Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

The sound of Neil whipping the ball from his racquet against the shooting practice wall echoed in the Foxhole Court. Kevin sat a few yards away, chugging down a bottle of water as he keenly watched Neil.

“Follow through.” Kevin critiques in his voice that Neil has heard just a little too much tonight.

Neil whips his stick harder, following through until the head smacks the turf. He knows it’s overkill, but he’s more than a bit over this. But Kevin’s not done, so they’re not going home.

It’s midnight when Kevin finally gives in, sweating from his own drills and bleeding a bit in his knee where Neil knocked him down during a practice draw. They don’t talk when they walk to the empty locker room together, they don’t have to. It’s a comfortable silence.

Neil showers and gets into a comfy shirt before deciding to walk to the Fox Tower. Running is familiar to him, so he picks his walk up to a jog and lets his body go on autopilot while he thinks.

He has some stupid stats project to get done, but he decides he has time tomorrow to do it. He needs to get Wymack to sign a form for him. He has to take you on a date.

…You. Just the thought of you makes him smile, makes his stomach do uncomfortable and unfamiliar things. But he likes it, likes the adrenaline rush of dating you.

So when he gets home and finds you fast asleep in his dorm room, he can’t help but curl up next to you. His scarred hand comes up to trace your face, outlining your nose and cheeks. He knows you’ll wake up in a moment, with how he touches your skin, but he’ll bask in the quiet moment he gets to just admire you without the need to speak or worry about the next moment.