dav

They might not have what some might call a conventional relationship - there are no whispered sweet nothings, elaborate love declarations and romantic candle-lit dinners.

However, what they do have works well for them and it's mutual respect for each other, they feel safe and comfortable with each other and they take special care in asking for their partner's consent and accepting given boundaries.

Which honestly should be the bare minimum in any relationship but somehow Neil and Andrew seem to succeed in it, while others apparently struggle to accept a simple "No" in real life.

Even a lot of other book couples, despite having a lot of typically romantic scenes with each other, veer uncomfortably close to the direction of absolutely shit communication, emotional manipulation, dubious consent and straight-up SA.

I don't give a single fuck about how their lips softly meet under the glowing moonlight after a heartfelt love confession when the relationship is otherwise filled with overwhelmingly possessive jealousy that restricts their partner's freedom immensely, supposed sexy and dominant growls of "You belong to me/You are mine" that make their partner out to be more of a prized possession and decisions made on behalf of their partner for their "own good" without actually respecting their choices and agency - a problematic relationship where the needs and wants of one partner completely overshadows those of the other until they don't even exist as separate individiuals anymore.

I'd rather have a relationship like Neil and Andrew's - unconventional but strong where trust, consent and mutual respect is a given.

It's tragic that the bar is so low.

My personal headcannon is that he will do ANYTHING not to talk about Exy, especially as a Proffesional Exy player.

And I imagine him going through phases, testing how much he can do, before his PR Agent snaps and tries to kill him.

First time he is chosen to talk to reporters at the end of the game… he just keeps silent. Stare at all people with dead bored eyes, until they give up and ask somebody else.

Yeah, no, that can’t be. His PR Agent immediately tells him you have to, HAVE TO talk to the reporters, Andrew.

Very well, Andrew can talk to them.

Next time he answers all of their questions…. in german.

Ok, I see what you are doing here, I see. But no, stop that. In English Andrew, answer in English.

No problem.  So Andrew of course answers questions in English, by convincing every reporter that he is Aaron (and also implying that they are incompetent by catching the wrong brother.)

Andrew can tell his PR agent is a step away from nervous breakdown when he gets a berating letter from her the next day. (He blocked her everywhere out of spite.) This time he even got a list that said You can’t keep silent with reporters, you can’t answer them in another language and you can’t claim you are Aaron, you have to talk about exy.

And honestly all that can be arranged.

So next time he talk with reporters, even in english! and don’t claim to be Aron single time… instead he tells them he really doesn’t know anything about exy.

You see the thing with Andrew is that he has this energy, this posture, this quiet self confidence that makes it really hard to realize if he  is lying or not.

Just picture room full of sports journalists staring at Andrew unsure, quietly looking at each other trying to judge what is really going on.

“You dont know anything about exy?”

“nope”

“None of the rules?”

“Nothing”

“But…but you play professionally!”

“I was told I have to keep the ball out of the goal, I don’t know anything else.”

“You … you trained with Kevin Day! Son of the exy! How is it possible??”

“Kevin also told me to keep the ball out of the goal.”

andrew doesn't like hugs, but neil is one big exception