Work Text:
McNuggies
“I really wish we had McNuggies right now.”
That’s how it started. With that stupid word. Andrew was so surprised that he must have stared at Neil for quite a while, because that stupid kid had looked up and asked: “What’s wrong?” With such an innocent in his voice that Andrew had wanted to punch his face.
Who taught him that anyway? Andrew suspected Nicky, but Neil didn’t tell him. He didn’t even seem to get what was wrong with it.
Everything. Andrew thought.
He took another drag of his cigarette and blew the smoke out of the window of the Maserati. It could have also been Matt that used that stupid word. Actually Andrew would have liked it better if it was Matt. Aaron wouldn’t be as mad at him if he killed Matt instead of Nicky. But someone had to pay for it. They didn’t understand. Andrew had to live with this.
And Neil was just a living hell fire. As soon as he realized how much Andrew hated it, he started using it more often. It got to the point where Andrew took the spray bottle they used for watering the plants and sprinkle Neil’s face. And that guy just laughed about it. With that beautiful, terrible laugh he acquired over the last year after all the shit with the Moriyamas went down. Carefree. Like all the torture and pain and war never happened. Like he could breath freely again. Like he came home.
Andrew got angry again so he pushed a little harder on the gas pedal and felt how the cars engine roared underneath him. A beast of the streets. Loud and angry enough to drown out Andrew’s thoughts and Neil’s laugh. His terrible, beautiful laugh that made Andrew’s heart twitch. He wasn’t sure if he liked the feeling yet.
But he definitely didn’t like the word McNuggies. He thought about giving his teammates a hard time over it at tomorrows practice. But he wasn’t sure yet if he wanted to spend so much energy on one thing.
The worst part came after a yes or no question though. Andrew sat on the floor leaned against the couch and read something on his phone, he couldn’t even remember anymore, when Neil leaned over and asked it.
“Yes or no?”
It had caught him off guard but he had still said yes. He had gotten quite comfortable with Neil’s arms around him. Not enough by normal standards probably, but they were foxes. They didn’t need to be normal.
So Neil had wrapped his arms around Andrew’s shoulder, laid his head right next to his ear and whispered: “My little McNuggie.”
And that was the moment Andrew had to take a smoke break in the parking lot, while Neil apparently couldn’t stop laughing his ass off. He wondered if he was still laying on the couch, holding his stomach because he couldn’t stop laughing. He wondered if he was waiting for Andrew to come back. He wondered if he should care.
After his cigarette had burnt down, he had decided to take the Maserati for a drive around the city. The night was still cool. Not too chilly, but not as breading hot as it was during summer. They had spent a lot of nights out on the roof. Smoking, doing nothing, doing something. Just the two of them under the stars. It was weird to have so much free time without wondering when Riko would make their life a living hell again or trying to figure out the secret and the damage of the person you were with. It was quite comfortable… Relaxing… It made Andrew’s heart twitch. Not as much as when he heard Neil laughing though. It was just a soft little tug, that made him take a deep breath as if he wanted to inhale the entire moment.
Not like the violent twitching he felt when Neil wrapped his arms around him, skin still warm from running in the sun, his head close to his own, the smell of his hair, the breath of his words next to Andrew’s ears… It send his heart into a race Andrew couldn’t keep up with. Breathtaking.
He stubbed out his cigarette and pulled into the McDonald’s drive through. The poor kid that had to work nightshift started talking with his fake friendly customer service voice, while Andrew still had to find his calm again. Sometimes it just felt like his heart wanted to escape his ribcage. Maybe running back to Neil and his stupid laugh.
“Sir, you want to order?” the kid asked when Andrew didn’t answer fast enough.
“Just give me a Cola and two Big Macs.” he said. “And some Chicken McNuggets.”
He came back about two hours after he had left. The evening had turned into nighttime faster than he had expected, but he hadn’t really paid attention to the passage of time anyway. Not when the monster of a car was roaring beneath him. Now he wondered if Neil was even still awake, while he turned the key and swung the door open.
Neil was still sitting on the couch. He wasn’t laughing anymore.
“You’re back.” he said.
“Obviously.” Andrew replied. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”
They had training tomorrow and if they slept in or where slacking off due to tiredness one more time Kevin would probably give them hell.
“I was waiting for you to come back.” Neil said. His voice sounded so sheepishly. Like a child that was just scolded. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think it bothered you that much.”
Andrew raised one eyebrow.
“I just thought it’s funny, but… You know… I might have taken it too far. Sorry. You still mad?”
“Just tell me who taught you that word so I can make them pay.” Andrew growled and threw the burger bag in Neil’s lab. “Here.”
“What’s that?”
“You wanted McNuggets, didn’t you?”
Neil looked down at the bag. Than up again. “You got me some?”
“I was hungry. So I got myself some burgers. And some Nuggets for your stupid ass. Now don’t annoy me with this shit anymore.”
Again Neil looked down. And up again. Then he stood up. “Andrew. Yes or no?”
For a moment he simply looked at him. “Yes?”
Neil stood up and wrapped his arms around Andrew’s neck. His heart started racing again. Twitching in the anticipation of more, more, MORE!
“I love you, you know that?” Neil said and planted a soft kiss at the corner of Andrew’s mouth.
He looked up, trying to catch up with his racing heart. It wanted so much more and wouldn’t stop until it got what it demanded.
“150%” he said and pulled Neil in closer for a proper kiss.