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]

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ronan asks, lips curving into a deeper frown, something between affronted and genuinely curious. Adam, at least, isn't falling all over himself to talk to Cheng. He's here because it's a better option than Kavinsky's narcissistic cockshow and, probably, to ensure that Ronan doesn't feel tempted to blow something up at Kavinksy's narcissistic cockshow.

Namely Kavinsky.

He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, watching Adam curiously. "What is he not talking about?"

[incognoscibilis]

Adam shrugged and chose his own words carefully. "I ran into him when he had words on his back. He didn't ask me what mine meant and I didn't ask him. And then he made lunch." It had been perfectly civil in the careful way of two people avoiding mines in a field but in enough of an almost Ganseylike way that it had been tolerable.

And he'd been fed.

[thedreamthief]

"Right," Ronan replies because he remembers the food part from the last time they'd talked about Cheng, weeks and weeks ago. "So, that's the way to your heart, Parrish? Cooking for you?"

It's a joke, at least. Mostly a joke. He takes another sip of his beer, eyes on Adam. Considering.

Ronan can cook a pretty mean mac and cheese, but he's never tried anything much more difficult. Maybe he should. Fuck, it's not like any of them will ever have a home-cooked meal ever again.

[incognoscibilis]

"Maybe." It didn't hurt but it wasn't really about the food. It had been in Henry's careful and unspoken understanding that a favor given was a favor exchanged. He was not quite a master of its art, like Gansey or Ronan, but he had seen a testament to Adam's abuse on his back and known better than to ask about it.

"I'm not about to replace you," he said. Adam gave Ronan a look, a smirky little thing, as he added, "Babe."

[thedreamthief]

Ronan answers with a low, venom-less sort of growl as he moves the water glass to his other hand, finger hooked over the rim so he can use his free hand to tag Adam in closer by the belt loop. That one word is meant as a joke, he knows. A jibe. But he sort of likes the sound of it all the same. Not that he'll ever admit as much.

"I can learn to cook," he says, the tone of his voice teasingly petulant. "Guess if you're working and studying all hours of the night, I fucking should. I mean, if that's the only way to keep your interest," he adds with a wink.

[incognoscibilis]

Even though he was only playing at it, Adam found that he sort of enjoyed Ronan's sudden need to prove himself. If it were real, something meaner and more jealous, he'd have been angry or afraid. But this? This was just...cute.

And Adam Parrish got to see Ronan being cute, in his spiky way.

"You saying that it's not good enough when I fry canned corned beef with instant hash browns?" Adam asked, playing petulant right back.

[thedreamthief]

"Only if you're planning on it for every fucking meal," Ronan says with a huff of a laugh. "At least the girls are providing you with fresh eggs to go with it. You're welcome, by the way. That was all me."

It occurs to Ronan, with Adam pulled in close like this, head tipped to grin up at him, that they're practically flirting. It's almost a ridiculous idea, incongruous with everything Ronan has ever been. But it's good, too. It feels good, stupid as it might be.

"What if make a thing out of it? Like we all take turns or some shit? Though, I swear to fuck, the first time Sargent tries to cook something with yogurt, I'm out."

[incognoscibilis]

"Organic, even," Adam said, though that wasn't really his concern. The food he had grown up eating had been inorganic, instant, and intolerable to anyone with a decent palate and Adam still defaulted to Hamburger Helpers and Easy Mac without thinking. Adam shook his head at himself and wished, again, that he'd known better.

"That requires that any of us actually know how to cook." He smiled back at Ronan and then leaned comfortably against him. There was no other party where they could be like this except for a small, intimate gathering like this. It made him oddly grateful to Henry Cheng.

"Noah can cook pretty well. We can cook enough to not die. I don't know what Blue cooks."

[thedreamthief]

"So we'll learn," Ronan replies with a shrug. "How fuckin' hard can it be?"

Adam leans into him and Ronan unhooks a finger from his belt loop to curl an arm around his middle instead. It's not often they get to do this, this comfortable, comforting touch. In Hywel here and there and all through Pride. Ronan remembers what Adam had said about Cheng and his friends placing bets on them back home, cheering them on. He isn't sure if it's true or even how he feels about it if it is, but he looks over at the other three across the room, considering.

"This party's lame," he says, but there's a softness in his tone. Almost fondness, but not quite.

[incognoscibilis]

"I'm pretty sure that the reason they have whole TV channels dedicated to it is because it's not easy," Adam said.

He shifted a little so that they were more comfortable and so that he wasn't halfway to being in Ronan's lap. Neither of them were really exhibitionists and neither of them was of a mood to try to be when Henry Cheng was present.

"I was telling Cheng that someone should have brought Apples to Apples. Or that other game that's like Apples to Apples but worse."

[thedreamthief]

Ronan's pretty sure that has more to do with commercialism or what-the-fuck-ever, but he responds only with an arched eyebrow as Adam shifts beside him. He leans himself, discarding the bottle of beer, but keeping hold of the water as he settles back. Maybe cooking will be more effort than he thinks, but it's not like he's hurting on time.

And they do have a shitload of eggs to use.

"Noah brought pot," he says like that's in any way similar. He shrugs then, lips curling into a sneer as he puts on a voice to add, "We could play charades."

[incognoscibilis]

Adam would have said it was probably both but it wasn't the actual point of the discussion. While Ronan was up, Adam forced himself out of the couch and got a soda, inspecting the seal just in case someone had attempted mischief.

When it cracked open, Adam took a drink.

"I'll hang out on the balcony and watch the fireworks if you're all getting high."

[thedreamthief]

Relaxing back into the couch, Ronan arches an eyebrow at Adam, head cocked.

"Never said we'd be smoking any of it. Just an option," he says then hesitates a second, brow furrowing. "Does that shit really bother you?"

[incognoscibilis]

Adam shrugged but he was more careful with his actual answer, taking a moment to choose his words. After last night and the games they'd played with who was in control, Adam was afraid of sounding hypocritical.

"I don't want to know what kind of person I'll become if I'm drunk or high."

[thedreamthief]

That much Ronan knows. That much Ronan has always known, and he nods, eyes narrowing as he licks his lips.

"I meant the rest of us. Me," he adds to be more specific. He already knows Adam doesn't mind his drinking too much. Partially maybe because he trusts Ronan more than he's ever trusted his own father, but maybe also because Ronan doesn't indulge nearly as much as he used to. Adam's never outright said whether he gives a shit if Ronan or Noah or anyone else smokes around him, but Ronan's also never asked. "Does it bother you if we do?"

[incognoscibilis]

"Only if you start setting cars on fire and, I don't know, torturing kids." Only if they become dangerous, he means. Only if they give up enough control of themselves that they could hurt someone.

But Adam also knows that pot won't do that. Even so, he just can't bring himself to make the exception.

[thedreamthief]

Ronan knows where the worry comes from, but the idea still makes his lips curl into a grin. It's not mocking at all for once, just generally amused as he tips his head back, eyes still on Adam.

"All pot does is make me either want to fuck or eat an entire back of Cheetos," he says, smiling against the lip of his cup before taking a sip. "I get it though," he adds because he knows it's important. "No pot tonight. I'm not letting you leave me alone in here with the Cheng Gang."

[incognoscibilis]

Adam smirked back at Ronan and raises an eyebrow. "For all I know, you'd torture a small child by taking their Cheetos," Adam said, because he understood and appreciated that Ronan knew why Adam didn't partake but he also didn't want to bring down the mood of an already awkward party by turning into the local D.A.R.E. advocate or something.

"You realize that it's our friends plus Cheng that you just called the Cheng Gang, right?"

[thedreamthief]

"Who the fuck gives Cheetos to a baby?" Ronan remarks with a half grin.

He pats the spot beside him on the couch then as he stretches back into the cushions, head cocked as he watches Adam. "And yeah. I do. Our friends sometimes make shitty life decisions, man. Can't do anything about it. Did you know Noah fucked around with Kavinsky?" He knows exactly how Adam will respond to that and before he can, holds up a finger. "We all know I make shitty life decisions. And I have fucking regrets, alright?"

[incognoscibilis]

"Irresponsible parents," Adam said. His own, once he was old enough not to choke.

But Adam was more interested in rearranging himself and then in staring at Ronan. He waited for the punchline, the psych! that told him that there was no way it could be true. When it didn't come, his eyes went a little wide as he tried to consider what could possibly have led to that.

"Well," he said, filling the air. When he couldn't find an appropriate response, Adam just said it again. "Well.'

[thedreamthief]

Adam's reaction is pretty satisfying, Ronan's lips twitching into a grin at the look on his face.

He lets the revelation settle for a minute, almost smug. "Think it was only once," he says though, as far as Ronan's concerned, that's one time too fucking many. "I don't fucking get it, man. Why him? Of all fucking people."

[incognoscibilis]

Adam only raised an eyebrow then, didn't call out the faint hypocrisy in Ronan's disgust. He had the leverage if he really wanted, but those two weeks constituted a very brittle topic of conversation that Adam preferred to seal with tape and put away to be forgotten.

"If you're so bored, you should just sleep. You could dream us some indoor fireworks."

[thedreamthief]

There's a flicker across Adam's expression, a look that Ronan can read all too well. He's holding back, biting back the impulse to call Ronan a hypocrite. A weaker person would cave to the impulse, indulge in an easy, petty swipe. Ronan would.

But Adam only shrugs it away a moment later, easily shifting topic.

"Mmm," Ronan answers, tipping his head back to look up at the ceiling. "Hadn't thought of that." He could do it, he thinks. He still hasn't dreamt much since being taken, but it's getting easier. Little by little. Even Adam's pen had been acquired with barely a blip. Eyes closing, his lips twitch into a mischievous smirk. "Want me to?"

[incognoscibilis]

He knew that Ronan knew and that was enough. It wasn't a scene he wanted to revisit, especially now when they were all holding their breaths and trying to figure out how to interact with Henry Cheng in a socially acceptable manner. Changing the subject was vastly easier.

"Do you promise not to burn the place down?" Adam asked. This wasn't their home and Ronan was not exactly known for behaving well when he was someone's guest.

[thedreamthief]

"Take the fun out of everything, Parrish," Ronan says, tipping his head down briefly to smirk at Adam.

Pulling in a breath, he rests the cup of water between his thighs and relaxes back into the cushions again, closing his eyes. "I promise I won't even singe the fucking carpet."

There's something about doing this here, in Henry Cheng's living room, doing it while Adam watches, that feels a little bit like showing off. It's not the first time Adam's witnessed this, but Blue's never seen it. Nor Cheng, obviously. Part of him hopes they're too busy wrapped up in their own conversation to notice.

And part of him hopes they don't miss it.

He's asleep in seconds, hands rested on his thighs and Cheng's shitty music filtering in to color his dreams.