Citizenship turmoil

A few hours earlier

"Very well, Mr. Josten, we found no records of your birth on territory of the United States. On that basis, we are unable to grant you citizenship. And since Poland does not recognize birthright citizenship, the only remaining option available for you is to accept British citizenship." "What?"

Present day

Neil had been in his own head the entire ride from the FBI office to Palmetto, only snapping out of it briefly for a full-on panic attack when he saw his new scars for the first time. And now, sitting in the locker room of the Foxhole having just dumped the whole truth on the Foxes, he had one more thing to say. He cleared his throat to get their attention and opened his mouth: "Actually, that’s not all…" Tired sighs echoed around the room, but Nicky was the first to speak:
 "What else? Are you gonna tell us you and Andrew secretly got married at the FBI office?" Neil glanced sideways at Andrew, who was still pressed up against him from shoulder to knee, showing no reaction whatsoever to the words, choosing to scroll through his phone instead of listening to the team’s chatter. Since the hotel room panic attack, Andrew hadn’t said a single word, and Neil was desperate to get inside that brilliant head and figure out what he was thinking. Neil blinked, forcing himself to push away thoughts of his fingers in blond hair, and brought his eyes back to the room. "No. What I meant is that the FBI couldn’t find any record of my birth in the States, so technically, I don’t have U.S. citizenship. And since Poland doesn’t grant citizenship by birthright, my only option is to take British citizenship. I’ve got until summer break to renew my student visa, but they’re not sure someone with my “celebrity status” will get approved." He could feel the gears turning in the Foxes’ heads, until, slowly, one by one, they realized: without a visa, Neil would have to go back to England in May. Dan was the first to snap out of it: "They have got to be kidding?" Neil could only shake his head. The Foxes kept arguing and throwing questions around, but Alison, meanwhile, just smirked.
 "Well, you know, besides the student visa, there’s always another way. Your American citizenship is sitting right next to you." Nicky frowned. "Alison, what are you even… Hold on. What? You’re talking about marriage? Between Andrew and Neil? Between two people who wouldn’t admit they’re in a relationship even under torture? Don’t roll your eyes at me, Andrew, I saw that." Now the whole team was staring at them, sending a chill running down Neil’s spine. It seemed Andrew sensed his tension, because the next moment he stood up, yanked Neil along by the sleeve of his hoodie, and nodded to the others Monsters toward the door, silently heading out of the room. The Foxes watched them with unreadable looks, but it felt like the bets were starting to rise.

***

The sleepover, morning, and drive to the cabin went smoothly, but Neil could tell Andrew was thinking about something. His forehead was slightly tense, and a small wrinkle formed between his brows, one that Neil wanted to smooth out with his fingers. Andrew wasn’t rushing to share his thoughts, still present enough to help him in the shower, but not fully there. Throughout the week in the mountains, Neil had caught that strange, thoughtful gaze from Andrew’s brown eyes more than once, but he didn’t want to push. Whatever Andrew was thinking, he’d tell him eventually. On the last night in the cabin, Neil woke up abruptly, feeling the cold seep into his body. The bed next to him was empty, but the door to the terrace, attached to their room, was slightly open, and a breeze was blowing the curtains. Moonlight filtered through them, and Neil could make out a light blond head outside. He knew he wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep, so he grabbed the hoodie someone had tossed on the floor earlier, along with the rest of the scattered clothes, and stepped out onto the terrace. It was quiet on the terrace, only the faint wind rustling the leaves. Andrew was sitting on a small couch, smoking, staring straight ahead. He was also wearing a hoodie over his pajamas, his arms bare, and the moonlight casting shadows over the numerous scars. Neil couldn’t help but admire the scene in front of him. He made as much noise as possible to alert Andrew to his presence, then, seeing no resistance, sat down beside him. The couch was too small for two, so their thighs were pressed tightly together. Neil wanted to pull away—if Andrew had been woken by a nightmare, he didn’t want to cross any boundaries—but Andrew placed his hand on Neil’s thigh, stopping him. So, not a nightmare. When Andrew woke up from bad dreams, he never touched or allowed anyone to touch him. They could sit for hours on the roof in silence or talking, but never close. But now, Andrew was the one to initiate contact, so maybe Neil would finally find out what all those looks and thoughts had been about. When there was almost nothing left of the cigarette, Neil took it from Andrew’s relaxed fingers, took one last drag, and snuffed it out. Andrew gave his thigh a small squeeze in protest, but said nothing. Then he finally broke the silence: "Do you want this?" Neil froze. "What?" He knew how much Andrew hated repeating himself, but it was late, and Neil couldn’t remember asking for anything. "What are you talking about?" Andrew clenched his jaw, like the words were heavy for him. "Marriage." Neil’s eyes widened, and all the sleepiness faded away. "What? Wait, is this about Alison’s comment about a marriage for the visa?" "Yeah." Andrew still wasn’t looking at him, but Neil could feel the tension in his body. "Do you want this?" Neil gave himself a moment to think. Marrying an American would solve all his visa problems, but he couldn’t do that to Andrew. Andrew deserved more than a lying, scarred runaway. "No…" Neil cleared his throat, giving himself a moment to form the words. "I don’t want to tie you to me just for a visa. You deserve more." Andrew suddenly turned to face him, eyes blazing with the fury of a thousand suns.
 "It’s not for you to decide what I deserve." "Listen, Andrew, I’m not deciding what you deserve, but I know it’s not me. Marriage for citizenship isn’t something you just wrap up in the blink of an eye. It’s a long process. And if… when I start to annoy you..." Andrew didn’t let him finish. "Now you listen to me. You think I haven’t weighed all the pros and cons? You think I haven’t spent this whole week thinking about it? I don’t know what I have to do to drill it into your head that I’m not doing something I don’t want to. I know what I deserve, and it’s you, idiot." Andrew finished speaking, still gripping his thigh. Neil was speechless. He had no reason to doubt his words, but there was still one question left. "Does Andrew Minyard really admit I’m not nothing?" Neil asked with a smile. Andrew just shot him a look. Neil laughed.
 "Alright, you little rascal. Ask me again." Andrew turned toward him, and now their bodies were pressed almost together.
 "Marriage. Yes or no?" Neil leaned in closer, almost brushing noses with Andrew.
 "Yes." And if Neil felt someone else's smile on his lips, well, that would stay between them.

***

They decided not to tell the team, because Nicky and Alison would’ve turned it into a circus. Instead, on the first Tuesday of April, with the game against the Ravens just around the corner, Andrew picked Neil up from physical therapy, and they headed to the registry office. No suits — just jeans and hoodies. No rings — it wouldn’t make sense, given that players weren’t allowed to wear any jewelry on the court, not even under their uniforms. No flowers or photos. No pre-written vows. Just a quiet yes or no, exchanged instead of a kiss. On the way back to the dorm, after all the papers were signed and the marriage certificate was tucked in the glove compartment with all the other documents, the car was filled with a soft, light, happy silence. They decided to save that truth for the foxes, keeping the moment just between the two of them for now, celebrating it with pizza and watching dumb TV shows while Kevin was out of the room. After a while, when the games were won, the exams passed, and the green card papers were submitted, they found themselves on the roof. The foxes still didn’t know about the marriage, and all questions about the visa Neil shut down with his favorite "I'm fine," getting an elbow jab from Andrew for every F word. Now, Neil’s head was resting in Andrew’s lap as he finished his cigarette. "You know, we never had a honeymoon, dear husband," Neil said, following Andrew’s profile with his eyes. Over the last month, it had become his favorite nickname, and it didn’t seem like his dear husband minded it at all. Andrew gave him an unimpressed look, but Neil noticed how the tips of his ears had turned slightly pink. "And?" Neil raised his hand, twirling the drawstring of Andrew’s hoodie around his finger. "Well, I thought, since we didn’t have a proper honeymoon like all newlyweds are supposed to, we could leave the others behind and go on a trip. Just the two of us. No whining from Kevin, no rambling from Nicky, and no complaints from your crooked mirror." "What about your favorite exy?" Neil bit his lip, hoping it looked seductive, and lifted himself so their faces were on the same level. "Well, you know, I think we can find other ways to burn off energy. More... active ones, that don’t require leaving the room or putting on clothes." Andrew raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to seduce a married man?" "Am I succeeding?" Neil laughed, moving closer. "No." But Andrew kissed him anyway.