whatmack:

It starts, like so many of the things in Neil’s life, with someone being cruel

• Allison’s visiting and they’re out grabbing lunch and a passerby cracks a joke about Neil’s scars
• And it’s been a hot minute and Neil doesn’t really care but he’s tired of this, tired of people recognizing him as damaged when he’s working on being a whole real person
• Allison notices and once she’s finished her biting one-liner coming for the passerby’s life she leans across the table and presses a firm kiss to Neil’s right cheek, directly over the pull of knife scars
• Neil’s been learning he likes physical contact, from people he trusts, and he’s surprised but he blossoms under the contact and relaxes

So it becomes a thing

• Dan busses Neil’s cheek in greeting when she visits
• Renee’s cheek-kisses always leave Neil with the lingering scent of citrus shampoo
• Nicky likes to make a joke of it, give Neil’s burn scars a huge smacking kiss when Neil’s feeling down
• Matt throws himself into this idea completely, of course
• Even Kevin, sometimes, if it’s just them in their dorm and Neil passes Kevin the notes they’re taking on a game, will press a brief kiss to Neil’s cheekbone in thanks

(Aaron doesn’t; but he doesn’t complain when the others do, and that’s– that’s something)

And of course Andrew

Andrew

Never in front of the others, but at night when Neil’s curled against him Andrew will work slow and reverent lips over Neil’s cheeks and nose, dropping down frequently to kiss that mouth that features in so many of Andrew’s dreams