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It had been 8 hours, 37 minutes and 15 seconds since Blue had been in labor. Ronan only knew this because Gansey called every few hours with an update. It wasn't that Ronan didn't care about the status of Blue and her pregnancy but that idea of her and how many centimeters dilated she was vs how many she should be at this stage was a little more information than he needed or wanted to know. Of course he was anxious for Blue. On the farm it wasn't quite so different. Animals giving birth with his assistance and sometimes with a relatively difficult birth, he'd request Adam to lend a hand and help. That is if it were during a time where he was on break from university and wasn't bogged down with assignments or studying for exams.
Animals he could deal with, he'd always felt more comfortable with them than people and besides, the inner workings of the female anatomy weren't something he really wanted or needed to get too acquainted with. Sure he had Opal, but whether she existed in Cabeswater (which hadn't existed in years now) or living with him at the barns (which was exactly how things were). But she would never grow up into a teen let alone an adult woman, so the worry of her reaching a pubescent stage never once became an inkling of a problem he'd have to tackle.
He did however have other issues to worry about when it came to Opal: Was she staying out of trouble? Getting regular sleep? ( because when she didn't, there really was no doubt in anyone's mind that she was Ronans), was she eating?
Was she eating REAL food? And not bark or grass and hay.
OR THE YARN THAT SHE CURRENTLY HAD IN HER MOUTH..
"OPAL!" Ronan shouted at her. Her eyes went wide for a second as she chewed in slow motion, gnawing on a frayed end of the cotton thread.
Ronan squinted at her, a show down of eyes. His daring her to keep going and pay the penalty. Hers, playful and testy, opting for the push of continuance in her chewing.
She chewed once, twice, seeing how far he'd let her.
Ronan signed, knowing this would be a never ending game between the two of them. Both bull headed enough to not give into the other and frankly, Ronan didn't have that kind of time to spare. Ronan's squint relaxed soft and he let out a sigh. "Opal, come here." His sudden change of tone startled her enough to comply to his request when usually it took five or six times before she'd relent.
Opal bit off a piece of the yarn before dropping the rest is the spool back into the broken black crate it had been contained in. Walking closer to his side.
"Kerah?" She croaked softly, gently. The tone giving way to all the concern and worry her little body contained. Curling her arm beneath his, Opal snuggled into his bicep, hugging it tightly. Her head falling to his shoulder, resting gingerly. She didn't say anything more, waiting for Ronan to speak as her tiny fingers played with the leather bracelets around his wrist. Tugging and pulling them almost anxiously. Nervously.
Ronan lifted his right arm, the one not caught in her grasp. He set the metal needles in his hand down on the end table before reaching over to stroke her hair. It had gotten longer over the years. It touched nearly her shoulder blades now but she often wore it back in a twisted knot to keep it out of her face. He never used to understand why she just didn't want to have it cut but then one day, when Adam was visiting during his summer break he discovered why. He'd started to head towards the bathroom to have a quick buzz of his own hair since summers in Henrietta were hot and muggy and the humidity was often too much. So, like clockwork he'd shave the newly curling hair of his scalp for a reprieve from the heat.
He had heard voices then, spilling out of the bathroom. He kept quiet as he crept closer to the door. Adams voice was the first clear one he could make out.
"But Opal, I thought you wanted your hair short? You love it best this way, you told me yourself! Is everything okay?"
Adam never restrained his voice around Opal. His accent always thick when he spoke to her, especially when he wasn't around anyone else.
Opal's crying and quiet sobs almost had Ronan barging in to see what was wrong. But he trusted Adam and he knew that sometimes they both had their own secrets that they kept from him. A little club of just two magical creatures. One crafted from his dreams and the other, a dream crafted into his reality.
Ronan heard Adams voice grow more tentative, a lacing of patience wrapping like vines around his words. The Magician didn't die with Cabeswater. The magician stood in his bathroom comforting a small child that was more like a daughter to them both even if Adam was afraid to admit it.
"Tell me why you don't want to cut it this time?"
Opals sniffles slowed and she breathed in and out, a deep breath in before she answered.
"Ronan still has his." she hiccuped and that was apparently the end of her explanation.
"I see." he had heard Adam say. "So you don't want to cut yours because your dad is growing his out?"
Ronan thought he'd heard a rustling of fabric, a motion , probably that of a nod from her.
"So you want to grow yours out like dads?"
Another rustle of fabric.
"Should we tell him that?"
A more frantic shuffling of fabric and then a deep laugh that had made Ronan melt into a pile of honey sweet syrup just from hearing it.
"Okay, fine. We won't tell Ronan. It'll be our little secret. Do you want to know another secret?" Adams voice dropped lower, a conspiratorial tone rushing in. Like what he was about to reveal were secrets of the universe that he'd unlocked and was about to share for the first time with anyone.
Opal's "Tell me, Tell me!" took place of the rustling of fabric. Ronan leaned closer to the door. He was being selfish but any secret he had the chance to be privy about Adam Parrish was worth the risk of being caught. That risk urged him on even more. The thrill of it tickled through his spine. He lived for this feeling.
"I hope your dad doesn't cut his hair for a while."
"Why?" she asked " is it because you like him better with his hair?"
"That's not it silly. I mean yes, I like his hair, but I think you like yours longer too and I like it when you're happy."
" But I'm always happy when you're here Adam. I would keep my hair long if it meant you would stay too. Why can't you?"
"Oh Opal, I have to go back to school. But I'm almost done. There isn't much time left before I'll be able to spend lots and lots of time with you." Adam reassured.
"And Ronan too?" She asked
"....I suppose." Adam teased her. "Just don't tell him I like you best." Ronan heard his "shhh"
Opal laughed again and her lithe voice spilled out a "PINKY PROMISE! "
"Pinky promise? Who taught you these? I know it wasn't your dad."
"It was Blue!" she says. "She made me pinky promise that we'll always be friends."
"Well that is very smart of her and I bet you take these very seriously, don't you? Hey Opal? " Adam voice turning serious.
"Yeah, Adam?"
"Do you pinky promise that we'll be friends forever too?"
Ronan could only assume Adam had held out his pinky but the sound that thumped from inside told him Opal had sealed that promise with a hug instead.
After that, Ronan didn't mind growing his hair out some, not after hearing the two people he loved most in life confide in one another about it.
"Opal you know this is for Blue and Ganseys little babe, yeah?"
Opal nodded not meeting his eyes.
"I really want to have enough yarn to finish this beanie for the baby okay? I'm not upset and I still love you." Ronan kissed the side of her head. Lips meeting the feather fine strands of hair.
"How about you let me work a bit longer and then we can go outside and check on the cows and chickens? Maybe I'll even snatch you a snack from the oak treeeee." Ronan singsonged. No matter how many years went by, Opals weakness always remained tree bark.
She unfurled from his arm and vibrated enthusiastically with excitement. Ronan couldn't help but laugh. She was so easily pleased and it pleased him when she was this happy. She deserved a full life of happiness. But what ever Ronan could offer her seemed to be enough and she never complained.
Running his hand over her hair once more he sent her off to clean her room. The only prerequisite he required from her. She may be a wild thing but she wasn't going to live like a wild thing.
Hours later, he'd finished his gift for baby gansey or well probably baby sargent since Blue was very particular about that sort of thing, opting to keep her last name when her and Gansey married, stating that her last name held just as much worth and merit as anyone of the Gansey line.
He and Opal had taken a few rounds around the grounds, petting the cows and feeding the chickens a little late night snack before he carried a sleepy Opal on his hip and draped across his shoulder. Humming a Gaelic lullaby as he nearly floated in careful steps back to the barns and up the stairs to her room where he tucked her and her (second) piece of bark clutched in her hands, into the bed and pulled the cover over her frame. Kissing her cheek before closing her door to. A small crack left open as always.
Ronan retired to his bedroom before grabbing his phone and shooting a quick text to Adam. A reply came back in the form of a face time call which Ronan answered as he slipped into the bathroom attached to his room
"Hey loser." Ronan said as soon as the connection was stable.
"Lovely to see you too, Farmer Joe. " Adam shot back, a smile on his lips, words lethal as a marshmallow.
"Ah, I see Parrishs' wit grows even more grandeur as time goes by. Please do continue using that 85 year old joke. Really, it's only gets funnier." his voice flat, void of emotion.
"Aww, don't be pouty Lynch. I still love you, old man."
"Christ Parrish, I'm 25, I'm pretty sure my youth is still intact. And besides I've grown into this specimen you know and love today. That AND you're older anyway, jackass." Ronan's smile curved into a dangerous thing when he spoke.
"How's Opal?" Adam asked, his image on the phone crackled and lagged for a moment. Reception at the barns always was a temperamental beast.
"She's a brat like always, testing me and getting into everything she shouldn't."
"Sounds like someone else I know" brow raised, smile expanding.
"I miss you guys ." a quiet admittance from Adam. "I'm thinking I can manage a trip down to visit soon. School is easing up right now and I could get my fill of home again."
Ronan knew that when Adam said "home" he didn't mean Henrietta. He hated Henrietta and everything it had been to him. Home, when he said it was here, The Barns. A place of warmth and love and acceptance in a place where he never imagined feelings like that could grow. An oasis in a pit of despair.
"I could also use a feel of home." Ronan wiggled his brows suggestively. Because home to him was every inch, every plane of Adam Parrish and he knew Adam knew this too.
Adam rolled his eyes, unamused but the way his smile stretched just a little more and how his head dropped low in a laugh affirmed the fact that he loved it when Ronan said things like this.
"How's Blue?" He lifted his head back up to Ronan. "I haven't gotten a Gansey update in a while. Have you?"
"No, nothing yet. Which may signal impending doom that the little one is on the way." A quiet "mhm" came from Adams side of the screen.
" I hope she's okay. Childbirth is really stressful on a woman and her body. Like think how Blue, small little Blue is going to have something the size of a small melon somehow fit throug-"
"For the love of God Parrish, we all know how this works. Please. Please, do not finish that thought. I don't need the mental image solidified into my head." Ronan propped the phone up on the bathroom counter so he could free himself to multitask and continue talking to Adam.
Ronan rotated the shower lever, turning it on before turning back to Adam. "On that note, I need to shower. I had promised Gansey I'd stop at the hospital in the morning." "
I'm not stopping you." Adam informed him propping an elbow on his desk, watching.
"Oh so I see what this is. You want a show Parrish?" Ronan peeled his shirt off from his chest, fabric brushing the curls of his hair before discarding it. Eyes daring Adams until it became too much and Adam coughed awkwardly before looking away .
"Don't be shy Parrish. This is child's play. I don't care if you watch. I like it actually." Ronan's hands reached for the button of his jeans but before he got very far Adam was speaking loudly over the screen.
"YEAH. UM I NEED TO GO NOW. OKAY BYE RONAN. " his voice frantic and shy but irresistible all at once.
"Bye Parrish." the easy goodbye fell from his mouth.
__
The next morning, Ronan woke up Opal and fed her eggs and toast despite her protesting for twigs. His phone chimed with a message. Opal, hearing it first ran from her seat to grab his phone from across the room and back to hand it to him. It was a group text from Gansey to Ronan, Adam.
:: I'M A FATHER. JANE IS FINE. BABY IS FINE. Baby is more than fine. He's 7 pounds 3 ounces and he is perfect. Ronan you must come meet him. Adam we'll call you soon!::
An exchange of congratulations texts flooded Ronan's phone. Between Adam and himself to Gansey. Adam inquiring more about the baby and "how much hair does he have? Does he look more like you or blue? How long is he?" etc
Ronan typed a "Be there in a jiffy, Dick" keeping with his usual sarcasm. "Just going to drop opal off at Fox Way for a bit and I'll be right down there."
"Alright Opal, you about finished? We need to get going, grab your stuff brat."
Opal leapt from the chair and ran to the living room to grab her bag.
When Ronan reached Fox way. Opal opened the car door and scrambled towards the front door. Calla stood waiting on the porch, a hidden smile, barely there flickered on her lips when she saw Opal.
"Chainsaw!!" Opal crooned.
Chainsaw sat on the banister of the porch, ruffling her feathers trying to clean herself. She perked when she heard Opals voice and took flight, landing on Opals head, pecking at her strands of hair. Ronan walked up to the porch and once Chainsaw was finished greeting Opal, she landed on Ronan's shoulder, leaning in to be closer to Ronan's neck. He just reached up to stroke her glossy feathers as she nipped at the leather of his bracelet.
"Hey Calla, thanks again for watching Opal. As much as I'd love for her to come, it'd be a job keeping an eye on her."
"Not a worry Snake.." she teased an old nickname she hadn't used in years. Perplexed what brought it about, Ronan brushed it off . "Its probably best you left her here. Today is a special day indeed. One that might even make you cry tears of joy. Or sadness." her stoic face revealed nothing of the puzzle of her words.
Sad? Today was nothing but a celebration of happiness. Nothing could take that away. Furrowing his brow, Ronan thanked her again and told her he'd return a little later that afternoon.
By the time Ronan arrived at the hospital and asked the nurse at the front desk what room he could find Blue Sargent, he was a bundle of nerves. In his pocket he carried the little beanie he'd knitted, a "welcome to the world" gift which only seemed right to knit it with black yarn that had held little flecks of silver in it.
He knocked on the room 128A before he heard Ganseys voice. A "come in" greeted him as he slipped into the room.
Blue was in bed, sitting up. She looked fairly decent for the hours of work and labor she'd been in. Her hair was disheveled which wasn't new but Ronan bit his tongue and kept that comment to himself. It wasn't a time for teasing.
Ronan approached her first. "Congratulations Blue. He told her smiling. She returned with a smile of her own at him. Her face glowed happily, proudly.
He turned to Gansey then. Gansey with his wire framed glasses and work casual clothes. Even with the birth of his child be couldn't find it in himself to dress down accordingly. He was surprised that the baby wasn't born wearing a suit and tie, complete with cuff links.
Gansey was beaming. Touching the little bundle across his cheek and tiny nose. Whispering little words to him. If Ronan wasn't mistaken, he swore he heard the words "Welsh kings" and decided to step in. "Ah. Ah Dick, let the babe have a least one day of it's life without hearing about ancient lore of kings and queens or knights and secret escapades of valor and honor." he teased him. "Let me see him? " Ronan held out his hands in a question.
When Gansey looked to him, his eyes were rimmed red. Tears still shone in them. These were clearly happy, exuberant joyful tears of the unbelievabilty that he was the father of such a little bit of magic.
Gansey's smile swallowed 90% of his face. "Of course, of course, yes!"
Blue watched with the most loving expression Ronan thought he'd ever seen on her face since he'd known her. Gansey walked closer to Ronan, erasing the space between them. When Gansey ever so carefully eased the bundle of baby over to Ronan, he couldn't move.
Ronan looked down at the little piece of Gansey and Blue and wondered who this little soul would be . Which one he'd take after more. What he would be like. So many questions and thoughts and wonderment when he looked at this baby. So full of new possibilities and life and adventure. A chance to be so much more than he could ever realize. Ronan traced his features with his eyes, the small chubby cheeks that tinged a soft pink, hair that was like a dusting of sand. Too soon to tell if it'd turn to dark or a light hue later. Ronan reached an index finger out to touch the little jaw that was full and cherubic. Ronan pulled out the small little gift he'd made for him. Showing Gansey and Blue.
"Aww Ronan that's adorable. Where did you get that?" Blue asked him, taken a back that he'd shown up with a gift
"I uh..I made it." He told Blue, tossing it to her to inspect. Her eyes saucered at his confession. Impressed.
"You. Ronan Lynch. Foul mouthed, Former street racing delinquent, now KNITS? Since when did you pick THIS habit up? " She asked him, still amazed.
"For a little while now. Didn't think it was anything I needed to advertise to you or Dick."
"I guess you needed to have some kind of hobby to keep yourself busy when Adam isn't around, huh?" This came from Gansey. Unexpected enough to make Ronan flush because it wasn't really a lie. He needed something to occupy his mind and his time in between taking care of Opal and the Barns and thinking about his boyfriend.
Blue stepped in , picking up on Ronan's unease. "Ronan, thank you. This is really nice. More than nice, this is lovely." She stretched out a hand to pull him closer. He bent down, baby in hand as Blue kissed his cheek.
"Yes, thank you Ronan. I particularity like that the woven silver thread in it also. It kind of resembles.."
"..glitter. " Blue finished for him softly.
A look passed between Blue and Gansey and Ronan was sure he'd missed something. He chalked up their misty eyes and smiles to one another as the delight of becoming parents for the first time. He walked away from the quiet moment they were sharing. Not wanting to interfere.
"Wait, you guys never told me his name?" Ronan turned back to them questioning. Both of their faces were raw, open with a purity of innocence or nostalgia or something that tasted somewhere close to it.
Just then the baby made a small little noise as if to remind Ronan that "hey, I'm right here, pay attention to me too". So he did. Turning his focus back to the little human in his hands. He thought he heard Blue say something, but he wasn't sure. Too wrapped up in the baby he held in his arms. It wasn't until he felt a hand on his shoulder from where Gansey had crossed the room closer to him.
"Did you hear Blue, Ronan?" No, he hadn't. He was still taking in the little scrunches of the newborns face and his wriggling in Ronan's arms.
"Hmm, no. Sorry. What did you say Blue?" he looked past Gansey's shoulder but Blue was watching Ronan and Gansey. A nervous smile, unsure but so happy on her mouth. "She said," Gansey squeezed his shoulder with a slight pressure like he used to do to keep him grounded years ago. In the years of their search for Glendower.
"His name," Gansey paused searching Ronan's eyes. Trying to tell him something without saying anything. A comfort, a knowing of sorts of something that Ronan couldn't place but knew by the way Gansey was acting that it was important. "His name is Noah." was all Gansey said. Allowing the name to sink in. Allowing Ronan to grasp the meaning of it.
"Noah?" Ronan whispered. An ache of a name. One they all felt in the marrow of their bones. Gansey nodded, before continuing.
"Did you know, its been seven years now?"
Seven years.
Seven years since Noah slipped away into the unknown, seven years since Gansey was remade, magic spilling into him to make him anew. Seven years.
It had been seven years.
Gansey's phone started buzzing and he walked away to go answer it. It had to be Adam calling.
Their voices were a million miles away. It was only Ronan and baby Noah wrapped in his protective arms.
Noah. Noah who had been so much but not enough. Noah, who pieced them all together and left once the picture was complete. Noah, who knew everything and said nothing. Ronan couldn't help but clutch the baby tighter to his chest. His eyes filling with the nostalgia of their Noah. Who none of them ever felt they would ever be able to thank enough for what he did.
Ronan cried silently with his back to his friends. Too much sadness and too much regret of not being able to do anything for Noah. A boy who was already dead but brought life to their lives and even more than that. He gave Gansey back his life.
Ronan wiped the tears from his face and looked down into his arms. This Noah was going to be so much more. He was going to be exactly like the firecracker their friend had been described as once. He just knew it. He could feel it. Ronan inhaled a shaky breath, testing the words on his tongue, rolling them around like a fine wine that only grew better as it aged.
".. Hey Noah." his voice cracked slightly on the name. Fresh tears welled up in his eyes but he didn't let them spill this time. Baby Noahs mouth twitched at the corner, hint of a smile when Ronan said his name.
Its hard to say whether or not spirits move on or if Noah just evaporated into wisps of air all those years ago. But it wasn't a coincidence. Seven years. Lucky number seven. Maybe there was a part of Noah that existed between him and Adam, Gansey and Blue. Their memory of him keeping a part of his energy alive and around them at all times. It didn't really matter though, whether or not that was true. Their memory and deep devotion to their friend was endless. This was a testament to that. To the power that their friend had over them.
Ronan heard Adams voice clear and loud as he said. "UH OH. You better get your baby away from him. We all know Ronan's love of Noah's combined with windows!" They all laughed at the memory of the time Ronan had thrown Noah out the window when they lived at Monmouth.
Ronan just turned a middle finger in Adams direction but laughed anyway. Adam kissed the air toward him.
"Love you too, Lynch"
"Ugh guys, not in front of my child please. He's too young to see this." Blue announced which caused a new round of laughter.
Calla had been right. This day had been exactly as she foretold. A mixed blessing of joy and sadness in some ways.
But here was Noah, cradled safely in his arms. Maybe not the same Noah they knew and loved but one that still had a power to bring them all together Ronan thought as he looked at each of his friends faces. His heart swelling again at the knowledge of how close they would always be. How connected their lives would always remain. These people were his friends. His family even.
"Ronan!" Adam said louder to him. "Bring him over here! I want to see him too! Don't try to hog him!"
So Ronan did. He readjusted Noah in his arms and walked to his friends. Their circle complete once again. The Greywaren, The Magician , The Mirror, The King and The Ghost. Or at least the memory of their beloved friend, being honored in a new life they were able to give back to him in ways.