There’s one thing Nicky and Neil have in common, aside from loving one Andrew Minyard, and that’s that both know how hiding feels. Neil has been on the run since he was ten, Nicky has been in the closet until he was sixteen.
So when sometimes it’s too much, when people on campus call him Wesniski or the FBI calls or Ichirou does something to let him know he’s still watching, Neil gets Nicky and they go grocery shopping together. They load the cart with junk food and some veggies just to spare Kevin the ulcer he’s sure to get soon, stock up on the ice-cream, replenish their alcohol supplies, and grab every glittery gadget that catches Nicky’s eye.
Nicky knows what’s going on, he’s not stupid. He used to do the same thing when he had began living with Erik, buying food to remind himself he was staying, wearing pride colors just to have people ask him so he could say, yes, why, I’m one of those gays. So he levels up his mindless-chatter skills and drowns out every negative thought Neil may have.
Hiding is safe, because nobody is ever going to go after someone they don’t know exists, but it’s also so very lonely. Just one question you have to lie to and suddenly you’re remembering with scorching precision what a fraud you are, why you can’t be yourself, all the things you’d want to do but can’t. So during the ride back, Nicky chatters about Erik and the twins and prods at Neil for details about him and Andrew and whines when he gets told to ask his cousin because, really Neil, that’s going to get him killed!
They come back to the Tower more like themselves. Neil has Andrew’s ice-cream to get into the freezer before it melts if he doesn’t want a grumpy boyfriend for the next week and Nicky has Aaron and Kevin to harass until they begrudgingly give some underhanded and probably fake compliment about his new glittery shit just so they could be left alone. They have stuff to cook tonight, so maybe they’ll invite the other Foxes over, and the Trojans play tonight so they can watch it all together, if anyone for a different reason, They’ll have to go to bed early, though, because Neil promised an extra morning practice with Dan so he can get more comfortable in his vice-captain shoes and Nicky has a Skype call planned for three a.m.
It’s routine. It’s Neil Josten huffing and being sarcastic and cuddling and sleeping and cursing and just overall being himself. It’s Nicky chatting and prodding and joking and playing the clown and making passes at his teammates - not Exy, Kevin, come on, read between the lines! - and wearing rainbows patterned sweats to bed.
jbbartram-illu
stormborns
jacobvanloon
germansingergirl
dailybridgerton
janainaart
tangentwithtanner
kaledo-art
