#blue just want to kiss gansey

[f4keplastictr33s]

thinking about flowers’ petal (that came right of blue’s mind via cabeswater) being compared to kisses and they landed right on gansey’s mouth meanwhile the petals avoided adam and landed all around him :/ also adam watching the petals fall bc he’s an eternal observer :/

[es-3]

yk, props to gansey for having the “craving the chase not the end result” mindset for glendower but not converting that over to blue

[cabeswaterdrowned]

Sorry (not) but I find anyone who acts like Blue is making something out of nothing when she’s mad Adam’s first question is about the kissing to be like. Deeply suspicious. Of course she is mad that’s the first thing he asked her! They’ve been walking on eggshells around each other and not really communicating since the last aborted kiss attempt which is on both of them to some degree, but when he comes around to her it’s only for this and when she has so many fears and insecurities about not properly belonging in the gang because she’s a girl (which is founded based on the fact aside from Noah they’ve all been misogynistic towards her at some point even if it was passive) and not being respected, when she’s also an outsider at home because of a different thing she can’t control. And you can not say that her feeling Adam is treating her like a thing to have and not a person he connects with is unfounded he again literally “I got Blue without you!” screamed at Gansey, consistently going to her after they fight (he did it end of TRB after repugnant too) to validate himself or just generally when he’s falling apart looking for validation from her like in the apartment scene. It’s not a bad thing to seek validation from your partner and in TRB before I’d say the last quarter I think Blue and Adam were genuinely connecting and developing a friendship while also exploring their feelings/attractions to each other, which did always have elements of seeking escape or validation for both of them in different ways, but it’s dissolved into that so much now. And I do think Blue is to some degree mad at Adam because he’s here and available to be mad at when she’s also mad at Gansey for it (I don’t think they’re *in the wrong * for not inviting her but they are in the wrong for not even considering she could want to go or at least want to be in the loop, also even though it’s Gansey’s party if Adam is trying to be her *boyfriend* it was kind of his place to ask her) so she’s conveying anger at Adam when the anger is for both of them, and also more general factors she’s frustrated by, but also Adam has the exact same response of channeling emotions that aren’t solely about Blue through their fights (and to his credit he is self aware that he does this) so again crucifying Blue for it is whack imo. Also to check myself on shipper-brain for the Adam-Gansey aspect of it, well obviously I read that here as a factor because I’m me, but for arguments sake on the premise Adam has No feelings about Gansey that are anything other than platonic Blue would still have a right to be mad about him prioritizing his platonic male friends over her and treating them with more respect, obviously, because misogyny exists (also these are not two contradictory readings in that I think they’re both factors. Signed an Adam Stan).

[coralhoneyrose]

Been having a lot of fun imagining a Chrobin Raven Cycle AU 👀 Specifically the kissing curse aspect, where there's a prophecy that if Robin ever kisses their one true love then it will kill him. And Robin starts off all jaded thinking true love isn't real and not caring that they can't kiss anyone. But then they meet Chrom and suddenly they do very, VERY much care

Also the foreboding suspense of Robin seeing Chrom's ghost on a night when the spirits of everyone who will die during the next year walk the earth and when you are only supposed to be able to see someone's spirit if they are either your true love or you are going to kill them djfghdf

I just... AUGH. It would be SO much agonizing yearning, I wish I could poof it into existence and suffer with them fkgjdf

[contrarianwitt]

i just don’t get how people can think bluesey is boring in trc… like are were we reading the same books???

i love love love pynch, but theres something so special and electric about blue and gansey in the series. the angst, the yearning, the feeling of ganseys death and blues curse looming over them.

they have such iconic banter, “i wish you could be kissed jane”, THE ENTIRE GODDAMN TOGA SCENE, him wrapping her in his coat, “she makes me quiet”

adam and ronan always get more credit because they have more build-up, but the fact that blue and gansey aren’t slow-burn makes them so interesting because that they want each other so bad and know it, but its just their fate that’s stopping them. every single scene had me on the edge of my seat!!

like you can’t have the raven cycle without bluesey they really are the couple!!

[derangedthoughtssideblog]

read a review of the raven boys that said something like "am i supposed to feel bad for a rich guy because he can't kiss a girl?" and it baffles me how much someone can completely miss the point

no you're not supposed to feel bad for Gansey because he can't kiss Blue, he doesn't even want her like that in this book yet

you're supposed to feel bad for him because yes, he is rich, but he knows he privileged and he's scared he doesn't deserve it and he needs to make his life worth something

because he needs to prove magic is real, even though people consider him naive and silly

because he loves his friends so much but "he's nobody to Adam, nobody to Ronan"

because he could live everywhere and he chose an abandoned factory, he could have had any car and he chose the Pig, he could have had any friends and he chose the misfits, because he loves the old and barely functional

because he lived when he should have died and he has to make something of this life otherwise he may as well just have died

Gansey is so much more than just a rich guy

[glove23]

mstief.....u know I didn't notice it. when I read trc as a teen. I didn't notice how the vision tree differed from the actual event.

The Raven Boys, chapter 46 page 400

Blue Lily, Lily Blue, chapter 26 page 200-201

the way, in the vision tree, it's gansey gansey gansey, gansey is the one asking for the kiss, in a time when blue is still denying it, denying she could ever feel something for him, so it's gansey.

and then the actual moment, it's blue. gansey warning her, blue wanting to pretend. and they know. they both know now. it's not pretend. it won't ever be.

the impossibility of the vision vs the yearning possibilities of the truth.

I just want to pretend

I want to pretend that I could

[romantichopelessly]

I was thinking about the line in BLLB where Adam ponders what he would do given Ronan’s power and now I cannot stop thinking about a TRC power swap AU.

Gansey who’s a mirror/amplifier. That’s how he continuously finds people tied to the ley line—they’re drawn to him and him to them. Gansey whose journey is about learning to cut himself off from others, something that came so easily to Blue. Gansey who always wants to give and give to his friends and does so just by existing near them, but can’t help but feel like they don’t feel the same for him because they can’t give back in the same way.

Blue who’s a dreamer, misfit in a family of psychics, who doesn’t know anyone like her. Was her father like her? Blue with the world at her fingertips, self righteous determined to change the world, but unable to control her own power. Sensible Blue who wants to dream sensible things (and cures for cancer, and ways to save the rainforest, and cures for magic killing kisses), but her dreams always come out just a bit too uncanny and whimsical to be anything but magic, or are downright unworkable in case of the cursed-kiss-removal.

Ronan who is a magician, born to be a sacrifice to an entity from his parents’ dreams. Ronan who grows up isolated on a farm, at whim to a manifested forest-god. Ronan whose identity is so intrinsically tied to magic—it’s what he was made for, isn’t it?—that having it torn from him is like taking his life force. Ronan who has access to the future but doesn’t want it. Not like this. Not without the people he loves. Not anymore.

Adam with the power to command whatever he wants with his voice. Does he use this power in his ambition to escape his life? Or does he suppress it, determined not to rely on something so ephemeral to make his way out, when he should be able to do it entirely on his own. Adam who is so sure he knows what’s right and now has the power to get others to fall in line. But would he?

[ravenboysandcrows]

I love the Raven Cycle couples so much because they show that love isn’t always extravagant and showy, but rather it can be just two people being there for each other when it matters. Bluesey and Pynch are couples whose love stories are tender and safe. For them, love isn’t extravagant gifts and passionate declarations, rather it’s moments like Gansey squeezing Blue’s hand when she was scared even though he was terrified too, and Ronan wanting to burn cities and start wars to see Adam truly smile. And don’t even get me started on Blue and Gansey at the toga party or Adam and Ronan’s first kiss.

In conclusion, Maggie Stiefvater has written couples that have heightened my expectations severely for future relationships…I’ll thank her for that, I guess 😅

[crimeronan]

alright. WHAT is a Raven Cycle. What is this story about. All this time seeing you pointed about these people, but it took me ages to figure out what the "trc" tag even stood for -- that poll you just reblogged in fact. I'm ready. Give me the pitch.

HI.

the raven cycle is a series of four books by maggie stiefvater: the raven boys, the dream thieves, blue lily lily blue, and the raven king. there is a follow-up trilogy called the dreamer trilogy made up of three books: call down the hawk, mister impossible, and greywaren.

(my 'cdth' tag is my tag for the sequel series, which i like even more than trc.)

it's a YA modern fantasy series set in a small town in rural virginia. the series focuses on a gang of five teenagers (a sixth joining in book 3/4) who are all dealing with various magic bullshit in their lives. one is looking for a dead welsh king along a ley line in the mountains of virginia, because legend says that the king can be woken and grant a wish.

the problem is that this boy, gansey, is going to die.

we know this because the one girl in the group (sorry women. there are more women in cdth i SWEAR), blue, saw his ghost on st mark's eve. which means he will die within the next year. why did she see his ghost?? because he's either her true love, or she killed him.

or, you know. both. if you're a girl who's cursed to kill your true love with a kiss. as she is.

blue does not want to kill anyone. blue also does not want gansey to be her true love. they get off on the wrong foot entirely and she decides he's the devil for a little while. blue is overall having a bad time with the world and her place in it and the fact that she's the only non-psychic person in a family of psychics, And Also She Doesn't Want To Kill Anyone.

so the question is -- for all four books -- what..... would make her kill gansey. how is gansey going to die.

gansey's three other closest friends are boys in varying states of emotional turmoil.

ronan, who is where my URL comes from, is a suicidal bipolar maniac alcoholic who spends all of his time trying to kill himself. and is also magic as fuck. and hiding it. and going out street racing with a guy who wants to eat him. and they're kind of fucking about it. they technically never fuck except like. they're kind of fucking about it

adam is a trailer trash kid paying his own way into the elite boarding school that gansey & ronan attend. his dad is physically abusive to the point of adam's life being in constant danger, but adam refuses to accept gansey's offers of help or safety, because he's determined that nobody else ever Own him.

noah is a quiet kid with a violent past that gansey cares about very deeply, getting into all of his backstory involves major book one spoilers but it is. Rough.

the plot points in the series are complicated to explain because there's a lot of mythology and strange worldbuilding and psychic bullshit and magic all going on and playing off each other. but the series is about these five kids being in a giant pseudo-polyamorous relationship and loving each other and hating each other and wanting each other and killing each other.

it has some of my favorite relationship arcs of all time in any media, ever, and also it like. taught me how to write. LOL. so if you're here from the owl house (??) or from a different fandom and you like how i talk about characters and how i write character conflicts and character arcs and character relationships....... U Get All Of That Shit In The Raven Cycle.

and that's it!

[lizpaige]

2025 WIPs

tysm for the tag, @magicienetreveur! 💕

I have tooooooo many ideas so here are some of them I'm thinking about for this year, but have not written all of them. Feel free to DM me or drop an ask if you wanna collab or wanna talk through one! I'm color coding so in progress, not started, no promises / not even an outline.

Here are the fics I'm planning so far this year. :

fare well The Adam has a breakdown post gw fic, the Adam decides he will leave Harvard fic, the Adam needs to get his act together fic, the Adam has trauma and we're not going to erase it like TDT did fic. Anyway, hoping to finish this! I have the rest of it outlined, but haven't had a lot of irl time to write lately.

Pynch fire drill meet cute Tattoo artist!Ronan and Doctor!Adam live in the same apartment and they meet outside the building during a fire alarm. Ronan's got Chainsaw the cat (not friendly) and Opal the dog (very friendly), who basically help Ronan get this guy's number.

Pynch Hitman Meet Ugly / Choose your own adventure poll ficRemember I made a poll to write a fic during the holidays? Welp, I didn't write anything. BUT I have ideas and yall filled out the polls so I will get to it.

Demon!Adam has fun with the Lynch fam Working on this with @mychemicalrachel we've outlined some of this but I for one have not revisited it since then.

Sitcom-esque Friends/New Girl-ish AU Blue moves in with Gansey, Noah, and Ronan. Adam is in a dumb relationship and eventually has a breakup, maybe lives somewhere else or down the hall, Ronan's been pining forever, etc. Gansey and Blue getting together but a canon reminiscent Blue/Noah kiss first. idk I've got ideas, but they could all change or not happen.

Personal Assistant!Adam AU I've posted about this idea before. Basically Adam is Jordeclan's PA and starts a toxic secret relationship with Ronan, who just got out of rehab or something.

Tagging @clotpolesonly @iammistressofmyfate @mychemicalrachel @audikatia @cabeswatercowboy @nibblette @miseria-fortes-viros if you are working on anything (fic or art!!) and want to share and haven't already been tagged!

[cabeswaterdrowned]

probably a pointless observation but I think it’s interesting how little we see of the dreams of characters who aren’t Ronan/aren’t magical dreamers. Like given this was the era of ya that was full of dream sequences. I think the only ones in og trc are Adam’s dream in TRB which is just the same as the vision tree one before he goes to sacrifice himself, Blue in TRK dreaming of Gansey before he leaves to sacrifice himself which is a parallel for sure but. I just think it’s interesting we know so little about what the other chars dream about …

[ronanlynchdefender]

Ranking The Gangsey by How Asexual I Think They Are

1. Henry Cheng - 100% canonically aroace. Completely supported by the text. In a queerplatonic polycule with Gansey and Blue.

2. Richard Campbell Gansey III - SUPER a-spec coded in my opinion. Values friendship above all else. His main conflict in the series is learning how to juggle 4 different queerplatonic relationships at the same time.

3. Blue Sargent - Demisexual-coded. She just wants to be friends with Gansey forever with maybe some sex far down the road. Her solution to knowing she will kill her true love with a kiss is simply to never kiss anyone ever. Easy peasy. Also all the scenes where Blue keeps Adam from kissing her are asexual coded.

4. Ronan Lynch - Some ace-spec tendencies but overall I think just a gay allosexual. Too many car=sex metaphors. Most asexual thing he ever did was laugh at Gansey and Adam gawking at Orla in a bikini which was mainly because he’s gay, but as an asexual, I probably would have had the same reaction.

5. Noah Czerny - Straight allosexual. First time we meet him he is a gawking at an Ashley. Even as a ghost he still manages to make out with a girl.

6. Adam Parrish - 0% Asexual. 100% Down Bad Bisexual. Attracted to any remotely hot person: Ronan, Gansey, Blue, Orla, Helen, Colin Greenmantle, Random Guy in Car Magazine

Happy pride to all my fellow asexuals and TRC enjoyers (but especially the ones who project their sexuality onto Gansey) 🖤🤍💜

[contrarianwitt]

random thoughts rereading tdt: part 2

what is it with blues legs??? no wonder she wears so many layers jesus gansey does not shut up about them good god

i love the immediate kinship the grayman feels to gansey while breaking into his apartment because they’re the same. who else is randomly thinking about their favourite historical figures and trying to think of ways to impress sargent women (and thinking about their legs, freaks)

the fact that gansey was a lot more wild before they met adam…

homemade dynamite by lorde is THE gansey-on-fire scene song

i will stand by adam (in trc it probably changes in tdt) being pre-law or wanting to work in government because gansey mentions throwing an event for him like this one day at the fundraiser, and like it makes more sense that he’s envious of this specific lifestyle and needing to make these connections

okay another very tall gansey mention but i’m for the bluesey height difference

i love that the infamous adam and gansey fight includes points like gansey’s “ronan would never take my car” and adam’s “i got blue without you” meanwhile in henrietta, ronan definitely just took ganseys car and blue definitely just kissed noah and admitted she liked gansey. sorry boys you’re both wrong

i swear every other kavinsky line is about gansey. adam and blue i think you might have competition for who is more obsessed at analyzing ronan and ganseys relationship

part 1 part 3

[wonderlandgoblin]

Okay, so I don’t watch Hazbin Hotel (if I wrote it wrong, sorry) but for like weeks, the only thing I see in the asexual tag is people complaining about allos shipping ace characters in a very allo way, and it’s been annoying me to no end, because while we do have to be upset about that, the ace tag should also function in a way for us to share jokes, have fun and enjoy our identity without having to fight for our right to exist.

So I propose we do something different. Let’s annoy the aphobes. I propose that from now on, every character becomes ace/aro/aroace. No more shipping fanfics, just platonic relationships and friendships. Every fanart is now SFW and has the ace/aro/aroace flags colors.

I DEMAND A REVOLUTION!!!!

Tell me the characters you’re claiming!

My ace claimings are:

1-Luffy (any pairing with him just gives me nausea)

2-Zoro (fuck zosan, he prefers swords over anything except maybe luffy, who he has a squish on)

3-Bakugou Katsuki (I love that kid, I’m making him one of my own)

4-Sasuke (I hate that guy, but he rejected both Sakura and Naruto, that kid’s definitely aroace)

5-Yor (my queen mama prefers killing over kissing, that should be an obvious sign)

6-Yona (no one’s touching my queen, she never liked Soo-won nor Hak, it was all social pressure to not end up alone, fight me)

7-Xie Lian (I don’t like the idea of anyone touching the god I worship, so that means he’s ace now)

8-Kageyama (idk why, he just has a vibe)

9-Handa from Barakamon (I don’t think this needs explanation)

10-Fushiguro Megumi (I like him, he’s one of my own now)

11-Maomao (she prefers venoms over sex)

12-Mash from Mashle (like, look at him, that guy just wants to exercise, eat and be with his family)

13-Violet Evergarden (I don’t think I need to explain this, this girl dedicated her entire life to understanding romance as it made no sense to her, aroace queen)

14-Sokka (he’s too smart to like sex)

15-Zuko (he’s an angel, angels don’t have sex)

16-Magnus Chase AND Alex Fierro (they’re my babies, I identify too much with them, the idea of them having sex gives me the ickies)

17-Jude from the Cruel Prince (I liked her better before she fell for that stupid fairy)

18-Edmund from Narnia (he was my childhood crush, I’m making him ace)

19-Annabeth Chase (she’s too perfect to have sex)

20-Alec Lightwood (I just like imagining Magnus loosing his shit every once in a while because of it)

21-Leo Valdez (bc why not?)

22-Blue Sargent and half the women she lives with (no explanation needed)

23-Dick Gansey the Third (he prefers dead kings over sex)

24-Katniss Everdeen (if you disagree, what is wrong with you?)

25-Castiel (fuck destiel shippers, angels don’t have sex)

26-Felicity from Arrow (haven’t finished the series but as far as I know, she’s too cool for sex)

27-Barbie (she’s a doll, she has no reproductive organs, she can’t feel desire)

I could probably pick more characters but I think this is enough for now, have fun annoying the aphobes!

[zephfair]

GO-FHRM Chapter 5

Still rated G, unless you count language which would bump it to T, I guess. Gansey/Ronan, aiming for Gansey/Ronan/Adam. Still fluff and nonsense. Slow burn, trope-full and syrupy overload.

Anyway, thanks to you kind readers who've liked this. I truly appreciate you.💖

The m key broke off my laptop last week, and I taped it on, but this weekend it refused to stay on. So if you see any misspellings or missing m's, please let me know. I have to hit the key just right to get it to show. 😂

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4

Chapter 5 below the cut.

Chapter 5

For as long as he could remember, Gansey had always felt a sort of anxiety and letdown on Monday mornings. It was the end of the freedom of the weekend; it was the beginning of the stress of the school or work week. When things were good with Adam, it was watching his lover get ready and head off to work, knowing it would be his one and only focus again.

On this Monday, he woke to that same typical dread, the calendar in his body knowing the day without fail.

Then he remembered that he was at Lynch Farm and he was about to experience the same insanity he had all weekend, and it almost made him smile.

There were clean shirts and socks waiting for him again in the bathroom, and he used the spare toothbrush Blue had pressed on him the first night. But still no razor on offer to borrow.

He was scratching his chin as he entered the kitchen then had to use both hands to scratch Chainsaw’s as she panted and grinned up at him in delight.

Ronan turned from the stove and caught him at both. “Never thought I’d see the day when Dick Gansey could actually grow some facial hair. Not well and not enough, but there’s definitely something happening there.”

Gansey well remembered his hairless days when younger-by-a-few-months Ronan teased him relentlessly when his beard started to come in. “Still not funny, Lynch.”

“Yeah, well if you really wanna see some hair, check out Sargent’s legs sometime. Enough there for a small animal to nest in.”

“Ecologically friendly,” Blue mumbled as she yawned her way to the table and flipped off Ronan with both hands. She slumped over into a chair and Ronan slid a mug of tea in front of her.

“What’s the matter? Stay up too late sexting with Henry?”

“No, you pig. I’m trying to keep up with my project so I’m not behind when I actually go into the office tomorrow.” She took a long and loud slurp of tea. “Besides why do I have to sext Henry when he’s coming to pick me up today””

Ronan’s “uuugh” was loud and apparently heartfelt. “How many times do I have to tell you that tarted up asshole is not welcome on my farm?”

Blue blew him a kiss. “Henry knows you love him. He’s looking forward to seeing you. And meeting your friend.”

Ronan continued swearing as he turned back to his griddle on the stove. “Is Henry your partner?” Gansey asked.

“Henry is the devil in fancy hair and tight pants,” Ronan grumbled.

Blue cackled and grabbed for her phone. “I can’t wait to tell him you called him that. He’ll make it his bio everywhere.”

“Shitbag,” Ronan slapped down a plate in front of Gansey that contained a perfectly formed golden pancake. “Butter and syrup are there. You want any weird toppings, you can find them yourself.”

“No, this is perfect, thank you.”

Ronan continued to make pancakes and serve them up hot as soon as he took them off the griddle. Blue’s were specially smaller and oddly shaped. She ate them without comment or argument.

“Aren’t you going to eat with us, Lynch?” Gansey stopped him after he’d slapped the fourth pancake on Gansey’s plate.

“Already ate early. Just wanted to get you two all fed up.”

“You do that every single day, assbag,” Blue said. She took her empty plate to the sink, making sure to body check Ronan.

“You must miss each other when you’re apart,” Gansey finished his coffee as he watched the show.

“Never” “No fucking way” they told him then glared at each other.

“I thought so,” Gansey grinned at them. “I think it’s commendable that you’ve managed to stay so close and keep in touch through so many life changes. Most people can’t manage the long distance.”

Ronan muttered something as he started running water to wash the dishes. Blue snorted in agreement.

“I’m sorry, what?” Gansey asked.

“He said, some people are too cowardly to even try. His first heart break. It was bad,” Blue said.

Ronan looked down and cursed at her. She shrugged.

“I was actually thinking about us,” Gansey admitted. “I know I was young and overwhelmed about Father forcing me to leave Aglionby, but I really wish I’d made more of an effort to keep in touch. I wish we’d remained friends, Lynch.”

The water continued to run as Ronan stared blankly out the window above the sink. Blue stared at Gansey then looked away. Gansey stared at Ronan’s back.

“I wish that too,” Ronan finally said in a gravelly tone. “But here you are, and yeah. We can’t go back in time and change shit, but we can go from here.”

“I’d like that,” Gansey said, the honesty raw in his voice.

“Yeah, me too.” Ronan dropped his hands into the water then swore and turned off the faucet.

“Leave those to me. Don’t you have more animals to muck out?”

“There’s always fucking animals to muck out,” Ronan growled but he grabbed a tea towel to dry his hands.

“Gansey will help me with the dishes,” Blue said, and Gansey immediately rose to obey.

Ronan looked from one to the other then raised an eyebrow at Gansey. “Don’t let her bully you.”

Blue pshawed him loudly but Gansey promised, “I won’t do anything I don’t want to.”

That was enough for Ronan even though he rolled his eyes.

Once he’d left the house, Blue turned to Gansey. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“I don’t want to hurt him, but I do want to get to know him again. After that, any more, and it’s between the two of us,” he said.

Blue continued to stare at him then nodded slowly. “Go get ready for the day. I’ll finish these dishes.”

Gansey took the opportunity and escaped outside where the sun was shining brightly in the crisp blue sky. The weather was lovely for the second day of December. The morning was cool enough to put one in the mood for the winter holidays, but the sun was warm and comforting.

The day passed with slightly less chaos than the weekend. While there were a number of customers, they seemed more focused on simply choosing a Christmas tree and decorations then leaving. There was no Santa and no petting zoo. In fact, Gansey realized that all the young people helpers were gone, probably back to school.

Blue’s adult relatives were still helping and since there were fewer tasks to manage, Gansey focused on helping Ronan and Gray with the trees.

“The majority of the sales are from the weekend and next weekend,” Gray explained when they took a break for water. “Lynch will open for afternoons during the week, just him and Orla or a couple of boys after school. But we’ll all be back to help Friday.”

Whether it was because he had more time to think about it or because it’d been days of non-stop rush, Gansey began to feel the exhaustion by the time the sun started to head toward the horizon.

Then a car pulled in, ignoring all the signs about parking, and stopped right at the fence. Loud pop music shut off abruptly when the engine stopped.

Gansey looked askance and wondered if the careless driver was drunk or incapacitated. Ronan let out a roar and stalked toward the car.

Blue came tearing out of the barn, nearly knocked Gansey over, and jumped into arms of the man who got out of the car just in time. They kissed and Gansey politely looked away at Ronan who was standing at the rear of the car, arms crossed over his chest glaring daggers at the couple.

When Blue slid out of man’s arms, he turned to Ronan and opened his arms widely in the universal gesture for a hug. Gansey could clearly hear every single curse Ronan was spewing at him, but the man was not deterred and grabbed Ronan into a hug that looked more like wrestling with a wet cat.

Gansey hurried closer, but Blue didn’t seem particularly upset and watched them with a grin. Finally the man yelped, “Not the hair!” and let go of Ronan. “Now that I know you think it’s fancy, you shouldn’t resort to pulling it, Lynch.”

“Get out off my property before I throw you off!”

“Oh Lynch, it’s funny how you think your threats affect me,” the man squeezed Ronan one more time before turning to Blue and holding her close. “You know I’m not leaving until I can take my precious Bluebell with me.”

“Then throw her in the trunk and take her away too!” Ronan looked around to where a young couple of shoppers were frozen, shell-shocked by the goings-on. “Did you finally make up your damn minds?” he shouted at them and then went toward them as they nodded quickly.

Gansey watched between one and the other. Then Blue whispered something to her man, and he freed his right arm from her to hold out to Gansey.

“I cannot tell you how glad I am to finally meet the renowned Gansey,” he said. Gansey hurriedly pulled off his borrowed work glove and shook.

“I really can’t say why I’m renowned, but it’s a pleasure to meet you too. Henry, isn’t it?”

“Yes it is. And I can see why Lynch has been talking about you all these years.” Henry still hadn’t let go of Gansey’s hand. “Is it really true that you called Blue a pros—”

“I certainly did not!” Gansey modulated his voice in an instant. “That tale has been exaggerated beyond belief, I’m sorry to say.”

“Ah well, then I won’t have to fight you to defend her honor. And then Lynch won’t step in to fight for you and there won’t have to be any kind of brawling at all.” Henry finally let go of Gansey’s hand, then looked him up and down.

Although he’d been getting it all weekend, Gansey still didn’t like that judgmental appraisal everyone in Ronan’s life gave him. However, Henry’s seemed to be approval.

“I am glad you’ve decided that we can all be civil with one another,” Gansey said, sliding his glove back on. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have more trees to move.”

“I will excuse you because I will get the enjoyment of watching your work,” Henry and Blue fell into step behind him.

“I’m going to finish the accounts quick and then we’ll take off,” Blue said. “You can grab my bags out of the house.”

“That eager to get away from us?” Ronan snarked as he went past with the young couple and their tree.

“Always,” she shot back. But once Ronan came back, she said, “I wanted the four of us to have dinner together, but now I kind of want to get home early enough to relax before work tomorrow.”

“I got it. It’s going to take until morning for you to get home anyway, the way Cheng drives,” Ronan said.

Gansey glanced at Henry but he just shook his head and chuckled.

While Ronan and Blue went to the barn, Gansey continued moving the trees the way Ronan had instructed him.

“So this was some kind of perfect re-meet cute for you and Lynch then. I do admire your commitment to the bit, though, because there are few people in the world who I would work for like you’re doing. Although Lynch has the body for it, his personality leaves a lot to be desired at times.”

Gansey glanced up at Henry, lounging at ease against the fence. He didn’t know exactly how to take his provacotive statements but he didn’t want to upset the friend of his friends.

“You know that I was best friends with Lynch when I went to Aglionby? It’s been wonderful getting reacquainted with him and helping out around here.”

“And possibly rekindling more?”

Gansey felt a hot flush over his face hat had nothing to do with his manual labor. “There was never anything there to kindle. Lynch and I were friends.”

“Ah, but is that all you wish to be? I’ve been hearing about the flirting, the lingering looks, the heart to heart talks in front of a romantic roaring fire.”

“Your informant sounds rather misinformed,” Gansey said dryly.

Henry shrugged. “I was unconvinced at first, unable to imagine who could ever spark a flame in Lynch’s cold black rock of a heart. But now, I can believe it. And I wish you the best.”

“I think you have the wrong impression of this situation—”

“Hmm, I wonder if it’s you who might have the wrong impression. I will admit that Blue and I feel protective of Lynch, but there hasn’t been any reason to actually be protective of him for too long. I hope that if you have any interest, that you will consider it. He has many fine qualities,” Henry paused dramatically, “so I am told. And he is a good friend. That I know for sure. If you decide to pursue whatever this is, I will be on your side.”

“I didn’t realize there were sides to be taken?” Gansey said weakly.

“Blue’s family has a very large and extremely chaotic group chat. There have been polls. So far, you are leading in votes for confidence that you and Lynch would be good together.”

“That’s alarming.”

“That’s family, darling,” Henry said, then slapped him in the shoulder as he straightened up. “Here come our squabbling friends.”

Sure enough, Blue and Ronan were arguing loudly as they left the barn. Blue stomped right past them and headed toward the house. Henry winked at Gansey and followed her.

“What the fuck was he saying to you?” Ronan demanded.

“Oh. Nothing, really. He seems like a very perceptive fellow.”

“Bullshit,” Ronan snorted. “Cheng is as perceptive as a rock. He just repeats whatever Sargent tells him to say.”

“I think they make a nice couple,” Gansey said, trying to be diplomatic.

Ronan stomped away and headed back to the barn. Gansey looked at Gray who’d been working silently unobserved in the tree corral as well. He was not even trying to hide a smile.

Gansey was helping a family with their tree when Blue and Henry packed her bags into his trunk. She came up and accepted the family’s cash while he followed them to their vehicle and helped secure the tree.

There was a loose ring of Blue’s family around Henry’s car saying goodbye when he returned.

“We’re waiting for you,” she told Gansey who tried to apologize. She threw an arm around his neck and pulled him into an awkward hug. “Be good to Ronan,” she whispered into his ear. Then louder, “And watch out for Bub. Once he gets a taste of you, it’s all over.”

“Thank you for the warning,” Gansey said.

“And Lynch? Make sure you get him a razor? The mountain man look just doesn’t work for him.”

Gansey stood aside as they all went through goodbyes again, and Blue and Ronan shared a hug. She promised to text or call everyone once they arrived home safely.

“We’ll be seeing you soon, I’m sure,” Henry told Gansey. Gansey just smiled what Adam always called the politician’s son smile.

Once they were gone, Maura turned to him and Ronan. “Rain’s coming soon. You closing up for the night?”

Ronan had been glancing at the sky that was rapidly darkening. “Yeah, might as well. If you guys can get the trees covered, Maura, if you want to close up the barn, I’ll make the rounds and feed. We can all take an early night.”

As everyone hustled to obey, Maura told Gansey, “Persephone left you boys dinner. As soon as you and Gray are done here, just follow the instructions to turn on the oven. Then take a shower and warm up. The rain’s going to be a soaker.”

Whether it was her psychic abilities or her ability to read a weather app, Maura was correct. They’d just finished with the tarps when a cold drizzle started. Gray waved Gansey off and told him to get to the house.

It was strange entering the house when it wasn’t full of people and noise. Gansey felt like a stranger. But after he washed up and opened the kitchen door, Chainsaw greeted him like an old friend. He let her out for her business, but she didn’t tarry either and returned to the warm and dry house.

Gansey read the instructions for the lasagna and got it into the oven. Then he took Maura’s advice and took a long, hot shower. He re-dressed in Ronan’s sweatpants and shirt and was back in the kitchen putting together the salad when Ronan shouted a greeting.

“I already let Chainsaw out,” Gansey told him when Ronan entered the kitchen, the dog curling around his drenched legs. “You get all the feeding done?”

“Yep. All done for the night,” Ronan sighed and pulled out a kitchen chair.

But Gansey said, “Why don’t you take a shower and relax before you even sit down? I’ve got the food under control but it’ll be a while yet.”

Ronan’s smile was sincere and Gansey felt his stomach flip. There was something terribly domestic about the scene. Ronan left and Gansey started to figure out how to make the garlic bread as Persephone instructed.

The timing was perfect as Gansey was getting everything out of the oven when Ronan returned to the kitchen. “Can I help?” he asked, leaning over Gansey’s shoulder to steal a piece of tomato out of the salad.

“Pour drinks, if you want?”

Ronan obeyed and the two sat down to eat. Gansey thought he must have eaten more calories since Thanksgiving than he had the whole year previously. Of course, he was burning more calories than usual too, and the filling, comfort food fit the bill.

“Thanks for dinner,” Ronan said when they’d finished nearly half the lasagna.

“It taxed my culinary skills to the limit,” Gansey joked.

“I don’t have what you’d call culinary skills either.”

“That’s not true! You’ve made breakfast twice!”

“Breakfast food doesn’t count. That shit’s easy. It’s what I make for myself a lot at night.”

“You have so much to do here on the farm. I can’t believe you don’t have help. I simply cannot imagine how you get everything done yourself without collapsing.”

“It’s a lot,” Ronan admitted. “It seems like every animal we take in just takes more time. I’ve actually been trying to figure out what to do. I’m chained here to the farm unless I figure out a way to hire permanent help.”

“There’s so much work and it never ends.”

“Exactly. I’d hate to scale down the stock I have now, ‘cause it’s becoming too much for just me. And I’d like to be able to visit Matty and Declan’s kids without imposing on Maura and Gray all the time.”

“That sounds very reasonable.”

“Did I tell you that Matty is planning to settle down in Boston too? And Jordan and Declan are talking about trying for another kid.”

“You must miss them. You should be able to go see them as much as you want.”

“Yeah,” Ronan rubbed at his face. “That’s what I’m thinking too.”

After they cleared the table, Ronan let Chainsaw out again while Gansey filled the dishwasher. “I’m building up the fire in the sitting room, if you want to join us.”

“Sounds great,” Gansey yawned. “Where do you keep your hot chocolate?”

Ronan smirked. “If you make me some, I’ll even show where I keep the booze.”

Although he made Ronan a “Henrietta cocoa,” Gansey kept his alcohol-free. He still had thoughts of driving back to the B&B, but the chilly rain hitting the kitchen windows and the memory of the warm bed upstairs made him instead consider staying.

Ronan was curled up in the center of the couch, Chainsaw in her bed beside the fire.

“I remember when we’d stay here on Friday nights, and your mom would let us make this whole room into a pillow fort and stay up late. She’d even take Matthew to another room so we could be all alone,” Gansey said quietly as he handed Ronan his drink.

Ronan smiled and patted the couch beside him. “That was great. She always knew when I needed time to decompress after a shitty week of school.”

“Lynch, I am truly sorry about what happened to your family. And I’m very sorry I wasn’t here.”

Ronan leaned his head against the back of the couch and shut his eyes. “Maybe it’s better you weren’t. I went off the rails for a long time.”

Their cocoa was long gone by the time Ronan got done telling Gansey what he went through. Then they shared stories about what they had done together at Aglionby which led conversation into how Ronan admitted he liked boys.

“Man, I still can’t believe you didn’t realize I had a crush on you. Even though I didn’t really understand it all, I was the opposite of subtle. Didn’t you wonder why I wanted to wrestle you all the time, even though you always lost? Or why I wanted to sleep in bed with you when you stayed over? I didn’t even understand it all myself at the time, but it makes sense now.”

“Now it does,” Gansey agreed. “I’d never had a best friend before. I guess I thought that’s what best friends do! After all, I wasn’t turning you down. I was always ready to wrestle, and we did spend every waking moment we could together.”

“Those were the days.”

Gansey knew he was smiling at the memories. He was curled next to Ronan who had his arm around the back of the couch yet was conveniently falling off to circle Gansey’s shoulders instead.

It was all so easy and comfortable. Gansey could be himself, the self he’d abandoned when his parents made him give up his weird quests and hobbies and settle in at the strict school closer home.

Next to Ronan he just was himself—whoever that was.

“They were really good days,” Gansey agreed.

“These last few have been really good days too,” Ronan said quietly.

When Ronan shifted, Gansey turned a little toward him too. When Ronan brushed his knuckles down Gansey’s scruffy cheek, his intent was crystal clear. Gansey put down his mug and leaned up into the kiss.

The kiss was really good. After kissing only Adam for so long, it was strange at first feeling thicker stubble and different lips and Ronan definitely used his tongue differently but it was so, so good.

Gansey fell into it, kneading one of Ronan’s broad shoulders as he pulled him closer. Ronan went gladly and gathered Gansey in by the waist, pushing him back into the stuffed cushion of the couch’s arm as the kiss continued.

“Ronan,” Gansey breathed out when Ronan’s lips wandered across his cheek, down his jaw and on down his neck, stopping to press kisses wherever he wanted.

“Mmm?” Ronan said and kissed him again.

He smelled good and felt amazing and Gansey thought it was incredible that he was turned on this much so fast; it was never like this, even in the early days with Adam.

“Adam,” Gansey gasped.

Ronan pulled back far enough to give him a sweetly confused look. “I’ve been called God and Jesus, but never Adam.”

“No Adam, my boyfriend,” Ronan’s body jerked, and he started to pull away but Gansey was still clinging to his shoulders, trying to hold him in place. “My ex,” Gansey tried to clarify.

Ronan gently removed Gansey’s hands from his shoulders and sat up, effortlessly pulling Gansey up beside him.

“When did you break up?” Ronan asked in a rough voice.

“Thanksgiving.”

Ronan swore with a mirthless laugh. “Well, that’s one of the fastest rebounds I’ve ever known. Should’ve known this was too good to be true.”

“No, it’s not like that,” Gansey hastened to explain but his words jumbled themselves as his brain spun out. “We aren’t… We weren’t…”

Ronan pulled away to the end of the couch and scrubbed his hands over his face. “Sounds like you need to figure out what you are or aren’t. You’re welcome to stay the night, Gans. But I can’t be doing this with you while you’re still hung up on some other guy. It never works out for me.”

Ronan stood up and Gansey grabbed at his hip in his soft flannel pants. “Ronan, I’m sorry. I’m not—”

“Go to bed, Gansey. I’ll… I’ll be here in the morning.”

“Do you want me to leave?” Gansey asked quietly.

Ronan stopped at the door and called for Chainsaw. He didn’t look back at Gansey. “You’re not in any condition to drive. Stay here tonight and you can take off in the morning.” As he left, Gansey thought he heard him mutter, “Fuckin’ asshole named Adam, fuckin’ figures.”

Gansey tried to pull himself together. The kiss had left him breathless and Ronan had left him wanting. He felt like he’d been through the emotional wringer, going from the wonderful memories of the past to the joy he felt in the moment to the fantastic kiss. All of that gone in an instant when he mentioned Adam. Why had he blurted that out? What should he do next?

He sat for a while, head in his hands, blinking back tears and not even bothering to try and slow his racing, spiraling thoughts. But when he heard the back door slam, he got up and dashed for the stairs. He did not want to face Ronan again right now. He’d go to bed and break down there. And maybe figure out himself.

CHAPTER 6