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As a professional Exy player, Neil Josten was perfectly aware of the fact that Exy was a contact sport.
As a Striker, he was more than used to getting body checked against the plexiglass wall during games.
And as an ex- Fox, he knew that sometimes the reason for those body checks was not a fair play to try and get the ball from him, but rather a consequence of his smart mouth.
So Neil Josten was only a little surprised when he ended up on the floor, after a 5 '6 backliner with 200 pounds of muscle trampled him into the wall in a borderline illegal move, with the breath sucked out of him and dark spots flooding his vision.
And he was not conscious enough to be surprised when his world went sideways and he knew nothing else.
The best, and arguably the only, good part of playing on opposing teams from your husband was getting to play a match against him.
Therefore one could say that Neil was very excited about getting to play against Andrew tonight.
Not only because for the first time since the season started they'd finally be in the same State and City (And later after the game, the same house) but also because Neil thought Andrew was 100% hotter when he was playing (Not that he would tell him out loud), and seeing him live was definitely better than seeing him on a screen.
There was also the added bonus of the infamous Minyard - Josten Rivalry.
If Neil had to learn anything during his college years at Palmetto is that he should not give the press any reasons to pry at his personal life and be annoying, not that they needed to be given a reason to be annoying. Neil had tried his hardest to avoid them, but he was only so good at having some sort of impulse control and his contract-mandated press duty was not helping, it was inevitable that something would slip and it was even more inevitable that the press will run with it farther than they were supposed to, and that was how the supposed rivalry was born.
It’s not as if they had done anything on purpose to create and feed the narrative, at least at first, Neil and Andrew were never an ordinary couple, they were not ones for public displays of affection, and they both hated the idea of having to come out —their relationship was no one’s business but their own—
(And inevitably the Foxes, who were the only people who knew anything about them, and the only ones who attended their wedding, that if anyone was to ask Andrew or Neil they did it for the tax benefits and to get through hospitals doors faster, easier and without having to threaten the hospital staff).
Neil and Andrew were quick to realise there was no use in trying to deny the whole thing, and the better realisation was that now they had the opportunity to one-up the press on their own game, if they wanted a story, they were going to get it.
So the teasing started, on press conferences, social media (Neil had to learn to use Twitter just for this), and during games they talked to each other in angry Russian about the most mundane things just for the sake of making fun of the press, and they were enjoying it.
There was one thing they didn’t take into account.
Their current teammates were not the Foxes, they didn’t know what was behind the banter and the insults, for them it was serious, and teammates tended to imagine the worst of both of them despite the attempts of trying to forget about their past.
That’s how after a particularly nasty string of Russian directed to Andrew from Neil (One where he was only asking about what they’d eat afterwards, but angrier) one of Andrew’s newer teammates thought it was an invitation for a fight, and this particular teammate didn’t know that no one needed to fight Andrew’s battles for him.
Especially not with Neil.
But there was very little to be done about it when just as Neil was heading for the goal someone stopped him harshly on his tracks by ramming into him.
And he fell.
When Neil finally woke up he was no longer at the court, and if the pain he felt was anything to go by he was certainly at a hospital, a fact he confirmed as soon as he opened his eyes.
The room was dark, and the only sound he could hear was the constant beeping of one of the machines next to him. His first instinct was to look for Andrew around the room, and he was surprised and disappointed when he was nowhere to be found, he was always there when he was at hospitals.
He thought about going back to sleep, and maybe that way when he woke up again Andrew would actually be at his side.
His plans were interrupted by the argument outside of his room.
“Minyard, I don’t know what you are doing here but I will not let you near one of my players after one of your teammates put him here, and especially not Neil Josten.” The voice of Coach Gómez, Neil’s coach, was stern and clear, in spite of that Neil’s heart fluttered at the mention of his husband.
“You will let me see him.” Andrew’s answer was monotone, cold, even, to anyone but Neil, who was fluent in understanding Andrew Minyard beyond his tone, he heard the worry, and the frustration of having to go through this now.
“And why’s that? What makes you think I will?” Coach Gómez’s tone was defiant, and Neil understood now why a smart mouth like him had been the perfect match for the team. Although this time he could see why people worried so much about him, because even if he knew Andrew had stopped carrying knives years ago he could still hurt his coach in order to get to his room.
“Because I’m his fucking husband” The monotone tone was the same and Neil didn’t need to see what was happening to know Andrew was probably showing off his ring, hanging on a gold chain around his neck, just like his.
And only a second later Andrew was at the door of his room, finding Neil grinning and looking at him as he made his way in.
“You are an idiot” was the first thing Andrew said as he got closer to Neil’s bed, scanning him up and down to check on his injuries.
“I missed you too” Neil answered, holding his hand out for Andrew in a silent question.
Yes or no?
Andrew took his hand without answering and Neil pulled him closer until he was sitting on the bed with him, from up close he could see Andrew clearer, his hair was a mess and there were bags under his eyes, and his shirt was put on backwards.
He was still beautiful.
“You never fucking learn,” Andrew spoke again, his free hand lingering above Neil’s bandages on his chest, knowing he couldn’t unwrap his bandages now without hurting him.
“I thought we had already settled down on the fact that I am stupid.”
Andrew considered for a second as if he was going to say the contrary, and Neil would agree, it was not his fault this time, they had both agreed to play with the rivalry narrative, if anything it was none of their faults, but Neil knew Andrew too well to pretend he didn’t know the blonde was blaming himself.
“It was not because of you, Andrew”
“He did it right after you insulted me”
“That still doesn’t make it your fault. And you don’t have to protect me anymore.”
Andrew paused as if he was thinking about it, Neil squeezed softly the hand he was still holding, a casual touch they had gotten used to over the years they’d been together. Neil could see Andrew’s brain working overtime, he still didn’t dare to ask, if Andrew wanted him to know he would tell him.
“How are you feeling?” Andrew said instead.
I’m fine was the automatic answer, but it died down on his lips before he could say it, he knew better by now. “It hurts, but I can manage”
“You know they are not going to buy the rivalry anymore”
“And why’s that?”
“Because I may have punched someone and asked him to never touch my husband again.”
Andrew’s tone was the closest he would get to a joking one, Neil laughed, and his eyes lingered looking at Andrew, before his college years he’d never imagined he would have someone sitting on a hospital bed next to him, trying to protect him, making sure he was alright, making him laugh.
He was glad it was Andrew.
They fit like puzzle pieces, from two completely different puzzles that got lost from their original boxes and whose original designs had worn off too much to be recognizable, but they fit as only they could.
"Staring"
Andrew spoke, Neil didn't answer, instead, he scooted a little to the side on the hospital bed, being as careful as he could with his injuries, leaving space for Andrew and gesturing towards it.
“Come here” Andrew didn't hesitate to do as he was told, taking his place next to Neil and letting the younger rest his head on his shoulder.
“I don’t think they are actually going to drop the rivalry thing” Neil speaks again after a while, his eyes are closed but he is not planning to fall asleep just yet.
“They can’t deny what happened, Junkie”
“I’m sure they’ll find a way”
“Idiot”
And Neil just smiles, one smile that will earn him a few percentage points with Andrew, he’s on the thousands now, he doesn’t mind, because in that moment Andrew kisses his head and Neil happily falls asleep.
The press put out their newest articles about them the next day.
“The Minyard-Josten Rivalry, is it becoming something more?”