#protective of both neil and kevin

[donghuamuqing]

the aot au that lives in head is banging against the walls of my skull to get out

[nyaar0n]

birdies

[beatrix33]

Andrew and Jean Parrales never fail to destroy me.

[lucky-slice]

low key i think to deny Riko's trauma is to deny his narrative importance in the story.

like Riko's trauma related to his father parallels neil's. His concept of brotherhood adds complexity to Andrew and Aaron's relationship. He acts not just as an antagonist but as a foil to other character's relationship to trauma and violence.

to solely view riko through the lense of his actions is to miss the point. He is a character in a story, not a real breathing human being.

[ohfallingdisco]

so many iconic important secondhand foxes moments in TGR. i’m thinking…

AARON DRIVING THE MAS??!!

Kevin bringing Andrew to California

Matt Boyd rushing the goal with Aaron to stop the Ravens from killing Andrew

Neil with two broken ribs is better than Neil dead

Andrew clocked Jeremy IMMEDIATELY lmaoo

Agent Browning: "I hate this sport. Explain to me why they’re all like this."

Kevin kneeling by Neil the whole time he’s in pain on the Court

Aaron kicking Kevin’s thigh as reassurance and/or an order to follow

Kevin telling Jean how Abby helped him !!

Neil being utterly insufferable to the freshmen, by all accounts

Neil answering Jean’s call with ‘Neil.’ Letting Jeremy’s go to voicemail.

Abby getting a second opinion on whether Andrew needs surgery…

Dan getting red-carded for decking the Ravens

Renee laughing at Andrew’s joke that the cameras couldn’t hear

The whole team being depressed when Aaron’s on trial

Wymack calling Jean to check on him after the fire

Kevin clocking Renee’s cross necklace

Kevin telling Neil on camera that he’s the least honest person he knows

Aaron chauffeuring hurt Andrew and Neil to go see Wymack

Twinyards & Neil interrupting Kevin and Thea’s interview by screeching up in the Mas

Katelyn respectfully not coming to the trial on the day Andrew testified

Nicky getting into a violent screaming match with his parents outside the courthouse

Andrew stepping in to protect Kevin but letting him stand up for himself when he said he could

Renee subtly telling the reporters to fuck off and talk to the right Ravens

Kevin and Neil joint press conference. Andrew and Renee together.

Kevin in actual anguish when Neil was hurt during the game

Andrew needing to know if Grayson had hurt Neil

Andrew asking if Neil killed Grayson

Kevin and Andrew both getting mad at Neil for going to see Jean alone

Dan running to defend Neil (after checking on Matt in the goal)

Andrew going outside with Jean during the interview

Kevin playing stylist for Jean’s first interview

Aaron trusting Andrew enough to deny a jury at his trial

Kevin mentioning Wymack canceled practice after Aaron won his trial

Jean casually referencing Andreil and Jeremy having no clue

Wymack calling the Foxes his kids

Betsy being there for Andrew at the trial when he testified

The upperclassmen having a bet whether Neil or Jack would fight the other first

The Foxes not having to deal with the Ravens at the banquet

Aaron getting cleared of all charges

[heartstringgs]

Nora saying Neil would have stayed at the Nest for Jean. Jean and Neil both hating Betsy on sight. Neil and Jean both being sold to a higher family like a commodity. Neil gently taking the phone from Jean's hands and saying'I've got him coach' to Wymack when Jean starts to panic. Neil asking Kevin if Jean was okay when Jeremy called. Jean wishing Neil had stayed just so someone could be with him during the harshest times of his life. Kevin being sure that Neil will be helped by Jean. Neil giving Jean time to get it together when the agents arrived. Neil protecting Jean from his abuser. Jean silently cleaning up Neil's wounds and speaking to him in french when no can hear them. Jean asking Neil to tell him that Riko is truly gone and Neil confirming without a moment of hesitation. Jean and Neil both automatically resorting to saying they're okay—I'm fine, there's nothing to talk about—whenever someone asks them. Neil originally being a backliner just like Jean. Neil telling Jean it's okay to take off the tattoo. Neil reminding Jean he's worth saving. Neil looking over his shoulder out of instinct thinking Jean would be there near him. Neil being Jean's what-if. The 3 to the other's 4. A broken promise. The misplaced forever partners.

[waestlandbaby]

Something that stood out to me in my aftg reread was how unhinged the upperclassmen actually are.

Matt fucking Boyd and his willingness to absolutely go at anyone, anywhere, any time. There's a scene where Kevin tells him to foul another player on the opposing team and Neil specifically points out the unrepentant grin he has on his face as he waltzes off court after it happens. He also is described as the best player on the foxes line up multiple times by Neil and his play style is aggressive, he uses his height and build to his advantage and he doesn't hold back.

Allison and Andrew have the exact same style of serving cunt, in that if you don't interest them they will not even acknowledge your existence. A player from another team attempted to score on the goal and both Allison and Andrew stood still and watched them miss with such bitchy indifference it probably gave that player ptsd. They also both have a habit of cutting through bullshit and demanding truth ESPECIALLY regarding topics other people would shy away from. Badass blonde bombshells.

Dan Wilds is just as rabid about Exy as Kevin and her every first thought goes to the game first just like Kevin. She's just better at making her second thought go to something else. She literally knew the second Seth was out of the picture that there was an opportunity there and she didn't even really hesitate to talk to Matt about it. She looked at Neil and whatever fucked up little thing he had going on with Andrew (as it would have looked to an outsider, let's remember that they all knew Andrew took him to Columbia and drugged him) and was like, how can we use this to make the team stronger. Like Nicky used Neil to manipulate Andrew but Dan did it better and with much more calculation.

Renee I don't even really need to talk about because Neil was always wary of her but there is one scene where Neil let's slip about his father's penchant for knives and Renee's reaction and understanding gave me chills. Renee uses that part of her to protect and that's really great because she would be terrifying otherwise.

[x-itzzzzzz-x]

crying over Andrew Minyard now…all i do is suffer !!!

crying thinking about Jean Moreau

[silksufjan]

i think about nicky’s “who’s humanizing who in that relationship” comment a lot bc like

from an outsider it seems like neil would obviously be the one humanizing andrew since everyone thinks he’s a short blonde sociopath

however , neil came to the court as someone willing to sacrifice anyone to save his own skin (staying with the foxes knowing he was putting them at risk, ditching everyone in a zombie apocalypse, etc)

whereas andrew came to the court as someone willing to sacrifice his own wellbeing to save others (killing aaron’s abusive mom while he was in the car with her, beating the shit out of the dudes who jumped nicky and being put on terrible meds for it, living through drake’s abuse to protect cass, etc)

they both continue this dynamic when neil lets andrew be responsible for his safety (knowing that the mob was after him and thus putting andrew in danger) and andrew chooses to be put in that danger to protect both neil + kevin

and you can say that this changes when neil asks to be released from andrew’s protection but i think it really changes at the end of the king’s men when neil chooses to put himself in danger by promising to protect kevin & going to evermore to protect andrew while andrew is made to focus on his own health and safety by going to rehab

[feralmode]

saw a post about how jean and neil are pretty alike so andrew would probably like jean and just. thinking about how andrew could teach jean everything he's learned about bodily autonomy and consent and trust and self worth. thinking about aaron killing drake and neil putting a hit out on grayson. thinking about them both finding partners they trust to respect their boundaries. thinking about neil saying "andrew's taught me about give and take" and how andrew could teach that same lesson to jean. thinking about andrew teaching jean to trust bee and telling him about what he talks to bee about. thinking about jean getting bee a glass figurine for her collection because andrew told him she likes them. thinking about bee getting jean a magnet in return. thinking about how they have like more than a foot of height difference. thinking about them bonding over making fun of kevin. thinking about jean getting to know the person who finally stood up to riko and protected neil from him. thinking about jean learning that neil went to evermore to try to protect andrew from proust. just andrew and jean okay!!!!

[dykekarkat]

i have this andreil au where andrew dies in the car accident that killed tilda and neil never gets a chance to run so he's a raven except he dies in the nest before his freshman year (probably from refusing to submit and then riko goes too far). so they're both ghosts and andrew is haunting aaron in an attempt to protect him and neil is haunting kevin for the same reasons and they meet when kevin runs to the foxes and there's a silent ghost war occurring between them which leads to the foxes being like oh shit we're haunted. also renee is a medium/psychic/whatever and is still friends with andrew can see/talk to them both. idk how the moriyamas and mafia plot would work with both neil and andrew as ghosts but like. andrew neil ghost love...feeling more alive together in death than they did while living...kevaaron bonding over their grief and seeking comfort in eachother...nicky youtube sensation after getting video of his haunted dorm...neil insulting kevin through ouija boards...etc etc

[averylittleroom]

.

pLease get started on werewolf Jean 🙏

Whatever you do, don't think about him being trapped in his wolf form for so long, he's forgotten how to turn back into a human. Don't think about Riko keeping him muzzled and chained up, don't think about his pack leaving him for dead on the side of the road. Don't think about Jeremy finding him there, mistaking him for a stray dog that got dumped and dropping everything to help.

Don't think about Jean, frightened and angry and untrusting of the kindness Jeremy showers him with. Don't think about Cat and Laila, knowing perfectly well what Jean is but saying nothing, because they've never told Jeremy about their magic either. Don't think about Jean learning to trust again, allowing Jeremy to touch him and tend his wounds.

Don't think about Jean shaking like a leaf as Jeremy coaxes him into the bath and washes him clean. Don't think about about Jean following Jeremy to work, napping in a sunny patch by the window while Jeremy stocks shelves with new books. Don't think about Jeremy taking Jean to the beach, and while Jean won't go near the water, he can't take his eyes off the sky and how big it all is.

Don't think about Jeremy having panic attacks alone in his house, and Jean's steady, silent presence giving him something to hold on to. Don't think about movie nights cuddled on the couch, or afternoons in the park, or Saturday morning hikes in the woods.

Don't think about Jean feeling a little more human, a little more at home, with each passing day, until one morning he wakes up and his paws have become hands, and four legs have become two.

Don't think about Jeremy's panic or confusion, or Jean's halting, flustered explanation, his voice so rough from lack of use that he can barely get the words out. Don't think about the awkwardness of learning to live together again, of Jeremy's eventual acceptance, of the newfound tension growing between them.

Don't think about Jeremy's cheeks turning red or Jean pretending not to stare. Don't think about Jeremy missing the sound of Jean's breathing and Jean wishing more than anything he hadn't stopped sleeping in Jeremy's bed.

Don't think about them finding their way back to each other again, until it feels just as natural as it did before, until they realize there is something more to this, until neither of them can deny it any longer.

Don't think about Jean kissing Jeremy first, cautious and careful but utterly sure. And don't think about Jeremy smiling and kissing him back.

[odetojupiter]

i often wonder whether the reason wymack is so lenient with andrew is bc andrew reminds him so much of himself. he’s fiercely, violently protective - something wymack can understand, as he beat his dad up for hurting his mother - and andrew is honestly a lot more aligned in the giving-people-an-extra-chance-than-they-thought-they’d-get ideology than the upperclassmen are.

think, andrew only accepting the fox contract bc nicky and aaron could get their degrees as well - something that would have been years off for aaron without a scholarship, and wouldn’t have been done at all (at least, not in the states) for nicky. think, kevin getting the chance to learn to stand on his own feet, neil getting the chance to learn to stop running, both bc of andrew. even his method of getting aaron clean gives aaron the chance to do what he wants with his life - though, it obviously could’ve been handled better, i believe that andrew chose to lock aaron in the bathroom because he knew that aaron wanted to go to med school, to become a doctor, which would have become a lot more difficult if he’d had rehab on his record. even with matt, though again his methods aren’t great, andrew gives him the opportunity to get sober for good. he’s constantly giving people the chance to deal with their issues for good, not by coddling them but by forcing them to turn around and face them head on. as far as giving out extra chances at life goes, that’s a pretty solid way to get people to turn their own life around for the better.

in fact, andrew goes out of his way to tell renee that he won’t break his neck for the upperclassmen, so that renee knows she should watch their backs. he didn’t have to tell her anything, he could’ve just left them all to their own devices, but he still gave them the opportunity for safety even tho they’d already written him off completely by that point.

idk maybe this analysis is off and ppl don’t agree with me but even in the books andrew is said to be ‘collecting strays’, which is exactly what wymack does.

just - wymack and andrew are very similar, and i love their relationship to bits.

[allforthegaymes]

Somethin about Andrew Minyard who shoves himself face first into danger no matter what risk it poses to himself

Being 5 feet even and still taking on four grown men who try to beat up Nicky outside of Edens.

Knowing his twin brother for less than a few months and willingly killing Tilda, even planning on himself dying in the process if need be.

Andrew willingly putting himself in direct harms way if it means protecting those he loves, while unwilling to put those same people in a even slightly potentially dangerous position.

Andrew who deals with Aarons withdrawals on his own, sat outside a locked bathroom door to intermittently slide his brother new food, water, and clothes. Unwilling to risk sending his brother to a place where he knows people in high positions would be willing to abuse their power, willing to hurt Aaron.

Andrew who despite knowing all of this and making sure Aaron never had to witness it, goes through his own withdrawls at easthaven, knowing what kind of abuse could and would happen to him.

Andrew who promises to protect Kevin and Neil. He knows theyre lying to him and he knows he doesnt know the full truth of who they are and what (who) exactly he is protecting them from.

But he also knows it helps Kevin to have a buddy system to lean on, to have someone who can shove his way through a crowd of exy fans all trying to get at Kevin, both fans and haters of him following his Ravens departure.

The way Neil describes Andrew as being a wall he can lean on and know he wont tilt under the weight of Neil’s past and current issues.

Somethin somethin about Neil looking at Andrew and seeing Andrew in a way no one else can. A way no one else has.

Neil looks at Andrew and sees how his carefully created stony exterior is a way to protect his family, by taking on the brunt of the negative attention from others. Both the other foxes, exy fans, his own classmates.

The rest of the foxes cant hate Aaron or Nicky the most if Andrew is always the one acting out to take all of their feelings of hatred on himself.

And no one recognizes this until Neil.

Neil who sees the way Andrew loves his family so much that hes willing to let them hate him as long as theyre safe.

Neil who knows Aaron thinks Andrew hates him and goes to Katelyn directly to tell her she needs to push to get Aaron into group sessions with Bee to fix his and Andrews relationship, because if Andrew or Neil were the one to suggest it Aaron would be against it.

[aftgphoenix]

Hehe have a short Jean, Cat, and Jeremy story!

Neil: Back at the airport. Flight lands at 3pm

Andrew: k

Kevin: How is Jean?

Neil: Alive. Talk later.

...

Andrew and Kevin were waiting for him at the airport when Neil landed. He was exhausted. After he'd dropped Jean off back at his house, Neil had gone to meet Stuart at a hotel room where they had talked strategy late into the night. He'd verified that his hit on Grayson had reached the right people and would be taken care of in the next day or two. And he asked Uncle Stuart for one extra favor. He went to the airport after that and slept on the plane.

He gave them a brief rundown of what had happened, omitting the parts about Grayson and Elodie. He wasn't sure Jean would want him sharing about that with Kevin. He'd fill Andrew in on the rest later, when they were in private. 

A week later, a package was delivered to his school mailbox with no return address. Neil ignored all of Kevin's questions about it. The next day, he dragged Andrew down with him to the school post office and mailed off the package to Jean.

...

Cat grabbed the mail from the mailbox before she went inside the house after practice. It was more of the same, junk mail, a bill for electricity, some catalogues, but at the bottom is a large white envelope. There was a Palmetto return address but no name and it was addressed to Jean. Curious, she beelined for the boys' room.

They were both in there. Jeremy was afraid to leave Jean alone after what had happened with Grayson. That was only further complicated by Grayson's second suicide attempt. This time he'd succeeded and it had sent Lucas into a spiral. Jean had barely reacted, which only served to concern herself, Laila, and Jeremy even more. 

"You got a package, Jean. Looks like it's from Palmetto," she said, handing the package to Jean. He took it tentatively, like he was scared to find what was inside it. Cat hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should stay or let him open it in peace. She decided that if he wanted to open it alone, he could set it aside. Instead, he carefully lifted the tape that was sealing the envelope closed.

He waited a moment before he slid the contents out on the bed. It was a pile of photographs.

"Wait, is that you?" she asked as she caught sight of a familiar scowling boy about ten years old. It was strange seeing him without his 3 tattoo. Jean didn't answer but instead gently reached his finger out to touch the little girl next to him in the photo.

"She was so young," he whispered. Jeremy had moved over to Jean's bed as well.

"Do you want to look at them alone?" he asked.

Jean hesitated a moment, then shook his head.

"Stay," he said, almost too quiet to hear. Jeremy sat down next to him and Cat sat on the other side.

"Who is the girl?" Jeremy asked. 

"Elodie," Jean said. "She was my little sister."

Cat felt her blood run cold as she realized what Jean was saying. Neither she nor Jeremy said anything as Jean slowly flipped through the small pile of photographs. Each one was of him and Elodie. In some, he was holding her hand or playing with her. In one, he was glaring at the camera and holding her protectively against himself. In the last one, Elodie was crying and Jean looked angry. He was hugging the girl. It was the oldest he looked out of all the photos. Cat didn't say anything when she saw a tear slip off of Jean's nose and splash onto his arm. She leaned her head against him comfortingly.

As Jean set the last photo aside, Cat saw there was a note underneath it. In messy handwriting was scrawled a short message:

You're worth just as much as she was -N

ao3 link if you want to save it

[the-sparrows-providence]

Have we talked about how Neil is the actual inverse of Riko?

Both sons of mafia lords, both raised surrounded by violence and abuse. Both were beaten whenever they disobeyed.

Riko has had people murdered for his own reasons. But so has Neil. Riko led the Ravens and was their primary source of unity. But so was Neil for the Foxes. Riko was possessive of Kevin and Jean. But so is Neil.

But while Riko was locked underground at Evermore for most of his life, Neil was outside, hitting almost every country across the globe and free to go anywhere. While the orders Riko disobeyed were only meant to control him, Neil’s orders were there to keep him safe. While Riko’s father barely acknowledged him, Neil spent most of his life with a father obsessed with him.

Riko had Seth murdered as unjustified retribution for a perceived slight. While Neil’s murder for hire was to protect someone he cared about.

While Riko united his team around him with fear and violence, the Foxes rallied around Neil because they mutually respected and cared for him.

While Riko saw Kevin and Jean as his property he didn’t want anyone else to touch, Neil would and has fought to keep them safe because Neil protects his friends.

Idk there’s just something really poetic about how similar Riko and Neil are and how close Neil was to becoming like Riko, yet Neil ended up the antithesis of Riko instead. Neil stands for everything Riko sought to destroy. Neil is the love to Riko’s hate.