Can we imagine Neil calling Andrew love? Like maybe it starts as a joke but then he actually does it just to do it?
Neil has weird language tics that he can’t seem to let go of that he picked up from all the different accents of the places he’s been
some days these tics are more prevalent than other days, and they tend to be more noticeable when Neil is relaxed and doesn’t feel like he needs to blend in so much
on one such day (a Saturday), Neil wakes up alone in Andrew’s bed in Columbia
he remembers that it’s just Andrew with him so he walks downstairs in pajama pants and no shirt, and he enters the kitchen with a yawn
“Morning, luv,” he mumbles, British accent hanging around on the back of his tongue, evident but not overwhelming
Andrew, at the coffee pot, kind of freezes and looks at Neil thinking wtf??? because this is the first time he’s heard any of Neil’s accents while speaking English
Neil doesn’t notice and moves to get a mug from the cabinet
he’s still super sleepy and doesn’t notice Andrew really at all until Andrew grabs Neil’s elbow
Neil looks down slowly and then looks back up at Andrew with a soft “What?” that’s maybe verging on a German accent, or maybe a mix between German and British
and Andrew is staring and Neil doesn’t know what’s going on until Andrew traces Neil’s lips with his thumb and asks how Neil can slip so easily between accents
Neil gets flustered as hell and ends up replying in German because he was leaning towards that the last time he spoke
“I don’t know it just happens.”
and obvs Andrew just nods like yeah okay so he’s not trying to give me an early death on purpose
and it just kEEPS HAPPENING
Neil will be lazing around in Fox Tower listening to Matt and Dan and Allison talk and usually Andrew becomes a topic point and Neil will brush it off with a, “He’s alright, lui. Just has a hard time letting his emotions out of his stranglehold, y’a.” and no one understands????
(fuck sorry i wandered let’s get back on track)
so after like, months of these tics happening in every language and every variation of every language that Neil has ever spoken, Neil finally realizes that Andrew has a particular liking for the British accent
so Neil, like the little shit he is, starts doing it way more often
“Hey, luv, since you’re up can you pass me that sports magazine?”
and sometimes he drops his voice and presses the accent so it’s really heavy but it’s still smooth and super attractive
ONCE ANDREW IS FLUSTERED FIVE WAYS TO SUNDAY
at practice, in a flat American accent (maybe midwest): “Hit it my way, love!”
or: “Love can you toss me a towel?”
or: “Don’t give me that stink eye, love. You know you like it.”
and Andrew does like it which is a big problem
so, to retaliate, Andrew calls Neil Schatz (”sweetheart”), and then, later, when he’s more comfortable with it, he starts calling Neil sweetheart in English
at this point the Foxes are like?????? bc Andrew always sounds so apathetic when he says it and Neil always has this gleeful look in his eye and they’re worried but like???? when have Andrew and Neil ever been a normal couple??
anyway yeah I don’t have anything else for you but Neil definitely has language tics and Andrew definitely thinks they’re all Super Sexy™
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