Keep swimming, I guess

some people say neil haunts the narrative

The same way Riko preserved Kevin's side of the room, no one touched Riko's side after his death.

And whenever he wakes up at night, it's like that.

Its from a bad dream, he can't remember it, but it rubbed something raw in his core and hes already crying as he wakes up.

Not a noise he tells himself, his subconscious screams these words at him. Don't wake him!

He knows what happens if he wakes Riko.

He's biting his lip, trying to breath as if he's sleeping, but shudders wreck his body, he shakes with the effort it takes to stay quiet as he slowly drowning on the inside of the walls he had built, that are supposed to keep him safe and sane.

But it's not the nest anymore, Kevin just forgot.

He almost has a heart attack as he hears movement, feels it next to him on the mattress. It takes a moment to click that the arms wrap around him aren't those that are going to squeeze the life out of him like they had time and time again.

Jeans right there, scooping him into a hug and he just asks. "Another?" His accent stronger right after waking up.

It's Jean. Not Riko, just Jean.

And Kevin nods. And that's when he really starts crying, sweet little sobs, as the tension bleeds from his frame. Turning around to push his face into Jeans shirt.

Aftg au + fic where after Neil leaves Nathan takes Kevin under his wing and trains him to be the Branch Family Butcher.

Eden’s isn’t gonna happen or at least it won’t happen in the same way.

By this point Kevin has figured out Neil’s identity. He is very upset you know in complete and utter shambles over it and it gets to the point that Andrew gets very concerned about him.

Like there’s a point about how he’s never seen Kevin get this bad unless it’s about Riko. He’s upset he’s so upset and feels so guilty because he should’ve known and he didn’t and he put his old friend in harms way by bringing him in.

Now Kevin doesn’t know exactly what Andrew has planned for Eden’s but he’s not dumb you know he has an idea.

So he’s just like we can’t do it we can’t do it not to him god not to him. And since this was all about protecting Kevin and seeing that hurting Neil will hurt him too Andrew relents and promises that we won’t.

Once Kevin has calmed down Andrew asks him who Nathaniel was to him.

He doesn’t push him for details or anything, mindful of Kevin’s emotional state. And also because he wants to hear the rest from the man himself. He’s still going to interrogate Neil about his intentions with Kevin, who he is and his past.

He knows Nathaniel means a lot to Kevin but he needs to know if Neil feels the same. Him being a person from Kevin’s past makes him more suspicious in Andrew’s eyes and it also complicates things.

It’s almost interesting.

The Monsters will still go to Edens and Andrew will still interrogate Neil who will still refuse to talk. But true to Andrew’s words from before Neil leaves sober. He’s still wary about the Monsters, especially Andrew but his guard has lowered if just a little.

It’s hard not to after getting a glimpse of them being actually being people.

Neil will wake up on the sofa and find Kevin curled up on an armchair nearby. He mumbles in his sleep as Neil grabs a spare blanket and puts it around him. It’s weird seeing Kevin so relaxed, carefree it takes Neil back to days he tries not to remember.

He comments that Kevin’s almost tolerable when he’s asleep.

So yeah Andrew and Neil will start playing their truth game at some point and will eventually make their deal, all of that happens. It’s just that there’s less of a bridge between Neil and the Monsters now.

I do still want Neil to have a moment where he hitchhikes back home so we can still have that call back when he rings Wymack at the airport.

I’m not sure if I’d do it here or maybe at a later venture. Maybe a fight kicks off, Neil gets hurt and just nopes out of there. He is very confused when Wymack patches him up and says that he could’ve called him.

And then Nicky gets released on him and fusses over Neil like a mother hen which also confuses him (and maybe only Kevin and Andrew got hurt cause they were protecting everyone and each other. And Andrew isn’t happy that Kevin got hurt because I’m supposed to protect you.)

Maybe idk.