#and Andrew gets his revenge on Neil’s neck | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

jingerhead · 3 years

Note

Idk if this counts as a prompt but i LOVE anything where neil is a better flirt than andrew and andrew gets all flustered in his andrew way

AH YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT

Side note: I am a horrible flirt. Like, the absolute worst. But I'm gonna try my best for this, I hope you like it anon!

(listen I'd like to thank @paradoxolotl for helping me so much I literally don't know how to do it I owe her my life)

~*~

It was a well known fact that Neil Josten's mouth had gotten him in trouble on more than one occasion. Sometimes it was irritating, and other times Andrew's mind went blank after hearing some kind of witty retort Neil would throw at someone. Which wasn't a problem, because Andrew had enough self control to not 'panic' when something like this happened. Usually he just removed himself from the situation, knowing that Neil could fight his own battles perfectly fine.

But this...was nothing like cutting comebacks.

You see, somehow, someway, Andrew had decided to start flirting with Neil Josten. It had started long before that kiss on the rooftop or that one night at Eden's, and now he was...really trying, he supposed. This entire past week he'd tried saying a few lines that only seemed to confuse Neil, but it hadn't taken long for Andrew to learn that the ones that really got to Neil were nothing about his appearance. One time Andrew had been listening to Neil talk out loud about a math problem he was having trouble with, and without thinking he'd just decided to say, "You're smart."

It was entertaining to see the way Neil's eyes had widened in surprise.

Really, Andrew was sure that line couldn't be counted as flirting in the slightest, but apparently the entire team had thought he and Renee had been flirting for a year, so...maybe there's not a universal rule as to what counts. Andrew just went with what worked, moving from complimenting Neil's looks to his actions, his mind, pretty much anything else. The lines weren't anything special, either, simple phrases spoken in low enough tones that nobody else would hear.

This is where the problem starts.

Andrew was just now starting to realize that nobody had ever genuinely flirted with him before. Sure, he'd heard more than enough pick-up lines in his life, but he'd never used them, because there hadn't been a point. If he wanted something, he laid all his cards on the table. There was no use in throwing around lines about looks, and Andrew had managed to tune out hearing ones about his own in the past.

But hearing Neil whisper lowly to him about his fucking hands of all things was making him weak at the knees - and he was sitting. Andrew kept staring at the coffee table, hoping with every fiber in his being that everyone else had really left the dorm. Neil was probably getting revenge for everything Andrew said, sometimes deliberately with other people around, but he didn't realize that Neil could flirt back.

"Your character died," Neil pointed out, still close enough to make the hair on the back of Andrew's neck stand up. "You should probably focus on the TV."

Andrew's jaw tensed as he slowly looked back up at said TV, glaring at the 'YOU DIED' screen and wondering if that would be enough to get Neil to back off. He'd been genuinely trying to beat Aaron's score, but it was hard to do that when your not-boyfriend suddenly leans in and says in a gravelly voice, "You look good when moving your hands."

Whatever. Andrew had enough self control to be able to multitask. He could just tune out Neil's words (no he couldn't) like the other people that tried lines on him. As Andrew clicked to start at the previous checkpoint, it took everything in him to not shiver when he heard Neil's breaths. He was definitely getting closer, but not touching. Neil would never reach out before he knew it was welcome.

"Neil," Andrew said in warning, moving his character towards the bossroom.

"I'm just giving you some helpful commentary," Neil said back.

Helpful. Yeah.

Neil was quiet for almost a whole minute, which Andrew was very aware of. The only sounds filling the room was the music from the game as he started his attack, adding more force than necessary into hitting the buttons.

"What's it using?" Neil asked.

Do not answer, Andrew thought.

"A gun," he ended up blurting. "This is Aaron's game," he added, because he assumed that was a gun. It shot stuff, anyways.

"Not that affective, is it?" Neil mused as Andrew dodged another attack. When Andrew didn't offer a response, he kept talking. "Wouldn't be my first choice, anyways. I've always been better with a stick in my hands."

Why. Was. This. Happening.

Andrew coupled every angry word in his head with an attack on the boss. He'd been determined to beat Aaron's highscore before, but he was pretty sure he might beat it simply because he was taking out his frustrations on this stupid game. Why had he decided to do this? Why was Neil saying these things? Just why.

That being said, Andrew didn't want him to stop. It was a weird kind of torture, enjoying the things Neil was saying to him while also hating it. And unless Andrew told him, he had a feeling Neil wasn't going to let up anytime soon. He had yet to decide if he liked that or not.

"Hm, you're really working for it, aren't you?" Neil said, bringing Andrew out of his thoughts.

"I'm going to kill you," Andrew nearly growled, eyes focused on the boss.

Neil very clearly didn't believe his threat. "You can let go around me, you know. I promise I won't bite."

"Slowly," Andrew added.

Neil snapped his teeth. Loudly.

"And they won't find your body," Andrew said in a rush, finally glad to see he'd beaten the boss.

"All that trouble, just for me?" Neil said back, mockingly. Done with the stupid fight, Andrew let go of the controller and turned quickly. "Easy, killer," Neil said, shifting back on the couch.

"What're you doing?" Andrew asked.

"Is it not obvious?"

It was, so Andrew didn't offer a reply. He moved until he was turned completely towards Neil, debating on what to do next. This was just - it was unfair. How was Neil so good at this? Why could he drop lines like that, that made Andrew think shit like this, and the only thing he could offer back is something like, "You're smart." Neil was the inexperienced one, he wasn't supposed to be good at this right away!

Neil leaned back until he was resting on his elbows. Andrew's mind went blank again.

"Bend me over backwards, why don't you," Neil said around a smirk, falling onto the couch cushions as though to back away.

Andrew was tempted to throw him over the couch, but he was too busy trying to get his mind to work normally and focus on things that weren't Neil Josten. Which was going to be fucking impossible, at this rate. "You're infuriating," he said, crawling over until his hands were holding him up at just the right place to look Neil in the eyes.

Something in them softened just slightly. "For someone so adamant about not caring, it sure is easy to work you up," Neil said, reaching up to flick a stray piece of hair that had fallen on Andrew's forehead.

"Stop talking," Andrew demanded.

"I thought you liked it when my mouth works."

Dammit. Andrew hated letting Neil know he was right, but he really wanted Neil to make good on that, so he didn't leave. "Yes or no?" he asked, tugging on a few pieces of Neil's hair in retaliation.

"Yes," Neil easily said.

Andrew started to lean down, pausing just before he could kiss Neil. "Now," he said, enjoying the way their lips brushed, "stop talking."

#aftg #aftg fanfic #and then they fucked #the end #tfc #tfc fanfic #all for the game #all for the game fanfic #the foxhole court #jinger's works #I hope it wasn't horrible jsjsjs lemme know #andreil #andreil fanfic #andriel

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the-chicken-or-the-banana · 3 years

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part 1 of the andreil coming out thing here

ok, so andrew and neil aren't the most openly affectionate

there's no hints to the public that they could possibly be together, considering their little... rivalry

however, with andrew out now, a few people like to believe that andrew and neil could have an "enemies-to-lovers" situation

some people even think that they're already together

nevertheless, this is a very small population in the grand scheme of exy, and most of this is indulging in fantasies anyways — few people really believe in these theories

and as months pass after andrew's coming out, people stop pestering him every 0.2 seconds about who his boyfriend is

andrew and neil think they're finally free of all the annoying paparazzi and slightly overbearing fans

and it's under this false sense of security that shit hits the roof

it's a random september night when it happens, nothing terribly significant

but the whole week, andrew had been craving a closeness with neil, the kind that comes with not seeing your person for weeks

so he booked a flight to where neil was, realizing that had this occurred a few years back, andrew probably wouldn't have even acknowledged that he missed neil, let alone made steps to actually see him again

on a flight.

(he thinks bee would be proud)

anyway, he reached neil's apartment with minimal damage and proceeded to be drowned in kisses

it's a good few days.

and then, on that fateful september night, andrew is hit with the urge to take neil out

(not like murder. more like... a date?)

they don't usually go out on those, but it's not like they've never done so before

so andrew books a dinner reservation at a fancy restaurant, fully intending to take his man out on a nice. fancy. relaxing. drama-free. date.

of course, the universe has other plans

andrew and neil arrive at the restaurant (a little late but neil's lips were a good distraction for a few hours, okay? (they may have left the kitchen in disarray from lunch, but that's irrelevant))

their table is a secluded corner where they're pretty much hidden from view, save for one or two tables, and the seemingly solid privacy relaxes andrew and neil

their dinner goes by relatively uneventfully

(excluding when andrew gave a small smile to one of neil's dumb jokes, who proceeded to dump marinara sauce into his water instead of next to his garlic bread while staring dreamily at andrew, and then nearly choked when he took his next sip from the glass)

(also excluding when neil gave a not-so-innocent suck on his fork and andrew, frustrated over laws about public indecency, stabbed his brussel sprouts aggressively, causing one to fly up and hit and burn his eye)

(also also excluding— )

ok, so maybe it was more of a mess than andrew was ready to admit

but andrew dug into his panna cotta feeling lighter than he had in weeks as neil teased him about his sugar addiction and held his hand under the table

it was as andrew leaned over and kissed some cream off the side of neil's lips that he got the feeling of being watched

he whirled around, hair nearly hitting neil's face, as his gaze landed on a cell phone camera pointed at them

he caught the eye of a very guilty looking man, made even more errant when said man proceeded to leap out of his chair and run out of the restaurant

andrew was half-out of his chair to follow him when neil tugged on his shirt sleeve, an instigative glint in his eye

"neil. do you want to see this on every gossip magazine in the next few hours?"

"well no, but that fuckwad is always going to have those pictures. we, however, can make sure he doesn't get the headline he wants"

"... i'm listening"

about 40 minutes later, back at neil's apartment, neil posts a picture of his extremely messy kitchen on twitter

@neil_josten_official: well fuck me 🥴

@03andrewminyard: if you insist

~ 30 minutes later ~

@neil_josten_official: *image attached: andrew is laying his head in the crook of neil's neck as neil kisses him on the top of his head, andrew's fingers running through neil's hair. they both appear to be shirtless*

@neil_josten_official: BREAKING NEWS: just had sex with my (very hot) boyfriend to get revenge on unfulfilled gossip "journalists." life really couldn't be better :)

@neil_josten_official: ok but really, stop trying to out closeted celebrities (and people in general). it's not cool. it's not trendy. our lives aren't a scandal to report on. you're all just assholes and fuck you

@neil_josten_official: but not literally. a metaphorical fuck, if you will

@exykevinday.official: I'm proud of you for coming out and finally ending your ridiculous rivalry @neil_josten_official and @03andrewminyard, but was there really no other way you could have done so without informing me about your sex life?

@03andrewminyard: haha. no.

needless to say, the internet erupts in shock at neil's tweets

theories emerge left and right about how, when, why andrew and neil got together

the two of them get requests for so many interviews, talk shows, panels, magazines, all of which they turn down

of course, there's the occasional question in a post-game or team interview that's hard to avoid, and for the most part, these rare moments provide the only things the public knows about what they affectionately call "andreil"

but apparently when you're in a very public relationship, there are certain expectations fans have about how much of it you disclose

and while andrew doesn't necessarily want to divulge their private life to millions of people, he also can't help but be reminded of how seeing nicky and erik's comfortable relationship in his late teenage years solidified to him that him liking guys wasn't a bad thing

and it's with that in mind that he posts a picture on his instagram from earlier in june of him and neil curled up on the sofa, a massive rainbow flag draped around them with neil kissing his cheek

it's one of the few pictures he posts of the two of them (photos are more of neil's thing (when the hell did he take such model-esque photos of andrew?))

but andrew constantly @'s neil on twitter for literally anything

@03andrewminyard: don't forget the cat food the spoiled idiots take the most expensive stuff @neil_josten_official

@03andrewminyard: hey @neil_josten_official get me the mega stuff oreos from the store ok bye

@03andrewminyard: i- @neil_josten_official. why. is. there. neon. orange. paint. all. over. my. socks.

needless to say, neil's retaliation of posting gorgeous photos of andrew always flusters andrew

and if andrew needs to press soft kisses to his lips to stop neil's gleeful laughter and his own flightful smile, well, that's no one's business

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willowbird · 3 years

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For the prompt game — could you do AU 1, trope 8, location 2 for Andreil? I always love reading these, thanks for sharing!

Grad School, return of the childhood best friend, inside Andrew's closet!!! Thank you so much for sending in the ask I'm glad you're enjoying the little ficlets and I hope you like this one too!

-----

Tall people were a curse. A blight on all of society. Civilization would undoubtedly crumble under the obnoxious stomping of their huge feet and the polar ice caps would melt at least in part due to the heat from their big fat heads.

Also, all the tall fuckers in Andrew's cohort were constantly putting things in places Andrew couldn't reach, especially when it came to the supply closet off of the office the group of them communally used. It had gotten to the point that Andrew had taken full command of the ordering and organization of all their supplies. Last month he had even gone so far as to print out and laminate a full-color sign for the closet that read: NO ONE ABOVE 5'3 PERMITTED. SEE ANDREW J MINYARD FOR ALL SUPPLY RETRIEVAL.

The only reason he'd given the extra few inches at all was because Robin, the undergrad TA that assisted in one of his classes, sometimes helped him out and she was a whole three inches taller than him. It was enough of a restriction that it barred the rest of his cohort from intruding, though, as even Renee was a solid 5'8.

Or at least, it should have been an effective restriction. Andrew had thought the rest of his team could read well enough to get the goddamn message. Then he showed up this morning and the fucking closet door was open and where was the box of printer ink he'd ordered last week?

That's right, on the top fucking shelf.

When Andrew figured out which idiotic fucking beanpole had decided to pull this shit with him there was going to be hell to pay. He would raid his cat's litter box for ammunition if he had to.

For the moment, though, he needed to replace the ink in both printers. Which was why he was balancing precariously on the arms of the only non-rolly chair on the goddamn floor, straining to reach the box of ink and quietly promising to take an extra dose of revenge out of each and every person over 5'3 if he fell.

Which he almost did when a sharp knock suddenly echoed a bit too loud from directly behind him.

"Jesus fuck what is wrong with y--" Andrew cut off abruptly as he looked over his shoulder to see who had dared come up behind him at a time like this. He blinked, then he fully closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. When the man before him was still fucking there, Andrew twisted slightly and jumped down, letting his ass hit the seat as he overbalanced on the landing.

"Um... hi."

It had been almost ten years since Andrew had heard that voice. Ten years. In that time Neil had gone from being a scrawny, anxious kid to... well...

Vivid blue eyes stared at him steadily, winged with eyeliner that only made them brighter. His dark russet-auburn hair was shaved close to his head on the sides but long enough on the top that he'd gathered it back in a loose bun, which only emphasized the perfect angles of his face and the soft give of his mouth, the way his chin carved down to a point as if to frame it, drawing the eye.

"Andrew? I didn't mean to surprise you. Well, I did, that's why I didn't tell you I was coming. I didn't mean to almost make you fall off a chair though..."

Neil clicked a tongue-piercing against his teeth. It flashed silver for a moment, matching the two bars that bisected his left eyebrow. Purple studs and a line of tiny hoops trailed up each ear.

Andrew stared, then he did the only rational thing and reached forward, grabbing the doorknob and slamming it shut with himself inside the closet.

His heart was fucking pounding, and he knew his face was flushed because, look. Look. Neil Josten at fourteen years old had been a scrawny kid with big ears and a chipped tooth that was always covered in bruises and Andrew had been so fucking in love with him. All he ever wanted to do as a baby gay was kiss Neil Josten. Thought about it all the time. But that had been off the table because Neil was his best friend and probably asexual and also literally trying to survive. When Neil moved to the other side of the fucking planet to be with his uncle, Andrew had told himself that this was a good thing because 1) Neil would be safe and 2) if there was distance between them then Andrew could finally get over him.

Over the last ten years they'd exchanged regular letters, but because Neil was a fucking technophobe and there may or may not have been an actual hit from actual hitmen and gangsters and shit on him over here in the states - they hadn't spoken on the phone and no pictures had been shared.

And now here was Neil. Almost twenty-four and... so so fucking hot.

There was a soft knock on the door, followed by a quiet, anxious, "Andrew..?" that sounded a lot more like the Neil Andrew remembered.

"Um... should I go? I'm sorry... I thought... I guess I was wrong. I'm sorry. I'll go..."

"No!" The word escaped him before he had time to really think about it. He was pretty sure his voice cracked a little in his desperation too. Shit. Andrew cleared his throat and tried again. "Just... wait. I.. need to get ink."

"Okay."

Andrew did his best not to read into the mystery in Neil's tone. Instead, he thanked the closet gods and carefully climbed back up onto the chair. Another couple of minutes later he had the ink he needed and was facing a coming out he really never anticipated having to go through. Coming out of the closet to your best friend was one thing. Coming out of the literal, actual closet you have shut yourself in to reunite with your super hot best friend that you've been in love with for over a decade at this point was quite another.

Ripping the band-aid off was really the only way to go, so Andrew took a deep breath, put his free hand on the knob, and opened the door.

Neil had repositioned himself and was now leaning against the nearest desk. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows exposing strong forearms decorated with swirls of dark ink. Three fingers on each hand bore rings (not the ring fingers, not that Andrew was specifically looking) and his nails were painted a dark, glossy gray. Around one wrist was a frayed bracelet that perfectly matched the one Andrew also wore on the same wrist.

As soon as Neil saw him, he lit up. A smile on his face that shined in his eyes, even if there was a slight hesitance to it - understandable considering Andrew had just.. you know... shut himself in a closet after seeing him.

"Hey... Sorry again, about that. I know you don't like to be startled. I just... I got excited."

Andrew swallowed, a tough feat with a throat so dry. Somehow, he managed a snort. "Like a puppy. Should I be worried about my floors, Josten?"

"I dunno, you gonna scratch me behind the ears?" Neil shot back, and the smirk that accompanied it was fucking devastating. That's is, Andrew gave up. He lost. Dead, he was dead. There was no way he was getting out of this one.

Andrew did the only thing he could do to keep himself from grabbing the little bastard and kissing him senseless, which was ask the big question hanging in the room between them.

"How are you here, Neil? I thought you'd never be able to come back to American soil."

Neil rubbed the back of his neck, like he was thinking of the best way to explain it. After a moment he said, "Uncle Stuart still doesn't think it's a great idea - but there's no price on my head anymore. As of last month we cleared out the last of... well, let's just call them the old bad guys. There are new bad guys, but they don't really care about me."

It took a moment for that to fully sink in. Andrew set down the ink on the desk and moved to stand directly in front of Neil. When Neil stood up straight, they were almost exactly the same height - Neil only really had a few inches on him. At least he hadn't been lying to make him feel better when he'd told him in a letter a few years back that he'd topped out at 5'3.

"So? Don't you have a whole new life over in jolly old England now? Friends and family who don't regularly try to kill you? Why come back at all?"

He knew why, but he wanted - he needed - to hear him say it.

"Yeah, but... they aren't you."

"Me."

"Yeah, Andrew. You."

Their eyes met. Something in Andrew's chest snapped like an overworked rubber band stretched too taut and all the carefully sequestered feelings it had been keeping at bay suddenly sprang forth like a tidal wave. They rushed through him, filling him up, buoying him until he probably could have reached the top shelf of that goddamn closet without the chair.

"I hate you," Andrew ground out. And Neil smiled, because he knew it wasn't true.

"I missed you, Andrew. I missed you so fucking much."

"Shut up, stupid." Andrew forced himself to take a deep breath, then he snatched up Neil's hand and started dragging him out of the office. "Come on. We're getting ice cream."

Neil laughed and squeezed his hand. "Some things never change."

No, Andrew thought, some things never do.

#asks #AFTG prompts #aftg fanfic #andrew minyard #neil josten #reunion fic #i will never pass up the chance to make an 'in the closet' joke #they are so in love #andrew minyard x neil josten #andreil

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senstia · 4 years

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Neil being good at singing? Neil singing while reading a book and Andrew? Poor Andrew.

your ideas are always immaculate my friend here u go🎉

Ever since Andrew had learned Neil could sing he couldn’t get it out of his head. While he was at practice, in the shower, during sessions, all he could hear was Neil’s pretty voice, all he could see was Neil’s pretty face. It was terrible. He couldn’t pay attention to anyone, he was more jumpy, more prone to blushing. His skin was hot, his pulse always racing. How the hell could a good singing voice be such a turn on?

It was even worse when Neil was actually singing. Luckily he never truly belted out songs, but every once in a while he would sing or hum quietly while he was doing homework or on a car ride. Every time it drove Andrew crazy. It was driving him especially crazy right now. All the foxes were in the room too. This made things about one hundred times worse because normally Andrew would shut Neil up with a hard kiss and touch him until that quiet singing turned into desperate moaning. But no. Today all the foxes were here which kinda ruined his usual plan.

Andrew couldn’t stop his fidgeting hands as Neil sang quietly as he thumbed through some school book. All the foxes were chattering quietly around them.

Neil had been singing like this for long minutes now and Andrew was at his breaking point, trying desperately to hide the damning evidence that Neil was driving him crazy. His ears and neck were bright red, his pants were tighter, he couldn’t stop fidgeting his hands. He just hoped no one noticed his small tells. But of course he knew that hoping for something was useless and usually ended badly. Today was no different. First he heard soft laughter. Allison’s poorly hidden eavesdropping made him want to turn around and knife her but she was Neil’s shopping buddy now and he didn’t want to take away Neil’s new rare forming friendship. Sigh. Neil always ended up complicating such simple matters. Unfortunately Andrew was resigned to the fact that Neil would be annoying him til he was dead. Oh well...

Neil glanced up, noticing Allison’s attention on them. He caught Allison’s eye, shook his head and frowned, and then looked to Andrew. His eyes softened as he did. Neil took in Andrew’s form, eyes quickly going to his reddened ears, then his hands, and then his tightened pants. Neil’s eyes widened as they snapped back up to Andrew’s face.

“Drew?” Neil questioned softly.

That word. That damn nickname sent a bolt of electricity through Andrew’s spine. Damnit Neil.

Andrew glared, “Shut the fuck up Neil.”

Neil barely concealed his grin. He tapped his pencil against the desk, cocked his head to the side, “What did I do?”

“I hate it when you sing,” Andrew bit out.

Neil’s eyebrows rose a fraction in surprise. Then his grin widened to a satisfied smile, all teeth.

“Don’t you dare look at me like that right now,” Andrew growled, shoving Neil’s face away.

Neil just laughed softly and closed his book, turning to face Andrew fully.

“Roof or shower? Your choice.”

A thousand images flashed through Andrew’s mind. Neil on his lap on the roof, no space between them. Neil pressed against the concrete, the stars wheeling above them. Neil’s body dripping in water, surrounded by the steam of the shower. Neil’s flamed cheeks from the heat of the water and the heat of Andrew’s mouth. The way Neil’s ice blue eyes reflected the night sky, the way they reflected the burning of his cigarette. Neil’s wet auburn hair plastered against his head, accentuating those perfect cheekbones. Rivulets of water sliding over Neil’s full lips, down down down until the water reached the secret places Andrew wanted to put his lips, his tongue. The goosebumps on Neil’s arms from the bite of night air and the bite of Andrew’s teeth against his neck.

It was an impossible choice. Andrew flip flopped between them both as he stared at Neil. And then he decided that the walls of this dorm were quite thin and if he chose the shower, Allison and the other foxes would hear every moan he pulled out of Neil. While this idea was enticing, he wouldn’t subject Neil to that if it wasn’t something he was comfortable with. But the idea of the foxes hearing them, until there was no more bets, no more questions about their relationship, until they ran out of the dorms to avoid hearing the noises they’d been searching for for months, yeah that sounded like damn good revenge.

“They’ll hear us in the shower,” Andrew said quietly. He wouldn’t choose the shower if Neil wanted complete privacy.

Neil contemplated Andrew’s words for a moment and then shrugged, “I don’t care.”

Andrew stared at Neil, tried to see if Neil was telling the truth or saying the words for Andrew’s benefit. Then Neil’s eyes sparkled, his face shifting into something mischievous.

“They’ll regret all the eavesdropping and questions after this,” Neil said with a wicked grin. Andrew just nodded and took Neil’s hand, leading them both to the adjacent bathroom.

Ten minutes later all the foxes screeched in surprise and disgust and excitement at the noises coming from that bathroom. They all scrambled out of the dorm as quick as possible.

Aaron grimaced, “You guys know Andrew did that as revenge right?”

“What revenge?” Matt asked.

“You guys are so damned nosy about their relationship and that was payback for all the gossip and bets,” Aaron said, pointing to the abandoned dorm for emphasis.

“Okay fine. Maybe we should stop with the bets. They’re obviously in love and Andrew just made it quite apparent that they’re... close... “ Allison said.

“Yeah and I really don’t want to find out what Andrew will do next if he thinks we’re still nosing in on him and Neil,” Kevin said, grimacing.

“But I am gonna miss all the money I’ve been winning,” Allison sighed.

The foxes just laughed and made a silent promise to leave Neil and Andrew be for a while.

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crazy-fangirl2524 · 4 years

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What if Andrew died?

Hi yes it’s me again I’m writing another headcanon because why the fuck not and idk if yall have read it but Nora did mention that if Andrew was somehow killed by Ichirou as a warning or message Neil would basically destroy the Moriyamas and he would be more Wesninski than Josten and Nora ended with five years later Matt and dan found him and stuff and Imma continue from there on because I’m a fucking masochist

while Nathaniel is not sorry for the path he took and the sacrifices he made for revenge, he finally grieves for everything he’s lost (this is taken straight form nora’s tumblr (which doesn’t exist anymore but anyways))

Matt and dan tell Neil Nathaniel what had happened for the last few years and Nathaniel listens expressionlessly (it’s worse than Andrew’s blank look because his eyes are just dead dead)

When they mention about Andrew’s urn which is still in Aaron’s possession Nathaniel’s eyes flash and they finally see a glimpse of the boy they knew just a much more broken and sad version

Nathaniel tells them nothing about him but they know he is listening so they just fill the silence with their life and the foxes life for the past few years (lets just assume that they are in a coffee shop in japan)

One year after their visit, Renee visits Nathaniel with Andrew’s urn, and Renee gives it to Nathaniel saying that he deserves to be the one to keep it

Nathaniel doesn’t know how to react, he literally just froze, it’s the only thing that has ever caught him off guard since Matt and Dan’ visit and Renee basically shoves the urn into his arms

Renee waits patiently for Nathaniel to recover and Nathaniel finally asks, “why did they keep it, after all this time, Aaron?” he asks so quietly it is a miracle that Renee heard him but she did

The question is a jumbled mess but Renee gets it and she says, “we thought that maybe someday you might want it, and Aaron doesn’t mind”

Nathaniel nods and Renee asks if it is okay if any of the foxes want to visit him and Nathaniel just shrugs

After Renee leaves, Nathaniel back in his apartment just stares at the urn. He doesn’t cry or say anything he just stares at it for maybe like hours or even days.

The urn brings back a lot of memories, no matter how hard Nathaniel tries, he can never forget the feeling of Andrew’s hands on him, hot and heavy, his mouth hard on his, Andrew taking him apart steadily and Andrew’s neck fetish. The trust, the keys which he still keeps in one of the bottom drawers, he can’t bring it in himself to throw them away, the honestly and the truths Andrew gave him

He put it on the nightstand besides his bed and he finally also brings the keys out and put it besides the urn

The next time, all the foxes somehow even Aaron and Kevin and Wymark and Abby and Besty go to visit Nathaniel and they all catch up. Even though Nathaniel still tells them nothing about himself and doesn’t contribute to any of the conversations, they can see his relaxed shoulders and his eyes are not that dead, although still blank. And they never once call him Nathaniel, only Neil.

He will always be Neil to them

These visit to Japan become a regular thing although it is not all the foxes all together

One visit, Dan gives Nathaniel the picture she took years ago of Andrew and Neil, where Neil gave Andrew his real name in the airport.

It is the only picture of Neil and Andrew there ever is

Nathaniel thanks her and dan gives him a sad smile

Nathaniel frames it and put it besides the urn and the keys

Many years past and during one visit, when Dan and Matt visit Nathaniel again, they found out he is dead (i do not know how just maybe alcohol poisoning? Car accident?) (also maybe Nathaniel is in his late thirties)

The foxes decide to put neil’s ash in Andrew’s urn

“Fucking junkie,” he pulls him close and rest his head on his shoulder. “I missed you” “I hate you”

I hope you guys enjoy this!!!! As much as I did while writing it!!!! Idek why I keep on thinking about these stuff honestly ahahaha I’m not crying your crying what why are my eyes sweating lol

The last bulletpoint is their reunion in the afterlife because I refuse to believe that they aren’t soulmates and of course they will still be together in the afterlife and all lives afterwards till the end of the fucking time

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scotianostra · 4 years

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James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was born on October 25th 1612.

It's a really empty day for anniversaries today, although if I followed blindly two of my usual sources tell me, Elvis landed at Prestwick on this day in 1960, he didn't it was in March of that year. Even with this post all is not clear..........

Most of the posts I have made about "The great Montrose" have covered his battles, and his capture and execution, today I shall put some meat on the bones and work through what made the man one of the most admired figures in Scottish history.

So here we are with my only major post today, the birth of James Graham, to be fair his birth date is unknown, it is thought he was born in mid to late October, a couple of sources give this date.

There's not much known about his childhood, James inherited the earldom of Montrose when his father died in 1626. Aged only 14, he was was placed under the guardianship of his uncle Lord Archibald Napier.

In 1627, Montrose enrolled as a student at the University of St. Andrews where he first became inspired by the classical ideal of military glory, as well as enjoying a wide range of sporting pursuits, including hawking, golf, chess and archery. In November 1629, Montrose married Magdalene Carnegie, daughter of Lord Carnegie of Kinnaird. After the birth of his first two sons, Montrose went to France and Italy to complete his education, which included a period at the French military academy at Angers.

He was back home by 1638 and became involved with The Covenanters after King Charles had attempted to impose an Anglican -oriented prayer book upon the reluctant Scots, resistance spread throughout the country, eventually leading to the Bishops' Wars .

Montrose joined the party of resistance, and was for some time one of its most energetic champions. He had nothing puritanical in his nature, but he shared in the ill-feeling aroused by the political authority King Charles had given to the bishops . He signed the National Covenant , and was sent to suppress the opposition which arose around Aberdeen and in the country of the Gordons. Three times Montrose entered Aberdeen, where he succeeded in his object, on the second occasion carrying off the head of the Gordons, the Marquess of Huntly..

Graham was a leader of the delegation who subsequently met at Muchalls Castle to parlay regarding the 1638 confrontation with the Bishop of Aberdeen . With the Earl Marischal he led a force of 9000 men across the Causey Mounth through the Portlethen Moss to attack Royalists at the Bridge of Dee . This set of events was an element of Charles I decision to grant sweeping reforms to the Covenanters . In July 1639, after the signature of the Treaty of Berwick , Montrose was one of the Covenanting leaders who visited Charles. The change of policy on his part, eventually leading to his support for the king, arose from his wish to get rid of the bishops without making presbyters masters of the state. His was essentially a layman's view of the situation. Taking no account of the real forces of the time, he aimed at an ideal form of society in which the clergy should confine themselves to their spiritual duties, and the king should maintain law and order. In the Scottish parliament which met in September, Montrose found himself in opposition to Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll , who had made himself the representative of the Presbyterian and national party, and of the middle classes. Montrose, on the other hand, wished to bring the king's authority to bear upon parliament to defeat Argyll, and offered the king the support of a great number of nobles. He failed, because Charles could not even then consent to abandon the bishops, and because no Scottish party of any weight could be formed unless Presbyterianism were established ecclesiastically. Rather than give way, Charles prepared in 1640 to invade Scotland. Montrose was to play something of a double part. In August 1640 he signed the Bond of Cumbernauld as a protest against the particular and direct practicing of a few, in other words, against the ambition of Argyll. But he took his place amongst the defenders of his country, and in the same month he displayed his gallantry in action at the forcing of the Tyne at Newburn . After the invasion had been crowned with success, Montrose still continued to cherish his now hopeless policy. On 27th May 1641 he was summoned before the Committee of Estates and charged with intrigues against Argyll, and on the 11th of June he was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle . Charles visited Scotland to give his formal assent to the abolition of Episcopacy , and upon the king's return to England Montrose shared in the amnesty which was tacitly accorded to all Charles's partisans. Highlanders had never before been known to combine together, but Montrose knew that many of the West Highland clans, who were largely Catholic , detested Argyll and his Campbell clansmen, none more so than the MacDonalds who with many of the other clans rallied to his summons. The Royalist allied Irish Confederates sent 2000 disciplined Irish soldiers led by Alasdair MacColla across the sea to assist him. In two campaigns, distinguished by rapidity of movement, he met and defeated his opponents in six battles. At Tippermuir and Aberdeen he routed Covenanting levies; at Inverlochy he crushed the Campbells, at Auldearn , Alford and Kilsyth his victories were obtained over well-led and disciplined armies. The fiery enthusiasm of the Gordons and other clans often carried the day, but Montrose relied more upon the disciplined infantry from Ireland. His strategy at Inverlochy, his tactics at Aberdeen, Auldearn and Kilsyth furnished models of the military art, but above all his daring and constancy marked him out as one of the greatest soldiers of the war. His career of victory was crowned by the great Battle of Kilsyth on 15 August 1645 . Now Montrose found himself apparently master of Scotland. In the name of the king, who now appointed him lord lieutenant and captain-general of Scotland, he summoned a parliament to meet at Glasgow, in which he no doubt hoped to reconcile loyal obedience to the king with the establishment of a non-political Presbyterian clergy.

However that parliament never met. Charles I had been defeated at the Battle of Naseby on 14t June , and Montrose must come to his help if there was to be still a king to proclaim. David Leslie , the best of the Scottish generals, was promptly dispatched against Montrose to anticipate the invasion. On 12th September he came upon Montrose, deserted by his Highlanders and guarded only by a little group of followers, at Philiphaugh . He won an easy victory. Montrose cut his way through to the Highlands; but he failed to organize an army. In September 1646 he fled for Norway .

After Charles I execution Montrose was to appear once more on the stage of Scottish history. In June 1649, burning to revenge the death of the king, he was restored by the exiled Charles II to the now nominal lieutenancy of Scotland. The new king however hung Graham out to dry afterwards disavowing his noblest supporter in order to become a king on terms dictated by Argyll and Argyll's adherents.

In March 1650 Montrose landed in Orkney to take the command of a small force which he had sent on before him. Crossing to the mainland, he tried in vain to raise the clans, and on 27th April he was surprised and routed at the Battle of Carbisdale in Ross-shire . His forces were defeated in battle but he escaped. After wandering for some time he was betrayed by Neil MacLeod of Assynt at Ardvreck Castle , to whose protection, in ignorance of MacLeod's political enmity, he had entrusted himself. He was brought a prisoner to Edinburgh, denied a trial on 20th May he was sentenced to death by the parliament. He was hanged on the 21st, with Wishart's laudatory biography of him put round his neck. To the last he protested that he was a real Covenanter and a loyal subject.

Shortly after Montrose's death the Argyll Government switched sides and became Royalists too.

#Scotland #scottish #soldier #History

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luvbug724 · 4 years

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hiii ive been thinking abt neil running post-tkm whatre ur thoughts on that 🤨 i feel its not Too common but it comes up often enough in fandom and is always triggered in neil by something so he runs and either comes back or doesnt but i cant rlly see that happening? also similarly do u think neil would have some troubles w accepting permanence in his life? i was thinking hed def have some habits he wouldnt need anymore but w main threats gone + a life he wants to keep it wldnt be a huge issue..

WAIT my last ask when i say like permanence ex: neil panicking abt captaincy in tkm do u think hed have similar experiences later on w similar aspects of living in one place? (and this maybe triggering the need to run in turn)

holy cow first of all i got so excited when i got this ask you don’t even know. this has definitely been something that’s been sitting in the back of my mind but it was never something that bothered me enough to share online. SECOND of all, i mean absolutely no disrespect to anybody who might disagree with me on this or has written neil in this scenario-- it’s all fiction we’re all having fun here and my characterization may differ from yours and that’s fine! even if i might not be a fan of the concept i still read and support fics that include it if i like the writing :) this got very long and some people probably won’t be interested in reading it, so my response is under the cut :’)

but as for your question, anon, i completely agree with you. when i got this notification the first scene my mind went to was chapter nine of tkm right after wymack offers neil the vice captaincy. this was, probably, one of the worst sequences of events that could have possibly happened to neil: some of his most fundamental lies are exposed to his team, he’s confronted with his past, he has to reveal some truths that he never planned on saying, and now here’s his coach insisting on a future he so desperately wants but doesn’t think he’ll live long enough to have. neil should have already had a new name in a new country three months ago and instead he’s at palmetto state in the public eye right for the moriyamas and wesninskis to watch.

and what does he do?

He didn't remember pulling it from his pocket or making the decision to dial out. He lowered it and tapped a button, thinking maybe he'd imagined things, but Andrew's name was on his display and the timer put the call at almost a minute already.

Neil put the phone back to his ear, but he couldn't find the words for the wretched feeling that was tearing away at him. In three months championships would be over. In four months he'd be dead. In five months the Foxes would be right back here for summer practices with six new faces. Neil could count his life on one hand now. On the other hand was the future he couldn't have: vice-captain, captain, Court. Neil had no right to mourn these missed chances. He'd gotten more than he deserved this year; it was selfish to ask for more.

He should be grateful for what he had, and gladder still that his death would mean something. He was going to drag his father and the Moriyamas down with him when he went, and they'd never recover from the things he said. It was justice when he'd never thought he'd get any and revenge for his mother's death. He thought he'd come to terms with it but that hollow ache was back in his chest where it had no right to be. Neil felt like he was drowning.

Neil found his voice at last, but the best he had was, "Come and get me from the stadium.”

andrew grounds him, comes for him, and makes sure that neil can’t run. but this was just one very extreme situation, so here’s how i think his future may play out: no matter how much neil wants to go, he needs to stay even more. and, unlike the above situation, neil now has explicit permission (a command, even) to stay with the foxes, to stay with his family. i think he will be fine for a long while until there comes a moment where he realizes that he’s here to stay and he has a home and he has the foxes and he has andrew and it’s honestly a toss up as to how he would react. the first option would be that it’s overwhelming in a very, very good way and nothing much changes. the second option (which seems way more in character for neil) is instead: he panics, and he needs something to keep him tethered to psu. he might seek out andrew like he did in canon or he might try to hide it to not worry him, but i’d place my bets on somewhere in the middle where he makes sure andrew knows whats going on but tries to downplay its importance.

anyways, i wrote all this before i even checked with nora’s ec to see if she’s said anything in a similar context and she DID and and it was pretty much compliant with my ideas which i am very happy about:

“He’s more likely to walk away or tell Neil to get over it or look right past whatever existential/psychological crisis Neil is having. Neil’s grumpiness after a loss are brushed aside unimportant, and his aggravation over uncooperative teammates is nothing to pity him for.

But once in a long while Neil will hit a ledge he has to be pulled back from, and that’s what Andrew does. Like in Baltimore, when Neil is trying to say Do you want me to go, and Andrew catches hold and tells him Stay. This is how Andrew comforts: by being a stabilizing force, an anchor to keep Neil at home, a place to rest his weight and his secrets. Honestly, that’s what Neil needs.” (Andrew comforting Neil)

“Impatience kind of worked in Baltimore, but I guess it’s not a one-size-fits-all kind of ordeal. Forced eye contact and Look at me and a ruder calm down right now. ((Thanks Andrew, really sympathetic of you)) Andrew gives Neil the weight to connect him to the real world: a hand on the back of his neck or fingers hooked in the collar of his shirt to drag Neil home to him.” (Andrew re: Neil’s panic attacks)

now, as for neil adjusting to just a plain stationary life, i think he’d adjust relatively easily. his entire life was fitting in which i don’t think he’d have a big problem with, but the new element of how he’s not pretending anymore, he’s just neil josten, might throw him off a little bit. there’s likely going to be some habits he picked up that he can’t shake and some associations (alcohol isn’t for fun, it’s an anesthetic is one that comes to mind) that he never quite gets rid of but despite how much might get thrown at him, after everything he survived freshman year it’d take a fucking lot to push him to his breaking point.

#is this coherant? who knows!#but tysm for the ask i love sharing my opinions its very fun #aftg #aftg meta #neil josten

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doodlingstuff · 3 years

Text

Heaven knows I’m proud, but I’ll turn ‘round

Chapter 15 of Comeback.

Proceed with caution. This is loaded with heavy angst and almost every TW.

***

All comments, likes, kudos and shares make my day shine. Thank you for reading 🧡

***

Cold brushes Andrew’s arms and face.

His armbands and knives are not with him.

It takes several tries to open his eyes.

Before he can reckon his surroundings, he feels the hot hands in his arms, dragging him across grass and dirt. Then he feels the cold metal around his wrists.

He plants his feet on the ground. He is too dizzy, but he spent years under heavy medication. He can fight even drugged.

When the men holding him notice he is awake, they are received by a kick and a headbutt. Andrew can only duck and kick since his hands are tied to his back. He has another three persons behind him. There’s no time to maneuver his legs and put his arms in front of him to punch them properly, so he runs.

It’s too dark to see where he’s going, but he can see a highway ahead. He sprints faster to reach it. However, his path gets blocked by a massive man holding a crowbar. Andrew dodges him and keeps going.

He can almost step foot on the highway when three pairs of hands grab him from the arms, the legs, his torso. He spins and tries to kick, but he is outnumbered. His hands are tied. His knives are lost. He is carried back to a pig’s car.

It doesn’t matter how much he moves and twists, the men holding him above the ground have a fierce grip on his body.

A woman approaches. He can’t see her face in the dark, but he can hear.

“Ain’t no fun if you hurt us.”

The smile never leaves her face as she smacks a rock to Andrew’s head.

Next time he wakes up, Andrew is sitting on a chair. The room is covered in darkness.

Moisture dampens his head and shoulder. The scars in his arms are stinging like they are split open again, but he can’t see.

“Look, our tiny toy is back.”

Andrew struggles to wake up fully. His head is hammering too hard to focus.

Contours start to appear as his eyes get adjusted to dark.

Knives glint on walls and there is a drain in the middle of the room.

He has been here before. His hazed brain takes a few moments more to recall.

No.

Neil has been here before.

This is one of his nightmares, not Andrew’s.

---

Next Monday after Neil’s party, Andrew almost needed to be shoveled out of bed.

Daily morning practices were off for nearly four months and he was fine with not having to wake up early for fucking stickball. But it’s Neil’s first practice since he got back and his good mood was spreading fast through the dorm, so even Andrew felt the need to put some effort, even if it was the bare minimum.

Classes came and went and then it was time for afternoon practice. He was used to head to Abby’s place then to be with Neil. It was strange having him on the passenger seat, but it was even stranger seeing him sitting out most of the practice. At least, he was able to try some drills in the morning.

Coach stopped the whole team before they headed out to shower. He had the schedules and matches to be held for the rearranged championship. They were facing the Binghamton Bearcats in one month, and the final match would be played two weeks after. Everyone cheers and celebrates.

In one month, they trusted Neil could play more than the five-minute top threatened by Coach. The Foxes were finally moving as a whole after the striker’s return and the Bearcats weren’t one of the Big Three, so they felt entitled to lift their hopes up, even if it was the weirdest season on the books.

With a date to look forward as the definitive end of the season, final exams on their way, and Kevin bitching to have night practices again, weeks passed in a mix of sweat and stolen kisses with Neil whenever they had a few minutes to spare. The boy shone with excitement for being able to play, and the only thing Andrew could do about it was make sure he didn’t push too hard whenever he noticed the striker limping.

Since it was only one match and Neil asked, Andrew conceded closing the goal on his half of the match. He had seen the Bearcats previous matches, so he knew their patterns. It was easy.

The weight of the Foxes playing or not the last match would depend then on how many points Kevin, Neil and Dan could score, and hope their number was bigger than the rest.

The ride to Binghamton was eternal and boring. Andrew certainly had a few ideas of how he could make time go faster, but not with the team that close, so he had to settle with the stories Neil told about his travels, hearing his wishes for going on a holiday someday, and his daydream that he would be able to play on finals. Then, he fell asleep on Andrew’s shoulder.

The match was brutal.

The twin was split the whole time between staying in place deflecting shots, or run to shove out dirty players far from his lot. He kept the goal shut and their win wasn’t taken with grace, since the Foxes were the away team and certainly not anyone’s favorite despite the loads of news and gossip provided by Neil’s incident with the Ravens, but he couldn’t care less about the fans’ mood.

Andrew’s arms were close to burnout when the final buzzer confirmed their win. The Foxes gathered in the middle of the court and celebrated as if they had earned gold at the Olympics. The blond watched from the distance, when all he wanted was a shower and pile back into the orange bus, but he had to keep an eye on Neil, and he intended to wait until after he was done in the showers to carry their equipment, as he had done every practice. The striker was perfectly capable of carry his own things by then, but helping made curious things futter in his chest, and painted a smile on his pipe dream.

The celebrations were carried to his goal and he could only stare at Neil’s happiness.

That was another moment to treasure.

Finally, everyone headed out of court and started to clean up. Neil was waiting for him to finish, so they could get back to the others. The joy lighting his blue eyes was so powerful that Andrew nodded for the striker to join the rest while he got both their bags ready. Nothing would happen if Neil was out of his sight for a moment.

The pipe dream had proved to be real.

Andrew was almost out the locker room when he felt a pinch on his neck.

Duffel bags were dropped as he unfurled to fight, but the liquid spreading through his blood was faster, and everything turned black before he could do anything about it.

----

A tall woman with a gargantuan red lipped smile approaches him. “Are you awake now? Revenge is not fun if you can’t hear me.” It’s the same one who knocked him with a rock, and maybe a needle too. The one on the original list of the Moriyamas that Andrew ignored.

Lola Malcolm.

“Fuck you.” Andrew tries to stand, but his whole body is chained to the chair. His efforts send him to the floor. His hips hit instants before his head. His left arm is on fire after the impact. The sting in his scars is worse.

“So bold but so small. Can’t believe you were the one who killed our boss.”

The woman is too close and holding his face. The touch burns him worse than the pain on his head or his arms. He spits in her face. A shoe presses Andrew’s head to the floor.

The betrayal of the Moriyamas sends waves of rage through him as terror replaces it fast when realization settles.

“Where is Neil?”

“Wait you insolent Gremlin. He hasn’t picked up again. Little boss said he was untouchable now, but he never said anything about you and Junior didn’t like it. Oh, hey, you heard that Junior?”

Static of the phone echoes in the room. There is silence on the other end for minutes.

“Fuck you.” The fear in Neil’s whisper shatters something in Andrew, but reliefs him at the same time. It doesn’t matter what they do to him as long as the pipe dream is safe.

“Nathaniel, say hello to our special guest now that he is awake.”

"Don’t you dare fucking touching him-”

“Watch that mouth Junior. As you recall, it’s my honor to tell my victims what I’ll do, and since this was meant to be for you once Nathan got out from jail, you both get to hear.”

Andrew can’t pay attention to the things Lola mentions. The jagged screams of Neil on the other side of the phone are destroying him already.

His promise was broken.

Neil was unprotected and suffering.

Because Andrew was about to get chopped. That isn’t right. No one suffers for Andrew. Never.

“Are you still there Junior? I’d like to start now.”

The other end of the phone is dead.

“Shame. We’ll get started without him then.”

Andrew struggles as two men free him from the chair and pin him to the floor with a loud crash of his skull. He is too close to the drain.

He tries to fight them, but the massive one from before joins to keep his legs glued in place.

Romero Malcolm. Jackson Plank. Patrick DiMaccio.

Fucking list.

“Heard Junior and you like to do nasty things with each other. Such waste of tiny men. I’ll have a try anyway.”

Lola climbs on top of him. She has a knife on her hands. The tip presses on the hollow in his throat, where the collar of his shirt starts, and cuts all the way down to his waist. She rips the shirt in two and leaves his bare chest in display.

Then, she bends down and licks Andrew’s neck. Nausea piles in his throat as the woman sucks his nipples and keeps pressing her tongue until she reaches the hem of his pants.

The contact is revulsing, and it only gets worse as fingernails dig inside his underwear to make way between his legs. Pulling, pinching, tickling, pressing until his body betrays him.

Like Steven, Samuel, Drake, and Proust did.

Nausea rolls from his stomach to his throat. He puts all his effort in containing a gagging sound while Lola keeps feasting on him.

Andrew fights to get rid of the weight, but he is helpless with three men strangling his limbs and tugging his hair to keep his head in place too.

The sharpness of a blade starts on the side of his lower belly and follows all the way to his knee. Lola tears apart the ruined pants and gets free access to Andrew’s intimacy. A shiver runs from his head to his toes. He can’t do anything to cover his unprotected body. The men pinning him only look away, but they never release the strength of their hold.

The woman watches him with sickening delight before sliding down from his legs to his shins, and sucks him.

She bites and licks and digs her long nails on Andrew’s sides until his skin breaks and bleeds.

His stomach tries to rebel again, but he only retches. His teeth are close to breaking from how hard Andrew is clenching his jaw.

It’s an eternity before Lola gets up again, wiping her mouth with a hand.

She leaves Andrew exposed. Trembling. Humiliated.

Hot shots set his skin on fire everywhere Lola touched him.

“That was good indeed. But I promised other delivery, so let’s get started.”

Lola stands and disappears from Andrew’s view. His attempts to het free are useless once more.

When she returns, she climbs over him again and takes his phone from one of her pockets. While the device beeps, waiting for the other side to answer, the sound of a blowtorch makes Andrew’s nerves stand on edge.

“No one told you is unpolite to hung up, Junior?” There’s only silence on the other side. “Fine. Don’t talk. I’ll update. Your tiny boyfriend is delicious indeed. But I have to resume. See, we were planning on carving out that disgusting thing on your face. We’ll have to ruin a pretty face in your behalf. And because you are always running, we were cutting your legs tendon by tendon, but this one relies on his knives, so we are cutting his arms. Did your midget tell you that he made an exact copy of your scars on the Butcher? I’ll perfect his idea now.

“No.” The whisper on the other side is too broken to be Neil.

“Yes. And you will get to hear his screams. Word says he lost emotions and all that. We’ll see that when he sees his fingers on the floor.”

Andrew can’t think, can’t remember, can’t move as the tip of a red-hot knife gets pressed to his left cheek and sharp nails are dug in his jaw to keep him steady.

He was right. The good weeks had to end, but he never thought it would be like this.

At least he enjoyed all of Neil while he could and he got enough time to know it wasn’t a hallucination made up from his meds.

Pain sears his cheek and spreads to his full face, but he doesn’t make a sound even if his teeth are cracking. He won’t make Neil hurt more.

“You know how to stay shut, don’t you? Nathaniel, have you seen the mess this one has on his arms? Of course you do. It’s time to erase them. Can’t make clean cuts with that view. I began on the way here, but it wasn’t enough.”

“No. Please.”

And that word.

Bolts of fury fill Andrew to fight again. He is not letting Neil fall into the same trap the twin fell when he was seven.

The man on his left is slightly smaller than the one on his right. Despite the pain, he puts all his might into getting free. It hurts dislocating his joints to get free, but not more than hearing Neil’s strangled pry.

If he is dying today, he doesn’t want Neil to hear.

And if he will hear anyway, let it be the sounds of Andrew putting a fight to get back. As Neil did.

He swings a closed fist to Lola and sends her to the floor before his arm is trapped again with a jolts of agony.

“Enough talking.” Says the woman cleaning the blood dripping from her nose. She is holding the fucking blowtorch again.

Andrew braces for the pain but it’s not enough. The horrors he had faced are nothing alike.

Lola pins first his left arm with the same knife she used to burn his face and gives the halt to the man over to hold it in place. Then she gets the blowtorch to the scars and new cuts of his right arm.

Fire scorches his skin slowly. He watches in slow motion as his marred scars start changing color. Swelling. Blistering. Bleeding.

He scrambles and twists to get away from the fire, but the knife pinned in place is dividing his other arm in two with every move he can manage below the fierce grips.

A feral growl escapes his throat and Lola laughs as she moves the torch up. The knife held by the man on his left has made a hole in his arm. He can’t feel his fingers anymore.

A scream bursts free against his will when the blade is taken out and stabs his burned arm.

He doesn’t want Neil hearing this. It will break whatever defense survived Evermore.

Another scream is finding its way out as the blowtorch now works over the open wound, cauterizing the cut and erasing his scars. He can’t feel his burned arm being torn apart with the knife.

Andrew can’t notice immediately when the weight in his left arm is gone, but he can see the shock in Lola’s face as she lets the torch fall and stands to fight.

All around is pain and confusion.

A real hallucination from the pain. Maybe he is already death. This is impossible.

Because there is no way that Neil is standing around his body, bloodied knives in both hands, slashing and cutting everything in his way, making bodies fall and fight and free Andrew’s limbs.

He can swear there is also a strike of rainbow moving at flash speed behind Neil. Clearing the path. Getting rid of the people torturing him.

“Andrew? Andrew?"

The voice speaking is too far, too wrecked to be real.

Andrew is too shocked to understand. He hadn’t been so afraid, so sore, so useless in so, so long. He finally loses control of his stomach and everything comes out, but there is no relief afterwards. The pain and the sickness go on and forces him to retch again until there is nothing left.

There is a cling close to him.

He wants the world to disappear beneath him. Die if he hasn’t. Pass out at least.

He can’t tell when he curled on his side and covered his head with his battered arms.

He is shaking. His head is throbbing. His arms sting. He is mostly naked. He is cold. His belly hurts from the effort.

Neil heard him. Neil is watching him like this. Again.

“Andrew? You’re bleeding, we need to stop it.” The voice outside is too hurt, but sounds real. “Andrew?”

“No.” The answer comes between shattered sobs.

A part of Andrew that is still aware of the surroundings knows he is the one crying, but he is uncapable of doing anything else.

He promised to protect Neil and he failed.

He failed to his promise like everyone else does.

All because he thought he wouldn’t have enough time left with Neil.

Because he thought the Moriyamas would finish their part of the job faster.

“Don’t touch him.” The jagged voice turns fierce before being soft again. “Andrew, we need to get you out of here.”

He doesn’t move.

It takes ages before he can acknowledge that the shattered voice belongs to Neil.

He can’t face him after failing a promise. He has failed him twice.

That is unforgivable. That makes him a monster indeed. The monster everyone believes him to be.

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t get faster. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you like I promised. I’m sorry it wasn’t me. I-”

Andrew uncovers his face only an inch. His arms hurt too much, but he needs to see if Neil is indeed there, apologizing for a promise that was never his to keep. Hurting only because Andrew was hurt.

He was sure that no one gave a fuck about what happened to him, until he heard his name spoken with utter fear for him, not because of him.

“You are a pipe dream.” He manages to say with cracked voice.

“Fuck you I’m not. I’m real. You made me real.” There’s a pause before he goes on. “And I can’t lose you. Not like this.”

Neil’s eyes are a few shades darker and glassy as he lowers a hand and places it extended, close to Andrew’s arms, but not touching. Never touching. Only waiting.

“Let’s go home. Yes or no?”

It takes minutes or maybe hours for Andrew to find enough courage inside of him to realize that Neil’s apologies were sincere and he still wants him.

Maimed, useless and humiliated, he’s still accepted.

He was forgiven for breaking the promise between them even before he pointed his failure.

The hand extended is still by his side. Asking. Expecting. Ready.

Neil is feeling guilty for the consequences of Andrew’s miscalculated actions. The striker didn’t choose his criminal family, but Andrew chose to get rid of them. The guilt and consequences should be only his. Neil should be away from this, enjoying his free life. Not extending his hand to pick the pieces of a wrecked a monster like him.

And yet, he doesn’t have it in him to let go. No when he is so terrified for the first time.

With trembling fingers, Andrew takes the offered hand and holds it as hard as he can with his numb fingers.

It is as warm and real as the last time.

“Yes.”

#tw: torture #tw: injury #tw: noncon #aftg #aftg fic #aftg fanfic #aftg fandom #all for the game #andrew minyard #neil josten #andrew x neil #bamf!neil #the foxhole court #the kings men #the raven king #canon divergence #canon divergent au #mid-canon #someone stop me from writing

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100storiesin2020 · 4 years

Text

Chapter 9: Fallout of nightmares

Chapter titles are hard to come up with sometimes. Come read on AO3!

**********

Ronan hated the feeling of being frozen. He hated laying there in fear, watching the night horror moving for his throat. He struggled to fight, to defend himself, to not be helpless - but it was in vain. This may be the end for him, today. One bad dream where the old guilt resurfaced, bringing the night horrors in waves. Here, off the leyline, more drunk than he really ought to be, it was harder to control what he brought back with him.

The night horror dragged a claw down his face.

Suddenly, Sargent sprang to life beside him. He'd forgotten she was there. He'd griped about having her in the bed with him but in that moment he could have kissed her, girl or not. She kicked with both feet, knocking the thing off the bed. With a cry she jumped after it and drove a knife into its chest, kicking it in the gut for good measure. It collapsed. She approached it, raising the knife one more time, The door opened to reveal the two shady boys. Ronan didn't trust a single person from this whole fucking team, but these two were the worst. Sargent drove her knife into the eye of the beast, but Ronan couldn't relax with the midget's eyes on him.

He knew this could end in only a few ways, and he wasn't happy about any of them.

**********

Renee was just about to go back to sleep when her phone started to ring. She'd been awake for several hours in the night, bad memories stealing away her precious sleep, but she'd been listening to Allison breathing beside her and it had brought some calm back to her soul. Of course she would be getting a phone call now, and from Andrew no less. She gently reached past Allison and hit the silence button before her Andrew-specific heavy metal ringtone could wake her up. "Hello, Andrew. It's early."

"I need to talk to Natalie."

Shit. Renee eased out of the bed and went into the kitchen. "What happened."

"Where in Columbia would you hide a body?"

Natalie hummed. "Lake Murray, probably. It's got 500 miles of coastline so there's bound to be a few nooks and crannies that could work."

Andrew hummed. "How do we get blood out of the carpet?"

"Andrew, did you kill someone?"

"Nicky had it coming," he deadpanned. "Actually, Sargent here produced the body."

"Who was it?"

"You'll have to ask her yourself. How do we get blood out of the carpet?"

Renee sighed. "Okay, he'es where you start..."

**********

Blue tried to wipe up the blood as best as she could while Andrew talked on the phone. He seemed to be doing a lot of listening. She wasn't sure who this Natalie was, but hopefully she'd be able to help them out. And keep her mouth shut.

Neil had, surprisingly, been fairly useless. "What do you mean, you don't know how to dispose of a body? Wasn't your father a serial killer?"

"That was Lola's job - his favorite," he explained. "I was too young to help out with cleanup before we were on the run. Plus, I think she preferred acid. Where would we even buy that?"

Ronan wasn't helpful either. "Either I bury them in the field or I make Declan deal with it," he snarled. "I never fucking leave home, maggot. How should I have expected this?"

Andrew stomped back at that moment, having hung up the phone without a word. "You two have a lot of explaining to do. But first, we're taking this thing to Lake Murray."

Neil nodded. "And the others?"

Blue shuddered before Ronan spat, "Nobody else gets to know. It's bad enough with you two." Blue nodded in fierce agreement.

She watched as Andrew and Neil looked at each other for a minute, silently conversing, before Andrew sighed. "Nicky can drive the others home."

"I'll tell him Ronan barfed in his room and that we will clean it up before coming home." When Ronan spluttered, he added, "It's the only way I can think of to keep him out of the room long enough. Got a better idea?"

"We could throw him in the lake, too," Ronan muttered, drawing a laugh from Neil and a minute twitch of the lips from Andrew.

"Tempting," was all Andrew said before he turned and left the room. Blue noticed that Neil was watching him go.

Neil produced a long knife and started grinning in a very unsettling way. "This thing will be easier to move in smaller pieces," he said. "You two go clean up." Blue and Ronan left him there, knife spinning, a serial-killer grin splitting his face.

They headed to the bathroom. Blue shoved Ronan in first, then locked the door behind them. "Why the absolute fuck did you invite yourself?" she demanded. "I had this in hand. All I had to do was answer a few questions and not be suspicious and now here we are, night horror dead in the other room and suspicious as fuck."

Ronan glared at her. "I don't fucking trust them," he growled. "Matt told me some things about what they've done in Columbia. They drug people. Matt was an addict. They sent him into relapse and you were stupid enough to go with them? By yourself?"

Blue softened. "I don't trust them, but I didn't know those things. Thanks for looking out for me." She gave him a quick hug.

"Get off me maggot." He pushed her away. "Go get me some clothes, now I have to wash your foul stench off of me." She laughed and ducked out of the room in search of their stuff.

**********

Ronan finally started to relax as they drove to this Lake Murray place. They were following the GPS on the phone he'd dreamed up for Blue on her last birthday, as none of them had actually been there before. He always felt powerful behind the wheel of a car. The speed, the control, the impending danger: they were soothing.

He looked over at Sargent, curled up in the front seat next to him. She was shaking. He groaned a bit; she had seen worse than this. He turned on his music and "SQUASH ONE, SQUASH TWO" started to ring through the car. She groaned and reached for the power button just as they both heard a "the fuck is this?" from the backseat. Ronan batted away her hand with a grin and turned the song up even louder. He knew it was only a matter of time before he had to spill his secrets, so he may as well start getting his revenge proactively.

**********

Blue hated this.

They were standing in the sand at the edge of the lake, crowds swirling around them. The lake was a popular place on Saturday in late June, which meant that they looked like just another group of college students with their backpacks. Never mind that their backpacks contained pieces of night horror.

Neil stared out toward the center of the lake, eyes almost unseeing, breathing hard. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and tried to light one, but his hands were shaking too hard. Andrew reached out and put a hand on the back of his neck, pulling him down slightly. "You are Neil Josten," he said softly. "You are a Fox. She is dead."

"I am a Fox," Neil replied, leaning into Andrew. Blue looked away, terribly lonely for Gansey in that moment. It was too much. She was already falling apart, already on edge from killing a living creature - even a night horror - and the fear and adrenaline of possibly losing one of her Raven boys again, and then, seeing Andrew and Neil together in that moment, she wished she had Gansey beside her.

Ronan elbowed her. "No time for tears, maggot. We've got a body to dump." Blue wiped her eyes as best as she could and took a few deep breaths. It would have to do. Once all of them were composed, they started to walk down the beach. Soon enough they came on a dock with a boat rental booth. After talking to the owner, they learned that they could, in fact, rent a speedboat for a few hours, but they needed to be at least 23 to do it.

"That's alright," Ronan said, slapping an ID down on the counter. "As you can see here, I am 25." The cashier raised an eyebrow and clearly didn't believe it, but shrugged and pulled out the paperwork. Soon they were throwing their bags into a slightly beat up speedboat.

"So why do you have a fake ID that says you're 25?" Blue asked.

"One of Kavinsky's pranks."

They hopped in the boat and Blue drove it out. She definitely didn't trust any of these boys to drive, and with how often she had watched Orla do it she felt fairly confident. They poked around a few inlets for an hour before they decided to just dump them into a distant, quiet part of the lake. Dream objects were heavy. The night horror would sink.

Andrew finally dropped the question as they headed back to the docks. "So what was that thing?" Rather than respond, Blue hit the gas, speeding up until it was much too loud and bumpy to hold any kind of conversation. Ronan laughed and tried to fist bump her, but they hit a wave and he cursed as he reached for the nearest handhold. Blue laughed. Andrew was glaring at her and Neil was looking kind of green, but Ronan looked the happiest he'd been all day, wind in his face.

Eventually they got back to the dock and returned the keys to the boat. They climbed back into the car and Ronan paused for a moment.

"That was a night horror. I pulled it from my dreams."

There was a long silence in the backseat. "So magic is real, then?" Neil asked.

"Yes," Blue replied, "but not like, wizard magic. Psychics, tarot cards, leylines, those sort of things. Those are real magic."

"And dreams."

"And dreams, yes."

"Are the dreams always this dangerous?" Andrew asked.

Ronan growled under his breath. Blue forestalled the venom she knew he'd spit out. "Night horrors, like those things, are rare these days. Usually he brings cool things back. Magic things. Things that shouldn't work, but do."

"And the occasional annoying bird," Ronan said almost fondly. He'd left Chainsaw at the house, not trusting her to not attack Andrew and Neil in the backseat.

Andrew seemed satisfied, but Neil continued to ask questions as Ronan started the car and headed back to the house. "Are any of the rest of you magic?"

Ronan laughed wickedly. "I'm the only living dreamer I know."

"That wasn't my question." Shit, he's clever, Blue thought.

At that moment all four of their phones went off simultaneously. Ronan never answered his phone, Blue didn't recognize the number, and Neil only laughed when he saw who was calling him, so it was Andrew who answered. He listened for a few seconds, gave a terse "they're alive," and hung up before turning his phone off. Blue's phone started to ring again.

"It's probably someone from the team," Neil said. "Renee called Andrew and Matt tried to call me. You should probably answer. Five bucks that they ask if we tried to murder you."

"I'll take you on that," Blue replied. "Hello?"

"Oh, thank god," Dan said. "Are y'all alright? They didn't kidnap you or anything?"

Blue laughed. "We kidnapped them, actually." Neil laughed.

"Where are you guys? The other monsters got home ages ago."

"Don't call them monsters," Blue snapped.

"But-"

"Don't." Neil gave her an appreciative nod.

Dan sighed. "Fine. Where are you guys at?"

"Almost back to their house. We need to grab our stuff and then we will be right back. Should be about an hour and a half, right?" she directed to the backseat.

"Around that, yes," Neil replied.

"Then we will expect you around then." Blue hung up the phone.

"Speaking of teammates," Blue said, "was anyone going to inform me that Columbia with y'all had potential to be hazardous to my health?

Neil snorted. "You two are the most dangerous thing that's ever happened on a trip to Eden's," he said with a grin.

Ronan cackled. "Damn straight."

#blue sargent #ronan lynch #andrew minyard #neil josten #renee walker #dan wilds #all for the game #aftg #the raven cycle #trc #a chainsaw in fox tower #chapter 9 #crossover

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gluupor · 5 years

Note

Gluupor! I just wanted to let you know how much I love ALL of your work! I re-read your aftg fits CONSTANTLY. You’re the best! I especially love your fairytale inspired fics! Have you considered writing a swan lake/swan princess!andreil fix? ‘Cause I bet it would be AWESOME

Andrew pushed through the underbrush, intent on his goal. As long as he stayed busy, stayed focused on getting revenge, he didn’t have to think about— well, he didn’t have to think about anything.

He kept his eyes on his quarry. He hated the outdoors and had no use for wild animals, so he had no idea if all swans were as awful as the one he was following or if this particular one was just a demon bird. He was going to catch up to it and strangle the bendy-necked asshole.

There was also the possibility that this swan was the ‘great animal’ that he was looking for. The one who had—

No. He wasn’t going to think about that. He absolutely was not going to think about how Neil was dead and once Andrew found and killed the party responsible he would have to head back to his uncle’s kingdom and be alone. Forever.

They’d been betrothed since they were children. Andrew had resented the small prince from the neighbouring kingdom as soon as they’d met and had done his best to drive him away. He would never marry him, he’d vowed, rebelling against his uncle’s orders. He was going to make Prince Nathaniel suffer instead.

Neil hadn’t let him intimidate him. He’d clashed against him, quick and clever and stubborn. Still, Andrew had persisted in trying to run him off. It had taken years for him to realize how essential Neil had become to him, how lost he would be without Neil’s sharp tongue and bright eyes and hard-won smile. He’d maintained that he hated Neil, not want to give anyone insight into his vulnerabilities, but he’d known that Neil was his future and always had been.

That was until he’d disappeared unexpectedly from his uncle’s castle. Andrew had tracked him down only to find a massacre of Neil’s retinue and a dying man’s report that Neil had been ambushed and killed by a great animal.

Andrew had set off after it and attempted to silence his thoughts and ignore the pit of grief that threatened to consume him if he slowed down. He tried not to think about Neil. He was not succeeding.

The swan had attacked him not far from the ambush site, hissing and biting and generally being terrifying. It had taken off flying before he could regain his footing and kill it. Since then he’d been single-mindedly following it back to wherever it was from, vowing to turn it into his dinner.

There was a possibility that it was leading him into a trap, but he didn’t much care. His own health and safety were a much lower priority than getting revenge.

It was past dark by the time the swan landed. It had led him to a clearing: a wide, circular lake could be seen through the trees. Beside it stood a tower that had appeared from the mists as if by magic.

Andrew slowed and notched an arrow in his bow. It was very dark and still but he could see the bright white of the swan’s feathers as it swam in the pond. He waited for the moon to come out from behind a cloud so he would not miss his shot.

As soon as the moonlight hit the lake, the swan dipped below the placid surface of the water. What surfaced wasn’t a swan, but a man. A familiar man, who Andrew would know anywhere, even by the faint light of the moon.

“Neil,” he said, insensibly dropping his bow and splashing into the lake, unconscious of how he was ruining his leather armour. He didn’t care. All he cared about was getting his hands on his Neil. “Neil,” he said again when he got close enough to touch him, taking Neil’s face in his hands and staring into his beloved eyes.

Neil shrugged him off. “Why are you here?”

Andrew didn’t understand the question. Of course he would follow Neil anywhere. “I thought you were dead,” he said instead, his voice breaking on the last word. He reached for Neil again.

Neil stayed out of the range of his arms. “What does it matter to you? Apparently my only use is that I’m ‘passably pleasant to look at’.”

He was repeating Andrew’s words back to him, words that Andrew had spoken to his uncle, not wanting the man to guess at the depth of his feelings.

“Idiot,” growled Andrew. “What did you want me to say? To all those people who want an advantage over me? That I can’t breathe when you’re not near? That you are mine and I am yours and I refuse to live in a world without you? What do you think someone who wanted to hurt me would do? What would happen to you then?”

Neil looked mollified. “Oh.”

“Yes,” said Andrew acidly. “Oh.”

Neil stepped within arms reach and let Andrew pull him close. “It wouldn’t kill you to say it sometimes,” he said petulantly.

“You disappeared and I thought you were dead,” Andrew whispered. He paused, the implications of what he’d seen earlier coming to him now that he wasn’t as distracted by Neil’s miraculous resurrection. “You bit me,” he accused.

“Yes, well,” shrugged Neil. “I needed you to get here, didn’t I?” A bullfrog croaked. “Shut up, Jean,” hissed Neil.

Andrew raised an eyebrow.

“That’s Jean,” said Neil, gesturing carelessly. “He’s a frog.”

Andrew raised his other eyebrow.

“He’s actually a prince,” said Neil. “There are a few other enchanted people here.” At Andrew’s continued incredulous expression, he huffed, “Well, I’m a swan most of the time, remember?”

“About that…” said Andrew.

Neil sighed ruefully. “It’s a long story.”

#aftg #tfc #andreil #andrew minyard #neil josten #my fic #bits #anon #asks

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leahlisabeth · 5 years

Note

37 for andreil!! 💕

Thanks for prompting! I had a lot of fun with this one!

This also can be found on AO3!

“Why did I let you talk me into this anyway?” Andrew grumbled as he stumbled into yet another patch of muddy ground. His feet were heavy from the mud coating the soles and he practically had to change his gait to accommodate for it. When they started out he had scraped the mud off on the trees every time but he was no beyond fed up.

“I’ve never been camping,” Neil said. “And Nicky couldn’t bear the thought of me missing another ‘essential growing up memory.’”

Andrew groaned. He was going to kill Nicky. First, for teaching Neil about air quotes. Second, for teaching Neil about FOMO. Third, for ruining Andrew’s favourite boots. “Are we almost there?”

Neil consulted the map, brow furrowed. “I think so? I think Nicky drew this himself and it’s not exactly to scale.”

Andrew trudged up beside Neil and snatched the map. It was definitely hand drawn and it made almost zero sense.

“I think that’s the rock outcropping we just passed and I’ve been keeping the stream on our left. It should be just over this hill,” Neil explained.

“If it isn’t, we’re going back. Fuck camping!” Andrew said, pushing on ahead.

Neil caught up right away because somehow he had managed to miss the worst of the mud so he wasn’t dragging another fifty pounds on the soles of his feet.

They reached the top of the hill and saw the end of the trail. Nicky had borrowed Matt’s truck and it was parked by a small pit and three tents were set up around the perimeter of the clearing. Nicky was perched on a log by the fire, setting up a spit to roast the fish in the basket beside him. Andrew marched over to his cousin and placed his hands around his neck.

“Andrew, you made...erk,” Nicky choked as his airway was almost closed off.

“Why did we have to hike in when clearly we could have driven?” Andrew asked dangerously.

Nicky wheezed. “Not enough room for everyone. Neil’s camping experience.”

“I’ll show you camping experience,” Andrew growled.

“Andrew,” Erik’s mild voice came from the door of one of the tents. “Can you maybe wait to kill my fiance until after I’ve married him?”

Neil caught up and dragged Andrew away, laughing. “It’s okay, I don’t mind.”

“I mind.” Andrew glared back at his cousin. “I mind very much.”

Neil leaned in close. “I’ll make it up to you later.” Promise coloured his voice and Andrew could feel himself blushing.

“Fine,” Andrew growled. “I won’t kill him so long as he remembered to bring stuff for s’mores.”

“What do you take me for?” Nicky asked. “I promised Neil a classic camping experience. I brought like five bags of marshmallows.”

Andrew nodded. “You’ve earned yourself a stay of execution but you’re on thin fucking ice.”

“Which tent is ours?” Neil asked.

“Yours is there,” Nicky gestured to the one on the right. “Katelyn and Aaron are on the left and Erik and I are in the center.”

“Where is Aaron, anyway?” Neil asked.

“He and Katelyn went to check out the swimming hole. If you value your eyes, I suggest you not join them,” Erik said, coming to join them by the fire.

Neil flushed red and didn’t argue. He didn’t say anything to Aaron when they returned, flushed and dripping wet with buttons mismatched and hair in wild tangles.

Supper was okay. Erik had caught plenty of fish for all of them and Nicky was surprisingly good at preparing them over the campfire. They were crisp on the outside but melted on the tongue. He’d also wrapped some potatoes in foil and baked them over the coals.

The sun was going down, turning the sky to pink and orange flame and Nicky rummaged around in the bed of the truck, coming out with a couple grocery bags full of marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers.

Aaron showed Neil how to find a good straight green stick and peel off all the bark. Andrew watched too. He had only had s’mores once, when Cass and Richard had taken him camping for Labor Day weekend. They had their own metal sticks for roasting and he had never had to find his own. It had been a good weekend, one of the last before Drake had started coming home to visit.

The first marshmallow he roasted burst into flame. He managed to blow it out before it got completely charred. The sticky sweetness was a little bitter from the burnt sugar and the inside was still solid because it had cooked too fast but it was still delicious with the warm chocolate and the graham cracker.

Neil tried one. He managed about half before he fed the rest of it to Andrew. Andrew’s next marshmallow was more even and he was sudden;y grateful for a boyfriend who didn’t enjoy sweets because even though Neil was not interested in eating more s’mores, he was thrilled by the challenge of roasting a perfect golden brown marshmallow and Andrew could stuff himself with his own and with Neil’s.

After a while, long before all the marshmallows were gone, Andrew sat back and tossed his stick into the fire. His stomach was heavy and full, lips still sticky from marshmallow. Neil copied him and leaned back, a solid weight at his side. Andrew turned his head to look over at Neil. Neil’s expression was soft and he carefully leaned forward and kissed him.

“Mmm, tastes better that way,” Neil grinned cheekily.

Nicky squealed from across the fire and Neil jumped away.

Andrew glared at Nicky, who had to grace to look sorry.

“Let’s tell ghost stories!” Nicky said, rubbing his hands together gleefully.

A chorus of groans sounded around the campfire.

“Nicky, why?” Aaron asked.

“Neil? Have you ever heard ghost stories around a campfire?” Nicky asked.

“Uh...no…” Neil said slowly.

“Well there you have it. Authenticity is key.” Nicky stood and dug through his bag for the flashlight. “I’ll go first.”

Neil settled back in at Andrew’s side now that the attention was off of him once more.

“It happened in a place much like this. The forest was old and dark, full of forgotten spaces. A little girl lived on the edge of the forest in a tiny house with her mother and father and big sister. The older girl despised her younger sister. She had been happy before she came along to steal her parents love.

“One night, the little girl was sleeping soundly when her older sister came in and carried her away. She carried her for hours until the last light from nearby towns disappeared from the sky and the last sound from any road faded into the distance and no path but her own footsteps marred the ground beneath her feet. She laid her sister at the foot of an old oak tree and silently slipped away, covering her trail behind her.

“When the little girl woke, she was alone. There was no sound but the birds and the whispering of wind through the trees. There was no light but the stars. She tried to find her way home but she was too far away and she kept going around in circles until she wound up back at the beginning at the foot of the old oak tree.

“She sat down and wept and the cold stole her breath and time stole her life and no one came looking here for this one little lost girl.

“The spirit of the oak tree took pity on her. He grew a blanket of moss to cover her. He sent out tendrils from his roots to wind around her limbs and make her dance in the light of the moon. He whispered to her trapped soul and fanned the flames of her anger until they burned bright and all she dreamed of was revenge on her big sister who had wronged her.

“The story would end here if her sister were smart enough to stay away. But she crept back the next summer to see the place her little sister lay but she did not find a body, she found a little girl dressed in green, leaves through her hair, and an unnatural light burning in her eyes, dancing in the moonlight.

“Sister,” the little girl cried. “You’ve returned to dance with me!”

“The big sister turned to run but it was too late. The little girl ran after her and wound her arms around her, hugging her tight and forcing the breath from her body. The oak tree clothed her too after her death and now both of them dance on nights the moon is full. They will not bother you unless they sense that you have been cruel to your own flesh and blood, like not listening to his great ideas or having a bad attitude when he tries to do something nice. If they look into your heart and see your cruelty, they’ll bind you too and turn you into a puppet…”

“What the fuck, Nicky?” Aaron interrupted.

“Cruelty includes interrupting your cousin’s ghost story,” Nicky said primly.

Andrew scooped up a few pine cones from the ground and began tossing them into Nicky’s hair. Neil giggled breathlessly at his side.

“I don’t know why I even bother,” Nicky muttered.

“Is that supposed to be fun?” Neil asked.

Nicky threw up his hands and dragged Erik to his feet. “Come, my love, we’re going to take a walk in the moonlight. Leave these assholes to stew in their bad attitudes.”

Erik wrapped his arms around Nicky from behind and whispered in his ear. Nicky giggled and willingly led the way into the dark.

Aaron rolled his eyes and he and Katelyn went into their tent. Andrew could hear them talking and laughing in low tones but he couldn’t hear what was being said.

He and Neil were left alone to sit by the fire.

“What do you think of camping?” Andrew finally asked.

“Some of it’s nice,” Neil said. “I like having a fire and the food was good. The few times I’ve slept outside, we were staying in the car and we didn’t dare light a fire to give away our position. It was old gas station snacks and dressing in every piece of clothing we owned and still shivering until we could get back on the road.”

“Your life is a fucking tragedy,” Andrew said, rubbing his hand carefully up and down Neil’s side.

Neil grinned at him wickedly. “But I’m not so sure about this whole ghost thing. I’m so scared. Hold me.”

Andrew found himself suddenly holding a lapful of warm and willing Neil. “Ghosts aren’t real, for God’s sake!” But he tightened his arms around Neil anyway.

“I’m glad I have a big strong man to protect me,” Neil said, leaning close.

Andrew could see exactly what Neil wanted and he wanted it too. He caught Neil’s mouth in a deep kiss. Maybe camping wasn’t so bad after all.

“Stop your gross flirting!” Aaron shouted from his tent, breaking up their kiss. “I can hear every word.”

Neil laughed and instead of returning to the hot and searing kiss, he lay his head on Andrew’s shoulders. They both watched the stars.

#i wrote this #andreil #aftg #camping trip #crochan #prompt fic

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andrew-big-dick-energy-minyard · 5 years

Text

Secret enemy

I was going to make this a fic last year but I forgot about it until now so uh anyway:

It’s pretty rare that South Carolina has snow. It’s even more rare when it piles up enough to play in the snow

So of course when the foxes woke up to a mountain of snow it was only natural that they do a snow ball fight

After the great snow disaster of the year before during their trip to a ski lodge however, some rules had to be put in place

This is when Nicky’s stupid amazing idea comes into play

The way it works is that everybody would put a slip of paper with their name on it in a hat and everyone would draw out a name. Whoever’s name you got would be your target. From there you could only hit that person with snowballs and if you hit someone else, or whoever had your name hit you, you would get a point. Person with the least amount of points wins

Nicky dubbed it Secret enemy because It was kinda like secret Santa but instead of presents you just got pelted with snow.

Everyone goes along with it even Aaron, mostly just because Katelyn was joining, but he joined all the same. He’ll wish he didn’t though

Everyone gathered up slips of papers and a hat and proceeded to draw names out until everyone had one

Andrew’s face was neutral like usual and Renee, Kevin, and Katelyn seemed ok with there’s. Aaron didn’t really mind who he got either.

Allison and Nicky looked extremely pleased with whoever they got, Dan had a deep grimace on her face, and Neil... Neil looked like he was a kid in a candy store

Not long after they all headed down stairs and went to a nice little place on campus that had plenty of room and cover for the game

It was decided that Renee would be the one to call out when they started and all the foxes waited in anticipation. As soon as Renee yelled start all hell broke loose

Allison showed no mercy as she pelted Matt with snowball after snowball and Nicky showed Allison the same amount of ruthlessness

Katelyn was trying to hit Renee but within minutes of the match starting she found the task to be next to impossible

Renee was playing it nice and had only hit Dan a couple of times and Dan was mostly just taking cover. It looked like her secret enemy was Andrew and she wasn’t going to try to hit him with a snowball because she valued her life

Aaron managed to get Nicky a couple of times and he had to admit hearing Nicky complain each time he got hit was pretty funny

Kevin wasn’t really playing, not seeing the point or at least he wasn’t until Andrew upheaved a bucket of snow down his jacket. Andrew soon retreated back to the dorm after that. Kevin actually did throw some snowballs at Katelyn after that and his cometitive drive kept him playing

Aaron would never admit it but he was actually having a lot of fun

Was having a lot of fun

It didn’t occur to him that Neil had gone missing since the beginning of the game and that Aaron hadn’t been hit with a single snow ball until Neil came bursting out of the trees like a bat out of hell with a shit ton of ammo near his feet and his eyes set on Aaron

Aaron got hit with snow ball after snow ball and even after taking cover Neil would find a way around to get in more hits

At this point Aaron didn’t care about the rules and he tried to hurl a couple snowballs at Neil but Neil was like a fucking whack a mole, you never knew where he’d pop up next

The end of the game came fast and by that point Aaron was soaked and pissed

He had been able to get a couple of good hits in on Neil but the pleased smirk on Neil’s face made it seem like nothing touched him the whole game

Aaron was going to kill him

The foxes all went inside for the rest of the day and Aaron took a quick shower before burrowing under a mountain of blankets

At the very least it was over and he didn’t have to worry about Neil and the stupid snowball game anymore

Or so he thought

The next couple of days after, as Aaron went to his different classes, met Katelyn for dates, or went to practice he would be hit with at least one snow ball by one piece of shit Neil Josten

Aaron would have snapped his neck if it weren’t for Andrew

After complaining to Katelyn about it and wanting to get revenge she talked him out of doing anything rash. Also with the snow melting fast it’s not like Aaron had a way to retaliate without down right killing Neil

At the very least Neil couldn’t hit Aaron if there was no snow on the ground. The crisis was avoided

It was maybe mid Febuary and Aaron had mostly forgot about the whole secret enemy thing

There was a big biology test coming up and he went to the library to study with Katelyn when it happened

Aaron had sat down at a table and started to look around for Katelyn when out of the corner of his eye he saw what looked like red hair

Aaron turned to fully face the person approaching him to get a face full of ice and the last glimpse of Neil josten as he left the library in a hurry

This was the last straw

Aaron gathered up his stuff, texted Katelyn that he would be late, and hauled ass across campus to get back to the dorm

He climbed the stairs and made his way to Neil’s room before knocking violently

When the door opened he was ready to wrap his hands around Neil’s neck but he quickly realized that Andrew was the one who opened the door

He quilled his anger enough to ask where Neil is and not push his way past

Andrew gave him a bored look before letting Aaron in and to his surprise a fucking snow cone machine was planted on the counter

Aaron turned to Andrew to ask what the fuck that was about but he finally noticed Andrew’s bowl of snow cone with a shit ton of flavored syrup and it clicked

Neil got a snow cone machine to not only continuously torture him but also at the same time have it be justified by giving Andrew something to eat

No one would question why Neil got the machine because they would assume he got it as a present for Andrew. The little shit

Aaron glared at the machine before turning to Andrew again and asking where Neil is

Andrew stuck another couple of spoonfuls of the mostly syrup mess in his mouth before gesturing toward a board that was on the wall. On it was Neil’s school schedule

Aaron took a picture of Neil’s schedule and slipped out of the room. It was time to plan

Fast forward to Wednesday after Andrew and Aaron’s joint session

Andrew was suppose to stay after with bee to talk about something but bee got an emergence call and had to leave early so Andrew left with Aaron

As soon as they enter the building Neil rounds the corner and throws a snow ball

At first Neil kept his smug face but it morphed into horror as he realized that he hit Andrew square in the fucking face

Aaron doesn’t think he’s ever seen Neil turn tail and run faster than in this moment

Andrew has the same expression on his face but he turns to Aaron and says “be at the dorm at 2 am,” before heading to the changing rooms

Aaron follows suit but the thought of what Andrew would want from him that late sticks in the back of his mind

It isn’t until Aaron enters the room at 2:02 and that Aaron understands what Andrew wanted from him

Looks like he wouldn’t need to make a plan after all

Full bags of ice are scattered on the ground near a large tub that’s waiting to be filled

Andrew opens the freezer to get the last bag and hands it to Aaron

The two work in silence until the tub is full and then they each bend down to grab a side

It was a bit heavy but Aaron didn’t mind so long as he got his revenge

Andrew opened the door and led Aaron to Neil who was curled up on Andrew’s bed fast asleep and with a slight heave they uplifted the whole tub of ice on top of Neil

Neil startled awake and quickly assessed his surrounds only to see Andrew’s apathetic stare and a shit eating grin on Aaron’s face

Suffice to say, Aaron spent the rest of the semester snowball free and if when he goes over to Andrew’s dorm he notices that the freezer is always stocked with Andrew’s favorite ice cream he doesn’t mention it

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andrewjostenzarchive · 7 years

Text

36 from this prompt list, requested by @officialrichie! <3

36. I have two words for you: Fuck and you.

The second half only started minutes ago, but Aaron can already feel bruises forming on his skin. Obviously, the ravens still hadn’t said goodbye to their violent playing methods. It’s a back and forth, both sides equally pushing to gain the most shots at the goal. He ignores the snarky comments of his opponents and focuses completely on the game; however, if he pushes them back a little harder than he would have to, who cares?

Neil manages to shoot a goal in the last minutes and Aaron is glad as he hears the whistle blow. He feels like his whole body is on fire. Relieved he takes his helmet off and looks around for his teammates. Then he freezes.

Two Ravens are around Kevin who is seemingly tense. Aaron’s feet move toward them without a second thought, clamping his helmet under his left arm. One of them just steps closer to Kevin, still talking. As soon as Aaron is in earshot, he can hear a male voice, seeping with taunt. “Oh, got nothing to say, Day?”

With ease he slides next to Kevin’s side. “Oh, I got two words for you: Fuck and you.” The guy looks taken aback, not having expected other foxes. Which is stupid, however, because they may still be a chaotic team, but the foxes are a family. Maybe a slightly dysfunctional one, but family is family. Kevin flinches as Aaron puts his hand on his back.

“Need a protector?” the guy sneers, grinning with all teeth.

“Fuck off, Trenow,” Kevin says, now less tense.

“Is there a problem?” a sweet voice asks. Without turning he knows it’s Renee, probably smiling while her eyes send a warning to the Ravens. At her sight they both shut up and Aaron vaguely remembers her going single-handily into the Raven’s Nest and getting Jean out. Must have left quite an impression, then.

“Alright, I guess we’ll leave you alone with the cripple.”

“What did you say?” Aaron asks, dangerously quiet. Kevin is like a wax statue next to them, his fists balled.

“What part didn’t you get? The cripple thing?”

Within a second Aaron’s fist lands hard on the player’s nose. Crack. He curses and shakes his hand. Hopefully he didn’t break anything. The Raven stumbles back, holding his nose in disbelief. “What the fuck - you little -”

Before he has a chance of revenge, the other foxes appear. Andrew calmly goes to stand in front of both Kevin and his brother. “You’re so gonna regret this!” the player says before beckoning the other Raven and then heading to their dressing rooms.

“What was that about?” Dan asks, but neither Kevin nor Aaron answer. With a sigh she gives up, jogging back to Wymack. Or to get Abby. His hand burns; his knuckles are full of blood and red. He doesn’t know how much of it is his own, though. Okay, probably to get Abby.

Kevin suddenly takes his hand, eyeing it with a frown. “Is it broken?”

“I don't care.”

“You can't play exy with a broken hand.”

Aaron is tempted to punch someone again, but just withdraws his arm instead. He feels Andrew staring at them and decides to leave before he puts the clues together. He heads straight to the showers, but is stopped by Abby. “Aaron, Dan told me that a fight happened. Your hand is hurt, right? Let me see it.”

He instinctively takes a step back, although he knows that his hand has to be looked at. Then he sighs. With a grim mien he passes her and goes straight to her room.

He endures her treatment in silent, biting on his lip as she clears his wound with alcohol. “What happened?”

“I punched him,” he simply says, carefully moving his fingers.

“I actually already figured that part out myself,” Abby huffed while searching for something in the drawers. “But why?”

He stays silent. Yeah, why? That guy may is an asshole, and of course, he deserved it, but – he didn't hit him because of that. He hit him because of Kevin. He scowls at that thought. They both agreed that it's only physical, nothing with emotions, and yet – fuck.

“So?” Abby asks, coming back to him with a bandage.

“He deserved it.”

She sighs at his answer, but doesn't say more while binding his knuckles up.

“Good news, your hand is not broken. But still be careful with it.”

He nods, standing up to leave as the door suddenly opens. Kevin, freshly showered, looks to and fro them, his brows raised. “Can he still play?”

“Yes, I can,” Aaron harshly replies, wanting to squeeze by him. However, Kevin grabs his arm and says: “I have to talk to you.”

He glares at Kevin before taking a step back, crossing his arms and ignoring the burning of his hand. Abby frowns, but gets out after Kevin told her to.

“Seriously? I also need to shower.”

“Show it to me.”

Aaron rolls his eyes, but raises his hand and moves his fingers. “See? I already said that I can play. What else do you wanna hear?”

Kevin scratches the back of his neck, stepping closer to him. “I – does it hurt much?”

“Okay, what is this?”

“'This'?”

He groans, flicking his finger between them. “This – us – was supposed to be just sex, no feelings, nothing. Why are you here?”

“Why did you punch Trenow?”

Aaron has no answer for that. His heart is pumping like crazy and he is getting pissed, this isn't supposed to happen, this is -

Kevin comes closer until they are only inches apart and holds out his hand. “For me it's more than just sex,” he mumbles, barely audible and then quickly avoiding Aaron's gaze.

He freezes, staring at him in disbelief. “What -” The rest of his words get lost on their way outside, stuck in the back of his throat. He then looks at Kevin's hand – his left hand.

There is silence between them. Aaron still can't comprehend what just happened. Kevin seems to feel doubtful as he slowly retracts his arm while saying: “Sorry, that was – dumb. I can understand if you -”

He grabs his hand and intertwines their fingers. “No, not dumb.”

Kevin gives him a small smile, obviously relieved. “Couldn't you have done that earlier?”

Aaron smirks, tugging him closer by the hem of his shirt. “Nah, that wouldn't have been as thrilling.”

“Asshole.”

He shuts him up with a kiss which is equally soft and hungry.

Then Kevin wrinkles his nose and withdraws. “Jeez, you should shower.”

“Who's the asshole now?”

Kevin just winks – fucking winks – at him before leaving the room. Aaron just looks after him and can't believe that he is really allowed to have this.

Them.

#kevaaron #aftg #tfc #aaronminyarddefencenet #kevin day #aaron minyard #all for the game #the foxhole court #*#mine #i hope you like this!!

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palmettofoxden · 7 years

Note

you can't throw that last post at us without even continuing you heathen

Alright, here we go. A continuation of this post where Neil shoots his father’s men when they come to get him:

Neil inevitably ends up in custody because he just fucking shot two people to death with an unregistered gun

The team is still shaken up and horrified and scared, but they want to hear Neil’s side of the story and don’t like this whole not finding out anything, including about whether anyone has looked after Neil’s bullet wound yet

Andrew is not functioning well

He’s not really functioning at all

He’s mostly just acting on rage impulses

He still knows Kevin knows more than him, so Kevin still ends up with bruises around his neck

Kevin doesn’t tell much of Neil’s secret when Neil is not missing, but in custody

He says just enough to get Andrew’s hand off his throat

Saying he’s never seen the dead men before wasn’t enough, so Kevin adds that they probably worked for Neil’s father and were looking for revenge for Neil running

An ‘anonymous source’ tips authorities off to the fact that Neil Josten is actually Nathaniel Wesninski

That’s when the FBI goes to Neil looking for information

They do the ‘we’ll overlook your crimes and put you in witness protection if you give us something good enough’ ‘I’m not giving you anything if I don’t get to go back to the Foxes’ push and pull

Neil knows things will be different with the Foxes, but he still needs to see them and explain in person

He owes them the truth, especially Andrew

And he’d rather salvage whatever scraps he can from them and be in danger than start over as someone else again if there is any chance they will take him back

And the feds keep insisting the team won’t want to see him, but Neil keeps insisting that he knows Andrew wouldn’t let the team leave without seeing him first

Eventually Neil makes it back to the Foxes

Renee and Andrew are the only ones on the team who don’t look nervous around him

Wymack looks tired and worried, but not afraid

Abby keeps looking at Neil’s injured arm from a distance, clearly worried about his injury

Andrew investigates it himself immediately, rolling Neil’s sleeve up and pulling off his bandage to get a look

Neil and Andrew’s interaction is pretty similar to what happens in the book and Andrew still wants Neil to stay

Kevin keeps looking at Neil and then averting his gaze

So, Neil starts a conversation in French and tells Kevin to look at him

Kevin stares him down for a few seconds and then loses his nerve again

Neil says “I know what I looked like.”

Kevin says nothing

Neil adds “I looked like him.”

Kevin still says nothing

Neil says “I don’t want to be like him.”

Kevin’s jaw tightens, not exactly in anger

But he’s still silent

Neil waits a long time and he’s just about to give up when Kevin speaks

Finally, Kevin responds in French with “You protected me.”

Neil can’t tell if Kevin’s trying to appease Neil because he’s afraid of him

Or if Kevin’s trying to talk himself into believing Neil is better than his father

Or maybe Kevin’s questioning it and trying to figure out what Neil got out of protecting him

Or maybe he’s just confused and trying to piece anything together

Or maybe he’s just saying it to fill the silence

Or maybe he’s holding onto how Neil protected him and is looking for the Neil that protected him and not just Nathan’s son in the Neil that is standing in that room with him

Neil points out “You’re afraid of me.”

Kevin doesn’t say anything for a long time

Neil doesn’t want to push him

Finally, Kevin says “You can’t play with a bullet wound.”

Kevin still looks afraid, but he seems a little more himself and Neil is relieved

Neil doesn’t explain anything until they get back and then he explains everything

And Neil can’t believe it, but Dan goes into protective mother mode in disbelief that Neil went through all that

And suddenly Matt is furious that anyone tried to take Neil away from them

Allison is swearing about Neil’s father and how the feds are totally going to get him with the information Neil gave

Nicky is beside himself, lamenting what Neil has gone through

And things still feel weird between Neil and his Foxes

And he knows they all still remember that smile and it’s in the back of their minds

But they are all still making the effort

They all still are including him in their team and supporting him

Andrew still wants him around

And Neil isn’t emotionally equipped to know how to handle this

But this is closer to happiness than he ever thought he would get

#All For the Game #The Foxhole Court #Neil Josten #Andrew Minyard #Kevin Day #Andreil #Ask #Anonymous #Personal

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