The Camaro's engine ticked thankfully as Gansey pulled the keys from the ignition and leaned over to slam the forever falling open glovebox, stuffing his Epi-Pen back into place. The tall windows of Monmouth Manufacturing shone like torches in a cave before him, warm orange light falling onto the overgrown grass of the car park, illuminating plywood ramps hidden dangerously in the dark. A half-moon glowed above the warehouse, casting a silver lining to the ominous grey clouds rolling overhead.
Grabbing for his phone and wallet, Gansey shoved them into the back pocket of his chinos hastily, slamming the door to the Camaro and jogging into the warehouse. A collection of takeaway cartons and pizza boxes littered the floor and spilled over his desk, alerting him to the presence of others. Glancing around with a frown, he spotted the toilet/kitchen door ajar, the harsh lemon light like a beacon.
Pushing open the door, he wasn't quite prepared for what he found. Ronan lay back in an empty bath tub in nothing more than black boxers and the leather bands wrapped around his wrists, Henry Cheng perched in the sink, hair tall enough to threaten the ceiling, Adam hunched on the closed toilet seat with fresh scabs and a reckless glow to his eyes, Chainsaw perched on the shower curtain-less rail, preening herself and occasionally dropping dented black feathers into Blue's hand where she sat cross-legged on top of the fridge. His eyes lingered and she smirked at the uncomfortable look of chastity on his face.
They had been acquaintances long enough for Gansey to become accustomed to her dress sense, but this… well his heart tripped over itself. The dress was made of red gauze and spilled over her figure like a crimson waterfall, completely see through. Beneath she wore stretchy, tight black shorts with ribbons weaved into the waistline, and a crochet crop-top which looked to have once been a picnic blanket or sofa throw. They had been together for a handful of months now, but the sight of her never seized to make his pulse leap. And seeing so much of her, the concave dip to her stomach, curve of her hips, steps of her ribs and soft mounds of her breasts, he wasn't quite sure how to react. And for such a short girl, her legs seemed to go on forever.
"Close your mouth Gansey, you're catching flies." Blue teased, well aware of the affect she was having on him. Normally this kind of male appreciation would set her hackles up and have her baring her teeth in a very Ronan-like manner. But when Gansey was looking at her... well she could bask in his gaze for years, especially with the amount of heat he was throwing off. She felt the tips of her ears tinging pink and a flush stealing across her cheeks.
"Am I interrupting?" Gansey asked, clearing his throat and casting his gaze at the other amused occupants of the room in their various degrees of casual disarray. Henry gestured to his chest with a flourish clearly meant to be an attempt at a bow or curtsy of some kind, and Adam wore a warm carefree smile which Gansey had been slowly becoming familiarized with. Since he and Ronan had gotten together, the anger and anxiety and sadness which had constructed his face was slowly being cut away to reveal a radiant and jovial surface.
"Jane?" Gansey prompted.
"We've been discussing revenge," she replied cheerfully, catching another tufty feather Chainsaw refused to be seen in.
"It appears as though the maggot's school mates refuse to fucking play nice." Ronan growled, running a hand back and forth over his shaved head. Gansey immediately stiffened, his gaze turning sharp as he turned to Blue, a crease forming between his eyebrows.
"They invited me to a club," Blue answered with a dramatic roll to her eyes. "If I agreed to hand out party favours." The fire in her eyes burned along with the anger simmering in Gansey's veins. "And then Ronan sent two to A&E and another running home with his tail between his legs." The fondness in her voice didn't quite fit with her words, but Ronan bowed his head in prideful acknowledgement. Gansey's first instinct was to berate Ronan, warn him of the consequences of his actions, and then he realised he most definitely would have attempted to do the same if he had witnessed the scene.
"I vote we go to the party," Henry grinned. "Give them something interesting to talk about in their small-minded infinitely mundane lives. Consider it your last F-You to the patriarchy before we leave on our adventures." He reasoned to Blue, whose eyes grew in anticipation as she imagined how it would go. Turning up in the loud orange Camaro, tires squealing and engine roaring in its ailing way. The four boys following her through the crowds of her classmates, envy and disgust in their eyes as they observed the boys spoiled with old Virginia money. And Blue standing as an equal between them.
"Fuck it," Blue grinned and Ronan's eyes gleamed with excitement and pride. Though Blue had been no stranger to swearing before meeting the boys, the frequency and randomness of the outbursts were heavily due to her growing closeness with Ronan.
"But first gentlemen, I think we need to find you something suitable to wear." Henry exclaimed, eyeing Gansey's pristine white shirt and chinos. "Do you own anything… night-clubby?" he queried and Gansey winced. "Alas, you are at least one step ahead of Mr Lynch." Henry grinned.
"Fuck you," Ronan snarled vehemently from the bath tub.
Blue pulled the seat of the Camaro forward to allow the boys to climb out of the back. Henry wore a vaguely queasy look on his face, most probably due to the heavy make-out session between Adam and Ronan. It wasn't that he was adverse to their relationship, but Blue couldn't blame him for not enjoying the experience of being squashed into close quarters with two boys with grabby hands, vocal moans and tongues down each other's throats.
Even Gansey had break-checked on more than one occasion to attempt to separate the two from their ravenous fondling, but it seemed to just leech them closer together. Ronan wore a self-satisfied smirk, eyes gleaming and hand in the back pocket of Adam's jeans. Adam was red faced and breathless, hair mused in a way that it almost put Henry's art-work of black spikes to shame.
Gansey's hand slid along the curve of her waist, and she smiled up at him as he tugged her closer against his side, eyes narrowed as his gaze swept the street and the entrance to the club. Blue wrapped a hand around his tense arm, feeling the tough muscle twitch at her touch.
"Move maggot," Ronan growled, shoving ahead.
"Whatever asshole," Blue snarled. Ronan shot her a shark-smile and tugged Adam ahead through the doors.
"Shall we?" Henry encouraged, sweeping a hand towards the doors grandly. Straightening her spine and pushing her shoulders back, chin up, Blue walked purposefully into the building. Cobalt and red lights pulsed along with the heavy bass line, kicking her heart rate up as the adrenalin of the place crawled under her skin. The hairs on her arms stood on end as an electric current ran through the room and sweat quickly gathered as the muggy heat assaulted her. Gansey held her protectively, chin brushing the top of her head as they jostled through the tight crowd, spotting Adam and Ronan at the bar. Ronan had Adam caged against the bar sill, the lights throwing dangerous shadows over his harsh face. His body moved closer, pressing against Adam, chin dipping as a dark smile pulled his lips before they brushed the leaping pulse in his boyfriend's neck.
Blue looked away quickly, feeling dirty for watching their private moment, even if they weren't concerned with who saw them. Glancing up at Gansey, she saw the muscle in his jaw jump as he surveyed the crowd tensely. Grazing a hand across his cheek, she pulled his gaze down to her.
"Is this okay?" she shouted over the immense noise and he smiled brilliantly for her, capturing her hand and pressing his lips to her palm as he held her gaze. The music shifted down a tempo and she felt her heart settling down, even as sweat gathered along her collarbone and between her breasts. There were far too many people in the room, jumping and shouting and gasping for breath as the adrenalin forced their bodies into movement.
"Sargent! Decided to accept the offer?" Blue sighed wearily and turned to face the owner of the voice. Jason Gable sneered maliciously at her, a crowd of his immature boys forming behind him, matching bullish grins pulling grotesquely at their faces as the lights flashed overhead.
"And what exactly was the offer?" Gansey snapped, his voice unlike anything Blue had heard from him before. His hands tightened on her waist protectively and Blue caught Adam, Henry and Ronan shifting closer at the edge of her peripheral vision. If Jason had a few more brain cells he might realize how much danger he was in. They were a school of fish and her Raven Boys were the greatest predators in the sea, circling closer at the slightest smell of blood and fear.
"Hey look mate, if you want a blow get to the back of the line. Sargent promised me first go." Jason leered, his eyes trailing down her body in a vile taunt. "Besides, I bet that faggot of yours gives them daily." He jeered. And then he was on his ass. Blue gaped at Gansey as he shook his clenched fist out and glared at the boys. Blue hadn't even seen him move, and definitely hadn't expected the physical outburst from Gansey of all people. Dark crimson streamed from Jason's smashed nose.
"That would be our cue to leave," Henry announced, shoving Gansey towards the door as he saw the malicious gleam in his gaze. Gansey paused for a moment, clearly wanting to throw another punch at the boy and his friends. After a tense moment, he reached down to grip Blue's hand and let Henry steer him towards the exit.
"Dick, I didn't think you had it in you." Ronan grinned, punching Gansey congratulatory on the shoulder. Gansey pulled a face somewhere between a grimace and a grin. "Maybe I should take you with me next time. Fuck up some locals!" he exclaimed, hands clenching.
"Not to rush the celebrations, but I think we should get out of here before somebody turns up." Adam encouraged and they crammed back into the Camaro, Ronan's grin sharp as a knife.
They ended up at Harry's with a table covered in every possible flavour of Gelato, Ronan toasting to Gansey before downing Gelo shots as Blue examined his already bruising hand, cursing him for hurting himself.
"I was defending your honour!" Gansey proclaimed.
"Oh and what, I couldn't do that for myself?" Blue snapped, her eyebrows darting into her hairline.
"Of course you can, but I'm your boyfriend. You expect me to just stand back and let guys say that about you?" Gansey frowned and Blue rolled her eyes before resting her head against his shoulder.
"Next time just let Ronan beat the crap out of them." She grumbled, brushing her fingers gently over his knuckles before lifting his hand and pressing a feather light kiss to the inflamed skin. "Besides, we'll be out of here soon, and they'll never get the chance to leave. Have a little sympathy." She encouraged and Gansey's eyebrows slammed down. She waited a moment, before letting her serious expression melt and a grin appear.
"Don't even joke about that," Gansey warned, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her in tight against him in the booth, ducking his head to brush his lips along her jawline, his other hand crawling across her lap and hooking around her legs, pulling them over his knees. Blue grinned and lifted her head, sealing her lips to his with a deep, searing kiss.