Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Come on, Andrew!”

Andrew rolled his eyes. “No.”

“Why not?” Nicky asked. He was practically whining. Not for the first time, Andrew wondered why he willingly put up with his cousin.

“Because with one exception, you’re all overbearing assholes. Why would I subject Neil to that?”

Allison snorted. “You’re the biggest asshole of us all.”

“Oh, I know.” Andrew said. “Renee is the exception.” 

Dan butted in. “Yeah, she’s a sweetheart.”

“Nah, deep down, you’re all sweethearts.” Renee said. “Deep, deep down.”

“Deep, deep, deep down.” Aaron added, fervently tap-tap-tapping his pencil against his textbook. Andrew wanted to rip the pencil out of his twin’s hand, but at the rate Aaron was going, it was only a matter of time until the pencil snapped in half anyway.

“For God’s sake, Andrew!” Allison threw her hands up. “You afraid we’re gonna scare your boyfriend away? If he can put up with you, I’m sure he can handle us.”

“Are you sure you can handle him?” Andrew asked.

Allison laughed, but Dan tapped her chin in thought. “I don’t know, he has a point. I mean, imagine the type of guy who could melt Andrew’s ice cold heart. He’s either the reincarnation of Mother Theresa or some kind of feral half-human half-raccoon abomination.”

“As much as I’d wish it was the first, knowing Andrew, it’s probably the latter.” Aaron didn’t bother looking up from his homework. As a student athlete and pre-med major, he was constantly multitasking. At the same time as Aaron was taking notes with his right hand and half-listening to their conversation, he was probably using his left hand to send out an email under the table or stretching his legs back and forth in some kind of training exercise. He was in sore need of a break.

“Look, we just want to meet the guy who stole our dear friend’s heart! Is that so much to ask?” Renee pouted at him. Andrew sighed. She knew he’d cave to her annoyingly honest sentimentality. Maybe he should revoke what he said about her not being an asshole.

“I’ll invite my boyfriend too.” Allison said. “So Neil won’t be the only new face.”

“I will invite Neil.” Andrew could see the others about to respond, and he held up a hand to silence them. “If Aaron comes. And leaves all work in the dorms.”

Their teammates descended on Aaron like a pack of starving hyenas, bribing and needling. Aaron glared at Andrew as Nicky nudged him in the side. He sighed in resignation. “Fuck you. I need better friends. But fine.”

Allison nudged Andrew. “You hear that? Aaron is coming, so you better hold up your end.”

Andrew shot off a text to Neil. “Neil said he can meet us there, but his shift ends at ten, so he will be late.”

. . .

Eden's Twilight was packed, as was to be expected on a Friday night in a college town. The air was tinged with the mingling scents of sweat and alcohol. Shitty EDM remixes of Top 40 songs blared from the speakers, almost drowned out by the overworked college students singing or arguing. A TV in the corner was playing an Exy game, and Andrew studiously ignored it. The bartender, a tall dark-haired woman, was bopping her head along to the beat.

Allison was the last to arrive. She pulled up in her bright pink Porsche and walked out alone, dressed in a deep maroon dress that must’ve cost somewhere in the quadruple digits, glittery six inch heels, and daringly shadowed makeup, with her shiny blonde hair in long, glossy curls.

“Where’s Seth?” Matt asked.

Allison’s green eyes flared with anger, a raging forest fire. “I went to pick him up and saw him in bed with another girl. Safe to say I revoked his invitation.”

“Oh, sweetie, I’m so sorry.” Renee cooed.

“Don’t be.” Allison shrugged. “He’s the one who’s missing out. We’re at a bar on a Friday night. I’m sure I’ll meet someone better tonight.”

“That’s the spirit!” Dan said, clapping Allison on the shoulder. They led her to their seats, a row of barstools on the left side of the bar. “Another round of drinks!”

Behind the bar, the bartender checked her watch. She nodded before walking into a back room. A few minutes later, a new bartender came out, his fiery auburn hair lit up in shades of red and green and blue by the flashing bar lights. His eyes were framed by long, delicate eyelashes, the auburn contrasting beautifully with the deep, deep blue of his irises. His nose was slightly uneven in a way that spoke of a fistfight gone wrong, his skin evenly tanned, his lithe muscles those of a runner. There were hints of freckles across his cheeks, and a long, pale scar that cut from the base of one ear across the bridge of his nose, coming to an end just millimeters from the edge of his full lips. His mouth twisted in a smirk, and a single dimple could be made out on his left cheek. Handsome wasn’t the right word, but he was the very definition of gorgeous. He handed over a tray of drinks, his gaze quickly cataloguing each member of their group, lingering on Andrew. Andrew maintained his outward disposition of boredom, but Neil knew his boyfriend as well as he knew himself, so of course the junkie could tell that Andrew was checking him out. With a smirk, he mouthed "Staring," and Andrew sent him a quick glare.

Kevin accepted the tray, handing the glasses to their respective owners. Allison couldn’t take her eyes off the bartender. “Oh my God.” She whispered to Dan. “I think I manifested him.”

“You did say you’d meet a better guy tonight.” Dan laughed.

Andrew’s eyes flitted between Allison and Neil. “I wouldn’t, if I were you.”

“Why not?” Allison placed her hands on her hips indignantly. “I’m stunning tonight. If anything, he’ll be the one scoring.”

Neil was the most oblivious person Andrew had ever met. Allison was the most flirtatious person Andrew had ever met. Unstoppable force, meet immovable object. This would be fun. Andrew smirked tauntingly. “It is your own funeral.”

“I’ll bet you ten bucks I can get him to go out with me.” Allison said, never one to back down from a challenge.

“Hmm.” Usually Andrew wouldn’t entertain Allison’s betting obsession, but maybe he could make an exception just this once, knowing she was bound to crash and burn. “Make it twenty.”

“Deal.” Allison leaned forward and waved the bartender back over. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and positioned herself so the gold pendant of her necklace resisted just below her collarbone, drawing attention to the hollow of her neck. Neil was still dealing with another customer, so she quickly reapplied her dark lipstick. When he made his way to their section of the bar, Allison tilted her head slightly and raked her teeth against the edge of her bottom lip.

“What’s up?” Neil asked.

“I was just wondering when your next break was.” Allison asked, snaking her arm towards where he rested his hand on the counter.

“I just took my last break of the night. My shift ends in a couple hours or so.”

“That’s no problem!” Allison said. “We’ll be here all night.”

“All night?” Aaron protested.

“Andrew’s boyfriend isn’t coming until ten, and we need to make sure he’s good enough for our grumpy bastard over here, which is bound to take a while.” Allison shot at Aaron. She turned back to the bartender, batting her eyelashes. “So, any plans after your shift?”

Neil smiled slightly. “I guess I’ll be here all night.”

“Perfect!” Allison said. “So I’ll be seeing you then?”

Neil nodded. “Yeah, we can chat after work.”

“I wasn’t talking about chatting.” Allison emphasized, leaning suggestively.

“I don’t really like small talk, either,” he laughed. “But I think I’m interesting enough to hold a decent conversation.”

Allison giggled. “You are such a tease! Meet me in the back rooms after your shift.”

“Oh!” Neil took a step back, as if hit with a sudden bolt of understanding. Finally. “Ohh. Were you flirting?”

“Caught on, did you?” Allison winked. 

“I’m not interested.” He didn’t bother to let her down easy, simply stating it like a fact. With an almost purposeful lack of subtlety, he said, “Hey, I think that table over there is calling for me.”

Neil shuffled around the counter and made his way to the other side of the room. Andrew held back the beginnings of a smile; that was his Neil. Honestly, Allison was lucky - Neil had been much ruder to the last girl who asked him out - but Andrew doubted Allison had ever been turned down so bluntly. Or at all.

Kevin laughed, already halfway to tipsy. “What were you saying earlier?”

“Oh, like you could do better.” Allison sniffed.

Kevin looked between Allison, Andrew, and the bartender. “I know I can. Same terms? Twenty bucks?”

Now this was getting interesting. Kevin was probably the only person in the world with an even bigger ego than Allison.

“You’re on.” Allison held out a hand, and Kevin shook it, sealing the deal.

Andrew sent a quick text to Neil. Fair warning - my friends are fucking idiots. Not that Neil didn't know this, when Andrew constantly complained to him about whatever stupid idea or bet his group had come up with that day. Still, Neil deserved a heads up if all of Andrew's friends were going to throw themselves at him.

Neil replied with a laughing emoji and a I can handle it.

Andrew trusted that Neil could stand on his own two feet, so he left it there. If Neil had asked him to intervene, then Andrew would, but Neil was fully capable of verbally demolishing whatever unsuspecting victim dared crossed him. Maybe Andrew should feel a little guilty for allowing his friends to unknowingly step in the minefield that was interacting with Neil Josten, but Andrew was an instigator at heart, so he simply leaned back in his seat and watched the show unfold. If only Eden's Twilight served popcorn.

Kevin got up and sauntered to the other end of the bar, where Neil had just put away his phone and was now mixing drinks. The bartender shot a quick wink in the direction of Andrew’s table, then looked up at Kevin. “Hi?”

“Hey.” Kevin slid into the seat nearest him, twirling the barstool so that his chin and arms fell over the backrest. He ran a hand through his hair and tilted his head. “My name is Kevin Day.”

Neil smiled. “I knew you looked familiar! You’re the starting striker of the Foxes!”

Of course, Neil knew who Kevin was, even before Kevin had introduced himself. He knew all of Andrew's family, and loathe as Andrew was to admit it, Kevin was - ugh - family. Still, Neil was an Exy junkie, and even after listening to Andrew's constant barrage of complaints about his annoying roommate, Kevin “the Son of Exy” Day was Neil's idol.

Andrew was sure that a single conversation with Kevin would rid Neil of that hero worship.

Kevin gave him his media-trained smile, showing off his pearly white teeth. “The one and only.”

“Oh, no fair, he’s an Exy fan.” Allison groaned.

“Of course Kevin’s go to method of flirting relies on Exy.” Andrew muttered. 

“The worst part is that it’s probably worked for him so far.” Matt said.

“Maybe he will finally learn his lesson when he gets turned down.” Andrew said, a little smug. “By a fellow Exy junkie, nonetheless.”

Nicky laughed. “Yeah, forget the money; the years of teasing will be well worth the price.”

“You think he’ll fail?” Aaron asked.

“Hopefully.” Allison said. “I’ll never live it down if he doesn’t.”

Kevin and Neil were held up in a debate about the upcoming Exy season. Neil’s face was lit up in excitement, bouncing possible game strategies back and forth, and Kevin seemed just as engaged. He not-so-subtly dropped his stats everywhere he could, and Neil nodded in appreciation each time.

“Ugh.” Allison placed her head in her hands.

Neil leaned toward Kevin, barely-restrained hero worship in his expression. “Seriously, your goal in the last two minutes of the Tornados game was insane! What drills do you use?”

Kevin winked, though it was hard to tell whether it was at Allison and Andrew or at Neil. “We could go out sometime? Maybe Saturday night?”

“Really? That sounds great!”

Kevin subtly stuck his middle finger out at Allison from under the counter. “Perfect. How does Nobu at 9:00 PM sound?”

“That’s kinda late, don’t you think? When will we have time to practice?” Oh, Neil. Andrew couldn't believe he was  in love with  attracted to an idiot whose singular brain cell was an Exy ball.

But it was Neil. Neil, who understood Andrew better than anyone had ever cared to, who respected his boundaries, who could match Andrew's insults stroke for stroke. Neil, who had proven again and again that he'd stay. Who constantly chose Andrew, of all people, every single day. Who expected nothing in return when Andrew was willing to give him everything. Andrew was but a weak man; how could he not fall for Neil?

“Oh, if I like what I see, we’ll have all the time in the world.” Kevin drawled, looking Neil up and down. “And so far, I really like what I see.”

Matt burst out laughing. “Did he learn to flirt from bad romcoms?”

“He’s Kevin Day.” Nicky muttered. “He’s probably never had to learn to flirt. Lucky bastard.”

Neil frowned in confusion at Kevin. “You can tell my Exy ability just from looking at me? I know you’re good at picking out talent, but you can’t be that good.”

Kevin lowered his voice. “I wasn’t talking about Exy.”

Neil’s frown deepened, finally catching on. “I guess I shouldn’t have assumed. I mean, you’re probably too busy to train me.” He looked disappointed, and Andrew decided that after all this was over, he would make Kevin practice with Neil whether Kevin wanted to or not. He'd get out his knives if that was what it took, if it would get that look off of his rabbit's face.

“I’d never be too busy for you.” Kevin said, leaning forward. “I’ve been told I’m a great boyfriend. Very attentive.”

“Oh no.” Dan giggled.

“I’ve been told I’m a great boyfriend.” Allison mocked. “Seriously?”

“That’s not-” Neil cut himself off. “Thanks for the offer, but I’ll have to pass.”

“But-” Kevin stammered. “We don’t have to do anything. If you think I’ll, like, force sex on you or something. I just want to take you out. And what fan wouldn’t want to go out with their idol?”

“I’m a fan of your Exy skills, not your dick.” Neil said, and Andrew held back a laugh. There was that sharp tongue he so  loved  hated.

“Ah.” Kevin nodded in acceptance. “Not into men. Fair enough.”

“Not into you.” Neil corrected. “Well, not in that way. If you ever want to play Exy I’d be totally down!”

Kevin’s expression was the picture of pure confusion. Andrew scoffed. “It’s like no one has ever turned him down before.”

“Who would?” Dan said sarcastically. “He’s Kevin Day.”

Allison cackled. “The look on his face! I can’t even be disappointed that the bartender rejected me when it led to him knocking Kevin down a few pegs.”

Kevin stomped his way back to his friend group, his face a bright, blotchy red. 

“Turns out Exy is not an effective method of flirting.” Andrew said.

Kevin scowled. “Fuck off.”

“Okay, we’re missing the point here!” Nicky said. “The hot bartender didn’t deny that he was into guys! He swings my way!”

“Not necessarily.” Dan said. “Just because he didn’t deny it doesn’t mean he confirmed it. He could’ve just wanted to get Kevin off his ass.”

“No, he’s definitely gay.” Nicky said. “He didn’t look at Allison’s boobs once!”

“Don’t you think its a little inappropriate to be speculating on a stranger’s identity?” Renee asked. Andrew had to agree.

But Nicky was already heading in the bartender’s direction. Nicky leaned over the counter and gave the bartender a wink. “Hey, cutie.”

Neil didn’t bother to look up. “No.”

Andrew supposed that the idea of being hit on by his boyfriend's relatives probably grossed Neil out more than being hit on by Kevin and Allison.

“You don’t even know what I was gonna say!” Nicky pouted. “Maybe I was going to order a drink.”

Neil met Nicky’s eyes and raised a brow. “Were you?”

“Well, no.” Nicky admitted. 

Neil pointed to the tip jar, then said, “My job pays twelve bucks per hour. If you want me to talk to you instead of doing what I'm being paid to do, you’ll have to offer me a better deal.”

“What about after work?” Nicky asked. 

Neil moved on to the next customer without responding.

Allison nudged Renee. “Your turn.”

“What?”

“I went, Kevin went, Nicky went. You try.”

Renee studied the bartender, then looked back at Allison. “I mean, I guess he’s cute, but my interests lie elsewhere. Besides, he’s at work. I don’t want to bother him.”

Allison rolled her eyes. “You couldn’t possibly bother anyone.”

Renee sighed. “If I ask, you’ll leave me alone about it?”

“Fuck yeah!” Allison grinned. “Go for it, babe!”

Renee was already blushing as she walked over to where the bartender was serving a group of middle-aged men. As soon as the bartender met her eyes, she asked, “Do you want to go out on a date with me?”

“No, thanks.” Neil said. Surprisingly polite for him, but he probably appreciated Renee's bluntness, and her obvious lack of interest in him likely helped. “Do you want a drink?”

Renee sighed in relief. “Virgin pina colada, please.”

“Coming right up.”

“What was that?” Allison hissed as Renee slid back into her barstool. “You didn’t even try!”

“You never said I had to try. I just had to ask.”

Despite her angelic demeanor, Renee could be just as conniving as the rest of their group.

She was not-so-secretly Andrew's favorite.

“Buzzkill.” Allison pouted.

“If he was interested in me, he’d have said yes whether I fluttered my eyelashes at him or not.” Renee said. “Don’t you think you’re too hung up on this? I get you’re trying to distract yourself from Seth, but this is borderline harassment.”

“Harassment? We all took no for an answer when he turned us down! And isn’t it flattering for him to have us all throw ourselves at him?”

“Not necessarily. He may be asexual.”

Allison gasped. “Renee, you’re a genius!”

Renee smiled. “I know. So you’ll drop this? I’m sure there’s someone else you could hook up with here. Or, if you’re tired of the bar, you and I could have a girl’s night.”

But Allison was already waving the bartender over. “Hey! Are you aroace?”

Neil took a few seconds to respond. He didn't particularly care about labels, and he'd never thought about his sexuality. He was always saying that he only swung for Andrew, had only ever wanted Andrew (and how dare the fucking idiot do that, how dare he make Andrew feel special when Andrew knew he wasn't, how dare he make Andrew feel-). As far as Neil was concerned, whatever sexuality that made him, so be it. “I’m not sure, I might be on the ace spectrum? But no, I don't think I'm aroace.”

“So what’s your type?” Allison pried.

“Excuse me?”

“You said you didn't think you were aroace, so you must’ve been attracted to someone before. What did they look like?”

“Um…” Neil’s eyes roved over all of them critically. “Blond. Hazel eyes. Kinda pale, verrryyy muscular. A little shorter than me? Oh, and he has freckles.” Neil let out a little sigh, and Andrew Minyard most definitely did not blush at the sound, and anyone who said so was a liar (Neil Josten being the biggest liar of them all).

Neil left again. Andrew’s phone rang, and he opened it to a text from Neil. You weren’t kidding.

You can tell them to fuck off. They’ll probably deserve it. Andrew replied. He knew Neil could handle himself; they had promised to let each other fight their own battles. But tonight was going to be Neil’s first time meeting Andrew’s friends, and Andrew wanted to assure him that he shouldn’t take shit from them for Andrew’s sake, just in case Neil had any reservations.

Matt nudged Aaron. “Oh my God, Aaron, he’s talking about you!”

“What?" Aaron screeched. Andrew mentally agreed. How dense could they be? What was it about Andrew that drew exclusively idiots (and Renee, a welcome exception) to him?

“He literally described you from head to toe!” Allison put her hands on her hips. “You need to try.”

“I’m not into him.” Aaron protested. “You know I already have a crush on somebody.”

“We didn’t know that, actually.” Kevin said. “You don’t have to kiss him or anything. Just ask him to hang out, and if he agrees, tell him that you meant just as friends.”

Aaron wrinkled his nose. “Isn’t that kind of shitty?”

“I’m with Aaron.” Renee piped up.

“Oh come on, he doesn’t even know you! He’s not going to be heartbroken because some random guy at the bar isn’t into him.” Nicky argued.

“We’ll up the prize to thirty dollars.” Allison said. Aaron shook his head, and Allison added, “Wait no, forty! Come on, Aaron, you can’t say no to that. We already know he’s into you. It’s literally just free money.”

“You won’t let this go, will you?” Aaron sighed.

Contrary to popular belief, Andrew was not entirely heartless, so he decided to warn his brother. “Do not listen to her, Aaron. Kevin’s humiliation was not enough for her. She is setting you up for failure.”

“You don’t think I can do it?” Aaron demanded. “The bartender literally described me as his ideal type, and you think I have so little game that he’ll still somehow reject me?”

Andrew rolled his eyes. “You do not have to prove yourself to me. Or to Allison.”

“But you don’t think I can do it.” Aaron’s expression turned hard. “Fine. Allison, make it fifty bucks and I’m in.”

Oh well. He'd tried. Aaron couldn’t blame him for what happened next.

And he couldn't deny his curiosity. Neil claimed he could tell Andrew and Aaron apart in the photos Andrew had shown him, but Andrew could never be sure if Neil was bullshitting.

Allison grinned. “Deal.”

Andrew watched as his brother sauntered up to his boyfriend, who quickly checked his phone before looking up at Aaron. “Are you going to order something?”

“I’ll have a tequila sunrise.” Aaron leaned forward. “And, um, your number?”

Neil grinned. “Fuck off.”

“Excuse me?” Aaron spluttered. Neil just shrugged and handed Aaron his drink. Aaron glared at the back of Neil’s head. He stomped back to his seat, crossed his arms, and announced, “What an asshole.”

Andrew nodded in agreement; Neil was an asshole. Andrew's asshole, but an asshole nonetheless. Not that Andrew was complaining.

“I can’t believe he rejected every one of us!” Allison groaned.

Andrew sat back in his chair, studying his friends. “Not all of us.”

“Dan and Matt don’t count.” Aaron said. “They’re already in a relationship. They didn’t even try to flirt with him.”

Andrew gave him a long look. How did he end up surrounded by such oblivious morons? “He did not reject me.”

“Yeah, because you didn’t give him the opportunity.” Kevin said. “Sit back and laugh at us all you want. Your antisocial ass would get turned down before you even had the chance to ask.”

A slow smirk spread across Andrew’s face. “You think?”

“Oh my God, is Andrew agreeing to this?” Allison squealed.

Renee shot Andrew a disappointed look. “Andrew, you’re better than that.”

Kevin snorted. “No, he’s really not. Fifty bucks?”

“Raise it.” Andrew said, lounging in his barstool.

Allison cackled. “Are you serious? Andrew, he rejected your much more likable identical twin. You’re digging your own grave here.”

Andrew raised a brow. “How much if I can get him to kiss me?”

“Andrew, you have a boyfriend!” Renee glared.

“Neil will not care if I kiss the bartender.” Andrew said.

“You sure?” Renee asked dubiously. “You are my friend and I care about you, but if you cheat, I am going to tell Neil when he arrives.”

“Go ahead.” Andrew waved a hand. “Trust me, he will not mind.”

Renee still seemed doubtful, but Aaron butted in. “You’re making assumptions, Renee. They might have an open relationship or something. My brother is a jerk, but he’s not actually a bad person. If he says it’s okay, then it’s okay.”

“We’re getting off topic!” Allison clapped her hands. “Andrew. If you can get the bartender to kiss you, I’ll give you a hundred dollars. That good enough for you?”

“What are the rules?” Andrew asked. He knew his friends, and he knew that when they found out the bartender was Neil, they'd try to argue against Andrew's win.

“Um, he has to kiss you. And it has to be where we can see.” Dan said.

“And it has to be tonight!” Nicky added, and Allison nodded.

“So,” Andrew listed the terms off on his fingers. “If I get the bartender to kiss me tonight in front of you, I get a hundred dollars? That’s it? No loopholes, no backing out?”

“That’s it.” Matt confirmed. “And if you fail, you give us a hundred bucks.”

Allison smirked. “Oh, this is gonna be good.”

Andrew raised his hand and yelled, “Hey, dipshit! Over here!”

“Oh my God.” Aaron muttered. “I knew this would be bad, but not this bad.”

“This is a train wreck!” Allison laughed. 

“Seriously, Andrew, how did you even manage to get a boyfriend?” Kevin asked. “Do you talk to him like this?”

Andrew ignored them all.

The bartender narrowed his eyes and walked over to them, and Andrew met Neil's eyes. With all the bluntness of a dull knife, Andrew said, “Kiss me, yes or no?”

“Oh my God!” Allison cackled. Aaron groaned and hid his face, and Nicky almost fell out of his seat with how hard he was laughing.

Renee just looked away, giving Andrew the decency of handling his shame with one less pair of staring eyes.

Neil leaned forward. “You want me to kiss you? I’m still working, asshole.”

Andrew rolled his eyes. “I would not have asked if I did not want it, dumbass.”

“What is wrong with you?!” Aaron hissed at him. Andrew poked Aaron in the side and muttered something like ‘mind your own damn business’ under his breath.

Neil rolled back and forth on his feet. With a laugh, he said, “Wow, you really are the worst, you know that? Yes, obviously.”

“What?” Allison screeched.

Andrew pulled Neil in by the collar of his shirt, and then Neil’s mouth was on his, and for just a moment, the rest of the world dissolved into nothing but lips and teeth and tongue.

“Okay seriously, what the hell?” Kevin demanded. “You rejected every one of us but Andrew insults you and you practically ravish him on the table?”

“I’m not attracted to any of you.” Neil said simply. “Except for Andrew.”

“Andrew and I are literally identical!” Aaron pointed to Andrew’s face, then to his own.

Neil wrinkled his nose. “No, you’re really not.”

Aaron turned bright red. With a huff, he said, “Whatever. Andrew’s boyfriend is coming soon, anyway.”

“Andrew’s boyfriend?” Neil asked, something wondrously evil dancing behind his eyes.

Renee got out her phone. “Yeah, Andrew, you said Neil would be here around ten?” She placed her phone onto the counter, the time showing 9:59 PM.

Neil watched the phone warily. He didn’t say anything, just squinted, mouthing something quietly.

The clock struck 10:00. Neil grinned and untied his apron. He made his way around the counter and plopped into the seat next to Andrew. Andrew scooted closer to him, and the idiot's eyes shined with adoration. “Hey, Drew.”

“Oh, fuck off.” Andrew glared and pushed Neil off of the stool.

Neil stuck his tongue out. He eyed the toppled stool, then draped himself over Andrew’s lap instead. “What do you mean, Drew?”

“That fucking nickname.” Andrew muttered. “I am going to stab you.”

Neil laughed. He stuck his hand out at Andrew’s friends and said, “I’d say it’s nice to meet you all, but that ship has long since sailed. My name is Neil.”

Chapter Text

Neil wasn’t sure what to expect from his first time meeting Andrew’s friends, but having each of them take turns throwing themselves at him was not something he could’ve predicted. He knew Andrew hadn’t told them that their bartender was the elusive boyfriend they were waiting to meet. Andrew was well aware of how overwhelming the Foxes could be, so he had suggested giving Neil a chance to meet them before they realized who he was and descended on him with questions. Neil had agreed. By the time the third one of Andrew’s friends asked him out, he realized what was going on. Neil was oblivious, not stupid. Andrew had told him enough about the Foxes for Neil to recognize their penchant for betting. 

He knew he didn’t have to play along with it. Andrew would never force Neil to do anything that made him uncomfortable, and Neil supposed that this situation would make many people uncomfortable. But causing chaos was Neil third favorite thing, Exy being the second and Andrew solidly in first place - and wasn’t that something? If someone had told him a year ago that anything would rank above Exy to him, much less another person, Neil would’ve laughed in their face. Neil couldn’t trust anyone, and even if he could, he didn’t swing, so it wouldn’t matter either way.

As it turned out, Andrew was the exception to both of those rules. He was the one person Neil fully trusted, and he was the only one Neil swung for. No one could ever compare.

Andrew would always be the most important person to Neil. But now that he no longer had to run, he could allow himself to let other people in as well. So after a year of having Andrew in his life, a few months of exchanging kisses and going on not dates, and about two and a half weeks of officially being boyfriends, Neil was ready to meet the people who Andrew called his family.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to have fun with it, though. Once Neil caught on to their bet, he took great pleasure in turning them down in ways that would give them something to talk about and observing their reactions from afar. He took even more pleasure in seeing Andrew’s self-satisfied expression every time Neil sent another Fox back with a rejection. 

Andrew had had a hard time accepting that Neil truly wanted him and only him. Part of the reason it took them so long to make their relationship official was because Andrew was under the false impression that Neil could do better than him. Which was utterly ridiculous, and Neil told him so as soon as he discovered that that was the reason Andrew was pushing him away. Neil had thought Andrew simply didn’t want anything serious with him, and finding out that Andrew somehow got the idea that he wasn’t good enough for Neil, when in actuality Andrew was by far the best thing in Neil’s life, was unacceptable in Neil’s eyes. Neil had immediately resolved to spend the rest of their lives showing Andrew just how important and loved he was. 

So seeing firsthand Andrew’s confidence in their relationship, and being able to remind him that Neil would always choose him - it wasn’t an opportunity Neil would pass up. And when Andrew called Neil over for a kiss, effectively ending the charade, Neil did not hesitate. At that point, he’d had his fun rejecting all the advances, and he was ready for the grand finale.

The response did not disappoint. The looks on their faces when Neil said yes to Andrew were priceless. Neil may not have been close enough to overhear the entirety of the conversation leading up to this, but he’d heard Kevin and Allison basically tell Andrew he had no chance, and he knew everyone had bet against Andrew. Neil was more than happy to help prove them wrong. Andrew was the only one who had a chance, and the only one who ever would.

Neil kissed his amazing boyfriend in front of all the people he’d just rejected, and reveled in their shock. And when Aaron, still unaware of Neil’s identity, tried to chase him off by saying that Andrew’s boyfriend was on his way, Neil saw the chance for a dramatic reveal, and he took it.

“I’d say it’s nice to meet you all, but that ship has long since sailed. My name is Neil.”

Stunned silence for one, two, two-point-five seconds, and then-

“You’re Neil?”

“Are you kidding me, Andrew?”

“What the hell?”

“Andrew’s got game!”

“You cheated!”

Andrew only responded to that last one. “As I recall, the rules were that I had to kiss him in front of you tonight. I do not see anything in there that would disqualify me for having a previous relationship with him.”

“You little shit!” Allison pointed her finger at him. “You knew what you were doing.”

“Obviously.” Andrew said, holding his hand out for the money, and Neil snorted a laugh. Snarky Andrew was one of his favorite Andrews. Neil had a lot of favorite Andrews.

Kevin finally spoke up. “So that’s why you rejected me! You could’ve just said you were taken.”

God, Andrew was right about Kevin’s ego. Neil still greatly admired Kevin’s Exy skills, but the blind hero worship he’d once had was seeping further and further away with every word Kevin spoke.

“I rejected you because I wasn’t interested. That wouldn’t change whether or not I was with Andrew.”

“You prefer goalies?” Kevin asked, determined to come up with an explanation for the rejection.

Neil couldn’t believe he was about to speak these words, but, “It has nothing to do with Exy.”

Kevin looked so confused at the idea that Exy was not the only factor that Neil almost felt sorry for him. 

Through barely contained laughter, Nicky said, “Kevin, don’t look so scandalized. There’s more to life than Exy.”

“I know that!” Kevin said. “You can’t succeed off skill alone. There’s also diet, exercise, media training-” The rest of his sentence came out garbled, as Allison clamped her hand over his mouth to shut him up.

Andrew looked up at Neil suspiciously. “Nothing to do with Exy?” He repeated. 

Neil thought of how Andrew looked in Exy gear, the way the uniform’s shorts put his thick, muscled thighs on display, how the padding emphasized his wide shoulders, the exhilaration Neil felt every time Andrew blocked a seemingly impossible shot, and he felt his face getting a little hot. 

“Well. Maybe just a little to do with Exy.” Neil amended.

“Fucking junkie.” Andrew murmured fondly, flicking Neil in the forehead. Well, it sounded fond to Neil’s ears. The other Foxes didn’t seem to take it that way.

“I guess you do talk to your boyfriend that way.” Dan said.

“Are we not going to talk about the fact that Andrew’s boyfriend is an Exy fan?” Matt said.

“Never mind that!” Nicky grinned. “We’re talking about the fact that Andrew’s boyfriend is a hot piece of-”

Andrew narrowed his eyes. “I would not finish that sentence if I were you.”

Nicky’s eyes widened and he clamped his mouth shut, miming zipping his lips.

Allison leaned forward, eyes flitting between Andrew and Neil. “Wait. You have a boyfriend that looks like that, and you were fine with watching all of us hit on him? He’s a solid 9.5, Andrew. You don’t just let a guy like that go.”

“A 9.5?” Neil repeated, confused.

“Well, I’m a 10, and no one can compete with me.” Allison explained. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’re a 10 in Andrew’s eyes.” Neil still didn’t understand what that meant, and Allison did not elaborate.

Andrew ignored the last part. “I was not ‘letting him go’. I knew he would not leave me for any of you.”

Nicky whistled. “Wow, Andrew. You must be a confident man.”

“Why shouldn’t he be confident?” Neil asked. Maybe this was hitting a nerve because only a few weeks ago Andrew had really believed that Neil could leave him as soon as he found ’someone better’ (Neil had, of course, told him there was no one better and never would be). Neil felt he had to set the record straight. Or set the record gay. Or set it asexual? Neil wasn’t entirely sure. Was there a word for only being attracted to one person? He was going to set the record Andrew-sexual. “Andrew knows I only want him. It doesn’t matter how many people hit on me. If every single person in this club - hell, in this city - came up to me and asked me out right now, I’d still reject every one of them.”

Andrew raised a brow. “So you would leave me if someone from the next city over asked you out?”

Neil rolled his eyes. It was just like Andrew to ignore a sentimental speech and focus on the one detail he could tease Neil about. “Oh, my bad. Should I have said every person in the world? Because if seven billion people swarmed me at once, I think I’d be trampled long before I had the chance to turn each of them down individually.”

“I would not let that happen.” Andrew said. Even in such a ridiculous hypothetical, he always rushed to protect Neil.

“You’d fistfight seven billion people for me?” Neil fluttered his eyelashes. Or tried to, at least. From the way Andrew squinted at him, Neil didn’t think he’d succeeded.

“I would sneak you out through the staff door in the back, then we would get in the Maserati and drive away. The Maz can go up to 200 miles per hour. They would never catch up.”

“Is this flirting?” Nicky said. Neil had almost forgotten they were still in public. “Oh my God, I think they’re flirting. My baby cousin has a boyfriend and they’re flirting and it’s adorable. This is the best day of my life.”

Aaron scowled. “Stop being weird, Nicky.”

“Stop being a buzzkill, Aaron. Aren’t you happy for your brother?”

“I’d be happier if his boyfriend wasn’t such an asshole.”

“Andrew’s also an asshole! They’re perfect for each other!”

Aaron’s scowl deepened. He downed a shot and went back to pretending he had no idea who Nicky or any of the other Foxes were. Neil watched the interaction in amusement. Maybe he should be offended, but he was self-aware enough to know they were right. Besides, Neil was pretty sure his asshole tendencies were one of Andrew’s favorite things about him.

“So, Neil.” Allison butted in. “How did you and Andrew meet? He refuses to tell us anything, and we need to settle some bets.”

Neil had long thrown away his chance to make a good first impression on the Foxes, and baffling them was more fun anyway, so he went with the truth. “He caught me trying to steal his car.”

“You’re so funny, Neil!” Matt laughed. When Neil’s expression stayed serious, his laughter petered out. “Um, that was a joke right?”

“No.” Neil and Andrew said at the same time.

Aaron finally looked up from his drink and glared. “Are you kidding me, Andrew? He broke into your car, and instead of turning him in, you decided to date him?”

Andrew shrugged. “He was hot.”

Neil knew that wasn’t the entire story. At first, Andrew had let him go because he was bored and Neil was interesting. He agreed not to call the police in return for a truth, and offered to drive Neil where he wanted to go in exchange for another one. Neil had been intrigued enough to return the next day, and their truth game began.

“It wasn’t personal.” Neil said instead. “I needed a quick escape, and Andrew’s car was right there. Anyway, I bought him the Maserati as an apology a couple months later, so it all worked out.”

“You bought the Maz?” Matt’s jaw dropped. “Can you steal my car too, Neil?”

“Wait, Andrew’s had the Maserati for almost a year.” Dan said. “He told us you’d only been dating for a few weeks.”

“We weren’t dating then.” Neil said.

“You bought him a car before you were even dating him?” Nicky asked. “Talk about a grand gesture!”

“Not just a car. A goddamn Maserati.” Matt seemed almost worshipful of the vehicle.

“If you have the money to buy a Maserati, why were you stealing cars? And why are you working at a bar?” Aaron asked suspiciously.

This was where Neil probably should’ve lied. But all the Butcher’s people were dead, and the FBI never outright told Neil he couldn’t talk about the case, just heavily implied it. So Neil grinned, prepared for chaos, and said, “Well, at the time, I was still on the run from my serial killer father, so I couldn’t afford to leave a trail by buying a car. Don’t worry, he’s dead now. I used what was left of my mom’s blood money - oh yeah, I forgot to mention she stole a few million dollars from the yakuza - to get Andrew his car. Anyway, the FBI gave me a legal identity, so now I’m just a normal, law-abiding member of society.”

“Normal, law-abiding member of society, my ass.” Andrew muttered under his breath.

The Foxes faces were the picture of horrified shock, save for Renee. Neil didn’t know the specifics of he backstory, but Andrew had told him that she was like them. He wondered how much Andrew had told her about him.

“Your father was a serial killer?”

“Your mom stole money from the fucking Japanese mafia?”

“How are you even alive?”

“The FBI is involved!?”

“Andrew, what the fuck?” That one was Aaron. “Tell me you aren’t serious.”

Andrew’s expression remained blank as ever. “Very.”

“Why, Andrew?” Aaron looked on the verge of a mental breakdown. “You could’ve picked literally anyone else, and you chose him?”

“Everyone else is boring.” Andrew said.

“So you decided to date a criminal because you were bored? There are other ways to entertain yourself!”

“Technically, I’m not a criminal.” Neil felt the need to clarify. “The FBI cleared me of all crimes on account of self-defense.” And in return for information on Nathan’s crime empire, but Neil didn’t think mentioning that would help his case.

“Oh, you’re technically not a criminal. That makes me feel so much better.”

“It should.” Neil shrugged. “I don’t know what else to tell you.”

“Tell me that you’re not the son of a serial killer.”

“I’m not the son of a serial killer.” Neil said placatingly. “Did that help?”

“No!” Aaron yelled. “No, because its not true!”

“Well I can’t do anything about that. I don’t know what you want from me.”

“I want you to stay away from my brother!”

“Um, no can do, sorry not sorry.” Neil said. “If Andrew tells me to leave, I’ll go. But I care more about what Andrew wants than what you do.”

Aaron turned to Andrew desperately. “Andrew, tell him to leave.”

“Nope.” Andrew popped the p. He threw an arm around Neil, pulling him closer without a care in the world. Neil leaned into Andrew's strong embrace, savoring the warmth and comfort of being so close to Andrew, of being claimed by him like this in front of all his family, even as his brother was actively protesting their relationship. Andrew casually leaned against the bar, as if this conversation was no more interesting than watching paint dry, and started rubbing soft circles into Neil's shoulder with his fingers.

Aaron only seemed to get angrier the longer Andrew stayed silent and didn't push Neil away. Neil considered telling them that his mother’s side of the family was part of the British mob, but he thought it might make Aaron actually go into cardiac arrest, and that wouldn’t make Andrew very happy with him.

Renee put a hand on Aaron’s shoulder. “Neil said his father’s dead, so none of us are in danger from him. And Neil can’t control his past. None of us have perfect pasts, and we have no right to judge Neil for doing what he had to do to survive.”

“I don’t care about Neil’s past.” Aaron said. “If he just fucked off and left us alone, I’d never mention it again. I just don’t want him around my brother.”

“Well, tough luck.” Neil crossed his arms. “It’s not your decision. And I would die before I ever let Andrew get hurt, on my behalf or otherwise. I would kill to protect him, and unlike most people, I’d know exactly how to do it. So you can stop acting like your meltdown is about Andrew’s safety, because I guarantee that there is nothing I value more than his wellbeing, up to and including my own life.”

Renee met his eyes, and Neil saw the raw steel behind her deceptively innocent appearance. He knew that at least one of Andrew’s friends understood him.

“Who else has something to say?” Neil asked.

Allison spoke up. “Who asked who out?”

“Really?” Kevin interrupted. “That’s your question?”

“I have bets to win, Kevin. So, who was it?”

“Andrew.” Neil said, at the same time as Andrew said, “Neil.”

Neil turned to face him. “You asked me to kiss you the first time.”

“That is not what she asked.” Andrew said. “You were the one who asked me to be your boyfriend.”

Allison grinned. “You just won me a lot of money. Maybe you’re not that bad, Neil.”

“Thanks?” Neil said.

“More importantly,” Kevin interrupted. “How good are you at Exy?”

Neil perked up at that. Finally a topic of conversation that he was comfortable with.

“And you criticized Allison’s question!” Dan laughed.

Kevin wrinkled his nose. “That was petty gossip. This is actually important.”

“I played as a kid, and then picked it up again in senior year of high school. I was thinking of trying out for the Foxes, if Palmetto accepts my application. I don’t know if I’m at that level yet, but it's worth a try.”

“Come to night practice.” Surprisingly, that was Andrew. “I’m sure Kevin will train you. Won’t you, Kevin?” His tone turned threatening at the last sentence.

Kevin tilted his head in consideration. “He’d need a goalie to practice against.”

“Fuck off.” Andrew said. It wasn’t a no, and Neil felt his blood run hot with excitement at the idea of practicing against Andrew.

Maybe he could actually be a part of Andrew’s team next year. Playing with Andrew every day, living together in the dorms, getting to be a part of the Foxes' little family…

Neil felt hope for his future, and it was a wonderful feeling.