originally posted on tumblr for the prompt "wanna dance?"
Prom at Monmouth had originally been Gansey's idea but no one had protested against it. It was hard to tell if their universal acceptance of the black-tie event was the result of real excitement or reluctance to disagree with Gansey. Since his dead-and-then-back-to-life stunt, everyone had been more benevolent with him than usual. And since Aglionby Academy did not have prom due to their lack of female students, and Blue had missed hers in the middle of running around Henrietta and Cabeswater trying to locate dead kings and stop third sleepers and find ways to bring dead boys back to life, Gansey had thought it was only reasonable to stage their very own prom at Monmouth. His insistence might have had something to do with the fact that Blue seemed genuinely excited about the idea and Gansey, as always, wanted to impress her and the other three boys were easily roped into the whole thing as well.
Adam didn't mind so much. Prom at Monmouth meant the absence of inebriated lustful strangers and too big crowds and awful music. Instead it was inebriated lustful friends and just the five of them and moderately tolerable music. They had spent the better half of last week cleaning out the first floor of Monmouth so that it somewhat resembled the concept of tidiness, then set out to make the place passable for prom. The decorations came from Blue and Gansey, arranged by collective team work based on orders issued out by Blue. Ronan, after being deemed unreliable to supply drinks or music, was assigned the task of bringing food and snacks and anything edible. Adam had volunteered to bring drinks and Noah was trusted with the music. When Saturday rolled around, everything was in order for the prom they had planned.
Now, relaxing in a plastic chair close to the food, Adam inspected the room with appreciation. It looked messy and imperfect and flawless. His black tie and dark jacket - Gansey had insisted on dressing up in formal wear required for prom - were both sitting on the back of the chair, discarded. The top two buttons on his dress shirt were popped due to the unrelenting heat in the room. The disco ball - Gansey's purchase - kept shining red and blue and green and yellow lights into his eyes but he was otherwise comfortable.
The party was starting to wind down. Adam had no idea what time it was but he guessed it's been hours since it started and so it had to be past midnight, probably close to one a.m. Noah had given up messing around with the music and let the playlist he created run by itself. He was now stuffing the last remaining pieces of chocolate cake into his mouth - the perks of being alive again. He was still not in favor of pizza but he couldn't seem to be able to resist anything sweet or sugary. The speakers were playing a soft, slow, romantic tune, and Blue and Gansey were lost in each other, slow dancing on the other side of the room. They were both considerably buzzed from the alcohol Ronan did end up buying, despite the drinks being Adam's duty, so when Gansey leaned down to whisper something in Blue's ear and she answered with an uncharacteristic giggle and a not so subtle ass grab, Adam quickly averted his eyes and came face to face with Ronan. His amused smirk told that he had clearly seen the incident as well but did not feel as uncomfortable about it as Adam.
He was holding two glasses in his hands and he offered one to Adam which he took without thinking. Then, because he remembered that this was Ronan, he raised it to his nose to smell it.
"Relax, it's just apple juice."
Adam nodded gratefully and took a sip. Ronan had never worn a tie and jacket to begin with and the buttons on his shirt were now similarly undone. It was not enough to get a real glimpse of his tattoo but peaks of black ink poked out of his shirt. For a few fleeting seconds, Adam tried not to stare then quickly gave up. He had been trying not to stare for too long; all day and then the week before that and the months before that, in various other situations and various other places. He was looking, however subconsciously, even before the kiss that they never spoke of and he was looking even more so after.
He was tired of looking and tired of not looking.
Ronan, for his part, was always looking. Adam could feel it, could see it. He figured that meant he was allowed to look as well.
"I guess it's just the two of us now." Ronan nodded towards Blue and Gansey who were now making out against the wall, hands roaming to places Adam didn't want to see, and then towards Noah who had fallen asleep on the floor only a few feet away from them next to the food table. He was always doing that, falling asleep in the oddest places at the oddest times. He was having trouble readjusting to being alive again and operating on normal human schedule which sometimes meant staying up all night and then falling asleep at the pool table or not eating anything for two days straight and then stuffing himself full with so many different foods that he threw up later.
Adam himself felt exhausted. He thought the next logical step would be ending the party and shooing everyone upstairs or home but when he looked at Ronan, he did the opposite. "Wanna dance?"
The only sign of shock on Ronan's face was a raised eyebrow which was more scrutinizing than surprised. Adam didn't know where that request came from but he didn't regret it. He and Ronan have been dancing around each other for too long. With Glendower found and Gansey saved and the third sleeper eliminated, with Noah alive and everyone safe and school almost over, there were no more pressing matters to attend to, no reason to keep holding back anymore.
Adam wasn't sure what he was holding himself back from, only that the kiss they shared months ago was nice - that's not the best word for it but he struggled to find a better alternative - and that he would like to do again.
Ronan smirked in a knowing way but, of course, did not refuse Adam's offer to dance. The slow, romantic song had changed to something more upbeat but still gentle sounding and the initial awkwardness of hand holding and fingers on shoulders and palms touching waists gradually eased into something comfortable and pleasant. Adam strangely felt at peace.
The kissing only began after the song ended and then Adam didn't feel peaceful anymore because he was too busy feeling Ronan's lips on his own.