Work Text:
This Is Not a Fairy Tale
There were fingers in his hair. When, exactly, they got there, Adam didn’t know, but there were fingers in his hair and they could only belong to one person, given where he was.
Where he was was the only connection to the magic he once knew, that once possessed and controlled him. But here, in this world of beauty and chaos and hidden affection, the magic was less sinister, less malicious. Instead it loved and welcomed him, as its owner did. The magic here felt like home, as did the fingers in his hair.
“I know you’re awake, asshole,” Ronan whispered down at Adam, who merely smiled, eyes still closed. Gentle chuckle came from the boy above him. These were the moments Adam loved more than anything. They were calm and unhurried, just him and Ronan, Ronan who had become everything to him in a very short amount of time.
Once upon a time, there was a boy who was given the world through a combination of magic and endless money, and he was loved. He smiled easily and loved as fiercely as he himself was loved. He dreamed himself a little brother, a boy as sweet as sin, but Matthew was as close to an angel as Ronan was sure he was ever going to meet. Ronan has everything he could ever think of wanting. Once upon a time, there was a boy who was given the world, and through a combination of magic and endless money, it was taken from him.
Once upon a time, there was a boy who had no idea what kindness was, He had nothing, and so the world took his blood as payment for existing. The world showed him no kindness, but he was determined to not let it break him. So he worked and he worked and he worked until he didn’t know if the exhaustion in his bones was due to his father or himself. Life was easier that way. Once upon a time, there was a boy the world gave nothing to, so he took from it without asking if he could.
Once upon a time, magic met mayhem, and two boys met a king.
Once upon a time, two boys died on a ley line, only, one of them survived. Fate’s a funny thing, and they became friends later in life. Noah did not regret dying for Gansey, not that anyone ever asked. He knew his place in their make-shift court He was a knight, and like any good knight he gave his life to protect his king, He’d do it again, if asked Once upon a time, a would-be king died.
Once upon a time, two boys died on a ley line, only, one of them survived. He did not believe in miracles, despite the fact that everyone said he was alive because if one, despite the magical people he ruled over with a gentle hand. His loyal subjects could dream their own reality and see into the future, as though both were commonplace skills. But he did not see them as miraculous. They just…were. And he loved them for it. Once upon a time, a true king lived.
Once upon a time, a king met the woman who would kill him, and he promptly fell in love with her.
Once upon a time, a regular girl was born from the very essence of the universe, only, she decided ordinary simply wasn’t for her. She’d tell you that it was Fate’s design, but she grew up with psychics; she knew better. A mundane girl destined to become a queen decided to be a warrior instead, and Fate twisted itself around her. Once upon a time, a girl was given a destiny and she laughed as she did the exact opposite.
Once upon a time, a little boy went through hell because of someone else. Years later, he dove head first into it, So far from home, he found a boy who sung with the same magic that had been the reason for his torture, and he smiled. This boy was not what he was expecting, but then neither was he. For the life of him, Henry couldn’t figure out what made Gansey so goddamn important, but that didn’t matter. He inspired loyalty and love, and in Henry’s mind, that was more than enough to do what was needed. Once upon a time, a boy went through hell to teach a king how to be brave.
Once upon a time, a court assembled to save the world, and no one else knew about it.
Her fingers drummed a haphazard rhythm on the steering wheel. She was miles away from tarot cards and experimental teas, but she had never felt more at home.
She could see Gansey and Henry through the window of the small gas station store, and she smiled. Something about the underpaid cashier must have sparked their interest. Or maybe it was the other way around. It wasn’t every day that a teenaged boy with the fashion sense of a 30-year-old conservative walked in with someone like, well, someone like Henry, who looked like he wanted to have sex with everyone in a five mile radius at once.
“And that is an idea for another time,” she whispered to herself as she decided to hurry the boys along; she was getting bored. As she walked into the store she noticed all three sets of eyes find their way to her.
“Jane, nice of you to join us.”
“Bluebird, control him, he’s being all diplomaty again,” Henry said. Blue just laughed and kissed Gansey’s cheek.
“Diplomaty is his personality, and this was your idea,” she said wrapping her arms around Henry. The poor cashier looked confused at her nonchalant behavior, and her boys’ equally nonchalant reaction, or rather, their non-reaction. As though her showering them both with affection was commonplace Blue smiled gently at her and shrugged. They did not owe her any explanations, and she did not plan on offering any.
“I thought you were going to wait in the Pig?” Gansey asked. She smirked in his direction.
“I was, until 20 minutes passed and I still had no yogurt.” Her voice was dripping with her Henrietta accent, sweet as sugar.
Gansey pushed the glasses Henry convinced him to wear that morning up his nose as he checked the fancy watch on his wrist that Blue thought was unnecessary and saw that she was right; it had been 20 minutes.
“Like I said, diplomaty,” Henry said with an accompanying eye roll.
“I’m sorry, Jane, I didn’t realize.”
Blue, ignoring him, decided to turn her attention to the still nameless cashier.
“I’m sorry for this one. He can talk for hours about things you never even knew existed, and he rarely knows he’s doing it,” she said with a smile. The girl behind the counter shrugged in that way that communicated the idea of what can you do .
“Love the shorts,” she said, pointing down at Blue’s hand-embroidered jean shorts. They were tame by Blue’s standards, which meant they weren’t something you’d find in any store.
“Thank you. I’ll get them out of your hair now. Have they paid yet? Also. What’s your name?” The girl nodded in response to her first question.
“Yeah, I’m Katie.”
“I’m Blue, and this is Gansey, and that one is Henry,” she told her, pointing to each in turn, “We’ll be leaving now, but it was nice to meet you, Katie.” Katie waved as the three walked out of her store.
“And you call me diplomaty,” Gansey muttered.
“You are,” Blue and Henry said in unison.
It was terrifying, seeing Ronan and Blue equally mad at someone, and that’s exactly what was happening right now. Gansey was grateful that Adam was at work because he has the feeling that had he been here, the two of them would have turned into avenging angels on his behalf, even as he protested. Because Robert Parrish was across the street from them at this very moment, and the words coming out of Ronan’s mouth were a mix of Latin and English, and while Gansey did not think they sounded like poetry, he had to admit that they were inspired.
Normally Gansey would be trying to get the two of them to behave, but he honestly can’t bring himself to do so. Gansey was literally on his third life, and in none of them has he ever hated a person as much as he hates Adam’s father. He was not a violent person, in action or thought, so he allowed his friends to vent theirs.
But he was still glad Adam was not here to see this. Venting would have turned to action, and that never ended well. So instead he turned his attention to his friends.
Ronan had an arm resting around Blue’s shoulders, wearing bright pink badly crocheted fingerless gloves she had given him. They did not suit anything else he wore, but apparently that meant nothing to him. They made him look softer than Gansey had seen him in a long time. Ronon had laughed when she defiantly presented them them to him last christmas--a holiday Blue herself didn’t care for but Ronan considered sacred-- and them promised he would wear them to the surprise of everyone else present. Ronan Lynch did not make promises lightly, nor did he break them.
The sight of them, righteous fury and unbreakable friendship, made Gansey smile despite the man across the street, despite the knowledge of what that man had done.
It was Blue who noticed his smile, and she went to poke him.
“Hey, why are you all happy? Don’t you have eyes?” This made him laugh.
“Yeah, Dick, what’s got you cackling like a damn hyena? That asshole needs to see he can’t come near Adam again,” Ronan added. He wasn’t sure if he could explain it to them, this unashamed joy at seeing them. Ronan had almost died, Blue had killed him, but here they were, alive and reckless. Changed, but still the same.
“Nothing, just you two. I’m glad you exist,” he said. He was always the most willing to be vulnerable out of their little group, but this was a bit more than usual, even for him. Blue laughed, high pitched and pure. It was Ronan who surprised him, saying,
“Love you, too, Dick.” Now Gansey’s smile was brighter than every star in the sky. All of them had survived so much worse than Robert Parrish
There were fingers in his hair. When, exactly, they got there, Adam didn’t know, but there were fingers in his hair and they could only belong to one person, given where he was.
Where he was was the only connection to the magic he once knew, that once possessed and controlled him. But here, in this world of beauty and chaos and hidden affection, the magic was less sinister, less malicious. Instead it loved and welcomed him, as its owner did. The magic here felt like home, as did the fingers in his hair.
“I know you’re awake, asshole,” Ronan whispered down at Adam, who merely smiled, eyes still closed. Gentle chuckle came from the boy above him. These were the moments Adam loved more than anything. They were calm and unhurried, just him and Ronan, Ronan who had become everything to him in a very short amount of time.
It was then that Ronan began to sing softly. Adam didn’t recognize the song, but he assumed that it was a lullaby that Aurora sang to the Lynch boys as children. He’d ask about it later, maybe. Or maybe he’d leave it up to Ronan if he wanted to share.
He wasn’t sure how long they sat there, Adam’s head lying in Ronan’s lap, but at some point, Henry’s voice made Adam open his eyes.
“Isn’t this sweet?” Blue and Gansey were at his side, as they always were anymore.
“Fuck off, Cheng,” Ronan said, his voice lacking the venom that used to lace it. He didn’t even bother to look up from Adam. Blue and Gansey may be literal soulmates, but Adam thought Fate had nothing on Ronan Lynch’s love. He was damn lucky to have him.
“Leave them be, Henry. You’re no better,” Blue said, plopping down on the other couch.
“True, Bluebird, but I’m me, so I can get away with it,” he said, mirroring Adam’s position with Blue. Gansey shook his head at them, and sat down on the floor at Henry’s feet.
So many thing g had changed. Ronan and Blue had fresh tattoos on their wrists, Remembered in sharp letters, surrounded by flowers, a tribute to the friend they had lost. Gansey was still so unsure of this new life, of how it happened. Adam still hesitated to touch Ronan sometimes, still afraid of his own hands. Blue felt Persephone’s loss deeply and had not had the time to heal yet. Things were still shaky with new relationships, and how this would work now, but things would settle and people would heal and grow. Noah would not be forgotten. They would be okay.
Once upon a time, a king held court for the first time, and the world would never be the same.