Work Text:
The first time Andrew caught Neil was when he fell out of a tree. Ok so maybe Andrew forcibly knocked him out of a tree… Either way, like many great stories, it started with a text from his cousin Nicky.
Nicky: Andrew
Nicky: Help
Nicky: PLEASE!!!
Nicky: Hello????
Nicky: Seriously Andrew please!
Nicky: It's about Neil
Andrew: What do you want?
Andrew: This better be good
Aaron: Come get your pet
Aaron: We can't reach him
Aaron: *Photo Attachment*
Andrew stared at the photo for a moment too long, trying to decide if what he was looking at was actually real. Neil was crouching like a goddamn gargoyle at the top of what looked to be an incredibly tall tree. How he got up there, he couldn't even pretend to know but this definitely wasn't his problem.
Andrew: Oh dear brother
Andrew: Neil is not a pet you see
Andrew: He's more like a feral animal
Andrew: And certainly not mine
Andrew: Good luck
Nicky: WAIT!!!
Nicky: Please!!!
Andrew: No
Nicky: I'll buy you your favorite ice cream
Nicky: The expensive kind from that gourmet place you like! A whole pint!
Nicky: Come on :( Coach will kill us if he gets hurt
Andrew: Make it two
Nicky: Deal! :))))
Andrew showed up at the park roughly 20 minutes later. Technically he could have shown up sooner but he had very important business to attend to. Sessions or not, swinging by Bee’s office earned him a to-go cup of hot cocoa and a lollipop. Not something a man could pass up, you see.
Neil was still stubbornly sitting on one of the branches by the time he arrived and Nicky looked like he was at his wits end. Aaron didn't seem to give a shit but that was because he was Aaron. Andrew squinted as he stared up at him for a moment before removing the lollipop from his mouth and whistling loudly.
“Oh Neeiilllll!” He called, “Come here, boy! I got a treat for ya!”
“For fucks sake, he's not a dog.” Nicky huffed in annoyance.
Andrew shrugged as he slipped the sugary sucker past his teeth again, “Might as well be.. here.”
He passed his to-go cup to Nicky for a moment while his eyes scanned the ground until they found what he was looking for. It only took a few rough kicks to dislodge the sizable rock from its dirt prison. Once he had it in his hand though, he chucked it as hard as he could, hitting Neil square in the chest. Due to the angle, gravity, and a bunch of other shit, the impact wasn't enough to break anything but it was enough to make Neil lose his balance and fall. He hit three branches on the way down before landing in Andrew's outstretched arms. He dropped him straight in the dirt a second later though and grabbed his cup from Nicky before stepping over him and walking back to his car.
“Goodbye.”
“Jesus Christ-” Nicky cursed under his breath, “Neil, are you ok?”
“I'm fine.” Andrew heard him groan in the distance.
Always fine…
***
The second time Andrew caught Neil wasn't nearly as fun. In fact, it actually pissed him off a little. He was standing just outside of Fox Tower, laying into Kevin over something Riko related. Honestly, the details weren't important. What was important was that it was a PRIVATE conversation. A private conversation that Neil happened to crash by falling right into his outstretched arms again. Outstretched arms that were two seconds away from strangling Kevin if not for the obnoxious intrusion.
“What the fuck!?” Kevin leapt back in surprise as Neil's body suddenly appeared between them before once again getting dropped on the ground. “Wha- How.. Where the hell did you come from!?”
“My room.” Neil wheezed as he sat up, “The stairs were too slow.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you!?”
Andrew ignored their riveting conversation in favor of glancing up at the only open window… on the 3rd floor. For a moment his brain wondered if Neil was Spider-Man, suicidal, or just plain stupid. After a few moments he landed on stupid but it didn't stop the mental image of Neil in red spandex, scaling the side of Fox Tower.
***
The third time Andrew caught Neil was at the recommendation of Bee. That traitor. Although, Andrew supposed he could never stay mad at her for too long. Unlike other people, bribery got Bee everywhere.
It was supposed to be a trust exercise amongst the foxes. Fall into each other's arms and trust that your team would have your back. It went about as well as it sounds and after a third “oopsies”, Wymack made them all run laps instead. Before that though, Neil got paired up with Andrew.
“I don't trust you.” Neil huffed in annoyance as he turned his back to him.
“Shocker. Do me a favor and get in line with the rest of them.” Andrew grinned as he held out his arms.
Neil made no attempt at moving though. “I’m not falling for you.”
“Come on, Neil.” Nicky spoke up next to him, “The faster you do it, the faster we can all get back to practice.”
Even with his back turned, Andrew could see Neil debating it. Weighing his options in his mind.
“Times up!” Andrew called out as he kicked the back of his knees, forcing Neil to crash into his awaiting arms, “See. Was that so hard?”
“Fuck you!” Neil spat.
Andrew dropped him yet again, earning a tired glare from Wymack, “Andrew!”
“What coach? I caught him, didn't I? For a moment.”
Wymack groaned and Neil glared from his new spot on the ground. His lips parted in an angry scowl and Andrew traced the shape of them with his eyes, wondering if they really were-
“Are we done here?” Andrew tore his gaze away and looked from Bee to Wymack.
Another thump and a groan a few foxes down told him that Aaron had also dropped somebody. Great minds think alike, he supposed.
“Laps! All of you!” Wymack snapped, waving them off like a disappointed father.
***
The fourth time Andrew caught Neil was fully intentional and not at all suggestive, no matter what Bee or Renee said! The five of them were out at Eden's for the night and even though Neil was insisting on being no fun and partying like the rest of them, that alone didn't stop him from getting into trouble somehow. Nicky had dragged Kevin out to the dancefloor while Andrew was content to watch from the sidelines and nurse whatever drink he had in hand. It had only been about 10 minutes before he heard commotion on the stage above him.
“Get off me!” Neil’s voice rang out.
“Aw, c’mon baby~ Just one dance. I'll make it worth your while~”
Andrew looked up, spotting Neil first and then some lousy drunk with his hands all over him. Something burned in the pit of his stomach as he watched the man shove his disgusting face in the crook of Neil's neck. The desire to beat him within an inch of his life was strong but before he could move towards the staircase to do so, Neil locked eyes with him. Brilliant blue flashed in his vision for only a moment before Neil was shoving the man away and jumping over the safety railing.
Andrew's glass shattered on the floor as he took two steps forward to catch Neil in his arms. The two of them stared at each other for a moment before Neil squirmed. Andrew let him down but one arm stayed where it was wrapped around his middle. Still holding him just in case he was unsteady on his feet.
“You ok?” He asked, willing his voice to be normal.
“I'm fine, now.” Neil said as he pulled away from him and disappeared into the crowd.
Andrew's brain lingered on those words though. Fine, now. The first and only indication that at one point Neil Josten hadn't been fine… but he was fine now.. now, thanks to Andrew. And if Andrew continued to think about it for the rest of the night and all of the next day and for the rest of the week, then so what? That was normal, right?
***
The fifth time Andrew caught Neil wasn't nearly as dramatic as the last four times but for some reason, it was the most jarring for both of them. Neil just so happened to trip. Andrew just so happened to catch him before he could get a face full of asphalt. Both of them froze at the realization of what had just occurred.
Unlike the last four times, Andrew had no reason to catch Neil. A skinned knee or scraped up hands was nothing compared to flinging yourself out of a window and breaking every bone in your body. And yet, Andrew's reaction was instant. Second nature almost.
Neil stared at him a moment too long before finally asking, “Why?”
“Why what?” Andrew raised an eyebrow as he let him go.
“Why did you catch me? I would've been fine.”
Andrew's brain scrambled for an answer before landing on, “I just bought you those pants. You really think I'm gonna let you ruin them already.”
Neil’s eyes drifted down to his outfit before snapping back up to Andrew, “You did.. why do you buy me clothes?”
“Because you look homeless otherwise.”
“I don't think that's it.”
Andrew shrugged, “Believe what you want.”
“If I did that then I'd believe that you liked me.” Neil admitted.
“Ohhh!” Andrew laughed as he stepped closer to Neil, getting in his face, “So many wonderful things to believe and that's what you land on? Isn't that an interesting one..”
“You said to believe what I wanted, didn't you?”
“Indeed I did.” Andrew hummed as he grabbed Neil's chin, dragging his thumb along his bottom lip. Entirely too soft for looking like a hobo on the run all the time. It wasn't fair. “Do me a favor Neil.”
“What?”
Andrew leaned in closer, their lips so close that he could feel each warm exhale against his skin. “Shut the fuck up.”
***
The first time Neil caught Andrew was by his wrist as he yanked him into his dorm room. The rest of the foxes were gone, save for the two of them and Kevin who was catching up on his beauty sleep in his own room. He knew cornering Andrew like a caged animal was bound to get him at least one broken bone he didn't care anymore. He couldn't keep pretending like things were normal between them.
“Oh Neil!” Andrew grinned, “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Why do you treat me different from the rest of the foxes?”
“Straight to the point, aren't you?”
“Answer my question.” Neil demanded.
“Why don't you answer mine first?” Andrew smirked as he crossed the room. Both his hands came down on Neil's desk, effectively trapping him between himself and the wood, “The other day you said you wanted to believe that I liked you. Why is that?”
“Because I do.”
“Bullshit. Why the hell would you want me to like you?”
“Because you're Andrew.” Neil said, like it was the most obvious thing in the entire world.
Andrew almost laughed but Neil went on, “You're strong and brave and attractive and everything I could ever want! Why the hell wouldn't I want you to like me?”
“Oh Neil.” Andrew sighed as he leaned forward bumping their noses together, “Didn't I tell you to shut the fuck up?”
“Why don't you make me then?” Neil whispered against his lips.
Andrew closed the last shred of distance between them and Neil's knees buckled as he slipped his tongue into his warm, wet mouth. Before he could fall though, Andrew caught him. No matter what, he would always catch Neil.