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-KEVIN DAY-
It was too late to be this bored.
This was the time when he was supposed to be dripping with adrenaline or getting too drunk to think right.
He was supposed to be so tired that he yearned for the comfort of a bed or the static sound of an exy game in his ear.
Kevin was definitely not supposed to feel so restless in the dead of night, or in fact, be anywhere near the dorms right now.
He wanted a cold wooden floor underneath him and a transparent barrier blocking out the world. Maybe even the loud drumming of a bass or fluorescent lights blinding his vision.
And yet, he remained right here.
Everyone else was either sleeping or out doing whatever except for Andrew, Neil and Kevin who were cradled up in their dorm with warm lights and blankets surrounding them as they passed around cups of hot chocolate.
The TV a pleasant background noise as various school books and exy tapes were scattered around the table with soft cushions and blankets thrown all over the room.
Bright orange and white posters hung up on the walls, along with some red and yellow ones courtesy of Kevin and his love of the Trogans.
A lonely desk was shoved into the corner of the room where Neil's phone and Kevin's computer laid regaining their battery after a few too many hours of on repeat note taking, with said notes scattered along the floor.
Kevin himself was sitting curled up on the bed with his legs tucked up to his chest. He drowned into the pillows surrounding him and the soft, dark blanket underneath. A loose white blanket with little fox paws drawn over it was also thrown over his shoulders while he scrolled through his phone mindlessly.
The blue light illuminating his face burned into his eyes and made him frown as he read the latest trashy news.
Ever since the new exy season started just a month prior, the press has made it their life's mission to turn the Foxes into their latest drama stories.
May that be talking about their win against Edger Allen last year or trying their best to uncover the Foxes personal lives outside the court.
'Was it a fluke? Or will the Foxes be able to steal the crown once again? Find out now!'
'Dan Wilds and Matthew Boyd's FAKE relationship?!'
'The Truth Behind Coach David Wymack's Publicity Stunt (Aka The Foxes)'
'Kevin Day Returning Back To Edgar Allen!?'
Kevin couldn't help but scoff at his phone before he finally decided to throw it to the opposite side of the bed.
Instead, he tilted his head back to look at the boy sitting against the wall.
Neil was sitting on the floor, his back pressed to the carpet with his legs kicked up over his head and pressed up against the wall.
He was kicking his feet up into the air while randomly looking around the room, occasionally making a comment every now and again to Andrew, who was standing next to Kevin leaning against the wall from above.
Andrew was smoking down a cigarette, still pissed about being dragged awake so late at night.
Dark circles framed his eyes and Kevin could honestly not remember how many threats Andrew had already made in the past hour.
The three of them were stuck in their room with nothing to do. Usually they would be at the court, Kevin and Neil practicing until their bones collapsed and they were too tired to do anything else but sleep while Andrew stood at the sidelines mocking the two of them for their obsession.
It was a practiced routine that the three of them quickly got used to. So when the common routine was ripped away from them it seemed like their minds just didn't quite get the hint.
Well.
Kevin and Neil's Minds.
Andrew seemed five seconds away from collapsing back into his bed and sleeping for the next few years.
Not the point.
The point was that this was complete bullshit.
Earlier that week Kevin and Neil had decided to sleep in the locker rooms instead of walking back to Fox Tower when the two of them had lost track of time and Andrew had already left with the car after threatening them that he would leave without them.
The next day when the foxes found the two of them on the court Andrew and the others had found the situation quite amusing.
Wymack did not.
And in retaliation he had given the two strikers an entire weekend exy ban. Not that the other foxes were affected by this, but for Kevin and Neil it was devastating.
Then he went on a rant about how the two of them were the only people in history where an exy coach would have to physically ban them from playing exy.
And now on top of that the majority of the other foxes were out for the night.
Dan and Matt were on a date. Aaron was staying at Katelyn's place, Nicky was out cold and Renee and Allison were having a girl's night with their dorm to themselves as well as it being 2 a.m. in the fucking morning so nothing on campus was open.
which meant that there was absolutely nothing to do.
Kevin took in a deep sigh before letting his eyes wonder around the room, his gaze finally settling on an open window as it cooled the air from the warm room.
The night sky flickered through the closed curtains, shadows slowly creeping into the window as the warm lights of the dorms fought with the outside world.
He wanted to go outside. He wanted to feel the cool breeze against his skin.
He yearned for something... exciting.
The lights of a stadium.
The chants and screams of a crowd.
The smell of alcohol seeping into the air.
The feeling of bodies pressed together as music took over his mind and soul.
Neil was able to track his gaze to the window, apparently thinking the exact same thing as Kevin did when he saw the flickering lights.
The red head kicked his feet off the wall and rolled to the side, the ginger now sitting on his knees still staring at the window until he finally shot his gaze back at the two sitting on the bed.
"Let's go."
Go to where? The court was off limits and it was too late for Eden's.
Although they could go to a store and pick up some food- but knowing these two they would probably buy an attire isle of junk and cigarettes that Kevin didn't have enough energy to argue over.
"To where?"
"I don't know. Somewhere."
And that wasn't any help either. The foxes learned long ago not to trust Neil when he says he's going somewhere let alone nowhere.
And Kevin really wasn't in the mood to play hostage negotiator tonight.
Before Kevin could shoot down the idea Andrew chimed into the conversation.
"Something bad could happen."
"Makes it all the more exciting."
Neil has always had a bad reputation of remaining unphased by the attempts to convince him other than his goal.
These attempts were useless and both Andrew and Kevin knew it.
"And the upperclassmen wonder how you managed to get yourself involved with the Mafia."
Neil let a devilish smile crawl over his face as he headed for the door.
"I'm going. Come with me or don't. It's your choice."
Andrew sighed before pushing himself off the couch and putting the packet of cigarettes in his back pocket.
"Let's go."
"But- Andrew you can't be serious, we're not even dressed!"
Kevin made wild hand gestures to their clothing. First at Andrew's red and black plaided pants and worn gray T-shirt than at Neil's oversized 'Hard Rock Cafe' sweatshirt that fell over his thighs and covered his short black shorts.
The blonde comically looked down at his own pajamas, than at Neil's before slowly looking back at Kevin with the same deadpanned expression.
"Kevin, I've worn pajamas to my finals exams when I had to present in front of an entire lecture hall, Neil dresses like shit on a daily basis- In fact this is an upgrade for him- and I've seen you passed out drunk in a duck onesie. You can't say shit."
Kevin desperately tried a few more times to make up an excuse but came back with nothing. It's pointless trying to argue with people who will literally fight the Mafia for fun.
Eventually Kevin let out a sigh, slowly excepting his fate.
"For fucks sake..."
"Neil put on some shoes."
Andrew grabbed his keys from out of his pocket before opening the door and walking out of sight. He stayed behind, quickly grabbing the pair of sketchers he threw on the floor earlier that day while Kevin grabbed his wallet and a jacket.
As much as Kevin complained, as the two boys walked down the stairs out of Fox tower he physically couldn't remember why he even wanted to stay in the dorms in the first place as soon as the fresh air hit his skin.
-NEIL JOSTEN-
It didn't take long before they walked out the doors and started making their way across the parking lot. The fresh air around him hit Neil like a train and he couldn't help the sharp intake of breath.
Kevin was still pissy about being dragged outside their room but now it seemed like he was more angry out of stubbornness rather than actually being angry about leaving.
Instead of berating Kevin Neil decided to rather put his energy on trying to make out Andrew in the dim light of the night sky.
It didn't take long for his vision to catch onto the blonde. It never really did.
The glowing red light of Andrew's cigarette burned into the cold night air, the ashes slowly fainting to the ground and simmering away into the rocky floor.
The burning fire lit up his face with an orange hue as the smoke drifted into the darkness.
The blonde took a deep breath of the cigarette before glancing up at the two boys slowly approaching the car and releasing a puff of gray smog from his cherry lips.
Neil didn't know why but the whole scene just seemed so- Andrew-
So vividly him.
As he rested against the hood of the Maserati with his dark clothing and silver chains completely contrasting his golden hair and honeyed eyes.
The entire scene made Neil's heart burn with a word he couldn't quite name.
It was a blissful joy that Neil could let himself drown in forever.
Neil's energy was fueled with pure adrenaline of just going.
No destination or stoping point.
Neil found he liked the fact of just going anywhere without being forced or chased there. The thought that he could always return to his home lingering behind his mind as he went to who knows where with his friends by his side.
When they were finally close enough Andrew took the lit cigarette out of his mouth and dropped the pair of car keys in Neil's outstretched hand in a silent agreement.
"Don't crash the car. I'm not in the mood to fix it."
Andrew casually let the warning settle out into the air as he walked to the passenger side of the car.
Kevin got into his usual seat at the back and Neil jumped into the drivers seat.
Neil made quick work of grabbing the keys and letting the car flare up with bright colours.
His hands twitched on the steering wheel as the roar of the Maserati drenched the dark night air, the bright red colours of the head board flaring on, the radio playing a song Neil has never heard before.
This was the type of adrenaline Neil was craving. The type of blood rushing that only came from a court or a rooftop. And it hadn't even started yet. Neil was getting drunk off the taste of it.
It didn't take long before they were on the road, windows rolled down with the radio on full volume, Kevin laying on his back with his feat kicked out the sides, Andrew leaning out the window as the last bits of his cigarette burned down to the hilt.
Despite being behind the wheel Neil hadn't had the slightest hint of where they were going. To be honest he truly wasn't aiming at anywhere at all. Andrew was the one who occasionally told Neil to turn right or left whenever he felt the need to.
It didn't matter. The wind and the casual death threats passing between Kevin and Andrew about whether who would loose their dangling limbs first were more than enough for Neil to focus on instead of running away.
It worked. It just did.
"Left."
As soon as the traffic light above turned a bright green Neil sped up the car to make a quick left.
In the back of Neil's mind recognition started flickering as he continued driving. The easy turns and the memorized hand movements. How even though Neil could barely make out anything in the night lights something about his movements just felt so... familiar.
Just as soon as he made the turn the realization of where they were going hit Neil hard as he looked at the faint objects around them dusted in darkness and illuminated by neon lights.
"Why are we going to Wymacks?"
Andrew flicked a cool stare back at the ginger boy.
"He has free drinks, free food and at least two hundred CD's of movies. Plus it's been awhile since I've given coach a visit."
Neil rolled his eyes and scoffed to hide the bubble of a giggle threatening his throat. He debated whether to tease Andrew about being just as bored as Kevin and Neil but Instead settled for a simple shrug of his shoulders.
"Works for me."
Eventually the trio pulled up into Wymacks apartment area and killed the engine of the car before jumping out the doors.
Neil tossed the car keys to Andrew who caught it smoothly as the three boys walked to the building complex.
It was Kevin who spoke first.
"Are you finally gonna show us how you get in?"
Andrew didn't bother with a direct response but instead gave off a quick glance at the tall boy before making up his mind.
"Watch and learn, Day."
As they approached the front door Andrew once again pulled the car keys from out of his pocket and crouched down at the front door.
Neil watched as he flipped the car key over to expose the metal keychain up into the air and saw how Andrew examined it like a puzzle waiting to be solved. The blonde briefly slipped the key off and used it to bend the edge of the Keychain so that a long piece of metal was sticking out from the side.
It was done with practiced ease, or which a person would expect he had done this thousands of times beforehand. It wouldn't surprise Neil.
After the Keychain was to Andrew's Liking he began fiddling with the door lock, using the bent Keychain to pick the door open. After a few tries a sharp click was heard and Andrew immediately took his hands off the piece of metal and left the Keychain exactly where it was.
The blonde shook the handle once more before pulling the door wide open.
"Huh... I don't think I should ask how many times you've done this."
"Shush, Kevin."
The three boys walked into the dark room until they found a familiar staircase and made a horrible attempt at walking up the stairs without being too loud.
Kevin tried his best, but the darkness and his height were contradictory, making him trip over his own feet. Neil walked up the stairs quite easily, knowing where all the creaky boards laid while Andrew, on the other hand just didn't give a fuck and was almost taunting them as he made it a point to be as loud as possible.
"Andrew shut the hell up you're gonna wake someone up!"
Andrew didn't even bother to glance at Kevin and instead shot his foot out to bang loudly against the nearest wall, at Kevin's wince Andrew looked back for only a second before continuing his walk.
"Everyone on this floor knows me by name. They think I live here."
Eventually the trio stopped climbing the stairs and it wasn't long before Neil spotted the familiar number plastered on the indents of a door. This time all Andrew needed to do was pull out an old key from his pocket before the door creaked open.
Kevin once again gave him a skeptical look, probably thinking that Andrew had stolen the key from somewhere-
Andrew either didn't find the question worth answering or at the very least didn't deny the accusation.
Either way, in the end it got them through the door and into the food supply.
As soon as the three boys stepped through the doorway the blonde dashed to the fridge, the raven haired went to the kitchen cabinets and the red head went to turn on the lights and take a quick look around the apartment.
Neil scanned the now lit apartment. Wymack wasn't anywhere to be found but he couldn't have been too far away. his car keys and wallet being evident of that.
"He isn't here"
"Dousn't matter. Go grab some blankets."
Neil let his feat carry him into the other room. He walked until he spotted a small closet where he usually grabbed some blankets when he stayed at Wymack's. It reminded Neil of the first few months at Palmetto when he lived here.
He grabbed a stack of the first blankets he laid eyes on before using his foot to kick the door closed.
When he walks back into the living room he sees Andrew sitting on the kitchen counter with a few bottles of drinks scattered around him, his legs dangling off the side. Kevin had also thrown a few cushions on the counter near Andrew as well, creating a little blanket fort of cushions and soon to be blankets too. Neil's first instinct was to glance at the two couches literally five steps away from the counter.
Neil shrugged his shoulders in expectance before slowly walking over to Andrew trying not to trip over his own feet. Once there he gave the blonde boy the mound of blankets.
"Here. There's a few more in the closet if you need them."
All three boys laid out the blankets on the countertop until they were satisfied with their new creation of blanket madness.
Neil jumps up next to Andrew and cuddles into the corner wall, his knees up to his chest with Andrew next to him, crossed legged and eventually Kevin joins them too, bringing some snacks along with him while he hops up with one leg up and his other leg hanging off the counter.
Both Andrew and Kevin grab a drink.
Kevin passes a bottle to Neil.
"Might as well try it."
Neil thinks about if for awhile before taking the bottle from Kevin's hand and popping the top off.
Kevin smiles before he leans back once again.
Andrew scoffs next to them in a failed attempt to hide amusement.
"I guess we'll finally see how the Junkie is like drunk."
'hopefully he wont pay one of us to knock him out."
Neil stuck out his tongue mocking his friends before taking a swig of the bottle.
"Since when did you two have a vendetta against couches?"
Neil makes a point to look at the two couches before turning back to their spot on the kitchen counter.
"Ever since I was trapped on one for 3 hours doing nothing."
Kevin deadpanned.
Andrew did nothing but shrug his shoulders.
"This is my usual seat whenever I come to visit the old man."
Andrew grabs one of the ice-cream tubs Kevin got from the freezer.
"you scare me sometimes."
"thank you."
-ANDREW MINYARD-
Andrew grabs the tub and a metal spoon before digging at the side of the lid trying to pop the top off. It dousn't take long until the top flies off and hits Kevin dead in the face and Andrew finds the initial struggle worth it out of the sharp curse he hears in response.
The warm lights that bled into the apartment, the bunch of blankets and pillows scattered around on the counter top and the the alcohol soaking the air swarmed the atmosphere around them. Tiredness pulled at Andrews eyes and the comfort didn't help the problem of his determination of awareness to last.
Comfort.
It was such a foreign word to him, and yet in this moment in this apartment it only felt like the right word to use. This apartment had never judged him or called him a monster, has never looked at him with fear or made Andrew look at it in fear, never tried to harm him but instead pulled him back together when Andrew thought that he could never be fixed again.
The people who he had promised to protect right beside him in vision where they couldn't be harmed from the monsters of their pasts and vaguely in the back of Andrews mind he registers that maybe, quite possibly that they would feel the same way about him as he did them. And maybe, quite possibly they too found this foreign feeling of comfort in a place that never shunned them for the burdens they carried.
Comfort...
It would take awhile for Andrew to grow familiar with the feeling and even longer for him to except it. In the future when the sweet icy taste fades from his mouth and the tiredness no longer drags him under the surface he will have to talk to Betsy about his new discovery but for now he was content with just laying here with Jostens haunting eyes and drunken giggles to Day's quite laughter and wild hand gestures to some another story he had thought of sharing that night.
Ah- and there was the other part of this story. Andrew had been wondering where he had went.
Andrew laid his head back against the kitchen walls and grabbed a bottle of whiskey as he let the footsteps grow closer and closer to the door before it swung open and the footsteps finally came to a halt.
"Haya Coach, want some?"
Andrew hung his head back to look at the doorway, a bottle hung high above his head in greetings to the old man who stood there with a worn down baseball bat in hand.
Why would an Exy coach need a baseball bat? For the plot, dad lore and the consequences of being a coach to a bunch of college idiots he presumed.
Wymack slowly lowered the piece of wood and bowed his head down to the floor in a sigh.
"Why do I even bother?"
"Don't know. Ask Dan she'll give you a list."
Andrew reminisced when Kevin asked that exact same question and the look on his face when that night he received a page full of very passive aggressive reasons. He could admit that sometimes he admired their captain.
"Why are you in my house?"
Such stupid questions and for what? What did Wymack expect would happen when he told the two exy obsessed maniacs that they couldn't have their daily dose of obsession? Stupid, stupid questions.
"These two got the zoomies and your little exy ban made me resort to this instead of taking them out to run themselves into the ground."
Andrew pointed at the two boys next to him. At Wymack's unimpressed face Neil put up a mock pout of his own.
"You took away the court so now were confiscating your apartment."
Josten took another sip of whatever alcoholic beverage he was able to grab first while trying to justify his point.
"Next time we should steal the old mans car."
Andrew will humor the boy this time. Only for the plot of course.
"Or his bank account."
"How do you even do that?"
"I'll find a way."
Neil's head was attacked with a pillow from his own Exy partner at that last remark. Kevin himself enjoying the view of Neil's stunned face.
"I did not consent to this." Kevin said, a hint of his amusement showing in his voice. Luckily he was smart enough to only toss the pillow into Andrews lap.
"Shush Kevin, your alcohol is showing."
Day stuck out his toung before dragging Neil back up into a sitting position.
"Shut up. Shut up for just a second."
The three boys turned to face Wymack who was now leaning against one of the couches, his hand massaging his temple.
"Pass it over Minyard."
Andrew picked up the bottle closest to him and held it out to the old man who walked over to grab the bottle of whatever and took a swig.
"You three have some serious issues you know that?"
"We've been told."
Neil's tipsy giggles filled the atmosphere.
Hmm, that was a nice sound. Andrew makes a mental note to ingrain that laugh into his memory, for now though he slowly takes the bottle out of Neil's hand. He dousn't want the blue eyed to become overwhelmed.
Wymack puts the bottle down and walks out of sight from the three boys. When he comes back he is holding a few blankets, probably from the same blanket closet that Neil had gotten the ones they were using from. Coach laid the blankets out onto the two couches before going back to the countertop.
"Go to bed."
Kevin was the first one to react. He hoped off the counter and made his way over to one of the couches, the one with a soft dark blue blanket thrown over it.
"Whatever you say coach."
Neil then jumped off and went to the other.
Andrew followed close behind and went to the couch with Neil on it. An orange and warm white blanket covering it with an array of pillows scattered around the top.
The three of them throw the remaining blankets and pillows that they took out from the closet around eachother for awhile before finally settling on who gets what before lying down.
Andrews back pushes up against the back of the couch as he raises the blanket in a silent 'Yes or no?' welcoming Neil into his embrace. Neil gladly takes it and cuddles up into Andrews chest.
This is a new thing for them. Cuddling. But Andrew would be a liar to say he didnt enjoy it.
Wymack sighs at the three boys before heading to his room with his hand on the light switch.
"Goodnight you fucking morons."
"Goodnight coach!"
Andrew welcomed the dark room and the tug of sleep pulling around the edges of his eyes. Mabey Andrew liked the feeling of comfort after all.
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