Chapter Text
“I want to rim you now,” Andrew says as if he hasn’t been thinking about it, examining himself, his limits, Neil’s mood, and everything else for the past two weeks to find a good time to tell Neil this. “Yes or no?” he asks.
They are relaxing on the couch in their dorm with the knowledge that they would be alone until they left for the Fall Banquet tomorrow.
Kevin was gone with Wymack to recruit a new fox for next year. The new fox lived close to the campus that was hosting this year’s Fall Banquet so the two decided to go a little early for recruitment and some much-needed (if not necessarily desired) father-son bonding time that Abby insisted they have after Kevin spent the whole summer avoiding Wymack.
Neil’s head is resting comfortably in Andrew’s lap and Andrew has been lazily stroking Neil’s hair and face for the last three hours. Andrew was pretending to watch Chopped but was really watching Neil soak up his gentle touch. It was new, being able to just be gentle with someone and having someone who trusted him to be gentle.
Andrew could hardly imagine a time he felt more at home in his own body and could hardly imagine a better time to offer to try something new with Neil.
Neil blinks at him, surprised at the sudden declaration and question. He was obviously so blissed out that he’d been floating up in outer space before Andrew’s question brought him back down to earth.
“Rim…me?” He asks hesitantly, “I don’t know…what that means.” Neil admits with a frown.
Andrew has never hated Neil’s lack of experience or knowledge in all things sexual. Andrew was pleased to be the one who got to introduce him to any and everything.
“I want to lick your ass and stick my tongue up your asshole.” He explains and watches as Neil’s eyes go wide at the blunt explanation before his face exploded with a blush.
“I-isn’t that dirty? What if you get sick?” Neil asks worriedly.
Andrew strokes Neil’s hair again and feels himself soften further at the concern, “You’re going to shower and be thorough about cleaning yourself there before I do it.” A thought occurs to him, one that he likes, “I’ll help you.” He adds and now that he’s thought about it, he finds that he quite likes the idea of cleaning Neil out before filling him back up.
Maybe he’ll rim Neil right there in the shower.
“O-oh.” Neil blushes but closes his eyes leaning into Andrew’s hand as it comes down from his hair to cup his cheek, “I am willing to try it out if you really want to.” Neil says as if they’re talking about a meal at a restaurant that Andrew isn’t sure about. Like Neil is saying Andrew can try it and promising to eat it and give Andrew his own tried and true meal if Andrew doesn’t like it.
“If you’re not interested then we don’t need to do it.” Andrew runs his thumb along Neil’s cheek and it’s a truth that Neil still has a hard time understanding. It’s not just Andrew’s yes that matters and if Neil decides at any point that there was something he didn’t like then Andrew didn’t need it. He had two functioning hands for any physical release he needed, and Neil’s comfort and happiness is a thousand times more important to him.
“You said you wanted to though,” Neil says and Andrew does want it.
He’s been thinking about it for over a month now and waiting to offer it to Neil for two weeks. Andrew wants to press his tongue into Neil, taste him, wants to suck on Neil’s rim, bite his ass, and milk him for every last drop of pleasure he can wring out of Neil.
“I don’t want it if you’re not interested,” Andrew says because fantasy can remain fantasy as long as Neil can exist here with him like this. His pipedream is always more than enough.
“It’s not that I’m not interested, I just…don’t really get it? Could you explain what you’d do exactly?” Neil asks and it’s not a new thing for Neil to ask Andrew for clarification on these things. Sometimes it’s something Andrew will state an interest in to see if Neil has any interest even if they’re not quite ready yet. Sometimes it’s something one of the other foxes (Nicky it’s almost always Nicky) would say and Neil would ask him what it meant.
Andrew knows that Neil isn’t necessarily asking for dirty talk, but Andrew considers the year difference between their graduations and knows that it’s something he might as well get good at now.
“First,” he runs a thumb over Neil’s burn scar, “I’d take you into the shower, strip you down, and get you nice and clean.” He starts and brings his thumb to Neil’s lower lip running the pad of his finger along it, “I’d be very thorough for two reasons. One, I’m going to put my mouth there and ravage your asshole. Two, I’ll be loosening you up a bit with my fingers if you’ll let me.” He says.
“Y-you want to finger me too?” Neil asks with a hitch in his voice and his pupils are blown wide with desire.
“If you let me but it would only be a single finger for now.” He says tapping Neil’s cheek with his pointer finger. He thinks about having Neil suck on his fingers while he details how he'd take him apart with them later, but Neil has admitted that it makes him uncomfortable for some reason and Andrew is fine with the imagined fantasy of it. “Then, once you’re all clean maybe you can’t wait, maybe I’d do it right there in the shower, but I want your legs to be jelly and there’s nothing to hold onto in the shower.” he drums his fingers along Neil’s cheek.
“How would you have me on the bed?” Neil asks turning into his hand and kissing Andrew’s fingers.
“Face down and ass up is traditional,” Andrew responds thinking about the vision that Neil would be. His face buried in Andrew’s sheets, perfect ass up in the air on display for him, grasping desperately onto Andrew’s sheets, and Andrew holding him in place as he licked him to oversensitivity, and Neil-
He needs to say this stuff out loud.
“You’d look great grasping at my sheets, even better than usual. I’d hold your ass up, keep you just where I want you, and devour you. I’d start with a lick from your balls all the way up to your ass, something to ease you into the new sensation. I’d suck on your rim and get you so wet with my spit that it’ll run down your thighs.” Andrew imagines the sight of Neil’s scarred back arching in pleasure as he stares down from where his nose is buried in Neil’s ass crack.
“Drew…” Neil whines as he pants into Andrew’s hand utterly worked up from the tale Andrew was weaving but Andrew isn’t done telling Neil what he would do, how he’s going to rim him.
“I’d kiss you there too Neil and you know how talented I am at kissing. I’d hold you up Neil, I’d hold you exactly where I want you, and I’d fuck you on my tongue until you’re screaming. Until you’re all loose and wet and I haven’t even touched your cock aside from that first lick and even that was just your balls. I’ll have you cum untouched Neil.” He says and casts his gaze to the noticeable bulge in Neil’s sweatpants and is glad that his own skinny jeans prevented Neil from seeing how affected he was.
“Drew…I wanna…wanna do that.” Neil pleads.
“Then let’s get you all cleaned up.” He says and Neil is quick to get to his feet. Andrew rises a bit more slowly and takes Neil’s hand.
He shuts off the television because having one celebrity chef yell ‘Now that’s a meatball’ in the middle of Neil’s first time giving Andrew a hand job was enough. Andrew thinks of the incident fondly, thinks of Neil laughing hysterically his previous nerves all lost at the chef's shout. Neil had said ‘now those are some meatballs’ about his balls and Andrew had to kiss him stupid before he had to break up with him.
Still remembers talking to Bee about how it felt to be so comfortable with Neil that he'd been able to sincerely laugh during a sexual act. How it felt like even more of a milestone than letting Neil touch his dick.
He leads Neil over to their door and makes sure it’s completely locked so no cousins, brothers, or best friends show up and then he’s leading Neil into the shower.
***
It had all been going so well.
Andrew had said that he’d get Neil nice and clean. So, he had been doing a very thorough job of cleaning his Junkie despite Neil’s protesting and pleading that Andrew focus his cleaning attention on one particular part of him.
He had started with Neil’s hair, slightly greasy from the last few hours of Andrew running his fingers through it and he had enjoyed scrubbing it clean with shampoo and conditioner. He’d rinsed them out of Neil’s hair before he had carefully washed Neil’s face.
He moved to Neil’s chest next, using a washcloth to scrub away old sweat and dead skin. He had taken some extra time and attention on Neil’s nipples and Neil had been letting out the sweetest noises. Neil’s nipples had stiffened and then he’d left them alone, letting the shower spray hit them instead. He kissed Neil’s scars because he’d wanted to.
He’d moved on to scrubbing Neil’s back, something he knew that his Junkie loves. He had been slowly making his way from Neil’s shoulders down to his hips, teasing Neil when he’d then started back up at each shoulder and took his time scrubbing Neil’s arms and hands. He took the time to clean in-between Neil’s fingers and crack his thumbs and felt Neil turning into Jell-O at his attention and care.
He knelt down and teased Neil further when he started cleaning Neil’s feet, ankles, calves, and then thighs. Andrew was pleased to see that the backs of Neil’s knees were so sensitive but didn’t like that touching them had Neil almost collapse in the shower. It was something he’d been planning to work with when Neil was laying down instead of standing up.
Then he’d finally stopped teasing Neil.
It had been fine he wasn’t going to touch Neil’s already hardened cock unless Neil specifically asked for it. Andrew had wanted to see if Neil could cum untouched. He’d been scrubbing Neil’s ass cheeks, had gotten permission, and had taken a bite of Neil’s plump ass. He’d been enjoying the sight of his teeth outlined, knowing that Neil would feel it when he sat down the next few days, and then he’d taken both cheeks in his hands and spread them.
Then everything went to absolute hell.
There was no Kevin, cousin, brother, or teammate appearing. No celebrity chef personality yelling something about a donut hole. There was no unfortunate moment of flatulence. No loss of balance resulted in Neil braining himself in the shower.
There were scars that Andrew had seen in a mirror when he’d wanted to know if Drake had ruined him.
Scars that Neil should not have.
Scars that Neil would have absolutely told him about.
His mind is in overdrive, and he needs to know who, what, where, when, why, and how. His brain quickly supplies possibilities on the where, the when, and even part of the how.
Where and when did it happen?
Neil lost a lot of time when he went to the Nest over Christmas Break. He had told Andrew that he didn’t remember the majority of his time there. Andrew knows what happened to Jean Moreau in the nest. Neil had told Andrew that he’d spent a considerable amount of time handcuffed to a bed in the nest.
It had probably been at Evermore over Christmas break.
Why?
Likely because Riko was a sick bastard and had already shown through Drake and through Moreau that rape was not off the table for him. He wanted to break Neil, wanted to take his number 4, and own him completely. He wanted Neil to become Nathaniel and draw Kevin back so that they could form the perfect court.
How had Neil not told him?
Neil didn’t hide things from Andrew after Baltimore. When Andrew had asked about any previous partners Neil had not been lying when he said that he hadn’t had any. He had not been lying when he had blushed and said Andrew was his first everything aside from a kiss.
Neil was sexually assaulted. Most likely at the nest over Christmas break. He has not lied to Andrew because he does not remember the truth and Andrew would never call that a lie.
The Who, the What, and the How being unanswered feel like the most dangerous thing Andrew has ever encountered.
Anything could trigger Neil, anything could turn Andrew’s fingers into some monster’s and Neil doesn’t know what might upset him, what might hurt him, and-
Did it happen more than once? Who knows what happened? What if whoever it was had come up to Neil on the court and touched him again? What if they gave Neil something? Did Riko get Neil tested? Did someone take pictures?
“A-Andrew?” Neil asks starting to sound self-conscious and Andrew can see his erection is wilting under Andrew’s intense scrutiny of his ass. Andrew pulls himself back from the spiral he had fallen into and refocuses.
They’d been in the middle of something intimate, something where Neil was vulnerable to Andrew, and he’d made him self-conscious. He was not going to continue this, but he couldn’t let Neil think it was because of anything to do with not wanting him.
He rises to his feet, turns Neil around, and hugs him tightly. “I changed my mind. I’m not ready to do this right now.” He says and it’s not a lie. He kisses Neil’s neck because he’s done it plenty of times and it feels like a safe thing to do.
Neil melts into him. “Oh, okay. That’s fine Andrew.” Neil says wrapping his own arms around Andrew as they stand there in the warm spray of the shower. “You can always change your mind b-but if you ever want to try again I…um…I’m still interested.” Neil says.
Andrew is going to skin whoever touched Neil alive and pour lemon juice and salt over their still-living bodies. He’ll rend flesh from bone and make everyone wonder who has the butcher’s blood in their veins.
He goes on his toes and kisses Neil’s temple. “I’m still interested. I’m very interested.” He promises because he is, he just wants to get Neil the help he’ll need to be able to consent fully knowing his boundaries.
If Neil doesn’t want to after he remembers, then Andrew will squash the desire until it ceases to exist.
He’ll be fine with anything that Neil can give him the same way that Neil is always fine with whatever Andrew can give him.
***
After that Andrew indulges in every caretaking urge that he has ever repressed. He dries Neil off, rubs lotion into his scars, dresses him up in Andrew’s own clothes, sets Neil on the couch, wraps him in the blanket he knows Neil likes, puts green grapes in easy reach, turns the TV back on to the Exy game and makes a nice pasta dinner for the two of them with garlic bread.
It’s all the carbs that Kevin hates, and that Neil enjoys because it fuels his running.
Andrew texts Betsy and asks her if she can pencil in a session for the three of them on Monday. He gives her the absolute basics of what the session is for, and Betsy agrees immediately. He asks Neil if he can come to a session with him on Monday, that he wants to talk about why he changed his mind and he wants Betsy there.
Neil tries to assure him that Andrew does not owe him a reason, that he doesn’t need to explain anything because there never even needs to be a reason. Neil tells him that he’ll always respect and accept his ‘no’ but if Andrew wants to talk about it then he’ll be there even if he doesn’t like therapists.
Andrew feels his heart twist painfully, he wants to hold Neil, wants to burn the world to cinders, wants to know exactly what Riko did to him, and wants to go now to demand answers from the only person alive who can answer his questions.
Andrew only gives in to one of those desires at the moment.
He is the big spoon to Neil’s little spoon as they lay down on the couch. Neil’s back is protected by Andrew’s front, his head is resting on a pillow that Andrew has his arm under, and Andrew lets Neil keep the station on the Penn State Exy game.
Neil is happy and safe in his arms.
Andrew lets himself think about what he needed to do as Neil drifts off to sleep.
He needs to get Neil through the banquet tomorrow safely.
He needs to schedule two STD tests.
He needs to know what and who he’s up against.
He needs to speak with Jean Moreau.
***
They’re getting ready for the Fall Banquet and Andrew takes Neil’s traditional pre-banquet kidnapping by Allison as an opportunity to speak with Renee.
“I need Jean Moreau’s phone number.” He says and Renee blinks at him.
Andrew had never been interested in the #3 of Edgar Allan before. He knew that Jean had participated in some of the torture by holding Neil still while Riko did whatever his sick little mind desired, but he also knew that Jean had been the one that pieced Neil back together and got him out to Wymack.
He didn’t care what happened to #3. His survival and freedom from the Nest was a footnote in the wake of Neil’s survival and freedom from his father.
Now he was glad Jean Moreau had survived because Andrew had questions.
He’d always thought that Neil would tell him about Evermore if the memories ever returned. Now Andrew does not have the luxury of waiting for Neil, he needs to know if the threats at Evermore ended with Riko getting a bullet through his brain.
Renee looks at him for a long time before holding up her phone, “I will call him, then if he is willing, I will give you my phone.” She says and Andrew hates how similar they are.
No one on the Original Foxes could ever doubt what Andrew would do if it meant Neil could be safe. They all watched his rampage in Binghamton, saw him nearly choke the life out of Kevin, plow through FBI agents with guns, and drag Wymack around like he was nothing more than a pillow he was unfortunately attached to.
He’ll destroy Jean Moreau if it means being armed to protect Neil.
Renee is right to be wary.
She calls Jean and the Frenchman picks up the phone on the fourth ring. Renee explains that Andrew wants to talk to him and after a few moments Renee hands Andrew her phone, “I am trusting you not to look at the number.” She says and Andrew won’t, but he will hit redial as many times as it takes to have Moreau answer his questions.
“I won’t look,” Andrew promises.
Andrew pulled the phone up to his ear. “Valjean.” He greets and heads up to the roof where no one will hear this conversation.
“Mutt.” Moreau returns. “What do you want? I’ll be getting on a plane soon for the Fall Banquet. Couldn’t this have waited until I was there?” Jean asks.
No.
No, it could not.
Because the Ravens are coming to the Fall Banquet and Andrew does not know if any of them are the ones who raped Neil.
“You know that Neil was raped while he was at Evermore.” Andrew does not pull his punch even as he hears Jean let out a strangled noise and the sound of someone, probably Jeremy, asking if Jean was okay. “Neil does not remember anything about it, I need to know who and what.” He hisses.
“He…he doesn’t remember?” Jean asks voice tight and the other voice, definitely Jeremy, is more insistent.
“No.” Andrew answers.
“Then how-”
“I know what the scars look like Moreau.” He responds back and Jean lets out a string of French curses. “I need to know. Who did it, what did they do, and how many times.” He hisses.
“He should be the one to-”
“He still doesn’t know Moreau. I need to know so I can protect him.” Andrew growls.
“One moment,” Jean says and he can hear Jean talking to someone, absolutely Jeremy, and saying that he just needs a moment. Can hear Jeremy saying that Jean doesn’t have to answer anything that makes him uncomfortable. Then hears Jean say that he owes this to Neil.
Andrew wonders if Jeremy Knox will actually frown at him when they see one another at the Banquet but Andrew can hardly bring himself to care about the Golden Boy's displeasure.
He’ll destroy a lot more than Jean Moreau if it meant that Neil Josten could be safe and happy.
“I-it was three guys. Riko did it four times.” Jean starts without warning and Andrew clenches his fist so tightly he might draw blood from his palm, “Johnson did it three times. All three times were with Reacher w-who...” Jean’s voice cracks, “Reacher did it ten times.” Andrew feels like everything in him stops, “Neil…Neil was always completely passed out and unresponsive every time because it was always after practice a-and after Riko had hurt him already. Reacher…it wasn’t always…” Jean swallows thickly, “he liked his mouth the best.” Jean manages.
Reacher liked Neil’s mouth.
The mouth that smiles at Andrew, that rips reporters to shreds, that goads their opponents into attacking Neil, the mouth that Neil never stops running, the mouth that has kissed his scars, and the mouth he’d kissed before sending Neil off to Allison’s non-existent mercy.
The mouth that Neil had expressed discomfort at anyone putting their fingers in.
Reacher would die painfully.
Johnson would also die, just not quite as painfully.
He might go piss on Riko’s grave.
“I cleaned him up afterward, got him to puke it up. We were partners even if it was just for the break.” Jean says, “I thought…I thought he remembered.” Jean swears.
“Did Riko get him tested?” Andrew demands.
“Riko never let anyone who wasn’t clean near either of us.” Jean assures, “Condoms were required.” Jean says seriously.
Something in Andrew relaxes slightly at that. They’re still going and getting tested; Andrew is not going to chance either of their health by trusting Riko’s warped sense of responsibility.
Andrew thinks if there is anything else he needs to ask. “Are there any other monsters like them on the Raven team?” He asks.
“Not that I know of. It was always Reacher and Johnson for me.” Jean admits.
“Okay.” Andrew closes his eyes, “Thank you for answering my questions.” He says and he hangs up. Jeremy can take care of the Frenchman.
Three people had touched Neil multiple times and only one of them had the good graces to be dead.
He goes back down and hands Renee her phone back before returning to his own dorm to pack what he needed to bring for the evening.
Reacher and Johnson were still on the Raven’s lineup. They would be coming to this banquet. He’d watched Reacher and Johnson tackle Neil plenty of times during the Final game.
His mind swirls with the awful possibilities, with what-ifs, and-
“Hey, Drew?” Neil’s voice draws his attention and Andrew sees Neil’s new haircut.
Allison did excellent work.
“It looks good.” He says before reaching out, “Yes or no?” He asks hand hovering beside Neil’s newly shortened hair.
Neil smiles, “Yes.” He says.
Andrew wastes no time digging his fingers into Neil’s hair to memorize the new feeling. Neil closes his eyes smiling at the sensation and Andrew lets his anger go for now. Lets it slide off of him and-
He tugs slightly at the back of Neil’s hair playfully and Neil stiffens his eyes shooting open.
Andrew stops moving his hand.
“Sorry, I uh… don’t know why I did that?” Neil says looking so genuinely confused that it made Andrew’s world shake. "It felt good but...just don't pull my hair again?" he asks and he looks embarrassed by his reaction. Embarrassed that he didn't like something Andrew was doing to him and Andrew's mind is caught in the spiral of why Neil wouldn't like having his hair pulled. He forces himself to move past it for now.
Neil is needlessly embarrassed, Andrew can fix that.
“I won’t pull your hair again.” Andrew promises but feels like he is miles away from himself, “Can I still touch?” He hears himself ask.
Neil looks at him again and the smile flows so easily back onto his face. “Yeah, I’d like that, Drew.” He says and Andrew is coming back to his own body, Neil's smile is the first step to grounding Andrew back into his own body.
Andrew needs to take the second step.
“Can I hold you?” He asks.
Neil’s smile gets even brighter, “I’d like that too. Yes.” He says and Andrew pulls him into a hug, pressing Neil's face to his neck. Neil lets out a content sigh, hot breath against Andrew's neck. He's back in his body but his body is where all his anger has been left to fester.
Andrew is so mad that burning the entire world to ash isn’t enough.
He thinks of a phone number in Neil’s phone. Thinks of an uncle who would do anything for his nephew.
He holds Neil tight but strokes his hair gently.
***
Andrew thinks that Allison might, in fact, be too powerful.
Neil is so beautiful when he walks out of the changing area that she had dragged him into that Andrew briefly considers letting her get one free slap in on Kevin with zero repercussions.
Neil turns heads no matter what he’s wearing.
The only person on the team that has never given Neil a solid once over and partial eye-fuck is Renee. That list includes Seth, Jack, and Andrew’s own damned brother. Usually, Andrew takes no small amount of smug pride in the fact that he’s the only person that Neil is interested in and the only person that Neil swings for.
Andrew still takes pride in that. Wants Neil to look good and feel confident because getting Neil to not hate his own reflection is an ongoing and constant struggle that Andrew and all the rest of the Foxes regularly engage in.
But Reacher and Johnson are here tonight.
His appointment with Betsy and Neil isn’t until Monday.
If Andrew sees either of them eye-fucking Neil, then Andrew doesn’t know how he won’t kill them.
“Oh my god, Neil!” Nicky screams seeing Neil walking up to their gathered group. “Allison, you’re a savant!” He exclaims as the blond girl tosses her hair with well-deserved pride.
“It helps to have an excellent canvas!” Allison preens and does some last-minute adjustments to Neil’s outfit. “Does it get your approval, Minyard?” She asks looking at Andrew.
Andrew reaches out and cups Neil’s face, Neil lets Andrew guide his face closer for inspection, “You listened to my advice on the eyeliner.” He says.
“When you’re right, you’re right Minyard.” Allison concedes.
“What brand?” He asks inspecting how the copper makes Neil’s eyes pop in a way that feels far more natural than when they used black eyeliner.
“Would you believe it if I said it’s Maybelline?” Allison says reaching into her purse and handing Andrew the pencil. “Keep it, I don’t need the approval out loud Minyard. I just ask that you make Kevin extra miserable when you kick him out of your dorm room tonight.” She smiles.
“He’s tired from the extra days bonding with Wymack. All he wants is to lay down in his bed.” He accepts the pencil and hands it to Nicky who is carrying a very fashionable handbag that he knows is mostly filled with flasks of alcohol. “I’ve never made an easier promise to keep.” He says.
“Yeah, yeah Josten’s hot, and Andrew wants to bang him we get it. Can we go and get this over with.” Aaron huffs and it’s remarkable that this is actually incredible progress on Aaron’s path toward fixing his homophobia.
Truly, that moment Andrew had caught his brother checking Neil out when Neil had jokingly worn the booty shorts Nicky had gotten him was a healing moment.
“You do look really good Neil.” Katelyn smiles at Neil warmly and Neil smiles back.
“You also look really good Katelyn.” Neil offers.
“Yes, yes both of my sons have hot redhead significant others. C’mon, let’s go figure out if Kevin’s drank half the alcohol here yet.” Nicky says and with that, the Foxes start towards the main area.
Neil hung back with Andrew, “You look really good Andrew.” Neil compliments looking him up and down shamelessly as he smiles at him.
“Shut up.” Andrew huffs but takes Neil’s hand. The worse thing about Neil looking this good tonight is that Andrew can’t just spend the whole night looking at him, he has to keep his eyes peeled for the Ravens.
The court is done up to make it look formal but there was just no hiding the fact that it was still very much an Exy Stadium. Kevin joins them and guides them to where they’re going to be seated.
They’re with the Belmonte Terrapins and, honestly, it’s a blessing.
The Ravens are on the other side of the entire event. They just need to make it through dinner when the ERC stops giving a shit since they’ve got their photos. Then Andrew will fill up as many plates as he can from the dessert table and usher Neil out onto the bus.
If his luck holds out, then maybe he can even feed Neil some chocolate-covered strawberries.
They make polite conversation with the Terrapins who swear that this year they’ll be the ones standing at the top of the Exy world. Neil says some cutting things back that have them bristling but in general, it’s actually a pretty alright dinner.
His plan was going perfectly.
Abby has already given him the keys to go back to the bus, Neil has not left his side the entire evening, he’s fed individual grapes to Neil (his second favorite fruit) by hand, the Ravens have stayed away from the Foxes under the absolutely ruthless gaze of their new head coach and the dessert table was impressively stocked.
It was all going too well.
“Andrew, can I speak with you.” Jeremy Knox is actually frowning at him. His arms are crossed. His chest puffed.
Good lord, Jeremy Knox is trying to appear intimidating.
To Andrew Minyard.
“Nope, got other plans,” Andrew says because he knows a Golden Retriever when he sees one no matter how it puffs up and snarls.
He takes Neil's hand and starts to walk away.
Jeremy Knox steps in their way and Andrew is, distantly, impressed that the Golden boy does not touch them but merely uses his body to act as a barricade.
“I need to know what you said to Jean. He was doing so well today. Then, one call from you, and it took me the entire flight to calm him down.” Jeremy Knox actually scowls at him, and Andrew is impressed that his face can manage the look.
“You don’t need to know, and I’ll gut Moreau if he tells you.” Andrew scowls back and he’s had years more practice with the expression than Jeremy.
“Every year the Foxes leave before any of the bonding activities start. If I raise a complaint, they will keep you here this year.” Jeremy threatens and Andrew blinks. Jeremy Knox just keeps surprising him today, first an expression that wasn’t a smile, not stopping after Andrew's initial refusal, and now a threat.
Kevin had picked a good place for the injured raven to roost.
“When did you talk with Jean?” Neil asks sounding curious and Andrew feels his stomach twist.
“I had some questions that only Valjean could answer earlier today,” Andrew says but doesn’t fully answer Knox's question. “He agreed to answer them for me. He could have hung up.” Andrew looks at Jeremy.
“He said he owed-”
Andrew turns to Neil, “I’m going to have a brief chat with Knox. Go back to the table for a minute.” He orders handing Neil the plate laden with dark chocolate strawberries.
Neil blinks looking shocked, “Andrew?” he asks because they don’t have secrets, Andrew likes that they don’t have secrets, but Andrew has one about Neil right now. One that he doesn’t want Neil to find out about until they’re in a nice safe environment where Betsy can say all the right things to Neil. Where Andrew can offer his reassurance, can explain why he sent Neil away tonight.
Tonight was Friday and Betsy was Monday.
“Neil, I will explain later but not right now. I promise.” He says and Neil’s shoulders relax. He trusts Andrew’s promises because Andrew doesn’t break them lightly and he had never broken one with Neil.
“Ok.” He says and looks at Jeremy who, at least, offers Neil a smile.
“I won’t take too long with him, I promise Neil,” Jeremy says and Andrew is glad that the Trojan captain’s ire is reserved for Andrew.
Neil nods and steps away back towards the table full of their teammates and relative safety.
Andrew turns his attention back to Jeremy after he watches Neil arrive safely at the Fox's table and out of hearing range, “Jean said that he owed Neil. He said that he would talk to you only because of that.” Jeremy says and he looks significantly less angry as his gaze shifts to Andrew and then behind Andrew.
Jeremy Knox was always irritatingly perceptive, and Andrew’s frantic dismissal was anything but subtle.
Andrew took a long breath wishing that he had a cigarette or Neil’s hand, “I needed to know something about Neil’s time in the Nest. Moreau was the only person who could give me what I needed. I won’t apologize to him or to you.” Andrew explains slowly.
Jeremy bristles, “Why would you need to know about it from Jean? Neil was obviously there, it’s fine to trigger Jean just so you don’t-”
“I need to make myself very clear Knox.” Andrew interrupts, “I will always pick Neil over Moreau, but it is not an issue of Neil not sharing a memory or an answer with me. He does not remember anything about his time at the Nest other than the 16-hour training days and even those are a blur to him. I needed information before I could let him come here so that he would be safe, and I won’t lose a wink of sleep about Moreau if it means Neil is safe.” Andrew hisses but quickly realizes his mistake when he looks at Jeremy again.
Jeremy Knox is pale.
“You need to keep him…safe?” Jeremy’s eyes keep shooting between Andrew and off in a different direction from where Neil had gone. When Andrew looks, he sees that the Trojans are standing guard around Jean. Smiling when the ex-Raven looks at them and then shooting daggers at the Ravens when he’s focused elsewhere. How their shoulders relax when Renee walks up and takes all of Jean’s attention.
Because the same people pose the same threat to Jean as they do to Neil.
“Stop it, Knox,” Andrew warns.
“Did…Did Neil get….?” Jeremy struggles to ask, and Andrew’s fancy outfit slows down how quickly he can get out a knife, to stop Jeremy from asking what he’s going to ask. “Jean told me what they did to him. Did they do that to Neil too?” he asks.
Andrew can’t hide the fury he feels at the question. He’s been desperately bottling up his unyielding rage since he was in the shower last night with Neil.
He never thought that Jeremy Knox would be the one that would get the first taste of this anger.
He has a knife pressed against Jeremy’s stomach and Exy’s Golden Boy is utterly and completely still. “You will forget that you even thought about it.” He threatens, “If you do not turn around right now and go back to your little team and focus on protecting Moreau tonight then I will bring this party to an end by way of stabbing.” He hisses and Jeremy visibly swallows in fear, “Neil does not even know yet; so you sure as hell don’t get to know before he does. If you say a single damn thing to anyone then I will find out and I will cut you from dick to mouth, do you understand me?” he demands.
“I understand Andrew. I’m sorry I pushed.” Jeremy says sounding sick.
“Good, now get the hell away from me.” He hisses.
Jeremy nods and Andrew puts his knife away. He lets Jeremy leave first and gives himself a few minutes to calm himself back down, he didn’t want to return to Neil with his anger so close to the surface.
He gave himself a full minute to feel all his anger and then the rest of the time was dedicated to shoving it all back to where he had compartmentalized it before Jeremy Knox had cracked the seal.
He turns back, ready to spend the rest of the evening in the team bus licking frosting off of Neil’s fingers and wiping dark chocolate away from Neil’s mouth.
His eyes search for auburn at the table but he doesn’t find it.
What he does see is Jeremy Knox running full speed towards a side tunnel and a shaking Kevin Day at the Trojan table.