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Chapter Text

Nathaniel Wesninski, even now the name left a bitter taste in his mouth, a sick reminder of who he was and the family he couldn’t escape. His muscles screamed a fiery song at him, stitches pulling until he felt blood trickle down his arm but all of it was ignored for the racket gripped tightly in his hands. This was all he was, this was all he could do and so he fought for it. The number three of his cheek etched into his skin, a reminder of his value and a reminder of his place within the nest.

Eventually the scrimmage was forced to a stop, the master stalked across the court stopping just before his nephew. Riko’s whole body tensed as hushed words were exchanged between the two, Nathaniel looked to Jean who was equally as confused until a loud crack echoed through the court. The master had disappeared leaving only the king who had smashed his racket against the plexiglass, now storming off and into the darkened halls of the nest. Fear seeped from the players, filling the space within the court with an anxious anticipation. Losing his partner broke any humanity or sanity left in Riko, he was a shell of a human filled only with rage and insecurity making him volatile and unpredictable. No one, except the Master, was safe from his fury.

It was late when Nathaniel got a knock on his door, Jean looked terrified at his desk and looked as if he was going to stand but Nathaniel was too fast. Riko was at the door with an icy smile and two of the Ravens Seniors at his back.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Japanese rolled off Nathaniels tongue thanks to his dedicated studies when he arrived at the nest.

“Nathaniel, We’ve most definitely gone over the proper way to address me. No matter, I’m more than willing to teach you again. Unfortunately, I have an interview in a week so it’ll have to wait.” Riko’s smile had only grown as Nathaniel looked back at him with an unreadable expression. The boy had always accompanied Riko and Kevin, he was not an asset only to have value in exy but also in his parentage. He was the Son of The Butcher of Baltimore, Nathan Wesninski. Nathaniel was raised with a knife in one hand and a racket in the other. Riko flaunted Nathaniel around like a guard dog at his beck and call, willing to follow orders and protect him like he was of value; his insecurity reeked.

~~~~~

Kevin Day’s decision to sign with the Palmetto Fox’s was a shocking discovery to most of the Ravens, with his dominant hand broken, not a single person in West Virgina expected him to play once more. Somehow Nathaniel was unmoved, he’d seen first hand Kevins dedication (obsession), this act of defiance against Riko brough a smirk to his face. A reaction he paid for in the week leading up to the interview.

Riko knew it was unwise to hurt him physically, any injuries would limit the protection he could offer. Especially since Kevin had a new guard dog now, one that may prove to be an obstacle. Instead the king had taken to alternative methods, his chosen method this week was starvation. Nathaniel was forced to earn his meals through impossible tasks like ensuring that Riko could not score against him during a scrimmage while sidelining the second defence and goalkeeper. It was two strikers against just Nathaniel every evening that week and the outcome was the same each time. Though Riko was kind enough to allow Nathaniel to eat breakfast each morning, suggesting he should be grateful for that.

~~~~~

Nathaniel was woken in the early hours of Friday to a loud knocking on his door, Jean woke with the same panic in his eyes, except he pushed himself to the corner of his bed whereas Nathanial ripped his duvet off of himself making for the door.

“Be ready by 8” The man’s throaty voice meant he was not impressed to be awake this early either, in his hands were a duffel bag which he dropped at the boy’s feet.

Nathaniel closed the door quickly, throwing the duffel on the bed before disappearing into the bathroom. There was shuffling coming from the room but it was soon deafened by the shower. The wave of hot water did wonders for his aching muscles, the lacerations on his arms had been healing quickly and the stitches already removed. Now all that was left was three deep red lines crossing over the various other silver scars that were mapped across his entire body. Leaving the warm comfort, he was immediately overwhelmed by the coldness of the nest. The mirror was fogged by steam but his soggy red hair was still prominent against his pale sunless skin, Nathaniel looked away before his stomach dropped even more than it had.

Jean was now sitting on his partner's bed, his own blanket wrapped around his body and eyes almost closed as his body fought not to lean back on the mattress and drift off.

“You comfortable on my bed, I see?” Nathaniel muttered in French.

“It’s too early for all this” Jean lifted his hand only to gesture over to Nathaniel with an irritated movement, “Come on and pack, You cannot be late”.

Nathaniel fought the urge to roll his eyes or even sigh, instead he moved towards his draws taking out an outfit fit for outside the nest. Black jeans with a plain black shirt and some black boots, wearing colour was out of the question. The duffel held the few things Nathaniel was allowed when he was in the outside world; a phone (only necessary phone numbers), blades (two hidden in his boots and one on his hip) and a silver chain (his mothers).

“When…” Jean started avoiding looking at Nathaniel, instead deciding to study the fabric of his duvet, “...I still can’t believe he’d sign with them…the foxes” the word rolled off Jean’s tongue thick with disgust.

“Daddy dearest was kev’s best option,” Nathaniel’s laugh was quiet but genuine, “Who knows, perhaps with a little extra structure they could be worthy of their class I standing,”.

“He’s not told ‘daddy dearest’, he’s burdened this poor team with the wrath of the moriyama’s.” Jean’s face showed something close to genuine guilt, somehow Nathaniel did not imagine it was for the palmetto foxes but instead for Kevin.

The relationship between the three of them was complex, they were bound together in ways that could not be confounded by words, by a love that could not be admitted in fear it would be used like a knife to be pressed against their throat. Without Kevin to act as a buffer or distract for Riko, the attention to numbers 3 and 4 had only increased and not for the better.

“Perhaps I could offer him some…friendly advice,” A smirk crept onto his face as he filled the duffel ready for this thrilling weekend away to North Carolina, “After all that’s happened…I still feel like Kevin’s come out with some kind of small victory. He’s got a father, someone to care for him, a team instead of this absurd cult we’ve been chained to, he’s got an actual chance of freedom.”

Jean only frowned and hugged the blanket across his body, “It almost cost him everything. It still might, Riko is not one to take this kindly. I doubt we’ll hear the end until he transfers back,”

A defiant smile appeared on his face as he zipped up his duffel and sat himself on his bed, leaning on Jean’s knees, “If he transfers back…”. An understanding look was shared between them, Kevin was not a property but an investment, he was exy royalty and they were just possessions.

~~~~~

After a solemnly quiet breakfast Nathaniel was picked up by a suprisingly calm Riko, to begin their long winded journey down south. A black car picked them up from Evermore, a private Jet took them down to North Coraline for another black car to take them to the hotel. Fans were present almost everywhere they went, rushing up to Riko with their kind words and presents. Seeing Riko with that wide smile of his made his stomach turn for the worst, Nathaniel stayed glued to the king's side with the knowing weight of his knives comfortably on his person. The attention didn’t subside until they were on the aircraft itself. Most people saw the three etched on his cheek and rushed him with questions about himself and the other members of perfect court but Nathaniel didn’t speak a word. Rather he couldn’t. The boy could not trust himself not to say anything rash had the opportunity present itself.

The hotel was luxurious, people escorted them to their rooms which were side by side. Nathaniel’s heart felt a little empty when the door closed behind him. The room itself was a modern design, appliances up to date and a slick black to match the black and grey themes going on, it was spacious with a double bed and huge windows. Though it was indeed black, it had enough nautral light to overwhelm the feeling of darkness completely. Although Nathaniel missed Jean, subconsciously he was looking for his other, someone, anyone. Ravens were partners, they were never alone.

Riko must’ve felt the same emptiness, without the ravens surrounding him or exy to fill the void, he was restless. So much so he decided that the pair of them would explore the city, Riko went shopping; Nathaniel never more than two steps away, gawked at by fans with camera’s following their every move. Nathaniels first lunch of the week was at a lovely Greek restaurant Riko had found which he was dragged along to.

Hours were filled with various other activities, sight seeking, gathering photo’s to upload to the socials (Riko’s, of course) and they even went to visit the North Carolina Museum of Nautral Sciences. The king's mood was unusually delightful as if Kevin was beside Riko, pointing at all his favourite shops, his favourite restaurants, it was always Kevin that would drag them into the local museums (usually more historically relevant museums). The uplifted mood would only last until tomorrow, when Riko was reminded of Kevins ‘betrayal’ when he was face to face with the only rash decision that ever bit him in the ass.

Nathaniel dreamt of Kevin Day that night, the way he played on the court that day, dancing around the backliners as if they were just props on the stage of his performance. Kevin Day was not fit to be number 2, Riko Moriyama saw through the performance, no matter how many times Nathaniel dreamt this moment, no matter what he did as he reset the scene in his mind. Kevins agonising cries rang in his ears, the smell of his blood filled his nostrils and Nathaniel was there once more, as Kevin crumbled cradling his hand ever so delicately as it laid shattered on his lap. His cries warped into the ringing off an alarm which snapped Nathaniel upright, his breathing uneven and shallow, his body drenched in his own sweat.

He got out. He was safe….for now.

The thought left an ache in his heart, Kevin was no longer under Nathaniels protection, at least not against the Moriyama's. This interview was an ambush, Kevin was none the wiser and Nathaniel would once again be powerless to help.

~~~~~

Kathy Ferdinand was a vulture. There was no sugar coating for people like her, they sought out drama, they twist the knife and warp words until the truth is almost invisible. Nathaniel did not even dignify her greeting with a response but instead watched her and Riko exchange pleasantries. Most the morning was spent waiting in Riko’s dressing room, he was dressed in some of the finest clothes he owned, an all black attire to match the rest of his wardobe.

“You will be in the wings, ensure Kevins new pet doesn’t interrupt the interview or anything following. I do not need to remind you of the consequences of your failure,” Riko turned to face him with a horrifying look of need in his eyes, almost yearning to cause damage. Relief filled Nathaniels heart when a member of staff came to collect them, leading the way through the seemingly brightly lit halls of the building until finally they could see the stage. Kevin was smiling, laughing, his left hand placed so caringly on his lap. The introduction of his brother, Riko Moiryama filled him with such dread that Nathaniel could almost feel him tense from where he stood. The camera’s saw the loving reuniting of two broken hearted brothers but the reality was nauseating.

Nathaniel’s attention was dragged over to the fox’s who were sat in the front two rows, Kevins new guard dog (Andrew Minyard, 03) was held down by Wymack (Head/only coach) and Matt Boyd (04) with Renee Walker hazardously sprawled ontop of him, heels digging into the carpet and hand tightly squeezed over his mouth. The goalkeeper fought against them like a feral animal, desperate and enraged, his eyes darted across the stage as if to take in the entire scene leaving no detail out of this disgusting image. For a moment he spotted Nathaniel, he was sure that he was hidden quite well in the stands, coated in the darkness with only a couple inches of his body peaking out to survey the crowd. But their eyes found each other, held each other’s gaze for a couple seconds until Nathaniel returned to the darkness focused solely on one thing. Getting out of this alive.

When Kathy finally ended the interview, Riko stayed long enough to thank a very smug Kathy who was already buzzing to go and review the footage. Kevin was a couple paces slower than a run as he disappeared into the backroom, Riko was not far behind at all. The hallway they’d ended up in was darker than the others, only a couple black and white photos hung on the wall with the dull white paint chipping off. Kevin’s hands were trembling, he stood like a deer in headlights, eyes wide and panic that set his feet firmly on the ground unable to move.

“Kevin, this ridiculous episode is becoming intolerable to watch. Come back to evermore, it is not too late. You’ll be an excellent coach, I have no doubts.” The mocking tone in Riko’s voice was almost as clear as the anger hidden behind that grin plastered on his face.

Kevin opened his mouth, closed it then looked at Nathaniel for a second. Riko turned to look at his number 3, the way Kevin flinched moving his left hand closer to his abdomen was not missed by Nathaniel.

“Nathaniel can’t help you now, Brother,” Riko’s voice was cold as ice, the smile now faded from his face as he turned to Kevin, “He protects Moriyama’s family, so long as you remain a fox it does not apply to you…” The tone was unwavered but Nathaniel could feel as the king’s anger began to fester, “Come back to Evermore.”

Kevin spoke so quietly, Nathaniel could barely hear it over the sound of his beating heart, “I will stay with the fox’s for as long as they will have me,”.

That was it.

Riko lunged, moving so fast Kevin had no time to react. Nathaniel was faster, before the boy’s mind caught up to what he was doing he stood in front of Kevin with Riko sprawled on the ground. A look of devastating shock and wrath plastered across his face, the silence in the hallway was deafening as the three stilled.

Move. Run. Grovel. Apologise. Beg.

Nathaniel had just signed his death sentence but the feeling of regret was lost on him, a sense of pride grew as his lips curled into a smug grin. Kevin trembled at his back, his grip tightening around his arm like he was clinging to him for life. Riko slowly pushed himself off the ground, noticing the mere inch Nathaniel was from the blade by his hip. The threat was not vocalised but it was there, hung like a leash around Riko’s neck. Footsteps cut into the silence, fast and loud as the boots crashed down the hallway. Nathaniel didn’t turn, he didn’t need to, Kevins grip relaxed as he took a large breath of air.

His pet had finally arrived.

“Hello. Hello there everyone. Riko, Kevin, look at that, one and two back together again. See that’s strange because I thought I told little Kevin over here to stay away from strays.” Andrew’s manic ramblings bounced on the four walls of the corridor.

“Abram….” Was all Kevin managed, his voice weak and trembling.

“You have no business interfering in this,” Riko snapped, careful not to actually move, keeping his deadly glare on the Wesninski opposite him changing from English to Japanese, “Nathaniel, you forget yourself. You will die for this insolence, your blood will be on Kevin’s hands.”

The grip on his arm tightened for a second, Kevin wanted to stay, wanted to fight but it was pointless. Anyone could see it. With all the options laid out, this seemed to only end one way. Nathaniel deceased. Forgotten. Another body for the Moriyama’s to hide, a loose end tied up in a pretty little bow. Kevin’s hand tore away from Nathaniel, it seemed Andrew was getting bored of this song and dance.

“I will only warn you once, castaway. Kevin is one of mine now, not yours. The idea of being chosen is probably lost on you after years of being ignored so I’ll keep it simple, do not touch my things. This has not been pleasant, let’s never do it again.” The manic laugh was not a sound of joy but instead the shallow sounds of a dangerous threat.

Footsteps faded down the hall until all Nathaniel could hear was the beating of his own heart. Panic had subsided, regret still waiting in the wings and the smirk of his father still prevalent even when his hand dropped to his side. A couple of Moriyama’s men came charging down the hallway a few minutes after the incident, throwing Nathaniel against a wall and stripping him of all his weapons. The butcher's smile crept up on his face, his heart pounded wildly within his chest with a newfound hope, not that he might run or fight but instead a hope that he would be released from the cage he’d been trapped in. Even if he was dead, he would be free.

~~~~~

Nathaniel was not conscious for the drive to the hotel, nor for when their bags were packed and brought down to them. At the airport he woke with a blade being guided across his chest, a long but shallow cut, not enough to slow him through airport security. On the private jet, Nathaniel was subject to a few more cuts but Riko mostly enjoyed how slowly he’d drag the knife. Ensuring it wasn’t deep enough to need stitches but enough to hurt, Riko was unfortunately calm as he whispered to Nathaniel all the ways he would pay for his betrayal. Burning, cutting, beatings, starving, waterboarding, the list continued with details that should bring lot’s more fear to Nathaniel but instead he laughed.

Riko Moriyama was a great number of things, rash, unpreditable but the scariest man to die by? Not even close. Nathaniel was going to die by his hands in a matter of hours but he would die content. More forfilled than he had been at the nest, spending his time in a cycle of violence and suffering, forced to bend the knee to people worthless street rats.

The nest was colder than he remembered, the metal of the handcuffs were rougher than he remembered. Riko began with burning, Jean held him down as the lighter ran ever so slowly up and down his legs, the smell of burned flesh was not as overwhelming as the screams. Nathaniel could not recognise his voice after a few hours, it became raspy and desperate.

But he did not beg, he did not plead, he endured it all. Wishing for death to collect him sooner rather than later. The noise was so bad that Riko decided to wash them away, Nathaniels fighting against the restraints did nothing but add to his pain but he couldn’t stop, he trashed against the grip of his partner and the restraints around his arm. So much so one of his arms went numb. The cuts followed, more burning, it became a hazy mess in his mind. Nathaniel didn’t know how long it had been when he woke up the next time.

“You don’t look too hot Nathaniel, did you need some more water? Or perhaps we should get you out onto the court to run it off?”

Riko’s venoumous voice only brought a devious smile to his lips as he lay broken on his bed, it was shattered and weak but it mocked the king.

“I saw it, you know?”

The murmer of the words were difficult to place, as they clawed their way out of Nathaniels throat desperately and painfully, but he continued as remained Riko’s silent.

“The fear in your eyes just before you broke his hand because you saw what the whole world was already seeing. Kevin Day does not deserve the two on his face just like you don’t deserve-”

The rest was a blur. He remembered blood, the cold chill of the bathroom tiled kept him grounded against the excuritation pain for only so long. It wasn’t long before his consciousness slipped away from him, whether it was from the hits to his head or the pain that stunned his body. Oxygen slipped away from him no matter how desperately he fought to keep it. Why was he still fighting? He needed to stop. He needed to just let go.

Chapter Text

“Stay with us Nathaniel”

“You’re almost there”

“You’re going to be okay”

“Nathaniel, wake up”

“Wake up”

The light was blinding, even before he opened his eyes. Pain was an afterthought to the fog that clouded his mind. Nathaniel couldn’t make out much, his eyelids were heavy and mind was running so fast that it almost hurt. This cycle continued for a while, waking to pain and confusion until finally he could pry his eyes open. The boy’s vision was untrustworthy and extremely blurred. What he did make out was a figure beside him, his body only allowed him to turn so much before the man held his head so he would stop.

“Don’t move,” The voice rang through Nathaniels mind, “There will be other chances for us to speak again once you’re out,”.

The man’s voice was soft, the hand that cradled the side of his face was gentle even as it lay on top of a heavily bruised face. Nathaniel fought to stay awake, to stay and demand answers but he just couldn’t. Though he didn’t find out much there was one thing that could keep him going.

Nathaniel Wesninski was alive.

~~~~~

Darkness was familiar, not comforting but familiar at least. There was an eeriness to his mind, he felt as it swallowed his pain. The first time he attempted to open his eyes he was met with a force of resistance, a twinge of pain that made him retreat. Instead he tried to lift his right hand to his face to find someone’s hand had snaked around it, voices bursted so loud Nathaniels face squinted and the hand gripped him so tightly as if he was going to run away. That’s when he noticed a tube that ran down his trachea, a panic set which was enough to pry one of his eyes open to see the tube itself. The voices only got louder, more frightening, the machines were now sounding alarms. Nathaniel closed his eye, the pressure around his arm never faltered as a rush of people came in.

Although he could not see them, he heard them. Someone barking orders, people speaking softly to him, a hand was placed firmly on his shoulder pulling him from the haze he was in, “Nathaniel I need you to look at me,”.

When he opened his eyes he saw a woman, dirty blonde hair and a crooked smile that reminded him of his mother. She flashed the grin as soon as she realised he’d looked up at her, her hand at his shoulder relaxed, “We are going to take out the tube in a moment, we need you to try and remain relaxed although it will be uncomfortable, do not try and breathe in until the tube has been fully removed, do you understand”. Nathaniel nodded weakly keeping his gaze fixed on the ceiling.

It was uncomfortable, a feeling that Nathaniel couldn’t describe, he fought the urge to take a deep breath or gag against it. After a few seconds it was gone, the doctor beside him rubbed his shoulder as he coughed and gasped desperately trying to remember how to breathe.

“Abram, breathe. Pleas-”

“I don’t like that word.”

“Really? Is now the time?”

Breathing took a few moments, there was a sting on his left side as he breathed in, it was sharp but manageable. It took him a moment to process where he was, there was an I.V sticking out his arm and machines to both his left and right both making irritating beeping noises. Lifting his left hand took more effort than he’d liked, he made a fist then relaxed, he tried to do it to his right hand but Kevin’s grip was fierce and unrelenting. That's when he noticed the sling, his arm was wrapped in it and folded into his chest. One of his eyes must’ve been swollen shut because he still felt the eyeball itself, at least that’s what he’d hoped.

“The doctors are confident you shouldn’t have any lasting damage,” Kevin was on an armchair dragged right next to Nathaniels bed, his knees hugging his chest as his hand was still firmly held onto the boy laid out in the hospital bed. The purple bags under his eyes contrasted his sickeningly pale complexion, the look on his face was not one Nathaniel had ever seen before, it was almost woeful.

Nathaniel nodded slowly, a lingering feeling that his brain was knocking around inside his skull forced him to a halt. Kevin’s eyes never strayed from the boy, Nathaniel spent the day slipping in and out of consciousness with only enough energy to take a few sips of water. The presence of the foxes was noticed all day, Andrew and Kevin’s to be particular, the striker never strayed from the armchair not while Nathaniel was awake but the goalkeeper seemed to make himself comfortable anywhere. The smell of ethanol and bleach was washed away by the strong scent of coffee and sweat.

~~~~~

It was dark when Nathaniel woke more lucid, his mind was clearier and he was much more aware of himself. There was no Jean, he searched as soon as his eye opened, looking for the presence of his lost partner. Kevin had fallen asleep with his legs stretched out across Nathaniel’s bed, Andrew sat by the window clinging onto the ledge blowing the cigarette smoke into the evening breeze. A pitcher of water was set up on the nightstand with three glasses, Nathaniel reached out to it, clipping the handle with the tips of his fingers. It was tempted to give Kevin a good whack to wake him but Nathaniel could barely muster enough strength to turn his head.

Andrew observed from his perch on the windowsill, taking a long drag of his cigarette before flicking it carelessly out the window. This was Nathaniel’s first time truly taking him in, freshman goalkeeper of the foxes stood at 5 feet with blindingly blonde hair. Seemingly normal guy if not for the mood altering drugs, small stunt in juvie and a criminal record for aggreviated assault on four men commiting a hate crime. Foxes were a perfect fit for him, a wayward collection of broken athletes that played out of spite and anger taking it out on both their opponents as well as their own team on occasion. Many occasions actually. Jean and Nathaniel often thought of the foxes matches as comedies.

“South Carolina?,” Nathaniel could hardly recognise his voice, it was harsh and raspy, scratching at his throat as the words came out. The thoughts in his mind could only push out those words, South Carolina. Or perhaps they were still in West Virginia? But these guests would not have been allowed by the Master. How did he get there? Why was he there?

“Shut up,” Andrew pushed himself up, crossing the darkened room not moving his eyes away from the broken Raven, “Save the questioning for someone who cares,”.

With his throat still scratchy from the last time he spoke, he decided to do just that. The fox poured out a half filled glass of water then approached the raven's left side, Nathaniel reached for the glass despite the agony of lifting his arm. A harsh hand fastened itself onto his wrist, the blonde raised his eyebrow as if challenging him but Nathaniel couldn’t muster up enough energy to scowl properly let alone take his arm back. It should have dented his pride, to be this helpless that he couldn’t be trusted to hold a glass by himself but there was no room in his mind. Andrew’s grip on his wrist relaxed but he didn’t let go, instead he held the glass of water against Nathaniels lower lip and only retreated when all the water had gone.

The goalkeeper didn’t back away immediately, it was as if he was studying the man before him. Scanning his face for any sign of a threat, any hint of evil in the cold ocean within his eyes but nothing was found. Nathaniel wasn’t evil. Sometimes he did evil things, something he thought evil things but no part of him enjoyed it. So many unspoken words lingered on the man's tongue, even as he went back to the window Nathaniel felt something was wrong about him. Different.

The smile.

All the other questions seemed to all blur to the back of his mind, the joyless grin he usually wore was gone. Was this a window into the actual Andrew Minyard? The mindlessly violent psychotic goalkeeper of the palmetto foxes? The man sat calmly gazing out a window with not an ounce of maliciousness on his person, even when he’d grabbed his arm earlier his eyes were void of anger.

Nathaniel was whisked away once more, fading into a sleep with no answers to his many questions, a newfound curiousity with Kevin’s pet and pain…pretty much everywhere.

~~~~~

The morning left a warming glow on Nathaniels skin, he couldn’t remember the last time he woke up to sunlight. The raven’s head snapped to his right expecting to see Jean in bed, hugging a pillow into his chest as he slept soundly. Anguist seemed to swallow him whole, taking his heart in its hand and squeezing until Nathaniel’s breath was shallow and hasty. Kevin sat clueless to Nathaniel’s panic, laid back in the armchair flicking through a magazine's exy section. Andrew was curled up in the corner of the room, backed into the corner with his head resting on his knees.

“I should be dead,” There were a hundred other ways Nathaniel could’ve started this conversation but as soon as he opened his mouth it just spilled out. Kevins startled eyes snapped onto his own, the magazine was slapped shut and thrown onto one of the cabinets to the side.

“The Master stepped in before Riko could finish the job,” the star striker looked over at Andrew who was still fast asleep.

“How kind.” The room was large, private with a row of windows on one side letting in an absurd amount of natural light, enough to make Nathaniel squint a little. Kevin was already on his feet, carefully tiptoeing around the sleeping extra, to shut out only a portion of the light. Then he poured a large glass of water offering it to Nathaniel. The pain was much more present now, he could localise it now to a multitde of places, the worse being his legs. The rest seemed to do wonders on his energy though, he shuffled himself to be sat up enough to grab the glass. Immediately his arm faltered at the weight, dropping half an inch before Nathaniel quickly rushed it to his mouth, swallowing the contents as quickly as possible just despire the rawness of the ventilator’s earlier presence in his tracheo so that he could drop his arm back down onto the bed.

Kevin took the glass, discarding it on the side as he walked back around to the armchair, “What do you remember?”. There was a certain caution to the man that Nathaniel couldn’t explain, more caution than there usually was anyhow.

“We came back straight after the interview, I was unconscious for most of the trip which now seems like a mercy. Riko…”, Bringing back the memories was difficult, unclear in his mind what had happened and when, “Let’s just say less than impressed with my performance back in Raleigh with the whole interview. Not sure how long it went on for, I goaded him enough at the end for everything to just…stop? See I thought I died but here I am. Dumped in South fucking Carolina.”

Nathaniel didn’t look over to Kevin’s face, not wanting to see his expression, “You suicidal fool. You shouldn’t have…” After a long sigh and deep breath, he continued. “You did die, twice!. On the way from the nest, in surgery a couple times too. Apparenly even the devil couldn’t stand you,”

A panic set inside Nathaniel, rising in his throat as he choked out the question, “Can I still play?”

A laughter bellowed across the room, a lifeless sound that brought goosebumps up Nathaniels spin. Andrew’s grin went ear to ear beering his teeth but showing no signs of actual happiness, of course. “Exy this and Exy that. It’s no wonder Kevin is so fond of you. You share an addiction to this wretched sport.” Andrew jumped up, stretching his leg on the windowsil. “Where’s breakfast?”

“Lunch will be here any minute. If you’re bored you could always watch an exy game, I’ve got plenty saved on my lapt-” Kevin’s mocking tone was interrupted by Nathaniel’s question, this time louder, more stressed, more desperate.

“Can I still play?”

“You will play,” Kevins voice was sharp, cutting through his fears like a knife, “Your injuries shouldn’t have left any perminant damage to any muscle or nerve tissue. With luck you’ll be outta here in two weeks but Abby won’t let you so much touch a court unti-”

“Abby? Don’t be stupid Kevin, I cannot play. They’ll ki-” Kill me.

Andrew’s booted clashed loudly against the floors, “BreAkkKkkfAssTtt,” Was sung as the goalkeeper praced around the room, seemingly showing interest in every little part of the room, all but Kevins exy magazine which he sneered at.

The dramatics from the other man distracted Kevin enough to leave Nathaniel to his thoughts. How far would the Moriyama’s really go to take back their property? After all he was a nobody, an unknown face that had been locked away in the dungeons beneath the Castle Evermore. They could take him back easily, using threats or force, they had the power. Perhaps death was the only way out.

“If you two are just going to bicker like school children then fuck off,” Wymack warned as he crossed the room, placing four coffees and a couple bags of fast food on the side, “I can hardly stand the two of you on a good day, can’t imagine this kids having a good time with the day he’s having.”

“You wound me,”
“He’s had worse days,”

Kevin and Andrew spoke at the same time, Wymack ignored both with a tired expression and a yearning for the coffee he’d only just put down. “This job is killing me,” The man muttered only loud enough for Nathaniel to make out.

Coach David Wymack was certainly the most contriversal coaches of a Class I Exy teams, often fighting the NCAA for his troubled youth’s. The team was built for problematic students, ones that no one else would consider. Criminals, addicts and victims. Nathaniel saw him as he watched the Foxes games as well as the multitude of interviews or press releases. The man was tall, could probably tower over him but that wasn’t a difficult achievement. The white sleeveless shirt he wore showed off the tribal fire tattoos on both his arms, his jeans were faded and certainly old but he stood with confidence.

Andrew was the first to go through the bags, tearing the plastic bag and grabbing a couple boxes along with the coffee cup that had been marked with a large X. Kevin came, sneering at the fast food before taking his own box and coffee. Wymack watched them carelessly then gestured to the door, “I wasn’t joking. Eat in the hall, I’d like a little word with Nathaniel” The man was unsure, looking down at the files he had in his hands, a very thin stack of files.

“I don’t-” Kevins protests were silenced soon after he’d started.

“We wouldn’t want to impose on you coach, we have far too much…respect for you. You take the broken birdy and I’ll take the annoying one, how fair.” Andrew’s gaze hovered over Nathaniel for only a couple seconds, it was enough time for the drug-induced smile to send shivers down his spine. The man’s attention turned to the striker, without much more argument Kevin left the room in a hurry giving Nathaniel a slight nod as a goodbye.

Leaving just Wymack and Nathaniel.

“David Wymack, I would say it’s a pleasure to meet you but under these circumstances I’ll refrain,” The boy’s voice was still sounding rougher than he’d like, unfamiliar and croaky.

The man had begun to set out a meal on the table, laying out the coffee as well as a burger which he’d began to unwrap from the paper with sides of fries, onion rings and a pathetic little salad consisting off wilted lettuce, sloppy red circles which might be tomatoes and a variety of other colours. There were even a couple of cookies. Nathaniel expected the man to eat and have him watch, suffering as the boy’s stomach begged for sustenance.

“Let’s skip all that, I’ve introduced myself to you half a dozen bloody times but you were too drugged up to remember apparently.” Wymacks tone was irritated but his expression tired, “Coach Tetsuji had you removed from the nest and transfered you to this hospital after you underwent a couple surgrey’s in a West Virginian hospital. You spent a couple days in the ICU hooked up to a bunch of machines, they shocked you around a dozen times since you’ve been here.” The table was rolled over to Nathaniel so it hovered over the boy’s lap. His eyes narrowed as he looked over to the coach who’d resigned himself to stand at the foot of Nathaniels bed. “Christ kid, it’s only food.”

This was wrong. The master had never stopped Riko before, he’d wait until after the blows were struck and assess the damage. Nathaniel deserved to die, he knew that and he had come to terms with it so why was he saved. Better yet, why was he sent here? Wymacks unexpected kindness was treated with much caution as Nathaniel looked over the food, he was too hungry to care about potential poisons. So he began to stuff his face, ignoring the sad salad on the side.

“You’ve been out for a week, unconscious for most and high on all sorta drugs the rest of the time. Your name, Nathaniel Wesninski, was announced by Tetsuji just after Kathy Interview as a starting backliner for the Ravens next year. Probably thinking the mysterious number 3 of the perfect court could deter the bad news of Kevin’s transfer. The media doesn’t know anything else but they’ve caught on to Kevins trips to the hospital so consider yourself all caught up.”

The master must’ve announced Nathaniel’s name before he’d realised what Riko had done, Nathaniel wondered with a small smile what Riko’s punishment would’ve been. A good beating with the Masters cane perhaps he would be carved under the knife. What about Jean? Nathaniel looked for him every time he woke, feeling empty as the realisation settled that he was without his partner. The silence only grew between the two of them, Nathaniel couldn’t say anything without incriminating the Ravens or the Moriyama’s and if he told them anything then the target on his back would be shared.

Wymack held out for as long as he could before he sighed loudly, stomping off to the window raising his hand to his ear.
“Hey, yeah yeah fine. Quiet though.”
“He knows that much, yeah.”
“No, nothing to do with that. I’d rather you be here to explain that.”
“I’ll call him now. Clear the air and get a story we can spin, I’ll look better with you telling the story as a concerned brother.”
“Can you just fucking get back here.”

Nathenial was still stuffing his face when Wymack, sliding his phone in his pocket. “I want to help you Nathaniel but I understand your hesitation to talk to me. I need to make a call, the little shits should be ten minutes. You think you can behave for that long?”

A small grin stretched across his face, “Here I believe we were building some trust,”. Wymack raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose as he headed out of the room mumbling things Nathaniel didn’t care to listen to.

Once the door closed behind him, the weight of the silence came crashing down so that the only sound Nathaniel could hear was the beating of his own heart that pulsed in his ears. The boy clawed at his chest trying desperately to force breathe into his lungs, the pain that once radiated across the body was now overwhelmed with this anxiety that prayed on his mind. Alone. Jean Moreau was not here. Jean Moreau was at the nest, where Nathaniel longed to be despite his better judgement and hope for freedom. Jean Moreau was probably suffering at the hands of Riko. He could be dead.

He didn’t realise what he was doing until he barefeet touched the icy ground, the gown flowed down past his knees but it did not cover the masses of bandages that wrapped around Nathaniels legs. The weight of his body could not be supported by his legs at all and he crashed into the wall, his left shoulder took the brunt of the hit and with the wall's help he managed to hold his weight. It was a stupid endevour, Nathaniel recognised it as he felt the searing pain shooting up and down his legs. He managed to stumble to the door, reaching a shaky hand to the handle, the hallway had only a few occupants. One person was counting stock on a cart on the other side of the hallway was a businessman speaking rather aggressively on the phone.

One harsh step after another, hissing quietly each time he set his foot on the ground he made his way down the hallway towards the oblivious man who’s attention was enticed entirely to his phone. Nathaniel made it down two more hallways before he slid down the wall, kneeling over as soon as the burns pressed against the floor. With a bit of shuffling he sat with his back against the wall and his legs laid out. Anytime a nurse came to check on him, he insisted he just wanted some time away from his overbearing mother, or he came to escape a family argument. Most were too busy to truly care and left in a hurry. The boy leaned his head against the wall, fighting to keep his eyes open while enjoying the chattering that rang throughout the corridors of the hospital. It wasn’t the same as having Jean by his side but the noise was enough to remind him of the nest, the ravens were a loud bunch during free time away from court. It brought him a little snippet of peace.

“What happened to all that trust, kid?” Wymack huffed between breaths as he looked down to regard the exhausted boy crumbled against the wall.

“I’m not your kid,” Nathaniel snapped, not realising the bitterness in his voice.

“You’re not staying in a hospital hallway for your recovery either, now can I help you back to your room or shall I get some nurses to help you?” The tone had softened slightly as the man caught his breath.

Nathaniel groaned and attempted to push himself up off the floor but couldn’t even manage to push on his arms before hissing and dropping himself, Wymack had the decency to at least not look smug at his defeat. “A hand would be appreciated.”

It was not a hand Wymack offered, instead he wrapped one of his arms around Nathaniels legs with the other arm securing his back. The room was not far at all which made this outting even less worth it, the pain was another reminder. The coach's grip on him was firm but gentle as he lowered the boy onto the hospital bed, rolling the table back over the bed. Nathaniel watched the coach curiously wondering if he was going to yell at him or berate him, instead he gestured to the food still on the table.

“I wasn’t gonna leave the hospital.” Nathaniel took a large mouthful of coffee as he observed the man intensely.

“You wouldn’t have made it out anyhow. You’re sporting over 50 stitches and your legs have been flared to oblivion, I left because I didn’t think you’d make it out of the bed let alone the room.” Wymack dragged the armchair a couple feet away from the bed before sitting himself down.

“Kevin?”

“Took Minyard to look for you, they’ll be back soon.” The man pulled a notepad from the side and just scribbled for what seemed like hours until finally Kevins pleasant return.

The striker's expression was somewhere between rage and relief and was torn to which he should express. Andrew came bouncing in, that stupid grin on his face going straight to the window to sit crossed leg in the corner he seemed to have claimed as his own. “You reckless imbecile. I want you on court before summer practice starts, why must you fight me every step of the way?”

“I cannot play on the court with you. I can only play against you now. I can only play for the Ravens” He plays for the Moriyama’s is what he meant, it is what Kevin would hear.

“The moriyama’s will kill for your disloyalty, you cannot go bac-” The panic rose in Kevin’s throat, his fear for the Moriyama’s shown so plainly on his face after years of suffering their abuse.

Nathaniels gaze shot to Wymack and then to Andrew, neither of them so much as blinked at that so he replied quickly in french, “Are you crazy? Talking about the Moriyama’s like that, they will kill us and then all of them too.”

Kevin looked unaffected by this statement but amused Nathaniel in french, “They already know, it would be unfair to them if they didn’t understand what they were doing when recruiting me. I told Wymack as soon as I arrived, I told Andrew when we made a deal and the rest of the foxes were told when I was recruited as a striker.”

Nathaniel looked blankly at the man, at this point Kevin was crossing the room taking a seat at the foot of his bed, “What exactly do they know?”

“Only about the Moriyamas, the main and second family, the crime and they know that you and Jean aren’t just Ravens. I haven’t said much about you, just that you grew up with me and Riko but you had a fair bit harder, your father was never mentioned.” Kevin’s face had turned neutral, looking to Andrew who was in the corner carving something into the windowsil with a knife.

“That's more than enough for today, the k-Nathaniel has taken in a lot of information. You can give him another update tomorrow when we’ve sorted more out.” Wymack had just finished reading over the files, setting his gaze upon Kevin and then the raven.

It was clear Kevin wasn’t done with the conversation but he did not argue, he couldn’t. Not against his Coach. The man instead decided to get his laptop up to spend the rest of the day watching Exy games with Nathaniel by his side, any raven games and he would spend most the time watching Kevin for the littlest mistakes to call him out on. They watched five Raven games and Nathaniel spotted one mistake.

Chapter Text

Coffee was certainly not a controlled substance at the hospital. In fact, Nathaniel had seen them consume more coffee than anything else. Except Andrew who drank hot chocolate, milkshakes and anything doused in a strange amount of sugar. After his small walk around the hospital, they had ensured he was never left alone again. Kevin and Andrew left that night to sleep and recuperate at the dorms, Wymack stayed overnight in the armchair but it wasn’t just the man's snoring that kept Nathaniel awake.

The morning came slowly, Nathaniel had drifted into a couple light naps but was often startled awake by Wymack’s loud breathring or shifting uncomfortably. Still he kept his eyes closed and breathing even, hoping that his mind would just collapse to his exhaustion and force him into sleep. That was until someone else came in.

Their footsteps were delicate and slow, the scent of coffee and bacon overwhelmed the ethanol smell the hospital had. At first Nathaniel guessed it was Kevin but no one followed, that ruled him out pretty quickly. Then his heart almost stopped, no one else would want him except Moriyama’s. Was this Tetsuji? Coming to drag him back or perhaps someone meant to finish the job?

“Wymack?” It was a woman, soft spoken and as quiet as a mouse. Nathaniel still didn’t have the nerve to open his eyes, people were deceitful, he knew that better than most. “I brought you guys some breakfast!”. Her voice was a little louder now, chipper too. It was certainly refreshing from mania or arrogance that Kevin and Andrew brough, or the grouchyness Wymack offered. A loud groan filled the room as he imagined Wymack had gotten to his feet and stretched from being curled uncomfortably, Nathaniel decided it would be the perfect excuse to wake.

Immediately his eyes fell to the woman, she had a coffee in her hand extending it to the unhappy coach who became just that little bit happier for taking it. The woman was unknown to him, not a fox or a coach associated with the foxes. Perhaps Wymacks' other half? She was quick to notice him as well, “Oh darling, I’m sorry to have woken you.”

A coffee, pastry and orange was placed on the table then scooted next to Nathaniel, not over him. Probably in case he wanted some more sleep, strangely considerate. The boy’s stare must’ve been slightly more obvious then he intended when Wymack pipped up, “This is Abby Winfield, close friend and the foxes nurse.”

Oh.

The small panic he’d experienced now seemed a little dramatic.

“Thanks for breakfast,” Nathaniel offered with a small smile. A genuine smile. It had been a while. The nurse looked as if she was about to say something but Nathaniel had swivelled so that his legs hung from the bed as if he was about to get up.

A look of anger flashed across her face as she noticed his bandaged legs, yet no reaction when she’d seen his beaten face. How strange. The expression was cast for no longer than 30 seconds before it flattened out to a half smile, “It’s no problem at all, I know Wymack is only tolerable after a couple coffees.” A chuckle followed as she approached Nathaniel offering him a hand up.

It was almost always Jean who helped him after a beating, cleaned the blood of him, stitched the cuts and got him moving again. A partner’s success is shared, as is their failures. Their lives intertwined, always moving together but now he was alone. Alone and with only strangers to help him. The hesitation before Nathaniel took her arm was not acknowledged by either the coach or the nurse. The pain surgered through his body, the stitches pulling from each step and the burns seized up by all the throbbing, he made it to the bathroom in one piece though.

The other two’s conversation continued from the other room, he could hear Abby hovering around the door. Probably waiting to see if he needed help back but Nathaniel was distracted by his battered face. There were blotches of purple with hints of green coming in as they healed, his left eye was swollen and red, there seemed to be a large ragged cut that sliced across his eyebrow peeking down close to his eyelid and creeping up to his forehead.

This throat was too covered in bruises, the small indents of fingers that choked him during that tortuous night. Nathaniel couldn’t stomach looking at anymore of his injuries, to see how the new scars would just add to the old ones. The boy ran his fingers through his hair before rifling through the cupboards finding a toothbrush and toothpaste, he’d spent a good while there before hobbling out. Abby was more than happy to help him back, the genuineness in her smile was unsettling.

“If you need some more food, I would be overjoyed to go send Wymack to get some more things.” The nurse sent her friend a joyful smile as he scowled from his chair.

“Hurry up and get that down you. The doctors wanna check out your stitches today, check for infections and all that.” The Coach looked up from the newspaper only long enough to send Nathaniel a mindful look, “Do you want one of us there for that? Will you be okay by yourself?”

Nathaniel sent Wymack a confused look before yesterday’s events crashed down on his thoughts. The boy took a few large bites of the pastry before answering, “I should be able to manage without your blessed company for a while.” Wymack didn’t react much to that, instead turning the conversation into something more tolerable like the upcoming exy semi finals.

The breakfast was peaceful, Abby attempted to encourage Nathaniel into their conversation but gave up after he shook his head. The pastry was delicious, coffee was inhaled but he left the orange on the side ready to get the check up done and over with. Wymack met the doctor outside, their conversation was hushed but he did pick up a few bits and pieces.

“...week or two…precaution.”
“...he’ll have all of that…yeah yeah….Abby Win..”
“...Support…very difficult times..”
“..we have two weeks….arrangements will be made.”

The broken pieces of conversation were useless but by the end of it, they were standing by the door that stood ajar, not quite closed.

“David, I really think you should go and get some rest. It looks as if you haven’t had a good night’s sleep in a while. You know he will be fine by himself for a few hours. Our staff know he’s prone to wandering now so we’ll have a better eye on him.”

“If you’d spent eight years with not a single moment to yourself, how’d you feel left to your own thoughts? Especially after all of that…Not sure I’m ready to risk that, Doc.”

Oh. Nathaniel wasn’t too shocked to know Wymack had pieced that all together, Kevin was probably similar when he arrived. Used to having Riko at his side but that role had soon been filled with Andrew, Nathaniel was burdening all of them with this. A twinge of guilt settled in his stomach which was joined by anxiety when the Doctor finally entered. The man spent a couple minutes going over the stitches, checking for infection and observing the progress of the healing. The man looked over the burns, asking nurses to reapply burn ointment and rebandage. His shoulder was almost back to normal but he insisted it should be kept in the sling for a couple more weeks.

“You seem to be getting along quite nicely, I could probably have you out of here in a week if I’m honest. If you have any symptoms or complications, do say so. The nurse will dress your wounds appropriately for you to shower. Any questions or concerns?”

Nathaniel shook his head, wrapping his arms around abdomen, pressing the new gown tightly on his skin. Wymack was sent in as the nurse was redressing the wounds but all he could see was Nathaniels back, still the exposure made his skin crawl. When it was finally over, he stood slowly only to find Wymack had turned the armchair to face the door and his nose in the newspaper. It took him a moment to notice the smile on his face before he broke the silence, his voice more somber than he’d spoken to Wymack before. “I don’t need 24 hour surveillance, you know,”

“I know it can seem invasive kid but-”

The vulnerability in Nathaniels voice was unrecognisable, he shuffled himself closer to the bathroom as he spoke, “It’s not that. I’ll have to get used to it…Kevin was right. There is no place for me at the nest.” The smile was not but a distant memory. He’d avoided thinking about this topic for a while, the Master had sent him away, Riko wants nothing more than Nathaniels death so what now? Nathaniel would never be allowed his freedom, the Moriyama’s wouldn’t grant it and even if he could slip past them his father was still out there. Incarcerated for now but not for long, he will be out in a few years and his fury was sure to kill Nathaniel.

“The foxes have a place for you,” The words smashed through his thoughts, his eyes widened snapping onto the Coach who’d dragged his chair around to face him. The boy opened his mouth, ready to protest, to shoot the idea down and spit on it but no words came out. “I give second chances, thirds and forths. You could continue to play, you’ll have a full scholarship with housing and a meal plan.”

“I can’t,” Was all he could choke out.

“You can. You never officially signed with the Ravens.” Wymack searched Nathaniels expression, seeing right through the shock to the fear. The Ravens were the only family, only home Nathaniel had. It was messy, abusive and broken but it was all he knew. “I do not need an answer yet, I won’t need one until the end of the semester at the latest so you just think about it, yeah?”

The boy nodded his head slightly before closing himself into the bathroom. The warm water was a delightful comfort, so much so he completely lost track of time.

~~~~~

Kevin popped in for a couple hours before afternoon practice, bringing a very healthy lunch option for him. So healthy that Wymack physically cringed. Andrew followed with a chocolate milkshake in hand and an extra pep in his step. Andrew claimed the armchair, offering Wymack a very long goodbye, so long that the Coach walked out halfway through shaking his head and muttering curses. Kevin gestured for Nathaniel to shuffle over and hopped in the bed beside him, careful not to lean too much onto the broken Raven.

“While you are in the hospital, you will have someone with you at all times. I know Coach Moriyama transferred you but I still don’t trust you being here. The press are catching onto the story and Riko…well he’s never been the forgiving sort.” He started while shuffling through his bag for his laptop.

“I can’t ask-” Nathaniel’s voice was shushed by the laughing of the manic goalkeeper sitting to their left.

“You didn’t have to, the great Kevin Day over here asked so kindly for you. He asked and he asked and he asked and he asked.” Andrew kept on going, the bubbliness of his voice was hollow but he almost caught curiosity in his eyes before they were clouded by the drugs.

Kevin ignored Andrew without a second thought or even a brief thought, he continued to speak while loading up a past Trojan’s game for them to watch, “It’ll be Wymack, Abby, us during the night. You may see Nicky and Aaron during the day sometimes, you can just ignore Nicky.”

“I’ll only be here a week more, then I’ll be out of your hair.” Nathaniel hadn’t really thought of what happened next, even if he signed with the foxes he wouldn’t have housing until some time in June. Perhaps he could run, Kevin wouldn’t notice a couple hundred missing and that could get him as far as louisiana. But what after that? He’d be homeless, looking over his shoulder paranoid for the rest of his life. Perhaps the Moriyama’s will show mercy if he went back now, offered a story and begged for his life. Nathaniel wasn’t one to beg, not even if he needed to, which is often how he found himself at the end of a knife. That’s when he decided to switch to French, “I don’t know what comes after this. I can’t go back to them Kevin, I won’t.” The fierceness in his eyes added an edge to his voice, something he didn’t expect to have so soon. He had his fight back.

“Don’t worry about all that, I’m sorting it. You focus on getting better, nothing worse than an Exy player who can’t play,” Kevin’s irritation came through almost immediantly, as he rubbed his scarred hand lightly. At the sight of that, Nathaniel dropped the topic because he knew Kevin better than most. The rising star was good at two things, exy and getting what he wanted.

In English he asked, “How are you gonna sort the press?”, a question that seemed the safest distraction from the last topic but still a concern that weighed heavy on his mind.

“Wymack called Moriyama yesterday, He’ll be releasing a story to the press that you and Riko were in a horrific car accident with you taking the brunt of the injuries. Questions about your transfer will be dismissed, Wymack and I will go along with this story saying you came to South Carolina to visit your beloved brother so I can support you through these dark times” Kevin looked up from the laptop balancing between the two boy’s laps, for a moment he observed Nathaniels expressions. “We will make no comment about your future plans for exy.”

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes, keeping his gaze set firmly to the laptop screen. Kevin knew going back to the Ravens would be as good as a death sentence, he also knew that Nathaniel ached to play exy the same as him. The three of them were raised on the sport, learned every rule and regulation to the letter. Kevin and Riko dissected plays and techniques but Nathaniel relied on instinct which is why he loved it so much. The adrenaline rush as he learned to outplay the opposition, to best them when he was given almost every disadvantage. It was everything to them. Everything to Nathaniel.

“You’re not gonna demand I take the offer and join your God awful team?” Nathaniels eyebrow quirked up as he flashed a suspicious look to Kevin.

“Wymack threatened to sign me up for a marathon every semester until I graduate if I mention it.” A look of irritation grew on Kevins face as he quietly muttered, “Bastard,” under his breath.

Nathaniel’s laugh was spirited enough to have him holding his stitches in fear they would pull too much. The rest of Kevin’s visit was spent debating the rest of the exy season, the finals were drawing close but they knew how that was going to end. Ravens on top.

~~~~~

The days seemed to blur a little, each morning and evening the nurses or doctors would check on him. It was the first week of April when the bandages on the burns were taken off and then the stitches were all removed which was an incredibly long process. To be able to shower and wash his entire body instead of attempting to go around the masses of bandages was an amazing thing. Kevin was serious about not allowing Nathaniel to be alone, Wymack or Abby spent evenings during the week with Kevin and Andrew staying on the weekends. Luckily he’d not have the pleasure of meeting the rest of Andrew's family, until the day before he was released.

Nathaniel was standing by the window, taking in the sunlight as it stuck to his skin. The room was now feeling small, cramped and he was buzzing about the next morning when he was released. The pain had lessened significantly, the burns were an eyesore but Nathaniel wasn’t too focused on that. The boy itched to go running, every inch closer to the window was a reminder of where he could be. Outside.

Wymack was pacing up and down the length of the room on the phone when the Monsters began to file into the room. Andrew’s rambling so loud and obnoxious, Wymack gave him the finger as he stormed out the room offering apologised to whoever was on the other end. The goalkeeper settled at his usual spot on the windowsil in the corner, too close for Nathaniels liking. The twin pottered in next, not even looking at Nathaniel, keeping close to the door and just leaning on the wall with his hands in his pocket. Kevin came in, a passive look on his face as he approached the hospital bed holding a multitude of shopping bags; Nicky followed shortly after with a coffee in hand.

“Nathaniel! It’s an absolute pleasure to finally meet you, I offered to introduce myself sooner but An-” Nick’s smile was enthusiastic and bold to the point it was almost aggressive, “I brought coffee,” His arm extended to offer the coffee as he crossed the room to a very stunned looking Nathaniel. It was obvious the way Nicky’s gaze hovered over his green bruises, the healing gash on his forehead but then he hovered over Nathaniels eyes.

“Oh I-thank you.” He quickly took the coffee and turned his attention to Kevin, hoping Nicky would take the subtle hint. “What, dare I ask is all this?”

The striker had begun to sort through the bags, piling up what looked like clothes. There were a couple T-shirts (long sleeves-size too big), a pair of jeans, a pair of joggers, some shorts, a long-sleeve compression shirt, ridiculous amounts of socks and underwear and a black buffel bag. That was only the clothes.

“You were brought here with only a few things, the clothes you had on were binned. Hopefully incinerated. We got you some more things too because Wymack has gotten too used to living alone and it shows painfully,” That’s when he pulled out toiletries like toothbrushes, razors and all that. Nicky added a bag to the bed, standing next to Kevin.

“We all-” Nicky started but was casually interupted by the quieter of the twins.

“I did not contribute to this.” Aaron’s statement was loud, not hateful but tired.

Nicky continued graciously pulling out a mug from his bag, a strawberry shaped mug, “I thought it would be nice to get you a couple things to make it feel more homey,” after that he pulled out a fairly large water bottle with a small rainbow stripe wrapping around the bottom. Nicky waited for a response to this subtle question that Nathaniel didn’t notice, then retreated to the wall.

A conversation was quietly exchanged between the cousins.
“Oh he’s cute! Bet he looks gorgeous in orange.” The desire in Nicky’s eyes make Nathaniel’s heart seized sligthly but he did not hold the gaze long, not wanting him to grow suspicious.

Aaron’s face scrunched up in disgust, “Your stupidity knows no bounds. He’s a Raven, probably a psycho or worse, an egotistical asshole like him.” The venoumous words did not match the deadly expression he turned to Kevin. Practices must be going as well as Nathaniel guessed.

“I could fix him.” Nicky’s flirtatious tone triggered gagging noises from Aaron but laughed from Andrew, a cold laughter that wiped the smile from Nicky’s face.

“Not a Raven anymore. The birdie was thrown from the nest, left to fall and die.” The laughted only continued before he slipped a knife from the armbands, twisting it in his fingers.

Nicky's smile came back just as fast as it appeared, “Do you think he’ll sign with us? God I hope so, I can’t be stuck drooling over Matt and Kevin all year.”

Nathaniel could feel Andrew’s stare weigh heavy to his profile, “Ask him.”

Nicky did no such thing.

Nathaniel watched as the clothes were being laid out on his bed, his heart was doing something funny and he couldn’t quite place what it was. It wasn’t guilt, he’d wrapped his mind around that. Gratitude, perhaps? Kevin tore off the tag of a T-shirt and threw it over to Nathaniel snapping him away from his thoughts about the cousin's recent exchange, “You can pack,” He gestured to the buffel bag on the bed.

Before his mind caught up to his hands he was folding the clothes and adding them to the duffe. That’s when his mind locked onto the details. Long-sleeves to hide his scars, bland colours of grey, browns and washed out blue but no black and a size too big for Nathaniels comfort. Kevin was arrogant, brutal, occasioanlly cruel but he had his moments.

“Wait did you say Wymacks? I haven’t signed yet and I don’t plan to anytime soon.” It was already close to the end of march so he really only had a couple of weeks to decide. That’s two weeks he’d be invading the Coachs home with no real promise that all this effort will be paid back.

“He’s willing to house you. Doesn’t care if you sign with him or not.” Kevin noticed that Nathaniel had stopped packing so they just stood there a moment, Nathaniel studied Kevins face for any hint of a lie. Why would he do that? Nathaniel could rob him blind and run. He could stay for a while, leaching of Wymacks generosity and never sign the papers. And he had to believe Wymack did this out of the kindness in his heart?

“Wymacks a big ol’ softie, Why else do you think he’d build a Class I exy team to be a halfway home for people like us?” Nicky’s input was added with a teethy grin, he’d now joined his cousin by the wall.

Andrew's input was the loudest of the bunch, “Poor Coach, picking up so many broken birdies from the side of the road.” The man was using his hands to mimic a flying creature with a huge grin on his face. Nathaniel shoved the last of the things in the black duffel trying his hardest to ignore the cousins, he should’ve already signed the papers. But he couldn’t even bring himself to read the papers yet, let alone sign it.

A knock on the door had everyone turning their head, a nurse waltz into the room giving Nathaniel a warm smile. “Hello darling, how are you feeling? I hear you're being discharged tomorrow.”

The nurse crossed the room to Nathaniel, scooping the dismissed sling from the floor, handing it over to the reluctant patient as he put it on, “My shoulder is fine…yeah should be outta here by nine,”.

“At least now you’ll be able to go on that run,” The nurse pulled a small plastic bag from his scrubs, “Your belongings were held in a safe to be kept for the duration of your stay, someone will get the rest of your things tomorrow.”

Curiosity poked at him until finally he pulled out a phone from the bag, a plain black Iphone with a post-it note stuck to its back with a number scribbled down onto it and the name ‘Daniel’. “I left my number in case you wanted to go out sometime,” the nurse said it so casually and did not seem at all offended when he peeled off the post-it and handed it over. Daniel nodded his head with the warm smile still going strong, “Understood. Good luck with everything.” The nurse closed the door on the way out, Nathaniel was too absorbed with the phone in his hand, he’d not had a phone at the nest. He was not trusted. For the best.

Kevin stood stunned but Nicky was the one to speak first and he didn’t comment on the phone, “Was he just not your type? Because that man was smoking hot.” Aaron once again made a face that reeked of shame and repulsion.

Nathaniel shrugged at that question, not really caring to elaborate at all. Instead his attention was entirely consumed by the phone in his hands, it unlocked without a password with a variety of apps already downloaded, the contact list consisted of one nameless number. A pit had grown within his stomach, a panic that rushed through his veins, it took him too long to wipe the expression off his face before Kevin noticed.

“Parting gift from Tetsuji,” The boy waved the phone in the air before extending it to Kevin, “Your number…maybe Wymacks as well.”

Kevin did as instructed, adding three numbers though. Abby Winfield. “Three emergency contacts are standard,” The last part was added in French, “She’s excellent,” The subtle gesture to his left hand made the statement all too clear to Nathaniel.

The group did not stay long after that, Kevin took it upon himself to insult his new team's attitude, talents (or lack thereof) and integrity but Nathaniel could see past his foul mood. Relearning to play the game had him frustrated. The son of Exy was one of the greatest strikers to step on a court, could’ve been the greatest striker and was certain to go to court. Now his future was hanging in the balance, first he would have to learn to play again and then he would have to stop holding himself in Riko’s shadow.

The others were content to leave, Aaron looked bored, Nicky was attempting to convince Nathaniel to add his phone number just in case he got bored and Andrew was throwing balls of tissue out the window then to the others in the room. When they left, Nathaniel could appreciate the quiet for a time, Abby was content in keeping it quiet as she sat with him.

~~~~~

Wymack’s apartment was chaos. The nest was ordered, dark but clean. This was something entirely different, every side was filled with paperwork, discarded dishes and filled ashtrays with buds sticking out at every angle. The living room was simple, the coffee table cleared with blankets and a pillow laid upon it. The smell of ash could not be escaped, it filled every crevice of the apartment, reminding the boy of his mother. Mary Hatford could often be found hanging out the window or standing shivering just outside the house cradling a cigarette in her hand, a habit she brought home from England.

Wymack opened a window, then threw a set of keys at Nathaniel, “One for the front gate and the other for the front door, take what you want from the kitchen. I will not be cooking or cleaning for you, I’m not your mother.”

“It looks as if you can barely clean up after yourself, David. I expect nothing but your couch.” Nathaniel said blatantly dropping his duffel down beside the sofa, it was mostly what Kevin had bought him along with the phone, debit card under his name and a three blades that the hospital kept locked in there safe. The boy had still not found the time to call the number, a part of him knew it was Tetsuji or one of his associates.

“My couch and my food. You can borrow a pen to sign those papers and all.” Wymack ignored his flatmate's glare and instead retreated to the kitchen where at least some of the sides were clear but half the sink was drowning in dirty dishes. The man turned on the coffee machine, then disappeared into the hall only to appear with two mostly clean coffee cups. Nathaniel looked through the cupboards as it brewed, the coach was stocked up with dry goods like soups, pasta and cans but the fridge was scarces with the top shelf devoted to a variety of beers. There was milk, a loaf of bread, wilted lettuce with some more rotten vegetables. “...I haven’t gone shopping yet.”

This would be a difficult adjustment, living with this man would be difficult enough but now he would have to get used to living away from the nest. Wymack’s home was generous but it was light, messy and there was no Jean. That’s what his eyes searched for in every room, it left him with a tightness in his chest. Grief.

“I’ll go with you,” Nathaniel was quick to add.

“I don’t need your help,” Wymack slid a coffee across the breakfast bar to where the boy now stood.

“No, you need a brain transplant, nothing in your fridge is edible.” In response to that, Wymack just laughed.

Chapter Text

Boring. In fact, all their practices were boring. At least between the fighting and comical insults thrown across the court. Andrew leaned against the wall beside his goal, his racket held loosely in his hand. The foxes ran skittishly around the court, Kevin’s arrogance aggitated the players so much even Dan couldn’t get them focused long before a fight broke out. The goalkeeper was content in watching, until one of the upperclassmen started to go for one of his. That’s when responsibility cut through the giggling haze, the grin clinging to his face as he was forced to move across the court. The upperclassmen usually know to stick to his rules but Kevin was a shiny new addiction with a venomous tongue, his truth hit worse because deep down they all knew he was better.

It had just gone seven when Wymack smashed the plexiglass gesturing to Kevin, holding up two fingers. Andrew did not miss how Kevin looked to him, the fear could be felt in all corners of the court and in the way the Great Kevin Day was looking to Andrew like he was his savior. The two of them left the court, the striker a trembling mess of himself whereas the goalkeeper practically skipping with joy with his racket swinging wildly around him as if it were a sword. When they arrived Wymack told them to change out and go to his office.

“Nathaniel Wesninski is in the hospital, he was admitted yesterday in critical condition.” Wymack looked troubled with his usual undertones of anger.

Kevin’s expression could best be described as horrified, Andrew wandered around the desk looking through the bookshelves behind. “Coach coach coach, you should really have some vodka on hand if you wish to keep your celebrity player alive.”

Wymack sighed, Kevin took from his chair to face a wall where they couldn’t see the tears falling. The room fell silent, even Andrew paused for a moment looking at the man who stood before him. Weak and cowardly Kevin day, who was found by Wymack clutching his broken hand due to the violence of one brother. Now he stood facing away from Wymack, crying over the critical state of his other brother. The hysteria after the interview now made sense, Kevin did not fear Riko’s retribution on him but feared for Nathaniel. The bird who’d just bitten the hand that fed him only to have his wings cut off.

“He’s not dead just yet Kevin, broken and bruised but the birdy is still kicking,” The grin was an unsettling sight, Andrew was half glad Kevin was already facing away and Wymacks only focus was on Kevin.

“We could have you in West Virginia by tonight if you-” Wymack started to the disgust and absolute horror of the other two in the room, except Andrew who just laughed.

“No. Noooo. NoOoo. NO” The goalkeeper sang rejection until finally he was opposite Wymack, his eyes narrowed only slightly to his coach, “It’s gonna be a No from us Coach.”

David looked to Kevin who was still facing a wall, his hands up to his face. The Coach sighed loudly and reached to his desk drawer to pull out a half litre bottle of vodka. “Stay here till the end of practice, take as long as you need. I’ll let you know as soon as I know more.”

The two of them stayed in the office for what seemed like hours. Kevin nursed the vodka for a surprisingly long time before he finished it, he remained where he stood for two hours before joining Andrew at Wymacks desk. He was watching a movie by the desk, well the movie was on but the drugs made it impossible for his mind to stop at one place. Between bits and pieces of the movie he did consume, his mind jumped to different books, different movies even touching on exy games he found amusing. Wymack came around lunch time to drop off an unfathomable amount of take out, attempting to ignore Kevin’s red eyes and empty bottle of vodka still clutched tightly in his hands.

~~~~~

It had been a couple days since that meeting, Wymack had heard nothing more. Kevin had devoted all his time to exy or drinking along with his mandatory visits to Betsy with not much inbetween and very little sleep at all. Andrew, as his shadow, was suffering all the same, attempting to sleep in the court's stands.
It was at afternoon practise when the Foxes were called to the lounge, Andrew could not help but notice the bottle of vodka that rested on the entertainment centre just behind the television.

“I won’t keep you longer than I have to, Nathaniel Wesninski was taken to hospital a few days ago in crititcal condition. It seems he has been transferred this morning to a hospital here in South Carolina, I’m not sure why or by whom.” Kevin was now stiff by Andrew’s side, his eyes wide open but breath slow. “I will-”

“Is he still critical?” Kevin’s voice was loud, too loud. So forceful that even if his voice was to break he would not allow it.

“He’s still in the ICU but he’s looking much better. I gather you and your sidekick will be going there. You’ll be excused from practise, take as much time as you need. I tell you all just in case in gets leaked and the raven fans go fucking insane again. Stay together, stay in the tower when you can.” Wymack looked to Dan as a point of encouragement, which the captain provided obediently.

“It’s not like we’ve recruited him anyway, it’ll just be a getaway to recover closer to kevin.” Dan's attempts to salvidge the situation were interrupted by the outraged players.

“I’m sorry but why is this our problem? We shouldn’t have to deal with every fucked up Raven.” Dwayne’s screechy voice rang straight through Andrew, he cared little for the opinions of Renee’s lot.

Renee’s voice was soft but not weak, “He’s just a boy, not even in college yet. None of us would be here if it wasn’t for Wymacks intervention,”.

The group of fifth year’s looked outraged on the couch, Juan was the first to speak up, “We’ve suffered enough from his presence.” A pointed look was shot to Kevin who did not spare a moment to look at the man before he continued, “Send him back, let the Ravens finish the job,”.

Renee shook her head in disappointment but Matt Boyd was disgusted, “That is…Coach?”

Wymack’s look was solemn, “I don’t know for sure but if I had to guess, then Riko would’ve been less than pleased with the interview and Nathaniel was victim to the psycho.”

Kevin went straight for the vodka, disappearing into Wymacks office with a loud slam of the door. Renee looked to Andrew who waved cheerily at her.

“Nothing has been released from the press, If he survives he may not go back and for that the fans will blame us. Campus security will increase if this happens but I want you to use your common sense as well. Stay in groups, public places, call me or Abby if needed.” Wymack’s voice was now tired, his hands already pinched at his bridge, “Now get out, you're all insufferable.”

Protests after that were ignored, Aaron was irritated that he had to stay longer but cared little for the extra hassle. Nicky seemed to take the news of Nathaniel terribly, sympathising with the poor guy. He did a similar thing with Kevin before they spoke, Kevin’s attitude dimmed Nicky’s attempts to connect with him which means Nathaniel would receive all the unwanted attention and sympathy. Andrew pulled Kevin out of the office when the others left, the man had worked his way through a good part and was left stumbling slightly to the car.

Once they’d stopped outside the Fox Tower, Andrew waved away the other two. “Where to?” Was a question that he already knew the answer to but it took a while for Kevin to muster up a response. The striker screwed the lid on the bottle tightly, placing it on the backseat with a hesitation, “Nathaniel.”

What a headache this was going to be. Kevin’s attachment to this child may be a problem, could be Riko trying to worm his way into Palmetto but that didn’t make sense. Nathaniel stopped him back at Kathy’s show, he was now on death's doorstep waiting for his sentence or return back to the living.

“This Raven has fallen so far from it’s nest and I don’t even know who he is… Kevin?”

~~~~~

Nathaniel had been in South Carolina a while now, he and Kevin had been glued to that room for days. When the doctors attempted to pry them away Andrew did not allow it, arguing left and right with all sorts of people, first it was nurses then doctors then the heads of departments. They gave up eventually . Kevin only left for an hour a day, to go home, shower and change. It was clear the coach was also fairly invested in this little birdy, planning for the press and the media. The goalkeeper did not enjoy the waiting, nor did he enjoy the questions that would remain unknown until the mysterious number 3 woke. Kevin wanted him to stay, join the foxes but something held him back, Wymack would be happy to take on another bloody Raven to hell with the backlash. Nathaniel had been claimed by the Ravens, by the Moriyamas. To stay he needed help, protection, something Andrew could offer.

Kevin’s deal was solely made to give Andrew some entertainment, if helping hold together the cowardly man before him wasn’t enough then perhaps he could finally enjoy the game everyone claimed he was so good at. What could Nathaniel give him?

“Minyard?..” A groan was followed by further footsteps into the kitchen.

He returned but a few minutes later holding two coffees.

“Kevin?”

Andrew shook his head, taking a swing of the bourbon in front of him to settle the slight tremor in his hands. “Sent Aaron to the hospital.”

“Right…To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure.” Wymack took a sip of coffee then gazed his heavy eyes to the clock, it was 3AM.

“Nathaniel Wesninski.” Andrew’s stare was lethal, nothing about him made sense. If he was like Jean then how did he have any freedom at all, how long had he been at the nest, why did he look like that? “You want to sign him.”

Wymack nodded, “Of course I do, We have four leaving next year, I’ve got one striker signed to join us in june…What’s your problem? He’s not even been awake two whole days.”

“It doesn’t make sense. Why would Tetsuji send him here? He’s just been named as a Raven, claimed by them, claimed by Riko Moriyama as a member of his royal court. So why would they send him to you? Knowing you would fix him up and take him in.” Andrew’s knuckles went white around the neck of the bourbon bottle.

“You could ask him, you know?” Wymack had managed to finish his coffee and was now starting on the one Andrew had not touched.

“You know what Dave, I believe I might just do that.” The wit rolled thickly off the man’s tongue as it still burned from the alcohol.

Wymacks face became startled by an anger that Andrew had only seen a handful of times, “Nothing like columbia. I mean it,” His voice crept up, sizzling with rage he was attempting to strain, “Just fucking ask him, or hell bribe him. Threaten him if you must but I want him to remain in good health, no drugging, no coercing him into anything like that at all.”

“I can’t jus-”

“You can and you will. Kevin came to us in similar circumstances, physically broken and suffering. The nest is a cult of abuse and power, how do you think Nathaniel will ever learn to trust us if we are the same? Do you think they’d see you as anything other than a new Riko,” Wymack slammed the cup down, fierce and unrelenting as he warned Andrew who’d cocked his head to the side considering his Coaches words.

After many moments of silence, Andrew’s question took a while to settle into words, “Does he speak to you about the nest?”. It was clear that Kevin suffered, some details were unavoidable but he kept most hidden away at the back of his mind. Andrew knew only one thing for sure, physical abuse was not the only thing the nest had perfected.

“No,” Wymack’s expression was unreadable, “Does he speak to you about it?”

Andrew looked to the Coach, shaking his head slowly. “Perhaps number three will share over tea and biscuits.” The goalkeeper reached out to the blanket that Wymack stores underneath the couch, “Coach it’s awfully late for you to be up, you have an early start tomorrow.”

~~~~~

Kevin had been going at it for hours, he was now on the fourth drill. Each time he moved on there was a glint of hope in his eyes, following was a hungry ambition to be the best. Kevin Day had always been second, Andrew hated it with so much passion even the meds couldn’t dull it. The great son of exy, travelled personally to meet a nobody goalkeeper to offer him a place with the top ranking class I team. Kevin offered him a goal to which he could strive for, live for but he himself was holding back. Keeping himself from the title he deserved, the title his mother wished upon him.

Kevin Day was an asshole. His arrogance was staggering, his patience short and thin, he pushed his teammates to be the best they could be but there is no person he pushed more than himself. The countless hours of court proved that, his unwillingness to give up the sport too, now learning the sport once more.

Usually his frustration was controlled, shown through the small acts like the tension in his shoulders or the slight twist of his racket as he shot. What Andrew was seeing was something different, curses thrown to all corners of the court, balls thrown with such force the crash echoed for what seemed like hours. When he was done he threw his racket, his helmet and gloves at the bench like it had personally offended him. Nathaniel could not stay, he had reason and probably longed to be free of the nest but he would be killed. Kevin was sure of it so once again Kevin would be torn away from Nathaniel. What kept Kevin here? It was clear that if his master or king asked for him to go back, Kevin would go running with his tail between his legs. What would keep him here?

Andrew did not say a word, not as Kevin cleared the court, not on their drive home or upon their arrival back to the Fox tower.

~~~~~

Shopping was a necessary part of life, Andrew didn’t mind it too much. The man enjoyed looking good probably a little more than he should, he certainly expected his family to during their weekends in columbia. Watching Kevin survey the racks of clothes was strange, he was being so specific in getting such plain and boring clothes. Nicky hovered behind him with a curious look.

“I thought you’d try to dress him up. Why the hell are we in Target Kevin?” The judgement was clear as they walked through the isles, dumping the blandess clothes onto the basket as Andrew had begun to pull ugly things onto the ground, an ugly red sweater, a pair of jeans with too many rips. A show he attemped to watch had the main character wear baggy jeans, too many rips and was held up by the loose belt around his waist. By the third time almost seeing the man's underwear Andrew gave up the show, Aaron’s horrified expression yanked him from his thoughts, his brother decided the shame of being associated with them was too much so he stormed off.

“He won’t wear brands, doesn’t even wear clothes his size.” Kevin muttered something in french, Andrew was willing to bet it wasn’t a compliment. “I’ll have to take him shopping again later on, he just needs a few bits to recover.”

“Take me next time too! We’ll get him a few outifts fit for a bar or club,” Nicky exclaimed from a few racks away, occasionally holding up a shirt only for Kevin to shake his head, “I thought Ravens were supposed to look good all the time. You seem to have found a sense of style.”

Andrew’s eyes narrowed slightly at that, not just because his cousin asked an intelligent question, Kevin’s response was slow, “Nathaniel didn’t like to do what he was told, Clothing was just another form by which he could rebel. So no black, plain ugly colours and everything oversized.” Kevin gestured for Nicky to go ahead and look for things of that description, Andrew’s mind was back at the nest attempting to piece together all the horrors that hid within the cult. It intrigued him far more than this shopping trip. That did not stop him snatching shirts from the rack and dumping it in Kevin’s basket, the striker picked them out everytime to examine them. Putting them back in if they were acceptable. All of Andrew’s picks were up to his standard, Nicky managed one item which was a pair of jeans.

Aaron eventually came back, holding a bunch of coffees and a box of donuts though he wouldn’t let anyone touch any until they’d paid and were back inside the car.

“Success! So where we going now?” Nicky asked before shoving a donut in his mouth, chewing loudly so the whole car could hear his lips smacking together.

“Hospital.”

“Are you feeling poorly Kevin? Shall we send for the doctor? Hey, Aaron, how would you diagnose this little problem?” Andrew’s ramblings were ignored by most except Kevin who flicked him a cool look.

Aaron groaned while Nicky almost choked on the sugary snack, “Finally! I want to meet the man who won Kevin’s heart.”

The various noises made by both Kevin and Aaron were ones of repulsion, “Nathaniel is family, nothing like whatever you are making up in that cotton brain of yours. You can keep your distance and all, he’s not used to people as…friendly as you are.”

Nicky whined and slammed back into his seat, Andrew didn’t have to look back to know he was pouting, “Fine. Distant.” The man was cradling his coffee in his hands, not touching it at all.

Andrew knew Nicky ignored boundraises easily, he lived it everyday using his knives to draw the lines as best he could. He wondered how Kevin would react to it, he seemed awfully fond of the boy. He himself wondered at first if their relationship was sexual but being around them as he was it was clearly something different. Andrew did not have much experience with brotherly bonds, watching Kevin and Nathaniel was unsettling.

“Dear ol’ cousin Nicholas, you couldn’t manage distance if your life depended on it. Except of course that little expedition to Germany.” Andrew’s joyful tone silenced Nicky with a huff but that did not stop Andrew. The boy’s mind wandered, Germany would be an excellent place to live, he’d thought about it a lot since he obviously had no serious plans to continue exy. Although most of the famous German desserts contained fruits which did dampen his mood, like the Black forest cake (cherries), apple strudel (apples) and RØdfrØd (basically a fruit soup). America seemed to thrive when it came to treat sweats loaded with sugars. Despite his brain’s different wavelength, he drove the conversation to a new horror movie being released soon, Nicky jumped into that conversation knowing very well he had no stomach for horrors. The love he had for his cousins means he was willing to put up with nearly anything to spend time with them doing something they enjoyed, Aarons interests were much simplier than Andrews. Horror movies were the tamest of his hobbies.

This conversation warped into a discussion on the worst halloween films. Even Aaron began to add his opinions, no matter how negative and unhelpful.

~~~~~

The foxes only had a couple weeks more of practice, so it was strange when Wymack interrupted the last half an hour of an afternoon practice to call the players into the lounge. The monsters claimed their sofa, ensuring to stay a good distance from the upperclassman. Andrew had assumed at least one of them would’ve been called to the side due to the masses of phone calls Wymack had been receiving but it must’ve been severe for them all to be summoned. Perhaps Nathaniel had grown back his wings and flown all the way back to his nest.

“Right well, Janie smalls attempted suicide yesterday.” Wymack did not waste any time on pleasantries, his patience was already worn very thin and it only got thinner with every hum from his phone.

The reactions were mixed, Renee was holding her cross neckless, Aaron looked mildly disturbed, Kevin didn’t look affected, Nicky was horrificed, Dan was already standing, Allison grasped an annoyed-looking Seth just that little bit tighter and Matt looked genuinely saddened by the news.

“But she was the only freshman we signed this year, how the hell are we going to qualify with two strikers?” Dan’s tone was not that of annoyance but instead fear, Kevin’s presence seemed to give them a tiny spark of hope. A silly sentiment, Kevin was thrown away all broken and bruises. One shattered man could only pull the team so far and Andrew certainly wasn’t going to help. He instead started to hum a tune, not louder than the overlapping complaints being thrown at the coach.

“It’s too late in the year to approach recruits, I’m waiting for a response from a kid in Texas but I’m not hopeful.” The coach cut through the ramblings easily, gesturing for Dan to take a seat once more.

Seth began to laugh at one point, “Brilliant, this team is going to burn and crash. Never thought we’d be booted before we make it to championships.”

“Just leaves us with a quieter year if you ask me,” Allison said, seemingly wiggling herself more onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“It’s never quiet with you two around, either fuckin or fighting!” Nicky exclaimed.

“Still upset the Raven won’t fuck you?” Allison sneered at him with a smirk, the way Nicky gleemed about the mysterious figure lerking around made the upperclassman even more curious about him.

“What about the kid in the stands? You offered him a place,” Dan shot up, almost shouting the question, desperately attempting to find a solution she could latch onto.

“Neil hasn’t signed, I’m not certain he will and even if I did sign him, he is a backliner.” Wymack sounded more tired at this point, the stress had probably simmed ten years off this man’s life. Andrew found this all amusing, he climbed up onto the armchair, stretching his feet out.

“Nat-he’ll sign,” Kevin stated to the foxes but his eyes only sought out Andrew. The man felt the gaze but gave no notice to return it. The advice the coach gave him was almost good, so he was planning a lovely chat with Nathaniel once he signed but it seemed he would not sign without this incentive. They’ll have to push it up, probably the next few days before the board goes after Wymack and threatens to pull the Foxes altogether. That would not be good for the scholarships.

“Such confidence, Kev Kev.” Andrew sang out from his corner of the couch.

“We don’t know anyth-” Wymack was cut off but this time by a call in his office, the groan he let out continued until they heard him begin to shout down the phone.

Kevin turned his attention to the rest of the team, “He will sign.” The unwavering confidence in that was enough for Andrew’s family but the rest of the foxes looked unsure.

Dan studied Kevin’s face for a moment before walking just a couple steps closer to him, “How do you know?”.

“We were raised on exy, we know nothing else.” Kevin only shrugged, ignoring the various looks he’d been given.

“You both disgust me,” Andrews’ cheery tone was not mistaken by anyone for happiness.

“Ain’t he a backliner?” Matt asked, gently pulling Dan back on the couch where she settled beside him. “Tetsuji announced him as a backliner, could he play as a striker?”

“He has trained as a backliner but he is perfect court, better than Jean even. Training as a striker should prove better than working with Gordan and we’ll begin as soon as he’s cleared.” Kevin looked to Boyd as he spoke, ignoring the wicked insults Seth began to shoot at him. While Andrew’s family had seen enough of Nathaniel to know his obsession with Exy was as addictive as Kevin’s. Andrew himself could see the way the man paced by the window of the hospital, the way he would sneak in excersice whenever he believed no eyes were on him. Little did he know Andrew’s gaze never strayed too far from the Raven.

“Still only number three, shall we call up number four? See how he feels about a new bright orange jersey.” Andrew’s smile only widened when he noticed Kevin’s insufferable scowl.

“I bet he does sign, must have a little fight left in him. Take him for a haircut, I’m sick of seing that bandana. If he’s gonna be on the team, he could at least attempt to clean up.” Allisons additions were agreeable, Andrew did not express this agreement outloud. Not while the others foxes began putting in their bets.

“Should we go and get our nails done too?” Andrew held out his hand, wiggling his fingers in her direction but before she could reply with her usual snark Renee pipped up.

“Perhaps you could. Orange and white would suit you,” Her smile was radiant, reflecting the attitude she projected but Andrew saw her as she was, not who she desperately wished to be.

“Really?” Andrew curled his arm around the armrest, leaning closer to the upperclassman, “Maybe I will then.”

“The ravens fans will continue to be a nuisance upon this school, I imagine we can delay the announcement of Nathaniel’s recruitment if I asked,” Kevin’s confidence was still unwavering, his words laced with an eerie of arrogance as he spoke out by Andrew’s side.

“Not a chance, they are still pissy about your transfer. I’d rather just deal with them over the summer.” Dan walked over to stand between the two couches, facing the monsters, “We will face their anger as a team, by the time the new year starts the fans should’ve settled.”

Andrew and Renee shared a look between them, one charged with responsibility and agreement. This team was divided for survival, Kevins arrival meant danger for them all and Neil’s meant even more.

Chapter Text

Nathaniel’s first few days at Wymack’s apartment were agony. Though the shopping trip was useful, now the fridge was full of food, the freezer packed and meals were looking a little better. Nathaniel had taken to cooking dinner for the two of them, Wymack was a hopeless and lazy man so instead the coach cooked breakfast. The loneliness did sting at first, it left a hole in his heart, a pain that the boy was less familiar with. The radio helped, he let it play during the day whether he was cleaning ash off the sides or going through exy games. The rambling allowed his mind to pretend he was at the nest, the Ravens out of sight but their voices echoing the underground labyrinth.

It had only been three days but the apartment was already looking much better, Nathaniel had shoved all the files in Wymacks office then sorted through them when he was bored. It was difficult not to snoop when the files were right next to him, his morals got the better of him for the minute but that did not stop him from looking at his own files. The smallest in the pile, Tetsuji seemed only content sending a few things, detailing his education, proof of graduation and a forged document of his health stating he had no extreme injuries during his stay in the nest. An amusing read until David appeared and snacthed it from his hands. Whoops.

~~~~~

Tuesday was a quiet day, Nathaniel did lot’s of note taking while watching exy games but he was glad of the distraction when the door of Wymack’s apartment swung open. Andrew was first in but walked through the living room barely looking in his direction, Kevin followed holding two green smoothies and settling on the couch beside Nathaniel. “The foxes are far from the Ravens, I can assure you that,” Kevin was wound up, his eyebrows furrowed and his hands gripping the drink just that little bit tighter than he needed.

“Perhaps in skill but not spirit, Raven’s are robotic.” Nathaniel finally paused the game, snatching the other smoothie from the coffee table where it was discarded.

Kevin went silent, Andrew’s arrival did not divert him from his thoughts. Nathaniel leaned back, tempted to play the game once more but as soon as he lifted his hand it trailed to his cheebone, itching around the only bandage he had left. The one to cover his tattoo which was now a mess of burns which he could not look at for too long without feeling sick. The movement seemed to catch the goalkeepers attention, the man’s smile wide and unsettling as usual. Kevin was also looking now, before Nathaniel could turn his head the striker’s boney fingers grabbed his chin forcing his face to the side where he could get a better look.

“What did he do to your face Nathaniel?”

Nathaniel pulled himself from Kevin’s grasp, his throat closed in on itself. That evening came back to him, as clear as the day it happened, the scar burning in remembrance. The smell of burning flesh and blood filling his nostrels, the man’s heart started to quicken as his panic rose. It wasn’t until the smell of scotch distracted him from his thoughts, Andrew had begun to pour the contents of his glass onto the coffee table. He assumed Kevin would be yelling but the man was too busy survielling the bandage. Nathaniel hesitated for a moment more before ripping the damn thing off, letting it drop onto the coffee table. When he looked back to Kevin, the man's hands were clamped so tightly around his mouth Nathaniel expected to see blood dripping. No sounds were made, except the sound of Andrew who’d now crossed over to the window, the sound of him flicking his lighter made Nathaniel feel sick but the smoke soon distracted him.

“You never said anything,” Kevin managed; his hand now gripping the pillow, hugging it so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Nathaniel could only shrug, “Wasn’t one of the worse injuries.” That did not ease Kevins pain, the man leaned forward to take in the damage done, “It’s fine, there’s just no way I can explain it with a car crash? Speaking of which, have you spoken to the media yet?”

Kevin studied his face a little longer before beginning his response, “Not yet, Tetsuji announced a car accident a couple weeks ago. Me and Wymack were supposed to talk to the press but we’ve decided to delay it, me and Andrew are doing an interview instead when you sign for the foxes.”

A flash of anger surged through the boy before he just groaned, “I haven’t made my decision yet.”

“Go and get the contract, I want to read it.” Kevin’s orders were ignored but Nathaniel did point to one of the cabinets where papers were stacked high, leaning against the wall for stability. The striker rolled his eyes as he was forced to cross the room and retrieve the papers, all while Nathaniel went to the kitchen to grab something to clean the mess Andrew had left on the coffee table. Kevin examined the papers with much care, Wymack offered a full scholarship with tuition covered, meal plans accessible, access to the training facilities across campus and but also came with mandatory sessions with the team's psychiatrist. It also offered additional funds for the students to live from, to buy books and school equipment which was $150 per month during the school semesters.

“Tetsuji would offer me a car if I sign with him,” Nathaniel did not bother reading the paths, he knew the gist of what would be offered. Everything Nathaniel could not allow himself to have, choosing the foxes, choosing Kevin over Riko would be certain death. At least if he threw himself at the Masters mercy he may be used as a pawn to hurt Kevin when the Ravens win.

“You’d never be allowed to drive it anywhere, You’d be locked away and only let out for away games.” Kevin’s voice was plain, no actual heat to it, no anger hidden away. Just plain old facts.

“I’d still need a degree,” Nathaniel stated as he finally picked up a page from the files skimming it over.

“Perhaps…you know you could have a life here with the foxes, we are giving you a chance at freedom here,” Kevin took the paper from his hand, placing them back into the folder in order then dropping it on his lap, “The foxes are a rough bunch but not like how it is at the nest, you’ll be safe.”

This only made Nathaniel laugh, a cold and bitter laugh, “I will never be safe. You know that better than most. You are allowed to stay, you have Wymack and him,” he spat out nodding his head to Andrew who was sitting beside the window now working through his second cigarette, “I will have no one.”

“Why would they give us a broken little birdy if they did not wish him to be rehomed?” Andrew crossed the room, returning to curl up in the armchair opposite the sofa, “Curious, isn’t it?”

Nathaniel knew it didn’t make sense, he assumed it was a test. To test his loyalty despite the fact he’d already shattered the little trust the Master had for him. Andrew’s piercing stare was almost as unnerving as the position he had been put in, he was so close to freedom he could practically taste it but all he could see was the shackles around his hands. “I’ll ask him when I go back, now can I finish watching the game?”, no one protested as Nathaniel continued the game, pretending to watch as he just stared at the moving images thinking about his return. What more could Riko do? What more could they possibly take from him?

~~~~~

Thursday began as any of the other days did, Nathaniel awoke before the sun rose and went for a run. The boy would often stay out there for an hour of two, taking different routes and attempting to find his way back. This morning he found it much harder to find his way back, Wymack was sitting waiting at the breakfast bar with a newspaper in front of him and an empty coffee cup in his hand. Nathaniel saw a cup left for him, now lukewarm but the boy still enjoyed it none-the-less. While refilling Wymacks empty mug, the grouchy man thanked him with a subtle nod but his voice startled him a little, “Got lost?”.

The man was clearly joking but Nathaniels response was blunt, “Almost. Breakfast?”

The coach gave him a strange look before finally rising from his seat to look through the fridge, Nathaniel stole his seat flicking through the newpaper looking for the exy sections.”You know if you wanted to stop being useless-”

“I’ve cleaned your entire apartment you pri-”

Wymack did not waver after the interruption but instead spoke louder, “Then you can come to court, after practice I need some help cleaning some graffiti.”

Nathaniel considered the offer and then nodded, “Alright, can I borrow some equipment afterwards? Run a few drills?” He quirked his eyebrow upwards for a response, Wymack send him a simple nod, “And…I want you to call me Neil while I stay here. Nathaniel is such a mouthful, it’s getting annoying to hear.”

“Doesn’t matter to me, you will always be the annoying freeloader on my couch.” Wymack’s cold words did not match his calm expression.

The meal was peaceful at best, Neil threw his gym clothes into a plastic bag along with the water bottle he’d been gifted by Andrew’s cousin and joined Wymack to the Foxhole court. They arrived at 5:30, piping hot coffees in their hands and dark circles around their eyes. Wymack led them in, Neil almost squinted at the vibrancy of the orange, it engulfed the entire court. The court itself was a raging sun, smaller than the Ravens but it held such a captivating presence. David excused himself to his office while Neil made his way to the stands, where he dumped his stuff and set up a little space where he could kill time. Wymack gave him a notepad and pen a few days ago for when he was watching games, Neil had packed them without even thinking of what he was to do with them. He figured it out as soon as the foxes began to file out onto the court, they all looked up to him but he barely acknowledged their presence. Until Kevin reached the court, in that hideous orange which made Neil smirk, he nodded his head at the striker and received a similar greeting back. Nicky waved for the longest time until Neil finally lifted his hand to do the same, a much smaller wave but it lit up the backliners face.

The practice was a mess, only a few players worked well together, most of them antagonised each other. Drills were fine until a fight broke out, scrimmages were mostly fighting whether verbal or physical. Andrew’s family revolved around him even on court, even Kevin was caught up in his world but there Andrew stood. Back of the court, back of the line at the centre of the goal with his racket balancing on his shoulders. The man had not moved an inch, Neil tried to ignore him but he was not watching the game, his eyes were on the spectator. Wymack knocked on the glass, yelling something Neil couldn’t make out. Andrew excused himself, sending a wave of relief over Neil until footsteps could be heard to his left. He didn’t waste his time looking back, he continued to scribble notes as he watched the game, while keeping his attention to the guest who had settled in the row just behind Neil.

“Who’s the worst?” Andrew had leaned forward, his head a couple inches from Neil’s as he peered over to briefly regard the notepad in his lap.

“The goalkeeper, number 3. What good is a goalkeeper if they don’t guard the goal?” Neil felt his mouth pull into a smile.

“How can I play when there is an imposter in our midst?” Andrew’s gaze lifted to look at Neil’s profile.

Neil swung his head, side to side, then looked to Andrew wth an overaggerated confused expression, “An imposter? You are paranoid.” An accusation which brought a little comfort to his heart, Kevin would possibly thrive with the foxes as long as Andrew stood beside him.

“I do not trust you, Nathaniel…or is it Neil? Perhaps Abram?” Andrew laughed at Neil’s spike of rage, his expression smoothed others quickly but his response was already noted, “If you want to stay you just have to ask.”

Neil froze, feeling his breakfast slowly creep back up his esophagus. Nathaniel would not beg for a place here, it was one thing he could not do, one thing Riko always wanted from him. To hear him plead and beg for the King’s mercy as he was being torn about piece by piece. Handcuffs that pried open Nathaniel’s skin as he struggled against the fire or the blades. Eventually, Neil heaved his mind to the present taking a deep breath but turning to face the caught instead of the man beside him. “I will not beg to have a place here, that would make this place no better than the nest and you no better than Riko”, the boy’s hand trembled, his scars tingling from the memories but his eyes still followed the players on the court.

“I don’t trust you. I don’t like you.” Andrew claimed leaning back, out of Neils space once more, the man seemed unaffected by the accusation Neil had thrown at him. At least he finally had some space to breathe.

The goalkeeper never returned to practice, instead his burning stare remained at the back of Neils head until the players were leaving the pitch. The boy remained in the stands a little while longer, waiting patiently for the coast to clear and once it was he changed out. At first he just ran laps, then moved on to some drills. By lunch, Neil’s muscles were screaming at him, his arms already aching but a sense of pride filled his heart just for being at court no matter how empty it felt. The boy was rusty after weeks of rest, his aim was off and he was fumbling over simple footwork wired so efficiently in his mind but the frustration soon melted away into ambition. Kevin strived for perfection and was often met with frustration but Neil was driven by passion.

Wymack presented a freshly changed Neil with a pizza and around five side dishes which they shared in the Coaches office. The chit chat centred the foxes practice which amused the Raven, the boy handed over his notes for Wymack to look over. The man’s eyes scanned the writing with a few occasional scoffs and nods, Neil only laughed as he was kicked out with a bucket of water and a brush. That’s when he spent the next couple of hours outside, scrubbing black Ravens off the walls of the Foxhole court.

Endless scrubbing with water and soap, still there were black stains on the brickwork. Faded and shapeless but there, reminders of the Ravens anger the poison that spread all the way to the fans. The boy gave up a few minutes before the Foxes began to pull up, Neil was sitting against the wall with a black bandana, drenched in sweat, pulling his auburn hair away from his face. The first to arrive was a walking group of fifth years, they offered only snarky looks as they passed him. The next was a strikingly red sports car, the make looked expensive and that was confirmed when Allison Reynolds and Seth Gordan exited the car. The woman dragged her sunglasses down to the bridge of her nose to study the boy, the man scoffed at him and told him to ‘fuck off back to the hole he crawled out off’ which Neil just laughed at.

A monstrous truck parked right after the sports one but the players were much slower to leave. Renee Walker offered him a warm smile, Dan Wilds looked sympathetically at him but Matt Boyd looked horrified, “My God, You look like you’ve done three rounds with the sun.” The backliner reached into the duffel hanging on his shoulder, ruffling roughly though his belongings only to retrieve a store-bought bottle of water then extending it over to the Raven with a large teeth-baring grin. Neil hesitated to take it which twitched the corner of Matt’s lips but the smile remained. Neil took it, nodding to the man before he followed Renee into the court.

Kevin’s lot were next, Aaron walked past without looking at Neil, Nicky offered a very bright hello but was hushed away. Kevin crouched in front of Neil, the judgey look weighing heavy but at least casting a shadow where the boy could hide from the sun. “Why is it so hot?” Neil brought the bottle back up to his lips only to find he’d already finished it.

“The sun will do you good, you’ve been locked in the dark too long.” Kevin tilted his head then stood to look at the paint, “You missed-”.

“You’ve been here for how long now? You’re still pale as shit.” Neil rested his head on the wall looking up to the sky, “Even now you don’t take any breaks…Why?”

Kevin stared down at him for a while, probably unable to find a reason for himself. The striker left without a word, Andrew dropped his cigarette bud in the bucket of water, offering Neil a two finger salute as he disappeared inside alongside his makeshift partner.

~~~~~

Neil trailed back inside eventually, finding his makeshift perch in the stands. The notes he’d previously made were now in the hands of Kevin who was flicking through it while barking orders at the team. The foxes looked much more feral than the morning practices, much more aggressive but this time all of it was directed to a certain Raven striker which also meant Andrew could not leave the court to keep an eye on Neil. The boy’s attention was drawn to his phone, he’d spent the last few days slowly downloading apps he may find helpful, as well as twitter to keep an eye on Riko’s socials to see when he’d reappear after Tetsuji’s punishment.

The fascination around the contact number still remained, Neil finally found himself at a place where he was more curious than scared. So he took the leap, pressing his quaking finger on the call button.

It rang.

And rang.

And rang.

“Nathaniel?” The voice was croaky, barely a mumble as it came through the phone. There was one thing Neil could hear clearly through the static, mutter. British accent.

“Hatford?” It was a family his mother wished to go to, for refuge and for safety. Reliable, familar oriented, loyal. Why were they calling him? There were so many questions Neil could ask but they all got caught in his throat.

“It’s about bloody time, I’ve been waiting for this call for weeks. You still in South carolina?” The man seemed more awake now, his voice still gruff but more certain this time.

“Ye-Yes I am. How did you know?” Neil kept his eye at the court as he spoke, his hushed whispers did not help with the paranoia that was clouding his mind nor did it help his fear.

“Who’d you think got you out?”

Everything stopped. It felt like the whole world had stopped spinning. Neil couldn’t even bring himself to breathe. The phone was discarded on the seat beside as the boy struggled for oxygen. The image of his mother stuck in his mind. Not her smile, not her laugh, the expression of fear she had hidden in a crooked smile, the panic of her voice rang in his mind. The figure, at the hospital. Neil thought it was a dream, a hallucination from all the drugs that had warped his mind.

“You were at the hospital.” The phone was caught in Neil’s claw grip, his breathing sharp and furious, “You got me out.”

“Should’ve been sooner but as soon as you were sold to those little psycho’s you were untouchable. Shame you almost died,” The little empathy in his voice seemed to translate into bluntness, any sympathy must’ve been lost in accents it seems.

“Why?”, Neils confusion was pure and overwhelming. Mary knew her family would start a war with the Moriyama’s for her, that’s why she wanted to run to them but she couldn’t make it out of the country.

“You’re a Halford, If not by name then by blood. I can’t do much from where I am, I’m waiting on some circumstances to change with the Moriyama’s. I need you to stay where you are, I can’t do anything if you go back in that bloody cave. The main family won’t do anything but that second family will be a problem I can’t help you with.” A moment of silence fell between them, static sounds from the long distance call was all that could be heard for a few moments before the man continued, “Stay with the Day kid, keep in the media, more eyes on you the better. If you manage to do all this, I will try to get you clear of the Moriyama’s by the end of the year.”

Neil took a deep breath, his fingers tapping a steady rhythm into his leg, “Steve, right?”.

A raspy laugh bellowed through the device, “Close. Stuart. Now can you manage this?”.

“You got me out so I can slum it with the worst Class I team, I will have little freedom despite Tetsuji and Riko either wanting me killed or back in the palms of their hands so you might get me free.” The boy let out a tired breath, leaning back onto the seats behind. “I didn’t ask for your help.”

“You are just like your mother.” Stuart's voice seemed solemn now, but the mention of his mother struck a violent blow to Neils heart, “We are dealing with this, you can accept it and live the life your mother wished for you or you can follow the path Nathan has laid out for you.” The man certainly knew what to say to get Neil to stop and think for a second, going back to the nest would be a death sentence if Riko had any sense or he would just spend the rest of his days locked up and tortured. Staying would mean getting a slice of freedom, while it lasted anyway. Could that be enough? The foxes weren’t the best but they had life, passions that weren’t just violence and perfection. Wymack was a good person, a good coach.

“Looks like I’ll have to get used to orange then…” Neil let out a groan, “Keep me updated and I’ll try to stay alive.”

There were not many words from Stuart’s end for a couple minutes, just rustling around. “You got the knives I left? The card too? Wait no…” Some more moments passed where Neil could only hear the rustling of papers and slamming of draws, “No no I left the card with an associate I’ve left in Palmetto, If you give me an address I’ll have it sent in the morning.”

Neil had his reservations with handing out his address to the man, they were family and he was helping but why? The only thing tying them together was Mary and she’d been dead for too long for them to care now, “Have it sent to the Fox Tower addressed to Kevin Day as well as me. What are you sending me a card for?”

Stuart huffed, sounding as if he was waiting for a coffee, the sounds of the machine deafening, “Well that contract only offers so much cash and it’s barely enough for the book’s you’ll need. Don’t worry we’re not throwing you free cash, your mother got some inheritance from our grandparents, they passed while she was married to that freak Wesninski. Now we’re not giving it all over, god knows what you’ll do with it. £250,000 should do you for now. Not sure how that converts but should last you for the year, now if that’s all I’d really like to go back to bed.”

Stuart ended the call before Neil could say anymore, a quarter of a million pounds. That’ll be converted into almost $350,000 which could last Neil his entire life, this would be enough to get him out of America. France or Germany feel like obvious options. Far enough away from America but it was also a little too close to the Halfords, they wouldn’t be happy to go through all this trouble just for him to bolt. What exactly would he be leaving? Kevin had managed to find himself a place here, close to his father and surrounded by people just as messed up as he was. He was safe.

What about Jean? Neil felt his heart sink, it had turned to stone and dropped a tonne down on him. He was alone, he was trapped with those monsters. Stuck in the darkness, seeing only black and red, darkness of the night and the red of his blood. Neil couldn’t piece him together anymore or throw himself in the line of fire. Kevin couldn’t distract the King or throw the Ravens away from the battered partners. Neil was one side of a coin without his partner living felt wrong. Even worse when he knew how dim the nest would get. Neil couldn’t run, not from him.

~~~~~

The scholarship was signed a few days after that phone call but Neil had hidden them, too scared to give them over to Wymack. It meant a future, a place where he could finally belong as a person and not an possession. Neil found himself at a few more of the foxes’ practices, taking notes or looking up the various courses he could apply for. Spanish was a sure choice, another language under his belt could come in handy, Mathematics is another good choice but came with a lot more responsibility. Neil had attempted to take Kevin asside to speak with him but could never bring himself to tell him the truth, it was best that the Halfords involvement remained secret. The best Kevin did was give the letter to Neil as soon as it was delivered, probably thinking it was from the Moriyama’s.

The week was peaceful, Wymack was his usual asshole-self with the underline caring every once in a while. Like when he walked in on Neil without the bandage over his tattoo, the man’s face went from fury, to horror and then some kind of guilt. The Coach was quick to leave, Neil shut the man down when he attempted to talk about it but he took it graciously and put the subject away.

~~~~~

The sun was finally setting, a dark orange had captivated the sky finally allowing the darkness to creep in. Neil had enjoyed spring as a child, the strangest colours in the sky with all the life being created in the garden, the boy saw so much death that even the littlest of life gave him hope. At the Nest, he was hidden away from the seasons, the sky and the outside world. Now he sat hanging out a window in Wymack’s apartment, watching people go about their lives. A couple were sitting in their car, heads bobbing to the music roaring from within. An old woman was shuffling down the street with her stroller with plastic bags piled up and barely hanging on as she moved.

Sounds by the door tore Neil’s eyes from the window, Wymack’s footsteps were heavy and his stomping unmissable. The clashing of his boots against the stairs echoed to all floors of the building but Neil hadn’t noticed the person’s footsteps. Neil pushed himself away from the window and closer to the hallway. Andrew was stalking down the hallway, head to toe in black with his armbands, he was slidding a box of cigarettes into his cargo’s when he spotted Neil. The goalkeeper’s eyebrow flung upwards, as his gaze worked its way over Neil.

“You lost?” Neil’s arms hung by his side, his left wrist brushing against the knife in his short pocket knowing what Andrew kept hidden beneath his armbands. Tension built in his shoulders as he faced the calm grinless man before him.

“Are you lost?” Andrew crossed the room, not taking in any of the soundings, keeping his eyes on Neil’s, “You and I are long overdue a chat.” The man sat directly in the middle of the couch dragging his legs up to sit crossed legged, something in Neil cringed. Until Andrew threw his hand up, gesturing to the armchair opposite, “Sit.”

Neil’s eyes remained blank when the knives were revealed from the armbands, being twisted around Andrew’s fingers carefully. A small but sure threat. A grin was slow to form on his face, he attemped to wipe the smile off but it kept creeping back. Not a bone in his body felt fear, it had been a while since he’d felt it. Truly. At the nest it was often anticipation or even guilt, but fear was reserved for his father.

“Ask then,” It was bound to happen, Neil would be disappointed if he was welcomed with open arms and no questioning at all. The circumstances were strange, so strange Neil had only really worked it out recently. Instead of the armchair, he returned to the windowsil where he could at least get a view of the entire room.

“You’re not making sense, Kevin doesn’t question it because he’s desperate for you to stay. I do not care. So whether or not you’ll be allowed to stay depends on how good you are at telling the truth. Can you manage that?” Andrew’s expression tightened for a second, his gaze steadily attached to Neil who just nodded casually. “Did Riko send you to come and drag Kevin back to him?”

“I wasn’t sent by the Moriyama’s, I am not here to drag Kevin away from you.” Neil’s voice was firm, unwavering. “I just want to play exy, is that so hard to believe?”

“Disgusting,” Andrew’s face scrunched up ever so slightly, “Exy junkie? An evil scheme would be more likely. I don’t trust you.” The man’s eyes narrowed, trying to find the lies hiding beneath Neil’s skin but came up empty. “The Moriyama’s wouldn’t have transferred you here without a reason, if that reason isn’t Kevin, what is it?”

Neil hesitated a moment, wondering how much it would take for Andrew to let it go, to allow him in. Kevin did as Andrew commanded, so some trust had to be formed between the two of them. He’d already lost so much, losing Kevin when he’s this close to having him back would just be cruel. “I wasn’t transferred by the Moriyama’s.”

Andrew’s interest seemed to have peaked as his body leaned forward, his eyes widening just that little bit, “Do go on.”

“Kevin doesn’t even know, what makes you think I’ll tell you? I can’t trust you.” This time he stood, slowly and dramatically crossing the room, his eyes examining Andrew’s face as he plopped himself onto the armchair.

“What do you want in exchange?” The question seemed so simple but Neil paused, his face couldn’t help but drop its guard. The neutral expression warped into confusion but Andrew dismissed it.

“Why do you protect Kevin?” The boy already had a good idea of what was exchanged between them but a truth for a truth seemed like the fairest exchange.

“Kevin seems to think he can give me something to live for once the happy meds are gone.” Andrew’s face was unreadable, not bored but guarded.

“He’s promised to take you to court?” Neil’s question was met with silence. “Right. Tetsuji claimed he transferred me to save face because he doesn’t know who did or how they did. The series of incidents that lead me are a mixture of coicindence and tragedies. I’d rather not hash them all out as I’m sure you’ll piece them together. Some family from my mothers side had a hand in the transfer, a gang based in Britain.” Neil took a deep breath, tapping his fingers lightly against the steel in his pocket. Honesty left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Andrew considered it for a moment, searching Neil’s face for any hint of a lie, “Kevin likes having you around which is lucky for you. Nothing ties him here, if Tetsuji told him to return that coward wouldn’t hesistate to go.”

“Kevin doesn’t know how to tell him no.”

“You certainly know how, I haven’t forgotten your little show at that interview. I’ll stand between you and the second family for one year if you can give Kevin a reason to stay here and stand his ground with us.” Andrew’s words were stable, his voice wicked but his face telling a different story. The man’s hand stilled, now clutching the handles of his knives out of desperation, beads of sweat now forming on his face. Sobriety only looks good for so long.

“You think you can manage that? I’m not quite as docile as our star Kevin day,” A year Neil was gifted, that was enough. More than enough.

“I wouldn’t have offered it if I wasn’t capable.” Andrew smashed his fist against the coffee table, Neil didn’t flinch but instead cocked his head to the side. Kevin waltzed in, a bunch of papers in one hand and a bottle of pills being lobbed down the hall from the other.

“Sign them,” Kevin dropped the files in Neils lap, a pen following shortly after. Neil flicked through them, the scholarship that Wymack had offered once again in his lap. The boy’s gaze flicked to Kevin then over to Andrew who was trembling on the couch, his knees tucked into his chest. “Janie smalls tried to commit suicide and will not be joining us next year so you’ll be joining as a striker.”

Neil was quick to his feet, the files scattering across the carpetted floor graciously, “Like fuck I will.” The boy’s hand went up his bandaged tattoo, Kevin looked with a grim expression. “I’d be worse than Gordan, I’ve not touched that position. I can’t-” Neil stopped himself before he continued, words stuck in his throat.

“Backliner was the position you were given, not the one you chose. You will go to court regardless. Give me your game, I will take you to court as one of the best strikers in Exy history, I will train you every night myself. By championships, you will be better than Gordan in every way.” Kevin’s eyes were determined as they fought against Neil’s hesitance.

“If I sign, If I agree to stay here and give you my game, I need this to be nothing like the nest.” Kevin looked as if he was going to speak up but Neil continued anyway, “I will not be property nor will I be your white knight anymore. I will be Neil, freshman striker for the foxes and nothing more.”

The room stilled for a second, Andrew was still cluching onto his med bottle, stiff against the sofa as he waited for them to take effect but his eyes never strayed from him. While Andrew’s eyes were curious, Kevin’s were hungry with determination. A fire stirred inside his eyes that Neil saw only on the court, “If you wish to be Neil so be it. Sign the papers now, Wymack will order everything you need tonight. We’ll get Abby to sign you off as soon as possible.”

The fire in Kevin’s eyes soon sizzled, the man turned a weary look to Andrew but he seemed to only have eyes on Neil. Kevin closed the gap between himself and Neil, treading heavily on the scattered files, “This is not the nest.”

Neil nodded, it was a relief to be away from that monstrous hovel but he felt grief in Kevins unspoken words, this wasn’t the nest. This was learning to live all over again, new rules, new people, new routines. No matter how happy Neil was that he was out, a piece of his heart had been left back at Evermore, his mind too. He heard it in the mellow voices of the radio that could still be heard filling the blank spaces left in the corners of the apartment or the curtains that Neil refused to open himself as he was so used to being swallowed up by darkness or being blinded by artificial lights. Most importantly the crushing guilt he felt when his mind wandered to Jean. Even now his thoughts battered the name away, out of his sights. Neil set off into the kitchen, coming back with a rolled up stack of papers, Andrew began to laugh.

“Pulled them right from under our noses, huh? Didn’t realise we were in the presence of a magican. Got any more tricks up your sleeve? You ever pulled something out of a hat? A rav-”

“Shut up Andrew.” Kevin snapped as he ripped the paper out of Neil’s hand, scanning through all of them despite Andrew still chatting away in the background, “We’ll go give them to Coach, we might be able to get Abby to clear you tonight if you-”

Neil couldn’t stop the yawn that escaped his lips, Kevin’s glare of disapproval was irritating but Andrew’s bold and joyful voice cut through their stare, “Coach might not survive a visit from two Junkies tonight, Neil’s had a big day and probably need to be put to bed. Not often you birdies stay up past bedtime is it-”. Neil opened his mouth to protest but Andrew’s stare was unsettling.

“Too late for Abby anyway. You best be ready tomorrow, I’ll text when we are on our way.” Kevin stated as he was already halfway to the door out, Andrew trailing behind taking a bottle of scotch along with him and a small smirk.

Before the blonde disappeared out with Kevin, he turned to Neil with an unreadable expression. His smile warped his face into something psychotic and unnerving, two of his fingers rose to his forehead for a little salute as he smirked, “Remeber this moment, this is when you stop being a Raven.”

Chapter Text

The apartment door slammed with such excessive force, the man’s boots quaked the floors so violently the boy could feel it through the sofa as he approached swiftly. It only took Neil a couple seconds from being asleep to being on his feet and the blade which was safely tucked under his pillow to be cutched desperately in his hand. The boy was stumbling back, his eyes squinting at the light that shot straight into his eyes, pure terror swimming in his veins.

The footsteps stopped.

The lone figure centred in the lit hallway, the darkness of the living room shielded his face but did nothing for its tall frame and squared shoulder. A metallic taste posioned Neil’s tongue as his jaw clenched down on the inside of his cheek, the cold metal biting at the boy’s fingers as he forced his hands to fall still.

Show no fear.

Nathan Wesninski loved fear. He revelled in it. Lived for it. The man liked to inflict it, watch as it possessed even the greatest of men. The child had learned at a very late stage to fight it, as it grasped at his heart and drowned his mind. Neil pried his eyes wide open despite the blinding light, he willed his digits still as the blade was held like a shield.

“...Neil.” The words muttered in such a dulcet tone, Wymack’s voice was near impossible to regonise. The figure hunched, moving his arm slowly towards the wall until a switch was flicked.

The additional light blinded Neil for a few seconds but the boy refused to close his eyes or lower the blade. The dismay held strong even when the fog behind his eyes began to clear, the dark hair was enough for Neil to finally allow breath in his lungs. The more features that were uncovered from the darkness the more Neil’s panic settled. Wymack was stil, the man’s muscles seized and unmoving with his expression hard as nails. It was only when Neil chucked the knife back to the sofa the man moved, moving with caution like any sudden movement will set him off.

Neil had moved so far his back was now pressed firmly against the wall, to steady the trembling that he was trying too hard to stop, “What time is it?” the boy’s clenched fists rubbed harshly at his own eyes hoping the change in conversation will distract him.

“Late,” Wymack was now on the couch, placing the knife carefully on the coffee table before him then leaning back in his seat, “Sit.” The man’s order was calm but Neil knew better than to question his temper. Neil was hesitant but scrambled to the armchair furthest from the Coach and lifted his knees to his chest. “I may be loud, obnoxious and angry but I’m not violent. I’d never raise my hand to any of you.”

Any of you.

The Foxes were a team, messy and broken. But the Foxhole court was a halfway house, making the team a family. “...right.” That was all the boy could get out, unsure of how to respond to that.

“Kevin had some troubles around me at first…Tetsuji’s coaching methods that unorthodox?” It seemed the two Ravens had brought Wymack more than a few headaches, Neil was unsure of Kevin’s state when he arrived but he left a shell of himself.

Neil bit down on the inside of his lip, biting until the metallic taste of blood swirled around on his tongue, “You could’ve been a thief, coming in like that.” The boy’s detached expression did nothing to deter Wymack from the truth, “Come on Coach, you came in like a mad man. Any sane person would’ve reacted like me.”

The Coach considered it for a moment, nodding partially, “Yes probably…but not everyone sleeps with a knife.” The man’s gaze dropped to the knife on the coffee table, not one of his but he’d probably worked that much out already.

A silence settled between the two, a standstill. Neil didn’t know how far to push the lie, perhaps he could offer a half truth, blame it on Tetsuji or Riko or maybe he could continue to dance around it until the old man got too tired to continue. “You know about the nest?” Neil waited for a nod from the man, “So you know….you know. Why did you come in like that?”

Wymack accepted that, knowing already some of the horrors that Tetsuji kept buried beneath the court at Evermore. “Dumb and Dumbier dropped off your scholarship offer earlier, before I filed them I wanted to make sure you came to this decision without their influence. I know what Kevin’s like when Exy is involved and Andrew…Did they-”

“I signed days ago.”

“What have you been waiting for then?” Wymack was now halfway to his feet, his gentle tones now long gone with irritation lacing his words, “Do you know how long me and Kevin spent trying to convince the NCAA to give us more time? Why the hell wou-”

“I was waiting for Andrew.” That silenced the Coach immediantly, the man’s words disappeared as did any frustration he had leaving an expression of curiosity. “He’s been suspicious of me since I woke up. I was waiting for him to warn me off or something, he came around earlier.”

“You two talked?” Wymack’s eyes wandered over Neil, hesitating over his long sleeves for a little longer than the rest, “Just talked?”

“Worried, Coach?” The boy reached out to grab his knife, slipping it into his short pockets, “It was a lovely heart to heart. So I gave Kevin the papers, I will join your stupid team, I will wear the ridiculous colours of your team and I will reluctantly give up my place as a backliner…” Neil ignored the triumphant grin plastered on the Coaches face, “You still alright with me staying for the summer?”

Wymack rolled his eyes as he made his way to the entrance of the room, “Either you or one of Andrew’s lot and I’ve not caught you stealing my alcohol yet.” The man looked back at the kid, still curled up on his armchair with his tired eyes following his every move still. The coach looked although he was going to say something, something that was weighing heavily on his chest but instead settled for, “It’s late, my fault. Get some rest.”

The boy took a deep breath when the apartment finally returned to silence. No more footsteps or noise from downt he hall where Wymack’s room was. The only noise left was the distant sound of the occasional car from the road outside. Neil felt uneasy that night, even with his hand only inches away from the knife underneath his pillow. The boy’s eyes still sprung open with the slightest of noises, Wymack’s steady snores brought little stability to the night but he did manage to drift for a few hours at a time.

~~~~~

The Foxtower was everything Neil expected, four storys high with its own car parking. Bottles of crushed cans and takeout boxes scattered around the bins to the side, the entrance littered with cigarette buds and gum that had been squashed into the concrete. Neil pulled out a cigarette from the box in his pocket, used a match to light it then sat on the steps leading up to the athletes dorms. The cigarette resting between his index and middle finger, the fire spread steadily with the ash dropping in large chunks but Neil didn’t take a single drag. Just allowing the smoke to linger around him for a little while. When the remainder was crushed beneath his boot the boy noticed a figure casting a shadow across him, bringing him slight relief from the scorching sun. The day was quiet, enough that he should’ve heard her approach but it was as if she stepped on tiptoes.

“Neil, right?” The vibrant smile matched the cheer tone and her rainbow tipped hair, “If you're here to see Kevin, you just missed them. He and Andew just went out for food.”

Neil tilted his head slightly, offering the woman a shrug, “I’ll wait.”

Renee shook the cold beverage in her hand, sending the ice clashing together which seemed to only make Neil that much hotter, “You can wait inside with the AC?”. Something about her sincerity sent shivers across Neil, the more he saw her smile the more it seemed just as surface level as Andrew’s.

The boy dragged himself to his feet, nodding his head to the door allowing the goalkeeper to lead the way. The inside was clean, the walls mostly white with a huge board by the entrance filled with posters and adverts overlapping. Neil meant to sit in the entrance but the AC was down, the glass windows seemed to amplify the light coming inside which made it worse than outside. That’s how he found himself in the elevator on the way to the third floor.

“Thank you for letting me in,” Neil was about to plop himself down next to Kevin’s dorm door when Renee gently reached out to touch his upperarm but the boy had kept himself an arms reach away so her fingertips were millimetres away from his shirt.

“A few of us are in my dorm at the minute,” The offer was quickly rejected but the woman nodded, taking her hand back and turning back down the hall with a smile still holding strong on her face.

Andrew and Kevin took close to thirty minutes, coming back with two white bags filled with takeout containers. Andrew’s voice could be heard from inside the elevator, only sparing a couple lines to greet Neil before storming into his unlocked apartment. “Idiot,” was all Kevin muttered as he filtered inside. Aaron and Nicky were sat on two bean bags, invested in some sort of driving game on the TV. Andrew and Kevin were laying out all the food on the counter, gathering plates and cutlery.

“Why didn’t you knock on the door like a civilised person?” Kevin asked, shoving a plate into Neil’s hand, pointing to a metallic tray of vegetables and frowned when the boy went straight for the orange chicken instead.

“You weren’t in.” Which left Aaron and Nicky, spending time with those two was a far worse fate than sitting in an empty hallway. “What was I summoned for then? Exy games? Court?”

Kevin raised an eyebrow, sending a glance to Andrew who was too busy shoving food in his face to return it, “Exy games, get you started with striker plays we can run. Abby wants to see you before you get on court so you’ll have to wait until tomorrow…”

“Has Kevin shared the wonderful news yet?” Nicky’s bellows sent a large grin to Andrew’s face which filled Neil with dread just as he finished loading his plate.

“Oooooooo this is going to be marvelous. Tell the poor little mole rat the good news.” The blonde’s face bore a grin that took up his face, his eyes hovering around Neil’s auburn hair.

“We’re sorting out that rat's nest today,” Nicky walked fast, casually running a few fingers through the boy’s hair before allowing the food to serve as a distraction. Neil’s face drew a blank, Mary’s hands threw his hair as she took the scissors so it was comforting, Jean’s hands were methodical. Andrew’s presence went unnoticed until his face was only inches away from Neils.

“So many issues.” The boy’s eyes narrowed, trying to pry all the mysteries from Neil’s head only to show up with a blank, “We don’t have sidekicks here, licking our wounds and whatever you Ravens get up to. You’ll have to settle for dear ol’ Nicholas here.”

The look Nicky gave Neil disgusted him, he’d seen it often enough at the nest. Glances between players, a few sent to Jean with much encouragement from Riko, even some to him. Neil settled on a desk beside Kevin’s, a laptop was set up between them to watch an exy game while they ate. The playstyle Kevin was directing Neil towards was one built on speed, agility and being able to just fly past everyone. It would be different to playing backliner as he did now. Neil should’ve been scared, at least nervous being in a different place, learning all again. Instead all he felt was excitement, a newfound buzz in his veins for the sport he’d been practising for as long as he could remember.

At the nest there was no choice, no true choice. He and Jean were moulded into players three and four of the perfect court, raised to be the best backliners in Tetsuji’s image. Here it felt different, it was his choice to be there, to train beneath Kevin of all people. Here he could prove himself, prove he wasn’t chosen at random, he fought just as hard as Kevin, Riko and Jean to be as good as he was. What was a little more fighting?

Finger’s running through his hair pulled him from his thoughts, the boy grabbed the wrist of the perpetrator, twisting it in an odd way until he heard Nicky’s screech of pain. “Do they not have manners where you’re from?” Neil was quick to drop the arm once it was off of his head. Andrew plopped himself on the desk next to where Neil was sat, leaning closer to the open window as he lit a cigarette. Neil’s eye twitched as the lighter clicked, refusing to produce a flame for a few attempts.

“Hey hey hey.” Nicky put his hands in the air, the look he gave Andrew was shocked but the smile his cousin returned was almost genuine mocking, “I’m sorry gorgeous, where are my manners?” A pair of scissors and hand towel had been placed in front of Neil, Kevin handed them to Nicky with a scowl on his face but it was directed to Neil.

“Stop acting like a child, focus on the game.” Kevin’s attention returned to the game, the man’s face was now only inches away from the laptop with his hands busy scribbling down notes. Neil huffed, gesturing for Nicky to continue as he leaned back arms crossed at his chest.

Nicky’s touch was more gentle now but he was not quick at all, the man kept standing to the side to see Neil’s face which made him more uncomfortable. Even as he shuffled in his seat, keeping his stare glued to the screen before him Nicky was unwavering. The man’s touch wasn’t as harsh as his mothers, nor was it uncaring like Jeans’, it was soft. Like pulling too hard would damage him forever. Neil wasn’t some delicate flower, a hard tug wouldn’t break him so somehow the tender touch offended him.

“Wowwwwww,” Andrew was leaning forward, letting the cigarette ash drop down onto the desk, “Look at the mess you’ve made of this one.”

Nicky attempted to wave Andrew back but a single look sent him backwards a couple paces, “It looks stunning, I did a wonderful job…how about we go and grab a drink just as a little thank you.”

“I didn’t ask you to cut my hair.” Neil shrugged, brushing his fingers through his hair, shaking any remaining hairs off his head and shoulders.

“At least pretend to let a guy down gently, I have a big heart you know.” The man’s face warped into a childish pout but Aarons groans of disgust could be heard from anywhere.

Neil pointed to his own plain expression, “Disinterested. Get a good look because that’s all I feel towards you.” The flirting, the looks, it was all irritating. Tiny little pricks of annoyance that just seemed to build so Neil could hardly see the good features anymore.

Nicky’s pouting only got worse as he outwardly whined to Andrew, who was drawing a smiley face in the collection of ash. Kevin attempted to shush them but Andrew had just gotten started on a rampage about some movie coming out. Neil grabbed the laptop and decided to watch from the bedroom, Kevin chased him down to the room. The Ex-ravens sat together in the bed until it was dark, their dinner was delivered to them by a very chatty Andrew.

~~~~~

The four of them decided to not go to Columbia until the Raven’s fans had backed off a little more, Andrew deemed it far too dangerous for Kevin and didn’t want to leave Neil either. Abby did not want to clear Neil until summer had officially begun so he was stuck working out normally until then, despite running drills just fine before he joined the team. Kevin was agitated but surprisingly understanding of Abby’s concerns.

The weeks before summer went excruciatingly slow, Neil ached to be on court and decided to run it off of his mind which usually left him physically aching. Andrew took his promise to protect Neil very seriously, the three of them spent far too much time together for the other foxes not to notice but none directly approached Neil. Renee and Matt offered passing smiles whenever they could but the boy almost always redirected his sights to the floor. Technically his time as a fox began when summer pratices started, until then he was just an acquaintance of Kevin.

Neil almost found himself pleasantly comfortable, Andrew and Nicky’s constant yapping reminded him of the nest so silence was never allowed in their presence. Kevin and Aaron’s stoney deminor reminded him a little of Jean, of course it wasn’t the same. Neil didn’t want it to be. Jean wasn’t here but the little reminders of his partner was enough for him to have something to cling to. Pieces of Jean were left in the french they spoke when they were alone, in the sarcasm Neil and Kevin threw at one another, between Kevin and Neil as they lay together watching Exy games until dark. It wasn’t much but it was enough.

~~~~~

Finally the day came when everyone was forced to move out from the Foxtower, the elevators were busy all day and people were cluttering the hallways with their chattering and tears. Goodbyes weakened the hearts of many students. The foxes shed no tears for the fifth years’ leaving, Andrew’s lot didn’t even look at them. It took hours to pack up all their belongings and even more to transport it all to Abby’s house, in total it took three trips but luckily Abby’s garage was fairly vacant.

The woman welcomed the Foxes with open arms, she was especially attentive towards Neil and kept a watchful eye on Kevin too. Andrew went straight for the alcohol with Kevin falling quickly behind, Nicky distracted the adults (Wymack had somehow heard off the big dinner Abby had planned and decided he couldn’t miss a homecooked meal) while Aaron decided to find an armchair.

“Come in, come in. Don’t hover in the entrance, you’re letting out all the cool air.” Abby guided the boy inside with a gentle hand on his shoulder, she closed the door behind him but didn’t move.

“Um…Can you clear me for practice now?” Neil’s question was met with a slight frown from the nurse, her eyes moving across the boy’s face to the bandage over his cheek bones. The woman nodded slowly and started for the kitchen barking orders at everyone to help cook dinner or set up the table.

“What about baby Kevin? Why doesn’t he get a job? Isn’t that some kind of favouritsm? I did not expect such blatant bias from you Abigail,” Andrew’s whining was followed by a large swig of whatever alcohol was in his glass, Wymack walked closer to the nurse waiting for the answer to the questions.

“I’m gonna give Neil his last once over but I’m warning you, I do not want him thrown back into my care.” This was directed straight to Andrew with an expression formed from rage and sorrow.

Wymack cleared his throat with a raspy cough, pulling all attention from the room, “Andrew has reassured me already that won’t happen this time, right?”

Andrew’s grin had widened to an uncomfortable size, even Nicky was silently watching the exchange. Neil had a few more questions in mind if Andrew ever wanted to continue that little back and forth they had going on, as of now neither of them had mentioned it. The goalkeeper had poked and prodded at Neil, attempting to stir a reaction but he didn’t have the cruel edge of Riko’s jabs.

“Me and Princess Peach over there have worked through all our issues, isn’t that right?” Andrew’s smile had calmed, less manic than it was earlier but still unsettling. The nicknames were getting irritating but predictable since Andrew had lost a game of Mario Kart earlier with Kevin on Princess Peach, Neil wasn’t exactly sure how he’d ended up with the nickname but at least he knew where it came from.

“A delightful chat which I hope will never happen again,” Neil turned to the nurse, not particularly wanting to look anymore at Andrew. Abby nodded her head, happy with the response, probably hoping for some sort of friendship between them. Neil didn’t see that happening, for now they tolerated each other for Kevin. The woman led Neil to an office upstairs, pushed up against the wall was a sofa so he predicted one of Andrew’s lot would be using this as a makeshift bedroom. The boy pulled up his cargo’s to allow the nurse to check the burns, the scar tissue was extensive and pulled occasionally but Neil didn’t mention that. It wasn’t enough to whine about so there was no point. The shoulder was fine but he predicted that would be the case, he also reported that the surgery’s had no complications so in other words he was as good as new. All the bruises had faded and all that remained was the scars as per usual.

Abby should’ve cleared him weeks ago. The woman had sorrow-filled eyes as she examined his legs, he couldn’t imagine her face if she saw it all. The boy’s body was a minefield of disasters, reminders perminatly etched onto his body of what he couldn’t stop. Neil couldn’t bear to look at them, when he caught a glimpse of the silver patterns he could feel his mind slip into his past.

“I know you’ve been recovered for a while but trust I know what I’m doing, yes? I would never intentionally stop one of you playing if I didn’t believe it was in your best interest.”

“You ask me to trust you. I don’t know you.” Neil spoke quickly, not wanting to offer a single second she could protest, “Why then?”

“The foxes are an aggressive bunch, as much as I love them I know better than anyone how quickly practice for them turns into a fight.” Neil sent the woman a look of confusion, the Ravens weren’t exactly a delicate bunch but she continued without missing a beat, “Your body needed to rest, you’ve been fighting for so long. Don’t you feel better now your body is at one hundred percent?”

The body didn’t respond. More like he couldn’t respond. At the nest there was almost always something wrong with him, bruises and aches from pratice or perhaps a little more from Riko or Tetsuji. Abby was right, Neil couldn’t remember the last time he wasn’t in pain. “Your dinner is probably ruined.”

It wasn’t. Aaron seemed to ensure that, this might’ve been the most interested Neil had seen him, when his face wasn’t stuck in a text book or on his phone. Andrew gave Neil the once over when he and the nurse returned but he didn’t return any sort of look, instead he nodded to Kevin who’s eyes immediately lit up. The conversation from then onwards was a battle between normal topics and Kevin who was adamant in talking exy all evening. Abby finished dishing up the Roast dinner as the others arranged seating. Wymack, Kevin and Andrew sat together with Nicky between his cousins and Abby beside Wymack. Neil was shuffled awkwardly between Aaron and Abby just watching them as entertainment. Wymack and Kevin spoke mostly of the next season, the plan Kevin devised to get him adjusted to his new role in his new team. Neil would still be much better than most freshmen, Raven’s simplest drills could prove that since he’d mastered them before he was 14.

Andrew, Nicky and Abby spoke about mundane things like movies, celebrities or around the world news. This conversation was much more striking, Neil didn’t have much time nor means to explore other interests. Exy, Jean and Kevin were more than enough in the nest. Though he couldn’t see himself curled up in front of a TV watching an action movie or going out with friends to a bar to drink away his problems. Even now the boy’s mind refused these things just out of instinct. Could he want something just for himself anymore?

Kevin’s been here for months and the only thing he’d got is a problem with alcohol. The man’s world still revolves around Exy and everything exy related. Neil didn’t want that, he wanted more. Jean wanted more. Jean wanted to see his sister again. To see Marseille once more. Jean wanted freedom once. A long time ago. Neil hadn’t thought of it since…Mary.

“So many issues”

Chapter Text

Neil was on court the day following the dinner; joined by every single one of Andrew’s lot. Aaron only spoke to complain about having to go to court or to insult someone. Nicky was quieter than usual. Andrew was completely normal. Kevin had energy radiating off him despite the early hours of the day. Neil thought the ex-raven was possibly just excited to have someone new yet familiar to yell to. Wymack had given over a spare set of keys for the court to his roommate, not given in person but instead left on the side with a note ‘Kevin will show you’. A generous gift considering the only other person with a set was Kevin, perhaps the former Ravens were too obvious with their desperation to be on court.

Andrew and Kevins voices overwhelmed the journey all the way to the locker room, Andrew’s passionate ‘disinterest’ for exy kept the topics being dragged to more mundane things that Neil had no interest in. Especially when it was all coming from the Goalkeeper. Instead he rushed to his new locker, number 10, it would look strange at first but it would feel worse. Like a kick in the teeth, falling from fairly high graces to number 10 with the foxes. The Ravens were a malicious lot, cruel and violent but they could not argue against the talent of the perfect court.

Neil’s fingers reached up to his tattoo, only to be met by the bandages' soft material. Perfect court was a shattered mess, Nathaniel was number 3 for the Ravens for all Riko cares. Neil would be number 10 for the foxes. The boy scratched at the edge of the fabric, ripping it off his face as soon as he got a corner free. No point hiding it anymore.

“Did you ever get around to that interview?” Neil’s voice cut through Nicky’s bubbly tone turning all their heads to him, a look of distress flashed across his face but whatever he was about to say was drowned out by Kevin’s response.

“We’ve set up an interview here on Friday, Wymack and I will corroborate the story the Master has spun and announce you signing on with the foxes.” Kevin was already stripping and climbing into his gear.

“I’ll be there.” Neil started to collect the basics of the gear to go and seek privacy in a toilet stall, “I mean surely they’d want the news straight from me, right?”

“No, you can’t-” Kevin stopped himself, something strange flashed across his face as his authoritative tone faded as his certainty began to slip.

“Can’t I?” Both of them knew why he couldn’t, he wasn’t allowed. Tetsuji would never allow it which made Neil want it so much more. While Kevin was still stuck in the nest, following their rules and their schedules. Neil was beginning to enjoy his freedom more and more. Kevin avoided his eyes, deciding instead to stare at the scarred cheekbone. “I’ll be there.” This time a small, hestitant nod was the response he received, still better than the straight up rejection.

The boy slid into the bathroom stall before Nicky could say anything to him about his face, Aaron let a disgusted stare slip before dismissing the newest display of honesty. Andrew was the only person waiting in the locker room when the others had already left.

“What an unexpected display of honesty.” The goalkeeper was sat crosslegged against the lockers beside Neil’s as he continued to add to his gear.

“Feeling generous.” The boy shrugged, hoping that would be enough for Andrew to go away but unfortunately that was not the case.

“Why do you want to do the interview? You don’t seem like one to enjoy the spotlight?” The manic smile was accompanied by Neil’s new racket which was being tapped onto the ground in a rhythm, the longer the silence between them lasted the harsher the racket was smashed into the ground.

“This part of your little game?” Neil narrowed his eyes, leaning against his closed locker as he adjusted his jersey.

Andrew let out a short, breathy laugh, “Only if you answer.”

“I want them to know we aren’t following their rules anymore, I wasn’t allowed to speak to the public during my time in Evermore.” Neil reached out for his racket, grabbing the top and stopping the drugged maniac damaging his brand new racket. Andrew didn’t allow him to take it, his fingers went white keeping it unmoveable from his clasp.

“Your turn.” Andrew’s smile curled more, a hint of some emotion sparked in his eye but Neil couldn’t place it.

“Right…um your armbands? Are they just for your knives or are they a fashion statement?” Having them always meant that Neil couldn’t relax, knowing the knives were always there with the impulsive and violent Goalkeeper.

Andrew considered the boy in front of him for a moment, his smile dimming just that little bit but his gaze never straying from Neil’s deep blue eyes, “At first they were to hide scars. I got the knives later on so it just made sense to keep them.” The goalkeeper relaxed his grip so Neil could snatch the racket from his grasp.

The two of them walked silently onto the court, Andrew following behind the striker so close that Neil swore he could feel his breath. Kevin was unimpressed by their late arrival, ordering them to do laps. Andrew did three laps then retreated to his goal but Neil continued until he was called in, only then did he realize what Kevin had set up. Andrew, Nicky and Aaron were defending the goal with Kevin and Neil positioned to score upon them. The goalkeeper didn’t flinch when Kevin scored nor did he move a muscle to stop it, although it seemed Kevin had more than that on his mind. Every single thing he stopped to say was a criticism for Neil, whether it be for a foul play, a missed goal or not being able to get past the defence. Nicky and Aaron were overjoyed that the negativity was finally pointed to someone else.

Anytime Neil did manage to slip past the defense which was more often than not, Andrew made scoring almost impossible. The only time the goalkeeper moved was to block a shot Neil had taken, it almost felt like the only reason he was on the pitch was to ensure the ex-raven had a miserable time on court. By the end of practise, he was drained with every fibre of his body weary and achy but Neil was consumed by determination. The two backliners were good but Neil was better and faster. The struggle would be to knock down years worth of defensive strategies and mindsets, replacing it with offensive strategies.

Lunch time eventually rolled around but Neil didn’t leave with the others. The silence of the court reminded him of time with Jean, cleaning the court after practice. The boy even tried turning off all the lights, wondering if working in the dark would help. The shadows crept in, every time he turned he expected Jean to be there with that stupid expression of his. This was wrong. All wrong.

Kevin entered the court alone, Neil searched for the others but was met with a singular figure up in the stands. His patience was wearing thin but Kevin was running him through drills for them both now. The two practised in the dark, despite Kevin not knowing anything except the light he remained under the cloak of darkness. Where Neil needed to be. The two strikers worked until Andrew smashed something into the plexiglass.

Wymack’s sofa was a well needed sight, a glass of water was waiting for him on the coffee table alongside a plate of food. The water lasted only seconds after Neil’s arrival and he scoffed the food as soon as he was sat. It was strange for him to feel so much pain after so long, training like that a few months ago would’ve been fine but now it’s like all his muscles had seized. That nurse was probably right in having him sit out for so long, the bitterness from this first practice had nothing on the weeks of rest.

~~~~~

The next few days had a similar pattern. The five of them would show up to court in the morning, run drills and practise plays for a while. Four would leave for lunch while Neil continued to run solo drills or just do laps. Kevin and Andrew would return in the afternoon with the goalkeeper staying up in the stands or disappearing off somewhere else. Neil would be better than most of the Raven strikers, the skills are all drilled into his mind but hardwired in the wrong way. He aimed for confrontation when really he’d suppose to avoid it, he aimed to pass the ball instead of take the shot, these things added up. Kevin’s venting was insufferable, most criticism was harsh but true. The man spared himself no mercy either, though his anger always found a way to be passed to the next person.

~~~~~

Soon enough it was Friday, Neil arrived at the court with Wymack while Kevin was escorted by Andrew. The others were not in attendance. The boy was practically dragged into the locker room by the three of them, Wymack slammed the door shut behind the foxes declaring he would only be allowed out if he was deemed presentable. Kevin was dressed up and even Andrew looked smart, still dressed like an emo.

As soon as they’d crossed the threshold a bag was given to Neil, the boy groaned and was about to present his argument when Kevin gave him a look. A look that stated ‘this isn’t optional’.

“I greatly dislike you.”

“Andrew picked these out.”

“I hate him too.”

Andrew gasped, clutching at his chest before his face fell into its normal manic grin routine, “Me? Are you quite-”

“We don’t have time for this. Just change, we can sort that out after.” Kevin’s direct stare at his hair was noted and dismissed. Neil stood with a blank stare for a minute, ignoring Kevin’s irritating tone as he kept telling him to hurry up. Andrew got the message, dragging Kevin around to the other side of the lockers to give Neil a slither of privacy.

It seems Kevin and Neil were dressed in similar styles, both wearing the same dark grey trousers with Kevin sporting a navy shirt while Neil was given a cream coloured shirt. Neither black. Accessories were left to rot at the bottom of the bag.

“All ready. let’s do this.” Neil walked to the other two foxes, running his fingers through his hair as he attempted to pull it back. Kevin came over to examine the outfit, pulling Neil’s hair into the shape he wanted it and tucking a portion of Neil's shirt in at the front. Any resistance was met with a scowl.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to rub it in Riko’s face that you weren’t his toy anymore?” Andrew had come back with the bag, waving a necklace in front of Neil’s face with that irritating smile, “Looking better than the scraps they had you in would only hammer that message home, that you’re doing better here than ever. First you come here to be with your brother, now you’re all dressed up and facing the public instead of quivering in the shadows. You're pulling your punches.”

Interest. How strange. Neil only signed Andrew up for protection but perhaps the little goalkeeper liked the ruckus they were causing, “You seem awfully invested in pissing off Riko when you're the one who’ll be cleaning up the backlash.” Neil snatched the necklace, hooking it around his neck and letting it fall on his chest.

“I’m so bored.” Andrew whined as he started for the door, “So very bored.”

Wymack nodded at the trio as they left the locker room. The court was where the interview had been set up with a collection of reporters with mics standing in the centre and a couple of camera’s at the back. Andrew hung back, leaning against the plexiglass while the others met with the reporters.

Wymack began, “Right, we appreciate the patience you’ve all shown our team. We have spent weeks focused on the recovery and well being of our players so I’m sure you understand why this has taken so long.” A few of the reporters nodded their heads but all of them had eyes for the ex-ravens, Neil stood to Kevin’s left picking at the corner of his shirt watching the people cautiously.

As soon as Wymack had paused, Kevin piped up with confidence radiating from his body. If exy didn’t work out for him the performing arts would love to have him. “Any questions then?”

“Nathaniel, Are you still signing with the Ravens?”
“Are you staying in South Carolina?”
“How was your recovery from the accident?”
“What happened to your tattoo?”

Kevin looked over to Neil with a overfriendly smile and hand on his shoulder, a light touch offering as much support as Kevin could give without himself collapsing.

“I am now fully recovered from the accident, I suffered fairly minor injuries in the scheme of things so I’m already back on court.” Neil said with a smile while Wymack groaned into his hand, “Unfortunatly, since finding my way to Kev I found myself wanting a team more challenging than the Ravens. I’ve signed with the foxes as a striker.”

“What do you mean by ‘more challenging than the Ravens’?”

“Remaining the best is easy enough when supported by the right contacts, enough money and a ridiculous amount of players to back it. The foxes, however, stand for something more than that which I really admire. I think playing as a Fox will bring me much more satisfaction than remaining a Raven.”

“Why did you choose to come to South Carolina after the accident?”

“I was raised alongside Kevin and Riko, they are like brothers to me. When the accident happened I was terrified of what my future held, Kev suffered the same as I when his hand was broken. I knew he could offer me the best support and you know what, he really came through.”

“Kevin, how does it feel to have Nathaniel sign for the Foxes? Do you plan on poaching more Ravens?”

Kevin laughed in the face of that accusation, tightening his grip on Neil’s shoulder, “It’s unfortunate the circumstances that Neil came here but I am glad to have him back by my side. I have not nor do I plan to poach any Ravens.”

“Nathaniel-”

“Neil Wesninski is the name on his jersey, note that down.” Wymack’s voice silenced the reporter who began that sentence but her determination did not falter.

“Neil, you’ve been seen alongside Riko and Kevin for years without saying a single word to the media. Why is that?”

Neil looked to Kevin, the questions they’d prepared were all related to the accident and future with the foxes. The boy turned back to the crowd with a shrug, “Nothing to say I guess. I was never officially a Raven.” The reporter was unsatisfied with that answer but said nothing.

“Do you fear any backlash similar to Kevin’s when he signed for the Foxes?”

Wymack took this question, “We waited for a reason. The backlash when Kevin joined was outrageous, we will not stand for criminal damages on the court or anything of that nature. Security will be increasing and the college will not hesitate to press charges.”

Neil didn’t understand why anyone would care, he was unknown. Only recently named to the public. How could people be angry when he was never even a Raven?

The questions continued for what seemed like hours, about the injury, about kevins support and the future of the foxes now it was sporting half the perfect court and then the dreaded question.

“Neil, what happened to your tattoo?”

Neil lifted his fingers up his face, letting his skin drift across the rough scar tissue. The smell of burning flesh filled his nostrels but his expression remained calm as his eyes found the reporter, “Riko believes the number three disagrees with me, Kevin’s eye for potential has always been undeniable after all he found Andrew.”

That question seemed to bring the interview to a stop, Wymack rounded them up and pressured them all into leaving swiftly with no more interactions with his team anymore. Andrew gave the cold shoulder to anyone who even looked his way while Kevin was desperately holding onto Neil’s shoulder. The three of them stood silently on the court for a few moments until finally Andrew crossed to meet them with that gleaming grin on his face.

“You are not making my job very easy, Junkie.” The accusation was meaningless as Andrew’s eyes were filled with something other than their usual blank expression, it beamed with delight. The man attempted to hide it as he continued to talk about how irritating Neil had become the longer he stayed but Neil chose to instead study this look.

Kevin was still trembling, his face pale and his dark eyes blank, the fingers that clamped over Neil’s shoulder were pressing so violently into his skin it was certianly going to leave a mark but he endured it. Death was going to come for them all, Neil had made peace with this, Kevin had not.

Wymack’s voice bellowed from the shadows of the court, “The hell are you doing? This look like an after school club? Get out.”

~~~~~

Neil was not a fan of social media, he’d not bothered with it before but Kevin was invested. The man basked in his media profile on all the sights, kept up to date posting images and responding to fans when he could. The first few months he’d come to South Carolina was his first real break from it, when he picked it back up he was able to carve a window into the foxes world over in Palmetto. What Neil didn’t realise was Kevin had pinched his phone and created accounts for him on a handful of sights, it wasn’t until the notifications drowned his homescreen that he thought to investigate.

The Instragram account was his most popular, with hundreds of thousands of people already following him despite the limited activity. Kevin had posted a couple pics of him on court in the foxes colours or some candid photos of him and Nicky at a cafe with Aaron sulking in the background. The comments were disturbing so after reading the first few he closed the app.

“When did you steal my phone?”

Kevin did not lift his head from the book he was invested in, the man coolly shrugged his shoulders, “Can’t remember. Don’t delete them.” He warned, lifting his gaze for just a couple seconds.

Neil rolled his eyes, flicking his phone across the desk and watching it fall onto the ground, “I gave you my game, not my life.”

“Fans are a vital part of your game if you wish to make it to court, you need a platform. Besides the world is interested now that you’ve agitated the best class I exy team.” Kevin added some extra heat to the last part but Neil didn’t take it to heart.

Despite his arguments, Neil didn’t actually care too much. The boy wasn’t expected to post nor survey the accounts and he could use it to make some extra jabs at the Ravens. The most important reason was to gather some information about his future teammates, observing from afar was helpful but not personal. The only person who made a lasting impression was Renee, who was more cautious than curious.

Who were the foxes?

Chapter Text

The interview did more damage than Neil could have predicted. The media twisted the story in so many different ways, the original topic almost slipped his mind. The Raven vs Foxes feud was now set in motion with the son’s of exy standing firmly at the centre, Neil had sparked uproar online with fans defending their precious Ravens with a small portion wanting to see the underdogs come out on top. Kevin spent the evening after the interview cuddling a bottle of vodka, Neil attempted to pry it from his hands but was met with a fierce kick in the stomach. Abby spent the evening forcing comfort food down their throats, distracting them with idle gossip and offering gestures of affection, Kevin fell asleep to the nurse softly stroking his hair. It brought an gastly feeling to Neil’s chest, one of pain and rememberance.

It was the morning when they saw the retribution displayed on the wired fence that wrapped around the Foxhole court. Five foxes had been strung up, their limbs twisted and distorted leaving their bones broken and warped. Organs had trickled down the fence, some still hanging from the corpses while others had been trapped by the wires or lay still on the concrete in vile puddles of sticky dried blood. The howl Nicky let out was followed by the sound of him wretching his guts out by the car, Aaron turned his whole body away hiding his crimson cheeks and locked jaw. This anger he’d forged melted away as he consoled his cousin by rubbing his back, whispering something by his ear. Andrew’s laughter could have been heard by Riko himself back in West Virginia. Kevin’s face was void of expression, completely blank as his eyes surveyed the scene with care. Neil was the only one who dare walk up the fence, taking his time with the scene, scrunching his nose only when he saw the jagged cuts.

“Amatuers,” was all he muttered, they were all the same. Multiple uneven and messy lines penetrated the foxes skin, almost all going deep enough to carve into bones and slice into organs which were now sinking into the pools of blood. Kevin and his guard dog were the only ones who could’ve heard what he’d said but Neil had no mind to care. The boy typed in the code and pulled open the gate ignoring the sticky red substance now coating the tips of his fingers. Kevin attempted to follow but Neil closed the gate behind him, giving the striker a look that made him nod and take out his phone. Wymack would be here in a matter of minutes.

He took his time looking around the court, there was little chance anyone had entered but with recent events. Wymack thought it was necessary to check the court after any incidents. The Coach insisted on doing it himself but between the car ride there and faffing around with the others to see if they were okay it took too long. Neil methodically checked the rooms, scanning windows and doors, checking files and important or expensive equipment. With no signs of any break in or thief, Neil went back out to see Andrew’s car had disappeared from the parking lot.

Kevin was stood speaking with a red-faced Wymack who was half barking down the phone in a fit of absolute rage. Andrew was too busy watching Neil’s return to say anything, something about the way his eyes followed his every step. The man’s eyes were calm, but his fingers twitchy as they held the lit cigarette he was bringing up to his lips. The smell of smoke was what originally drew Neil over to stand by the short goalkeeper, closer than usual and within arms reach.

“Interesting.” Andrew reached out his arm, holding the cigarette in front of Neil’s face. With one small tap a clump of ash fell onto the striker’s shoe.

Neil didn’t move, instead raised his eyebrow at the cheek of the man before him, who’d already taken back his arm to take another drag of the cigarette. “What is?”

Andrew’s look intensified but dropped to the ground, scaling the space between them. The boy didn’t miss how slow the man’s gaze rose back to his face, “You.”

No response was needed, no questions raised. The two of them stared for a while, attempting to pry answers to curiosities neither wanted to ask outloud. A stalemate was found until the cigarette had wasted away, discarded onto the concrete and crushed beneath the blonde’s heavy boot. With no smoke drawing them in, Neil turned his attention to Wymack.

“Here I thought I made myself perfectly clear. If you see trouble, call me. I will handle the rest.” Wymack’s stoney voice was already turning hoarse, his features tight and filled with heated tension. Neil kept himself many paces away from the man, his eyes never straying far from his shoulder blades.

“You never said stand around and do fuck all. Isn’t leadership all about delegating tasks? You call people to clean up that shit and I saved you the job of checking the court. Win win.” The proud expression Neil wore only lasted so long through Wymack’s stressed response, calling him an imbecile was the coach's new favourite passtime. The players did manage to practice that day without Nicky and Aaron, Wymack stayed the entire day with them forcing Neil off the court for lunch even if he could only manage a few bites. When the evening rolled about, Neil eyed up the fence on the way out. The foxes were long gone, blood stained the concrete more than before where the water had dispersed it around the concrete.

~~~~~

The atmosphere of the cafe remained tranquil despite the trio of foxes, they dressed with hoods or caps blocking their faces hoping to remain discreet in the public setting. Neil was used to it, Kevin tolerated it but Andrew straight up refused until they bribed him with sugar. The three of them had a corner table, between the drinks were laptops, books and in front of the goalkeeper was a collection of the desserts the cafe had to offer. The man tried a single bite of each of them before rearranging them and doing the same thing again. Kevin's disgust beamed straight at the calories which made Andrew more determined to eat as many calories as he could find.

“Not business.” Neil crossed that off the list already, the lines of ink carved into the paper and coated the words until it was unreadable.

Kevin nodded at that, leaning over to peer at the other options, “Sport science is a good choice.”

The boy groaned at that, crossing it off as well, “Reckon I’ve heard enough of all that. What do you major in?” Neil’s focus shifted to the monster across from him hovering up a muffin like his life depended on it.

Andrew lifted his eyes to Neil, a weighty gaze that almost made him itch to escape it yet the man across from him was now tearing up another muffin ignoring the filling that was falling onto the table in chunks. “Criminal justice,” the man’s lips curved into a mischievous smile one would expect from a toddler.

“Feeling a sense of righteousness?” Neil crossed that major off the list, not wanting any chance of crossing paths with the psycho when it wasn’t needed.

“Feeling comical.” Andrew’s laughter was empty and shortlived. The only true reaction he had was a raised eyebrow when Neil braved enough courage to reach over and snatch one of the pieces of muffin from the goalkeeper's plate.

Neil felt smug that he’d managed to keep his fingers for the little piece of dessert, Andrew seemed more amused than angry. Focus shifted back to the list, languages caught his eye. There were so many to choose from but majoring in a language didn’t feel right, thankfully most of them offered minor courses but Neil was torn between Spanish and Italian. The obvious choice was Spanish but something about the way Italian sounded kept him from making the decision. Slowly but surely the options of available majors were depleting, getting crossed out either out of disinterest or not enough value.

“Mathmatical sciences as a major with either Spanish or Italian as a minor,” Three hours, four ice waters and a piece of four desserts Andrew butchered later and Neil announced the decision.

“You’ve set yourself up for a rather painful college experience. Don’t come crying when you’re drowning in equations and triangles.” Kevin’s monotone voice chilled the entire cafe, the judgement from the great Kevin Day means so little when not related to Exy. So much so Neil dismissed him and began to pack up his stuff.

“Practice?” That suggestion put Kevin in a much better mood but it also meant sacrificing Andrew’s pleasant mood. The drive to the court was a painful one.

~~~~~

Practice consumed most of Neil’s spare time. Kevin took up the rest of his time, oftentimes dragging him to run errands or spend time with him at Abby’s. Sleep was getting more scarce, his mind was consumed by the nest still. Thoughts of Jean and how his golden heart was still trapped while he and Kevin were living free, the boy couldn’t escape the guilt no matter how tired he was. Everytime he closed his eyes, horrors lie waiting in the darkness of his mind, starring Riko and resulting in the same thing. Jean’s broken body lying on the floor of their room, bloody and used while Neil could just watch.

Every morning started the same, Neil’s mind forced him awake to face the bright light he kept on in the room. The boy would wipe down the sweat off his body in the bathroom then proceeded with his day with no trace of his struggles. Palmetto felt more like the nest after every sleepless night, the darkness around his eyes seemed to be a permanent feature alongside the exhaustion. Still he would show up everyday, practice with every ounce of fight he mustered up.

This day seemed no different. Neil’s body julted awake, a shock that tremered down his body. Sweat lined his forehead, glueing his messy auburn hair down on his forehead and for a second he lay there adjusting to the intense light. The apartment’s silence felt like a rock had just slammed into Neil’d gut, Wymacks insufferable snoring was absent but it did not take long for the coach to be found. The man stared for a moment, Neil met his eyes for only a second before turning to stare at a wall waiting for his departure.

Waiting.

Waiting.

It never came. Instead the man crossed the living room, settling down onto one of the armchairs, surveying the boy with a look consumed by concern. The striker dragged himself up, bundling the blanket on his lap and whipping his sweaty forehead with his forearm.

“Bit early for you.” The sun was invisible but its light climbing, gaining slowly on the night's darkness.

“Shut up,” Wymack’s voice was soft, mindful of the time and the gentleness of the morning, “When was the last time you slept a full night?”

“Yesterday.” The lie came naturally from Neil but the coach was unimpressed, his eyes still examining the boy probably for a tell. It was a useless move, Neil had to smooth over all his tells long ago.

“You might’ve gotten away with that if you didn’t look like a ghost.” Wymack’s voice was unsettlingly smooth, sliding through the tension Neil created around himself like a barrier. It felt like an ambush but Neil didn’t feel any danger.

“You’ve managed to collect your fair share of Emo’s. Perhaps I was feeling left out.” Neil’s jab at the vampiric twins was ignored by the older man, instead the coach shook his head ever so slightly.

“I want you to consider seeing Dr Betsy Dobson,” The offer had been made before, the boy couldn’t remember exactly when, possibly during his stay at the hospital. The thought of a psychiatrist analyzing him made him disgusted, his mind had suffered so many blows already. Nathan Wesninski, Mary Hatford, Moriyamas. They’d all taken their towl, leaving invisible marks that he carried with him everyday. The doctor couldn’t begin to fathom the things Nathaniel could spill. How could he share that burden willingly?

“I don’t think that’s a good idea…” Neil’s voice was less certain now, starting strong but fading out as a whisper. The boy waited for the Coach to do something, say something but they just sat at this awkward stalemate. “You know, Moriyama’s, mafia…” The butcher of Baltimore, Neil caught his reflection in the window in the corner of his eye, couldn’t help but think of him.

“She knows, her and Abby were told along with the team. It was impossible to keep it from them, so I forced Kevin to see her when he came. I don’t want it to come to the point where I need to do the same to you,” Wymack shuffled to the edge of his seat, resting his hands on his knees, “Sort your shit out, whether that includes her or not isn’t my business.” From his pocket, the coach pulled out a business card that he threw out to the coffee table between them.

~~~~~

The sleepless nights continued, Kevin said nothing but did add Betsy’s contact information on his phone like a silent suggestion. Andrew’s comments were like little prickles of cruelty, manageable at first but more insufferable the more they came. Neil had forgotten this newfound peace he’d made and every effort to find it, pushed it further away.

Neil was abandoned at Abby’s while the other went to get a takeaway to bring home, Abby was working so finally the boy could enjoy some silence. He took this chance to explore one of the apps Kevin downloaded, Instagram was so far the most tolerable of the lot. The boy listed the foxes in his head, the few moments he’d shared with them didn’t exactly help Neil decipher which of them would be an issue. Perhaps their socials could help.

Dan Wilds was his first victim. Private. Not the greatest start.

Alison Reynolds was the next, public account. The woman already had twenty stories, it seems she was on holiday as most of them were views, gourmet food or activities with locations tagged and music overlaid. Everysingle story looked as if it had been edited, filtered and arranged perfectly to fit the aesthetic she’d set up for her account. Seth Gordan's face had infiltrated many of these images, however not once was he tagged in it. Even going through her regular photos, the rare time another person was posted they were always tagged. Just not him. The account mostly had images of herself in outfits made for Gala’s or extravagant places. Every once in a while the foxes would sneak in, not Andrew’s lot, the others, never in that ungodly orange either. So opinions of Alison had just been reinforced, Seth Gordan was more private than Dan, Neil couldn’t find an account for him (not yet).

Neil’s fingers hovered over Renee’s account, the twinge of curiosity was not strong enough in the end. The boy would rather keep her secret, see with his own eyes who she was and not just see into another facade.

Lastly, Matt Boyd. A promising backliner amongst the Foxes meaning he already had Neil’s respect and the man’s kindness spread happiness like it was a disease. Neil observed them for a while, in and out of practice, Renee acted as a peacekeeper but Matt was like a shining sun. The water bottle he’d given Neil was a glimpse into the man he was, it took him a while to release what the feeling was. Admiration. The Ravens were a cold lot, Moriyama’s were just as icy but the Wesninski’s bled ice. The only warmth Neil had ever known was the warm embraces from those who would pull him together after being broken. Mary soothing her weeping child as she bandaged the iron burn on his shoulder blade or Jean humming a sweet tune with his fingers curled in Neil’s auburn hair after a particularly bad punishment.

The backliner’s socials were much different to Alison, less performative and more raw. Pictures mostly consisted of people which were the foxes (upperclassman) or his family, though his mother much more than his father. Neil notices his father dropped a little more the same time his mother’s interactions increased but this was years into the account. Matt posted a fair bit about Exy, always updating on games and practices. It was clear a large portion of his followers were fans of Exy, the comments however were rarely based on his talent but rather his looks. Photo’s of himself were always paired with another person, the only stand alone photos posted were ones of Dan Wilds. Cute? Neil didn’t care, it only told him more of what he already knew. Matt was someone who thrived off other people, an extrovert with a streak of kindness that stood out on this team.

The only other acts of kindness Neil had experienced was from Nicky, who was almost always flirting with him or from Renee…

“Hope you're in the mood for an Indian.” Nicky waltzed in with two bags in his hand and an enormous smile on his face, followed quickly by three more of the foxes all wearing opposite expressions but each holding a bag.

“How many people do you expect to feed today?” Neil watched blankly as they filed through the living room heading straight for the kitchen to tear open the bags.

“You got any secret friends we should know about Junkie?” Andrew’s smirk mocked Neil’s now irritated expression.

Chapter Text

“Minyard,” Wymack bellowed the name across the apartment as if it were a curse, yet Andrew was leaning against the doorframe with that stupid grin and not a care in the world for the Coachs fury. “This won’t be like last time, right? I need you to swear to me.”

The handles of a shopping bag hooked on Andrew’s fingers, swinging forward and backwards as he looked up at the man bobbing his head up and down, “Must I really repeat myself?” The silence was enough of an answer for the man to continue, “Neil will be returned in the condition he leaves, anything he wishes to consume while he’s out will be up to the little princess himself.”

Neil’s sigh could be heard rooms away, the nickname Andrew had gifted him was now overused but hearing it irritated him more now than ever. The boy stormed through the apartment, soaring through the rooms with his shoulder bag swinging from side to side, crashing carelessly into the walls. “We’re leaving.” The door shut behind Neil before Wymack could have any say in the matter, Andrew bounced off the doorframe as soon as he saw the way the boy rounded the corner.

Not a single word was exchanged as they approached the car, Kevin was already in the passenger seat but Nicky was in the driver’s seat leaving Neil sandwiched by the two miserable Minyard twins. Andrew and Nicky’s chatter kept the atmosphere lively for a while until a couple hours into the drive when the goalkeeper was becoming more and more mellow. Neil didn’t understand until he felt the man’s arm tremble beside him, the sickly boy had the little colour left in his face drained with his lips pressed together tightly.

The sky was dark by the time they’d reached the diner, the stars were hidden away by the grey clouds but the vibrant lights of the diner caught Neil’s eyes more than anything. The entire outside was lit up like a beacon with the sign ‘Sweeties’ glowing the brightest, it was a normal Amercian diner with an overwhelming smell of coffee and burgers. It wasn’t missed how Andrew reached over for a handful of crackers however none of the others seemed offput so Neil brushed it off. The five of them squeezed into a booth but it was just Neil who took the time to study the menu. A middle-aged woman came to take their orders, seemingly unaffacted by Andrew who opened all the packs, one by one, tipping the crackers out on the table. The wrappers were bundled into her apron but the woman did not so much as flinch, the transaction was smooth, methodical. Neil watched, eyes squinting slightly with his auburn eyebrows furrowing at the scene. It was only when the waitress had disappeared into the diner's backrooms that Neil found his voice.

“What was that?” The act itself was not only invasive but strange, perhaps if Andrew was his usual drugged self the striker could trick his mind to ignore his antics but his mania had fizzled, leaving a empty shell in its wake.

Kevin’s silvery tone was the only one to follow him with a plain look on his face, “Cracker dust.” The man elaborated as Neil’s eyebrow flung upwards, “Drugs.” Neil’s noise scruched up, his eyes immediately snapping to the door the waitress disappeared through.

“You don’t have to partake.” Kevin’s voice was almost unrecognisable, the whisper was gravely as it brushed against Neil’s neck, too quiet for the others to hear, “...but you can if you wanted, Andrew will watch you.”

Laced in affection and concern, Kevin’s unexpected offer hung in the air between them as the food was finally brought out. Nicky distracted the table like an expert, jumping through topics while dragging the others in when he could. Neil avoided Kevin’s gaze, now feeling a strange pit in his stomach with shadows creeping into his mind. Reminders of the nest haunted him, in every corner of his mind the darkness slept soundly until it just didn’t. Neil forced his attention back to Hemmicks bubbly chatter alongside Aaron’s bored utterance, that didn’t stop his fingers tapping methodically on his thigh. The boy’s food was hardly touched when he forced himself out the diner, the neon sign illuminated vibrant colours onto Neil’s face as his fingers reached for his cigarettes and matches.

Neil tensed each time the diner’s door rang, the golden bell plucked mercilessly at his nerves however his eyes never strayed from the light. Hoping enough light would chase the memories now gathering in his mind, swarming in on his thoughts.

“Light?” Andrew was a couple feet away, cigarette hanging loosely from his index and middle finger. The man’s calm call dragged the boy back to the present, creating distance from him and the nightmares stirring in his mind. The match box hovered in the air, filling the void between them. The goalkeeper eyed up the box as if it was a puzzle to be solved, a familiar look that Neil was growing used to.

Eventually he took it.

The two of them stood out, lit up in various colours shivering from the evening chill until finally Neil’s cigarette bud was discarded onto the floor. Colliding with the concrete, squashed beneath Neil’s boot. Only then did Andrew extend the shopping bag once again. Neil took it as he approached the Diner’s warmth once more, the sound overwhelmed him but he pushed through it, swaying through the tables, waiters and customers. The outfit was simple, Neil disliked it immediately. Simple black jean’s with a couple rips by the knees, a chunky black belt with silver embellishment, thick monstrous boots with soles that resembled bricks but the shirt was the issue, it clung to Neil’s body so tight he’d almost forgotten how to breathe. The way it snacked around him, pressing down onto every scar that littered his body, he was exposed. Vainly, Neil spent a couple minutes inspecting himself in the mirror, ensuring the shirt showed nothing, luckily the fabric was thick ensuring not even the slightest outline of a scar could be observed.

Neil walked through the diner, forcing his chin high despite the itching temptation to scratch the skin off his torso. Each of them held a different expression, Nicky looked starved in a way that made Neil’s stomach turn uncomfortable, Aaron remained strangely content in Columbia, Kevin looked impressed but not in the ex-raven but instead Andrew. The psycho’s expression was unreadable, his eyes following Neil as he crossed the room, eye’s meticulously scanning the striker. infatuated. Captivated. Puzzled. Neil didn’t care to take any of their reactions, he stopped in front of the booth.

Nicky opened his mouth but Neil beat him to it, “We going or what?”.

Laugher escaped the goalkeeper as he threw a wad of twenties down onto the table, the others shuffled out of the busy diner heading straight for the car. The arrangement was the same this time, Andrew looked far less sickly this time but the haunting smile was finally eraditaed from his face.

Eden’s Twiilight didn’t look like much at first, a two story building a couple blocks away from the main road but the line of people huddling around the sidewalk told him otherwise. The attraction was obvious, chains and buckles were a statement in almost every outfit he dared to look at. It settled the nerves that had bundled at the pit of his stomach, the feeling tugged at his heart but the striker made a conscious effort to ignore it. Nicky was given a pass to go and park with, Aaron wore a pleasant smile as he exchanged words with security managing to get them through immediately, Andrew nodded his head as some nonchalant form of a greeting.

Inside was far worse than Neil could’ve imagined. It was a musty swarm of bodies, flashing lights and speakers that forced out music so loud the floors trembled. The smell was worse, a repulsive mix of alcohol and sweat. The boy’s eyes tracked the doors soon after his feet crossed the threshold, two doors on the ground floor, one leading to the backrooms and a fire exit leading to the alleyway on the right side of the building. Andrew parted the way through the crowd, if his expression didn’t ensure people moved then his elbows sure did. Kevin and Aaron found a table, began clearing the empty glasses while Andrew nodded his head to the bar for Neil to follow.

The people were less generous of Neil’s personal space than they were to Andrew’s. It wasn’t the closeness that startled him, it was the chaos, not knowing who was touching him or why. It was like he was waiting for a hand to reach out of the crowd or perhaps even a blade. The hair’s at the back of his head stood tall, eyes sharp as they flowed across the sea of people. Andrew’s clicking cut through the blaring music and thunderous noise, the man was leaning on the bar giving Neil a fascinated look.

“Relax little one, you seem to have such a small amount of faith in me.” The noise, the people, they all seemed to have no effect on him. The five foot goalkeeper had a neutral expression, not even flinching as the mutlicolours beams of light flashed across his face, Neil ignored the statement and squeezed next to Andrew. “We all used to work here so we can do stuff like cut the queue and get free parking. Also means we know security by name, you don’t need to act so…frigid.”

It made sense, the way they interacted with the security and insisted on this club and only this club. “It’s not a lack of faith in you,” Despite Neil not trusting him much at all with his life, “More a deeper understanding of Riko. He’s probably already got the blueprints to this shitty club hung up in his bedroom.” That was certain, Riko spent weeks researching the foxes, keeping close attention to Andrew in particular. Neil never truly spent time reading any of it, only saw it briefly in passing.

“Paranoia, daddy issues, mummy issues,” Even the mention of his mother made him nauseous, if Andrew noticed the discomfort than it didn’t seem to bother him at all, “Endless amounts of unresolved trauma and something tell me suicidal tendencies with the way you throw yourself at the media. You and Betsy could be best friends by the end of next week.”

Neil let out a sigh, turning to look at the bar instead of the psycho, “It’s a little late for a psychiatrist’s help.” The words were empty, the exhaustion weighed so heavily on the striker that his body had forgotten what it felt like to get a good night’s sleep. It was still nothing in comparison to the guilt crushing down on his heart, any thought of Jean still stuck in the nest and…

“You’re making my job very difficult. You are supposed to spend this year standing your ground with us but last week you could barely stand at all. No point me keeping you alive if you’re just going to kill yourself in the mean time.” Andrews words were cold, harsh and struck where it hurts. Neil narrowed his eyes, not in anger but looking with a sense of peciliarity.

“You worry about your end of the deal and I’ll work on mine, yeah? Fabulous.” His voice was smooth and clear but his mind a ravenous mess. If he wasn’t so tired, perhaps he could narrow down the issue. Truth be told he had so many it was surprising it took him long to surface. The nest was like a war zone, so he lived in survivor mode. Now he was actually living, the horrors were creeping in on him. Betsy Dobson. That can’t be his only option.

The bartender snatched away Andrew’s attention just before he could respond. The drinks were rounded up quickly, the bartender even attempted to chat to Neil but the striker just turned to face the crowd.

It wasn’t long before Kevin, Nicky and Aaron were on the dance floor with alcohol and cracker dust messing up their minds. Though Neil couldn’t help but feel relief when he saw Kevin grinning on the dance floor; finally relaxing and taking a breath. He was more interested in watching from afar, content in the safety of his position and with the lack of drugs in his system. Andrew remained at the table, the packets he’d manage to consume at Sweeties were all the drugs the goalkeeper needed to keep withdrawal at bay. Though he seemed well enough to babysit the others.

Neil allowed his phone to distract him for a while, one thing that irritated him was Seth Instagram. What was first a loose thread felt to be a massive tear in the fabric, he had to find it, he was determined to know. First he’d gone through all of Seth’s immediate family’s social media’s (names he’d gotten from Seth’s files), the Gordan’s were a rather large family based in Alabama. The parents were not on Instagram but that wasn’t a shock to Neil at all, they were on facebook but he didn’t care to push it further. Out of the six brothers only one had Seth’s private instragram account, Neil was just satisfied he’d found it but was now questioning if his efforts were worth it. The account wasn’t public so he couldn’t find anything from it, the only thing he learned was that Seth’s father was far from the picture and Jermey Gordan (younger brother) was the one he was allowed or wanted to follow him.

Still Neil requested to follow the man, hoping that his future flatmate would accept and let him nosy around the socials. Obviously Neil’s page was still being controlled by Kevin who was abamant on posting every single time they went out. The striker’s even took a few photos together at the table, Andrew was forced to participate by a very drunk Nicky. Aaron laughed until Nicky did the same to him.

The evening went by fairly quicker than Neil expected it too, Kevin danced only at the peak of his high but as soon as the buzz began to fade, the star sat with Neil and Andrew. The three of them nursed their drinks, bouncing between topics and somehow staying away from Exy for at least a few hours. Neil pretended not to be bothered when the blonde disappeared from their table, mumbling a pathetic excuse and reappearing half an hour later. The boy definitely didn’t spend that time scanning the first floor of the club while listening to one of Kevin’s drunken rants.

Aaron and Nicky were rarely seen, only returning long enough to chug a few mouthfuls of their alcoholic beverages before swinging back to the club. Andrew rallied them all up just before the club closed, Aaron was sober enough to walk, Kevin was dragged roughly by the goalkeeper leaving Neil with a very drunk Nicky.

The striker had his arm snaked around Nicky, helping him walk with a strong grip on the man’s waist. The hordes of people within the club helped to keep him upright as there was little room for him to fall but as soon as they left Eden’s Twilight Neil was basically carrying the man through the streets. Nicky was hanging on to Neil’s side, his arms tight around the man’s neck and head bobbing to the side. Words came out slurred and inaudible, though the backliner persisted anyway. In a mixture of German and English he whispered pick up lines into Neil’s ear, the flirting could be ignored but eventually the man loosened his grip on the striker's neck taking his hands further down.

“Nicky…stop” Neil warned, attempting to jolt the man by tugging at his waist a little.

Instead of backing off, the man gripped at Neil’s waist letting his fingers curl around , “Come on…you're too hot to be one of them.” The man twisted his head, leaning on Neil’s shoulder muttering onto his neck, “Erik wouldn’t mi-” As soon as Nicky’s hand crept underneath his shirt, fingers pressing harshly down onto his skin, his scars.

“What the fuck,” He threw himself paces away from Nicky, letting go of the grip he had on him and instead pulling down his shirt. Nicky acted as if he was thrown, tumbling down but using a hand to push him back but still wobbly on his feet. The man’s eyes widdened, as he fought for balance.

“Don’t be like that, Nathaniel.” Nicky took a small step forward but stopped when his eyes looked at Neil’s cold expression, “I just…”

Neil was slow to notice Andrew at first, catching the blonde in the corner of his eye, he tensed and spun thinking he was the target. The goalkeeper pushed his cousin onto the ground, peering down at the road where a couple had stopped to gawk but then turning his attention back to Nicky. “Do we share the same understanding of the word stop?” Andrew's question was asked so gently that Neil questioned the situation. Nicky nodded, not moving until his cousin turned and headed for the car.

Neil’s gaze followed him despite wanting to keep an eye on Nicky, he turned to find Aaron leaning against the car with a guarded expression. The twins didn’t share a single word with each other, not even a look but as soon as Andrew climbed into the driver's seat Aaron went over to haul his cousin from the concrete.

What was supposed to be a quick drive back, ended up being a painful journey filled with nothing but tension and the quiet sniffles of Nicky who was attempting not to cry. Neil only had sights on the window but got a glimpse of the pathetic drunk in the reflection of the window. As soon as they pulled up, Aaron helped his cousin out and took him straight inside, Kevin had managed to sober up enough to disappear to whatever bed he could find.

Neil dropped his bag beside him as he plopped himself down on the porch, digging around his pockets for a box of cigarettes until one appeared before his eyes. Andrew stood beside him, bored of waiting he dropped it down onto Neil’s lap, “Key’s in the door. Lock up when you come in.” And with that, the blonde disappeared along with the rest of them inside. Neil’s mind was numb, still processing the scene before, was it an overreaction? It was wrong but holding a knife to his throat seemed a bit harsh. Neil lit the cigarette, allowing the smoke to disperse around him, letting the aroma cling to his clothes and fill his nose. The house was nice, in a quiet area with three bedrooms.

The striker enjoyed the chilled air as he circled the house, checking the reachable windows and backdoors for any faults. When he reached the front again, he collected his bag and locked the door on his way in. It wasn’t a difficult house to map, it seemed normal in every way.

Kevin had claimed the sofa, he was already tangled shirtless in a blanket with a few of his limbs draping onto the floor. Neil changed into more comfortable clothes before curling up on an armchair, content in being closer to the wall where he could see both doorways. The other stirred a little as he adjusted to the seat but soon settled into what Neil expected to be another sleep.

“You need to see Betsy.” Kevin's voice, although quiet, shot straight through the silent void. The alcohol offered confidence that Kevin clung to with every single word that escaped his lips, “You gave me your game, you cannot become the striker I know you can be if you stay how you are. You don’t sleep, Wymack’s told me that much. I can’t train half a man.”

Neil’s ice blue eyes froze on the striker, who was looking up at the ceiling clutching the blanket with the strength he had left. A long sigh escaped Neil’s lips as he too looked up at the ceiling, the boy knew he had to anyhow, Wymack was one issue away from forcing him and Andrew had noticed something too. There was something unsettling about someone being trained to pick at your mind, sive through your thoughts and play with your subconscious.

Betsy Dobson.

“I’ll call her tomorrow.” Neil declared with another sigh of defeat. Not only would this drain time from court but now Kevin knew. About the nightmares, the obsession with court and now forcing him to visit Betsy.

Chapter Text

The streets of Palmetto were tranquil that morning, breathing in the chill of the air and basking in the golden glow of the sunrise. The birds began to wake, perching on the occasional tree but more often than not on overhead lines of wires that webbed together the houses in Wymack’s neighbourhood, they sang melodies into the quietness of the streets. Neil ran slower than usual, enjoying how the sun felt on his skin, how the morning breeze brushed against his hair, the freedom of it all.

By the time he’d returned a coffee was sitting on the counter for him, its steam floating up towards the ceiling. Wymack didn’t acknowledge the kind offering and instead cleared his throat with a rough cough, “Don’t bring your BO in here, go and shower first.”

Neil scoffed at the coach, rolling his eyes in protest but did just as he said. Once the sweat was raked off his skin, the boy headed to the kitchen following the intoxicating aroma of bacon and coffee. Wymack smacked two plates on the counter, a bacon roll and a coffee with the radio chattering away in the background.

Recently life had felt like a dream to Neil, when the nightmares finally caught up which they often did, they seeped in like reality. The routine he’d created here, the gleam of hope the foxes had gifted him perhaps without even realising. It was too good to be true. Something like this couldn’t happen, it was wrong. He was born for something else, something darker. Yet here he was. In an apartment he was welcomed in, sharing a breakfast of grease and fat wtih natural sunlight warming his cheeks. Surreal was how it felt.

“Not often I see you in the mornings anymore.” Wymack’s question was hidden beneath this act he likes to put on, anyone with eyes could see through it. The coach may bitch and moan but everything he does is for his foxes, he cares far more than he likes to admit.

“It’s just easier for me to pick up breakfast on the way to court.” The striker shrugged as the lie rolled easily off his tongue, Kevin had attempted to walk Neil through a diet plan but it did nothing for their newfound relationship. So now left to his own devices, Neil ate what he could when he found the time to. It would bring tears to Kevin however he was too absorbed in himself most of the time.

Wymack huffed some sorta response, the man’s eyes watched over Neil with some subtle hint of concern before drifting down to his newspaper, “I’ve asked Betsy to schedule in weekly appointments with you, do you need her number?”

The low sigh wasn’t ignored by Wymack, nor the way Neil’s body tensed with the mention of her name, “I’ve already got her number.” The boy managed to scoff down the rest of the breakfast while Wymack stirred the conversation to safer topics like college life, exy news and some unwanted stories about the nurse which Neil deemed surprisingly interesting. The two of them spent the majority of the day in the apartment, keeping in their own space, only sparing a couple words between them.

Sunlight and radio muttering was all that filled the silence of the apartment, plenty of time had passed since Neil had arrived in South Carolina. The tan had settled on his skin, blending beautifully with his deep auburn hair but the darkness around his eyes remained, his body was more relaxed with less aches and no more headaches that burned behind his eyes. Sharing a living space with Wymack was difficult at first, the snoring and stirring from the man kept Neil on edge for weeks but the nightmares kept him from resting so often, when he did catch moments of sleep it didn’t seem to affect him as much. Now he hardly even registers it. Now all that remained was the shattered mess of his mind, the guilt of leaving Jean suffocated his every thought but seemed to just as effectively drive him. The maddening rage he felt towards Tetsuji, Riko and the Moriyama’s for everything they put them through kept him from falling apart at the seams.

Living without his partner felt like sleepwalking. Always expecting to wake and be right where you were. Neil woke up every morning, looking for Jean to his left. Neil would score a goal, looking for Jean to his left. Neil ran every morning, still looking behind him expecting to see Jean fading into the horizon. Nothing. Every wasted glance felt like another hit, cutting deeper than Riko could manage.

Still, at least he was out of the nest.

Right?

~~~~~

Betsy Dobson. The office was different to what he expected, Neil surveyed the room with a more obvious sign of noseiness. Walking around the room with little care for the psychiatrist who kept a watchful eye from the chair she’d settled in. The boy scanned the desk, noting the copious amounts of hot chocolate she had displayed beside a kettle. The bookshelf has quite the selection of books, ranging from psychology books to fiction novels with some cooking books scattered amongst the shelves. The top was reserved for glass figurines, a large collection of tiny sparkling animals. Eventually he curled back to the couch where Betsy’s chair faced, the only divide between them was a short coffee table and some sort of plant that stayed fairly low.

“Nathanial Wesninski?” Her tone was cheery, a higher register than he expected and a warm smile that she’d presented since he’d been collected in the waiting area.

“You’re obsessive-compulsive.” Neil took one of the pillows, flicking it to the other end of the couch as he settled back in the corner, facing the door.

Immediately, she nodded, “You caught me,” her hands raised playfully then dropped back into her lap, “My name is Dr Betsy Dobson, you can call me Betsy or Doc. I’ll answer to anything really. Do you prefer Nathaniel? Or Mr. Wesninski?”

“I’d prefer Neil, I’d rather not hear my last name at all. Or any mention of my family actually.” The boy’s irritation was thick in his throat, unsure of whether it was the mention of his family name or the fact he was sitting staring at this woman’s smile when all he wanted to do was climb out the window.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Neil. You mentioned you moved to South Carolina recently, how are you finding it?” Besty had this radiance to her, so no matter how dark the room could feel it didn’t matter because opposite you sat the sun. It was the smile.

Neil shrugged, “Before we talk at all, I wanted to know your standing with Kevin’s situation. Evermore, the nest…” Moriyama’s. “Kevin said you know, Wymack said he’d told you parts but just to be sure.” The boy chewed on his bottom lip slightly, the boy’s breath caught in his throat.

“Ah I see,” The woman’s smile lessened and her tone softer, so gentle as it carried across the room, “Yes I suppose if it would make you more comfortable, it’s always best to start with honesty anyhow. I’ve been informed about the Moriyama’s, a Japanese mafia that somehow got involved in Exy. The nest is where the Ravens are kept, the team run by Tetsiju Moriyama from the second family. I will keep details loose for Kevin’s privacy, is that enough?”

The mention of the Moriyama’s alone made Neil’s scars itch, the feeling of a blade on his back or a cane slamming down on him was all too real. The boy forced a stiff nod, “Yeah that’s enough…”

“Brilliant. Let’s circle back shall we, how are you finding South Carolina?”

~~~~~

The rest of the session was lighter than Neil expected it to be. Betsy picked at a few topics like the move to South Carolina, college next year and briefly the relationship’s between him and his new teammates. Parents or family of any kind were not mentioned at all, neither was his time at the nest but the way she asked questions kept it open for him to mention if he wanted to. He didn’t. Neil answered her questions, no matter how ridiculous they were, he didn’t care much for South Carolina as a state. He didn’t care much for West Virginia either but that’s because he didn’t actually live there. The nest was where he lived, all he knew. It just happened to be in that part of the country which was nothing more than coincidence.

A schedule was formed, a session a week but it did cut into his practice. It would have to be allowed. The woman was resilient which was good, no matter how dry Neil’s responses or how much he tried to dodge a question she would always keep face and continue without hesitation. The thought of sharing anything personal with the woman still sent a wave of panic in his chest but that fear was for the Moriyama’s, fear to share their secrets. That only deepened the resentment he had for them. With already too much control over his life, they are still distorting his mind.

Kevin and Andrew picked him up without a word about the session, neither asked anything associated with it probably due to Neil stoney expression. Though it didn’t stop Andrew talking about it, the blonde spent the entire ride chatting about Betsy as well as Neil’s constant mental issues. It only took him a couple minutes in the car before he got out his headphones to drown the maniac out.

Eventually they pulled up to an Italian restuarant, Kevin walked up to the host stand chatting away about some sorta reservation while Neil scouted the place. It was fancy, too fancy for whatever Neil was wearing however the other two got away with it.

“No one mentioned lunch,” Neil casually stated as they were shown to their table, Kevin was too busy chatting with the hostess to reply.

“Kevin wanted Italian,” Andrew shrugged as he dropped down on his seat, leaning back in the chair with not a single glance to the menu’s being placed before them.

Neil was more hesitant as he sat, Kevin was already looking through his menu but could feel Neil’s awkwardness beside him, “Order whatever, it’s on me.” The confusion only grew, it seemed the expression plastered on his face showed that when Andrew’s laughter filled the hushed conversations of the room. “Stop that,” the goalkeeper ignored Kevin’s demands, his eyes were on Neil and Neil alone.

“You nervous, Neil?” The laughter stopped with a sudden question, the smile reflected no feelings but his eyes widened with some spark of interest.

The striker was blindsided by the question, it was only lunch. Was that even what he meant? With everything going on in Andrew’s mind, it was difficult to keep track of any of it. There was something irritating etched onto the question, the vagueness around it but Kevin seemed content to keep his lips sealed. “Why would I be nervous?” even as he said it, a multitude of answers flooded his mind.

Japanese mafia, murderous father, unresolved psychological issues. The list could be continued but these were the pressing matters.

“You’ve got no partner for next year,” The corner’s of Andrew’s lips curved further, eyes unwavering as they stared down Neil.

Oh beautiful broken Jean. The thought of his partner felt so much grief it felt like his heart had turned to stone, sinking to the bottom of his chest. Neil rose from his seat, unable to take a breath in the restaurant, under the weight of Andrew’s disguised drugged stare and Kevin’s voice sending him right back to the nest. Neil walked out, keeping as much composure as he could muster and forcing as much neutrality as he could. The streets were calm, he walked and walked until eventually he was running. It wasn’t until he was keeling over that he stopped, desperate for oxygen and ignoring the intense pain in his legs. Neil didn’t regonise the road but couldn’t bring himself to move his legs anymore, the boy collapsed on the grass that ran alongside the road allowing his body to melt into the softness of the lawn. The ringing of his phone filled the silence that ran in his ears but none of it could distract him from seeing Jean’s face everytime he blinked, or hearing his harsh french whispered in his ear, or feeling the faint touch of his partner on his arm.

Half his soul was left in West Virginia.

Probably beaten, perhaps starved, living in fear and tormented by Riko or…Grayson.

The pale blue sky’s all of a sudden darkened, grey clouds that covered any and all signs of the sun's presence. Neil groaned as he wobbled to his feet, despite the pain that radiated up his legs. The sidewalks were now vacant, people scattered when they saw the rain, umbrella’s could be seen rounding corners and disappearing into buildings. The short sleeve T-shirt was quickly soaked through and goosebumps consumed his arms. So when Wymack’s car pulled up beside him, beeping non-stop and yelling widely from his window. Neil didn’t care, the noise melted away as the rain poured, the boy entered the car wrapping his body with the coat the Coach threw at him.

His mind still wandering back to Jean Moreau, Number 4 of the Perfect court.

Chapter Text

“You imbecile.”

“No phone. No sense of direction. No common fucking sense apparently.”

“If you say you’re fine one more time, you will warm the bench for the entire first semester.”

The words were thunderous, its harsh tones filling the space of the car until finally the Coach noticed the silence that weighed on the other side. Neil was almost completely enclosed in the coat, the thick fabric wrapped completely around his body but couldn’t hide the shivering in the boy’s limbs. The newfound silence was uncomfortable, the humming of the engine was not loud enough to hide the chattering of the boy’s teeth. Exhaustion overwhelmed him, the dull ache of his muscles melted his limbs into the seat and before he knew it, then his eyes felt heavy. Neil couldn’t resist closing his eyes, just for a moment…just for a little while.

“Yeah, can I get a couple cheese burgers, large fries, mozzarella sticks, a couple cookies, mcflurry and a bottle of water.” The coach’s voice wasn’t what woke him but instead the ruckus coming from inside the restaurant. Neil stirred away, blinking until his vision cleared and wiping the little drool that gathered at the corner of his mouth, “Oh he rises, you want anything else?”

“Tea.” The words came out a bit weaker than he’d like, still draused from the sleep.

“From McDonalds?” Wymack reiterated the order anyhow, not missing the way gathered the fallen coat, wrapping himself back up again. The man pulled into the parking lot, dividing the food between them but Neil was too busy cupping his hands around the pipping hot tea to notice the enticing scent of the food. “Eat before it gets cold.”

Neil’s eyes drifted to the Coaches expression, the man watched him closely with eyes filled with concern and a look as if he wanted to say something but never did. Eating under a microscope, ignoring the tingling feeling in his fingers where they’d finally gotten used to the warmth or the weakness in his legs that hadn’t wavered once. It was good to finally have something in his system, it was difficult to notice the discomfort of the hunger was doing, hiding underneath the cold and the pain.

When was the last time he ate? Neil skipped breakfast, too nervous about the therapy to keep anything down. Lunch was a walking disaster, of course that idiot dropped the bomb before the food came out. Yesterday then. Before he knew it, he’d cleared all his food and Wymack dumped more of his share into the boy’s lap. The coach was quick to turn on the radio, allowing the mindless debates and popular popsongs to drown out the tension in the car, not leaving any space for conversation which the boy was glad for. At some point the grey skies had morphed into darkness, the sun which was hidden behind the rainclouds had now set.

How far had he run?

Neil had no memory of getting out of the car, nor of entering the apartment, nor of settling on the couch wrapped in a couple warm blankets. When he woke the smell of bacon and eggs had infested the room, after an extensive and boiling hot shower Neil settled at the counter watching the coach closely. Breakfast was strange though neither acted like it, Wymack read the newspaper while nursing his black coffee as usual, Neil ate quietly and somehow they began talking about Wymack’s beginnings of exy. Then of The Kayleigh Day. The two of them shared many years together as friends, she was the one to teach Wymack the game afterall, all that to go their separate ways leaving nothing but a son. Kevin Day, future of exy to most.

Many people wondered who his father was. Including Kevin. After losing his mother, Kevin was broken and obsessive, Exy filled the void in his heart but there was always that question hanging over his head. Who is his father? Only a few years ago did Kevin, Riko and Nathaniel find out who it truly was. Riko belittled Wymack any chance he got, trying desperately to break down his image so Kevin would be disgusted by the failure of a man. Nathaniel could smell the jealousy on him, it twinged at his heart too. He, Jean and Riko were born from Monsters, raised as Monsters whereas Kevin was entangled in this life by nothing more than dumb luck.

Wymack’s good nature was questioned by everyone. The fans, the press, the opposing teams despite the man doing everything in his power for his players. Kevin saw that, that’s why he sought refuge with him but fear was keeping him from confessing the truth. Neil had no interest in interfering with it. Perhaps Kevin will grow a spine here with the foxes.

~~~~~

Neil spent the rest of the day on the couch, painkillers softened the blow a little and watching the exy games did wonders for his spirit. He and Wymack argued over the games for hours, over stupid plays, referee’s calls and the teams in general. It was already lunch when the doorbell rang.

“Expecting company?” His voice was sharp, like an unspoken accusation while his eyes followed Wymack who was already on his feet.

“Just Kevin.” The man studies Neil’s reaction but the boy wore an expression of steel, showing nothing. Wymack continued to the door, to Neil’s surprise only two people returned. Andrew was nowhere to be found. “I’ll grab some lunch, sandwiches alright for you?”

“Additional salad for me,” Kevin slid next to Neil on the couch, swiping the control from the coffee table. It was clear how comfortable he’d made himself in Wymack’s home, the man had his feet up on the table, leaning back with his arms across the back of the couch. The two didn’t utter a word until the front door slammed shut, then french was exchanged fluently between them.

“You little fucking demon.”

“Me? What about your psychotic gargoyle?”

Kevin let out a long sigh, muting the exy game that was previously overlaying their conversation. The furrowed eyebrows that the striker wore had now softened, the thin lines his lips were pressed into had also loosened, an expression of regret perhaps? Understanding even? Kevin and Riko weren’t close like brothers, not like he and Neil were but what they shared was a deeper, more psychologically tortuous connection anyhow, one that even Neil hadn’t been able to poke his way in “Andrew has been looking out for me since I came here, once I made the deal he has rarely left my side. Unfortunately, he is only one man so when classes become you won’t have anyone. You’ve already proven to be more of a nightmare when left to your own devices anyhow so we found you a makeshift partner.”

Neil shifted to turn to look at Kevin completely, the boy’s breath was caught somewhere in his throat, waiting desperately for the other ball to drop. Jean couldn’t be replaced. That was clear. However, Neil was too used to having the perfect court as a buffer between him and the real world. Silence was tortureous to him, allowing his mind too much freedom which always led back to the horrors of Castle Evermore or worse. Baltimore. Not to mention Riko Moriyama. The child with issues galor and more than enough money to send someone to try and quiet Neil for good.

“Who?” Was all Neil managed to choke out.

“At first we wanted them to be close, Aaron was never a contender. Nicky would certainly do an excellent job staying by your side but Andrew took him out of the running. Renee was Andrew’s first choice, a ridiculous idea.” The two of them shared a knowing look, “The only viable option left was Matt Boyd.”

Matthew (Matt) Donovan Boyd, Number 4, Backliner. One of the best players on the team, one of the best backliners in the district. Court material, Jean said so after one of their games. “Why?”

“Where to start? Your rooming with him next year which makes it much easier, was very understanding when I explained the partner system we hav-had back at the nest and he’s the best backliner. Andrew agreed, I wasn’t sure he would at first, I suppose he’s already cleared him through so I won’t argue.” Kevin rambled a bit at the end, giving Neil an opening to begin the questioning.

Neil wanted to ask so many things. What parts of the partner system still stand? Will it be the same as the Ravens, Where one goes so does the other? That’s what Andrew and Kevin seemed to be doing. What about classes? Will they be partners in court? Who will Jean’s new partner be? Will it be Riko?

“Why on earth did he agree to this?”

Kevin only shrugged, “Ask him if you’re really interested? Eitherway, it’s not going to be for long, just to set you up for the year. You should adjust quickly but I fear throwing you in the deep end will strain your progression in court, that won’t be good for anyone.” While talking he reached over, nabbing Neil’s phone out of his back pocket unlocking it with no struggle from the owner. When he handed it back, Neil investigated only to find an additional number to his contacts.

Neil’s heart was tight in his chest, tying itself in knots and pulling harshly. The pain weighed heavily on the boy, fogging his mind with the worst kind of thoughts which often left images of Jean. His beautiful innocent Jean, beaten within an inch of his life, pale skin coated in blood and eyes lifeless…hopeless. A grip on his shoulder grounded him enough to notice Kevin had moved to sit at Neil’s side, squeezed against Neil with their legs almost overlapping. “Too much has happened this season, the Master won’t let him kill him. They’ll need him next season.”

For most people it would be morbid. Almost poking fate to do something evil but for Neill it was reality, a raw peice of honesty that managed to settle his heart for just a moment. Comfort in a font not many were used to. The boy exhaled, breath wavering for a moment as his head dropped onto Kevin’s shoulder, “We don’t know that.” It was just loud enough to be heard, Kevin didn’t respond. He couldn’t really, they didn't know and they wouldn’t until he appeared publicly. The school year doesn’t start for a few months and even then, Jean Moreau was hidden away like Neil was.

~~~~~

Wymack returned to find them watching an exy game, still on the couch but Neil laid with his feet over Kevin’s lap and head turned to watch the game. A small rare smile appeared on the Coachs face, that was until Kevin turned to look at the man well the bags of food held by his hip.

The smile was hidden beneath the stirn but tired expression he often wore, the bags were dumped ontop of Neil’s legs as the Coach made himself comfortable on the armchair. “Sorted?”

Neil bounced up, no regard to Kevin who was kicked in the process, all to rifle through the bags. “Yes, he’ll be more than ready for next year. Get rid of Gordan and put him on the starting line-up.”

To that he groaned, tossing Kevin’s salad to him and Wymack’s sandwich over to him, “That’ll do more harm than good, even if you’re not stupid enough to ignore that.” Seth and Kevin clashed more often than not with the other striker on the team, Neil hadn’t spoken to him enough to understand why but considering the team’s foundations it wouldn’t be a surprise. Seth had nothing to say the last time Neil saw him, something told him it wouldn’t stay that way. The training Neil had put in during the summer ensured already that he would remain within the Raven’s standards of players, so on a team like the Foxes, his performance would be incredible regardless.

Wymack huffed an agreement, “This is Seth’s final year, might even get scouted if we do well.” The Coach shrugged but the ex-Ravens shared a look, foxes weren’t often destined for court. Between the messy backgrounds and spiteful playstyle not many professional teams looked their way. Matt Boyd would go pro if he wanted, Andrew was built to go all the way to court and that could be clear even with minimal effort. Imagine if he tried, like really tried. Although he’d only played a few games with the foxes so far, the desperation in the games ensured his stats were incredible. Neil thought it was unfair, someone who cared so little was gifted so much talent.

The three of them watched the games for the rest of the day, Kevin was too harsh a critic as usual finding it easy to spot faults when sat comfortably on the couch, Wymack was quick to debate the striker often playing the defence which Neil thought was just to irritate Kevin. Neil, however, was just content to watch. The bickering reminded him of rare moments at the nest where the three boy’s watched exy games on Kevin’s laptop, Kevin argued with both of them so much so the night often ended with him storming out. That or with Riko storming in. Rare but kind moments. They were just kids at the end of the day, pawns in a game much larger than themselves, much larger than just the court.

~~~~~

The weeks of summer break were coming to a close end. Andrew’s lot had spent almost all of it together, Neil tagged along for most of it preferring company over daunting silence. Practice was going well for Neil, the defence was weak compared to the Ravens so it spent no time working his way around them but Andrew was a brick wall. Kevin was nothing like he used to be but everyday he pushed himself to the fullest, Neil predicted that two years was all it would take him to become the best. Number 1.

Neil didn’t see himself in the future, no aspect at all came naturally to him. The noose tied around his neck was becoming far too tight for his mind to accept any type of survival possible, instead he focused on the presence. The foxes were set to return in a couple weeks, the others weren’t pleased except Nicky who was ecstatic to have more people to commune with. Unlike most, he was on the fence. Teammates were necessary for the team to function, no matter how messy the function turns out to be. The people, however, were just additional complications that Neil didn’t have the energy to figure out. The boy had just gotten used to living, buying his own food, owning clothes that weren’t a uniform or chosen for him even just being able to leave the building by himselfw as a privilege.

Now it was his life.

“You’re much better than you were, the team will love you!” Nicky’s positive outlook was refreshing considering the other company he kept.

“Considering the state I was in when I arrived, I’d say I’m more than ready for the year.” Neil discarded the bottle of water in his locker, watching as Aaron scoffed before hiding his face behind his helmet as he headed straight for the court once more. Kevin was out there, setting up for the next rounds of drills.

“Don’t mind him, he’s as excited to get everyone back as Kevin is for classes to begin.” Nicky’s bright smile didn’t falter, “It’ll be great to have everyone back, did you get the chance to meet any of them? I can’t remember.”

Neil thought back to the weeks he spent hiding away in the court stands, watching tensions unfold on the court as the players pretended to care about the game that was unregonisable in their hands. “I met the other Goalkeeper, briefly.” The one who wore a smile like Andrew. The one who hid her claws and teeth behind her beauty. Lola was good at that too. “Anyone I need to watch out for?”

“Oh good! Renee is our little sweetheart, even Andrew is smitten with her,” Affection plagued Nicky’s eyes while disbelief filled Neils’, “Dan is strict as hell, Seth’s a homophobic piece of shit, Allison will be too busy finding a reflection to fuss over you. Old news now. Matt is a cutey, looks tough as hell but is actually super chill. And obviously you know we are the better side of the team.”

Neil shot him a look of disgust, nose scrunching up, “Not sure I’d consider any part of this ghastly team as good, I’ll meet them and get back to you.” He didn’t wait for a response but offered Nicky a comforting hand on his back before slipping out and onto the court where Kevin stood impatiently.

Nicky trailed behind, pouting all the way across the court facing off with a very pissed off Kevin with smoke bursting from his ears. Neil’s smirk was concealed within his helmet as the screeching from the two of them began to fill the building, echoing all the way up the stands. Would it be the same with the others? It would still be different from the Nest. The Ravens were nothing more than robots, conditioned to play the same, to strike the same and to hit where it hurts. Where nothing more than the best was acceptable and anything less than perfection was reason for unspeakable acts.

Neil and Jean never truly needed a reason to be punished. Neil figured that out only a year into his stay, it was all that kept him defiant during his stay. All that kept him from breaking. The foxhole court was bright, chaotic but not cruel, not like the nest. It may not be comforting and it was a long way from being home but he was with Kevin. That was enough. It had to be enough. At least for now.