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Neil blinked a few times, going over in his head the various reasons for his untimely awakening. A couple of seconds to realize his location, a couple more to relax tense muscles. His body was ready to flee, his mind was thinking through scenarios in a second, his common sense was telling him to calm down.
Darkness is a high-calorie nutritious food for an anxious mind, and when you add the blurred shapes of nightmares as a catalyst, you get a frightening and thrilling mixture. Neil had learned to keep it in check over the years, expertly dealing with the avalanches of overwhelming fear.
A rumbling peal of thunder caught up with the preceding flash, lighting up the walls of the room for a moment. Finally everything fell into place, the quiet thumping outside the window was the heavy rain that had been warned about for the past week. The weight on the mattress behind is Andrew, slipping into a soundless deep sleep. The match on Friday had worn the team out, so they were asleep before their heads touched the cold pillows.
Usually sensitive to loud noises, he wakes up during thunderstorms, waking up Neil as well, but apparently he was really tired this time. Andrew had fended off over forty shots on goal in his half, and was in a pretty shaky condition, so no one even spoke when he left the stadium and headed to the dorm to sleep off.
There were nights like this one, when they'd hesitate a little before bed, exchange loud glances, and afterward Neil would climb up to the second tier, taking a place at the edge of Andrew's bed. It wasn't a common practice, but they had honed it to perfection. There wasn't much space, but they still learned to leave a little needed distance between each other. Sometimes, on particularly good nights, their pinkies would find each other between the crumpled sheets, creating a weightless grounding contact. Other days, they exchanged quick, rough kisses while the shower water rumbled, Kevin hanging out in the bathroom for ages.
The familiar weight on the other side of the mattress, no longer reminding Neil of his mother's tense, defensive body, the silent breathing, the incredible sensitivity to sound, the sharing of each other's nightmares that was something Neil was ready to get used to. Something he was already used to. The thought of it no longer frightened him, only gave him peace of mind and a steady confidence in the future. Something he had missed throughout the difficult years of growing up.
The second lightning bolt came a little closer, snapping Neil out of his thoughts. He turned around, feeling the mattress stagger slightly. Hazel eyes stared at him sleepily, blinking quickly, trying to adjust to the night's darkness.
“Nightmare?” Neil read his lips and shook his head slightly in response. Andrew pulled the blanket higher, shuddering faintly at the cool air. His heat-loving nature was another unexpected thing Neil was about to learn. He almost melted into a puddle of sweat when they had to sleep under the same blanket, by morning he couldn't stand it and tossed it aside, preferring to freeze.
Andrew raises an eyebrow, asking a silent question. No words were needed; the room was lit by a flash of lightning, and a few seconds later there was a deafening rumble of thunder. Andrew frowned, not quite sure why he hadn't woken up earlier, with his sensitive sleep.
“I think you literally blacked out.” Neil whispers in a barely audible whisper. His throat was aching from the long hours of silence.
He watches the rise and fall of Andrew's Adam's apple as he swallows. His lips are dry, covered in tiny cracks from the scalding cold January wind. Pale skin, covered in small moles in some places, so clearly marked against the light-colored canvas. His blonde hair is tucked back and scattered in a mess on the pillow, Neil knows the look of his hand clutching those blonde strands in moments of special intimacy. His gaze wanders over the curves of the explored face, finally reaching the eyes. Andrew's eyes follow him steadily, hazel eyes without their usual glow because of the darkness, even now standing out from everything else. His pupils dilated, his gaze focused, noting every nuance of Neil's peculiar journey.
“Staring”. Andrew says quietly, and it's so corny that Neil snorts.
“Right”.
“Stop it”.
“Add weight to your words, it sounds weak”. His lips stretch into a slight smile as Andrew continues to stare at him silently. “Staring”. Neil mocked, grinning broadly.
Andrew hummed and moved closer, pressing his dry lips to Neil's, putting the highest degree of indignation into the kiss. Joosten responds immediately, moving closer and touching the blond hair weightlessly. His hand reflexively reaches for the blond strands every time their lips insistently touch, a habit he seems never to be able to break, nor does he want to, since it helps him get closer when distance becomes unnecessary.
Lightning manages to light up the walls of the room a few times when they finally pull away. Neil's chest heaved heavily, as if he'd run a few laps around the court. Blood rushed to his face, warming his body while the look in those hazel eyes warmed his soul. It seemed Andrew could easily hear the furious beating of his heart without straining his hearing.
Raindrops falling on the metal window sill from the top floor break into even smaller drops with a loud clatter, the streets of Palmetto are strewn with puddles, and the drenched benches are no longer fit for students to rest on. In the morning, on a day free of classes, everyone is squeamishly sprawled in their rooms, unwilling to stick their noses out in this gloomy weather. Neil could imagine how wet and damp it was on the roof, so they wouldn't be able to get up there for the next couple of days.
“Do you want to do it again?” Neil asks in a whisper, not trying to hide another relaxed smile.
Instead of answering, Andrew pulls him closer, covering his mouth with his own a second time. The insistent lips bring a swarm of goosebumps, so unexpected on his heated body. Neil shudders, pulling away for a moment to move lower. A wet kiss mark remains on his jaw as Neil moves swiftly closer to his neck. Andrew doesn't languish, he lifts his head and leans back slightly, giving Neil a space to get creative.
Kissing his neck was a weakness they'd both unexpectedly discovered early in their bonding. Afterward, that vulnerability had caused Andrew to shut down more than once, trying to deal with the unexpected gap in his armor on his own. But honestly, the nervous breakdowns were far less satisfying than the warm pleasure enveloping his body at the weightless familiar kisses, so they'd gotten past that stage quickly. This is Neil. He wouldn't use knowledge against him, wouldn't push at weaknesses or take advantage of vulnerability. Everything was easy with him.
A slight shiver ran through his body as Neil skillfully drew paths of kisses along his pale neck. The quickened and desperate pulse beat rhythmically in the vein under the thin skin. He gently covered it with his lips for a few seconds, hearing a quiet sigh in response. Silent approval to continue was received, so Neil wouldn't be here for long.
Lips barely touch skin, teasing with gentle touches. Andrew unconsciously lifts himself up, moving closer to the his lips.
“I'm not done yet”. Neil is indignant, but only for a moment before he dissolves into another kiss. Neil feels the touch of Andrew's tongue against his own. It instantly sends a multitude of arousing goosebumps following the electric current coursing through his body. Wet tongue movements, each time like the first, driving him crazy.
They have to temper their passion, both realizing it won't lead to anything concrete this night, but the tugging feeling slows and delays the process considerably. Eventually Neil just pulls away, repressing the urge to reattach himself to the lips opposite. Andrew's eyes are wide open, his chest rising and falling fast as he tries his best to get his breathing back under control. His body demands more, but his brain inhibits the hunger for touch, slowly bringing them back down to earth.
Outside the window, the darkness of the night slowly faded away, taking with it the ardor of desire, leaving only small, glowing embers, nothing compared to the fire that had been burning in both of them a few minutes ago. Neil is in no hurry to move back to his side of the bed, defiantly intruding on Andrew's territory. Not that it's any more intimate than what was going on a moment ago, but sharing a bed with someone has always been a separate item on the list for them.
Suddenly Neil noticed the silence, broken only by their deep sighs, the rain had stopped with the first rays of sunlight. The dreadful peals of thunder no longer made him shudder at the most unexpected moments, and the room was lit by dawn instead of bright flashes of lightning.
“We have at least a few hours before Kevin can open his eyes.” Neil whispers, pulling an auburn strand that has fallen over his eyes behind his ear. Andrew only nods and takes one last deep breath before pushing Neil back to his side of the bed. “Fair enough.” Neil snorts quietly and wraps himself in the thin blanket.
Next week promises to be a good one. Neil knows it.
He closes his eyes, pushing away the bright images in his head, and falls asleep in minutes, still feeling Andrew's phantom pulse on his lips.