Baby you're a firework [4th of July Gathering]

[jeongbro]

From Candlewood, Henry could hear the party going on northeast of town, the thud of distance bass and the pop of fireworks and the shrill of cars put to the test. And how shit was that?

He texted Blue, first. A soft, subtle inquiry, a joke of an invitation, but a broad one. One for all of them. He remembered Ronan's arm in that cast, and him saying it was from Kavinsky, and Henry had no duty to them, but it would be good to keep all of them away from the mess that was going on at that party outside of town. None of them had to come, of course. They were all their own people, adults--and a ghost who was as good as one, in Henry's eyes--and they were each allowed their own decisions.

So Henry texted Any plans for the 4th Wendybird? And then he followed it up, even before she could answer, I think my place could use some Virginian charms.

He had no decorations. Fourth of July over the past two years had become a thing tainted by Joseph Kavinsky. But he could, easily, go down a couple blocks and buy more two-liter bottles of Pipsy and lemon-lime soda than he could possibly need, and some liquor and mixers, and chips and dip. If he didn't use it all up, he'd bring it to Panoptes. And that seemed like a good enough way to ignore that Joseph Kavinsky was trying to blow himself up, to him.


[Running as a gathering]

Comments

[thedreamthief]

For one hot second, Ronan actually considers going to Kavinsky's shitshow of a party. There are signs all over town, though fewer of them than there had been at the start thanks to Ronan.

Despite what he knows of the last party, despite what he's been told by Adam and Noah and Gansey alike -- or maybe even because of what he's been told -- Ronan nearly goes. Not to drink, of course. Not to party. No, he'd go for another reason altogether.

It's Blue who mentions Cheng's as an alternative. It doesn't feel like much of a second choice, but Noah's excited for it. And Adam is amenable.

So here he is, slumped against a wall, attempting to numb the self-destructive itch under his skin with his third beer of the night. It feels like a fucking kiddie party compared to what he knows is going down with Kavinsky right now, juvenile and innocent. But there's no one at that party he really needs to see. Almost everyone he gives a shit about is right here, in this room.

And Cheng.

[incognoscibilis]

"The disaffected outsider propping up a wall look doesn't really work when there's only five of us here," Adam said. He held out a glass of water he'd poured from the pitcher on the table for Ronan to drink. Three beers was a good breaking point for water, he figured, hating himself a little for how he counted how many drinks his friends had. Three beers, water, and some food.

Adam told himself to stop being irrational in the same moment that he told himself that he was being perfectly reasonable.

"We should've found one of those balcony grills and cooked something up," he said, feeling strangely stilted with Henry in their midst. His was not a bad presence but it did still change the dynamic and left Adam on his tiptoes.

[thedreamthief]

Ronan scowls at the glass of water Adam holds out to him, but after only a few seconds thought, he takes it, flashing a grin that's more of an irritated grimace before taking a sip of it. Then taking another sip of his beer. If he's going to get through tonight, he's gonna need a lot more alcohol than Adam probably thinks is wise.

But he does appreciate the effort of lessening his hangover.

"Should've just stayed home," he argues, glancing across the room at where Cheng sat happily talking to Noah and Blue. "Why the fuck are we even here?"

[incognoscibilis]

Adam gave Ronan his own approximation of that same grimace and then nods at him. "You're drinking that and another glass at least," he warned. Because he didn't want Ronan to have a hangover. Because he didn't want Ronan drunk enough to think about getting belligerent.

"Because it makes Blue and Noah happy. And he's not that bad," Adam said, giving Ronan a little frown.

[thedreamthief]

There's a biting remark just on the tip of his tongue, a reminder that Ronan's been drinking for years, that he's fucking Irish and can hold his liquor. But he knows where Adam's worry stems from, understands his reasons for worry.

So he takes another sip of water.

"Well, he's not fuckin' Kavinsky," he agrees, unimpressed by Adam's unimpressed frown. "He's just another Aglionby kid though. A rich kid surfing by on his parents' money. Everything you hate, right? Blue, too. Except she seems real fuckin' chummy with him."

[incognoscibilis]

And now it was a contest of who could be the most cynically disaffected. Adam thought he could make a decent run of it before it just defaulted to stoic and Ronan won.

"I suppose if Blue likes him, we should follow her lead," he said, just sardonic enough that he could brace for the inevitable cynicism that followed. They both knew there was a partial truth to it though.

[thedreamthief]

Ronan only arches an eyebrow at that, unsure whether or not Adam's joking.

Eventually, though, a smile tugs at his lips and he lets out a soft huff of a laugh. "Yeah, I'll start using that Blue Sargent litmus test here real soon."

He takes another sip of his beer then, still watching the other three across the room, shaking his head. "I just don't get it, man. Are we just gonna take in every dickbag from Henrietta that shows up here now? I'm not going to some fucking party of Tad Carruther's, I'll fucking tell you that."

[incognoscibilis]

Adam snorted and elbowed Ronan in the side. "The only Carruthers party you'd go to is one where you fight him for my honor," he said, remembering their discussion at prom. Tad Carruthers was typical Aglionby in the insufferably moneyed way that no one could accept in this apartment. Henry, at least, was also an outlier even if it was in a way that didn't mesh with the rest of them.

[thedreamthief]

"That'll be a short fuckin' fight," Ronan says with a smirk of his own. "I'd clock that kid in two seconds flat."

It's not even a boast, really. Just truth. Unles that shitstick was taking karate lessons or something in secret, there's no way he'd stand a chance against Ronan. And they both know it.

"I'm serious though," he continues, taking a sip of his beer this time. "He knows shit, Parrish. He knows what I am and I sure as fuck never told him. I don't give a shit if he hates Kavinsky -- anyone with half a fucking braincell hates Kavinsky -- I still don't trust him."

[jeongbro]

Henry was not avoiding Ronan, exactly, but he was incredibly aware of where he was in the apartment and the fact that the taller boy was watching him like this little get together would be better if Henry had volunteered his place and then left.

So, Henry was going to drink, and be aware of Ronan scowling at him from the wall, until he worked up the gumption to go over there. It took significantly less drink than he thought; he didn't even feel buzzed. Maybe that was a good thing.

"I'm glad you came," Henry said, and he meant that, even if Ronan didn't believe him.

[thedreamthief]

Ronan watches Henry's approach with a single arched eyebrow. He tips his head back for another drink as he pushes himself away from the wall and plunges his hand into the bowl of Fritos. When he turns back, Cheng's still here, watching him carefully. Warily.

"Shut it, Cheng," he says popping one of the curled corn chips into his mouth with a snap. "We both know I'm only here because these losers dragged me along."

He crosses his arms then, knocking his shoulder against the wall. He cocks his head, gaze assessing. "So what is this anyway? Some kind of fundraiser?"

[jeongbro]

Henry wanted to point out that Ronan could not have it both ways--Henry could not both shut it and answer the questions, unspoken and spoken alike. He wanted to point out that, no, he thought Ronan was here because his alternative options were disapproving sidelong glances from people who mattered to him or bitterness because his friends had left him behind.

But Henry was fine being the target of Ronan's wrath, as long as he didn't try to start something.

He sipped his drink, speculative. "If this were a fundraiser, I would have done my cold pitch already. Also, I would have invited people who might actually consider raising funds."

[thedreamthief]

"Or maybe you did and they didn't show," Ronan points out with a smirk, pointing vaguely at the weirdly empty living room. If Ronan didn't know better, he'd assume Cheng invited only them, like some sort of fucking Henrietta reunion or something.

He narrows his eyes then, lips quirking into a grin. "Don't tell me we're the only friends you have here, man."

Friends, of course, is a loose term. The others may be be all too eager to include him, but Ronan hasn't extended that hand. And after everything Cheng's told him about the ties between their two families, he's not seeing that change anytime soon.

[jeongbro]

Henry arched a brow at Ronan, because as far as taunts went, it wasn't a very good one. If Ronan had it his way, Henry was fairly certain that this--sans him--would be his friend group. Also, the taunt seemed to entirely miss Henry's point that a fundraiser need not have people you liked or even got along with, just people who would potentially contribute to the cause.

"The only ones that would appreciate making jokes out of Kavinsky potentially blowing himself up," Henry settled on. Because there were too many people in this place that not only know Joseph Kavinsky, but knew him and still wanted to know him. And the other friends, if they could be called that, that he'd made--Yona and her strange collection of boys; Tony Stark; Tris--did not know or fear Kavinsky as they should.

[thedreamthief]

That's enough to get Ronan's attention. Cheng had made clear his distaste of Kavinsky the first time they'd spoken at the grocery store, but in the mess of everything else Cheng had revealed, Ronan had nearly forgotten.

He takes another drink of his beer then, head tipped back before he swallows and wipes at the side of his mouth with the back of his thumb.

"I don't get it, you know," he says, his tone almost conversational now. "How that fuckhole gets to be here, alive, while Gansey--" He cuts himself off then, scowling a little. Cheng can likely figure out the rest anyway. His thumbnail catches on the label of the bottle as he leans heavier into the wall. "Whatever. Just a matter of time before he lights himself up."

[jeongbro]

Henry was distinctly aware that, where Gansey was concerned, Ronan could be speaking of anyone in the city, of the unfairness of their presence while one of his most important people was not here, and it would work just as well.

That was, after all, part of why Henry was glad Ronan was here and not wallowing or trying to start something. He was not Gansey. But he hated this place and the fact that Gansey was not here.

So he nodded in commiseration and lifted his glass in a silent sort of salute, gave a bitter sort of laugh. "Sooner, rather than later, hopefully. That Mitsubishi is an eyesore."

[thedreamthief]

"His whole fucking face is an eyesore," Ronan argues with a sneer.

Though it's a sneer that falters only a moment later when he realizes what exactly it is he's said, his lips twitching into something that's almost a smile instead. He eyes the glass in Cheng's hand then reaches up to tap the neck of his bottle against it before taking another swig.

"So what the fuck did he do to you?" he asks, licking the beer from his lips. "Or do you just see whatever one else here is too fucking blind to figure out?"

[formicine]

Ronan is here, and that's probably all Blue can ask for, but the sullen expression and back to back beers are starting to get to her. She takes an opportunity to excuse herself from where Noah and Henry are chatting and leans on the wall next to him, popping a chip into her mouth.

"You look like an 8 year old dragged to the fancy party," she informs him, face carefully neutral. "It's kinda killing the vibe."

[thedreamthief]

Arching an eyebrow, Ronan sidles a look across the length of the room for a moment and then back to Blue. "Yeah, I guess this would seem fucking fancy to you," he says, though there's no real heat in his tone at all.

He takes another drink of his beer.

"And how many eight year olds do you know who drink shitty-ass beer?" he asks, shaking the bottle in his hand.

[formicine]

"You kiss your boyfriend with that mouth?" she quips back lightly, and it's the jibe at her class, not the curse word, she's referring to. Blue's not angry about it. It's not funny, really, but it doesn't mean the same thing from Ronan as it would from someone she knows less well. Maybe that's hypocrisy. She calls it friendship.

"Only one," she says and bats her eyes. "Look, you can head out if you really hate this. I just..." She trails off. Gansey would have handled this better, and they both know it.

[thedreamthief]

Ronan makes a face at her reply, but it's hardly a deep cut. Blue, like most people, didn't know Ronan before everything went to shit. Sometimes Ronan isn't sure he knew the guy before his father's death. If he did, he's forgotten.

"Adam and Noah wanted to come," he says as though that's reason enough. Because it is.

And, if nothing else, it keeps him from wandering across town and starting shit with Kavinsky. Even if that's what he'd rather be doing. "I just don't get it," he says, eyes narrowing as he looks at her more closely. "You fuckin' hate all us Aglionby boys. Especially ones like him, trust fund kids with nice cars and nice smiles. So why? What makes him so fucking special?"

[formicine]

She shrugs a shoulder at that, because it probably is why Ronan's here, although she thinks it's probably at least half that he'd feel like shit staying home or doing something alone, as much as humoring anybody.

Blue furrows her brow, frowning. "Are you jealous? Because me hating someone looks a little different." Much, much different than the words that had been scrawled on her back.

"Much as it would be easier if I successfully hated all things raven boy, that's not the way it works." Gansey, for instance, is the epitome of trust fund kid with nice smile. Everything she should hate. It would have been easy to hate Henry, too, after what he'd said that first night she met him. Blue hadn't been planning not to, really.

[thedreamthief]

"Why the fuck would I be jealous?" Ronan snarls, the snake under his skin coiling tight. "Like, I said, Maggot, I just don't get it. You hated us the second you met us. All of us. Do you miss home badly enough you're willing to accept any Aglionby fuckface that pops in now?"

It's an exagerration and he knows it. Blue hadn't hated all of them right off the bat. She'd hated Gansey mostly. And likely Ronan too, but Ronan hadn't tried being likeable.

[formicine]

There's something that bubbles up in her that wants to explode. It's a thing very akin to the way Ronan reacts to everything, and the fact that she knows that doesn't make it better. She can't always be Adam, stepping back from confrontation to make Ronan realize that he doesn't need to have one.

"He's not any Aglionby fuckface," she snaps, still keeping her voice low. "I've had Kavinsky around if that was the case and he's Mr. Popularity here." She crosses her arms. "Gansey trusts him, I trust him back home, and anyway, he -- cares." Enough to apologize for his actions the first time they'd met. Enough to want to listen to her and commiserate about white people together and to know not to buy her food.

She sighs, and takes a deep breath, letting her anger subside like the flash of a firework, bright and burnt out quickly. "I hated you before I met you," she corrects him, staring at her shoelaces. "I never hated any of you after I met you. Even Gansey or you talking about poverty twins. I wanted you to like me." Stupid.

[thedreamthief]

He wants to ask her how she knows that. She got here later than he did, remembers things he doesn't. But in all the months she's been here, she's never fucking once mentioned Cheng. Somehow he doubts they were pals of any kind before she popped into Darrow.

So how the fuck could she know she trusts him?

He doesn't get a chance to say as much though before she's continuing, her face scrunching into a grimace as she pushes the words out. "Oh, don't give me that," he says with a rough, almost cruel laugh. "You put up with me because I came with the package. You liked Parrish and then you liked Glendower. The quest." His frown deepens as he stares at the top of her head, something a little like guilt winding tight in his stomach.

Fuck.

"No quest here," he points out, voice quieter now. "No Glendower. No Gansey. Why does it even matter if I like you or not?"