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It was all unbearably loud.
“Ronan,” Adam shouted through the blaring music. “Ronan.”
The said man was holding his hand and guiding him past the crowd of people. They cheered and wolf-whistled as they parted to make way for the two. Some, however, took it a step too far.
“You've snagged a pretty boy!”
“Boy? You sure that ain’t a girl?”
“What? Ronan’s a fag?”
“Where’d you find the twink?”
At times like these, Adam was glad he couldn’t hear from his left ear.
He tugged on the hand that was firmly grasping his own. “Ronan. I swear, I feel really uncomfortable right now and I know you said to ignore them but you can’t just ignore me— Hey!” Adam yelped as he felt someone’s palm coming on to contact with his ass, cutting off his rant.
“Watch it!” He looked back in search of the offender before Ronan’s arms looped protectively around his waist and pulled him flush against his chest. Adam could smell the scent of his perfume and hear the other man’s heartbeat with his own.
Ronan glowered at a tall, white man who had a drunken grin on his face. “Keep your hands to yourself, Connor, or I might just tell Jason over there that you fucked his girlfriend last night.”
The grin fell right off the man’s face as the man beside him — Jason, he guessed — grabbed him by the collar and shouted with rage.
“You did what?!”
Jason threw a punch, and now the crowd’s attention turned to the full-blown fistfight going on. He could see some people passing around a hat filled with money; they had already started a betting pool.
Ronan snorted in amusement. “They’re just like dogs; all you need to do is to throw them a shiny new toy, and now you’ve got their undivided attention. Typical.” This scene was not unusual to him, but it was a completely different world for Adam. He was out of his element, but he felt like he could relax just a little bit more without the crowd’s eyes on him.
“Asshole,” Adam said as he threw a weak punch of his own. “I’ve been calling for your attention for ages, and the one time you turn around is when someone slaps my ass.”
“They can see all they want, but I can’t have anyone touching what’s mine.” Ronan’s hands wandered dangerously further down his back. “I don’t like sharing, especially when it comes to you.”
He placed his palms against Ronan’s chest and pushed him away from his rapidly beating heart, but Ronan didn’t even budge — the buff asshole — and just laughed as he took a step back.
“Can you tell me why we’re here now?” He grumbled, thoroughly embarrassed by the whole situation. “I’m supposed to be studying at this time.”
“You haven’t figured it out yet?” Ronan gestured to the revving cars and the checkered racing flags. “Aren’t you supposed to be the smart one?”
He had, in fact, figured it out, but what he didn’t know was what this whole gathering had to do with Ronan. Adam had an idea in mind, but he’s trying to rule it out as much as possible because if it’s true, then they’re in so much trouble.
“Whatever it is you’re thinking of, you’re absolutely right.” Ronan continued to walk, leading Adam to a huge road with cars and even more people lined up at the sidewalk. In the middle of it all — no fucking way — was Ronan’s BMW. He knew something was up the moment Ronan didn’t show up with his beloved car.
“Ronan.”
“Adam.”
“Ronan.”
“Adam.”
“Gansey’s going to flip.”
“I know.”
They were standing beside the car now. The car — which usually looked out of place in the roads of Henrietta — fit just right in with the other racing vehicles lined up beside it, and Ronan — with his black muscle tee, expensive jeans, and leather jacket — looked like a fish in the water. If Adam were to be completely honest, then he’d say the carefree and dangerous look in Ronan’s eyes made him aroused, but he’s been humiliated enough already.
“Don’t tell me,” Adam didn’t know what to feel, “you’ll be racing right now? As in, right now?”
“Yup,” Ronan replied simply, “and you’ll be riding with me.”
“No, this is insane.”
“I know.”
“This isn’t my thing.”
“I know.”
“I’ve never done anything like this before.”
“I know,” Ronan said exasperatedly.
“All I wanted was to just—“ Adam sucked in a breath, stopping himself from what he was about to say, but Ronan was not going to have any of that.
“What do you want, baby?” He almost whimpered at the pet name, and his knees that were already so weak were on the verge of collapsing on itself, but he pulled himself together.
“I just want to go home.”
Ronan blinked. “That’s it? We’ll be going straight home after this, no big deal.”
“And I also just want to cuddle,” Adam said in one breath and closed his eyes in mortification.
Actions were completely different from words, and Adam had the most trouble with the latter. Actions meant approaching Ronan and hugging him from behind without needing to explain himself, but admitting that he wanted that affection out loud made him feel vulnerable. Adam disliked feeling vulnerable — it made him remember days where he couldn’t defend himself despite the bruise on his shoulder or the crack in his ribs — but with Ronan, he’s willing to try.
Still, old habits die hard, and he found himself waiting for Ronan to laugh at his request or to mock him for wanting something so stupid or to deny him what he needed the most.
“I can hear you thinking, and I don't like where your thoughts are going.” He felt Ronan’s hands caressing his cheek. “Open your eyes, babe.”
Adam did, and the first thing he saw was Ronan’s shark-like eyes and his pretty eyelashes. “You know you can tell me anything.” The taller man bumped his forehead against Adam’s own. “I’d do anything for you and you know that.”
Sometimes Ronan’s tough exterior made him forget that he wasn’t the only one uncomfortable with vulnerability, but times like these made him remember. Adam has a special place in his heart for the rare times Ronan showed him his softer side.
“Get a room!”
“Shut the fuck up, Kavinsky!”
The moment was ruined.
Ronan bowed his head and sighed irritably. “I swear that fucker goes out of his way to annoy me. I won’t be able to hold myself back from punching him one of these days.”
Swiftly, Ronan wrapped an arm around Adam's slim waist once again and opened the door to the driver’s seat of his car. With careful maneuvering, he sat down while pulling Adam to his lap, closing the door right after. Adam’s hands reflexively held on to Ronan’s shoulders.
What the fuck just happened? Adam didn’t make a single sound as he was manhandled. The whole thing happened too quickly and he was still wrapping his head around the situation.
Then, it clicked.
He was sitting on Ronan’s lap.
He looked up at the said man, who was grinning mischievously, and down at where his long legs were straddling Ronan’s.
I am sitting on Ronan’s lap.
Adam gulped. “You couldn’t have warned a man first?”
“And where’s the fun in that?” Ronan leaned in, his lips brushed against the lobe of his ear, and Adam shivered. “You said you wanted to cuddle. Shouldn’t you be more grateful?”
“I meant at home, dumbass.” He shifted his weight, trying to get used to the new arrangement.
Sitting on each other’s laps shouldn’t be a big deal, but for some reason, it felt like it was. This position felt intimate, and Adam was caught off guard by its abruptness, but the closeness wasn’t unwelcome. In fact, all Adam wanted to do was stay here in the warmth of his boyfriend’s lap.
“The race will begin in eight minutes! Racers, get ready!” The booming voice of the announcer passed through the car’s confined walls.
With a sigh of disappointment, Adam enveloped his boyfriend in a tight embrace.
“Thanks for doing this, babe,” Adam relished Ronan’s skin on his for a few more seconds, not wanting to leave, “but I have to go if you’re aiming to win this thing.”
He moved to get up, only to feel hands tugging him back down by his hips.
Adam looked at Ronan confusingly. “What are you doing?”
He attempted to rise again, but Ronan’s hands were unyielding.
He couldn’t move.
“You said you wanted to cuddle.” The stronger man repeated with another cheeky grin on his face.
“I did.”
“So here we are, cuddling.”
“But the race is about to start.” Adam replied slowly, unsure of where this was going.
“Exactly.”
“And I’m still on your lap. When the race is about to start.”
“Exactly,” Ronan said patiently.
“You want me to—” Adam bit on his lips “—you want me to stay here? On your lap? While you race?”
“Exactly.” His boyfriend smiled and kissed him briefly on his lips. “Is that okay with you?”
Adam hesitated, then realized he had no reason to think about it all because holy shit, in what universe would he ever say no to that?
In reply, Adam pressed back on Ronan’s lips, aiming for a deeper kiss. He wasn’t sure how much time they spent making out with their hands moving restlessly around the other’s, but he didn’t care. All that mattered was Ronan. Ronan and his stupid ideas, Ronan and his soft lips, Ronan and his unfair strength, Ronan, Ronan, Ronan—
“Yes,” he said as breathlessly as they parted, “you have no idea how hot that is.”
“I think I have a good idea.” Ronan leaned in, capturing Adam’s bottom lips with his teeth, before kissing him again. “You look so pretty sitting on my lap. You make me want to keep you here forever.”
Adam moaned into the kiss, unable to hold back. His fingers fiddled with the zipper of Ronan’s pants while the other man’s hands clutched Adam’s thighs.
“Race begins in one minute!”
They both groaned simultaneously, frustrated by the interruption.
“Let’s just get this over with,” Ronan said determinedly. “You better get comfortable, babe.” He tugged Adam closer, so they were chest to chest, and cradled the man’s head so that Adam’s chin was on his shoulder.
“I’m starting to think you have a thing for manhandling me.”
“Don’t call it a thing,” Ronan scoffed, “it’s a whole ass kink. I’m surprised you haven’t figured it out yet.”
“I’m sorry for being a dumbass.” Adam rolled his eyes.
“You better be. I’m tired of being the smarter of us two.” Ronan mocked playfully. “Besides, there are a lot more things I’d like to do to you.”
“Oh yeah?” Adam raised an eyebrow at his boyfriend challengingly. “If you win the race, I might help you fulfill some of those things tonight.”
Ronan started his engine.
“Never underestimate a sexually frustrated man.”