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“You know what? I’m really proud of Neil,” Matt says, breaking the silence.
Everyone else in the room rolls their eyes. Nicky groans. It’s common knowledge that all of the foxes like Neil very much (though Aaron is still a work in progress) but none of them can stand Matt bragging about Neil anymore. There are two bottles of vodka, one of them empty and another halfway there (he isn't sure who suggested taking a shot every time something exploded on the screen, but boy, does that move have explosions) and drunk Matt can and will use every moment of prolonged silence to remind them how fast Neil improved on court, how Neil is doing great this week, how Neil, unlike other people (cue a pointed look at Nicky), is a good roommate that doesn’t leave wet socks in the bathroom.
It’s movie night, which means all of the foxes are huddled together in Matt’s room in front of the TV. Neil has left the room to pick up a call from Wymack and they paused the movie to wait for him, even though Neil had told them there is no need. Everyone was quietly waiting for him to come back when Matt decided it was a perfect time to discuss how great Neil is.
“What?” He asks.
Dan and Allison ignore him pointedly. Aaron looks a little disgusted. Nicky and Kevin give him identical condescending looks that makes him think that Kevin is spending way too much time with the cousins. Andrew, however, stares at Matt from the corner of his eye and, though he doesn’t say anything, that’s the biggest interaction they had in weeks. Renee is too nice to be upset at Matt for saying something positive about his best friend, so she asks:
“What for, Matt?”
Matt grins at her, ignoring everyone’s groans now that he has the permission to explain: “He’s been taking better care of himself lately! I’m pretty sure he hasn't said anything that will get him in trouble in weeks.”
“Are we supposed to be impressed?” Allison raises a perfect eyebrow.
“Yes!” Matt insists. “I think he’s actually growing a sense of self-preservation!”
Now Andrew is staring directly at him. Kevin snorts sarcastically.
“Are you kidding me? Neil has still zero sense of self-preservation,” Kevin says, sounding like he’s actually distressed by Neil’s recklessness. “He’s just as stupidly suicidal as before.”
Matt pouts again. “No, he isn’t.”
“Wanna bet?”
There is a beat before Matt even realizes who has just spoken. He didn’t see Andrew’s mouth moving and he hasn’t heard his voice in so long he almost forgot what he sounds like – a little like Aaron, but lower. The only reason Matt doesn’t assume he’s just imagined the proposition is that every other fox in the room turns to face Andrew.
Andrew, who is sitting alone on the couch, because there is an unspoken agreement that the seat by his side is Neil’s. Andrew, who never talks to anyone besides his makeshift family and Renee. Andrew, who has never, ever initiated a single friendly interaction with Matt, is sitting there, looking bored, and calmly proposing a bet as if it is something he does everyday. Maybe Andrew is already drunk. Matt is too shocked to answer.
Thankfully, Renee comes to the rescue and asks curiously: “What are the terms of the bet?”
All of the foxes perk in their seats at that. As unusual as Andrew’s participation is, a bet is a bet and it’s just their tradition to take bets very seriously.
“50 bucks Neil still does and says stupid shit without thinking twice and that thoughtless mouth of his is going to get him killed one of these days,” Andrew says simply.
“Fine,” Matt says, “I bet Neil is much more careful now and he won’t say anything too risky easily.”
Everyone else takes sides. Nicky and Kevin agree with Andrew without thinking twice. Allison joins them right after. Dan looks divided for a moment, before she finally says that Neil has been much more tactful lately and it has been a while since he last started drama with anyone (Matt can’t shake the feeling that she’s just trying to support him, though.) Renee gives him a gentle smile and says that she believes Neil is doing much better regards his attitude problem, so she sides with Matt. Aaron takes a while longer to make up his mind, clearly divided between the urge to bet against Neil and the need to disagree with Andrew. Finally, he seems to decide losing money isn’t worth going against what he actually thinks, and he finally sides with Andrew.
Dan is typing down everyone’s names on her phone and the terms of the bet, but before she can ask how they are going to settle this one – are they going to wait until Neil’s next fight and decide whether or not it was over something worth starting drama for or over some reckless impulse then? Is there a time limit for each of them? – Neil is back still checking something on his phone. His cheeks are flushed and he's obviously a little more than tipsy, judging by how he furrows his brow in an effort to comprehend whatever he's reading.
Despite being found by Andrew in Baltimore, Neil’s dumb flip phone didn’t survive the riot and Neil was forced to buy an actual decent smartphone for himself. They needed to bully him into realizing he needed one and he was about to buy another flip phone like he’s some sort of drug dealer when Kevin solved things for them by reminding Neil that he would be able to watch Exy videos on a smartphone. Matt helped him with the transition and tried teaching him how to use it properly, but in the end Neil just downloaded a bunch of Exy related apps. He keeps forgetting to carry his charger with him and his phone is out of battery more often than not, making Matt think the flip phone and its durable battery were a better option, after all.
When Neil comes back to the room, he doesn’t realize all the eyes are on him, too engrossed in something on the phone screen. The fact that he's trying to read even though he's a bit drunk says that whatever he’s looking at has something to do with Exy – probably something the coach has sent him – but it also says how comfortable Neil is around them. Last year, Neil was like a stray cat, fighting to not be noticed and wary of every small interaction. The fact that he can walk into a room calmly without even realizing he’s being stared at proves Matt’s point that Neil is, in fact, much better now.
Kevin waits until Neil is seated by Andrew’s side again before he murmurs: “Do it, Andrew.”
“Neil,” Andrew says, “I’m gonna murder you.”
“Uh huh,” Neil says without batting an eye or asking for a reason, “okay, babe, just let me finish this first.”
Dan lets out a pained groan while Allison and Nicky start laughing hysterically. Aaron makes a disgusted sound and Kevin turns his smug look to Matt, who begrudgingly fishes his wallet from his pocket.
Neil, bless him, finally looks up from his phone and to his teammates, drunkly confused and probably trying to figure out what bet he has just accidentally settled.
(Matt decide not to dwell on the fact that all the foxes collectively agree that calling Andrew Minyard “babe” is a wish for death, especially because Andrew is his best friend’s boyfriend.)
(He does, however, kick aside his reservations towards Andrew after movie night is over. He waits until Kevin pulls Neil aside to discuss whatever Wymack sent him and he approaches Andrew subtly.)
“How did you know?” Matt asks and, when Andrew gives him an empty look in response, he adds: “How did you know Neil was going to say something so stupid?”
Andrew stares at him for the longest moment. Matt is sure that he’s going to be ignored, but apparently Andrew is drunk enough to humor him a little more.
“One time I told him 90% of the time I wanted to skin him alive,” Andrew says. “He looked at me and asked me about the other 10%.”
Matt blinks once. Twice. Finally he buries his face in his hands and groans, making a mental note to later talk about kinks getting out of hand and safety with Neil, because holy shit.
Unimpressed with his frustration, Andrew turns around and walks towards Neil and Kevin instead, leaving Matt alone.
He still has best friend privileges, but, as he watches Andrew easily drag Neil away from Kevin, Matt promises himself that he will never, ever bet against Andrew again. Not when the subject of the bet is Neil.