Work Text:
"Only a few weeks before they get to your brain, Lynch. You may want to live a little before that happens."
Ronan looked around. It was a habit, a survival tool when even words listened. Hopefully, they were alone in the locker room of the all-boys school. He kept lacing his shoes.
"It's too close to the Wall."
Even then, Ronan didn't speak too loud. Kavinsky shrugged. He didn't understand what it was to be in trouble since birth. Ronan's parents loved each other. That happened, sometimes. A neighbor told the police and they were gone in the blink of an eye. The official story was about an accident, like most of them. Truly no one believed that, but people felt better when they had something to hold on.
"Parties happen there all the time. Come on. Don't tell me you're looking forward to be paired up with some secondhand bitch."
Ronan didn't say it. Worse than love was abnormality, but the latter generally needed the former to be known. It is said that the Cure helped everything, though. He needn't worry— again, that's what they said. He stood up and they remained quiet while exiting the building. Spring was fading into summer. They enjoyed the warmth without suffering from mosquitoes.
"I'm that close to be free, K. Only a few weeks and it's over."
Kavinsky shoved him against the locker wall. Ronan held his breath, stupidly, as though it could stop anything from happening.
"Kavinsky !" he hissed angrily.
They wrestled, Ronan impaired by his will not to draw attention.
"What is there to be afraid of, if you wanna be cured so bad ?" Kavinsky laughed, awfully loud. "Tell them the big bad Kavinsky tried to eat you raw." He spoke against Ronan's neck, already wrapped around him. "They'll cure you and bury me in the Crypts."
The name cast a shadow over them. No one knows who had the idea to call Henrietta's medicalized prison the Crypts, but the name stuck. They heard footsteps. Kavinsky stepped back and started talking about the color of his neighbor's car— probably. Ronan's ears were buzzing. They exited the building.
"There is no Cure," Kavinsky said to the open. "You die, they keep the labor strength."
"So what ?"
"You're such a dickhead." Kavinsky lowered his voice. "Admit that you love me, while you still can."
Declan had been cured, resulting in a strangely even mood. He had been paired with a blonde named Ashley and both were fine with it. He was the only reference Ronan had about it. He seemed very alive, enough to be his brothers' legal guardian until they were of age. Cured. He was living that disease-free life everyone praised, even the church. Church above all of them, actually, because Adam and Eve wouldn't have sinned without it— love.
The Bible was just the story of how people suffered because of love. Which justified why it was the worst. There were stages of love, which had been classified as a deadly, contagious illness. That's why non-cured teens shouldn't touch each other much and contacts between people of the opposite sex were strictly monitored. There were symptoms. Hopefully, there was a cure now.
The first symptom was that one would start questionning the Cure.
Ronan trusted his brother enough to tell him most things, when he couldn't hold them on his own. Declan had never betrayed him, despite disapproving most of the time.
Of course, not crypting the conversation would be suicidal, hence why Ronan told him a story instead. They did that, Matthew, Declan and him. It felt like before, at least until the story was over. Surprisingly, Declan didn't immediately showed disapproval. He indulged Ronan's doubts with a nostalgic smile.
If there were any, that's what they saw. Ronan heard him whispering that Matthew would love to see the sunset.
"Thank you for the story," Declan then said, out loud. "I'm afraid we'll have to continue that a bit later: I've got some work to do."
Ronan stood up. He felt like something needed to be done but physical displays of affection past a young age were suspiciously looked upon. A couple of seconds later, he still hadn't moved. Declan sighed and stood up to lead him to the door. He caught Ronan's arm, which was as physical as it could get. There was nothing forceful in his manners, Ronan realized, though it may seem so. If there are mics and cameras hidden around, all of them would fall for the trick.
Declan tightened his grip on his arm. Ronan gasped and bent.
"They couldn't move out because of Mom's health," Declan whispered. "I took the Cure so that you wouldn't have to. Love," Ronan shivered at the forbidden word, "is better than what we've made of it."
"Declan—"
He released him.
"Take Matthew, alright ? Do not forget your coats in case it gets windy."
The door of the office closed with a dry sound. He went to wake Matthew up and they started packing.
Kavinsky had been waiting for him at the meeting point, close to the park. He wasn't as surprised to see Matthew as Ronan had expected him to.
"Still got some time," he said. "Let's go."
The curfew was maybe an hour ahead of them. They couldn't take much things without being noticed, so they had filled their pockets. At least, girls could carry bags without it seeming suspicious.
Close to the Wall was still far enough not to get shot. They could speak freely, though. The party had already started. Ronan had never heard such loud music and seen so many people that close from each other.
"You know why your old man told you to get Goldilocks ?"
Matthew huffed but didn't shy away when Kavinsky strongly patted his curls.
"Why ?"
"Because we're not going to this party."
Unsurprisingly, they weren't.
"We're leaving, aren't we ?" Matthew asked.
"Yeah." Ronan hadn't known until answering. "We are."
"'Bout time," Kavinsky shrugged. "There's a breach in the Wall, a few miles east. Gotta run fast, but they don't care once you're past the barrier."
Ronan felt like he was not only leaving Declan behind.
"You're coming ?"
"Nah, babe. No one else knows how to get people through."
"What are we supposed to do after ?"
"Swan will lead you to the camp. Train. See how much bullshit they've been feeding you since birth. Then, maybe you'll come back." Kavinsky paused, suddenly far away. "If I'm still around, we could make a riot."
"How did you know I was leaving ?"
"Told you: I can get people through like no one else. Died-in-a-car-accident Lynch knew. Was too late for him and Goldilocks I."
Ronan knew he was only dragging their time to the last extent. Kavinsky offered him to choose one last time. He could go back, be cured, betray Kavinsky and probably mess the resistance in the area for a few years.
"I wouldn't betray you."
"Not until they've removed half of your brain. It fucks people up, Lynch."
"I'm going," Matthew said, even though he regretted not telling Declan a proper goodbye.
"So am I," Ronan added. "Is that what you meant ?"
Time felt like a rope, fraying until it broke. Then, they'd part ways. Kavinsky had taken the lead.
"What ?"
"Admit you love me while you still can," Ronan quoted.
"Honestly ? No. Didn't think you'd have the balls to leave."
The silence stretched like the border at their side. Matthew spoke, sometimes, whimsy he knew was irrelevant. At some point, Kavinsky stopped walking. They were hidden a few meters in the forest. Soon, Regulators would start roaming around, searching for people like them.
"Easy," Kavinsky started counting on his fingers. "The people inside were put to sleep. You run, climb, let yourself fall on the other side, run some more and it's done."
He ached as much as Ronan. There was not a second to waste to emotional goodbyes, though.
"You better stick around."
"Go."
"Seriously. I love you."
Kavinsky's wholehearted laugh was blocked by the sound of fireworks. Ronan kissed him. Kavinsky returned the favor. That was not farewell.
He pushed his hand flat against Ronan's chest to part. Matthew rolled his eyes at them. Kavinsky made a graphic gesture.
Ronan grabbed his brother's hand. A world was happening above their heads.
They ran.