random ass hc: andrew jsut has random stacks of books all over his dorm/apartment and uses them as coffee tables, coat racks, weapons, etc whenever convenient.
random ass(sad) hc: kevin is constantly talked over and ignored. it’s not always intentional. he’ll say something and people will just not reply or even look his way. they just keep on with their conversation.
random ass hc: andrew probably had an percy jackson phase in middle school. he had all the books and those were the things he made sure to always have when moving from one foster home to another. one time he forgot one and he ran back to the home in the middle of the night just to get the book back. Andrew didn’t leave until the foster parents let him go get it. from that day on he packed them first. he still has them. they even went to the olympics with him
when aftg takes place there isn’t a lot of queer literature for andrew to read(bc yes i belive he’s a reader) but as he gets older and moves farther and farther away from exy he starts to discover gay books. and he devours them. because he didn’t get them growing up when he was struggling w his sexuality and they just make him so happy and heard. he reads all genres from fantasy to nonfiction.
it leads to him writing his own memoir on his queer experience in a cis straight dominated sport. a book that becomes a best seller and leads to him quitting exy to become a full time writer may i add. reading helps him heal and accept that part of him finally. and it leads to something you truly loves and he never thought as something he liked: writing.
hc that when andrew feels ill he always calls neil to tell him his symptoms and ask if he should stay home because he doesn’t trust his own perception of his body
upon finding out about this aaron, a literal doctor, is offended that his actual knowledgeable advice is being passed over for the opinion of neil, who would literally say he feels fine unless he lost a limb that was vital to his playing of exy.
I like to think that Neil switched his major to mathematics after the books have ended; or at least took another course relating to it.
I also like to think that Renne gave him three colored pens as a gift because she didnt need them anymore.
Neil used them a lot in his notes, andrew sometimes saw them all over Neil’s table in his dorm- not understanding most of them but reading over them anyways
Andrew looked at Neil’s pens and saw that each one of them was dying except for the black one.
So Andrew decided to get Neil a gift.
He got Neil a set of colored pens and put it in Neil’s school bag without him knowing.
When he came back to the dorm that night there was a note on his pillow; a drawing.
Two foxes with jersey’s on them, one having 3 written at the front and the other 10, one holding a colorful exy rocket and the other an ice cream cone with 10 scoops of different colors.
It started small, Neil would open the car window on his side as well when Andrew smoked on drives. Later, Neil would go on a run whenever Andrew smoked inside the dorm. Andrew didnt mind it at first, but he started suspecting something was.. wrong.
When Andrew smoked on the roof, Neil wouldn’t sit as close to him. When Andrew kissed Neil after smoking Neil lookes out of breath much quicker. Andrew noticed that. After games, Neil would hurry to the locker room
One night Andrew woke up to Neil’s breath being short and uneven. Something was really wrong, but Andrw didn’t wanna push Neil to tell him. Then Neil got a cold, and Aaron sprained his ankle, and Renne catched a cold from Neil and Andrew’s nose may have been running.
So the four were sitting miserably on the bean bags with a true crime movie playing on the TV which Andrew found himself enjoying.
Neil sneezed three times and than started coughing, the cup with hot tea Neil was holding spilled all over the bean bag and Neil’s clothing.
Renne got up quick to get papers and Andrew took the tea cup away from Neil. Then Aaron asked a question “Neil do you have asthma?”
The next week Andrew took Neil to a doctor to get checked, they waited for three hours before they got called to hear the results. Andrew and Neil walked to Dr.Aven’s office and sat in the chairs. The doctor gave them a warm smile.
“Well, Neil you have intermittent asthma. Its not dangerous, no need to worry. You can still play exy and run but I need you to get an inhaler for yourself in case of emergency. I need you to stop smoking as well, it can make your asthma worse.”
Dr. Aven printed a piece of paper and gave it to Neil after signing on it “here you go, drive safe kids.” Neil and Andrew left the office. When Andrew and Neil got out of the building Andrew pulled the pack of cigs out of his pocket and held it infront of Neil “why didnt you tell me its bothering you?”
“It doesn’t”
“859%, Josten.”
Neil sighed
“because I didnt want you to make a deal out of it. It doesn’t bother me, I can handle it.”
“Its dangerous for you. You can get sicker.”
Neil bite his lip anxious and shrugged. Andrew sighed and continued walking to the Maserati, throwing his new pack in the trash can on the way “Drew!- why did you? Its a new pack”
“I’m quitting.”
“Andrew!”
Andrew bought lollipops and gummies, a lot. And gums. For the first week Neil tried getting him to have a cigarette but Andrew won’t budge and Neil gave up. Neil did get better
The hero has had a couple days off now, both their day AND night job is they finally felt save to meet their friends friend! They have heard so much about them now, they just know they’ll all be a happy family in no time. But when the other friend arrives … well let’s just say, the hero has to unpack their acting skills once more.
Later they excuse themselves to get another drink:
Hero, hissing: What the hell are you doing here ? Have you stooped so low you’re playing my friends now!?
Villain, hissing back just as venomous: YOUR friends?!? Excuse you? They are MY friends?! And how do I know YOU’RE not the one PLAYING ME?!
Hero, flabbergasted: WHAT?! Why would I risk the life these wonderful friends just to get back on YOU of all people?!
Villain: WHY THE HELL SHOULD I?!
Both stare at each other in shock, realisation hitting them equally hard: either one of them has to go right now and never talk to their friends ever again OR they have to play pretend and get along, only hating each other in secret.
Continuation: they constantly try to out do each other as the groups best friend. “I brought homemade muffins to the picnic!” “Oh? Well and I organised the picnic in the first place, villain!”
Bonus: the friends figured out beforehand of each of their identity and set them up to both have a bigger family and save the town. And when their fight for the group started they placed bets and are popcorn watching them being “secretive”
