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‶ I’ll push you off this roof. ″
‶ If you do I’ll pull you down with me. ″
There had never been any meaning to those words, Neil knew that Andrew wouldn’t push him off the roof. If he did, he’d end up loosing Kevin, therefore he’d be breaking his promise. He’d be breaking his promise to protect Neil too. Death was what Neil was trying to avoid.
The rest of the season well hell, between the games, night practices, Riko, his father and the FBI. But finally it was over and they were champions and Neil was here to stay, he had a home for the first time in his life, he had a family.
Every time he and Andrew were up on the roof, they had that small exchange, and every time it brought the slightest of smiles to Neil’s lips.
Until the one time it didn’t.
Until one day, Andrew didn’t show up.
And Neil was falling alone that day, reaching for anything to grab onto, to pull Andrew down with him.
He couldn’t grab anything.
He was falling for the next year.
He was waiting for the ground against his back.
Until he grasped at Andrew, pulling himself back up.
A year of no contact, no texts, calls, letters, visits. Nothing. Neil’s family, his everything, was gone. Until now, he was on solid ground, he had his footing again and he could finally breathe again.
Now, they stood on their ledge, looking out at their future, the teeth of the keys biting into the flesh of Neil’s palms. He let a smile spread across his lips as he looked to Andrew, raising his brows before opening his mouth.
‶ I love you. ″
He grasped Andrew’s hand, lacing their fingers together before taking that jump, pulling Andrew down with him.
Keys quietly clinked against one another and the quiet creak of a door opening.
They were free-falling now.