Chapter Text
Adam had just arrived home to the Barns for the holidays, and Ronan wished he never had to leave again. As soon as he had heard Adam’s shitty Hondayota pull up in the driveway, he had broken his promise to himself not to be embarrassingly over the top and ran outside, tackling Adam with a hug from behind as he was getting his bags out of his car. It took them at least twenty minutes to finish greeting each other- or rather, making out, and actually take Adam’s things inside.
They were now sat leaning against the wall of an empty cow shed, Adam leaning into Ronan’s side, Ronan’s arm around his shoulders. They had been walking and talking, catching up on all of the details of the past months they hadn’t had a chance to tell each other, while Opal was in her room, chewing on a toy that Adam had brought her. Eventually Adam had decided he was tired. The currently empty shed had been close by, so they went inside to protect them from the wind while they rested. The two had sat down and eventually fallen silent, not having run out of stories to tell, but simply wanting to pause to enjoy each other’s presence. Ronan didn’t think he’d been this relaxed since Adam had left for college. He moved his other hand so that it was resting on Adam’s side, and rested his cheek on the top of the other boy’s head. Adam sighed softly.
It took a few more minutes before Ronan realised that he could feel every one of Adam’s ribs through his red t-shirt. He frowned. Adam had been skinny before, obviously, but not like this.
“Parrish, the fuck? Did you lose weight?” Ronan tried to disguise the intense worry in his voice behind a mask of annoyance, but even he could tell it didn’t really work. Adam shifted and turned sideways to face Ronan, and Ronan’s hands fell away from around him. Ronan wondered if that had been what Adam was trying to do.
“Uh, maybe I guess,” Adam said, not meeting Ronan’s eyes as he spoke, “I’ve been busy working. Sometimes I just don’t get the time to get food. Don’t worry about it.”
Ronan raised an eyebrow, unconvinced by Adam’s attempt to play down the fact that something was clearly seriously wrong. Adam finally looked up to meet his eye, but immediately looked away upon seeing the question that was still written on his face. Ronan reached out and put his hand over Adam’s. For a moment it looked like Adam would pull away and Ronan felt something twist in his stomach, but he didn’t, and Ronan put his other hand on Adam’s knee as if he was trying to keep him from bolting.
“What’s going on?” This time, the annoyance in Ronan’s voice was replaced by concern, quickly building up into fear. To his relief, Adam didn’t try to dodge his question again.
“I don’t know, I guess I’m just stressed, you know? I always have something to do and I never feel like I have the time to take a break, even if it’s just small. I need to do well, I can’t stand the idea of not passing this course…” Adam trailed off, and Ronan waited for him to continue. “I kind of feel guilty, like I shouldn’t be shouldn’t be eating or sleeping when I could be doing work. I don’t know.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this was going on?” This question was not born of annoyance that Adam hadn’t said anything, but more of Ronan’s regret that he hadn’t known, hadn’t been able to help.
“I don’t know. I’m sorry”
“Hey. Don’t apologise. You think I’d be fucking mad at you? Fuck no, Parrish” Ronan faked annoyance, and Adam laughed. Ronan would start wars and burn cities for that laugh. “Come on. We’re going back to the house.” Ronan stood, and waited for Adam to do the same before striding off, Adam hurrying to catch up to him.
Halfway there, Adam stumbled, and Ronan caught his arm before he could crumple to the ground. Adam went to carry on walking, but he stopped and turned around when he didn’t hear Ronan following. Ronan was staring at him, an emotion on his face that Adam couldn’t quite name.
“When was the last time you ate?” Adam was surprised Ronan didn’t fit an expletive somewhere in the sentence.
“I don’t know, like, Thursday?” Adam’s voice was quiet.
“Jesus Mary and Joseph,” Ronan said under his breath, shaking his head, again with that expression that Adam couldn’t place. “You’re aware it’s Sunday afternoon, right?”
Adam nodded.
“Well, if I wasn’t going to make you eat before, I sure fucking am now.” Ronan started walking again, taking over Adam, but glancing back every few steps until his boyfriend was by his side again.