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It had become somewhat of a routine. Adam couldn’t exactly pinpoint the moment that it did, one late night in a string of many, with Ronan knocking at his door, Adam inviting him in, and Ronan staying the night.
Adam knew about the rent. He had seen Ronan’s furtive glances, his attempts to feign disinterest. But Adam was good at observing without being seen and the picture was becoming clear.
He liked it. He liked that Ronan found him interesting, maybe even attractive. Adam liked that someone as difficult to appeal to as Ronan, had chosen Adam as his object of interest. It was always possible he was wrong, too…they were friends, they had a lot in common, maybe Ronan felt Adam was the safer option than Gansey.
If he was out late doing whatever it was he was doing, he risked a scolding from Gansey, where Adam would just look at him pointedly and shrug. It wasn’t Adam’s job to clean up after Ronan and he was sure that Ronan knew what he was about, whether Gansey approved or not.
But even that explanation seemed flimsy.
All Adam knew, for certain, was that he liked Ronan’s company and Ronan liked his, and there didn’t seem to be any reason to stop. It wasn’t like anything was happening either. Ronan came by, Adam finished his work. Ronan would set up a little pallet on the floor and Adam would climb into bed. They’d talk a little and then sleep.
So tonight was just like all of those other nights.
Adam was finishing a college application essay. He was tired but nearly finished. A knock came at his door, unsurprising. He’d heard the sound of the BMW pulling into the parking lot. Adam finished his sentence and then went to the door, opening it.
Ronan stood on the threshold with Chainsaw on his shoulder. He had his hands in the pockets of his jacket, the faint light from Adam’s room making him look older and sharper than he was. Adam felt his heart speed up a little, just looking at the handsome lines of Ronan’s face.
“Gonna let me in?” Ronan asked.
Adam smirked and stepped back, holding out a hand in a grand gesture. Ronan smirked, too, stepping through the door, and into Adam’s apartment. Adam closed the door and Ronan toed off his boots.
Chainsaw made a soft noise from his shoulder and Adam smiled wider, watching the strange pair.
“Behave yourself,” Ronan said to the bird, like he always did, setting Chainsaw down on the floor. She croaked and waddled around, poking her beak into things. Adam chuckled at the annoyed look on Ronan’s face, his mouth open to reprimand her.
“She’s fine, Lynch,” Adam replied.
Ronan narrowed his eyes but left Chainsaw alone to explore.
“I’m finishing this essay,” Adam said, sitting back down. “And then I’ll be done.”
“Take your time,” Ronan drawled, walking to Adam’s small kitchenette. Adam watched him, his chest feeling tight, a warm feeling spreading over him as Ronan walked around his small space like he shared it with Adam.
He sort of did actually…and Adam liked that.
He watched Ronan pull a glass from the cabinet, turning on the tap to fill the glass. He had his backpack on his shoulder still and set it down, drinking his water, and then placing the glass on the counter.
Adam picked up his pen, going back to writing, glancing at Ronan out of the corner of his eye. Ronan pulled several items out of the backpack; two boxes of pasta, a jar of sauce, a large carton of blueberries, a can of coffee, and a carton of milk.
Ronan had done this before, bringing various groceries to Adam, and Adam had protested, only for Ronan to say that these were things he liked and if he was going to be hanging out at Adam’s, then he might as well bring his own shit.
Adam knew this wasn’t strictly true. Ronan didn’t like milk in his coffee and he didn’t like blueberries, but Adam did. It didn’t bother him as much as he was expecting but he thought that had more to do with whatever Adam was feeling about Ronan than anything else.
The gesture was…sweet. Kind. Both characteristics that seemed so diametrically opposed to who Ronan was but were just as integral to him as everything else. Ronan put the items away and Adam smiled to himself, finishing his essay.
Ronan moved around the apartment as Adam worked. He was definitely setting up his pallet on the floor, moving behind Adam; a blanket, a pillow, and then another blanket. Adam had been tempted to just have Ronan sleep with him, but that would open up a whole can of worms Adam didn’t think he was quite ready to sift through just yet.
It didn’t help that his bed was very small, even for him. His toes usually hung off the edge and he was sure Ronan wouldn’t actually fit. It would be impossible to fit both of them without someone being mostly on top of someone else.
The thought made Adam flush and he shook his head a little to dispel the enticing image. Chainsaw had made her way under his small desk, by his feet, poking at the tiny waste paper basket he had under there, trying to pull a piece of paper through a hole in the mesh.
“Chainsaw,” Ronan grumbled. “Get the fuck out of there. That’s not a fucking toy.”
“ Kerah! ” she protested.
Adam chuckled. “C’mon, girl,” he said, gently nudging her with his foot. Chainsaw fluttered her wings and hopped away, scooting out from under Adam’s desk, and waddled toward Ronan.
“Fucking menace,” Ronan murmured at the raven. Adam chuckled.
Finally finished with his essay, he neatened up his desk, and stretched, arms overhead, leaning back in his chair. He sighed and turned, finding Ronan cross legged on the floor, Chainsaw in his lap.
“I’m gonna get ready for bed,” Adam said and Ronan glanced up, nodding.
“Whatever you gotta do, man. It’s your place.”
Adam got up from his desk. He was already in his pajamas, going to the bathroom to brush his teeth, and piss before bed. It was hard to hear Ronan outside of the bathroom over the sound of running water and only one good ear.
Adam turned off the tap, listening to the shuffling around of another person in the other room, and Ronan’s voice murmuring to Chainsaw.
Adam looked at himself in the mirror, surprised to see that he looked…happy? Fond, maybe? Ronan coming around had done more for him than he had even realized it would. It felt like something so…inconsequential. And yet…it was nice to not feel alone at night…when it was so easy to feel truly lonely. Even just seeing the extra toothbrush by the sink next to Adam’s, when Ronan wasn’t around, made him feel…nice.
Adam finished brushing his teeth and washed his hands.
“All yours,” he said to Ronan, who had stripped down to his boxers and tank top, headphones around his neck.
Ronan placed Chainsaw aside and stood up, walking past Adam. Adam climbed over Ronan’s pallet, leaning over the edge of his bed, holding out his hand to Chainsaw, who waddled over, and permitted Adam to gently stroke her feathers.
Adam had his cheek pressed to his arm, hearing ear turned to the room, watching fondly as Chainsaw closed her eyes as he stroked the soft, downy feathers next to her beak.
Ronan emerged from the bathroom not long after, turning off Adam’s light.
“What school?” Ronan asked as they’d settled down.
“Yale,” Adam replied.
“Fancy.”
Adam hummed.
“You have a favorite?”
Adam sighed. “Whoever gives me the most money.”
Ronan barked a laugh. “Yeah, that’s fair.”
“Where were you today?” Adam asked after a moment of quiet.
Ronan didn’t reply right away and then, very softly replied, “visiting my mom.”
Aurora, Ronan’s dreamt mother, was residing in Cabeswater. Adam could only imagine how Ronan must feel, having his mother back. He wondered sometimes, what it was like to have a mother you’d want to see, who would want to see you…but it wasn’t a fair comparison.
Adam was glad Ronan could see her and he said so. Ronan only grunted in response.
Adam closed his eyes. He listened to the familiar creaking of the apartment settling, of Chainsaw’s wings as she made herself comfortable. He wished he could hear out of both ears, wondering if he’d catch the sound of Ronan breathing.
“Hey, Parrish?”
“Mmm?”
“Why can’t you hear a pterodactyl going to the bathroom?”
Adam opened his eyes and bit his lip. “C’mon, Lynch. Not now. I’m trying to sleep.”
“Spoilsport. You know you wanna know.”
Adam felt himself smiling but he let out a dramatic sigh. “Fine. Why can’t you hear a pterodactyl go to the bathroom?”
“Because the “P” is silent.”
Adam chuckled, shaking his head. “That’s so dumb.”
“And yet, I hear you laughing.”
“Shut up, Ronan. Puns are lame.”
“Nah. You love ‘em.”
Ronan wasn’t wrong of course. Adam wasn’t sure what it was. He did normally find puns lame, but whenever Ronan used them, he thought it was hilarious. There was a lot that Ronan did that Adam found funny. He didn’t know if Ronan was trying to make him laugh or what…it was just another thing that Adam enjoyed about being around Ronan.
“What did one toilet say to another?”
Adam groaned. “Ronan. No.”
“You look flushed.”
Adam laughed, the kind that started in the back of your throat, that you tried to hold back, but he couldn’t, pressing his face into his pillow to try and smother it. It wasn’t even that good of a pun but it just…he couldn’t help but laugh.
He heard Ronan snickering, too.
This continued for several minutes, Ronan doling out some of the worst puns ever, and yet he had Adam laughing so hard his sides hurt and it was hard to breathe.
“Fuck you,” Adam chuckled. “I have to sleep, Lynch. What the hell?”
He wiped at his teary eyes, a few laughs still escaping him as he tried to calm down.
“Yeah, yeah,” Ronan replied, sounding amused. “Get some shut eye, sleeping beauty.”
Adam sighed, smiling wide. “Goodnight.”
“Night.”
FIN