Chapter Text
Ronan was pretending to study in the library during his free period when Blue approached him.
He kept his gaze fixed on the open textbook in front of him, but the words swam meaninglessly on the page. The steady hum of the library was a welcome background, helping him mask the fact that he hadn’t turned a page in ten minutes. He was only here because Gansy had pleaded with him. If he didn’t get above C’s this semester, he wouldn't be graduating from high school.
When Blue dropped her mountain of schoolwork in front of him, he almost jumped out of his skin.
“Jesus fuck,” he said too loud for the environment they were in, earning a stern look from the librarian, Mrs. Petherbridge, at the checkout desk.
She slumped down in front of him, heaving a sigh.
“Well, hello to you too, princess,” he continued when it was evident she was fishing for him to start the conversation.
“Ronan,” she started, no hint of the earlier aggrieved sigh.
Ronan stared back at her, letting the silence do the talking. He raised an eyebrow when it became clear she wasn’t going to continue, then looked back down at the book that was actively taking years off his life.
She followed his lead, spreading her supplies across the table. Ronan watched as she pulled stationery after stationery out of her bag. Cute little highlighters and matching flags for marking text. Pens in a rainbow of colors. Notebooks for each subject. And of course, the textbooks she had unceremoniously dropped in front of him a few moments earlier.
Why the hell she needed all of that junk? Ronan didn't know. He worked just fine with a binder full of loose leaf paper and a number two pencil. Although the crudely drawn penis on the current set of notes he was working on stared back at him mockingly.
A few minutes passed when Blue sighed again.
Ronan ignored it.
It was on the third sigh that he finally gave in.
“Spit it out, maggot." He tossed his pencil onto the table and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "You’ve been sighing like a dying cat for the last five minutes. Either tell me what’s up your ass or get lost. Some of us are trying to study."
Blue looked down at the phalluses on his notes and then back at him, unimpressed.
Ronan just glared back. Meeting her gaze head on.
Blue rolled her eyes, but finally got to the point of why she was here, “Gansey and I want to go on a date.”
“That’s nice, dear,” he sneered.
Blue rolled her eyes but continued, nonplussed by Ronan's attitude, “Maura said I’m not allowed to date him yet.”
Still not understanding his role in this, Ronan tilted his chair back on two legs and tried to make his apathy at this topic apparent.
“She said I’m not allowed to date until Adam does.”
At the sound of Adams name, Ronan slammed his chair back down on all four legs, earning another glare from the librarian.
It wasn’t that Ronan actively disliked Adam, they had just had some...disagreements. And Blue had to have known this.
“Why the hell would Maura have a say in Adams dating life?” Ronan gruffed out, trying to sound uninterested.
"Because Adam lives with us now, Lynch. Try to keep up," Blue shot back, not even pausing to let him process. "Maura’s convinced that Adam won’t date anyone because she thinks he’s worried it’ll mess with his grades. So, she’s decided the best way to keep me focused is to tie my dating life to his. Basically, I can’t go out with Gansey until Adam starts dating someone himself. It’s her logic, not mine."
Ronan nodded. That certainly sounded like Maura, and Adam.
See, the reason Adam and Ronan didn’t get along could be traced back to their first year. They had to do the bane of every freshman student's existence, a group project.
Ronan hadn’t shown up on presentation day, and Adam had to give the assignment by himself. It had cost them their A.
Adam never forgave him for that.
It didn’t matter that Ronan had just found his dad in a pool of his own blood. Or that his mother, still in hospice, was set to follow his father a week later. Leaving Declan as his and Matthew's official guardian.
Ronan didn’t tell Adam, and Adam didn’t ask. Adam had only given him a stony, cold shoulder. Upset that he no longer had a 4.0 grade average.
What stung Ronan the most wasn’t the lost grade or even Adam’s coldness. It was the fact that he had lost what could have been a good friendship if his life hadn’t imploded on him.
Adam was whip smart, never missing a beat and always matching Ronan’s sarcasm with his own dry wit. He was stubborn to a fault, evidently. And worst, he was achingly, achingly beautiful. Fine boned and covered in freckles. Sharp edges and quiet strength all at once.
Now, that connection was just another casualty of everything he’d gone through.
Ronan cleared his throat, “What does this have to do with me?”
“I need you to ask him out,” Blue said, like it was nothing.
Ronan stared at her, only this time she was the one aiming for his discomfort.
He stood up abruptly, causing the chair to scrape along the linoleum floor, and started packing his things. Which didn’t take long, seeing as he hadn’t brought the entire office supply section of a Walmart with him. It was a good thing he was leaving because with all the ruckus, Mrs. Petherbridge looked like she was ready to kick him out herself.
Before walking away, he paused and met Blue’s gaze, his expression steely. “No,” he said, voice low but resolute.
He had almost made it to the exit when Blue caught up with him.
“Come on, Ronan. Please,” she begged.
Ronan wheeled on her, “Does Gansey know about this?”
Ronan had long ago made his uneasy peace with losing the friendship he and Adam could have had. Still, whenever Gansey spoke about Adam, it was with such reverence, as if Adam had strung up the stars himself. It was honestly weird, but who was Ronan to question unusual attachment styles? Especially when it came to Gansey.
Blue shrugged, “What he doesn’t know won't hurt him.”
Ronan doesn’t know what makes him say yes. Maybe it’s his self destructive nature, the same impulse that always draws him toward trouble instead of away from it. Maybe it’s the way Blue looks at him. Like he’s not as unreadable as he pretends to be, like she expects something more. Or maybe it’s just that lingering ache for connection, the echo of a friendship lost and the hope that maybe, by helping now, he can atone for the things he regrets. All he knows is that the word leaves his mouth before he can stop it.
“Fine.”
And Blue looks ecstatic.
“But what do I get out of this?” He asks, sure that Blue has come with some other reason to convince him besides his apparent need for self flagellation.
“Oh, come on Ronan,”Blue shot him a knowing look, “You’ve had your eye on Adam for as long as I’ve known you.”
“Fuck you, maggot. You're gonna have to give me more than the fifty dollars in your bank account. I'm rich, remember.”
“Piss off, Lynch.”
“You’re the one who propositioned me shit head”
She nodded, her spiky hair bobbing with the motion, but this time her expression was earnest, “I can help you pass your classes this year.”
Ronan blinked, caught off guard by the sincerity in her eyes. It was one thing for Blue to bargain with sarcasm, but this was genuine. She must have seen the flicker of doubt cross his face, because she leaned forward, voice dropping to a near whisper as if confessing a secret.
"I mean it, Lynch. I know school’s been...well, a lot. I’m good at this stuff, better than you think. Let me help."
For a moment, Ronan’s usual defenses faltered. He wanted to scoff, to tell her he didn’t need help, but the truth was, he was drowning. Barely treading water, grades hanging by a thread. He had Declan and Gansey at his throat. Blue’s offer wasn’t just a bribe. It was a lifeline, one he hadn’t realized he wanted. Until now.
“Okay. Yeah. Fine.” All three words stumbling out in one exhale“But why me, piss ant?”
Blues earnestness was starting to get freaky at this point. “Because Adam doesn’t hate you as much as he likes to think he does. And to be honest, if I have to hear Gansey mope about the fact that you might not graduate with him this year, I’m gonna crash that damnd car of his,” she groned. “Oh, I also asked Tad before you, but he gave me the heabby jibbeas.”
All the camaraderie Ronan felt for Blue during their brief truce evaporated in an instant. "Tad fucking Carruthers?" he all but snarled, incredulous. The guy was legendary for his inability to take a hint. Ronan’s lip curled as he imagined Tad’s weaselly grin and the way he always seemed to linger just a little too long in any conversation.
Blue threw her hands up in exasperation, "Look, man, I was desperate! Do you have any idea how annoying Gansey can be when he’s fixated on something?"
Ronan gave her a long, hard look. He waited until Blue finally seemed to realize who she was talking to.
“Okay, yeah, you do,” finally coming out of her rant.
Ronan just nodded.
“Let's shake on it.” Blue's earnestness was back in full force as she held out her hand to him, palm open and steady, her eyes never leaving his.
For a moment, Ronan just looked at her hand as if it might bite him. The idea of making a pact, especially one that involved Adam, even indirectly, felt a little absurd and a lot risky.
But Blue’s resolve didn’t waver. Her fingers, ink stained and calloused from hours of note taking, trembled just a little in the fluorescent library light. It was the most vulnerable Ronan had ever seen her, stripped of bluster and sarcasm.
He glanced around, half expecting Mrs. Petherbridge to swoop in and break up their clandestine deal, but the librarian was busy glaring at a couple giggling in the corner.
Ronan reached out, his own hand rough from years of farmwork and throwing punches, and clasped hers. Blue’s grip was firm, stronger than he expected. For a split second, neither of them let go, something unspoken passing between them.
When they finally released, Blue smiled at him, something softer than her usual wry smirk. Ronan felt something in his chest loosen, just a fraction.
//
That was how Ronan found himself tapping his fingers against his thighs, along the side of the building at the end of the day, waiting to see if he could catch Adam on his way out. Like some damn cliche.
He was biting at the leather bracelets around his wrist, nerves dancing under his skin, when Adam came striding out of the doors like a man on a mission. The sunlight caught Adam’s hair, turning it the color of wheat at harvest, and for a second, Ronan was struck by how out of place he looked here. Too sharp and bright for the drab concrete surroundings. Ronan felt the weight of everything he wanted to say pressing at his throat, but all he managed to do was set off after him, taking long strides, heart pounding.
“Parrish, hey. Wait up,” Ronan said, aiming for casual, but there was a desperate edge to his voice.
Adam ignored him until Ronan was right alongside him, “What do you want, Lynch?” He said without looking at him or breaking his stride.
“I just want to talk,” Ronan slowed. “Hey,” he made to grab Adam's arm before he could think of what he was doing.
That got Adam to stop, breaking his arm out of Ronan's grasp just before he got a good hold on him, turning on him all in the same second. The glare Adam leveled at Ronan felt icy, even in the late August heat. The four inches Ronan had on Adam did nothing to protect him. He felt small under Adam’s gaze.
“What do you want, Lynch?” Adam repeated himself.
For the first time in a while, Ronan felt well and truly nervous.
“I wanted to see if you were free this afternoon,” Ronan managed to spit out.
“Can’t. I’m working,” Adam replied, turning back around and continuing his walk toward the bike rack.
Ronan made to follow but stopped short, caught off guard by the bike Adam was unchaining. It was nothing like the battered, squeaky thing he used to ride when they were fourteen. This one was new. Sleek, with a red paint job so glossy it looked almost out of place against Adam’s worn jeans and ratty white Converse. The bright accents gleamed in the sunlight, and fat wheels made for cruising. It was a far cry from his father’s hand me downs.
How the hell had he managed to afford that?
Ronan’s mind caught on something offhanded Blue had said, ‘Adam lives with us now.’ It hit him with a force he hadn’t expected, a stark reminder of all the things that had changed while he was busy walling himself off. He couldn’t imagine Adam living with the women of 300 Fox Way, but he had also missed so much of his life that he couldn’t really imagine him doing anything.
He nodded toward the bike, trying for nonchalance but feeling anything but. “Nice ride.”
Adam paused in his work, glancing up with a wary expression. There was a flicker of suspicion in his eyes, as if he was already bracing for a dig. “Did you come try to talk to me just to mock me?”
“What? No.” Ronan said incredulously, “Take the compliment, dumb ass.”
The suspicion didn’t leave Adams eyes, but some of the fight did go out of him, “Look, I really have somewhere I need to be, so if you don’t need anything...”
He let his sentence drift off, but Ronan caught his meaning.
He shook his head, “No. Sorry, just-”
Ronan didn’t finish, and Adam looked at him expectantly. When he didn't continue, Adam nodded and swung his leg over his bike.
“See you around,” Ronan managed just as Adam rode off.
//
The next day, Ronan had a plan.
It looked much the same as the one Blue had whittled him down with yesterday.
Catch Adam in an unsuspecting place and shock him with a question so mind shattering he couldn’t help but say yes.
Or at least that was what he was aiming for.
Adam and Ronan had fourth period Latin together, and for the first month of school, Ronan hadn’t bothered to show up. He already knew what they were trying to teach him. He was only taking it for the easy grade. But right now, he couldn't thank his past self enough for his incredible foresight.
So, five minutes to the bell ring signifying the start of class, he stood in the doorway. Staring at the vulnerable nape of Adam's neck, where the hair was slightly grown out and curling. A smattering of freckles peaking over the top of his t-shirt.
Ronan rallied his confidence and stomped his way down the aisle, each step feeling heavier than the last. His boots suddenly felt too big for his feet. Awkward and loud in the hush of the classroom. He tried to school his features into nonchalance, as he slumped into the desk in front of Adam with a bang that drew a few glances from the groupings of other students in the room. He told himself he didn’t care.
“There are assigned seats, you know,” Adam said, his tone dry, not looking up from the calculus set he was working on. The scratch of his pencil deliberate.
Ronan rolled his eyes, but couldn’t help the small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Jesus, what did it take to get a little attention around here?
“Yeah, wise ass?” Ronan shot back.
At that, Adam finally looked up, his gaze glacial. Yesterday’s coldness still lingering in the muted blue of his eyes, jaw tight, lips pressed into a thin line. There was a sharpness there, a warning to back off, but Ronan refused to flinch.
“Yes. Now go away, I’m working on something,” Adam said, his voice clipped, already looking back down at his calculus as if Ronan were little more than an irritating fly.
"No," he said. Ronan leaned back in his seat, feeling petty.
Adam’s head snapped up, eyes narrowing. “Excuse me?”
Ronan felt a shit eating grin spread on his face. Wide and unrepentant, the kind of grin that made his cheeks ache and his pulse race with the need to hit something.
“I said no.”
Adam’s tone sharpened to a blade. “I heard what you said, idiot. I’m just confused as to why you think you're still sitting here.”
Ronan shrugged, refusing to break eye contact. “I won’t move until you agree to go on a date with me.”
For a heartbeat, Adam just stared, stunned, as if Ronan had started sprouting two heads. The silence stretched, electric and uncertain, before Adam finally managed to blink, seeming to recalibrate like a computer.
Ronan could almost hear the dial-up tone sounding in that quick head of his.
The bell warning students they had a minute to get to class sounded, and that jumped Adam into gear.
“I’m sorry, let me get this straight. The last time we talked, you bailed on an assignment worth half our grade, tanked my average, and vanished like I didn’t exist. And now youwant to know if I’ll go out with you?”
The words came out brittle, but beneath the sarcasm was a flicker of real hurt. Adam wasn’t just angry about the project. But Ronan didn’t take time to examine it before pressing forward.
Ronan forced a crooked grin, “Congrats, Parrish. That’s exactly what I just said. Putting that big brain of yours to use, I see. I can practically hear Harvard calling.”
“If you think this will make me go on a date with you, you're sorely mistaken,” Adam said.
Ronan could tell he had finally pressed a button.
“Perhaps not, but think about it, would you?” Ronan suggested.
If Adams eyes could get any wider, they would be bulging out of his head. But this was how Ronan knew to get to Adam. Cutting remarks and jabs were what had bonded them together the first time.
Maybe it would work again.
If Ronan could be so annoying that he was stuck in Adam’s head, maybe, just maybe, he could secure a date for himself and, in turn, make his best friend happy.
The final bell rang, and Ronan stood up. Just before he could leave, he stopped by the side of Adams desk.
“I am really sorry, you know,” Adam was still looking down at his problem set, “about not showing up.”
Adam glanced at him from the side but didn’t say anything in response.
Ronan ducked his head in what he hoped was a repentant gesture, and with that, Ronan continued out of the classroom.