A quiet purr of a closing engine hummed in Adam's ear. He rolled himself out from underneath the pickup truck he'd been tinkering with. He sat up to find a fine black BMW pull up to the front of the mechanic's shop. The BMW's shining grill was just as pristine and dark as the face of the driver inside.

Ronan waited for moment in the confines of his leather seat, eyes lingering on Adam; his skin doused with sweat and grease. His eyes flickered with every movement Adam made to stand. Ronan's gaze fell to his chapped, calloused hands, unable to pull away as he wiped the grease from his fingers.

Ronan opened his door, jumped out, and slammed it shut with needless force. Adam flinched at the sound. Ronan made his way through the open garage door.

Adam shoved away the shiver down his spine. "How can I help ya?" He asked, cursing the Henrietta accent he let slip in his voice. He winced as he wiped away the sweat on the tender skin under his eye.

"Need an oil change." Ronan answered, his head turned as he looked around the shop. He pulled at the sleeves of his leather jacket, adjusting its comfort. "And new tires, rotors, and brakes."

Adam raised his brows. "That's...gonna be kind of pricey." He tilted his head in innocent inquiry, already sure of the answer but need to be certain. "You sure you want it done all at once?"

Ronan rolled his eyes and flicked his wrist at him in dismissal.

Adam pursed his lips in embarrassment. He should have known by his BMW, fine leather jacket, and expensive jeans that he would have no qualms about money at all. Let alone worry about dropping a large sum.

Someday. Adam thought. Someday he would would have that same stability. That same luxury.

He also should have known money would be no issue for him since, well, he saw him at school. And Adam knew there was no way he was a scholarship student like him.

"You go to Aglionby?" Adam asked, curious if he'd recognize him.

"Don't be stupid." Ronan snipped, peering into the window of another vehicle in the shop. As if it's contents were more interested than Adam's conversation. "You're in some of my classes."

"Sorry." Adam replied with a quiet voice. His eyes fell to the ground as he searched for his clipboard. It wasn't that Adam had never seen him. It was just that they've never met. Adam knew of Ronan and his partner-in-crime Richard Gansey. But neither had said a complete word to him. Adam had doubted they even knew he existed.

A steep sadness pulled on Adam's lip as he went to hand off the clipboard to Ronan, asking for him to sign the release paperwork. Ronan scribbled with a furious quickness then went to hand it back to Adam. Adam grabbed it but Ronan pulled it back towards himself, jerking Adam's attention.

Ronan's eyes fell onto Adam's bruised bicep. The rolled up sleeve of his t-shirt revealed a grotesque bruise of purples and browns. It seemed far too shaped like a handprint.

Ronan would be lying if he said he'd never noticed Adam before. He had, in fact, since his very first day at Aglionby. And his eyes never strayed since. The shape of his chapped hands as he raised it to ask a question. His rumpled hair and frayed uniform. His calm and quiet demeanor, much unlike Ronan's own. If staring wasn't socially taboo, Ronan could have studied him for hours on end each day. Though instead, he settled for stolen glances.

Though his silent study let Ronan stumble upon details that made him twinge with anger. The way Adam's head bobbed to say awake in class. The whites of his eyes bloodshot and paired with dark crescents under his lids. Unexpected absences, paired with a limp, or wince whenever he moved from his seat the next day. The way Adam would shrink himself and hide his arms under his wool sleeves while the rest of his classmates wore sweater-vests in the humid spring.

Not even a popped collar could hide the grim hand-shaped contusions on his throat from Ronan's hawkish gaze.

He wasn't an idiot. It'd didn't require much piece the clues together.

Ronan flicked his eyes up at Adam. "That's a nasty bruise you got there."

Adam gave a quiet gasp, letting go of the clipboard. He rolled down his sleeves as he tried to blow off his comment. "Stuff happens in the shop."

How could he have been so careless? How could he have let him see?

Ronan was not pleased with his response. He twisted his lip in irritation. He pointed the corner of the clipboard close to Adam's nose. "That how you got a black eye too?"

Adam shot him a firm scowl, but Ronan's never faltered. A quiet fell between them and Adam realized Ronan knew more than he should have. Adam's piercing eyes screamed for Ronan's silence. To just let it go.

Ronan shoved the clipboard into Adam's chest. "Someone should teach you how to fight.."

Adam turn away from him, pretending to busy himself with organizing his tools. He tried to let Ronan's comment slide off him, but they dragged their claws down along the way.

"So, how long for everything?" Ronan asked with a huff.

Adam turned back around towards him with a wrench in hand. But his eyes never departed much from the ground. "It's slow today. I can probably do it all before I go home at 6."

Home. The word tasted acidic in Adam's mouth. And Ronan wondered what type of hellhole Adam considered 'home' to be.

Ronan let out a quiet sigh, "Cool." He turned to his left, eyes examining the shop. "Gansey and I are headed to Nino's at 8." He stated matter-of-factly. "You should come."

Adam's eyes looked up to him in curiosity. A slight gape in his mouth. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been invited anywhere. Let alone receive an invite from someone like Ronan Lynch.

At Adam's silence Ronan closed his eyes and huffed with annoyance. He raised his hand in exasperation. "He's been so fucking chatty lately. I swear to God my ears are going to fall off if I don't find someone else to pawn Gansey off on."

After a moment, Adam swore he saw a faint grin pull upon the corners of Ronan's lips. As if to challenging Adam to decipher his coding.

Adam smiled, unable to remember the last time anyone wanted to be around him.

"Yeah." He answered, a small flutter flashed in his stomach. "Sounds good."