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Andrew spends the entire ride back from Baltimore glaring at the other inhabitants of the bus. Neil tried to sit in his normal seat in front of him originally, but Andrew could only take so much of his obvious discomfort. He’d pulled him up with careful hands, before settling back down with Neil in his lap, turned to face him.
Neil still doesn’t sleep, but he drinks in Andrew’s alpha scent like it’s the last time he ever will. It’s enough to have Andrew’s hand twitching at his sides again. He hates him, hates him for the wounds on his body and the content look on his face, hates the emotions he can smell coming off him most of all. Neil smells so content, so relaxed and happy to be within Andrew’s arms.
The scent of cinnamon and oranges is overwhelming in its novelty. Neil granted Andrew the privilege of his scent only once, when Andrew needed something real before his journey to Easthaven. He wonders at Neil’s decision to return to the Foxes without the scent and pheromone blockers he’s been wearing since they met. Though with the reveal of his father and all his other lies, it makes sense to let this one go too.
It’s obvious that his scent is affecting the others, with the less than subtle looks they’re garnering. That or they’re trying to reconcile the Monster with the reality of Andrew’s lost control. Andrew doesn’t care. The glares aimed at him, most prominently from Dan and his own brother, mean less than nothing when Neil is back in his arms, scent filled with something like happiness. He ignores the part of him irritated with the fact that everyone knows Neil is an omega now. There’s no point in being possessive over his knowledge of Neil, but his alpha had preened at the trust instilled in him. Trust Neil is now giving over to the rest of their team as well.
At one point, Nicky walks over with an open mouth, clearly about to ask questions neither of them want to answer. Andrew isn’t able to stop the snarl that rips from his throat, flashing his canines even as Nicky retreats with a squeak.
Neil doesn’t say anything in response, he only looks up at him with that damned look in his eyes. Andrew snarls at him then too, but Neil doesn’t even bother to flash his canines back. He just keeps on smiling, pulling the wounds on his face without a care in the world.
The calming pheromones Neil releases are probably unconscious, and the fact that Andrew wants to bury his face into the other boy’s neck just makes him hate him even more. He holds back through a mixture of spite and awareness of the absolute trauma Neil’s body has dealt with in the past few days. The knowing glint in Neil’s eyes still makes him see red.
Andrew doesn’t feel anything when the egregious orange of the Foxhole Court comes into view, but Neil practically lights up at the sight. The second wind is absolutely necessary for getting Neil out of the bus and into the lounge. When he finally sinks into his seat it’s with the comfort of coming home.
Andrew hates the sight of him, but it doesn’t stop him from placing a careful arm around his shoulders, fingers stroking through unruly hair absentmindedly. Neil practically melts into it. Andrew has never heard him purr. He isn’t sure Neil is even capable of it at this point, but he is sure that if it were ever to happen, it would be from this.
“Alright this is cute and all, and don’t think I’m letting you two off the hook, but we were promised answers,” Allison’s voice cuts through the moment, and Andrew has to try hard not to growl again.
Neil opens his eyes sleepily, no smile on his lips but a softness to him nonetheless. Andrew’s breath catches in his throat. He wants Neil to look like this always, wants him safe and cared for, protected within his arms. Andrew’s rage is overwhelming when he remembers he almost lost this, lost Neil, to a threat that he’d been purposefully made unaware of.
He tightens his grip and watches as Neil loses that softness for his normal sharp aloofness, he hates him for that too.
“I don’t know where to start,” Neil’s voice is rough.
“The beginning?” Dan asks.
Andrew tunes out the spiel Neil gives the rest of the team, censored less than the one he gave the FBI, but more than the story he gave Andrew. He ignores the way his alpha perks up at that.
“Questions?” Neil asks, no one can miss the way he tenses.
It’s Matt who speaks up first, “So you’re an omega then?”
Neil untenses at that. Andrew can’t help but agree in his head, Neil’s designation is probably the least interesting thing about him, even if Andrew has been privy to the knowledge for months.
“Yeah, I am.” Renee looks pleased while Matt cheers, groans sound throughout the rest of the room.
Andrew refuses to admit that Neil’s confused face is hopelessly endearing, “Were you guys seriously betting on my designation?”
Matt beams, “Yep! And you just won me and Renee 200 dollars!”
“Huh” Neil doesn’t look offended, only vaguely bemused, “What was the pot like?”
“Allison, Aaron, and I thought you would be a beta,” Nicky pipes up.
Neil is decidedly amused as he turns to Kevin, “So you and Dan thought I’d be an alpha?”
Kevin huffs, “You never reacted to my pheromones, and my control is shit. Even beta’s struggle with my scent sometimes.” It seems to really hit the rest of them that Neil is an omega at that. An omega who has never flinched when met with other designations.
“Yeah…” Matt says with a furrowed brow, “I only bet on omega because I trusted Renee’s judgement, but you don’t even have a nest.”
Allison starts listing off her fingers, “You don’t nest. You never react to alpha pheromone posturing or commands. You’ve never purred in front of any of us. You don’t even scent us most of the time, though I guess that could be changing.” She throws a pointed look at Andrew that has Neil bristling for some reason, “Why even hide the fact that you’re an omega? I don’t even think you’ve gone into heat while you’ve been here?”
That last point sticks out to Andrew. Neil’s never signed into a heat room, not while Andrew’s been on campus. He’s never even taken time off from classes or practice aside from his return from Evermore. Andrew had assumed he’d gone into heat while he’d been off in rehab, and he’d subsequently ignored the rush of feelings that incited in his chest. But if Allison hasn’t seen him go into heat either, does that mean Neil seriously hasn’t all year?
Nicky pipes up too, “Yeah, and how come you’re so immovable when it comes to alphas? Those FBI assholes were using commands earlier, I was feeling it and they weren’t even directed at me.”
Neil shrugs, “I went into heat when I presented, so I’m definitely an omega. Hiding my designation was a precaution I took just like the hair dye and contacts. I don’t know what to tell you.”
“How often do you have your cycle?” Allison asks.
“I had my first when I presented, but I didn’t have another heat until Millport.” Shock spreads across the Foxes' faces, even Andrew can’t help the way his eyebrows twitch.
Surprisingly, Aaron is the next one to speak out, “That’s ridiculous. How did your hormone cycle balance itself? Were you taking suppressants? Did they send your instincts haywire? Did you still go into pre-heat?”
Neil smirks, “I think this is the most words you’ve ever said to me. You gonna use me for one of your little med lab experiments?”
Aaron scoffs, “There’s little to no research done on omegan cycles in high stress situations. Sue me for being curious.”
Neil contemplates that for a moment, eyes piercing, but he moves on without saying anything to that, “My mother had me use suppressants on and off for a few years. I presented early, but she didn’t put me on them till I was fourteen I think? She didn’t want me to drag us down, but she didn’t want me dependent on them either. Once she was gone I didn’t have access to them anymore, but it’s not like….”
Neil seems to search for an accurate description, “My instincts were fucked before I’d gone on suppressants, and so were my heats. I don’t think being on or off them really changed anything, besides my mother’s peace of mind. I always assumed my omega just knew I couldn’t afford to go into heat or fall prey to my own instincts. Things like food and shelter were temporary and rarely safe or regularly accessible. I wasn’t really expecting it last year either, even without the suppressants.”
Aaron nods at that, medical curiosity seemingly satisfied. Andrew wonders if that means Neil’s instincts will eventually regulate now that he’s safe and staying in Palmetto ( staying with Andrew, his alpha says) . He forcibly pushes away any thoughts of Neil in heat to look at later, possibly in therapy.
Nicky is practically bouncing in his seat, “How do you ignore commands? And follow up question, can you teach me? That would’ve seriously saved me some grief when I was younger.”
“I must admit I’m curious as well,” Andrew’s eyes slide to Renee. If any other omega would know how to resist alpha commands, he thought it would’ve been Renee.
He can’t help the way his interest is piqued by this, another piece that doesn’t make sense in his puzzle. Where Neil’s answers about his heat cycle had been clinical, this has him stilling for some reason.
He doesn’t seem nervous, more so calculating. His eyes flick from Renee to Nicky, before he meets Andrew’s gaze. Neil’s eyes get stuck there, until they’re both searching each other’s faces. Whatever Neil finds must be good enough for him to decide to speak.
“Renee, is your mother an alpha? Or your pack head?” She doesn’t seem surprised by the apparent subject change, “No. She’s a beta, Wymack is my pack head.”
Neil hums, “Then I don’t think it would work for you. Honestly, I don’t know if it would work for either of you. I was much less developed as an omega.”
He looks Nicky over with a critical eye, “It might still work for you though, if you can get Andrew to agree as your pack head.”
Nicky blinks in surprise, “What would I need Andrew for?” Andrew’s curiosity grows, but he makes sure to keep it off his face.
“Training,” Neil says succinctly, “My mother was an alpha and family, and the only person I was in constant contact with. She was my omega’s only choice for a pack, small as it would’ve been. So she rejected me.”
Everyone in the room freezes. That boiling rage Andrew knows so intimately rises within him. His alpha is howling, screaming at him, unable to understand how anyone could reject his mate. Andrew is scrambling to keep in his claws and fangs, this couch can’t afford more claw marks. His pheromones flare without his input, the rage boiling over and filling the room. The other’s seem to blanch even further, while Neil remains patently unaffected.
Andrew thinks of a newly presented Neil, introduced to a newly scent filled and overwhelming world, dealing with new instincts he’s never felt before, and a mother who was his only family in the world. A mother who rejected him, a child, and left him packless.
Packless, until a manic and drugged Andrew invited him into the sorry mess of a pack he heads. It only causes his anger to grow. There’s a hand suddenly in front of his face, so similar to what Neil had done in that godforsaken hotel room.
“Andrew,” Neil says. Soft, softer than Andrew deserves, a soft that makes all the feelings in Andrew’s chest burn even brighter. “Can I?” He motions with his injured hands to the scent glands on Andrew’s neck.
Andrew shakes his head, “What did I say about that martyr bullshit.”
Neil only smiles, but he retracts his hand at the same time Andrew brings his scent back under control, “Anyway, she rejected me like that periodically while I was still newly presented. Eventually my omega started rejecting her back. After that, she started commanding me to join her pack. If my omega agreed, she would reject me again.”
Neil shrugs, as if he can’t even see the horror on the rest of the Foxes’ faces, “Eventually it twisted my omega up so much that her commands just stopped having an effect. After that, none of her commands really worked. Every time she contacted another alpha, she’d have them command me too. It’s not exactly easy to ignore them, but it’s like there’s a wall separating me from my omega’s base instincts.”
Nicky’s face is nearly as grey as it was in the hotel room, “She made you a lone wolf, a feral omega.”
Neil doesn’t react, “Oh there’s a word for it?”
Nicky blanches again, “I think I’m going to be sick.” He rushes out of the room without another word.
Neil tilts his head, looking over to Andrew, “So, I guess you’re not gonna reject him from the pack?”
He’s joking. Andrew knows he’s joking, his alpha knows he’s joking. The idea of rejecting any of them though, of ousting Nicky or Aaron, of rejecting Kevin, of rejecting Neil has his alpha howling in discontent.
“No,” Andrew growls.
Neil doesn’t appear bothered, he just nods, “Do you guys have any more questions, or can we go to sleep? I’m sick of hotel rooms.“
Dan recovers first, even Renee looks shell shocked by Neil’s revelation, “You’re right. Let’s head to the Tower everyone. Matt, Neil, we’re appropriating your common room. I think this whole experience calls for a sleepover.”
There’s a resounding agreement, even Aaron looks like he doesn’t want to go far. After this, Andrew isn’t sure he’s ever letting Neil out of his sight again. His alpha emphatically agrees.
~~~
The topic isn’t dropped. Nicky brings it up adamantly whenever he gets the chance. Neil isn’t quite annoyed by it, at least not that Andrew can tell, but he’s obviously over the frequency with which Nicky talks about it.
It’s only after they’ve won the championship that Neil bothers to have another discussion about it, with their pack only this time, “I mean, you’ve been pack since November? Is your omega still acting all feral? Shouldn’t it be more comfortable with us now? I mean, Andrew’s basically your alpha already, and Kevin is more like a puppy than anything else.” Andrew glares at Nicky, but keeps his hands off his armbands.
Neil sighs, “I spent most of this year thinking I was going to die, Nicky. Let's give my omega a chance to get with the times, okay?”
Nicky nods frantically at that, “Yeah, yeah you're right. Of course.” It's a nothing interaction, but it sticks in Andrew's head anyway.
He watches Neil, tries to pinpoint any unearthing of previously scorned instincts. There's practically nothing. He still hasn't purred, not in front of Andrew, and he's positive he would know if it happened in front of someone else. He hasn't had a heat, and he still doesn't nest. But, he told Andrew that he likes his scent, even going so far as to ask for clothes of his to wear. They scent now too, something Andrew didn't know he could handle but refuses to go without. It’s comforting holding Neil close to him, surrounded by their intermingling scent. Andrew finds that he almost always rumbles during it, which is particularly aggravating.
Neil always gets that particular look on his face when he hears it though, as if he's in awe of the sound, of the vibration of his chest. Andrew had asked about it once.
He'd gone down on Neil, and let Neil give him a hand job in return. It's something that's getting more and more regular. His ability to let Neil touch him.
Andrew had left to shower immediately afterwards, time to get himself back together still necessary. Neil never minded, and had eagerly wrapped himself around Andrew when he returned.
He'd buried his face in Andrew's neck, practically nuzzling the scent gland there. His nose traced the hickeys he left earlier, making Andrew shiver. Eventually he settled, simply breathing Andrew in. Andrew hadn't wanted to fight the rumble in his chest, and he'd felt Neil smile as the vibrations started.
Andrew still gets angry about it, infuriated by the effect Neil has on him, but Bee is working him through it. “Get that stupid look off your face.”
Neil smiles up at him, the aforementioned look still glued on, “Can't. You like me.”
Andrew glares,”I hate you.”
Neil's smile grows, “Your alpha likes me then.”
Andrew says nothing to that, “Why do you like it so much anyway?” Neil hums, moving so his ear is right atop his beating heart. Andrew resolutely ignores that it starts beating faster.
“It's reassuring. I'm not a proper omega. I might never be able to submit to you, I might never be able to even share a heat with you. I'm not mate material, but your alpha wants me anyway. That makes me happy.” You make me happy is unspoken, but Andrew hears it anyway.
He wants to argue with him. He wants to tell Neil he is perfect, and annoying, and everything he has ever needed. He wants to tell him that Andrew doesn’t need any of the extra stuff, the submission or the heats or the nesting. He just wants Neil, but the words remain lodged in his throat. He holds Neil tighter and hopes he can hear everything Andrew doesn’t say.
~~~
That was a month ago, and Andrew's careful watching hasn't ceased. Submission doesn't matter to him. He doesn't need Neil's omega to submit, not when Neil gives himself to Andrew’s hands so willingly.
Andrew doesn't care if they never share a heat or rut together, but he does want Neil safe, comfortable, protected. Neil deserves to have the chance to find that with his omega instincts, a chance his mother ripped violently away from him.
Even with all his watching, Andrew doesn't realize what's happening until Neil spells it out for him. He's been aggressive all week. He fights with Kevin more and more, snipes with Aaron, even Nicky doesn't escape his newfound wrath.
Andrew's spent more time mediating between his pack this week than he ever has before. Neil's also always wearing something of Andrew's, but that at least is something he can appreciate. By the end of the week, Neil is switching between bouncing off the walls with energy and feeling so tired he doesn't want to leave their bed all day.
On Friday, Neil finally says something, “Can you send the others to Abby’s for the next few days?” Andrew only raises an eyebrow, putting his cigarette out in preparation.
Neil is blunt in the way Andrew refuses to be fond of, “I'm going into heat.” Andrew blue screens. He knows Neil's heats aren't like most omegas. It doesn't stop him from thinking about it.
Neil in a nest in their room, on their bed, surrounded by his scent. Neil underneath him, pliant and slick, wanting Andrew to help him through it. He breathes in deeply, searching through spiced cinnamon and citrus orange, and yes, there it is. Neil's already horribly enticing scent is just slightly sweeter.
Andrew imagines days where he can bury himself in Neil. He'd make it good for him, he could make it so good for him. He'd stay between his thighs for hours, working his cock with his hands while eating slick like a goddamn meal. They haven't fucked yet, but Neil has taken to getting fingered with an energy he usually only dedicates to Exy.
Andrew wonders how many times his omega could cum untouched before he begs for more. They'd scent like always afterwards, and Andrew will take such good care of him that he might even purr. He'll bathe him, feed him, fuck him. There won't be a single desire of Neil's left unfulfilled.
The amused hum next to him has Andrew reeling himself back in. He doesn't know what Neil's heats are like, hell, Neil barely knows what his own heats are like. He might not even want Andrew there, or he might not want to have sex at all.
Andrew doesn't care. If Neil wants him to leave he'll leave, if Neil wants him to stand guard outside his door the entire time he will. They don't even need to see each other outside Andrew delivering food and water. Neil still looks more amused than turned on by whatever he gleaned in Andrew's scent, though he hasn't made any moves towards asking Andrew to leave.
“I don't know how this will go, but I want you there.”
Andrew stills, “Want me there how.”
Neil hesitates for a moment, but forces himself on, “Abby said there’s a chance my heat could be normal, despite my instincts being fucked up. If it is, and you want to, I’d like you to…take care of me.”
The way Neil says that makes it sound like a fate worse than death, but Andrew’s alpha is nearly howling in excitement.
Andrew hums, “Take care of you how?”
Neil glares, “You know what I'm saying, asshole.”
“Do I?”
“I want you to fuck me. If you want that too.” Andrew breathes in sharply. The fantasies from earlier spring back to mind with Neil's permission.
It's overwhelming how much Andrew wants that. He knows that he won’t be capable of everything he wants though, “I'm not going to be able to fuck you with my dick for the first time you're in heat.”
Neil shrugs, “That's fine. I don't think I'd mind being knotted though .” Andrew's head reels at Neil mentioning knotting, it's enough to make his mouth water even when he knows he's not ready for it.
Andrew nods, “Okay. Then I will be there”
Neil's answering smile is so bright Andrew has to push it away. “Stop that.”
“Can't help it.” Neil still sounds smug even muffled by his palm.
Andrew stands, intent on grabbing his keys, “I will drive the others to Abby’s after we are done shopping.”
Neil's brows furrow in confusion, “Shopping?”
“Supplies for your heat. Food first.” Andrew has a few ideas now that Neil’s given him permission. Neil, on the other hand, just nods but says nothing, content to follow Andrew’s lead.
They don't speak during the ride to the grocery store, quick as it is. Andrew grabs a cart, manhandling an amused Neil until he's sitting within it. He ignores all of the omega’s suggestions for food. If Neil had his way, he'd be eating cans of cold beans and plain bread his entire heat.
Andrew goes straight to the produce section instead. He grabs strawberries, raspberries, ignoring the blueberries because he knows Neil hates them despite his protests, apples, and bananas. Neil huffs but doesn't fight it. He grabs eggs, cheese, and pasta next in case Andrew has time to cook. The non-perishables are next. Bread, peanut butter, and jelly are necessities. He grabs tortillas, rice cakes, and those horrible granola bars Neil insists on eating as well. The pack of bottled water is last.
Neil also refuses to let Andrew leave until he grabs food “he likes too”. Andrew rolls his eyes but gets some frozen waffles and a few lunch meats so Neil will let it go. Neil is practically cradling all the food in his lap, but he looks up at Andrew like there is nowhere else he'd rather be.
Andrew doesn’t say anything while heading to their second destination, though he can tell the exact moment when Neil realizes they aren’t going back to thouse. He pulls into the parking lot twenty minutes later, and Neil looks around curiously, “Where are we?”
“Sex store.” Neil barely reacts, nonchalant as usual when sex is mentioned.
He only ever reacts with Andrew, like earlier, or more frequently when he's under Andrew. It's like sex only exists to him in the abstract until Andrew is touching him. The pleasure that fills him whenever he thinks about that fact is better left alone.
“Anything we're looking for in particular?” Neil looks around curiously, seemingly amused by the wall of miscellaneous dildos.
“More lube and a knotting dildo, but you can grab anything that catches your eye.” Neil blushes slightly at the mention of the dildo, enough that Andrew can't help the smirk that wants to crawl onto his face.
They split up. Andrew grabs their preferred brand of water based lube before searching for the dildo. He picks one similar in length to his own dick, no need to try anything more than that.
Andrew finds Neil comparing two different vibrators. He ignores the heat burning through his body at that, “Are we getting one?”
Neil hums in supposed disinterest, “Do you want me to get one?”
Andrew hates him, gritting his teeth, “Do whatever you want.”
Neil smirks at him, putting one of the models in their basket. He's all deadly scars and deadlier eyes, sharp and beautiful and his. Andrew wishes he hated him for it.
“Let's go, Junkie. I still need to get the other idiots to Abby's before tomorrow.” It's easy to ignore the grumblings of the rest of their pack when Andrew says he's dropping them at Abby's indeterminately. Apparently, Neil had asked for permission earlier in the week when he noticed his pre-heat. That fact makes Andrew's heart skip a beat in his chest.
Aaron is the one who finally puts it together, with a lot of disgusted exclamations. That leads to Kevin ranting about how Neil better be okay before practices start soon. Andrew turns the music up until it’s ringing in his ears when Nicky goes to open his mouth.
He drops them off without a word, tires squealing as he peels away before they can get a word in edgewise. The fact that his driving could be considered reckless even according to his own standards has nothing to do with Neil, he assures himself. Neil might be alone, on the edge of heat and anxious in his own way, but Andrew is not pushing a hundred to get back to him quicker. Not at all.
When he finally makes it through the front door, Neil is obsessively checking the locks on the windows and the backdoor. He lunges as soon as Andrew comes through the front, canines poised to tear into an intruder.
Andrew almost immediately walks back out, he can sleep in the car if Neil needs him too. Except, Neil stops mid lunge, breathing deeply as he takes in Andrew’s scent.
His glare doesn’t shrink but his canines do, “You smell like them. Can I scent you?” Andrew can tell he isn’t in heat yet, but the sweet spice scent is much stronger than earlier. He’s had more time to get used to the spice of cinnamon and orange that invades his nose, but now it’s heady to the point that he can taste it. He needs to keep himself under control, but his mouth is already salivating.
Andrew rolls his eyes, giving nothing away, “Yes, Junkie. You can scent me.”
Neil is on him in the next second. He doesn’t push him into the wall, too aware of Andrew’s boundaries even on the edge of his sanity, but his hands are frantic as he paws at the neck of Andrew’s hoodie. Neil’s sigh of relief as he strokes Andrew’s scent gland gently with his ruined fingers is torturous. Neil is quick to replace his hand with his face, humming softly as he breathes in Andrew’s own woodsy amber scent. He shivers as Neil’s nose traces the veins of his neck, his lips parted but not quite touching where Andrew really wants them.
At some point Andrew can’t take it anymore. His voice is gravelly when he finally speaks, “Yes or No.”
Neil’s pupils are so blown when he pulls back that the blue of his eyes is nearly eclipsed. He nearly can’t get the words out fast enough, “Yes Andrew, of course ye-”
He cuts him off, nearly as frantic even without heat in his veins, “Waist and up,” and then Andrew kisses him.
It never stops feeling like the end of the world when he kisses Neil. There’s nothing like the heat of Neil’s lips on his, the weight of him between his arms, cradled and safe and his . He pulls Neil closer, until their chests are so closely molded together he can feel each staggered inhale. Neil’s hands go straight to his hair because he’s predictable in his pleasure, near reverent as he strokes the locks between scarred fingers.
Andrew turns them, pushing Neil into the closed door and shoving a thigh between his legs to hear him groan. It’s so unbelievably easy to shove his hands under Neil’s shirt, to slip his tongue between the other boy’s lips. Neil goes soft and pliant under him, making small hums Andrew can taste in the back of his throat. He grinds down on Andrew’s thigh, a real moan escaping Neil’s lips as their kiss breaks. Andrew stops his tracing of Neil’s scars to press his hips hard into the door. Neil is panting, looking every bit the picture of a heat struck omega.
Andrew can smell the slick that is no doubt dripping down his thighs. The vision he has of dropping to his knees to eat him out is nearly overwhelming. He refrains only because he knows they can’t afford for Neil to go fully into heat in the goddamn entryway.
Neil’s hips are jerking lightly under his grip, searching for the friction Andrew has so deliciously denied. His gaze darkens as Neil throws his head back with a groan.
Andrew leans in, listens to the way Neil whimpers when his breath ghosts over his ear, “You want my thigh?”
“Yes, Andrew, want you-” Andrew shushes him as he brings his thigh back to where Neil needs it most, tensing the muscle as he uses Neil’s hips to pull him into a slow grind.
Neil’s mouth opens into a silent oh, violent pleasure contorting his features in all of Andrew’s favorite ways. Neil doesn’t even chase his own pleasure, allowing Andrew to move him at an agonizingly slow pace. Andrew can feel the hint of claws in his hair, though Neil’s grip remains slack even as he whines from the movement. His canines are dropping too, Andrew barely resists the urge to lick them.
He breathes it all in. Neil’s pleasure is heavy in the air, tinged with his heat scent, Andrew’s own creating a smoky mix of arousal. It’s beautiful the way that Neil so easily gives up control to him, not because of his instincts, but because Andrew asks .
He’s not often chatty in bed, but there is something about this. This moment, and the fact that Neil asked for him to be here for it.
Andrew barely recognizes the croon in his voice, “Look at you. So easy for me, hm?” He grinds upwards with his thigh, a punctuation to his own words.
Neil moans again, and Andrew can feel his wetness soaking into his jeans, “Love seeing you lose control, just from grinding on my thigh. I’d give you anything, you know. I’d get down on my knees and take you down my throat, or I could eat you out until your slick’s run dry.”
Neil whimpers at each description, scent flaring with arousal as he gets lost in the pictures Andrew paints. Neil starts to babble as he gets close, little affirmations mixed in with Andrew’s name. He brings their faces closer, giving in and gliding his tongue over the point of Neil’s fangs. Neil full body shudders, and Andrew groans. He loses himself in it for a moment.
“My perfect omega.”
Grind.
“Gonna give you everything.”
Grind.
“Make you delirious with it.”
Grind.
Neil is panting now, little sounds escaping him with every breath. He brushes his lips over Neil’s scent gland, just the barest hint of teeth.
He’s so close Andrew can practically taste it, “But you’re going to come like this, on my thigh, because this is what I want to give you,” and Neil is gone . He keens, rutting into his thigh with fervor as Andrew drags him through it. He doesn’t stop until Neil is limp with pleasure, held up only by Andrew and the door behind him.
There’s a blush on Neil’s face that Andrew knows reaches down his chest from experience. When Neil opens his eyes, there’s an emotion in them Andrew refuses to read. His scent screams contentment and satisfaction, still sweeter than normal, but it’s clear without all the arousal that he’s still not in full heat.
Andrew’s alpha practically puffs up with pride at the knowledge of Neil’s comfort. None of the tension that had been under his skin earlier is visible now. The smile he gives Andrew is small and as bright as the fucking sun.
Neil’s eyes drop to the tent in his pants that Andrew has successfully been ignoring, “What do you want?”
Andrew doesn’t need to think about it, “Get on your knees.”
There’s a flash in Neil’s eyes, defiance or amusement he can’t tell. He still goes to his knees with ease, face closer to Andrew’s clothed dick than it’s ever been before.
“Close your eyes,” Neil doesn’t even have the grace to hesitate.
Andrew simply stares for a moment, wondering how he got lucky enough to have this beautiful man on his knees. He fumbles with his zipper, hands shaky from the resurgence of his ignored arousal, getting his briefs off is a relief. He brushes a hand through Neil’s hair, watches as he leans into it.
“Want to come on your face. Yes or no.” Neil gasps out a yes immediately.
They’ve never done this before, but Andrew has thought of it nearly a million times. It speaks to something deep in his soul, one of his more possessive instincts, or maybe it is just a reclaiming of the pain Neil holds on his face due to Andrew's failures. He only has to stroke himself once, twice, before he is cumming with a groan, so close to the edge only from taking Neil apart.
Neil takes it gracefully, licking at the cum that lands on his lips and humming in approval. Andrew kneels down in front of him after recovering, “Keep your eyes closed.”
“Kay,” Neil sighs out easily.
Andrew barely feels in control of himself as he begins to rub his own cum into the knife and burn scars on Neil’s face. It probably feels gross, or weird at the very least, not hot in any way, but Neil doesn’t voice a single complaint.
He leans into Andrew’s hold, humming softly as Andrew strokes and rubs at his face in equal measure. Once Neil is thoroughly scent marked and his alpha satisfied, Andrew pulls the both of them up to their feet.
“I am going to wash your face, and then you are going to go shower. I will handle dinner while you clean yourself up. After we eat, we will figure out where I am sleeping. Yes?”
Neil nods with his eyes still closed, “Yes Andrew.”
Andrew goes off to find a washcloth, leaving Neil blind and trusting in the corridor.
~~~
Andrew watches as Neil, freshly showered, starts moving supplies up into their room. Each trip up and down the stairs seems to bring back the tension Andrew worked to wring out of him. He calms slightly when Andrew puts a bowl of pasta in front of him.
Still, Neil fidgets throughout the entire meal, eyes flickering between the two doors, the stairs, and the many windows. He's practically worked himself into a fervor by the time they're both finished, but at least all of his food is gone. Andrew throws the dishes in the sink and then ignores them.
He turns back to Neil, who seems twitchier without a task in front of him. “We have options.”
Neil starts at the sound of his voice, but Andrew continues, “For tonight, I can stay in the room with you, in Aaron or Nicky’s room, on the couch, or outside in the Maserati.”
Neil frowns, “You're not staying outside. This is your house.”
Andrew glares, “It is your heat, Neil. I will not do anything that will make you uncomfortable.”
Neil shakes his head adamantly, “I don't want you outside. I want you in the room with me. It's just…” he trails off.
Andrew grits his teeth, “What.”
Neil twitches, fiddles with the hems of his sleeves, before he seems to make a decision. “Come on. It’ll be easier if I just show you.”
Intrigued despite himself, Andrew follows. Their room looks much the same as it did last, except now there’s a pile of groceries in the corner along with a bag of sex toys. Neil dives for the bed, and for a moment Andrew is convinced this was all a ploy to tempt Andrew into bed. Instead, it becomes clear that Neil was actually diving for something underneath the bed.
When he reemerges with his accursed duffel Andrew briefly entertains chucking it out the window. Neil must’ve snuck it into the Maserati at some point when they first moved in, back in the beginning of the summer, because Andrew had pointedly carried Neil’s clothes in his own bag.
Neil rummages through it for a moment, before sighing in muted anger and throwing it at Andrew’s feet, “Look inside but don’t touch.” Andrew nods and kneels in front of it, curiosity warring with his hatred of the item itself.
He can easily recognize the clothes Neil owned pre-Foxes, but closer inspection reveals that there’s something different to the pile of clothes he remembers. There’s a black fleece hoodie Andrew thought he lost, one of Allison’s gloves from winter, a tattered basketball jersey from Matt, sweatbands from Dan, a crappy sleep mask Nicky lamented losing for weeks, an oversized shirt of Kevin’s, Renee’s knee pads, even one of Aaron’s tanks is in there.
It becomes obvious the longer he looks. The duffel isn’t filled to the brim or anything, but there’s at least one item from each fox in here. Andrew nearly rumbles in satisfaction when he realizes Neil took multiple pieces from him.
“You have a nest,” he says, one that Andrew missed despite all of his careful watching.
Neil glares down at his nest, baring his fangs in anger, “A shit nest. My instincts were no help when I was trying to make it, so I threw a bunch of random shit together in hopes that it would stick. Which, I guess it did, but now I’m all possessive over it, even though it’s not-!”
Neil groans, burying his hands in his hair, “It’s small, but still overwhelming somehow. I hate the thought of leaving it where I can’t access it, but I can’t even use it as a real nest!” Neil’s eyes flick to him and then back to the bag.
His hands drop limply to his sides, the defeat is easy to read in his posture, an emotion Andrew hates to see. Not for the first time, he wishes Neil’s parents were still alive, just so Andrew could kill them for what they’ve done.
“It’s not good enough,” he says softly.
Andrew stills, seeing the nest in an entirely new light. He stands, taking in Neil's self directed anger, the defeat and shame obvious on his face.
“Yes or No.” He says with a scowl.
“Yes, but what-?” Andrew puts his hand around the back of his neck, the drain of tension from Neil's muscles is as satisfying as ever. He pulls Neil into him, until his face is cradled in Andrew's shoulder once again.
“This is not some stupid movie Allison showed you, where I need to be impressed by your nest to be convinced to stay. Your nest could have one t-shirt, and I would be here. You are not a failure or whatever bullshit ideas are running through your idiotic brain right now. Do you want to build a nest to spend your heat in?” He feels Neil's head nod against his shoulder, followed by an affirmative still filled with shame.
Andrew brings his face back out of hiding, cradling his cheeks between his palms as he looks at him, “Abram, you aren’t alone anymore. Do you want my help with your nest?” Neil sighs, practically dropping into Andrew's arms in relief, “Yes, you’re right. Thank you.”
Andrew lets go before nodding decisively. He goes for the linen closet in the hallway first, grabbing an entire pile of extra blankets and sheets that he drops on their bed. He opens the drawers of their dresser next, then upends their laundry basket on the bed as well. He doesn’t touch Neil’s duffel.
“You can use whatever you want. I can grab some clothes from the others as well, we’ll have to wash everything before they get back anyway.” Neil seems overwhelmed with the amount of options he’s been given, clearly hesitating as he moves towards the bed.
He looks between the pile of blankets and Andrew once, twice, before he asks quietly, “Help?” Andrew rumbles with pride and watches with delight as Neil’s blush returns with the sound.
They spend the next twenty minutes arranging and rearranging the blankets and sheets until a bowl shape of comfort emerges on their bed. Neil occasionally grabs one of the items from his stash and places it carefully between the layers of fabric. Once they’ve finished, Neil looks about one step away from pouncing on the mattress.
“Do you like it?”
Andrew rolls his eyes in begrudging amusement, “Yes, I like it. I helped make it, didn't I?”
Neil visibly reels himself back in as he sits carefully, as if he’s afraid to dislodge something with every movement. He starts running his palms over the nest in awe. It’s a little too reminiscent of his careful movements from the start of their something, to the point that Andrew needs to turn away.
“I’ll leave you two to get acquainted.” He moves for the bag of supplies from earlier, intent on checking over the toys they bought and cleaning them before tomorrow starts.
Neil’s panicked voice brings his attention back to the nest, “Wait, where are you going?” His hands are grasping desperately at the sheets, when his scent reaches Andrew’s nose it’s soured with anxiety.
“I’m just going to take care of some of the supplies for tomorrow, and then I will be right back.” He tries to sound reassuring, and apparently succeeds as Neil once again relaxes into the mattress.
Andrew still tries to move as quickly as possible, and the sight when he returns has him stopping in his tracks. Neil is…there’s no better word than wiggling, around in the nest. He’s humming happily, eyes closed, and a soft smile on his face as he aggressively scents the fabrics around him.
Andrew has rarely seen Neil so happy.
There’s an ache in his chest when confronted with that smile. It feels like a hand squeezing past his ribs, cracking them as it grips his heart with clawed hands. This is what Neil was deprived of for nineteen years of his life.
Only now with Andrew , is Neil being given the chance to explore something other than pain. Andrew has to breathe through the hurt, the agony really, at that fact. When Neil’s eyes open, his entire face lights up as he sees Andrew. It stops the breath in his lungs.
Neil holds a hand out, “Come in?” Andrew is helpless.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he says as he brings their hands together.
Neil’s pull on him is so light it’s practically nonexistent, but Andrew is nothing but weak when faced with him, “On me, yes or no?”
Andrew hovers over him for a moment, but it’s impossible for anything to haunt what they’ve created together right now. He drops his full weight on Neil, tangling them together in every possible way. The vibration in his chest is loud and impossible to ignore. Neil hums happily in response, burying his face in Andrew’s hair. Andrew doesn’t mind his existence as a weighted blanket. They probably won’t move again tonight. That’s fine. He figures they’ll need all the rest they can get in preparation for tomorrow.
~~~
Andrew wakes to the soft sound of whimpering and a sweltering room. Neil’s heat scent is overwhelming, sweet notes fully blossomed as Andrew breathes in deeply. He’d moved at some point last night, pushed against the wall like normal. His first look at Neil has his mouth going dry.
Neil is flushed, curls spread across his pillow like a halo, his canines peek out from beneath his lips. He’s shed everything except for his briefs, though they’re already stained with his wetness. Andrew’s arousal is a forest fire beneath his skin, and Neil whimpers in response to its sudden bloom. It’s clear he hasn’t touched himself yet, which leaves Andrew wondering how long he’s laid here, heat under his skin and doing nothing to help himself.
Neil’s eyes are bright when their gazes meet, “Andrew…it hurts…” he whines. His scent is begging without words, and it’s never been easier for Andrew to succumb to his own instincts.
He pins Neil in a blink, wrists moved above his head as he straddles his hips. For a moment, he watches Neil’s omega take control, fangs bared and a snarl on his lips as he bucks underneath Andrew. It’s enough to have Andrew quickly planning his retreat at Neil’s rejection. Except in the next second, he watches as Neil’s muscles tense before relaxing all at once. He goes pliant beneath him, but Andrew makes sure to read his scent just in case.
Nothing has changed, except when he looks down, Neil’s blue eyes are staring wide. “Andrew…” his voice is hushed, awed as he looks up at him. His pupils are blown, fangs still prominent in his mouth, and he’s looking at Andrew like he’s a fantasy come to life.
“Neil,” he croons back, and then freezes. He has a brief flash of terror that he is back on the drugs, that Neil really has been a hallucination this entire time. But no, Neil’s warm and solid beneath him, and Andrew is awake, watching as Neil tips his head to the side in submission.
Andrew barely breathes as he brings himself closer, afraid to destroy whatever reality he’s entered into. He listens to Neil’s breath hitch as Andrew brings his lips to his scent gland. It’s too gentle to be called a kiss, just the barest touch, and yet Neil melts beneath him. Andrew drags himself away, unable to trust that he would know when to stop, that he wouldn’t mate Neil during the third fucking heat of his life.
When he looks at Neil again, there is nothing but pure desire and trust in his eyes. Andrew kisses him, hard. He wastes no time, biting on Neil’s bottom lip and slipping his tongue between his teeth. Neil groans into it but remains still beneath him. Andrew pushes into him harder for that, unable to ignore the fact that Neil has chosen to submit to him.
When he finally pulls away, Neil’s face is bright red, and they’re both panting for air. He brings his hands away from where they were holding Neil’s wrists, pleased to see the way they remain. One of his hands goes to Neil’s face, stroking his scarred cheek as his other one travels down Neil’s chest.
“Tell me what you want, Neil.” Neil whines but doesn’t reach for him, it’s as if he’s forgotten his hands are attached to his own body. Andrew figures just this once he can go easy on him.
“I could get you off with my hands,” he tweaks a nipple, “Or I could get you off like yesterday,” he grinds down on Neil, pleased to hear his moan, “Or I could use my mouth,” at this he drags his thumb over Neil’s bruised bottom lip.
Neil gets his revenge for the teasing as he envelops Andrew’s thumb in warm heat. His lips are sinful wrapped around it. He flutters his eyelashes before twirling his tongue over the pad of his thumb, remarkably similar to one of the maneuvers Andrew’s tongue is practiced in. Andrew’s dick throbs, and Neil smirks around his thumb at the stutter in Andrew’s breath. Andrew retracts his hand.
“Want your mouth,” Neil says slyly. Andrew is more than happy to give it to him. He moves down Neil’s body with care, paying special attention to the scars that decorate his torso.
When he reaches Neil’s briefs he pauses, “Yes?” Neil’s eyes are lidded, his tongue flicks out to wet his lip before he answers, “You too?” Andrew only remembers he’s still dressed once Neil points it out.
He throws the shirt off, rearranging momentarily so that he can get his sweats off as well. His own briefs stay, since there’s no point in taking them off when this is about Neil. He looks over the armbands for a moment, and then he decides to discard them.
He moves back over Neil, sending a pointed look to Neil’s covered erection, “Yes?” Neil nods, voice shaky, “Yes, Andrew.”
Andrew feels distinctly like he’s unwrapping a present. The response he has to Neil’s hard dick is practically Pavlovian. He lands one, two kisses to Neil’s hips before he gets his mouth on it. He doesn’t tease. He’s a goddamn pro at taking Neil to the hilt, and Neil falls into the familiar pleasure with fervor. His moans are high pitched as Andrew swallows around him before pulling back. He tongues at the head, lapping at the slit until Neil keens.
He twirls his tongue, an exact replica of Neil’s earlier movement, before bobbing back down, “Fuck, Andrew. So good, so good, yes. Yes!”
Neil doesn’t last long once Andrew gets his mouth on him. He never does, it’s a fact Andrew takes pride in. Neil’s hands are clenched in the sheets above his head, he whimpers out a warning that Andrew ignores before cumming with a groan.
He pulls back, licking his lips as he takes in the way pleasure softens all of Neil’s harsh edges. Neil seems content to lie there, catching his breath, but Andrew is nowhere near done with him.
“Turn over.” His voice rasps, and Neil shivers.
He turns over, readjusting his hands, but not moving them from where Andrew put them earlier. The heat in Andrew’s veins doubles at that. He shoves a pillow beneath Neil’s hips, unable to tear his eyes away from his ass and thighs.
He’s glistening with slick. Andrew drags his tongue up the side of Neil’s thigh and groans at the taste. God, he’s fucking sweet. He loses time painting Neil’s thighs red with marks.
By the time he’s finished Neil is chanting his name and hard again, exactly how Andrew wants him. He takes a moment to appreciate the picture Neil paints, flushed and wanting in his bed. It’s hard to believe that this is Andrew’s life now.
Neil’s hips jerk slightly every few minutes, rutting his dick into the pillow beneath him to take the edge off. Neil will never be as wide and muscular as Andrew, but his mouth still goes dry as he takes in the expanse of his shoulders.
His stare lingers on the mating gland on Neil’s nape, Andrew’s palms intimately familiar with it, before following the length of his spine. He palms Neil's ass, unable to resist it. Neil practically arches beneath him, presenting himself like a good omega, and Andrew’s hands tighten involuntarily.
“Gorgeous,” Andrew mutters to himself.
He watches as slick drips down from his hole to coat his thighs. He taps his thumb against it, amused as Neil curses. He continues teasing with light touches, before dropping down to bite at Neil’s ass cheek.
“Andrew…” Neil says his name like a curse, “Fuck me!” Andrew raises a brow, catching the scowl on Neil’s face as he rubs circles into his hips.
“Bossy. What happened to your display earlier? Decided you don’t wanna be my good omega anymore?” Andrew smirks at the shiver that goes through Neil’s body at his words.
Neil keeps glaring, “If my alpha would just-” Andrew drags his tongue across Neil’s hole, my alpha playing through his head like a record.
Neil doesn’t have the breath to voice anymore complaints, as Andrew begins to eat him out with relish. He could spend hours doing this, focused only on Neil’s punched out groans and the taste of his slick. Neil ruts back against his face, trying in vain to fuck himself on Andrew’s tongue. The whines he lets out are better than anything Andrew’s heard on the radio.
He drags one of his hands away from its grip on Neil’s thigh and reaches for the lube he’d stashed last night. Despite the fact Neil is in heat, and turned on to the point he’s soaked the pillow beneath him, Andrew refuses to put his fingers in him without it. There’s something to be said about how good he looks messy too, his hair askew and skin glistening.
Andrew breaches him with his finger slowly, working in tandem with his tongue until Neil is babbling gibberish into the sheets. As a rule, Andrew is never grateful for his memory, but there are perks to using it for Neil’s pleasure. He has to pull back to catch his breath, adding another finger to cope with the loss of his tongue, before he crooks his fingers in the exact spot he knows Neil’s prostate is.
Neil practically sobs at the feeling, “Again, again, again Andrew,” Andrew obliges.
He thrusts his fingers in hard, watching with half lidded eyes as Neil’s thighs shake and tense from the sensations, “How long were you waiting for me to wake up, hm? You could’ve woken me. I know you must’ve been aching for me to fill you up.”
He smooths his other hand over one of Neil’s thighs, watching as Neil fucks himself back on his fingers, before he brings it to the small of his back. He pushes down, forcibly arching Neil’s back before massaging his prostate instead of pulling back out.
Neil’s groan is guttural, “There you go, that’s it. I know you’ve been waiting for it. Why don’t you cum now gorgeous, I want you to.”
Neil clenches hard around his fingers, soundless as his body shakes and tenses like a bow string while he cums. He goes limp afterwards, fully undone as he always is after pleasure. Andrew doesn’t remove his fingers immediately, tapping against Neil’s prostate just to watch the way he shivers.
Eventually, Neil shakes his head against the sheets, and Andrew pulls away. Neil peaks a single eye open at the movement. He looks thoroughly debauched, and when he opens his mouth his voice is slightly hoarse.
“Want me…?” Andrew shakes his head, “Just lay there for me.”
Neil hums in acknowledgement before closing his eyes again. Andrew pushes his briefs down in a hurry, suddenly aware of the way he’s been ignoring his rock hard dick. He uses Neil’s left over slick to jerk himself off, panting harshly as he takes in Neil’s content form. He doesn’t last long, cumming with a groan over Neil’s back.
He only gives himself a few moments to bask before he’s moving. He drags himself out of the nest and to his feet, “I’m heading to the bathroom, I’ll be right back.”
Neil hums but doesn’t move. Andrew grabs two washcloths and dampens them with warm water before sprinting back to the room. Luckily, Neil hasn’t moved. Andrew gives himself a cursory wipe down, but he takes his time with Neil.
It’s soothing to feel Neil’s ribs contract and expand with each inhale, to listen to his content hums and feel the way he leans into Andrew’s touch. Eventually, he gets some water in them both, but Neil refuses to eat unless Andrew hand feeds him.
He maneuvers them until Neil’s back is to his front, slipping fruits between his lips that Neil eats quietly. It’s nice. Comforting. Intimate. His rumble is a backdrop to Neil’s soft hums and sighs. Neil starts wiggling in his lap some time later, another round clearly imminent.
When Neil whines Andrew finally breaks, wrapping his arms tighter around Neil’s torso as he reaches for his dick, “Stop that. I’ll take care of you,” and he does.
~~~
They break out the toys on day three. Neil barely left the nest during the first two days of his heat, the only exceptions being when Andrew could coax him into a bath. Andrew himself left the room only a few times more, as his instincts to provide for Neil warred with his naturally protective nature.
He’s lost count of the amount of times he’s made Neil cum so far. The sheets and blankets that make up their nest are covered in an assortment of bodily fluids that would surely be gross at any other point in time. He makes a mental note to buy heat sheets and blankets for next time, since Neil is possessive enough over the nest that Andrew won’t be able to wash anything.
Breaking out the toys is more a matter of necessity than desire, though Andrew can’t say he’s not enjoying it. By virtue of being a college athlete, Andrew’s stamina is rather high. Neil’s is on another level, and his heat just adds to it. He’s taken to being stubborn about Andrew’s pleasure as well, some nonsense about “making Andrew feel as good as he does”.
Just being with Neil in heat is enough for Andrew, but Neil’s joy at being given permission for a simple hand job was too much to pass up. So, Andrew had let Neil work him over between his own orgasms, which left Andrew more exhausted than his partner. Heats are supposed to last about a week, but Neil seems to be reaching his peak early.
Andrew’s almost disappointed by that fact. He wouldn’t mind keeping Neil in bed for another four days. The sex is good, but it’s almost better to be able to take care of him without needing an excuse. As is, Andrew expects Neil’s heat to break tomorrow evening, which is why the toys have come to play.
Neil is a work of art. He’s on his back, legs spread and dick hard and wanting. Andrew slides his hands up and down Neil’s legs, listening to him pant as the vibrator works inside him. Neil’s face is flushed, damp curls framing his forehead as he pants beneath him. Andrew presses a button and watches Neil’s eyes shoot open as the vibrator reaches a higher setting. His blue eyes are glazed over with desire, unseeing as his body tenses under Andrew’s onslaught. Andrew places gentle kisses to his neck, feeling the way his thighs shake as he falls over the edge. He doesn’t take the vibrator out, paying special attention to Neil’s scent glands as Neil realizes that fact.
“Oh fuck,” he gasps out.
He jerks, possibly trying to get away from the stimulation, but his dick is already stirring between them, “Oh fuck, Andrew.”
“Hm?” He doesn’t lift his lips from the hickey he’s creating on Neil’s collar bone.
“Andrew want, want your-” he cuts himself off with a moan.
His breath hitches on every inhale, “Want your knot, Andrew. Need more, I need-”
Andrew turns the vibrator off, pulling it out before reaching for the dildo. Neil’s stretched enough to fit five fingers easily, but Andrew does a quick check anyway.
He teases Neil’s hole just to hear the way he chants yes, “You want my knot? Take it.”
He shoves it to the hilt immediately, watching the way Neil’s mouth drops open as he inflates the knot, “Yes yes yes, thank you Andrew, Andrew thank you-”
Seeing Neil take a knot is a production Andrew can’t tear his eyes away from. When Neil finally relaxes, the look he sends Andrew warms him from the tips of his ears to his feet. Neil is remarkably clear headed for an omega in heat, but it’s most prominent after he’s taken a knot. He makes grabby hands at Andrew, which he refuses to find cute, but he wipes him down quickly before laying his weight on him.
Neil sighs happily, “You’re amazing.”
Andrew grunts, ears red, “Shut up, Junkie.”
Andrew feels the way he shrugs beneath him, “I think it should end tomorrow. I feel better than I did yesterday.”
Andrew nods, enjoying the fingers Neil cards through his hair, “I don’t care when it ends.”
Andrew will be with him until the end anyway.
Neil’s smile is obvious in his voice, “Maybe you don’t, but I miss going on runs in the morning.”
Andrew looks up at him with a glare, “What the orgasms I’ve given you aren’t enough exercise?” and then Neil is laughing.
Andrew feels his ribs shake under him, eyes dialed into the way joy adds new lines to his face, ones that speak of happiness instead of pain. Neil loses his breath laughing, and Andrew settles with one ear above his heart beat.
It’s only because of his position on Neil’s chest that he feels it, the faintest vibration crawling up Neil’s chest to his throat. He’s purring, Neil is purring, and Andrew’s the one who made it happen. He buries himself further into Neil’s chest, breathing through the awe that fills him at that knowledge.
For a split second, Andrew lets himself want this forever.