#mattdrew

@hornetvoid:

for your ask game; let’s hear it for bostenyard 🥴

for this ask game :3 making these 2 asks a package deal. this is weeks late, but i’m having another boring day at work so i finally had time to finish this one!

1. what made you ship it?

mattneil is so special to me. matt has the biggest heart of gold. the first thing he does is offer to fight the monsters for neil, and he very quickly makes good on that promise when neil picks a fight with kevin that he can’t possibly win. matt is this vastly reliable consistent in neil’s life, and i think the longer they’re friends, the more neil would realize just how much matt means to him.

matt is so so accepting of everything to do with neil. he literally takes every new bit of info in stride, and i think after neil shares everything about himself with the foxes and matt continues to treat him exactly the same as he did from day 1 would make a big impact.

matt is a softer consistent in neil’s life that i think he really needs. he needs to be bear hugged, and looked in the eye and told that the things that happened to him weren’t normal and he didn’t deserve it. matt would provide a really healthy bridge to a normalcy that i don’t think neil has gotten a lot of, but i think he deserves to experience.

neil, on the other hand, holds a lot of darkness himself and would intimately understand the demons that still tug at matt. both neil and andrew i think would be acutely aware of how easy it is to slip back into bad habits and rely on something that hurts you, and i think they’d make matt feel really unashamed with his struggle. when neil gets to palmetto, matt’s sobriety is solid but i could see dan graduating and moving on changing that.

mattneil only works for me in an au where things get broken off between matt and dan after she graduates. i can’t really imagine a poly au where andreil and danmatt exist while mattneil discover their feelings for one another. also. usually, generally, mattneil leads into bostenyard for me because andreil are a forever pair in my mind. i can’t fathom a universe where andreil doesn’t exist, so andrew bleeds into the mattneil.

and damn, andrew/matt is a FASCINATING pairing. there’s History there. his first year, andrew thought 3 people were interesting enough to take out to eden’s: dan, renee, and matt. it’s like the rest of the team didn’t even exist to andrew. unfortunately, this attention on matt resulted in the BATSHIT effort of making him relapse to put him in rehab. andrew went out of his way to get on GOOD TERMS with matt’s mother for this plan, and while it ultimately worked out, IT COULDVE BEEN CAREER ENDING AND HORRIBLE. so any sort of relationship they have going forward is built off this start.

i do think it’s very interesting though that andrew did for matt something similar what he did for aaron. the result was a net-good (them getting clean) but the way there was a nightmare that couldve ended in tragedy. and while it can be argued that andrew just set up this elaborate plan because matt’s shaky sobriety was testing aaron’s… i don’t think andrew wouldve gone about getting matt sober if he didn’t think matt was worth it as a person. i could see him getting a threat to aaron kicked from the team before attempting to Help them, yknow? so i think on some level, this action was indicative of andrew thinking matt deserved sobriety

not to mention, after the whole thing — matt only ever offers help taking on kevin for neil

“Seriously, though. If they give you any trouble, just let me know. I'll kick Kevin's ass for you."

as well as punch kevin in the face for letting neil go to the nest.

he has a healthy respect when it comes to andrew, but has zero problem going after kevin (who everyone knows andrew is explicitly protecting). so it isn’t out of fear that he doesn’t go after andrew. makes me think that he sees andrew as more of a person than the upperclassmen tend to.

2. what are your favorite things about the ship?

first thing that came to mind was this adorable scene

Matt was predictably the next to react. He bolted past Neil to stare at the car. "What are you doing with a Maserati?" "Driving it," Andrew said, like it should be obvious, and got in the driver's seat. Matt reached for the hood with both hands but didn't touch it, like he thought his fingerprints might ruin the perfect exterior. The blatant awe on his face had Neil looking to Andrew. Andrew met his gaze through the windshield but didn't hold it for long. He reached for the door to close it, but Matt darted around and put his hand in the way. He leaned over to look inside, owl-eyed and rapturous. Nicky had fewer reservations about putting his hands all over the new ride and he made a slack-jawed lap of the car. "But when—?" Matt asked. "And how—?" Matt beckoned to Andrew. "Start it up! Let me hear it." Andrew twisted the key in the ignition, and the car came to life with a quiet roar. Matt threw his hands up and spun away like he was orchestrating a symphony. Andrew closed his door, so Matt wheeled back to Dan, sputtering facts and statistics that went way over Neil's head.

this is unbearably adorable to me. neil got andrew the mas, and the first time everyone else sees it, matt is SO excited. andrew even entertains his excitement by showing it off and revving it. you can’t convince me they wouldn’t bond over their love of luxury cars. and on the opposite end, while the stats don’t matter to neil, i think he’d love to be the one to do all the repairs on the mas as it ages and matt would be so eager to get his hands on the inside of the mas.

i also fucking love the image this scene plasters in my mind:

Gorilla needed only a second to get his breath back and then went after Matt. Matt backpedaled away from his giant hands, putting as many people between him and Gorilla as he could. Gorilla shoved his teammates out of the way as he chased Matt across the court. As soon as Matt passed the goal, Andrew stepped into Gorilla's path. He looked ridiculously small as he watched Gorilla bear down on him, but he stood his ground and waited with his racquet at his side. Gorilla jerked a beefy hand at him in a demand to move, but Andrew stayed silent and still. Neil held his breath, waiting for Gorilla to move Andrew with force. Andrew might be psychotic, but he was also half Gorilla's size. One perfect punch from Gorilla would crush his skull.

matt hiding behind andrew makes me so very fond. that matt had the confidence that andrew absolutely would stand between him and the giant that matt had provoked. like. matt wasnt under his protection, but andrew straightened up anyways, ready to fight this massive behemoth of a man just because he dared to try and get around andrew. damn, i love them.

as for mattneil, there are SO SO many good things to choose from but im beyond attached to how neil wants to let matt in after the jig is up and everyone knows everything

By now Matt was used to them jabbering away in foreign languages around him. He gave no sign he heard them or cared what they were saying but pulled coffee beans and filters down from the cabinet. Neil warred with himself, heart tripping and skipping with unjustified nerves. He studied Matt's profile until Matt cut the grinder off, then looked past him to Kevin. "Can he do anything about it, though?" Neil asked in English. Matt froze with the filter halfway to the coffee maker. In the doorway, Kevin tensed up in incomprehension or disapproval. Neil felt Matt's eyes on him but didn't return the look. Just last night he'd said he was done lying to Matt. He couldn't expect Matt to believe him if he talked behind Matt's back today. The upperclassmen knew the whole story now, anyway, so there was no reason to hide this inevitable complication.

matt has so much respect for neil’s privacy, regardless of being let in like this. directly after this, he gets out of the dorm as fast as he can so neil has space to shower in peace. he wants neil to feel comfortable and safe so badly.

ALSO. immediately following the shower scene. neil takes a cup of coffee over for matt 🥺 . and and and. andrew took note the night prior where matt had stashed his keys. IDK THEYRE JUST CUTE. THEY WOULD WORK.

Andrew turned away without comment and fetched Matt's keys from his desk drawer. Only after he'd made it back to Neil's side did Neil remember Matt dropping them there last night after changing.

When Matt swung the door open Neil held one of the mugs out. "You forgot this." "Oh, thanks." Matt took it and stepped aside to let him in.

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

i think the ship as a whole is an unpopular opinion LOL. because danmatt are so perfect for one another. like, why disturb the balance of the world for a random throuple. BUT I SWEAR THERES SO MUCH POTENTIAL TO PLAY WITH BETWEEN THESE THREE.

without dan’s dreams of coaching keeping matt close to home, would he go court? would he make room for his own ambitions?

matt and andrew graduate the same year, would they join a pro team together? would they live together during neil’s 5th year? neil so is the glue. he would remain that unifying force he was to the foxes and bridge the gap between matt’s sunshine and andrew’s pessimism. so it’d be endlessly interesting to watch them join a pro team together. andrew wouldnt magically care abt exy, but during games he’d call out plays to matt while he was on the backline (while ignoring pretty much everyone else on the team), and everyone would want to know the magic matt had to get andrew to put in the effort of communicating, and he’d have a moment where he realized they were looking at him like the foxes looked at neil.

esp after this interaction

Nicky's characteristic cheer was gone. He looked almost defeated as he glanced between Dan and Allison. "I understand, and you're right, but I'm sorry. I can't promise anything. Andrew's—Andrew. We can't predict him or control him." "He can," Matt said, jerking his chin at Neil. "Why can't you?" "Fewer survival instincts?" Nicky guessed, but his attempt at humor fell flat. "More," Neil corrected, knowing Nicky wouldn't understand. Matt turned on Neil, expression intense. "Even Renee wasn't getting through to him. What did you say to him to make him stop? If you're not there next time, someone else needs to know how to talk him down from the edge." Neil couldn't explain without getting into things that weren't their business. "Don't let there be a next time." "Neil, I'm serious," Matt said. Neil shook his head. "So am I."

matt wanted to know how to get through to andrew. i think he’d have big feelings about suddenly being the only one around who made any impact on him.

“You know, I get it,” Matt said.

Andrew’s mind immediately filled in what followed, and he saw the realization cross Matt’s face in the form of a sheepish smile. Along with the echo in Andrew’s head, Matt added, “being raised as a superstar– yeah, okay, I did that to myself. But that’s not what I meant.”

(Stupid Neil. Stupid, fucking, dumb loser. He was three whole states away for his stupid Exy, which, whatever.)

(When had it become normal for Matt to be here when Neil was not? For Matt to sit on the armchair, Sir Fat Cat draped over his lap, swatting idly at Matt’s trailing fingers?)

(It was the worst.)

“I used to think it was terrible, what you did to Aaron,” Matt said. Andrew closed his eyes and tilted his head back onto the couch. Maybe Matt would get the hint and stop talking, but Andrew didn’t expect it. He hadn’t known these kinds of headaches were called “migraines” until his first year of college, and then he’d had far more dramatic physical effects to deal with. This was just– an inconvenience. Another part of the pain that came from being Andrew Minyard.

(Neil told him he got more nihilistic than usual on migrane days. But Neil was three. States. Away.)

(He didn’t help, but he made it–bearable. Stupid. Weakness.)

Matt was still talking. Andrew tried to figure out the best thing to throw at his head, but thinking made the winch around his temples tighten sharply.

“Like, withdrawal sucks, okay? And Aaron– you left him alone for that, no warning, or nothing. And I kind of– okay, like, when you had to go through withdrawal, for a while I thought it was kind of karma. Which probably makes me a bad person, or whatever. But then I…. like you didn’t…. you’re so much like Neil.”

Andrew slit open his eyes to give Matt an unamused glare. Matt’s face was blurry soft-focus, and even then Andrew could feel the worry radiating off him, the care. 

(Why was he here?)

“Not everything is the same, man. You don’t have to be in pain to get better. Like, yeah, it’s part of it, but it’s not like it’s the important part? It’s like, a side effect.”

“Are. You. Done,” Andrew said. He loosened his jaw. Bee had told him that was supposed to help. It didn’t. 

(If Neil was here he would make Andrew lie down in their bedroom with the lights off. Without him, Andrew stubbornly stayed on the couch. He was aware he was throwing a tantrum, thank you very much.)

Matt sighed. There was a rattle, and something small hit Andrew in the arm. Andrew could guess without looking that it was the bottle of Aleve Matt had plucked out of the cabinet and been trying to foist on Andrew for the last twenty minutes. 

“Just take the pill, c’mon. It’s not dependence. It’s literally a painkiller they give to teenagers.”

“Teenagers.”

He could hear the wince in Matt’s voice. “Bad choice of words. Look, I’ll even stay to feed these greedy furballs while you go take a nap. Can’t let my favorite kitties in the whole world go hungry, huh? Yeah, sweetie, oohhh, you want scritches? Let’s have some scritches.”

“She’s just doing that so you’ll give her treats,” Andrew said. He fumbled for the bottle’s safety cap. Maybe he’d just open it. In case he changed his mind. Later. Not that he was going to. 

“I don’t know man, maybe she deserves them for having to deal with your grumpy ass who refuses to do anything for a literal migraine.”

“Get out of my house,” Andrew said. Matt laughed, softly. From his lap Sir began to purr, and the lawnmower-motor sound didn’t hurt as much as the whine from the TV. Maybe Andrew would try lying down after all. Just to get Matt to stop bothering him.

Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving Everyone!

A little late for the East Coast, but still on Time for the West Coast! XD

Middle Spoon Problems, am I right?!

Heh, one of the YouTubers I follow (PolyamFam) sells a new shirt with this design over at his shop. First time I saw it, I began to cackle as I just pictured Matthew wearing this because Jay thought it was hilarious, and true! XD

Season 7 gave me so much joy.

Hey guys! I've been quiet lately, mostly because of doing house work and work work - packing and organizing and ect, but I'm still doing art and still writing my fics! So here's one I put together earlier this month and just finished for you guys! Happy Purim for those who celebrate! I made Hamantaschen/Hamantash for the first time and (while I kinda cheated by using Premade Pie crust dough), they were a hit at my weekly D&D group! Hope everyone has been doing well. Still so many things to get done before season 8! Whoo!

So this was, again, something I've been sitting on since last year, only just now finishing up.

Context: The B High Quee Choi take a field trip to Italy! The Choi are allowed to bring a Plus 1 - Matthew was planning to ask Caleb, but Andrew catches wind of the trip and begs Matthew to take him instead. Caleb actually agrees to this, as many various reasons would not make it a very enjoyable trip for him. He also says in favor of Andrew - 'It may actually give him some culture and a positive experience, which he desperately needs.'

The crew would arrive in Milan for a week, then Verona for a week, then Florence, and finally Rome. Andrew's entire goal is to get Ocean to rent out the Villa used in the movie Under the Tuscan Sun for the week they stay in Florence. Needless to say his plan/begging works, as Ocean finds Andrew annoying but amusing.

This would obviously lead to shenanigans and Andrew gaining an almost Don Juan-esque personality, much to Matthew surprise.