#and he doesn't understand why aaron is the way he is with andrew

[worthlessandembarrasing]

I need everyone to understand the potential of a The Darjeeling Limited inspired aftg AU where Neil, Aaron and Jean go on an extended roadtrip and bond over their individual existential crises

Like maybe Neil suggests the idea as a way to cope with his loneliness and potentially strained relationship with Andrew after his graduation, and he invites Jean because he's recovering from a motorcycle accident so he doesn't have anything going on. Not entirely sure how to bring in Aaron but he's there because he's freaking out about Katelyn being pregnant, but he's also trying to keep it a secret from Neil because he thinks he'sgonnatellAndrewand *gunshots*

*whispers* I feel like @sapphoherselz would see the vision but I'm delusional so idk

[minyard-05]

no no no guys do you. Do you get it.

^^^^ this wasn't aaron warning neil off of andrew!! this was a test!!

it was a test in the exact same way andrew threatening katelyn at the library was a test, the same way andrew drugging neil at eden's was a test– this is aaron assessing neil as a threat to andrew and to him. if he'd wanted andreil to be over, he would've fucking said it– he would've outright told neil to stay away from his brother. but he doesn't. he asks why. admittedly, he doesn't do it in the best of ways, but that's the point. he purposefully gets neil angry to see if he'll slip up and give something away. that's why he brings up drake and that's why it had to be aaron. aaron doesn't give a fuck what neil thinks of him, he's well aware that neil doesn't like him and he doesn't care. but he's able to get to him through andrew, essentially, and if anything, aaron's right. neil is exactly as much of a violation of their deal as katelyn is– aaron is approaching the situation the exact same way andrew did. andrew understands that, so if he did know that aaron talked to neil (and i think he probably would've figured it out if neil doesnt tell him), he wouldn't be able to hold it against him the same way aaron can't hold andrew's threats to katelyn against his brother.

nicky is the one that thinks it's hate sex, aaron thinks its something else. neil passes aaron's test the second he punches him, really. the fact that he leaves after neil admits he doesn't think andrew would fight for him is clear evidence– aaron didn't approach that conversation expecting neil to admit he was just using andrew (and if he had, aaron probably would've punched him)– he went into it knowing that it had to happen in order for the deal to be ended. neil tells aaron to figure out what you have to do to make him let you go, and that's exactly what aaron does. he figures out that neil is how he breaks the deal and he takes that to andrew as an ultimatum– either they keep the deal and break things off with both of their partners, or the deal is over; andrew keeps neil, aaron keeps katelyn.

aaron minyard is a LOT smarter than he lets on– the reason we don't see all of this play out is because neil doesn't realise that he's technically part of that deal.

[captain-sunshine-11]

Shit the Foxes have done/said to Teammates while they were drunk:

The classic action of just drawing on faces after they pass out (Renee always draws a large smiley face.)

Showed Kevin cat videos. He either has laughed so hard he cried or gets irrationally angry

Neil, tipsy, asks Kevin, on the verge of being blackout drunk, if he wants to go to the Court like he is a dog ("Kevin wants to go to court? Ohh does Kevin want to go to court?"). Kevin ends up giving Neil a scathing glare and replying "not with your bitchass". Nicky died from laughter. Matt is eternally grateful that he got it on camera

Drinking games that somehow ended with the Minyards being the most intoxicated, Andrew passes out against Neil and Aaron can't seem to understand that he isn't the one sleeping on Neil. ("Why the fuck am I lying on Josten? He doesn't look comfortable." "Aaron you aren't---" "But I'm right THERE!")

Seth and Kevin kiss. They were no way near drunk enough for it to be an accident. They never speak of it again (unless--)

The girls trying to get drunk Aaron and Matt to recite the first scene of some movie that somehow devolves into Matt holding Aaron (who fell asleep) and being devastated because Matt thinks Aaron is sick (dan being very amused)

Neil and Aaron try to outlast each other when drinking shots because Katelyn made a bet (Aaron doesn't want her to lose and Neil doesn't want Aaron to win). Cue image of Andrew looking disgruntled

Andrew, tipsy, and Kevin, tipsy, having a staring contest. Andrew loses because Renee and Neil fell somewhere behind Kevin (they were trying to do a dance move that Dan taught them but the floor was slippery). Kevin will never let him live it down

[shouts-into-the-void]

Just read screenshots of the Aaron extra chapter and I have so many thoughts, so here they are:

It's always so funny to me to be reminded of the fact that the animosity between Aaron and Neil is mostly one-sided. Like, Neil finds Aaron frustrating, but all the antagonistic stuff he does to him is ultimately in service of helping him in some way and while he's angry when Aaron provokes him, he otherwise regards him with disinterest and even expresses the desire to see what he's like when he's relaxed and enjoying himself during the party with the Vixens. Meanwhile Aaron just really hates that man.

I really appreciated Nora using this chapter to clear up some of the gripes a lot of the fandom has had with Aaron's character in the past and confirm that Aaron's comments to Nicky have to do with his cousin making graphic and unwanted sexual advances on their teammates, and his accusations towards Neil were from a place of concern for his brother. I also liked that it was pointed out that of course he would have at least some internalized homophobia due to being raised by religious zealots in a conservative area, but is unlearning it due to Nicky.

On a similar note, I'm glad that we were provided the context that Nicky's inappropriate behavior is a defense mechanism to weed out people who might hurt him rather than legitimate advances, because I think the fandom tends to forget that he is also a character with extreme trauma written outside of the "perfect victim" stereotype. His actions aren't okay, but the entire point is that they are the result of what he's had to endure just like every other member of the team

The implication that Andrew specifically signed with the Foxes so Aaron could go to college

Aaron and Andrew have the same nervous habit of picking at loose thread

It causes me physical pain to see Andrew clearly trying to open up to Aaron about his self-harm, but because his way of communicating is less straightforward (he doesn't lie, but he because he stuggles to confront and be open with his emotions, he presents the truth in flowery, vague language) and because the two dont really know or understand each other, Aaron can't fully grasp the implications of what he's saying

On the subject of things that cause me physical pain: baby Aaron telling his mom that he wanted to be a neurosurgeon like the people on TV and her laughing and saying he'd never make anything of himself. Fuck Tilda Minyard, all my homies hate Tilda.

Andrew is so uncomfortable, someone Get Him Out of There.

Going off that and his nervous habits (that Aaron mentions he did often enough to be noticable as a habit premedication), I am highkey wondering if the reason Sober Andrew doesn't talk to anyone outside Neil is because he's just. Socially Awkward.

We get a little bit of insight into Andrew's "misogyny" (I personally think distrusting certain people as a result of extreme personal trauma is a little bit different than just being sexist, in the same way women distrusting men because they're used to being harassed and belittled isn't misandry, but that's up to your personal opinion) and that his distain for Katelyn comes from the fact that he thinks she's stringing Aaron along and will turn out to be awful like his previous girlfriends (there's also a notable implication that Aaron has the same self-destructive tendencies as Andrew, and may be why he went out of his way to get him into college and on the straight-and-narrow) also see that this extends to Bee as well despite their close relationship, with him being so afraid that she'd reject him for being gay that he can't even look at her while talking about Neil, probably made worse by the fact that she's a maternal figure for him, which is where this trauma response originates.

Aaron is the only person on the team who's aware that Andrew hasn't slept with Neil, and the only one to grasp the significance of the fact that they've gotten close to that point already despite Andrew's trauma, outside of Renee

It was overall really interesting to see inside Aaron's head (I actually wouldn't mind a book from his perspective, he has a similar way of thinking to Neil but much more grounded) and to see Andrew through the lense of someone who just views him as Just A Guy

[thetableshavetabled]

I saw a comment u made on another post about andrew drugging neil and I thought one thing u said was rlly interesting -

it was about Roland's and andrews relationship, I'm paraphrasing but I think u said something like Roland wouldn't get the 'yes or no' that Neil does because andrew 1) doesn't rlly care about Roland personally & 2) Andrew has no promise to protect Roland

I agree completely, but I've never seen anybody else say it! Andrew often gets portrayed by fans like he would always ask for consent this way, and I never rlly agreed. I don't think he would ignore Roland telling him to stop or anything, but I don't think he'd be considerate or careful like he is with neil.

If u have anymore thoughts on their relationship or andrew or roland in general, I'd love to hear it :)

Thanks for giving me an excuse to dig into this! To talk about Roland I first want to talk about the fandom's misconceptions of Andrew.

The way some fans try to retroactively frame Andrew's handling of Neil as a universal consent practice completely misses why it exists specifically with Neil. This comes up especially now that AFTG has reached platforms like TikTok, where I often see claims like "Andrew wouldn't have drugged people, he cares about consent" or the Allison incident or even, most insane to me, how Andrew shouldn't have kissed Neil that first time on the rooftop without asking first. These interpretations fundamentally misunderstand Andrew's character.

Frankly, I don't understand why you would bother to advcate that a character is acting out of character in the canon material. That just means you don't like the character, which is fine. "The monsters were never redeemed" (which was the original post where I left my comment) is much more textually accurate and a much better take than trying to sanitize Andrew's actions.

Understanding why Andrew and the other Monsters act as they do isn't the same as justifying their actions and people should be a lot more comfortabe enjoying morally gray characters, or, even better, just admit you don't like them. Fans do that with Kevin, Aaron and Nicky all the time, but with Andrew they struggle because they love this cute little gay ship with their soft kisses and touch him and die trope. The desire to ship Andreil seems to create this pressure to soften and force Andrew into a romance booktok mold when the real beauty of their relationship lies in how they accept each other's sharp edges and scars.

Take Andrew drugging Neil, for instance. We can understand the strategic reasoning (keeping Neil from running, maintaining control, protecting Kevin) while still recognizing it as a violation. The same goes for his violence toward Allison or his blowout at Katelyn or how he treats Aaron. Understanding that these actions stem from Andrew's trauma, his protection mechanisms, and his "nothing" philosophy doesn't require us to retroactively frame them as morally acceptable.

We are repeatedly shown that Andrew is not a character who cares about others' boundaries. From the moment we meet him and right until the end he shows this. Andrew is not a good person, and he is not mentally well. He's complex, traumatized, and his actions make sense within his characterization, even when, or maybe especially when they're morally questionable.

This brings us to Roland. With Roland, Andrew has a pragmatic arrangement that lets him focus on his own needs without managing someone else's trauma or emotions. Their dynamic works because:

Roland is experienced and emotionally self-sufficient.

Andrew doesn't have to manage his emotional state or trauma responses.

There's an established history that makes Roland a "safe" option.

Neil was always going to be different. The combination of Andrew's promise to protect him, Neil's extensive trauma history, and his complete inexperience with intimacy shattered every one of Andrew's patterns. Where others fit into clear categories - threat, asset, occasional outlet - Neil defied classification from the beginning. With Roland, it's pragmatic: they both know what they want and can handle themselves accordingly. With Neil's inexperience and extensive trauma and the deepness of the relationship it shakes up everything. If Roland had shown the kind of ambiguous consent that Neil does on the rooftop Andrew would never have pushed through or done anything but stop immediately, but he wouldn't have worked through it either. He would just simply not have approached Roland again.

It is less about "yes or no" even though i initally used that phrase and most about "I won't be like them. I won't let you let me be." It exists specifically because of Neil's circumstances and Andrew's promise to protect him. It's not a universal approach to consent, it's about their unique dynamic and mutual understanding of trauma.

This ties into a larger discussion of how Andrew sometimes gets "fanon-ized" in ways that smooth over his complexities and contradictions. He is not someone who is conventionally "good" or mentally well, but whose actions make sense within his own internal logic and experiences. The Andrew who shows careful consideration for Neil's boundaries, who gets in the shower fully clothed, who asks 'yes or no', is the same Andrew who drugged Neil, nearly stabbed Nicky, and almost killed Allison. Not to mention driving under the influence and, of course, literal manslaughter.

This is not to say Andrew doesn't evolve as a character, of course, but not in a conventional redemptive way. Without turning this into a full character analysis I will sum it up like this: Andrew's character arc is about him going from nothing to something.

[inevitablestars]

have multiple different amnesia thoughts...

most importantly. (kandreil) kevin losing his memories back to when he was leaving the nest and thinks he got injured on his way out but really it's multiple years later maybe his senior year and he has two boyfriends one of which he tried and failed to recruit as a raven and the other haunts him as a would be perfect court member that he met once when they were children whose dad is the butcher. and he knows nothing about either of them presently. and he knows wymack is his dad but thinks that's a secrets still but no dadmack is there and immediately going to take care of his son bc he's healed a bit

andrew losing his memory to before he and aaron developed any sort of relationship but remembers like through juvie. but it's after aaron's trial and drake is dead and he doesn't know neil or kevin or nicky or literally anyone here but they're all supporting him and he doesn't understand any of it or why

jean gets hurt during a trojans game and wakes up thinking he was just pulled from the nest and only vaguely recognizes jeremy

jean wakes up with amnesia after being pulled from the nest and has lost a year or so, thinks kevin is still a raven. he's at palmetto and doesn't know how both of them got there

neil loses all of being a fox. he thinks he has a different name other than neil still he is very confused that he's playing exy, he sees kevin and panics and tries to run

i could keep going this is all i am now i fear......

[wilhelminyard]

part 2 of the foxes insulting people to their face without giving a single fuck :

WYMACK :

"I'm not here to offer you kind words and pats on the back"

"some people are just hardwired to be stupid"

"neil is a walking tragedy" "you're a pretty pathetic sob story yourself"

NEIL :

"you make me uncomfortable because you don't make sense. I don't understand you"

"I can't stand you"

"I'm remembering why I don't like you"

"what I'd like is to put this phone through your teeth"

"you know, I get it. being raised as a superstar must be really, really difficult for you. always a commodity, never a human being, not a single person in your family thinking you're worth a damn off the court - yeah, sounds rough. kevin and I talk about your intricate and endless daddy issues all the time. I know it's not entirely your fault that you are mentally unbalanced and infected with these delusions of grandeur, and I know you're physically incapable of holding a decent conversation with anyone like evey other normal human being can, but I don't think any of us should have to put up with this much of your bullshit. pity only gets you so many concessions, and you used yours up about six insults ago. so please, please, just shut the fuck up and leave us alone."

"do you understand?" "yeah I understand you're a complete asshole"

"I can give you my number" "what for? [...] I wouldn't call you"

"you're not part of that family, remember? you're the cast-off"

"you are all insane"

"you are one seriously fucked-up individual"

ANDREW :

"kevin, kevin. so predictable. so pathetic."

"maybe he is afraid she'll die on him like the last woman he really loved"

"newsflash nicky: neil isn't normal" "this is beyond abnormal" "I am standing right here and I can hear you"

"you have this way of making people want to kill you"

"who am I supposed to call?" "nicky, coach, the suicide hotline, I don't care"

"you could occasionally grow a spine. I know it's a difficult concept for someone whose kneejerk reaction is to run away at the first sight of trouble, but try it sometime. you might actually like it."

"you don't have any room to judge other people's problems"

"sometimes you're interesting enough to keep around. other times you're so astoundingly stupid I can barely stand the sight of you"

"sometimes I forget you are sharper than you look"

"you and I both know you have a dreadful sense of humor so this can't be a joke"

KEVIN :

"hear that kevin? your sub said you're incompetent" "his opinion doesn't matter to me"

"you are a fucking idiot"

MATT :

"one day I want you to look up 'insensitivity' in the dictionary I'm sure it'll do your ego wonders to see your picture printed there beside it"

"would it kill you to smile when no one's paying you to?"

"no one wants you here"

AARON :

"I'm going to pretend I don't know you"

"we don't socialize with you"

DAN :

"we would make a drinking game out of it but we don't want to die of alcohol poisoning" "yeah that'd be a shame"

"I have serious concerns about your academic standings"

"hope you feel that one for a while you lowlife asshole"

NICKY :

"*points at kevin* there's a sucker born every minute"

"shut up, sour face. save your grouching for the ride back and stop spoiling our moment of glory"

"we all know kevin's as bratty as they come"

"you can be a real jerk sometimes"

[bisexualchaosdemon]

His Brother's Real Laugh

(A look at Andrew and Aaron pre 'It runs in the family')

A little over three years after graduating from PSU, Andrew gets a call from Aaron. It isn't one of the scheduled times they usually have calls, but Aaron is calling to see if Andrew can visit soon. Andrew is in the car before he has even hung up, never mind that his twin lives two states away.

Unsure of how to react to Andrew appearing his doorstep mere hours after Aaron asked him to come, Aaron points out that he is meant to be at practice with his fancy Pros Exy team. Andrew flipped him off and didn't bother with a proper greeting either, "What's wrong?"

"What?" Aaron frowned, confused. "Nothing is wrong."

"Something must but up if you couldn't tell me on our normal brotherly bonding call." Andrew insisted.

"It wanted to speak to you in person, but nothing's wrong," Aaron sighed. "Just come in, I'll make coffee."

"If you try to give me decaf again, I'm going to kill myself on your wife's nice white rug." Andrew warned.

Aaron laughed as he led the way to his small kitchen. "I made sure we had regular coffee when you said you were coming and hung up,"

Andrew nods and watches Aaron make their coffee. Katelyn doesn't appear to be home, but it's not unusual for their schedules to shift out of sync with their medical school graduation now less than a year away. And Aaron didn't look upset or hurt at all; just a little nervous.

Andrew allowed his brother a moment to collect himself, just until they sat down with their drinks. "What's going on, Aaron?" He asked again.

"Kate's pregnant," Aaron answered at last.

Oh. Andrew had not been expecting that. He didn't react outwardly, unsure what reaction was appropriate here.

"Is this good news?" He asked.

"I think so?" Aaron shrugged. "I've spent the last week freaking out, in all honesty. We are meant to finally be starting our careers now so the timing isn't ideal, and after everything with Tilda... But, I think it's good, yeah. I think I can do this, if it's Kate I'm doing it with."

"If anyone can pull off becoming a doctor and a mother in the same year, it's Katelyn." Andrew acknowledged. As much as he had hated Katelyn at first, he had come to understand why Aaron loved her over the years. They weren't besties, but Andrew had been Aaron's best man when they got married.

"She is a force of nature," Aaron smiled into his coffee. The twins have never, and would never, admit that they shared a love of fiery redheads.

"And you are more capable than you give yourself credit for," Andrew said. "I know you can do this, irrespective of timing or what happened in the past."

"I–" Aaron blinked at Andrew in surprise. It was a minute before he was able to answer, "Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me for the truth." Andrew gave him a small, rare smile. "Congratulations, Aaron."

Katelyn came home later on while they were chatting, and Andrew extended her that same congratulations. She thanked his brightly as she came to join them, plopping down next to her husband and putting her feet in his lap. Aaron started rubbing them without even pausing their conversation.

Aaron insisted that Andrew at least stay the night once they were done talking. Andrew agreed after texting his own husband to assure the silly rabbit that he was actually alive, if in a different state than when they last spoke. And that he hated him, after Neil had responded with something sappy in Russian.

It was the next morning that Andrew had suggested Aaron and Katelyn move to be in the same city after graduation. He could see the surprise and hesitation on their faces and held up a hand to stop them responding. They had nine months to figure it out, but he wanted to help if he could and he missed living in the same state as his brother. He just wanted them to consider it for now.

They put a pin in the topic there. They talked about other things over the coming weeks instead. Any high or low, Andrew listened to anything Aaron wanted to talk about. He even ordered food to be delivered to Katelyn a couple of times when Aaron was worried she wasn't taking enough breaks from studying but didn't know how to help.

So when Aaron's name popped up on his phone the same afternoon he knew Katelyn's first ultrasound was due to take place, Andrew was on high alert immediately. "Is something wrong?"

"What?" Aaron was just as confused as he had been last time Andrew greeted him in that manner.

"Katelyn had her scan today and you are calling," Andrew explained. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Aaron breathed out the slightest chuckle. "No, not wrong."

"But there is a reason you called," Andrew prompted, not quite a question.

"Yeah, uh," Aaron sounded dazed. "We're having twins."

Things so rarely went well for the Minyard twins, it was a startling relief that Aaron wasn't calling with bad news. He was just calling to freak out about the shock of finding out he was having twins when he only just stopped panicking about having one kid.

"Maybe it runs in the family," Andrew remarked. He thought Aaron having twins was objectively hilarious.

"Maybe the universe is just fucking with us," Aaron suggested with a playful groan.

And Andrew laughed. A real, genuinely happy laugh. Aaron had never heard his brother laugh like that before. "Us? No, this one is all you, brother mine. I've never been so happy to be the gay twin."

And then Aaron was laughing too. "You're the asshole twin, is what you are."

<<Pt.1 Pt.2 Pt.3>>

MASTERPOST

[neowqing]

Andrew and Aaron can't stand to be together, they're here again, ignoring each other in the back seat of the car, with the engine humming softly and the stove heating the space, Nicky getting out of the car at the petrol station, and going into the shop at the petrol station to get away from the stale and tense air in the car.

Aaron feels déjà vu, remembering the first time he met Kevin, and the car ride, Andrew is fixated on one point, probably thinking about his red dog, who will meet him in his room, or maybe even go out to the car park, pretending to have just come back from training or the store, and Kevin will be there as usual. Aaron taps his foot nervously, not noticing.

- Stop.

Andrew puts his hand out, touching the other man's knee, pressing. Aaron cackles and jerks his leg to the side, sitting back.

- What's your problem?

Andrew's voice is melancholic, disinterested, so Aaron just rolls his eyes, leaning back against the door, his forehead touching the coolness of the glass.

- "What are you, nothing.

- Good.

Andrew accepts this answer. While Aaron stewed in his irritation, gradually turning to anger.

- Not good! You're not good! The situation is not good! They're all not good!

Andrew turns his gaze to look at Aaron, who is seething even more.

- And you?

Nicky opens the car door, tossing a bag of crisps into the front passenger seat, turning to the back seats, catching glances and moods as she shuffles back outside.

- I forgot something.

Nicky closes the door, stepping away from the car.

- So, Aaron, you okay?

Andrew pulls his lips into a smirk as he reaches forward, grabbing a packet of sweet, chocolate chips, opening it immediately to grab them while Aaron weighs up the question.

- What does this have to do with me?

Andrew chews for a long time, taking more.

- Who knows if it's time for us to head back?

Andrew opens the door, whistles to Nicky, and slams it back shut.

They drive in silence, and Nicky doesn't move once more as she drives.

When they arrive, Aaron jumps out, bumping into, unexpectedly, Neil and Kevin, who back away a little until Kevin holds out his hand and Aaron brings his own in to slap Day's.

-Don't touch him.

Andrew doesn't know who he's talking to, and Aaron goes on his way.

- Did his girlfriend dump him?- Neil looks at Aaron's back in amusement.

- Shut up.

Andrew snags Neil's clothes as he passes, pulling and then releasing them for him to follow, Kevin follows, and Nicky nervously runs past with a bag to get his things out of his room and spend the night... Somewhere.

It's no secret that there are different ways to release tension, and Andrew uses one way, with the help of Neil and Kevin, so Nicky doesn't want to be there, not tonight, not ever, because Andrew will kill him.

Andrew really doesn't understand, Aaron is such a child, he throws his tantrums in the car, ruining the mood. Does he want Andrew to ditch his boyfriends and stay with him, to pretend that Catherine likes him, or for Andrew to apologise? Stupid kid.

**

Kevin walks more quietly through the library as people shush him, passing shelves and tables occupied by people with a mountain of books, somewhere amongst the same is Aaron, probably buried behind textbooks and it will be hard to find him, Kevin passes everyone until he comes to a quiet corner of the library, where there's a pile of medical books, it looks like Aaron hasn't chosen a major yet, and Kevin sits down quietly next to him, leaning back on the table, trying to straighten his legs under the table, and Aaron glances over at him, turning to a thick notebook, writing out some information.

Kevin remains silent, staring at the ceiling, wanting to know what happened between the twins yesterday and why Andrew was so tense, but the library is supposed to be quiet, so he'll wait until Minyard finishes his studies, even if it means spending a few hours.

And so it happens, Aaron stays in the room all day, reading and writing out information, Kevin finds a book to read for leisure, goes to get coffee, for himself and Aaron, goes back to the book, and in the evening Aaron gathers his things, putting the books back, Kevin puts his down, takes their things so that Minyard can leave, and leaves. Aaron takes him to a café, ordering grilled bacon and cheese sandwiches and fries, giving the second plate to Kevin, who finally chews something.

- Yeah, what's going on with you two?

Aaron frowns.

- Nothing.

Kevin is glad to see Aaron's emotions, it reminds him that the twins are not robots, or at least one of them is.

- Did you have a big fight last night, or is everything okay?

Kevin is careful how he asks, or so he thinks, but Aaron is grimly silent, which is a giveaway:

- Nothing out of the blue.

The little bugger.

- Come on, Aaron, what's wrong?

Kevin tries another technique - whining until the other person gives up, but he is thrown out of the table and takes his place, Andrew points to the next one, where Neil is sitting, handing over his plate, not throwing it away, thank you.

Andrew takes the potato, chewing slowly. Aaron may be a little shit, and a pain in the arse, but he's upset about something, so Andrew sits there watching, Aaron only seems annoyed.

- What is it, sweet Aaron?

Andrew's obviously having a laugh.

- You should talk to your fags like that!

- Aaron!

Andrew takes on a stern tone, causing Aaron to roll his eyes. The faggots at the next table remained silent, chewing on their food.

- Just say it already.

Kevin was undoubtedly the main drama queen, but now he has a competitor in the form of Aaron, who purses his lips and thinks about saying "if you don't understand, then there's nothing to talk about."

- Doesn't that count as an answer?

Andrew looks at Neil and Kevin.

- Yeah, faggots, but what's that got to do with anything?

Aaron picks up the potatoes, playing with them.

- Because it's them? It's not you, it's them, you do everything for them, no one else matters, and your redhead knows everything, I thought we had a year, and I thought I was starting to understand you, but, Andrew...

Andrew reaches out and puts his hand down on Aaron's head [there's a short table].

- Oh, so my brother feels abandoned.

Andrew weighs his next words.

- But if you were all in danger, I would have come to you first.

- Because one is a walking danger and the other is too lucky.

Andrew puts his hand in his pocket.

- You come first, anyway.

Aaron hides his smile as he bites into his potato.

Neil falls silent, stopping chewing, Andrew just stroked Aaron? Wow.

- You know, I'd like to try that with Aaron.

Neil looks at him like he's an idiot.

- Just the two of us, I'm sorry, you don't belong there.

Just as Neil is about to say that he would never in a million years ask, Kevin adds.

- Once Aaron said that even a shithead wouldn't sit next to you.

Maybe it's a bait for Andrew/Neil/Kevin/Aaron, maybe.

[jamiesshelves]

Parts of TSC I can't stop thinking about (after my first read)

Jean having a few minutes before Riko got to him and using it to text Renee a warning. NOT asking her to help him. But warning her. Probably to protect Kevin and Neil more than himself.

Jean viewing himself as a captive with Wymack and Abby

Jean calling Neil Nathaniel until that sudden switch (just like when Neil thought of himself as Nathaniel)

Jean being the same age as Neil, so one of the youngest characters we know

Jean worshipping Thea and her calling him Paris

Jean throwing out Andrew's candy

Jean roasting Aaron for being unimportant even with a murder investigation going on

Renee giving Jean forehead kisses

"Right person, wrong time"

Jean taking Renee's picture and it being the only picture he has

The way the world perceives Riko as a martyr after his death

The way the world brushes aside that he almost killed Neil on live TV

"The only one close enough was andrew"

Jean reaching towards the TV as if he could save Neil and wanting him and Andrew to run

Jeremy being brunette through the events of TFC

The Trojans being okay with their plan for the foxes game because they knew they'd lose to the ravens eventually anyway

Jeremy living at home and having an estranged family situation

Jeremy having a butler he loves and trusts more than his family

BarkBark

Jean's promise to Kevin

Jean calling Kevin a "beautiful boy"

Both Jean and Jeremy trusting Kevin whole heartedly

Kevin giving truths about the nest to Jeremy

Kevin admitting to sticking to Andrew like glue because he didn't know how to be by himself after the nest

The coaches concern as they realize the way raven coaches treated Jean

The rumors about Jean and that Neil never thought of them

Jean being confirmed a bi king and simping over everyone except canon beautiful Neil

Jean probably not simping after Neil because he's the partner that could've been, aka a brother/safe space he never got

Jean not realizing why top surgery scars, and his abuse scars, would be seen differently

Jean not understanding why Trojans can pick their own clothes, food, majors, etc

Andrew letting Neil go to the FBI in California without him because he trusts his runaway to come back

Neil's immediate response to hearing about Greyson is hiring a hitman

Neil sassing the FBI

"I guess Drake wasn't a biter"

Neil telling Jean he can lock his door if it makes him feel safe but he doesn't have to worry anymore

Cat wanting to teach Jean to ride a motorcycle

"Kevin has earned the right to be"

Jean being afraid to ever teach anyone French again

Jeremy hiding from the police

Elodie

"That's putting it mildly." WHAT THE FUCK STUART.

Jean's list.

Jean still texting Renee

The reason the Trojans stay so positive

"I'm not safe with you anymore"

The parallels between Jean and Neil

Jean thinking he never got anything he didn't deserve

Jean only having a carry on bag like Neil

Wymack giving Jean money and his note

The Trojans giving Jean forehead kisses

Jeremy being into Jean but wanting to allow Jean to be able to heal first

Honestly more but this is enough for now lol

[stabbyfoxandrew]

can we get some vampdrew please 🥰

WIP Wednesday (3/12) | Vampire Andrew AU (Part 227)

"Listen to me," Andrew demands, slamming Neil up against the wall, the very same way he'd done Kevin months ago. Those brown contacts are so hideous up close, but Neil's eyes widen. "I am a vampire. And you are trouble." Andrew says while Neil tries to pull Andrew's hands off him. "But I will keep you safe from anything chasing you as long as you don't cause me any problems. Do you understand, yes or no?"

Neil finally gives up, but his hands remain wrapped around Andrew's wrists. He huffs a breath. "You're really fucking crazy, aren't you—"

The door opens at that exact moment, cutting Neil off. They both turn to see Aaron and Nicky on their way in with a few bags of groceries. They both freeze up and for a moment it's just five men all staring at each other.

"Oh, fuck. Sorry." Nicky says with a grimace. "Didn't know you were... Uh..."

"Fuck's sake, don't kill him." Aaron huffs out. He's definitely pissed— hooray— but he merely reaches to shut the door as he and Nicky step backwards into the hallway. Andrew shrugs at his twin and slides Neil back down the wall to set him on his feet, he doesn't take his hands off him though. Not yet.

"Andrew is a vampire," Kevin finally spits out. Andrew watches Neil flick his gaze behind him and Kevin clears his throat to continue. "He's faster and stronger than anyone I've ever met. That's why I know he can keep me safe from the mas— The Moriyamas. We can prove it."

"Oh? How?"

Andrew adjusts his grip on Neil and lifts him, up, up, up as far as his arms will reach. Once Neil is dangling several feet off the ground he turns to throw Neil at the couch. The human bounces off the cushions and nearly hits his head on the coffee table. Kevin doesn't like that, but Andrew ignores him as Neil gets his bearings and moves to stand back up. He turns a look on Andrew and scoffs.

"That doesn't mean shit. You're built. I've seen what you can lift in the gym and I'm nowhere near that. If you couldn't throw me, it would be pretty pathetic."

Andrew exhales and runs his hand over his face. What else does Neil expect him to do? Sure, he could run a couple laps around the room but that would look really fucking stupid. He could just show Neil his fangs, of course. But having been met with Neil's bullshit already, he would probably claim they were plastic.

'How do we prove it? It's not like we can take him downstairs and make him watch you flip over Seth's car.' Kevin thinks from where Andrew had left him. Ah. Of course.

"Kevin," Andrew points from Kevin to the couch. "It's Saturday. Get over here."

Kevin's eyes widen. 'We've never done it in front of anyone before! I can't. I don't... Uh, I—'

"I know, I know. But it'll be alright. Neil won't judge," Andrew says, but Kevin Day has the audacity to look sheepish at the idea. As if he's just invited Neil to watch them have sex when actually it's the equivalent of Andrew having a sandwich. A delicious, horny, sandwich.

'Were you planning this? Is that why you didn't drink before we left Columbia?' Kevin thinks accusingly. 'You could've told me so I could try to prepare...'

[minyard-05]

ok so here's the thing about andrew minyard's hashtag DIY rehab tactic. what actual rehab does, what it's supposed to do, is not just flush the drugs out of your system (because you can technically do that pretty effectively the way andrew did) but rehab centers are supposed to help you by letting you come off drugs slowly in a safe environment, and provide you with ways to prevent relapsing once you get out. it's supposed to help you to stop relying on substances day-to-day, so a lot of them will have counselling services and other methods of helping you adjust to being clean.

obviously this is not everybody's experience with rehab, but in my understanding this is the main aim.

so let's just make some ground assumptions here while i talk about this. 1) aaron was addicted from an early age, most likely with the effects of fetal alcohol syndrome combined, and it got worse as he got older and started relying on the drugs more heavily as his mother's abuse equally worsened. 2) he did not stop after tilda died. the week or so between her funeral and andrew locking him in the bathroom were probably some of the worst for him in terms of his addiction and what he was using. 3) he was taking, regularly, a mixture of different street drugs all with varying effects and was probably high more often than not.

what andrew did, exactly, was stock the bathroom with canned food and lock aaron inside against his will for an undetermined amount of time. given the assumptions i made above, i'm going to say he collected enough food for about a week, accounting for how long aaron's withdrawal symptoms probably would have lasted. the thing is, that method would have worked in the sense that any drugs aaron had taken before being locked inside would have worn off and withdrawal would've kicked in not long after, depending obviously on what he took and when.

this means that aaron essentially quit completely cold, and he spent withdrawal locked inside a small room with canned food and two people in the house who wouldn't let him out until he was clean. and when he was let out, yes, he was sober, but he also had a very high risk of relapsing for a while after, because he would've had nothing to replace using.

which leads me to cracker dust. now, andrew says in the books that they took it up for aaron's sake, which means that in a sense it's basically a gentler way of letting him relapse. it's probably nothing compared to what he was on before the bathroom, but it's a way to get a similar, if limited, kick on a semi-regular basis, that at least maybe helps to ease him off it a little. is this the best way to handle drug addiction? the short answer is no, not at all. but i wouldn't be surprised if neil asking andrew to quit cracker dust is another reason why aaron quietly doesn't like him, because it would definitely hit him harder than the rest of the monsters.

some food for thought :P

[ifitmeanslosingyouthenno]

hold on (you must be hurting)

day 15 whumptober prompt: childhood trauma | painful hug | “i did good right?”

david was tired of his kids having to confess their darkest secrets for the entire world to judge and know and scrutinize

first it was the twins during aaron's trial, now it was neil for nathan's

it was fucking unfair to have his kids have to relieve their nightmares for the sake of proving they were only trying to save themselves

at least, with the twins, they had their small and unconventional family, they had nicky, they had their respective partners, they had betsy (andrew had betsy)

david could at least breathe knowing that they had someone to rely on, someone who could hold them up when they felt like falling, someone who could get them back together after it was over

after aaron was declared innocent thank fuck

david can't have the same reassurance about neil

not after his resident danger magnet decided he didn't want anyone with him during the trials up in dc, not even andrew

something that andrew obviously didn't appreciate

but david tried to understand him, even if his motives are stupid, tried to understand how hard it is for him to relieve every one of his father's crimes he remembered, tried to understand how he didn't want them to look at him and see his father, or worse, see his father's son

he was going to be there for the kid when he got back and innevitably broke down, when he forced his exhausted body on the court to get all that stress out until he couldn't go any longer

he was going to make sure both him and andrew were okay and well and safe

at least that was his plan until the redhead himself calls him one night before he's meant to return, voice shaky and smaller than he has sounded in years

"hi coach, i know it's kinda sudden, but can you come to dc tomorrow?"

it brings back harsh memories, of a new years eve turned sour in the form of a beat up neil, of a marked neil against his will

"what time do you want me there kid?"

he says kid out of habit, but neil hasn't ever felt quite as child-like as he does when he sighs out of relief loud enough the phone picks it up

"i have to be at the court at 8"

he doesn't have to say it, david hears the "can you be here before that?"

"text me the address kid"

david just lets matt know he's going to have to act as coach and captain for tomorrow, avoids answering why, just tells matt he'll give him a bottle of whatever he wants when he gets back

he has the decency to let andrew know as well, that he's had an emergency with one of his recruits out of the state that he needs to take care of

david knows that andrew suspects something is going with neil, but is counting on his refusal to ask for things, not to mention his deep respect for neil setting a boundary

he gets two of hours of sleep at most, and leaves just at midnight, making the seven hour drive up to DC with enough coffee in his system he doesn't even feel tiredness pull at him

neil is waiting for him in the lobby of the shitty hotel they stashed him in, a couple of too obvious feds around him, failing to pretend they aren't there to protect him

it makes david's blood boil

neil looks small sitting on a too big chair, picking at his cuticles hard enough that david would bet he's bleeding

at the motion of his entrance, neil looks up, and david's heart clenches in his chest at the sight of his bloodshot eyes and the deep bags under them. he's practically swimming in andrew's oversized jersey, and despite it not making sense, he looks as if he's lost weight in the past 4 days

neil's hands are twitching, and it takes everything in david not to reach for him and hold him close, but instead he thanks his foresight of buying him a breakfast muffin and a fruitcup in a diner he found on his way, and he hands neil the takeout bag

neil takes it with shaky fingers, silent, but his eyes speak enough in his stead

david doesn't push him

"i see the feds still suck at blending in"

that brings the smallest of smiles to neil's face, and he opens the takeout bag, staring at the muffin and the diced fruit with eyes bright and emotional, before taking a deep breath

"tell me what i've missed"

it's the only words neil speaks the entire time they're in that hotel lobby or on the ride over to the court, but david is more than happy to distract him with talks of practice the last 4 days

he makes sure to also let him know about how andrew and his foxes have been doing, about how they've been safe

the next thing he knows, they're entering a courtroom, mood somber and cold and wary

david sees the change in neil, sees the way he doesn't seem like he's there at all, but somewhere else entirely, and he talks over the things he's been and the horrors he's lived through as if they happened to someone else, as if it doesn't affect him still

if nathan wesnisnki and his circle weren't dead, nothing would stop david from going after them himself, not after everything they put neil through, not after they hurt him as bad as they did, not after they tortured him as a literal fucking child

he can't ever imagine being so cruel, being such a fucking piece of trash as a human, that you willingly abuse and torture and almost kill your own fucking child

he wouldn't imagine killing your child's mother in front of them, just for daring to want to get a chance at a better life, away from violence and crime and everything the wesninski and moriyama families did

(even if to david's knowledge, mary hatford was no saint either)

he's shaking with anger once they let neil walk off that stand, looking defeated and half gone and suffering

he wants nothing more than to jump that wooden barrier and get to neil’s side as he sits by the fbi agents protecting him

he has to stop breathing when almost shily, neil looks up and searches for david's gaze, meeting his eyes just enough that his shoulder lower oh so minutely, but it's everything

they go on a break, one where neil silently sits curled up in the corner of the bathroom, one of his guards with his back to the door, and one of david's cigarettes clutched tightly between shaky fingers

david himself aches for one, but he knows neil needs them more than him, even if he doesn't actually smoke them

from then on, neil is only called up to the stand one last time, and he looks so bone deep exhausted david is trembling with rage

how dare they make his kid tell them all of this again? hasn't he been through enough? hasn't he told them enough? what more could they possibly need?

and how dare they demand this from him?

by the time they let him stand, his legs are shaking so bad he stumbles once and has to catch himself on the stand, leaving the judge to stare at him with pity

where was that pity when they were forcing him to retell the worst moments of his life?

the moment the judge announces that nathan wesninski is found guilty of first degree murder of at least 34 people, at least the same amount of kidnappings, torture, fraud, withholding information from a federal investigation, and many other things, david is sprinting towards the flimsy doors separating him from his kid

he has no idea what neil needs right now, but whatever it is, he's going to be by his fucking side, he's not letting these bastards torture him any longer

neil is looking for david too, and it makes something in him break when he looks at those eyes brimming with tears

neil surprises him when he throws himself at david's chest, all but collapsing with his arms around his waist before david can even blink

neil josten is hugging him

neil josten who once upon a time flinched away from him when he moved too fast, neil josten who has the worst things in life associated to men old enough to be his father, neil josten who has never seeked out support this explicitly

the same neil, his neil

it's not until he notices neil's shuddering breaths, that he breaks out of his shock, and pushes past the discomfort, pushes past his own walls, pushes past his hurt, and he throws his arms over neil's shoulders as gently as he can

he feels neil trembling, doesn't know if it's out of grief, or pain, or shock, but he does his best to be what he needs, awkwardly soothing him with gentle movements

it doesn't last more than a minute or two, before neil is pushing away softly, gathering his strength to stand up on his own, breathing steady despite it all

his voice remains soft, softer than david has come to associate with him, closer to a whisper than anything else, and neil can't quite stop the waver in it

"i did good right?"

and david wants to scream, wants to curse the world who has hurt his kid so badly, wants to scream at the fbi for being unable to find proof of everything that bastard ever did before it was this late, wants to scream at them for not protecting neil sooner

he takes a deep breath and doesn't do any of that, doesn't let his expression be true

he places a hand on neil's shoulder, easing some more of that tension off his small frame

"yes you did kid, i'm really proud of you, you know?"

neil doesn't quite smile, but his eyes finally soften, finally ease

david doesn't understand how anyone could never hurt his children

because they were his, even if he didn't dare admit it, even if some were the biggest assholes on the planet, even if some were problematic beyond repair, even if some just couldn't stop themselves from tauting the literal fucking mafia

they were his children, david's, and he would rather chop off his own hands than hurt them

he would give his own life to keep them safe

he would do anything for them

"come on kid, let's go home"

(he would never admit that his bond to neil was different than that with anyone else, not even to himself)

idc if it's ooc for neil to hug wymack, they're father and son to me and neil wants to hug wymack and who am i to stop him, you can pry dadmack from the cold hands of my corpse title from son by palace (hugely recommend it for the purpose of this day's vibes)

[moefling]

The King's Men by Nora Sakavic reread

Did Aaron and Nicky really see Andrew without drugs? I mean Aaron must have but, oh oops I'm messing up the time drugs was post mom death not post juvie nvm

I know we aren't supposed to like the "therapeutic reenactments" but like am I reading it wrong or was Andrew raped again (and again and agin) in Easthaven...

"You were supposed to be a side effect of the drugs." (Page 24)

Andrew was basically like "take you shirt off" when striking a deal with Neil (Page 58)

Snort. I hope Roland says concerned about very obvious handcuff marks "from a fight" and a guy who seems really clueless about what handcuff could be used for (Page 64)

🤣 the fact that the "doesn't mean it wouldn't blow you" line was said right in front of Kevin (just in German so he would understand) (Page 65)

The fact that Aaron and Andrew "can't stand the sight of eachother " but they are identical twins says a lot about how they feel about themselves....

I know Andrew doesn't interfere with Kevin and Neil fighting because he has a crush on Neil but it's also a little funny yo assume that his pets can fight eachother butoneone can fight them (NOT like siblings, but also like siblings: I can make fun of my brother but a random does it and it's fight time)

I never quite got why Neil thought the happy birthday message was from Riko, even my first read I figured it was his dad/ his ppl

Look I love angst so Neil grieving his own death (not a identity but truly himself) is 😘

Can we talk about Andrew for a moment: he told Neil (basically) I have a crush on you and Neil went....OH ok... and then did nothing different with that info. I can imagine that is reinforcing Andrew's low self esteem? (Idk) but also like kinda nice, like whether or not they will say the word friends they are and Andrew's crush didn't change that

"I won't be like them. I won't let you let me be." (Page 178) them. Not him. --(Page 369) oh. I forgot about that --- (Page 381)

Ah Neil. I do enjoy your work around there from am nothing" to "you've always said, you want mothing." (Page 224) very good

"You're a different kind of suicidal-... -You're the martyr no one asked for or wanted." (Page 233)

I remember being confused and concerned my first read when Neil was kidnapped only 1/2 way through the boom (my kindle says 58%) - I mean I'm glad cuz then you actually get to see the fallout but I remember worrying how long was Neil going to be there? (I also remember being like oh fuck. He's really gonna die isn't he)

....I don't have any specific reading disabilities but any character with the same starting letter I sometimes confuse. Aaron and Andrew get mixed up sometimes but at least the shape of their names is different enough that it doesn't happen often. Nathan and Nathaniel tho.... ya I'm reading every sentence twice to make sure I'm reading the right name....

I do enjoy when we don't wait for the villain speech and just interpret them with violence (Page 266)

I imagine Nathaniel's manic laughing at the end looked and sounded a lot like medicated Andrew... (Page 268)

Idk why but the scene around Andrew prepping Neil for the shower always confuses me. Not in a "oooh what" but just in a "having a problem following the plot" way... (Page 307)

Andrew "I'm not taking in any more refugees." (Page 341) LOL actually doesn't he? (I haven't actually read most of the extra content but he takes in Robin, right?) Also could u imagine Andrew taking in all of Riko's "perfect court" It would be madness (Also kinda funny cuz Neil would flip between "mom" and "sibling" to Jean and Kevin depending on the situation)

I like the idea that post Nathaniel Neil is more like Andrew than anyone expected. Like, he's got more of a dead neutral face and doesn't pull punches when talking (or hide the violent thoughts he has)

"Die free or die a failure." (Page 343)

I don't remember where I read it (maybe it was one of the extra bits or something?) But it said that Andrew hates women and I just don't think that's right. I think he generally hates everyone and doesn't trust anyone easily but I don't think that's gendered in anyway (his history would more likely say he hates men, I think, but I don't think he thinks of it that way)

So ages are: Jean (who is a current junior), Kevin and Riko ( who are sophomores? Maybe they are also juniors?) Then Neil (who is a freshman)

"And my father comes to all of my games." (Page 410)

So. I don't read mafia books so Riko's death absolutely shocked me my first read (Also Neil's reaction to it) (Page 428)

On to The Sunshine Court. I actually haven't read this one before, some because I needed a break for the mafia vibes, some because I didn't realize that it was Jean's story and not Neil's (which is fine but when ur not expecting it...), and some because I read the first chapter and found Jean very annoying..... but based on some fanart I've seen maybe he will be less annoying and be more sad hurt boi (look internal angst is my jam)

[coldsaturn]

I finished my reread of TRK (in its Italian translation, for a change) in preparation for TGR, and I have thoughts

The rule usually is: if you can't rephrase or find an equivalent expression in the target language you're translating to, delete it even if it means losing part of the original. So tell me who and why chose to keep "Pig" in "Pig Higgins" that in Italian sounds like that's his real name.

Completely forgot Allison has grey eyes

"If you're going to play dealer who do we have in goal second half?" Wymack looked at Andrew. Andrew looked over his shoulder as if checking for a third goalkeeper." Andrew is hilarious

"The Foxes had two sets of uniforms: home and away. The former was orange with white lettering and the latter was reverse. Neil liked the white version better as it was a little easier on the eyes." The last sentence was translated with what equals to "Neil liked the white version better since it was a little bit cuter :3" and I'm laughing

Completely forgot about the Foxes' mascot, Rocky Foxy. Who's inside lmao

"Kevin had nothing to say to them, but Aaron went straight to Matt and Nicky to check on them." Aaron my baby

"Face the facts. Your pet is and always will be dead weight. It's time to—" "What?" Andrew turned a wide-eyed look on Kevin. "You have a pet and you never told us? Where do you keep it, Kevin?" Andrew and his habit of pretending people aren't talking about him

"Neil stopped counting. "You know, I get it,"

Aaron and Nicky dance. Aaron dances. Someone with Andrew's face dances.

"It took him only a few seconds to realize the Ravens were coming. The entire team was crossing the court toward Kevin, walking in V formation like a flock of birds going south." sajdòasldkasldjaslkdj I want their confidence in the face of the most embarrassing shit

What's the second team Tetsuji owns? What's the second team Tetsuji owns???

In the translation Neil keeps on switching between casual and polite register with Wymack and it's making my eye twitch

I'm rereading about Matt telling his story and Neil understanding that Andrew had fixed Matt's issues with the drugs because it would have been too difficult for Aaron otherwise, but...Seth? Hello? Ignored even in this, that's cold.

The absolute tragedy of Neil's involvement. He opens his mouth and Seth dies. He is warned that he was the trigger but doesn't believe it. He opens his mouth again and Drake is back. He receives confirmation that yes, he is in fact the trigger, can't keep his mouth shut again, uses his fists for good measure, and Andrew will meet a specific doctor at Easthaven. And yet he thinks he can still go to Evermore and avoid the last threat as if he hadn't just punched Riko in the face twice already. Delusional doesn't even begin to cover it.

"Lie down," Riko said again, "and put your hands on the headboard." The parallels with Andrew, help

The translation made a handful of straight up grammatical errors on top of the few inaccuracies, the choice of keeping "Per favore" as trigger word for Andrew, and keeping "Pig" as first name for Higgins save for one time where we get a Phil. Do better, translator, please.

The last chapter is fire. The way it so strongly signals the start of a new arc and makes me vibrate for TKM is masterful.

[ninyard]

Andrew said she is useful as in oh yeah she is good but neil you are interesting you make me feel something and you are different amd yeah i also think nora could have worded it better but what did renee really do for andrew? Idk i don't wanna sound mean i love renee but the thing about foxes is that they don't really view andrew as a human being so why would andrew see them as anything other than that? The only people that really care about him are neil and aaron (sorry)

I think I understand where you're coming from but personally I disagree!

I think Renee very clearly is the one fox that does view Andrew as a human from the beginning of the series. These screenshots are all only just from TRK, too! I searched up Renee's name and found all of this and I just wanted to share for your consideration that Renee cares about Andrew, and Andrew cares about her, and they are friends!!

(This is going to be long but I just wanted to share with you my thoughts on different points where we see their friendship in TRK, where we can see them caring about each other)

After Higgins calls Andrew, Andrew goes sparring with Renee for hours.

Renee talks time and time again about how her and Andrew are more alike then Neil thinks - and she talks way more in depth about it later during the "Andrew's-Gay" conversation (we'll get to that)

They talk. ALL the time. I don't know if we see anyone other than Kevin or Neil talk to Andrew as much as Renee does.

This moment, with Andrew, who doesn't like to be touched.

And then there's the coming out conversation, all of these little moments that show Andrew and Renee's friendship; them betting on Neil, how similar they are, how he trusts her.

"Neil finally understood why Renee wasn't afraid of Andrew"

Again just this - "Peace of mind". Them not correcting people on their relationship stops people from figuring out Andrew's sexuality, for his peace of mind that Aaron isn't going to find out before he's ready.

She's the only one who knows about his sexuality. He spoke to her, he told her, he trusted her.

And how much he must have told her for her to know all of this, too. She knows why he hasn't told Aaron, he's told her he isn't ready for that conversation, told her they have too much to work through. Plus, there's the "He didn't know what she and Andrew talk about when they stood off by themselves" ++ Andrew knowing she won't use it against him.

"This is what helps me connect to Andrew."

"But if you are as like us as we first predicted you to be, perhaps one day you can also come to see me as a friend." You can also come to see me as a friend. (+ them predicting what Neil is going to be like??)

And them being usual dates too.

ANYWAYS

None of this is including the cabins, or her holding him down at Kathy's show, or the fact that she's allowed to drive his car, or the apocalypse conversations - idk!!! I love Andrew and Renee's friendship so much!!!!