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kevindayscrown · 3 years

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The one where Kevin Day falls in love with an ice hockey player.

Part 14 Free

Anything included in this head canon takes place the semester after the Foxes won the championship against the Ravens.

Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about varsity teams in the United States so excuse any false information. Head over to the directory to find the previous parts and the fanfic version here.

The semester started off on a good note. Kevin and Eric returned to campus together as planned with classes starting the day after that. At that point, everyone had heard about their ‘break up’ before the winter holidays so they were equally surprised to see the two of them come back to campus together.

No one had much to say except their respective teams; the Exy players looked almost smug, as if the couple’s make up was their doing. On the other hand, the Ice Hockey players were a bit more hesitant to accept this new reality.

Kevin knew that there were no happy endings. Even if the two had gotten together, the world around them was still the same. Kevin himself still had many battles to fight on his own.

“Are you for real, dude?” One of Eric’s teammates asked the captain. They didn’t even bother to be discreet; they’d been waiting for Eric in the parking lot, all five players of their starting lineup.

“Caleb, this isn’t the time,” Eric said sternly. Kevin’s own expression was almost dismissive, but he still strained an ear as he finally got out of the car.

Kevin cared little for Eric’s teammates but that part of him that knew Eric cared for them still sought for their approval. Then again, when was Kevin not chasing for someone’s approval?

“Yes, this is the time. You aren’t going to waste your last years in college fake dating this asshole,” Caleb Richards, center player said, glaring at Kevin with eyes narrowed.

Kevin couldn’t really blame them, but he did believe the way they went about this was incredibly idiotic and not worth his time. Which was why he decided to hook an arm around Eric’s waist and pull him closer, all while staring at the ice hockey players with an unimpressed and unfazed expression.

“Not that it’s really any of your business-,” Kevin started, with a tone that was almost polite, as if he were talking to a host of a talk show, “- but Eric and I are dating. Now, if you excuse us, it was a long drive from Atlanta, and I believe we both need rest.”

They were all left staring as Kevin helped Eric pull his suitcase out of the trunk of the car. They both thought they were done talking about this for now but Nate Wilson, right defenseman spoke up,

“Finally.”

This had both Kevin and Eric staring at him. The blond that was staring back at them only grinned slightly and then walked over and punched Eric in the shoulder, hard enough that it made the taller goalie wince.

“We were really tired of seeing you moping around all the fucking time.”

Eric looked as if he was about to protest but one raised eyebrow from Bryce had him shutting up. Kevin was amused, the tension leaving his body. This was perhaps the most civilized conversation he’d ever had with the players of the Ice Hockey team. Not that they’d ever have reason to try and speak to each other. Kevin supposed that his relationship with Eric was perhaps the first and only bridge between the two teams.

“We really went all mother hen on you, huh?” Nick Matheson, left winger, asked with a toothy grin.

“Yes, a little bit,” Eric said, still rubbing his arm on the spot where Nate had punched him. However, there was a rather fond smile on his face and Kevin could almost tell he was fighting hard to keep a balance between his figure as a Captain and his role as a friend and part of this group.

“Well, pizza is on the way. Might as well stick around,” Bryce suggested and glanced at Kevin, giving him a small nod that said the invitation was open to him as well.

Kevin thought about it for a moment as he turned and glanced at Eric. The goalie gave him an encouraging smile which Kevin did not return, but the slight light to his eyes was enough.

“One condition,” he said as he turned his gaze to the Fox Tower behind them for a moment.

Kevin knew there was a high probability that he would regret this later. For one, it was hard to fit both teams in one dorm room, even if not every ice hockey player in the line up joined them. Somehow, they made it work.

Andrew looked as if he’d rather be anywhere else but here, but the fact he’d agree to come at all was a wonder only Neil could have achieved. The two of them settled down on the couch in Eric’s dorm room, keeping to themselves.

However, the rest appeared to have an easier time adjusting. Dan and Matt were already dedicated in a conversation with Nate and Nicky had no problems talking Caleb’s ears off, who seemed to be less than amused by the whole situation.

Eric walked over to Kevin with that stupid puppy smile. Kevin would never dare admit that he was, in fact, very attracted to that smile.

“Seems to me like all this time spent fighting each other was for nothing,” he said with a hum as he slipped an arm around Kevin’s waist. Kevin stood still and watched the interactions between the two teams.

“Perhaps. It doesn’t matter.” It didn’t. The rivalry between Exy and Ice Hockey players was something that went beyond the Palmetto teams. It was common, expected and sometimes encouraged for the spectacle of it. But the Foxes were known for being… unconventional. If anyone were to break these ‘universal rules’, it was them.

“I’m proud of you,” Eric suddenly said. Kevin froze for a moment and then glanced at the goalie, wanting to tell him that he didn’t need patronizing. The expression on the other’s face, however, was genuine.

Kevin’s expression must have been a questioning one because Eric was quick to start explaining after that.

“I think you don’t really recognize how much you’ve achieved. I’m not talking about Exy, I’m talking about-,” he made a general gesture with his hand, as if having a hard time finding the right words. “- this. I may not know the whole story, but I know it was hard for you to come back from your lowest point. The fact that you are clearly working on it is more than enough.”

Kevin remained silent for a moment, not sure if he’d ever heard such words before in his life. The only one who’d gotten close to them was Wymack, but the coach was not exactly known for being good at handling emotional situation, even if he had his own way with words.

He hadn’t known how much he’d needed to hear them until they finally came from someone. Kevin wasn’t okay. He was far from it. But that was fine because Kevin was trying. Once, he’d accepted that he would always be property.

Now, Kevin was free and had to deal with the aftermath. Which was fine. He could do it. He’d achieved and faced worse things in his life. He just needed time and space. Having people like Eric around him could only help him.

“Thank you,” Kevin finally said. He’d always known to put up a front but at that moment, it felt almost ridiculous to try and hide from Eric. Or from anyone, for that matter. If anything, his vulnerability only made him stronger.

Eric smiled at that and leaned in, kissing him softly on the lips.

Happy endings may not exist but at least Kevin had this new reality that he knew how he was going to officially introduce.

“Get up,” he told everyone as he closed the pizza boxes and grabbed the slice Nicky was nibbling on from his mouth.

Nicky groaned and tried to reach it again. “What the hell for?” He demanded. Kevin grinned slightly as he dumped the slice into one of the boxes.

“I think it’s time we return the favor to the Ice Hockey team and bring them over to our court.”

The Exy players did not need any more encouragement, except perhaps the twins. Eric managed to get his teammates to also go along with this and then turned to Kevin.

“Who are you and what have you done to Kevin?” He teased. Kevin only shrugged as he followed the others, watching them piling inside their cars.

“I guess I’m full of surprises.” Kevin said and smiled at Eric for only a passing moment before following the Monsters to the Maserati.

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jemej3m · 4 years

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Yo. Yo. Yoo. A Highschool musical au. Yeah you heard me.

bruh cross clique relationships are my jam

pt. 1? maybe

When they’d first met, Neil had been hiding from everyone else on the roof of the ski lodge. Wymack had brought him on holiday and encouraged him to join in with the teen party going on in the karaoke lounge with Dan and Kevin, but he’d taken one look and noped the hell out.

Curled into a ball, he had never expected his angsty teenage silence to be broken by another short, bad-mannered boy, equally as distasteful of loud gatherings and soda-stupid teenage shenanigans.

There had been something very familiar about him, like Neil had seen him before.

He also had a pack of cigarettes.

Neil had yearned for one, like he yearned for his mom, and Andrew had asked for his name in exchange for the lighter. They’d sat in silence, letting the dulled sounds of music and cheers wash over them like a particularly persistent draft.

When Neil flinched away at the first pop of the fireworks, Andrew had frowned. And when Neil had explained they sounded too much like gunshots, Andrew gave him his number, scoffing at Neil’s old flip phone.

Then he’d proceeded to bitch about his cousin, the one who had dragged him and his twin brother on a ‘bonding’ trip, and was then forcing him to move across the country so they could all live together. it distracted Neil from the gunfire overhead: whether or not that had been Andrew’s intention, Neil thought he’d never know.

He assumed he’d never see Andrew again.

But then school started up again.

Guess who was the new kid?

Andrew didn’t think that high school movies were actually grounded in reality till he moved to Palmetto State high. But the minute that he walked in through Palmetto State High’s front doors, he was instantly proven wrong.

Aaron, who had already done his freshman year and half his sophomore year here, seemed unfazed. He was a generally unfazed person, expect when Andrew purposefully ignored him and then smashed his ass at Mariokart. Then he’d lose his temper but ultimately be angrier at himself, because he didn’t want to be anything like his mom had been.

Andrew never had the chance to meet Tilda. She’d died just before they met: her will was the only reason that Aaron had found out about Andrew in the first place.

Aaron shoved his glasses up his nose and neatly ducked past a set of boisterous jocks who were bouncing a basketball to one another.

“I already hate it here,” Andrew muttered, following after his brother.

“It gets worse,” Aaron sighed. “Wait till you see the Exy jocks. The cheerleaders are - ” his face screwed up for a second. “Not all bad.”

“What are you?”

“We,” Aaron insisted. “Are nerds. Did you think you’d be able to escape the fact that we’re identical?”

“I’m not a nerd,” Andrew muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets to hide the bracelet he wore. Bee had given it to him as a parting gift: it was the solar system, to scale, with the space between the planets made out of carbon fibre.

“Are you kidding? The only thing you moved in with was a box of books.”

“Whatever.”

They brushed by the office, Aaron ignoring the freshman’s offer to take Andrew on a tour of the school. Her name-tag read Robin and she was clearly unfazed by their complete disregard of her presence.

“History first,” Aaron huffed, squinting at Andrew’s timetable. “Good, we’re together. History sucks: we have Mr Moriyama, and his shitty nephew Riko is in that class too.”

“What’s so shitty about him?”

“You’ll see.”

Fantastic, Andrew thought. The day was shaping up to be an absolute nightmare.

“Mr Minyard,” drawled a nasally man who lingered by the door. When he saw Andrew, his eye twitched. “And Mr Minyard. So the attendance sheet wasn’t an error.”

Aaron just muttered something under his breath and dragged Andrew by the sleeve. The tables were set up in spaced-apart rows, but the back was already claimed by a group of delinquent-looking attention vacuums. The others were all crowded around one boy, who had his feet kicked up on the table in front of him and an uncanny resemblance to the history teacher.

He looked between Andrew and Aaron and sneered. Before he could open his mouth to say something, his uncle clapped his hands and called the class to attention.

Just as Mr Moriyama was about to start the lesson, what could only be described as the human embodiment of disaster.

When Andrew recognised him, his cheeks went red.

“Mr Josten,” Mr Moriyama said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “How is it that you are always late to my class, when your brother’s already here?”

The brother in question looked nothing like Neil. He was taller, paler, with black hair and green eyes. He was also glaring at Neil, like that was going to make a difference.

“My bad,” the red-head shrugged.

“Detention,” Mr Moriyama said.

“I have practise,” Neil retorted. And - oh, god, he was a jock. A smart-mouthed sporty boy. Fuck. Andrew thought he’d never see the boy from the rooftop again, but here they were, sitting in the same history class.

“Should have thought about that before you were late,” the greasy man sneered, sending Neil on his way. Neil slumped his way past the desks till he saw Andrew sitting behind his brother, eyes widened with shock.

Andrew, involuntarily, found himself giving Neil a small salute. Neil’s lips quirked up as he slid into his chair, letting the first lesson of the day finally begin.

Neil jogged into practise late. This wasn’t surprising to anyone, least of all Wymack, who was leaning against the plexiglass with a knowing frown.

“Could you stop antagonising Mr Moriyama’s own nephew in his class?”

“In my defence,” Neil admitted. “Today’s detention was because I was late, not because I accidentally spoke my thought about Riko out loud instead of reciting them in my head.”

“Get on the court, you little shit,” he said, though not without fondness. Neil had been adopted by the Exy coach at the end of his freshman year, when he’d figured out why Neil was breaking into the changerooms to sleep.

He jogged up to Kevin, who was less than impressed as he stood by the goal.

“What the hell, Neil?”

“The only reason I was so late was because Gordon still hasn’t forgiven you for getting him kicked off the team and he likes to hang around my locker to take it out on me!”

Dan, Wymack’s other adopted child and team captain, was standing nearby and laughing. “Don’t try and flip this on Kevin: you just like picking fights with Seth.”

Neil grinned at her. “It’s so easy.”

“Oi!” Wymack called out. “We running drills or not?”

When he saw the blonde head of hair bobbing up and down, Neil’s grin faltered slightly. He was still in shock that Aaron had a twin, that the twin had moved here, and that twin had been the exact person Neil had met on the roof of the ski resort a few weeks ago.

No wonder he’d found Andrew’s face so familiar. He was truly an idiot for not picking up on it.

Andrew sat down, high in the bleachers. Neil felt a strange prickle at the back of his neck, like he had when they’d talked for hours up on the roof.

Practise went too fast after that. Neil stayed behind to help his coach pack up, Kevin and Dan bickering about plays as they went off to the showers.

Coach went off with the equipment, giving Andrew a cursory glance. Perhaps he recognised Aaron’s face: the boy had nearly done tryouts for the team at the start of freshman year but chickened out.

Neil skipped the steps, leaping up three at a time. Andrew was lounging on the bleachers, head cocked to the side.

“So,” Neil said. “You never mentioned that you were moving to Palmetto.”

“We were in a random Colorado ski lodge,” Andrew rolled his eyes. “What were the chances?”

“Clearly high enough.” Neil perched on the seat beside him. “So, Aaron’s brother, huh?”

“Obviously.”

Neil grinned. “Give me some slack: it was dark. I suppose you’ll be following him around, at first?”

Andrew just shrugged. “I don’t have anything better to do.”

“Do you like Exy?”

His eye twitched. “I’ve played before. Why?”

Neil felt his grin widen. “You should try out.”

Andrew crossed his arms over his chest. “Aaron says I’m doomed to be stuck with the nerds, so long as I look like him. Apparently that’s a big deal here.”

Neil faltered slightly. “Well, yeah. Everyone kinda sticks to their own. I’ve always wanted to join the Olympiads, but they’d never let me on the team. I’m good at math and physics, but I’m on the Exy team. They don’t associate with jocks.”

“Olympiads,” Andrew mumbled. “Jesus Christ.”

“Hey!”

“This entire school is a disaster,” Andrew said, notching a cigarette between his lips and spun the lighter between his fingers. “I don’t give a shit about their stupid cliques.”

Neil felt something warm in his chest. He’d always felt the same. “Careful. If Riko thinks you’re kicking up dust, he’ll retaliate. He likes to think he owns the place and prefers that everyone just sticks to their own.”

Andrew trotted down a few steps before looking back over his shoulder at Neil. “Well, he can just get in line.”

Huh, Neil thought, when he couldn’t get Andrew’s smirk out of his mind for the rest of the day. This is new.

gosh, teenagers r so melodramatic

@filteredred don’t call me out on hypocrisy

#andreil #aftg #andrew minyard #neil josten #high school musical au #the foxhole court #jock/nerd trope #very cute very nice #i was going to make it longer but i also wanted to get smth out because i havent posted writing in a whlie #so here ya go #the foxes #david wymack #fluff

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kevindayprotectionsquad · 4 years

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A little Kevin falling for skater boy Aaron for your soul

I love skater boy kevaaron so I went a little crazy and this got long! I hope it’s good, because I was actually terrified to post it lol

• It took some time for Kevin to really notice Aaron. To him, Aaron was just another backliner on his team that just happened to look like Andrew. He knew Aaron existed, but that’s about it.

• As he gets comfortable being at Palmetto, Kevin gets comfortable walking around campus on his own. His favorite place to go is the library, and he can’t get Andrew to go with him, so it’s not like he has a choice other than going on his own.

• It’s a normal Sunday, Kevin is going to the library to catch up on his class work. He’s in a good mood, the Foxes won their game Friday, they celebrated in Columbia Saturday, and now he’s got readings to catch up on.

• He is almost to the steps at the library when something or someone collides with him. He hears a skateboard roll away, but is too distracted by who is pushing himself up off the ground.

• “What the hell, Kevin? Watch where you’re going.” Aaron snaps at Kevin, but Kevin doesn’t hear. He just notices the way Aaron pushes his hair back out of his eyes. Has it always been that long? When did it get so blonde?

• Aaron doesn’t stick around for Kevin to figure it out. He’s off again attempting tricks right away. Kevin tries to ignore the way his chest tightened as he watched Aaron land an ollie. He tried to write the feeling off as concern for his teammate and their season, but he knew that was a lie.

• Kevin starts noticing Aaron more. Especially ways that Aaron is different than Andrew. Aaron’s hair is a bit longer and more unruly. Aaron wears a collection of bands on his wrist. Aaron wears more color than Andrew, and almost exclusively wears vans, whereas Andrew wears converse. Aaron is leaner than Andrew. They both lifted a fair amount, but Kevin assumed the skating ate away at the bulk.

• He finds himself looking for the tiny blonde on a skateboard when he’s walking around campus. Sometimes Aaron will zoom past him, and Kevin can’t stop himself from watching the way Aaron leans to weave in and out of people. Aaron makes it look so easy. He stands on the board so effortlessly. Kevin finds it hard to focus on his pre-colonial America lecture after that.

• It gets harder and harder for Kevin to burry his feelings. It’s at practice one day, watching Aaron use his jersey to wipe away the sweat running down his face after a good block against Neil, that he realizes he has a crush on Aaron. He can’t ignore the pang in his chest when he watches Aaron at practice. It’s the same pang he feels when he catches glimpses of Aaron skating around campus.

• Kevin knows better than to act on his crush. Aaron probably doesn’t feel the same way anyways. It’s better to keep it quiet and safe, than to put it out in the world where he can get hurt.

• He continues with this train of thought until a night at Columbia. With too many shots and vodka cranberries in his system, Kevin can’t help but stare. Aaron styled his hair, and dressed in his club clothes. He looks amazing. Kevin, in true bi fashion, can’t tear his eyes away.

• Aaron notices and gives him an annoyed look. “What the hell is your problem, Day?”

• Kevin, drunk bi disaster, can’t help but come clean. He simply just says, “You.”

• Aaron has no idea what Kevin is going on about, and assumes it’s an insult. “Fuck off then.”

• Kevin can’t fuck off. He can’t stop himself from smiling either. Aaron is talking to him. He doesn’t want him to stop. “No no no, you don’t get it, the problem is I like you.”

• Aaron takes a few more shots before finally answering him. Kevin doesn’t notice that he’s stalling. He’s happy just watching the way Aaron downs his shots. “That sounds like a you problem.”

• Aaron doesn’t stick around after that. He gets up to drag Nicky to the dance floor, leaving Kevin to drown his feeling in more alcohol.

• Aaron avoids Kevin after the incident. He stops skating past Kevin on his way to class, and completely ignores him at practice. When Kevin is at the dorm, Aaron is not. Nicky says he’s out at the skate park most nights.

• Regret takes over Kevin. He scolds himself for knowing better and still being so stupid. Isn’t this what he was told from the beginning? It’s easier to be straight? Why couldn’t he have fallen for someone else?

• It plagues him. He knows better than to let it affect his game, but it affects everything else. He stops being able to sleep. With the help of some liquid courage, he decides to confront Aaron. He stays up waiting for Aaron to come back to the dorm. He plans what he’s going to say, getting more and more anxious as he waits.

• When Aaron finally gets back to the dorm, Kevin is more than ready for an argument or a fight. He immediately started with his (slightly drunken) speech about how he was sorry for what happened, and how it wasn’t fair for Aaron to just pretend he didn’t exist.

• What Kevin wasn’t ready for, though, was for Aaron to pull him down into a kiss.

• It was quick and shocking. Aaron didn’t stay long enough to watch Kevin’s reaction. Kevin was thankful for that, as his face was frozen is shock.

• Aaron really just did that.

• Kevin felt his heart race and all the feelings he was trying to burry came flooding back.

• Aaron really kissed him.

• Aaron went to bed that night leaving Kevin alone with his crisis. And what a crisis it was. He had no idea how this was going to change things, not only between them, but the rest of the team. He didn’t know what the kiss meant. Did Aaron think of him the same way? Was it just an experimental kiss? What if that was it?

• The next day went on like the others had, with Aaron ignoring Kevin. Kevin tried to hold it together, and tell himself that it didn’t matter. He held it together until he stopped Aaron after everyone left the locker room after afternoon practice.

• Aaron just stared up at Kevin, a challenging look in his wonderful hazel eyes. Kevin tried not to stare as he prepared himself. He wasn’t going to let himself be hurt by Aaron again. He had to know, though, “Why are you avoiding me after last night. That’s not fair.”

• Aaron wasn’t phased by Kevin’s approach, and just shrugged. “The others don’t need to know.”

• Kevin was confused all over again, and before he could ask, Aaron explained himself. “I don’t want the rest of the team to know I like you too. At least I like you right now, just wait until you piss me off.”

• Kevin needed a minute to process it. Aaron liked him back. It wasn’t a cruel trick. He just wanted privacy. Kevin could understand that.

• Aaron pushed past him, done with Kevin just standing there. “I’m going to the skate park tonight if you want to come.”

• Kevin could only manage to get out an “okay” as he watched Aaron leave the locker room. A date. He was going on a date with Aaron. He didn’t even mind it was at the skate park.

• He had to force himself to calm down before going out to join the others. Aaron didn’t want the others to know, and honestly neither did Kevin.

• As soon as they were back to the dorm, Aaron was changing into his skate clothes and grabbing his board. Kevin gave him a head start before informing the others he was going to he library.

• When he left, Aaron wasn’t in the hall or in the lobby downstairs, and Kevin briefly wondered if Aaron had gone without him. When he went outside, Aaron was leaning against the side of the building.

• Kevin let himself stare at the way Aaron’s arms were crossed over his chest, and how the evening sun turned his blonde hair gold. He let himself think about how lucky he is that Aaron is giving him a chance.

• Aaron didn’t say anything when Kevin joined him, but he picked up his board and walked with Kevin. It was a quiet walk to the skate park. Kevin felt like he should say something, but he didn’t want to scare Aaron off.

• When they got to the skate park, it was Aaron who broke the silence. He dropped his board to the ground, and used his foot to stop it from rolling off. He looked up at Kevin and simply asked, “Do you know how to?”

• Kevin looked between the board and Aaron’s face. He didn’t expect Kevin to get on it did he? “No.”

• Aaron gave Kevin a quick small smile, and Kevin felt his heart flutter.

• “I’ll teach you.” Aaron got on his board and gave Kevin a short rundown on how to get the board moving, how to stand on it, and how to steer. Kevin couldn’t focus on what he was saying, he was too busy watching how effortlessly Aaron maneuvered the board.

• There was no Kevin was getting on the board.

• Or so he thought. When Aaron came back to him and offered him the board, Kevin couldn’t say no. He put one foot on and held his arms out for balance. It was harder than he thought to force himself to put his other foot up. He didn’t want to lose balance and get hurt. It was the middle of the season, the Foxes couldn’t afford to lose him to a stupid injury.

• Aaron seemed to have read his mind, and rolled his eyes at Kevin. “Here,” he offered his hands out for Kevin to grab onto for balance.

• Kevin hesitated for a moment before grabbing on to him. It would be more embarrassing to fall than it would be to just hold on. Goosebumps raised on his arms as Aaron secured his grip around Kevin’s hand.

• Aaron pulled Kevin and the board slowly around the park, Kevin silently panicking over both the chances of falling and the fact Aaron was holding his hands.

• Kevin finally stepped off the board, telling Aaron he wanted to see him skate. Aaron was happy take over.

• Kevin didn’t realize how terrifying it would be to watch Aaron really skate. He realized what he saw Aaron do around campus was nothing compared to this. This was Aaron stopping at nothing to get better. It didn’t matter how many times he hit the ground, or how many time he bailed, Aaron was back up to try again.

•Kevin couldn’t help but admire him. It was amazing to see Aaron try so hard and care so much about something. Kevin had previously thought Aaron had nothing he cared about. He treated exy like a chore. It was just something he had to do to be at school. But just like Kevin had exy, Aaron had skateboarding.

• A loud “Oh fuck me!” broke Kevin from his thoughts. Aaron was on the ground, board rolling away from him. Kevin had seen Aaron hit the ground enough that night to not immediately worry, but he was taking a little too long to get up.

• Kevin’s heart raced as he made his way over to check on Aaron. He hoped he wasn’t hurt. He could afford to lose his backliner.

• “Did I scare you?” Aaron asked him with a smirk, already sitting up.

•Kevin forced himself calm as he kneeled and glared at him. “Yes, asshole. I thought you wouldn’t be able to play.”

• Aaron just rolled his eyes and pulled Kevin down, “Typical,” he said as he kissed Kevin.

#i hope this is good lol #i really enjoyed making it #i love the idea of kevin being scared for aaron every time he watches him skate #kevaaron makes my heart so happy #i love to gremlin boys #kevin day #aaron minyard #andrew minyard #neil josten #aftg #tfc #the foxhole court #all for the game #made by me :)#my headcanons #kevaaron #kevaaron keeps me going

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thetallwinchester · 4 years

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Worth the Effort

Pairing: Katelyn and Aaron

Fantasy, hurt/comfort (sorta?)

Words: 1.1K

Here is my @aftgexchange Gift Fic for @crows-scones-and-exy-thrones! I hope you like it!

Summary: Katelyn fails a Orthopedic Healing exam and Aaron tries to cheer her up during a study date.

Aaron raised an eyebrow as he peered over the menu in the Foxhole Cafe. Behind the counter his brother Andrew tapped his fingers on the counter. “Hurry it up Aaron.”

Aaron rolled his eyes, there weren't any customers behind him. He would have heard them come in.

“Oh leave him be Andrew!” Their cousin Nicky chidded from somewhere in the back.

Aaron nodded once, settling on his and Katelyn’s order. They had a long night of studying ahead. “Two pumpkin lattes, one with essence of confidence and one with a double shot of espresso.”

“Hm, getting up your confidence to talk to your girlfriend?” Andrew hummed typing in the order. “You’d think after dating for two years you’d be able to talk to her without some extra help.”

Aaron raised an eyebrow determined to turn the argument back around in his favor. “For your information the double shot of espresso is your fault. If your boyfriend wasn’t up until two in the morning screaming over professional exy this wouldn’t be a problem.”

Andrew said nothing and got to work on the drinks. The little cafe wasn’t busy, but still some other students filled a few tables. One group of students had the audacity to bring their familiars with them. Andrew would no doubt complain about having to sweep up feathers and fur after they’d gone. Aaron had left Carmen, his cat, in the dorms to peacefully sleep the evening away.

In the end, Aaron didn’t have to wait for their drinks long. The walk to the University’s library was a chilly one. The leaves were changing colors and Aaron actually had to put on a scarf this morning. When Aaron reached the library he mumbled a spell to cast the door open and headed toward the Healing section. He scanned the huge area for Katelyn and found her in the back huddled in their corner. She had a textbook up in front of her face and was waving her fingers. A book flew off the shelf closest to Aaron’s head and he had to duck as it floated to Katelyn’s table.

“Trying to take my head off?” He asked. Katelyn looked up and gave a tired smile. It made Aaron’s chest hurt. Katelyn had failed the exam for Orthopedic Healing and would have to make it up. She was devastated. She’d studied so long last week, and none of it appeared on the exam. When Aaron called her that night to ask how it went Katelyn went quiet and kept the call brief. At first Aaron hadn’t known what was wrong and assumed she was mad at him. He’d really had to drag the truth out of her.

“Oops. Hello, Aaron! I’m trying to catch up for the retake next Monday.” Katelyn said barely looking up from the now four books spread over the table. Aaron watched as a Library Guardian, a black fox, tilted it’s head at him. The fox wanted the books Katelyn had sitting on the chair next to her. The Library Guardians cleaned up books and if the students needed help finding one, the foxes would often lead them to it.

When Aaron first arrived at Palmetto he wondered why they were called Guardians and not just Librarians. Then one day when he was studying late into the night, someone from off campus tried to sneak into the library to steal some older tommes. Two of the nearest Library Guardians let out high pitched fox-squeals before growing in size and turning into the most hideous fox like creatures Aaron had ever seen. They grew over twenty feet tall, and had big gaping jaws. Their paws turned into big ugly hands with unbelievably long claws. They chased the man away and for a second Aaron was afraid, were they going to come get him too? But one of the monsters faced him and shrunk back into the large fox Aaron always believed it to be. That day Aaron promised himself to always follow the library rules.

“Sorry buddy. We’ll be done with them soon.” Aaron nodded his head away from the table and the little fox moved on.

Aaron sat across from his girlfriend at the covered table. She was sitting cross legged and flipping back and forth in one book. “I brought you something.” Katelyn looked up and smiled. Aaron handed her the drink and she took a long sip.

She gave him an easy smile, there’s his Katelyn, “Thanks Aaron, but whether or not I’m confident now doesn’t really help me on my test.”

“Not true! If you’re confident now you’ll be able to focus on studying which should help you. Also how did you pick up on the essence of confidence so fast?” This girl never ceased to amaze him. God he loved her.

Katelyn raised an amused eyebrow holding the warm takeout cup up to her cheek. “I aced potions Aaron. Also I felt better way too fast not to notice. Let’s study together. Hey little buddy-” Katelyn called out to a Library Guardian as it passed the table. She reached into her bag and tossed it a potato chip before handing it two small books she was done with. Katelyn clearly didn’t have the same ideals about not breaking the rules as Aaron did. Aaron was a bit of a stick in the mud he knew, but Katelyn had loosened him up over the years.

The fox continued on its way to put the books away and Katelyn smiled after it. “Library Guardians were one of the best ideas ever. So helpful. And cute too.” She hummed before moving some books from in front of Aaron. Aaron hummed once again thinking back to the night the man broke into the library.

He took out his own notes and began to highlight the important parts. They worked quietly, Aaron sipping his strong coffee. Aaron decided it was time to quit when he started to develop a headache. He looked up and Katelyn was fast asleep on the table in front of him.

Aaron smiled to himself, and shook his head. Katelyn’s head was in her arms on the Grimoire for Orthopedics. He watched her sleep for another minute, the easy rise and fall of her shoulders. Then he put away his notes, and quietly as possible, closed all seven textbooks handing them to passing by Librarian Guardians. He slipped the Grimoire out from under Katelyn and she barely even noticed. She worked so hard, sometimes Aaron worried for her health. As far as he knew, Katelyn hadn’t slept a wink since she failed the test.

Aaron shook his girlfriend awake. “Hm?- Oh no I fell asleep! Where are the textbooks?” Her sleepy voice was quiet.

“I gave them back to the Guardians. Come on, let’s get you back to the dorms.” Aaron said offering her his hand. Katelyn took it with a smile and put her head on his shoulder.

“I can walk myself back. I’m a big girl Aaron.” Katelyn protested with a smile.

“It’s after dark. I just want to make sure you get back safely.” Aaron said.

They walked back to Katelyn’s dormitory and passed students milling about with their familiars. Birds, cats, frogs and the sort all dutifully accompanying their people. Some students were still in their uniforms, robes and hats alike. Some like Aaron and Katelyn had opted not to wear their hats this late after class. They walked quietly with their hands linked enjoying the quiet. Well aside from the occasional “pop” of a spell and laughter from friends. Katelyn spelled the door to her dorm building open and Aaron saw her figure disappear. He waited outside the dorms until He saw her window open and she stuck her head out. “Goodnight Aaron! Thanks for the coffee, I love you!”

Aaron waved back. “Love you too! Good luck on your test. Get some rest.” He shook his head as he saw her close the window and turn down the light. He began his walk back to his own dorm with a smile on his face. Aaron knew she’d do well on her test, she worked too hard not to.

#aaron/katelyn #aaron minyard #aftg #all for the game #foxhole court #tfc #aftgexchange #aft exchange

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venmomejoy · 4 years

Text

The Lucky Ones- part 2

Thank you guys for reading!! I hope you like this chapter :)

Read it on AO3 here !!!

part one / part three / part four

As soon as Neil made it back into his interim home, he spent hours pouring over the script Kevin had given him. Neil immersed himself in the pages of dialogue and stage directions, allowing himself to leave Neil Josten for a while and slip into the mind of Alex Howell.

The Foxes was a lot different than Evermore. Where Evermore focused on magic and fantasy elements, The Foxes had a modern setting, with no supernatural aspects. Rather than flashy effects and gripping action scenes, The Foxes depicted the messy lives and relationships of the students at Palmetto High School, specifically how they interact and respond in the wake of the murder of a classmate, all the while navigating friendship and romance and identity. Neil will be playing Alex, a transfer student who is chock-full of secrets, and seems to know more than he is letting on. The irony wasn't lost on Neil.

He tried to get some sleep, but only managed to toss and turn for a few hours, restlessness forcing his eyes open. Early morning light was just beginning to filter through the windows when Neil inspected the contents of his duffel bag, ensuring all of his belongings were still inside. He never unpacked the thing, or left it out of his sight long enough for someone to go through it, but he would rather be safe than sorry. He couldn't afford to lose these things; he would be completely alienated from all of his connections and resources if he did, losing contacts for quality fake IDs and coordinates for stashes of cash.

Neil desperately needed to run, craving the blankness of mind that comes with pushing his body to its limits, but unfortunately, abandoned houses weren't equipped with running water, and he thought it was probably bad form to show up for his first day sticky with dried sweat, for as soon as they landed in L.A., they would be heading straight to set so Neil could meet the cast and crew.

If the pale pink light coloring the walls was any indication, it was far too early for Wymack to retrieve him, but Neil was too agitated to lie around any longer. He settled for a walk, needing some sort of outlet for the nervousness slowly eating through his sanity. Motion had always been Neil's most conformable state; running was what he was used to, what kept him safe. There was comfort in it- in movement, he was always in a position to escape. Sitting still left him vulnerable. It was in stillness that he could be cornered.

Swinging his duffel bag over his shoulder, Neil turned and took one last look at the house. It was dingy, stains littering the ceiling and carpet, paint peeling off in large chunks, but Neil had kept it pretty clean. No one would suspect he had been squatting there for the past three and a half months. Neil took off without a backwards glance.

With hours to kill, Neil practically covered the entirety of the town as he walked. Residential streets eventually gave way to businesses- restaurants, doctors offices', the lone grocery store. Neil let his gaze dart around, checking for anyone hidden in the shadows, any strange cars passing him on the road. He knew this was a bad idea. Joining one of the most prominent shows on television was the exact opposite of what Neil needed to be doing if he wanted to stay alive. He needed to live in obscurity, and instead, he was pushing himself into the brightest spotlight he could find. Not to mention the fact that his personal life would be put on blast; the media loved to dredge up celebrities' private information. He wasn't sure his story would hold up under that kind of scrutiny. But he needed something, something to ground him, to sate this hunger for more than just survival.

Soon enough, the town started waking up. The streets began filling as people drove to work or dropped their kids off at school. There was a good amount of people walking as well, the town so small that it was easy enough to walk most everywhere you needed to go. Several people smiled as they passed Neil, some even waving in greeting; Neil instinctively dropped his head, letting his dark brown curls shield his face. Neil took the growing activity in town as indication that he should probably head towards the theater to meet Wymack.

Within ten minutes Neil found himself at the front of the theater. The building was deserted- no one had business at the theater at eight a.m. on a Monday morning. Neil sat on the concrete steps leading to the building, his knee bouncing as he waited for the ride that would take him away from this life, away from all he'd ever known.

The theater sat directly across from the high school. From where he was sitting, Neil could see the students lounging outside the building, chatting with their friends, waiting until the last possible minute to run into class. He had chosen to make Neil Josten eighteen when he moved here, even though he would not actually turn eighteen for five more months, so he had never been inside the school. Neil had been disconsolate when he arrived here; in the midst of altering his entire lifestyle so it would function without his mother, he didn't have it in him to bother with school. He also didn't want to worry about forging parental consent, which worked out well for Wymack's offer- being eighteen allowed him to sign the contract and work on set without required notification and consent of a guardian.

A honk startled Neil from his thoughts, his hands flying to his bag as his muscles tensed to run, but he relaxed at the sight of Wymack behind the wheel. Kevin was staring unabashedly at Neil as he stalks over to the black suburban. He slid into the backseat next to Andrew, and the smile he shot Neil was nothing short of venomous. Neil kept his face blank as he averted his eyes.

It was Kevin who spoke first. "Where is your stuff?"

"This is it." Neil tightened his grip on his bag as Kevin eyed it.

"Do you want to put it in the trunk?" Wymack asked. "We have a bit of a drive to the airport."

"I'm fine with it here."He could tell he had piqued Andrew's interest, could feel his eyes roving over his bag with renewed interest, but refused to acknowledge him. He could not give Andrew any indication of what this bag held, any reason to be curious about his belongings.

"Suit yourself," Wymack said, pulling the car onto the road. After moments of silence, he spoke up again. "So, Neil, you're familiar with The Foxes?"

"Sort of. I've seen a couple episodes." Without television or internet access, it was hard to find opportunities to watch.

"Wow, too good to act with us, and too good to even watch the show? You've wounded my pride, Neil," Andrew drawled from beside him.

Neil's jaw clenched, willing himself to maintain his docile persona. He didn't need to draw any unnecessary attention to himself, and certainly didn't need any enemies as dangerous as Andrew Minyard, if the stories about him were to be believed. "It's not that, we just didn't have internet access at my house."

"Your parents spend all that time working and they still can't afford internet?" Neil just looked at the blond, unable to come up with a response.

"Andrew," Wymack warned.

"We're all trying to figure out what the deal with your parents is. Well, I am, at least. My money's on them beating you, but Kevin and Wymack aren't the betting sort, so I'll have to take my wager elsewhere." Neil snapped his head up, meeting Andrew's taunting gaze. Neil knows he's just trying to provoke him, but it still unnerves him how close Andrew was to the truth after knowing Neil for an hour, if even.

"Jesus, Andrew," Wymack groans. "Cut the shit or I'll sign you up for the next marathon."

"I'm quaking in my boots." Andrew busts out in a fit of laughter that no one else joins.

Entirely ignoring Andrew's comments, Kevin steers the conversation back towards the show. "You'll need to watch the first two seasons before we can even think about beginning production." He twists in his seat to look at Neil. "Everything builds on itself in television; the plot of this season will be in direct correlation to the plot of the previous ones. It's important that you understand everything that has already happened, how the other characters behave and interact, so you can properly play your role. A lot of characters' backstories and personalities have already been explored in the earlier seasons, and everything that occurs in season three will be written with the expectation that the audience has seen the previous episodes and already knows these facts; we cannot repeat things for you. So these two weeks, while you familiarize yourself with the cast and the inner workings of screen acting, you will watch the show. Then we can get started on the actual acting.”

Neil knew all of this, of course, and was vaguely annoyed that Kevin was speaking to him like he was stupid, but he had told them he had no experience with screen acting, and an amateur would be hanging onto his every word. Unable to stoop that low, Neil settled on schooling his features into neutrality and offering a nod of understanding. But there was still another issue:

"How am I going to watch it?" Without a phone or a computer, there was no way for him to stream anything.

"You'll be staying with us in the cast house, and we have TVs there that you can use," Kevin said, either unaware of or ignoring Neil's confused stare.

Before he could ask Kevin about the cast house, Andrew spoke up. "Haven't you heard, Neil? We all live together during filming. One big, happy family." Laughter bubbles out of Andrew's chest.

This posed new complications for Neil. On one hand, he wouldn't have to waste as much money on housing and the like. He had been nervous about blowing so much of his resources on a house, since he imagined he wouldn't be able to get away with squatting on abandoned property with so many people watching him. He would probably still have to pay a portion of the rent and utilities, but it would be far less than he was expecting, and that lifted a weight off of his shoulders. On the other, it would make it a lot harder for Neil to keep things confidential. Not only would he be at risk for people looking through his things, if he had to run he would have a whole crowd of people to sneak past. He would have to keep his guard up all the time; one slip-up could cost him his life, and he would no longer have a space to drop his act.

The conversation dwindled after that, and the airport appeared sooner than Neil had anticipated. After checking their bags and going through security, the four of them walked to their gate and boarded the plane almost immediately. Neil was surprised to be seated first class; it made sense, he supposed, since he was flying with an acclaimed director and two of the most famous actors in Hollywood, but Neil had only ever flown in the economy class, he and his mother always opting for the cheapest option possible. The plush seats were roomier than the firm, cramped ones Neil had known.

He was sat with Wymack, Kevin and Andrew sitting together across the aisle. From what he'd heard in the news, Andrew and Kevin were practically inseparable, one hardly ever being seen without the other. If they were as close as the media seems to think, Neil understood why they choose to sit together, but Neil couldn't help a little stab of resentment when he realized they had left him with Wymack. He didn't have anything against the man, but he had a deep-seated fear of any man that was close to his father's age, and Wymack fit the description. Neil tensed as soon as Wymack fell into the seat next to him, his instincts revolting at the idea of sitting in close quarters with him. Neil clasped his hands tightly in his lap, willing his muscles to relax. After the plane plateaued in the air, Neil pulled out his script and begins analyzing the lines, chunks beginning to stick in his memory.

"It's important to read the entire script, so you know what is happening in the show as a whole, but after getting a general understanding of the episode's plot you should focus on your scenes. I know in theatre you have months of rehearsals to nail your lines, but screen acting is far more condensed. You have a couple of weeks now, but typically actors get the script only days before they begin filming. No need wasting brain space on scenes you are not even in."

Neil suppressed an eye roll at Wymack's unsolicited advice. His director filled the first half of the flight preparing Neil for what he would face when he arrived in L.A., explaining what the set would look like and how a typical day of filming would go. It had been many years since Neil had been on a set, and he had been a child at that, so he gladly absorbed all the information Wymack gave him. He told him a little bit about the main cast, and he told him that he and the rest of the cast will have biweekly meetings with their acting coach, Abby, courtesy of Kevin. Apparently, Kevin thought their biggest issue was that they acted as individuals, not as a team. In a scene, the actors need to draw from each other's energies and emotions to make the connection authentic, and Kevin's been working on making the cast more in sync. He and Wymack eventually settled into silence, Neil reading his script and Wymack typing away on his laptop.

The flight was pretty short, only two hours of airtime before they were landing in LAX. The drive to the studio was quiet, the occasional comment fading into silence. Neil was staring out the window, taking in the scenery of his new home. It was dirtier than he expected, but still nice. He assumed the beautiful scenery always seen in movies was towards the beaches, not in the middle of urban life, so he cut the city some slack. The sheer amount of people he saw passing by had him clutching his duffel bag tighter. It was too easy to get lost in a city this big, to disappear and have no one notice you're gone until it's too late. Neil had been looking over his shoulder his whole life, but that isn't always enough when people are coming from all sides.

They drove through security at the studio, providing authorization before parking in Wymack's designated spot. As Neil swung out of the car, he spotted a brown-skinned boy sprinting towards him, a grin breaking out on his face. If the curls didn't give the man's identity away, his personality did: Nicky Hemmick was bubbly beyond belief, his excitement making Neil vaguely uncomfortable. Walking at a much slower pace behind Nicky was a carbon copy of Andrew- his twin, Aaron.

"You must be Neil," Nicky panted, sticking his hand out for Neil to shake when he got close enough. "How was your trip? I hope Kevin and Andrew didn't soil your opinion of us; I swear, the rest of us have manners."

Andrew feigned hurt. "Here I was, expecting a touching reunion, and this is what I'm met with? Slander, and from my own cousin!"

"It was fine," Neil said.

"That's good to hear. I'm Nicky, by the way. I play Henry." Nicky's character had always been a fan favorite; many people found themselves relating to the sweet gay kid and the adversity he faced as he came out.

Neil pulls up a quick smile. "It's nice to meet you."

Aaron didn't so much as acknowledge Neil when he looked over at him. Wymack's gruff voice spoke up. "Is everyone else inside?"

Nicky nodded. "Anxiously awaiting our newest member," he said, sending a wink Neil's way.

With that, Kevin strode forward and Neil followed him into the building, Wymack, Nicky, and the twins flanking him. Kevin was pointing things out as they walked- where the bathrooms were, where the craft service was located- and eventually led him into the lounge, where the rest of the cast was sitting. Almost all of them stood as Neil entered, a tall boy with spiky black hair approaching him first.

“Matt Boyd," he said, extending his hand. "Wymack showed us some videos of you performing, you seem like you have real talent. We're excited to work with you."

"Speak for yourself," Aaron muttered from behind him.

"Thank you," Neil responded to Matt. The man only clapped him on the shoulder, not noticing the way Neil stiffened under the contact.

Matt pointed to the short-haired girl standing behind him, a fierce smile on her face. "This is Dan, our fearless leader." Dan Wilds played Kayla, the shows main protagonist.

"And that is Renee," he said sweeping his hand to a girl with a kind face and rainbow-tipped hair, before moving onto a couple, the girl sitting on the boy's lap, his hands running idly over her thighs. "And the PDA show stars Allison and Seth. Those two are always all over each other. Well, unless their fighting. Then you won't see them speaking unless it's to hurl insults at each other."

"We can hear you, dick," Seth seethes.

Dan steps forward, halting the brewing fight before it could take off. "It's really good to meet you, Neil. Kevin said you have already started looking at the script?"

"Yeah, I studied it last night, and on the flight."

"Perfect, we want you to be as prepared as possible for your first time on set. We have a training session with Abby tomorrow, so that will give us an opportunity to feel out where you are in your skills and how you naturally work with all of us. We can go from there." Neil simply nodded.

"The table read for the episode one will be in two weeks," Wymack says. "In that time, Neil, you need to be caught up on the show and familiar with the set. These guys will all help you if you have any questions. Now, I've got paperwork to do, so you maggots do something useful for once and show Neil around." With that, he strode out of the room.

Neil stood their awkwardly for a moment, unsure what to say, but Dan quickly came to his rescue. "Let's go, Neil. We can take you by your trailer so you can drop your stuff off, and then we'll show you the inner workings of a television set."

Neil followed Dan, with Matt, Allison, Seth, and Renee coming as well, but turned back to look at the group he was leaving behind. Kevin, Nicky, and Aaron were paying him no mind, not even noticing his gaze, but he found Andrew's eyes already on his. Andrew's intense gaze never wavered as a slow smile spread across his face. When Neil didn't break his stare, Andrew cocked his head to the side, flicking his fingers in a mocking goodbye.

Neil had the feeling he would be seeing a lot more of Andrew. And he doubted it would be friendly.

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ravenvsfox · 5 years

Note

I have two prompts from the Hozier lyric thing for Andreil: “we should quit” or “tell me what you’d do to me tonight”. Pick your fave! (Or both of you’re feeling adventurous)

from the full line: lord we should quit but we love it too much

They meet in sticky July, two sore thumb prints stamped into the wall at the back of the dance floor. Neil’s nose is bloodied, and he looks lost, a wounded wallflower twisting in the wind. He keeps pulling at his shirt, slightly sheer and obviously the wrong size for him.

His scars are invisible until Andrew leads him into the bathroom, where the overhead lights make them unavoidable.

They only talk that first time, under the glare of the fluorescents, dabbing at a wound that Neil won’t say how he got.

He can tell that Neil is interested by him, but not in him. The way they speak to each other is the way a bull and a matador tussle, afraid, both thinking they have the upper hand.

They run into each other again at the same club, Neil lingering at the back like they’d planned to meet there and Andrew was already late. He takes him outside to smoke, this time, and they orchestrate a game of twenty questions until the summer sun pops its head quizzically over the horizon.

They walk home in opposite directions, through chirruping robins and baby blue sky, Andrew glancing back at Neil, who is glancing back at him. He can’t figure out where all of this want is coming from. He can’t find the source of it.

They meet a few more times that summer, and then he doesn’t see him again until a windy day in October.

Andrew steps out of his second year biology class and finds Neil waiting for the class across the hall to get out. He’s wearing round brown glasses, his hair is dyed black, and he purses his lips when their eyes connect. Andrew can tell he’s pleased to see him.

Neil tells him that he was recruited to Palmetto to play exy, and Andrew says “what’s that” because he can tell now that Neil is one of those athletes who doesn’t understand the point of anything else. He didn’t mention it, though, in all the times that he spoke to Andrew before.

They walk all the way across campus to the court, and circle its shiny white walls in a slow perimeter. Neil describes various exy positions and plays and Andrew describes how much he doesn’t care.

Neil asks him if there’s anything he actually likes doing, at which point Andrew takes him back to his dorm, and holds his hand when he sucks him off.

After that, they have the strange, floating arrangement of two people who will swallow each other whole before they share any of their secrets. They’re not friends, and the sex isn’t really a benefit, because it’s agonizing, how much he thinks about it, and how much more he wants.

He can’t stop wondering who Neil might be. He is a beautiful window display on a closed store.

They don’t step into each other’s lives unless it’s into a room with a locking door. The more they talk though, the more receptive Neil gets, and he starts seeking Andrew out on campus, looking sunken-eyed and famished until they come together again.

This is how Andrew knows they should stop.

“You should come to our home game, on Friday,” Neil says. He’s smeared down the length of Andrew’s bed, and his arms are crossed behind his head. His glasses are on the bedside table. Andrew doesn’t know why he bothers wearing them, when they always end up torn off. He knows they’re not prescription. Maybe the disguise makes him feel better.

“I should not,” Andrew says. He blows smoke up into the whirring ceiling fan.

“You don’t want to see what I do all the time?”

“I don’t want to waste my time on a sporting event,” he says. “And I don’t care what you do.”

“Right,” Neil says, working himself up onto his elbows. “Except that I saw you watching us practice, last week.”

“We were supposed to meet at five,” Andrew says coolly. “I was there at five.”

“But you know we go long on Mondays, and you never come on time. You sat through twenty-five minutes of wrap-up.”

“I had nowhere else to be.”

“Or maybe you just like to watch,” Neil says slyly.

Andrew narrows his eyes. “Even if I had the patience to sit through a three hour game, I have no interest in meeting your friends,” he tells him.

Neil shrugs. “Don’t have any.”

“I won’t be a cheerleader for your bastard sport.”

“Fine,” Neil says shortly.

“And we’re not dating.”

“Fine,” Neil repeats.

Andrew shifts in the covers. He doesn’t know why he does it, but he leans over and presses a kiss to Neil’s hip. A hand closes in his hair.

______

The foxes win their home game, a sweeping 11-4. Andrew stands outside the court with his head tipped back into the wall, eyes shut, feeling the vibrations of their victory.

“You came,” a voice says.

Andrew keeps his eyes closed, even when he feels Neil come right up to him, even when the post-game humidity from his skin spreads between them. Or maybe Andrew was already hot, thinking about Neil bounding across the court, a comet captured in a jar.

He finally opens his eyes when Neil presses a shy kiss to his throat.

“We can’t sleep together anymore,” Andrew hears himself say. Neil steps backwards.

“Okay,” he says, confused. “Why?”

“You love exy.”

“Andrew,” Neil huffs. “That’s fucking stupid.”

“You love chasing a rush,” Andrew continues, in a monotone, like it doesn’t bother him one way or another. “To the court. To my bed. But the rush will run out.”

“But it hasn’t yet,” Neil says slowly. “Are you saying you don’t feel that kind of rush for anything?”

No, Andrew thinks. I’m saying I do. And he didn’t think he could. And he sat in the stands for hours, watching Neil run, and drink water, and clack sticks with people he doesn’t know, and the crowd around him was paper, and time started ticking backwards.

The last time he’d wanted something so much that nothing else mattered, everything had gone brutally wrong.

“Yes,” he lies.

Neil’s eyes spark and fire up. “Bullshit. You think if you look neutral enough, and you hold your cards close to your chest, that no one will know that you want things.”

He crosses, then uncrosses his arms. People are starting to flow out of the doorways to the parking lot behind them.

“But I’ve heard you talk about your brother. I’ve seen how you read up about the things that matter to you. You memorize them.” He lowers his voice. “And I’ve kissed you,” he says. “I know you feel things.”

“What did you think this was going to be,” Andrew says, a little cruelly. “A life partnership?”

“Why does it have to be anything other than what it is?” Neil asks.

“Attachment ruins people’s lives.”

Neil’s shoulders go slack, and his mouth twists in understanding. “Sometimes, but sometimes it saves them.”

“You want to save me?” Andrew says, like it’s a dark joke.

Neil lets this slide right over him. “If you want.”

He doesn’t know what to do with this. He’s very aware that he’s being fought for, and it’s so completely unfamiliar that it’s making him a little sick, like rich food on an empty stomach.

He doesn’t say anything, and Neil smiles. His face is still pink from the exertion of the game, and he couldn’t look more vivid and familiar.

They should really stop.

“Can I kiss you?” Neil asks.

They’re never going to make it out of this alive.

“Yes,” he tells him. Of course he does.

If his life is going to tumble out of control again, this time he’s going to enjoy it.

#i tried to capture the essence of both of your prompts and I guess the friends with benefits jumped out #aftg #andreil #the foxhole court #tfc fanfic #prompt #mine #long post #im probably not going to get to all of these prompts bc they're plentiful lol #but im enjoying myself so much #crumplelush #ask

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fallingin-like · 4 years

Text

november 16

l’amour parle en fleus by @scribbleb-red [requested by @fuzzballsheltiepants]

see which other fics i’m reviewing this month! / my review request post!

this is a wonderful and heartbreaking fic that deals with grief and the beauty of life. it is soft and sweet, while dealing with hard topics and loss. this fic is incomplete.

disclaimer: i reviewed this fic when it had 7 chapters, so no comments on chapter 8. sorry!

this fic was stunning and i was blown away by your amazing descriptions and imagery. everything is so vivid and feels real. i was so interested in the little pieces of andrew and neil’s stories and how they pieced together to bring them to this story.

parts that stood out to me:

”he had cut himself free of the roots of his past and planted new ones, blooming in a country that should never have belonged to him, yet matched the varying shades of his soul” wow, this is such a beautiful beginning to the story, the wording you used makes it read like poetry, especially the last part of the sentence

”not on that sun-drenched afternoon” oh this is wonderful

”bruises had stiffened his face into a mask” i love the way that you wrote this

it breaks my heart to see how affected andrew is by aaron’s death. although he tries his best to show it outwardly, andrew gave up so much of himself to protect aaron

ooh the house/property you’ve described sounds so nice. do you have something specific (like an existing house) that you’re referencing?

”maybe he’d make it a challenge to sleep in all of them” whatamood andrew

”the air was clean and full of grass, as if it had only ever been breathed by wild things” oh, this is so nice

cats! sounds like a dream, to be in a bnb and find out they have cats

it sounds like fun to read a book that someone has annotated. so much that you can learn about them through how they react to the events in the novel in comparison to what you feel or think

”liked how steady and quiet king was, how sir vocalised every time they wanted something” love that you had andrew highlight these characteristics, it seems very in character

”the sound of footsteps approaching an unlockable door” EXCUSE ME DID YOU THINK YOU COULD JUST SLIDE THIS IN AFTER “a number plate, a smile, a mist rising over a river” AND THINK I WOULD NOT NOTICE. LIKE IT’S NOT A DEVASTATING SENTENCE.

”his was a skull full of a thousand momento mori. aaron was just the latest” woah what a powerful two sentences

how cute that andrew keeps all of neil’s notes! sounds like something i would do haha

ohmygoodness neil singing is bringing me back to my french classes from a long long time ago (i can remember enough to kind of work out the english translations loool)

”because worst of all, nathaniel never seemed to notice him back. it rankled… didn’t the idiot care that he was killing the world over with that voice?” yeah okay andrew, you keep thinking that’s the reason you hate that neil doesn’t notice you.

woah you descriptions of the outside is absolutely gorgeous. the colours, descriptions, and imagery are so wonderful and overwhelming and beautiful. i get so lost in the sheer volume of it all, i forget about andrew’s anger (as i’m sure he also does, a little)

andrew picking up his cigarette butt is so lovely and fitting for this section of the story

AH IT’S NEIL

”and, as the folds of material were plucked at by the wind’s childish fingers, andrew followed the sharp lines of his collarbones, the smattering of freckles, strangely warped and wefted flesh” I LOVE THIS. the wording you used is absolutely amazing

NEIL HAS PIERCINGS AND HE KEEPS LAVENDER IN THEM THIS IS THE BEST

oh, the story of aaron giving andrew his hat is so soft, such a wonderful thing shared between the two of them. it’s so small, but for us who know how much of a struggle everything is with them, a constant push and pull, it’s everything.

neil’s loft sounds so nice, how did you come up with this idea?

also prickly neil is great, i love that you have this shortly after andrew goes to touch a plant and gets pricked because of it

”a stab of hatred lanced through andrew’s stomach, white-hot, easy. sweat rolled down the centre of his back, a sour coating filled the back of his throat” ahh your descriptions are so so good

”andrew replied, popping the ‘p’ like an eyeball under a thumb.” exCUSE ME LIKE WHAT??

also i am very much a fan of neil being super strong

uhhHHHH neil has a tongue piercing?? i think andrew actually vapourized in that moment

orange! tractor! adorable!

”apathy, his brain supplied, the opposite of anger, the inverse of hate” oh this is interesting. i guess i always automatically thought of love, but when i think of this, it seems so right. hate, anger are such strong emotions, overtaking everything, making it hard to think, feeling so so much, but the absence of that feeling? oh

”and neil was leaning forward, plucking the cigarette from andrew’s fingers and taking a drag, smoke spilling between his teeth when he grinned a grin like a knife blade. andrew felt it in his gut” !!! this!!!

”addiction left people brittle. left them dry as kindling and just as easy to burn” woah

i really cannot handle these boys

NEIL IS MISSING PART OF HIS FINGER, OH MY GOODNESS I AM LOSING IT HERE.

amazing bit about the garden, never thought about it that way. it’s so true

honestly, there is just so so much to unpack. love your description of the buzzing andrew is feeling, i really like hearing andrew’s thought process, how everything turns back to aaron, love the way that, even now, he can read neil so well

THE TWINYARD EMBRACE. THE WAY THEY HOLD EACH OTHER. “‘you killed him,’ andrew said. ‘you killed her,’ replied aaron.” THIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THEY HAVE PROTECTED EACH OTHER. THE BEGINNING OF JOINT THERAPY. THEY WAY THAT THEY SLOWLY LEARN TO LOVE EACH OTHER IN A WAY THAT’S MORE HEALTHY.

ahhhhh andrew talking to neil? this is so so good to see his progress, to see how he’s working through his grieving

oh boy, loving the little rivalry that eduard brings, the kind of tension heh

this town/market sounds amazing, so beautiful

IN THE GAME. OH DANG EDUARD YOU ARE NOT THE FARMER BOY WHO HAS THE HOTS FOR NEIL THAT I THOUGHT YOU WERE

”’well… like an american,’ said neil, like it explained everything. and it did, like a fire hissing out in the rain, andrew felt his shoulders relax, his ire cool” ahh so nice.

”because neil was so much give, when andrew needed to take” oh this is so interesting!

”neil shouldn’t be allowed to just vanish” AHH

”andrew shouldn’t have lashed out, sneered at neil’s story and spot on his honesty” NOOO ANDREW WHY

”his scars were the noughts to andrew’s crosses” oh this is so nice (like, not nice, but you know)

woah it’s really interesting hearing neil’s story while also having andrew’s commentary available with his knowledge from school. to see the personal side of it and also what was portrayed to the public

as much as i love neil with long curly hair, him with a buzzed look has me interested. paired with his cheekbones and his eyes, woahhhhh

”it looked like he’d been bled of life, colours fading until he became a negative of himself or an older version of the hollow-eyed teenager from the newspapers all those years ago.” i think this is my favourite sentence of this fic so far. makes me hurt.

AARON USED TO CALL ANDREW A TURNIP THAT IS SO ADORABLE I WANT PEOPLE TO CALL ME TURNIP (wait i just looked up what it means and although it is true i have no brains i was thinking in an affectionate way. turnips look really cute and are tiny lol)

ahhh neil in his bed in the barn during the storm ;-;

i love how you incorporated consent into andrew anchoring neil from his panic with the hand on his neck

ohmygoodness i cannot believe that neil has a PALMETTO HOODIE WITH A NAME AND NUMBER ON IT AH

”they took long walks through the fields and along the mountain paths, navigating the rocky terrain of andrew’s grief and neil’s jagged history that came so painfully close to intertwining with andrew’s own” oh this is such a beautiful sentence

NEIL HAS WATCHED ANDREW’S INTERVIEWS EXCUSE ME WHAT THAT IS SO CUTE

”he caught his reflection in the mirror and saw only himself” THIS IS AMAZING. what a transition that we get to see andrew experience

”for months andrew’s mind was a jagged thing, not knowing what he wanted or what he needed” !!

ooh love the acknowledgement that younger andrew would have denied his feelings but he’s more mature now and is more in tune with his emotions and wants!! amazing

”dinner with neil was an abundant thing. odd choice of word, but it was the only way andrew could describe it” it is an odd choice, but at the same time i think i understand it?

oh. andrew’s dream of aaron in the field. it’s so sad and soft and makes me feel blurry around the edges. what a contrast to the evening with neil. i like it though. you don’t just get over grieving. it gets better and it gets worse. it comes back again and again, even when you think it will not return. “wait for me. wait for me” i love what this adds, it feels so right

”andrew pressed every lane and shady square between the pages of his memory” so wonderful

PARLE EN FLEURS. EVERYTHING MAKES SENSE NOW.

woah aaron’s story was intense and well-told. things make a lot more sense now.

love that andrew sends nicky pictures to show everything, to share without words. they have such a unique relationship, they both care so much but are so different in the way that they show it sometimes it clashes

”it’s not the kind of pain that can be quantified. and it will still hurt in a year, in five, in ten”

i mostly skimmed the last chapter because i know that i easily internalize the thoughts and feelings that come when people write depression.

i love the way that you structured this fic. the chapter titles are perfect because throughout the fic we see andrew’s healing and grieving. it’s subtle, but he clearly shifts through the different stages that you include and i’m really impressed by how seamlessly you incorporated that into the fic. the fic’s focus slowly transfers from aaron to neil so naturally that you almost don’t notice it until you take a step away for a moment.

you do such a marvelous job with the descriptions of this fic, i liked so so many sentences that i could not possibly mention them all. the town and the fields and the surroundings sound so beautiful and stunning, you made everything so vibrant and alive. all the colours and textures and words that you used really established an amazing backdrop to the story you wrote.

and the story, i loved your approach to this, it’s very realistic. the interactions between andrew and neil are pure and natural and don’t seem forced. you created complicated, intricate relationships between all the characters, brought up the difficulty of expressing emotions and feelings with people, and trust that was built. i liked the way that you wrote the characters, and i adore neil with his flower piercings. thank you so much for writing this fic! i can’t wait to see what comes next!

#l'amour parle en fleurs #aftg fic review #raelle writes

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knox-knocks · 5 years

Text

what if in andrew’s third year at palmetto a very small (almost smaller than him) and a very feisty (almost feistier than neil) girl sits next to andrew in his criminology class. her name is aubrey and she just transferred out of state and she needs help catching up with the notes, you see

and andrew is like i don’t take notes this conversation is over

but for SOME REASON this girl, this tiny feisty girl, has made it her GOAL to be friends with andrew minyard

monster andrew minyard, terrifying andrew minyard, carries knives on his person at all time andrew minyard. and she wants to be friends

she’s persistent, too

constantly trying to chat with him before, after, and during class. she always takes the seat right next to him (which had remained blissfully empty for two years until now) and asking him if he wants to study the class material at the library with her

(at first andrew thinks she’s hitting on him, but then she mentions having a girlfriend back home and he dismisses that idea)

andrew never talks back but this girl will NOT GIVE UP

andrew tolerates it because he doesn’t care. he really doesn’t. sure, aubrey knows that his favorite candy is snickers but EVERYONE knows that (it doesn’t matter that she’ll sometimes bring a bar to class and sneak it to him) and so what if andrew catches himself thinking that neil and aubrey will get along really well? it’s not like they’ll ever meet

but then one time andrew is strolling along campus, killing time until his sparring session with renee, when he sees aubrey walking very quickly with her head down and her books pulled tight to her chest on the opposite sidewalk. a man is following her, very clearly unwelcome, harassing her to turn around and talk to him

andrew finds himself crossing the street

right as andrew is about to call the asshole out or intervene, the man grabs aubrey’s hips from behind

andrew’s about to throw a punch and smash the bastard’s face into the wall, but aubrey whips around and tears the guy a new one

so andrew just stands there as this tiny girl yells at this guy twice her size for a good five minutes. people are staring, someone has a video camera out, and aubrey is still roasting this guy within an inch of his life. andrew hasn’t seen anything like it since neil ripped riko apart at the fall banquet last year

the guy is beet red in the face and he eventually retreats. aubrey turns around and sees andrew watching her with a quirked eyebrow and an expression that was almost impressed, and says “i don’t wanna talk about it.”

andrew just nods and motions for aubrey to follow (which she does, because somewhere along the way she somehow considered andrew to be a friend. and somehow, somehow, andrew began to feel the same way). andrew takes aubrey with him to renee

instead of sparring, andrew introduces the two and renee teaches aubrey some self defense moves (also aubrey might be a little bit in love with renee walker because who isn’t)

after that, andrew and aubrey start hanging out a little bit more. sometimes after class they’ll go and get smoothies or once they even went to the library and studied for an upcoming exam

neil really wants to meet andrew’s new friend (also he is SO proud of his bf for making friends. SO proud. bee is also proud, after andrew tells her everything of course)

after days of neil badgering andrew to being aubrey around the dorm, andrew finally relents (because he just can’t say no to neil)

neil and aubrey get along like a house of fire

they are fast friends, which is saying something because neil is not someone who is fast friends with ANYONE

seriously, the two of them together is either a great time or a hide-the-kids-and-fear-for-your-life kind of time. so she fits in with the foxes pretty well

aubrey comes by more and more after that, watching movies, eating junk food, and just hanging out with andrew and neil (and kevin, when he’s there. he like aubrey a lot because she minors in history and they can talk about it for hours). eventually she meets all of the other foxes and they are so confused because this is andrew’s friend??? since when did andrew play nice and make friends?? poor girl did you get lost???

aubrey and neil team up when someone calls andrew a monster and viscerally destroy their entire existence. andrew doesn’t care, but it is entertaining to watch

aubrey even comes to some of the exy games (she doesn’t really like exy, but she DOES go for andrew. he couldn’t care less, but neil invited her so of course she’s there)

i’m rambling and i still have TONS of ideas about aubrey but i’m gonna end it here for now. anyway andrew makes a friend and it’s really great

#aftg #tfc #all for the game #the foxhole court #andrew minyard #i just started thinking about andrew making friends in his classes last night and this appeared #anyway the foxes love aubrey and get along super well with her #this got a lot longer than i meant it to #mine

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yougotmyshareofit · 4 years

Text

January Book Reviews

So I inhaled a lot of books in January despite school starting back up again (not good for my productivity that’s for sure), so I thought I’d give some quick book reviews on them because a lot of them were real winners.

1. Ziggy, Stardust, and Me // By: James Brandon

Ok this book was absolutely beautiful. After finishing it, I couldn’t do anything but sit there completely in awe. The characters are amazingly written and the author portrays the difficulties of being LGBTQ+ as well as a person of color in the ‘70s with such cutting emotion. It brings up a lot of issues and prejudices that were prevalent at that time, which was really enlightening. All in all, it was probably my favorite book out of all of them this month and I couldn’t recommend it enough.

Summary: “ The year is 1973.... And homosexuality is still officially considered a mental illness. In the midst of these trying times is sixteen-year-old Jonathan Collins, a bullied, anxious, asthmatic kid, who aside from an alcoholic father and his sympathetic neighbor and friend Starla, is completely alone. To cope, Jonathan escapes to the safe haven of his imagination, where his hero David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust and dead relatives, including his mother, guide him through the rough terrain of his life. In his alternate reality, Jonathan can be anything: a superhero, an astronaut, Ziggy Stardust, himself, or completely “normal” and not a boy who likes other boys. When he completes his treatments, he will be normal—at least he hopes. But before that can happen, Web stumbles into his life. Web is everything Jonathan wishes he could be: fearless, fearsome and, most importantly, not ashamed of being gay. Jonathan doesn’t want to like brooding Web.... But he’s drawn to Web anyway. Web is the first person in the real world to see Jonathan completely and think he’s perfect..... For the first time in his life, he may finally feel free enough to love and accept himself as he is. ”

2. Something like Gravity // By: Amber Smith

This book was pretty heart-wrenching and also very beautiful. I liked how real and honest the author was at portraying Chris’s struggles with being out as transgender and the amount of trust he had to have to open up to Maia. It was a lovely story that showed that someone can be in your life for a short amount of time, but still change it in ways you never thought were possible. Highly recommend as well.

Summary: “Chris and Maia aren’t off to a great start. A near-fatal car accident first brings them together, and their next encounters don’t fare much better.... But they’re neighbors, at least for the summer, and despite their best efforts, they just can’t seem to stay away from each other. The path forward isn’t easy. Chris has come out as transgender, but he’s still processing a frightening assault he survived the year before. Maia is grieving the loss of her older sister and trying to find her place in the world without her. Falling in love was the last thing on either of their minds. But would it be so bad if it happened anyway?”

3. Frat Girl // By: Kiley Roache

So this book was a pretty entertaining and humorous read. I really liked the trope that the author used -- a feminist girl dealing with all the crap that goes down in a frat house. It was also pretty enlightening for me and showed the different sides of feminism, as well as struck down lots of stereotypes that both feminists and anti-feminists have, which was really cool and interesting. Although I enjoyed this book, at times I felt that I was just reading the same scene over again, so I feel like the author could’ve been more concise. However, I still liked it a lot and thought it was an entertaining read.

Summary: “For Cassandra Davis, the F-word is fraternity—specifically Delta Tau Chi, a house on probation and on the verge of being banned from campus. Accused of offensive, sexist behavior, they have one year to clean up their act. For the DTC brothers, the F-word is feminist—the type of person who writes articles in the school paper about why they should lose their home. With one shot at a scholarship to attend the university of her dreams, Cassie pitches a research project: to pledge Delta Tau Chi and provide proof of their misogynistic behavior. They’re frat boys. She knows exactly what to expect once she gets there. Exposing them should be a piece of cake. But the boys of Delta Tau Chi have their own agenda, and fellow pledge Jordan Louis is certainly more than the tank top wearing “bro” Cassie expected to find. With her heart and her future tangled in the web of her own making, Cassie is forced to realize that the F-word might not be as simple as she thought after all.”

4. I wish you all the best // By: Mason Deaver

UGH THIS BOOK!! I inhaled it in literally less than 24 hours and I LOVED it. Classic angst (like a lot of angst) with a happy ending and it was so so good. Definitely a close second for my favorite this month. I just loved all the raw emotion that the author portrayed and how real they were with the mental and emotional struggles the characters faced. So amazing, highly recommend.

Summary: “When Ben De Backer comes out to their parents as nonbinary, they're thrown out of their house and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas, whom Ben has never even met. Struggling with an anxiety disorder compounded by their parents' rejection, they come out only to Hannah, Thomas, and their therapist and try to keep a low profile in a new school. But Ben's attempts to survive the last half of senior year unnoticed are thwarted when Nathan Allan, a funny and charismatic student, decides to take Ben under his wing. As Ben and Nathan's friendship grows, their feelings for each other begin to change, and what started as a disastrous turn of events looks like it might just be a chance to start a happier new life.”

5. All for the Game Series (The Foxhole Court, The Raven King, and All the King’s Men) // By: Nora Sakavic

So I downloaded these as ebooks on my iPad, which turned out to be a terrible idea because they ruined my productivity at school for a literal week. A. WEEK. Basically I would read these in class rather than pay attention, but you know whatever it’s fine I’m fine. Anyways, I loved this series so so much. I wil say that the first book was good, but kind of confusing for me because there were so many different names and backstories that I literally could not keep track of all of them. However, it gets better as the series goes on and I inhaled all 3 of these books pretty quickly. I loved the main characters and even though the backstories were kind of confusing at times, they also made the plot super interesting and intricate so I guess you win some and you lose some. All in all, you gotta read this series cuz it has all the best trope and there’s lots of angst (seriously SO much) and lots of mystery. Good stuff.

Summary (book 1): “Neil Josten is the newest addition to the Palmetto State University Exy team. He's short, he's fast, he's got a ton of potential—and he's the runaway son of the murderous crime lord known as The Butcher. Signing a contract with the PSU Foxes is the last thing a guy like Neil should do. The team is high profile and he doesn't need sports crews broadcasting pictures of his face around the nation. His lies will hold up only so long under this kind of scrutiny and the truth will get him killed. But Neil's not the only one with secrets on the team. One of Neil's new teammates is a friend from his old life, and Neil can't walk away from him a second time. Neil has survived the last eight years by running. Maybe he's finally found someone and something worth fighting for. ”

#seriously tho read these guys #they were all so good #also sorry for the long post #like yikes man #january book recs #book recs #recommended #recommendations #books #reading #lgbtq #book recommendations #book reviews #book review #review

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kevindayscrown · 3 years

Note

Ah, I love your series with Kevin and Eric so so much! It's so good. Now that you said about prompts, I kind of would like to see Kevin talking with Jean about Eric (and maybe Jean talking a bit to Kevin about Jeremy). Of course you don't have to if you think it wouldn't belong to the plot/series but, if I'm being honest I would like to see your take on this! :')

Hello! Thank you for taking time to send me your request! For some reason, the most asked prompt both here and on insta was Kevin/Jean and their discussion about Eric! So I'll start with this one (and you were the first to send me it).

The one where Kevin Day falls in love with an ice hockey player.

Extra Content Part 2

Ghosts

Anything included in this head canon takes place the semester after the Foxes won the championship against the Ravens.

Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about varsity teams in the United States so excuse any false information. Head over to the directory to find the previous parts, and follow this link for the fan fic version.

Kevin still rarely talks about Jean Moreau and everything cruel that took place in the Nest. He touches very briefly upon that subject, and even when he does, he hardly ever mentions the former Raven backliner.

He knows that Eric won't push it but it becomes clear that, as the final match between the Foxes and the Trojans approaches, Kevin is more jittery and nervous.

Usually, he expresses these emotions through being extra snarky. It's also the match that will declare the champions of the season, which only adds to his demands on court.

The Foxes can hardly stand his behaviour, so they let Eric do damage control. He seems to be the only one able to tame Kevin after a total of seven hours of practice per day.

Eric has managed to find a few of Kevin's buttons that help the other relax and ease off the tension, but it doesn't always work.

It does nothing when the day of the game finally arrives.

This year, it's a home game for the Foxes, so they are saved from the trouble of travelling across the country. They can hardly accommodate the crowd this match will attract, but they know they will still have the support of their loyal fans.

Eric takes a seat fifteen minutes before first serve. He can see from the stands that, even during warm ups, Kevin is unusually silent for someone who can't stop talking about the Trojans or about game tactics.

The game finally starts and it reminds the ice hockey player of a death match. There is violent collision of bodies, curses and fights, but it's apparently all fair game. It surprises Eric, but not enough to make him take his eyes off of Kevin.

The way he moves on court, brings about a wave of pride that overwhelms Eric. He can't help the smile on his face nor the way he cheers every time Kevin scores.

However, much to the Palmetto students' dismay, the Foxes lose 8-10. The 'renovations' the Trojans did to their lineup last year and the addition of perhaps the best Class I bakcliner on their team, is enough to create the small point gap needed to secure them a victory.

Eric can already tell Kevin will not be happy about it. He decides to give the team time to process the loss and waits outside of the Foxhole Court.

Which means that the Foxes have to deal with Kevin taking their ears off about everything that went wrong. Only few of them could tell, however, that Kevin was probably judging himself the harshest for every lost opportunity.

No one wants or has the guts to tell him that many times, Kevin would hesitate simply because his offence was met with Jean's defence.

The only one who decides to do something about it is Neil. Jeremy Knox seems to agree to his plan and the two of them manage to persuade both teams to help.

And that's how Kevin finds himself facing his former teammate as he comes out of the showers, dressed and ready to leave.

The number three on the other's cheek makes Kevin want to reach for his own tattoo, to look in the mirror and see if the '2' is still there.

"Jean," he says and walks over to his locker. "What are you doing here?" His voice comes out somewhat empty and void of emotions, even if there is a whirlwind of them in his head.

"That was a good game. Your hand seems to have almost fully healed," Jean says instead.

Kevin flinches. He remembers the night he left and he is sure Jean does too. He is sure that Riko took all of his rage out on the one left behind.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry," he finally says.

Jean says nothing at first. He simply stares at the other. They are obviously both still haunted by ghosts of the past. And Kevin is still weighted down by the guilt of thinking only of himself that night, no matter how injured he had been.

"It doesn't matter now. That's in the past. We have both gone our own ways."

Kevin can see that. Jean looks... healthier. He has gained weight and his light skin looks less ashen than it did the last time Kevin saw him.

"The Trojans-"

"The Trojans have taken me in and have helped me stand on my own two feet. It was the best thing you could have done for me."

Kevin nods. He had known that the two of them would never be able to play on the same court together again, exactly because of their shared past.

"And I thank you for it. I know the Foxes are right for you too."

Kevin is not so sure about that sometimes, but he knew that if Wymack had not taken him in, he wouldn't be here now.

"Are you happy?" Jean finally asks. It sounds almost absurd; the two of them, happy. They had never even been allowed to make such thought in the past.

But he thinks of Eric, he thinks of his father, he thinks of all the victories he has shared with the Foxes, and nods.

"I am."

"So they were right. About you and that hockey player."

The last thing Kevin expected out of a conversation between him and Jean was to talk about his love life. But eventually, he nods slowly in confirmation.

"Yes. They were right. We are together. We have been for several months now."

Jean crosses his arms on front of his chest and watches Kevin carefully, as if calculating what to say next.

"If he can tolerate you for months now, then I suppose it does work out."

Kevin could hear the meaning behind those words. 'Don't screw up'. But he has already done so once and he isn't planning on doing it a second time.

"It does. My boyfriend comes to all my games and is there when I need him. That's enough."

Jean nods, and there is a far off look that tells Kevin that he is thinking of something similar.

"Give Jeremy my thanks. Tell him that tonight's game was good enough that it almost doesn't feel like a loss."

The small laugh that comes out of Jean catches Kevin off guard. He supposes that the Trojans have done a lot more for Jean than he had expected.

"I'll tell him. He seems to value what you have to say," he says and Kevin scoffs, grabbing his duffel bag from the locker before closing it.

"And of course you would know." Normally, someone would perceive this as teasing, but Kevin is very clear about the meaning behind his words and is sure that Jean has also understood.

"I spend a lot of quality time with my Captain. I've gotten close with him, as it's expected."

Kevin just nods, walking besides the other towards the exit.

"We will see each other again on court next year," he finally adds once they are a few feet away from their awaiting teams. "You better be prepared."

"Don't worry about that, Day. I'm sure we will get to talk again before that," is the last thing Jean says before leaving.

Kevin watches him until he feels an arm being wrapped around his waist. He turns to look at Eric, with a characteristic scowl.

"It was a good game, if that's any comfort to you," the goaltender says and chuckles as he presses a kiss to Kevin's temple.

Kevin rolls his eyes but despite tonight's loss, he somehow feels lighter in his chest.

#all for the game #aftg #andreil #andrew minyard #neil josten #the foxhole court #kevin day #the raven king #the kings men #matt boyd #kevin day x oc #OC: Jiang Eric #nicky hemmick #aaron minyard #dan wilds #renee walker #allison reynolds #aftg fic #aftg headcanon

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jemej3m · 4 years

Note

Allison dresses Neil in a dress, thoughts?

can you imagine, though?

this boy, who is canonically pretty, an athlete, auburn haired and icy eyed. if he wore a dress, i am sure it would stop time.

excuse the shitty sketch, but here are the dresses I write about below (not necessarily in the right order):

its nearly 1am what am i doing with my life

The first time Neil wears a dress, Andrew thinks nothing of it

It’s a dark blue thing, with a stupid bow on the elastic around his shoulders. They’re just chilling in their dorm, Kevin still out at classes. Neil had disappeared to the girls’ room for about an hour and come back wearing something that was obviously not his, a strange amalgamation of expressions on his face. Pride. Curiosity (probably in Andrew’s reaction). Self-consciousness. Spite. Everything that encompasses Neil Josten, really.

It’s a nice dress. Definitely Allison’s. The material would crumple under Andrew’s fingertips if he pinched it, like tissue paper, like Andrew’s skin when Neil pokes and prods for answers. He wears it well, even if Andrew will never tell him that. It softens the scars and the muscles and the sharpness of Neil’s grin into something more playful.

Is Andrew aroused? He’s not really sure. This isn’t territory he’s approached. Enough time passes with Andrew just looking that Neil moves on, bored of standing still. He makes coffee in the kitchenette with the skirt swishing around his thighs, and Andrew thinks: maybe. Maybe he could be.

Neil’s clearly not wearing it for him, though, so he lets him be and goes back to ignoring the Exy run on the TV and reading his book.

The second time is unexpected. The second time has Andrew’s skin swelter and heart race.

It’s his last year at Palmetto. Everyone’s come back to get hectic at Eden’s and crash at the cousin’s place. Even Renee’s here, back from saving the world to see her family. Neil’s been nervous all week, without the league to distract him (at least they’d won finals, for the first time since Neil’s freshman year). He doesn’t like being alone anymore. Andrew gets it. He’s not exactly keen about long-distance, either, but they’ll make it work. They always have.

Because of flights and timezones and logistics, they all meet at the house. Andrew is coming back from Denver, flying against his will. Neil and the others will be at the house getting ready by the time he gets back: he’s given himself enough time to get the Maserati from the airport parking, drive around till he feels back in his skin, go home, have a shower and beready to leave by thetime. the others are too. He’s driving tonight, Renee hauling the others in Matt’s truck. Neil will drive Andrew’s car home. It’s an old routine. Andrew doesn’t hate it.

Everything he planned to do goes accordingly: the house is chaotic with pre-drinkers by the time he’s back. Erik is there, as is Katelyn, Thea, Wymack and Abby. The latter never come out to the club, but they always take advantage in seeing their Foxes all together again.

Neil is nowhere to be seen, and neither is Allison. Andrew rolls his eyes at his cousin’s teasing: this was normal, by now. Allison liked to play dress-up with Neil, putting him in fancy shirts and eyeliner and well-fitting pants. It was one of the only things that Andrew appreciated about her: that, and her seeming loyalty to Renee.

It’s five minutes past their due time to leave and the pair still hadn’t left Nicky’s donated bathroom. Andrew grabs his keys and makes for the door, desperate to just wait in the car. There’s some noise from the other side of the kitchen, so Andrew glances over his shoulder.

When he sees Neil, the room suddenly gets incredibly warm.

He’s wearing a skin-tight dress that barely makes it to mid-thigh. The sleeves are down to his wrists but the neckline is wide enough to see the gunshot wound against his collarbone. The material is thick enough to conceal the history of his torso, but tight enough to cling to every muscle.

Worst of all, he’s wearing garters. They’re attached to small shorts - practically underwear - underneath the dress. The garters aren’t lacy, just bands of black fabric around his thighs, but Andrew gets the nearly insurmountable urge to veto the entire night all together.

He leaves the house before anyone else can see his reaction, but Neil had already been looking: he was always looking at Andrew.

Nicky jostles Andrew for a reaction for the entire drive to Eden’s but Andrew remains still as stone. It isn’t until Neil sidles up to him by the bar and whispers “Do you like it?” that Andrew brushes his lips against Neil’s ear and says,

“Yes.”

The third time Allison wrangles Neil into a dress is unprecedented. They’re at Renee and Allison’s wedding. Andrew is Renee’s best man, which means standing at the altar for the entire ceremony. Luckily, Neil is Allison’s, and Dan is there for both of them, so he isn’t alone.

Renee doesn’t change her suit before the reception, but Allison being Allison has a full wardrobe change planned, so she drags Neil off when they arrive at the venue. Andrew nurses a champagne and listens to Thea complain about Kevin’s baby fever, whilst Wymack looks on in horror at the thought of being a grandfather. It’s mildly amusing.

When Allison and Neil arrive, he nearly spits out the wine.

Allison has changed into a red thing of silk and lace. He’s sure it’s very stylish, but he has eyes for no one but Neil.

The dress is backless. It’s dark grey, satin, and tied around the back of his neck. There’s a slit up one leg. Neil is ignoring the looks of Allison’s extended family as he walks her into the room and to where Renee is waiting for her, somehow able to glide across the floor in heels. When did Neil learn how to walk in heels?

Neil arrives at Andrew’s side, older, wiser, knowing exactly what this is doing to his husband. Andrew pinches the satin at Neil’s hip, admiring the drapery and the slant of Neil’s shoulders.

“I distinctly remember Allison threatening to cut your balls off if you upstaged her,” Andrew murmurs, letting Neil lean into him.

Neil hums. “Well, she picked the dress. It’s her own fault.”

“I hate it,” Andrew returns, tilting Neil’s chin sideways with two fingers for a kiss. The wedding is small, just their family and the irrelevant acquaintances Allison had invited. They are already out. Andrew doesn’t care. All he wants is to tear what little fabric Neil is wearing off and mail Allison the remnants.

“You can borrow the heels,” Neil whispers. “My neck’s already sore enough as it is.”

“Watch yourself, Josten,” Andrew retorts.

Neil’s smile is giddy. He presses one last kiss to the corner of Andrew’s jaw, steals his flute of champagne and saunters off, dress fluttering around his ankles.

And after all this time, Neil still makes Andrew feel like he’s teetering on the edge of the cliff.

Idiot, he thinks, stifling the slight twitch of a smile.

#andreil #neil josten #dresses #post canon #fluff #andrew minyard #all for the game #aftg #the foxes #allison reynolds #neil josten can step on me lmao

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cartermaddx · 5 years

Text

Character Development Task Everything Always Comes Back to Exy Carter Maddox

Beads of sweat drip down the sides of Carter’s face as he doubled over with his hands on his knees, eyes squeezed shut as he waited for the waves of nausea to pass over him. The pain in his chest that began an hour ago had started to spread across his ribcage, blossoming toward his back and arms. For the past five hours, Carter had been at the court. One drill after another drill, going until he’s on the ground and reluctantly admitted that he needed to take a break. But as soon as he could clamber back up onto his feet, Carter had his fingers gripping the racquet and went at it again. Every drill had to be perfect. Every shot in the goal. Every step of his foot. If anything was even slightly off, Carter did it all over again.

Already he could hear Abby’s voice in his head giving him a lecture about knowing when to stop. He could see the look on Wymack’s face—that familiar look of understanding but that underlining sadness that this is what some of his Foxes resort to because everything is dependent on Exy. The two of them have had too many late-night conversations in the apartment about Exy. Wymack’s wanted Carter to carve out something else for himself, but when it’s Exy that’s saved him from everything, how could he go to anything else? It isn’t like he hasn’t tried. Carter’s put a hundred percent into school, into hobbies, into clubs, and every other part of the college experience to put together pieces of his new life but it always comes back to one thing. Exy.

The locker room is messy, loud, and under normal circumstances Carter would likely be joining in on the chaos. But instead, he’s in his coach’s office. It’s small and stuffy. There are motivational posters all over the wall that Carter had never paid much attention to previously. All his motivation came in the sound of an angry voice, threats, and bruises. Carter knows what future he has set out for himself because it was his father’s future. Carter’s vision for anything else doesn’t matter. Non-existent. That’s how he’s always felt. He only had five years, five brief years of getting to be the person he truly wants to be and as desperate as he is to have that in his grasp again, he has to let it go.

But now someone stands across from him and is offering him the opportunity to step off the gravel road and onto another path. One that he could carve out himself and make it what he wants it to be in the end. All it means is signing the contract, joining the Foxes for five years. He’d get to play Class 1 Exy. Not on a big three team like his father wants, where he wouldn’t belong. Carter isn’t blind to what it means by Wymack coming and Carter had thrown a look to his coach when he stepped inside. His skills on the court are top-notch. Carter puts everything he has on the court every single time he steps out there. Wymack said it the moment they were alone in the room.

“You play like you have nothing to lose. Everything you have it out on that court.”

And Carter had only looked up and with some strange confidence told him, “Everything I have is on that court.”

There’s a level of understanding. Partially, Carter is sure, because Wymack’s been on enough of these visits and seen enough of kids just like him. But Carter also knew that while his skills would have put him out on the radar of other Exy teams (and it had, there were other offers that his father had been very vocal about), there’s one thing that would put him on Wymack’s radar.

“Is your father going to be a problem?”

It’s a reasonable question. Carter wonders in that moment just how much Wymack knew about his father prior to coming here. Clearly, he knew enough to be here, but did he know his father’s own past? His Exy past? Their names had changed… Carter doubted it, but there seems to be this look in Wymack’s eyes that makes Carter wonder for a brief moment if he truly did.

It wouldn’t be the first time Carter wondered if Wymack is all-knowing.

Carter had smiled and shook his head. “No, he’s not going to be a problem,” he said with that same confidence that had surfaced earlier. Really, he’d been lying through his teeth. Carter knows his father wouldn’t be a problem for Wymack and the Foxes, but he’d be a problem for himself. And maybe that’s what the coach across from him had really been asking—but Carter wouldn’t let someone put themselves in the line of fire for him.

It isn’t as easy as signing the contract. Going home with the news of an offer from the Foxes turns quickly into a screaming mess of anger. Liam’s life revolves around the Exy world and he’s spent many nights on the couch spitting on the Foxes and Wymack’s vision for the team. Carter’s heard plenty of lectures that made his father’s view on them perfectly clear and now here comes his kid home with an offer from them? But more than anything, Liam is mad at Carter. If Carter would have been a little bit better. If Carter would have not been so sensitive. How did he fuck up and let people think their house was anything but a perfect household?

It’s always Carter’s fault in the end.

Even worse, Carter makes the mistake of telling his mother in the quiet of the night weeks later that he’s considering the offer from the Foxes. Naïve of him to think that she would keep it to herself. Whatever relationship and life the two of them had built in those five years together didn’t mean anything anymore. Not with Liam back home.

He knows something went wrong when he comes home from a trip to the store the next day to his mother in the kitchen with a bruised face and crying into the vegetables that she’s cutting. Iris isn’t looking up to Carter, but she risked a glance to Liam who is sitting at the kitchen table.

By the end of the night, Carter’s on the bathroom floor and his father standing over him with those familiar dark eyes.

“You sign that damn contract; I better never see your damn face here ever again. You walk out that fucking door and never come back.”

Carter makes the decision not to go to his graduation. He paid his dues and his grades were stellar, he doesn’t need to walk across the stage to prove that to anyone. Instead, he spends his time packing quietly just what he needs and finding all the cash he has hidden away from his father. It’s enough to get him to Palmetto. Just enough. When he leaves in the night for the red-eye flight, it’s with the bare minimum that he owns to his name and his Exy gear. Trekking to Wymack’s place takes time and bumming a few rides, but eventually he makes it to the address and when Carter knocks on that door, he knows he’s starting a new life.

Exy’s giving him another chance and he won’t let it slip through his fingers.

Carter hit the ground hard, the sound echoing in the empty court and his string of curses followed along. His mind had been somewhere else and his body had finally given out on him. His legs were shaking, his right arm he landed on in pain but he knew it would just be a nasty bruise tomorrow. Getting out of bed tomorrow might be a different story. Physically, he might not be able to even turn over.

He laid there shaking for a period of time before he found some strength to pull himself up and slowly make his way to the locker room. Shower wasn’t even an option as soon as he sat down on the bench and his body lost whatever energy it had regained. His Exy gear littered the floor, his locker thrown open, and his backpack resting up against the closed lockers.

A pounding headache started up at his temples and was making progress across his head, not helping as the thoughts in his head began swirling around about the next game and the draft coming up faster than he expected. Didn’t matter how much he practiced, the doubts and the worries never seemed to go away.

He reached down gently to his backpack to fish out his cell phone and thumb through his contacts. There are a few different people he could call that he knew would answer. Grant and Beretta at the top of the list. If he really wanted to, he could call Wymack. The man would always be there—a reassurance that gave Carter comfort on many occasions.

Instead, he called out to someone unexpected. They were friends but they didn’t talk as often as Carter would have liked for very… Exy reasons. But this is about other Exy problems and Carter needed to talk to someone new about the draft and the future coming. Who knows, maybe the other would have advice that Carter hadn’t heard yet.

The ringing of the phone is the only sound Carter can hear other than his own heavy breathing. Exhaustion is weighing down heavily on him but the unsettled feeling is taking precedent over anything else. The closer they get to the next game, the worse the feeling gets in his chest. They can’t lose this game. The Foxes have no other choice but to win.

Carter had been praying every single night. He hasn’t prayed since the day his father came back to their home—upsetting everything in his life once again and crushing the happiness he’d built with his mother.

Finally, the phone clicked and right away Carter heard Spencer on the other line.

“Is everything alright?”

The words made Carter smile. At least he knew Spencer would always be in Beretta’s corner.

“Everything’s good. Ber’s fine—being her usual self. And I swear I’m not calling just to tell you she’s better than you… even if it’s true.”

Spencer’s laugh is reassuring to Carter and brought out a smile. Another reason Carter doesn’t mind Spencer: he’s never once gotten pissed at Carter for always fucking around with him.

Really, the only bad thing Spencer has going for him is that he’s a Raven. Which is a pretty damn big thing when he’s a Fox but Carter can’t put Spencer on his shit list. They’re good friends thanks to Beretta.

“I would expect nothing less from her number one fan. What's up?”

This is the part that Carter wasn’t sure about. Sure, there are other Foxes that Carter could talk to when it came to this and honestly, Carter’s already been to them and had those conversations. But he remembered what Betsy told him about reaching out to more people—to step out of his comfort zone. As much as he puts on a show for everyone and as much as he truly is wild—there’s a box that Carter has always kept himself in firmly when it came to his feelings and his past. Only two people know his actual past—Wymack being one of them. Benefit of a new name. A new life. But even just talking about the things going on in his head… he rarely talks about it.

“Honest to god, I just needed to bounce some shit off someone. We both know this game the Foxes have coming up… It’s important.” Carter isn’t stupid to think the Ravens aren’t keeping a close tab on the Foxes. “But even more important, the draft is coming.”

Spencer paused for a moment, knowing exactly how Carter is feeling. Both of them know what the draft means; if they don't prove themselves now, they'll get passed over and forgotten quicker than a dropped flower. "Think you're ready for it?"

That was the question. Carter would answer yes in a heartbeat if the question was: Think you’re ready to play professional? It’s all he’s wanted. Carter would settle into a team and play his heart out every single day. He would love to travel and learn from other experienced Exy players. He’d make a name for himself and put his past that much farther behind him.

But ready for the draft? That’s a whole different story.

“Fuck no. Spence, dude, this is the first time I’ve been scared in a long ass time. And I hate being scared.”

#( - carter )#tfctask #( - self para )#abuse tw #vomit tw #violence tw #HELP FROM KAY FOR SPENCER #bless kay for collabing on that last part with me

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kevindayprotectionsquad · 4 years

Note

bls tell us about skater aaron i'd die for you

Anon you are valid. Thank you for opening your eyes to skater boy Aaron.

Aaron learned to skateboard when he was in middle school. It started with him just going to the skate park with his friends after school so he didn’t have to go home. He didn’t have his own board, but his friends would let him use theirs to help teach him.

He picked up on it pretty quick. It helped that his center of gravity is closer to the ground. His friends are impressed that he is keeping up with them after only a few months.

He buys his own board with money he took from his moms Tilda’s wallet. He never took more than what he thought she would notice. Only $5-$15 at a time. That can be easily explained as lost. It took him time to save up for a good board, and he’s so proud of it. He keeps it hidden from her. He doesn’t want her to take it to make quick cash.

The day after he buys it he shows it off to his skate park friends, and they all go wild for him.

“Hell yeah, Minyard, you finally got your own board!” “Now we can all skate together!” “Let’s break it in!”

This is the first time he felt like he belonged. His skate park friends don’t care about his home issues, because the reality is that they are there for the same reason he is. To escape.

Most afternoons and evenings, he is at the skate park working on tricks and moves. The day he perfects a kick flip, he feels like a true skater boy.

He begs for a pair of vans for his birthday. He knows it’s pointless, they’re too expensive, but he has to try. All his friends have vans, so he needs some.

He knows it’s stupid, but he can’t help but be disappointed when that never happens.

His skate park friends don’t ever judge him for not having things that are ‘cool’, and for that he is thankful.

All of that changed when Andrew suddenly appeared in his life.

One night he and his friends are sitting in the skate park, and the group asked him if theres something up. They never would pry into his private life, but he was obviously distracted and upset by something. He missed tricks he could land in his sleep, was bailing from his board way more than usual, and was getting more and more pissed off through the night.

He doesn’t want to, but he tells them. He needs to get it off his chest and out of his mind. He tells them about eavesdropping on the phone call between Cass and Tilda, how Tilda had originally given him and Andrew up for adoption, how she only can back for him, about the letter he wrote and the letter he got in return. He told them he has a twin he never knew about, and how he was flying out to meet him in juvie.

Andrew eventually comes home with him, and Aaron is so desperate for a connection with Andrew, so he takes him to the skate park. He thinks he could teach Andrew to skate, just like his friends taught him, and they could bond over it. He knows Andrew needs something to distract himself just like Aaron did. Aaron can’t help but imagine skating alongside his twin.

Except Andrew has no desire to skate. He sits on a bench and just observes. He’s glad Aaron has a way to get out of the house. He doesn’t like the drugs that are passed between them during breaks.

Andrew knows that Tilda is behind this. He hates her so much for allowing it to happen.

After the “accident” and their deal, Andrew makes Aaron quit skating. He doesn’t want him at the park all night around drugs that may tempt him, and girls who may take him.

Aaron fights him over it. He tells him it’s not fair for Andrew to just march into his life and tell him what to do, and how he has no idea what skating means to Aaron, because Andrew doesn’t have his own escape.

But Andrew has exy.

So they play exy.

Aaron likes exy enough. It challenging, and is a distraction from how much he wishes he was out perfecting his board tricks.

He doesn’t pick up his board again until he’s at Palmetto. He uses it to get to class. It’s faster than walking, and lets him get as much sleep as possible.

He forgot how much he loved it, and delves right back into it when he can. He skates around campus and practices tricks between study breaks and when practice allows him. It’s a nice way for him to clear his mind from difficult biology problems, and is an escape the drama of being a Fox.

He never out grew his skater fashion, but this time he has enough money to buy his own pair of vans.

He becomes known around campus as the “Skater Boy Twin”. Sometimes when students see him they sing “He was a sk8er boy, she said see you later boy” at him. He’s not mad, he’s man enough to admit he’s an Avril Levigne fan. You can’t be a skater kid and not be.

When he is still trying to get the feel back for being on the board, he causes more than a few collisions with people just trying to get to class. Students can’t stand him. (Imagine how you would feel when your just trying to get to class and a tiny blonde on a skateboard takes you out)

He doesn’t realize that screaming “FUCK ME” every time he bails or has a bad landing isn't as acceptable on campus as it is at the skate park.

He gives the Foxes so many heart attacks when they seem out on campus just taking people out and doing kick flips. Nicky always goes to check on him and ask him to chill out with the flips when he sees him on campus.

Nicky: You need to stop before you hurt yourself or someone else.

Aaron: Shut up, Nicky. You’re just jealous I can do a flip trick and you can’t.

Nicky: I just watched you wipe out trying one, but go off I guess.

Aaron finds a new group of skate friends. They take him to the skate park when Aaron can get Nicky to cover for him with Andrew. He can’t go as often as he wants to, but utilizes every moment there. It’s much easier to practice his tricks at the park than around campus, and his new friends don’t care who he or his brother are. To them he’s just Aaron that can do a sick flip trick.

Nicky may fret over Aaron getting himself hurt, but he is happy that his cousin has something that gets him away from Andrew and all the drama that follows him, and gives him time to focus on himself. He will cover for Aaron as much as he can, because he knows how much he needs that escape.

#i tried so hard to not make this kevaaron #i just love the idea of Aaron being a skater boy #it just makes sincs for him to be #aaron minyard #andrew minyard #made by me :)#my headcanons #aftg #tfc #the foxhole court #all for the game #if you want some slater boy kevaaron i got you 👀👀

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nureyevapologist · 5 years

Note

Hiyaaa, if you want an aftg prom still, pls consider: Neil coming home to his and andrew's apartment with one of his newest recruits, and they boy is beaten and battered and neil's first instict was to take care of him because no one ever took care of neil, and andrew's reaction to this! ❤

thanks for this!! i might have veered from the specifics a little and this is like, 70% a character study of neil and 30% Andreil Content but i hope this is okay!!

Neil Josten felt that he owed a lot to the idea of coincidences.

Coincidence was Neil taking an uncalculated risk on the Millport Dingoes the very same year that Riko Moriyama finally snapped and took the bones in Kevin Day’s hand with him. Coincidence was falling into the same orbit as the man who had watched Neil’s father slice a man like lunchmeat and coincidence was him being so single-mindedly focused on Exy that he didn’t notice Neil’s terrible dye job or the white ring around his contact lenses. Coincidence was Andrew Minyard being the single-most observant person Neil has ever met, and coincidence was Neil being forced into his field of vision.

Coincidence was also Neil here and now, stopping off at a convenience store to grab a packet of cigarettes and accidentally witnessing his potential new recruit fall victim to a heavy, parental hand.

It had only taken one video on a grainy, digital camera to show Neil that this kid had the raw potential to be one of the greatest backliners Palmetto State would ever see. Not fifteen minutes into the footage had Neil shoved aside his other folders and said to Wymack, one thumb jutted at the screen, we have to have him. Wymack had shrugged, assented with a nonchalant you’re the captain, captain and the very next week saw the two of them riding out to Georgia in Neil’s shiny new Lexus.

(“Having a Pro Athlete for a boyfriend sure does have its perks, huh kiddo?” had almost gotten Wymack elbowed bodily out of a moving vehicle.

“Above your paygrade” in a smooth, Andrew-esque tone had Coach laughing for the next ten minutes of the drive, safe and unmoving in the passenger seat.)

So they had approached the boy, Josh, after hanging back in the shadows to watch his high school team completely demolish their opponents. Wymack had loitered, no doubt trying to catch the name of the opposition’s only saving grace, a furious offensive dealer, and Neil had attempted to look cool and friendly as opposed to cold and menacing.

Naturally, the kid told Neil to fuck off four times before Neil backed him into a corner and told him to stop squandering his future by being unnecessarily abrasive. There was something in the complicated ice of this boy’s eyes that Neil connected with, an innate fear that ducked for cover behind aggression and hunched shoulders. One minute he stood every inch his five feet and ten inches and the next, body folded in on itself like he was willing it to disappear, he looked to stand no taller than Neil himself.

“I don’t know what your deal is,” Neil had said, arms tucked across his chest with all of his patchwork scars on show, “but I come from Palmetto State. I’m not here to judge, or pry, or fix. I don’t give a shit about your tragic backstory, I give a shit about the way you single-handedly held up your team’s defense line and I give a shit about putting you on an NCAA Class I Exy team. If you can get over yourself for five minutes, I suggest you sign first and cry later”

Every fibre in this kid’s body twitched like he wanted to run and Neil was hit, not for the first time, with jarring memory of himself in this position, shadows of a dark locker room curling in around his ankles, Wymack promising a future he’d never stayed still long enough to know he wanted. Sentiment was lost on Neil, most of the time. Still, if his family of Foxes had taught him anything, it was that sometimes you had to save people despite them not wanting to be saved. At this point, that may as well be the Palmetto State Motto. Neil had given the kid a few hours to think on it. Go home, talk to whoever you need to talk to, think about it. Just remember that we did not drive out here for a no.

Wymack had, of course, grumbled about having to spend a few hours sweating my damn ass off in the pleasure of your company but had mellowed somewhat when Neil had taken him for a suitably greasy dinner and showed him how to use his new phone to FaceTime Dan. He had allowed himself a few moments to enjoy the scene; Wymack, his face far too close to the screen, cursing Dan out for not texting him all week because saying I miss you is too overrated. Dan, a pixelated blur of joy and exuberance, showing her father every single corner of her new apartment and zooming in on one Matt Boyd, tangled helplessly in the middle of an Ikea side table.

With Wymack occupied, Neil had called Andrew, who answered on the very last ring because he was a certified asshole at the best of times. “Am I to assume you will be elsewhere when I get to the dorms?”

Andrew always makes him feel so known. “I managed to pick another stubborn one”

“Yes,” Andrew says, his voice a slow rumble over the familiar, quiet growl of the Maserati, “because you were so quick to acquiesce”

“I might have been running to grab a pen,” Neil replies. Andrew doesn’t laugh, but there’s a puff of air that Neil recognises as amusement, and his own mouth curls. “I think I sold him, though. A few hours and I might finally have secured a backliner”

“You should hope so,” and then there’s a beat of silence and the tell-tale flick of a lighter, “because I refuse to listen to you whine about it all weekend”

“So you admit that you do listen, when I talk?”

“Absolutely not” and when the silence stretches for a beat too long, Neil lifts the phone from his ear and realises Andrew has disconnected the call. Typical Andrew, but now Neil’s fingers twitch to hold a cigarette and he distinctly remembers leaving them behind at the behest of Wymack’s disapproving frown. Beneath his thighs the sticky vinyl booth creaks in protest when he shifts his weight and he waves a round-about hand at Wymack before ducking out of the diner, knowing that Wymack will see him cross the road toward the convenience store and put two and two together.

It says a lot for how far he has allowed himself to sink into safety and familiarity and family that he doesn’t immediately notice the shouting. He’s caught up in realising his ID is somewhere in the glove compartment of his car and wondering if his sharp scars and sharper expression will dissuade the cashier from asking questions. Behind the front counter is a door, all peeling red paint and a half-hearted Staff Only sign, and the slight space between the door and the frame is the source of the noise. Neil has no interest in interfering. Neil has no interest in even listening to some inane disagreement between cashier and colleague, and is considering returning to the diner empty handed when he hears a sharp crack, followed by a sharper, you are never leaving me, Joshua, not ever and the unmistakeable sound of hands pummelling flesh. Something in Neil twitches to intervene but he isn’t stupid enough to walk into a small room with flying fists so, in a bid of panic, he thumps the bell by the cash drawer once, twice, three times.

A man appears from the back, face flushed the red of barely-swallowed anger, eyes a little wild and searching. Neil smiles something icy and the man is stupid enough to misread it. “Sorry ‘bout that, had’ta catch up on some paperwork in the back. What can I do ya for?”

There’s a moment where everything slows down and Neil files away details like his life depends on it. Blood, smeared across the knuckles of one large, meaty hand. A row of scratches, three raised and red, sit tucked against his chunky neck in an indication that someone had raised a hand to defend themselves. A gold ring, thick and faded, shaped to spell out DAD. Neil doesn’t know what makes him say it, but he opens his mouth to ask for a packet of Camel Blue and what comes out is “someone round the back is casing the place, you might want to check that out”

A self-righteous rage takes over the man’s expression, clouding his eyes and the twist of his mouth and he claps Neil on the shoulder as he passes on his way to the door. Men like him, Neil thinks, are far too predictable for their own good. Something like a memory tugs at his subconscious; Neil at age sixteen, dropping a similar line, waiting for the all clear to stuff his pockets full of food and hightail it out of there before anyone noticed. That, Neil thinks, was a far more sensible plan than whatever this was. He rounds the corner of the cashier desk, nudges the back door open with the flat of his hand and comes face to face with the cowering, crumpled body of his newest recruit.

The kid, Josh, is folded in on himself in the far corner of this office, schoolbag tossed a few paces away, face hidden in his hands. At Neil’s entrance he starts so hard Neil almost feels it like a physical thing and then his face does something complicated when he realises it isn’t his father; relief warring with shame warring with anger warring with hope. One of his eyes is beginning to blacken and there’s blood pouring from a cut in his eyebrow – the ring, the fucking ring – and from one side of a crooked nose. His wrist doesn’t look particularly healthy and the way he holds himself tells Neil that this is not a one off occurrence.

“What do you want?” asks Josh, and Neil has no fucking idea. There are scars on his skin from the hands of his father and the hands of his mother and there were long years of his life where he was so accustomed to being beaten within an inch of his life that he never stopped to think that maybe, he didn’t deserve it and maybe, it wasn’t normal and maybe, someone should have helped him. How many teachers saw his black eyes, his split lips, his bruised arms, and how many of them said nothing. How many strangers saw his mother grip his wrist so tightly that it popped, pulling him into a car or a hotel or an alley, how many men saw his father pummel him like a punch bag?

Without thinking about it too much, Neil holds out a hand. “I want to help you. I want you to come with me”

Josh scoffs, gesturing loosely to his face. “This is nothing compared to what he’ll do if he comes in here and I’m gone”

Neil frowns. “Look at me,” and he points to his own scarred face with equally scarred hands, “look at my face and tell me you don’t think I’ve survived worse than your piece of shit father. Come with me, now, and don’t ever come back. Let us help you”

And there it is again, the flurry of anger-fear-shame-hope. “Why?”

“You’re a damn good backliner,” Neil tells him simply, “and if you let that pathetic excuse of a man beat you any harder you won’t be, anymore”

Hesitation twists his features into something ugly. Neil knows that he has minutes, maybe seconds until the man outside realises he’s been set up. If Neil has to pick saving himself over saving this kid, he’ll probably save himself, but Josh drags himself to his feet and looks Neil squarely in the face. “If I do this…he will come looking for me”

“And he will find an entire team of angry, troubled Exy players who know their way around a racquet” Neil replies. “I can protect you, but we have to leave. Right now”

His jaw goes tight but he nods, once. Neil nods back and together they make their way toward the front of the store, Neil pushing ahead, body strung-tight with focus. Outside he nudges Josh ahead of him, watches him adjust his gait around a lopsided limp, reels in his anger for another day.

They reach the Lexus across the street and a voice from behind calls “Joshua, get back here this goddamn instant.”

Three things happen.

Josh, in a bout of incredible bravery, flips his father the middle finger and falls over himself to clamber into the back seat of Neil’s car. The father, in a bout of incredible anger, starts for Neil like he means to snap his head from his body. Wymack, in a bout of incredible exhaustion at the familiarity of a situation such as this, appears at Neil’s right shoulder and swings a right hook up and under the man’s jaw.

It sends the man on his ass and in a split-second shared glance, Neil and Wymack make the mutual decision to get the fuck out of there.

Over the course of their drive back to Palmetto, Neil explains the situation with their new backliner, Wymack assures Josh that he will be resolutely protected, and Josh leaks blood all in the fancy seats of Neil’s car. When it doesn’t seem like it will stop, Neil shucks off his hoodie and throws it at the kid, telling him to hold it fast to the wound – after a brief, whispered argument, Neil pulls over and hands Wymack the keys and throws himself into the backseat to try and assess the damage. The ring hadn’t cut his eyebrow so much as it had gouged out a chunk of skin and his nose and lip are bust but mostly dried up. There’s a patch of blood at his side, seeping through his white t-shirt, and he waves that away as split stitches. From what, Neil doesn’t ask. He tries to staunch the bleeding but succeeds only in covering his own fingers in the blood, and in the end Wymack has to drive them straight to Abby’s house.

“Abby is our team nurse,” Neil explains, while Wymack tries to parallel park a Lexus under a blanket of colourful curses, “she patches up sprained ankles but she also patched up every wound visible on my skin, so you can trust her. I can stay, if you want, or I can leave you in her capable hands while I go back to campus and make preparations for you. There’s a spare bed in one of the freshman dorm rooms, or you can stay with Abby, or you can sleep on my sofa. Whatever you need”

Josh tucks his arms around himself, bravado stripped for the day. Neil assumes it will come back, that things will be difficult, that the kid’s attitude will fling itself all over the place, but for now he’s looking at Neil like Neil just saved his life and Neil thinks he just might have.

“You can go,” Josh says, “I have more shit under here I don’t wanna flash to anyone but a nurse, right now. Uh, I don’t…maybe I can stay on your sofa? For a bit. I don’t…”

“Hey,” Neil interrupts, “you don’t have to explain. Sofa it is. Though, I should tell you, my…my boyfriend is visiting right now, and he isn’t the friendliest person you’ll ever meet-”

“Understatement,” Wymack interrupts, “fucking understatement”

“-but,” and Neil flips off Wymack, “as long as you don’t give him any reason to distrust you, you’ll be safe”

He watches the kid for a minute, waiting for something. Protest, anger, homophobia, acceptance. Instead he shrugs, tired, overwhelmed, and climbs out of the car. Wymack follows him out, with a parting jab about Neil’s use of the term boyfriend, and then Neil is left to drive back to campus alone.

Maybe it should be embarrassing that the sight of the Maserati fills Neil with a fuzzy sort of warmth but this past half-a-year has begrudgingly taught him that distance makes the heart grow fonder, or whatever, and that he should allow himself to recognise that he misses Andrew and likes it when he comes home.

Or maybe Bee had taught him that, but he wasn’t about to admit it to Andrew.

The man in question is leaning up against the hood of his car, sleek and sharp in his black jeans and leather jacket, one booted-foot propped against the license plate, a cigarette between his lips. He’s gotten broader, since Neil last saw him, bulkier in the arms and shoulders and if Andrew is feeling up to it, Neil wants to relearn the shape of him with his fingers, maybe even his mouth.

Andrew doesn’t look up when the Lexus pulls in, feigning a nonchalance the set of his jaw doesn’t quite convey, but he does look up when Neil steps out of the car and his face transitions from smooth to thunder so fast it gives Neil whiplash.

“What happened?”

Neil blinks and Andrew’s hands are on him, fingers tilting his jaw this way and that, skimming down the sides of his body, eyes roaming for injury. Neil belatedly realises that he has Josh’s blood on his hands, a little on his shirt and he curves his own fingers around Andrew’s wrists, meets his eye with a calm stare. “It isn’t mine”

“That,” Andrew says, shoulders settling away from tension, “is not as reassuring as you seem to think it is”

Neil rolls his eyes. “Had some trouble with the new recruit. He’ll be staying with us”

Andrew arches a pale eyebrow, studying the blood on Neil’s fingers with a calculated disinterest. Neil huffs. “His father was beating the shit out of him”

“Where is he now?”

“Abby’s”

Andrew studies him for a long moment. Then, “I thought taking in strays was my thing”

“Well,” and Neil smooths his thumbs down over the fine bones of Andrew’s wrists, “someone had to pick up the slack. I couldn’t leave him there. So many people must have seen my mother backhand me and no one ever stepped in. How could I-”

“Stop it,” Andrew says, and Neil stops. “You cannot take responsibility for every single person in the world. It will never make your mother un-hit you”

Neil flinches, but he knows Andrew is right. Still, “I can help him. I can help this one. I want to”

“Alright”

“Yeah?”

Andrew gives him a look. “What, were you asking my permission? Are we adopting this child together?”

Neil laughs, a new thing, tipping his head back, teeth slipping past his lips. “You don’t think we’d make good parents?”

Andrew steps close enough that one of his boots rests between Neil’s two sneakers, their hands still clasped between them becoming squashed between their chests. “I would be a textbook parent. You would be a nightmare”

“I resent that,” Neil tells him “We’re never having kids”

“Obviously”

“Cats, maybe”

Andrew blinks. “Cats? You’ve thought about cats?”

Neil shrugs, once, but can’t fight the smile spilling back onto his face. “We’re getting cats. You said yourself that you like taking in strays”

“No,” Andrew says, firm. “I do not like it. The last one I took in continues to test my patience, so I will not have another”

“I’ve been testing your patience for four years and you’ve yet to get rid of me” Neil reminds him, “I think you’re getting soft”

“I think I am getting back in my car and leaving you here” Andrew replies, allowing it when Neil’s hands wiggle up between their bodies to frame his face.

“I think you’re going to help me make use of my empty dorm room before a freshman backliner moves in onto my sofa”

Andrew doesn’t respond to this either way but he allows it when Neil stretches to press a small kiss to the corner of his mouth and he allows it when Neil takes him by the fingers and leads him into Fox Tower, and he certainly allows it when Neil peels him out of his leather jacket before the door is even closed behind them.

(Later, when Josh announces his presence with a tentative knock at the door, Andrew answers it. Neil watches them size one another up and then Andrew reaches up into his armband for a knife. “Use this on anyone other than your father,” he says, “and I will use it to remove your hands”

If the expression on his face is anything to go by, Josh has no idea what he’s agreeing to in taking that knife, but he does it anyway. Neil has to hide his smile in the collar of his newly-acquired leather jacket.)

#answered #prompt fills #andreil #fic

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rians--world · 5 years

Text

i wrote this yesterday during my photography class so sorry if it’s messy but here’s 1k of kevaaron fluff uwu ✨ ao3

kevin made his way out of bed at a quarter to 3am. his roommates were light sleepers, yes but only neil woke when he crept out of bed. neil only sat up for a moment, the look on his face more sleepy than inconvenienced or angry, then turned over back to sleep. kevin grabbed his phone from the bedside table and left the dorm room. he pressed his speed dial number 3 and waited for an answer. the call was picked up halfway through the first ring, “what,” was the tired but not sleep addled reply. kevin had lived with aaron for almost 3 years in the same dorm room and knew the younger’s sleep schedule was that of a medical student, little to none at all. “i’m outside,” he said. there was a quiet grumble and a shuffling of papers before the call ended. about 5 minutes later the door kevin was hovering by opened and aaron stumbled out, a cream-colored sweater that was decidedly way to big for him (it was kevin’s), his orange Palmetto State shorts and black-rimmed glasses his late-night outfit. “you are so lucky i’ve been staring at the same page for the last 20 minutes not comprehending a word” the smaller man took a step forward and shoved his face in kevin’s chest, his hands sliding under kevin’s sleep shirt, skimming over the muscles and wrapping around his middle in a clinging motion. “i was studying you bitch,” he grumbled. kevin slipped a hand into aaron’s hair, mussing up the stress pulled at hair even more and tugging his face up. it’s never escaped kevin that his boyfriend was literally the most adorable man kevin had ever met, especially when he wore his glasses, something aaron hated doing. aaron had to stand on his tiptoes to reach kevin’s face, using his hands to reach up and pull kevin down to meet him. their kisses were always a contradiction to what most people would think of their relationship. most would think they were just hate fucking, or fuck buddies out of locational closeness and sexual need. the reality was that the connection was much more than skin deep. both being somewhere on the ace spectrum and aaron being sex-adverse meant they weren’t even having sex in any capacity. most would think the relationship as a whole would be hard and fast, meetings in secret consisting of rough touches and quick release. when their mouths met kevin’s hands cupped aaron’s face, one still threaded in his hair and the other on his cheek, thumb brushing over his cheekbone. aaron grasped at the back of his neck, looping his arms around his taller companion to stay within reach. the soft slow meld of their lips was the true reality of their relationship. “hey,” kevin said when they parted. aaron leaned his head against kevin’s collar for a moment, kevin’s arms coming to wrap around his shoulders and the back of his head, cradling. aaron pulled back and started for the stairs, hand tangled with kevin’s dragging him along. the air outside was cool in temperature, a bit too cold for kevin’s sleep shirt and aaron’s shorts. their hands stayed entwined as they walked, neither of them allowed to drive andrew’s car and neither wanting to die to negate the 15-minute walk to the court. “did you get any sleep after practice with neil?” aaron asked, his head resting against the arm he was holding to his side. “about an hour i think,” he answered. “i’m going to laugh in your face when you pass out later,” there was a small glare on his face. “says you, who hasn’t even gone to bed yet, fuck off,” kevin grumbled, pushing at aaron but not releasong his hand. “i’m a medical student kevin, sleep is for the weak.” “no sleep makes you weak, a.” aaron rolls his eyes but there’s a distinctly pink tint to his cheeks and ears at the nickname. kevin’s heart jumps. running laps and a few drills is how they spend the next hour before they end up cooling down. it’s never a grueling practice with them, more just a way for them to spend time with each other alone, doing something they both enjoy. it’s the same with when they study together or go to the store, something they both like to do, just a whole lot better because they’re together. it’s a mostly silent affair, as it usually is with them, communicating through silence is something they’ve become quite good at. aaron grabs at kevin’s helmet grate and tugs at him to get him to take it off. after taking off his own and his gloves he rakes his hand through kevin’s hair, pushing it out of his boyfriend's eyes. he takes in the shadows under kevin’s eyes and the dull gleam in his otherwise vibrant green eyes and pulls the taller man close. aaron’s thoughts pick back up after the calming silence exy usually brings him, pinging back and forth, screaming. he knows for a fact that kevin hates sleeping alone. he’s known that for years before they even became interested in each other. he should have known the elder wasn’t sleeping well and have rectified it sooner.

“you need to sleep kev, it’s not good for you.” kevin sighs. he looks to the side, away from aaron’s stare and to the floor. “come back to mine after this okay? nicky’s a nosy dick but he’ll back off if i tell him to and matt doesn’t give a shit. just, at least take a nap or something, okay?” kevin can hear a subtle note of worry in aaron’s voice and it warms his heart enough that he nods and leans into his boyfriend's grip on his head. they shower and head back to the dorms, shuffling inside and over to the couch. kevin can see all of aaron’s notes and books spread out on his desk and he almost feels bad for taking him away from studying, but he reasons that aaron needs breaks.

aaron motions for him to lay down on the couch and turns to gather some of his stuff and shove it into his backpack. kevin catches him around the waist and tugs him down with him, leaving them in a pile on the couch. he leans back all the way and pulls aaron onto his chest. “go to sleep kev,” aaron mumbles softly into his shirt. he shuffles around until he’s settled in between kevin’s legs with his head on kevin’s stomach. “i love you,” kevin whisper sighs out, a hand in aaron’s hair and on his back. “yeah, and i love you.” he kisses kevin’s middle and shuts his eyes, lulled by kevin’s almost immediate snoring.

#mine #my writing #aftg #all for the game #aftg//#tfc #the foxhole court #kevin day #aaron minyard #kevaaron #kevin/aaron #PURE FLUFF OKAY #JUST SOFT BOYFRIENDS BEING GAY AND INLOVE #aftg fic #tfc fic

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