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The Foxes are losing. 4-7 at halftime is an embarrassing result for the defending champions. Neil wants to rip his hair out. When they were all in the lounge ready, they got an earful from Wymack, a kinder earful from Dan that Neil barely keeps from interrupting. His sheer respect for her is the only thing preventing him from barreling through her motivational speech.
Not everyone wants to hear what Neil has to say, especially not the freshmen but as Neil is vice-captain and had his ribs broken fairly recently but made it on the court in record time, they’re gonna fucking have to.
“I don’t need to hear another fucking speech,” Aaron spits and tries to stand up from the couch. He’s pushed down by Andrew without a word.
“I don't give a fuck!” Neil yells. “You all need to hear it because you’re apparently braindead.”
“Okay, Neil, just chill out a little,” Dan says kindly.
Neil tries, taking a very deep breath. “Lads,” he says on an exhale. “I am not fucking havin’ this. Fucking embarrassing is what is.”
The room falls into uncanny silence. Curious looks are exchanged between the Foxes. Neil frowns, wiping his hand under his nose, thinking he’s bleeding after that last punch but his hand comes back clean.
“What?” Neil finally asks.
The Foxes mostly just blink at him until Matt dares to speak up. “Are you putting on an accent, Neil?”
Neil’s frown deepens. “No, I’m not putting on a fucking accent,” he says as anxiety catches up to him. “Whatever, fuck this. See if I care.”
He walks off into the locker room, quietly voicing out different words to make sure he sounds like his normal self. He slips into his mother’s accent here and there, usually when he’s tired or loses his guard. Apparently now it comes out with anger as well. The Foxes haven’t noticed yet, Neil thinks. Andrew probably has as he sees the most interesting variety of Neil’s moods and emotions but he hasn’t mentioned it. Whatever, Neil thinks to himself, after having more than 20 personas all with a different accent he couldn't give less of a fuck what the Foxes think.
—--------------
Neil walks into the dorm hoping for a little bit of peace and quiet. He knows Andrew is finished with classes for the day and Kevin should have an afternoon class. Roman history or what not. But when Neil opens the door, he finds not only Andrew in the living room but also Aaron, Nicky and Kevin, and way too many bottles of alcohol. When he steps closer, it looks like Kevin may or may not be crying. Or at least trying not to.
“Right, what’s all this then?” Neil asks as he takes off his shoes and drops his backpack by the shoe rack. “Why are you lot infesting the room?”
Andrew blinks at Neil but the other lads don’t seem rattled by his presence.
“Kevin needed some friends to get drunk with,” Nicky explains and rubs Kevin’s back. Shockingly, Kevin lets him. “I’m not quite sure what happened but it seems like his heart is broken.”
Kevin takes a deep breath but he doesn’t say anything. He downs a glass of vodka and pours himself another glass.
“Okay,” Neil says skeptically and comes closer. He sits on the coffee table and tries to catch Kevin’s attention. “What happened, Kev?”
“Nothing,” Kevin grumbles. “I’m a grown man, I can drink whenever I want.”
“Sure,” Neil nods shortly. Nicky shrugs at Neil when he finds his gaze and both he and Aaron have a shot of rum.
Neil doesn’t drink anything just yet, he has a mystery to unravel. Andrew is sitting on the desk by the window, like he used to when he smoked but now the window is shut and Andrew’s attention is on his phone, between glances at the room. Probably making sure Kevin hasn’t given himself alcohol poisoning yet.
“Hey,” Neil says quietly when he comes to Andrew. “You know what’s going on?”
Andrew tilts his head a little, a maybe. He beckons Neil closer and shows him the screen of his phone. It’s his text thread with Renee. She sent Andrew a photo of Jean and Jeremy from a game. It was the Trojan game from Friday that Neil and Kevin watched together after their own home game. The photo isn't anything crazy, just them standing together by the home bench, Jean’s arm around Jeremy’s shoulders while Jeremy is holding Jean’s waist. As usual the sunshine captain is grinning up a storm but even Jean has a small smile on his lips. Neil is suspicious and Renee’s other texts confirm why Kevin is currently drowning himself in alcohol on their couch but Neil still doesn’t understand why this warrants such a reaction.
“You’re taking the piss,” Neil scoffs. Andrew glares at him. “What?” Neil asks.
“Stop being British or I’ll stab you,” Andrew says, his attention back on his phone.
“I’m not fucking British, I’m from Baltimore,” Neil says, confused. Andrew’s tiny sigh is all Neil is gonna get from him so he decides to try and make Kevin see reason.
“Kevin,” Neil says when he pushes Nicky away and stands in front of him, pulling the glass with vodka out of his hand. “You need some water.”
“Oh no, Neil is being English again,” Nicky laughs. He hiccups and pours himself more rum this time with coke.
“What now?” Neil sighs as he straightens up. “I didn't say anything.”
“Water,” Nicky repeats with a very, very exaggerated English accent. “May I have a little water, please, good sir. It’s sooo cute.”
“You’re not funny,” Neil says before he goes to the kitchen. He puts Kevin’s glass in the sink and grabs a big red one that was definitely stolen from a restaurant and fills it with tap water.
“Here,” Neil says when he holds the glass in front of Kevin. When he doesn’t pick it up, Neil grabs Kevin’s hand and wraps Kevin’s fingers around the glass himself. As he lets go, Kevin in his inebriated state spills a good bit of the water on himself.
“Right, thanks a million Neil,” Kevin mumbles. “Why don’t you just dump it on my head, idiot.”
“I think a bucket would be better for that,” Neil snaps back. “You said you’re a grown man so pick yourself up. Don’t you have a girlfriend anyway?”
Kevin’s look of shock is very funny. He pales and doesn’t say anything which means Renee was right. Aaron and Nicky exchange a confused look but Neil doesn’t wait for the three blind mice to make up their minds about having brains.
“Andrew,” Neil says his way and turns to leave the dorm room. By the sounds behind him, he knows he’s following. Andrew meets him in the hallway and firmly shuts the door behind himself.
“Roof?” Neil asks.
“Yeah,” Andrew says. His fingers brush Neil’s as they walk up the stairs but only when they’re up on the roof, only the sky above them does he grab Neil’s hand in his and he doesn’t let it go anytime soon.
—----------------
Matt convinced Neil to spend a good chunk of their Thursday evening playing video games. Ever since Neil joined the Foxes, Matt has been trying to get Neil to like them to no avail. But as Neil is working very hard to be a good friend, and Matt is a great friend, there he finds himself in front of Matt and Aaron’s room with a McDonald’s bag in hand.
Matt appears in the door a few seconds after Neil knocks, a massive smile painting his lips. “There’s my best friend,” Matt says as he steps to the side to let Neil in. “I’ve got some sodas in the fridge, pick whatever you like. I hope you have some Doritos or whatever.”
“No, sorry, you didn't say to bring any,” Neil says. He lifts up the paper bag in hand. “I have chips though.”
Matt frowns. “Yeah, chips. When you called you said you were getting some chips and asked me if I wanted any. I said, yeah, whatever you want, and I assumed it would be Doritos or Cheetos or something. Not fries.”
“Well, yeah,” Neil lowers his arm. “Chips. As in… chips. French fries, I guess. Not Doritos or whatever.”
“Oh my god, you’re being British again,” Matt groans. “I can’t wait to tell Nicky.”
“I’m not British, I only have an American passport, c’mon,” Neil groans.
“It’s okay, Neil,” Matt grins and pulls him into a side hug. “You’re so poorly socialised, our orange feral stray cat vice-captain. We wouldn’t change a thing.”
Neil hums and lets himself be led into the living room. Matt runs off to the kitchen to get some sodas while Neil unpacks the chips he got at McDonalds on the coffee table.
“Thanks for doing this,” Matt says once he’s back. “I know you’re not a huge fan of the games but I like playing with you the most.”
“Of course,” Neil smiles a little. “We’re mates, I’m happy to hang out.”
Matt laughs. “Mates,” he repeats. “I love you Paddington bear.”
“What?”
“Don’t worry about it, now, do you wanna be yellow or blue?”
—-----------------
Instead of going to Eden’s that Friday, they decide to stay at the dorm and decompress with take out and alcohol. It was a tough game and no one was up for driving after getting battered on the court. Almost everyone was pretty bruised up but at least they won. Neil sat at the kitchen table, eating his food with a bottle of beer, very entertained by the sight of Nicky teaching Kevin about dating apps on the couch. Andrew is sitting next to Kevin, pretending like he’s not intrigued but he pipes up with an insult or a comment too often not to be. Aaron is at one of the desks, alternating between texting Katelyn, eating churros and drinking a gin and tonic that’s mostly gin. He’s willfully ignoring his family and Kevin, and of course Neil but that’s just his usual state of being.
“Nicky, I don’t want to date anyone,” Kevin sighs, exasperated. “I broke up with Thea just a week ago.”
“I’m not telling you to date anyone,” Nicky argues. “I’m telling you to fuck someone, alright? Have fun, you’re young and gorgeous. Okay, what about her?”
“Kevin looks at his phone and frowns. “I don't know.”
Nicky sighs dramatically. “Are you even into women? Because I don’t believe you at this point.”
“What the fuck, of course I’m into women! She’s a ride, I’d sleep with her. I just broke up with someone though,” Kevin shouts. Neil almost grins because Kevin’s drunk and if Neil was a bigger bitch than he is, he’d ask him if he’s about to dance a jig. All the slander Neil gets about allegedly being British when they have a whole ass leprechaun who won’t lead you to a pot of gold but a pot of vodka.
“Alright, Derry girl, calm down,” Nicky says but he’s grinning.
“I’m not from Derry, I’m from Dublin,” Kevin says indignantly and takes another shot of vodka.
“Better Irish than being a fucking English colonizer,” Aaron adds from the desk.
“I’m not English!” Neil calls out. “And all Americans descend from colonizers so maybe I’d prefer being English even, which I’m not. My grandparents on my father’s side were born in Poland, why don’t you ever call me Polish?”
“You can’t even spell pierogi, Neil,” Kevin says. Nicky shows him another person on the phone and he just shakes his head.
“What are you eating?” Andrew asks.
Neil frowns and looks down at his bowl. “I think aubergine and quinoa salad, why?”
“What the fuck is an aubergine?” Nicky squawks, Kevin’s love life forgotten.
“Eggplant,” Andrew answers for Neil. There is a smirk on his lips.
“Oh wow,” Nicky raises his brows. “The next time he yells at us even when Dan tells him to be nice I’m getting him deported. Full on Boston tea party.”
“Do you even know what happened there?” Kevin frowns at Nicky.
“Shut up,” Nicky nudges him. “Okay, Aaron, you’re the only straight man in the room, come help me find Kevin a woman.”
“No,” Aaron says. “He’s not fifteen.”
Nicky sighs deeply but he gives up on his cousin. “Neil, I know you’re taken but are you into women too?”
“I don’t swing, Nicky,” Neil repeats himself for the millionth time.
Nicky lets out a long suffering sigh and looks at Kevin. “Okay, Kev, we’re getting you on Grindr.”
“What the fuck is Grindr?”
“Like Tinder but gay,” Nicky explains. “Mostly for hookups, not dating.”
“No, absolutely not,” Kevin protests. “I’m not doing that.”
“Fine,” Nicky shrugs nonchalantly. “As we’re out of options, then I guess the only other thing left that I can do for you is to call Jeremy and ask him if they’re looking for a third.”
“I’m gonna fucking kill you,” Kevin says and the couch erupts in what Neil can only describe as a cat fight. Or perhaps school boy fighting. Kindergarten fighting rather. Neil watches it with amusement while Aaron only gives the three men a glance and then leaves the room.
Neil chuckles, shakes his head and goes back to his aubergine and quinoa salad. To be completely honest with himself, Neil doesn’t care if he’s English or American or Polish or from Mars. As long as he’s Neil Abram Josten and doesn’t have a fake passport, that’s all he needs.