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The window next to his opens and a boy from the neighboring house peers at him, clutching a stuffed fox plushie in front of him. His appearance positively frightened little Neil, who has been told to stay out of sight and never let the neighbors catch a glimpse of him, but he stays by the window and talks to the boy. He tells him how he recently "moved" with his mom and how he has witnessed something horrifying that plagues him and doesn't let him sleep. The boy introduces himself as Andrew, age 10, a foster child who also can't sleep because of the nightmares and his adoptive brother. The fox is a gift from his foster mother that is supposed to help him fall asleep, and Neil is only a little jealous, as he's never been allowed to have toys back home, and especially not now. Andrew tells him that this is his first toy that he doesn't have to share with other kids.

They talk, and eventually Neil notices his mom nearing the house. He turns to go with a hurried goodbye, but the boy whisper yells a quick "catch" and throws his stuffed fox at Neil. Neil is too startled to react, so he just stares as the boy hastly closes the window and escapes from the view. The strong scent of chocolate and cinnamon in which the toy is drenched is overwhelming, but he manages to hide the fox just in time for Mary to storm over, livid, because Neil broke her most important roles. They are gone the next day, Neil having spent the entire night clinging to the fox and its comforting smell, and by the time Mary realizes what exactly her son is trying to hide from her, Neil is so attached to the toy that he jumps out of the car the second Mary snatches it and throws it out of her rolled down window. She lets him keep it after beating him bloody for that stunt because it is something she can use to keep him obedient, and it is not like he will ever meet the boy again.

When his presentation heat hits at 12, the fox is the biggest comfort in the threadbare nest he manages to stitch together. After that, Mary puts him on suppressants and the fox's scent fades, along with his own. He still keeps the toy.

The familiar smell slams into him at the same time Andrew's borrowed racquet does. He instantly relaxes at the first sniff, and then he panics like he never has before. Kevin is offering everything he's ever wanted, and Andrew is standing there smelling like comfort and home, even if his scent is distrustful and soured by the medicine in his system. Andrew doesn't know what Neil smells like, and thanks to suppressants he is effectively a beta with a vastly different appearance and identity, so there is no way Andrew is going to recognize him. He should be ecstatic about it, or at least he should not care about it, yet he hurts and tries to ignore it.

He also tries not to let Andrew's enticing scent sway him into accepting Kevin's offer. He fails.

The day he runs to get some groceries, sheets and a safe for his binder, he comes back to an unlocked door and Andrew sitting on the floor with the toy fox in one hand and the suppressants in the other.

Andrew claims that this doesn't change anything, that they are strangers. That Neil is still as sketchy as he is interesting, and that Andrew doesn't trust him. Neil cannot begrudge him that, as he himself is highly suspicious of Andrew even with his alluring scent.

Andrew lets him know that Abby will be obligated to take him off the suppressants, especially when she hears that he's been using them religiously for six years, and Neil loses it once again. He turns to bolt out of the door, his left hand already flinging the dufflebag onto his shoulder, when Andrew yanks him back by the hoodie, pushes the fox into his arms, and gets up to lock the door. Neil wants to get up, but the heavy scent of chocolate and cinnamon leaves him dazed. The fox practically reeks of it once again. Neil unconsciously melts onto the floor, finally letting himself enjoy the scent that he's missed and craved so much.

The press call it a rivalry but he will eat his hat the day Minyard looks like he's happier being on the court than watching paint dry, so it can't be that.

That's not to say Minyard isn't fucking gold as a goalie. But during post practice talks it's very clear that he and the coaches have reached some sort of agreement on the axis of "If my contract had included some sort of save minimum I would hit it and walk off the court."

Except. Except. The captain is the only one on the team who saw what happened last week during the away game. They were getting their asses handed to them and Russo is biting it in the goal when suddenly, Neil fucking Josten is there. No hello, no how are ya, no explanation to why he's at their bench instead of three states away with his own team. No, he's just suddenly standing there, in front of Minyard, and the two are staring each other down like they're trying to telepathically generate cold fusion.

And then Minyard says, "The fuck do you want now." Which is kinda rude.

And Josten says "Your team is getting their ass beat. Which isn't a surprise, you guys are basically the bottom of the division." Which is very rude!

And Minyard says, "Stop stating the obvious. What do you want."

And Josten says, "You just told me to stop stating the obvious."

And then Minyard, who JUST played a full half, turns to Coach Lamm and goes "Put me in there, and swap Aquilar for Mitchell on the backline." And Lamm does, because this is the first piece of proof they have that Minyard actually knows any of their names.

And then he spends the last twenty minutes of the game plus overtime getting them a one point victory. And while Minyard hasn't directly threatened them, there seems to be another standing agreement to never, ever mention that this happened.

Arvid and Liam subplot every race: