is2mara
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Neil closes his eyes, brows furrowed at the strain on his senses. He was hoping that cutting off his sight would help, but instead the familiar crawl of anxiety doubles, itching across his skin like the shine of a spotlight. He reopens his eyes with a scowl.
"Not having fun, Neil?" Nicky looks genuinely sympathetic, a drunken lilt to his voice as they wait for Andrew to return with the drinks. Neil stares back at him flatly, his presence at the table should be answer enough.
On a normal Friday night, Neil relishes in the small moments he can steal from Andrew within the club. Usually that means following him like a shadow to the bar, where Andrew will herd him into place, Neil happily wedged between the bar top and Andrew’s chest.
Today, Andrew had only needed to raise an eyebrow in question before Neil shook his head in a somewhat petulant manner. Deprived of Andrew’s warmth at his back and the heat of his lips dragging against his neck, Neil’s presence is a touch too violent for the others to be comfortable at their table, and he watches them fidget without the crutch of alcohol to distract them.
Bookmarked by is2mara
02 Oct 2026
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Neil Josten's orange 1986 Chevrolet Opala is a fucking nightmare. It's old, neglected, and apparently determined to break down at the worst possible moments. Andrew would know. He's the mechanic fixing the damn thing.
Between unexpected visits to the garage, roadside rescues, terrible coffee habits and an increasingly inconvenient attraction to the car's insufferably pretty owner, Andrew is beggining to think the Opala might not be the only thing giving him trouble.
Fixing the car is the easy part.
Bookmarked by is2mara
29 Sep 2026
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Neil was noncommittal. He glanced back down at the personals section Matt had asked him about.
“Any interesting ones?” Kevin asked, for lack of anything else.
Neil hummed, then suddenly sat up. “Oh, this one I guess. By some guy named Aaron. ‘Do you remember me? I was wearing a green cardigan and blond, you a yellow sundress and ginger. We reached for the same carton of eggs at the grocery store. I feel like we had a moment as we locked eyes, but I was too nervous to talk to you.’ Then he gives out his phone number. What a loser.”
Kevin snorted. “Loser,” he agreed. Then: “We should call him.”
When Neil sees a lame column on the personals section from some guy named Aaron, he and Kevin call the number in an offhand attempt to cure their chronic boredom.
The last thing they expect is to see the guy again in a garage sale, but the more Neil finds out about this Aaron—or is it Andrew—the more curious he gets. The farther he gets into the tangle of Andrew's life, the less he finds himself willing to leave. He just doesn't know how far he's willing to continue the lie he started with.
Bookmarked by is2mara
27 Sep 2026
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On the bus ride back to Palmetto after an exy match, Neil struggles to sleep. Who could blame him? Winning always brings Neil a surge of lingering adrenaline and restless energy. Fortunately for Neil, Andrew knows just the remedy for his excess energy.
As they sit in the darkness, Neil's eyes adjust to Andrew's form; he can make out the man's blonde hair, the shape of his jawline, his shoulders, the exposed skin on Andrew's strong upper arms that slowly turn into a black void covered by his armbands. Neil licks his lips again, watching as Andrew's eyes track the movement.
Andrew is the first to move, resting a heavy hand on Neil's cheek. The man's thumb draws near the corner of Neil's mouth but doesn't dare to venture further, not without Neil's explicit permission to do so.
"Yes or no, Neil?"
Neil's eyes dart from Andrew's face to the front of the bus; he glances from seat to seat. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary. Neil offers back a soft, "Yes."
Or: On the bus ride back to Palmetto, Neil can't sleep, so Andrew takes it upon himself to tire Neil out.
Bookmarked by is2mara
27 Sep 2026
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The thing about Andrew is that he's terrible at taking care of himself. But he is not terrible at conveying his needs — not once you speak his language. Luckily for them, Neil picks up languages easily, and he's a dedicated student.
The next morning, Neil emerges from the shower, dressed and mostly-dry, to find Andrew staring daggers at the coffee maker, waiting for it to be done. "Columbia this weekend," he mutters when Neil walks up behind him and puts his forehead against the back of Andrew's head. Neil grunts and Andrew leans back against him and sighs, so Neil wraps his arms around Andrew's waist and back-hugs him.
Neil breathes Andrew in and rubs the hem of his shirt between two fingers in thought. "Ready for a break?" he asks carefully, aware they're not the only ones in the room. Andrew gives a single, curt nod, and Neil understands.
Bookmarked by is2mara
27 Sep 2026