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November fourth was not a day of celebration. At least not in Andrew’s opinion. Not for him anyway.
He understood the need to celebrate his twin. Aaron deserved it, needed it. He was deprived of such silly things during his childhood while Andrew had been cursed with them during his last foster home.
Andrew failed at not thinking about that. He wished he never experienced a birthday rather than the ones at the Spear household. In the light it was beautiful and shining.
But then the night came. It always did.
When he was reunited with Aaron, he made it a point to celebrate his twin. Their relationship was rocky at the beginning. Desperate and codependent but rocky.
Despite that Aaron never went without a birthday. Their parties were small. Private. Neither twin wanted a huge celebration. Neither wanted the other foxes to look at them with judgemental eyes while they were having a moment just for each other.
But then the event happened and things changed.
The year after they insisted on throwing the brothers an actual party. And then it continued.
The girls had flown down to celebrate again. Despite the fact they had graduated and Allison was a pro athlete. They had come down to celebrate.
Andrew was uncomfortable. It didn’t matter though because Aaron wanted this. He wanted acceptance though the younger twin would never admit it.
So he suffered through this ridiculous party.
At least they were at their house in Columbia. The house was warm and more private than the dorms at Palmetto. Plus the freshman and sophomores weren’t invited.
Andrew didn’t have to worry about his scars being on display, his top surgery scars slightly shown when his shirt moved a certain way not his arms.
“Where did you get that shirt Minyard?”matt’s voice rang through the party. “That’s fucking awesome.”
Aaron laughed “Andrew, he gave it to me this morning.”
The mentioned shirt was blue and said “boys with tits”. Andrew bought it from a small business he saw online a few weeks prior.
He thought his brother would like it. Aaron didn’t plan to get the top surgery like he did, and had mentioned one drunken night that he liked “having tits”. Andrew had never wished more that he didn’t have an eidetic memory but he got the shirt as a joke.
His brother seemed to love it.
“Fuck yeah! Andrew, did you find one for you?” Matt asked, handing him a cup of some god awful smelling alcohol concoction. Andrew downed it. “Obviously not the same one.”
Matt had been the one to set up his surgery and was careful with talking about it. His dad had known a guy that gave him a discount. Not that Andrew needed it exactly, Neil had been willingly to pay.
The offer still made Andrew blush. A little. He wasn’t going to tell his rabbit that though. He would get all goofy.
“No.” He answered but added “might get a patch for my bag.”
That seemed to satisfy the taller man. Matt beamed at him and ran off to get more alcohol for the “birthday boys” and Andrew watched with slight concern.
“Is he drunk already?” Andrew asked his twin. Aaron laughed and shrugged.
“Who knows, that’s Dan’s problem. She’s the one who’s gonna marry him. Come on I have a present for you.”
Andrew didn’t know how to respond to that other than a nod and he followed his brother to the couch.
He had given Aaron his gifts earlier that morning. The t-shirt he was proudly wearing along with a jacket and some fancy notebooks for his medical notes. He also had an engraved stethoscope coming in.
The other Minyard was not supposed to be giving him anything. Andrew had told him he didn’t want anything. Yet as he did the few years they spent together already, Aaron ignored his request and bought something.
“Here. Open it.” His brother demanded with a shy look on his face as he handed him a black gift bag. Even the tissue paper was black.
Andrew held back a snort and took the gift carefully. Gifts were important to Andrew. More than most people realized. He took a lot of time and effort picking them out for people, and when they did the same for him
It meant a lot.
The bag was heavy. Odd. He removed the paper and found a card on top. He set it aside to read afterwards and kept looking.
There was a box of his favorite candy. A smile tug at the corners of his mouth. It was bigger than one person should own, Kevin was going to have a melt down.
Underneath it was something else. It was a a dark purple color. Puzzled, Andrew reached and touched the soft fabric.
“What is this?” Andrew asked as he took the soft thing out. It was heavy. His brother didn’t answer, allowing the goalie to discover on his own.
It was a cat. It appeared to be a stuffed animal but bigger and weighed more than the average one. And of course it was purpose. It also had a strange marking on its head.
The thing was cute. He held it carefully and looked at its closed eyes and took it to his chest. The weight settled and he felt calmer than he had in hours.
“It’s a weighted plushie. It’s to help with night anxiety.” Aaron spoke softly. “I thought it would help.”
He didn’t say with the nightmares but it was implied. Andrew tensed a little at their mention, he didn’t want them acknowledged at all actually. Especially considering the subject matter.
The anniversary was coming up. That in itself was bad. The anniversary of trial only added to it. And the fact Andrew agreed to meet with Nicky’s sperm and egg donor at their twentieth birthday. Two years ago.
Aaron knew all that and tried to find something to ease his struggles. It was unsettling. Being perceived. Especially by his twin.
“You’re not sleeping.” Aaron noted, pointing at Andrew’s eyes. “And don’t give me some nonsense about it being makeup making your eyes that dark.”
“I am wearing eyeliner and eyeshadow.” Andrew replied dryly. Though he didn’t deny the fact he had dark circles prior to the makeup. “My sleep isn’t your business.”
He wasn’t the one people worried about. It was his job to take care of the others. Aaron was his responsibility not the other way around. He took care of him. He had to.
Aaron looked at him sadly. Andrew’s chest hurt at the expression. He didn’t know why his brother was upset but he was. And it was somehow Andrew’s fault.
He hugged the cat thing tighter. Pushing the weight further in his chest like it would replace the pain he brought upon himself.
“Andrew, it’s my problem if you can’t sleep because of bad dreams.” Aaron spoke softly. “I thought we got past this shit. We take care of each other, not you doing things for me behind the front of not caring.”
He always cared. He never hid that he cared. Aaron just never saw it before two years ago.
Andrew nodded because he didn’t know what to say and he gently stroked the cat’s ears.
“I’m glad you like it.” Aaron’s voice louder, happier than before. “I thought you could use something to cuddle.”
“You mean other than me?” A familiar voice surrounded them. Andrew didn’t need to turn to know his junkie was beside him. “Trying to get him to replace me with a stuffed animal, Aaron? That’s beneath you.”
“You told Katelyn’s to replace me with a mannequin.” Aaron flipped Neil off with a scowl. “And no, ass hat. Wasn’t thinking about you at all with this one.”
Aaron pointed back at the bag and indicated that Andrew should dip his hand back in there.
He didn’t and felt a movie. He pulled out a vampire movie that came out the year before. He meant to go see it but with everything going on he just didn’t have the time.
“Sinners.” Andrew said with a smile, admiring the picture of Stack on the front.
“Now that I gave with the idea that Andrew will replace you with a hot vampire.” Aaron laughed right before Neil tackled him.
~~~
The night went on with a blast. Andrew didn’t let go of his plushie once. The purple thing practically glued to him as he and his twin were paraded around.
Nicky had baked them each a cake yet an again and this time they had those burn away paper on them. Andrew had fun burning his away but Aaron looked a little nervous about it.
They were delicious of course, their cousin was a master at the baked goods. And Erik watched them with soft eyes and a strong hand on their cousin’s shoulder.
Andrew and Aaron gave each other knowing looks. They knew Erik was surprising Nicky with a big proposal soon. While the two were engaged. The much taller man had asked the twins blessing the first night of his visits.
That to Andrew was a good birthday gift. His cousin, practically a father figure though, deserved to be taken care of and cherished. Thankfully Erik was going to do that.
Aaron agreed whole heartedly.
Music was blasting at a level that was just enough that Andrew wasn’t overstimulated and could drift with the music.
He had his preferred drink in his hand and he vaguely wanted a cigarette despite quitting a year ago.
A lollipop was placed in his hand before he had time to process it and he looked up at Neil who was grinning.
“Looked like you needed one.” Neil had one in his mouth too, talking around it. Disgusting. No manners. Andrew wanted to taste it.
He unwrapped the lollipop and began to suck on it. The flavor enough to chill out the edge of needing nicotine and the hand not holding his cup, the one wrapped around his plush, was offered to Neil.
Like a puppy, Neil happily sat next to him and took his hand. Neil’s elbow rested on his plushie and Andrew decided only the striker was allowed to touch Lord Meows A Lot the third.
“He’s soft.” Neil commented with his eyes flitting down to the gift from Aaron. “Who would’ve thought your twin would have good taste?”
Andrew rolled his eyes. His partner and his twin’s relationship was better than it ever was. Doesn’t mean they liked each other or showed each other a lot of respect. Just enough to not get on his shit list.
In return Andrew was well behaved around Katelyn. No more threats or insults. Actually he had been getting on rather well with her. She helped him get his sizing for the jacket he ordered him, since Aaron’s shoulders were slightly different in size than Andrew’s.
“He has his moments.” Andrew took a sip of his drink. He was savoring it since he wasn’t planning on any more alcohol after this. “this is going in bed with us.”
“I figured” Neil replied. “If helps then, I don’t mind. If it makes you happy, then I really don’t mind.”
His chest felt funny for a different reason. His heart really needed to stop acting like this. Too many emotions for one night but at least it came on slower than when he was on those meds.
He sucked harder on the lollipop and the butterscotch melted on his tongue. Neil’s blue eyes focused on his mouth.
“You’re staring.” Andrew observed. “Quit it, we can’t sneak off right now.”
“Fine,” Neil sighed though he didn’t sound too disappointed. “Later? Yes or no?”
Andrew looked at neil’s soft lips. Then up at the scars on his cheeks and then those beautiful eyes he adored. “Yes, it’s always a yes with you.”
Neil gasped and squeezed his hand “until it’s a no.”
“Until it’s a no.”
~~~
The house slowly quieted as the day came to an end.
As far as birthdays go, Andrew admitted it was one of if not the best one. His family was there, the real one, and that to him was better than anything else.
By the end of the night it was only the twins and their partners up. A movie, not sinners, playing on the tv as Andrew laid his head in Neil’s lap.
Katelyn was lying with her head in Aaron’s on the opposite couch. Her arms wrapped around a pillow as Aaron petted her hair.
Andrew caught her eye and she smiled at him. He nodded in response and mouthed thank you. It was more than he would’ve been able to tell her a few years ago, but it was still difficult.
Her face softened in wonder. She mouthed a Your welcome. The words didn’t bother him so much. She didn’t bother him.
She and Aaron looked natural together. Her soft pink dress matching the pink pants he had on. Andrew felt only slightly guilty for disliking her for so long. He was glad to be wrong…. For once. It didn’t happen often.
“Happy birthday, Drew.” Neil whispered as he stroked his hair.
Katelyn murmured something similar to Aaron.
Peace surrounded them in their living room. The night was calm and Andrew could hear an owl outside softly hooting at them.
Birthdays weren't so bad if they were like this, Andrew decided, as he curled further into Neil's lap and rested.