I want to talk more about Aaron and Neil
developing an accidental friendship
Things are really rocky between them for the
first year. Aaron is still pissed that Neil tried to use Katelyn against him,
Neil just hates Aaron’s attitude.
But it’s the end of Neil’s sophomore year during
Spring Championships, and they’ve just beaten the Ravens again, knocking them
out of the Semi-Finals and keeping the Ravens from advancing to Championships
for the first time
And Andrew is still in the goal on the other
side of the court, too far away when a Raven Backliner swings his racquet at
Neil in anger
But it’s Aaron that charges forward, blocking
the blow with his own racquet before throwing a punch at the Backliner and it
becomes an all-out brawl
The Foxes make it out with minimal bruising and
Neil tries to thank Aaron later from saving him from a broken rib, but Aaron
just glares at him
Aaron and Neil antagonize each other but Aaron
protects Neil on the court because “Neil is too stupid to recognize that he’s
in danger”
What Aaron doesn’t say is he knows Andrew is
happy, Neil makes Andrew happy, and Aaron will do anything to protect that.
As the years progress and more Foxes get added
to the line, Aaron starts helping Abby more
Neil still ends up in the training room too
often and Aaron hates it
Neil is always somehow getting into fights or
accidents
Getting hit by a cyclist while running
Tripping over a crack in the concrete and
falling face first onto gravel
Picking a fight with a drunk at Eden’s and
getting a bottle smashed across his back
It pisses Aaron off
Neil seriously what the fuck how have you lived
this long?
How does Andrew ever leave you alone?
You need a leash
Anyway
Andrew hates running so Aaron starts going with
him in the mornings
And they always end their run at a café where
they get coffee and muffins and Neil brings back a muffin for Andrew
Aaron threatens to push Neil into traffic a lot
but when they’re running at 5am and a drunk driver runs up onto the sidewalk
Aaron jerks Neil out of the way
(Neil stop trying to die please we’re begging
you)
And eventually one of the Foxes mentions it
because “what the fuck since when are Aaron and Neil friends?”
And Aaron and Neil are like “???? We hate each
other.”
And the Foxes just give them a look because okay
boys you look out for each other on the court and you go running together in
the mornings and get coffee and muffins and they DANCED TOGETHER AT EDEN’S ONE
NIGHT
And it’s so weird but that’s just them
They’re constantly arguing and fighting but they
protect each other viciously and if it weren’t for Andrew’s arm bands they
literally wouldn’t be able to tell the twins apart around Neil
Andrew doesn’t mention it either but sometimes
Aaron and Neil will be playing video games in the living room and Andrew will sit
down on the bean bag chair with Neil
And it’s not weird. They don’t say anything to
each other and that’s almost a miracle. Aaron doesn’t glare at the way Neil
leans back into Andrew’s chest.
And Andrew feels comfortable enough that he
presses a kiss to the side of Neil’s head.
It’s all so soft and calm
Neil and Aaron’s friendship is so strong they
just protect each other and hang out and make fun of each other but they’re so
fiercely protective of each other it’s amazing