11/6/24 WIP Wednesday (CLOSED) | TBD AU

“I do remember it.” Neil confirms quietly and Andrew finds what he was looking for.

“You told me that day that I own myself.” He swallows, “You saying that didn’t save me, but you damn well know that it brought me closer to where I wanted to be.”

“You told me I wasn’t completely right.” Neil says and Andrew wonders how many of his words have been held close by Neil all these years. How many times he’s thought about the things that Andrew had forgotten.

“You weren’t,” Andrew confirms. “Do you know why I had pushed for you to top?” he asks.

10/30/24 WIP Wednesday (CLOSED) | TBD AU

Andrew needed to push past the objections of three doctors, five nurses, a hospital admin, and even his own coach but he signed the AMA papers. Phone in hand he hailed himself a taxi and gave it a familiar address as he pulled up to Smith’s house, paying the taxi driver and heading to the front door.

By this point Andrew knew where they kept the key so he unlocked the fake rock and with it he unlocked the door.

He ignored his phone buzzing in hs pocket, sure that Smith, Jackson, or Matthew had seen him enter their house through the doorbell camera but he was on a mission. He called into the house to announce his presence but no one responded back, he wouldn’t be surprised if the family had gone on some sort of Saturday outing, he just hoped that Neil hadn’t gone with them. So he headed inside and made his way over to a part of Smith’s house that he hadn’t been to at all.

Neil’s apartment.

10/23/24 WIP Wednesday (Closed) | New Kings AU

Neil half expects Seth to react to being told that Kevin was polishing him but when he looks Seth’s face is one where the man is doing his absolute best not to smile, his face bright red with a blush. Neil is finding it harder and harder to believe that Kevin and Seth were only practicing during the night practices that Kevin had been excluding him from.

“That’s high praise, you’ve been training both of them specifically?” Kathy asks.

“Yes, I’ve trained Neil and Seth specifically since they have different needs and in all honesty they’ve taught me more than I’ve ever taught them.” Kevin looks over at Neil and Seth, “Neil’s taught me more about how to train my reflexes than anyone. Seth’s taught me about endurance and how to conserve my energy for the longer games.”

Neil’s suspicions only grow further.

10/2/24 WIP Wednesday (Closed) | TBD AU

He’d spent… a lot of time in this car when he had lived in Chicago. A concerning amount of time where the only time he felt even something approaching right was when he was sat in the driver’s seat. Chicago traffic hadn’t leant itself to driving the way that Andrew would prefer to so he’d gone out of the city most weekends losing hours and days in this car.

He spent plenty of Friday and Saturday nights alone and asleep in the middle of nowhere trying to understand it but never came up with anything meaningful no matter how he wracked his brain.

“I’m heading to practice.” Andrew puts the windows up and ignores the squawk that Aaron gives as he rips his fingers away from the window.

9/25/24 WIP Wednesday (Closed) | Foxhole Bake AU

“What is a bar?” Neil starts off and the two judges and two hosts both pause, “Is it a brick? Is it a bit of music? Is it not something that stops someone from escaping from prison?” Neil asks.

“I was not expecting a presentation.” Noel says, a huge smile on his face as he reaches for one of Liana’s bars to eat and enjoy as Neil continues on.

“What I have here for you today judges is no mere brick of a dessert. I have the inescapable bars of rice-”

“Popped rice.” Sandi reminds.

Neil rolls his eyes again, “Of a popped rice bowl. The prison bars on this spoon are inescapable.” 

WIP Wednesday 9/11/24 (Closed) | Smalls AU

“That’s rude.” Janie says before remembering how she herself had ended up here, “But does sound like them.” she grimaces.

“Oh one night and already fully aware of how they behave.” Coach Wymack gets to his coffee machine and looks to Janie, “Coffee?”

“I’d love some!” She says smiling.

7/17/24 WIP Wednesday (Closed) | Foxhole Bake AU

Andrew stares blankly into the camera, “It’s just baking.”

“Mate, c’mon.” Noel’s voice comes from off camera.

Andrew just shrugs, unapologetic.

The camera swings back to the tent where almost all of the bakers are looking forward to the front of the tent as Paul, Prue, Noel, and Sandi arrive.

7/10/24 WIP Wednesday (Closed) | New Kings AU

He watches on as Drake rushes out of the house with nothing but the clothes on his back, having made sure to start the fire far away from him but right by Cass and Richard’s room. The house wasn’t built up to code with proper insulation. Neil knew that it would burn quickly and it would burn toxic.

Cass and Richard don’t make it out and Drake never runs into the house to try and save the only two people in the world who would still love the monster that he is.

Neil loves being right.

7/3/24 WIP Wednesday (Closed) | Math Nerd AU

While it’s wet like this it’s hard to tell but it’s definitely not the same dark brown that Neil had been sporting these last months. He’s trying to place the color and mindlessly drying Neil’s hair when Neil speaks up, “It’s naturally auburn.” He offers and Andrew’s hands stop.

“I didn’t ask.”

“Was getting a bit worried you were trying to rub out the dye.” Neil refers to the accidental roughness.

Andrew gentles his drying method slightly.

WIP Wednesday - 10/11/23 (Closed) | Math Nerd AU

"Out." Abby's voice is firm as she points to the door.

"You heard her you insolent rude welp of a boy. Get out of here." Luther says looking as if he wanted to strike Neil as well for what he'd said to Cass.

"Not Neil. You three." Abby grits out. "You've been nothing but rude since you brought an uninvited guest. I draw the line at that uninvited guest striking one of our players." Abby says.

"You can't be serious." Luther says indignant rising to his feet in an obvious attempt to tower over Abby.

"Oh she is." Wymack ways and he is not the only one to rise to his feet at the table.

"Nicky?" Maria questions.

WIP Wednesday - 10/4/23 (Closed) | A Foxhole Bake AU

There's a beat of silence after Neil asks that before Andrew is coming over to Neil's kitchen. He has a fire extinguisher that each station has in case of emergencies.

He opens the oven door and the smoke pours out of the oven and the rush of air seeming to feed the brewing inferno. It doesn't get a chance to flash over as Andrew covers the inside of the oven and the burnt to a crisp cake with foam.

There's another beat of silence, "The foam is not how to make the whipped cream frosting for this either Junkie." Andrew says and it's a beat before Noel can't help the bark of laughter that comes out of him at the quip.