#Gansey my guy pull yourself together

[crookswithbooks]

Never the Favorite

Day Five - Declan has always hated the holidays but when Ronan brings a new person into the chaos of their lives he finds himself learning to finally appreciate them.

Declan had never liked the winter.

For as long as he could remember, the entire winter/Christmas season served only to be a nightmare and constant reminder of how estranged their family truly was. When they were younger and Niall was still alive, things had gone smoother but there will still small little inordinacies that you would find if you were willing to look close enough. Whether it was the tree that lit up despite having no visible lights, or the way he was often called away for “business reasons”, there was always something that gave away how different they really were.

Then, after Niall had died, Christmas had only worsened. Ronan was angrier now, less manageable, and Matthew would question why they didn’t have so-and-so decorations that year, or why whoever’s present showed up weeks after the actual date of Christmas. Pulling their family together for the holidays felt more like a chore than a vacation nowadays, and on top of school and dealing with Niall’s messy seconds from the fairy market, Declan didn’t have the energy or time for it. The return of January was always a relief.

This year, however, they had Adam with them. Declan had planned on just Matthew and him for this year, deciding he would skip the obligatory invite that Ronan had ignored for years. Instead, it was Ronan who approached Declan, asking about what their plans for Christmas were. 

“I figured we would just have a small celebration,” Declan had replied skeptically, unsure where this was going but not foolish enough to get his hopes up. “Just family.”

Even as he had said the words, they had been hollow in his mouth. “Family” really meant Matthew and him, something that had been understood for years now. Now though, he decided to stick with the vague term.

“I’m going to bring Adam,” Ronan said as fact, ignoring the fact that Declan had said just family and that Ronan didn’t come to Christmas anymore. He had already walked away before Declan could even attempt to reply.

Now Declan found himself standing at the kitchen counter of the Barns, a tray of cookies on one side of him and hot chocolate that burbled in a pot on the stove on the other. He had been up since five in the morning preparing the abandoned space for guests, and now, five o’clock on Christmas Eve, he exhaustedly finished the last of the tasks he had set for himself. Matthew had been recruited to help out at first until it was revealed that Matthew’s method of helping out was singing Christmas carols and undoing all the work Declan had put time and effort into. He had quickly been removed from helping after that.

Ronan was on Adam duty and was currently picking him up from Stanford. The two should be on their way home about now. Declan had been skeptical about Adam at first, the one person aside from Gansey and Matthew that Ronan had chosen to let into his heart. He had been worried that Adam would break the shakily taped together pieces that made up Ronan and that Declan would have to put him back together after Adam left as he had when Niall had died—not that he had done a very good job of it then. Once he saw the way Adam looked at Ronan, however, like a starving man gazing upon an unexpected feast, he allowed himself to relax a little. Adam loved his brother, that much was clear, and he made him happy. Declan hadn’t seen Ronan happy in so long that he almost hadn’t recognized it when it surfaced.

Now he wasn’t worried Adam would break Ronan. He was worried he would destroy him.

The knock at the door signaled the arrival of the couple in question. Declan smiled, knowing that the courtesy of knocking was Adam’s doing; Ronan hadn’t knocked on any door since he was five. He smoothed out his suit, a gentle gray that Matthew said made him look like a corpse and Ronan said made him look like a douche. He turned off the heat on the stove, whirling around the corner and opening the door.

One of Ronan’s hands was placed securely on Adam’s hip, the protective curl of his fingers a warning sign to anyone who would raise an objection. Adam’s head was turned partway towards Ronan, his lips open on an unspoken sentence, but he cut himself off when he noticed Declan.

“Oh,” Adam said, the word perfectly formed. “Hey.” He glanced up and down at Declan, an involuntary action, and frowned a little. “I didn’t realize it was a formal occasion.”

“It’s not,” Ronan interjected before Declan could say anything. He himself was dressed in a rumpled jacket and jeans that were torn from years of Gansey and he’s excursions. He was wearing neither a hat nor gloves, though Declan noticed the near imperceptible shiver caused from their absence. Adam was wearing a leather jacket that, instead of dwarfing his small frame as it would have a year ago, fit snugly around his torso. He seemed almost more grown-up than when he had left for college, and Declan could see from the way that Ronan stared at him that he had noticed too.

“Matthew’s upstairs,” Declan said, stepping aside to let them inside. “I’ll go grab him. Dinner should be ready soon, I’m just finishing up the last little touches. Feel free to make yourself at home.”

“It is my home, dickweed,” Ronan muttered, only to have Adam’s elbow dig gently and discreetly into his ribs. Ronan elbowed him back, but the gesture was affectionate without any real malice. The two made their way into the kitchen, bickering all the way.

Upstairs, Matthew was staring out his window. His attention was held by the snow falling in soft spirals to the ground, some of it pasting against the window. He held his hand up to it, so that each one of his fingertips was touching a different snowflake. Declan watched him for a moment before coughing, knocking on the doorframe. “Adam and Ronan are here.”

Matthew didn’t look away from the window, though his hand fell limply onto his lap. “I don’t want to have Christmas this year.”

Declan paused. Since the moment he was born, Matthew had been Declan’s to look after, a precious new baby brother, a dream in the form of a boy. Whenever Matthew had a problem it was Declan who fixed it, quickly and unquestionably because the reality of Matthew’s pain was one he never wanted to face. When Niall died, Declan had been there to curb the storm. When Aurora came back, Declan was content to sit back and let Matthew have a mother again. When Aurora was gone he was also the first to come to his side. He gave Matthew everything he wanted because when Matthew was smiling he was happy and when Matthew was happy Declan could be okay.

Now though, he felt his stomach clench unpleasantly and he dropped his hand from the doorframe. He sat down next to Matthew, the mattress creaking under the combined weight, and stared out the window with him. “Why not?”

“Because I’m a lie,” Matthew said, and with those simple words the world shattered around Declan. “I don’t even know if I like Christmas or if that was just something that was programmed into me. What if all the happiness I’ve felt with you and with dad and with Ronan was just a fairy tale that you guys let me live? What if none of it was ever real?”

The only one who hadn’t known Matthew was a dream had been Matthew himself, and it was a secret that the two brothers had kept for seventeen years. Both of them had agreed that the information was something that Matthew was better off not knowing—it was about the only thing they did agree on. Unfortunately, secrets are only kept for so long, especially when they relate to the person in question. Declan had never seen Matthew as desolate as he had been that day on the dock when he first found out about his true identity, and he had promised that he would never let him look that way again.

It was a promise that he realized now, looking at the pinch between Matthew’s eyebrows and his bitter frown, that he had failed.

“None of it was a lie,” Declan said after a moment, unable to look at Matthew as he spoke. “Ronan can’t influence your decisions. He only brought you into creation, like a mother would.”

“But that’s not how his dreams work,” Matthew protested. “A mother doesn’t get to choose her child—Ronan chose me. He…” He struggled for a moment to find the right words to explain and Declan waited with a growing sense of unease. “He picked my eye color and the shape of my hair and the fact that I’m happy and that you’re not and that I love him and that you don’t—”

“I love him,” Declan interrupted, Matthew’s words hurting more because he could tell he meant them. “Why would you say I don’t love him?”

“You’re always fighting,” Matthew muttered, picking at a scab on his arm. “And yelling at each other. The only time you ever talk to each other is because of me. I know that. I’m not that dumb. And I say I love him all the time. You never say that you do—not once.”

From downstairs, Declan could hear the clattering of plates that meant Ronan and Adam had started to set the table, and the soft murmuring of voices. He forced himself to look at Matthew, needing him to understand him, needing this Christmas to be a good one because if it wasn’t it meant that they truly could never be normal and Declan didn’t want to have to deal with that fact.

“I do love Ronan—and you. I love you both because you’re my family. And just because you’re a dream doesn’t mean that you’re not a person. Ronan’s dreams don’t always do what he wants them to. They evolve and they grow into something more than just a dream, in the same way that people do. You’re just as real as any of the rest of us. You’re just… different.”

Matthew glanced up at him shyly, a child uncertain at the love of a parent. “Do you… do you really think that? That I can be a real person?”

“You are a real person,” Declan assured him with a confidence he wished he could feel. “Now let’s go have dinner with the others. I’m sure they’re wondering where we are.”

Adam and Ronan were kissing when they finally came downstairs, though kissing was a polite word for what they were actually doing. Evidently the two had figured that Declan and Matthew wouldn’t be joining them for quite a while, as Adam’s body was pressed against the corner of one of the living room walls, Ronan’s body bearing down on him. From the looks of it, Adam’s tongue was halfway down his brother’s throat and Ronan’s hands were unaccounted for under the other boy’s shirt.

Declan opened his mouth to announce his presence, but before he could diffuse the situation delicately, Matthew bounded into the room oblivious to the scene, and starting serving himself up mashed potatoes. Adam jerked back from Ronan, the tips of his ears burning an embarrassing shade of red. Ronan simply leaned back, seemingly uncaring of the two new people in the room with them.

“Table’s set,” Ronan said, shark teeth flashing, a dare for Declan to say anything.

“Thank you,” Declan said coolly, not rising to the bait. “Matthew and I were just having a talk. Sorry to take so long.”

“I’m sorry—that wasn’t—” Adam blustered through a couple more half-sentences before Declan’s smile assured him it was nothing he wasn’t already aware of, knowledge that did nothing to help Adam’s already mortified state.

Dinner, usually a quiet affair for such events, was unusually lively. Ronan and Adam fell into easy conversation with Matthew joining after a moment, the boy seeming to have no end of things to talk about. Even Declan himself managed to get a sentence in or two without having his head chopped off, mostly due to the inclusion of Adam who defused most of Ronan’s snarky remarks.

In fact, as the evening went on Declan found himself having a genuinely good time. Adam and Matthew softened Ronan’s sharp edges, the presence of two of his favorite people together serving to curb his usual anger. There were even moments in the night when Ronan would laugh at a joke Declan made or respond to one of his questions genuinely without being his usual asshole self.

They ate cookies and drank hot cocoa that Ronan had apparently spiked with something, a fact Declan didn’t learn until the warmth in his gut was too pleasant for him to be sincerely angry about it. Matthew was the first to fall asleep, the unexpected alcohol being too much for him, and Ronan and Adam quickly followed pursuit. Ronan’s rested on Adam’s collarbone, their two bodies intertwined on the couch that was to be a makeshift guest bed, and Declan listened to their breathing slowly even out into a gentle hum.

Declan stood up, drawing a blanket over Matthew and going about the process of cleaning up and wrapping presents to put under the tree. Half an hour later, he stood over the pile of bodies in the living room and wondered at the people who had slowly become his family, his real family. Never before had Declan felt like he belonged, always seeing himself as a protector to his brothers and merely a colleague to his parents. Throughout the years, Christmas after Christmas had gone by, and every time Declan only found himself feeling worse as the night went on. In that moment, however, with Matthew’s face smiling and serene in sleep, and the sight of Ronan and Adam curled protectively about one another, he realized he had finally discovered a family that he could not only care for but that might care for him back.

He decided to join them in the living room instead of going to his bed like usual, and as he lay besides Matthew’s gently snoring body, he found himself content for the first time in his life.

[toast-the-unknowing]

There is no one that wouldn’t describe parrish as gorgeous 💜 unless they’re blind

...okay, I am about to say something that is going to instantly make fandom lose all respect for me, but maybe the time has come, I can stop living a lie, it'll be freeing, I can't have impostor syndrome if no one actually thinks I'm smart. So here goes:

I used to headcanon that Adam wasn't hot.

To be clear, I didn't think he was ugly or anything. Just sort of...mid-range. And obviously this is inexcusable, but my explanation, feeble as it is, goes:

I don't pay attention to descriptions of characters' physical appearance. I just cannot retain that information, it doesn't stick in my head, I don't really visualize books enough for that to mean anything to me. I pick up on big facts, or plot important facts, or facts that carry some character weight -- so, Blue is short, Ronan has a big fuck-you-Declan tattoo and a shaved head, Gansey is a fashion disaster -- but beyond that I don't notice, remember, or care. I have had to ask @comicsohwhyohwhy like four different times what color eyes Adam and/or Ronan have so I don't get it wrong in a fic. They're both blue. Why do I have such a hard time remembering that? I just do.

Adam doesn't get treated the way that hot people get treated. You know that episode of 30 Rock where Liz is trying to show her boyfriend what life is like for someone that isn't Jon Hamm-levels of beautiful? There's like actual scientific studies about this too, about all the kinds of bias that attractive people get favored with, but the sitcom explanation is the one that comes most naturally to me. Adam doesn't live in that bubble. Which is probably attributable to issues of confidence and class rather than physical attractiveness, but on some level I was responding to it that way.

I just...liked the idea of a normal sort of guy getting to have this beautiful romance with a really hot guy. (And yes, I knew Ronan was really hot -- it helps that there's a scene where someone stops dead in their tracks in shock and admiration at how attractive he is. That's showing not telling, baby!) And while I wouldn't ever put personal preference as an indicator of canon -- I sometimes pull a "fuck you, canon, I say it's this way," but I do those intentionally -- it's just that I honestly thought that canon left enough room to allow for headcanons, because: see point 1. So I knew fandom generally saw it as a story of two hot guys hotly being hot together, but I thought canon didn't actually negate my way of looking at it.

Have you ever had a song that you like, and it comes on the radio, and you start singing along like you've done dozens of times before, but this time someone is in the car with you and they hear you sing and they go "wait, did you just say 'rum-a-tum-a'? You think the lyric is rum-a-tum-a? What does that even mean? Why would that be the lyric?" And now that it's pointed out you can see that it doesn't make any sense, but you'd never actually asked yourself before what the hell a rum-a-tum-a is, you just heard it that way one time and accepted it without analyzing it and then once it was in your head as the lyric of the song there was no more reason for you to question it?

Yeah, that. If I had ever asked myself, Toast, this is a YA series, it's legally required for every single character in this to be stupidly, supernaturally, offensively attractive, why would Adam just be kind of normal, I would have seen the problem. But I never did ask myself that, because he just got into my head that way without any critical engagement happening, and my eyes just kept on glazing over any time the narrative tried to clue me in.

And then one day I shared this headcanon with comicsohwhyohwhy and she laughed at me for an entire calendar month, like a good friend does, and she told her SO who isn't even in fandom but immediately said "What? Adam is the prettiest one!" and then she spammed me with every single description of Adam in the entire series. Any reference in any of my fics to Adam being hot is directly attributable to her shaming me educating me so that I wouldn’t embarrass myself by saying something in public about Adam being anything less than drop-dead gorgeous.

I mean, until I went and told the internet about it on purpose.

[ofinkdried]

INTRO: MUN // TASK #001

hey all!! i’m slowly working on bios and pages and such but I wanted to introduce myself first -- so here’s what’s technically was the first task?? im using it as the template for my intro so HERE WE GO!!

PERSONAL INTRO

name  /  alias : victoria / tor gender  /  pronouns : cisfemale / she/her where  ya  from  ? : texas!! the  current  time :  4:29 pm height :  5′4 job  or  major :  unemployed at the moment, but I have a degree in health science/health administration & a national certification in phlebotomy pet  (  s  ) :  one doxie/beagle mix named Roxie favorite  thing  (  s  )  about  yourself :  my ability to remember song lyrics better than my own name any  special  talents  ? :  uhhhh I can play 4 ( 5? ) instruments why  you  joined  hqclouds :  FUNNY STORY care was talking to me about some Tea ( we’re in another rp together ) and she made a comment about running an rp and im a bit of a sleuth and found hqclouds and decided to join  meaning  behind  url :  it’s ‘ of clementines ’ because one of my favorite halsey songs is clementine and i’ve been on a halsey kick as of late  last  thing  you  googled :  ‘ fools troye sivan ’ because I wanted to send my friend the music video birthday  /  zodiac :  october 29th / scorpio in  your  opinion  ,  does  your  sign  suit  you  ? : some days myers  -  briggs :  I took it forever ago and don’t remember... ^^’ moral  alignment :  chaotic good hogwarts  house : ravenclaw!! three  fictional  character  (  s  )  you  see  yourself  in  +  why :  oh gosh.... katherine from newsies ( dedicated, doesn’t take a man’s shit), emma from the prom (nervous gay who plays guitar), and flynn rider from tangled (jokester, very in love with our girlfriends) i  started  roleplaying : 2012 I think? types  of  rps  i  enjoy :  definitely literate ones favorite  fcs  to  use :  I try to not reuse fcs a lot?? like I have some I prefer for certain characters, but I don’t have a strong draw to certain faces... fandom  (  s  )  you’d  like  to  write  in : musicals ( namely newsies ), fairy tail, the raven cycle fandom  (  s  )  you  aren’t  in  but  are  curious  about :  uhhhh I dont really know... share  a  funny  roleplay  horror  story :  oh gosh I dealt with one girl who like... constantly gaslit me as a player and my characters, would make me feel bad for not responding immediately, made everything about her characters, and then got mad when I called her out on it? and now she goes to a christian school and says that rp is ‘ the devil’s work ’ and I just... yeah. fondest  roleplay  memory :  I feel like the moment my now girlfriend and I realized we always do ships bc just had awesome chemistry and then started dating like, 4 months later. favorite  canon  muse  (  s  )  to  play : connor murphy ( deh ), gansey ( trc ), spot conlon ( newsies ), jimmy ( bandstand ), lucy heartfillia ( fairy tail ) favorite  original  muse  (  s  )  to  play : theo massard ( a boxer, jack barakat fc; had an AMAZING ship for him )  canon  ships  you  can’t  help  but  love :  CATRADORA. none of my other ships are technically canon : / trope  (  s  )  you  tend  to  be  guilty  of : tragic backstories, tough on the outside soft on the inside i  prefer  .  .  . angst  ,  smut  ,  or  fluff :  I wanna say fluff but I know care and megan will call me out bc I love angst more than anything long  or  short  replies :  mid-length pre  plotting  or  chemistry : chemistry leading to pre plotting! sentence  starters  or  headcanon  memes : both? I love discussing headcanons single  muse  or  multimuse  blogs :  multi!! gif  icons  ,  medium  gifs  ,  or  static  icons : typically gif icons, but lately ive been loving medium gifs grab  the  book  nearest  to  you  and  pull  a  quote  from  it : ok so I have no books atm bc im moving, but the first book on my phone is the dream thieves, and the line I see first is “ The Gray Man considered what it must’ve been like to live like that, always waiting for your door to be kicked in. ” what’s  a  quote  or  song  lyric  that  speaks  to  your  soul  ? : oh gosh, so many... “ I'm a walking travesty/But I'm smiling at everything ” ( therapy, all time low ), “ I imagine the tears in your eyes/The very first night I'll sleep without you ” ( roman holiday, halsey ), “ Am I the product of a problem that I couldn't change?/Got his eyes, got her hair/So do I get their mistakes? ” ( secondhand smoke, kelsea ballerini ) top  current  celebrity  crushes :  halsey, froy guiterrez, harry styles ( always ) last  movie  you  watched :  I think it was uhhhhhh miss americana on netflix? did  you  like  it  ? :  YES I loved it favorite  movie  (  s  )    of  all  time : 10 things I hate about you, newsies ( ’92 ) favorite  tv  show  (  s  )  of  all  time : she-ra, queer eye, fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood, gossip girl favorite  tv  show  that  hasn’t  ended : zoey’s extraordinary playlist favorite  series  of  books  /  novels  /  comics : the raven cycle, all for the game, the last song sports  team  (  s  )  you  rep : dallas cowboys, houston astros ( yeah I know about the scandal and I hate it, but they’re my team ), FAU owls ( my alma mater ) favorite  video  game  (  s  ) : breath of the wild, KH series favorite  youtube  channels : unus annus, daniel howell ( rip he hasn’t posted in a year ), the try guys, NPR Music, CrankGameplays ( ethans just a dork I dont even like gamer videos that much ) hobbies :  guitar, singing, being in zoom musicals ( im playing whatsername from american idiot for one in July and auditioned for a few others! ), reading what  are  the  three  non  essential  things  you’d  bring  to  a  deserted  island  ? : my guitar, my laptop, wifi put  your  music  on  shuffle.  what  six  songs  pop  up  ? : HOLD ME TIGHT OR DONT, fall out boy; I’m Still Here, John Rzeznik; Towers, Little Mix; Way Down Hadestown, hadestown obc; Stitches, state champs (cover); Look Back, betty who personal  aesthetic : nerdy punk?  dream  vacation  ? : disneyland paris or disneyland Singapore with my gf dream  job  ? :  music teacher dream  car  ? :  one that works at this point if  i  could  live  anywhere  ,  it’d  be : austin, texas ( im about an hour away rn ) favorite  musical : OH GOSH..... the prom, bandstand, newsies, hadestown favorite  food  (  s  ) :  blueberry pancakes, red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing coffee  order :  at starbucks? venti iced chai tea latte. at dunkin? large iced vanilla coffee. at home? french vanilla coffee and caramel macchiato creamer and 2 scoops of sugar.  unwatched  stuff  in  your  netflix  /  hulu  /  etc :  netflix: sex education, the umbrella academy, end of the f***ing world, the people vs. oj simpson. hulu: portrait of a lady on fire, my friend dahmer, rocketman what’s  a  subject  you  know  too  much  about  +  never  get  tired  of  talking  about  ? : I dunno? I have a ton of useless facts on a wide range of subjects. like did you know that in 100 letters, halsey says ‘ You wrote 100 letters just for me/And I find them in my closet in the pockets of my jeans/Now I'm constantly reminded of the time I was 19/Every single one's forgotten in a laundromat machine ’ and that’s actually autobiographical -- her bf at the time wrote a note and put it in a pocket of every pair of pants she owned, and she was still finding them months after the relationship ended, so she took all her pants to a laundromat and washed them so she wouldn’t have to see the letters anymore!!

[gansey-just-gansey]

Punk History 101 part nine

“Hey, wake up,” Blue said softly, gently nudging Gansey. He groaned and rolled over, ensnaring her in his arms. “No, really, it's time to wake up. We're going to be late.”

The past two weeks had been amazing. Since that first date, Blue had spent every night with Gansey. They only parted for class or when Blue had to work. Sometimes not even then. Gansey would show up to Nino's, usually with flowers or chocolate or other expensive and perishable gift and stay until her shift ended. She would remind him that it was a huge waste of time and money and he would remind her that he wasn't a dragon, hoarding away large sums of money for no reason. She was not amused by that.

Sometimes he would come alone, sometimes with friends. Blue's favorite of his friends was a boy named Henry that would jokingly flirt with her. Well, she wasn't sure it was joking, but Gansey always laughed it off so Blue didn't worry about it too much.

They spent most of the time together in Gansey's apartment, watching trashy TV and making out lazily on the couch or building a miniature version of their college campus out of cereal boxes and glue. Ronan informed her that it was a privilege to be allowed to help him with this project, even Ronan wasn't given this opportunity. Later, when they were alone, Gansey told her that that was because Ronan was “a god of destruction sent solely to ruin all that gives me hope” which loosely translated to “Ronan accidentally stepped on one of the buildings once and I still haven't forgiven him”.

They had the apartment to themselves often because Ronan and Adam had hit it off well, and they spent the nights in Adam and Blue's place, a switch that worked well for everyone. They had all gone on exactly one double date, which had devolved into a lively debate of anarcho feminism and anarcho communism and the merits of both between Blue and Ronan, completely forgetting Gansey and Adam. Gansey had hardly been able to keep his hands off her on the way home from that date. She had to keep pushing his hand back down her thigh the whole time to keep Adam and Ronan from getting a free show from the backseat.

Since she lived next door, it was easy to pop in to change her clothes, shower, and check in with Adam most mornings, passing Ronan in the hall and giving him a high five on the way in. It had all become fairly routine, but Blue never took it for granted. She was immensely pleased every time she woke up next to him, every time he brought her offerings, every time he fell to his knees to prove his worship of her.

That made her voice tender as she prodded him into wakefulness. “Gansey, it's time for class.”

“I don't want to leave you yet,” he grumbled, pulling her tighter to him.

“You don't have to. It's Monday. We have Womens' History first.”

He opened one eye and focused on her. “But you'll leave to get dressed first.”

“Well yeah, but then we'll be together for class.” She sat up on the edge of the bed, stretching deeply before getting up to collect her clothes from where they'd been flung the night before.

“You know, if you kept some of your stuff here, you wouldn't need to leave me so often,” he observed.

“Yeah, and if I had a million dollars I wouldn't need to go to work and could stay with you even more,” she teased.

“If you moved in with me, you wouldn't have to work so often either,” he pushed.

Blue started to laugh, but then caught his expression. He looked serious. “You're kidding, right? Please say you're kidding.”

“Why? It makes sense. You're always here anyway. Leases are up at the end of the semester, we could easily move in together.”

“It makes no sense! We've known each other twelve weeks and I've hated you for half of them. People move in after months of actually liking each other, if not years. Besides, I don't want to rely on you. I can and do support myself.”

“Ronan and Adam are on board,” he argued.

“What?” Blue asked, pausing with only one foot in her jeans.

“Ronan and Adam want to move in together for next semester,” he said.

“There's no way Adam agreed to move in and be beholden to Ronan,” she argued, her accent becoming thicker as she grew more upset.

“It's not becoming beholden to someone, Blue,” Gansey sighed. “It'd actually be cheaper so it would save you money that way. And you split the grocery costs with Adam, yeah? It'd be like that, but between the five of us.”

“It wouldn't be any cheaper if we stay in the same apartments we- wait, did you say 'the five of us'?”

“Yes,” Gansey drawled the word out. “Us, Ronan, Adam, and Henry. Henry was going to jump on our lease and we were going to upgrade to a three bedroom. You guys can do the same. We can even go up to a four bedroom if you want, so you can have your own space. I think they might even have five bedroom ones across campus. Whatever makes you comfortable.”

Blue stopped arguing, looking at Gansey suspiciously. It was hard, what with the constant gifts and take out food every night, to forget that Gansey was exponentially wealthier than she was. She always insisted on at least paying for part of the meals, but she could never balance out scales. With less expensive rent, she could tip the scales to at least a more even keel

“I'll think about it,” she finally said.

Gansey's whole face lit up like a kid's on Christmas. “I'll take it. Now come back to bed.”

“Nice try. I'll see you in ten minutes.” She finished pulling on her jeans and left to let him get ready.

“You could skip one day, you know,” he called after her. “Let loose! Reckless abandon!”

“Blink song,” she shouted back before opening the door to meet Ronan in the hall for their daily high five. She had to jump to reach his hand.

When Blue came in, she went straight to Adam's room. “What the hell?” she asked.

“What the hell, what?” Adam asked, pulling a black shirt over his head. He had to work at the shop tonight.

“You're moving in with Ronan next semester?”

“Oh. Yeah, it makes sense. Get the cheaper rent with the added bonus of not having to room with strangers. People move in with people they've only known a semester all the time. We just have the added benefit of being in a relationship.” He shrugged.

“You could've at least told me,” she said, not being able to come up with an argument for that.

“I was going to but Gansey insisted on asking you himself.”

“Whatever. Are you sure you want to live with Henry, though?” she laughed, walking toward her bedroom.

“If it'd get me cheaper rent and bills, I'd move in with a pig at this point. Not a messy person, a literal farm animal. Too bad pigs can't get jobs,” his voice following her down the hall.

~~~~

At one, Blue met Gansey for lunch in one of the dining halls. Henry tagged along, having just come from photography class with Gansey.

“Hey, Sargent,” Henry said, picking Blue up in a hug and spinning her around once.

“Cheng,” she answered, slightly out of breath. “How are you?”

“Fabulous as always,” he replied. “And yourself?”

“Pretty good. I was completely blindsided this morning with the idea that we're all moving in together next semester,” she threw a look at Gansey, who smiled sheepishly.

“Ah, so he finally broke the news. I can't imagine you said yes because he hasn't been crowing with joy all class. On the other hand, it is very hard to say no to him.”

“I'm thinking about it,” Blue said, remaining uncommitted.

They got their food and found a table near the door, Blue and Gansey on one side of the table and Henry on the other.

“So that was a pretty good presentation you had,” Henry said to Gansey half-way through their meal.

“Oh?” Blue turned to Gansey. “What was it on?”

“The nature of eroticism. Basically it was a bunch of pictures of things that people find sexy excluding nudity.” Gansey tried to downplay it, but Blue could tell he was proud.

“What were the pictures of then?”

“There were lots of them. Most of them were you.”

“Me?” Blue asked. Gansey was often taking pictures of her, saying he couldn't believe she needed proof of her own body. He had yet to show her any, though. She had just assumed he hadn't developed them yet. She hadn't known he was making a whole project of her.

“Of course. You're the perfect subject. You rarely ever pose and yet everything you do is effortlessly sexy,” he said, putting his arm around her shoulders.

“That's true. I mean, you even made smoking sexy somehow,” Henry agreed, winking at her.

“What are you talking about?” Blue asked, though her stomach had already dropped. She tried to remember another time Gansey had shot her smoking. She couldn't think of one, but surely there was no way Gansey had included the picture she was thinking of.

“The one of you in the black lingerie smoking on Gansey boy's lap,” he confirmed. “At least I assumed it was you from the compromising position. Have I made a terrible mistake?”

No, Henry hadn't made a terrible mistake. Gansey had. “You included the picture from the morning after our first date?” she asked, rounding him.

“Yes?” his voice went up at the end, making it a question.

“The one of me, half naked and sitting in your lap?” Her voice was the calm before the storm.

“That's the one,” he said in a small voice.

Blue took a deep breath. Then another one. And another. Her rage levels weren't getting lower. “Why the fuck would you think it would be acceptable for you to expose my body to a whole class of people without my permission?” her voice whipped out.

Gansey paled slightly. “I didn't think of it like that.”

“No, you wouldn't have, would you? Because you assume you can have whatever you want, when you want it.” Gansey flinched back, as though her words were a physical thing, weighing on him. “You think you have a right my body, to my living arrangements, to my feelings, to me. Well you don't.” She pushed back her chair and walked away from the boys, both half reaching for her, though neither stupid enough to actually touch her right then. “Fuck you, Gansey,” she threw over her shoulder and pushed out the door.

[blueseyforthesoul]

roses are red, lilies are blue...

idk what to call this flower shop au

written for the bonus prompt of @ganseyweek​:  Bright Colors/Dark shadows/It’s hard not to love you

thank you to everyone for following along with the gansey week fics (and that one art). i just really love gansey, okay? 

If you enjoyed the works, please consider leaving me a ko-fi? 

~

The man was thumbing at his lower lip as he looked at the displays of premade bouquets, looking between each of them and never picking one up. Eventually, Blue took pity on him and stepped out from behind the counter where she had been working on a custom order.

“Can I help you find something?”

He looked up and flashed a smile she could tell he found charming.

“Yes! I’m looking for a bouquet for my mother. It’s her birthday, and my sister insists I need to bring a gift. I told her my presence was a gift but she disagreed. Of course, she bought her a metal plate so what the hell does she know.”

Blue blinked at him.

“Well, for a birthday, this is a nice one. Everyone loves tulips.” She picked up one of the bouquets from the refrigerated case and held it out for inspection. He looked at it for so long she was starting to feel uncomfortable.

“Perfect,” he said, at last, clapping his hands together once. Blue gave a tight smile and took the bouquet to be rung up.

She thought that would be the last she saw of the strange young man, but less than a week later he was back.

(keep reading on ao3 or below)

“My mother loved the bouquet, thank you for helping.”

“You’re welcome,” Blue said.

“Do you make all the arrangements?”

Blue narrowed her eyes. Was this dude about to mansplain her work to her in her own shop? “Yes, it’s all my work. My shop.”

Something in her tone must have shown her wariness because the man backpedaled quickly. “You have quite a good eye for color! It’s all wonderful!”

“Thank you. Can I help you with anything today?”

“Oh, um, yes!” he stammered, eyes flying around the shop. “Something for… a centerpiece!”

“What kind of event?” Blue asked, taking stock of her small assortment of premade centerpieces. Usually those she made custom.

“A family dinner.”

“You need a centerpiece for a family dinner?” She cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Yes,” he said firmly, though his cheeks turned pink. It was kind of cute.

“Alright. Well, I have a few premade ones but otherwise, I’d have to make something custom. It would be a bit more expensive than these but—” she cut off as he waved his hand.

“Not a problem.”

This time both of Blue’s eyebrows went up and she swallowed down a remark about the young man’s flippant dismissal of money. He was a customer. She had to be nice.

It was the worst part of her job.

After he had surveyed the centerpieces and deemed one suitable, seeming not to really care about what it looked like or whether or not it matched his table setting, he waved cheerily and left.

The next day was a Saturday, her busiest, and Noah was behind the counter checking out a woman and her elderly mother for a custom order when the guy came back.

She spared him a glance but then returned to the customer she was helping. When she saw him again, he was chatting pleasantly with Noah as he purchased a simple bouquet of daffodils. The yellow matched the color of the horrendous polo shirt he was wearing.

“Going for a theme?” She asked as she approached the counter, wiping her hands on her apron.

“Jane!” The man exclaimed.

“Excuse me?”

“Well, I don’t know your name, I’ve got to call you something. I’ve always liked the name Jane.” He smiled congenially.

Blue looked a Noah with an incredulous look. Noah hid a giggle in his hand. “Blue, this is Gansey. He says he’s quite smitten with your little shop.”

“Yes you’ve been in a lot the last couple weeks,” she addressed the man, Gansey. “Sudden need for copious amounts of floral arrangements? New girlfriend?”

Gansey’s cheeks turned pink and Blue thought suddenly that the color suited him much better than the yellow of his shirt.

“Just a few things that came up. Does it bother you?”

“Never going to turn away a paying customer,” she winked at him. He blushed darker and stammered as she walked away, swaying her hips just to fluster him. He wouldn’t be the first customer to have a crush on “the flower shop girl”.

When she was free again, he was gone.

“Do you know him?” Noah asked later.

“Who? Gansey?”

Noah nodded.

“No, he’s just been in a few times. He’s cute when he blushes,” she shrugged.

“Blue!” Noah cried out. “You’re messing with a customer because he blushes?”

“So? It’s my shop. And he’s coming in an awful lot for someone who doesn’t like it.”

Noah’s brow furrowed but he dropped it.

Sure enough, Gansey returned two days later with a thin excuse about his desk at work being bare. Blue found him an arrangement in various shades of blue, “so you can remember my name.”

He blushed just as she had intended and stammered something back before rushing from the shop. Blue smiled at him when he stole a look over his shoulder and he smiled back dopily.

Gansey was back that Friday afternoon and Blue decided enough was enough.

“Gansey,” she greeted. “What excuse do you have this time?”

“What?”

“There is no possible way you have yet more need for flowers. So I’m cutting to the chase: what’s your excuse this time?”

Gansey swallowed hard. “What do you know about Welsh kings?”

That was not what Blue expected.

“What?”

“Welsh kings. They’re my area of study. Particularly Owen Glendower, he --”

“Gansey,” she cut him off. “Why are you telling me about Welsh kings?”

“I like them.”

“Ooh-kay,” she said, drawing out the first syllable. “But, you really have nothing else you want to say? No other question you’d rather ask?”

Somehow, his blush darkened even more. “You’re working.”

Blue stared at him for a moment and then smiled. “I’m working.”

“Yes. And some things should not be said to people who are working. Because society dictates that retail workers be nice and accommodating to customers and often don’t feel as though they can say no to certain questions, especially when it’s a male customer asking a female employee and --”

“Gansey,” she cut him off again. “You ramble when you’re nervous don’t you?”

He nodded, his lips pressed firmly shut.

“Would you like to go to dinner? With me?”

“Really?”

“As a date. To be clear.”

“Really?” Gansey asked again, a smile breaking out over his face. “I’d like that a lot.”

“Good,” she smiled back. “You can pick me up at 7:30 tonight.”

Gansey’s eyes widened. “Where?”

“Here,” she said. “I live upstairs.”

“Oh, neat,” he said, then buried his face in his hands.

Blue laughed. “Neat?”

“I don’t know, please just ignore me, I don’t know what I’m saying.”

“But you’re so cute when you blush,” Blue teased and Gansey blushed darker. “Go on, get out of here. I’ve got real customers to make arrangements for. See you tonight.”

“Okay, Jane. See you tonight.” He smiled softly and left the shop, waving shyly as he closed the door behind him.

“Oh my god!” a voice exclaimed behind her.

“Noah!” she spun around. “How much of that did you hear?”

“All of it,” he grinned.

Blue groaned and dropped her head onto her forearms on the counter. “Why are you even here?”

“It’s payday.”

She looked up. “You work in the morning. Couldn’t you come then?”

“But then I wouldn’t get to spy on you and Polo Shirt Gansey the Third,” Noah grinned at her.

“The third?”

“It was on his credit card.”

“What have I done,” Blue deadpanned and Noah giggled.

“He’s cute though, I see it.”

Blue rolled her eyes and went to get his paycheck. By the time she had shooed Noah out, finished her custom orders, rung out the ones being picked up and fridged the ones for the morning, it was closing time. She flipped the lock and the sign and went upstairs.

Staring into her closet, she wondered what to wear to a date with a guy who wore boat shoes. She decided to go extra obnoxious -- just so he would really know what he was signing up for -- and pulled on a homemade crochet dress over strategically ripped jeans and a couple of t-shirts. She slid on a few bangles, added some more clips to her hair, and stomped on her favorite combat boots.

A quick look in the mirror to make sure she was happy with her ensemble and then she went back down to the shop. Gansey was waiting outside the closed door and looking nervously at the people walking by. Blue crossed the shop and flipped the lock, stepping out onto the sidewalk.

“Hi,” he breathed. “You look lovely.”

“Thank you, you look nice yourself.” He had changed from his bright pink polo shirt into a more muted button-down and had added some product to his hair.

“I wasn’t sure what to bring, normally I would bring flowers to a first date but that seemed ridiculous and then I thought maybe a book? But I don’t know what you like to read, so --”

“Gansey,” Blue cut in again, laughing. “You’ve got to relax. It’s alright. Here, I have an idea.”

She opened the shop door again, not having locked up yet, and snagged a single daisy stem from the case. She stepped back out onto the sidewalk and reached up to tuck it behind his ear.

“Now we’ve got flowers.” Gansey blushed and Blue locked the door behind her. “Shall we?”

Gansey crooked his elbow out to her and she grinned at him, looping her arm through his and heading off down the sidewalk.

[missing-fanfics]

A Family Mystery Uncovered

Include the following in your story:

⟡Sunday ⟡secret ⟡wallpaper ⟡swap ⟡sister ⟡curiosity ⟡island ⟡notebook ⟡marathon ⟡demand

A/N: I’m Ky, sorry this sucks but aye we need more raven cycle fanfics. Gotta start somewhere so I guess it’ll be here

Word Count: 2.9k

Warnings: nothing really, I’m being a good child of the lord today

Blue Sargent x brother!reader, Raven Boys x male!reader, Ronan Lynch x male!reader if you squint.

~~~~

The Sunday started like any other in 300 Foxway, with total and utter chaos. Everyone was hustling about. For some reason, the physics that lived at 300 Foxway were at their busiest on Sundays. Not that Blue Sargent cared it gave her the perfect opportunity to sneak out with her raven boys without causing a fuse.

Yes, today was like every other Sunday. Blue was currently lurking on the stairs listening counting off which room each psychic was at. It wasn’t that her mother would care that she was headed out with the four boys but she didn’t feel like making a whole ordeal about it. She had successfully made it to the door without a single creak going off. The bonus of living in the same house her whole life she thought.

She swung the door open to find a boy that was around her age hunched over panting looking like he had just run a marathon. She thought about slipping past him but decided that was rude (and that he was blocking the doorway to much for her to slip out with touching him) so she stood there tapping her foot waiting for the stranger to catch his breath.

After a minute the boy looked up and jumped back when he noticed Blue was standing there. His Y/E/C sparked as he stook out his hand to Blue.

“Hey I am Y/N and I think your my sister” Blue looked down at his hand, letting the strange boy's words sink in before looking back into his eyes.

“Did you hit your head while you were running?” she asked bluntly, yes it was a rude thing to say but this boy clearly had a few screws loose and he had started cutting into her Sunday rituals. She expected him to say that it was a joke and run away but to her surprise, he just let out a laugh and asks to come in for a cup of water.

“See the thing is, I am not allowed to let in strange boys that claim to be my brother” she looked back at him, he did look a little like her but she couldn’t remember if he always looked like her or if she thought he looked like her because the idea had been planted in her head.

“MOMMMMMM” Blue yelled into the house not taking her eyes off of the boy. Mora came running to the door only to be faced with a boy she never thought she’d see again. Blue looked between her mother and the boy noticing the matching features they shared. She also noticed how her mother's eyes filled with confusion as she stood there not uttering a word.

“Oh dear, we better let the boy in, he requires some water,” Persephone said upon arrival at the door. Blue moved aside letting the strange boy in, she kept her eye on him. Mora led the group into the seeing room as Persephone broke off from the group to him some water.

Calla sat in the seeing room, Blue recognized the look of shock as it appeared on her face as well. Now Blue was getting nervous all the physics seem to know the strange boy.

“Holy sh-“ Calla started the swear before being cut off by Persephone entering the room with four glasses. They clinked together in her small hands the sound making everyone turn their attention to her. She placed the glasses on the round table.

“I think some privacy is in order,” she said looking at Calla. Calla only snarled in response.

“Oh, would you look at that Calla, I seem to have forgotten your water, would you come with to get it” Persephone tried again to get the stubborn woman out of the room. Calla sent Mora a meaningful glance. The two sat in their gaze for a moment before Calla got up and exited the seeing room behind Persephone.

Blue stared furiously at her mother. She was tired of all the secrets. In the past year and a half Blue had learned more about her family and friends than she could understand. A secret brother she thought would be the last straw. Before her mother could say a word Blue abruptly stood up from the table.

“I am going to call Gansey ” She announced before leaving the room. On her way she past Calla and Persephone, they both picked up a cloth and pretended to be cleaning the walls and not eavesdropping. She stopped momentarily by them and thought about telling them that you don’t clean wallpaper but she didn’t feel much like talking.

She dialed the familiar number of Gansey ’s phone. A deep breath escaped her lips as heard the click on the other line followed by Gansey ’s voice.

“Hello, Jane you’re late” She heard a loud crash in the background along with Chainsaws screech. “ We could really use you over here, I think Ronan is going to kill Noah” he added an “again” a minute later.

“Change of plans, you guys will have to come here, and Gansey? ”

“Yes, Jane” he let his president phone call voice fall and used the voice that he reserved just for Blue when they had their late-night phone call.

“You might want to bring your notebook” She knew that whatever this ‘brother’ had to say It more than likely connected to the ley line and Glendower.

“Is everything alright Jane?” Blue let the question loom above her, everything wasn’t alright but nothing had been alright in a while.

“Just get over here, please” She hung the phone back on the rotor. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure lurking in the doorway. She knew it was Y/N, the figure she saw was too big to be anyone else.

“You might as well come in” she kept her eyes on the phone not bother to look at the boy again.

“I know this is rather confusing but if you just let me explain I think it would clear some things up. Well, not a ton of things as I am missing some pieces of the puzzle as well” The poor boy was a babbling mess in front of Blue.

“Stop” her voice was firm. She wanted, no, demanded answers from everyone in the house but she’d wait for Gansey. Y/N stopped and looked at Blue waiting for her to give him direction.

“We wait for Gansey. Let’s go back to the seeing room” she stood up from the stool and made her way to the door.

“Right of course whatever you would like Blue, just uh one thing. What is a Gansey?” Curiosity in the boy's voice along with general confusion on what he would be waiting on. Blue just rolled her eyes at the boy grabbing his sleeve on her way out.

Everyone sat around the table. No one said a word just stared at the others. The silent made the air in the room feel heavy but not a single soul dared to move. They had already made Blue mad they wouldn’t go against her wishes at that moment.

The whole room let out a breath as the orange Camaro pulled up onto the sidewalk. Blue stood up and bolted to the door. She opened the door and there they stood all four of them (and chainsaw). She let out a breath that she didn’t realize she was holding as she stepped aside and let her raven boys in.

“What’s going on Blue?” Adam asked his Henrietta accent poking out around her name. Blue didn’t give him an answer just led the four boys into the seeing room. Each boys eyes made their way around the table trying to figure out the cause of Blues change of plans. Their eyes all landed on Y/N then they all looked at Blue.

“I mean he is cute Sargent, but I don’t follow” Blue’s stomach lurch at the comment. She wasn’t quite sure why she didn’t truly believe that Y/N was her brother but the thought that Ronan was saying he was cute and he might be her brother made her sick.

“Aye you're talking about my brother...maybe” Calla let out a muffled laugh

“Better watch yourself snake” Ronan growled at her and she growled back. Luckily for everyone in the room, Gansey spoke up before the two really got into it.

“What do you mean your brother Jane” Y/N made a face of confusion

“I thought your name was Blue,” He said

“No time to explain, I am Blue but Jane to him. Now you said you could explain start talking” Blue took a seat and gestured for the boys' to do the same.

“I can only explain what I know but I think she knows the rest” Y/N tilted his head towards Mora. the group nodded. Gansey pulled out his notebook and placed on the table along with a pen. Once Gansey was settled Y/N began.

“Their isn’t much I can tell you but here I go. I woke up around five days ago on a small island a little ways out from henerata, I had a small not attached to my chest. It said my name Y/N sargent, and an address the one to this house” he pointed at the ceiling “ it said find your Blue sister that’s you” he now pointed at Blue “ there was more though it said Find your Blue sister so you can find Glendwore” Gansey let a sight gasp fall from his lips.

“Do you still have the note, I am Gansey by the way, hello” Gansey stuck out his hand. Blue wasn’t sure if he did it to shake Y/N’s hand or the note. She wanted to chuckle when she realized that is just how good Richard Cambell Gansey III was. He had clearly stuck his hand out for the note but Gansey being himself needed a polite reason to stick his hand out.

Y/N swapped the note during his hand shake with Gansey. Gansey tucked the note into his journal and looked back at the new boy. He did look like Jane but that was impossible. But island don’t just spit out brothers even if Glendowor was at play.

“I’m Adam” Adam broke the silence of the room “that’s Ronan, and the pale one is Noah he is a ghost… so we are used to the supernatal around here” Y/N smiled something about Adam made him feel more comfortable. Blue paid little attention to the interaction she back to staring at her mother.

“He is your brother, your twin in fact” everyone's eyes snapped to Mora. “ when you were born, both of you” she swung her head between the twins. “ We all lived here for a while you two, me and buttercup”

Gansey turned towards Adam “ his real name isn’t buttercup right” Adam shook his head at the unGansey like thing His friend had said.

”Then one day Butter cup disappeared and he took Y/N with him” Mora lowered her head in disappointment “ we looked for you, Y/N. Day and night but after a while the search stopped” she looked back up at the boy.

“You didn’t think to tell me all of this?!” Blue’s tone made even Ronan shy away from her

“She did what she thought was best for you, leave it at that” Calla was the one that dared to push Blue. Blue just ignored her. Breaking her gaze with her mother she turned towards Gansey.

“Take us to Monmouth” Gansey just nodded his head exciting the room the rest of the raven boys following in suit

“Come on Y/N” Blue grabbed her brothers sleeve and dragged him out of the room. He went along with it sending a sad glance back to the three physics.

They all got into the car sharing no words. Blue rode in the front as Y/N sat in the back sandwiched between Ronan and Adam. Y/N stared at Ronan, he freighten Y/N causing the boy to slide a tad closer to Adam. The bird perched on Ronan shoulder started to screech at Y/N.

“Do you want to hold her?” the question surprised Y/N as Ronan had whispered it. Y/N just shook his head yes. Ronan stuck out his finger, reaching towards his shoulder. Chainsaw walked elegantly onto it.

“Is this okay?” Y/N asked as he held his cupped hands out towards Ronan. Ronan shook his head and place chainsaw into the smaller boys hands. Once the bird had settled Ronan placed his hands over Y/N’s.

“You can flatten your hands a little” Ronan whispered Flatten both of their hands but didn’t make a move to remove his hands from the smaller boy’s.

Blue watch this exchange from the rearview mirror. She caught Ronan’s eye as they pulled into the Monmouth parking. A sudden jerk of the car caused Ronan’s hands to slip and fall on Y/N’s thighs. Blue shot Ronan a furiors look one that said watch it lynch that’s still my brother back there.

Once the six of them were inside (Noah appeared as Gansey was unlocking the door scaring the shit out of everyone) they didn’t know how to act. Blue never actually came over to Monmouth to hang out, they always went somewhere on some grand scheme to find Glendower.

So the six sat on the couch in slients about an hour in Adam stood up and announced that he had to go to work. The remaining five teens watch from the couch as he collected his jacket, car keys, and wallet. Their eyes followed as he gave one last wave disappearing out of the front door. The five pairs of eyes snapped away from the door and back towards each other.

“Well I for one am done with this bull shit” Ronan said as he left heading for his room.

“Ro-” Gansey started at him, but dropped it. He looked back to Blue giving her smile that Y/N thought meant more than he was seeing.

“Blue, do you want to go talk?” She shot Y/N a gaze. He stood up quickly.

“Umm Gansey you possible have some place I could lay down” The boy asks desperate to leave the room. Gansey ripped his eyes away from Blue and was faced with the boyish version of her.

“Um yes, of course. Noah’s room is right down that hall I am sure he won’t mind” all parties eyes went to look at Noah’s barely visible form that remained on the couch. He gave a small head shake a weak smile plastered on his and then he disappeared completely.

Y/N opened his mouth to say something turning back to Gansey and his sister, They were both staring back at each other not seeming alarmed that their friend just disappeared off of the couch. Their calmness made Y/N drop the subject and turn his attention to the hallway.

There were two doors at the end of the hallway. One had music coming from behind it, it was some type of rock. Ronan’s, Y/N thought and before he could think, his hand reached for the knob.

Ronan’s room looked how you would expect it would, well not really Y/N thought Ronan’s room would be bare nothing there except a bed but this looked like Ronan, band posters, dark, and CD’s throw all over the floor. It was messy Y/N thought but so was Ronan.

Ronan looked up from his spot on his bed, he smiled at Y/N. A smile that Y/N thought looked odd on his face, nice almost sweet but weird for a person like Ronan.

“Do you like rock?” Ronan asked leaning over to pause the song

“I uhh honestly don’t know” Y/N asked scratching the back of his neck as if it would relieve his awkwardness. Ronan patted the side of the bed next to him. Y/N moved sitting down making sure to leave a small gap between him and the other boy.

“This is the best song there is” the song started with a heavy beat and a “squash one”. Both boys sat facing forward, let the music fill their bodies and shake their rib cages.

The song slowly started to fade out, both boys turned to look at each other. Y/N smiled widely at Ronan. Hardass Ronan Lynch couldn’t help but smile back at the younger boys excitement for his music.

“I liked that” Y/N said

“I have more if you” Ronan was cut off by Y/N shaking his head. Y/N stifle back a yawn as Ronan leaned over to replace the CD. He really was tired he hadn’t fully lied to Gansey.

“Are you okay?” Ronan asked as he turned back to see Y/N holding his hand against his mouth. He nodded his head once again less enthusiastic this time. Another yawn rifled through his body.

“You can lay down if you want, music better that way anyways. Can feel it better” Ronan grabbed his ribs. Y/N was too tired to realize that this situation should be awkward. He watched as Ronan moved closer to stereo giving room on the bed for Y/N to lay down if he wanted, which he did.

Y/N crawled into the hole Ronan had created leaning his small frame towards the wall. He eyes closed as soon as he head hit and just like that he fell asleep to the sound of rock and the smell of gasoline. Which is to say the smell of Ronan.

[exyjunkies]

“Well, damn, I think we’re playing this Seven Minutes in Heaven game a little wrong, are we not?”

Between the both of them, Ronan had spoken first. The silence for the past half-minute had been deafening, with the noise of those outside the closet an almost distant thrum. With the gap of two years since their last encounter, the whole situation was uncomfortable. And terribly awkward.

Adam wasn’t sure whether he wanted to kill him, or...

“Why did you go here tonight?” Adam hoped that Ronan flinched. “You knew I was going to be here.”

“Ah,” Ronan sounded mildly offended. “Because I’m the kind of ex that just knows where you’ll be every day of the week. Of course.”

“Not like that, dumbass. If you don’t already know--”

“I do know. You’re dating Chris, the best friend of the host of this party, and part of the rowing team. Yeah. I got it.”

It sounded like the drone of class recitation. A significant part of Adam really wanted to punch him.

“Then why are you here?”

“Gansey dragged me along. Said it was about time I stopped being single.”

An ache made its way into Adam’s chest, and Adam thanked his stars that the closet was relatively dark on his end. He didn’t know whether or not he should correct what Ronan just said about Chris, who had broken things off just this afternoon. The only reason he was here was because the bars near campus were all full, and he seriously needed a drink.

Very unlike him to seek alcohol, especially when his classes this semester were particularly demanding, but exams weren’t for another two weeks anyway.

Adam, you know I absolutely love that you’re so school-oriented. It’s just...

Just what?

Chris had fiddled with his phone, not wanting to look him in the eye. It’s just... I don’t think we fall on the same spectrum. Y’know. In terms of priorities.

Adam had braced himself for a fight. Hmm. Fine. And you think I should be the one to adjust. Cool.

No, you wouldn’t have to do that. I think... for both our sake, we should break up.

Adam had said nothing, merely gave a huge enough sigh that Chris had thought he was absolutely devastated.

Adam wouldn’t go so far as to say that he expected it. It was just that...by now, he had thought that Chris already understood that he wouldn’t be able to move up from his spot on the priority list, which went academics and then everything else.

But I mean, we can still be friends, yeah? Chris had pulled Adam into a hug, and Adam had barely registered how he felt about the whole thing as he nodded dumbly on Chris’ shoulder. In that moment, all he could think about was getting back to the paper he had been writing.

Chris wasn’t at the party later that night, which gave Adam the hint that he was genuinely sad about the whole thing. And Adam was too. Only a little bit, but he really was. Chris was a great guy, and they’ve been dating for almost three months. Chris was opinionated and good-humored, and was able to keep an intellectually stimulating conversation with Adam around half the time.

Also, he was gorgeous.

A few hours after the breakup, after Adam had done his paper and then a bit of processing, he found that he couldn’t tell when he had stopped.

Stopped putting as much effort as he was expected to, to make things work. Stopped looking forward to seeing Chris. Stopped caring about when Chris told him how his day was, stopped being excited to tell Chris about his.

At the end of everything, Adam had realized that he was just... tired.

And that things with Chris, as much as he had tried (and oh, did he try), could never be the same as--

“And yet you’ve landed yourself in here. With me.” Adam knocked his head back, closing his eyes. The bottle just had to point itself at Adam, not at the guy next to him. Some guy named Dan. Maybe if it were him, Ronan’s time in here would’ve been more worthwhile. Stupid beer bottle.

“Well, we can just... sit here and do nothing, if that’s what you want. We’ve got around five minutes more.”

The closet was big enough that they didn’t need to stay close to each other. It smelled of dust and fabric softener. Adam found a wall to lean back against, and slid down to the floor, bringing his knees up and hugging them.

There was a few seconds of fumbling on Ronan’s end, until Adam’s eyes burned against the light bulb above. He blinked up against the brightness and frowned.

“Found the stupid switch,” Adam heard Ronan mumble, then he heard a thump, not too far from him. Ronan had decided to sit next to him.

And for the next half minute or so, they sat in silence. Adam looked down at his shoes, swallowing the lump in his throat. Even with the space of years between them, Adam wondered if this was how he wanted things to go. If he wanted the both of them to sit there and do nothing. His body was so, so heavy with fatigue, and he wanted nothing more than to go home.

To go home and feel like it was home.

“Um--”

“Ro--”

Ronan’s surprised laugh was muffled by his hand. He tilted his head up and against the wall. “You first.”

“I...” And Adam could’ve said many things.

There were so many things he needed to get out.

Instead, he went for, “I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.”

Ronan’s head rolled sideways to look at him. And that patience, that understanding, the part of Ronan that had made the biggest hole in Adam’s heart when Ronan had left, was clear as day.

“It’s our senior year, and I still hold that sentiment, Parrish.”

“It’s not like me, you know? I’ve always... always been... been me. And nothing, not any class, not any bully, not even any bad relationship, had gotten in the way of that. And that worked out fine for me.”

“You still hold top spot in all your classes. Probably.”

Top two in his physics class, but Adam wasn’t about to admit that. “But then I’ve never felt this... this helpless. I’m just so...? Done with it all. Nothing in my life feels worth it anymore. It’s hard.”

And maybe Adam felt something tug in his chest when Ronan inched closer, sliding against the wall, until they touched shoulders. He didn’t even know if they were past seven minutes already.

“Listen, Adam,” Ronan said, voice a little rough. “I know I may not be the best person for this type of crap, but I know you have it in you to get back up and make things better for yourself. It’s what I’ve always admired you for, you know? Being able to do that. You have other people around you who believe in you. Gansey and Noah and Sargent. Maybe Cheng, if you get to see him around. Your teachers, because I’m sure as hell you’re buddy-buddy with a lot of them. Those guys on the decathlon team.” He cleared his throat a bit. “And of course, there’s that one person who keeps you together every step of the way.” Ronan shook his head, a small smile on his face. “You can’t forget that.”

He probably meant Chris. Adam sighed, closing his eyes again. His next words were so soft, and yet it seemed like they filled the closet.

“Chris and I are done, Ronan.”

A beat of silence followed, which felt a lot longer than it actually was.

Then, Ronan’s voice was low and dark. “Did he hurt you?”

“No.”

“Then why?”

A tear had left Adam’s eye before he could help it, and it felt onto his jacket sleeve. He sniffled and shook his head. Ronan shot him a concerned look.

“It was--ah, God--many things, I guess. He broke it off. Said he didn’t have the same priorities as I did. Which was... fine. I’m not sad about it.” Adam stared straight ahead. “It was probably a long time coming.”

Ronan was silent after that, and Adam understood. It was because in this moment, he didn’t know his place with Adam yet.

“I don’t think I loved him,” Adam continued, answering one of the questions Ronan was probably itching to ask. He felt Ronan tense beside him. “We never said the words to each other either. He was great, but... I don’t think there was ever that pull. We were together for quite a bit, but it never got to that point.”

“How long?”

“Almost three months.”

“Shit.”

“I know. I don’t know how I even made it past one.”

And Ronan laughed then, loud and true, and hearing it made Adam’s heart jump. Just a little. 

But enough that Adam had laughed a bit too.

“You are many things tonight, Adam Parrish, and one of them is a complete asshole.”

“I deserve a prize or some shit for my level of tolerance.”

Ronan shook his head in amusement, and looked up at the ceiling again. The tension between them had eased considerably, a huge weight falling off of Adam’s shoulders. Adam wondered if this was what it felt like to be removed from everything he had to do, everything he had to be.

“You deserve so much better, yeah?” Ronan said, knocking his head once against Adam, and Adam felt that tug again, a little stronger this time. “You’ll be okay.”

Relief flooded Adam’s system, and Ronan was near him, was so close to him that the cogs in Adam’s brain were starting to malfunction. He was just broken up with a few hours ago, for fuck’s sake. He shouldn’t be feeling like this.

It shouldn’t feel this right.

“Guys?” Two knocks on the door came, and Adam mentally cursed. Fucking seven minutes. “Time’s up. I know you guys must be enjoying, though, but hurry up.”

Laughter came from the rest of the people outside, amidst shouts of Get a room! and Aren’t you guys broken up already, anyway? Ronan exhaled steadily.

“I guess we’re done here,” he said, and Adam felt all the peace drain from him as Ronan moved away and stood up. Ronan offered a hand, then withdrew it when Adam shook his head.

“Suit yourself,” Ronan said, turning around, and Adam just couldn’t take it anymore.

“Wait. Ronan. Stop. I--” Adam did his best to scramble to his feet, his legs not taking kindly to being suddenly held upright. He held onto the wall for leverage.

“Something wrong?”

Adam was frustrated now, as more knocks came from outside. “Okay. It can’t just be me.”

“What--”

“Do you not feel it too? Ronan. Ronan. I get it now. Or... at least I think I do. It’s been too fucking long. And you’re finally here.”

Ronan crossed his arms. Something moved along his features, as if he was trying to make sense of the matter. “But you broke up with me. Why should there be anything--”

“I don’t know, okay? I don’t know why I’m feeling something. But it feels right, Ronan, it feels like we fit. And we might’ve ended on one of the worst possible notes back then, but believe me when I say that ours was the last time I ever tried to fight for a relationship.”

Adam had taken too much out of himself with that monologue, and he slumped back against the wall, barely holding himself up. He was breathing a little heavily, but he wasn’t done.

“The others that followed, they all went as easily as they came, because I never tried to make them stay. There was nothing compelling me to do so. But you, Ronan. We fought so much, and each time, I was so, so scared I was going to lose you. It did get to a point where we had to go our separate ways. It really was too much to handle back then. But now. Now I see why the others didn’t mean as much. As much as I tried to forget about all of it, I don’t think I ever stopped feeling the way I felt about you.”

Ronan’s hands were clenched into fists as Adam finished, chest heaving a little.

Then, Ronan surged forward, cupping Adam’s face with his hands as he kissed him.

It was a mix of grief and relief and anger and happiness and pain and regret, and Adam wrapped his arms around Ronan, holding him as close as possible. Ronan’s tongue licked into Adam’s mouth, and it was everything Adam had been missing since all those years ago. Adam’s face was streaked with more tears now, because he didn’t realize he was holding onto so damn much. Now, he was more than ready to let everything go.

They pulled apart after a few minutes, Adam resting his forehead against Ronan’s and Ronan wiping Adam’s tears away. The knocks became louder, more insistent.

“Go the fuck away, asshole!” Ronan turned to shout at the door.

“Heh. Classy.”

“You’re one to fucking talk.” Ronan’s arm slipped around Adam’s body.

And as much as Adam wanted to continue the kissing (because the drought had lasted so long and he was here, he was here), they still needed to finish talking.

“Ro’, if we do this again, I... I wouldn’t know what to do if we fucked up again.”

Ronan looked Adam in the eyes, a determined look on his face. Adam’s heart was beating hard against his chest, and he took a deep breath to calm himself down.

“I can’t promise that we won’t, Adam.” And Ronan’s other hand went up to cup Adam’s jaw. “But I swear that I will be with you to fix things if we do.”

It was honesty, brutal and real, and Adam held onto it like a lifeline. He nodded, closing the space between them and kissing Ronan again, a little slower this time around. 

Because if Ronan could admit to their shared humanity, their similar capability to make mistakes, then maybe this time around, everything will be alright.

[swimmingwolf59]

Vines and Ravens

(A/N) Just so you guys know, there is a scene with self-harm in this, so please proceed with caution!! ;w; 

When Ronan was ten, he ran into his soulmate. Literally.

His family had been picnicking at the local park, spread out in the grass near a playground. It was a summer weekend afternoon so the park was packed; children ran every which way screaming and laughing and adults covered almost the entire area with blankets and umbrellas. After Aurora had wrestled sunscreen onto the boys, she set them loose playing tag with the other children and throwing a football with Niall.

Ronan was running his hardest to catch up to a ball that Niall had accidentally chucked too high when it happened. He hadn’t been paying attention, looking up for the ball instead of watching where he was going, and it surprised him when he solidly collided with another body. They tumbled to the ground, Ronan falling on top of the other person and rolling painfully into the dirt.

“Ow…” someone groaned, and Ronan blinked his eyes open to stare at them.

He was another boy about Ronan’s age with dirt blonde hair and eyes as blue as the ocean when he met Ronan’s gaze. Ronan found himself memorized for reasons he hadn’t understood then as he stared at the boy gingerly sitting up beside him. He almost said something to him, but just then his arms started tingling.  

When he looked down, dark green vines had emerged on his fingers and were slowly crawling their way up his hands and to his wrists. He was wearing a tank-top, so he was able to watch as the vines spread up and up and up his arms until they curled into leaves on his shoulders and stopped. The other boy stared at the growing tattoos with wide eyes. He was wearing a long-sleeve shirt and pants so Ronan couldn’t tell if his marks were growing too but they had to be. There was no such thing as one-sided soulmate marks.

At ten, Ronan didn’t fully understand the implications of what had just happened. He barely understood concepts like ‘true love’ and ‘soulmates’. He did understand, though, that he was supposed to like the person who made his marks emerge.

But before he could say anything, his soulmate hurriedly stood and fled in the opposite direction.

Later, Declan told him he had a whole forest on his back. Normally, soulmate marks were small, only encompassing a wrist or a shoulder blade. But Ronan’s spanned the entire length of his back, his shoulders, and both of his arms. Aurora said that it was because the love he would share with his soulmate was larger than most people’s.

She didn’t have an answer for why, if that was true, his soulmate had turned and bolted the other way.  

As Ronan grew, he gradually began to understand what had happened that day. He’d supposedly met the love of his life, who had been another boy.  This meant that he was a boy that liked boys. In church, Ronan learned that this was something weird: soulmates were always between a man and a woman. But his family never said anything. They never said he was a sinner or tried to change him. Instead, they had speculated about who the boy could be and if it would be possible to find him. When Ronan entered Aglionby, they hopefully believed that Ronan might meet his soulmate there.

But Ronan had a feeling he wouldn’t. Because the other thing he had come to understand was that he had supposedly met the love of his life and, instead of wanting to get to know him, his soulmate had ran. Why? Had he found Ronan repulsive, in some way? Had he scared him? Declan always told him he had a scary face.

At first, it didn’t bother him. It wasn’t like he’d ever see the guy again.

Then he found his father beaten to death in the driveway. Then he learned that the opposite of love was hate and that it was so, so easy to hate yourself and twist everything that ever happened into another reason to hate yourself. Then he realized that if even his soulmate, who was supposed to love him more than anyone else on earth, didn’t love him, then who would? Was everyone in this world destined to leave him behind?

He soon learned to hate the marks. He’d once thought them beautiful and intricate and as a child he’d sometimes stay up late and imagine the person who would have such beautiful marks in their soul. Now he only saw it as a reminder that everything was shit and that Ronan Lynch was meant to walk the path of pain and suffering.

It hurt so goddamn much.

Throwing himself out of bed, Ronan slipped into the bathroom. He’d moved out by then, as being at home had been too agonizing, so he pulled out a beer from Gansey’s fridge and sat heavily on the toilet. From the counter, he grabbed his razor.

He stared at his arms until the vines and leaves blurred and he could no longer see their details. Where one stem dangled down the slender skin of his wrist, he slashed into it with the razor. Then he did the same with the other one.  Ronan watched the blood red run down his hands and cover the green vines on his fingers.

There. Now it was all over.

Or so he’d thought.

He woke up in the hospital, his mother and Matthew crying by his bedside and his wrists pulsing with pain. Declan was talking to someone on the phone in the doorway and Gansey leaned on the wall, staring at him. He wasn’t crying, but the red rim around his eyes made it obvious that he had been, and he stared at Ronan with such fear that Ronan had to close his eyes again.

That day, he learned that he only knew how to hurt the people he cared about.

No wonder his soulmate hadn’t wanted to stick around.

-- 

Adam had been lucky with his soulmate marks.

They were large—flocks of ravens covered his chest, wrapping their wings around his heart, claws and beaks sharp against his skin—but they were confined entirely to his chest and easily covered by a shirt. This was lucky, because Adam’s father had never found his own soulmate, and Adam had known instinctively, as he watched those marks crawl up that boy’s arms, that he’d get in trouble. If his father had seen that he’d accomplished something like that when he hadn’t there would be hell to pay.

He was also lucky in the fact that his soulmate hadn’t run after him when their marks had emerged. If his father had seen that his soulmate was male…he couldn’t even bear to think about it.

But his father hadn’t seen, and so Adam went on with his life only removing his shirt when he was sure neither of his parents could see. Sometimes, at night, he stared at the ravens on his chest and wondered what his soulmate was like. He knew it was likely that he would never run into him again—and even if he did it was unlikely his soulmate would actually love him after knowing who he was—but he couldn’t help but wonder.

Part of him regretted that he hadn’t stuck around to at least learn his name.

Adam grew and worked his ass off and made it into Aglionby, despite his dad blocking him every step of the way. On the first day of class, Adam got to first period early, not wanting to seem anything less than perfect, and to his surprise found someone already there. He was standing at the whiteboard, writing something on it so fiercely that it made the marker squeak horrendously with each stroke. He was wearing a leather jacket, dark, tight skinny jeans, and combat boots and he had a completely shaved head; that on top of his behavior convinced Adam that he was a delinquent.

But he was early to class.

And he was writing in nearly fluent Latin.

And he was dangerously attractive.

Standing directly behind him, Adam observed his sentences. He couldn’t parse together all of it, but it seemed to be a crude joke of some kind. He found himself smirking, despite everything.

“You know, if you hide the eraser when you’re done your joke will be up there forever.”

The boy startled so badly he dropped the marker. Whirling around, he fixed a glare on Adam that was so deadly it could keel gods. Adam wasn’t a god, but he also wasn’t easily intimidated. He didn’t sense any danger underneath the glare.

The boy stared at him for an unsettling minute before whipping back around to the board. “I should’ve thought of that.”

Adam hid a smile in his shoulder. “Obviously you need to brush up on your delinquent tactics.”

Adam didn’t know where this was all coming from. Adam Parrish did not flirt with people who looked like they belonged in a motorcycle gang.

“Fuck off, man,” the boy said, but his posture was relaxed. “I’m not done with my masterpiece yet, though. Can I trust you with the honors…?”

It took Adam a ridiculously long time to realize that he was asking for his name. “Adam. Parrish.”

“Alright. Think fast, Parrish.” Before he was even done speaking, the boy tossed the eraser at Adam who somehow managed to catch it with only minimal fumbling.

While Adam poked around for the perfect place to hide the eraser, the boy continued his scribbling on the board, both of them silently engaged in their tasks. Adam was removing a book from the bookshelf to test if the eraser could hide behind it without giving away the fact that something was behind it when the boy suddenly spat out, “You’re not gonna ask me for my name?”

Deeming that it was pretty much unnoticeable unless someone knew to look for it, Adam carefully placed the eraser at the back of the bookshelf and put the book back in. “I figured you would tell me if you wanted me to know.”

“It’s Ronan. Ronan Lynch,” the boy said so quickly the words nearly tumbled over themselves.

Adam didn’t know what to think about the fact that Ronan had basically just admitted he’d wanted Adam to know his name.

“Okay, Lynch, then tell me this—” Adam leaned back on the bookshelf, smirking as Ronan immediately adopted a defensive posture, “—do you do this often?”

It was weird, how quickly Ronan relaxed. A savage grin even started to tug on his lips, apparently unaware that Adam was in a position where he could see it. “Only on Mondays.”

Adam laughed. “It’s Wednesday.”

“Well shit, Parrish, school just started – it’s essentially a Monday,” Ronan quipped before stepping back to admire his work. “How’s it look?”

“Like chicken scratch,” Adam admitted honestly.

“Fuck you,” Ronan replied, but his tone almost sounded playful. “Bet you don’t even know what it says.”

“Yeah, because I literally can’t read it.”

Ronan barked out a loud laugh, apparently startling them both if Ronan’s wide-eyed look was anything to go by. Abruptly, Ronan strode to a desk in the back and threw himself down into it, tossing his legs up on the table as he did so in one violent, fluid motion. He seemed incapable of moving any other way. As Adam watched him, Ronan roughly shrugged out of his jacket, not seeming to care as it fell to the floor.

Unabashedly, Adam’s eyes trailed to his arms and his heart stopped beating.

Because underneath his jacket he wore a black tank-top so that his arms and shoulders, and the marks that were on them, were on complete and total display. And Adam could never forget those marks. They reflected everything he felt inside, everything he was.

Ronan caught him looking, and for a second it felt like time itself had stopped. “Yeah, they’re fucking everywhere, I know. My mom always said it was because of some ‘true love’ bullshit, but my asshole of a soulmate ran off without a second glance. Didn’t even get the fucker’s name.”

Adam didn’t know what to say. The bitterness in Ronan’s tone was throwing him off, and he felt like a fish out of water every time his eyes scanned over those marks. He hadn’t been prepared for a scenario where he ran into his soulmate again. He hadn’t thought it was possible, and his brain still couldn’t seem to figure out that it was happening.

Ronan sucked in a breath. “…It was you, wasn’t it.”

It wasn’t a question.

Adam stared down at his shoes, angry with himself. All of those times he’d dreamed of running into his soulmate again and he couldn’t even figure out a damn word to say to him.

Ronan’s boots eventually stomped into his line of sight until he was standing toe to toe with Adam. For an insane, wild moment Adam thought he was going to kiss him. But Ronan just growled, “Fuck all the way off.”

And then left, slamming the door behind him.

--

 Ronan felt explosive.

He couldn’t believe he ran into his soulmate again, and here of all places. He couldn’t believe that he’d been starting to like that fucker and his stupid witty remarks and his stupid freckles and his stupid gorgeous hands—

“Ronan, wait—” And there he was now, taunting Ronan at every step, just as he always had.

Ronan had nothing to say to him. He’d spent years getting over the hurt and self-loathing that Adam had helped cause and had finally gotten to a place where he felt relatively at peace with himself. He still hated himself, but the hatred didn’t run so deep that he felt like taking a knife to his skin again.

So of course Adam had to show up again now.

“Oh, now you chase after me, huh?” Ronan snarled, hastening his pace.

But somehow Adam managed to catch up to him anyway. “Just shut up and come in here with me for a sec.” Adam grabbed his arm and dragged him into the nearby bathroom.

“I don’t want to hear your fucking excuses!” Ronan growled, yanking his arm out of Adam’s grasp.

Adam turned his blue eyes on him. Honestly, Ronan should’ve guessed it right away – how could he ever forget those eyes? “I’m not giving you an excuse. I’m trying to show you why I did what I did that day.”

“So, you’re giving me an excuse.” Ronan rolled his eyes but settled back on one of the sinks and waited.

Just because he was in a better place didn’t mean he was any less self-destructive.

But instead of talking, Adam turned on a different sink and started roughly washing his face. Ronan almost snarled at him—seriously, this asshole was making him wait so he could wash his goddamn face?—but then something caught his eye and he froze.

As the water rinsed down Adam’s face, so too did a concealer of some sort, slowly revealing an ugly bruise that spanned nearly the entire half of his face around his eye. It was harsh and purple and throbbing and Ronan sucked in a hard breath at the sight of it. The anger in his gut bled into his veins and he wanted to punch the wall until his skin broke.

“…Who the fuck did this?”

Adam didn’t reply for a long time, instead staring at his reflection in the mirror. Ronan realized suddenly that this was a secret, something that he wasn’t supposed to know but was being trusted with anyway.

“My dad,” Adam eventually said, his voice so quiet Ronan barely heard him.

Ronan exhaled. He understood now. It hadn’t been about him at all; it had been about what it would’ve looked like. He understood, but he didn’t know what to do with the information. He both wanted to ask and didn’t want to know how long this had been going on; he wanted to ask where he lived so he could go beat the shit out of that bastard—

But he didn’t ask any of that.

“Can I see your marks?” Ronan asked instead, softer than he’d intended.

Adam turned and stared at him for a long time. For a second, Ronan thought he would refuse him. But then he gave a miniscule nod and started unbuttoning his uniform. Ronan watched with apt attention as he turned off the sink and draped his uniform carefully over it before shucking off his t-shirt in one smooth motion.

When there was only bare skin left, Ronan felt like he couldn’t breathe.

Ravens flooded Adam’s chest, their wings a feathered frenzy as they crossed over each other and fought each other to fly. Most of the ravens seemed to be fighting to get to Adam’s heart, and the only one at peace was the one that had its wings over Adam’s heart, but there were some ravens that were flying downwards too, their claws and tails leaving a clear trail right down to—

Ronan snapped his eyes up. He felt like he was blushing but couldn’t seem to stop.

He wondered if this was why Adam had been so speechless earlier – to see himself so clearly in art on someone else’s body…

Ronan felt weak in the knees.

Before he even knew it he was stepping forward, gently pressing his hands to the ravens on Adam’s ribs. Adam stiffened but didn’t push him away, so Ronan took it as a sign to let his fingers roam, carefully exploring over skin and ink. Adam let out a shaky breath as Ronan traced one of the raven’s beaks over his heart. His long fingers skittered up Ronan’s arms, following both his veins and the veins of the leaves. “Do you have them just on your arms?”

“No, I’ve got a whole fucking forest.” Ronan took off his tank top and turned around so that Adam could see his back.  

Adam didn’t say anything for so long that Ronan almost looked back to see what his expression was. But then he felt Adam’s fingers splay out gently across his back, his hands startingly cool. Ronan barely suppressed a shiver.

“I’m sorry I hurt you by running away,” Adam said. “I regretted doing it every day since then.”

“You had your reasons.” Ronan firmly believed that now. The hurt wouldn’t heal as quickly—that shit was ingrained—but he didn’t feel so angry at Adam anymore. How could he, when he’d just been acting out of self-preservation? “Besides, I would have been fucked up these last few years anyway even if you hadn’t.”

“Yeah, but maybe I could’ve been there for you,” Adam said and suddenly started mouthing at his back.

Ronan jumped and whirled around, startled. He was definitely blushing now.

Adam was smirking, the bastard. “Too soon?”

Ronan swallowed. “No…it just, uh, tickled.”

Adam stared at him for two seconds before he burst out laughing. Ronan found himself fighting back a grin as he stepped forward and grabbed Adam’s cheeks gently in his hands.

“Shut the fuck up,” he growled, and kissed him.

Adam kissed him back hungrily, his hands gripping at Ronan’s forearms. Their marks hummed between them, warmth searing up Ronan’s arms and down his back. It was almost scary how much Ronan wanted to kiss him, how much he wanted to erase the space between them. The emotions he felt for him were like a tsunami, drowning him and knocking down the few pillars of defense that he had left.

But he never wanted it to stop. It was too exhilarating.

…Hell, maybe his mom had been right about what his marks meant.

“You better not run away this time,” Ronan murmured when they parted, both gasping for air. He’d meant it as a joke, but it didn’t come out that way.

Adam touched his cheek. “I won’t.”

[treebananas]

Tale As Old As Time

Whoo y'all this fic took a lot out of me, but it is definitely one of my favorites that I've ever written.

Disclaimer: I do not own Maggie Steifvaters characters nor do I own any of the beauty and the beast plot. I've used lyrics from the songs, lines from the script, and a description for the beast, but they are not mine, they are the beauty and the beast production teams.

Summary: beauty and the beast au where Adam is belle, Ronan is the beast, blue is Maurice, and tad is gaston. Pynch week day 2: musical au Adam/Belle POV

Word count: 5507

Adam Parrish and Blue Sargent lived together in a small village in the town of Henrietta, Virginia. The two are the closest thing to family that they have. Blue had family, but left to pursue her own life. They worked together perfectly because they had a mutual interest in making things. Blue made clothes while Adam made inventions. The provincial village disliked the two of them and called them funny. Adam guessed they were. The village people and Adam and Blue had different views on living in general. They didn't like how Blue spoke her mind and wasn't as clean cut as the rest of the women. Blue wasn't a slave to her husband and she loved being single. Adam on the other hand needed to be more demanding in the people's eye. He has to be with Blue in a romantic relationship because living together without any relationship was sinful. Adam and Blue liked their situation because it suited them. Adam would never complain about the hateful town. It was heaven compared to his old life. The village people couldn't see that. They were uptight and rigid and their opinions couldn't be swayed, but the rent was cheap.

Adam started another long day by going into the crowded marketplace for the morning chores, but Adam had an early morning and Blue was working on a design for a fashion fair. The marketplace wasn't as bad this morning as it usually was. He could deal with the whispers and gossip that floods the streets as long as he could get his hands on his favorite book, Alice in Wonderland. Something about the book gives him the sense of childhood he had ruined for him.

Adam returned back to the cottage in about two hours with clean clothes, food for two days, and his favorite book.

He called out, “Blue, I'm home!”

He heard a returning, “I'm in the workshop. I need your help.” and ran to the room.

The workshop was the biggest and most important room in the house besides the room that Blue and Adam share for a bedroom. It's as colorful on Blues side as it is gray and monochrome on Adams side. It's full of the most useful invention and stylish clothing; it's also filled with impractical shit and hideous choices of colors. Blue and Adam worked side by side in this space creating the most marvelous goods. They would trade comments, test products, and listen to music through one of Adam's inventions as they worked.

Adam moved over to Blue’s colorful work table to see what she was working on. Blue was using one of Adams most effective inventions. It was a machine that did the sewing for Blue, so all she had to do was put fabric in and she could manipulate it to her desire.

“This ducking machine stopped working.” She barked.

Adam sorted and put the white thread in the right place and turned the wheel slightly. The foot moved briskly up and down placing the stitches in the right place.

She mumbled, “thank you,” and got back to work.

The clothing piece was turning out stunning; the colors were meshing together perfectly and made the piece tell a story.

Adam was brought out of his reverie by a knock on the front door. He jumped back and went to see who would interacts with ‘the crazies.’ At the door was Tad Carruthers, the town's most handsome bachelor, who had his eyes on Adam since Adam came into this village. Adam rolled his eyes secretly, but he let Tad in. Adam stood in the doorway, so Tad couldn't walk into the cottage.

He mustered the biggest, most fake smile and said, “Tad, what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Isn't it though.” Tad boasted. “Such a pleasure.”

Adam held back the scowl making its way onto his face and instead insisted, “It's always nice to have some conversation, but if it's not important, I have to get back to my inventions-”

“What are your thoughts on marriage?” Tad blurted.

Adam knew where this was going, but his eyes still bulged, “Marriage?”

“Yes, a handsome guy like yourself must have had thoughts about it. You are always thinking.”

“I can't say I've thought too much. All I have to say about it is that it will be at the right time and with the right person.”

“You're young, I'm young. What's a more perfect time?”

“Is this your way of asking me to marry you?”

So you are as dense as the village people say you are. Yes, Adam, I'm asking you to marry me.”

“Tad, I..I just don't deserve you.”

“The only other person that deserves me is me. You're a close second.”

“I'm sorry, I just can't.” Adam said, pushing Tad out the door.

When Adam told Blue this, she cried laughing.

“Could you imagine? He asked me to marry him. Me! The husband of that boorish, brainless…”

“Mister Carruthers!” Adam picked up a piece of some fabric laying around and draped it over his head. “Can't you just see it?!”

“Mister Carruthers!” He picked up a piece of scrap metal and pretend-shot it like a bow, “His other half!”

“No, Blue! Not me ! I guarantee it! I want much more than this bigoted life!”

He sighed, “I just want a different life than the village people, including Tad have planned.”

Blue exhaled and nodded, “Once I go to this fair, I'll be picked up by a fashion company and we can finally move to a better place with no snobs or fucking Tads. We can just..be.”

@    @   @

Blue left the next morning with her designs and a cart made of entirely Adams creation. It had everything Blue needed.

“It's just a few days,” Blue said as they hugged. “I'll be back before you know it.”

That was five days ago. Needless to say, Adam was worried. Sometimes Blue would stay a couple extra days if she liked the town or city, but they had an agreement to not stay five or more days. Adam decided to get out of the house and distract his mind from his anxious thoughts.

In the distance, he heard a horse whinnying. His eyes caught Gwenllian, Blue and Adams horse. Blue took Gwen to her fair and had Gwen pull the cart. Gwen wasn't connected to the cart or the harness appeared to be broken. She was waking up the entire village with how loud she was.

“Woah, girl calm down.” Adam tried to comfort, “Is Blue alright?”

At the sound of Blues name, Gwen cried out. Fear crept upon Adam.

Quickly, he said, “Alright, take me to her.”

He mounted Gwen and she took off galloping. She brought him last the village walls and into the deep forests that surround the town. She ran Blue normal path out of the woods until she turned a smaller, unknown path which took them deeper into the woods. Adam swore he could hear wolves howling in the distance. Through the woods, was a clearing. A huge, gray building was peering through the leaves. As they approached the building, Adam saw the turrets and grand steps. Not a regular building. Around the clearing all the trees and shrubbery was brittle and dry. Any architect would gape at the angles and smooth edges; Adam could draw it everyday and still find some new part of the exterior. Adams has dropped as Gwen continued to the castle.

“Wait here.” Adam told Gwen as he walked up to the unnerving castle steps.

He walked through the large door and called out, “Blue!”

He heard whispering around the main floor. Then, he heard coughing coming from a wing of the castle.

“Blue!” He screamed as he grabbed a neat candelabra and raced to the noise.

When he finally saw Blue, he saw the jail cell and threw himself down to meet her face.

She looked at him with a confused look on her face, “Adam?”

“Blue, I'm here. I'll get you out.”

“No, Adam. You have to get out of here and go home; forget about me. Quick, before he sees you!”

“Who sees me?”

A gruff voice called out, “What are you doing here?!”

A growl came from Adam's front left where he suspected the thing was lurking.”

“Let my friend go!” Adam demanded.

“Then who would pay her crimes?” The creature growled, “unless you would want to take her place.”

Silence came as Adam thought. “Come into the light.” He instructed.

Thee thing scoffed, but did as it was told. When the creature was illuminated, Adam saw the most hideous mix of a lion, buffalo, gorilla, boar, wolf, and beat. Adam flinched back, closing his eyes and reopening.

Adam mustered up his courage and clearly said. “Yes.”

Beside him, Blue cried, “Adam, no!”

“It is done.” The beast told, as he threw Adam in the cell and grabbed Blue.

“Don't hurt her!” He exclaimed, but it was no use.

He looked around at the cell walls and bars. This is where he would live forever. In his mind, Adam knew he should be rethinking his decisions, but he couldn't find one regret. Adam just hoped that there was a least a tiny bit of humanity in the talking creature that he would give Adam food. Unfortunately, it was fruitless to hope. These four walls were Adams future.

@   @   @

Adam woke up to sounds of creaky doors. This wasn't a dream. Adam thought to himself. He followed the sounds he heard and saw an open door, but no human to open it.

“Down here!”

Adam looked down to see the candelabra he picked up last night and a clock. He jumped back and screamed. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

“What the fuck?” He muttered.

“Name’s Henry, this is Noah. We're here to show you to your room.”

“Ronan's not gonna like this.”

“How is this possible?”

“A heartbroken warlock.”

“We can't tell you more.”

“My room?”

“Did you really think we weren't going to give you a room?”

“No?”

“Ronan might not like it, but we’ll just sick Gansey on him.”

Henry and Noah showed him to the east wing of the castle. They told him it was Adam’s bedroom. His bedroom was a beautiful room that could fit five of Blue and Adams workshops. The decor was simple, a desk, wardrobe, and huge bed. It was a room fit for a duke.

“While you're here.” Noah spoke. “Know that some objects are cursed people, the wardrobe including.” And with that they left.

Curious to what Noah was saying, Adam sauntered over to the wardrobe. It was fancy and delicate plastered with the mint green theme of the room. Hesitantly, Adam knocked on its wooden doors. It sprung to life. One half seemed to shine like a sunshine. The other side stayed prim and proper.

A teenage boys voice filtered through one of the doors, “A human? Finally, it's been getting lonely.”

A silky smooth voice like the beasts carried through the other half, “Really? I'm having trouble believing that you're lonely when we share a wardrobe and have for gen years.”

“Shut up, Declan.”

“Matthew where are you're manners?”

“Up my wooden ass.”

“Matthew!”

“It's so nice to see something that has actual skin.”

Adam cleared his throat, “Well, that Beast is holding me prisoner forever, so you'll see me a lot.”

“I swear to g-d when I'm human again. I'll be the first to punch him.”

“Declan! Get in line.”

Adam cleared his throat again, “I have to ask, why are y'all cursed?”

“We can't tell you. Only Ronan can.”

“I'm Declan, the oldest brother and heir to the throne. My other half is Matthew, the youngest child and literal sun. Ronan, as you call the Beast, is the middle child.”

“Trust me, Ronan is just easily angered. He’all calm down.”

As in cue, loud banging shook Adams room. The beasts loud voice followed, “Get the fuck downstairs for dinner.”

Adam called out a response, “I'm not hungry.”

A moment of silence, then a sign, “will you come down for dinner?”

“No”

“I...would...love if you could...come down for dinner...please.”

“No, thank you.”

“Fine, then go hungry for all I care. If he doesn't eat with me, he doesn't eat at all.”

@   @  @

Moments later silent tears still ran down Adams face. Part of him wished to run after the beast and beg for forgiveness and maybe that way, the beast might take mercy and let her go. He knew he couldn't think about life back home with Blue, but his mind wandered. How was Blue? Was she thinking of him? Did she miss him as much as he miss her? He also thought to what Blue would do in his situation. The answer was quite clear. He had to find something good in this tragic place even if his home, his heart was too far away. He would also have to build walls around himself. He could do this for Blue as long as she was home and free.

A knock at his door startled him. In strolled a teapot and teacup on a cart.

The teapot spoke with a politicians voice, “Would you like a cup of tea?”

Adam smiled, “That would be lovely.”

The teapot poured itself into the teacup. Adam lifted the teacup to his face and took a sip. The tea warmed all the way to his heart and chest. On its way down, Adam heard an inhumane noise erupt out of the teacup. He looked closely and saw a face adorned on the teacup.

“That was such a brace thing you did for your friend.” The teapot admitted. “We all think so.”

“I like you! I'm Opal!” The teacup screeched.

The teapot and Adam laughed. “I'm Gansey.”

“And I'm Adam.”

“Say Adam how would you like some dinner?”

“But what about ‘if he doesn't eat with me, she doesn't eat at all.’”

Ganseys look said it all. The three headed downstairs awaiting the dinner.

@.  @.  @.

Adam walked down the grand stairs with Gansey and Opal by his side. They led him into a ginormous dining room where the chair pulled out and tucked Adam in by itself. On the table was Henry and Noah.

Henry spoke, “Ah Adam! What an honor it is for you to join us this evening. Now watch as the dining room proudly presents your dinner! Please dig in. Be our guest!”

Dinner was a long affair. Music filtered out of the piano in the corner and Henry and Noah did a dance routine that was wonderfully choreographed. Every so often, Noah would remind them to quiet down, so Rona didn't hear. The occupants made an amazing meal with a mysterious gray stuff that melted in Adams mouth. The food made Adam sleepy and full. Adam mentioned to Gansey that he wanted a tour of the castle before bed. Noah called off dinner immediately and went to join the group for the tour. Henry put on his best tour guide voice and showed Adam the library and lower parts of the castle.

When the reached a certain room, Gansey took over and asked, “Say Adam, what do you know about Welsh Kings?”

@.  @.  @.

At some point during the tour, the objects made intense eye contact, but did not mention the huge staircase leading up to the wing. Adam asked about the bathrooms and when he saw the objects turn, he ran.

The wing was dark gloomy. It was covered in cobwebs, ripped clothing, and claw marks. There were pictures along the walls, but only one Adam could make out what the picture depicted. It was a man and women with three children all in royal outfits and huge smiles. The man and two oldest children had black slicked back hair and features that could cut glass. The women and youngest child had unruly, but flowing blonde curls and soft faces. The whole family shared striking, clear blue eyes that matched the beasts eyes. Over the middle childs face were long, deep, slash marks.

Adam moved to the center of the room where the moonlight hit a pedestal that held a mirror and glass case. In the mirror, Adam saw his face clear as day. He saw something move, but nothing was there. In the glass case was a raven with the feathers falling off. At the bottom were several of the black feathers. He saw that the raven did not have many feathers left.

The Beast appeared suddenly and screamed at Adam, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU COULD OF DONE?! YOU COULD OF DAMNED US ALL!! LEAVE, GET OUT!!”

The beast lunged at Adam, then observed the glass case. Adam screamed and ran. He high failed out of the west wing and bolted down the stairs to the door ignoring the screams from Gansey, Henry, and Noah.

He ran out of the haunted castle and rode Gwen into the thick woods. He was surrounded by trees and the pitch blackness of night. He didn't get very far when he stopped and heard the howling of the wolves. Their growls came from every direction and he knew he was screwed. He grabbed a stick as a weapon just as the first wolf attacked. He fought them as best he could, but he was outnumbered. He heard a deeper, more threatening growl and his first thought was shit more of them, but Adam was wrong. It was not more wolves, for it was the Beast coming to Adams rescue. There was the Beast, there was Ronan coming to protect Adam. Adam tried to help, but Ronan's growl at him told him to stay away. He took on several at once, throwing them away as if they were nothing. He finished 15 with ease, but the next wolf got a cheap shot at Ronan. He yelled out before finishing the rest of the wolves. Adam and him stared at each other over the piles of unconscious wolves. Adam was about to say something before Ronan's eyes became half lidded and he collapsed. Adam glanced at Gwen, then back at Ronan. He looked so vulnerable laying there in the cold snow. His wound was bleeding and he would die if Adam left him without help.

He crouched by Ronan's side and whispered, “I need your help. I need you to stand.”

Ronan shakingly obeyed and together they got Ronan on Gwen's back.

Together they would make it back to the castle.

@. @. @.

“Ow!”

“Stop fucking moving!”

“You're hurting me!”

“Well, I'm sorry, tough guy, but suck it up. And stop moving!”

Ronan pouts but hands his arm back to Adam. Adam looks at him, but applies water to his cuts anyways.

Ronan hisses and snatches his arm away, “This never would've happened if you hadn't run away.”

“I never would have run away if you hadn't of frightened me.” Adam said back.

“Well, you shouldn't have been in the west wing.”

“Well, you should learn to control your temper.”

Ronan humpfed  and turned over, showing Adam has wounded back. Adam got more water to clean them, but decided against it. He rings out the water and stands.

“I think we should all get some rest. See you tomorrow.”

Adam is almost out the door before he hears Ronan calling him.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

Adam smiles, nods, and walks back to his room.

@. @. @.

Days turned to months and Adam was still a prisoner at the castle. The days at the castle weren't as bad as to be expected. Ever since the wolf attack, Ronan hadn't been as hostile towards Adam. He could keep a conversation with Adam and they spent most meals together. Ronan was acting slightly more human like everyday. He would sit on chairs like a person and he and Adam made a compromise to sip from the bowl instead of attacking it or eating with a spoon. Adam would sometimes bring books from the library and read them during dinner.

Adam was delighted when he found Alice in Wonderland in the shelves. He brought it to the table and when Gansey came over to talk to Ronan, he pulled it out. He started reading from the beginning.

Ronan saw what Adam was reading and dropped his cup on the ground. Gansey ran to get someone to clean up the spill.

Adam asked, “Have you read this book before?”

“Alice was beginning to get very tired from sitting by the bank with her sister, and having nothing to do: once or twice she peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations on it…” Ronan recited.

Adams mouth gaped open. “You know it by heart?”

Ronan nodded, “It was my father's favorite. I used to go into your room and read it to Matthew and Declan because they couldn't read it anymore.”

And that was it.

One night, Adam came downstairs in some garments Matthew and Declan forced him in to find Ronan waiting at the bottom of the steps talking to Henry, Noah, and Gansey, but stopped at Adams arrival.

Henry whispered something to Ronan which he replied, “it's red?”

Henry and Noah groaned and Henry whispered something else in his ear. Ronan's eyes widened before nodding.

Ronan stepped closer to Adam, “Parrish you look...um...good. Nice red suit.”

Adam laughed, “Thank you, Lynch.”

The two lad shared more personal details together such as last names, but why the castle was cursed, Adam did not know.

Ronan cleared his throat, “Come on, Parrish, there's something I wanted to show you.”

They walked for fifteen minutes down an area of the castle Adam hadn't seen before which was surprising because exploring the castle had been Adam's new found hobby. The hallways looked like the rest of the hallways did, gray and slightly creepy. They turned into a room and Adam let out a gasp. It was an engineering workshop that put Adam and Blue workshop to shame. In the far corner, were engineering books and on the other wall were so many tools that Adam hadn't even heard of some of them.

“My father used to hire inventors to make sure the castle had the latest technology. No one ever uses it anymore, so it's yours.” Ronan broke the silence.

“Mine?” Ronan nodded, “you rarely talk about your parents. Are they some object I've never met before?”

Ronan's face dropped. “No...they died before the curse happened.”

Adam pulled out some of the chairs from the workshops tables, “Im so sorry. I never asked you, how did the curse happen?”

Ronan sat down and his shoulders dropped, “it was my fault. After my parents died, I was depressed. I shaved my hair, obtained some new scars on my wrists, fought with Declan. I was a mess. The only people who could me from not ending my life were Gansey, Matthew, Noah, and Henry, but I started talking to a commoner from another kingdom. His name was Joseph Kavinsky. We would meet up street race, drink, and would sometimes fuck. I thought it was no strings attached, but he didn't. He-he fell in love with me and I told him I didn't love him and that he was just a coping mechanism. I never knew he was a warlock. He told me he would place a curse on my castle and all who lived inside it, so I would be as heartbroken as I made him. If I find who loves me and actually loves me, then the curse would be broken. If I don't find someone who by the time the last feather falls from the raven, then everyone I love turns to antiques and I remain a beast.”

Adam was left breathless, “So that's why you got so mad at me when I was in the west wing. Ronan...I'm so sorry.”

Ronan clicked his tongue. “Nothing for you to be sorry over. It's not your fault.”

“It's not your fault either.”

“Parrish.”

“I mean unrequited love sucks, but that's no reason to curse an entire castle.”

Ronan smiled a real and genuine smile unlike his usually smirks that Adam had gotten used to. A moment passed between them where they just stared at each other smiling.

“Wanna make use of the ballroom tonight?” Ronan asked.

“Like dancing?” Adam questioned.

“You can say no.”

Adam thought for a moment. “Id like that.”

@. @. @.

The castle was filled with a sweet presence that came with a ballroom dance. Everyone was excited for the twos dance.

Matthew and Declan dressed Adam in the most amazing silk suit. Blue would have appreciated the yellow color. He felt confident in the form-fitting garment.

He felt flutters when he walked down the steps leading to the first floor. His breath stopped as he saw Ronan on the opposite set of stairs. Ronan's outfit fit him snug and he looked lost until his eyes met Adams. They walked down the steps maintaining eye contact. Ronan outstretched his arm and met Adams.

Music led them to the royal bedroom where Gansey, Noah, and Henry were waiting for them.

Ronan drew Adam into his arms as Gansey started singing. His voice was a little shaky from misuse, but accompanied the dance perfectly.

Ronan certainly knew how to dance from his royal days, but was surprised to learn Adam knew how to dance as well. They moved together in perfect rhythm.

There were stepped on feet and apologetic glances, but overall the night went perfect. The two moved to the balcony to get some air as Henry and his lover Jiang took to the floor and danced the night away.

Ronan let out a breath, “I haven't danced like that in years.”

Adam laughed. “Me either. When Blue and I first moved in together, she thought it was outrageous that I never learned to dance, so she taught me.”

“Do you miss her, Blue?” Ronan asked.

“More than anything. She was my first friend before all this happened.”

Ronan was silent for a moment before continuing, “There is a way to see her.”

“There is?”

“Yeah.” Ronan pulled out the plain mirror and handed it to Adam.

“Show me Blue.”

The mirrors glass shimmered away to show Blue being shoved into a black carriage, the villagers surrounding her with fire, Tad at front.

“Oh my g-d!” Adam shrieked. “Blue in trouble.”

Ronan took a deep breath in, “then you should go to her.”

“I should?”

“She needs help.”

“But what about…”

“You're not a prisoner here, Adam. You haven't been in a long time.”

“But…”

“But nothing. Go.”

Adam reached to give the mirror back. “No. Take it with you so you'll always have a way to look back and remember me.”

Tears welled up in Adams eyes, “I could never forget you.” He leaned forward and kissed Ronan on the cheek, “I'm coming Blue, don't worry.”

@. @. @.  

Adam heard Tads booming voice as soon as Adam entered the village. He seemed to be ruling the people up with his harsh words and thunderous voice. The people were following him blindly.

“Tad!” Adam screamed.

Tad let out a giddy smile at Adam arrival. It quickly turned mischievous in a split second, “Adam! It's so good to see you. I'm so sorry to hear about Blue.”

Adam furrowed his brows, “what about Blue?”

Tad put on a mask of remorse. “Blue went off the rails. You weren't here, so I took care of it. She'll be staying in a nice room at Monsieur Blacks asylum.”

“Blue isn't crazy; she's one of the most sane person I know.” Adam scoffed.

Tad whimpered in pity for Adam; the crowd followed. “But she is. She kept raving on and on about a beast.”

“But there is a beast.”

Tad sighed, “not you too.”

“And I can prove it.” Adam held up the mirror. “Show me the beast.”

Ronan's image flickered on the glass. When Adam showed Ronan, the village people gasped in fear.

“Is he dangerous?” One village person shrieked.

Adam replied almost immediately, “No he's very sensitive and gentle once you get to know him.”

Tad looked scandalized. “If I didn't know better, I'd say you have feelings for him.”

“You don't know me well enough to say that truthfully.” Adam retorted.

Tad sneered, “I may not, but I know monsters like that.” He turned to the crowd. “He’ll make off with your children, he’ll come after them in the night. I say we kill the beast.”

The crowd screamed approval while Adam screamed no.

Tad raised his hands up. “It's time to follow me.”

The village people grabbed torches and anything they could use as weapons. Some said prayers before they all took off towards the dark castle.

As soon as the last village was out of sight, Adam ran towards Blue who they forgotten about in the chaos. He threw his arms around her.

“Blue, I have to go warn Ronan.”

“Not without me you won't.”

@. @. @.

They arrived in the middle of the battle, objects vs people. Blue told him that she was going to help the castle and that he should go find the beast. He ran to the west wing as fast as he could in his yellow suit, dodging thrown plates, shovels, and miscellaneous objects. Adams heart was vibrating. What if he was too late?

He made it in time to see Tad leaning over Ronan, dagger in hand. Whatever he was saying to Ronan seemed to be the most painful thing Ronan ever heard. He looked like he was surrendering to Tads knife.

“Ronan!” Adam yelled.

Ronan opened his eyes. “Adam?”

Tad smiled murderously. “Adam! Just in time to see your lovely beast die.”

Ronan and Adam reached for each other as Tad plunged his knife into Ronan's chest.

“No!” Adam sobbed.

Tad took a step to the edge of the balcony to shadow over Ronan. Adam ran, knees buckling, and pulled Ronan's head into his lap.

Tad laughed, throwing his head back, “this is your fault Adam. If you had just married me, your precious Ronan would still be alive. Isn't it just a shame when things don't go exactly as planned?”

Tad laughed and laughed. He was laughing so much he didn't realize his feet went over the edge. Tad roared as he fell his death.

The two, finally left in privacy, stared at each other, tears running down Adams face. Ronan moved his paw to brush away the tears.

“You came back.” Ronan breathed.

“I wished I never left you.” Adam confessed.

“Maybe it's better this way.”

“Stop talking. Conserve your energy.”

“At least I got to see you one last time. Adam I…”

“Ronan? Ronan?”

Adam sobbed into Ronan matted fur.

“Ronan! Don't leave me! You're my home! I...I Love you!”

The castle grew eerily silent. Adam didn't see the last feather fall from the raven from his place in Ronan's chest.

He did see when a bright light washed over Ronan's body. It grew so bright that Adam had to look away. When he opened his eyes, he was met with a man dressed in a loose white dress shirt back tattoos and muscles visible. The man stared at his arms and sobbed with relief. He turned around and Adam could see his entire body. Adam lost his breath. He was by far the most gorgeous man Adam had ever seen, but where had he come from and where was Ronan?

He stepped closer to Adam and Adams stomach dropped. “Adam, look into my eyes.”

Adam did and was met with the most clear water blue. They were so bright, the punched a hole right through Adams guy just like…

“Ronan?” Adam gasped.

Ronan nodded and smiled so bright Adam had to smile back. Adam placed his hands on Ronan's snatched cheeks and looked into his eyes in awe. Tears sprang into his eyes for the third time that night, but this time Ronan cried with him.

Ronan moved closer to Adam, “May I?”

Adam laughed, but nodded.

They came at each other fast until their lips touched each other's. The kiss was chaste and gentle as if they were afraid to break one another. Adam could feel Ronan's tears mixing with his own. When they separated, their foreheads stayed glued shut and they nuzzled noses. They laughed again and hugged almost as a promise to never let go.

@. @. @.

They eventually made it downstairs to be greeted by Blue and villagers now remembering their beloved prince. Ronan and Adam were ambushed by human Gansey, Henry, Noah, and Jiang who pulled them into tight hugs. Opal announced her presence by letting out a inhumane noise and keeping into Ronan's arms. She was followed by Matthew who tackled Ronan's middle and Declan who ruffled Ronan's nonexistent hair. Adam pretended not to notice the looks Gansey and Blue were exchanging before going in to kiss his beautiful, human boyfriend.