Chapter Text
“Well, how does he know you love him?”
Neil scoffed. Love was such a trivial word. Meant for greeting cards and hallmark movies. A platitude to round out an apology, or to spice up a declarative speech. It was nothing. His and Andrew's relationship was beyond such trivial and mundane classifications such as love or no love, but on some level, Neil knew it was also not inaccurate. He wouldn't admit that though, how embarrassing.
“It’s Andrew , Matt. He just- he just knows .”
“Well, are you sure though Neil? I know you guys have a freaky mind-meld but like-” Matt paused, contemplative. Neil squirmed in his seat. “Here look at it like this: Andrew tells you things all the time, if not with less touchy-feely words. Like, dude, within a little while of knowing you he gave you a key to his actual literal house and was dressing you up like a particularly feisty Barbie doll.”
Matt stared at Neil, with a certain fierceness he didn’t usually turn on him. Calculating.
“You do love him right?”
Neil scoffed again, the tips of his ears going ever so slightly crimson.
“Duh. It’s Andrew .”
Matt nodded.
“Okay, and he does stuff for you all the time so you know he cares about you right? Even if, like this conversation started, he doesn't say those four little letters.”
Neil nodded, thinking about how good Andrew was at showing Neil his care, even when he tacked an ‘I hate you’ to the end of it. God, Neil felt like the biggest idiot.
“Well fuck you Matt, how do I fix it? I don’t want to be just another person taking from him. He- he deserves better than that.”
Matt continued nodding.
“Bingo. You gotta give your man some love Neil! How does he know? He doesn’t. Not yet, but don’t worry, love extraordinaire Matt Boyd is in the house and we can brainstorm, right? Nothing you and I can't tackle together buddy.”
Matt reached out and patted Neil's shoulder. Neil shrugged, jostling Matt’s hand but also leaning into the comfort.
“Let's finish this takeout and then we can make a plan, okay? You got this Neil.”
“Fine.”
- Notes & Flowers
Neil was about to leave for his morning run as was customary on a Tuesday morning like this. His running shoes were laced up, tight enough to stay secure for the miles he would be traversing. His shorts were ready for running, and his light long sleeve was loose enough to leave him enough room to breathe. His water bottle was filled with water and just a little bit of ice to keep him hydrated until he got back. And his phone was securely placed in his pocket, charged and everything.
He grabbed his keys and headed towards the door.
At the last second, he remembered his and Matt's plan. Step one: leave Andrew little notes, physical reminders that Neil was thinking about him as he went about his day.
Neil scrambled for the sticky notes they usually wrote grocery lists on and scribbled a note out. He took the sticky note and stuck it to the fridge door. Hopefully, Andrew would notice it when he got up for coffee.
With a smile, Neil went out on his run, the adrenaline of a good workout already starting to thrum through his blood. He’d have to see what Andrew said when he got back.
Drew,
Running.
But like, not like that, just uh
Be back later.
-Your Neil :P
<3 <3 <3
“Junkie.”
Andrew paused his coffee-making, lightly dusting the counter with the sugar that should be pouring into his cup. “What the fuck are those?”
Neil looked down at the small bundle in his arms before looking back up at Andrew. He shrugged, stepping all the way into the entrance and kicking the door closed behind him. He dropped his keys in the bowl on the counter near his hand and set about dropping the contents of his hands onto their small dining table.
“Neil.”
Neil shoved his shoes off, kicking them in the general direction of their entrance. He’d put them away later.
“What are those?” Andrew asked again, more hardness in his tone.
“Well seeing as you have eyes, I figured you would know they are flowers.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean why? Because I brought them home, that's why.” Neil grumbled.
Andrew remained staring at him, emotionless, silent.
Eventually, Neil huffed, “They are for you.”
Neil stuck his hand out, the slightly mangled pile held out in front of Andrew. He’d picked them on his run, lightly desecrating the neat lines of them planted outside fox tower, but it’s not like anyone would give a shit.
Andrew remained reactionless but slowly reached his hand out to take them from Neil.
“Do we even own a vase?” Andrew questioned after a second.
Neil thought hard for a second.
“Won’t like, a big cup work?”
Andrew shook his head and mumbled something that sounded like only you under his breath but turned towards where they stored their glasses regardless.
Neil watched as Andrew retrieved what was in fact, a big cup, from the cupboard before cutting the lower stems off of the flowers with neat precision. Once all the flowers had been lightly chopped, Andrew filled the big cup halfway with water and placed the flowers in them artlessly. Finished, he set the new collection in the middle of their counter.
Neil smiled.
Mission accomplished.
He was nailing this and Andrew was none the wiser.
Andrew huffed.
“And I got your ransom note.” Neil grinned. “What happened to text messages?”
Neil shrugged. He looked down at his hands.
“Just wanted to- switch things up?” Neil paused. “A sticky note can’t run out of battery.”
“Hm.”
“Did you not like it?” Neil looked back up, wanting to catch Andrew's expression. His normal facade of general blankness was softened, just the smallest hint of fondness creeping in on the edges. He didn't say anything, but turned, fiddling with the edge of a petal from his flowers, his half-made coffee still abandoned next to him.
“I hated it.”
Neil breathed out. A soft smile took over his face. He stepped closer to Andrew whispering out a quiet yes or no before he leaned all the way in, tucking his chin onto Andrew's shoulder. He kept that the only true point of contact but reveled in the body heat radiating between the scant space between them.
“I'll keep doing it.”
Andrew breathed out, their bodies rocking together with the motion.
They settled in the quiet contentment for a few seconds more before Andrew shooed Neil off to shower, and to finish his coffee. And if Neil didn't notice that his note was missing from the fridge? He definitely didn't notice that it now resided in Andrew's left armband, soaking in body heat, molding to his oh-so-very human form, and carefully stowed against a dull blade to keep the edge from tearing it.