Chapter Text
Ronan really hated office parties.
He absolutely hated them, except for maybe the food and the occasional glass of wine or champagne and the one person who genuinely made good conversation with him who was not an elderly straight man who made faces in case he mentioned his boyfriend. So all in all, Ronan Lynch hated parties. Mostly.
So naturally, he hated this one too.
It was one of the Lynch Brothers’ company's (the one that he and Declan together owned) annual gala or whatever, which meant Ronan had to, one, dress up and two, play nice and the unsaid three, never leave his boyfriend's side in case somebody made the mistake of asking him out. So far into the evening, Ronan had fulfilled two of the aforementioned things. Yes, he had dressed up in an impeccable black suit, the one that hugged his body at all the right places and secondly, he was playing nice for the most part except Declan, who was receiving half hearted glares.
The third part, aka the boyfriend, was in Los Angeles for a conference but on call with Ronan currently , who had locked himself up in his office away from the loud chattering happening everywhere, enough to make Ronan's headache worse.
"You know, I don't know if I can do this anymore."
Ronan had been expecting it, the bomb and the detonation. The words finally said out loud.
Ronan had met Casey at one of the art auctions he had attended and they had actually ended up having a good time over free champagne, Basquiat and Claude Monet. Casey was loud and chatty and all the juxtapositions of Ronan converged into a person but maybe that's why they worked out, or precisely had worked out . The more Ronan had gotten into art, specifically selling and auctioning Niall Lynch's works, the more he had gotten busy and the lesser time he had begun to give to Casey.
They met, went out for fancy dinner, fucked with each other's names dripping from their lips and whispered promises waiting to be fulfilled. Some of which had been, most hadn't. But Ronan felt like there was more to finding someone than just this, whatever this he had with Casey. He liked Casey a lot, he was nice and treated Ronan wonderfully. He liked Ronan a lot but some pieces in Ronan's chest always remained empty at last. Somehow Ronan felt like he was made for more, something that wasn't this. Something that was fast, adrenaline and on the verge of collision, the kind that gave Ronan an excited rush of nerves and feelings.
"Yeah", Ronan mumbled.
"I guess we both saw it coming, didn't we?" Casey asked, huffing out a small laugh. Ronan smiled a little.
"Yeah. I'm sorry for being a shitty boyfriend." Casey scoffed softly.
"Oh shut up, you're a wonderful boyfriend. But maybe, you and I are both meant for more, and not with each other."
"In some weird, fucked up reality, we are made for each other."
This time, Casey laughed loudly, the way Ronan liked it. Loud. Carefree. Intimate. Ronan smiled to himself.
"Maybe, possibly."
"I'm gonna go now, or else Declan will send out a search party for me soon."
"Oh come on Lynch, the parties aren't that bad."
"A woman literally said she could spread me on toast and eat it. A woman . And I'm gay", Ronan grumbled. Casey continued to laugh.
"I almost, almost forgot about that. Not the gay part." Ronan laughed.
"It will haunt me forever."
"How long are you out of town for?"
"Till the third, so roughly a week."
"I guess I'll see you after you're back then."
"Probably. Hopefully."
"Ronan?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry."
"Dickhead. Why? Don't be stupid", Ronan snapped. He added, "And I am too."
"Dickhead. Why? Don't be stupid", Casey repeated, mimicking Ronan's voice. Ronan laughed.
"Asshole. See you soon."
"Yeah. I will. Goodbye Ronan."
"Bye Casey."
Ronan hung up with a sigh, resting his forehead on the table. He was sad, yes obviously but some tiny part of him was also relieved, for reasons he couldn't exactly pinpoint. He took a sip of water from the bottle on his table. He took a breath, neatened his suit and went out into the crowd of people again. Thankfully, he didn't need to socialize much as Gansey materialized out of nowhere, grabbing two champagne flutes and tugging Ronan into the terrace.
"Quiet the party, don't you think? So many art interested people here", Gansey mused. "Or rich, useless assholes who know jack shit about art in your words." Ronan grinned.
"Yep, champagne won't do. I need alcohol", Ronan teased. Gansey glared in response.
"Ha ha. Very funny."
"I broke up with Casey. Or he broke up with me. Whatever the fuck, we broke up."
"Oh, I'm sorry Ronan."
"I'm fine. More than fine actually."
"That's good I guess?" Ronan shrugged in response. Gansey sighed.
Ronan knocked their shoulders together and downed his champagne. Gansey fumbled, trying to not spill champagne over his old man suit. Ronan laughed, leaning against the railing and watching the sun melt and disappear, painting the sky red and yellow as it went to sleep.
He got more champagne, drank until he was just slightly tipsy and Declan was annoying him a little less. Ronan didn't remember the names of any of the people he had just met, let alone their faces. Declan had said something about them being potential buyers. But Ronan had the feeling again. The feeling of wanting more .
As the night progressed, people began to leave, the place becoming less crowded and noisy. Ronan could see more of Declan, Gansey and Noah and not have to look for them for five minutes in the midst of people. Ronan ate dinner with the three of them, drank wine and heard Declan ramble about art.
"We found an interested party", Declan began as Ronan was drinking his wine. Ronan rolled his eyes.
"Did we now?"
"It's for Cabeswater", Declan said. Collective, eerie silence fell over the room. Declan sighed.
'The Cabeswater' was one of Niall Lynch's best works. A large canvas full of old trees and greenery and clear blue skies and flowers and vines. Everything that reminded the observer of the Garden of Eden or something like that. It was also the painting that Aurora had made Ronan promise that they wouldn't sell. It had been her last wish. A secret kept between her and Ronan before she had taken her last breath.
"You what?" Ronan thundered, banging his fist on the table. Gansey and Noah startled while Declan stared at him.
"It's a huge amount, Ronan."
"Do you think I fucking care? You promised me that you won't even dare put it on the table, Dec."
"What is your obsession with that one? It's a painting like the others we sold and have been selling", Declan snapped.
Ronan closed his eyes and took a breath before he spoke back.
"It was mom's favorite", he whispered. "She made me promise that we won't sell it, ever." Declan's mouth formed an o in response.
"Ronan-" Declan began.
"Fuck off, Dec", Ronan mumbled, blinking away tears.
He fumbled and got up from the chair, grabbed his coat and the car keys and walked off, ignoring Declan and Gansey's voices behind him. The parking lot manager greeted him and Ronan forced a smile as he walked towards the car. Looking down at his hand he realized that he had grabbed the wrong ones. The ones to the hotel car were on the table and because of his sheer luck, he had the ones for the Pig.
Cursing himself, he found the orange monstrosity that was the Camaro and got inside. He hadn't driven this hell of a car yet but he figured he could drive, even if the controls were a tad bit different than his Beemer. He started the car, the engine roaring to life before he pressed the pedal and began to drive off. He blinked off his tears, angrily rubbing his eyes.
The air was cool, not hot tonight at least. He drove calmly, trying to calm himself down in the process. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his palm as he drove, people and buildings passing by in a blur. He didn't care where he was going, not whether he got lost, he just wanted to escape. He stopped at a signal at a corner, dropping his head on the steering wheel, the loud city noises becoming white noise in his ears amidst the sea of thoughts in his head.
"Hey sugar, you looking for a date?" Somebody asked, their voice diamond rough yet butter smooth.
Ronan had a retort already forming on his tongue but his words vanished as he looked at the stranger leaning on the window sill. Ronan felt the air escape his lungs.
To call the stranger beautiful would be an understatement, not like Ronan was being dramatic. They had black hair, the color of the night, a raven's feathers, fountain pen ink. Blue eyes, ocean deep and sapphire bright. Ronan inhaled the cheap perfume they wore, felt their gaze tingle his skin. There were freckles dusted across their nose and cheeks, like little stars on their tanned skin.
Ronan was pretty sure if he was a little more drunk, he would've definitely confused them for the constellations up in the sky. And it did not help that they wore nothing but a fishnet black tee-shirt over it, exposing their abdomen that was partially hidden by their leather jacket hanging by their elbows. Ronan could make out a trail of hair descending down from their chest and going down into their jeans. And dear God, were those abs? As if the toned arms hadn't already given Ronan a whiplash. It was their southern accent when they said sugar , in that particular clipped tone that made Ronan want to scream.
Ronan narrowed his eyes on them. They smirked in response. Ronan wanted to fling himself off of the planet.
"I'm not", he managed to croak. "No, I wanna find Beverly Hills. Can you give me directions?"
"Sure, for five bucks", the stranger replied with a smile.
"Are you fucking kidding me? Ridiculous."
"Price just went up to ten."
"You can't charge me for directions."
"I can do anything I want baby, I'm not the one who's lost", they replied smoothly.
Ronan scoffed, trying not to blush. The stranger's smile didn't falter as they stared at Ronan, blue eyes reflecting city lights. Ronan let out a long sigh.
"You got change?" Ronan asked, taking out a twenty dollar bill.
"We'll see", the stranger replied smoothly as they opened the door and got in. They grabbed the note and pocketed it. Ronan got the sight of ripped jeans and boots as the stranger sat down. "Are you lost?" They asked as they fastened the seatbelt.
"What do you think?" Ronan snapped.
The stranger had the audacity to laugh. Ronan thought he liked the laugh, the roughness of it, the way it rumbled through his chest.
"I think it's okay to be lost sometimes. Somebody finds you eventually."
"Okay Shakespeare, shut the fuck up."
They smiled at him, and for some weird reason, it felt genuine. Ronan thought he was gonna fall in love.
"So, directions?"
"Yes, thank fuck."
"I'm pretty sure you got told and shown where Sylvester Stallone lives."
Ronan laughed. "I did."
"So, was his house nice? Fancy? Did you see him?" Ronan thought might like the sarcasm of this stranger.
"It was ugly as fuck and his security guard said he was out shooting Rocky." The stranger chuckled in response.
"Is it your car?" The stranger asked, fingers sliding slowly along the front. "Probably is, I'm being stupid."
"No it isn't."
"Stolen?"
"Not exactly. It's my best friend's." The stranger nodded. They ran their hand along the door again, slowly and carefully.
"It's a beautiful car. A 1973 Camaro if I'm not wrong."
Ronan smiled. "Yeah. It's a little temperamental and breaks down easily from what I know."
"Nothing a good mechanic can't fix."
"You know one?"
"You're sitting with one."
"No wonder you're a car nerd. How come?"
The stranger got quiet for a moment before they spoke.
"I used to work in a garage a few years ago before I moved here. The guys working there always talked about cars and I liked to listen as I worked. And they liked telling me about it too. So yeah."
"Okay", Ronan simply said.
"The color is an eyesore though, I have to say", they added. Ronan chuckled, nodding.
"Well, you're not the only one who thinks so."
The stranger smiled at him again, Ronan's heartbeat going from seventy three to eighty three in a second. He started the car and began to drive straight, slowly and steadily. The controls confused him a little bit but he could do it for the most part.
"Wow, they really were right", Raven boy said. Apparently Ronan's mind had decided to call them that.
"Huh?"
"The gays can't drive."
"Oh shut up", Ronan mumbled, heat creeping up his neck. "How do you know?"
"Well, for starters you can't drive. Two, you're wearing doc martens and three, you didn't say anything when I got in the car. Pretty stereotypical of me but am I right?"
Ronan smiled even if he didn't want to.
"Fuck off. You're right."
The Raven boy laughed. Ronan thought he was going to die.
"I think you left your transmission back here", Raven boy said, voice thick with sarcasm as they turned around and looked back. "This is a standard H control."
"The fuck is that?"
"You're not shifting right. Here", Raven boy said and covered Ronan's hand with their own gently and turned the gear.
Ronan was very close to bursting into flames on feeling their skin on his, it was summer warm and paper rough. They were long and bony, more freckles dusted on them with the veins jutting out on the back of their palm.
"Thanks", he grumbled.
Raven boy merely hummed and sat back, watching the scenery pass by. They were beautiful, Ronan's mind conjured. Maybe it was the cheap perfume or the badly cut hair or the exposed abs or the low rasp of their voice. There were a lot of things that contributed to Raven boy being pretty.
"What's your name?" Ronan found himself asking.
"What's in a name?" Raven boy asked in response.
"Nothing. Everything", Ronan said.
"Adam. My name's Adam."
Adam . Of fucking course Ronan had to meet a beautiful guy who had a religious name. Ronan would be grateful if he made it out alive tonight.
"Adam", Ronan repeated.
It was slow and calculated, and felt heavy with something meaningful on his tongue. Adam stiffened for a brief moment, their blue eyes meeting Ronan's for a second. They looked away and hummed. Ronan continued to drive, letting silence drape over.
"What kind of money do you guys? People? Make?"
"Guys. I use he//him pronouns. Can't take less than a hundred dollars if I have to survive."
Ronan blinked at Adam.
"Hundred dollars a night?"
"An hour", Adam calmly replied.
"Jesus fucking Christ."
"Gotta do what I gotta do."
Ronan nodded.
"So what hotel are you staying at?" Adam asked as they had stopped at a red light.
"Uh, the Regent Beverly Wilshire."
Adam made a face of surprise for a split second before it went back to his previous expression again. Ronan smiled to himself as he restarted the car and drove.
"Down the block, right at the corner", Adam said, with Ronan following suit.
"Where is this garage that got you into cars?" Ronan asked.
"Henrietta, Virginia. Small town, lesser people, quiet."
Ronan gaped at him.
"No fucking way."
"What?"
"I'm from Singer's Falls."
"The one outside the town? By the forest and all that?"
"The same one."
Adam burst into laughter, hand on his chest and lips parted. Ronan spotted a shallow dimple forming on his cheek and tucked that memory away into his chest.
"What a small, small world."
"Very small."
"So how is it that you know very little about cars?" Adam asked.
"My first car was a BMW."
"Oh", Adam said in a low voice. "You are really bad at this", he added. Ronan rolled his eyes.
"Okay smartass, have you ever driven a Camaro?"
"You'd think but no."
"Well, today is your lucky day", Ronan replied and stopped the car by a sidewalk. Adam shot him a look, raising an eyebrow. Ronan had the temptation to smoothen the wrinkle that had formed on Adam's temple.
"What if I crash it?"
"I guess we'll find out soon", Ronan said with a wink. Adam rolled his eyes.
Ronan got out, Adam sighed and followed suit as they exchanged seats.
"Fasten your seatbelt. I'm taking you for the ride of your life", Adam said as he fastened his seatbelt. Ronan shot him a look.
"Says the one who's never driven a Camaro in his life", he replied dryly.
"Confidence is the key, babe."
Ronan didn't miss the way Adam said babe . He was having too many homosexual thoughts by now.
"So a hundred dollars an hour and you got a safety pin holding your frayed crop top edges and knock off Doc Martens?" Ronan asked.
"Well, I've to pay rent and feed myself. And I don't joke about money", Adam said. His tone had shifted to being formal and almost defensive. Ronan didn't blame him.
"Neither do I."
"Hundred dollars an hour. Pretty stiff."
Adam slid an hour over his thigh and closer to his crotch. Ronan gulped.
"Well, no but it's got potential", he added. A chuckle bubbled out of Ronan as he slapped Adam's hand away. Adam laughed too. "Sorry about that."
"You charm all your partners like that?"
"Only the special ones", Adam replied. Ronan felt heat creeping up his neck.
"What's your last name?"
"What do you want it to be?"
Ronan narrowed his eyes at him.
"Parrish, it's Parrish."
"Adam Parrish."
There it was again, the stiffening of his shoulders and the slight twinkle in his eyes. Ronan didn't miss it.
Adam continued to drive, Ronan sneaking glances but mostly looking out at the passing cars and city lights. He saw the Beverly Hills sign pass by before Adam took a turn and swiftly parked the car in front of a building. It was indeed the Regent Beverly Wilshire, as Ronan had seen from the pictures.
"Good evening, Mr. Lynch", a hotel attendant said and opened the door. Ronan smiled as he got down. "Will you be needing the car anymore tonight?"
Ronan chuckled. "I hope not." The attendant smiled and stepped back to their position.
When he looked at him, Adam was looking at the hotel building in awe. He had an expression of interest on his face,a small smile on his lips and a twinkle in his eyes. He looked back at Ronan, smiling awkward.
"We're here." Ronan nodded.
"So, are you gonna be alright?"
"Yeah yeah. I'm gonna grab a cab with my twenty bucks."
"Go back to your office?" Adam chuckled.
"My office, yeah."
"Well, thanks for the ride."
"Thanks for letting me drive it", Adam said with a smile. "See you, I guess", he said, smiling awkwardly.
"Good-bye", Ronan said even if he wanted more of Adam. More and more and more till it wasn't enough.