Maybe I’m absolutely off, but I feel like fanfic authors sometimes forget that the “yes or no” thing only happens when it comes to sexual stuff. (This is not even close to a critique, keep doing what you’re doing, you’re doing amazing and thank you for your service xd you keep me and hundreds of thousands of people alive, thank you xd). Like, listen. There are soo many instances where kisses aren’t a “yes or no” question. They just happen.
For example, Andrew does not ask if he can kiss Neil the first time he does it. Which is not a convincing argument, I know, considering his angry movements after and him telling Neil to tell him no and expecting a ”yes or no he actually believes”. But, do bare with me here:
Notice, that in the scene where they made out in the kitchen, Andrew did ask before kissing Neil, but then didn’t before the rest of the actions. So, he covered that in the begging (he knew why he walked into that kitchen xd).
Then there is the scene on the bus before Baltimore, where they kiss, with neither Neil nor Andrews ask. In the shower scene, Neil literally just leans down, no question, and then Andrew does not ask about getting in the shower and literally washing him, he just does. It is explicitly stated that there is “more kissing than washing” going on, but even than neither of them asks. Only once Andrew pushes Neil against the wall to do his thing does he “bite the question into his jaw”.
And when Kevin comes back with his new tattoo? Andrew just pushes Neil against the wall (a lot of wall-pushing going on, I’m just noticing xd) and that’s that, no question.
Even after they win against whatever school they won against and Neil escapes from the party that involves cheerleaders to go up to his not-boyfriend (the kisses on the beanbag). - Once again, the "yes or no" is reserved for Neils hand on Andrew's chest - which is "off limits" territory.
In Nora’s extra content we also find out that they do eventually get to a point when there are certain touches that are okay even without asking – which we see, when Neil grabs Andrew’s head to pull him in for a kiss on the bus, or the careful touches that he does in Baltimore or the simple one-time permission of touching Andrew’s head that is never taken back. I like that a lot.
So basically, what I'm getting at is, Neil knows when touch is OFF LIMITS (Baltimore and Andrew being mad) – in those cases he doesn’t ask verbally but does let Andrew decide if they kiss. And other than that, “yes or no” is always, always reserved for sexual stuff (and touching off-limits parts - but I feel like this is only concerning Andrew? Like Andrew has free reign on Neil’s body? - guys, he asked to see his scars, not touch them and then he did. Without asking. Hypocrit xd - just jocking).
This is deffinitely not a complaint cus I’m definitely one of those people that will flinch and cower if anybody touches me without asking, or at least warning, me first xd It's just an interesting observation of things written in the book compared to fanfics. But I’ll take the fanfics, thank you, they are always a fun little treat and I would not change them.
