What really fucks me up about the way Andrew killed Tilda is he had no guarantee that he would survive. Car accidents are messy things, and even planned ones can’t go the way you want them to. Andrew was fully prepared when he got in that car with Tilda to die alongside her if it would keep Aaron safe and that horrifies me. He was only a teenager. He was practically still a child. Andrew was just a kid and he was ready to die to protect his twin, simply because he promised to protect him.
The real reason Andrew doesn’t like Jean is because he and Renee keep texting and calling and fuck off, Frenchman, she’s his best friend. He bets she doesn’t make Zombie Apocalypse plans with you.
Neil to Kevin: “Jean is interested in Renee. Give her his number and let’s see what happens.”
Consider: An interviewer asks Andrew and one of his teammates about some of the players on the other team and when asked about Neil, Andrew’s teammate says “Neil Josten is married to exy” and Andrew immediately interrupts “No. My name’s Andrew, not exy.”
And that’s how the public and Andrew’s team find out about Andrew and Neil and how everyone who already knew about them finds out they’re married.
The interviewer says “Hold on a second, you’re married to Neil Josten?” And Andrew says “I better be or that ceremony was an even bigger waste of time than I thought it was.” Andrew completely ignores any further questions.
*Spoilers for the All For the Game trilogy and trigger warnings, which include: mentions of rape, violence, abuse.
Andrew Minyard is one of the most complex and well-written characters I have ever read about. He has so many sides to him and so many things he has kept hidden from others. Most people think of him as a psychopath or a sociopath, but his behavior is a side effect of his past trauma and abuse.
He doesn’t know how to behave gently or be kind. He wasn’t raised with that, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care. He does. He cares for Aaron, for Nicky, for Neil. And he cares to some extent about the other Foxes. His reactions are violent and rude when someone hurts his family not because he is distant and cruel, but because he cares for them.
Love is not a word in Andrew’s vocabulary, and he doesn’t know how to match his feelings with that word. Some might say that he is a sociopath for that, or maybe a psychopath with no feelings. But Nora shows in small ways how Andrew shows that he cares. It could be a cigarette here or a key there.
Remember when Andrew held a knife up to Nicky in the Foxhole Court because rape was mentioned? He cared for Neil even then and didn’t want him to suffer what Andrew did. He used violence then, and violence when Allison slapped Aaron. He was defending his family with violence because he doesn’t know any other way to tell people to back off.
When Andrew killed Tilda, it was to protect Aaron and keep him out of harm’s way. It was extreme, yes, and it was wrong. The bond between Andrew and Aaron is so complicated and hard to describe. When Aaron killed Drake, the first person Andrew looked for was Aaron. He wanted to know if Drake had done anything to Aaron. (What I’m trying to say is that Nora did an amazing job at implementing this realistically.)
I probably repeated myself over and over, but- Andrew Minyard is a complex and beautiful person who deserves lots of ice cream and soft mornings and a long life without more abuse. (And a certain Neil Josten.)
Things Andrew Minyard likes about Neil Josten that he would literally die before admitting:
His hands. Andrew would never ever not in a billion fucking years say he likes Neil’s long fingers which look like they are made for playing the piano. Would never tell anyone how unafraid he is of those hands coming close to him because he knows to his very core Neil would never do anything Andrew didn’t want him to do.
Neil’s scars. Not in a gross way. They just remind him that Neil has gone through so much, has survived so much and is still a constant annoyance in Andrew’s life. He’s not going anywhere, and as much as Andrew hates that, how can he really hate that?
The time when Neil refused to go for Exy practice on Andrew’s birthday, even after Kevin almost killed him.
Neil’s hair. How wavy they are. How they are an anchor when Andrew feels like he’s about to drown and never resurface.
Their back and forth bickering. It’s another stupid, pointless reason to wake up in the morning.
The way Neil always closes his eyes before kissing Andrew, as if he’s living a dream.
The way Neil looks while sleeping. Thinking of nothing, his blue irises visible even when his eyes are shut.
Neck kisses.
The way he can tell Neil anything and Neil would accept it. Like fuck, he could probably tell Neil “I killed someone cos they cut in front of me in the ice cream line.” And he knows Neil would answer, “I hope you hid the body well.”
The shared cigarettes. Andrew would never be with someone who detested the smell of smoke.
Neil’s biceps and calf muscles. Need I say more?
He could listen to Neil talk all day. Andrew suspects it’s why he hasn’t buried a knife in Neil’s gut yet, just cos he likes listening to Neil.
As much as he liked the secrets game, he enjoys everything being said even more. Neil knows almost every inch of Andrew’s life, but he didn’t flinch. Didn’t run away from the “monster” Andrew thinks he is.
Neil’s mouth. Not that way psshtt who am I kidding totally that way The mouth which has gotten him in trouble more times than he can count. The mouth which can strip you off everything with just a word.
“Kevin and I talk about your intricate and endless daddy issues all the time.”. Trust me no one enjoyed that more than Andrew.
Nothing but My Aching Soul 