If you're a long time reader, I changed my pen name. If you're new, never mind. XOXO
Blue narrowed her eyes and scrutinized every move Gansey made from where she stood. He was just barely across the room from her, but she hoped he could feel her gaze. He was surrounded by Yale boys who were not nearly as good looking or interesting as him, in Blue's opinion. (She hadn't actually met any of them, though.) It wasn't just the guys that bothered her. It was the girls, too. The tall, slim blondes with their perfect teeth and breasts and…everything. And they were practically fawning over Gansey in his stupid khakis and stupid tight-fitting button up and stupid, stupid boat shoes. Ugh, and his smile. What a dick.
"This is not a good look for you, sunshine," Ronan whispered too close in Blue's ear and she spun around quickly, her narrowed eyes now on him. He was dressed nicer than she'd seen him in a while, also in dress pants and a shirt that had buttons…and sleeves. He looked good. Still, she wasn't amused at his comment.
She frowned and sniffed, then tried to tuck her hair behind her ears. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Ronan laughed quietly, though not unkindly, and looked back to where she'd been staring. Gansey was still there being the center of attention, possibly regaling the crowd with stories of his many trips, of sleeping in tents and fields and "roughing it" with his friends. Weirdly, sometimes Blue forgot that this is where he came from. That this was the life he'd lived for so long before her. Of parties and Ivy Leagues and politics.
They didn't have time for all of that nowadays and it was hard to remember sometimes, that there was a Gansey before he was her Gansey. There were so many moments that made him hers. Like Venezuelan beaches, deserted forests and, most recently, him asleep on the couch at 3AM with his glasses askew and Richard Campbell Gansey IV asleep on his chest.
"The guy is wearing a Baby Bjorn and a spit up rag on his shoulder. I mean, he's got a pacifier in hist shirt pocket, for God's sake. Trust me, no one is pining for him except you," Ronan chuckled.
Blue growled quietly, jokingly, but kind-of-hopefully thought Ronan might be right. Gansey was still wearing the carrier they'd been using to hold the baby during Adam's graduation ceremony. They were currently waiting for Adam to come find them and the baby in questions was asleep in Ronan's arms because, after fussing for the first few minutes of the graduation while he was confined in the carrier against Gansey's body, Ronan had reached for him.
Apparently Ronan Lynch was the baby whisperer.
He adjusted Richard Campbell Gansey IV so that the baby rested in the crook of one arm. He was a chubby thing, with round rosy cheeks and a mop of thick dark hair. He stretched a little as Ronan shifted him and Blue smiled at her son. Ronan put his other arm about Blue's shoulders and pulled her against him. She felt a little more at ease being tucked into his side.
Maybe Ronan Lynch was the Blue whisperer, too.
"Okay, you're probably right."
"Wow, you didn't even argue with me." Ronan pulled away and looked at her incredulously. "I don't like it."
That made Blue laugh. And roll her eyes a little. "Give me my baby so I can go burst their bubbles."
"The boys or the girls?" Ronan grinned and handed over the baby, who was slowly waking with little yawns and stretches.
"Hm," Blue said thoughtfully with a glance toward the crowd around Gansey. "Probably both."
Ronan followed her gaze, sharp eyes narrowed at the group of people around his friend. "Yeah. Probably."
Blue adjusted her son in her arms and Ronan reached over to gently brush his hand over the baby's hair. He squirmed and made a little sound of protest as Blue situated him.
"Oh, don't you Richard Gansey IV at me," Blue cooed and Ronan laughed.
"Like father like son." Ronan shrugged.
"Oh, please no," Blue whispered and pressed a kiss to the baby's head. "If I'm not back in five minutes…"
"I'll bring the car around for the body…or bodies. Got it."
She beamed at him from over her shoulder as she took a deep breath and made her way through the crowd. She held the baby close, her hand rubbing little circles on his back to keep him calm. As she neared the group a couple of the girls saw her and turned toward each other to exchange a look and a whisper. Blue took another deep breath and held her head high. It wasn't a competition. She didn't care what they thought of her. Besides, if it had been a competition…she'd definitely won.
It was as if Gansey could sense her as she drew closer to him, or if he'd heard what the girls had said. He turned and smiled a breathtaking smile and held out his hand. It was like he was seeing her for the first time in five years instead of five minutes. She had so won.
"Hey, beautiful," he said as she stepped to his side. He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head, before he introduced her to everyone. After niceties were exchanged he took the baby from her arms, kissed his chubby cheek, and held him with the baby's back against his chest, like he was sitting on Gansey's forearm. Blue half expected him to hold their son up like Rafiki did to Simba in The Lion King, but that was something they liked to do at home. She wouldn't put it past Gansey, though. He was a really proud father.
"And this is Richard Campbell Gansey IV," Gansey said proudly. Blue slipped her arm around Gansey's waist and rested her head on his arm, smiling.
"A little Dick, how about that." One of the Yale boys grinned. Blue cringed. She did not want her son to be called Dick. Nor did she like it when anyone called Gansey that. She'd taken, just recently, to calling him Richard. There was something so intimate about it to her, calling him something that it seemed like so many people had forgotten was actually his name.
The baby, on the other hand, was not Dick or Richard. He was Cam. It had taken them a few weeks to figure it out. They called him so many things in the meantime and had only just settled into this name for him. It fit, though. Just Cam.
Gansey laughed and bounced Cam a little before lifting him and settling him back into the carrier. Blue helped out, adjusting his little legs through the holes and snagging the pacifier from Gansey's pocket, just in case.
"Oh, no. Anything but that," Gansey replied good-naturedly.
"We call him Cam," Blue explained, as she slipped her hand into Gansey's now that it was free. His other hand rested on the back of the carrier. Like, even though Cam was secure, he still wanted to be sure.
"Unless he's being ornery. Then it's the full name," Gansey explained.
Blue glanced around at the group and realized that their eyes were starting to dart away from Gansey, searching each other's faces and then the crowd around them. Like they were looking for an escape. Blue decided that they would leave first, though.
"Oh, I think I saw Adam!" Blue cried suddenly and gripped her husband's hand. "We should be going. Nice to meet y'all!"
She pulled Gansey away, ready to make there way through the crowd to their "friends", but he tugged her hand and stopped her. When she turned to face him, he was smiling.
Gansey shrugged. "They like the stories. The adventure."
Blue harrumphed.
"It's funny," he said as he pulled her closer and rested his hands on her waist, Cam between them, almost at eye level for Blue.
"What's that?" She asked as she was pulled into him, like a magnet with no resistance.
"They didn't even want to hear about the best adventure." Gansey grinned and leaned down to kiss her. He touched her chin softly when he pulled away.
A small smile spread across Blue's lips as he spoke.
"All they care about is my "lost king" and my mother's position. They don't get that none of that matters." Gansey sighed and so did Blue, but hers was a happy sigh. She couldn't help it. She loved when Gansey got all romantic.
"Not everyone is as evolved as you, Richard," she said as she kissed the back of Cam's head and glanced up at him.
"Richard? Careful, Parrish, they're going to start doing married people stuff soon," Ronan's voice came from behind Blue. She turned and stuck her tongue out at him.
"Like grocery shopping?" Adam asked with wide eyes.
Gansey shook his head. "Nah, complaining about bills."
"You're loaded, Dick," Ronan pointed out.
"Too true," Gansey agreed with his arm around Blue's shoulders.
"You two are more married than we are," Blue said as she gestured between him and Adam. That time Ronan stuck out his tongue, so Blue flipped him the bird.
"Seriously Mrs. Gansey," he said in mock mortification, "try to be more sophisticated. We're at Yale."
Next to Ronan, Adam palmed his face and Gansey sighed and shook his head. He held out his fist to Adam and they pressed their knuckles together, whether in congratulations or in solidarity that their significant others were crazy, no one knew.
"Ugh, don't call me Mrs. Gansey. That's Gansey's mom." Blue shuddered as she hugged Adam and punched Ronan in the shoulder.
"Cam, you're the most mature person in this group right now," Gansey whispered to the baby.
"Hey, don't lump me in with this crowd." He jabbed his thumb toward Ronan and Blue who were standing side-by-side, with Ronan's arm resting on top of Blue's head while she elbowed him in the side. "I did just graduate from Yale, you know."
Gansey grinned. "Yeah, you did. Now, grab your yahoos so we can go celebrate."
"Come on, yahoos," Adam called as he and Gansey started to walk away, Adam reaching out to touch Cam's hand and making a face at him.
Ronan slipped his arm around Blue's shoulders, nicely, like he'd done before to comfort her and they followed Adam and Gansey through the crowd of people. She looked up at him and smiled, giddy and stupid. To her surprise he was smiling back.
"Yeah, we're idiots."
"At least we're happy idiots." Blue shrugged and patted Ronan's hand.
"Lucky ones, too."
"Wow, you're being really romantic. It's kind of gross."
Ronan squeezed her shoulder. "Shut up, you asshole."
"Much better."
