#adopted neil josten

[samoony]

"HOME"

-adopted neil josten au-

Wymack and Abby stood in the adoption agency office, holding hands as they waited. The door opened, and the social worker stepped in with Neil. He was small for his age, with wide, mistrustful eyes and a backpack slung over one thin shoulder. His clothes were too big, his hair was messy, and his face carried a wariness that no child should have. Even though they have already been informed by neil's past family, they couldn't believe about all that this kid had been through.

“This is Neil” the social worker said softly.

“Hi, Neil” Abby greeted warmly, her voice gentle as honey. She crouched to his level, smiling. “I’m Abby, and this is my husband, Wymack. We’re so excited to meet you.”

Neil didn’t say anything. He gripped the strap of his backpack tightly and stared at the floor.

Wymack cleared his throat. “Hey, kid. We’ve got a house, a big backyard, and plenty of space for you to settle in. Kevin, our son, is already excited to meet you.”

Neil still didn’t respond, but he gave the tiniest of nods. It was enough for Wymack and Abby to exchange a look-hopeful and determined.

---

When they arrived home, Kevin practically bounced out the front door to greet them. He was holding a exy stick and grinning ear to ear.

“Hi, Neil! I’m Kevin! I’m your brother now. Do you like exy? I can teach you if you want. Let's go play!

Neil looked overwhelmed. He clutched his backpack tighter and stepped back.

“Kevin” Wymack warned, firm.

“Sorry” Kevin said, deflating a little. “But I am really happy you’re here.”

Abby placed a hand on Neil’s shoulder, guiding him inside. “Let’s show you your room, sweetheart.”

Neil’s room was simple but cozy—a soft bed, shelves for books and toys, and a desk by the window. Neil walked in hesitantly, his eyes scanning the room as if expecting something bad to happen.

“It’s all yours,” Abby said. “You can decorate it however you like.”

Neil didn’t say anything, but he sat on the edge of the bed, his fingers brushing the soft blanket. Abby and Wymack gave him space.

---

The first few days were tough. Neil was quiet, withdrawn, and avoided physical contact. He ate little at meals, flinching if someone accidentally dropped a plate, raised their voice, or hand by mistake.

Kevin tried his best to include Neil, showing him his exy stick and talking about school. Neil would listen quietly but never joined in.

------

One evening, while Abby ironed clothes, Neil’s past caught up with him.

Abby stood in the laundry room, smoothing wrinkles out of a shirt with a hot iron. Neil, sitting on the couch nearby, suddenly froze when he saw the iron in her hand. His chest tightened, his breathing quickened, and he bolted without a word.

“Neil?” Abby called, alarmed. She set the iron down and followed him.

Wymack, hearing the commotion, joined her. They found the bathroom door shut, but there was no sound inside.

“Neil?” Wymack knocked softly. No answer.

They exchanged a worried glance before Wymack gently opened the door. The sight made Abby’s heart break. Neil was curled up inside the cabinet under the sink, his arms wrapped tightly around his knees, tears streaming silently down his face.

Wymack crouched down, keeping his voice soft and steady. “Hey kid It’s okay. You’re safe here. No one’s going to hurt you.”

Neil didn’t move, but his sobs quieted. Abby knelt beside Wymack, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“It’s just us, sweetheart,” Abby said gently. “You don’t have to be scared. We’re here for you.”

Neil hesitated before slowly crawling out. Abby wrapped her arms around him carefully, and Wymack placed a reassuring hand on his back.

Kevin peeked in, looking confused and worried. “Neil? Are you okay?”

Neil didn’t respond, but he let Abby hold him. For a moment, the family just stayed there, offering quiet comfort.

Later that night, Wymack and Abby sat together, their hearts heavy.

“We knew it would be hard,” Abby said softly, “but seeing him like that… it’s so much worse than I imagined.”

Wymack nodded, his jaw tight. “We’ll get through to him. We have to.”

---

Days turned into weeks, and Neil slowly began to settle in. He still avoided touch and rarely spoke, but he started to join Kevin during his exy drills, even if just to watch. Kevin, ever patient, didn’t push him, instead letting Neil come to him on his own terms.

Small breakthroughs happened - a quiet thank you, a hesitant smile, sitting closer during family movie nights. But there were still moments when Neil’s past would resurface, like when someone raised their voice too quickly or moved their hand too fast.

Each time, Abby and Wymack handled it with care, reassuring Neil that he was safe and loved.

It had been a month since Neil came to live with them, and Wymack and Abby had started noticing small changes. Neil still spoke very little, but he no longer flinched every time someone entered the room. He’d even started sitting next to Kevin during family movie nights, though he kept a cautious distance.

-------

One Saturday afternoon, Abby suggested something new.

“How about we go to the toy store today?” she said, her voice bright and warm as they all sat around the breakfast table.

Neil paused mid-bite of his toast, his wide eyes darting to her, unsure if she was serious.

“You can pick out anything you want,” Wymack added. “A game, a toy, whatever catches your eye.”

Kevin, ever the excitable big brother, chimed in. “You should totally get something cool! Like an action figure or a Nerf gun. I can help you pick!”

Neil hesitated, looking down at his plate. “I don’t need anything” he said softly, his voice barely audible.

Abby leaned forward, her hand resting lightly on his. “It’s not about needing, sweetheart. It’s about what *you* want. You deserve something special, and we want to give it to you.”

At the toy store, Neil stayed close to Abby, his small hand clutching hers as they walked through the aisles. The colorful displays seemed to overwhelm him, and he shrank back slightly, his eyes flitting from one shelf to the next.

Kevin bounded ahead, holding up various toys. “What about this? Or this? Look, Neil, this one talks when you press a button!”

Neil didn’t respond, his gaze lingering on a shelf filled with stuffed animals. Slowly, he let go of Abby’s hand and approached.

Wymack and Abby exchanged a glance, their hearts warming as they watched Neil study the plush toys.

Then, Neil stopped in front of a small orange fox with soft, fluffy fur and big, shiny eyes, kind of reminding them of neil. He reached out hesitantly, as if afraid someone would tell him no.

“Do you like that one?” Abby asked gently, stepping beside him.

Neil nodded, clutching the fox to his chest. “Can I… have this one?”

It was the first time Neil had ever asked for anything, and Abby felt her throat tighten with emotion.

“Of course you can,” she said, her voice soft but full of love.

Wymack ruffled Neil’s hair, his usual gruffness replaced with a rare smile. “Good choice, kid. That fox looks like it’ll be a great friend.”

Kevin grinned. “You gotta name it! What are you gonna call him?”

Neil looked down at the plush fox in his arms, thinking for a moment before whispering, “king fluffkins"

“king fluffkins it is,” Kevin said through laughter and enthusiasm.

That night, Neil went to bed, clutching king fluffkins tightly. Abby peeked into his room before she turned in for the night and saw him fast asleep, the fox tucked securely in his arms.

She quietly closed the door and joined Wymack in the living room.

“He asked for something,” Abby said, her eyes shining with happy tears.

Wymack nodded, his voice gruff but full of pride. “Yeah. He’s starting to trust us.”

And from that night on, king fluffkins, the fox became Neil’s constant companion, a small but powerful symbol of the love and safety he was beginning to feel.

---

One sunny afternoon, Kevin suggested a pool day. Wymack agreed, thinking it would be good for Neil to relax.

Abby packed snacks and towels while Wymack set up inflatables. Neil stood by the pool’s edge, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.

“You don’t have to swim if you don’t want to,” Abby said gently.

Neil hesitated before slowly pulling off his shirt.

The sight made Abby gasp softly. Neil’s back and shoulders were littered with scars—faint lines and faded bruises, already healing but it showed the force of the cause behind them, and a large burn on his shoulder shaped unmistakably like the flat end of an iron.

Abby turned away, tears streaming down her face. Wymack quickly followed her, his hand on her shoulder.

Meanwhile, Kevin approached Neil, his face full of concern. “Does it hurt?”

“No” Neil mumbled, looking down.

Kevin hesitated before saying, “I’m glad you’re here, Neil. And I promise, no one will ever hurt you again.”

Abby returned, wiping her tears, and smiled at Neil. “How about we teach you to swim, sweetheart?”

By the end of the day, Neil was splashing in the shallow end with Kevin, his laughter filling the air. For the first time, Neil began to feel safe.

---

One quiet evening, Neil hesitated before asking, “Can I call you Mom and Dad?”

Abby and Wymack’s hearts melted.

“Of course, sweetheart,” Abby said, pulling him into a hug.

Wymack grinned and ruffled Neil’s hair. “Yeah, kid. We’d love that.”

For the first time, Neil felt like he had a family—a home, a real one.

-THE END-

[tankuare]

Nora said that she knows who dies first between Neil and Andrew and I am BEGGING her never to release that information for my own mental health

[angry-kid-with-no-money]

My favourite headcannon right now is that when he graduates and joins a pro team, andrew spends a good chunk of his signing bonus buying a car for Robin, after spending a few months painstakingly teaching her to drive

He tells them it's a shared car for her and neil because they "don't have him to be their personal chauffeur anymore" but they both know it's to give Robin a bit more independence

[o-vera-nalyzing]

my biggest aftg head canon is that andrew is just a silly little guy—like his meds didn’t change his personality he was just more easily distractable and had less of a filter so all the stupid little jokes he made are his own

[aftgphoenix]

I’m thinking of a Neil with a kid fic but the kid is one that Neil found abandoned somewhere as an infant and decided to raise them. Maybe after he buried his mom on his way to Arizona?

[aftgficrec]

Some fic with andreil kids, i need that to survive

Our most recent ask for this has all of our previous recs. Enjoy! -A

latest ask:

Andreil & kids here

Kevin and his dads by Monsterputt03 [Not Rated, 646 Words, Complete, 2023]

Kevin's life with Andreil as his parents. 

Want by TheBreadWinner [Rated G, 19938 Words, Incomplete, Updated May 2024]

Andrew and Neil are finally in a position without worries. They have a nice home, money, and dream jobs. What more could they want? Their closest friends and family are raising kids and experiencing something Andrew never pictured wanting. Now, in his thirties, he sees families everywhere: in the stands during games, at the park during his runs with Neil, and in the lobby of New York Presbyterian. Andrew knows what he wants, and he wants it with Neil.

tw: implied/referenced child abuse and neglect, tw: implied/referenced torture

you got the heart without the ache. by PatientIsTheNight [Rated G, 2483 Words, Complete, 2024]

[Andrew] cannot kill every abuser in the world, though it would be nice. More importantly, he knows that he cannot allow himself to be visibly angry, or upset - it would give the wrong idea. He isn’t angry at Kylie, after all, and refuses to give her even half of an inkling of that idea. But he is still angry, in the way a wounded animal is. It takes more than he thought it would to keep himself from hiding in corners and lashing out. - Andrew and Neil foster their first kid, and face how hard it is. It’s a kidfic, you know what you’re getting.

tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: implied/referenced child abuse

Whose Your Daddy Series by chaoticas_hell [Not Rated, Collection, Incomplete, Updated June 2024]

Part 1: Whose Your Daddy [47865 Words, Complete] Andrew Joseph Minyard didn't do regrets. But letting Neil in, allowing himself to want, for letting Neil slip through his fingertips- it was the closest he would get to feeling regret. It had been fourteen years since he last saw Neil, since Neil was taken right from under his grasp by his psycho-killer father and lost forever and Andrew had to make peace with that, had to stop expecting Neil to walk through his front door like he had never left. Except, one day, it all but happened. One day, a small kid with horribly cut short platinum blonde hair, striking blue eyes that plagued Andrew's dreams and nightmares, freckles and an achingly familiar horrible fashion sense showed up at his office door with the strangest question. "Are you Andrew Joseph Minyard, yes or no?" The kid asked in a British accent. Andrew could only nod. "Oh good." The kid said, suddenly unsure of themself. "Cause I think you're my dad." What the fuck?

tw: assumed major character death, tw: implied/referenced torture

Part 2: The Before [11385 Words, Incomplete, Updated June 2024] basically a sequel to my fic Whose Your Daddy taking a look at how Neil dealt with single parenthood, how Andrew faired after Neil's faked death, Jo's abysmal childhood, and judgmental family members

tw: assumed major character death, tw: implied/referenced torture, tw: violence, tw: choking, tw: unplanned pregnancy, tw: transphobia, tw: gender dysphoria 

Fragments of Light series by DarkD [Rated G/T, Collection, 2 complete works, Updated Jan 2023]

Part 1: Baby mine [T, 18609 Words, Complete, 2022] Andrew could practically see the image of Neil sleeping on his chest, one of the pairs of shoes he'd bought still lying there in bed with them. Neil looked so peaceful, Andrew couldn't stop looking at him. His hand was right on Neil's belly, he could almost imagine what the girls' heartbeats were like there. Neil had sung a song that night, and Andrew memorized every note because, someday, he would also sing that same song for Neil and his daughters. (They couldn't) be more wanted, they've probably never wanted anything more in their life. “You won't touch any of them again.” Andrew said. His voice was low and his throat hurt. “You're not getting anywhere near my fucking family.”

tw: gun violence, tw: attempted murder, tw: major character injury, tw: blood, tw: unplanned pregnancy, tw: transphobia, tw: self harm, tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: destructive thoughts, tw: vomit

Part 2: My dear Nebula [G, 10086 Words, Complete, 2023] “Andrew, Andrew.” Neil whispered in his ear, the warm air against his skin making him shiver. “It's time for our nebula.” ... Neil then asked what a nebula was and he replied: Nebulae were nurseries for stars. Birth of stars. Birth… “Fuck”

tw: unplanned pregnancy, tw: implied/referenced child abuse, tw: implied/referenced murder

Retired by IKnowWhoYouAre_Damianos [Rated G, 1855 Words, Complete, AFTG Summer Exchange 2022]

Neil turned 35 two months ago and was finally ready to retire. A vacay will be just the right thing for his restless mind.

Neil Loves Dinosaurs series by infernalstars [Rated G/T, 32616 words, 17 Complete Works, Updated 2020]

Part 1 recced here

Part 4: Asking For Help [1501 Words] In which Kevin Day has to shift his perspective on things and he seeks out Neil for help.

tw: ableism, tw: implied/referenced abuse

Part 5: Babysitting and the Conditions of Love [1492 Words] Neil and Andrew babysit for Matt and Dan

tw: transphobia, tw: self harm

Part 6: To Live in Peace [908 Words] Meet Henry!

tw: homophobia, tw: implied/referenced child abuse

Part 7: Nightmare [2149 Words] Andrew bonds with his foster kid. 

tw: graphic nightmares, tw: implied/referenced murder

Part 8: Family [1491 Words] Henry comes home to Neil having a breakdown.

tw: homophobia, tw: ableism

Part 9: Again (Family pt. 2) [2034 Words] in which Neil has a chance to bond with his kid

tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: nonconsensual kissing

Part 10: Again (Family pt. 3) [1604 Words] The Resolution

tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: implied/referenced csa, tw: implied/referenced nonconsensual kissing, tw: implied/referenced nonconsensual drug use

Part 11: Ruby Red [1910 Words] Adopting one kid was always apart of the plan, but another kid...? Unplanned.

Part 12: Second Chances [3329 Words] in which Neil tells Ruby how him and Andrew met

Part 13: Roses and Thorns [1943 Words] Andrew is happy ft. some twinyards, catching up with Kevin and his daughter and a lil snippet of Liam!!

tw: implied/referenced self harm

Part 14: Something Real [3140 Words] How Andrew finds out Neil's Autistic. 

tw: nonconsensual drug use, tw: nonconsensual kissing, tw: implied/referenced child abuse

Part 15: Conditions of Love [2104 Words] A mini series that explores Liam Wilds (Matt and Dans kid), his life and his relationship with Henry Josten-Minyard.

tw: implied/referenced child abuse, tw: transphobia

Part 16: Anniversary [1180 Words]  The anniversary of the death of Neil's mom brings up some unpleasant memories and Andrew bring him to the museum to comfort him.

The Josten-Twinyards hc by @detectivebambam [Tumblr, 2024]

Andreil daughter and the word “please” by @starrycassi [Tumblr fic, 2024]

the monsters having kids with cool uncles andreil hc by @the-inner-musings-of-a-worm [Tumblr, 2024]

Miles Minyard-Josten age 7 fandom fun post by @andrews-jort-loving-pipe-dream [Tumblr, 2020]

Art

Minyard-Josten siblings also here art by @allfortheslay25

Nicky meeting Asher Minyard-Josten comic by @riceballannie

Andreil with Michael art by @dshr-art, hc here

fanart by @bluetheking for ‘Noah Minyard-Josten,’ fic recced here

[emry-stars-art]

I‘d love to participate in your wip wednesday✨👑💛

Oh noo Im so sorry I missed your ask 😭 that's okay, here you can have something I'm cleaning up, because I promised royal au cats a long time ago

[chaoticas-hell]

How I imagine Andreil got their cats:

Andrew: *comes home*

Neil: hey how was the-

Andrew: *pulls out a cat from his jacket*

Neil: is that a cat?

Andrew: *pulls out the other cat* two cats.

[quiescentdestiny]

thinking about the fact that if Neil had died in Baltimore, literally none of Andrew's family would even know he was broken as much as he was by it. Like they saw him choke Kevin, but even after Baltimore, Nicky assumed it was just a fling.

[toolazytodecide]

Exy Fans after Jean's family gets outed by the trial:

[ravlykpavlyk]

10 year old kevin: hi dad!

wymack, opening the front door: uh kevin? who is it?

neil behind kevin, covered in bruises and cuts: I'm neil

kevin: he's neil. he likes exy! I'm gonna keep him

[tankuare]

Headcanon that Neil and Andrew have the sappiest nicknames for each other that started as a joke but eventually spiraled

[andreilslovechild]

A Spooky Triad

wymacks guild is full of strange creatures

more of a halfway house really

so its no surprise when yet another joins their group

andrews wolf instincts make him very protective of his and their own which makes him wary around the new kid

especially because hes a kitsune

known for their trickery and increased power as they age

and andrew has no idea how old neil really is

he keeps a close eye on him

only stopping truly when its the full moon or kevin needs to feed

which typically end up in andrew creaming his pants and then blowing the goddamn life out of kevin

his neck is sensitive okay?

unfortunately for andrew

he finds that neil is very attractive

and flirty without even seeming to realize what hes doing

which drives andrew crazy

especially once they start their truth game

and andrew finds out much more about the illusive newcomer

which then makes him more comfortable

and he ends up adopting him into his pack without much argument

which means neil now gets to take a turn being kevins meal for the day

unfortunately andrew cannot be kevins meal all the time

but neil gets to enjoy it

and andrew insists on watching

and he knows neil enjoys it

just the same as he does

and one time

andrew just

stops neil from leaving

says he can help

they both can

and after that its history

the three of them are hardly ever separate from eachother

letting kevin feed off them

cuddling with andrew after a full moon

both are always there

[michelangelos-last-judgement]

SO I WAS REWATCHING LILO AND STITCH AND

/

/

[aftgphoenix]

Here's a snippet from the Neil with a baby fic I'm writing.

The sun was peeking over the horizon as Neil tiredly woke up to Adrian fussing. Neil picked him up and rocked him back to sleep. It was too late, though, and Neil found himself unable to get back to sleep. Instead, he contemplated the little guy in his arms and thought about his mother.

It was hard to believe that his mother had once held him in her arms like this. There was a picture on the wall in the hallway of his house growing up in Baltimore with her holding him just like he was holding Adrian. Neil had no doubt that it was intended to portray a happy family to outsiders and nothing more but he had liked looking at it when he was growing up there.

She had held him often when they were on the run, almost every night as they slept. She was paranoid, afraid of letting him get too far away from her. He missed her touch, the steady presence he knew would always be there to stitch him back together. It was easy to overlook the times she had beaten him for one thing or another now that she was gone. She had been the only one there for him for most of his life. Now that she was gone, he was determined to be that steady presence for Adrian. He had to be.

[wraith-demjin]

I just started rereading The Foxhole Court and it's so comforting I can feel myself relaxing and my anxiety decreasing I can't believe it took me this long to reread it