Chapter Text
The school bell rings crisply as Adam follows his classmates out the door. One more class period and he'll be done with school for the week. Of course, after school he still has to go to work for 5 hours, and the thought annoys Adam as he listens to his peers discuss work-free Friday night plans. He sighs as he replaces a book from his locker, worrying his bottom lip.
"Hey, I think that's my job", a voice roughly says from behind him. Adam smiles involuntarily as he turned around to face Ronan. Ronan stares at Adam's lips for a moment before meeting his eyes, his own eyes sparkling with mischief. Adam's smile widens; he's never seen Ronan so alive at school, let alone at school at all. But since their recent horror show with demons and death, Ronan has come to slightly better appreciate the monotony of school days. And being able to flirt with Adam between classes didn't hurt.
"Looks like you're slacking on your job then", Adam replies, biting his lip again, this time for a very different reason. Adam had been pleasantly surprised at Ronan's increased forwardness, but thus far, it has been all bark and no bite. They haven't really spoken about their relationship, or gone further than spur of the moment stolen kisses in cars, remaining in this "more than friends" limbo. Adam intends to push the boundaries.
Ronan's eyebrows twitches, not expecting Adam to flirt back so casually in the middle of the hallway. Ronan licks his lips and slowly reaches over to Adam. Adam holds his breath, expecting a touch that never comes. Instead, Ronan smirks and reaches past Adam to suddenly slam his locker shut. Before Adam can react, Ronan pushes Adam up against the locker, placing his hand behind Adam's head to soften the blow. A whisper from a passing trio of students can be heard, "I guess even being best friends with Lynch doesn't shield you from his wrath", clearly misinterpreting the situation.
Ronan's smirk returns as he leans closer into Adam's good ear. He drags his bottom lip along the shell of Adam's ear before speaking, causing a stuttered breath to release from Adam, who closes his eyes.
"I'll meet you and your smart mouth at my car after school", Ronan whispers. He leans back to look at Adam as Adam opens his eyes again, pupils dilated. Ronan leans down to barely brush his lips against Adam's. Ronan pulls back as Adam leans in for a proper kiss, and promptly walks away, leaving Adam to stare after him, breathless and dazed.
Adam's following English class is the longest class he has ever experienced. Minutes stretch for hours as Adam replays the interaction with Ronan over and over in his mind. What Ronan said wasn't an unusual phrase; Adam often met Ronan in his car after school, especially on days where he had work and Ronan gave him a ride. This was definitely different and Adam's nerves buzzed as he stared down the clock on the wall.
After a torturous period, the bell ultimately rang and Adam was the first one out the door, practically running to the parking lot. He could see Ronan sitting in his car, eyes closed, no doubt having skipped his last period. Adam's tunnel vision on his path to the BMW blocked him from seeing Gansey grab his left arm.
"Parrish! Listen I know you said you didn't want to hear it, but I still have the brand new Aglionby jacket from freshman year that my parents found". Gansey came around to stand in front of Adam, blocking his path. Adam stared blankly, not completely processing what Gansey was saying. Gansey, however, took this for annoyance, and frantically continued his spiel.
"C'mon, it doesn't fit me anymore and you said you needed a new one. It's not worth it to buy another when I've got a perfectly good one just sitting around. Please just say yes", Gansey pleaded.
Normally, Adam would have been frustrated at Gansey's obsession with finding ways to give Adam charity, and slightly embarrassed at the mention of Adam's smaller build. However, the anxious and lustful version of Adam standing before Gansey merely shoo'd his hand and nodded, craning his neck to look at Ronan's eyes on him.
"Yea, yea, whatever", Adam responded, moving past Gansey and speed walking towards the car. Gansey stood there, surprised and relieved, as Adam reached the vehicle and climbed inside.
"Well, aren't you eager", Ronan said, smiling. Adam blushed before responding shyly, "Yea, well um, can't be late for work".
"Definitely not", Ronan responds brightly, and pulls out of the parking lot.
The drive to Adam's work is silent. Ronan stares down the road with a neutral expression and Adam starts to feel his nerves unwind. He leans into the fact that Ronan is really just taking him to work like always, feeling both disappointed and a little relieved to end the anticipation. That is, until Ronan parks the car a few doors down from the autoshop, and turns to face Adam.
Adam, looks over at Ronan, feeling his heartbeat return to its running speed. Ronan opens his mouth to say something before changing his mind to lean in and press his lips against Adam's. Adam immediately pushes back, grabbing the back of Ronan's neck. Spurred on, Ronan deftly nibbles on Adam's lower lip, eliciting a soft moan from Adam. Ronan tilts Adam's head to press open mouthed kisses over the side of his jaw and down his neck, sucking on his pulse point. Adam gasps and pulls Ronan closer with the hand on his neck.
Ronan pulls back after a minute, suddenly shy, and looking at Adam like he's a porcelain doll. Adam stares at Ronan's swollen lips with hunger, moving the hand on Ronan's neck to cup his jaw and softly brush his thumb against Ronan's lips. Ronan, breathing heavily, keeps eye contact with Adam as he kisses the thumb on his lips. Still in silence, Ronan then takes Adam's hand from his face and intwines it into his own, a question in his eyes.
"Is this okay?", Ronan asks, with all remnants of his earlier bravado gone. Adam is taken aback by the weight of the question. They've kissed before, so that can't be exactly what Ronan is referring to. Adam looks at their entwined hands and Ronan's uncharacteristically hopeful and nervous expression. They've kissed before, yes, but intimacy like this is something deeper. Adam has noticed Ronan's frequent gaze on him these past two years, but never before chalked it up as anything more than a physically founded crush. He assumed Ronan was still figuring out his attraction to men and must look at most other teenage boys in this way. These past few months however, Adam has come to realize that he longs for and relishes in Ronan's glances, instead of simply being flattered by the attention. Adam's attraction to women has enabled him to more easily push away any intrusive thoughts that questioned his feelings towards Ronan. But since their first kiss, Adam has no longer been able to deny this from himself. Adam has denied himself many things in life: sleep, fun, Gansey's handouts, and even his personal safety, but he will no longer deny himself Ronan, especially when he's looking at him so softly.
Adam realizes its been a few seconds too long since Ronan asked him that question and he nods quickly. "Yes, please yes." Adam pushes off of his seat with newfound energy and straddles Ronan's lap, pressing his lips to Ronan's, disregarding any hesitant voice in the back of his head.
Ronan wastes no time to express his surprise and returns the kiss passionately, licking Adam's bottom lip and holding Adam tightly by the waist, as if he expected him to disappear any second.
"Adam", Ronan breathed in Adam's lips, before entwining their hands together again, setting them on Adam's thighs. Adam presses closer, deepening the kiss, before pulling his head back to bring one of their entwined hands up to kiss Ronan's knuckles. Ronan stares up at Adam in wonder, before closing his eyes and letting out a breath.
"I've wanted you for so long, Parrish. How is this not a dream?", Ronan mumbles. Adam's heart melts as he holds Ronan's gaze. He takes his hands out of Ronan's to hold his face with both hands and start gently pressing kisses over his face. Ronan's eyes flutter shut again, as Adam reaches Ronan's jaw.
"I'm yours", Adam whispers into Ronan's ear, before throwing his arms around Ronan's neck. Ronan hugs Adam back just as fiercely, pressing a kiss into the smaller boy's temple. The two sit in their embrace for a few minutes, as Ronan traces circles into Adam's back, and Adam presses his face into Ronan's neck. Ronan rocks the two of them slightly, when Adam's back presses against the car horn, the sharp noise jerking the pair from their position.
Ronan checks his watch and presses a kiss to Adam's cheek. "You can't be late for work remember?", Ronan cheekily mutters into Adam's ear. Reluctantly, Adam climbs off of Ronan and back into the passenger seat. Before he can open the door, Ronan leans back in to press another deep kiss into Adam's lips.
"Don't forget, nerd. I'll be here to pick you up at 8", Ronan says with a wink. Adam grins widely, sparing Ronan another glance before opening the door and walking into work with butterflies in his stomach.