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Without his former mandated medication forcing Andrew into a deep slumber his sleep became restless. Andrew wasn’t the sort of person to toss and flail about in their sleep like a common idiot, instead he woke up deathly still. Sweat pressed his nightclothes, which felt restrictively heavy, tight against his body. His breathing became laboured, a sharp sound in an otherwise silent room. The sticky sensation of damp cloth pressed against his skin plus the smell of sweat made Andrew more lightheaded than the nightmares ever did. He felt confined, gross, unclean. Before Andrew even spoke his first word of the day, his jaw hurt from being locked tight and anger stirred in his belly, making him sick with the feeling. Only the gentle pressure of his blades tucked away in his armbands kept Andrew from lashing out. At what, Andrew didn’t know. It wasn’t exactly easy to fight his own thoughts. Andrew knew this from experience, the scars on his wrist a testimony to past failed attempts. His thoughts began to take even more dangerous turns, thoughts about his scars turned into what Proust had done to them and made disgust crawl upwards from Andrew’s belly to his throat. The taste of acid was on his tongue, burning Andrew from the inside out.
A soft sound pulled Andrew away from his negative thoughts. His eyes refocused, having gone hazy when he first woke. Neil’s face appeared in front of him, messy auburn hair pressed against his forehead. A burn mark stretched across his cheek, marring the smooth skin. The burn managed to look less severe in the morning light. Since Andrew curled up on his side, back against the wall, Neil also curled up, but chose to keep his back to the door and face Andrew instead. They were at Andrew’s house in Columbia, in what had become their shared room. They were on the bed, blanket kicked away and barely hanging on to the end of the mattress. The opened window let in the morning breeze. Andrew heard the audible sound of chirping birds. He allowed these thoughts settle him into the present. Neil, normally quiet throughout the night, began to make soft sounds of his own in obvious distress. Andrew knew Neil would be waking soon, forced out of sleep by his own nightmares. Neil was normally just as quiet as Andrew. The only sound he ever made was when he was just beginning to wake up. Andrew wouldn’t say he was grateful for Neil’s usual lack of sound. That would be pointless since Neil’s quiet had nothing to do with Andrew.
Neil groaned. In a few minutes he would wake. While Andrew waited he stared at the lines on Neil’s face. Beautiful wasn’t a word Andrew thought often, and it was also a word he would never say aloud. But on a cool summer morning, with soft orange and red light brushing up against Neil’s ruined skin, Andrew could risk this world briefly flickering through his thoughts, sticking to this bruised, battered boy.
Neil went silent, and Andrew stilled his own breathing. He made sure to be careful, to not disturb Neil just as he began to wake up. Bright blue eyes opened, surprisingly clear for someone who just came out of sleep. Those eyes looked like they were prepared for anything, shrewdly calculating in a way people didn’t usually expect from Neil. Those blue eyes met his own, and Andrew watched with hidden amazement as Neil noticeably relaxed. As if merely seeing Andrew chased away lingering paranoia caused by years on the run.
“Good morning,” Neil said, his voice low and throaty. Andrew swallowed.
“108%,” Andrew said, forcing down his emotions. Good morning. The most mundane way to begin the day, but those were always the first words Neil said to him. Andrew memorized the tone of voice Neil used as he said those words, the slight droopiness of his eyes, but the upturn of his mouth as he said ‘good morning’ to Andrew every day for weeks now.
“Already?” Neil said, his smile slowly getting bigger. “And to think I’ve only just woken up. It must be my lucky day,” he continued on, his voice full of warm amusement.
“You have no luck,” Andrew said, and shuffled closer so their curled bodies were nearly touching. “I need to roll on top of you so I can reach my cigarettes. Yes, or no?”
“Yes,” Neil said immediately, obviously not even really considering the question Andrew asked. Andrew huffed, but didn’t say anything. It would be pointless to try to talk sense into Neil Josten. Besides, Andrew could admit to himself it gave him a certain satisfaction starting the day with a 'yes or no' question, to hear Neil's certainty and be at least almost-positive for the rest of the day that their something was still a yes.
Andrew carefully swung himself over Neil, and gently lowered his weight so they were pressed together. His smokes and lighter were on the bedside table. Andrew snatched them up quickly, pressing a cigarette between his mouth before lighting it and inhaling deeply, feeling any remaining tension from the night drain out of him. He briefly offered the package to Neil, who shook his head. Andrew tossed both lighter and package back onto the slightly charred wooden table. He looked down to see Neil smiling back up at him. Andrew blinked. Neil smiled more lately, his lips turning up far more often than they had in the past, when Andrew first met his runaway boy. Andrew inhaled again, flicking ash onto the table, before looking down and exhaling the smoke directly into Neil’s face.
To his credit, Neil didn’t flinch away from the smoke. Instead he inhaled deeply and shuddered. A slightly dazed expression appeared on Neil’s face as he looked up at Andrew. Andrew noticed his pupils were a little bigger than they usually were. Andrew finished his cigarette, occasionally blowing the smoke down at Neil. Neil didn’t even bother to offer a token protest. When Andrew finished, he flicked the bud away sharply to land on the wooden bedside table. Andrew felt warmer and more relaxed than he had after first waking up. His skin felt less tight and restrictive, his muscles looser, and his blood flowed better. Once again his body felt like it belonged to him.
Andrew made eye contact with Neil again. As usual, he found Neil already staring, staring at Andrew with a look in his eye Andrew knew neither of them would ever feel comfortable naming. Andrew didn't tell him to stop. With careful, thought out slowness, Andrew began to lean down. He watched Neil’s eye flicker away from his, only for a moment, to look at Andrew’s mouth. Andrew stopped a millimeter away from Neil, their mouths so close their breath mingled together. It was kind of gross since neither of them brushed their teeth yet, but Andrew didn’t care. Neil leaned back on his elbows and killed the distance, pressing their mouths together in a too-harsh morning kiss.
Andrew moved his mouth against Neil’s, sliding his bottom lip against Neil’s top one, sucking slightly. It was dry and bruising and more importantly intoxicating. Alcohol never really effected Andrew, but Neil Josten's kisses did. They separated only for a second, only to meet again in a softer, slower kiss. Andrew pulled away, nipping at Neil’s lower lip as he did so. They both panted slightly, but knew it would go no further than this. Not right now.
“I need to shower,” Andrew said, “and you need to go on your stupid morning run.”
“You sure you don’t want to join me?” Neil asked, grinning slightly. They both knew it wasn’t a serious request. Andrew never left the house until after he showered. He knew that if he asked Neil to wait for him, he would. Not that Andrew ever fucking would. Running was Neil’s prerogative, not Andrew’s. Andrew didn’t even bother to gift Neil with a response, instead he rolled off Neil’s lax form and smoothly landed on his feet.
Neil stretched languidly on the bed, his muscles tensing and loosening beneath the tight fabric of his t-shirt. His muscular legs, clad only in boxer-shorts, trembled slightly as Neil pushed himself into a sitting position. Andrew hated that he couldn’t stop his eyes from flickering briefly to between Neil’s legs before quickly glancing away. Without another word, Andrew gathered up the things he would need for the day, including his smokes, and went to the washroom.
The house was quiet, which wasn’t much of a surprise. Kevin and Aaron were likely still asleep. Aaron would be up soon, but Andrew would have to wake Kevin up before noon. Otherwise Kevin wouldn’t be up until dinner time, shouting about missed Exy practice. Nicky was currently in Germany, and wouldn’t be returning for another two days. Just in time for the group to return to Fox Tower for summer practice. Aaron had only returned to the house last night, having spent the majority of his summer with her. It took several sessions with Bee, and a whispered promise from Neil for Andrew to not saying anything about that arrangement.
Andrew dropped his things rather carelessly onto the bathroom counter before turning the shower taps on full blast. As he waited for the water to heat up, Andrew relieved himself and brushed his teeth with more vigor than strictly necessary. The mirror began to fog up, the steam from the shower slowly spreading over the entire room. Andrew turned away as he undressed. He hesitated when he got to his armbands, and double checked that the doors were locked before taking them off. Gently, he set the armbands in the sink, the knives inside of them clinking together as Andrew stepped away. There was now a sense of unease inside of him, a feeling that wouldn’t disappear until Andrew put on the armbands again.
Andrew stepped under the shower-head, facing away from the blast. Hot water immediately hit the back of his head and fell down his stomach and back, turning normally pale skin red. To another person the water would feel unbearably hot. Andrew relished at how it burned against his skin, burning away any lingering dirt. Andrew washed his hair aggressively with scent-free shampoo, digging his nails into his scalp, and then scrubbed down his body with dove soap. He turned to face the water, closing his eyes tightly as the suds washed away from his face. Andrew stayed still under the water for another few minutes, simply feeling the heat. Then he shut off the taps and breathed in deeply. Time to begin another day.
Andrew stepped out of the shower and grabbed his towels, drying off roughly. Soon his junkie runaway boy and bratty queen would be demanding he drive them to the Court so they could get their fix. It would have been easier to live at Abby’s again, seeing as how Nicky was barely here this summer anyway, but Andrew preferred the privacy of the Columbia house. Andrew pulled back on his armbands, feeling the tension inside of him ease at their weight. Then Andrew dressed in a fitted black t-shirt and loose black jeans. He shoved his smokes, lighter and wallet deep into his pockets. Only once Andrew completed dressing and his armbands felt secure did he feel comfortable enough to unlock the bathroom door. Then Andrew gathered up his dirty belongings to dump into the hamper at the top of the staircase.
When Andrew opened the bathroom door a rush of steam followed him out. Aaron, who had been waiting outside, coughed. Andrew pushed past his twin to reach the hamper.
“You know,” Aaron called after him, actually deciding to speak, “hot water isn’t actually good for your skin.”
Andrew didn’t bother to look back when he responded. “Yeah, and smoking is not actually good for my lungs.”
Andrew didn’t bother to wait for Aaron as he went downstairs. When Andrew got into the kitchen he immediately went for the cupboards beneath the sink. Beside the pipes was a box of cocoa puffs. Andrew pulled the box out and then reached for a bowl and spoon that was still in the sink, clean but slightly wet. He dried them off quickly before he poured in his cocoa puffs, and then filled the bowl to the brim with milk. Just as Andrew began to eat, leaning against the kitchen counter instead of sitting at the table, Aaron walked down the stairs. He glanced at Andrew before pointedly looking away. Andrew continued to eat, picking off the pieces of cocoa one-by-one with his spoon.
Aaron sat at the kitchen table, texting instead of eating. Andrew wasn’t concerned since he knew Aaron never ate breakfast, and when he did eat in the morning it always left him feeling slightly sick. Aaron never complained about being in pain, but Andrew knew from Aaron’s experience with appendicitis that Aaron clutched at his stomach when it cramped. Andrew didn’t bother to make conversation, instead he focused on drinking the leftover milk in the bowl once the cocoa puffs were gone. When the front door slammed open, Andrew stilled before carefully lowering his bowl and spoon into the sink. Despite already knowing it was Neil, Andrew didn’t lower his guard until the boy in question stood in front of him. Neil panted as he leaned against the frame of kitchen entrance way, his running clothes sticking to his body. Neil always unnecessarily exerted himself on these morning runs of his. As if knowing someone was watching, Neil straightened and returned Andrew’s stare. Andrew looked at him blankly as Neil reached back to untie his orange bandanna and adjust his armbands.
“Hey,” Neil said, walking forward. He dropped his bandanna onto the kitchen table before he came to stand beside Andrew. “It’s hot outside.”
“Congratulations, you have figured out what summer is,” Andrew said, looking at Neil’s flushed and sweaty face.
Neil grinned at him, before leaning forward and pressing his mouth against Andrew’s cheek in a dry kiss. This action had been taking place everyday for the past several weeks now, when Neil returned from his morning runs. Aaron never witnessed it before because he wasn’t here when it started up. While Kevin was never awake when it occurred. Apparently Neil didn’t care that they now had an audience for their routine.
“I’m home,” Neil whispered, breath hot against Andrew’s face.
Andrew paused slightly, no one would notice his hesitance, before he said, “welcome home,” in a completely clear tone, seeing no need to whisper. His voice betrayed no emotion, but the fact that Andrew also completed their routine with Aaron in the room said what needed to be said.
Neil smiled, a brief upward flick of his mouth, before ducking out of the kitchen to go change and shower. Aaron lowered his phone and watched them with a bemused look on his face. Still, Aaron didn’t speak until Neil was clearly out of sight. Then he turned to look at Andrew with a raised eyebrow.
“Are you and Josten playing house now?” Aaron said, his voice only a little mocking.
“Fuck off,” Andrew said, his voice disinterested and his eyes blank. Aaron backed off easily, but then again Andrew hadn’t expected anything different.
By the time Neil came back, Aaron returned to texting and Andrew grudgingly ate a second bowl of cocoa puffs, feeling his hunger. When Neil sat down, Andrew dumped his bowl and spoon in the sink and went to wake up Kevin.
Andrew walked up the stairs and stopped outside of Kevin’s door. Then he pulled back his fist and banged on the door several times in quick succession.
“Wake the fuck up, your majesty,” Andrew hollered, knowing he could be heard both from within the room and downstairs. “I do not have all day and I am not driving your dumbass to the junkyard if it is already dark outside.”
Andrew banged against the door several more times before he heard several sleepy swears come from inside, and then a louder and slightly dazed: “fuck off!”
Andrew kicked the door once before turning back around and going down the stairs again. He knew Kevin would be coming down in approximately ten minutes. If not, he wouldn’t be going to his precious fucking Court today.
Andrew ventured into a silent kitchen. He sat down beside Neil at the kitchen table. Neil was slowly making his way through a bowl of fruit, and offered Andrew a piece of passion fruit when he sat down. Andrew declined by simply refusing to acknowledge it. Kevin came down the stairs exactly twelve minutes later, freshly dressed and too wide-eyed to be fully awake. Kevin got a bowl of his disgustingly bland, but supposedly healthy brand cereal and a plate of chopped up fruit that Neil always ended up eating for him. Andrew thought Kevin needed to stop bothering with the fruit. Nobody in this house cared if Kevin ate his proper amount of nutrients per day. But habits were hard to kill with Kevin.
Andrew quickly got bored of staring at the others eat, so he decided to get a carefully hidden chocolate bar from the cupboards under the sink. He snacked on it a good distance away from the others. There was a look of disapproval on Kevin's face that Andrew steadily ignored.
“Is that really what you’re having for breakfast?” Kevin finally demanded, unable to contain himself.
“Fuck off,” Andrew said, deliberately crunching his next bite so Kevin would be able to clearly hear it, decidedly not telling Kevin that he also ate cereal. Kevin sent a beseechingly look towards Neil, only to have it to turn into an affronted one when instead of admonishing Andrew, Neil stole one of Kevin’s strawberries in response. Aaron snorted in amusement.
Once everyone finished eating and gathered their shit, they headed outside to the Maserati so Andrew could drive them to the Court. Neil rode shotgun beside him, with Aaron behind him and Kevin behind Andrew. If Nicky were here, he would have been between them. Constantly leaning forward to talk to Neil or point out something he saw up ahead. At least until Andrew threatened to smack him for distracting the driver and attempting to kill them all. Andrew had already been in one car crash too many in his life.
Aaron didn’t appreciate the humour in that statement the way Andrew did.
“We should practice drills three and five today,” Kevin said from the backseat as they drove onto the highway. Before Kevin could say anything else, Andrew turned on the radio and put the volume up irritatingly high. Kevin’s voice was quickly drowned out by a loud bass.
Neil twitched beside him, and Andrew knew without looking that Kevin was slumping back into his seat with an agitated look on his face.
By the time they arrived at Foxhole Court, it was the afternoon. It fucking boiled within the black sports car, even with air conditioning, but it was worse outside. It would be bothersome having to put on his goalie gear in this kind of weather. The feel and smell of his sweat would be appalling. Kevin and Neil didn’t seem to be having these concerns, as they were practically salivating to get the doors unlocked so they could enter the locker room. Andrew followed them at a more subdued pace, Aaron walking beside him. Neither of them said a word.
Neil practically vibrated with pent up energy as he got his gear out of his locker. Andrew sighed as he yanked his helmet over his head and grabbed his racquet. Fucking junkies, the lot of them.
Once they were on the Court, Kevin had them doing practice drills three and five. Well, he had Aaron and Neil doing practices drills. Andrew sat on the bench and absolutely refused to comply. He watched the others stretch and start running, and then start doing suicide runs, from beneath the comfort of shade. After what felt to be a little over two hours, Neil ran over to Andrew. Andrew looked at him with a bored expression on his face. Neil was barely panting, and instead of seeming exhausted he actually looked more bright-eyed than he had earlier in the day.
“Kevin wants you in goal now,” Neil said, not even out of breath.
“Does he now?” Andrew said, his fourth cigarette of the day dangling from his mouth. “And his majesty could not ask me himself, but sent his loyal servant to do it for him.”
Neil nodded, not seeming offended in the slightest. His helmet and short statue made him look like an over-sized bobble doll. Andrew told him this, but Neil only laughed in response.
“Will you come on the Court, Andrew?” Neil asked, leaning forward. Andrew sighed and stood up, letting his cigarette fall to the ground. He stepped on it, squishing it with his heel as he started to walk towards the field. Neil followed him, and Andrew knew he was smiling under his stupid bobble-head helmet.
Andrew took his place in goal, Exy racquet in hand. Aaron was in front of him as the single backliner. Kevin and Neil would be taking turns trying to get past him to score. Andrew let the first few balls through without even attempting to stop them. He knew Kevin was close to shouting at him, and in fact was just about to until he was stopped by Neil’s hand on his arm. They whispered to each other for a few minutes, too low for Andrew to hear, until they went back to doing what they were before. Andrew let another few balls go by without moving. Then he stopped the next one and tossed it back, aiming at Kevin’s feet.
Time went by quickly after that. Andrew had almost completely shut out the opposition, very few balls managing to get by him once he actively participated. Andrew knew he was only feeding their junkie hearts, but at least this way he wouldn’t have to listen to Kevin bitch later, or have to avoid Neil’s disappointed frown.
Aaron also started playing more aggressively. He was actually doing a half-decent job at keeping Kevin or Neil away from the goal. They continued playing until a little after sundown, at which point Andrew sat down and refused to get back up again.
“Seriously?” Kevin said, coming forward with his helmet off. “We have at least another hour until it’s completely dark.”
"Don’t care,” Andrew said, laying down. “I’m done. You feel free to keep going, though.” The stench of sweat was already beginning to give Andrew a headache. Or maybe that was Kevin’s voice.
Finally, after several moments of tense silence, Kevin relented and told the others to hit the showers. Neil came over to offer Andrew a hand up, which Andrew soundly ignored as he pushed himself to his feet. They headed over to the showers, walking at a slower pace than the other two. Neil ducked into one of the stalls to get changed, and Andrew stayed nearby as Kevin and Aaron continued to walk ahead. Andrew showered quickly, but Neil was faster today. When Neil came out of his stall Andrew was only partially dressed, his shirt still in his bag.
Neil paused, dressed in jean shorts and a white t-shirt that was still slightly damp. His black armbands that matched Andrew’s perfectly were secure. His bag was slung over his left arm, still open. Andrew could see his jersey partially hanging out of it, Neil likely meant to wash it. Without even really thinking about it Andrew reached forward and snatched it out of the bag.
The shirt looked completely gaudy, of course. If Andrew wasn’t a member of this God-forsaken team he’d rather burn it than wear it. Neil’s, like everyone else’s, was bright orange. Bold white lettering spelled out ‘JOSTEN’ on the back, with an equally big white ‘10’ underneath. It was completely hideous, not to mention unclean. It still smelled like Neil.
Andrew pulled the shirt over his head and tugged it down. Neil stared at him with wide-eyes, and Andrew looked back with a blank expression on his face. On Andrew the jersey was a little long at the torso, but stretched over his shoulders more-so than it did on Neil.
When Neil did speak, it was to ask a slightly hoarse, “yes or no?”
“Yes,” Andrew said, and Neil leaned forward to press their mouths together in a deep kiss. This kiss was slow and hot. Neil pulled away after several intense moments, loudly panting.
“Where’s your jersey?” Neil said, breathless. “If you’re wearing mine I want to wear yours.”
Andrew pointed at his bag, still open, where the black muscle tee Andrew was originally going to wear laid, forgotten. Neil scrambled over to the bag, pulling off his white shirt as he did so. Neil searched through the bag before coming away with a matching orange jersey. The only difference was that the white lettering spelled out ‘MINYARD’ and the number underneath was a giant ’03.’ Neil shoved his white shirt in the bag before putting on Andrew’s jersey
Neil had the opposite problem that Andrew had. The jersey was a little short at the torso, revealing a sliver of Neil’s toned stomach. It was also looser at the shoulders, hanging down a little bit to reveal Neil’s sharp collarbones. Andrew stared before he realized what he was doing.
“Get the fuck over here, Neil,” Andrew said, voice low.
Neil walked over to Andrew, moving slower than usual, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. Andrew wanted to kiss it off. Once Neil was close enough, Andrew pushed him against the shower stall door, pressing their bodies close together. Neil laughed low in his ear, the sound going directly to Andrew's groin.
“I hate you,” Andrew said, pushing a knee between Neil’s legs so they could be pressed even closer together. As close as two people could possibly be, while still being separate people.
“Yeah,” Neil said, eyes hooded, “how much?” when he spoke his tongue brushed up against Andrew’s mouth.
“112%,” Andrew growled, before roughly kissing Neil.
When Andrew pulled back, Neil pressed his mouth to the corner of Andrew's, then pressed a trail of kisses from Andrew’s jaw to the hollow of his throat. When Neil got to Andrew's pulse point, he dragged his teeth over the spot before biting down. Andrew whined, low in his throat. Right now he wanted nothing more than to sink to his knees and take Neil into his mouth. Andrew pulled a little away from Neil so he could do just that, dropping to his knees in a smooth motion. Andrew ignored the slight pain that went vibrated his legs, caused by the tiled floor.
Andrew leaned forward to press a kiss to a jean clad thigh, and then turned his head to give the same treatment to the other thigh. Neil gasped above him. Andrew looked up to see Neil holding his hands behind his back, refusing to touch until Andrew gave permission. Andrew reached up to tug Neil’s hands a part, bringing them to his head.
“Here only,” Andrew said, and Neil nodded, softly petting his hair. Andrew made a soft sound and pressed closer, kissing the visible skin of Neil’s stomach. Neil was getting noticeably hard in his jeans, and Andrew pressed his mouth there as his hands worked on unbuttoning them, slowly sliding the zipper down.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” shouted a voice from behind them. Andrew was immediately off his knees and turning around, facing the threat with a knife already in hand.
Kevin stared at them with wide eyes. Aaron was beside him, a look of revulsion mixed in with embarrassment on his face. Kevin looked ready to faint, and Aaron looked like he didn’t know if he should be shouting or shielding his eyes as he ran away. Andrew’s insides twisted uncomfortably. It would have been better if only Kevin had walked in. Aaron was the last person Andrew wanted to be in any sort of sexual situation with.
“Really, you two,” Kevin said, his voice higher than normal. “You can’t do these sort of things at Court.”
There was a moment of surprised silence, until it was broken by a shriek of laughter from behind Andrew. Andrew turned around to stare at Neil, doubled over against the wall, fly still undone, laughing his head off. Another laugh joined in, and Andrew whirled back around to look at Aaron, who seemed just as surprise by the sound coming out of his throat.
“I would have thought that the Court would be the only place you’d fuck, Kevin,” Neil said, once he caught his breath. Neil stood straighter now, his jeans now zipped up, but he was still shaking slightly with mirth.
“Except he wouldn’t be fucking a person, he’d be fucking his racquet,” Aaron said, grinning through his laughter.
Kevin looked affronted, he punched Aaron on the shoulder, giving him a disgusted look.
“Fuck all three of you,” Kevin snapped, glaring at all of them. “I’m waiting in the car. Come out when you’ve decided to act like decent people,” he said, before turning around and stomping away.
Aaron rolled his eyes, before giving Andrew an indiscernible looking and following after him. Andrew stood stock still for a moment, before Neil sighed and pushed himself off the wall, picking up his bag that he dropped earlier. Andrew picked up his own bag and followed Neil. Neither boy said anything as they walked, but they did allow their hands to brush up several times. They went to the lockers, which were empty, to put away their things. The jerseys, however, stayed on. When they walked outside it was completely dark. Andrew could just make out Kevin and Aaron standing beside the car, talking to one another. Andrew unlocked the doors and they both scrambled inside.
“Hey,” Neil said, before they entered the car, “everything good?”
“Don’t ask stupid questions,” Andrew said in response, before he turned his head slightly to press a fleeting kiss to Neil’s cheek. They entered the car with the other two buffoons, and Andrew put the car in reverse as he started driving.
Just as Andrew started to drive, Kevin and Aaron seemed to pick up what they had missed earlier. When they were too shocked by the other occurring activities to really focus on what Andrew and Neil were wearing.
“Are those your jerseys?” Kevin demanded.
“You put them on wrong,” Aaron said, being able to tell what they had done without even having to read the lettering. “Have you forgotten which one of you is which?”
Neither Andrew or Neil responded, which seemed to frustrate Kevin more.
“You shouldn’t wear your jerseys outside of a game,” Kevin continued on, looking like he was prepared to begin a full-blown rant.
“Haven’t you heard,” Andrew said, pulling onto the near silent highway, “life is a game. The whole globe is a stage. Or in your case, the whole globe is a court.”
“Don’t quote bastardized Shakespeare at me, Andrew,” Kevin snapped.
“Right, you prefer the historical. Should I quote the Iliad instead? Sing, O Goddess, on the rage of Kevin,” Andrew said. Neil laughed silently beside him, and even Aaron looked amused in the back seat.
Before Kevin responded, likely with something scathing, Neil interrupted.
“Nicky would think us romantic,” Neil said. It was probably his attempt to soothe over the moment. Andrew would need to remind him later that Neil was more suited to instigating fights than he was at putting a stop to them.
“That’s because Nicky’s a fucking headcase,” Aaron said.
“We’re all headcases. That’s why we’re Foxes,” Neil pointed out. It was a fair point, Andrew thought.
“Speak for yourself,” Kevin said, sounding haughty. The moonlight glinted off his queen tattoo, making it look sharper than usual.
“Kevin’s royalty, remember?” Andrew said, voice dry, “our darling queen.”
“That’s right,” Kevin said, tiling his chin up. Aaron looked over at Kevin in amusement.
“Queen Headcase of the headcases, maybe,” Aaron said, speaking as if he was trying to be quiet, but knew everyone would hear anyway. Kevin gave him a furious look, and tried to kick him in the shin several times. When Aaron started kicking back, Andrew shouted that if one of them ended up kicking the back of his seat they could both walk back to Columbia.
By the time they pulled up to Sweetie’s everyone calmed down again. Since it was a Friday night, the diner was crowded with people. Andrew drove around in circles until someone finally pulled out of their parking spot, which Andrew quickly stole. Another driver honked their horn at him, which Andrew soundly ignored. Everyone exited the car, Neil coming around the front to stand beside Andrew. Andrew lit a cigarette to smoke before they went inside. Now that it was dark, the summer heat was less restrictive and more relaxing.
When Andrew put out his smoke, they walked into a crowded Sweetie’s, Andrew keeping track of anyone who brushed by too closely. Kevin requested a table for four from the hostess, and as has become their custom, they disregarded the packets of crackers that were close by. They got a table sooner than expected. Andrew suspected it was because the hostess recognized Kevin. Thankfully, their booth was at the back of the diner, tucked away into a little corner where it was relatively private. The booth was a little cramped, Andrew and Neil squished away on one side with Kevin and Aaron on the other.
Their perky waitress who Andrew didn’t care to discover the name of dropped four menus on the table, promising to be back as soon as possible. Andrew prepared to disregard the menus as usual, and was rather surprised when Kevin quickly snatched one up, even if he didn't show it.
“What?” Kevin said, noticing he was being looked at. “We are not just eating ice-cream today. Everyone at this table needs proper substance.”
Andrew wasn’t stupid, and knew the remark was mostly directed at him. He sneered at Kevin, and deliberately pushed the menus even further away. Surprisingly, both Aaron and Neil reached for the menus, flickering through them with vigor. Andrew sank lower in the booth, looking up at the ceiling.
When the waitress came back, asking if they were ready for drinks, everyone was ready to order. Kevin got the Chicken Caesar Salad without dressing, and ice-water. Aaron ordered the B.L.T Wrap without the tomato, and half the normal amount of lettuce, with a side of coleslaw, along with a regular coke. Neil went with the classic Double Hamburger, no toppings, mustard but no ketchup, with a side of fries and a glass of chocolate milk. Andrew ordered his regular sundae, despite, or more likely, in spite of Kevin’s disapproving look.
They waited for their food in silence. Andrew’s sundae came first, a towering beast topped with whip cream, caramel sauce and sprinkles. Afterwards came everyone’s drinks, and then their full meals. Neil doused his fries in vinegar, just the way Andrew liked them. Then Neil pushed his plate between them, the fries facing Andrew. They were in reaching distance if he wanted any. Neil didn’t say anything, but the message was clear. Andrew also said nothing, but after he finished his sundae he willingly ate the majority of fries on Neil’s plate, tearing them into small bits before placing them in his mouth. Andrew also had several gulps of chocolate milk, which Andrew suspected Neil also got for his benefit.
Even Kevin knew better than to make any sort of comment about this.
Once everyone finished eating, and the bill paid, their group quickly rushed from the diner so their booth could be cleaned and given to another group of waiting customers. Andrew then drove them in comfortable silence to Eden’s Twilight. He drove in circles again to find a parking spot, but once one became available Andrew stole it with effectiveness.
They bypassed the waiting line, Aaron bumping fists with the bouncer as they walked inside. As always Eden’s was loud in every way possible; a sea of music with nonsensical lyrics, bodies grinding out of beat, and the smell of alcohol thick in the air.
“I’ll go get us a table,” Kevin shouted, struggling to be heard over the music. Kevin caught Neil by the wrist as he walked away, pulling the other boy with him, saying something in French. Neil looked towards Andrew before he walked away, waiting for Andrew to nod his head in agreement.
Andrew and Aaron made there way over to the bar. Roland greeted them enthusiastically, already putting glasses on a platter for them. Under the lights of the bar, Neil’s jersey was clearly visible to Andrew. He noticed Aaron looking at it more clearly now, actually being able to see the letter’s he already guessed about in the car. Andrew expected his twin to make a scornful comment, perhaps something about flaunting, but Aaron said nothing.
Roland, however, did speak. There was a genuine grin on his face as he looked at the bright orange shirt Andrew wore. Until Andrew turned around, Roland would be unable to see the name on the back. But like Aaron, Andrew suspected Roland already had an idea about what was going on.
“You and your boy doing well, then, Andrew?” Roland asked, pouring a row of vodka shots that Andrew knew were mainly for Kevin.
Andrew didn’t respond, instead he picked up one of the shots of whiskey on the platter, throwing it back in a single swallow. Roland laughed in response, refilling the glass when Andrew put it back down. Aaron picked up the platter, thanking Roland and getting a salute in response. Andrew walked away, hearing the slight cheer when Roland got the confirmation of seeing JOSTEN on his back. Aaron followed after him, walking around a group of people to get a clear view of the tables.
Before they could fully walk over, Aaron stilled beside the wall. A crowd of people pushed passed them. Andrew looked at him, pausing as well but not saying anything.
“He’s what you want,” Aaron said, his voice abrupt. They were close enough that there was no need to shout to be heard over the music.
Still, Andrew didn’t say anything; which Aaron took as an incentive to keep talking.
“The shit you do with Neil,” Aaron said, “you want to do that. Right?”
Andrew took a deep breath. If anyone else asked him this, the only response they would receive would be a knife in the gut.
“Yeah,” Andrew said. It was only one word, and it was the only word Andrew would say on the matter, but that seemed to be all Aaron needed.
Andrew saw Neil tucked away at a table in the far corner of the seating area, Kevin most likely across from him, and started walking over. Aaron trailed behind him, carefully balancing the platter of drinks in his hands. Neil looked up and smiled when he saw them getting close, and pulled out Andrew’s chair for him so he could sit down. Andrew pressed his leg against Neil’s as Aaron carefully lowered the platter of drinks before taking the seat beside Kevin.
Kevin immediately reached forward and started downing vodka shots like they were water. He did several of them in quick succession. Aaron followed at a slower pace, but one that would still be described as unnecessarily fast. Neil was the only one who drank genuinely slowly. He carefully sipped at his rum and coke, still on his first drink when Aaron and Kevin were on their sixth.
Andrew didn’t drink anything more than the first shot of whiskey he had at the bar. He pushed his second shot towards Neil after the boy finished his first drink. Neil tossed it back with a look of distaste on his face. Two platters of drinks and three hours later, Aaron and Kevin were completely wasted and even Neil looked slightly tipsy. Andrew was the only one who was still completely sober.
When he announced it was time to go, he was met with joint protests from Kevin and Aaron, who desired to keep drinking. Andrew ignored the both of them. Neil followed him outside without complaint. Kevin and Aaron grumbled, but kept pace with Andrew, knowing that if they weren’t in the car by the time Andrew was ready to drive they would be abandoned at Eden’s, forced to make their own way to the house.
The drive back to the house was silent. Kevin and Aaron passed out in the back seat against one another, Aaron’s head on Kevin’s shoulder. Even Neil dozed slightly against the window in the passenger seat. When Andrew pulled up to the house he aggressively honked the horn to wake everyone up. Kevin shouted as his head jerked up, connecting harshly with Aaron’s. Both boys were too tired to glare at one another, and looked like they’d both rather pass back out in the backseat of the car.
“I will leave you in here,” Andrew threatened, before stepping out of the car. Neil stumbled after him. Andrew waited a few seconds, to see if Kevin and Aaron were honestly going to just sleep in the back of the Maserati. Neil went to unlock the front door, going inside.
Andrew was just about to follow after him when Kevin came tripping out of the car. Kevin kindly reached back in the car to offer a hand to Aaron, helping the other boy out. They had their arms wrapped around each other as they drunkenly stumbled into the house. Andrew said nothing as he followed after them, closing and locking the door behind him. He heard movement from upstairs, but knew it was just Neil getting ready for bed.
Kevin and Aaron stumbled over to the couch, Kevin now laid down on his back with Aaron curled up on top of him. Kevin already snoring. They looked ridiculous. Aaron was probably going to roll off of Kevin at some point and hit his head on the corner of the coffee table. Still, Andrew didn’t bother to try to get them into a proper bed. He went up the stairs to join Neil in their room.
Andrew looked at Neil, curled up on his side of the bed. His eyes were open, so he was still awake. He had taken off his armbands and stripped down to his boxer shorts, but kept Andrew’s jersey on. Andrew went to the bathroom to change into sweatpants and brush his teeth before joining Neil on the bed. Andrew took his spot against the wall, having a complete view of the room and the door. Neil was curled up facing him, a tired smile on his mouth.
“Good day?” Neil asked, voice soft.
“Go the fuck to sleep,” Andrew responded. Their breath mingled together, the smell of their shared mint toothpaste in the air.
Neil leaned forward, softly brushing his mouth against Andrew’s before closing his eyes to fall asleep. Andrew followed his lead, feeling sleepy and relaxed.
It was a decent day.