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For adamparrish Post The Raven King

Adam had been at college for exactly one semester. He came home, back to the Barns, on a regular basis, but Ronan hadn't been to his dorm room at all. He hadn't wanted to say goodbye to Adam so he'd helped him pack, offered an insult or two and sent him off to college. He understood that Adam needed to leave this place, that he needed to go away to become the person that he wants to be. On the outside, Ronan had played it cool (of course), but on the inside, he'd been a mess when Adam had left. College was a whole different world, one that Ronan didn't fit into. It was a world where Adam would meet all kinds of people. Maybe, it was a world where Adam would become someone who didn't love Ronan. His mess of insecurities kept him up at night (as if he wasn't insomniatic enough) but they also motivated him. He was slowly building his cattle business, working on the Barns, getting the house in order. Opal kept him busy as well. It was weird to be in Henrietta without Adam, without Gansey or Noah, even without Blue. Matthew was busy at school, but he saw him every Sunday alongside Declan in the church pew.

After all of these months, Ronan is finally going to Adam's dorm room. He's so busy with finals that he can't come home and Ronan doesn't want to spend another weekend without him. Matthew is staying at the Barns to feed the cattle and watch out for Opal, who is still more wild thing than girl. The BMW gets parked next to the Pig, which Adam has temporary possession of while Gansey is busy traveling the world (probably because Adam is the only one who can keep it running). Ronan shrugs on his leather jacket, shoves Chainsaw in his backpack and shoulders it before starting toward the dorm building. He glares at everyone he passes and most of them shrink away ~~that makes him feel better~~, but when he stands in front of Adam's door, he just feels awkward. He knocks then runs a hand over his freshly shaven head and shifts his weight.

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There's so much of what Ronan and Adam say to each other that's unsaid. It's in the looks that they give each other, in the touches and hand squeezes, in the insults they lob at each other. Ronan nods a little at Adam, telling him that he gets it.

It's his super power. He knows what he's doing as well and he feels absolutely no shame in it.

That's a good reaction, not one he's expected, but then he hasn't had a lot of practice saying things like that in front of people.

He smirks at the comments, but doesn't blush. Ronan doesn't embarrass easily. He simply tilts his chin up in a 'touche' sort of gesture.

He shakes his head a little. "Nah. I'm not really a school sort of guy. I'm raising kosher, pampered, expensive as fuck per pound, grass-fed cattle so rich people can feel better about their hamburgers. I've got a shit ton of land outside of Henrietta." He rolls his neck a little. "What are you majoring in, Barry?"

"Pre law." Barry says with a nod. "So you're a rancher? That's cool. When I think rancher, you're not what I picture... which is what I get for assuming things, right? So my bad."

"Yeah, way to be an asshole, Barry. Not all ranchers look the same." Another guy says.

"Ronan's really good at it. He's also kind of brilliant. Used to give me a lot of competition in classes." Adam feels like bragging a little bit on Ronan, especially in front of these guys. None of them seem to be looking down on Ronan for not going to college, but he's putting the kabosh to that before it happens.

"And we all know you're genius level smart." Barry says to Adam, then studies Ronan again like he's a puzzle that needs figuring out. "College isn't for everyone, right?"

Somehow, that doesn't surprise me. He doesn't say that though. Look at Ronan making progress. Instead he nods a little, smirking when Barry says he doesn't look like a rancher. "Irish Catholic asshole isn't what you automatically think of when you say rancher? Imagine that." He doesn't say it with any venom though. In fact, he's agreeing with Barry.

He shakes his head at the other guy. "People aren't just one thing." What a revelation, actually deep and meaningful, from Ronan.

He side eyes Adam and shakes his head a little. He likes that Adam is bragging on him, but he's not used to anyone bragging on him. The only class Ronan ever really gave Adam competition was Latin and that's because he liked Latin. "Just Latin class," he insists. "Sorta comes naturally to me." He's not even sure why. Maybe it's because he's the greywaren and Latin is their language.

"I'm not big on being told what to do. Authority figures can go fuck themselves," Ronan says as an explanation.

"You're Irish Catholic and you..." Izzy looks back and forth between Ronan and Adam. "...I mean you're both..."

Adam gets that Izzy is trying to work out how they, or Ronan, might be both gay and Irish Catholic at the same time. And it's true that the two don't naturally go together. Ronan is just Ronan. He's all these things at once.

So Adam shrugs. "I'm not really that religious. And Ronan's..." He looks at his boyfriend and shrugs again. "He's just Ronan."

"Time to get out of he dark ages, Izzy. He can be both." Barry says, studying Ronan with a new curiosity.

One of the other guys pumps his fist. "Yeah, that's awesome dude. Way to fight the man!"

"And stereotypes." Barry adds.

Izzy is still watching both Ronan and Adam as if trying to suss out the oddity of them. "That's cool." He finally says.

Ronan smirks, obviously enjoying Izzy's discomfort. He doesn't say anything, just watches Izzy with that smirk on his face, eyebrows lifted, letting him wallow in the awkwardness of it. Every once in awhile, he glances to Adam to make sure he's handling all of this okay.

Finally, he takes a sip of his beer and speaks. "I figure God has a whole hellva lot bigger problems than who I love. I know I've got fuck all bigger sins to confess."

Ronan really is a conundrum. He snorts and shakes his head. "Nah, if I were fighting the man, I'd find someone to punch." Honestly, he just wants people to leave him alone and let him do his thing. Ronan rages a lot less than he used to.

This is not what he expected to find when he came up to see Adam for college, but it's kind of fucking awesome so far.

This is more of a test for the both of them than they've ever really faced before. They haven't been out in public very much since they became something more than friends. There had only been a few months between their first kiss and Adam's going off to college. There just hadn't been time.

In some respect, Adam was thankful for that. Because he can be slow to come around to things and he'd needed to accept the whole boyfriend thing, even with as naturally as it came with Ronan. Now is the time to take it a step further. Aside from the occasional flip-flop of nerves in his belly, Adam thinks he's handling this just fine.

All the boys are staring at Ronan like the conundrum he is. Only Izzy is staring at Adam like he's seeing him through a new light. Also, it could be that Ronan has that carefree attitude that every college aged boy or girl wish they had. Another also, they're all probably wondering if Ronan will punch them or not for getting out of line.

Adam finally cuts into the awkward silence. "So what exactly is in a trash can punch. It doesn't sound very appetizing."

"Oh, hey, it's..." Barry says. "Basically a little bit of every kind of liquor plus fruit punch. You wanna try it?"

For the sake of moving on and not losing face, Adam nods. "Maybe a little bit." He lets go of Ronan's hand to get a solo cup and then scoops out some punch from the trash can. He takes a sip. It tastes like it has no alcohol in it at all. "It's sweet." He offers the glass to Ronan. "Wanna try?"

No, there hadn't been time and there'd been so much to do after everything that happened in Henrietta happened. Plus, he and Adam had had a lot to figure out about themselves and their relationship. With Gansey, Henry and Blue touring the world, Adam and Ronan had spent a lot of time alone or with Opal at the Barns. Public hadn't seemed nearly as appealing as the little world they created for themselves.

As far as Ronan is concerned, Adam is handling it okay. He thinks he could tell if Adam were freaking out and he's definitely not freaking out. He almost seems comfortable here and that's nice to see. As much as Ronan wants Adam to make his life in Henrietta at the Barns with him, he also wants him to have a good life here. He wants him to be happy and have as many experiences as he can.

In typical Ronan fashion, he doesn't take much interest in those staring at him. He's used to being stared at; his image cultivates that reaction. He does note that Izzy is staring at Adam and he's poised to punch him the first time he gets out of line. So the answer to that question is: quite possibly. So far, they've been pretty cool.

When Adam speaks, Ronan's gaze goes back to laser focus on him. He turns his hand so that his fingers brush Adam's, whose fingers are still hooked in his bracelets. That laser focus turns into an amused smirk and he nods his head ever so slightly at Adam. If Adam wants to get trashed, Ronan is okay with it. He'll take care of him.

In his experience, Trash Can Punch can be really good or it can be really terrible. Kavinsky never even tried to make it really good. The stronger the better because then he could laugh at everyone who reacted badly to it.

His attention is back on Adam when he moves to get the punch (really, there's very few moments when Adam doesn't have Ronan's attention). He nods when Adam asks him if he wants to try it. "Sure," he responds, reaching out for the glass, fingers brushing Adam's. He takes a sip of it and shrugs. "Not bad. I'm not really a sweet kind of guy." He prefers his Guinness.

He looks around to the others. "You guys do this often?" The whole party thing, he means.

Adam has had a feeling that Izzy might be in the closet for awhile now. He always looks at boys a little too long and in a certain appreciative sort of way when he thinks they aren't looking. Adam, being one who watches people, has caught him doing it on several occasions. For now, Adam's okay with Izzy looking at him because he's just confirmed himself to have a boyfriend. He does hope that Izzy respects that Adam has a boyfriend.

The other boys continue to size up Ronan, as if trying to figure out the conundrum of a gay, Irish Catholic rancher who looks like he could eat all of them for breakfast. They glance between the two of them as if trying to figure out how Ronan and Adam fit together. It should be noted that all of these are glances as the boys try not to be too conspicuous about trying figure this puzzle out.

As he takes his drink back, Adam shrugs too. He likes sweet things. Although now he's double fisting his beer and his trashcan punch. This isn't exactly how he planned this party. He'll alternate back and forth between the two of them.

"Oh, yeah, all the time! At least two or three times a week. Especially on weekends." Barry says.

Another boy pipes up. "Football weekends are the best time to get shit faced."

Izzy glances at Ronan. "Yeah, we've been trying to get Adam to come out for awhile. He never would."

"Not until you showed up." Barry adds with a grin to Ronan. "Which basically means you should be here every weekend at a minimum. I'm almost always at my girlfriend's place anyway so you and Adam can have the dorm room." He waggles his eyebrows and all the boys in the room snicker and say things like 'oh snap' and 'put a sock on the door knob' and 'time to get it on'.

In that case, Adam and Ronan are probably a good example for him to see. Neither of them are the stereotypical 'gay' men and they're certainly not a stereotypical couple. Ronan isn't observant enough of those that aren't Adam to notice how Izzy looks at him and he trusts Adam can handle Izzy if the boy is attracted to Adam (and why wouldn't he be). If Izzy isn't respectful of Adam having a boyfriend then Adam's boyfriend can take care of it.

There's enough wariness in those glances that Ronan doesn't think twice about them. Let them stare, let them wonder. He knows how well he and Adam fit together and he also knows that it's not always apparent to others how they fit together.

Ronan is going to watch Adam alternate between the two drinks with an amused look. This isn't an environment that he's ever seen Adam in so it's interesting to watch him experience something new. Of course, it's not exactly an environment that Ronan has ever been in either. He wouldn't say he's comfortable here so much as he's apathetic about the environment.

Ronan's lips twist into a sharp smirk as the boys talk about holding parties and getting drunk. "Personally, I like to get shit-faced in church at night, but that's probably just me." He says it to add another layer of 'wtf' to what the boys already think about him, to make everyone a little uncomfortable and maybe to entertain.

At Izzy's words, Ronan's eyes cut to the boy, his gaze narrowing. He pauses a moment, trying to decide how he feels about Adam being pushed to go out when he's not here. "Apparently, getting shit-faced isn't a class," he says. In other words, Adam is there to study and if that's what he wants to do then everyone should back off him. Ronan is protective of Adam and what he wants. Ronan's fingers curl a little tighter in the belt loop of Adam's jeans and he leans a little closer.

He shakes his head a little at that. "You have no damn idea how much I'd like to be here every weekend, but I have cows and deer to feed and a little sister to take care of." Okay, so it's Opal, his dream child, but he can't exactly say that. "My little brother is watching everyone this weekend." But Matthew can't do that every weekend. "Plus," he smirks, "I'm a little bit of a distraction." He waggles his eyebrows, falling right in with the teasing that's swarming around them. He grins at Adam, his hand moving from it's anchor at Adam's belt loops to run up Adam's back and settle at the nape of his neck.

At the comment about getting drunk in church, all the boys seem to look at Ronan with confusion. The moment remains stagnate as they try to decide whether or not Ronan is joking or not, whether or not they should laugh. Adam is keen enough to notice the awkwardness of the moment. He probably doesn't make it any better when he nods and says "No, he really does that."

Slowly, the boys start to laugh and nod. One might even call Ronan bad ass.

He's grateful for Ronan's closeness and his defense of Adam's not partying several nights a week, or ever. It isn't even as if Adam wants to party. He wants to learn and better himself and get on with his life. He's seen enough of drunken Robert Parrish to be unimpressed with the novelty of drunken college kids.

Of course, that doesn't stop him from drinking both his beer and the trash can punch right now. In fact, when they joke about a sock on the door, Adam's face might turn as red as his trash can punch. Yes, Ronan is more than a 'little bit' of a distraction. In fact, Adam mutters it under his breath. The trash can punch might be getting to him. "More than a little bit." Which isn't so quiet that no one can hear it.

The boys whoop and hollar again. One pats Adam on the shoulder.

"I think it's time for a keg stand! Who's in?" Barry says.

Ronan, of course, doesn't do anything to ease the awkwardness or the tension in the room. He smirks when Adam confirms that he does that. Of course, what he doesn't say is that when Ronan is drinking in the church, he's feeling particularly self-loathing and self-destructive, or he's going to dream something dangerous and he wants the safety and sanctuary of the church.

Bad ass is exactly the image Ronan is trying to cultivate. With any luck, this will make Adam's time here easier.

Ronan is all for Adam doing what he needs to do here and getting on with his life, particularly if that life includes him and if Adam were impressed with drunk college kids, Ronan probably wouldn't be here now because Adam wouldn't be the guy he'd fallen in love with.

Tonight, it's safe for Adam to drink what he wants. Ronan will get him home, and he's got no doubt that Adam won't make a habit of this. There's no way he misses the way Adam's face turns red, not with the attention he's paying to Adam. He's still trying to judge how Adam feels about the teasing when Adam mutters. Ronan barks a bit of a laugh and leans in, dipping his head to nip lightly at Adam's neck.

He looks up when Barry says it's time fo ra keg stand. "Well hell yes."

He feels Ronan's lips at his neck and the corners of his lips pinch as if they want to smile but aren't sure if it's appropriate to smile at the attention right now in public. Adam doesn't smile a whole lot as it is. Nevertheless, the intent to smile is there even if it doesn't quite become a full smile. When Ronan pulls away, Adam's gaze follows him, lingering there until he realizes Ronan is looking back and he looks away.

It isn't that Adam is surprised when Ronan agrees to do a keg stand. He's not. It's just not something he ever would have thought to do or that he'd be in a situation to witness and experience. Truthfully, he's not very good at this whole college party thing, or partying in general.

"I've never. No." Adam shakes his head, looking back to Ronan. "You're really gonna keg stand? Can you?"

It shouldn't surprise him. Ronan was one of the people who got invited to Kavinsky's parties awhile back. Adam was never invited because he's not a partier, not a rich kid, nothing like the people who showed up to Kavinsky's parties. He actually takes that as a compliment because, well, Kavinsky.

"Sure he can! Come on, Adam. Watch your boyfriend be awesome." Barry says. "Unless you don't wanna go first, Ronan."

Adam may not smile much, but Ronan has watched him enough, knows him well enough to see that smile that wants to break free. He knows that Adam isn't angry at him for the public affection and that's really all that Ronan cares about in this moment.

And Ronan wouldn't have him any other way, but he is glad that he can give Adam this little bit of normal college life in a safe sort of space.

When Adam asks Ronan if he can do a keg stand, Ronan smirks at him, eyebrows lifting, lip curling.

"Watch and see, Parrish," Ronan tells him as he swaggers over to the keg, followed by the other guys. He turns to look at Adam, to make sure that Adam is watching. Once he's certain of that, he puts his hands on each side of the keg then kicks up into a handstand.

"Whoa," someone says as the guys move into hold Ronan's legs, steadying him because while he might be able to get up into the handstand, he can't hold it for very long on his own. Barry moves to the keg tube and puts the spigot in Ronan's mouth and the guys start counting when Ronan starts guzzling.

He can do this all day. Well, not literally but a long time.

Oh, Adam is watching. How could he not? His gaze might slip a little lower as Ronan walks away but he's looking back up by the time Ronan is looking back at him to make sure that he's paying attention. Yeah, Ronan has all of his attention.

And of course Ronan makes it look so easy, the way he head stands on the keg and Adam's college 'friends' help to steady him. With the spigot in Ronan's mouth, the boys start counting to see how long he can go. Around twenty-five Izzy comes to stand over by Adam and murmurs "You're boyfriend's kind of scary."

"Yeah." Adam agrees with a nod as he takes another drink of his trashcan punch. His gaze never leaves Ronan.

They're up to thirty-one when Barry pulls the spigot away and Adam is sure Ronan could have gone for more. As the other boys help to get Ronan back on his feet, Barry comments to Ronan. "You should know that no one here has ever gotten over twenty... and that was no one in this room and several years ago."

The other guys are high-fiving Ronan with comments about what a bad ass he is and dude, that was awesome. Adam is just shaking his head. Because of course Ronan is better at the college experience than Adam is. Of course he is.

That's exactly what Ronan wants: all of Adam's attention. It's the point of this whole activity. There's something very satisfying about having all of Adam's attention in a public place with so much to grab his attention.

It's not exactly easy, but it is something Ronan has mastered. Later when he sees Adam's reaction, he'll be glad that he did.

Believe it or not, this isn't the way that Ronan is accustomed to being scary, but he won't knock it.

When Ronan is back on his feet, he sways a second and belchs loudly (sorry, it was a lot of beer). He looks over to Adam to see if his boyfriend is watching. He shrugs a little at Barry's comment. "I'm Irish." Clearly that explains it.

He swaggers over to Adam and grins sharply at him, reaching out to hook his fingers in Adam's belt loop and tug him closer. "You think I'm a bad ass, Parrish?" he asks in a quiet voice because he's thoroughly unimpressed with anyone else's opinion of him. He just wants Adam to be impressed.

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