Work Text:
The snow crept up on Henrietta without much warning.
Ronan was on the back porch at The Barns as it started to fall in the afternoon. Just flurries at first. As he attended to his projects -- clearing space in the Long Barn, bringing in firewood, gathering the half-chewed sticks Opal left around the house and tossing them into the fireplace -- he kept an eye on the slowly accumulating drifts. The heavy snow and wind began as evening came on, and Ronan sensed that it would likely continue through the night.
He thought of Adam at Boyd's. He'd taken the Hondayota, and it was unlikely he'd be able to pilot the shitbox home in this storm. Ronan looked at the kitchen clock -- he'd be done with work in an hour. Ronan had been chewing on an idea all afternoon as the snow had come down. He busied himself gathering what he needed.
"Opal! Put on your boots! We're going to the Witches!"
***
Adam was completely unaware of the snow falling outside. He'd been immersed in replacing a carburetor, and it was dirty, tedious work. Boyd approached him a few minutes before closing.
"Hey kid, I'm sorry -- I should have let you go sooner. It got bad out there fast and I just wasn't paying attention. Are you gonna be OK to get home?"
Adam blinked and looked beyond Boyd out the garage door. All he could see was white, blanketing the ground and filling the air.
His heart sank. There was no way his car was getting all the way back to The Barns through this. Maybe he could make it to Monmouth? He wasn't even dressed for snow. Could he ask Boyd if he could bunk down on the couch in his office? Shit.
As he mulled over his options, he saw headlights appear through the snow and turn into the parking lot, and he smiled.
"It's OK Boyd -- looks like I got a lift."
***
Adam fell into the passenger seat and slammed the door of the BMW. Snow had blown in around him, and coated his hair and shoulders. The car was warm and dry, and Ronan was playing soft Irish music instead of the usual electronic noise. Adam let out a sigh, relieved and grateful. He'd been getting better at letting Ronan take care of him. It helped that he could take care of Ronan in return, holding him when memories of his parents backed up on him, or when he thought too much about what might happen to Matthew one day. Ronan's care felt different than Gansey's or anyone else's. It felt like a promise that went both ways. It felt good.
Adam rested his head against the back of the seat and looked at Ronan. "Thank you for coming out to get me in this."
Ronan gave a soft, affirmative sound. " 'Course Parrish. The shitbox wouldn't make it two feet in this. You know, if you won't let me dream you a car, what about if I dream you some snow tires?"
"But then I wouldn't get this hot chauffeur service." Adam grinned at his boyfriend, leaned across the car and kissed his cheek softly. Adam could tell Ronan rolled his eyes even though he didn't look away from the road. Adam relaxed into the soft leather of the car seat, and Ronan drove them into the night.
***
"So, what were you saying about the utility of dreamed snow tires?" Adam snarked.
The BMW was lodged in a snow bank, having slid off the road as Ronan took a corner just a little too fast.
"Look, I've had other priorities. We live in fucking Virginia, Parrish. This kind of snow is not exactly the norm." For being stuck on the side of the road in a blizzard, his precious car temporarily out of commission, Ronan didn't seem terribly upset, Adam noted. In fact, he seemed oddly content.
Adam raised an eyebrow at him. "What about Opal? Should we call the house? Would she even pick up?"
"The brat is with the Witches. I dropped her off on the way to get you. They're doing hot chocolate and s'mores in the fireplace -- she's A-OK."
Adam sighed at that: "Sounds nice. You get that we're fucked right? It's gonna get fucking cold in this car really quickly, and it's not safe for us to keep the engine running."
"We're gonna be fine, Parrish. I may not have gotten around to the snow tires, but I did dream something useful. I wasn't totally sure what it would be good for at first, but then I realized how it could come in handy in emergencies."
Ronan reached across the center console and popped open the glove box -- he pulled out a small glass orb. Flames licked the inside of the glass, and cast soft firelight around the car. Adam felt the air immediately begin to warm.
"How are you able to hold that without burning your fingers?" Adam asked, marveling at the small glass ball.
"It’s a dream thing, dummy, it does what I dreamed -- it gives off safe warmth and light without being dangerous. Every emergency roadkit should have one," Ronan smirked.
Adam smiled at his boyfriend, watching the light dance across the angles of his handsome face. Ronan never failed to surprise him.
Ronan smiled back at Adam, soft and content. "Let's get more comfortable." He waggled his eyebrows at Adam cartoonishly and climbed clumsily over the seat into the back of the car, nearly kicking Adam in the head. Adam barked out a laugh and climbed after him. He loved it when Ronan was unguarded and ridiculous; it was one of his favorite versions of him, right up there with sleepy, confused waking-up Ronan and singularly focused, turned-on Ronan. He was starting to think he might be getting to see that last version of Ronan soon. He hoped.
They settled in the back seat together, leaving the glowing orb on the dash so they could watch the flames. Ronan pulled an old blanket from under the driver's seat and covered them. He put his arm around Adam's shoulders and pulled him into his chest. Adam lay his head against him with a sigh. It really had been a long day, and this little calamity was turning out to not be such a terrible way to pass the night. Outside the snow continued to fall, and the car was blanketed in quiet.
Until Adam's stomach growled. Loudly.
Ronan laughed softly, "You OK there, Parrish?"
Adam smirked, "I'm fine. Lunch was just a very long time ago and I sort of forgot to eat dinner. I was in the middle of something and the time got away from me."
"Color me shocked," Ronan replied, running his hand through Adam's hair. Adam burrowed deeper into Ronan's chest.
"Here, give me one second," Ronan gently moved Adam off his chest, eliciting a disgruntled noise, and reached under the passenger seat, pulling out a paper bag.
Adam cocked his eyebrow, "You're just full of surprises tonight, huh?"
Ronan smirked "I do my best to keep the fucking magic alive, dickhead."
Adam grabbed the bag and peered inside.
"Yessssssss! OK, the magic is definitely alive." Adam pulled out roast beef sandwiches, chips, bottles of coke, and what appeared to be homemade brownies. "Did you make these?"
"This morning. Opal helped but I made her wash her hands, and I didn't let her put in the earthworms like she wanted."
"You're such a mean dad," Adam mumbled around a mouth full of roast beef.
"Uh huh. Fine, next time extra worms in your brownies."
Adam was struck by how happy he was. He was stuck in the middle of a snowstorm, probably for the rest of the night, and he was completely at peace and content. Ronan made everything good. How did he manage it? Adam smiled at him, and touched his cheek as Ronan ripped into the bag of chips. Ronan smiled back at him. They were both exactly where they wanted to be in that moment.