pinkygivingbrain:

man whatever you do, don’t think about andrew minyard’s first year after graduating palmetto state.

don’t think about how he goes from sharing a tiny ass dorm bed with neil every night for an entire year to sleeping alone in random hotel rooms and an empty apartment. don’t think about how he and kevin had only been apart once since kevin had come to south carolina but now there’s no more late night exy practices with neil and kevin and there’s no nicky and aaron wandering into their dorm at all hours of the day and night. there’s no more video game marathons and no more movie nights and no more dinners at sweetie’s or late nights at eden’s twilight.

definitely don’t think about how this is the first time they’ve all been out of his sight since he went to easthaven and this time, they’re all hours away and not going to be waiting for him when he gets back. now he can’t protect them

and there’s still life on the road with cigarettes and drinks in between but it’s… alone.

(most of all, don’t think of the way aaron’s chest gets tight when he’s stumbling exhausted out of his last class of the day and his brother is leaning against a wall just outside, waiting for him.

don’t think of halloween that year when nicky wakes up hungover, with a pounding headache, to a text from andrew. it’s just a picture message of some nut job dressed as a bull, and nicky laughs so hard he wakes up eric.

and sometimes kevin will be up late at the court by himself, looking at the goal without seeing it and thinking riko, riko, rikorikoriko and his phone will ring. andrew will say, “go the fuck to sleep you idiot. you’re fine.” and hang up. kevin will never, ever admit that from half a country away it still makes him feel safer.

really, really don’t think of neil coming back to the dorm after practice to find his room has been broken into. and he’s on high alert, of course (neil is always going to be more than a little paranoid) but he pushes the door open silently to see a dark silhouette perched on his desk, cigarette smoke around them wafting out the open window. and instead of feeling like he’s stepped into a cramped, drafty dorm room neil is blessed with the unmistakable feeling that he is home.)