst in the league but not the best. It would do.

He bought black hair dye from Walmart and used it in the bathroom of a gas station. The person staring back at him wasn’t Nathaniel, or Neil, or even Abram, but rather Noah Smith, his new identity. Despite that, he couldn’t bring himself to let go of Neil.

Staring at himself, he slid out one of the brown contacts he had gotten before arriving in Arizona.

The icy blue brought memories with it. Memories of his father, of a cold basement and a deep, ruthless laugh. He shivered. But there were also memories of Andrew.

One day while they were hanging out in the library, Andrew looked up Nathan. Neil had told him not to, but Andrew insisted.

“You don’t look like him.” Andrew had said, later that night.

“Of course I do.”

“You have the same hair and the same color of eyes. That doesn’t mean you look like him.”

Neil had cocked his head in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Your face. There’s just something about it that makes you… You.” Andrew trailed off before looking Neil directly in the eyes. “When you smile, your dimples appear.” Andrew traces his hand over Neil’s face, lingering on his lips. Neil’s breath catches. “In all of the pictures of Nathan smiling, he doesn’t have them. There are other things, too. Your eyes, for example. They might be the same color as his, but there’s so much in them. So much emotion, enough to drown you ”

“Stare at me much, Minyard?” Neil smirked, but he didn’t feel smug. There was something else there. It was a bit difficult to describe, but now he could understand it as the horrifying and wonderful feeling of being known.

“Maybe.” Andrew’s voice was paired with the deep pink flush coating his face. “Yes or no?” He asked.

Neil gladly answered “Yes”, already leaning in.

His eyes were something Andrew liked, not just something that made him his father’s son. He could live with the latter if it meant he had the former.

Neil put the contact back in and walked out of the bathroom.

…

Noah Smith made it through his freshman year mostly undamaged. He joined the exy team, slept most nights in the locker room.

He got a job at a gas station in town. He still had stashed money, but it was dwindling.

It was a relatively normal summer until she arrived. Noah was doing the night shift, staring at the wall, when he heard the door open.

He straightened, preparing for a customer. What he got instead was a sharp smile, one familiar from his childhood.

“Hello, Junior. It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?” Noah dug his fingers into the counter.

“Lola.” He did his best to keep his voice calm, but it still shook with nerves.

“You remember me! How wonderful.” There was no way Noah could ever forget her. She had left far more of an impact than physical wounds on him.

She glanced around, seemingly amused. “Where’s your mommy, Nathaniel? Didn’t think she’d let you have a job.” While she talked, she came closer to him. “Didn’t think she’d let you out of her sight at all, actually. Interesting.”

Noah tried to find an escape route, but it was fruitless. She was too close, and if she was as good as she was when he was young, she was also too fast.

“She’s dead.” Lola was now in front of him. She grabbed his shirt, twisting it in her grasp.

Suddenly, he was a kid in his father’s basement again, Lola towering over him as he cowered in terror. His face dropped, betraying his emotions. Lola noticed the motion, grinning in response.

“Let’s hope you’re telling the truth, junior. If you’re lying to me, there’ll be hell to pay.” She put her free pointer finger on her chin and performed a dramatised version of pretending to ponder something. “Then again, you’ve already got quite the fate awaiting you, far worse than hell if your father gets what he wants.” Noah swallowed. Nathan Wesninski always got what he wanted, and Lola knew Noah knew that. Her grin somehow took on an even more sickening form, and she jerkily pulled him away from the counter, a secure grip on him.

He let her drag him out of the building and into a car parked outside. Cold, sharp, handcuffs dug into his wrists as Lola attached him to the seat.

Romero, another one of Nathan’s people, sat in the driver’s seat. Once the door was shut, he pushed down on the gas pedal, and they sped off.

On the ground by Noah’s feet was a small container. Any other person would have assumed it to be a tool kit, rightfully so. However, Lola opened it to reveal a collection of knives, all of them glinting in the lights peering into the car from the lampposts.

Noah stares at the objects until he is snapped out of it by a slender, scarred, hand pulling out one of the knives. Lola polished the blade lightly with cloth she pulled from one of her pockets. “These beauties were all recently sharpened. Your father’s orders. He really does want the best for you, his disappointment of a son.”

Lola traced his face with the knife. “You’ve grown, Junior. You really do look like him, you know.”

Shaking with anger, Noah refused the urge to respond to her, facing in front of him silently instead.

Lola picked up one of his hands instead, lightly drawing patterns on the back of it with the knife. “Your mother, Nathaniel. Where is she?”

“Dead. She died on a beach in California.” Lola clicked her tongue in disappointment.

“Don’t lie to me, Junior.”

“I’m not.” His voice was more solid now.

“Romero.” Lola commanded, and he handed her something from the dashboard.

The light from a lamppost glanced off the object long enough for him to identify it. A lighter.

Lola clicked it on, the flame lighting up her grin, making her face gaunter.

She pressed the lighter to his face, and pain engulfed him. When he landed back to reality, she repeated her question. “Where is she?”

“Dead. She’s dead, I swear she’s dead.” He struggled to get the words out, chest heaving with pain.

Lola sighed. “Romero, what do you think? Is he telling the truth?”

Romero took a second to glance back at them. He zeroed in on Noah’s face, on the pain written there. “Sure.”

Lola brushed his face with her fingers, nails digging lightly into the burn. He winced, holding back a scream. Lola giggled.

“Well, Junior. Looks like we’ll have to find some way to pass the time until we reach our next destination.” She tapped the knife against her lip, pretending to think. “Oh, I have an idea! Why don’t I use you as a canvas. You really are such a pretty surface to carve into.”

“You’re sick.” Noah sneered at her.

She laughed, a sound that had haunted Noah’s nightmares his entire life. “You’ve got a lot to learn, kid. Too bad you don’t have enough time to learn it.” With that, she dug the knife into his face.

…
When the blood on his face had crusted over and the stinging pain was somewhere else on his body, Noah realised he would not be making it back from where he was going.

With a shaky breath, he let go of Noah. He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing a tear out of one of them. Reminiscing on his time as Neil, he too let go of him.

When he caught a glance of himself in the rearview mirror, all that was left was Nathaniel.

…

Eventually, they arrived at a small airstrip, a tiny plane waiting for them. Nathaniel didn’t recognise it, but he was still lightheaded from the bloodloss he had suffered just minutes before.

Lola pulled out a cloth soaked with something. “Sweet dreams, Junior.” She said, pushing it against his face. The world faded first into blurriness, before going completely dark.

…

It was over. Nathaniel’s uncle, who he hadn’t seen since that week he spent in England with his mother, stood in front of him.

Nathaniel had just watched his father die, saving him from a similar fate. There was a symphony of voices filling the room, but it was all muddled in his head.

He just barely was able to make out Stuart calling out “Nathaniel.” before he passed out.

…

Hours upon hours had been spent in a bland interrogation room at the FBI’s Baltimore offices. Stuart, being the closest living relative Nathaniel had left, sat outside the entire time.

After he told them everything he knew, he asked if he could legally change his name. They agreed, so long as Stuart gave permission.

Stuart treated him to breakfast, greasy fast food quite welcome to him after a couple days of hospital food and the absolute crap the FBI officers provided for him.

During Breakfast, Stuart told him about the Moriyamas, how he was meant to be sold before Mary took him and ran. The information came as such a shock to him that he very nearly didn’t believe it, but when he really thought about it, it made sense.

Stuart also described in great detail what his life would look like when he came with him to England. A life without fear, although he would be training to possibly take over the ‘family business’ one day. Stuart and Mary’s other siblings had heirs, but he was the oldest.

He asked Stuart if he could legally become Neil Josten. It was the best name he ever had, the only one that ever truly was him, rather than a mask. Stuart conceded that he could, and a massive weight lifted from Neil’s shoulders.

Neil tried to imagine life in England, but found he couldn’t. The only things that came to mind when he thought about his future were golden eyes and blonde hair.

Taking a deep breath, Neil spoke. “Stuart, I don’t want to live in England. I want to go to California. There’s- There’s people I care about there.” Well. One person, but still.

He prepared himself for rejection, for Stuart to force him to move to England with him. Surprisingly, Stuart agreed easily. “Okay. We have others who can be the heir. If this is what you really want, I can get Ichirou to agree to it.” Stuart paused, looking Neil right in the eyes. “Are you absolutely sure that’s what you want?”

Neil nodded, his voice quiet when he spoke his “Yes.”.

“Alright then Na-Neil. You’re almost a free person.” Stuart grinned at him, and Neil had no choice but to smile as well.

…

Neil glanced at the address on the paper one last time before knocking on the door. Yep, this was the right place.

He rapped his knuckles on the surface, hard enough to make sure it was heard throughout the house. Muffled voices sounded from behind the door and Neil shifted nervously.

On the way there, he had worried his head off. What if Andrew hated him for not coming immediately? What if Andrew’s family hated him?

Before his mind had time to wander too far again, the door swung open. “We don’t want whatever your sel-”

Andrew stood in the doorway, and he paused as soon as he saw who it was.

In the moments that Andrew stood quietly, Neil studied him. His buzz cut had grown out, leaving his hair fluffy. His skin had tanned slightly, seeming healthier at how much more sun he had probably received. He seemed to be buffer, if that was even possible.

Neil raised one of his hands in a small greeting. Before he could put his arm down, Andrew was surging forward.

Strong arms wrapped around Neil, as Andrew burrowed his head into Neil’s chest. Andrew sprang back after a moment or two.

“Shit, I’m so sorry, I should’ve asked before hugging you-.” Andrew rambled.

“Drew. Drew, It’s okay.” Neil assured, holding his hand up near Andrew’s face. After a nod from him, Neil gently stroked his face, reveling in the fact that Andrew was in front of him now.

“You came back.” Andrew said, almost in disbelief. “You asshole, I thought you were dead.” Andrew poked Neil in the chest, but there was no heat behind his words.

“I’m sorry. I told you I’d come when it was safe, and well, I'm safe now. I’m free, Drew.” Neil said, still in wonder about that.

“You’re safe? No more running?” Andrew asked, searching Neil’s face.

“No more running.”

“You promise?”

“Of course.” Neil cupped Andrew’s face with his hand now, gently stroking his cheek with his thumb.

Neil is stopped from staring lovingly into Andrew’s eyes when a voice comes from inside the house. “Andrew, who’s at the do- oh. This must be Neil.”

Neil pulls away from Andrew, but quickly realises there’s no anger in the man’s voice.

“Yeah.” Neil says, brain off. “I mean, yes sir.” He stammers out.

“No need to call me sir, Neil. Please, just Arthur. Why don’t you two come in?” His tone is welcoming as he holds the door open wider to let the both of them in.

Neil takes a second to assess Andrew’s father. He can certainly see the resemblance, and it’s strange. Arthur’s always been an idea to him, rather than a person. Neil didn’t know how such a man could exist, one who fought so hard for his kids.

He’s snapped out of his thoughts as Arthur speaks. There’s something about him, the way he’s loud and clear, but doesn’t command. There’s not a hint of malice in his voice and it bewilders Neil. “I’ve heard so much about you. I’ll be happy to accept you into our family, but first…. What are your intentions with my son?”

His tone is nearly joking, but Andrew’s face is horrified. “Dad, don’t you dare shovel talk him-”

“Nope. He’s getting shovel-talked.” Arthur seemed very excited, so Neil didn’t stop him. Besides, it was nice to know that Andrew’s family really did care that much about him.

Andrew took Neil’s hand gently. Neil beamed at him, squeezing his hand. Now that he was here, there was no way in hell he was ever leaving Andrew again.

Chapter Text

Aaron Minyard loves his brother. This is a universal truth. Since the day they met, they were nearly inseparable. Andrew and Aaron, Aaron and Andrew. Then Nicky came along, but he’d been family for forever. It was still Andrew and Aaron, but occasionally Nicky too. So when he watched Andrew get walked into the locked door at the back of the waiting room of that cold, dark, building, a piece of his heart walked away with him.

Nicky blamed himself for Andrew getting locked up for months after it happened. Aaron was the one who had to reassure him that it wasn’t his fault. Andrew was a protector, Nicky couldn’t have done anything to stop him once it happened.

Aaron was the one who told Nicky about the Germany program. He had been the one to explain all of the details, and the one to tell Nicky he wouldn’t be abandoning them. Another piece of his heart was torn away when he watched Nicky’s plane pull out of the gate.

At school, Aaron had to fight. Without Andrew there, he was on his own, no one to stop someone from messing with him. So Aaron learned to fit in. He pushed himself down, locking every nuance and difference about him deep in his mind.

Aaron joined the exy team, laughed at all of the stupid jokes the guys on the team made. He could barely tell them all apart, their similar haircuts and assholeish grins blurring together.

Andrew came back, making his heart nearly whole again. But Andrew had changed, he’d found someone. ‘Neil’, apparently. Aaron was concerned that his brother had fallen for a guy who had gotten locked up, but apparently there was a very good, reasonable reason he was there that Andrew couldn’t tell him. Oh well. If Andrew thought Aaron would judge him, or was untrustable, Aaron would just have to try harder.

In the months after Neil’s release, Andrew seemed severely disconnected. He barely paid attention, was even more of an asshole to the guys on the team, and the sobs coming from his room were a lot more audible than Andrew thought they were.

Eventually Aaron’s reserves were chipped down. He couldn’t bear to see his brother in pain any more. He offered as much comfort as he could. When Andrew told him that he had trouble sleeping because of worry, Aaron was there every single night for weeks to help calm him down.

Aaron was stuck. Stuck in his friendships with plain, loud people who treated him like he wasn’t even there. Stuck feeling like he had to take care of his brother while his mental health bled out like an artery. Stuck pretending to be the mature and perfect son his father thought him to be. Some days, all he wanted out of life was for it to end.

The parties were one way to cope. Every week, another house, all the same as before. He enjoyed the familiarity, like the crappy stolen alcohol, the unnecessarily loud kids playing beer pong in a corner, The heavy scent of weed in the air that would be chased away with copious amounts of air freshener in the morning. The latter one was even more familiar, as it had come to be a habit he’d gained. When he was first offered a joint, he hesitated. Then he realised how much peace it gave him, how it made him float rather than the drowning he experienced every day.

…

At first, Emily was just another girl on the cheerleading team. Once he was forced to hang out with the squad more, he realised she was a lot more interesting than she let on. She liked the same fantasy series as him, was willing to listen to him go on in depth character rants, didn’t care when he passed out on her shoulder. So when all of his friends told him to ask her out, he didn’t question it. He liked her, right? It was the next logical step.

They fell together perfectly. Emily and Aaron, Aaron and Emily. Everyone said they looked so good together, and they did. It was a beautiful thing, having someone cheering just for you on the sidelines. It gave him status too. He was invited to double dates, gained friends from Emily’s friends and their boyfriends, made him more likeable. More human, in Emily’s words. She confessed to him one night that people thought he was emotionless, a cold and blank asshole like his criminal brother. Once she saw the way his face fell, she rushed to tell him she never thought that. Aaron chose to believe her, no matter what the little locked up part in his brain told him.

Emily was perfect for him, he was perfect for Emily. So why was it now, when he went to look for her thirty minutes after she left to go to the bathroom at a party, he found her making out with Blandon fucking Miller.

His mouth fell open at the sight, and he was sure he made some kind of sound. He wasn’t sure what, as he could barely hear anything over the rushing in his ears. “Emily?” He thinks he asked.

She turned around, startled. “Aaron, I- I-” She stuttered, unable to form a thought.

The shock had mostly passed, leaving rage in its place. “You what, Emily? You fell into his mouth? You mistook him for me? I haven’t seen you smoke or drink all night and we look nothing alike.” Aaron was near hysterics, holding back tears with quick huffs of air.

“It just like- happened. It feels like you aren’t even attracted to me sometimes. I have been trying to get you to sleep with me for months, and you keep pushing me away. I swear, you’re so thick sometimes. At least Blandon actually wants me.” Emily also seemed pissed, which confused the fuck out of Aaron.

“Of course I fucking like you! I just wasn’t ready for that, like I said. Oh my god, Emily.” He inhaled shakily. “We’re over. Don’t talk to me again.” He turned towards Blandon. “What the hell, man? I thought we were friends.”

Blandon shrugs. “Unbelievable.” Aaron mutters under his breath.

He turns around, stomping out of the house.

…

Aaron quietly slides into the house to find Andrew and Neil on the couch, watching something on the TV.

“Hey Aaron.” Neil says, glancing over towards him. Aaron nods at him, knowing he would absolutely lose it if he had to speak.

Andrew wrinkles his nose. “You smell like weed.”

“Shut up.” Aaron’s voice cracks, and he digs his teeth into his lips to try to keep any tears from falling. He stomps away to his room.

He shuts the door before flopping on his bed. He instinctively spreads his arms out before he grabs a handfulof his comforter. It’s soft, worn with use. He clutches his hands into fists, fiddling with it.

Footsteps echo through the hallway, ones that Aaron recognises as his brother’s. In the years since Andrew moved in with them, he had slowly learned to let himself be loud. Aaron remembered the first time he heard Andrew’s footsteps thunder through their house, remembers the grin that overtook his face. The memory is enough to open the floodgates, and a tear slides down his cheek, rolling off onto his pillow.

“Do you think he’s okay?” Neil’s voice says outside, clearly trying to be quiet. The soundproofing in their house really did suck, as you could hear everything being said in the room next to you. It could be annoying at times, but now he was grateful for the fact he could hear them.

“I don’t know.” Andrew’s voice is tinted with worry. “I’ll talk to him, okay?”

“Okay. Good luck.” Aaron assumes that Neil walks away, but he’s not sure. Neil never made noise around the house. It was mildly unsettling.

Neil. Aaron’s thoughts on Neil were… complicated. He had the audacity to make his brother fall in love with him, and then he fucking left Andrew for months. Left him to rot with worry and hope. Then, he just showed up one day, covered in bandages, and was accepted into the family with no qualms. Neil had acted nothing but indifferent and mildly antagonistic towards Aaron until now, when he had the absolute fucking balls to ask if Aaron was okay. Some people made no sense to Aaron.

Aaron’s mental rant was forced to an end when a knock sounded on his door.

“Come in.” Aaron said, his voice sounding absolutely wrecked. Andrew opened the door, causing a sliver of light to flash into Aaron’s face. In that moment, it felt like Andrew could see into Aaron’s soul. The look on Andrew’s face as he looked over him tore him apart.

“What’s going on? You’re being weird.” Andrew leaned against the doorframe, as if scared to enter Aaron’s room.

Aaron squeezed his eyes shut. “Emily cheated on me.”

That made Andrew actually walk into the room, closing the door behind him. Andrew must have sat down on the bed next to him due to the bed dipping a little. “Oh.”

“She went off to the bathroom, and when she was gone for too long I went looking for her. Found her making out with Blandon.” The tears were really falling down now, heavy huffs of breath interrupting his words at some points. Andrew sat there, listening.

“Blandon? Really? I thought Emily had more taste than that.”

“Yep. Apparently I’m not attracted to her.” Aaron cracked open an eye and looked at Andrew. “Her words, not mine.”

Andrew was still looking at him with that look, the soul searching one. Aaron couldn’t help but to let it all go, like a dam breaking. For the first time since Andrew got arrested, he let himself be real.

Chapter Text

On the first night Neil spent with the Minyards, he and Andrew ended up on the roof.

Arthur had put Neil in Nicky’s old room. Andrew had looked like he wanted to argue, but Neil understood. He put his hand on Andrew’s arm to reassure him. Andrew had just sighed and let it go. Neil didn’t want to get on Andrew’s father’s bad side on the first night there. Besides, it made complete sense for a normal father to care about his teenage son sleeping in the same room as his partner. In the months following Neil’s introduction to the family, he had slowly moved into Andrew’s room. Arthur seemed to have accepted it, as he never forced Neil to sleep in another room.

Neil had been unable to sleep that first night, staring at the ceiling for what felt like hours. He debated going to Andrew’s room, but he didn’t want to get on Arthur’s bad side on the first night there. Besides, what if Andrew didn’t want him there?

These thoughts were broken by a soft knock on the door. On edge, Neil crept towards the door. He instantly relaxed when it opened to reveal Andrew.

“Andrew.” His name was a familiar shape in his mouth, one that his tongue, teeth, and lips had grown accustomed to. In the months where Neil was so painfully alone, he had often whispered that name. It brought comfort, the promise of a future that could never exist. The promise of a person who he once had, who he could never have again. Or so he thought.

Andrew stood in the hallway, bathed in moonlight. It rested on the bright blond of his hair, on his cheekbones, on his shoulders. He looked so natural, so soft, that Neil could just barely resist the urge to reach out and touch him, to make sure he was real.

“Do you want to go up to the roof?” The question had shocked Neil at first, but he agreed easily.

Andrew’s room had a dormer in it, so he had easy access to the roof. He led Neil onto it, sitting near the top. Neil automatically leaned into him, Andrew taking his hand.

The calluses on Andrew’s palms had gotten thicker, but his hands were still the same ones that had touched Neil before. Ones that had traced his scars with such softness and reverence, that Neil felt like he had died and found paradise. He had waited for those hands to turn and hurt him instead, for he could not have earned such tenderness. Neil had never known such care from someone before he met Andrew. Sure, his mother's hands had cared for him as a child, but they had also hit him, stung with both pain and the knowledge that love always came with a price.

Neil wouldn’t call what he and Andrew have love, not yet. He couldn’t put a tag like that on them now. Love was a dream, something intangible. Andrew was very tangible, and Neil didn’t want to let go of that.

“Your roots are growing out.” Andrew comments, his hands combing through Neil’s hair. Neil hums. “I like it.”

“Of course you do.” Neil moves his head off of Andrew’s shoulder, looking him in the eyes instead.

“I like all of you.” Andrew’s lips tilt into a smile, one Neil couldn’t help to copy.

“Really. I hadn’t noticed.” Neil feigned nonchalance, but the absolutely smitten look on his face gave him away.

“Asshole.” Andrew looked away, off into the distance. The stars at the Minyard’s house were nothing special, the light pollution being too high in the suburbs. Neil liked them anyway. The stars were free, and so was he. “Yes or no?”

“Yes. Always yes.”

“Don’t ‘always’ me, junkie.” It had been a while since he’d heard Andrew call him junkie. It was good, really good. Neil leaned in.

The first press of lips was soft, almost hesitant. It was a hello, one to counter the goodbye that had been their last kiss. It got more insistent as they went on, both so engrossed in each other the world could have blown up and neither of them would have cared.

Eventually it slowed a bit, and Andrew's head moved just a bit lower. He left a soft kiss under Neil’s ear, making him shiver. Andrew whispered in his ear, soft and husky. “Stay.”

“I’m not leaving, not this time.” Neil left a kiss on Andrew’s forehead, holding him close. He would never get enough of this, of Andrew.

…

A week after Aaron came home a mess, Andrew and Neil came with him to a party. Neil still didn’t know the entirety of what happened, but he knew Aaron’s girlfriend had something to do with it. Elizabeth, or whatever her name was.

This one was hosted by one of their teammates, meaning Andrew and by addition Neil had been invited. Neil wasn’t technically part of the team yet, since the school year and tryouts hadn’t happened yet. He came anyways, as he went wherever Andrew went.

Andrew and Neil end up on a couch, sort of away from everyone else. They had decided to keep their relationship on the down low. Their school wasn’t very homophobic, but a lot of the guys on the team were. They didn’t want to have to deal with their shit from even before school started. They sat close together, legs pressing against each other as they talked.

Then Emily walked in. She seemed in good spirits at first, smiling as she walked into the house. Clearly not having expected Aaron to show up, she paused when she saw him. When she saw Andrew, her face paled like a ghost and she physically took a couple steps back.

“I’ll be right back.” Andrew says, eyes locked on her. Neil just grabbed his hand and quickly gave it an affirming squeeze before Andrew walked off.

At this point there was nowhere for Emily to go. At least a third of the guests there were watching Andrew, and more than that were staring at Emily. Looks like word got around quickly on the team. One guy halfheartedly patted Aaron’s shoulder, as if in comfort.

“Emily. I think it’s time we talked, don’t you?” Andrew smiled, like a fox going in for the kill. Neil would be lying if he said it wasn’t even a little bit attractive to him.

“Uh, I don’t think so, why?” Lying was a path he was not expecting this to go, and that was coming from a compulsive liar.

“Really. No idea, huh? Do you not remember sticking your tongue down Blandon’s throat last weekend?” Oh. Damn. So that’s what happened. Neil didn’t know what he thought happened, but it wasn’t cheating.

“That was a misunderst-”

“Don’t.” Andrew stalked forward, the sudden movement stunning Emily into a standstill. He pushed her against the wall, not hard enough to bruise but still forceful. Something silver glinted in his hands and Neil stiffened when he saw it. It could only be a knife, something used to harm. While Nathan’s weapon of choice was usually a meat cleaver, Lola enjoyed knives.

“Drew…” His voice was quiet, but with the way the room had gone absolutely silent, Andrew easily heard him.

Andrew glanced back at him. Over the time they had known each other, Neil had become so good at reading Andrew they could very nearly have a conversation with their eyes.

Andrew’s face asked him, “Do you trust me?”, and Neil gave a small nod. He knew Andrew wouldn’t do anything too rash, and while the knife had been undiscussed, Andrew promised not to physically harm Emily. Neil trusted him, he had to if anything was going to work out between them.

“Hurt any one of my people again and I will end you. Do not fuck with me.” Andrew said it to her, but it was clear the message was heard all around the room.

Emily nodded, a small “I’m sorry.” slipping out. Andrew scoffed and let her go, walking back to Neil.

“Let’s go.” Andrew told him. They walked close to each other on the way out, fingers brushing but not touching. Aaron followed them, getting into the back of the car with them.

…

That party was the inciting incident for Neil and Aaron’s friendship. The slightly antagonistic tension that had hung between them from when Neil arrived had mostly evaporated, leaving a tentative connection in its wake.

Aaron approached Neil the day after the party. “Do you want to play chess?”

Neil was startled, but he accepted quickly. The game went well, joking jabs thrown at each other throughout. Neil found soon that Aaron was able to match his quips, something he hadn’t found in someone since Andrew. While Andrew was lovely, he was Neil’s boyfriend, and Neil had been starved of friendships from a very young age.

“Aww, your very first friend. My brother, too.” Andrew teased him later.

“Oh shut up.” Neil replied. Neither of them really meant it, though. Neil could tell Andrew was happy they got along.

“Do you think you could talk to Aaron about what we talked about a while ago? You know, the asexuality spectrum thing?” In juvie, when Neil had confessed to Andrew his weird experiences with attraction, Andrew had researched on the library computers until he found something that could help Neil.

Neil remembered how when Andrew told him about demisexuality, it was like a weight was lifted off of his shoulders. “You think- you think he might be like me?”

“I don’t know. I think it's worth a shot, though.”

“Okay.” Andrew grinned and leaned up to kiss Neil’s cheek, an unspoken ‘thank you’. Neil’s heart melted a little, at both the casual sign of affection, and the prospect of bringing Aaron the same peace he had found.

Chapter Text

Andrew wakes up to an empty bed. Andrew sighs, quietly lamenting the absence of his boyfriend. Neil leaving early in the morning for his runs was nothing new, and so was the loneliness that came with it.

Groaning, he forces himself to get out of bed, the growling of his stomach too insistent to ignore.

When he gets to the kitchen, he finds Aaron and Neil sitting at the table, talking. The room goes quiet when he walks in. Andrew takes a double take at the sight of his brother, having expected him to be asleep. Aaron usually slept in even later than Andrew.

“Morning.” Both of them speak at the same time. It’s strange, how Andrew and Aaron are the twins yet Aaron only ever does that with Neil.

Andrew manages a sleepy smile that he directs towards them before making his way to the coffee maker. The conversation Andrew’s arrival had halted started again.

“I just think that- maybe, you should think about the possibility of being asexual.” Neil said, dead serious. Oh. They were finally having that conversation.

When Aaron came home from that one party, he told Andrew everything about his and Emily’s relationship. Andrew was grateful for the honesty and trust Aaron put forward, but it also made him realise just how much Aaron had been holding back. He had sat and thought for a long time after that night, wondering if his despair over Neil had made him seem like he couldn’t be confided in. It hurt, feeling like he had pushed his brother away for a guy. Even if that guy meant nearly everything to him.

Andrew thinks back to that night now. Aaron had said, “Every time I tried to think about having sex with her it felt so… strange. I just- I like kissing her, and holding her, but I can’t imagine touching her like that. I always felt like such a horrible boyfriend.” He took a shaky breath.

“She made me feel like one too. Not explicitly, but saying things like ‘Do you think I’m ugly, Aaron? You never really look at my body.’ or ‘You’re my boyfriend. I want that connection with you.’ or the worst one, ‘You’re a man, you should want sex.’. It was so- sucky.”

That conversation had gotten Andrew thinking about his brother. Aaron had never really talked about attraction before, but Andrew just assumed that he didn’t want to say that kind of stuff to his brother, a sentiment Andrew shared.

Aaron had been off for a long time before Andrew asked Neil to talk to Aaron. He rarely spoke, skipped movie nights, snuck back late at night smelling of weed. Andrew tried not to worry but failed miserably. He agonized over it for what felt like forever.

Neil had told him over and over again that Aaron’s issues were not Andrew's job to fix, but Andrew couldn’t stop. He made a promise, all those years ago, and would not break it. There had to be some way to protect him.

Maybe- just maybe- Aaron could figure some shit out. Maybe it would help.

Andrew leans against the counter after stirring a copious amount of sugar and cream into it. Neil had often teased him about it, sipping his black coffee smugly. It usually led to a loop of ‘You’re weird.’ ‘No, YOU’RE weird.’ (It usually ended in a ‘Fine, I’m weird.’ from one of them, and a gentle, almost apologetic kiss). Andrew shakes his thoughts out of his head and listens to the conversation.

“What even is asexuality?” Aaron asks, confusion lacing his words.

‘It’s like-” Neil pauses to think. “A lack or absence of sexual attraction. That’s the definition that I found.” Andrew snickers quietly. Neil and Andrew had researched about Neil’s sexuality when they were in juvie. They found demisexuality for Neil, but Andrew supposed the definition for asexuality had stuck in Neil’s brain as well.

“Why me?”

“Well Andrew thought-” Aaron’s head snapped over to Andrew as he buried his face in his hands.

“Andrew? Why me?” Andrew looked at him, sighing.

He told him why, trying to keep his voice monotone but failing when trying to explain how much he just wanted to protect him, to see Aaron happy. Neil tilted his head in what Andrew read as concern when his voice cracked with the threat of tears.

When Andrew concludes, Aaron swallows, lost in thought. He gets up, his chair screeching behind him. “I’ll think about it.” He says as he walks out of the kitchen to his room.

(Later, when Aaron bursts into the living room to find Andrew and Neil on the couch, he says, “Goddamnit Andrew, you were right.”. Neil laughs and Andrew smiles, satisfied.)

…

The roof where Andrew and Neil spent that first night became a familiar sight in the night. There were few stars in the sky because of light pollution but it was still a beautiful view. The ocean was too far to see, but sometimes Andrew imagined if he looked hard enough he could find it

The fall breeze had always gotten to Andrew. Southern California never really got cold, per se, but it did get windy. Neil, used to cold climates, had offered his sweatshirt to Andrew.

Really, it was originally Andrew’s sweatshirt that Neil had stolen. Andrew was grateful for his boyfriend’s penchant for stealing his sweatshirts now, because it actually fit him.

They curled up against each other, as much as one could while on a roof. Trading lazy kisses and soft words, Andrew felt like he had found heaven.

“Do you ever think about the future, Andrew?” Neil asks, apprehensive.

“Of course I do. Why?” Andrew manages to keep his voice calm, but the wheels in his head are turning anxiously. Does Neil want to run again? Does Neil want to leave him? Is Andrew somehow holding him back?

“I’m going to go play pro Exy.”

“You sound so sure you’re going to make it.” Andrew teased.

Neil laughs. “You could too. We could play together, make Court” He smiled wistfully. “Wouldn’t you like to play in the Olympics?”

That one cut Andrew to the bone. He had been told time and time again that he could go pro, but he never stopped to think about it seriously. It had always been a pipe dream, an impossibility. That future couldn’t have existed without Neil, and Neil hadn’t really existed either.

But now- now it is possible. He does want to go pro with Neil, he always has. “Yeah.” He manages to choke out.

Neil’s jaw drops, for just a moment, and then he smiles. God, Neil’s smile could have turned the night into day. “Really?” The excitement is clear in his voice, and it makes the corners of Andrew’s mouth quirk up in some semblance of a smile.

“Yes, Junkie.” He pauses for a moment, thinking his next words through. “I would follow you anywhere.”

Neil inhales sharply. He buries his next words into the side of Andrew’s neck, hands grasping Andrew’s tightly. “Same- I mean I would also follow you.”

Andrew grins, reveling in the moment. He gently kisses the top of Neil’s head, holding him as he watches the sun start to dip above the horizon.

Chapter Text

The wind coming over the ocean stings Neil’s face, cutting through his suit jacket. Dark blue waves softly rock against the dock, occasionally spraying freezing water onto the group. They would probably seem like quite the odd group. Teenagers, dressed to the nines in formalwear, sitting on the edge of a dock in northern California in the middle of fall. None of them cared.

The twin’s dad had just gotten married, bringing the whole family up the coast for the ceremony. Nicky had showed up at their hotel room door, keys in hand, asking them to go get ice cream with him and Erik.

Neil leaned against Andrew as he talked to Aaron. “Why is your ice cream bright pink? That feels like it should be a health code violation.”

“It’s bubblegum, it’s supposed to be pink.”

The only time he had ever had bubblegum was a few years before they ran, when a kid at school had given him a stick. He had hated the taste of it, but it was still a moment of kindness in a childhood otherwise devoid of such things. Neil scoots closer to Andrew, reminding himself he wasn’t in Baltimore anymore.

“Bubblegum is too sugary for me. It’s probably even worse as an ice cream flavor.” Is what he ends up saying to Aaron.

“Sorbet. You’re literally eating sorbet.” Aaron argues, and then points at Andrew. “His has so much more sugar than mine.”

Andrew had gotten Moose Tracks, along with a painful amount of fudge and sprinkles. “Just because you are right does not mean that I will concede to the fact that your choice was terrible.”

“I can’t believe you.” Aaron shook his head.

“Andrew gets a pass.” Neil can see Andrew’s lips twist up in a smile. He sits up a bit to kiss him on the cheek.

“You guys disgust me.” Aaron says blankly.

Neil laughs. “Sure we do.”

Aaron huffs and turns away, digging into his ice cream.

…

Neil let Andrew grab his hand, pulling him out of the car. Twinkling lights fill his vision, replacing the stars in the light polluted sky. People filled the space, families with happy children, couples holding hands, vendors selling everything from chocolate to clothes. Something about the smell, or the decorations, or just the general vibe of the festival made it impossible not to feel good.

Nicky and Erik were visiting again for Christmas. He had brought up the event at dinner last night that they were doing the festival again, and at Neil’s confused face had insisted on them attending the next night. Now, Neil realised why Nicky wanted to bring him here so much. Holding Andrew’s hand, he felt like he was living in a Hallmark movie, something Nicky had also introduced him to.

Neil looks around in wonder, happily following Andrew as he dragged him somewhere. They ended up at a hot chocolate stand. As they get in line, Andrew says “You’re paying.”.

Neil snorts. “Even if you’ll probably drink both of ours?”

“We’ll share. Shouldn’t waste perfectly good hot chocolate on someone who hates sugar.” Andrew says, stepping up to the counter.

“You know me too well.” Neil says, his tone joking even though he means it. He pulls out his wallet without further argument.

He takes one sip of the drink after they receive it from the person working behind the counter and immediately hands it to Andrew.

His boyfriend lets out a huff of air, one so familiar to Neil he instantly recognises it as a laugh.

They walk around the market more, each display instilling more awe in Neil than the last. It’s so different to any place he’s been to before that it doesn’t feel real. A childhood of danger and running somehow led him to this, to happiness, to safety.

He glances over at Andrew to find him already looking at him. Andrew glances away after a second, a slight blush on his neck. Neil, noticing a bit of hot chocolate smeared near his lips, wipes it off with his thumb. The touch brings Andrew’s gaze back to Neil, watching his hand intently. Neil brings it to his mouth, licks it off, and smirks.

“I thought you didn’t like it.” Andrew says, challenging.

“Only when it tastes like you.”

The flush on Andrew’s Neck rises up to his face, coloring his cheeks. “Shut up.”

“Make me.” Neil says, already leaning in. Andrew meets him halfway.

The kiss is soft and slow, as if they had all the time in the world. Neil gently runs his fingers through Andrew’s hair at the realisation that they do. He doesn’t need to run anymore.

When the kiss stops, they don’t pull apart fully. Neil rests his forehead against Andrew’s, not wanting to let go quite yet. Andrew seems happy to oblige, humming softly.

Neil’s not sure how long they stand there, but he’s too content to care.

…

The stadium is loud as the exy team walks onto the stadium. It’s almost like the whole school is there, a home game rare, especially against their rivals, a school a couple hours from theirs.

Neil stares at the other team, not caring about the audience. He played for the sport, the thrill, the rewarding ache of a game or practice well played. Andrew walks besides him, not looking affected by the loud audience at all.

He speaks under his breath, knowing Andrew will hear him. “What would it take for you to shut out the goal?”

The corner of Andrew’s mouth goes up in a subtle smirk. “We’re going out for ice cream after the game.”

Neil grins. “Deal.”

They separate for warmups, Neil filled to the brim with energy. They were going to win, there was no doubt in his mind.

…

The game had been vicious, but they had won in the end. Neil pulled off his helmet, the sweat soaking his headband cooling when it met the air. He looks over at Andrew, who’s hanging back from the team celebration.

A quick glance easily tells him that Andrew is exhausted, his movements slower than usual. Grinning, Neil speeds over to him.

“You did it.”

“Were you doubting me, Josten?” Andrew smiles, something that makes Neil’s heart flutter no matter how many times he’s seen it.

“Never. Yes or no?”

“The whole school is watching.” Andrew reminds him, but Neil can see the want Neil feels reflected in Andrew’s eyes.

“I don’t care.”

“Yes.” Neil goes for it as soon as Andrew confirms. He practically jumps on his boyfriend, easily held up by Andrew’s arms. It’s short and desperate, but it’s enough for him, for now.

The stands go quiet for a moment before the cheering returns. Neil laughs, triumphant. The world fades away as he looks into Andrew’s eyes.

He thinks that this probably isn’t what his mom wanted for him when she ran, but it doesn’t matter. It was all worth it in the end.

Chapter Text

Aaron wakes up to the sound of someone banging on his door. He doesn’t process what the noise is for a few moments, just wanting it to stop. A sliver of sunlight coming from the crack in his curtains suggests that it's later than he planned on sleeping in. His stomach grumbles, making him groan. His mouth is dry too, forcing him to grab the days old water bottle on his side table and chug what’s left of it.

He finally manages to swing his legs over the edge of his bed and make his way to the sound. He hopes stopping the pounding on the door will stop some of the pounding in his head.

“We’re going for a drive.” is what Andrew says as soon as Aaron opens his bedroom door.

Aaron barely processes the words that just came out of his brother’s mouth. “Okay? Why did you wake me up for that? Have fun, I guess.” He yawns and turns to go back to bed.

“You’re coming with us.” That snapped Aaron awake. His relationship with his brother and Neil was mostly stable at this point, but drives were Andrew and Neil’s thing. He never came along. Even in his sleep-addled mind, he was still able to process that their drives were sacred. The absolute certainty in Andrew’s voice and the look on his face was enough to convince him not to question it.

“I need to change.” was all Aaron could muster up to say. He closed the door before Andrew could respond.

Aaron takes a moment to process. He falls against the doorway, exhaling as he brings his face to his knees. He doesn’t know how he manages the strength to stand up again. It feels like he’s been surviving off of weed, exy, and routine for the last few months. Not living, but surviving. Maybe going for a drive, doing something new, will be enough. It has to be.

Aaron was still holding half a granola bar and pulling on one of his sneakers when he left the house, a tiny piece of his mind still worrying that they were going to leave without him. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief when he saw the old car still sitting in the driveway, not even turned on yet.

Andrew turned the key in the ignition as soon as Aaron got in the car. Neil turned around to face him. “You slept in till noon.” The words sounded accusatory, but paired with the slight grin Neil gave him, Aaron knew it was only playful.

He grinned, playing along. “Sleep is very important to the developing mind, Neil. I highly doubt you would know that, since you probably haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep your whole life.”

“I was too busy worrying about my serial killer father to get a good night’s rest, Aaron.” Aaron winces slightly, but Neil doesn’t seem angry.

Aaron clicks his tongue. “Bringing up the serial killer father? Low blow, Josten.”

“Would you rather me blame Andrew for keeping me up at night?”

“Gross. Don’t bring my brother into this.” Aaron scoffs, his eyes laughing even if his mouth isn’t.

They finally pull out of the driveway. Andrew doesn’t seem to be looking at a map, so Aaron (wrongly) assumes it's a familiar drive.

Glancing out the window, Aaron realises something. “Wait a minute. Why am I always in the backseat?”

“I get boyfriend privileges.”

“This was my car first.”

“And? You never drive it now.”

“Because Andrew stole my keys and I haven’t been able to find them or take his keys.”

“Which is never going to happen.” Andrew finally adds to the conversation.

“I should have eaten you in the womb.”

Andrew snorts. “Too late for that now.”

The rest of the drive is mostly spent in comfortable silence. Instead of heading out of town and into the pleasing scenery of the ocean or the forests, they headed deeper into the suburbs, towards the small shopping areas. At this point, Aaron should have known something was up, but he was too busy reveling in the fact he was allowed to come on the drive to question anything.

They pulled up into a nondescript strip mall. Andrew and Neil got out of the car first, Aaron following them. He looked at the store they had parked in front of, reading the sign with increased confusion.

It wasn’t a store, but a mental health practice. The pieces finally clicked in Aaron’s brain and he slowed to a halt.

“You brought me to therapy?” He asked, feeling a bit offended.

“Aaron. Have you seen yourself lately?” Andrew says. Aaron tries to say something in response but is cut off. “I may not be in your mind, but I can tell something is wrong. Have you even recovered from Emily? From your childhood? You want to be a doctor, don’t you? If you don’t get your shit together soon that dream is going down the drain.”

“I am doing perfectly fine.” Aaron snaps, defensive. He’s not, he knows he’s not. It’s a slap to the face when someone tells you that, though. He may have known he wasn’t fine, but that didn’t mean Andrew had to know that either.

Neil, too. Somehow Neil had weaseled his way into Aaron’s life. Aaron would even call Neil his best friend, (after his brother, of course) but never to his face. Neil’s frankly disturbing observational skills had probably striked again. Aaron doesn’t know which one of them brought it up to each other first, but he despises them both for just a moment. He doesn’t want to be forced to get better.

“Just give it a chance. We’ll be in the parking lot if you hate it and want to just walk out and leave. We’ll bring you to a million different therapists if this one doesn’t work. I promised to protect you, didn’t I? I can’t sit around while my brother suffers any more.” Andrew takes a deep breath. “Please.”

“Fine.” Aaron concedes, and they walk into the building together.

Months later, they will sit down for family movie night. Aaron will look around at his family. Where he once saw two couples, two pairs of people so perfectly in tune with the other’s existence and just him on his own, he will just see his family. He will see the people he loves, the people who have made life worth living.

When he will question Andrew looking at him for a moment too long, Andrew will respond with “Just happy to have my brother back.”.

He won’t say I told you so, but Aaron will hear it anyways, and he will smile.