Chapter Text
It started with condoms.
Technically, it started with Adam's school bag and Ronan's lack of impulse control. He was honestly just looking for Adam's laptop, a refurbished PC with little ambition and a few cracks in the screen. Adam had made the mistake of falling asleep without showering the night before and he had rushed to get ready for work while Ronan looked on and made coffee, very slowly. He'd finished in time to press a thermos full (no milk, two teaspoons of sugar) into Adam's hands and pull him into a brief kiss before pushing him out the door and flopping down face first onto the bed. He couldn't fall back asleep though, no matter how hard he tried, so there he was, rummaging through Adam's maroon ("Ronan, it's red") bag.
And there they were. An entire, unopened box of them. The box was yellow, or orange. It was yellow-orange and Ronan turned it around in his hands a few times, almost cradling them the same way he'd cradled Chainsaw's small, warm body that night in the church. Then he shoved them as quickly as he could into the bottom of the bag and zipped it shut and ran out the door with his keys.
Gansey's head was on Blue's lap while she played with his hair and Noah was sitting behind Blue while he played with hers. Ronan had never been more confused. "What the fuck is happening?"
Noah regarded Ronan briefly. "You look different." He turned his attention back to Blue's hair. "And it's a braid train."
Ronan pointed at Gansey until he looked up. "I did not sign up for this." He was fidgeting and obviously on edge and Gansey was at once concerned and on his feet.
Noah tapped Blue's cheek and nudged her up as best he could. She took one look at Ronan and Gansey's tense posture and tugged Noah along and out the door, "bye" echoing off the warehouse walls. Ronan waited until he could hear Blue's stomping footsteps on the bottom of the stairs before turning back to Gansey.
"Is something wrong?" Gansey's step closer forced Ronan to almost step back and Gansey looked like an injured puppy so he rolled his eyes and stayed put.
"No. Yes." More fidgeting.
"Do you... want to talk about it?" He sounded hopeful. And wary. The last time Ronan had come to Gansey for advice it was actually just an elaborate plan to rick roll him with a seemingly magical and mysterious dream box. Gansey had eaten all of Ronan's Lucky Charms in retaliation and they'd been on slightly shaky ground ever since.
Ronan inhaled sharply. Fuck it. "Parrish has condoms."
Gansey's eyes widened and he looked anywhere but at Ronan. "Um. Congratulations?"
"No, Gansey."
"Oh. Are you guys not, um." Gansey placed his hands on his hips and then shook his head like he knew he'd made a mistake. He scratched the back of his head and forced himself to look Ronan in the eye. He immediately regretted it. Ronan was glaring intensely and making direct eye contact and something about the weight of his gaze bothered Gansey in a way he didn't totally understand, until he did. "Oh." Gansey's voice was low and soothing. "Is he pressuring you?"
"Holy shit, Gansey." Ronan's face was in his hands and he was seconds away from punching the two-hundred dollar custom made coffee table.
"I'm being serious!"
"And I'm going to dropkick you!" Ronan sighed and took his face out of his hands. "No, of course he's not. Why would you even think that?"
"It seemed like that was what you were implying. I'm sorry for slandering Adam's character." He winced. "Don't tell him."
Ronan waved him off. "Fine, calm down. So, back to my real problem."
"Which is?" Gansey rubbed his thumb over his bottom lip and a rush of fondness flooded Ronan's system.
"We haven't talked about it." Ronan gingerly sat himself down next to the living room Henrietta model and hugged his legs to his chest, elbows resting on his knees. "I didn't realize he was assuming."
"You don't have to if you're not ready."
Ronan's face burned. "Yes, Gansey, I know." Gansey moved to sit next to him and mimicked his pose.
"I will fight him for your honor if you need me to." Ronan was standing before the sentence was finished. "I will, just say the word."
"Later." He paused at the door, threw a "thank you" over his shoulder, and shut the door as politely as he was capable of.
Two hours later Ronan woke to his phone buzzing. He grabbed it and considered throwing it out the window before he saw who was texting him.
Blue: i will talk to adam if you want me to
Gansey was going to get chocolate syrup poured on him in his sleep.
Ronan: dont do that. tell gansey he's in for a world of pain™
Vaguely satisfied, Ronan neatly threw his phone out the window.
Adam came home to Ronan making ramen noodles in the kitchenette and muttering to himself. "Burned my hand," he said to Adam's questioning and amused face.
"Ah." Adam headed to the coffeepot. Ronan winced. "Pour some cold water over it."
"I know how to treat a burn, Parrish." Adam answered with a withering look.
"Coffee at eight? Is there a secret homework assignment I don't know about?" He filled the pot with water for Adam and pulled him to his chest, resting his head against Adam's.
Adam hummed contentedly. "None of our homework is a secret, Ronan."
"Lies. There's an Aglionby conspiracy. I can prove it." He could mention it. Ronan could mention the condoms, fling it out there and force Adam to talk about it. He didn't want to force Adam to do anything but Ronan didn't know how long Adam had them. Could have been weeks. How was he supposed to know Adam would mention it anytime soon?
Fuck it. "I, uh. I found something."
Adam was fidgeting with coffee maker again. Absentmindedly, and a few seconds late, he answered "What?"
"In your bag."
Adam didn't get it and then he did. "Why were you in my bag?" His face was flushed and Ronan couldn't tell if it was anger or embarrassment. Probably both.
"I was looking for your computer! There's nothing to do in this place, I was gonna watch some netflix or something." He took the ramen off the stove and wouldn't meet Adam's eyes. "It's not important, forget it."
"It is important." He took a sip of the coffee. "They're new. Obviously," he added with a scoff. "I was going to say something."
"It's fine."
"I didn't know when the right time was. I didn't want you to feel... pressured. Or whatever.
"It's fine, Adam." The space was quiet after that, until Ronan couldn't bear it anymore. "Really. It's fine," he said, softly. He took Adam's mug and sipped at the bitter drink. "I was just surprised."
Adam smiled and took his mug back. "Can I have some of those?" He asked, gesturing at the abandoned noodles on the counter.
Ronan sighed, bumped Adam's hip with his own. "Sure."