Chapter Two

Awkward Confrontations

Darkness bled into the room, casting shadows all about but none of them moved to turn on the lights. They both lied on their backs on Adam's narrow bed; their bodies lined up and only separated in the middle for they twined fingers between them. Ronan had thrown one arm beneath his head, trying to swallow the sudden turn of things. Things had escalated quickly, like a bottled eruption and they'd been kissing with the desperation that Ronan, prior to this, thought had existed only from his part.

Adam tried to slow his breathing and concentrate on the calm feeling of Ronan's long fingers twined with his, but the feel of Ronan's naked torso lined against his side was proving to be rather distracting. His own navy blue T-shirt would have been discarded if he hadn't halted Ronan. Adam would have let him, wanted to let him but his hand had almost involuntarily clamped over Ronan's wrist. Of course Ronan had looked at him with complete understanding, the dying light carving his handsome face in soft shadows and magnifying his blue eyes. He's only placed a chaste on his cheek and they'd lied back on bed, reeling with euphoria and questions.

The next morning, Ronan had woken with a start, sensing that he wasn't in his own room. The window directly over his head cast sunlight in a way that told him he was In Adam's room. Yesterday's events ran through his mind like a familiar, worn entry of a journal. He'd dreamed of it, thought of it for so long that his heart constricted in doubt even as he turned his head to look at the figure sleeping next to him.

Rays of sunlight shone on Adam's soft head of sandy-brown hair, casting few strands golden. He slept on his side, turned towards Ronan. Both his hands were shoved under his pillow in a way that made Ronan want to chuckle. His delicate features were softened in his sleep and Ronan reached a hand without hesitation to run it through Adam's hair, finding it as soft as he'd always imagined.

"Adam?" a voice cut through the sleepy haze like icy water over the head. Ronan sat up quickly. Gansey. The locks turned in vain effort for Adam had locked the door before they slept.

"Adam?" this time, Gansey's voice was laced with frustration. Ronan went through options over his head. Should he just open the door and face whatever questions Gansey would have? Should he tell him and Adam are – what are they anyway?

Gansey's knocking grew incessant. "Adaaammm" he drawled out with each knock.

Just then, Adam sat up; so quick that Ronan startled and almost crashed the back of his head against the wall behind him in surprise. Across the room, Gansey's drawling went on.

The whole affair was so out of the ordinary, so unexpected that Ronan felt that something must have gone loose in his head. And he found that this is in fact the case when, after one glance at the side of Adam's head where his sandy hair stuck out of his head in odd angles, he snorted out loud in laughter.

Adam's wide, terrified eyes turned to him and his hand reached out to clamp Ronan's mouth shut. Ronan barely contained his laughter in the few moments of confused silence that followed. Both sat silent, hearts pounding.

"Adam?" Gansey's said warily. Silence. And then, finally, Gansey gave out a long sigh and a thud followed as he banged his head against the door.

"Head-ache's killing me" he muttered. "I swear Adam if you're not sleeping, you better let me in. I need pain killers"

Gansey is the only one Ronan ever knew who could wake up early in the morning with a hangover. He guessed that Gansey didn't want to wake up Blue and probably went over to his room and found that he wasn't there.

"Fine" an annoyed sigh then soft footsteps continued on to the stairs and complete silence accompanied Gansey's departure.

Adam and Ronan erupted in laughter. Partly over the image of Gansey's face if they hadn't locked the door and partly over drunken giddiness over what had transpired between them. Their cheeks hurt by the time their laughter died and Adam felt like he was floating at the sight of Ronan's twinkling eyes.

He watched almost regretfully as Ronan retrieved his shirt from the floor and donned it on, his back muscles rippling with silent and sleek power. It made Adam blush furiously and glance away. Ronan gave him another mischievous smile as their eyes met again, giving Adam the distinct feeling that he could see through him. Ronan reached and ran through the ensnared tangles of Adam's soft hair once more, wanting to do much more than that.

They smiled hesitantly at each other before Ronan turned away and left, closing the door with a soft click that left a hole in Adam.

"I hate you" Gansey said easily as Ronan showed up at Monmouth. Everyone was gathered there; Blue was sprawled on the couch, flicking through channels; Adam was sitting at the desk, most probably resuming his work from yesterday. He'd only glanced up and nodded at Ronan before turning back to work. Noah was sitting by Chainsaw, looking bored.

"Why?"

"Because you're never there when I need you" Gansey grumbled. It was afternoon now; Ronan had gone for a long run after a quick stop at his place, needing to clear his head.

"Painkillers?" Ronan asked.

Gansey groaned in agreement.

"Why don't you ever buy your own?" Noah rolled his eyes.

"Well I did have to buy some today, no thanks to all of you" Gansey glared pointedly across the room. Adam ignored him, diligently scribbling.

"Don't blame me, I was half-dead by then" Blue said sleepily. She most probably woke up few minutes ago as all suffering from hangovers normally would. She was resting her head on the pillows stacked behind her, not turning her head to look at Ronan as if her head would shatter otherwise. Gansey glanced at her before turning to him.

"Ronan, want to make it up for me?" Gansey glanced at him meaningfully. Ronan immediately understood.

"Sure" He sighed and pulled out his keys from his pocket.

Watching Gansey fumbling and reddening was too satisfying that Ronan had let him go on stuttering until he couldn't help himself and had burst out in laughter.

"I know" He'd simply said once he could muster up enough breath to speak.

"Fucking Lynch" Gansey muttered indignantly. His friend crossed his arms and looked out the window thoughtfully. It was a clear day in Henrietta, neither cloudy nor sunny. People milled about in small throngs across town, without trouble and without fuss as is the true nature of Sunday afternoons.

"Do you think he knows?" Neither had to elaborate on who the "He" at question was. They both knew. Adam. Ronan racked his brain trying to find an answer. The truth was that he didn't know. After yesterday, he wasn't sure he knew anything at all. Adam had ever only been interested in Blue as far as Ronan knew. He didn't know what was happening between them, what Adam was thinking. If yesterday was just a try out for Adam…

He wouldn't think too much of that for now so he replied honestly that he didn't know.

Gansey frustratedly ran his hand through his brown hair and Ronan felt bad that he couldn't help his friend with that.

"You should tell him though" he suggested. "Adam won't appreciate you keeping it from him."

Gansey opened him mouth as if to say something – Would he mind? Does he still have feelings for her? –but decided against it. Ronan held back from releasing a relieved sigh.

When they got back, Gansey was as twitchy as ever. Once they passed out the burgers they'd bought, Gansey sat further away from Blue as possible and Ronan wanted to smack him upside the head. Even Noah rolled his eyes.

Blue only glanced at him briefly and said nothing. Adam munched on his food silently as if unaware of everything going on around him. They ate in comfortable ease aside from the obvious elephant in the room, bickering and teasing occasionally till Blue sat up, hangover cured from the onslaught of another headache probably, and declared that she had to go.

"Noah, you coming?" At that, he'd perked up and trotted alongside Blue in relief. But not before smirking at Ronan in a way that told him that Noah knew much more than he thought. He shook away that thought.

Ronan didn't have to give an excuse, so he simply ignored Gansey's nervous look and followed after Noah.

Silence followed the sound of their friends' footsteps outside and the room broke out in tension. Adam guessed what this was about and stared at Gansey's nervous fiddling, willing him to say something – he didn't disappoint.

"I think I might be dating Blue" Gansey mumbled. He cut right to the chase and then reached to slurp the rest of his drink.

"You think?"

"No…I mean yes… I mean we kissed" Gansey ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "Look, Adam, you don't like her still, do you?"

Adam contemplated how to answer that. After yesterday, could he say he'd ever been attracted to a girl? He mused over his thoughts when he'd first met Blue – her short figure and the curves he'd found himself looking at discreetly. Yes, he was attracted to her – he is attracted to girls. Then thoughts of Ronan came unbarred. His tall, lean shape and wide shoulders; his handsome features that rested in an aloof, almost-hostile expression; the small smiles that lit his crystal blue eyes in warmth and the feel of taut, sleek muscle.

Adam cleared his throat loudly, not trusting his voice.

"No" he was certain of this at least.

Gansey's face broke out in a smile.

"You're terrible at keeping secrets from people, Gansey" Adam dead-panned.

The smiled disappeaered. "Have all of you known all along? Geez…" he sighed. "At least Noah…"

"Oh trust it to be Noah who'd figured it out first" Adam interrupted, musing fondly of the secret smile Noah had given him when he'd appeared this morning with all his untouched work.