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scribbleb-red · 5 years

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Neil is a lying liar who lies AU

A Morning AU - with a fab prompt from @djhedy

There’s a new boy in Andrew’s class and there’s something not quite right about him. He’s mouthy and sharp, the kinda kid that should end up in detention three times a week but never does.

They are seven years old, though the new kid looks five, with eyes like a wide open sky.

He is very pretty - that’s why Andrew notices him first - he looks like a fairy prince.

And it’s because Andrew is watching that he notices though: the kid is a big bad lying liar who lies.

The day he joined, the kid said his name was ‘Stefan’ to Mrs Stewart and ‘Chris’ to Mr Brasenose. The next day he was just ‘Neil’ and was given a fond, exasperated warning to keep his make believe in the playground.

But the kid didn’t stop lying.

Some lies were big and others were small.

On a Tuesday, Neil announced that he’d had a huge feast for breakfast - listing all the foods and making everyone’s mouth water with the descriptions. (But Andrew saw how he winced nd held his stomach like it was empty.)

On a Thursday, Neil said he grew up in England and proceeded to spend the next week speaking in a post English accent. (But he later admits at lunch it was just a couple months).

On a Friday, Neil whispers that his house is haunted and he’s scared to go home for the weekend. (There’s a little too much truth shining through those eyes as he talks about the ghost in his house. Andrew doesn’t doubt that he’s scared of something).

The following Monday, Neil explains his bruises by saying he spent the week learning to skateboard.

“My cousin visited and let me use her skate board. It was pretty rad.”

(Andrew eyes the split lip, it could be true. But then he sees the hand shape around Neil’s thin wrist and knows the truth: it’s a lie.)

Through it all, Andrew is very quiet and very alone. He knows how this goes - he’s seven years old with more cracks in his heart than a fifty year romantic - but he kinda enjoys Neil’s lies and how he gets away with them.

He particularly likes the outrageous ones:

My father parachuted into Paris because he’s a spy. He died landing on the Eiffel Tower. I once wrestled a monster. I won but it stole all my mom’s apples. I’m telling the truth. My tongue goes green when I lie. I met Kevin Day.

Andrew won’t pretend he’s not intrigued. He thinks Neil is interesting and his lies are ones he can often hold in the dark, imagining over and over when he’s hurt and wishing to be anyone, anywhere but here.

Plus Neil is funny - he always snarks at the teachers and gets away with the most ridiculous things. Other kids always want to play with him because his games are brilliant - epic journeys, castles and wizards, magical tigers, patchwork villains made from the skin of children.

Some of Neil’s tall tales are part fairytales, part nightmares. And Andrew isn’t sure which part Neil actually belongs to. There are times where he’s the brightest, prettiest boy on the playground. And times where his eyes are haunted, mouth wicked cruel. And then there are times like today, where Neil is quiet and blank - a little too familiar to what Andrew sees in the mirror these days, looking like someone has scooped out his insides and left nothing but darkness behind in its wake.

Andrew almost talks to him then.

Almost.

But he doesn't. Not for another few weeks. Not until Neil's facing down Greg Doyle - the fight has the vibe of a hissing kitten against a rottweiler.

There's no way Neil can win. Greg is a third grader and big beside.

But Neil doesn't look scared. He looks ferocious.

Not that appearances are going to help. Neil could have the sharpest claws of them all and he'd still weigh nothing against Greg. Neil dodges and ducks the first few blows. He snipes and snarks, that liar's mouth rattling off stories of how he took down a SWAT team once.

But dumb luck can’t do everything and finally Greg gets a thump in, straight across Neil’s jaw - hard enough to make him stagger.

"So much for a SWAT team, fucking liar."

There are gasps at the bad word from the growing first and second grade audience.

"Tongue turns green," Neil says. He spits out blood.

Andrew's had enough when he sees the blood.

Neil might be an idiot but Andrew knows that there's no way to win this one on alone He steps forward and puts himself between Neil and Greg.

"Oooo who's this, your boyfriend?"

Andrew would roll his eyes, but can't be bothered. He is the tallest kid in their year at nearly 4'5. He can look the nine year old Greg in the eye without trouble and he can see the bigger kid calculating his chances of taking Andrew on instead of the skinny little creature that was Neil "motor mouth" Josten.

"Back off," he says. He doesn't inflect. He watched a cartoon where a character spoke completely flat and it was really scary so he figures this might make Greg cower too. "Leave him alone."

Greg nearly steps into Andrew's space but someone has started a whisper:

Andrew Doe is the kid who killed his parents. Andrew Doe is the kid that burned a house down. Andrew Doe is the kid who took on Bertie Becker from fifth grade and flushed his head down the loo.

It's the last one that gives away the source of these rumours - Neil has started a chain of Chinese whispers. And Greg hears them swirling from mouth to mouth, ear to ear, each more terrifying than the last. It makes Andrew want to grin, so he does. Greg actually whimpers.

The crowd laughs when Greg runs away - he can’t save face when he’s fleeing from a first grader.

Andrew feels triumphant.

Especially when Neil steps up beside him, shy smile and summer sky eyes. “Thanks Andrew.”

Neil Josten knows his name, Andrew thinks. Wow wow wow.

Neil’s mouth is swollen but he’s still the prettiest boy in the playground so Andrew doesn’t say anything.

“Want to play a game?” Neil says.

Andrew shrugs.

“Yes or no?” Neil says again. “I won’t force you but I’d like to play with you to if you’d like to play with me.”

Andrew thinks about it before saying yes.

It’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

They start with games - make believe quests and imaginary journeys. They visit magical worlds in their heads and fall about laughing when one of them (mostly Andrew) doesn’t break character even for class.

They become inseparable - two boys with home lives full of ghosts but dreams that can take them anywhere. The lying liar is the better story teller but the stoic hero a better actor. And sometimes in games they hide their truths - violent families and horrifying pasts.

Neil shows Andrew his scars, “I sometimes say they’re from a shark or ninjas and stuff but...”

“That’s from an iron.”

“Yeah.”

In turn, Andrew tells Neil about his foster family.

“We could poison him,” Neil says. “I heard we can make poison from apple cores. Applesenic or something.”

If only it were that simple.

It happens just before the end of the year - summer is nearly there and Andrew can only imagine how fun it'll be having a friend to adventure with for the first time. And then he finds out that his foster family is getting rid of him. He'll be packed off at the end of term.

"I think mom and I will move too," Neil admits. "We never hang around anywhere long."

"Because of your dad?"

"Yeah..." Neil plays with the hem of his t-shirt. "He's in prison but mom is still terrified. She moves us a lot."

"Maybe you can move to the same place as me."

They pretend that the world isn't going to split them apart.

They pretend that they're going to have the summer together.

And the year after.

That they'll start middle school together.

And be best friends all the way to the end of high school.

And go to the same college.

"We could play exy together all the way through," Neil says. It's his new obsession.

"I'm not going to play stickball. I prefer playing games with you."

"We can play games on the court. You can be the fierce dragon and I'll be the knight that looks after you."

"You'd steal all my dragon gold."

"Would not."

Andrew raises one eyebrow.

"Okay, yes I would. I'd be the knight trying to take your gold. But I'd be sneaky about it." Neil's laughter is high and bright. "Does that mean you'll play with me?"

"Yeah okay," Andrew says.

But it doesn't work out that way.

Neil vanishes like sun behind a mountain the day after term ends.

Andrew's bags are packed. He's dumped in a new home near the beach. He hates the beach. He misses Neil the way his lungs miss oxygen when he's stuck in the swell of a wave.

He does play exy though.

He does it because he figures one day he'll find Neil on a court too.

He'll either face him down or by some miracle they'll be on the same team.

He'll find Neil again. He will.

He tells himself this every day.

Even when it feels like a lie.

Something like an epilogue

Years pass before Andrew hears anything about the little boy who - for two semesters when he was seven - was his best friend. So many years that if it weren't for one polaroid from a cheeky arcade photo-booth, he might have let the idea of Neil go.

But he keeps the photo with him - through home after home, through Cass and Drake and juvie and Aaron and Nicky. He hides it in books, folds it into pockets. Makes sure to hold onto Neil and the memories of those few happy months.

He plays exy. Keeps track of other teams and their players. The sport does nothing for him - but sometimes he closes his eyes and imagines Neil with his flashing blue eyes mischievous smile and that long ago conversation. He remembers why he's doing this.

At 13, he asks Pig Higgins to do a search on Neil's name but the policeman refuses.

At 14, he goes through the entire directory for California and when that's exhausted, he starts searching every state from West to East.

He calls 362 Jostens across the USA. None are Neil.

When he turns 16, he uses a fake and has two small dragons outlined on the top of his left shoulder.

When he's 17 he meets Riko and Kevin Day. He remembers Neil once saying he'd met Kevin and wonders if that was true or just one of Neil's many many lies. He turns the Ravens down.

He signs two weeks later with the Palmetto State Foxes - taking his brother and cousin with him.

He watches as the lists of drafted players on other teams go up. There's no Chris or Stefan or Abram - not with the matching face Andrew wants. There's no sign of a Neil Josten.

Andrew smooths out the photo at night, slipping it between the pages of Whitman's Leaves of Grass every morning.

Maybe it's time to put the memory of Neil to rest, but he can't.

Neil is one of those beautiful ghosts that he can't help but hold onto. The one unspoilt thing in his memory.

Unspoilt, that is, until a Monday when Kevin Day announces he's recruiting a nobody from a nothing town in the middle of nowhere Arizona and the nobody's name is Neil.

"Neil what?"

"Josten. Want to see his tape?"

"Nope," Andrew says. But his heart is a thunderdrum, hope cutting through the medicated hyper mania easy as a knife through butter. "Actually yes, gimme the tapes little birdie."

Kevin grimaces at his nickname but says nothing until they’re watching the tape. And then he can’t shut up about the player’s potential, his speed and natural flare on the Court.

It's not Andrew’s Neil.

But it is too.

The striker on the court is a brunette with dark eyes but he runs like Neil. He's ferocious and plays like it's the last thing keeping him afloat. He has that little flick of his racquet before he goes to score, a telltale that would never get passed Andrew but no one else seemed to have noticed.

Andrew says as much to Kevin.

"Exactly," Kevin says. "That's why we have to have him."

So they go to Millport.

And Andrew knows Neil well enough to anticipate that he'll run.

Knows him well enough to trip him with a racquet and catch him as he falls.

Neil hasn't grown much either - he's still small and sharp and far too pretty to be real.

"Stupid little liar, you should watch where you put your feet." Andrew wishes he were sober. Wishes he didn't have to greet Neil with this grin splitting his face.

Wishes wishes wishes.

But his one wish has already come true, Neil is here with him. Warm and lithe and alive.

"Drew?" Neil says, but the word is choked and breathless. Neil’s voice does something to Andrew’s insides and Andrew feels the muscles beneath his hands warring between flight and relief.

"Neil," he replies.

"Oh my god, Drew."

And then Neil's arms are around Andrew's shoulders, and his face is turning into his neck and Andrew realises they're hugging and he shouldn't want to hug back but he does. He does because it's Neil. His friend. His pipe dream. The little boy with the pathological need to lie and an imagination that could create whole worlds from a handful of dust.

He hugs Neil tight.

Never wants to let go.

Kevin of course ruins the moment.

But Neil isn't going to say no to the Foxes. Not now.

And even though Andrew can recognise the lies slipping passed Neil's lips, he doesn't tell Wymack. Doesn't call out his idiot's new ouchies. Doesn't answer any questions when Kevin demands answers.

"Sign," he speaks only to Neil. He means, Stay with me. "We can play a game. Yes or no?"

"Yes," Neil says and his smile is a little wild, a lot wonderful. "Let's play a game."

The End.

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lockdownfest · 4 years

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Lock Down Fest Masterpost PART I (20-30 March)

1917

feed me just enough that i’ll never need a cage by Cunninglinguist. (E) 7.4k, Tom Blake/William Schofield. “Come on.” Sco stops walking, runs a hand over the faintest marking on a tree trunk. “It’s just a little farther now.” “I’m coming.” Tom huffs a sigh, yanking his shotgun strap over his shoulder so the barrel lands in his hands. They’ve been on the road for nearly a week now, an unfortunate consequence of their last shelter getting swarmed by an army of dead ones. Though skinning rabbits to eat over hastily made fires and taking turns sleeping against trees, spending the days and nights consumed with fear, and jumping each time a stick cracked were hardly desirable circumstances, it certainly wasn’t their longest or harshest stint on the run. They had endured worse, by far, and Tom had no doubt that this particular stretch of time would come to an end when Sco said it would. He knows the way, he always knows the way. Plus, Tom wouldn’t want to spend this time with anyone else in the entire world.

If The World Was Ending by RisingShadows. (not rated) 3.7k, Tom Blake/William Schofield. When a dangerous virus begins spreading across the country William Schofield and Tom Blake quickly find themselves the last two standing of the team working in their lab.

AKB48

#unmeida by summoninglupine. (G), 788 words. Sashihara Rino/Watanabe Mayu, Kashiwagi Yuki/Watanabe Mayu. Ready for an all-girl vacation in Okinawa, Watanabe Mayu doesn't see why she has to be the one to nursemaid their sick tour guide. Things would be different, she is sure, if Yuki was there!

ALL FOR THE GAME

I see truth somewhere in your eyes by DeyaAmaya. (M) 2.8k, Kevin Day/Thea Muldani, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, other background relationships. In a moment of insanity, Kevin decides to check Instagram. In the multitude of inane celebrity posts telling the mass people to stay home, he finds a lovely, recent photography of Thea. Someone from their College took it. The lighting perfectly captured the dried tear tracks down her unmoving face. Kevin disregards the emotional caption and instead checks the date. 18 March, the night he- (The night he thought he had a hallucination.)

Quarantine and exy by Fornavn. FANART. (G) 116 words, Andrew/Neil. The monsters is stuck at home while coved-19 is terrorizing the world. They are bored.

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES

Alone and in a Circumstance by middlemarch. (T) 700 words, Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley, Marilla Cuthbert & Anne Shirley, Diana Barry & Anne Shirley. Anne had a key, so she let herself in, quiet as a mouse, arms laden with bags from the market. Her sophomore class's papers on A Tale of Two Cities were poking out almost jauntily from the quilted bag Diana got her for her birthday.

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE

Worry by Neverever. (T) 2.4k, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark. During the pandemic, Steve wants help the best he can but immuno-compromised Tony worries about his company and his health.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Poetry and Plants by the_many_splendored. (T) 1.9k, Adam/Belle. It's amazing how much you can open up to a person when you're locked in a bookstore reading together.

BELLEVUE

Knives and Lighters by goreds. (M) 2.1k, Annie Ryder/Peter Welland. Annie Ryder finds herself in Bellevue's psychiatric hospital. She pretends to tolerate the whole experience, even if she really hates it. When a new, quiet guy comes to the ward, though, she finds herself intrigued.

BLACK SAILS

If this is Our Last Night by remuirius. (E) 2.3k, Captain Flint/John Silver. Silver and Flint are locked up together on the Walrus. Certain of their looming death at an enraged crew’s hands, Silver finds the courage to do things he’d only dreamed of until now.

BLACKKKLANSMAN

Someone Like Him by cowboykylux. (M) 2.2k, Flip Zimmerman/Reader. 'If there was one thing true more than anything else about all the reasons you loved him, it was that once your husband had his heart set on something, he was going to accomplish it.' Or, a sudden snow-storm cancels your plans for a date, and Flip Zimmerman decides that nothing, not even snow, will get in the way of treating you to something special.

BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA

Tell me it won’t always be this hard by Graendal. (T) 4.3k, Midoriya Izuku/Todoroki Shouto. He’d met Midoriya a few months ago during a field trip to the library. The kids had adored him, of course, even the ones who were usually shy about participating in new activities. Midoriya had a way of projecting a sense of all-encompassing safety and comfort with just his smile.Shouto had adored him too, maybe, even back then. A silly crush that had only grown during every subsequent field trip — which is truly absurd, considering the vast majority of their interactions at the time consisted of occasional eye contact while singing children’s songs.But now that they’ve spent hours talking almost every day for the past few weeks… calling it a silly crush might be an understatement. The idea that he’s actually been able to help Midoriya through this is inordinately pleasing.If there’s a silver lining to this at all — for him personally, at least — it’s that he’d seen Midoriya’s post requesting a virtual board game buddy. And that Midoriya is a patient enough person to teach Shouto how to play everything from scratch. He’d actually seemed excited at the opportunity.Maybe the opportunity for any sort of ongoing social interaction is worthy of excitement. These are strange times.

CALL THE MIDWIFE

Sanctuary (In Each Other) by WednesdayGilfillian. (T) 2.6k, Bernadette-Shelagh Turner/Patrick Turner. Set during the Christmas Special in S2. Specifically, during the unsettled night that Shelagh turned up on Patrick's doorstep.

CAPTIVE PRINCE

When We Went from Strangers to This by Aerica_Menai. (T) 3.5k, Damen/Laurent. Laurent is really sick, and decides to shut himself in his apartment and deal with it alone. His downstairs neighbor, Damen, gets worried enough to check on him, which went just fine - and then Damen got himself locked in. Featuring Star Trek TOS, coming outs both accidental and intentional, and Damen being his usual sunshine puppy self.

DCU

would you lie with me by Glove23. (G) 660 words, Diana (Wonder Woman)/Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne. Bruce catches a virus, and Diana and Clark come to help him.

DEADPOOL/SPIDERMAN

Avengers Monopoly by MsCaptainWinchester. (E) 1.4k, PeterParker/Wade Wilson, James “Bucky” Barnes/Steve Rogers. The Avengers are quarantined in Avengers Tower, and Peter and Wade see this as the perfect opportunity to try the new Avengers Monopoly set. They have their own house rules for property negotiation. No one told Tony. Oops?

omg they were quarantined by Jdragon122, LunaStories. (M) 2.6k, Peter Parker/Wade Wilson. Spidey has a cold and Deadpool, being the sexy boyfriend he is, goes to take care of his baby boy. But they're under quarantine and oh no, there's no more lube? What should they do?

Superheroes Don’t Get Scared by DefendersofMCUniverse. (T) 3.6k, Peter Parker/Wade Wilson. Peter, fresh out of college, gets invited to the tower to stay in one of the guest floors that has been left unoccupied for some time since the previous tenant ‘hero’ decided to leave for unknown reasons. Of course, a few weeks into living there and getting into a routine, the last hero pops onto his balcony. Peter offers for him to stay on his old floor because the dude looks like he could use a familiar place, and also dude is kinda terrifying, and like hell he is gonna admit that to the other heroes in the tower.

DETROIT: BECOME HUMAN

Games. Family. Love. by heizl, NickEllis1314. (G) 1.8k, Carl Manfred & Markus. Because of some rebellious protesters, Androids, and owners of said Androids, were ordered to stay inside. It'd been a long day of restlessness, and boredom, and Markus was almost genuinely excited to get Carl to bed so it could all finally be over. Carl wasn't exactly tired yet though, so they reminiscence for awhile.

DOCTOR WHO

What We Did During Our Quarantine by badxwolfxrising. (M) 4.6k WIP, Metacrisis Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler. Rose and the Metacrisis Doctor return to Torchwood from Bad Wolf Bay and are placed in a mandatory 72 hour quarantine. However will they pass the time? }:-)

DRAGON AGE II

shaking fingers, open palms by asexualf. (T) 2.4k, Fenris/Merrill. Kirkwall has issued her people remain in their homes until the sickness overtaking the city is gone. As always, the Alienage suffers the most under this new rule - and those who enforce it.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Three in a room by Tagus Knoll. (T, Underage) 4.6k, Kazuto/Darius Maynor/Chester Hayes. When Kazuto finds out they all have to be in the same room, he didn't expect that Chester, Darius and him end up dating.

FALL OUT BOY

‘Cause Everything Else is a Substitute for your Love by PadawanRyan. (G) 1.9k, Patrick Stump/Pete Wentz. Patrick and Pete are each self-isolating with their kids during the coronavirus pandemic but well, Patrick’s in Chicago and Pete’s in LA.

quarantine, or: how to land a boyfriend in 14 days by TooRational. (T) 6k, Patrick Stump/Pete Wentz. Patrick turns his head in Pete's direction and sees him, Patrick sees him, and his frown goes up a notch, and a fisted hand settles on one hip in that typical Patrick-is-a-grandma-pose, and Pete grins and runs full-tilt into Patrick's arms, disbalancing them both until they slam into the side of the house, tangled and half-frozen and definitely soon-to-be-bruised. He interrupts whatever rant Patrick had prepared that starts with 'you idiot' by tucking his frozen nose into Patrick's neck and sucking the warm air coming from Patrick's skin into greedy lungs, and grins even wider when Patrick yelps, offended as he always is by a breach of his personal space.

FIRE EMBLEM SERIES

Shelter from the Storm by Dameceles. (T) 4k, Elincia Ridell Crimea/Tibarn. It's a dark and stormy night when Elincia lends aid to Tibarn. He wants to return the favor, but she doesn’t have wings.

FRONTIER

Fever 1793 by goreds. (M, MCD) 2k, Samuel Grant, Cobb Ponds. Cobbs Pond and Samuel Grant experience the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia, 1793. One of them gets better.

FROZEN

It all comes out in the wash by middlemarch. (G) 1.1k, Anna/Kristoff. She'd knocked. Really, she had. It was their en suite bathroom, the room he said was over-the-top and extravagant and aggressively tiled, so it wasn't exactly her fault that she'd effectively barged in on him.

GAME OF THRONES

The Luckiest Man in the Whole F***ing World by OrangeTabby. (M) 7.2k, Sandor Clegane/Sansa Stark. Sandor Clegane is in isolation at home after picking up the virus in the line of duty. Luckily, he’s got his cat for company and plenty of rubbish TV to stream. Then Stranger decided to go next door for a visit…. A story about friendship, food, romance and dubious television. And a pandemic.

GARGOYLES

Cabin Holiday by Isimile. (M) 1.2k, David Xanatos/Janine “Fox” Xanatos, Owen Burnett/ David Xanatos/Janine “Fox” Xanatos. After everything that happened, they decide to spend a week away in a cabin, to relax and to perhaps talk about their relationship. They're unexpectedly snowed in, which triggers memories of the Unseelie War.

GILMORE GIRLS

How dare the robins sing by middlemarch. (T) 900 words, Rory Gilmore/Jess Mariano, Dean Forester/Rory Gilmore, Dean Forester & Jess Mariano, Luke Danes & Jess Mariano. The two of them, the diner, for how long? At least the coffee shipment had made it in time. What he wouldn't have given for a fifth of Jack-- or anyone else. Literally, anyone.

HAIKYUU!!

Anchor by farfetched. (G) 5.3k, Semi Eita/Tendou Satori. Spreading their arms out either side of them, they stare at the ceiling. This is pulling on them in so many ways they didn't expect; laying here, on Tendou's floor, in Tendou's clothes, right down to their underwear because who expects a lockdown to get enforced overnight? They didn't bring anything much. They should have. They ought to chance going home. But they can't, so they don't. Home is an empty place right now anyway, and here there is food and laughter and music and in between all that is their realisation that they're not so over this Tendou thing after all.

Lockdown by needles. (T) 1.5k, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru. You never know what will escape from a box when you open it, just ask Pandora. For some it may be a disaster, for Iwaizumi could it be a golden opportunity?

Lockdown With A Fox by runningfromrealitytoanime. (T) 4.1k, Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi. Sakusa Kiyomi was a very careful person when it came to cleanliness so what happens if a certain setter with no sense of hygiene crashes at his place when Japan goes under a 2 week lockdown period?

HANNIBAL

Crumbles of unfulfilled expectations by Cinnamaldeide. (M) 11.9k, Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter and other multi. Collection of ficlets of the length of a tweet or two ❀

Professor Graham’s Cheekbones Hotty & Extraordinary Foodie Husband by TheSilverQueen. (T) 3.3k, Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter. Online classes due to the quarantine are Professor Graham's students learn that: 1) Professor Graham has a cute dog; 2) Professor Graham is married; and 3) Professor Graham's husband is smoking hot.

HARRY POTTER

A Long Night on The Bus by CuriousEmWanders. (E) 3.5k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. In which Draco & Harry are Auror partners stuck on a bus overnight. Draco has some memories that cause him to make some choices. Smut ensues, obviously.

A Pandemic by Theodore_Writes. (T) 611 words WIP, Luna Lovegood & Weasley Family. A new strain of Dragon Pox breaks out becoming a global pandemic. Many were unaware due to Fudge covering it up in an attempt to look better as a minister but when Xenophilius Malfoy/Lovegood reveals to his long time friend Arthur Weasley about what is happening around the world the entire Weasley family is horrified and takes immediate action. This is the story of what happens when a pandemic hits the Magical and Muggle world's.

A Welcome Distraction by MaesterChill. (E) 2.9k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. Draco and Harry get trapped in a Ministry lift. Whatever shall they do to distract themselves?

An Intangible Embrace by Drarrelie. (G) 365 words, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. Harry is bored. Thank Merlin his husband had finally agreed to start using Muggle mobiles after Score was born, or he would've surely gone mad now.

And on the Seventh Day... by slytherco. FANART. (T) 0 words, During an Auror raid, Harry and Draco are separated from their partners and end up being hunted by the wrong people. Desperate times require desperate measures, so both men are sent to an unmarked location where a temporary safe house was set up for them. Stuck for Merlin knows how long, they have plenty of time to examine their turbulent relationship.

“Are you sure you know how to play that?” by julchen_in_red. FANART. (G) 0 words, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. Harry and Draco offer comfort and entertainment to their neighborhood under lockdown by performing a traditional wizards' evening ballad on their balcony.

Better Side of the Bed by gnarf. (T) 2k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. It was all Malfoy's fault. Harry could be at the Burrow right now, but instead he was trapped in Malfoy's tiny flat. All because that dick couldn't stop bothering him about a stupid life debt he didn't even care about.

Breaking Point by Drarrelie. (T) 365 words, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. After almost two years as Auror partners, they've learned to function quite well together most of the time. Right now, though, Malfoy seems to be more on edge than ever.

Civil Hands (Unclean) by p1013. (E) 8.5k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. While he and Malfoy reached something like a truce in the years between the end of the War and now, their Quidditch rivalry has only grown. And with it, a simmering tension that is absolutely not sexual, no matter how many times Hermione raises her eyebrow when Harry's drinking at her and Ron's house. Not even when his head is resting on the kitchen table next to his empty glass, and he's moaning about Draco bloody Malfoy, and his bloody perfect seat on a broom, and his bloody perfect technique.But as Harry stares over his teammates heads towards the Puddlemere United bench, he catches a flash of wet white-blond hair and flashing grey eyes, and he thinks that Hermione's eyebrow might have a point.

Conservation for Beginners by Aneiria. (E) 4.6k, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy. Hermione Granger didn't think twice about taking guardianship of Hoddholm Island for the summer. A deserted, peaceful island among the endangered Golden Snidgets is just what she needs to escape the anxieties that the end of the war brought with it. When Draco Malfoy arrives as the other guardian and they are left to themselves for a month, they both seem to be struggling in their own ways. Can they be there for each other when they most need it?

Exposure by Bridgette_Hayden. (M) 2.6k, Harry Potter/Severus Snape. Snape and Harry volunteer to quarantine themselves for charity, and to comfort the world. Isolation leaves them feeling exposed.

Flames by Aneiria. (E) 3.9k, Hermione Granger/Theodore Nott, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Draco Malfoy/Theodore Nott, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy/Theodore Nott. The whole of the Ministry of Magic and its workers are forced into an in-place lockdown quarantine following a magical accident at the DMLE. When Hermione Granger and Theo Nott are put into isolation away from their boyfriend, Draco Malfoy, how will the triad cope?

G Guess I'm Stuck With You by LittleSixx. (T) 4k, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy. Draco and Hermione are stuck in a Ministry lift on New Year's Eve.

In a Week by Suchsmallhands. (M, MCD) 12.4k, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin. Sirius goes under quarantine in his flat, but fortunately he was able to get some reading material and a friend to keep him occupied during isolation.

Into the Wine Cellar by vivi1138. (E) 2.5k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. Harry should know better than to touch random objects that do not belong to him. Getting stuck in a cellar with Malfoy, of all people, leads to an interesting development.

Lockdown with the Malfoys by a_reader_and_writer. (G) 1.2k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy. Dracos's parents are just visiting Harry and Draco for their weekly dinner when the Ministry of Magic announces a total lockdown. Awkward situations happen.

Lockdown Husband by Houseofmalfoy. (T) 4.7k, Rodolphus Lestrange/Augustus Rookwood. "Got ready to leave after a hook-up for the guy to break the news that we’re on lockdown. We’re stuck together. this is the start of my bad rom-com."

Risk and Reward by nagemeikenu. (G) 2.6k, Rodolphus Lestrange/Augustus Rookwood. Augustus (Gus) Rookwood manages to survive completely alone in a burned down cabin for nearly three weeks. He's rescued by a gorgeous state trooper. Fluff ensues.

She’s A Rainbow by Ladderofyears. (M) 4.8k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. Draco never dreamt that he'd have to give birth without Harry, but when his beloved husband is put under MACUSA quarantine, he finds that he doesn't have a choice. With all the bravery he can muster, the best friend in the whole world and a pilfered magic mirror, Draco discovers that hope can be found even when you least expect it.

Stay with me through the storm by Pinkelephant42. FANART. (NR) 23 words, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. Dragon Keeper Draco finds ways to keep his boyfriend Harry on the dragon retreat longer. Harry probably doesn’t mind.

Ten below and falling by agentmoppet. (E) 8.6k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. In which a pandemic results in Harry being locked in the Astronomy tower with Malfoy while they struggle to find the cure.

The Question of When by Misdemeanor1331. (G) 5.3k, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy. When a global pandemic emerges, Draco and Hermione are once again called upon to discover a vaccine.

Unlikely Quarantine fellows by Isimile. (T) 861 words, Neville Longbottom & Blaise Zabini. Neville and Blaise are quarantined together following an accident in their potions class and they get talking.

HAWAII FIVE-O

Spring Break by stephmex. (T) 3.5k, Steve McGarrett/Danny Williams. Danny had been looking forward to this trip for weeks, ever since the Christmas holidays when he had planned the Spring Break vacation together with Grace. But as much as he’d been looking forward to it, boarding the plane with Charlie's small hand grasped tightly in his own feels slightly off. One thing feeling off is this stupid new virus that you just can’t ignore because the news coverage is all over the place. The other thing feeling off goes by the name of Steve—and Danny is leaving him behind with insomnia and a concussion and the sure knowledge that there is something that Steve is not telling him.

HOUSE OF CARDS

Skilled Hands and Talented Tongues by goreds. (M) 1.2k, Remy Danton/Jackie Sharp/Alan Cooke. Frank Underwood's made enemies, so it's no surprise that Jackie Sharp and Remy Danton get locked down due to a threat during one of their meetings at the White House. But Alan Cooke's there too, which just creates a brand new dynamic.

Isolated by Slashaddict96. (T) 1.3k, Connor Bowers/Richie Tozier. Richie and his parents get stuck isolated at the hospital when a dangerous outbreak occurs. What's worse it's with his least favorite person

IWATOBI SWIM CLUB (MAZE RUNNER CROSSOVER)

Free from the Maze by runningfromrealitytoanime. (Graphic Depictions of Violence, MCD). 33k, WIP, Gen. Haru finds himself without his memories except for his name before he was chucked into the Glade populated entirely by boys. As he tries to make sense of his new life amongst the Gladers, Haru realizes there is only one goal in mind: to run and escape the Maze.

KINGSMAN

Rarely Pure and Never Simple by andthenshesaid-write. (T) 2.3k, Harry Hart/Gary “Eggsy” Unwin. Eggsy and Harry get stuck in a train. Some important things need to be said.

LITTLE WOMEN

a party hardly ever goes the way it is planned by middlemarch. (G) 900 words, Theodore Laurence/Amy March, Friedrich Bhaer/Josephine March. Teddy had written she must come. He had run out of arguments.

Distances by MercuryGray. (G) 1.5k WIP, John Brooke/Margaret March. A Modern March AU - In the midst of global pandemic, the March and Brooke families are trying hold it together.

MCU

Bracing by babywarg. (G) 2.5k, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange. In which Tony Stark makes a few declarations in response to a disease outbreak, and brooks no dissent.

Must Love Dogs (Right Here at the End of the Line) by bookjunkiecat. (G) 2.3k, Bucky & PTSD, Bucky & Pal (dog), Bucky & Steve. During the virus pandemic, an already fragile Bucky has to venture out to pick up more of his very necessary meds. Returning home, he has a panic attack and retreats into an alley. While there he rescues a dog...or rather, the dog rescues him. Once he calms down, Bucky calls a veternarian's office, and reaches a warm, calm man named Steve.

Take Two by heyjupiter. (T) 14.1k, Bruce Banner/Tony Stark. When Tony Stark is injured in Afghanistan, he wakes up in captivity to find that a mysterious American doctor has plugged his heart into a car battery and saved his life. Tony is determined to repay the favor; when he escapes from the Ten Rings, he's taking Bruce Banner with him.

MERCY STREET

I took my Power in my hand by middlemarch. (G) 1.9k, Jedediah Foster/Mary Phinney. It wouldn't do to consider just what it was that had spilled. It was war, it was a kitchen with a corrupt steward, it was a rapidly warming April in Virginia and the man she wasn't supposed to have any finer feelings for was looking at her quizzically.

MERLIN

Merlin Versus Quarantine by coconutknightshade. (T) 1.3k WIP, Merlin/Arthur Pendragon, Leon/Morgana. Merlin isn't quite 50 Shades of Done with Quarantine, but he and Arthur do have dry-erase "Day's Since Last Meltdown" boards mounted in the kitchen.

The Night Is So Long When Everything’s Wrong by Hum My Name. (G) 4.2k, Merlin & Arthur Pendragon. One month after banishing Merlin, Arthur's given a message in the form of a dirty red neckerchief. His ex-manservant's been captured and the captors want the king to pay the ransom.Going after Merlin is the easy part. Spending a long night in a small cell with no one but Merlin with him is a bit more difficult.

MIRACULOUS LADYBUG

Love Bug by onetruthree. (T) 3.3k, Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Marinette feels the safest with her friends by her side. But when the dead come back to life, that safety is tested.

Quiet by BookGirlFan. (G) 669 words, Chat Noir & Ladybug. Ladybug and Chat Noir sit on a rooftop in an empty Paris.

MIRAGE

Murder Scarecrow and His Pissed-Off Handler by goreds. (M) 1.7k, Gabriel Taylor/Doug Marsh. Gabriel screwed up a fairly simple mission, and now he and Doug are trapped in a tiny safe house somewhere in Eastern Europe. Sort-of romance ensues.

NCT

I Go Where You Go by CocoaBop. (T) 5k, Dong Si Cheng/Lee Taeyong. Taeyong thought he was prepared for another global pandemic. But this pandemic was different. In just a few weeks of isolation, Sicheng went from the shy, awkward roommate Taeyong rarely saw to his only anchor to the outside world.

OCEAN’S 8

Every Princess Needs a Castle by ShadowHaloedAngel. (T) 1.3k, Lou Miller/Debbie Ocean. Being stuck inside is sending Debbie a little bit crazy, even though she knows it's for a good reason. Fortunately she has Lou and a foster dog to help keep her sane.

Your Princess Is In Another Castle by ShadowHaloedAngel. (T) 3.3k, Nine Ball/Tammy. Nine Ball decides if she's going to be locked down, she'd rather it was with Tammy and her kids.

ONE DIRECTION

and the sun will shine by leighbot. (G) 5.1k, Zayn Malik/Harry Styles. They're practicing self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two little boys shouldn't be too hard to entertain, right?

PITCH PERFECT

Basic Sickness by CamGray. (M), 1.3k, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell. Chloe snaps the mask over her face and replies, “I was always smart, you just weren’t paying attention. Vet school didn’t hurt either. Now come on. I’m going to rest, why don’t you go get some work done. You can’t nanny me all day. You’ve got more important things to do.” Beca shakes her head. “What could be more important than this?” She says, stressing each syllable.

Dry Spell by aliciameade. (E) 2.7k, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell. Tumblr prompt: Just imagine Beca and Chloe casually watching a porno together and when I say “casually” I mean “getting horny and ending up doing it right there.”

High-Speed Connection by aliciameade. (E) 4.1k, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell, Chloe Beale/Aubrey Posen, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell/Aubrey Posen. So Beca is a bit of an exhibitionist. So what? What could possibly happen when she decides to play with Chloe while she Skypes with Aubrey?Sin. Sin is what happens.

Ready Or Not by aliciameade. (E) 4.6k, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell. In a time of social-distancing, Beca and Chloe finally find a way to pass the time.

She’s Such a Bad Girl by CamGray. (E) 711 words, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell. “Chloe!” Chloe pauses her singing to call back to Beca. “Yes, love of my life?” Beca rounds the corner. “You’ve sung ‘Work From Home’ every day for the past 128 days. You know I love your singing voice, but can you please, for the love of the Carona gods, do something else.” Chloe pouts. “Well what should I do?”“I don’t know. I’m about to clean the house.” Chloe flips her hair flirtatiously and rests her arms loosely on Beca’s shoulders before saying, “You do too much. You’re not Superman you know.”

Watch Our Bodies Intertwine by tmylm. (E) 7.2k, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell. Beca and Chloe are quarantined (yes, another "and they were quarantined!" fic) in Beca's Los Angeles home. Beca has managed to push away the feelings she harbored for Chloe back in college—they're adults now, she can behave herself. Or so she thinks.

you are my favorite thing by iPhone. (M) 3.2k. Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell. Beca and Chloe find themselves alone in their apartment after the instruction comes to self-isolate. Set pre-PP3. Just pretend PP3 doesn’t exist.

POLDARK

Tenderness is not like money by middlemarch. (T) 599 words, Demelza Carne/Ross Poldark, Demelza Carne & Dwight Enys. What was the real crime?

QUEEN

Stay Right Where You Are by Stormtrooperinclogs. (T) 2k, John Deacon/Brian May, Freddie Mercury/Roger Taylor. Brian and John are under government-mandated quarantine because of the virus. What are they gonna do???

RED WHITE & ROYAL BLUE

bend the rules by perfect-porcelain. (E) 6.8k, Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor. Alex is stuck inside with his roommate Liam and Liam's boyfriend Spencer and he thinks he's going to go insane but when his neighbor in the alleyway across from his window moves in he supposes that the quarantine won't be so bad after all.

Just Checking In by JessJesstheBest. (G) 1k, Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor. In an au where COVID-19 happens to Henry and Alex, they try and stay connected through self-isolation.

SHADOWHUNTERS

Malec Malaise by Fluxx. (G) 2.9k, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood. Magnus has a cold! In the absence of his magic, it seems he managed to catch some common Mundane bug. Well, that should be fine. Nothing a little rest and tea can't take care of... right?

SHERLOCK

Going Viral by trillian_jdc. (G) 1.1k WIP, Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade. Mycroft Holmes has been exposed to the coronavirus and prepares to self-quarantine, which he's very used to. His isolation is accidentally interrupted by Greg Lestrade, who winds up sheltering in place with him.

Thank You John by AnAnYaH. (G), 352 words, Sherlock Holmes/John Watson. Quarantine day fic.

SHETLAND

Remote Communities by aurorlaura. (T) 3.4k, Duncan Hunter/Jimmy Perez. Jimmy Perez, Duncan Hunter and their daughter Cassie experience the Covid-19 lockdown in Shetland.

STAR TREK: PICARD

Of Malady and Mother by Boldlynyooming. (G) 4.1k, Elnor & Zani. There was an outbreak of Beluxian flu on Vashti, and Elnor was not allowed to go out.

STAR TREK: VOYAGER

Confined To Quarters by ShayneyL. (E) 1.6k, Harry Kim/Tom Paris. Tom and Harry are in trouble again. Will they find a way to entertain themselves while confined to quarters? (Spoiler: yes.)

Social Distance by MiaCooper. (T) 1.2k, Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway. The terrible trials of a captain in quarantine.

STAR WARS

Fever of Love by ladyofreylo. (E) 8.1k, Rey/Flip Zimmerman. Rey and Flip shelter in the library overnight during a flu epidemic. Rey believes Flip is part of a racist group, and Flip can't tell Rey he's undercover because it jeopardizes his investigation. He asks her to trust him. Will she? And will she allow him to help her friend's brain-damaged brother escape the clutches of the evil organization?

I Know You by Idrilhadhafang. (M) 739 words, WIP, Poe Dameron/Kylo Ren. After a dogfight outside the Raddus, Poe Dameron and Kylo Ren are trapped on a planet below, with no memories for either of them and only being able to rely on each other.

Please don’t take him just because you can by middlemarch. (T), 911 words, Finn & Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Finn & Rey & Rose Tico. It wasn't a terrible job, it was the pandemic. Rey kept telling herself that, hoping she'd believe it. Or that it would all turn out to be a bad dream caused by eating government cheese before bed. Still, there were bright spots.

Something To Look Forward To by spacewitchqueen. (G) 1k, Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren. While self-isolating, Kylo manages to make a new acquaintance. Perhaps even a new friend? Perhaps in time something more.

There’s been a Death, in the opposite house by middlemarch. (G) 100 words, Kylo Ren/Rey. Crisis was supposed to bring out the best in people. That was the silver lining, Rey was pretty sure that was the line anyway.

STAR WARS LEGENDS

Cabin Fever by Keldae. (G) 1k, Gen. Theron hates being locked down in one location on the best of days. Being isolated with only a Sith Lord, an irate Wookiee, and (the head of) a protocol droid that won't shut up for company? He's pretty sure he's in at least the second Corellian hell.

Pinned Down by Keldae. (T) 696 words, Female Jedi Knight/Theron Shan. The only option is to stay hidden inside and hope for a rescue.

The Waiting Game by Greyias. (T) 4.4k, Female Jedi Knight/Theron Shan, Satele Shan & Theron Shan. The worst part about all of this was the waiting. Theron hated standing on the sidelines as everyone else risked their lives. He needed something to do. Anything to keep him distracted from his own thoughts.

SUPERGIRL

Darkest Before The Dawn by Val_Creative. (T) 1.4k, Kara Danvers/Lena Luther. Lena ends up diagnosed with a serious virus. Kara gets a little panicky about this and worries enough to visit her.

SUPERNATURAL

Fourteen Days and Four Dozen Eggs by Mandala Rose. (E) 5.6k, Castiel/Dean Winchester, Jessica Moore/Sam Winchester. As the Milton-Winchester household prepare to hunker down and #flattenthecurve, Dean makes a trip to the grocery store, for what was supposed to be their normal weekly grocery run. After all, they aren't the kind of people to panic and over-buy, right?

Hickory Dickory Dean by Carrieosity. (M) 2k, Castiel/Dean Winchester. When Castiel's library has to close because of the coronavirus pandemic, the librarians need to get a little creative in order to keep serving the community. Castiel has no problem recording virtual storytimes, but when it comes to adding in songs and things, he needs to call in a little extra help.

Knock by hit_the_books. (E) 2.5k, Castiel/Dean Winchester, past Dean Winchester/Lisa Braeden. Dean and Cas have been living together as roommates for about a year when the COVID-19 pandemic forces Douglas County health officials to issue a "stay at home" order. With Dean working from home and Cas trapped there with him, Dean starts to realize that he doesn't really know much about the younger man he's living with. And then he knocks on and opens up Cas's bedroom door one day and discovers far more than he was expecting.

It'll Be Fine. by ChloeDarling. (G) 1.4k, Castiel/Dean Winchester. Forced to self-isolate, Castiel finds himself succumbing to the boredom as he runs out of ways to keep himself entertained. Luckily, Dean Winchester has a plan to save the day.

Next Time, I Choose Death by CeliPuff, Winchesterlovr0508. (M) 1.2k, Castiel/Dean Winchester. In light of this pandemic, I decided to write some daily journal entries on how we survived the 14 day quarantine. It’s me, my brother and my best friend, what can go wrong?

No Dent by spnsmile. FANFIC AND FANART (E) 7k, Castiel/Dean Winchester. Because the Impala is the best place to lock Dean and Castiel away when in the middle of another fight. They really need to talk and close the distance created by their stubborn heads. At least, Jack thought so.

Throw Away the Key by CeliPuff, Ketch22. (E) 2.1k WIP, Castiel/Dean Winchester. multiple other relationships. After his father dies and leaves him nothing but the coolest car ever manufactured, the whole world turns to shit. Caught in the middle of a pandemic while attending the funeral, Dean is told he can’t return home and has to find somewhere else to ride out the mandatory month-long quarantine. Out of options, he calls his best friend Benny.Cas has lived with Benny for awhile - the bed was comfy, rent was cheap... the orgies were just a bonus. It wasn’t a half-bad place to live out a permanent bachelor lifestyle, or an irritating lockdown - but he’s about to get more than he bargained for when Benny takes in a stray.

Outbreak 2019 by spnsmile. FANFIC AND FANART (T) 1.7k, Castiel/Dean Winchester. There's a spreading virus around and against it the medical staff are in the front lines. Castiel is a doctor and he just texted his husband he's positive of the virus.He awaits his fate in silence thinking of Dean.

THE 100

In Fair Corona by eternaleponine. (M) 8.3k, Clarke Griffin/Lexa. While returning from a service trip abroad, Lexa volunteers to take another flight when theirs is overbooked, and Clarke is forced to accompany her. When someone on the flight gets sick, they find themselves quarantined far from home with only each other for company. Can they overcome their differences and realize that they're in this together?

THE AVENGERS/MASS EFFECT TRILOGY

Stuck with You by sgteam14283. (G) 3.3k WIP, Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov, Female Ryder/James Vega, Kaidan Alenko/Female Shepard. Adults can handle being stuck somewhere for a long period of time. For the most part.

THE EXPANSE

How to Have Fun in Quarantine at the UN by goreds. (M) 1.4k, Chrisjen Avasarala/Sadavir Errinwright, Arjun/Chrisjen Avasarala. Chrisjen Avasarala and the whole of the United Nations, including Sadavir Errinwright, are on lockdown during a pandemic. Mild non-social distancing ensues.

THE FLASH

Between Hope and Fear by Purpleyin. (T) 4.1k, Cisco Ramon/Hartley Rathaway. During the pandemic, Hartley tries to help. He tries to keep going and do whatever he can, from a distance. Everything is going as well as can be expected, until his world comes crashing down with one phone call from Caitlin Snow.

THE GRISHA TRILOGY

watch the world go by by JemDoe. (T) 823 words, Aleksander Morozova/Alina Starkov. “The plague of 758 was a very serious issue, made worse by the Fold, Alina. Supplies were so hard to reach to the other side of the country…” “Wipe that smile off your face before talking about a plague that was made worse by your actions, then."

THE HOBBIT

Cave in by Isimile. (T) 1k, Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield. Of course the cave in has to happen just when Bilbo is accompanying Thorin to a visit of the newly re-opened mines. Thorin just have the worst luck.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS

Nowhere else by Roselightfairy. (T) 1.2k, Gimli/Legolas Greenleaf. In preparation of an anticipated attack from nearby Dunland, Éomer has ordered that Aglarond go into lockdown.At least Legolas and Gimli are together.

THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES

a melody played in a penny arcade by aguntoaknifefight. (T) 2.7k, Martin Blackwood/Jonathan Sims, Elias Bouchard/Peter Lukas. Jon is trapped in the Institute. Things change.Or: Peter Lukas’s post-divorce pettiness inadvertently saves the world.

THE SIMARILLION AND OTHER HISTORIES OF MIDDLE-EARTH

A WORLD WITHOUT GRANDPARENTS by bluehair. (G) 1k, Maglor & Finwe. I really didn't plan this. But it wanted to be written.

THE SOFT DOCTRINE OF IMAGINOS

On the Wrong SIde of the Mirror by Imaginos_Buzzardo_Desdinova. (M) 2.1k, Gen. Trapped on the wrong side of mirror, Imaginos must find his way back to stop the evil Desdinova. He finds only one other person who also was tricked into the mirror.

THE TERROR

Lift Fire by Gigi_Sinclair. (G) 2.5k, Thomas Jopson/Lt Edward Little. "Tom doesn't speak, either, until there's a strange grinding groan, the lights flicker, and the lift shudders to an unexpected stop.Oh, you have to be joking, Edward thinks, as Tom says, 'I'd heard they'd been having some problems with this one.'"

Look for the Helpers by goreds. (T) 1.2k, Captain Francis Crozier/Commander James Fitzjames. Dr. Francis Crozier, stuck at home, lends a hand to his sick next-door neighbor, James Fitzjames.

THE TRANSFORMERS

Maybe it’s enough by choomchoom. (T) 2.8k, Drift/Rodimus, Prowl/Starscream. The boys deal with the pandemic.

Quarantined by pipermca. (G) 2.7k, Gen. Even when the Decepticons are forced into quarantine to stop the spread of a deadly disease, Soundwave still has work to do. If only his cassettes would keep it down...

THE UNTAMED

The Usefulness of Bunnies as Messengers is Strictly Dependant on the Bunny In Question by theskyandsea. (G) 2.8k, Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian is quarantined in an apartment with Jiang Cheng and it's going about as well as one would expect. Which is to say, the second Wei Wuxian discovers just how hot his across-the-street neighbour is he jumps at the opportunity to talk to someone else.Even if that talking is through the medium of messenger bunnies.

We’re on a boat and... by chatcolat. (T) 1.4k, Gen. Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian get stuck on a boat and accidentally end up talking to each other for five minutes while they wait for rescue.

THE WITCHER

Carefully We Gather by tackytiger. (M) 2.4k, Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier. They've been snowed in at the inn for six days now, and Jaskier still isn't speaking to Geralt.It's just, killing monsters is what Geralt does. Just because this one came a little bit too close to killing him first, doesn't mean that Jaskier has to get in a sulk about it. And why does he care so much, anyway?

Distanced Dears by jaskiersvalley. (T) 2.2k, Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier, Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach/Geralt of Rivia, Geralt of Rivia/Yennefer z Vengerbergu, Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach/Jaskier, Geralt/Jaskier/Yennefer/Cahir. Given the fact Geralt worked in the Accident and Emergency department, it was highly likely he would catch the virus, even with every precaution. Not wanting to put his whole family at risk, he and Cahir move into Cahir's old flat and they try to weather the storm by themselves when Geralt does get infected.

No More Water, but Fire Next Time by ladivvinatravestia. (T) 7.7k, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon & Jaskier, Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier. Jaskier and Ciri take shelter at a refugee camp following the fall of Cintra, where they find that Pestilence and War often ride together.

oh my god they were plague-mates by wombatpop. (T) 4.3k, Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier. “They’ve closed the streets, Geralt. We’re stuck in here.” Jaskier and Geralt stuck in an inn together. What could go wrong?

The Fortnight by Elizabeth. (E) 7.5k, Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier. A plague is ravaging the Northern Kingdoms. First Oxenfurt is locked down, and then Novigrad. Geralt is immune, but Jaskier isn't. Rosemary and Thyme is a pretty nice place to spend a fortnight, but it's still a long time to spend with just one person--even if that person is your best friend.A lot can happen in two weeks.

Trouble In Here by Val_Creative. (M) 2.5k, Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier. Jaskier accidentally barricades himself into Geralt’s room when he’s been cursed, forcing them to isolate together.

YU-GI-OH! DUEL MONSTERS

And they were quarantine-mates by Alecto. (T) 4.8k, Jounouchi Katsuya/Kaiba Seto. The order came down while they slept. Now Kaiba was stranded at Joey's place for the foreseeable future.

YUYU HAKUSHO: GHOST FILES

Six Feet Apart by Penguiduck. (G) 2.4k, Kurama/Reader. You've only been living in your condo for two months, but you have yet to meet your neighbor. When you're sentenced to working from home due to the recent COVID-19 virus, you step onto your shared balcony for the first time. You meet Shuichi and really like him. The only problem? You have to stay six feet apart.

#lockdownfest #lockdown fest #Masterpost #Week 1 #fanfic #fanart #fanfest #multifandom event #multifandom #multiship #cw: coronavirus #cw:quarantine #long post

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jemej3m · 5 years

Text

radio silence (chapter 2: andrew and aaron)

andrew starts taking his medication and aaron hates it just as much as his brother does, especially seeing as the pills wont even let him say it

(heavy tw for mentions of matricide, canon-typical violence, sexual assault (thanks giving, andrew’s perspective), medication and drake’s murder)

Andrew supposed he’d deserved it when Aaron went silent on him after Tilda died and Andrew forcefully shut Aaron into the bathroom of their new place to get clean, but it was still never silent.

There was always someone there at the other end of the line. Someone breathing down the phone, waiting to hear whatever you said. It was comforting only because it was all Andrew had ever known, unable to fathom what it was like to be completely alone.

When Andrew had been forced onto his medication after his perhaps over-enthusiastic response to Nicky being pushed around by a bunch of assholes outside Eden’s, a new kind of buzzing filled his head.

Static. Grainy, grainy static. An external pressure, squeezing around his temples like his head was stuck in the clouds, thousands of miles above normal altitude. He hated the way it felt but there was nothing he could do about it, the grin curling on his lips without consent.

The first time Aaron had spoken to him in months was in the quiet of a dark kitchen. Nicky was asleep in his room. Andrew was making hot cocoa and unable to sleep because he’d taken his dosage too late. He’d noticed Aaron lingering by the kitchen’s entrance and refused to say anything, letting the false cheer dangle off the tip of his spoon as he watched droplets of hot cocoa slip off the aluminium surface, back into his mug. It’d long gone cold.

“I can’t hear you,” Aaron said, finally finding his spine to talk to his loony twin. “I can’t—reach out to you. It’s silent.”

“Well,” Andrew drawled, tempted to laugh. “Isn’t that a shame?”

“I hate it,” Aaron hissed, contradictory in every way. “We’ve never—we’ve never been apart before. I hate it. Can’t we—can’t you appeal?”

“Oh, Aaron,” Andrew lamented, hand over his heart. His brother’s vulnerabilities were cute, but there was no way Andrew would share his own. Not out loud. “You should go cry to someone who’s capable of caring. Because that person is definitely not me.” He grinned, arching an eyebrow.

“This isn’t you,” Aaron said, resolutely. As he paced back into the hallway, he repeated himself. “This isn’t you.”

Andrew simply laughed.

“On one condition,” Andrew said, pointing at Wymack and almost poking the old man in the chest. “My brother and cousin come on the team, too. And I get to come off my meds for games.”

Aaron startled. It was the first time Andrew had ever hinted that he, too, hated the loneliness.

When Kevin stumbled into Wymack’s apartment with a shattered hand, Andrew had laughed, pointing at him with a bottle of booze in his hand.

“Oh, how the mighty have fallen!” He crowed. Kevin glared and did not laugh.

Pity. Aaron probably would’ve appreciated that.

Andrew, Aaron had whispered, sickeningly relieved as the curtain between them parted, their minds severed no more.

It would only be for another half hour or so, before Andrew had to take his dose at half time. He looked at his brother, watching the way relief wormed down Aaron’s spine and had him grip his racket harder.

It was their first game on the line. Most of the team hated Andrew and his merry band of monsters, of which had grown from three to four when Kevin promised Andrew that he would find him something to live for after his medicated euphoria eventually wore off. It was a lousy promise at best: Andrew had no disillusions about finding satisfaction in his life, and no desire to lie to himself either. Kevin’s miserable obsession with Exy couldn’t fill the gaping wound that’d been carved into Andrew’s chest the minute that Tilda left him in the plastic bucket of baby rejects.

The connection with Aaron strengthened as the withdrawal kicked up, sped up by the gruelling game. The Foxes lost, because of course they did, and Andrew faked a laugh to convince everyone in the arena that he wasn’t deviating from his parole.

Until next game, Aaron said, as Andrew swallowed the pills. He was too physically wretched to stifle the weak nod. Kevin looked between them, eyes narrowed. He’d probably figure it out, just like Nicky had a long while ago, but neither of them would say anything. It was best to just pretend that the twins hated each other, just like everyone else assumed.

Andrew was comfortable in the shadows of those assumptions. The four of them settled into the strange routine, dodging Riko and his Ravens and spending nights under the haze of cracker dust and alcohol.

Though he wouldn’t admit it to anyone else, he knew Aaron was counting down the days till Andrew could come off the medications.

He, admittedly, was too.

Andrew was suddenly glad that Aaron could not hear his loudest thoughts most of the time, when Neil Josten rocked up, a bundle of lies and a bigger bundle of threats.

He was brown haired and brown eyed and barely tall enough to fit all his too-intricate stories within, and yet there he was, able to tell the difference between him and Aaron immediately, running away from Columbia in a feverish demand for freedom, stood in Wymack’s living room with half-truths tolerable enough for Andrew to swallow.

If Aaron could hear the way Andrew’s mind twisted and turned over Neil Fucking Josten, he’d be mighty suspicious.

Worse was when Neil began asking. And Andrew let himself answer. Worse was the way Neil practised honesty enough to keep Andrew intrigued but continually lied like an animal licking a wound it should just leave alone.

Thanksgiving came and went.

The real nightmare was the weekend after.

Andrew had never grown used to the static, not in the four years he’d been medicated, especially not when he let his shield against the world drop occasionally, for games or for nights at Eden’s. It was enough that neither him, nor Aaron, really got used to the absence. The absess.

He walked up the stairs to where Luther had promised him liquor, opening the door to Nicky’s old bedroom. It was dark, curtains drawn and the rust on the lock suspiciously etched, like it’d been tested recently. If Andrew was capable of conjuring warning bells through the cloud that surrounded him, he’d be hearing them ringing like they did in a bad man’s chapel on a Sunday morning.

One moment, he was staring a fully-fledged nightmare, dead between the eyes. The next his bottle of Blue came careening through the air, and the trickle of liquid down Andrew’s scalp was a strange concoction of hot blood and iced spirits, glass shards just to make it interesting.

It was like a waltz. One, two, three. One, two, three. One: Hand around Andrew’s neck. Two: Whispered words in his ear. Three: Seconds Andrew had to contemplate why him, like he was thirteen again. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two—

“Andrew,” Aaron snarled, more terrified for Andrew than he was of himself. He’d always known exactly who Drake was, who the Spears were: He’d almost been there. He’d certainly heard every one of Andrew’s broken cadences, desperately searching for an out.

And yet there he stood, bloodied, with Neil’s racket in his hands and blood across his face. Andrew couldn't hear himself, not when he laughed, not when he demanded if the blood was Aaron’s, not when Luther appeared in the doorway clutching the silver cross that dangled across his throat.

Remember? Andrew laughed. Cackled. Remember when you insisted it was just a misunderstanding?

“He told you, and you still brought him here?” Aaron said, cold, furious. They were closer and more intricately woven than anyone knew, Andrew clutching onto Aaron’s bloodied shirt as Neil covered him up with a sheet, laughter still wracking his body like a bloody cough. “Get out. Get out!”

Wasn’t it just niche, the way everything worked out. Aaron was lugged off in police custody whilst Andrew was strapped to a stretcher, paramedics shining light into his eyes. He was still buzzing too high off the ground to reach out to Aaron and see if he was alright, because even if Andrew cared about nothing, Aaron’s survival was still imperative. He’d fought so long for it, after all.

Neil offered himself up as Kevin’s leash, like he wasn’t fulfilling that role already. He shoved Andrew’s hand under his shirt and gave him his true name and Andrew was spinning. He was dancing so close to the edge. He’d laugh if he wasn’t so fucking terrified of losing control all over again.

“You’re not going to say goodbye to Aaron?” Abby asked, when Betsy had filched him from the comfort of his room to take him to Easthaven.

“Can’t say goodbye if you never said hello in the first place,” Andrew said, cheerfully as he skipped his way to the front door. None of them would truly understand the significance of that statement, that Andrew and Aaron had never said hello, nor goodbye. There was no need if they never left you alone.

He ignored the way Neil watched him as he left, ignored the idle chatter Betsy filled the car with, ignored the introduction of his psychiatric team.

In hindsight, perhaps he should have taken more care. It was too late now.

Andrew, Aaron breathed, when the fogginess lifted perhaps two weeks later. He had no way of telling, really. Andrew had his head in a bucket, the smooth plastic his constant view. Aaron’s voice was—admittedly—a comfort. Andrew, are you alright?

You still behind bars? Andrew asked, craning his neck as he settled back into his stiff, unforgiving bed and its cold, unyielding sheets.

Matt’s mom paid my bail. We’re heading up to New York for Christmas as thanks.

You’re not telling me something.

Aaron made a derisive noise. Andrew was always the more perceptive one. Neil knows.

How.

He figured it out. I don’t know how. He told me to tell you not to let Proust near you before he left yesterday.

Left where?

Uncle was in town apparently. Wouldn’t look anyone in the eye.

Liar, through and through.

Be careful, Andrew. I have a hunch that Neil’s got privy information. I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him, but it seemed valid.

Thanks for the input, Andrew thought, sourly. Aaron snorted. Now, fuck off.

I hated the silence, Aaron offered.

Andrew stared silently out of the metal grate that covered his window, the bleak clouds and wind-swept trees.

As a form of peace offering with the only person who’d always been there for him, he said: Me too.

I’ve met a girl. Promise me you won’t hurt her.

I won’t if she gives me no reason to.

Her name is Katelyn. She makes me happy. Scare her off when you get back and I will tell everyone that you waited for months after our 11th birthday for your letter to Hogwarts.

Bold of you to assume I wouldn’t kill you first.

Andrew walked out of his room and down the familiar corridors of his ward, beady eyes peering out at someone who was walking free. He was directed by Dr. Whoeverthefuck, clipboard under his arm and a haughty expression scrawled across his narrow features.

There was a bit of talking. Nicky called out his name, concern obvious and sickening and too much. Kevin was evaluating, Neil was curious and Aaron just looked at him blankly, like he always did. They didn’t need expressions or emotions or even spoken words to communicate. It was just enough to be. So when Andrew marched straight for the exit and threw his ward-stay clothes in the bin, Aaron wasn’t phased, following along closely behind.

Andrew held out the keys for Neil, who passed them over without a qualm. Good. He didn’t feel like arguing with Neil now, when he felt scraped out and broken down into tiny little fragments. Neil said nothing, his garishly blue eyes darting between Aaron and Andrew, perhaps a little too obviously for Neil’s liking. He had a bandage under his eye and bruises littering what little exposed skin Andrew could see, the red curls falling in tresses over his ears.

Why are you looking at him like that? Aaron muttered, climbing into the car. Andrew turned away from Neil sharply, clambering into the driver’s seat and slamming it behind him.

He kept the music loud enough to drown out Aaron’s curious prodding, refusing to look in the rear-view where Neil was sat, looking wistfully out of the window. Even Nicky was quiet, unsure of how to approach Andrew when he hadn’t really spoken to the man sober in four and a half years.

The drive was too fast. Aaron shuffled Nicky and Kevin inside the tower with little more than a brief you should take a nap, or at least have some coffee, before you face the others, like Andrew was still a prickly toddler.

Neil wasn’t as easily swayed. He reached under the driver’s seat to grab his stalker binder, bound in a plastic bag, before Andrew even had the chance to move out of the way. He couldn’t say he minded the proximity, even when the way Neil looked at him when Andrew accused him of breaking his promise made his heart skip.

“I hope Aaron warned you off Proust,” Neil murmured. “Riko said if I didn’t go, he would—“

His hand covered Neil’s mouth before he could let another treacherous word past his lips. Andrew fucking hated him. He fucking hated him.

Proust had entered his room in the early hours of an average morning, smiling beseechingly. Andrew refused to talk to him, instead threatening the nurse that came in after Proust’s session that if he ever caught Proust in his vicinity again, he would break the man’s neck.

The doctor was kept well away from Andrew after that.

“I don’t need your protection, or your condolences.” He snapped.

“No, I suppose not.” He echoed. “Have you and Aaron always been able to hear one another? I thought it was an urban myth.”

“Shut up.” Andrew said, voice more of a snarl than he intended it to be. Neil was making his control slip and he hadn’t even been back for a half hour yet. “I hate you.”

“I know.” Neil said, easily.

i know theres a lot of lacking scenes from canon but its not about andrew and neil srry lmao its twinyards week for a reason (andreil worms its way in anyway, but i tried my best)

stay tuned for tomorroww!!

#andrew minyard #aaron minyard #twinyards appreciation week #telepathy au #day 2 prompt; andrew and aaron #andreil #kevin day #all for the game #jem writes

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side-effect-of-the-meds · 5 years

Note

What if Nicky and Erik brought Erin & Aaron to Germany to live with them instead of Nicky going back to SC? How would that go down? (would Erik and Erin get along?)

AAAAAAAAAA This took so long and turned out super shitty but I’m sad and tired. Please accept this meager offering of soft Twinyards!!!

The twins attend a very posh Christian school but only because Luther is the pastor there. They’ve got high-quality uniforms and Erin hates them because in winter she has to walk around in a foot and a half of snow in a knee-length skirt. Aaron really likes the uniforms because they’re the most expensive clothes he’s ever owned. Bless my baby's pure, sweet, heart.

It’s also very strict, keeping boys and girls separate for the most part. Because of this, the twins don’t see each other very often. However, since Aaron’s been going to school here since before Erin moved to Columbia, he’s got a fair amount of friends. He’s notorious for getting all the girls because he’s the best linebacker on their exy team. Senior year, he gets named one of the Head Boys. His new position + being an absolute teacher’s pet = Aaron abusing his privileges to sneak around the girls’ half of the school. He has Erin’s schedule memorized and knows that she’s probably bored in class so he’ll walk by the windows of her classes and make faces at her as he passes by. Erin won’t admit it but seeing Aaron stick his tongue out at her from the window is the best part of her day.

The courtyard is the only place where girls and boys are allowed to be together. Ronnie has managed to attach herself to Erin’s side *cough*by Aaron’s request so that his sister won’t be a friendless fuck*cough* so she’ll drag Erin over to hang out with Aaron and his friends. Erin is intimidating so most of Aaron’s friends end up abandoning him in the courtyard. For the most part, it’s usually just the twins eating in silence while Ronnie yammers on and on about something or the other.

So the twins have some semblance of a relationship before Tilda’s death. But after? Yikes. For the most part, the twins don’t talk to each other unless they have to. All those twin antics? They’re done. Aaron stops showing up in Erin’s classes to try to make her laugh. They no longer sit together at lunch. Both of them part ways, spending as little time together as possible. And it hurts. It hurts them both so much. Aaron kind of retreats into himself directly after his mother’s death. This lasts about a week before he gets over the shock of it all. After that, he can’t really bring himself to look his sister in the eye. He knows what she’s done and why but he doesn’t understand how she could do it. Maybe it’s because she’s too empty to feel anything for Tilda. Before Erin’s arrival, Aaron promised himself that he wouldn’t let her devolve into the empty, emotionless monster that their mother was. If Erin killed Tilda without remorse then it meant she was too empty to feel anything for her mother. That meant that Aaron had failed. Aaron can’t look his sister in the eyes, not because she killed their mother, but because every time he does, he’s forced to face the fact that he’d failed Erin. That isn’t how he sees it though. He starts to think that Erin is unfixable. He blames her for all his problems and starts to hate her.

Erin is heartbroken. Everything she’s done, she’s done for her brother. With Tilda gone, Erin hoped to help her brother heal but it seems that she’s just made him worse. She lets him hate her. At least he’s not in danger anymore.

However, the twins manage to pull together a united front in front of Luther. No matter what Erin’s done, Aaron isn’t going to abandon her to face Luther on her own.

“Blue for boys, pink for girls,” Luther said as he extended matching duffle bags towards the twins. Erin and Aaron stood with their arms folded across their chests. Aaron cast a glance to his sister, whose only response was a shrug. “Just get packed,” Luther snapped. Dropping the bags on the floor, he left them to pack on their own.

Once he’s left, the twins began packing. There wasn’t much for Erin to do. She just upended the drawers on the floor. Snatching the blue bag off the floor, she starts stuffing her clothes into it.

“But that’s mine!” Aaron whines. Erin makes direct eye contact with him as she crammed her bras into the bag. Aaron snarled at her before picking up the other bag. It’s hot pink. Muttering curses to himself, Aaron sets about packing his clothes. It doesn’t take Erin very long so she tosses her bag onto her bunk before curling up in bed. “Aren’t you going to help me?” Prying an eye open, Erin stared at her brother until he gave up and returned to his task. She lay there, watching as he cleared the remainder of his belongings from the room.

Nicky arrived an hour later to pick them up. He shoulders past the door, his father’s tool kit in hand so that he can dismantle their bunk bed. Look, Nicky Hemmick is a himbo with absolutely no idea how to use tools of any kind. You can barely trust him with manual tools but God forbid you give him power tools. It doesn’t take Erin long to realize this. Seeing him holding the drill the wrong way finally forces her to crawl out of bed. Extending a hand out, she waited for him to hand it over. From his seat on the floor beside the kit, Aaron sees his sister take the drill.

“Give me that,” Aaron demanded. “You probably don’t even know how to use it.”

“And you probably don’t know how it feels to have a drill bit lodged into your eye. Want to find out?” Aaron’s face goes white as a sheet. Nicky shepherds him out of the room to avoid any kind of physical altercation between the twins with the excuse of cleaning out the fridge. It takes Erin only fifteen minutes to dismantle the bed. Once they’ve moved all their stuff to the Hemmicks’ house, she puts it back together on her own in under half an hour. It took Aaron almost double that.

Living with the Hemmicks is nothing like living with Tilda. Every morning, Luther wakes the household to say a prayer at sunrise and to thank the Lord for this blessed day. As soon as they’ve told their prayers, Luther begins delegating the day’s tasks. Erin is sent to begin preparing breakfast with Maria. Aaron and Nicky make the beds. On Saturdays, Aaron has to wash all three of Luther’s cars. Every other Saturday, he has to help Nicky mow the lawn. Erin is assigned a lot of housework because ‘No man will marry you if you can’t keep house.’ One day, she’s going to kill Luther for being such a sexist prick.

Now that the twins are fighting, there’s only two places where the twins see each other. One, around the house. Two, the court. Letting Erin play Exy is a whole debacle. There’s never been a female exy player on the team in the history of the school. After much debate and Aaron threatening to leave the team entirely if Erin can’t play, they agree to let her on if she can pass a test. She’s got to block every shot taken on the goal by the school’s main rival in the next game. If she can do that, she’ll have won a permanent place on the team.

What a load of bull.

Normally, Erin wouldn’t care but she finds out that Aaron staked his position on her winning. If she loses, he has to leave. But if she wins? Not only will she be part of the team but Aaron will be promoted to captain. Aaron actually really wants to be captain. So she does it. From the first buzzer til the very last second, Erin locks the goal down. At the end of the game, she falls to her knees, too tired to stand a moment longer. As she looks out across the court, she sees her brother standing there staring at her like she hung the moon. Maybe exy isn’t all that bad, she thinks to herself.

It’s after this game that The Incident occurs. To celebrate the school’s first win against their rival since their establishment, Nicky takes Ronnie and the twins to Eden’s. While they’re there Nicky drinks a little too much and hits on a man who doesn’t appreciate it. He and his friends drag Nicky off and start beating him up. Erin is the first to notice that Nicky’s missing and goes in search of him. When she finds him, her stomach plummets. She beats the men within an inch of their lives before the cops arrive and drag her off of them.

A wave of deja vu hits the twins as they sit down across from one another, separated once more by four inches of plexiglass. Aaron’s usual look of utter disdain has returned and the weight of his gaze makes Erin uncomfortable. Whatever progress they've made in their relationship with the game is gone. Once more, Erin is back to being nothing more than her brother’s burden.

Aaron wants to scream. After hearing Nicky’s side of the story, he knows that the real reason they threw Erin back in holding was because of her past. The anger in his gaze is not for his sister. It is for the men that stand on either side of her, each of them carries a baton in one hand while resting the other on the tasers holstered to their waists.

Once they manage to broker their deal with the judge, Erin gets sent home with her meds. Luther is livid. He raises a hand at her but before he can bring it down, Aaron swings a punch right at his nose. No one raises a hand at his sister.

Nicky is so scared. He sends the twins to their room and they’re so taken aback by the fact that he’s raised his voice that they don’t argue. Instead, they scurry upstairs. Erin is high but even she understands the severity of what’s just occurred. Her babbling about how screwed they are isn’t helping Aaron who is growing more and more anxious by the minute as the voices downstairs swell and fall like the ocean’s tide.

The door to their room opens a few hours later. Nicky tries to smile at them but he winces. A bruise is blooming across his face, one that wasn’t there before. He very quietly tells the twins to get packed. Erin refuses but Nicky doesn’t stick around to hear it. He leaves Aaron to pack and deal with his sister. Erin just turns her back to him and starts fake snoring. Aaron is ready to pull his hair out. He clears all of his clothes from his drawers and, after some debate, stuffs them into the pink duffel. There’s no point in picking a fight with Erin. He shoves her things into the blue bag and grabs whatever else he thinks he really needs. Nicky calls them and Erin rolls out of bed to follow Aaron down. There’s a taxi cab waiting outside. Maria is sobbing. One of Luther’s cars is gone. Nicky kisses his mother goodbye while she begs him not to leave. Her pleas fall on deaf ears. Instead, Nicky waves the twins into the cab.

On the way to the airport, Nicky tells the twins that they’re going for a little vacation to Germany. It’s not a vacation and the twins know it but neither of them says it. Erin asks how Nicky intends to pay for the tickets and the color drains from his face. She laughs in his face. After a great deal of bargaining, Erin agrees to use the twins’ inheritance to book their tickets to Germany. She only agrees because Luther forbade Nicky from seeing Erik again. In moving to Germany, Erin is not only using up all her mother’s money but she’s now disobeying Luther, helping Nicky, and taking her brother far away from the memories of his sorry excuse for a mother.

Aaron is not pleased. He hates this. Whether or not they could pay for the flight wasn’t the question. What Luther was going to do to them was. Would he follow them out there? Would he report them as missing? What if Nicky got in trouble? FuckFuckFuckFuckFuck

Erik is waiting for them at the airport. Erin may be gay but she knows a hot guy when she sees one. As much as she wants her cousin to be happy, she’s also wary of this sunny-funny, happy-go-lucky man.

Erik has never met either of the twins but he’s heard a lot about both of them. He’s aware of Erin’s violent tendencies and overprotectiveness towards her brother so, rather than scooping them up in his arms for a giant bear hug, he extends a hand out to them. Both twins surge forward to take it but Erin beats her brother.

“You must be-” Erik’s words are cut off just like the circulation in his hand as Erin squeezes it. A poisonous smile spreads across her features. Mirth glitters in her dark brown eyes as they watch him squirm.

“Erin, please,” Nicky begs as his hands clasped over her wrists.

Yanking her hand out of his grasp, Erin grabs Nicky by the shirt and draws him close. “What have I said about that word?” she asks. All the playfulness is gone from her voice. Now, her words are laced with an unspoken warning.

“I won’t say it again,” Nicky promises hastily. “But you have to promise not to hurt Erik and his family.”

“Oh, Nicholas, I don’t have to do anything,” she replied. Her drug-induced smile is back but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Turning her gaze back to Erik she lets go of Nicky’s shirt. “This is your one warning, pretty boy,” she said. “Don’t ever try to touch my brother or me again. Come on, Aaron,” she over her shoulder. Aaron for his part seemed unfazed by his sister’s outburst. Instead, he hefted a ridiculous pink duffle bag over his shoulder. In his other hand, he carried a second bag, a twin to the first in every way except for the color.

Erik’s father, Stefan Klose, is a pastor and you can pry that from my cold dead hands. His mother, Clara, is a baker and plays the organ at church. It’s just the three of them there in Stuttgart but their extended family lives throughout Germany

Nicky and the twins are silent for the entire car ride. Walking in, they’re greeted by the smell of spiced pumpkin bread. Upon meeting Stefan and Clara, she immediately understands why Erik is the way he is.

If you think she was wary of Erik, you won’t believe her apprehension to his mother. Clara is so sweet, so loving, so kind. So much like Cassidy. When Erin first arrived, both Cass and Drake were so kind to her that Erin had dropped her guard. She wasn’t going to make that mistake again. As such, Erin never goes within arms reach of Erik or Clara.

After his first failed attempt at making friends with Erin, Erik doesn’t even go near her. He laments his woes to his mother. She suggests that he respect her boundaries. Clara never goes near Erin either but, once she finds out about Erin’s sweet tooth, she starts baking a lot of tooth-rottenly sweet things. She bakes them about an hour before the twins get home from practice and leave them out on the counter. Every time she returns from whatever work she’s been doing, she finds the plate empty. A few months after this has begun, she comes home to find a recipe scrawled hastily in what she’s come to know as Erin’s handwriting. It makes her smile. She bakes it and comes home to find something else tucked beneath the plate. It’s a photo of her dancing with her husband at an event they’d held at the church last month. She pins it to her corkboard in the kitchen.

The twins are, once again attending a Christian school but Stefan is the pastor here. The school isn’t separated by gender nor does it have a gendered dress code. They still have classy uniforms, skirts are just optional. They’re also super supportive of the LGBT community! They have a few trans teachers, two of the guidance counselors are gay and the senior chemistry teacher is a super sweet amab lesbian who’s married to the exy coach. They’re adorable.

The twins have lunch after 5th, 6th-period chem, 7th office aide/off-campus, and then practice. Essentially, they spend their entire afternoon together. Their chem teacher is the lovely amab lesbian I mentioned earlier. Aaron is skeptical of them at first. The last school he was at was incredibly….. Conservative *cough*homoandtransphobic*cough* Note: not every conservative is either of those things but a significant portion of the ones that I know are. Being shoved into this new environment is a lot for him but he’s assigned a position as the chem teacher’s aide. Erin has 7th off but she adores the chem teacher so she usually hangs around there too. After seeing how well they get along with Erin, Aaron finds himself a bit more drawn to them. Anyone who can bring Erin’s walls down like that is a massive asset to him.

Being with the chem teacher and then immediately after seeing their wife at practice every day slowly helps him unlearn his trans/homophobia. He ends up asking Clara for help baking them a cake for their 5th wedding anniversary. She’s so proud of him.

All of that being said, the chem teacher takes teaching seriously. After a lot of unruly behavior from the class last semester, she reseats the kids in alphabetical order for the remainder of the year. Erin and Aaron are lab partners and let me tell you it’s wild. After school labs are for a grade so they have to miss practice for it and the two of them usually have to stay much longer than the other groups because Erin is high as hell and keeps messing with things. In one of the experiments, she dumped too much of something into the mixture Aaron was mixing. It combusted and singed his eyebrows off. Aaron cried all night because of it. Erin felt bad and shaved hers off too in a show of solidarity.

Before Erin moved to Columbia, she used to wear a lot of makeup to cover up all her imperfections. She doesn’t wear makeup anymore but she’s still really good at it. Every morning she draws Aaron’s brows back in until they grow back so that he doesn’t feel too bad. He very much appreciates it.

With the twins having to spend their afternoons together, they’re once again building some semblance of a relationship. It’s really shaky, though, because they’ve already failed twice. Aaron ends up being very close to the chem teacher and Erin to their coach. The two of them have a very generalized idea of what the twins have been through so they start trying to help them too. A lot of times, the chem teacher will casually drop little tidbits of information about Erin for Aaron to pick up: her favorite songs, her favorite class, things that make her smile, etc. Coach is a lot more direct in her approach. Sometimes Erin’s high makes it hard for her to play so she’ll sit on the bench with her while the others play. During those times, Coach will talk to Erin about her own relationship with her older brother and offer advice on the aspects that she sees them struggling with. It’s slow going, but the two of them know that their hard work is starting to pay off when Coach catches sight of the twins sitting in the last row of the bus. Erin’s fallen asleep with her head on her brother’s shoulder, Aaron’s atop hers. Coach totally doesn’t take a photo and send it to Stefan and Erik.

Speaking of Stefan, he’s been secretly masterminding all of this. Who do you think made Aaron the chem teacher’s aide? Who do you think created their schedules? Stefan taught chemistry before he retired to run the church. He taught both the current chem teacher and the coach. He was there to help the chem teacher come to terms with their gender and the coach with her sexuality. He watched them fall in love AND HE OFFICIATED THEIR MARRIAGE!!!! The two of them are also Erik’s best friends so :)))

It’s not until the second-semester open house that the twins find out about any of this.

“You know, I used to go here for a while,” Nicky said, looking back over his shoulder at the twins. It had been nearly three months since their flight from Columbia but Nicky already looked so much better. Despite the lack of sun, his skin glowed with health. These days, when Nicky smiled, he smiled with his whole heart. Aaron couldn’t help but smile back. His cousin looked ridiculous clutching Erik’s hand, as he hopped from one colored tile to the next. Aaron watched as Erik patiently walked beside Nicky despite his childish antics. There was a warmth in Erik’s eyes as he gazed upon Nicky that Aaron had only ever seen on t.v. That wasn’t true. He saw it when Stefan looked at Clara and when Coach looked at Dr. Stein.

For the longest time, Aaron had not believed in love. None of his mother’s boyfriends had loved her. There wasn’t much Aaron knew about love but he knew that any man that could beat his mother the way her countless boyfriends had, could not have loved her. Even Luther didn’t seem to love Maria. No, he hadn’t raised a hand at her, not that Aaron was aware of, but there was something far too cold about the way he treated his wife for it to have been love. Aaron finally understood why the Klose’s meant so much to Nicky. Neither Aaron nor his cousin had known what it was like to be loved, truly loved, before the Klose’s. To love a person, you can not simply pick and choose the parts of them that you want. Aaron knew that know. You had to love them wholly and unconditionally.

Aaron slid his gaze to his sister. A myriad of emotions played across her face, ranging from her usual sense of drugged amusement to genuine excitement. The school had closed early that day in order to give everyone a chance to attend the annual school festival before open house. Aaron had spent the entire day wandering around the fair with Erin and a few of his teammates. They’d stepped into the school to warm themselves up long ago but his hands were still frozen solid. Sure, he could have tugged his gloves on or stuck his hands in his pockets but that would mean letting go of Erin’s hand. Aaron would sooner walk into oncoming traffic than risk jeopardizing his chance to fix his relationship with his sister.

“Aawen,” she cried, dragging his back from his thoughts. Her tongue was out a piece of cotton candy on it. He watched the spun sugar dissolved on her tongue.

“Gross,” he replied, but there was no heat in his words. She smiled wide before repeating her actions. Erin Minyard was eighteen years old but she acted like she was eight. Loving people is hard, Aaron thought to himself. Dr. Stein had told Aaron that it was okay to love certain parts of a person less than others so long as you didn’t try to change those parts of them. There were many times when Aaron didn’t like the childish person that Erin became beneath the influence of her drugs. The doctors said that the meds didn’t make her a different person. They just drew out a different part of her. If that was true then this was just another part of Erin. Aaron might not like this part of Erin but he still loved her. Watching her giggle and lick the spun sugar off the tips of her fingers, he decided that there wasn’t a single part of his sister that he’d change.

“Nicholas?” Dr. Stein called from down the hall.

It takes Nicky a few tries to find his voice before he finally croaks out, “Sofie?”

“It’s Felix now,” Coach said as she stepped out of the classroom. The twins exchanged a glance at the strangled cry Nicky let out when he saw the two of them. They watched in amazement as he ran up to them, arms wide. The three of them fell in a heap as Nicky barreled into them. “ Good to see you too, Niks,” Coach said with a laugh.

“What are you doing here?” Nicky asked.

“They work here,” Stefan said. Both twins whirled around to see him heading towards them. “Erik thought it best to ask the two of them to keep an eye on the twins for you.”

“I told you they were in good hands,” Erik beamed at Nicky.

“They’ve made great progress,” Dr. Stein interjected. She motioned towards the twins’ clasped hands. Nicky’s eyes grew wide. Nicky’s mouth moved but no sound came out. Tears welled in his eyes.

“Thank…” He couldn’t even finish the sentence. He was too busy bawling his eyes out. Coach and Dr. Stein laughed before wrapping their arms around him. Erik knelt to join their group hug while Nicky blubbered on.

“You know,” Stefan said softly, “It would mean a lot to him if you joined too.”

“Erin doesn’t like to be-”

“Group hug!” Erin cheered, cutting her brother off. Dragging him with her, she threw both of them onto the pile. Arms wrapped around them and laughter surrounded them. Aaron searched frantically for his sister amid the crush of bodies only to find her smiling at him. She was still clutching his hand in hers. She gave it a tight squeeze and then Aaron saw it. Her eyes were bright and clear. She wasn’t high at all. In fact, this was as sober as he’d seen her in months.

Erin had chosen this. She’d chosen to spend the day with him. She’d chosen to take his hand. She’d chosen to hug Nicky. Three months ago, Aaron wouldn’t have believed that she’d do something like that. Hell, he could barely believe it now. Barely. Aaron let himself relax as Erin turned her gaze up to Erik. Had he not been paying attention, he would have missed hearing his sister thank Erik for all he’d done.

Maybe moving to Germany wasn’t a bad idea, Aaron thought with a smile.

In short, if the twins had gone to Germany, Erin would be fine by now.

#just a pipe dream #fem!andreil asks #erin minyard #wholesome twinyards #twinyards #erik klose #nicky hemmick #aaron minyard hc #aaron micheal minyard #aaron minyard #reveal to me your deepest desires

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aftgficlibrary · 6 years

Text

Baltimore Masterlist

Updated 11 November 2018

cigarettes and riots. by nebulousviolet (T | 1/1 | 2,709)

“Renee,” he acknowledges. “Matt and Neil?”

She flashes him a smile, a little too knowing for his taste, then dulls. “Matt’s being kept behind a while longer,” she explains. “We-I didn’t see Neil there. There’s another hospital nearby that he could’ve been taken to.”

Andrew doesn’t care about Neil being in another hospital. He knows, with blinding clarity, that he will not be there. Matt would’ve made sure where he was if that was the case. Neil is gone.

—

or, Andrew and Binghamton featuring his constant inner monologue.

neil josten can never die by kuroneko (T |1/1 | 2,802)

After their match and the riot breaking out, Andrew realizes Neil is nowhere to be found…

baltimore blues by spanglebangle (M | 3/3 | 17,097)

He saw the duffel. It was battered all to hell and the strap was nearly torn from the bag, but it still glowed almost neon in the darkening night and streetlamp glare. Neil would never… He dropped to his knees beside it and rifled through it, looking for any sign, any clue as to where Neil might have run. Nothing, nothing, nothing. Until his fingers found the keyring. Until he found the phone.

Andrew’s perspective on the Binghamton riot and the walking tragedy that is Neil Josten.

/Graphic Depictions of Violence

where the evening splits in half by countlessuntruths (kalicephirot) (G | 1/1 | 587)

“Thank you,” Neil says. “You were amazing.”

Andrew has but a second to wonder why it sounds like a goodbye.

you were amazing. by tolvsmol (Not Rated | 1/1 | 5,271)

“Thank you. You were amazing.”

Why was there such finality in those words? Like he was thanking Andrew for more than the game? Andrew knows every breath Neil took was at least half a lie, concealed hints of the truth laced with every other word. So why did this sound like the most honest thing he’d ever said?

amazing by reneewvlkers (M | 1/1 | 4,892)

Andrew can be patient. His knuckles are red, and with that familiar pain comes a wave of calm. He has no control over this situation and that’s nothing new. Neil Josten is a force of nature; utterly unpredictable and infuriating.

But he knows one thing. Neil would not leave if he had a choice. He would come back to Exy, to the Foxes, to this godforsaken bus if he had to limp the whole way. And Andrew will be right here when he does.

falling by fuzzballsheltiepants (G | 1/1 | 4,663) (also on tumblr)

When Neil disappears during the riot in Binghamton, Andrew is going to tear the world apart to figure out where he’s gone. (The King’s Men abduction scene from Andrew’s point of view.)

i felt your pain when you were gone by elfo98 (G | 3,533 | 1/1)

Another Soulmate AU where Neil and Andrew can feel each other’s pain and how the Foxes find out.

Or: my take on the Baltimore incident because I can’t seem to get enough of it.

Series: Part 1 of soulmates

lost boy by amesbaloo (T | 2,421 | 1/1)

It fell completely silent when the rest of the team realized what Andrew had noticed minutes earlier: Neil was nowhere to be seen. Neither the bus nor the slowly thinning crowd contained the striker.

Andrew’s PoV during Neil’s absence.

our days are numbered by unknown_entry ( M | Incomplete | 13/? )

What if the FBI stop the Hatfords from entering the country on the day of Nathan Wesninski’s Parole? What if Neil was left in his father’s hands for longer than a few minutes?

/Graphic Depictions of Violence

through your teeth by modernpatroclus (T | 2,598 | 1/1)

prompt: andreil + “things you said through your teeth”

Andrew’s phone rang where he clutched it in his fist. It was blaring Neil’s ringtone. As he answered, the rest of the Foxes crowded around him, Dan demanding, “Is it Neil?”

Andrew ignored her and said, “Neil,” into the phone. Neil didn’t respond to him, though. He listened to a voice beg on a whisper, “Please, please don’t.”

It was Neil.

here and where you are by pentagrammed (Not Rated | 24,999 | 1/1)

“I exist in two places, – here and where you are.”

On March 10th, Neil Josten died.

After awhile I thought I'd never find you by Moth2Flame (Not Rated | 7,754 | 1/1)

He never came back.

The space carved out for him ripped open like a jagged, rotting wound. Never healed, never filled. A festering gash contaminating the air around it with something black and toxic, so thick you could choke on it. So contagious it could seep into your skin and infect every muscle, every bone, every organ, every pore.

It could steal your very breath and turn your vision black.

It could crawl into your veins and grip your heart so tight it turned to a charcoaled dust.

AU if Neil never came back from Baltimore as is presumed dead Andrew's POV

Anything by a_case_for_wonder (T | 4,595 | 1/1)

Andrew promises to close the goal against the Bearcats, and Neil says "anything." Now all Andrew has to do is figure out what he wants in return.

5 things Andrew doesn't end up asking for, and 1 time he figured out the perfect trade

Two Can Keep a Secret if One of Them is Dead by ThePackWantstheD (T | 1,186 | 1/1)

Kevin had ignored the itch under his skin as they filed out, contributing it to the satisfaction of a win and the urge to get right back on the court to feel the rush again, and now Neil was gone and everything felt wrong.

Wheat Is Still Wheat by monster_without_a_name (Not Rated | 928 | 1/1)

a re-imagining of parts of baltimore with trans Neil

Series: Part 2 of trans!neil

Love Hurts by Demi_jos10 (T | 3,319 | 1/1)

Soulmate au where you get the same injuries as your soulmate.

/Graphic Depictions of Violence

Martyr by PalmettoFoxDen (Not Rated | 8,763 | 1/1)

Andrew catches on that there is something off when Neil takes longer than usual in the locker room after a game and then thanks him for putting effort into the game with a little too much weight behind his words. So he goes to investigate and convinces Nathan's men that taking him instead is a better way to truly punish Neil.

Waiting on Nothing by Sundaye (M | 1,902 | 1/1)

A short piece on Kevin's perspective of the events that followed the riot at Binghamton.

Kevin has to deal with the realization that Neil isn't returning to the Foxes once he goes missing following the riot at Binghamton. Being the only person who knows the whole truth about Neil's father, he makes that realization before everyone else.

/Graphic Depictions of Violence

dealbreaker by lolainslackss (T | 1,095 | 1/1)

In Baltimore, Aaron figures some stuff out.

Colors of You by foxesjosten (Not Rated | 3,580 | 1/1)

Neil first sees the world in color when he's looking up at the boy who smacked him with an exy stick. That same boy sees color for the first time as he's taking a swing at Neil. If both of them ignore this obvious mistake, then it isn't real. The universe would eventually fix its mistake. What Andrew can't ignore is the world reverting to black and white when Neil goes missing. And there's only one reason Andrew would lose his colors, but that's another thing that can't be real, right?

Four minutes ahead by Obsessedwithfanfiction (T | 943 | 1/1)

Small drabble of the scene after the riot if Kevin had made himself tell the truth before Browning called Wymack to tell them Neil was alive

Coming Home to Hell by RayreadsDestiel (E | Incomplete | 6/7)

My EXTREMELY GRAPHIC take on what could have happened in the Baltimore house after Neil was reunited with his father.

/Graphic Depictions of Violence /Rape/Non-Con /Underage

You knew the game by EvanJosten (Not Rated | 3,733 | 1/1)

What would've happened if Baltimore had gone as planned for Nathan Wesninski is a path full of tears and regrets. One of the hardest things I've ever wrote and kept secret for a long time.

/Graphic Depictions of Violence /Major Character Death

Everything by conniptionns (T | 7,076 | 5/5)

Baltimore from Andrew's pov

“Thank you, you were amazing.”

The words sent a thrill up Andrew’s spine. No one had ever spoken to Andrew with such conviction before—at least not in a positive light. Whenever foster parents had spit venom at him, Andrew always knew that they were telling the truth. He had always had a knack for knowing when someone was lying to him, and when his foster parents had told him how worthless he was...he knew they weren’t lying. And that was what he deserved. Not a ‘thanks’ spilling from the lips that had never conveyed so much emotion before.

Andrew was certain that he deserved the opposite of a ‘thanks.’ And Andrew was mad, because he never should have let Neil have this much of an effect on him. What was worse was Andrew didn’t think anyone had thanked him for anything before. There was a reason that they called him a monster, and there wasn’t a moment that Andrew had ever disagreed with the assessment. Andrew knew when people lied to him, and he knew that they were being genuine when they called him a monster.

Viva la cucaracha or whatever the fuck.

Scars by all_my_dreams_and_ambitions (M | 3,098 | 1/1)

An AU where the injuries of one soul mate appears on the skin of the other, but they aren't as severe. This is a oneshot focusing on Andrew's take on what happened to Neil in Baltimore after they played the Bearcats.

When he’d been younger, Andrew had never thought himself worthy of a soul mate. His own mother hadn’t wanted him, let alone a random stranger. Then, he felt the sharp pain of a knife on his ribs. A few months later, the hot press of an iron left him blistered and red under his shirt. Years later, the shape of a bullet hole appeared in his shoulder and that’s when he realized he’d been wrong the whole time.

/Graphic Depictions of Violence /Rape/Non-Con

You'll Have to go Through Me by Pyreof_Books (E | 2,380 | 1/1)

When Neil is taken from under the Foxes noses, Lola taunts him. She shouldn't have threatened his family.

Andreil Week 2018 Day Eight

/Graphic Depictions of Violence

Coming Home by puddlejumper99 (T | 19,341 | 1/1)

After Baltimore, the Foxes get Neil back--in a jar of ashes.

Across the ocean, Nathaniel Wesninski schemes to get back to his family.

Angst and copious amounts of fluff ensue.

/Graphic Depictions of Violence

Baltimore Memories by Wolvesandwerewolves (Not Rated | 3,422 | 1/1)

Idk what this is. I was bored, its not my best, I apologize.

Lola recorded some of the Baltimore kidnapping. The videos surface after years.

Aaron and Katelyn visit New York City to see the ball drop. Aaron can't miss the opportunity to see his brother while he's in town.

/Graphic Depictions of Violence

At least he said goodbye by AlexGlass (G | 1,715 | 1/1)

Neil dies in Baltimore, but leaves behind letters for the foxes.

/Major Character Death

two birds by hulklinging (M | Incomplete | 1/3)

"I almost believe you," Lola says with a smile. "That's too bad. If you're telling the truth, we didn't really need the one in the trunk."

The ride to Baltimore takes on another level of horror as Neil fights with thoughts of who is in the trunk, and who he hopes it isn't.

/Graphic Depictions of Violence

#masterlist #baltimore #theme:baltimore #binghamton #riot #canondivergence #povandrew #masterlistmonday #kandreil #andreil #violence

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neilthefoxjosten · 6 years

Note

Helllloooo! Here’s a writing prompt , Andreil breakup? One where Andrew catches Neil about to run? I am ALL for the angst

Girl me too, I love me some angst! Thanks for the prompt, here we go!

Lips pressed together, hands knotted into hair, breath shared between the small space they held themselves in; Andrew felt like he was falling and the longer it went on the more devastating the crash.

Neil doesn’t protest when Andrew jerked away, doesn’t follow as Andrew escaped. Andrew slipped outside, lit a cigarette, and drew. He held the smoke in his lungs.

A count of four, exhale, smoke curling skyward. There was too much feeling where there should be none, a pipedream to good to be real, too real to last.

Andrew stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette under his shoe and went back inside, a mug of fresh hot chocolate left still steaming on the table beside the coach. The mug was a miserably bright orange, doubtlessly one of Neil’s. Seeing it twisted Andrew’s stomach in a way that he didn’t want to consider.

Andrew poured it down the sink without taking a sip.

**************************************************************************************************

Neil knew something was wrong, it was clear in the broken off kisses, solo cigarettes, and locked doors.

He knew better than to push, Andrew had been pushed more than enough in his life.

Instead, Neil took what was offered, gave everything he could in truths, and sweets, and space, and let the days of winter break tick by.

It came to a head when Andrew came back late, the telltale spots of purposeful purple shown with knowing precision, on Andrew’s neck and over his collarbone.

Neil felt something inside him break, something nameless turned jagged, but he doesn’t say a word. Andrew was never his, and he’d always promised he’d lose interest.

Instead of words, Neil grabbed his keys, carefully not watching Andrew threw his coat onto the couch and headed to the shower. Didn’t notice, wouldn’t notice, that Andrew didn’t spare him a glance.

With deceptively calm fingers Neil teased out a key from his ring, and then another. Placed beside a cooling mug of hot chocolate they looked almost picturesque.

Neil left the door locked behind him.

It took everything he had not to look back.

**************************************************************************************************

Andrew didn’t believe in regret.

Seeing the two keys on the table, one for the front door of the house, the other for the car; Andrew thought he might have to reconsider.

**************************************************************************************************Wymack didn’t question Neil when he knocked despite the hour being shockingly close to sunrise. Neil, in turn, doesn’t offer much in the way of explanation, muttering a thanks to the coach before crashing on the couch. The rest could wait, for now, Neil would sleep and hope he’d wake to an earlier time.

**************************************************************************************************

Andrew hardly saw Neil outside of Exy practice, the team seeming to have taken several steps back since they had left for break. Andrew didn’t care about that, ignoring Wymack’s tirades and Kevin’s rants. He stood idly in the goal as it lit up red time after time.

Night practice afforded him more glimpses of Neil, though the striker had taken to meeting him and Kevin at the court and running back alone afterward, returning to his new hole up in Boyd’s room night after night.

Andrew didn’t miss the slow disappearance of clothes from Neil’s drawers, finding yet another key left behind once they’re empty of everything but the clothes that they had gotten him for Eden’s.

Andrew pushed away the stir of feelings instead of trying to decipher them, locking them away with the key he dropped in with the abandoned clothes.

Nicky scampered out of his way as Andrew left the bedroom, going first to the roof and then the amphitheater. Being on the roof felt too much like hitting the ground.

Andrew almost missed falling.

**************************************************************************************************

The first game back was borderline disastrous, a win wrestled away from the Catamounts by the skin of the Foxes’ teeth. Palmetto was back to the team they were pre-Neil, Class I on raw talent with a disruptive lack of organization, an unplayable apathetic Andrew with neither the promise of sobriety or Neil able to make him raise a racquet.

Wymack was fuming in the locker room for debrief, waiting on Dan and Nicky to join after they had broken off to deal with the press. Once they entered the room, before they could even sit, he began.

“I don’t know who was playing on my court tonight but it wasn’t the Foxes I’ve been training for the past four months.” Preston, the freshmen goalie, looked cowed, but the rest of the team preferred either no reaction or a pointed glare at Andrew. The blond didn’t react.

“Your personal lives may be out of my pay grade but if it’s going to interfere with my team then it becomes my problem. So figure it out, before our match against ASU. Dismissed.” Andrew is the out of the door, followed quickly by the freshman, Aaron, and Kevin. The rest of the team spared Neil anxious looks, they hadn’t missed that he’d been talking less off the court, but they follow after as well; Neil acting as the tail.

“Neil,” Matt dropped back in step with Neil, speaking softly so the others couldn’t hear. “If you ever need to talk you know I have your back, right?” Neil managed him a weak smile, fake enough even the freshmen wouldn’t fall for it.

“I’m fine Matt, thanks.” The words felt counterfeit but it was all he had. Matt looked unconvinced, but let Neil push past him. “Don’t wait up for me after.” Neil didn’t wait to see Matt’s face fall, stepping into a stall, shedding his clothes, and turning the water all the way up.

He could feel his skin turning pink under the spray’s heat but he doesn’t care enough to adjust it, instead setting his face to the cool wall as the water pounded against his scarred back, carrying sweat and weakness away with it.

**************************************************************************************************

Andrew didn’t wait for his monsters to finish showering, getting into the Maserati with still damp hair.

He drove aimlessly around campus for a while, speed to slow to do any good at detangling the knotted thorns that had taken hold of his chest, a knot that seemed to grow and constrict by the day and hour.

He found himself back at the Foxhole Court, parking lot completely empty of fans and players alike. Save one, redheaded striker only now just making to leave. Andrew pulled up beside him, rolling down the window but saying nothing. Neil’s hair was still wet, dark where it curled over downcast eyes.

A few breaths pass and Andrew almost pulled away, thinking himself unwelcome, before the door opened and Neil climbed in.

The window is rolled up and they drive for a few minutes in silence, radio muted, before Andrew leaned over. He clicked open the glove box.

“Something of yours is in there.” Andrew doesn’t miss the nervous flit of Neil’s eyes, and swallowed. The knot tightened so hard around his lungs he could hardly breathe. It was worse than falling.

Neil reached forward with careful fingers, pulling out the trio of keys with stunted breath. Andrew can feel blue eyes on him but continued to stare at the road. He needed to turn the words over and over in his head, weeding out any uncertainty.

Two minutes passed before Andrew finally opened his mouth. “I made a mistake.” The knot loosened its hold by just a margin, letting him suck in a breath. It was the opposite of his fingers, tightened around the wheel.

“I- we were never-” Andrew cut him off, veering sharply to the side of the road.

“We were. I hurt you.” Andrew tapped his fingers against the wheel. “I didn’t realize.” Neil’s eyes were wide, fingers white around the keys. They would leave marks. “He didn’t do anything else.” Neil’s eyes fell to the loop, fist opening and closing around the keys. It settled on closed when he looked up.

“What now?” Andrew’s chest finally loosened at the question, thorns retreating as he held the answer off by lighting two cigarettes. He handed one to Neil, feeling fingers curl around it.

“That’s up to you.” Andrew took a drag, seeing Neil mirror him.

“Nicky’s been missing Eden’s.” Andrew shifted back to drive and pulled back onto the street.

“If they’re not ready in fifteen minutes we’re leaving without them. Make sure they grab us something presentable to wear.” Neil nodded and sent the text, the rest of the monsters waiting for them at Fox Tower, with a bundle of clothes in Nicky’s arms. They pile into the car.

“Did you guys finally make up?” Nicky asked immediately, voice loud in excitement. Neil beat Andrew to the radio, turning it up loud as a warning.

Andrew was feeling, but it really wasn’t that much like falling. It just took him too long to figure it out.

Okay this is unedited and I hate the last sentence but I tried! I’ll probably edit it and post it to a03 by weeks end. I hope everyone liked it, even with the angst. I’m still taking requests should anyone wanna shoot me an ask!~ Thanks for reading, please leave some feedback if y’all can!

Edit- I lied, I literally just posted it to AO3- FatesofConquest

#fox answers #fox rambles #all for the game #aftg #the foxhole court #tfc #neil josten #andrew minyard #kinda angsty #breakups hurt #aftg fanfic #tfc fanfic #thanks for the prompt!#I used the asterisks because it doesnt linebreak nicely on mobile #oh well

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eggscelsior · 7 years

Text

A Brief History Of Andrew’s Protective Streak

Andrew learned to do stick-and-poke tattoos during juvie. Nothing fancy; he had always been good at sketching, so his line art was crisp, and he could do shading easily enough by filling in the design with less passes of ink. It was amazing how much cooler a pubescent teen thought he looked with a dragon jabbed under his skin in blue ballpoint ink, instead of just doodled on top. That was, in fact, one of the top requests. Andrew considered it distastefully ironic - Dragon, Draco, Drake.

He was amused by the idea of stabbing “Drake” hundreds of times in black and blue. But why would anyone want that permanently etched into their body? Andrew had given himself enough marks to remind himself of the opposite: that Drake was temporary, that he could be outlasted. Andrew’s marks were carved as a distraction, dulling one kind of pain by making a fresher, sharper, controlled version. They were for endurance, not aesthetic. He covered his marks with black armbands, not filled them with ink. They were necessary but nothing to be proud of. Andrew had no urge to give himself a tattoo. But the favors he garnered in trade for his skill were invaluable.

~~~

No one had ever kept a promise to Andrew (Cass had maybe tried), and with a lack of any real thing worth living for, he’d decided to create his own value by keeping promises to others, as long as he gained something from it. Andrew made a business out of promising tattoos and following through. He was good at them. And he was good at protecting his goal, because it got him out of the juvie facility one Friday a month for “away” games.

And he might be good at protecting people, if they were people he decided mattered, and that felt…slightly more worthwhile than anything else. There was something in the concept of being needed that made living a bit more tolerable, a bit less boring. He'd hated the idea of a carbon copy brother that had been needed by the woman that birthed them in a way that she hadn't needed Andrew. He'd wanted no part of that shit. He had Cass. Aaron was not his problem. Aaron did not matter.

But then Drake had gotten interested. "Let him visit." "I want to meet him too." "All three of us will be brothers." "Twins are every man's fantasy, AJ. "You'll look so perfect in my bed together.” And suddenly Aaron needed Andrew, even if he didn't know it. Andrew was shocked how vehemently this hit him, how important a priority it immediately presented itself as. The first person who genuinely needed him. It was up to Andrew to keep the carbon copy cleaner than the original. No one deserved Drake, and this was something only he could be relied upon to protect against.

The only way to prevent Drake from eventually convincing Cass to have Aaron come visit, with or without Andrew’s approval, was to remove himself as well. He was used to being hurt, and to hurting himself, so he could handle this loss. Cass wanted to keep him but she didn't need him, like Aaron. So he did what he had to do and landed himself in juvie.

Then he actually met Aaron. Aaron’s mouth listed off the name of some girlfriend – his identical twin was straight? Huh. – and the name of a high school and a position as backliner on the school Exy team, blah blah blah small talk, but Andrew took one glance at the long sleeves and jeans during California summer – there was the edge of a bruise at the collarbone – and the posture – defeated – and the behavior – jittery, twitchy, he’d seen too many inmates crashing to not know Aaron was on drugs that were both addictive and strong enough to kill – and he decided that this carbon copy needed continued protection, lest he end up as marked up as Andrew after all, just by someone else's hand than Drake's.

“Uncle” Luther wanted to help “save” him from juvie, but wanted to send him back to Cass. He needed to go where Aaron was, so he shared a truth that he’d never wanted to voice out loud. Luther did not believe him, immediately marking himself off Andrew’s list of people who had a chance to matter due to blood proximity. Instead he guilted a promise out of the minister to keep other children out of Drake’s reach “in case they’re as incapable as me at ‘judging brotherly affection’ and would come out just as traumatized” and drummed up a cavalry march in Luther’s meddling missionary heart to bring Andrew “home” to his “mother” and brother.

Then he called in a lot of hoarded favors from his tattoo business: “accidental” conversations held within earshot of wardens that painted him in a good light, or at least, in a bad light with the bad crowds. A staged fight that he broke up peacefully, with sharp words and sharper stares, instead of with the fists the wardens knew he was so good with and the shivs he’d only ever been suspected of having. He even had a couple of recommendations from guards that had been impressed enough with his art to get inked by him themselves.

Pristine behavior, a winning streak for the Exy team, and his list of favors wouldn’t take too long to rattle up a parole hearing.

~~~

He was out of juvie, and he was busy. He had joined Aaron’s high school Exy team to keep an eye on him; it was still difficult to pin down all the times Aaron managed to pop pills, so he required observation. Andrew had made a very pointed promise to Aaron’s mother and was arranging to keep his promise because she wouldn’t fucking listen.

~~~

Tilda was dead, finally. It had been ruled an accident, as planned. Aaron was no longer attempting to speak to him, which was fine. He did not require his brother’s approval, just his dependence, and Andrew had fulfilled the promise to protect him. Aaron’s unexpected grief over his waste-of-oxygen mother was annoying, so Aaron glowering from across the room was better than Aaron grieving loudly.

Now was a good a time as any to get Aaron sober. It wasn’t like his twin could fill any more of Tilda’s prescriptions now that she was dead, and Andrew didn’t intend to let him go questing for more sources. So Andrew locked him in a bathroom with canned food – he tossed in Spaghetti-O’s along with the soups and green beans because he wasn’t a monster – and a pillow and waited for sixteen days.

He met with the lawyer in the meantime and signed off for the life insurance payout - A. Minyard. Not a lie. He bought the cheapest cremation possible and tossed the urn on Luther's front lawn for the bastard to make funeral plans around. He bought a car to replace the one he'd made Tilda wreck and put the car’s insurance policy in his own full name. He left Aaron's off. Aaron could depend on him to drive them.

Aaron emerged silent, sober, and craving grease. Andrew drove them to Sweetie's. His twin said nothing about the car, and Andrew didn't offer the spare key of a ninety grand vehicle to a just-barely-ex-drug-addict. There was no point bolstering temptation with means and opportunity.

Then Nicky showed up from Germany. Interesting, that his brother somehow turned out straight but his newfound cousin had managed to worm a gay gene out of Luther and Maria’s chromosomes. Less interesting was Nicky being a fucking chatterbox, making up for Aaron’s blessed silence in a way that no one asked for, as well as Nicky’s complete inability to defend himself even as he assumed guardianship of the twins.

Andrew did not have time to exchange a promise with Nicky in advance, he was too busy beating these four men who’d dared hurt his cousin like they were every man who had ever laid a hand on Andrew without consent. There were a lot of those. That meant a lot of beating. He nearly lost himself in the all-consuming violence tearing out of his core, and came out of the incident with a string of therapists and a bottle of literal happy pills.

They fractured his emotions from his rationality. He spent days with his eyes opened to how amusing and engaging the world could truly be, and then slowly he started to recognize the sick feeling in his gut and the constant edge of a headache throbbing in the base of his skull to the tune of but why is it funny? It’s not. It’s not funny. Stop it. Stop laughing. Stop laughing. STOP.

He became the dead hollow space rotting out the inside of a laughing shell. Why was he living, again? Oh. Promises. Protection. That was about all his brain could hold onto firmly while he was trying to scrape the corners of his ill-fitting smile off his own face with his fingernails. Weeks of practice tamed the giggles down to silent, hard-edged smiles. He could hear the world around his own laughter again.

God, who wouldn’t he kill to stop taking this medication? His brother. He needed to be needed. His cousin too, apparently. The promise was silent but he’d already paid out, so Nicky was his now. The rest of the world could fucking burn.

Aaron was edging away, though, drowning in the misplaced grief he refused to get over. But then Aaron’s girlfriend slapped him, yelled at him for not paying enough attention to her, grabbed his wrist too hard and bruised it. Aaron’s eyes said he couldn’t hit a woman. Andrew didn’t care if it was moral or a psychological remnant of Aaron’s mother’s abuse. A new promise was forged. Aaron was cemented at Andrew’s side through graduation. Andrew broke the girl’s arm and delivered the same promise he’d made Aaron’s mother. The girl quit school.

There were several other girls. Andrew struck preemptively at each. Aaron was his now, he had promised. His to protect. Something to continue living for. Women were nothing but trouble. They turned Aaron into a useless victim. Aaron hated him for his proactive violence, but Andrew only needed dependence to give him a purpose in life, after all.

~~~

And then the fucking Sons of Exy showed up and delivered a grand invite to join the Ravens after graduation.

First of all, it was laughable that they thought he’d leave the brother he was protecting behind to play a worthless sport.

Second of all, he was solidly unimpressed by Riko and Kevin. They were obsessed with Exy, and Exy to him had started as a literal temporary escape from prison and ended up a babysitting gig for his beat up strung out brother.

And third, their tattoos were tacky, unstylized computer font numbers, and unreflective of each boy’s potential in their chosen field. He informed Kevin of this quite pointedly, detailing his lack of interest in someone determined to make a career of coming in second, and the flash of fear in Kevin’s eyes at the implication of holding himself back to second place was…not quite amusing, and only vaguely interesting. It was not his problem. Kevin did not matter.

~~~

When graduation approached, Andrew paid attention. Nicky wanted to go back to Germany. Andrew hadn’t met and didn’t trust Erik, and wanted to delay that as long as possible. Worse, Aaron wanted to run off to college and be a doctor. Lofty goals for someone with shit grades after putting the high in high school several dozen times too many. He’d still try, though. He’d end up in a community college God knows where, no longer bound to Andrew’s side via their promise.

Andrew would not survive his medication without someone to protect.

When Wymack came knocking, Andrew seized the chance and reaped profit all around. Wymack agreed to let him bring his not-great-but-at-least-experienced family along on academic scholarship, and quietly agreed to let Andrew off his drugs for games. He’d seen tapes of Andrew before and after being assigned the pills, so he knew it was to his mutual benefit.

Aaron would get into college, shit GPA or no. The promise was reinstated another four years. Hopefully he’d learned his lesson on the last set of girls.

Andrew called in the favor for protecting his cousin and waited to see if Nicky would disappoint. Nicky waffled, he called his boyfriend-fiancé-whatever to get advice, and he finally caved and agreed a business degree would be good for him.

The drugs would wear off in two years. His promises would hold a little longer. Andrew had no fucking clue what he was going to do after that, but thinking about the future was a waste of time when he spent every spare minute keeping the Joker-laugh restricted to his face and out of his sane mind.

~~~

When Kevin showed up at Palmetto at the beginning of the spring semester with a shattered hand, looking as hollow as Andrew’s own chuckling corpse, he became a thing that mattered.

He promised Andrew a love of Exy – not feasible, but if protecting his goal could magically become a worthwhile purpose, then at least he’d have something to live for after his cousin and brother abandoned ship – and Andrew promised to keep him. Kevin’s life story was vaguely interesting, and Andrew wouldn’t mind breaking some parts of Riko permanently. He didn’t like abusers of his possessions. He stole Kevin’s phone, called up the prick, and made him some promises that involved ending up as bruised and bloody as his school colors. He hoped Riko wouldn’t listen.

~~~

When Neil Josten actually showed up at Palmetto after all promises otherwise, Andrew paid attention. Neil very quickly went from something pretty and mouthy that Andrew wanted to break for something akin to fun, to something he wanted to break to keep his protective promise to Kevin, and finally to something Andrew was going to keep for himself.

Neil's lies were aggravating. Trying to pick the truths out of the lies was interesting enough to keep him engaged. They made a game out of it. Neil was cheating; half the truths he said were not 100% truth. Picking those out was even more difficult. The idea of pushing Neil into full honesty – or at least approaching the asymptote, as one could only know another human being so well – was actually…more entertaining than he wanted another person to be. It felt like power over him.

He liked his foibles to be predictable: cigarettes, 20 to a pack, consumed at a speed he dictated. Crackers, consumed per the quantity that he ordered. Not Neil, who he always seemed to want more out of. More what, he didn’t know yet. He just knew that he gave away far too much information and far too much ground to this half-lie and what he got in return was not enough.

~~~

He was starting to understand what he wanted from Neil. He wanted another Roland. Lithe body, quick wit, good for occasional sexual impulses.

Except Neil didn’t swing, so that was out. It was a good thing Neil was holding Kevin anchored in Palmetto, or he wouldn’t be worth keeping, Andrew told himself.

And yet somehow Neil kept working more out of Andrew than he’d rightfully earned. An extra secret, on credit. Allowing Neil within closer-than-typically-acceptable proximity because he liked breathing Andrew’s smoke. Halloween with the upperclassmen. Dinner with Nicky’s worthless parents.

What the fuck was he giving so much away for?

The answer danced between them for a breath at Exites. He smacked a hand over Neil’s mouth and wasn’t quite sure which of them he was censoring, but the result was the same.

~~~

Drake. DRAKE.

He wasn’t even sure he was conscious. Everything was black, but that might have been a pillow? It was hard to breathe?

There, there was the old familiar pain. He was laughing. He watched his body react irrationally from the inside out. His hollow innards were infinite, pushing out against a heaving, giggling shell that was cracking.

~~~

Aaron. He hadn’t protected Aaron. There was blood on Aaron.

Aaron wasn’t hurt? Why was Aaron touching him. Why was he being touched?

Luther. He made his speech to Luther. Words years in the making.

The fucking drugs were sucking the vindication out of his voice, replacing it with a kind of sick, casual conversational pitch mixed with inane glee.

Sirens. He took off his knives. He already felt so exposed, and it had been only seconds.

Neil was touching him. Why?

No, the scars were personal. Neil hadn’t shared his, why the fuck should he be touching Andrew’s? A promise was delivered. Neil listened and let go.

Huh.

People were talking and his head was going to split open. The drugs were winding down and he was retaining snatches of the hospital room that he didn’t want to keep. A rape kit. Why? Drake was caught in the act AND dead. Intrusive. No. He punched the orderly. He was cuffed to the bed.

Outside he grinned at the expressions on the faces of this group of men he’d kept. He wanted to wipe them all off. His. Theirs. Fuck his chemical smile. Fuck their pity. Men didn’t depend on someone they pitied, and that was all Andrew had to live for. Fuck the drugs.

Bee wanted him off the drugs. He knew there was a reason he kept her around. But…he had promises to keep, and that took precedence. He was used to pain.

Abram. He challenged it just to be sure, but it felt true. He liked truth.

Oh. Neil let Andrew touch his scars, and wow. He’d survived a fair bit, it felt like. Those were true, too. Neil promised to keep Kevin alive, even though he was so prone to running himself, and Andrew thought of the way Neil had actually let go of his arm when Andrew told him to. It was just enough to make him trust, but only barely. Only temporarily. Only in the absence of any other viable solution.

It was time to get clean. Finally.

~~~

He fell back into old survival habits under Proust's hands. In the moments Proust “worked” on him, he distanced himself, like watching something bad happen to a stranger. He couldn't look away, but it wasn't happening to him. Afterward, he reiterated the promises Proust had ignored.

He spent group sessions silent and planning how to keep those promises. He spent individual sessions talking just enough to show them he was making progress towards release. He stole the absurdly heavy tungsten paperweight off the desk of the doctor weaning his drug dosage to aid the exercises he did in his room.

He got clean.

~~~

God. Fuck. The blue eyes were one thing, the hair was criminal. This was going to be a problem. Neil was still here, and he was pretty bruised up, so apparently he’d kept his promise against something without running away. Andrew was content with that. That story would probably be more interesting than a status report on the rest of the outside world, so he put it off till last and commanded Nicky to fill him in on everything else.

~~~

Neil had gone to Evermore. If he hadn’t outright broken his promise to stay by Kevin’s side and protect him, then he’d bent it over backward and fucked it with a rusted fork. Kevin had only been safe from Riko because Riko had been too busy with Neil.

Neil had marks from his past that he’d pressed Andrew’s fingers to, marks Andrew had considered intriguing but dismissed readily enough because it was before his time, before his promise. But this. He smashed the band-aid back against Neil’s cheek, unable to look at the tattoo any longer without needing to punch something, and Neil had been punched enough in the last two weeks to account for several lifetimes.

Andrew hadn’t protected Neil from this tattoo. Andrew couldn’t, because he was getting unfucked in the head and Neil had been a stupid fucking martyr. Proust. Neil had gotten this mark for Andrew, because of Andrew.

Neil had a tattoo that Andrew hadn’t put there. Riko had touched something that belonged to Andrew. Andrew hadn’t protected what was his.

Andrew scaled back the gaping chasm of rage. He wanted to slide out one of his newly-returned knives and carve the fucking tattoo off of Neil’s face. Neil looked like he wouldn’t mind. He scaled further back. He wanted to tattoo over it. Neil probably wouldn’t mind. He scaled further back. He would not do anything to Neil’s face right now because it would cause an adverse reaction from the shitstain roosting in Evermore.

Andrew was a creature that endured. He had patience. He’d kill Riko for this, eventually. For now he needed to focus on what was in front of him. He needed to focus on Neil, on making Neil promise to at least not purposely counteract his own safety.

“If it means losing you, then no.”

Damn the boy. He threw Neil’s keys off the roof and nearly threw himself off two minutes later when Neil wrapped his lips around Andrew’s cigarette filter. Andrew didn’t want a few of his skin cells touching Neil’s mouth, he wanted his tongue between Neil’s lips instead of that cigarette.

Neil’s auburn hair glinted in the sunlight and Andrew was not happy to realize that this was going to be different from Roland, if it was anything at all.

And it wasn't anything. How many times had Neil reinforced that he didn't swing? Neil wasn't flirting with that move. It meant nothing.

~~~

Abram, thought Andrew the first time he felt like touching himself after... everything that had happened in rehab. Abram. Cute old fashioned Christian name. Neil was probably circumcised. He wondered if Neil’s pubic hair had any of that pretty auburn tinge or if it was darker. He thought about Neil's lithe runner’s body and flat stomach and he pictured touching Neil's scars in a way that would make the boy shiver with desire instead of disgust. He wanted to see them.

He wondered how many practices he would get away with sabotaging before someone thought to try sending Neil on court to bargain with him.

Two, it turned out. He didn't hesitate to make his demand. Neil barely hesitated before agreeing.

~~~

He liked touching Neil’s marks of survival, but made sure to keep his touch impersonal. Andrew wondered which of them had more scars in total. Neil’s were obviously larger, and he found himself interested in their stories. The words leaving Neil's mouth were carefully measured and haunted, but they rang true. Andrew didn't feel like he was giving away more than he was getting, this time. He was getting closer to Neil's asymptote and it felt rewarding.

~~~

After admitting his physical attraction to the walking Exy disaster he’d been idiotic enough to keep - the miniature one, to clarify between the two - Andrew went through five cigarettes and spent Roland’s thirty-minute “lunch” break in the back room making out with and then blowing Roland close enough to heaven to yank out one of God’s omnipotent fucking leg hairs, and by the time he was done he had to admit to himself that he was picturing Neil the whole fucking time.

Neil was just a shiny new toy that he was being deprived of blowing. This was nothing.

~~~

It was probably nothing, anyway. At least the one kiss was nice, before Neil had a panic attack.

~~~

The kisses were very nice, actually, and touching Neil’s cock was very nice, and Neil’s orgasm face was actually kind of attractive, and Neil didn’t touch what he wasn’t supposed to. And when Andrew finally got bored, he could always go back to effortless, no-strings Roland.

~~~

This was nothing. This would never be a this.

~~~

“Anything,” Neil promised in return for something as silly as actual effort from Andrew at Exy. He could decide what he’d tattoo over Neil’s number after they won. He had a goal to shut down.

~~~

This would never be a this because Neil was gone, Neil was fucking gone, Neil was a hollow shell saying “thank you” but meaning “goodbye” and then HE WAS FUCKING GONE—

~~~

Neil’s tattoo was gone. Andrew wanted to vomit. Andrew also almost wanted to smile. Riko’s mark was gone from his property, his Neil. Fuck everything, Neil was alive, he could think later. For now, he had to keep the FBI’s filthy hands off his Neil and take him home.

~~~

Neil lay on his back in their bed in Columbia almost a year later. Andrew smoked by the window, watching contentedly as Neil drew lazy patterns against his own shirt.

“I’ve been thinking a lot…about getting a tattoo,” Neil said suddenly, but quietly, like it was a confession. It was almost a question. Andrew’s opinion obviously mattered, though Neil should be perfectly aware by now that Andrew’s interest would not be swayed by the quantity or type of marks marring his skin.

Andrew arched an eyebrow to indicate he should continue.

"I thought I'd never want one after Riko's, but the more I’ve considered it, the more I want to memorialize certain things on my skin. Marks I choose for myself, for once."

Memorialize. So help him, if Neil wanted his mother's name they were going to have a fight. Another useless, abusive female, surprise surprise. And people wondered why he didn't trust them as a rule.

“…A pair of crossed keys. The house key and…I haven’t decided which of the car keys yet, actually. The GS was “first” first, but the Maserati was the first one you trusted to me alone.”

Oh. Andrew exhaled a long stream of smoke in Neil’s direction as he considered this, watching it dissipate as it crossed the room. “Cars and houses change. The basic shape of the two key types don’t. Don’t be so specific. How badly do you want this?”

Neil thought about it seriously. “I’d get it today if I didn’t have one major problem: I’m not going to trust some random tattoo artist to look at my chest, and I want it here.” He touched himself to indicate.

Dead over his heart. Fucking romantic. Andrew sat up from where he leaned against the window, stubbed out his cigarette, and grabbed his laptop. He pulled up a YouTube video demonstrating stick-and-poke tattoos so that his skittish boyfriend wouldn’t bolt, and then walked out of the room to gather the supplies.

Neil was wide-eyed when he made it back to the room with a bucket of gathered up equipment and pulled out a new sewing needle, a pencil, thread, tape, and ink, along with sterilizing supplies. "You're not seriously suggesting I get an amateur tattoo with pen ink and a needle."

"Tattoo ink." Andrew shook the bottle at him, and then set it down to swab his desk off with a paper towel soaked in rubbing alcohol. "Much better than ballpoint, and I've done plenty of good tattoos in ballpoint. You're not getting an amateur tattoo."

Neil scooted over to the end of the bed by the desk as Andrew lined up his supplies. “You have no tattoos.” Neil had earned the privilege of seeing Andrew fully naked about seven months after moving into Andrew’s room.

“I did it ‘professionally’ in juvie, and I was good enough that some of the guards even wanted a free tattoo done, so they got me real tattoo ink. This is a sealed bottle,” he assured Neil, tapping the lid.

Neil considered all of this. “You don’t do anything for free.”

“No. But favors go a long way in a prison.”

Neil nodded and obediently took his shirt off when Andrew flicked his fingers. He lay back down again, but tensed when Andrew disinfected the skin with brisk scrubs of an alcohol-soaked cotton ball.

"Relax," Andrew ordered. "I've done hundreds of tattoos." He could feel Neil's pulse thumping rapidly against his fingertips. He uncapped a blue marker and Neil wordlessly dug in his pocket for keys to trace. Andrew shook his head, though, and Neil went still. He'd meant it: they would share more than one car and more than one house in their lives. Neil was memorializing a concept, not specific key teeth. He freehanded a hardware store house key and an unbranded car key in an X over Neil's hammering pulse. “I’m planning black ink with bold lines and some minimal shading. Unless you want something different.”

Neil craned his head up from where he was laying to look. His expression was pleased.

"Any changes?"

Neil thought a moment, then dug in his pocket again. He selected the key to the Foxhole Court and laid it vertically between the other outlines. This one was specific, so Andrew traced the teeth carefully. It was also a hardware store copy like the house key, so he thought a moment, and then drew a fox paw on the head. Neil smiled, wide and soft.

Fuck. He'd had to stop counting months ago. The percentage was getting too ridiculously high. He hated... He hated how Neil made him feel out of control. For years his reason for living had been curating others' dependence on him. Having his own needs and emotions depend so heavily on another person was terrifying, but he'd resigned himself to it.

And it was Neil. He could trust Neil.

“Can we make the paw orange?”

Andrew shook himself out of his own mind. “I’ll get some orange ink online. We’ll fill that in when it arrives.” He rubbed the design down with another alcohol swab followed by petroleum jelly, and then uncapped the bottle of black ink.

Neil froze again when he picked up the needle and sterilized it. He shot his boyfriend an unimpressed stare as he methodically wrapped thread around the tip, and tipped his chin sharply at a scar two inches north of his design. "You've literally been shot, Neil."

"Once. This is a lot of punctures, okay." Neil took a slow, steadying breath.

"It is not a big deal. I've tattooed twelve year olds that handled this with more grace."

"Then why don't you have any, if it's no big deal?" Neil shot back. "I've never even seen a tattoo artist with no tattoos."

Because I've never had anything worth inking, Andrew wanted to argue. But that wasn't entirely true. He'd had a few passing thoughts about the short list of things important enough to keep with him for the rest of his life. The things he was building his life on. Truth. And Neil.

Neil was actually quaking in their bed. He wanted this so much but was so irrationally afraid.

Andrew silently sat in the desk chair and lifted his left arm, propping his elbow on the desk. He gave his inner wrist a swipe with an alcohol swab, just above the arm band, drew what he wanted carefully, and then dipped his needle in ink and began.

It had been a long time, and it was an eye opening experience, marrying together the familiar resistance and yield of skin under the pressure of the needle with the small, sharp pierces that throbbed with his heartbeat in his wrist. On the whole, pricks hurt less than slices. It hurt, but it didn't bleed or linger beyond a raw throb. Neil would be fine. He saw Neil sit up in his peripheral vision, but Neil wasn’t watching the design, he was watching the angle of the needle. Andrew was done stippling the first layer in about five minutes.

“It’s shallower than I thought,” Neil commented when it was safe to speak without distracting Andrew.

“Deep enough to hold the ink, not deep enough to hit blood vessels or let the ink feather over the muscle.” He went over it again, making it darker.

Eventually Neil piped up again. “How did you learn? I thought tattoo artists generally practiced on themselves to figure it out. Who else would let them?”

Andrew kept his eyes on his work, dipping for fresh ink and falling back into the rhythm. Like riding a bike. He’d always been quite efficient and quick with his work. “You don’t learn on skin. You learn on fruit, like bananas and oranges. The peel has skin-like firmness.”

“And…does it hurt?”

Andrew stopped to wipe off the excess ink again, sending Niel a bored look. “Immensely. I am writhing in pain.” Neil shot him a look in return. “It’s just shallow pinpricks, idiot.”

After a third pass and wipe, he eyed it critically. "Yours will take a good deal longer than fifteen minutes because of the size and shading, but.” He twisted his wrist for Neil to see. “Nothing to it."

Copying was easy for him, with his memory. 'Abram' was written in Neil's handwriting.

There was not 'nothing' on Neil's face. Neil's breath hitched, and the sheer emotion in those pretty blue eyes threatened to drown them both.

Andrew covered Neil's eyes when he couldn't stand it anymore, but he bent forward for a lingering kiss at the same time. "Your turn," he murmured against Neil's lips, pressing his palm to Neil's design. Neil's heart was still pounding, though Andrew didn't think it was due to fear anymore. Good enough.

Neil shuddered under his touch and cupped a hand around his wrist, squeezing gently. Andrew let him, and didn't flinch, but he made a note not to touch Neil's tattoo when it was done.

He kissed Neil one more time, then patted his tattoo down with mild soap water, sealed it over with Neosporin and saran wrap. He re-sterilized and threaded his needle, and Neil let him begin to work.

#andreil #aftg #fanfic #up on ao3 if you prefer to read there

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palmettofoxden · 7 years

Note

Hi Vanessa it's @thatbastardsportexy (abby) (don't want to drag my main into this y'know?) and today I have been extra emo about stickball and the stickball children and also about a whole load of other fandoms. And then I decided to watch sad YouTube videos. So could you please write something to destroy what few emotions I have left? It's been a day for suffering so let's just do it. Maybe some angsty kevin day is drinking and alone when he goes pro feels? Idk, whatever you do will be A+ :)

I hope you’re all ready for some Andrew misses the monsters and is alone in his and Neil’s apartment because their schedules don’t match up pain!!!!

@thatbastardsportexy

Andrew, Kevin, and Neil are all on separate teams

Andrew hasn’t seen any of the monsters in too long

He hasn’t seen Kevin in over a month and even then, that was only when their teams played each other

Aaron lives somewhere else with Katelyn and is constantly working at the hospital, sleeping, or cramming in time with Katelyn between their shifts

Nicky lives in a completely different fucking timezone

He hasn’t seen Neil in almost two weeks because of their stupid fucking schedules not matching up

So, Andrew is alone in their apartment with the cats for days

And his days become exy practice and games and sitting around bored out of his mind

Because there is nothing to do and the apartment is too quiet and sometimes even the cats ignore him

But at least that is better than when they stand there and scream at him like it his fault Neil isn’t there

He isn’t happy about it either

And the cats share Neil’s pillow at night and look like they’re waiting for him to come home

Andrew and Neil have barely even talked because they’ve mostly just been playing phone tag for 10 days because Neil fucking sucks at charging his phone

And remembering to turn the fucking volume back on after games

Andrew watches Neil’s games after he gets back from his own

And he even gets so bored that he watches Kevin’s

Not that he would ever fucking admit that

He used to be good at being alone

He used to thrive on it

But now he’s all alone and he’s gotten too used to Neil and he hates how he misses him

And he hates how he wishes Nicky was here to fill the silence with pointless chatter

And he hates how he’d even take Kevin’s exy talk at this point

And he hasn’t even so much as gotten a text from Aaron in over 2 months and he hates it, but he’s been waiting for Aaron to text first

Just like he lets Kevin call him first or else he doesn’t talk to Kevin

And it’s up to Nicky to Skype him or Neil or else Andrew won’t talk to him

Because he refuses to act desperate and chase after them

If they give a shit about him, then they’ll call him

And if not, then he’s not going to act all pathetic and become the burden they pity talk to

But he gets so fucking bored and okay, fine, he’s lonely

Not that he is ever going to admit that

So, he tries calling Neil and big surprise, it goes right to voicemail

Because he probably forgot to charge his phone again

Andrew leaves him a quick “Charge your fucking phone” voicemail and then hangs up

He tries calling Kevin, figuring he can just taunt Kevin about the point gap in his last game and then Kevin will talk and Andrew won’t have to say anything else or explain why he called

But Kevin doesn’t answer either and Andrew is starting to get insulted

He tries to convince himself he doesn’t care

But he still wonders if Kevin purposely didn’t answer his call

He brushes it off though

Maybe Kevin’s just over practicing for a change

After all, he faces Neil’s team next game

And he’s probably trying to get some last minute extra practice the night before

On top of all the other extra practice he’s probably been doing for weeks, knowing Kevin

But then Andrew tries Skyping Nicky

And there’s no answer

Andrew is getting annoyed

He gets up and stalks off angrily to look for the cats, but Sir’s hidden under the bed

And when he picks up King, King scratches the shit out of him and then escapes to join Sir under the bed

“Fuck you. I didn’t want your attention anyway.”

Andrew goes back to the living room and sits down on the couch and stares at his phone for a few minutes before he finally picks it up and texts Aaron

He asks if Aaron owns a new video game that Andrew bought a couple weeks earlier and asks if Aaron wants to play it

Aaron doesn’t answer for a long time

Andrew is livid

How dare Aaron not even fucking answer when he went out of his way to reach out to him?

Andrew puts on the stupid food network and half watches people screw up on cooking shows

He doesn’t necessarily enjoy the shows, but he doesn’t care enough to change the channel

He just doesn’t want it to be so damn quiet

Almost three hours later, Andrew’s phone buzzes and he checks the text way too fast

Aaron says he just got off a double shift and he needs sleep

Andrew considers throwing his phone across the room

He grabs the secret expensive cat treats Neil thinks Andrew doesn’t know he bought and goes back into the bedroom

He lures the cats out from under the bed and to the living room with the treats so they will sit on the couch with him

They curl up together in the spot next to him and fall asleep

So, after all his effort, they can’t even be bothered to stay awake and entertain him

He tries calling Neil again, thinking maybe he’ll have found a fucking phone charger by now, but it goes straight to voicemail again

Andrew hangs up without leaving a message this time

And he starts thinking about how Neil is too busy to even find a phone charger to answer his call

And how Kevin has moved on to his new stupid team and doesn’t have time to even take a call from Andrew anymore

And how Aaron never fucking texts him and didn’t even have enough time to answer if he had the game or not, let alone to play online with Andrew

And how even Nicky isn’t taking his fucking calls and never called him back

And he’s pretty sure Neil talks to Kevin and Nicky more than he does

And he isn’t a necessary part of their group anymore

They don’t even have a group anymore

It’s just Andrew and Neil and even Neil is too busy with exy and Andrew’s all alone and unimportant and it just hits him all at once and there’s nothing there to distract him from it

It’s too early to go to bed, but Andrew turns the tv off and goes to bed anyway because there’s no point in being awake and clearly no one’s calling him back anyway

He still brings his phone with him and leaves it next to the bed though just in case Neil calls

Andrew is supposed to go to practice the next morning, but he sleeps in and wakes up to his phone ringing

He thinks it might be Neil, so he instantly answers the phone, but it’s just his coach reaming him out for being late for practice

And Andrew doesn’t have the energy to deal with this, so he claims he’s too sick to play

And technically, it isn’t a lie

He knows if Bee was there, she’d tell him that mental illness is just as valid of a reason to have bad days and days where he needs to stay home as physical illness is

She’d also probably tell him the exercise might do him some good, but he’s in the mood to pick and choose what advice suits his agenda

And right now he can’t stand the idea of making himself get up and deal with his stupid fucking team and stupid fucking exy

Neil plugs his phone in before his game against Kevin so that it’ll be charged enough to turn on after so he can try and catch Andrew after his game

And so he can check the results of Andrew’s game to see how he did

Neil’s team loses to Kevin’s and Neil showers and changes while dreading how smug Kevin is going to be about this

He finishes in the locker room and turns his phone on to try to call Andrew before he leaves

He has two missed calls from Andrew and one voicemail from him

And about thirty missed texts from Nicky

Neil isn’t worried until he sees that he has a missed text from Aaron and one from Kevin

Aaron never texts him and he just played against Kevin

But he ignores the hammering in his chest and thinks maybe Kevin is just rubbing the victory in as soon as possible

Maybe, Aaron thinks it is funny that he lost to Kevin?

But then Neil checks the messages and Aaron and Kevin are both asking why Andrew didn’t play

And about ten of the most recent texts from Nicky are him asking why Andrew didn’t play with about a hundred question marks

Neil feels like he’s going to throw up

He dials Andrew’s number, but it goes straight to voicemail

He tries again anyways and it still goes to voicemail

Nicky is still texting him

Neil checks his voicemail from Andrew, but it is just a day old message of Andrew telling him to charge his phone

Neil leaves the locker room and finds Kevin waiting for him outside

Kevin takes one look at him and says “You didn’t know.”

Neil says Andrew isn’t answering and he thinks his phone is off

Kevin tells him that according to Andrew’s coach, he sat out for health reasons

Neil is so worried and feels so guilty for not charging his phone earlier

But he forgot his stupid charger in his bag with his equipment

He should have just gone and bought another one

Now Andrew was out for health reasons and everyone was looking to Neil for answers and Neil didn’t even know what had happened to Andrew

Nicky will not stop texting him

He gets another one from Aaron asking “What does health reasons mean?”

And Aaron must have told Nicky what he heard because a second later, Nicky switches to asking if Andrew is sick or injured or what and he’s threatening to fly in from Germany and he is clearly getting annoyed that Neil isn’t answering

Neil sends one text to both of them “I don’t know what it means. I just found out he didn’t play and he isn’t answering his phone.”

Nicky says someone better tell him what the hell is going on because he’s going to start looking at plane tickets pretty soon

Aaron is closest, but it’ll still take a couple of hours to drive there

He just got off a double shift and is tired as fuck and Katelyn is supposed to be going into work, but Aaron says he’s going to drive to Andrew and Neil’s apartment and try to figure out what the fuck is going on

Katelyn manages to get her shift switched so that she can drive Aaron and he can sleep in the car on the way

But he can’t actually sleep when he is worried about Andrew and Neil and Nicky and Kevin won’t stop texting him, so he just lies with his head against the passenger window and watches the texts keep coming in, even though not one of them is news about what is going on with Andrew

Neil and Kevin went straight from the stadium to the airport to find the flight that will get them back the fastest and they keep Aaron and Nicky posted on that up until they got on the plane and check in to see how close Aaron is

Nicky feels helpless in Germany and is so tempted to book a flight, but Erik talks him into waiting to see if Andrew is okay first because the others will get to him way earlier

And Nicky does not want to be on a plane and miss updates when they finally come

Aaron and Katelyn make it to the apartment building and Aaron texts the others that he’s at the building

Nicky immediately starts texting a hundred questions

Neil and Kevin are on the plane, so they don’t see the texts yet

They manage to get in the building pretty easily because someone going in has seen Andrew around the building and doesn’t question it when Aaron asks them to hold the door

Getting into the actual apartment is another story

Aaron pounds on the door, but there’s nothing

So he pounds louder and shouts “Andrew, open the fucking door! I didn’t drive two fucking hours for you to ignore me!”

Andrew wakes up in a blanket burrito in his bed to the sound of pounding at the door and Aaron screaming and he is confused and annoyed

He pushes Sir off of him and nearly trips over King on his way across the bedroom

“I’m not fucking leaving until you open the fucking door, asshole!”

Andrew opens the door and nearly gets kicked in the chest

Aaron is so surprised by the door suddenly flying open that he half falls into the apartment

Andrew looks at him unimpressed and says “You weren’t really going to kick my door in?”

And Aaron’s like “Well if you would answer your fucking phone or door I wouldn’t have to.”

And Andrew says “Didn’t anyone teach you to pick a lock?”

Which, no, no one did

Maybe Andrew should have, but he didn’t want Aaron using the knowledge against him

Aaron’s phone will not stop dinging from Nicky’s messages

Andrew glances from Aaron to Katelyn and then back at Aaron and asks “What are you doing here?”

Aaron points out “You sat out the game for mysterious health reasons you couldn’t even be bothered to tell Neil about and then stopped answering your phone.”

Andrew glances over at the clock with vague interest and sees that it is late at night and he definitely slept through the night’s exy games

He walks out of the room and Aaron is indignant at how he drove all this way instead of sleeping and Andrew can’t even be bothered to respond to him

Aaron follows him and insists “Nicky’s threatening to fly here. He’s been texting me non-stop for almost four hours. You better call him and explain what the fuck is going on. What the fuck is going on anyway?”

Katelyn trails a little behind Aaron

Andrew responds “I wasn’t in the mood for hitting a ball with a stick.”

He picks his phone up from beside the bed and tries to check his messages, but the screen won’t turn on so he says “I guess it died”

Andrew isn’t exactly surprised that it died and he isn’t sure how long it has been dead for

He hasn’t had the energy to look at it since his coach’s call that morning

Aaron is beyond annoyed that Andrew put them through this because he didn’t feel like playing and couldn’t be bothered to plug his fucking phone in

But he is also so relieved that Andrew is alright

Andrew takes his phone and charger to the living room and plugs it in

Aaron texts Nicky, Kevin, and Neil that Andrew’s fine and his phone was dead while Andrew waits for his phone to turn back on

Aaron tells him Kevin and Neil are on a plane on their way there

Andrew’s phone turns on and fills with notifications about texts and missed calls and voicemails

He grabs Neil’s laptop and calls Nicky on Skype and puts it on the table

Nicky answers immediately and looks super fucking concerned still and like this has taken five years off of his life

Erik is sitting right beside him and smiles at the sight of Andrew

Andrew says “I’m alive, Nicky. Calm the fuck down.”

It’s too early in the morning for Nicky and Erik to be up and clearly, they’ve been up for hours and they stay on Skype to talk to them

And Nicky warns Andrew to never do that again and that he and Neil can’t both walk around with dead phones

And Nicky does most of the talking while Andrew just sits there and listens and they are all overreacting so much and Andrew can’t quite make himself be annoyed by it

Because Aaron looks like fucking shit, but he came here for him

And Erik brings coffee for him and Nicky, but they both look so tired and Nicky is overkill lecturing Andrew, but Andrew has kind of missed the way Nicky can talk a topic to death

And they knew he wasn’t playing

They noticed

They actually went to watch the night’s exy games

And not just the Neil vs. Kevin one

And Andrew feels a little less totally on the fucking outs

Because it’s hard to feel like they totally don’t give a shit about him when he’s got Nicky on Skype and Aaron there in person

And Kevin and Neil are on the way

And he isn’t even quite as annoyed as usual with Katelyn because she is here because Aaron showed up for Andrew

Eventually, Nicky and Erik set Nicky’s laptop down on the kitchen counter and stop talking for a few minutes to make breakfast because they are starving, but they don’t want to hang up

And Andrew, Aaron, and Katelyn are left sitting there listening to the sounds of Nicky and Erik’s kitchen

And then Aaron asks if Andrew has the game he texted him about

And the twins play the game while Katelyn watches because it is easier for them than talking

And they point the laptop at the tv screen so Nicky can see who is winning while he eats

Kevin and Neil are still worried, despite Aaron’s brief text

Neil is more worried than Kevin, but they are both concerned

The fact that even if Andrew really is okay, he is alone with Aaron and Katelyn does not make Neil any less worried

And Andrew still hasn’t called Neil again and Nicky and Aaron have stopped texting altogether

And Neil tries texting Aaron but gets no response because Aaron is too busy playing video games and between the video game volume, Nicky shouting advice, and Aaron swearing at the tv, it’s a little loud to hear Aaron’s phone

Kevin and Neil rush to Andrew and Neil’s apartment

When they get there, Neil throws the door open to find Andrew and Aaron playing video games with Nicky cheering them on over Skype while Katelyn brings a couple cups of coffee for her and Aaron from the kitchen

And Neil has no idea what he was expecting to find, but he knows this wasn’t it

As soon as Kevin is sure Andrew is okay, he goes to the kitchen in search of alcohol

It’s already late and they’re all there anyway, so they all stay up for a while drinking and playing video games (and Nicky joins in the games online)

They all stay the night at Andrew and Neil’s apartment (except obviously, Erik and Nicky, although they keep the party going over Skype)

And Andrew wakes up in the morning annoyed by how over-crowded his bed is with Neil and King and Sir

And by how over-crowded his apartment is so that he can hardly get to the kitchen past the bodies sleeping on his floor

But he doesn’t feel alone anymore, at least for the moment

#There's pain but also if you think I'm not making it better for my boy in the end then you're wrong #thatbastardsportexy #All For the Game #The Foxhole Court #Andrew Minyard #Neil Josten #Aaron Minyard #Kevin Day #Nicky Hemmick #Twinyards #Andreil #Erik Klose #Katelyn #Ask #Personal

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nickireadstfc · 8 years

Text

The Foxhole Court, Chapter 7 – The Literal Opposite Of Squad Goals

In which the Foxes don’t exactly win Squad Of The Year, everyone fights with everyone, disturbingly weird sexual tension is more disturbing and weird than sexual, and just when you think ‘oh man, it can’t go downhill from there’, spoiler alert: It does.

Sounds good? Then it’s time for Nicki to read The Foxhole Court.

Since we finally – finally! – got the gang together last time, I thought this chapter was going to be entertaining Exy practices, getting to know our new characters better and some fun squad banter.

Apparently, I had not been reading this series correctly if I assumed there was any fun to be had.

The entire first week of summer practices was eaten up by in-fighting as the court hierarchy fell into place again.

The Foxes do not fuck around, you guys.

Let’s sum this up: Momma Dan keeps them all in check, Kevin is next in line because of his expertise but like everyone hates him, Matt is the underappreciated real MVP, next is my baby Renee who is still calm and gentle (and I’m not buying one bit of it), and then the rest is left to bash each other’s heads in at the bottom of the pecking order.

It seemed Allison and Seth didn’t believe much in middle ground: either they were slinging vile insults at each other or they were making out in the locker room regardless of whoever might be around.

Oh Allison, I was just debating on whether to like your or not, but you sort of took that decision from me with your choice in sexy-time partners.

I’m sorry. I still deeply, deeply dislike Seth.

Here’s to hoping he comes around at some point.

Even Andrew seemed quite taken with [Renee]. Neil saw them talking off to the side several times throughout the week. It was obvious no one else approved of their odd friendship, but neither goalkeeper paid any mind to the unhappy looks sent their way.

This is amazing. I cannot get over how amazing this Brotp is. Goalie BFFs for LIFE <3

Also, how is Renee so wonderful, how is she even REAL.

(She’s not. They’re all fictional. I have to constantly remind myself of that.)

I’m also beginning to realize how far we’ve already come in this book. We’re halfway, you guys, and they’ve only now got the whole team together and are starting summer practices. We may not even meet Riko and the gang in this book, let alone play any league Exy games.

Halfway, what the hell. It feels like it just fucking started.

Speaking about getting started! Remember that fun party trip with Kandreil, Exy Courfeyrac and Small, Blonde And Shady that was promised to us last chapter? Well, it’s time to suit up, guys, ‘cause we’re going to Columbia.

“This is for you,” Nicky said. “Andrew said you don’t have anything appropriate for where we’re going. He told me what size to get you, and I picked it out. Trust me, it’s awesome.”

Not to be gay but……… How does Andrew know Neil’s size………..

Can’t be an educated guess, Nicky could have done that himself, so the only logical conclusion I get from this is that Andrew paid special attention to Neil’s clothing size when going through his duffel in case he’d need to get him an outfit for something at some point.

I can’t decide if that’s more creepy or cute.

Today’s Casually Mentioned, Yet Heart-Breakingly Sad Neil Fact is this:

Nicky hooked the twine handle over Neil’s fingers. Neil watched him do it, trying to remember the last time someone gave him a gift and coming up blank. That his first one should be from Andrew was unsettling.

No shit dude, I’d be unsettled by that as well. Gifts from Andrew could, in all likelihood, include everything from bloody knives to living snakes to tips on how to get the freshest ‘I just murdered a dude’ look, none of which sound particularly appealing to me.

“Ditch them tonight. Your contacts, I mean. (…) It’s not like they’re a secret. Anyone who’s looking can see the ring in your eyes that means you’re wearing lenses. I saw ‘em day one.”

I fucking called it. You can seriously always tell when someone is wearing contacts, especially if they’re coloured. I just spent an entire weekend at a cosplay convention, trust me, you can tell.

“And seriously, brown? How boring can you be?”

“I like brown.”

“Andrew doesn’t,” Nicky said. “Take them out.”

And since when does Andrew’s opinion on Neil’s appearance matter? Homeboy seems to have a pretty defined taste in boyfriends. The ‘creepy or cute’ question begins to lean more towards creepy.

Every piece of [the outfit] was black. The cargoes were light and cut to accommodate a pair of heavy boots. The shirt was long-sleeved, tight and fashioned to look like it’d been torn through in places. A charcoal inner layer peeked out through the gashes.

So what we’re saying is that Nicky shops at the Tumblr Department of the Soft Edgy Grunge Moodboard Store?

(10/10 would wear in real life. GIMME.)

Right on cue, the monsters show up again, and we’re kicking off this night of disturbing debauchery with yet another ‘creepy or cute’ incident:

Neil couldn’t leave with Andrew in the way, so he stopped as close to Andrew as he dared and waited for Andrew to move. Andrew did, but only to reach out for Neil with one hand. Neil tensed as Andrew’s finger wrapped around the back of his neck, but Andrew only wanted to pull Neil’s head down. Neil focused on Andrew’s cheekbone so as not to go cross-eyed and let Andrew study his eyes.

A classic. Blocking your boyfriend’s way, getting into his personal space, pulling his head as close to yours as possibly to check out his eyes, who gave Andrew a handbook on how to aggressively flirt with people and how can we take it from him.

Nicky perked up as the two stepped into the living room, but his happy expression faltered when he got a look at Neil. “Oh man. Neil, you clean up good. Can I say that, or is that against the rules? Just – damn. Aaron, don’t let me get too drunk tonight.”

Andrew (…) put his lighter in Nicky’s face.

“Don’t make me kill you,” Andrew said.

Nicky held up his hands in self-defense. “I know.”

“Do you?”

“Promise,” Nicky said weakly.

This just in: Neil is a Banger™ and Andrew is Possessive™.

I’m still undecided on the ‘creepy or cute’ matter, although I have to admit I find this scene wonderfully funny. Because honestly, everyone having the hots for Neil and talking about how attractive he is while Neil just doesn’t care is probably one of my favourite things about this.

They drive out to Columbia and at this point I got really excited. Fun party times! Banter! Nicky fucking killing it on the floor! It’s gonna be great!!

Oh boy.

Was I an idiot.

The first stop on this night of debauchery is a nice little restaurant where they stop for some ice cream. Oh, sorry, did I say ice cream? I meant fucking drugs.

This is not off to a good start.

Next up: Fun club time!

There was a line of people waiting to get in, and the clothes they wore made Neil’s outfit look plain. Most of the men wore leather, half the women had corsets, and a good number of both genders were covered in buckles and chains.

Fun club time at a fucking bondage house, apparently. Aaron seems to be besties with the bouncers. No biggie.

As soon as they’re in, Andrew drags Neil off to the bar, and this is the point where the ‘creepy or cute’-o-meter officially swings towards very, very creepy.

[The bartender] flashed Andrew an easy smile. “Back so soon, Andrew? Who’s your newest victim?”

“A nobody,” Andrew said. “It’s the usual for us.”

I am decidedly not liking the use of the word ‘victim’ in any context involving Andrew and alcohol.

“Cracker dust,” Nicky said as he ripped his packet open. “Heard of it? Tastes like sugar and salt and gives you a small rush. Sure you don’t want in?

(…)

Dust isn’t bad. It just makes the night more interesting. You think Kevin would ruin his future over a night out at the club?”

“What future?” Neil asked.

Get #rekt.

Remember when I said I’m not liking the word ‘victim’ here? GUESS FUCKING WHAT.

As soon as it hit the back of his throat, Neil knew he’d made a serious mistake.

His sodas had tasted sweet, but this shot as almost unbearably so, and the aftertaste on Neil’s tongue wasn’t sugar. Neil lurched to his feet, but Andrew grabbed him by the hair and slammed him back into his seat. (…)

“Just noticed, did you?” Andrew asked. “You’re an idiot.”

WHAT THE FUCK. Are you guys DRUGGING HIM. This whole thing just flew way past ‘creepy’ and landed firmly in ‘disturbing and abusive’.

“Did you think you were safe because you were up there ordering you own drinks? Roland knows what it means when I bring outsiders here.”

I FUCKING KNEW IT. WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL. What, is this what they do for fun at the weekends? Drive newcomers up to Columbia, drug them against their will, and then what, date rape?

Bodies and lights blurred around him, making Neil nauseous. He clawed bloody lines down Nicky’s arm as he fought to get free. Nicky didn’t let go until they’d reached the middle of the dance floor. He pulled Neil up against him and caught Neil’s chin in his fingers to force his head back.

Nicky’s kiss was harder than Neil expected it to be, and there was more than just tongue in it. Beneath the burn of vodka Nicky shared with him was the sweet tang of cracker dust.

Oh god. Wish I’d shut my mouth.

NICKY, I TRUSTED YOU. You’re disowned from being Exy Courfeyrac, Courf would never.

Seriously, what the actual fuck. I have nothing else to say but WHAT THE HELL YOU GUYS NO.

“The team is split, you know. Most of them think you’re trailer trash like Dan. Renee knows better. So do I. I think you’re something a little more like us.” Andrew leaned forward and enunciated every syllable. “Runaway.”

I can’t even perk up at the mention of Renee’s name or hints at her possible backstory because this is so beyond fucked up. I’m in shock.

“Mind your own business.”

“Tonight is Mind Neil’s Business Night,” Andrew said. “Didn’t you notice? Give me something real or I won’t let you stay here.

(…)

Edgar Allan is in our district and you are on my team. You, a know-nothing from Arizona who somehow managed to catch Kevin’s eye. You, a lie from head to foot, with a bag full of money and a hard-on for everything Kevin and Riko. Do you understand?”

You bring Neil out to Columbia, drug him, practically rape him, just to find out if he’s a fucking MOLE? Are you KIDDING ME??

I’m slowly beginning to realize why Kevin puts this much trust in Andrew’s abilities if this is what the fucker is willing to do to keep him safe.

I’d love to interpret this in some funny shipping way, except I really, really can’t find this anything other than disturbing, fucked up and so, so not okay.

Also, NICKY WHAT THE FUCK. I knew Kevin and the twins were varying degrees of shitty, but I had some trust left in you. You know it’s a fucked-up story when even the comic relief is an asshole.

Come find me at the bottom of the trashcan, angrily crying over recent developments.

#tfc #the foxhole court #the raven king #the kings men #nora sakavic #nicki reads tfc #no specific hashtags this time because I am Mad

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