I reblogged her late last year and my 2024 has been very satisfying work-wise and (secure enough to not stress out) money-wise so far. Money Snake is wise and good.
This all started as most of Kevinâs problems does, by being drunk and miserable. You see, Kevin had a big mental break down after Rikoâs âsuicideâ, and went further down the alcoholic path. It was 3 weeks after the championship win, spent near constantly drunk, that Aaron of all people, finally was able to knocked some kind of sense into him. Of course he was allowed to grieve, even though Riko was a grade A asshole, he was his brother. But was it really worth it to let it ruin your whole life? And if he wasnât careful his future career was gonna suffer.
Kevin finally took his team mates words to heart, and decided to get proper sober. It really wasnât an easy feat, but after three hard months he finally felt like it was something he could maintain. He hadnât felt a craving in weeks, and he was happier than he had been in a really long time.
But then came a bad day. Bad days in general came and went, he had anxiety he was used to it. But this bad day happened to also fall on Rikoâs birthday. It felt like no matter where he looked, he could connect it to Riko, or even the Ravens. And at 3 P.M. that day, he broke.Â
Everything with an alcoholic percentage had been purged from the dorms two months ago after a close call with Andrewâs whiskey, so he had to actually leave to dorm to get something. Luckily, the dorm was empty, so no one was there to question him when he suddenly up and left. He felt like everyone walking past him, was looking at him and could see his intentions. He got to the store no problem after the fifteen minute walk, and actually buying the alcohol as way to easy. He kept anticipating that someone was going to yell at him for even looking at the forbidden liquid. It was when he stood outside the store, with his haul of 2 vodkas and a bag of pretzels, that the guilt started to trickle in. After debating with himself for a full five minutes, he was just about to walk back into the store to return the vodkas, when he overheard a conversation between two girls, walking past him and into the store.
âI just think itâs so sad he committed suicide you know? He was very talented, and I really think he wouldâve gone far you know. Poor Riko.â
The guilt was quickly buried beneath the need for a drink. His brain shut down and before he even noticed it, he was back at fox tower. He went down into the basement of the tower and found a random corner to settle into. He took swig after swig out of the flask and when 1/4 of it was gone he felt a bit better, more settled. After half the flask he sat giggling to himself, Riko was dead and he wasnât, what a funny concept. After 3/4 of the flask he was back to guilt and misery. When it was empty he just felt sorta numb. This hollow feeling of nothingness spread through his whole body, made him sit in his corner for a couple hours, not even drinking anymore. He wondered if this was how Andrew felt all the time. He hopes not, itâs not nice.
That was how Renee found him.
Seeing her made feelings spread through his body again, made the nothingness disappear completely, but the intense feeling of grief, guilt and general gloominess made him choke back a sob. Renee just sighed a little and gave a sad smile. She made to sit next to him, but Kevin allowed the tears to roll freely and pathetically opened his arms to her. He needed something, he didnât know what but he figured a hug from the sweetest person alive could at least help a little with all of these feelings. She crumpled into his lap and just held him, rocking him back and forth whilst he lowly sobbed. It wasnât fair.
I donât know if anybody cares, but I finally have an actual idea for my part two of Aaron Goes Big and have it completely planned. Now it just needs writing, which hopefully shouldnât take too long. Featuring jealous Aaron, patient Nicky and Kevin, and the return of besties Katelyn and AaronÂ
I didn't die, I promise! Life just really got in the way. I finally got started on meds for my anxiety, which took me a long time to regulate. When i finally stopped having the bad side effects, I suddenly had to get to know myself as a person not controlled by their brain. Super fun times...
Then my boyfriend and i broke up, so more soul searching needed.
But I finally feel stable and actually have been writing a bit of my skirt-Aaron sequel. With a little snippet if you wanna sneak a peak ;)
âAh.â Nicky had said knowingly, still standing next to Aaron. Aaron was not going to fall for it, he really wasnât. He had more will power than that, and wouldnât cave at such a small sound. He was stronger than that. So strong!
âWhat?â Fuck, he really wasnât. Nicky shrugged his shoulders and made to move away from Aaron, but Aaron grabbed onto his wrist to stop him. âNo, why did you make that sound? You canât just, leave after making a sound as if you know something!â He demanded. One side of Nickyâs mouth went up for a second before we looked around them. Aaron had no idea what he was looking for, but he didnât care at the moment, more concerned with Nickyâs knowledge.
So i totally didn't write this in procrastination over the "Aaron Goes Big" sequel, nope, no sire. And if so, you can't prove it. This is totally inspired by a post by this user(I'm trying to find the exact post, but it's taking longer than expected), and i just had to have a fic of it. So I made one. Enjoyâš
AO3
***
Nicky loves getting his care packages from Germany. The candy gives him a sense of home, and their cards are always so thoughtful and sincere. The fact he feels that dash of homesickness always makes him feel a sense og guilt, but Germany, and subsequently the Klose's, literally saved his life when he was a teenager, so it makes sense it feels more at home there, than the US.
This particular package came from Erik himself, instead of their parents (the Klose's are unrelenting about the fact that they are also Nicky's parents, and at this point Nicky can't bear to fight it), which means there is another kind of goodie too.
He takes the package into the dorms bedroom to give himself a sense of privacy. Opening the box is realitivly easy, Erik had always sucked at using tape. The one thing he couldn't do apparently. Inside the box there are the usual kinds of candy, his favourite brand of Fruchttee that you just can't find in the US, and there at the bottom, the very best about boxes from Erik.
At the bottom of the box this time, is a t-shirt. The pieces of clothes varies from box to box, from sweats to hoodies, from new to old, but always worn exclusively by Erik for a full day, and sprits by his cologne so it really smells of him. This time the t-shirt is actually one of Nicky's old ones. It's a sky blue comfy shirt two sizes too big, and the font on the front is considerably worn, but still readable "SAY HEY IF GAY"
Nicky had bought it one of the first time they had visited Munich, where the Klose's had a bit of family, as a joke. He had started to feel a bit more comfortable with his sexuality at this point, and liked to wear it and just say 'hey' at random intervals. Erik found it very endearing, and liked to say 'hey' back him.
Fighting the smile on his face was impossible, so he didn't even try. Shrugging his own sweater off, he put on the t-shirt instead. Even though Nicky had grown a bit of muscle since the last time he had worn it, it still didn't fit as good as he would have liked, so it would have to still be a sleep/lazy shirt. Considering it was almost dinner time, he didn't have an obvious reason to take it off yet.
He sorted his candy into different piles, what Aaron would like, what Andrew would really like, what he himself wanted to keep, and a 'let's share' pile. With that over and done with he got up from his bed to distribute the different piles, and decided the kitchen was his first stop. Arms laded with candy and tea, he almost walked into Andrew but he stepped out of the way just before.
Laying the goodies on the table top, he found the couple of chocolate bars intended for Andrew and turned back around to face him. He was about to explain the german candy when he saw him staring at his shirt instead of his face. Gearing up to say 'his face was up here, thanks', Andrew looked up at his hands instead and saw the chocolate bars. He swiped it from his hands and simply said "Hey" and walked nearly all the way out of the kitchen, before stopping for two seconds and adding a short "Thanks".
"You're welcome." Came out of his mouth before he could stop it, and once Andrew was all the way out, Nicky allowed himself a second to feel confused about Andrew and his general Andrew-ness before shrugging and going back to his candy.
Though, he couldn't shake this weird feeling of deja-vu. He was about eighty percent this had happened before. And now that he thought about it, it was about a hundred percent. This had also happened a few weeks after the twins 17th birthday. Nicky had just gotten out of bed, and was preparing coffee for him and Andrew, as they tended to wake up at the same time, whilst Aaron didn't get up unless forced. He poured the cups and turned around with one claps between his hands, to lean back against the counter and drink it. Andrew was standing in the door way, apparently just waiting for Nicky to be done, because he went for his own cup to customize it to his likeliness, when Nicky was done adjusting his position. When he was done he spun around to take it to his room, as usual, when he just went "hey" before adding a little "thanks".
Nicky had been too shocked about the fact Andrew had willingly spoke to him, and in the morning no less, that his "welcome?" was spoken into the empty kitchen. He had shrugged the episode off then too, though that time it had been in the hope of Andrew more willingly speaking to him. And he did, a small 'morning' here, and a small 'thanks' there. It wasn't a lot but Nicky cherished it nonetheless. Made staying for them a little more worth it.
He was putting the last of his candy in the different cupboards, except for Aaron's which he still had in his hands, when he caught sight of himself in Kevin's open laptop. It was sitting innocently on the kitchen table, open for all to use, though the screen was black. The sight of his shirt made the smile crawl back on his face, before it unexpectedly fell of and was replaced with one of understanding and shock. That little fucker.
"ANDREW JOSEPH MINYARD, WHERE THE IN THE WORLD DO YOU GET OFF BY COMING OUT TO ME AT SEVENTEEN AND THEN JUST NEVER BRINGING IT UP AGAIN?!?"
I donât know if anybody cares, but I finally have an actual idea for my part two of Aaron Goes Big and have it completely planned. Now it just needs writing, which hopefully shouldnât take too long. Featuring jealous Aaron, patient Nicky and Kevin, and the return of besties Katelyn and AaronÂ
*Matt lovingly at the end of his weekly call to Neil*: And how is my granddaughter doing? Did her test go well?
*Neil automatically about to deny the granddaughter comment once again, but flashes back to him and Andrew scolding Robin because she didnât study enough for said test and almost failed, and just accept the fact she is in fact his and Danâs granddaughter at this point*: sheâs in her room studying so she does better on the next one
Aaron Goes Big Instead Of Home (And Poor Kevin Dies A Bit Inside)
This fic is also on AO3 if you prefer to read over there :)Â
This was all Neils fault, 100% the little assholes fault. It was a simple bet, a very small one indeed. The fact that Neil even agreed to the bet, should have tipped Aaron off from the very start. But sadly, Aaron is nothing but a salty bitch when it comes to Neil, and the fact the bet involved his brother was even better. He could kill two, no actually tree birds with one tiny victory. Convince his brother that his relationship with Neil was nothing but loveless sex, prove Neil wrong whilst also getting to humiliate him. Win win win.
Teeny tiny flaw in his plan though. Neil won. Neil actually got Andrew to casually display relationship like PDA. With Andrew initiating. Holding hands, kisses goodbye, softly touching hips to get by each other, the whole shebang. Fuck. Damnit. Crap. He wasnât suppose to readily showcase his emotions towards Neil, he was suppose to prove to both Aaron and himself that the relationship was a fad, and let it fizzle out like his and Katelyns. Okay, he might have been a little bit bitter, as well as the usual annoyance Neil brings out in him, when he made the bet. Whatever.
So here Aaron stood, almost exactly six months after the bet started, in Katelynâs bathroom just looking at the offending clothes. Katelyn and him might have broken up, but they still consider each other their platonic soulmates. The sex kinda spelled that out for them, not really enjoyable for either of them. Katelyn found out she definitely was on the asexual spectrum, where sex was only enjoyable for her sometimes. When they first got together she had laid all the cards on the table, and told him her feelings about sex, and Aaron had been very understanding and patient with her. It took a long time for their relationship to turn physical, other than the casual kissing and hand holding, and in the two and a half years they had been together, actual sex had only happened a handful of times. And only one of those times had been somewhat satisfactory for both of them.
It was after the last time they had sex, one of the worse experiences for both of them, that Katelyn suggested they might be right for each other. Aaron had wanted to argue with her, wanted to be hurt she would say such a thing, but Aaron had been having the same thoughts for a while before. Because while Katelyn might be asexual, Aaron sure as fuck wasnât. He got urges and fantasies, and whilst he understood Katelyn didnât, he also knew it wasnât her fault they werenât clicking right sexually. So they mutually decided that they might be better of as best friends instead of partners, but werenât ready to tell people. Katelyn wasnât ready to come out, and Aaron would like to keep his pride and not be pitied.
(The sexual identity crisis that sprung forwards in Aaron when he actually realized that it was not only Katelyn that didnât find pleasure in their sex life is not to be spoken about. Internalized homophobia and too much alcohol doesnât mix, too many tears, understanding Nickys, and not nearly enough answers. Whatever, he has time to figure it out when the time is right.)
The uniforms material felt way too heavy in his hands, considering it was only a two piece, yet it was surprisingly soft. He guessed thatâs what happens if you actually use fabric softener, but what was he suppose to know? He didnât care enough about his clothes to spend the extra cash on that shit. Katelyn does though, or whoever she borrowed the clothes from did.
He shifted the fabric around his fingers and actively considered forfeiting his dare. However the mere thought of letting Neil win even more, made him visible recoil and slightly nauseas. Fuck that, a thousand times over. A simple knock on the door and a voice asking if he was okay in there, got him out of his staring contest with the outfit, and mumble something even he wasnât sure what meant.
Taking a deep breath he finally shimmed out of his pants, and pulled the undergarment of the uniform on. A bit shorter than he was used to, but not too bad. Taking off his hoodie and replacing it with the top, made it all a bit much, and way too real. Heâs gonna lose his dignity as well as his masculinity to this. The bright orange Vixens uniform sat tight against his chest, but flowed nicely the rest of the way down. Turning a bit this way and that, he got to study his whole body. His ass which normally was kinda flat, popped a bit with the skirt accentuating its shape flatteringly. His shoulder and biceps got the same treatment with the tanktopâs broad straps. So maybe not all masculinity is lost to this. Gathering a bit of his spite for Neil, and general courage, he finally unlocked the door. Finding his last fucks to give after a couple of more moments, he also opened the door. Luckily, it was only Katelyn waiting for him. She moved her head from her phone and smiled from her upside down position on the couch.
âYou good?â She simply asked him. Kneading the fabric of the skirt, and pulling at it a bit he nodded.
âAs good as Iâm gonna get, wearing a skirt because of a stupid fucking bet. Iâm so stupid.â Pulling a bit more on the skirt, he looked around. âWhere are the others? I just really wanna get this over and done withâ Katelyn helpfully pointed downward, hopefully meaning Fox Towers third floor and not the parking lot. Sighing and looking at her with tense shoulders, a question all by it self, she only raised an eyebrow and gave him a look. Obviously not the parking lot, who did he think she was? A monster? Him lifting one of his now unclenched shoulders, no, but you do enjoy to slightly bullying me, so why not. Katelyn snorted and finally got up from the couch.
âI thought about it, not going to lie to you, but your face when I gave you the uniform made me reconsider. You looked like a kicked puppy, it was so sad.â Aaron grunted to make his displeasure know, but followed her to the front door. He only hesitated a bit going through, so little only people who really knew him would realize. Luckily, (or unluckily, depending on how you view it) Katelyn was one of those very few people, and she put an arm around his shoulders for comfort. Together they walked the short way to stairs and down the two flights from fifth to the third floor, thankfully without running into anyone. The hallway of the third floor also blessedly empty, gave Aaron a false sense of fortitude. Holding on to it, until it became as genuine as itâs gonna be, he looked up to Katelyn, âWhich room?â
After a quick glance at her phone, she nodded towards the upperclassmenâs room. Great, so Neil roped the whole team together to witness this. Fucker. Shaking off the rest of his nerves, he shrugged off Katelynâs arm and walked up to the door. Opening and stepping inside made his heart start pounding, but nothing happened. Literally nobody was even looking at him, or acknowledging his presence at all. All eyes seem to be on his twin, currently laying face down on the floor. âThis is the worst day of my lifeâ came muffled from the floor. Looking from face to face, Aaron finally made eye contact with someone. Sadly that someone was Neil.
Raising an eyebrow at him, Aaron silently dared him to comment. Unable to backdown, Neil did just that. âOkay Minyard, thatâs a bit low, even for youâ Nodding towards Aarons chest area whilst he said so, made Aaron look down at the v-neck. Sure it was a bit deep, considering his lack of boobs, but it wasnât that bad. The v stopped at about the middle of his chest, pale blond hairs exposed to world for once. Bracing himself once again for all the attention that was bound to come his way, now that Neil had spoken to him, he took another step into the room, Katelyn right behind him. But still, all eyes except for Neilsâ were on his twin as an unenthusiastic âfuck youâ came from the floor. This time it was Neil that raised an eyebrow, want to make a game of this? Aaron nodded once, intrigued with this whole situation.
âSeriously A, isnât this a bit over the top?â Neil gestured a bit with his hands, presumably meaning the Vixens uniform. Fair question, when the forfeit only specified a skirt. But Aaron kinda lived by go big or go home, and when he asked Katelyn if he could borrow a skirt, and the only thing she had he would be able to fit in was the uniform he said fuck it. To answer Neils question he nodded towards Katelyn, who gave a tiny wave. A look of understanding crossed his face when an answer came from the floor. âThis is a perfectly reasonable reactionâ This startled a laugh out of Nicky, and made Kevin look up from Andrew towards Neil. When he saw him looking nowhere near Andrew he followed Neils eyesight and caught sight of Aaron. His eyes widened and he stood stock still, but not a noise or word passed through him. Aaron didnât get the time to analyze that particular reaction, as Neil once more spoke up.
âRight, sure. Kevin, what is your take on the situation? I mean, he only lost a bet, isnât that a bit overly dramatic?â The mischievous grin he wore didnât bore well for Aaron. He knew something Aaron didnât, that fucker. When all Kevin seemed able of answering was a stuttery mess, the foxes finally shifted their attention away from Andrew, most likely to laugh at Kevins inability to talk. Yet, once they saw Kevins now slightly awed expression, and both his and Neils direction of sight, they subsequently came to look in Aarons direction.
What followed was probably the most awkward five seconds of Aarons life. It started as a stunned silence, which was broken by Kevin sadly saying âThis is a very bad time to have an identity crisis.â, after that all hell seemed to break loose. Nicky and Allison were actively trying to get Kevin to elaborate on that, and close some bets for them. Matt and Dan were looking at each other, and then at Aaron seemingly trying to work out how best to approach the situation. The new foxes tried to gently blend into the background and disappear with no luck. Only Renee was brave enough to face him. âHello Aaron, I like your outfit. Is this a new thing we might see more often?â
The innocent question floored Aaron for a bit, and shut the foxes up again. Sure he was still trying to figure out his sexuality, but his gender identity was never a question for him. But now that he was thinking about it, he didnât actually mind wearing the skirt. Sure it wasnât completely comfortable, but it was a sports uniform. His own was made of the same kinda fabric and had the same feel, so he was use to that. But if he found a more modest skirt in more comfortable fabric, he didnât think heâd mind it all that much. I did make his ass pop. Really thinking about that fact made his brain momentarily shut down. Once rebooted he looked Renee in the eyes and answered
âI donât, I donât think so? I mean, Iâm not sure? It might? Can I get back to you on that one?â Trying to be more open with foxes had been a thing heâs been working on as a new years resolution, but here two months later, it was still really hard. Admitting that hurt a little. Shifting his attention towards Neil again he suddenly realized something. âYou didnât tell them did you?â
âNo, I didnât actually think you would go through with it.â He shrugged his shoulders and smirked at Aaron
âTell us what?â Came from floor. Andrew had finally decided to join the conversation, apparently. He had only turned his face from directly down, to towards Aaron at the door. He didnât seem too judgmental, only a bit confused. Ever since Bee had finally convinced Andrew to try a new type of medication, to treat his bipolar disorder and depression, Andrew had become a whole new person. A much more readable person, but you still canât be a 100% sure with him.
âI made a bet with Neil, and obviously lost. So my punishment was to go out of my comfort zone in the clothes department, considering and I quote; I bitch so much about his. I thought a skirt was the most out there for me. Why are you lying on floor?â Ah, the dreaded communication they needed to better. They were getting there, albeit slowly. Bee helped a lot.
âAndrew got cocky about his biceps, and Matt challenged it with an arm wrestle match. As you can probably guess, Andrew lost.â Dan cheerfully informed from beside Matt, who looked rightfully smug. This made Andrew turn downwards agin and groan sadly. âI benchpress more than any of youâ was spoken into the floor. This made the foxes laugh once more. Aaron shuffled a bit from foot to foot, and made the tactful decision to leave with all the focus on his brother. He technically did do the forfeit after all. Get out of his comfort zone and show at least 4 different foxes. Whether it was individually or in a group was up to him.
When he got to his room and about to close the door, he got stopped by a hand on the frame. A very uncomfortable looking Kevin was the owner of said hand. He opened and closed his mouth a couple times, and took a big breath, but didnât say anything. He then got into motion and just walked into the room. Well then. âWhat do you want Kevin?â Crossing his arm across his chest, Aaron âpatientlyâ awaited an answer.
âGo on date. Me with. I mean, uuuhhhâ Aaronâs brain shut down once more, and this time the reboot apparently took a little too long, because when he refocused in on Kevin once more the man was fidgeting. Which wasnât something Aaron had ever seen him do. What the fuck was happening here? Was Kevin actually asking him out? And more importantly, why was he asking him out? As far as Kevin was concerned, him and Katelyn was still happily together. He tried to come up with an answer, but Kevinâs flickering eyes threw him off. They kept going from his face to the skirt and then landing on the v neckline. It was almost a pattern. His eyes went from the skirt to his face again when he suddenly spoke up again.
âYou need to change. I just. I canât think, and I really want to talk to you, because I overheard Nicky one time, but I donât really know if it was just Nicky being Nicky or if itâs actually true. I did ask him but he shut down and wouldnât even look at me for three days after, so I donât know for sure. So can you make me think? I mean change. Pl- if you could be as kind.â
Aaron thought he nodded before he turned and walked in to the dorms bedroom, but he honestly wasnât sure. So many thoughts swirled around in his head, made it hard to concentrate on getting changed. Had Nicky really been so careless he accidentally outed him? It was with Nicky he had had his sexuality revelation and cry with, that cursed night after a Trip to Eden.
It had been a few weeks after Katelyn and him had called it off relationship wise, and Aaron had been having these weird feelings and his mind kept supplying him with these random observation. Objectively speaking, your Chemistry 102 TA is attractive. His sharp cheekbones and plumb lips are attractive features to have. The boy sitting across from you smells nice, wonder what cologne he uses? The man behind the counter at the coffee shop had really nice eyes. They were a warm brown you could get a little lost in.
He had just crossed the doorway into the house when the thought hit him. What if the reason that sex with Katelyn wasnât satisfying for him, wasnât because of the fact that Katelyn was asexual and werenât as in to it as he was, but because she was a girl? What if the reason he seemingly couldnât have as good an orgasm with a partner then alone, was because he had the wrong gendered partner. He had had earlier girlfriends in high school, both before and after Andrew had arrived, but he always seemed to excuse the bad sex as inexperience. But what if it wasnât?
That had floored Aaron completely, and he had taken a stuttered breath and stumbled to the couch so he could sit down. Nobody seemed to pay him any mind, hopefully just chalking it up to drunken behavior, not the life revelation it had been. Neil and Andrew hadnât been drinking that night, and they wasted no time bringing their things up to Andrewâs bedroom to go to bed. Kevin had stayed at Palmetto to spend the weekend with his father, but Nicky had bargained with Andrew for them to go to Columbia anyway, and gotten his way somehow. (Aaron hadnât asked, didnât really want to know.) When they arrived at Eden he had all but begged Aaron to drink with him. So Aaron had matched him drink for drink, and actually had a good time. He even danced a bit with a random person with a pixie cut and let a little loose.
He hadnât realized the tears gathering, nor the way his breathing had picked up until Nicky appeared out of nowhere sitting down next to him. He had swirled his head to look Nicky in the eyes, and the easy going smile he had on his face died when he saw Aaronâs face. He must have looked terrified because Nicky sounded completely sober when he spoke,
âAaron are you okay? Whatâs wrong? Did something happen at Eden? Should I go get Andrew?â The more he spoke, the faster the words spilled out and the more panicked he sounded. Aaron tried to draw in a breath to answer him, but it got stuck in his throat so he just shook his head desperately. He really didnât want to include Andrew too, and rather die than include Neil. Nicky had nodded his head, but still looked at him worriedly. When he finally mastered the art of breathing again he blurted out what he should have said ages ago, even before his little revelation.
âIâm sorry Nicky, Iâm so sorryâ He crumbled while he said it, and his head had landed in Nickyâs lap. The tears had started to fall about halfway through his apology and he didnât predict them to stop anytime soon. But neither did the muttered apologies, Iâm so sorry spoken softly into Nickyâs thigh. Nicky was bordering on hysteric at that point, franticly petting his hair and seemingly answering Aaronâs apologies
âItâs okay, I forgive you! I donât really know what youâre apologizing for, but it canât be that bad! Sure, youâre kinda an asshole, but youâre apologizing so youâre not that big of one. Why do you keep apologizing? Itâs okay, Iâm right here. Whatever you did Iâm always gonna be in your corner, so please stop crying I donât know what to do! How can I help? If you donât calm down Iâll have to go get Andrew because I really donât know how to help you if you donât speak to me, and Iâm starting to get really worried now. Please talk to me.â
It was only when Nicky had started to shift around, as if trying to get up, that Aaron finally snapped out of it. He wrapped his arms tightly around Nickyâs legs and shook his head, turning around to look up at him with pleading eyes. Nicky had looked back at him, tears in his eyes as well and shifted once more. âIâm giving you two minutes to start explaining or Iâm getting him. This will not go unspoken of, do you hear me Aaron? Iâm pretty sure youâre having a mental break down or something, and you canât keep that all inside. That is super unhealthy and can cau-â
âI think I might be gayâ Nicky had gotten very quiet and still, just looking at Aaron and blinking rapidly. Aaron took a steadying breath and wiped his face free of tears, head still in Nickyâs lap. Figuring fuck it, I already said the hardest part he continued speaking, voice croaking making it deeper than normal.
âI donât actually know, I just. I keep having these thoughts ever since Katelyn and I broke up, which we did like, a month ago, and I think my brain is just now connected the dots because apparently Iâm fucking stupid, and canât figure out that sex wasnât as satisfying as regular masturbation, was not because the people Iâm with are bad at it, but because they donât have what I need. Or is it the bad thing and Iâm only overanalyzing? The only thing Iâm really sure of right now is the fact Iâm a huge asshole for giving you and Andrew such a hard time for being gay, when I might be it too. That and apparently I find my chemistry TA hot, and like the way men smell and what is wrong with me?â Aaron sniffed and a few more tears fell from his eyes. They were starting to feel a bit sore now. Aaron had jumped when Nicky suddenly took a huge breath and whispered something that sounded like okay, you can do this. Making eye contact with his older cousin he got a small smile. He reached down wipe the last of the tears away, and began petting his hair again. Much more soothingly this time around.
âSo this is a lot to unpack, so what do you say we take it in small bites hmm?â When all Aaron did was nod, he continued on, âSo you and Katelyn broke up? Are you okay in regards to that?â
Aaron looked down at his hands, playing with his fingers but answered him, âYeah, about a month ago. Maybe a little longer. It was an actual mutual decision, something we both felt needed to be done. We had a big fat discussion about our feelings and called it quits. We just arenât ready to tell just yet. Might not for a while to be honest. She has some things to work through, and sheâs my best friend so of course Iâll put it off for as long as she needs.â Shrugging his shoulders he looked up again.
âOkay then, Iâm happy to hear youâre doing okay there. These⊠thoughts you mentioned, what exactly do you mean?â Wincing a little, Aaron had tried to clarify his brains jumbled observations. They sat on the couch talking about each and everything Aaron had been feeling and thinking about those past two months. Aaron found that Nicky could be surprisingly quiet and understanding, and that it was really cathartic to talk about it all. So apparently Aaron could see the attractiveness about guys, but he didnât know if he wanted to date them. Kissing had crossed his mind once or twice, but quickly shut down because he wasnât ready to think about it.
The last thing Aaron had asked of Nicky before they went to bed that night, a few hours later, was that he kept quiet. He wasn't ready to explore his sexuality, let alone come out. Nicky had given him an understanding smile and sighed out of course.
A knock on the door startled Aaron out of his memory and into the present again. Shrugging his hoodie over his head he decided to just get it over and done with. Fucking Kevin sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. When he was fully dressed once more, he walked over to the door and ripped it open.
"What do you want Kevin?" He said maybe a little too forcefully. Kevin had moved away from the door, and was sitting at the couch Matt had supplied the living room with. He gestured to the other end where he was sitting. Sighing to make his displeasure known, he got to the couch and plopped down. Looking over at the other boy he repeated his question, a bit more mellow this time. Kevin was sitting with his legs curled up under him, his right hand playing with the fabric of his pants.
"A date, ideally. With you, specifically." His face was set in a small smile, eyes sparkling hopefully. Aaron's heart sank a little, so Nicky had outed him. Accidental or not, that still shot a pang of panic and hurt through him. Before he could muster up the energy to answer him, Kevin continued,
"I don't actually know if you'd be interested, or even actually into boys. About three weeks ago, I overheard Nicky speaking to who I assume was Erik, considering he was speaking some german. He kept switching between english and german though, and going on a tangent about queerness being genetic, the twins, and breaking up with girlfriends. Never mentioning any names. So I don't- I'm not actually sure it was you he was talking about. I tried to ask him but he just shouted no, hung up the phone and all but ran away from me. He havenât really spoken to me yet. I think he feels bad, because I overheard him.â
A feeling of relief spread through Aaron. Even though Nicky had spoken about their conversation from months ago, he had worded it so only people who knew Nicky intimately would have a clue. Or simply think he was talking about Andrew. Still feeling some of his earlier panic, Aaron opened his mouth to profusely deny deny deny, not at all ready to talk about his sexuality again, he remembered a tiny detail from Kevinâs explanation. If he had overheard Nicky three weeks ago, why in the world hadnât he said anything? Either to him or the others? Closing his mouth again, Aaron tried to calculate what would happen if he âcame outâ to Kevin. He wasnât even sure what the ever-loving fuck he was, other than not straight, but if Kevin had held tight for those three weeks maybe he would for however long it took for Aaron to figure it out. One small parentheses made the equation hard though. Kevinâs apparent desire to date Aaron. Aaron might not be the best at math, but a huge glaring pair of parentheses in an equation needed to be addressed first, in order to solve said equation. Right? Aaronâs pre-med not a simple math major, how was he supposed to know?
âWhy?â It had slipped out of Aaronâs lips without permission, but he really needed to know before they got any further in this equation. Why now? Why him? Kevin furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head slightly, apparently not getting Aaronâs question. Aaron elaborated his inner thoughts, and the questions made Kevin pause. A slight flush rose across his cheeks, but it didnât take long for him to gather his thoughts, only a shake of his head.
âSo, Iâve been talking to Bee right? In the process of becoming soberâ Aaron nodded, not really in the mood to actually talk right now. Luckily, Kevin continued on.
âOkay, so. She hasnât just been helping me getting sober, also just. Better? In general. We have been talking trough my growing up, and Riko and Andrew. Just. Everything I guess. It made me realize some things, and she has been encouraging me to do something about it. I havenât wanted to, until three weeks ago, where I heard I might have an actual chance.â He shrugged his shoulders, now looking down at his lap, really focusing on the piece of fabric between his fingers. Aaronâs mouth went a little dry at that implication, not that he really knew why.
He thought all bravery had left his body, after having to endure his forfeit, but apparently not because he felt himself reaching his right hand across and over Kevinâs left. It made him start and look up at Aaron. Sitting there with his hand over Kevins made him feel the same sense of fuck it, as he had with Nicky all those weeks ago. So throwing caution into the wind, he unstuck his tongue from the roof of his mouth, and asked what he thought was the most pressing matter.
âWhat did you realize?â Kevinâs face went from flush to straight up red, but he kept his eyes locked with Aaron.
âApparently it is possible to admire people of the same sex aesthetically, and not just because of their exy skills. And that I find your personality and general body incredibly attractive.â
Kevinâs voice had gone down an octave, and the sound of it sent a shot of something, through his stomach. The very same something he has been feeling pertaining his chemistry TA lately. Great, now he also found fucking Kevin hot. Not that that might be a problem with Kevin considering the resent confession. Though now that he really thought about it, Kevin really is an attractive person. He has sharp cheek bones, but his green eyes softens his face up, so he doesnât look so severe. His nose is slightly upturned, but with a tiny bump on the bridge, which is something Aaron hadnât noticed before. Wonder where he got it from? Exy most likely. His thighs has the same kind of muscle definition that Katelyn has, which is something Aaron has always found arousing.
He should probably say something though, instead of just mindlessly looking at Kevin. The poor dude looked about one breath away from a minor break down. He shook his head to clear it from his Kevin related epiphany.
âFuck it okay, all cards on the table?â He gestured with his left hand, just now noticing his right still laying over Kevins. When he got a hesitant nod from him, he continued on now determined.
âI donât actually know what I am, other than maybe not straight. Katelyn and I are broken up yes, but we havenât actually told anyone. Not ready yetâ A slight flush rose across his own cheeks when he thought about his next admission, âAnd I kinda find you aesthetically pleasing as well.â
A small smile spread across Kevinâs face and he opened his mouth, but Aaron cut him of before any words could come through. âBut! But, I really donât know what that means. And I donât think itâs fair for you, if I didnât make that abundantly clear first. Your face is attractive, I think, and I know you enough to feel safe maybe starting a thing with you. Just, some minor things before you ask me again?â
Kevin nodded his head quickly and opened his mouth again, but once again Aaron cut him off before he could speak. âOkay so one;â He held a finger up on the hand not holding Kevinâs.Â
âIâm nowhere near ready to tell people about anything related to my sexuality, so if we do this. Itâd have to be in complete secret,â Another finger joined the first one and he went on. âTwo, weâd have to take it slow. I donât know what Iâm comfortable with, or how far Iâm willing to go, so youâd need to be patient with me. Possibly really patient with me.â
He raised a third finger to go with his last bit.
âAnd lastly but most important, you need to tell me if things isnât working for you anymore. I know I come with a lot of rules and regulations, but I need to figure out if this is really for me. You feel safe enough for me to try with specifically, but if that ever ends up not being enough for you, you tell me. Immediately. That is very important to me. If there is one thing my relationship with both Katelyn and Andrew have taught me anything it is honesty is super important. Well, and consent but you know Andrew too so of course you know that. Okay, you can talk now.â He unfurled his hand, and waved it at Kevinâs to demonstrate his point. Kevin looked a little shell shocked after being loaded with all that information, and he took a moment but finally he spoke, his small smile lighting up his eyes.
âYeah, I can work with that.â
It was spoken softly, and it took Aaron an extra two seconds to realize what Kevin meant. He still wanted to âdateâ Aaron, even with all these rules. And he had not seen that coming, expecting Kevin to give up and find someone new to pester about dating. He hadnât really taking his stubbornness into consideration, which really was an oversight on Aaronâs part, and predicted this would happened.
âAsk me again.â He challenged him, a small part of him still excepting him to not go through with it. And by now, Aaron kinda really wanted to go on this gay adventure with Kevin.
Kevinâs smile grew in size, and made a dimple appear in his right cheek, another thing Aaron hadnât noticed Kevin do(had, could?), and he shifted closer to Aaron. He shifted his left hand so they were holding hands, rather than Aaron holding Kevins, and took hold of his right hand as well, placing both in his lap. Aaron could feel his cheeks warming up, but didnât hinder his movements.
âWould you like to go on a date with me? And maybe hold a little hands with me? Thatâs all I ask for now, and we can figure adjustments out as we see fit in the future. And secrecy is okay with me at the moment, and I promise to tell you if I change my mind.â
Aaronâs whole upper body felt warm now, most likely a blush, but he also felt surprisingly excited. This had suddenly turned into a thing Aaron really wanted to explore. Mirroring Kevinâs smile he answered, feeling confident in his mental math. This equation wasnât so hard to solve as the first one.
I have a draft saved with the title âI like girlsâ, followed by this text âdyjfghfhcgjgvjvjâ.
I have no clue when or why i made it, but fuck if i donât relate
This came to me after i read this post, and my brain went âno, you do it because you have small legs and canât keep up with your bfâ and thus this was born.
Now also on AO3
*****
Neil is a little bewildered. He is not at all complaining about this new development in his relationship with Andrew, just a little confused. Andrew has gotten a little, how do you say it delicately; clingy, after they won the championship. The other foxes hasnât commented on it yet, but they might not have noticed it. Neil has though. By god has Neil noticed it. Luckily, he doesnât feel smothered by the clinginess, but it seems like he canât be more than a couple feet away from Andrew now, before his eyebrow furrowed the smallest amount together. And if enough time passes with neither of them moving closer, Andrew shifts the slightest bit towards which ever direction Neil is in.Â
Okay, the couple of feet is a bit of an overstatement, when in reality itâs 8 feet and 2 inches. Neil knows, he tested it. Kevin was looking on in severe judgement that day, what with Neil moving half an inch away from Andrew, who was sat gaming with Nicky, waiting a few seconds before glancing at his face to see his reaction. The pinch came at 8 feet even, and the shift came at the infamous 8 feet and two inches.Â
And again, itâs not as if Neil is complaining. Itâs always nice to be able to look around, and be able to immediately spot him. Safe even. But that is not what has gotten Neil confused, oh no, the closeness is just on observation. What Neil is having a hard time wrapping his head around is the fact that Andrew has gotten handsy.
But itâs not even the normal handsy he sees from other coupleâs PDA. No, there is no hands on his hips, he isnât casually touching his ass like Matt sometimes does to Dan, nor is he absentmindedly petting his hair like Allison did to Seth. No, he just. Wants to hold his hand. Or his arm. Or on bad days, his sweater sleeve. And Neil doesnât get it. He doesnât mind it, really he doesnât! Andrew always asks first, or just straight up offers his hands to Neil, and Neil somehow always find himself saying yes and taking his hand, even though he doesnât get his newfound clinginess.Â
Neil would just have just put it down as a weird form of affection from Andrew. With both of their shitty childhood, general emotional constipation and mistrust of most physical touch, handholding was an acceptable first type of affection. That is, if it wasnât for the pattern he noticed 3 weeks after the first incident of handholding.
Andrew doesnât seem to need to hold his hand when they are staying somewhere. Like if they are in the locker room or in any of the foxes room, the 8 feet and 2 inches seems to be enough for Andrewâs clinginess. But whenever they are going somewhere, it literally doesnât matter where, Andrew hand shoots out after 15 seconds of walking, and he only lets go when they have reached their destination. Sometimes that is. He has started to linger a little, and by now the other foxes has undoubtedly noticed. They still havenât said anything, though it looks like Allison really wants to sometimes. And itâs not like she can corner Neil alone to get some answers that way, what with the 8 feet two inches. Â
It is two weeks after the pattern revelation that Neil finally finds the courage to ask Andrew about it. Just because he doesnât get it, doesnât mean he dislikes holding hands with Andrew. Heâs actually come to really like it, and what if Andrew stops if he points it out? But he needs answers now, and if Nickyâs few comments on the matter only resulted in scowls and grunts, Neil feels a bit reassured. So they are sitting on the roof, sharing a single cigarette between them, and looking out over the campus. Neil steels himself, gathers his last bit of bravery and opens his mouth. âAndrew?â
Andrew shifts his head towards Neil, indicating heâs listening, and Neil starts to play with his own fingers. A couple more seconds go by, and Neil thinks he has formulated his question harmlessly.
âWhy canât you be more than 8 feet and 2 inches away from me?â Andrew inhales his next lungful of smoke a bit to suddenly, and freezes for maybe two seconds before he exhales. âRiko.â Is all he answers. Neil mulls over his answer for a bit, but canât find an explanation within it. âWhat?â he prompts confused.
Andrew exhales again, and Neil could see his arm flexing from the corner of his eyes. Whatever Andrew was about to say, wasnât something he was happy having to share, but technically, it was his turn in their truths game, and it seemed Andrew knew that as well.Â
âI was 8 feet and 2 inches away from you when Riko swung.â Now it was Neils turn to freeze. That admission floored Neil, not having excepted such a thought-out answer. Gearing up answer, or maybe getting Andrew to elaborate, he got cut off, because apparently Andrew wasnât finished yet. He took yet another breath and continued, âEvermore I was not present for, and Binghamton I had you out of my sight for 5 seconds to check on Nicky and you were gone. But with 8 feet and 2 inches I could get to you.â It was quiet for what felt like hours afterwards, with Neil processing and Andrew quietly chain smoking.Â
âOhâ Was Neilâs answer maybe 4 cigarettes later. He didnât want to make a big deal out of it, but he also wanted to acknowledged Andrews vulnerability. Andrew shrugged, and Neil finally looked over at him and saw how tense he was. Not really knowing how to make the situation better with words, Neil slowly reached his left hand towards the blond boy, offering the same kind of comfort Andrew has had lately.
Andrew looked from his hand, and up to his face so Neil offered him a small smile and wiggled his fingers a small bit. Andrew huffed at him, but took his hand and intertwined their fingers. With his hand in his, Neil remembered his initial question and kinda blurted it out,
âBut whatâs with the handholding then? I get the distance, Iâm kind of a trouble magnet, but why hold my hand? That doesnât seem necessary.â Andrew huffed out his version of a self deprecating laugh. âYou are fast, and have longer legs than me.â
âSo what? The handholding is just you making sure we are walking in the same tempo, and you donât lose me in a crowd?âÂ
âMaybe not so stupid after allâ At this point that is just flat out slander against Neil Josten.
*****
I have no clue how to end this, so I give you this! There you go, hope you like it. This is my first completed and posted fic
Okay, new headcanon time because I read a post about Aaron and Neil begrudging friendship, and now this thing wonât leave my brain. It sorta grew legs and kept on going, sorry. Featuring twinyard forced bonding, Neil being an asshole and Katelyn being sneaky.
Okay, so we know that Neil doesnât really care for Katelyn. But like, sometime in Neilâs 3ârd year and the girls have left him he shows up to one of his maths classes and like, Katelyn is there??
Katelyn is super smart as well as athletic, the whole deal. And one time one of her TAâs were like, okay this class might actually challenge you, but wonât take up all of your time. Might be fun.
And Katelyn is like, alright imma try.
The first two weeks Katelyn doesnât even notice she shares the class with Neil, it is that big.
When she does though, itâs because the professor is writing a thing on the board (itâs early, I donât wanna do actual maths rn), slightly incorrect, and she really wants to point it out, but also doesnât wanna be rude and affect her grade.
Neil doesnât have such worries and just sorta not quite yell but loudly points it out... mightâve used a cuss word or two as well, whoops
Katelyn was like thank god someone said something, she was sat clinching all muscles not to say anything.
Then she clocks who said it and was like, huh, I might do something about this. He is someday gonna be my family so might as well start wearing him down now, instead of later.
Also, perfect excuse to actually start up a conversation, sharing a class.
So a couple of weeks after that, when Katelyn has had some time to think, and Neil thinks heâs safe, she strikes.
They are appointed some homework, and she has positioned herself so she can see Neils face in the lecture hall (without it being obvious) and Neilâs eyebrow pinch the tiniest bit together. Now is the time.
She gently approaches him a little sheepish, âcould we maybe form a little study group for this class? I donât really know anyone here, and I donât really understand the concept for this bitâ
Neil, a little suspicious but also completely lost on this subject âwould you be able to meet in the library on Tuesdays at 4?â
She says yes of course and dances a bit internally.
The first like, 3 study sessions are completely awkward and stilted, but somehow they work really well together academically? Who knew?
Itâs in the fourth meet-up that the ice breaks. Katelyn arrives a bit winded, with a half of cup of coffee and just starts to enthusiastically rant about this complete asshole who cut in line at the coffee place, and then the girl who tripped her on the way into the building but wouldnât apologize and they got in an argument and then so on about every bad thing for the past week
And Neil is just hooked on her rant. He is reminded a bit of Dan and her ranting about sexist assholes in sports and he really misses her, but why should that stop him from making new friends?
So he stops fighting it and actually talks to the girl. Turns out, they have a lot in common. Including complaining about their significant Minyard. They love them, but oh my lord are they petty and annoying.
From there on out, Tuesdays becomes their hang out day. Even when the semesters over and they donât have that class anymore. Just Katelyn and Neil becoming unlikely best friends (sorry Matt, it wasnât on purpose), and telling each other everything. She is the first one outside of the foxes to see his scars.
She didnât flinch. But she quietly seethes for days afterwards. Aaron tipped him off by complaining about Katelyns bad mood to Kevin (not that he cared) and he overheard it. They had a talk and only grew tighter.
Fast forward like, a year and a half, and Aaron really wanna meet this person. And Katelyn really wants her bf and bff to have a bond as well, but considering all of the bitching she hears about Josten this and Josten that, she had taking to keep referring to Neil as that person I meet in this class, or her nickname for Neil (itâs buggy, because he keeps on bugging her with more maths) to keep the peace.
Also, gender-neutral terms to keep the jealousy at bay. Heâs not that bad, but better safe than sorry. Neil means a lot to her now.
But finally she snaps; âfine, you can meet buggy. But only if they agree to meet you tooâ
âWhy wouldnât they agree to meet your boyfriend?â
âYouâre annoying, and I complain about you a lot.â
âYou what?â
Anywayyyys.
Neil of course agrees, but only if he can bring Andrew as well. âHeâll play nice, I promise! No knives or hairpullingâ
Aaron is really excited to finally meet Buggy. They really mean a lot to Katelyn and makes her happy. And who makes her happy, make him happy too
Andrew is very curious about Neilâs supposed new best friend. Turns out, Neil also hasnât disclosed exactly who it is, but Andrew hasnât outright asked him about it so.. Itâs his own fault, really
The meeting goes a little like this:
Neil and Katelyn is at their weekly hangout, this time at a coffee shop around campus, and both text their S.M(significant Minyard) where to meet up. Andrew arrives first and just stands in the doorway when he catches sight of the twin redheads sitting and laughing about something. Neither has noticed him yet
Debating just walking out again, he hears a soft but earnest âare you fucking kidding meâ
Turns out Aaron was just as surprised and lowkey mindfucked. They catch each otherâs eyes and have their first mental conversation
âWell shit, now we have get along with each otherâs S.Râs (significant redhead). Also did you know? No? Thank god I wasnât the only oneâ
Katelyn turns around as her Aaron senses has gone off, and spies the twins just looking at each other totally defeated. Then turning to Neil like,
âDid you not tell Andrew about me? Because he is doing the same face Aaron is currently doing, and I didnât tell him exactly who he was meeting today other than my best friendâ
âWhoops, mightâve forgotten. They look kinda emotionally constipated... For how long do you think Aaron is gonna complain about itâs me?â
âTwo weeks at least, how about Andrew with me?â
âHeâs just gonna passive aggressively stare at me with snide comments every now and then until I buy him a tub of ice cream in apology. I give it 6 months for Aaron to laugh at I joke I made without making that face afterwardsâ
âYouâre on, itâs gonna take him 9 at leastâ
It took 5 and a half months, and 2 years for Katelyn to get Andrew to huff his version of a laugh at all.
Just, Neil and Katelyn being besties and forcing the twinyards to accept and maybe even like each others S.Râs whilst also getting a better relationship out of it. Also; Aaron is now cursed into saying buggy instead of Josten or Neil, and he hates it. Until he doesnât of course.
Okay but the most important question about the booksâŠ
When Neil first arrives and [Andrew] picks him up at the airport, he drives like a maniac. His driving is mentioned nowhere else aside from when he gets clean and takes over drivingâŠ
So was he driving just to freak Neil out, or was he driving like Aaron and thatâs why Aaron is not allowed to drive?
Just imagine all the power Neil gets his second year.
Heâs free:
Free to be Neil Josten.
Free to act how he wants.
No holding back that quick temper or those spitfire comments anymore.
Plus added bonus heâs the vice-captain.
I can imagine many practices going like this:
Neil misses while running raven drills.
Kevin storms over and gets in his face about being better.
Neil so tired of having Kevin constantly yelling at him, and remembering he doesnât have to take it anymore: âThatâs 30 laps Kevin.â
Kevin completely dumbfounded: âWhat?â
Neil: âYou heard me 30 laps.â
Kevin: âYou canât give me laps just because you donât like whay Iâm saying.â
Neil: Actually as vice-captain thats excatly what it means.â
Kevin having no intention of doing what Neil says until Wymack, who has been standing close enough to overhear calls: âHas that helmet done permanent damage to your hearing or are you just ignoring your vice-captain?â
Kevin staring dumbfounded again.
Wymack: âI believe you have 30 laps now Day.â
Kevin, who canât believe this is actually happening to him, throws his racket at Neil then takes off down the court: âShould have left him in fucking Arizona.â
Kevin standing three feet away from Andrew yelling at him for doing the bare minimum in the goal at practice.
Then Andrew given Kevin a slow bored once over before saying: âThatâs 30 laps.â
Kevin: âYou canât give me laps.â
Andrew turning his attention to Neil and not having to say a word Neil yells across the court: âKevin thats 30 laps. You know entering the goalie box is a penalty.â
Kevin tossing his racket down and taking off down the court: âI hate this fucking family.â