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indigothemuse · 2 years

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Promise- Andriel

Hi everyone!! This is a birthday fic written for Archi, who you may know as @moonscarsandstars

Crossposted on ao3.

Fic will be under the cut! <3

Dan wakes up at 7 am to the sound of furious knocking on her door. She groans and rolls out of bed, regretting the loss of her blanket and Matt’s warmth. She still moves quietly. Matt had a late flight, and she doesn’t want to disturb him. A courtesy whoever’s knocking doesn’t seem to share.

She opens the door, and sighs. Neil Josten stands outside her apartment, in a pair of running shorts and a bright green shirt. “Why in the world are you here?”

He bounces on the balls of his feet, shoes the same green as his shirt. “I need to talk to Matt.”

“Matt is sleeping. Which I would like to be.”

“Oh.” He follows her inside (uninvited) and takes off his shoes. Dan wonders idly if Andrew got them. Neil continues to follow her like a lost puppy. He doesn’t look like one anymore at least.

She turns to face him outside her room. “Okay. I am going to go back to sleep. And so are you.” She cuts off his protest with a Captain Stare™ . “Come on. Sleep.”

He slides into the bed, and Matt rolls over, slinging an arm around him. Dan smiles, takes a quick photo and sends it to the group chat that she has with her Foxes, and goes back to sleep.

☽٭٭٭☾

Neil wakes up at 11:30, face to face with Matt. He’s barely awake, blinking blearily.

“Am I dreaming?”

“Unless you suddenly have hyper-realistic dreams, no.” Neil keeps his voice soft, wary of waking Dan.

“Mm. All right, let’s get breakfast.” Matt stands and Neil follows, feeling more alert than he had before. Their kitchen is nice, bright, and clean. There’s a small plant on the windowsill above the sink, and Neil pauses to read the sticky note next to it. Water twice a day—Breakfast/Dinner. The note is in Renee’s careful script, and the i’s are dotted by little stars, and there’s a cluster of them in the corner. He waters the plant, and looks to Matt. He’s rummaging through the cabinets, and emerges with a triumphant grin, brandishing a skillet and shallow bowl.

“Okay! Young grasshopper—” “what” “—I’m going to teach you how to make the best french toast you’ve ever had!”

“Young grasshopper?”

Matt nodded sagely. Neil smiled a little, and jumped up onto the counter, swinging his legs. Matt starts pulling things out of the fridge and cupboards, and mutters to himself under his breath. Neil catches the fork that Matt throws, reaching up easily. (Years of Andrew and Kevin throwing things that he asks for have been helpful for his reflexes, even if Kevin almost broke his nose once.)

“Right! So we need eggs, cinnamon, vanilla and salt mixed together.” Matt brings measuring spoons over with him and Neil pushes himself onto his knees to watch curiously. Matt measures out the ingredients, talking him through the process.

Neil finds that he enjoys it more than he thought. Matt talks animatedly, if quietly, catching him up on all that he’s missed. It’s spring break, two weeks of time off before Neil has to be back for his final few months of school.

Finally, they end with six pieces of French toast. Matt puts powdered sugar on his, and Neil steals half of their fruit for his pieces. Dan laughs when she emerges from the bedroom and sees powdered sugar over Matt and Neil’s mouth stained red from strawberries. She pours herself a cup of coffee, kisses Matt’s forehead, and plucks a blueberry from his plate.

“Morning!” She’s cheerful now, brown eyes bright. “So, Neil, what brings you to our humble abode?”

He sighs, fork beginning to push his bread around. “I, er…I wanted to do something. For Andrew.” Dan's eyebrow twitched. “He just…he’s really important to me, and since I’m probably not going to get signed on his team…” Andrew lived in Boston and played for the Boston Rebels. Neil had been getting offers, but none from Andrew’s team.

“Did you already have something in mind?” Matt leaned forward, breakfast forgotten.

“Yeah. This.” He pulled the ring box out. “It’s not an engagement ring!” he yelped, as Dan and Matt Looked at each other and then back at him. “It’s a promise ring. For ours.”

Dan had brought a hand up to her mouth, her wedding ring glinting. He smiles nervously, fidgeting with the box. “That’s beautiful, Neil. I’m sure he’ll lo-adore it,” she corrected herself quickly, and smiled at him.”

Matt left his seat and slung an arm around his shoulders. “Neil. He’ll like it. Trust us?”

That wasn’t even a question. He had put his life in their hands before, over and over again, and by now it was second nature to trust them.

“Yeah. Okay. Thanks for breakfast.” Matt pulls him into a tight hug. Dan ruffles his hair after, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

“See you, Captain. Have fun with your Foxes!”

Neil grins at her. “Have a good day, Coach.”

Dan beams at him, he’s waving and leaves, and then running back to Andrew’s apartment.

☽٭٭٭☾

Andrew looks up when a key turns in the lock. Neil had visited Dan and Matt the day before and had come home looking much more relaxed. And now, returning from his morning run, he comes inside sweaty, but not gasping for air.

Neil comes over and peers down at Andrew. “What are you working on?”

Andrew frowned at his laptop. “Lacey, the PR manager wants me to ‘have a more active presence on social media.” Hence, his screen displayed a view of their most recent emails, where he ran out of reasons not to post more.

“Mm. You could post a picture of us!” Neil grins at him, crooked, blue eyes shining and auburn hair tousled.

“In your sweaty workout clothes?”

Neil nods seriously, but amusement glints in his eyes. “Of course. They want the authentic versions of us.”

“Which includes you, post-run?”

“Yep! Smile!!” Neil loops an arm around his neck and sits in his lap. He takes the photo quickly and spins his phone to show Andrew. He’s looking at Neil, eyebrow quirked. He’s resolutely not smiling, but that means nothing when his face looks so…soft. “Can I post it?”

“Do you even know how to use social media?”

Neil pouts. “Rude.”

“It’s one of my better qualities.”

He grins at that and presses a butterfly soft kiss to his cheek. “Can I post it though? Or at least send it to the others?”

“Yes. You can post it.”

Neil does so, writing out a caption with the focus he typically reserves for reviewing Exy footage (Junkie, he thinks with something almost like fondness), tongue poking out between his teeth. He glances at his phone when it sounds off the Twitter notification. @jos10exy tagged you in a post!

He looks at it. Neil had posted the picture, and he was grinning at the camera. Andrew doesn’t look at himself again, instead amusing himself with how quickly the people react. Neil has a popular social media presence, probably due to his nonexistent brain-to-mouth filter.

The responses roll in, and people lose their minds.

Lacey messages him, a simple ‘Good.’

☽٭٭٭☾

Neil is, simply put, losing his mind. The ring sits, heavy, in his pocket. The weight of Andrew’s gaze is almost crushing. And he tries, so hard, to act normal. To act as though it does not burn under his skin, as though the secret lies across his tongue, ready to take the fall.

He has two days before his flight back to Palmetto and the Foxes, and then the final game of the season—championships between the PSU Foxes and the USC Trojans. Jeremey, Jean, and most of the original team that he had played in his first year had graduated. This was a new lineup too, led by Captain Olive Brant, a backliner.

But he doesn’t want to have to plan out strategies and deal with Jack and Sheena. He’s just happy to be here, with Andrew, in their little pocket of the world.

“What,” Andrew says, crushing the silence like how he grinds out his cigarettes.

“Huh?”

“Something’s bothering you.”

Warmth unfurls in his chest, blooming, flower petals opening up. “Yes,” he says, simple, sweet, offering up a truth for their game.

Andrew waits. Neil sighs, softly, and pulls the ring box out of his pocket. Andrew stiffens ever so slightly, but still, he waits. “It’s a promise ring. Not—not an engagement ring. Not if you don’t want one. And it’s for us. Our yeses, and our nos. And the promise to be there for each other, to protect each other. But if you don’t want it—”

“Neil.” Andrew had moved during Neil’s rambling, and he gently squeezes the back of his neck. “Yes, I want it.” He takes the box and slides it carefully onto his right ring finger. It’s a simple black band, but there are stars engraved on the outside, a small cluster of three. Inside, ‘Home’ is written. Andrew smiles. “Can I kiss you?” Neil breathes, overcome.

“Yes.”

Andrew leans in first, and Neil meets him, in a soft, sweet kiss. He’s smiling against Andrew’s lips, but Andrew just tangles his fingers in Neil’s hair. When they pull away, Neil is beaming. Andrew has a tiny smile pulling at his mouth.

“Is this why you’ve been running all over the place?”

Neil laughs. “Yeah. I was worried you wouldn’t like it.”

“I do. …Thank you.”

“Of course. I’m glad you do.”

Andrew reaches into his own pocket and pulls out a similar ring box. “It looks like we had similar ideas.”

The ring is black, and simple, but there’s a moon inscribed on the top. He checks under the band, and smiles at what he sees. ‘Junkie’.

“Thank you, Andrew.” He slips it on, and looks at it. “We match, see?” Neil holds out his right hand, and he obligingly holds out his.

“Yes.” Andrew studies him. “Something’s still wrong though.”

Neil frowns. “I just…miss you. Yeah, you’re here, but I’m going back soon. And then I probably won’t be able to sign with your team, but I’ll be pro, and—”

Andrew leans forward and again, gently squeezes the back of his neck. “Neil. Breathe. Our relationship is not dependent on being close by. You could live in Europe, and I would still be with you. Our promises are not just the result of being in the same area. I will protect you, no matter what.”

Neil looks at him. Hazel eyes steady, maybe not warm, but caring. Protective. “Yes,” he says, slowly. “I know. It’s just…difficult, not being by you anymore, especially once I go pro.”

“I know.” Then, Andrew moves his hand to rest it against Neil’s cheek, ring cool against his burn scar. “I’ll be here. I promise.”

Neil is overcome. “I will be here too.” He brings his hand up to squeeze his hand. Andrew smiles.

Maybe it isn’t perfect. Not now, maybe not ever. But Neil knows, with Andrew, he’ll be okay. Able to thrive and not just survive.

He’s happy. And he’s going to do his best to stay that way.

----------------

Thank you so much for reading!! Please, if you enjoyed, leave a like and reblog it, so it gets spread.

I sincerely hope that you had as much reading it as I did writing it <3

happy birthday, love. i hope that you had a wonderful day, and I'm so excited to seeing what this year brings you. i love you dearly, and you're one of my absolute best friends.

love,

indigo (the muse)

#neil josten #andrew minyard #matt boyd #dan wilds #all for the game #all for the gay #neil josten/andrew minyard #domestic fluff #minor angst #soft neil josten/andrew minyard #domestic andreil #andreil #yes this is late. i didnt think abt posting here at first. oops </3

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pocketsedition · 3 years

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aftg as cliche high school au

i got bored and was wondering how the foxes would work in american high school stereotypes and now i’m here so. yeah ignore it if it sucks <3

neil would of course be the popular-kid-who-doesn’t-wanna-be-popular

depending on who you are he could either be really nice to you or the biggest fucking asshole

he’s on the cross country team as well as soccer w kevin (duh)

he mainly hangs out w other ‘popular kids’ like matt allison seth dan and occasionally the vixens but like only because his group knows them

he also vibes with renee occasionally

andrew would be the quiet kid who’s actually an asshole especially to teachers and reads during class is that a stereotype? i think so

he’s also probably a gamer kid and he wears a bunch of rings yes youll see

i’ll get more about him later

aaron is that kid in biology who’s got an A+ throughout the whole class and it annoys the shit out of everyone because that shouldn’t be possible

kevin is a jock. yes he is

he plays soccer and does cross country (can you do those both at the same time) (i’m not a sports person)

(let’s say yes for the sake of this)

he’s also one of those history nerd kids

you know who i’m talking about

nicky is a theater kid and he can actually sing really well

he just never stops

he knows he’s good at singing but it’s annoying walking out of math every day hearing a random song

seth and matt are both jocks and best friends (besides neil) but there are significant differences about them

yes they both were highlighters during middle school but that’s besides the point

seth is one of those kids who during gym is always like “dOnT bE a sOrE LoSeR” whenever your team loses but when his team loses he’s a pissbaby talking about how you cheated and just e w

he also has pot brownies in the middle of class

he probably asks you for answers for the homework too

matt just vibes and probably accidentally hits the volleyball too hard but everyone loves him anyway

he absolutely sucks at most classes and will absolutely be like “ohHHH thank youu :D” when you help him like literally the puppy eyes give you no choice but to help him

allison is the regina. fuckin george of school

but like if you guys end up sitting together during chemistry and you aren’t a complete dickhead to her she’ll probably give you candy or just whatever she has on her

renee is quiet girl whos actually got good grades and popular girl (allison) highkey has a crush on her

dan is like middle ground like shes a sports girl

but shell willingly hang out with both quiet kids and popular kids

overall really nice

OKAYOKAY NOW

neil ended up getting set up with one of the vixens marisa

(i think that was that girl who neil took to the banquet and was like "why do i need your number" to ?)

anyways he keeps trying to be like "no." over and over but she simply Wont Have It

and then next thing you know hes running for homecoming king and hes this close to breaking his own arm to get out of it

so now. he has to find an outfit

meanwhile Quiet Goth™ andrew minyard and his twin brother aaron have their dad who has a fashion business (mom died in a catastrophic car crash)

and everyone knows this so theyre always asking for like. help and discounts and shit

he says no to all of them

except neil whos in need of an outfit and

very very pretty

like uhh who gave you the r i g h t to have that awkward smile ???

and those t h i g h s ?

so andrews like "eh whatever sure"

yes yes yes yes

and. they end up getting kind of close ?

it kind of astounds everyone

aaron hates it he has calculus with neil and neil has the audacity to be so good at math and just so happens to be the only person andrew helps ?

seth is confused because andrews the only person he cant beat in a good one v one of exy

but also andrew buys a bunch of pot brownies from him and ???? he doesnt know why bc he doesnt even look high most of the time

he gives them to security guards as bribery so he can keep his knives on him during school

and now neils just friends w him ????

and its going well

"so you don't wanna be popular" "...yeah" "then dont"

neil retorts with:

"so your telling me your dad runs a fashion business and you wear all black"

they go back and forth for like half an hour

andrew starts trying to teach neil how to play videogames

neil fucking sucks but he doesnt really care because andrews nice

and actually helping neil pick out his outfit is a fucking pain because he so pretty picky

andrew dies

anyways

neil starts opening up about how he doesnt actually like marisa and andrews like "tell her"

"i hav she just doesnt. listen >:("

andrew offers to but neil knows about the frog knives (yes the frog knives) and hes like hah nice try

they still have nights on the roof and cigarettes and secrets shared

so everything happens and it finally gets to marisas head that neil doesnt wanna go to homecoming (with her. that is)

its like 4 days before homecoming and he jsut snaps

"yaknow i get it—"

she ends up crying but neil doesnt care at this point shes finally off his back

lets face it he would not care that man has zero morals

and so its homecoming night and neils this close to simply Not Going

but matt and seth are on the football team and they have their game and he spent hours looking for a suit

so he goes to the game and he hangs out with the upperclassmen

deliberately avoids the team because theres ways vixens nearby and he cant deal with marisa rn

so he hangs out

he sees aaron in the stands and asks if andrews around aaron just shrugs

useless

and the games over matts team wins yay !!!

everyones happy

now its time for the dance

neils dreading it

he goes and tries to avoid the general public because Ew People

and he sees andrew hiding from the noise in a hallway with no people

theyre quiet until neil follows andrew out to the back of the school and to the middle of the empty soccer field

"you werent at the game"

andrew shrugs "i didnt care about the game"

"and you care about the dance?"

"aaron doesnt have his own car"

"mhm"

andrew rolls his eyes

its quiet and neils just looking at andrew

he kinda had a realization the other night with matts help

andrew simply stares back

"yes or no"

"yes"

kith :)

the school doesnt notice they’re a thing until andrew shows up to school one day wearing what may or may not be one of those wrist. sweatband thingies

im dumb i forgot what theyre called

and neil always has one of andrews rings on him and hes always fidgeting with it

anyways i might write a fic who knows not me❤️

#aftg #all for the game #the foxhole court #the raven king #the kings men #neil josten #andrew minyard #aaron minyard #aftg au #andreil au #the foxes #tfc au #nicky hemmick #kevin day #seth gordon #matt boyd #dan wilds #renee walker #allison reynolds

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kevindayisafrog · 3 years

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Part 2 of the Kevaaron thing - this one is mediocre at best

TW- suicide, R*ko and abuse

Aaron closed the bathroom door with a soft click behind him and walked over to the bed he shared with Nicky. “Have you heard?” Neil asked him whilst walking past him to the window. “Was it actually a suicide?” He turned in time to see as Neil winced slightly but waited for the answer. “I wouldn’t know”, Neil answered and turned back around to stop Andrew from leaving the room to follow Wymack and Kevin. Aaron stared at the floor quietly as images of his mother’s death - murder - flashed in his mind. The way that he was picked up from school by Nicky’s dad and taken home to be told that his Mum was dead but Andrew escaped unharmed. He remembered the feeling of relief that came with years of abuse being ended in a flash. He also remembered how much it still hurt to imagine a life without her. Will Kevin feel the same way about Riko? He stood back up and pulled crumpled clothes from his duffel bag and went to change in the bathroom. He grimaced at the smell of sick and opened the window to air the room out. “Hurry up, Coach wants us on the bus in five”, Nicky’s words reach Aaron in a muffled slur, “and I also need to pee”. Aaron opened the door and shoved past Nicky to shove his pajamas in his bag. “Do you think that Kevin will sit with us?” Nicky shouted from the bathroom as Aaron went to leave the room. “No, he’ll probably kill himself before the bus starts”, Neil kicked Andrew, who just shrugged nonchalantly, “I stand by my words”. The three walked to the bus as Nicky ran after them shouting at them to wait for him. “After all I’ve done for you two and you still leave me behind”, Nicky pretended to wipe at a tear before passing his bag to Coach. Aaron stepped onto the bus and tensed as he saw Kevin sat on the first row with Abby. His eyes were red and his hands were chapped from picking at them obsessively. Abby looked up at him and smiled but Aaron ignored her and walker to his row at the back of the bus. He heard a muffled Wymack warning the upperclassmen not to mention anything to Kevin and turned to look at the grey clouds. It doesn’t feel like they’ve won the championships.

The bus ride was silent and awkward for the whole drive back, but now they were filing off the bus and walking back to the dorms. “Look after Kevin, okay?” Coach glared at Andrew as he waved him off. “If I hear that you’ve hurt him or done anything to make the situation worse, I will personally rip you limb from limb. Understand?” The warning tone flew over Andrew’s head as he flicked a bored look at Wymack. “Ye of little faith”, Andrew answered before turning away to walk to Fox Tower. Coach waited for all of them to get inside before driving away, leaving Kevin standing silently by the door. Andrew grabbed Kevin’s wrist and pulled him up the stairs as the upperclassmen followed behind in another uncomfortable silence. As they got to the dorm door Renee hugged Kevin and whispered something in his ear as Andrew watched with a look of annoyance. They finally pulled apart as Andrew got bored of waiting and pushed Kevin into the dorm room. “You’re on suicide watch first, Aaron”, Andrew waved all of the monsters inside the dorm room before slamming the door shut. “I’m not..” Kevin cleared his throat before going quiet again and shutting himself in the bedroom. Aaron went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of vodka from the cupboard with two glasses and followed Kevin into the bedroom. Kevin was sat on the floor with his knees pressed to his chest and his head resting on the drawers behind him. Aaron chose to pull one of Nicky’s pillows off his bed and place it on the floor opposite Kevin. “You don’t have to be here”, Kevin muttered as Aaron sat down and started to unscrew the lid off the bottle. “Shut up, drink up”, Aaron shoved a glass into Kevin’s hand and watched as he drank it without a wince. “Alcoholic”, Aaron winced at his own drink as Kevin choked on a small laugh. “Yeah, I know”, he went quiet again and started picking at his grey sweatpants. “This is weird and you don’t have to, but..you can talk to me about it if you want. I might know how you feel”, he drank the rest of his drink as it burnt down his throat. Kevin looked at him with empty eyes and nodded to Aaron slowly. “Or you can talk to Bee”, he poured Kevin another glass as Kevin snorted. “No, I haven’t told her anything about me. When I first came here I was forced to speak to her, but I didn’t say anything. She asked my name to confirm it but I couldn’t even tell her that”, Kevin stared into his full glass with vacant eyes. “I probably should’ve spoken to her though, it might’ve helped me to know how I should feel right now”. Aaron watched as a tear escaped Kevin’s eye and rolled neatly down his cheek. “You can still talk to her, it’s never too late”, they sat in silence for what felt like ages before Kevin shifted to sit on his knees. “I can’t”, Kevin’s voice broke and he cleared it again to even it out. Aaron just nodded to show that he understood. He did understand. When he and Bee had sessions they just sat in excruciating silence; if it wasn’t for Neil’s meddling then Aaron probably wouldn’t have ever spoken to Bee. “I’ve never watched Marley and Me before”, Kevin’s quiet voice brought Aaron back to the present. “Wait, really?” Aaron looked horrified at Kevin and scrambled for his laptop, “you’re so fucking uncultured, Kevin”. He threw Nicky’s pillow back on the bed and brought his laptop down as he sat next to Kevin on the floor. “Can you hold it up a bit, you’re too short”, Kevin looked blankly at Aaron who bit his lip so as not to punch Kevin in his smug face. “Twat”, he mumbled to himself and rested the laptop on top of his knees. “Better” Aaron looked up at Kevin who quietly shuffled down and leant his head to the side, just above Aaron’s head. “I’ll press play then”, he clicked the space bar as the movie faded onto his screen. “Will I cry?” Kevin whispered. “You cried at a puppy video last week, so of course you’ll cry at this”, Aaron pulled the laptop up further and tried to ignore Kevin’s breathing on his neck. “Don’t laugh if I do”, Kevin barely whispered it but Aaron still heard it. “I promise I won’t”.

#aftg fic #aftg hc #incorrect aftg #aftg au #headcanon #kevaaron #kevin day #aaron minyard #andrew minyard #neil josten #nora sakavic

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neil-jortson · 4 years

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It’s only a matter of time

This is a hc about what I think would happen to the foxes in quarantine. I made this as a part of the gift exchange from @aftgexchange for the Tumblr user @wishbonetea . It was an awesome experience to do this exchange and I hope to do it again!

Summary: a collection of ideas about how the foxes lives would have to adapt during quarantine

word count: 2k

The foxes in quarantine: a bullet point fic

The year is 2020. Matt, Kevin, Andrew, and Neil are all professional exy players. Neil and Andrew fought hard and finally got put on the same team that past season.

Dan is an assistant coach for a college team in the same city that Matt plays in. Nicky lives in Germany with Erik and Aaron is just finishing up his residency in medical school. Allison is a major fashion designer who donates more money than she keeps. Renee works with the peace corp and is currently out of the country. Everything is good.

Dan and Matt are expecting their first child in less than two months and are trying to clean up the spare room to begin making a nursery for the baby.

On the tv in another room plays a news reporter talking about a virus on the horizon in China. They don’t think much of it and continue about their days.

Andrew and Neil lived a fairly domestic life, one they never thought they would live, with two cats and a nice set of kitchen knives. (They were a house warming present from Aaron: “it’s ironic” he would say when asked why he purchased the set.)

When Andrew and Neil heard about the novel virus, they simply changed their in-depth arguments about a zombie outbreak to arguments on what to do in the event the virus becomes a big deal. Little did they know some of their “predictions” would turn out to be correct.

Everyone went about their normal lives just keeping an eye on the news before things seemed to change at the drop of a hat. The country was shutting its borders and not allowing flights in from other countries. There was even talk of cities going into lockdown.

Renee was trying to catch a flight home with the rest of her crew. When she made it back into the states, she found she had nowhere to go. Allison invited her to stay at her apartment in NYC. She was not aware of how long they were going to be stuck there (not that Allison was against sharing an apartment with a beautiful girl like Renee).

It became more real to the rest of them as the Exy season was postponed until further notice.

Kevin didn’t know what to do with himself and Neil. Was. Devastated.

It was only a matter of days before they began to get antsy about not going to the court daily. Neil and Kevin had shared anxious words as they hadn’t heard what the Moriyamas would think about them not receiving the normal amount of money this season. Andrew tried to put their minds at ease, but with no words of communication from the crime syndicate, they were getting worried.

Dan and Matt were probably the most stressed of the bunch. The information they had gathered was that most of the Foxes were in good shape to handle the virus even if they were to get sick, but there wasn’t any data on how the virus would affect pregnant women. Dan feared for the health of the baby because of this uncertainty. She and Matt decided that they would follow the government regulations for quarantine and that when groceries needed to be picked up, Matt would be the one to go out and get them.

Wymack’s thoughts were focused on his foxes and how they would be affected by the pandemic. He thought of Matt and Dan bringing a baby into the world at an unlikely time. He thought of Andrew and Neil who never could commit to quitting smoking (even if Neil just liked the smell). He worried about Aaron working in a hospital. For Nicky's mental health while being stuck at home and away from people. He worried that Kevin would start drinking again without the regime of Exy to keep him on track. He was concerned about Renee and Allison living in one of the worst cities to be stuck in when a pandemic hits. He thought about every person he had had as a fox before them and after them. He spent most of his time checking up on the foxes and the other portion of his time reaching out to organizations to see what they needed. He volunteered when he could and spread the word when he couldn’t.

As the foxes settled into their lives stuck at home and thousands of miles apart from one another, things settled into a new normal.

Andrew and Neil lived in quiet harmony when the quarantine first began. Neil went running every morning in a park that was not very crowded and when he would come home he would head straight to the shower. Eventually, Andrew convinced him to buy a treadmill because he was worried about Neil getting sick. Although, the way that he phrased it, it would seem he didn’t care either way. (Neil saw right through him)

Life for them was simple but draining.

The longer the quarantine went on, the worse off Neil and Andrew became.

Andrew found himself talking more and more with Betsy as being stuck at home was leaving him alone with his thoughts more than he would like. He felt old emotions creeping to the forefront of his mind as he was stuck in a two-bedroom apartment with two cats and a man he “hated.”

Being stuck at home for Neil was his own personal hell. He paced around the apartment often and felt no true release from running on the treadmill. Neil felt the same way he did when his mom and he were snowed in at a safe house in the mountains. He walked to the corners of each room and took stock of the items in the home. He felt himself get more and more on edge as the days went by.

Dan and Matt were better off when it came to mental health. It also helped that they tried not to take out their worries on one another, they were a team. They enjoyed each other's company and would try to hang out on opposite sides of the house as much as possible. They knew when they started to push each other's buttons and would back off when they started going too far.

Matt knew that Dan felt bad about not being able to leave the house so he got a kiddy pool for her to sit in outside. It wasn’t much, but Dan enjoyed the fact that Matt was thinking of her when he went out shopping. They spent many afternoons sitting in the tiny pool that barely fit them and laughing at the different antics of their crazy neighbors that day.

Nicky got a hold of everyone's schedule and decided that they should do group facetime calls every week. It was really hard to find a good time because everyone lived in different time zones and Aaron had a rotating doctor’s schedule, but Nicky was able to find 45 minutes a week when everyone was awake and not at work.

Dan and Matt had finally found proper places to put all of the items that had been in the nursery and were just beginning to start the vacuum cleaner when they heard an alarm go off on Dan’s phone.

It was time for them to talk with their old team.

Everyone slowly joined the call and Nicky was just as enthusiastic in welcoming every person who joined.

Nicky was especially delighted when Kevin answered the call and the foxes came to find out his hair had grown out longer than he ever let it before. (He claimed it wasn’t professional to have longer hair but he looked better than ever with the length.)

When Allison joined the call, some of the foxes were surprised to see Renee sitting right beside her. Renne’s hair had grown out and Dan noticed that there was a distinct line from where she had been bleaching her hair

Dan asked, “Hey Renee, what are you going to do with your hair?”

Renee responded with “I’m really not sure yet, but I think I want to grow it out with my natural color”

Allison whispered something in Renee's ear and she blushed.

All of the foxes took notice of this and decided that maybe it was time to settle one of the few remaining bets from college.

Neil and Andrew were the last to join the call and they seemed pissed off. Right before they noticed they were a part of the call, they seemed to be arguing in Russian. They quickly noticed they were on camera and stopped arguing but they wouldn’t really look at one another.

Nicky asked them how they were doing which Neil responded with “We’re fine” and Andrew scoffed at the word.

Nicky knew better than to dig around in their personal business so he let it drop and began to ask Aaron and Katelynn how their dog was, was it still cute, can they show it on the camera?

They responded by turning the camera to let everyone see the sleeping puppy at the edge of their bed. This answered two of the questions because as everyone could see, the dog was still very cute. They told them about a run into the vet they had to make because “the little fiend” has a knack for eating things he’s not supposed to.

Dan and Matt told everyone how the pregnancy was going and told them the tale of woe trying to find the perfect crib for the baby’s room.

“When it arrived, we opened up the package and it was bright green! Who in their right mind is going to put their baby in a bright green crib? It’s ridiculous is what it is” complained Matt when Dan had finished telling them how long the package had taken to arrive.

While everyone was talking Andrew and Neil had seemed to calm down and Neil had placed his head on Andrew’s shoulder. Things weren’t always sunshine and daisies but they weren’t really mad at each other when they fought.

After everyone had caught up there was a lull in the conversation that Neil began to fill. He told them about the time they had to rescue King Fluffkins. They had gotten King recently just a few months prior to the quarantine coming into effect. This was the first time that the team had heard Neil say the words “King Fluffkins” out loud. It is needless to say that they laughed for a long while hearing Neil say the ridiculous name the team had given to their cat. When they calmed down they listened to Neil explain how King had gotten out of the window they kept partially open for smoking. Andrew had to hold on to Neil’s waist as Neil propelled himself out the window to get a hold of the cat at the edge of the window sill. King had dug her claws in and Neil almost fell out of the window. They got her inside but put a lock on the window to ensure she didn’t make her way out there again.

That story pushed their time to when they needed to say goodbye. Aaron’s shift started in under an hour and he needed to get to work. They all said their goodbyes and set up a time for the following week.

It helped everyone to talk amongst themselves and to hear what had been going on while they were at home. They were all worried about what was going on, but it seemed as though they were becoming more connected, even across the vast distance.

It was only a matter of time before this came to pass and Neil and Andrew would get to see Dan and Matt’s baby.

It was only a matter of time before the exy season started up once more and the Moriyamas demanded a larger cut from Neil’s salaries for the break he was on during the pandemic.

It was only a matter of time before Nicky could come and visit the twins for Christmas.

It was only a matter of time before all of the foxes felt their lives returning to a slightly new normal.

It was only a matter of time.

#the foxes in quarantine #it would turn their world upside down but these kids will be alright #aftg fic exchange #aftg #all for the game #tfc #the foxhole court #neil josten #andrew minyard #andriel #matt boyd #dan wilds #allison reynolds #renee walker #hints of renison #nicky hemmick #aaron minyard #kevin day #david wymack

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jemej3m · 5 years

Text

To the Good Place We Go (p.1)

part one! hope u like this crossover. hopefully it makes sense???

I read @gluupor‘s hilarious Good Place au and wanted to have a crack at my own! note to gluupor, i’ve changed things around a bit but thanks for the idea!

link to their the good place au here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16782301

part two here: http://jemejem.tumblr.com/post/182518336942/to-the-good-place-we-go

Dan was having the worst day.

And this was the Good Place. She wasn’t supposed to have bad days. She’d spent her life trying to wade through misgivings and a lack of opportunities: Now she was dead, and she was supposed to be happy—forever!

Instead, she was staring at her living room, which was on fire, and wondered what the frick she did to deserve such bullshirt.

Neil—always, Neil—pointed at Kevin. “He did it.”

“Dan, I’m so sorry—“ Matthew Boyd begged. “I tried to get them to stop yelling, but Kevin fell back onto a candle and so Andrew went to get water to put it out, but he thought it’d be funny to pour Vodka instead—How he got Vodka, I don’t know—“

“It was me!” Nicky cheerfully chirped from the corner.

“And so Kevin was really on fire, so Allison asked Nicky to turn on the sprinklers, but not before she could ask for an umbrella, but she never specified which sprinklers, so whilst your garden is currently being nicely watered, Kevin’s whole ass is exposed and your living room is a mess!” He wore his pathetic puppy eyes, and whilst he’d been pestering her to go on a date (“We’re soulmates, Dan! Think about it! We could be happy together, forever, if you just listened to me—Hey! Where are you going—!”) He was seemingly sincere.

Kevin was sitting in a bucket of ice, teeth chattering. Neil was laying on the sofa, grinning up at Andrew, who smoked lazily. Dan hoped he hadn’t used Kevin’s fire catastrophe to light his cigarette, but knowing Andrew, he probably had.

“Oh, dear.” Renee said, softly, from Dan’s side.

Here’s how this all started:

Dan got into the Good Place. Wymack, the ever-present, genderless guardian of their neighbourhood who used he and him pronouns, F0X35, had greeted her at her initiation. She’d died in a brawl outside a strip club, her strip club. She knew she’d been protecting her fellow stage sister, but couldn’t understand how she’d ended up in the Good Place.

“Sex isn’t necessarily immoral, Danielle.” Wymack reminded her. “Neither is stripping. And saving your friend’s life with non-violent negotiations—very brave, and very effective!” They sighed. “Such a shame he had to stab you in the back out of fury as you were escorting your friend back inside. Would you like to hear a recording of how he is experiencing the Bad Place? Your friend stabbed him with your murder weapon out of anger.”

“She what?” Dan had blanched. “Is she alright?”

“Oh, she’s fine. Don’t you worry.” He huffed, arms flexing as they stood out of his chair. “Welcome to the Good Place, Danielle. Would you like a cup of coffee before Nicky escorts you to your new home?”

“But sir—“

“No buts.” Wymack pointed at her. “Tea, coffee, lemonade or scoot.”

She stood obediently, nodded in thanks and left.

She hadn’t need to worry about her unremarkably neutral life, wherein she’d done just as many shirty things as she had good things, because her soulmate—Matthew Boyd, an overbearing young man with horrifically spiked hair and pouted lips—confessed to her immediately.

“I don’t know why I’m here.” He whispered. They were sitting together on her couch: She was in a studio-style house, with a jacuzzi and a large bed. It was sophisticated but not excessive: It was perfect. “I overdosed on drugs at a socialite’s party, with a bunch of rich shirt-heads! Oh, gosh, Wymack’s going to kick me down to the Bad Place, isn’t he?”

“Shh.” Dan hissed. “I was a stripper and totally scammed and stole from all my customers so I could support my aunt and my baby cousin, I wasn’t much better.”

Matt looked relieved. “Oh, thank gosh. I was terrified of having to keep my secret for all of eternity. This must be why we’re soulmates.”

“Because we’re shirty people in disguise.” Dan said dryly. He looked sheepish. “Whatever. Whatever’s happened, it’s probably a mix-up. Do you want to go down to the Bad Place, because I don’t. My killer is there. So keep your mouth shut.”

“Yes ma’am.” He muttered.

That was how she’d found out about Matthew. The others had all followed suit: She found Kevin and Neil trying to beat each other up in a secluded spot by the lake, yelling censored profanities at each other and insulting each other with petty accusations.

“You stole Andrew’s whisky!”

Kevin blanched, before scowling furiously. “You were there!”

Dan tore them apart physically then tore into them verbally. By the end they were sullen but quiet, and Dan walked down the lake’s jetty, her heart thudding in her chest. How many of them were frauds? The neighbourhood only had three-hundred and twenty-two of them, and she could count four that definitely didn’t qualify to be there.

Andrew sailed past the jetty she stood on, laying on his back in a little row boat. His eyes were closed, arm thrown lazily over his face. In his hand, he spun a terrifyingly sharp throwing knife.

“Interfere with my things again and I’ll get you kicked out of here.” Andrew floated away, leaving Dan struck silent.

Make that five people.

Eventually, she discovered the rest. Some, on accident: Some, like Kevin and Neil, because of truly stupid and avoidable situations. Some, like Matt and Renee, just came right out with it.

That’s how all ten of them — Allison, because she was ‘deprived of gossip’, Renee, because she was at least somewhat moral, Matt, because Dan couldn’t shake him off her tail, Seth because he was arrogant but not stupid enough to miss this entire sham, Kevin, Andrew and Aaron, because they went everywhere together, Neil because he was like a lost puppy, and Nicky, because someone had called for him—ended up in Dan’s living room and promptly wrecked the place when she’d gone to check the perimeter for nosy neighbours.

She never remembered lighting those candles, anyway.

“Everyone,” She said, barely able to contain her anger. “Shut up. Don’t move. Or so help me, I’ll kill you all.”

“Too late.” Neil harped, before Kevin whacked him over the back of the head and he sulked into the couch.

“We’re going to figure something out, as a group, okay?” She insisted. “Okay?”

They mumbled in assent.

Dan sighed. If all the shirt she’d endured in her short life hadn’t aged her, trying to conceal eight people’s true moral standings so that they wouldn’t be struck from a peaceful afterlife surely would.

Welcome to the forking Good Place.

“Now, Renee, do you understand?”

She nodded. “Ingenious, really, sir.”

He sighed, rubbing his temples. “Fortunately for you, Renee, much of your reformation happened whilst on earth. The others didn’t get that chance, so it will take much longer for them to come forward about their true moral standings. You must not tell them that it’s a test, okay?”

“Okay.” She promised. “I hope they succeed.”

This was honest, as Renee stood by honesty: She had confronted Wymack on her first morning, after their introductory seminar in the town square, telling him her true upbringing, her crimes and her regrets. He had smiled with relief and sat her down in his office to explain the truth: A select group were all unqualified for the Good Place, but could earn their spot if dedicated enough. He’d known about her all along.

“I hope you all do.” Wymack confirmed. “This—Middle Place Project—Nicky!”

Nicky popped up from behind the desk, next to Wymack. Renee smiled at him and he waved, curls bouncing. “Yes, sir?”

“From now on, we’re referring to F-0-X-3-5 as MPP, for efficiency purposes, and also to keep it discreet. Also, tick off Renee Walker’s name from MRPFMPPL1.”

“What does that mean?” Renee inquired.

“Moral Rehabilitation Process For Middle Place Project List 1.” Wymack frowned. “That is a bit much, isn’t it. Nicky, change all the MRPFMPPL’s to just Test and whatever number it is.”

“Of course!” And then he disappeared again.

It was an odd thing, the afterlife. And while Renee had placed all her faith in God, she wasn’t disappointed to find a non-denominational place for a peaceful existence after death. Besides, Wymack was practically at the bottom of the chain in regards to omnipotent guardians.

He turned back to her. “Where were we?”

“Discussing the Middle Place Project.” She reminded him. “You were saying you hope we all succeed.”

“Right, right. Well, my superiors think it’s a bad idea. They’re a bit old-fashioned: Everything’s black and white for them: There’s no such thing as second, third, fourth chances, not for lost causes. Sound familiar?”

She nodded.

“We’re working on it, but it’s not your concern. Okay?”

“Okay.” She promised. His words were always soothing, so any unrest she felt was immediately eased.

“Alright, well, that should be everything.” He stood. “Get lost, Walker, and have fun.”

She hesitated by the door. “Wymack?”

He looked up at her from the papers on his desk. They hadn’t been there a moment ago. “Hm?”

“Do you believe in lost causes?”

He paused. A tiny smiled appeared. “Is there anything else worth believing in?”

She beamed and closed the door behind her.

Andrew wasn’t interested in his own wellbeing, but he’d promised Kevin that he wouldn’t let Riko take him down to the Bad Place, and he’d promised to always stand by Aaron’s side. Turns out Walker — not-so-innocent Walker — had beat him in Wymack’s honesty race.

Andrew had planned on telling him about his mother, the four homophobes at the bar, the arson and thievery, the violence. That’d surely get him sent to the Bad Place, where he’d wipe Kevin and Aaron’s names from record and then get to spend the rest of eternity being the Devil’s incarnate, or whatever.

So when Wymack had congratulated him, called his pet robot to strike his name off the list and informed him that it was all a stupid forking test, he’d felt a flicker of rage—towards himself, for not suspecting this.

Then his attention turned elsewhere. “Just me and Walker, right?”

“Correct.” Wymack nodded.

“So can you tell me about Neil?”

Wymack frowned. “What about him?”

“Well, he’s a liar and a threat.” Andrew said, petulantly.

“Is this because he’s your soulmate?” Wymack furrowed his brows. “I understand that with your past, such an intimate proposition might be intimidating, but I assure you that—“

What? Neil, his soulmate?

Irrelevant. Not true. Andrew didn’t have a soul, so how could he have a soulmate? He flung the fleeting idea aside and bludgeoned on. “No, I’m saying that Neil’s a threat to the safety of this whole fricking mission of yours and if you got your stupid fricking omnipotent head out of your frigid ash, you’d see the same. Ash. You know I’m trying to say ash, not ash. Fork.”

Wymack shook his head. “You’re not the boss here, Andrew. Okay? Leave me to worry about these things. Talk to Nicky about talking to someone, wont you? Trauma is best dealt with through professional therapeutic techniques.”

Andrew bristled, standing up.

“Storming out is very immature!” Wymack called.

“Fork you!” He yelled back.

So Wymack had given him a non-discreet warning to leave the problems to him, but since when had Andrew ever obeyed a request, or failed a promise? Never. And he wasn’t going to start now, not even in death. So he decided to take care of Neil himself.

Step one: Intimidate.

Glaring didn’t work. They were all standing around, socialising from behind glasses of champagne. Andrew let his eyes linger on Neil’s lithe form, the high cheekbones. And yet, when Neil noticed Andrew’s heavy stare, he simply rose his eyebrows up as a challenge.

He tried a more tactical method, being, shoving Neil up against a white-and-gold patterned wall in an abandoned corridor—who’s house was this, anyway?—his forearm against Neil’s throat.

“You’re not meant to be here.” He hissed, leaning in close enough that their noses were practically brushing.

“Really?” Neil snapped. “What about you, murderer?”

The accusation slid off Andrew like water off laminated paper, so he bared his teeth and leaned impossibly closer. “All bark, no bite, rabbit.”

“Rabbits don’t bark.” Neil’s lips curled up, ever so slightly.

Andrew shoved off him and made himself scarce.

So. Intimidating didn’t work. He moved onto step two: Investigating.

Nicky was useless, smiling in a way that made Andrew want to pull his teeth out and shove them into his eyes. “I can’t reveal personal information about other residents. I can, however, provide you with a Wikipedia page.”

Neil Josten.

It came up with nothing.

“Thanks for nothing.” He said, dryly.

“You’re welcome!” He beamed, before disappearing again. Good lot of help that was.

So, once again, he upped the theatrics. Nicky, though disapproving, gave him a dozen sachets of cracker dust. It was only a matter of time before Allison hosted another stupid party, as though she was trying to better her parents in the afterlife. Ridiculous.

“A drink?” Nicky offered him. He was deliberately standing by Neil, who was refusing to admit his discomfort and move away. Stubborn little shirt.

“Whisky.” He hooked a finger under Neil’s chin. “You?”

“I’m fine.”

“He’ll get a soda.” Andrew amended.

Neil frowned. “Why are you being nice?”

“Got off on the wrong foot, didn’t we? Wouldn’t want to continue our eternal partnership as soulmates hacking at each others throats, would we?”

The colour drained from Neil’s cheeks. “We’re what?”

Nicky appeared with the two drinks: Andrew intercepted, a sachet ready in his palm, and handed Neil the soda. It was still swirling around its glass when he took a massive gulp, positively shaken by Andrew’s admission.

“You seem shaken, Neil.” Andrew leaned forward. “Didn’t think a monster such as myself could have a soulmate? That’s very hypocritical, if my suspicions about you are correct.”

He drained the glass in an attempt to avoid answering Andrew’s pestering, but he was already wobbling on his feet. A secure arm around the waist kept him upright until they’d found themselves in what looked exactly identical to wherever they were before; Allison’s place was a fucking maze.

“What did you do!” Neil spluttered, furious. Scratching at his skin, his voice became hysterical and breathing became laboured. “I forking swear to gosh, I’ll kill you, I will—“

“What are you doing here, Neil?” Andrew demanded. “Are you from the Bad Place? Trying to drag us all back down there?”

“You think I’m a mole?” He said, incredulous. He was readily turning a putrid shade of green. Andrew wondered if what Nicky gave him was actually cracker dust. Could have been asbestos. cyanide, maybe even ground up Lucky Charms: There was no way of telling. “Are you out of your Gosh-darned mind, you psychotic forking midget?”

He was the midget? Neil was only three inches taller. Andrew leaned into his ear. “Give me one good reason to let you stay, and I’ll back off. Clear?”

“I’m going to be sick.” Neil moaned, shoving weakly at Andrew.

He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

Then he left, leaving a very poorly and bewildered Neil alone. There would always be another day: This was the afterlife, after all. This was eternal.

What he wasn’t expecting was Neil Josten in all his blatant honesty, sitting on the roof of his own house at sunset. He had two cigarettes on hand, offering one to Andrew and looking out wistfully over the rolling fields and fellow neighbour’s abodes.

This house was identical to Cass’s. It was meant to be all his, empty of his old demons and offering only the best memories. If only Andrew’s mind was remotely functional: Then he would be able to isolate the good and the bad, and be able to live in peace under this roof. Except he couldn’t, so he had to stare at a forking muffin tray and think about the time his foster brother forked him half to death.

It’s why he had a hammock drawn up between two trees at the bottom of his garden. He was creating a nice little space for himself, behind a large bush that obstructed the house from view.

“I don’t really know why I’m so terrified of the truth when I’m already dead.” Neil said, thoughtfully. “I suppose I’m scared of meeting my father again if I’m sent down there. He’s the one who killed me, by the way. What am I saying—I know I’ll see him again. He’s my worst nightmare. He’s bad enough that they probably promoted him in anticipation of my arrival.”

“Why are you telling me this.” Andrew said flatly, despite the leap of his heart.

Neil shrugged, eyes cast downwards. “I know you wont turn me in. I don’t know how I know, or why I’m so sure, but I just—“ He waved his hands around. “I don’t forking know.”

Andrew could attest to that. Nodding, they smoked in agreeable silence. What was surprising was the weight of—could it be—guilt? It pressed down on his shoulders, and he hated. So he straightened up, looked right at the sun like he was never able to on Earth, and said; “Truth for truth. This house is a replica of my almost adoptive family’s home. I hate it.”

Neil was looking at him. Andrew hated that too. Why was it, that when they had all of eternity stretched out in front of them, he felt like spilling every secret he’d withheld on Earth? It made no sense. This made no sense. Neil made no sense.

Especially when he said; “So come stay at mine.”

So, yeah. Neil’s strange brand of honesty shocked Andrew enough for him to forget that nothing ever took him by surprise. But only for a moment. And yes, his devastatingly sharp cheekbones and incredibly blue eyes were horrible and Andrew hated every atom of Neil’s being, but he found himself smoking in silence beside the young man and finding it—comfortable.

As far as he knew, it was still just him and Renee who had confronted Wymack. A few weeks had to have passed since, but Andrew had no way of knowing the time or date, so he couldn’t say for sure. What he could say was that Wymack was frustratedly pacing grooves into the carpets of his office, waiting for one of them to step forward and prove their integrity. Neil was a jumble of lies and dead-ends, and the only thing he’d come clean about were his motives for staying in this place.

Neil would be the last to confess to Wymack. Andrew was sure of it.

Which was why, when Neil stood up at a neighbourhood meeting, Andrew’s entire being came to a grinding holt

He had the sun illuminating a red halo from above, the ferocity of his gaze intense and determined.

“I don’t belong here.” Neil admitted, in front of dozens and dozens of people. “I’m not who you think I am, and I don’t belong here.”

Oh, Andrew thought. Fork you, Neil.

hope u enjoyed!

#andreil #the good place au #the good place #andrew minyard #neil josten #all for the game #aftg #david wymack #dan wilds #the foxes #the foxhole court #part one #jem writes

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