Henry Cheng jerked awake as the Camaro violently rattled over a cattle grid, Blue cursing under her breath and flicking her eyes to the rear-view mirror tensely, holding a cautious breath before slowly releasing it through her lips as a gentle snort reassured her that Gansey was still asleep. Blue flinched in surprise as Henry twisted in his seat, suddenly wide awake, smirking as he saw Gansey's lanky form crammed into the small back seat, knees pressing into the vinyl and arms curled over the steady movements of his stomach. Pulling his phone from his pocket Henry snapped a shot, grinning childishly as he turned and showed it to Blue.
"Shall I send it to the magician and his raven boy?" he urged as Blue wrangled the pig down a gear, swinging the orange beast wide around an unforgiving curve in the road, a barrier dented threateningly, a warning to all who dared to follow the winding, endless tarmac.
"Both," Blue nodded after a ponderous moment, rubbing the heel of her hand into one of her tired eyes as the Camaro's headlights illuminated a lonesome tire perched against the barrier. Her foot touched the gas as a long awaited straight road rose ahead of her, hand on the vibrating gear stick. Henry's face was transformed ghoulishly in the light of his phone screen, carving the steep planes of his cheeks and eye sockets.
"Don't you just love surprises!" he exclaimed and Blue snorted softly, feeling her stomach twisting into knots as they grew another mile closer to Henrietta. Despite the adventures she and the boys had gone on, the places she had seen in the last few months, it was painful to admit that Henrietta… well it was still home.
Several hundred miles away Adam Parrish hunched over the toilet sink, brushing his teeth vigorously, glaring at his reflection as the white foam of his toothpaste dribbled down his chin. Henrietta was hushed with sleep, and for once the angry noise of a street race couldn't be heard in the distance. Not when the number one offender was tucked up in bed. A smirk tipped his lips before he ducked his head, spitting into the sink. Upon straightening he found he wasn't the only reflection in the mirror any more.
Ronan bared his teeth in a smile before wrapping his scarred arms around Adam's waist, tucking his chin on the other boy's bony shoulder and blowing a cold breath against the sensitive skin under his ear. Goosebumps ran like a waterfall over Adam's bare skin, a shiver working its way up his spine. Ronan's lips brushed the thundering pulse by his jugular, and he closed his eyes, revelling in the sensations.
"Are you happy now?" Ronan murmured against his skin and Adam sighed softly.
"There's nothing wrong with wanting to keep your teeth clean," he pointed out.
"Fuck clean," Ronan growled into his neck, sending vibrations deep into Adam's skin and twisting his stomach in knots. "Come to bed," Ronan lured, his breath dancing along the curve of Adam's ear. Smiling, Adam took his offered hand and let the other boy drag him into his room in Monmouth.
After some not-sleeping, a small portion of sleeping, and a lot more of the not-sleeping Adam lay against Ronan's chest, tracing the criss-crossed scars on his hands, mesmerised. Ronan's hand slid up and down Adam's back, massaging muscles and fingers tracing the knobs of vertebrae reverently. Chainsaw had tucked herself into the rumpled pile of discarded clothes on the floor, beak slightly agape and dark eyes closed contentedly. For a moment there was nothing but the sound of their unsteady breaths, pulses returning to the normal rate, Adam's deaf ear turned mutely to the world and his other pressed to Ronan's heart. And then the phone on the nightstand beeped, illuminating the dark room.
Grumbling, Ronan reached for it, intent on chucking the object to the other side of the room, seething with hatred for the gadget. And then he saw what the message contained and a sleepy exhale alerted Adam to something amusing.
"What is it?" Adam murmured and Ronan lowered his phone for him to see. A photo of Gansey squashed into the backseat of the Camaro sent a cheerful buzz through Adam's body before he remembered. They were off exploring the world, too busy for him now. Yeah, he received the occasional text via Ronan, but he felt like his friendship with Blue and Gansey was beginning to crumble. It was his first weekend away from college in god-knows how long, and they couldn't be bothered to even call and ask him how he was doing. No, instead they had asked him whether they should head to Kansas or Nebraska from Missouri. With Henry. The sting was still there. Gansey had sworn that he would take all of them anywhere and everywhere with him. But instead he had taken off with Henry!
Sighing wearily, Adam let his head fall back onto Ronan's bare chest, inhaling the smell of diesel and burnt rubber.
"Sargent, what's taking you so fucking long?" Ronan's voice dripped venom and Blue rolled her eyes towards the roof.
"Introducing the slowest driver to ever drive – Richard Campbell Gansey III." She moaned down the phone and Gansey revved the engine slightly in retaliation.
"Careful Dick, I think the speedometer just moved above 40!" Henry called dramatically from the back, clawing at his face in an impressive interpretation of The Scream.
"You haven't told Adam have you?" Blue queried, resting her hand on Gansey's knee and squeezing slightly. One hand moved from the gear shift to cover hers, lacing their fingers together, and his thumb running over the back of her hand.
"Why the fuck would I? It may shock you Sargent but I do know the definition of a surprise visit."
"Don't be an asshole," she exclaimed merrily. There was an unerring pause on the other end of the phone and for a moment she thought he had hung up on her. "Lynch?" she called cautiously.
"Gimme a second, it's fucking hard-" he cut off again and Blue grimaced as her mind spun off a series of frighteningly inappropriate images, so vivid and fast that she was more than a bit concerned for herself.
"…What is?" she prompted stiffly.
"To get dressed and hold a fucking phone, maggot," Ronan growled and she pulled a face to Gansey, whose eyebrows were raised in curiosity.
"Maybe I should call you back when you're, y'know, not naked." Blue proposed and Henry oohed from the back, while Gansey's eyebrows slammed down.
"Nothing you're going to have the joy of seeing. Fuck its cold out here." Ronan muttered, the obvious sound of Monmouth's door being slammed shut echoing in the background.
"Be careful, don't want anything to freeze and fall off." Blue teased and he harrumphed.
"Look, just fucking hurry. He's shattered, but that doesn't mean he'll stay asleep forever." Ronan warned and Blue sighed. "I dreamt you that shitty engine-less car Blue-"
"For fuck sake Ronan, I know, we're going as fast as we can. Do you not remember that we've just driven non-stop for almost three days?! We'll be there on time, no need to get your panties in a twist." Blue snapped and Gansey chocked on a laugh.
"Asshole," Ronan said good-naturedly.
"Just because you like it up-"
"Jane," Gansey warned, eyes scrunching and dimples denting his cheeks as he fought to not laugh. Sighing heavily, she hung up the phone and sat back in the passenger seat, arms crossed. A road sign warned that Henrietta was still another 60miles ahead and Blue pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, wondering how in the hell they were ever going to get there before Adam woke up. Hell, he could be awake already.
"Hold on tight, children." Gansey announced. Henry and Blue frowned at each other, and then were promptly flattened against their seats and Gansey slammed his foot to the pedal, laying it flat to the floor. The Camaro's engine roared wildly, an untamed and unchallenged beast. Exclaiming in surprise and excitement, Henry leaned between the front seats to high-five Blue and slap Gansey on the shoulder.
"Congratulations on finding the gas Dick!"
Adam wrestled his way out of the covers of Ronan's bed. He was deeply suspicious that his boyfriend had tucked him in mummy-style on purpose. Chainsaw perched on the nightstand, mucking around with one of the many clips which had been discarded from Blue's hair the last time she had been in the building. It had been a wild night of reckless abandon, an excited send-off. For Adam going to college and Blue and Gansey taking off to travel. Ronan's stereo had blasted ear-bleeding music, the tall windows rattling, Gansey's bed became a trampoline and Blue had been swung around the room by a hundred different dance partners packed into four bodies. And then when it still wasn't enough, when they felt ready to burst from the tight confines of their bodies, Gansey and Ronan had revved the Camaro and the BMW, smoke billowing in the carpark as tires spun and squealed and Blue threw her hands in the air with a reckless scream, the two cars peeling onto the road, a flash of orange and shark.
The door to the room swung open and Ronan's silhouette was illuminated by the dusky golden rays of summer light filtering through the windows behind him.
"Having trouble?" he smirked, prowling towards the bed like a lithe black panther, all predator, and leaning over Adam, settling his hands on either side of his head and grinning a devil-may-care grin down at him.
"Am I allowed to get out?" Adam huffed, attempting to hide his shortness of breath as Ronan trailed his nose up the side of his neck, through his sideburns and into his hairline.
"What do I get if I let you out?" Ronan growled, nipping his earlobe, sending Adam's stomach plummeting.
"Anything," Adam promised quietly and Ronan's eyes widened and darkened, before he dropped his head and pressed his mouth to Adam's. There was a content sigh passed between the two of them, and then Ronan stretched out across Adam, pinning him down to the bed.
"Open your mouth," he growled. Adam was more than happy to comply, and Ronan groaned as their tongues slid against each other, his hips pressing down and grinding the two boys together.
"Holy mother of God- shit shit fuck!" Adam froze, his mind taking a second too long to pin the voice to a name and Ronan chuckled against his skin, sitting back and grinning smugly at Gansey's hastily retreating form. Blue popped her head in the door, a broad grin stretching her face, Henry's unmistakable electric shock hair visible behind her shoulder.
"Surprise!" she exclaimed, throwing a handful of confetti and glitter into their room. "I told you we would make it on time!" she said, pointing at Ronan triumphantly.
"A bit ahead of schedule," Henry laughed.
"I didn't doubt you for a second maggot," Ronan grinned, climbing off Adam. "Now, fuck off." Blue was still grinning as he slammed the door in her face and turned to Adam, whose face was as red as a stop sign. "Now, where were we? Oh yeah, you'll do anything if I let you out?"