2/21/24 WIP Wednesday Round-Up

Everything requested for 2/21/24's WIP Wednesday!

Math Nerd AU - 13 Requests

Smalls AU - 1

Pretty Boy - 6 Requests

Surely - 4 Requests

Total Requests: 24 Requests

WIP Wednesday 2/21/24 (CLOSED) | Pretty Boy

Andrew rubs his thumb along the back of Neil's hand, along a burn scar. Neil's hand tightens around Andrew's and Andrew adjusts their hands so that his fingers can trace

He stops thinking about why Neil would be bothered that Andrew thinks he is pretty and starts thinking about why would be bothered about being pretty. The answer comes pretty quickly when his thumb traces along Neil's scarred hand.

Being desirable is something that Neil had never been allowed to be.

Mary had done her best to stamp it out but even with brown hair, brown eyes, half-starved, and feral...Neil had been cute.

WIP Wednesday 2/21/24 (CLOSED) | Pretty Boy

Andrew spends the car ride back thinking about Neil's reaction to Andrew admitting that he's pretty. He thinks on it and when he hits a red light he looks at Neil again to find his reflection this time but Neil had his eyes shut and seemed to be dozing if not for the rest of his body language.

Andrew reaches over and taps Neil's thigh with one hand, just enough to alert him before bringing his hand to the center console open and palm up in the usual invitation. The light turns green but before he's through the intersection Neil has laced their hands together.

Neil's hand is cold.

WIP Wednesday 2/21/24 (CLOSED) | Pretty Boy

"Then I guess it doesn't change things between us." Neil says but he still doesn't turn back to Andrew. "I want to go back to the house." he says still turned away.

"Why?" Andrew asks.

"I'm...tired." Neil answers, "I just want to go to bed." he adds.

Andrew stares at him for a long moment and he hates feeling like this.

"Ok." Andrew says and turns the car back on. The lights come on the dashboard and he looks to the side but it's still not enough light to catch Neil's reflection.

WIP Wednesday 2/21/24 (CLOSED) | Pretty Boy

"Does it change things between us?" Andrew asks feeling unsure by Neil's reaction.

Neil is quiet again and Andrew finds that this is the sort of quiet that he hates with every fiber of his being. "Does how I look change things for you?" Neil asks still looking out the window and it is too dark for his face to be reflected so all Andrew can do is answer honestly.

"No, your appearance has changed plenty, it doesn't change things." he says.

He watches Neil's body language and watches as a tension falls away from him that had been building up since Andrew had confirmed that he thought Neil is pretty.

WIP Wednesday 2/21/24 (CLOSED) | Pretty Boy

There's a long silence and it takes everything in Andrew not to turn to look at Neil, to see what sort of expression he's making.

Finally Neil lets out a long exhale, "Ok." he says voice not giving Andrew the information that he needs.

"Does it bother you that I agree with them?" Andrew asks.

Neil is quiet again for a long moment, "No, I guess I knew you might think that way." Neil says and when Andrew looks Neil is turned away from him.

WIP Wednesday 2/21/24 (CLOSED) | Pretty Boy

They sit in silence there parked in their secluded spot. He can almost hear Neil's brain working at a million miles a minute, somehow running faster than he can physically run. Even if he can almost heart it, he's sure that it would be an incomprehensible mess.

Finally the silence breaks, "Do you agree with what they say?" Neil asks finally.

Andrew pauses and thinks about all of the things that he has heard people say about Neil. About his eyes, about his dimples, about his hair, and about his ass. He thinks about what it would cost him to admit that he does agree.

"I do." Andrew says but doesn't look at Neil, it feels too vulnerable.

WIP Wednesday 2/21/24 (CLOSED) | Math Nerd AU

Luther and Maria Hemmick are the kind of people he'd prefer to never meet again in his entire life. They arrive self-righteous and start making demands the moment they're within sight of Andrew and Aaron.

He knows they're a lost cause when Luther points right at Andrew and says, "Aaron, come here to your real family right now. Bring your brother."

His cousin is the one that chimes in, "Dad, that's not Aaron."

Nicky Hemmick is tolerable.

WIP Wednesday 2/21/24 (CLOSED) | Math Nerd AU

Tilda dies two weeks into Aaron and Andrew's freshman year of high school. She was drunk driving but the accident actually wasn't her fault as a semi-truck T-boned her car and killed her instantly.

Andrew doesn't really care, Aaron is devastated.

It was interesting to watch his adopted parents comfort Aaron. It's perfunctory and forced but it comes off as more that they're not sure how to handle it than actual disinterest in Aaron's grief.

Meeting more of his so-called family had not been fun.

WIP Wednesday 2/21/24 (CLOSED) | Math Nerd AU

Aaron doesn't come to his room that night.

Andrew lays awake listening for a tap against his window.

They both see one another at breakfast the next morning with bags under their eyes but neither of them say a word to one another.

This continues for a week before Aaron knocks on his door again.

*** Eventually their foster parents buy bunk beds. Andrew takes the top bunk because he wants a clear view of their window. Aaron takes the bottom bunk with only mild grumbling.

A year goes by like this with Aaron and Andrew in a room together and they head off to high school. Their foster parents adopt Andrew but leave his name as Doe, Aaron refuses the adoption still waiting for Tilda to get her shit together.

WIP Wednesday 2/21/24 (CLOSED) | Math Nerd AU

"Why would I want to live with your abusive junkie mom?" Andrew snaps after the tenth time Aaron brings it up.

"She's our mom!" Aaron argues.

"I don't even know what she looks like." Andrew rolls his eyes, "I have no intention of living with her or being a 'Minyard'." he rolls his eyes knowing that it bothers Aaron that he's a Doe still.

"She's our Family! She loves us!" Aaron insists.

"If she loves you," Andrew looks pointedly at where a large foot shaped bruise was still healing on Aaron's side, "then I think I'll pass." he dismisses.

WIP Wednesday 2/21/24 (CLOSED) | Math Nerd AU

Aaron hardly leaves Andrew side for the next week.

Like Andrew had predicted that 'just tonight' turned into a string of 'just one more time'. Still, after he set the boundary that Aaron was not allowed to just come in the middle of the night without knocking to ask, Andrew had let him in every night. Every night he'd lay awake listening for a tap on the window until Aaron showed up. Sometimes Aaron tries to talk to him at night but Andrew just pretends that he's fallen right back asleep.

It's easier to sleep with the constant noise Aaron makes.

He finds Aaron much harder to deal with during the day. Aaron misses his mother viscerally despite every terrible thing she has done to him. The raw want on his brother's face whenever he talks about how once their mom gets clean she can take custody of both of them disgusts Andrew.

WIP Wednesday 2/21/24 (CLOSED) | Math Nerd AU

The caseworker leaves and his foster parents call him downstairs. They let him know they're having beef stew for dinner and to let Aaron know that. He nods and heads back up the stairs leisurely.

He goes to Aaron's room and finds the bed stripped and a backpack and suitcase still packed on the ground.

He returns to his room to find Aaron already setting the bedding from the spare guest room on the ground there. Andrew doesn't say much about it, "Dinner is ready." is all he says before turning and heading back downstairs.

He hears Aaron scramble after him.

WIP Wednesday 2/21/24 (CLOSED) | Math Nerd AU

Andrew settles at the top of the stairs where he can hear what is being discussed by his foster parents and the case worker. His mother's name is Tilda Minyard. She's an alcoholic and drug user. She's physically violent with Aaron. Aaron may be addicted but they're not sure.

His foster parents ask the main questions that most foster parents ask. For all that they very much don't seem to actually give a shit about Andrew personally, they have made sure he has everything he needs. They've even asked if he wants to do any extra curriculars.

Andrew doesn't need warmth from the parents in his life, but he thinks Aaron might.

WIP Wednesday 2/21/24 (CLOSED) | Math Nerd AU

"I promise I won't say it. Just...let me sleep here, just tonight." Aaron pleads again.

"Just tonight." Andrew says and part of him knows that it will likely not be 'just tonight' but maybe he's okay with it. Maybe the sound of someone else existing in his space will be enough that he doesn't lay awake listening for a tap against a window.

"Thank you." Aaron says, visibly relieved.

"Put your stuff in your room for now." Andrew orders and Aaron nods while Andrew leaves him to it.

WIP Wednesday 2/21/24 (CLOSED) | Math Nerd AU

His foster parents ask him to bring Aaron to Aaron's room but Aaron doesn't want to be in his own room. "Please, I'll sleep on the floor?" Aaron begs and Andrew flinches at the request.

"Don't use that word." Andrew says and it's only in this moment that he realizes that Alex had never once used it around him. Their coming together had been painless, which is probably why their separation hurt like this.

"Which one?" Aaron asks nervously.

"The first word." Andrew answers, refusing to say it himself.

WIP Wednesday 2/21/24 (CLOSED) | Math Nerd AU

Later that night Aaron arrives at his house and is staring at Andrew like he's a funhouse mirror. A part of Andrew marvels that this is definitely Aaron's first foster experience because he doesn't wait for the case worker to finish explaining his story he walks straight to Andrew.

He reaches out to touch Andrew's face as if not sure he's seeing it. Andrew grabs his wrist before Aaron can touch his face and it seems like even that is enough for his brother as Aaron's eyes grow watery. "You're real." he says.

"Unfortunately." Andrew responds.