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Walking into the office of grad students shouldn’t have made Neil pause. Normally they barely looked up, half the time not even realizing that he’d come in until he voiced a question to one of them. Today they’re all sitting in their chairs facing the door when he enters. Neil frowns, eyes jumping from each of them while he nudges the door shut with his elbow. There’s a prickle of unease in his gut as one of them, a third-year grad student named Claire, starts to smile.
“Dr. Josten,” Another third-year, this one Carlos, starts. “What are your plans tonight?”
Neil makes his way to the desk in the back of the office space. It’s really three desks pushed together to form a long table that lines with the window, but Neil likes working by the light. Mentally, he runs through his list for the rest of the evening.
They have two hours open for students to come by and get academic help during office hours. After, he’ll stop by the house and drop off his work bag. He’s got to change for the game tonight. There aren’t any plans set in stone for after the game, there is usually an after-party and with Kevin playing on the opposing team tonight they might go out for some drinks.
“Just watching the Exy match.” He sums up, dropping his keys onto the desk.
He sinks into a chair and scratches Duke behind her ear before she lays down on the bed beneath the desk. There’s some shuffling and he turns to look back at his grad students. They all wear matching looks of glee. In the hands of Carlos, are several thick tickets. The logos for the two teams that are playing tonight are shown proudly. Neil raises his brow.
Carlos presents the tickets. “It just so happens that I have four tickets to tonight's game, would you do us the honor, Professor, and join us to cheer on Denver?”
Sure these are his Linguistics grad students, but they do realize that there are four of them and he makes five, right?
“There are four of you,” Neil reminds anyway.
Claire raises a hand from her seat. “I have my kid this weekend so I stepped out.”
Neil blinks at her before looking back at the tickets. It’s hardly a secret that he is a huge fan of the Denver Yellowjackets Exy team. He’d gone a little bit viral on the internet, as his students and later Andrew informed him, after a photo of him in his office was posted. There might have been multiple memorabilia and merch with the logo all over his office. He wasn’t ashamed of it, Neil liked supporting his husband.
He was already going to the game tonight. He’d be up in the VIP section where family, friends, and people who liked to blow their money on ridiculously expensive tickets sat. It wasn’t his first choice on where to sit, it was on the second level and farther from the court than he’d preferred but after a few issues with Duke in the ground floor stands, it was the easiest option. Neil didn’t talk to anyone up in the VIP section either, they all ignored him and usually talked amongst themselves about their lives and what they were doing over the weekend.
He can feel himself slipping and knows he’s already made his decision.
Neil sighs. “Where are we meeting up?”
The room breaks out into loud cheers. Carlos jumps from his seat and walks a large circle with his hands in the air in victory. Watching in amusement Neil boots up his laptop and pulls out his phone.
Neil
Going to the game with grad students now
Andrew should be driving to the stadium or already there for the light practice and team meeting before the game. A soft knock comes from the door before a student pushes it open and peeks inside. Claire waves them in with a smile and directs them to her desk. Evelyn, the only second-year grad student in the office, props the door open just as another student comes to the door. Neil keeps one eye on the tutoring and general assistance that his grad students provide. They’re all older and have been through the ropes for a year or two.
His phone buzzes on the desk and Neil flips it over quickly.
Andrew
God help them
Neil
Should I wear my Minyard jersey?
Andrew
Anything but
Wear the old Palmetto jersey you made
Neil
Kevin hates that jersey
Andrew
Exactly
Neil smirks. After he’d begun tutoring some of the foxes and had been pulled into their friend group, he’d started going to games. At first, it was Matt’s spare jersey and eventually Andrew’s, but for several games Neil had hand-painted his own jersey for the sole purpose of pissing off Kevin Day. He’d bought a Day jersey from the official college’s sports shop and painted a large pink square on the back. ‘Bow before the Queen’ was written with a fairly impressive stick figure in a crown (Neil thought it resembled Kevin decently enough). The best part about the jersey was that until Neil turned around, it looked completely normal. He could wear a jacket over the jersey on the way in, but Kevin would know immediately. Grinning at the thought of Kevin’s annoyance, Neil pulls up the stadium seating layout.
“Carlos,” He calls. “Where are the seats?”
Carlos’s chair rolls across the floor until he’s beside Neil. He looks at the tickets before tapping a section on Neil’s screen. “Should be right about there, we’re by the away team’s door.”
Neil smiles. “Great seats.”
“Oh yeah, we’ve had them for three years now and keep getting offers on them.” Carlos laughs, pulling himself and his chair back to his desk by his heels. “No way are we selling these babies.”
On each side of the court, there are two doors, one for the away team and one for the home team to enter. Their seats for tonight are about ten rows from the player box and right beside the entrance leading to the court door. Honestly, the seating couldn’t have worked out better. Neil hums as he takes a picture of his computer screen. It’s tedious work to draw a small circle over the seats Carlos has pointed out but he manages and sends it off to Andrew. There’s no response but the message shows that it’s been read and Neil can picture Andrew rolling his eyes and ignoring him.
Another knock on the door has him looking up as a student comes in with a textbook and three separate notebooks. Carlos lifts a hand and nudges out the empty seat at his desk. She drops her books with a sigh and shoves stray strands of hair back from her face. Leaning back in his seat while his grad students tutor and help their students he drums his fingers on the edge of his desk. Taking a breath, he rubs Duke’s head and leans over his laptop to input the grades from the last test.
As far as office hours go, Fridays are only two hours long. Neil finds himself zoning out and only clues back in when he stretches and knocks his notebook off the desk. Duke reacts faster than he can, already pawing at the edge of the notebook before she’s got it in her mouth and sitting by his side. Neil huffs a laugh and takes it from her gently. She gets her praise for the task in the form of ear rubs and a treat from the baggy in his jacket pocket.
A chair squeaks behind him. “I’m headed out guys, have fun at the game!” Claire’s voice drifts around and Neil fights off a yawn.
He turns and waves a hand as she puts on her jacket and heads out. The sun already beginning to set, the curse of fall and shortening days. Stretching again there’s a satisfying pop in his back before Neil shuts his laptop for the evening. All the grades for his lectures have been put into the system, he’s sure to get emails from concerned students desperate to pull their failing grades up to an A over the weekend.
There’s the comforting sound of others packing up for the night in the room around him. Neil stands and slides his jacket on and slings the strap of his bag over his shoulder. Duke paws her way forward before stretching her body out in a way that reminds Neil of the cats back at the house. Her tongue lolls happily as she stands at his side. She’s still got her harness on from earlier and he takes hold of the handle.
Carlos is shouldering his backpack and grins. “Where would y’all like to meet up?” He looks between them all. “There are some restaurants nearby if we want to grab a bite before or we can just pick a place outside the stadium?”
Erin, a tall lanky brunette man with an unfortunate name relation to Neil, shrugs. “I’m cool with whatever, but I am craving a stadium pretzel.”
“So good, yet so expensive.” Carlos hums and stares into the distance with a faint smile.
Neil is honestly impressed. While he might not care for the overpriced stadium food he can’t deny that it is good every once in a while. Carlos spins his key ring around his finger as Neil locks the door behind them all.
The campus is quiet already, most of the students are in their dorms or off campus for the weekend already.
Neil lifts a shoulder. “We can meet beneath the banners on the front of the stadium, they’re right before you go through security.”
“You been to many games, professor?”
His lips quirk up to the side in a smirk. “Once or twice.”
Their small party reaches Neil’s car first, Carlos and Erin continue with Evelyn to her car farther down in the lot as Neil waves them off. Neil opens the door and Duke jumps in, she lays down in her spot as Neil gets settled in his own seat. There’s a new playlist on his Spotify account that he queues up. Andrew had created it over the week, curating music for Neil to listen to and ‘educate your ears to real music’. Every time Andrew makes him a new playlist and says the same line, Neil forces himself not to laugh. No matter what kind of music genre is the majority, there is always always something that throws him for a loop while listening. A classic rock playlist full of Led Zepplin, AC/DC, and Pink Floyd has Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun blasting in the middle of it. He doesn’t look at the names of the songs as he hits shuffle and gets the car turned on.
The drive home is surprisingly quick, good luck with the stoplights all landing on the green as he breezes through them. Once he’s home it’s another story. Both cats sit by the door to the garage and begin yowling as he opens the door. Neil forces himself to ignore them as he lets Duke off her harness and opens the door for her to run into the backyard. King, ready to demand his dinner, leaps onto the counter and struts across the mail that Neil dropped there seconds ago.
Rolling his eyes, Neil opens their pantry and fills the two separate bowls with dry food. King continues his yowling while Sir is watching him handle the bowls. Neil shuts the door with his hip and makes his way around the kitchen to the small island. Both cats leap from their perch and circle around him. It only took once for one of them to accidentally trip him before they learned not to wind between Neil’s legs. He’s both appreciative and terrified of their intelligence.
They sit as Neil sets the bowls down. He straightens and gives them a nod, “Okay.” before they dive into their bowls. Duke is sitting waiting at the door and Neil grabs the ball throwing toy and heads outside. They can’t play for too long, but she needs to run off some of her energy. There’s already a tennis ball in the green stick and Neil lobs it across the yard. Duke shoots off happily and skids on the grass as she grapples with the ball. She runs around with it in her mouth a bit before she runs over and drops it at Neil’s feet. The process repeats a few times before they have to go back inside and get ready to leave.
The cat’s bowls are clean and King is perched up in the cat tree licking his paws. Sir has disappeared back into the closet where she prefers to curl up on an old blanket Andrew laid out for her on one of the shelves. Duke circles near her food bowl as Neil scoops the correct amount and pours it in. She waits, eyes locked on her food before Neil gives her the command to go. She’s less destructive than the cats while eating but still goes at it with a vigor that would make anyone question if she was eating enough. Neil runs his hand over King’s fluffy body before making his way down the hall and into the bedroom. The bed is haphazardly made. The sheets and comforter are tugged up to the pillows and folded over in a semblance of neatness. The pillows are still in the position they were when Neil woke up, one half falling off the side. In their closet, Neil has to dig a little to find the old orange jersey. The fabric paint on the back is cracking and peeling but still looks good despite the years. Sir peeks over from her blanket nest and meows at him until he reaches up and scratches beneath her chin. He earns a few rough licks to his fingers and considers it a win.
Neil sinks onto the edge of the bed to remove his shoe and his prosthetic. Sliding off the metal and hard plastic socket. His stump sock was black—Andrew throwing it at him that morning—matching with the singular black sock for his foot. Neil didn’t care to match his socks, but he always rolled his eyes and slid them on regardless as Andrew took care to make sure he matched every day. His nice work pants end up in a clump on the floor, kicked off of his ankle. The looser fit of the joggers is nice and comfortable to change into. Leaning forward, Neil tugs the hem of his pant leg up over his knee. It’s habit now to tug gently at the top of his stump sock even though it hasn’t fallen or slipped throughout the day. He tugs off his nice work shoe and carelessly tosses it to its pair by the closet door. Neil is quick to stuff the prosthetic foot into the sneaker and tie up the laces. Slipping his stump into the socket he rolls the pant leg back down over the aluminum bar. He stuffs his other foot into his other sneaker and pushes off the bed to stand. He grabs the orange jersey with a white ‘2’ painted onto the front in gently peeling paint.
The jersey goes over his t-shirt and Neil heads back out to the front of the house. Duke has a ball in her mouth and is laying on her bed when Neil grabs his jacket. She’s quick to drop it and trot over to him when he grabs her harness from the wall hook. She steps into the harness easily, nosing her way into the opening before Neil pulls the straps around and buckles her in. Her tail wags as they step through the door and into the garage once more.
Back in the car, Duke circles on the seat a few times before she settles down. The playlist is still queued up and resumes when Neils turns the key. The stadium is a fifteen-minute drive from the house, but depending on traffic to the game it could be upwards of thirty minutes before he’s able to park.
Somehow, luck still manages to be on his side and he only runs into traffic at the stadium. The tag hanging from his rearview mirror is helpful in getting him out of the lines and to the parking lot quickly. He’s in the prime parking lot, right beside the stadium, and only a small set of stairs or a ramp to go up before he’s inside. Duke sniffs the air and noses at Neil’s palm and fingers when she’s out of the car. He has a leash clipped onto her as well. She’s been coming to the stadium with Neil since he got her several years ago, but he’s not one to risk anything happening and her getting lost from him. The leash is looped around his wrist and he holds onto her harness before they start making their way to the ramp.
There’s a glow from the building; lights installed at the base and beneath a ledge give off a dark blue light. Large banners with the team's stats and starting lineup line the front. The banners are large and Neil has to pause to look up at their faces. Some are smiling, others look serious. Hazel eyes and blond hair, finger-combed off the forehead, look out into the distance with a flat look on display. The first time Neil had seen the picture he printed it out and tapped it to the bathroom mirror for Andrew to wake up to in the morning. And the shower. And maybe in the underwear and sock drawer. Andrew hadn’t been amused but Neil had found his university staff photo in the cat's food bin when he opened it that night.
Neil’s grinning by the time he finds his three grad students waiting beneath the banners. Evelyn waves excitedly and Carlos leads them all toward security.
“This is going to be great,” He’s announcing. “I can’t wait to watch Day lose.”
Erin rolls his eyes as he steps through the metal detector. “How about when Day wins?”
Carlos turns back with wide eyes and a look of horror on his face. “Don’t tell me that you're a Day fan.”
Evelyn looks between them. “Is there something wrong with liking Day?”
Neil grins. “Depends on who you ask.”
Waving his hands, Carlos shakes his head. “No, no, no, you can like Kevin Day, that’s fine. But do you like him because of his stats and his playing style or do you like him because of his name?”
Leaving them to the discussion Neil steps to the side to another security guard. With Duke and his leg, it’ll take longer to go through the metal detector. The security guard is a familiar face and Neil smiles a little as he holds his arms out.
“How you doing, Pat?”
Paterson chuckles and runs the handheld device over Neil’s limbs and down his front and back. “Doing just fine, excited for the game?”
Neil nods and opens the different pouches on Duke’s harness that Paterson shines a light into briefly before it clicks off. “I’ll be getting an earful if Kevin Day doesn’t lose tonight.”
Loud laughter erupts from the other man. “I’m sure you will be, good luck to you man.”
Neil thanks him before he and Duke head over to their small group. Duke starts to turn towards the elevators but when Neil doesn’t step with her she looks back at him. He knows she’s confused. Every time they’re in the stadium they go to the elevators to head up to the family and VIP seating on the second level. He rubs her head and keeps her close as Carlos distributes their tickets. They’ve already been scanned in so now they’re just to find their seats and to keep for the memories if they so choose.
Erin rubs his hands together and pulls out his wallet. “I’m starving, what does everyone want?”
Rounds of assurances that Erin doesn’t need to pay are followed by his insistence before they finally relent. Neil’s order of a stadium hotdog with mustard and relish and water gets typed into Erin’s phone before he and Evelyn are off to wait in line. Neil follows Carlos towards their seats. Duke draws attention from everyone around them as they make their way down the steps. It’s a slower process than Neil would like but Duke doesn’t move any faster than he is. The four seats Carlos’ family has are on the aisle, directly beside the edge that leads to the locker room for the away team. To make it easy on everyone Neil takes the aisle seat so Duke can lay down on the steps and not be under everyone’s feet.
Carlos takes the seat beside him, pointing at Neil’s jersey and speaking before he’s even sat down. “That’s a hard jersey to come by and looks pretty old I’d say.”
Neil drags his fingertips over the cracked number. “It’s from my college years, surprised it’s held up this long.”
“You a Day fan then?”
Neil grins. “Is that an honest question, I know you’ve seen my office.”
Carlos laughs. It’s not a secret that Neil’s favorite team is the Denver Yellowjackets. He’s got a blanket over his office chair. Calendar magnets from the past five years are on the metal side of his desk along with logo and mascot magnets. Bobbleheads of the coaches (which he liked to flick in annoyance when they went on away games and chose to stay overnight and not bring his husband home). Anything and everything Yellowjackets related Neil had at this point.
“I like Day,” Carlos says, eyes on the large screens above the court where player photos are appearing on repeat. “But I can’t cheer against the Jackets.”
Neil nods in agreement. He’d struggled to cheer for both Matt and Dan’s separate professional teams when they played against each other, and it got even worse when Kevin first went pro. Andrew entering into the National Exy League had been the tipping point. He loved his friends, but no team was better than Andrew’s in his eyes.
He nods up to the players on the screen. “Do we have the starting lineup released?”
Carlos types and scrolls on his phone to pull up the listings from the Coach’s office. The starting lineup is about what Neil expected, Andrew’s not playing at the start. They’ve also changed out their starting dealer which Neil is curious to see how it plays out.
Carlos continues to talk about the players and the game, Neil falling into the easy habit of ‘talking about Exy’. He was obsessed with the game and not ashamed. When Erin and Evelyn made their way down the stairs, arms and hands full of food, Neil stood and moved so they could slip in. Carlos scooted down two chairs, securely putting the food in the middle of their group. Neil got his hotdog, steaming and warm through the foil packet it was in, and a large bottle of water. The countdown timer was ticking down the seconds above them. The noise level continued to grow in the stands as Neil made his way through the hotdog quickly.
At fifteen minutes till tip-off, the crowd started screaming. Everyone around them stood and started cheering, waving their hands and signs in the air. Duke jumped to her feet and looked around, not used to the noise level or being in the stands during games. Neil hauled himself to his feet and ran his fingers through the hair at the top of her head and rubbed behind her ear. He watched as the Denver Yellowjackets jogged onto the court to begin their warmups. It wasn’t difficult to find Andrew, he was in opposite colors from his teammates. While all the Yellowjackets were in black and yellow angled strips, Andrew was in white with yellow. Several of the team took to the inner court to work on drills while Andrew jogged around the outer ring with the others. There was a squeak of a door hinge and fans moved to the aisle to lean over the railings and wave to the opposing team. Now was as good a time as any, Neil figured.
He gripped the railing, leaning over so the metal pressed into his stomach. The most well-known player in the entire league, easily the entire sport, had just passed him.
Neil cupped his hands over his mouth. “Hey, Princess!” He shouted.
His voice wasn’t loud against the crowd’s cheers. There was however the benefit of the acoustics from the slight tunnel the players were in. Ignoring the shocked faces of those around him and the angry glares from the players below, Neil kept his eyes on the navy and green jersey of Kevin Day.
Kevin turned, eyes narrowed and face scowling as he looked around. His expression didn’t soften when he saw Neil leaning over the railing. Kevin passed his stick off to his team’s dealer beside him, marching over and glaring up at him.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Kevin frowned.
Neil grinned. “What, I can’t support my favorite team?”
Kevin glared harder before lifting his hand up. Neil took it and squeezed. The glare and frown softened as Kevin squeezed back.
“Why in the name of anything holy are you wearing that jersey?” Kevin winced.
Neil shrugged out of his jacket, turning to show off the hand-painted pink back proudly. “Well I’m supporting my favorite team and shitting on you, it’s a win-win honestly.”
Kevin’s eye roll was damn near audible before he laughed. “I’m going to burn that jersey.”
Neil clutched the orange fabric at his chest. “You’d burn an official fox jersey? Dishonoring your father and your former team like that?”
Glee filled Neil as Kevin’s face went pale. “You defiled one of my actual Fox jerseys?”
Neil shrugged. “Who’s to say.”
It looked like Kevin had a lot to say but he glanced at the court. All of the players besides Kevin and the dealer holding his stick were already doing their warmups.
He nodded to the court. “I have to go, but you’re invited to the after-party if you want to come. I’ll text you the address.”
Neil nodded. “Let me see what my husband's evening plans are.”
Kevin rolled his eyes again and muttered a few choice words under his breath in French. He walked towards the plexiglass doors to begin his warmups and Neil returned to his seat. The stadium was still loud with cheers but those around him were looking in confused silence.
“Hey teach,” Carlos leaned forward to look down the row at Neil, eyes wide. “What the fuck was that?”
There were a few gruff agreements from strangers around them. Neil shrugged. “I used to tutor Kevin and some of the Foxes at Palmetto.”
Carlos stood in shock. “You went to Palmetto?”
Neil nodded. “It’s where I did my undergrad.”
“Who else did you tutor?” Evelyn smiled, leaning forward as well.
Shrugging, Neil drops his hand back onto Duke’s head. “I first tutored Matt in algebra, he’s smart but not the best with numbers.”
It’s a few more seconds to silence that Neil doesn’t really think is necessary. It’s eventually broken by someone in the row behind them.
“What about Minyard, did you tutor him?”
Neil can’t fight his wide grin as he tips his head back to find who spoke. “Oh yeah, he was the worst.”
Before anyone else could ask about his past involving all of the Foxes, Neil looked to Erin at his side. Starting up a quick conversation about their hopes for the game, Neil was thankful when the other fans around them settled down. Erin for his part kept the conversation up well. He knew Exy well enough but was more of a casual viewer if anything.
A loud buzzer sounded and the crowd rose in volume. Neil watched as twelve players in opposing uniforms took to the court. The tall plexiglass walls were covered with a tightly woven net to prevent the ball from being flung out into the crowd. There were few things worse than getting hit with an exy ball flying at full speed. Neil would know—he had a scale. His scale was probably a bit skewed from life experiences but really, semantics.
The dealer for the Yellowjackets, a man named David Hayes, tipped the ball up and set it into play. It was brutal from the very beginning. Not in terms of aggression, both the Palms and Yellowjackets played clean, it was easy to see that these two teams were within the top three of the nation for good reason. Neither wanted to let the other get a point first. Surprisingly, Kevin was out for the first half. It wasn’t abnormal, Kevin often came on to start the game and to get the score up as high as he could. Andrew was well-known as a second-half player. Put on to close to the goal and prevent the score from going up.
Neil watched the game go on for several minutes. Referees were jogging and running along the outer court watching and waiting to call anything. He’s almost disappointed, he’s seen Kevin pull some dirty tricks over the years that are technically legal moves. When he’d smacked a backliner’s racket with his own and caused the poor fool to trip over his own racket. The backliner had broken his nose against the floor and was taken out for the game. Instead, Kevin was playing with quick feet and nimble twists. He was evading everyone around him. The other striker on the Dallas Palms worked well with Kevin, they’d been on the team for close to five years together now. Both moved in sync and tossed the ball between themselves effortlessly. It was fifteen minutes into the first forty-five-minute half when the first goal of the game was scored.
The stadium lifted up with cheers all around. Across the court his eyes found Andrew. The black mouthpiece was half out of his mouth as he idly messed with it. He couldn’t see across the stadium very well but if Neil knew his husband (he did thank you very much), Andrew was watching and analyzing the players and their moves, comparing them to the stats he already knew. Andrew might not love Exy, but he was wickedly good at it.
Everyone reset as the dealers met once more in the middle to serve the ball. With a score finally on the board, the game got more intense. Checks became more frequent and less strategic. It was hard to keep his eyes off of Kevin. He ran around the court, ball in his net and avoiding backliners. He practically screamed to be looked at as he played.
When Neil had gone to the Foxes games (dragged originally by Matt), it had been amazing to witness. Back then the Foxes weren’t a top NCAA team, they’d clawed their way into the championships the previous years but hadn’t won until Kevin’s final year.
A buzzer sounded just before the time for the first half ran out. It was officially 2-0, Dallas Palms favor.
Fans all around them stood and stretched. Some brave souls ran up to the concession stands to grab more food before the fifteen minutes halftime ended. Both teams headed back into their locker rooms. Andrew disappeared through the doors and Neil caught a glimpse of Kevin’s head as he walked into his own.
Neil pulled his phone out, sometimes Andrew was able to text during the meeting.
Neil
Kevin was not happy to see the jersey
Andrew
Imagine that.
Neil smirked at the fast response. He didn’t reply, leaving Andrew to his coaches and their suggestions for how best to shut out the Palms. It was humorous almost, to think that Andrew would listen to their stats and suggestions of who to watch and the best way to defend his goal. Andrew operated off of instinct and the incredible knowledge of how the players moved. Kevin wouldn’t be back out tonight unless the Palms were drowning.
Soon enough the players were returning. Many still had pink cheeks and sweat damphair. Kevin took up a stance near his coaches and stood watching with crossed arms. The single arm of Maori tattooed flames crawled up from his wrist to mid-forearm. The set of his mouth and stance reminded Neil of Wymack, they were more alike than anyone noticed at first. Cheers rose in the Yellowjackets stadium as Andrew walked on and took up his place in the goal. Neil grinned, leaning forward in anticipation.
The second half began with the dealers clashing sticks and battling it out. The Palms dealer managed to get her stick in and whip the ball back to a backliner. Neil watched as their strikers took off, running down the length of the court. The backliner threw the ball in an overhead pass, the arc sailing right into the net of the striker.
Thoughts of his next exam began to spin in his brain, it would be pretty easy to phrase a question for a parabolic equation over an Exy pass.
A ball shot for Andrew’s goal pulls Neil from his thoughts. Leaning forward and breath halted in his throat, Neil watches as Andrew shifts his weight and moves. He’s fast. Faster than most expect until they watch him in the goal. Andrew’s racket, longer than striker or backliner rackets, shoots out and halts the ball from smacking into the plexiglass behind him. With the ball in his net, Andrew chucks it up the court to one of his backliners. Neil loses the ball once it’s tossed again, eyes focused on Andrew as he settles into a stance.
They’re sitting a bit too far to see any real features or details, but Neil knows Andrew’s movements. His eyes are tracking the ball, pulling in all the information and data he can while watching other players work. It’s a bit disappointing that Kevin isn’t out on the court battling Andrew, but his team is good at what they do.
Several more shots are taken against the goal. Neil almost stands from his seat to shout onto the court at Andrew to block as a ball speeds towards him. Andrew’s turned to the ball, watching and not moving an inch. Screams of anguish rise up in the stadium as they watch the ball smack into the plexiglass wall.
There’s no buzzer.
Andrew scoops up the ball and throws it to a striker, the game continuing on as all the fans stare in silence.
Up above, the video screens shot a close-up replay. The ball hitting above the red marked line and outside of the goal. Neil sags in his seat, hands rubbing his face in exasperation.
The game continues on, Yellowjackets nabbing a score right after the initial confusion about the last score attempt. 2-1 the teams approach the last fifteen minutes. Neil’s sweating in his seat, knowing that the players on the court are dripping and tired by this point.
As the clock counts down, the players begin to slow. Neil can point out who is going to give their all until the end and who has run out of steam. The last three minutes of the game creep by slowly. The aggression and skill demonstrated in the first half of the game is still there, but all the players have run out of steam. The crowd is still cheering loudly.
Around them, people are beginning to get up and leave, attempting to beat the rush when the game ends. When the buzzer finally sounds loud in the stadium, fans of the Dallas Palms rise to their feet. The cheering of the fans is loud and echoes through the curved walls of the stadium. Neil doesn’t move from his seat and neither do the three beside him. He gives a command to Duke, using his hand to direct her better due to the volume around them. She moves from the aisle and moves to sit between his feet, resting her chin on his knee. Neil’s hands rub behind her ears, soft fur comforting beneath his finger tips.
On the court, they begin to go through the lineup, players of both teams shaking everyone’s hand. Despite the low score, there’s no doubt the game was one of the toughest of the season. Anytime Kevin and Andrew played together professionally it was a sight to see. Kevin’s temper and drive to be the best were met by Andrew who found joy in denying Kevin of all things. The two remained on the court, hands still clasped as Kevin spoke.
The stands began to disperse as the crowds rushed to their cars trying to beat the traffic they’ll all end up stuck in regardless. Duke is leading him through the fray, keeping close to him and her eyes focused on the exit. Carlos and Evelyn are discussing plays of the game as they all follow Neil and Duke out of the stadium. They end up back under the banners of the players where they’d met up. No one seems in a rush to leave as the line of brake lights continues to grow off into the distance. After minutes of conversation about the game and general exy that Neil hardly realizes that staff from the concession stands are filing out of the stadium.
His phone rings and he doesn’t even check the name, already knowing who is calling from the song alone. “Hey Gorgeous,” Neil hums.
“What are you doing tonight?” Andrew asks, breezing past the affectionate nickname.
Neil glances at his watch. “I might go to the afterparty and see Kev for a bit,” he says. “It’s been ages.”
Andrew scoffs. “He was over last month bitching about the garden.”
“He was there to see you then, not me.” Neil argues.
“Believe it or not we’re a packaged deal, Neil,” Andrew comments drily.
He grins. “Yeah, marriage will do that.”
Andrew huffs, something akin to quiet laughter. “I’ll see you at the bar, the invite extends to your starstruck grad students.”
“Oh did Kevin say that?” Neil turns to face say grad students, who look at him without care and with open curiosity.
“Nope,” Andrew pops the ‘p’ in the word. “It would be to keep him busy and let his ego inflate after only scoring two goals tonight, he needs it.”
Neil laughs openly. Saying goodbye as Andrew’s car engine roars to life in the background he hangs up. Swiping over to his texts Kevin has sent him the address to a decent bar downtown.
He looks up at the three grad students. “Well, we’ve all been invited to the afterparty if you’d like-”
“Abso- fucking -lutely!” Carlos near screeches before Neil can even finish.
Neil moves his thumbs over his phone screen, there’s already a text group with the grad students and he pastes the copied address into there for them all. Pocketing his phone he readjusts his grip on Duke’s handle.
“I’d offer to lead the way but with traffic, there’s no way we’re all getting out at the same time.”
Erin nods and sighs. “I’m parked in the far back of the lot.”
Neil looks to his car, sitting happily less than fifty feet away in the disability parking. “Just lose a leg, it does wonders for your parking.” He hums.
There’s a moment of silence before Carlos and Erin bust out laughing. Evelyn covers her mouth with her hand as she laughs. Jokes about his leg, or lack thereof, always have people wondering if they can laugh or not. It doesn’t bother Neil, humor is an excellent coping mechanism. He tucks his phone into his pocket and adjusts his grip on Duke’s handle. Their small group splits without goodbyes, they’ll be seeing each other in a few minutes anyway.
Duke flops onto the backseat instantly, no doubt worn out from the constant stimulation of being in the busy and loud stands for the entire game. Neil rubs her ears and strokes a finger along the top of her muzzle. He slips her a few treats, praising her for the specific tasks she’d completed. Shutting the door and getting into his own seat, Neil got the car started. The air kicked on immediately and with the sun having dropped to make way for the moon, there isn’t much need any more for the blasting cool air.
Slowly he makes his way out of his parking spot, people not caring to look repeatedly walking behind him. Eventually, Neil makes it to the exit and joins up with the long line of cars that snake their way toward the highway and away from the stadium. No doubt whatever bar the after party is being held at has security guards out front that will be checking names. He almost rolls his eyes at the theatrics, but it’s understandable. Thankfully, the line of cars moves steadily out of the stadium and Neil is on the way to the bar.
Every so often Duke huffs in the backseat and Neil rolls his eyes at her. She’s had the biggest personality out of all of his dogs. Usually, before they leave the stadium Neil gets to see Andrew. Players come up to the VIP box and greet their friends and loved ones. This time they weren’t able to see Andrew before leaving and it seems Duke has some opinions about it.
The bar Kevin had selected was down the street from the stadium, nestled on a busy street that was known for the bars the lined both sides. Most were themed, but plenty were just regular bars without any fanfare. Parking in one of the only free spots available, Neil got out and let Duke out to stretch her legs. She gave a dramatic stretch and yawn before they walked around the side of the building for her to relieve herself before they went inside. He spotted Carlos’ car drive by on the hunt for a parking space. No doubt his grad students would have to park somewhere else and walk—the area wasn’t known for its parking.
Eventually, the three came walking up the road with grins on their faces. If Neil didn’t know better, he’d think Carlos was going to combust from how he was shaking. Neil led the way to the door where two guards stood leaning on each side with their arms crossed. One wearing a lanyard for the Yellowjackets nodded and didn’t even move, recognizing Neil already. The Dallas Palms guard stood and moved to block the door.
“No need,” Carter, the Yellowjacket’s guard, spoke up. “He’s clear.”
The other hesitated for a moment before eventually leaning back on the wall. Neil pulled open the door and led his small group into the bar.
Inside was packed. Both teams from tonight were present as well as family that was at the game. Off to the side, a healthy amount of space away from those standing was a bar top table where Kevin and Andrew sat. It was clear that some of the others standing nearby wanted to go over, but Andrew’s reputation was still well known. Neil moved through the crowds, Duke doing a good job just by being large that people moved out of their way. There was an open seat beside Andrew that was across from Kevin and Neil didn’t hesitate to slide into it. Duke moved under the table, out of the way of the many feet moving around them, and closer to Andrew. She didn’t hesitate to drop her chin onto his knee and Neil didn’t miss how Andrew immediately ran his fingers through her fur.
“Good game,” He grinned, leaning his elbow on the tabletop.
Kevin glared halfheartedly. “I don’t like you.”
Neil laughed openly. “Spoilsport!”
A glance to his side showed the three grad students standing awkwardly. Neil gestured to them with his hand. “These are Carlos, Evenlyn, and Erin, they invited me to the game tonight.”
Kevin blinked. “They’re the reason you were able to yell at me and wear that god awful jersey?”
Neil beamed, smoothing a hand down the front of the said jersey. “Yup!”
Andrew smirked. “Buy them a round, they deserve it.”
Kevin’s response of a middle finger went ignored. Carlos and Erin dragged over extra chairs while Evelyn took the open one to Kevin’s side. She sat stiffly and Neil had to resist the urge to laugh. It was always fun to witness others’ reactions to Kevin. He was a big-time sports star, raised up on the game that his very mother created. He was the best striker in the league, the stats proved it over and over again. But, the other side of Kevin was what Neil witnessed during college. Kevin with his face in a math textbook groaning about the perils of undergrad required courses.
At his side, Andrew shifted. Sliding off his chair and grabbing his empty glass. He walked out of Neil’s peripheral vision without a sound. Carlos on his other side was chattering aimlessly to Kevin about the game. He was doubling back to the save Kevin had made, snapping the ball out of a Yellowjacket’s net and into his own and scoring. Kevin was focused on the conversation intently. He liked to hear how others saw his game, sometimes they offered a new perspective that Kevin then implemented. He was a genius with the game, no denying that. Erin, the tallest of them all and nearing Kevin’s height, excused himself to head to the bar as well. Almost as if switching shifts, Andrew slid back into his seat. A bucket of ice and beers was set in the middle of the table. A short glass of warm amber whiskey with ice cubes was placed in front of him. Andrew’s own drink was darker and far sweeter than what Neil was willing to drink; Jack and Coke.
As Carlos continued to talk, Evelyn chiming in every so often, Neil found himself settling in his seat. The loud chatter and the general smell of a crowded bar reminded him of the old Fox after-game parties. Peanuts and stale beer played a role in more college memories than he’d thought. Beside him, Andrew’s fingers pressed to the side of his thigh. Neil took a sip of his drink and looked over. Andrew was sipping his jack and coke, eyes flicking between the drink in hand and Kevin. Old habits die hard, Neil knew that well. Andrew’s warm eyes settled on Neil again eventually and Neil offered a small smile.
Andrew’s hand was warm as it settled over the top of Neil’s thigh. Despite himself, Neil felt his smile soften. Andrew rolled his eyes and Neil looked back at their small group. Erin and Evelyn were detailing some of the plays from tonight's game animatedly while Carlos searched on his phone for a clip of what they were referencing. Kevin had his chin propped on his palm, nodding along to what the three were saying. Andrew's thumb swept in a warm arc over the muscle and Neil felt himself relax more and more as the ministration continued.
Time progressed without much care around them, Neil stopped after the single whiskey Andrew had brought him and Andrew hadn’t gone back to the bar since his last stop. Their table companions on the other hand were enjoying the hell out of themselves.
Kevin turned his entire body to face them. “I don’t want to stay at the hotel tonight.”
Andrew flicked a bottle cap from the table towards the taller man, it sailed just to the left of his body. “What, is the hotel not up to your queenly standards?”
Kevin groaned but cut himself off. “You know I hate hotels, let me stay at yours?”
Kevin had never had a problem with hotels unless he was in Denver. Usually, he ended up staying at his and Andrew’s in the upstairs guest room and flew back to Dallas (or wherever the next game was) the following morning.
Andrew drummed his fingertips on the tabletop. “Guest room isn’t set up.”
“Liar,” Neil scoffed. “You always have it set up.”
Neil received a pinch on his thigh for that. He smirked at Andrew before looking back at Kevin. Kevin looked smug and grinned at Neil’s admission. They all knew that Kevin would end up in their guest room. Andrew grabbed a handful of peanuts and systematically cracked them and began throwing the shell pieces at Kevin.
Carlos stood on wobbly legs with a car service app pulled up on his phone. Erin and Evelyn joined him on the way out, waving goodbyes over their shoulders. Looking around the bar, most of the players had departed. Those that still remained were much like their little group, sitting around a table and talking quietly.
Neil moved slowly, giving Andrew time to shift away—not that he did anymore—and rested his head on Andrew’s shoulder. “One of us needs to drive him.”
Andrew hummed. “You have the bigger car.”
“I also have the dog.”
“Don’t pull the disability card.”
Neil grinned, turning his face into Andrew’s shoulder he pressed a kiss there before pulling back and offering his fist. “I’ll rock, paper, scissors you for it?”
Andrew blinked, eyes flicking to Kevin and back. “Fine.”
Over the table, they chanted out the name and flashed their signs. Neither was predictable. Neil never knew what he was going to throw until the last second. He’d gone paper this time, Andrew’s scissors beating him. As always, it was best two out of three, and they reset. Andrew placed one peanut in front of him. Going again, Neil threw paper again, covering Andrew’s rock. Neil received a peanut in front of himself this time. Grinning, they chanted down for the final game, eyes locked onto each other. They held eye contact for a moment longer before looking down at their fates. Andrew’s scissors were crushed by Neil’s rock. Grinning proudly, Neil placed a second peanut beside his first.
“I don’t like you.” Andrew blinked.
Neil stood, hand finding Duke’s handle. “I know, you love me.”
Andrew grunted, leaning forward and pressing his lips to Neil’s cheek quickly. He slid from his own seat, moving around the table and tugging Kevin to his feet. They left the bar together, waving to both security guards as they went. Duke jumped into the backseat quickly and Neil shut the door behind her. He waved and got into his car as Andrew attempted to get Kevin to crouch down to actually get into his car so they could leave. Neil wished good luck to Andrew as he pulled out of the parking lot.
It was late, closer to 1 am than midnight now. They’d been at the bar longer than Neil had meant to stay, but it had been nice. The street is busy, sidewalks clustered with people moving between the bars and crossing the street haphazardly. He moves slowly, turning off onto a side street to avoid the rest of the crowded mess. The playlist Andrew created plays through his speakers softly, volume low. The night air is just a touch cooler than what he’d consider warm, but Neil has the windows down and lets it blow through the car. Duke sits up and rests her head on the window, wind ruffling through her ears and fur. Driving home doesn’t take long, there are few if any cars on the roads and their neighborhood is quiet. Pulling into the garage, Neil parks and lets Duke out once more. Together they head to the door and Neil presses the square button, the garage door rolling back down and shutting.
Inside, both King and Sir are waiting at the door. Neil moves slowly, nudging them out of the way and shutting the door quickly. The last time Sir got into the garage she knocked a stack of planting pots off the shelf. It wasn’t much to clean up, but both he and Andrew had been worried that Sir had gotten cut by a shard somehow. Unhooking Duke from her harness, Neil hangs it by the door and watches as she shakes herself happily and darts into the kitchen. She laps up water happily, dripping all over the blue mat under her bowl. Neil stretches his arms above his head, popping his spine and shoulders. His eyes are heavy, already knowing he’ll have bags in the morning, he sings quiet praises that it’s Saturday. He drops his keys into the bowl on the counter, yawning a bit as he moves through the house.
King, disgruntled about not receiving second helpings of dinner, is already back up in the cat tree. He lounges in the hammock piece, tail draped over the side. Neil runs his fingers through the long fur, feeling the rumbles of a gentle purr begin. He scratches beneath King’s chin as the garage door opens. He listens as it closes again, Sir resuming her previous spot in hopes that Andrew will let her explore. Andrew’s keys jingle and he opens the door, foot already nudging Sir back.
Neil turns. “Did you lose Kevin?”
Andrew blinks. “No.”
Neil blinks back. There is no 6’2 drunk man stumbling behind Andrew. “Is he laying in a ditch somewhere?”
“Not this time.”
Andrew nudges off his shoes, opens the coat closet, and drops his sports bag and sneakers inside. Neil gives King a final scratch to the ears before stepping away and moving towards Andrew. The shorter man moves into their kitchen, filling a glass with water from the filter and drinking it down quickly. He drums his fingers on the counter, eyes on Sir as she twists around his ankles. Duke has long since abandoned them to her plush bed in the living room. Her tail thumped on the ground when Andrew walked in but she was too worn out from their busy evening to get up.
Neil leans his hip on the counter, taking the weight off his prosthetic. “Are you going to tell me where Kevin is?”
Andrew sets his glass in the sink. He walks over until he stands in front of Neil. “Yes or no?”
“Yes.”
Andrew’s hands find his hips, thumbs slipping under his jersey and track the slope of his hip bones. “I took Kevin to his hotel,” Andrew speaks, shortening the space between them and setting his lips to the skin just below Neil’s ear. “Told him that we didn’t have the kind of relationship where he got to hear my husband moan.”
The mixture of Andrew’s words and low voice makes Neil weak in the knees. Andrew’s hands on his hips keep him steady.
“Oh, really?” Neil hums.
Andrew’s mouth slides lower on his neck. “Do you have objections?”
Neil laughs. “Only that we’re still in the kitchen.”
Andrew sucks gently on the slowly forming bruise on Neil’s neck before pulling away. His hands drop from Neil’s hips and suddenly he’s lifted up into Andrew’s arms. Really that’s all Andrew has to do. Neil’s appreciation for Andrew’s strength was hardly a secret. His hands fall to Andrew’s shoulders, providing balance as Andrew holds him.
His hands move to cup Andrew’s jaw, thumbs barely brushing over the skin of his cheeks. “Take me to bed?”
The skin of Andrew’s face is rough beneath his palms, stubble noticeable. Their morning bathroom routine doesn’t involve shaving everyday, Neil’s got a bit of length on his jaw and cheeks, well kept and maintained. Andrew doesn’t grow facial hair as fast and, really, shaving everyday only to put a helmet on that rubs against the skin is a recipe for disaster. Personally, Neil loves the slight scratching feeling from Andrew’s pale stubble. Andrew walks towards their bedroom, his arms locked around the tops of Neil’s thighs.
Reaching the plush bed, Andrew sets him onto his feet and Neil drapes his arms over the blond’s shoulders. Andrew’s hands slide back up to Neil’s hips. Tilting his head, Neil leans forward slowly, eyes closing and lips being met with Andrew’s own. It’s soft, Andrew hands warm on his hips, lips moving slowly.
Neil is the one to break it, pulling away enough to press a kiss to the tip of Andrew’s nose. “You were amazing tonight.”
Andrew’s eyes roll. “Shut up.”
“You like hearing me talk about you,” Neil teases gently, hands moving from his shoulders to biceps.
Gently, Andrew’s fingertips press against Neil’s sternum. He gives into the gentle shove and drops back onto their bed. Seated, he sets his hands behind himself and looks up at Andrew. Ducking forward, his lips are claimed again and Andrew’s fingers slip into the waistband of his joggers. Neil lifts his hips, straining upwards to keep connected to Andrew’s kiss. Regrettably, it breaks, but Andrew’s fingers are tugging his joggers down his thighs. Neil’s eyes track his husband as he kneels before his legs. Andrew pulls the fabric down Neil’s thighs and tosses them somewhere off towards their closet. Warm fingers smooth under his left thigh and gently lift as Andrew pulls the prosthetic leg off. While the joggers were thrown carelessly, Neil’s leg is gently set to the side. Neil’s stump sock goes up to his mid-thigh, a scant few inches of skin visible between the hem of his briefs and the top of the sock.
Smooth lips meet the skin and Neil lets the shiver roll over him. Up his spine and down to his fingertips. Andrew looks up, his eyes look dark in the shadowed light of their room. The flecks of green and gold hide from view until the sunlight reaches them again.
Andrew’s fingers slip back beneath his waistband and Neil eagerly raises his hips to help shimmy the fabric down. Neil’s eagerness is met with a flat look that he returns with a smile. For all Andrew wants to keep his blank mask on, Neil’s been able to see through it for years . They hold eye contact for a second longer before Andrew ducks down. Neil drops onto his back, moan being pulled from his throat by Andrew’s skilled mouth.
With strong hands and a talented mouth belonging to the man he loves, taking him apart is hardly a bad way to go. Eyes fluttering shut, Neil lets himself spiral into the feelings of warmth and safety beneath Andrew.