Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Gansey rocked back and forth on his feet while he waited for Blue to take off her gloves, scarf, and heavy coat. Winter had come early and harsh to D.C. this year. It was December 1st and it had already snowed twice, only dustings, but it wasn't even Christmas yet.

"Did you order already?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said. "Few minutes ago."

The cold air that had clung to her made him shiver when she kissed him.

"I hope you remembered to order extra Szechuan string beans for me," she said. "I'm starved."

"I know Ronan Lynch and he's coming here for dinner tonight," Gansey blurted out, let out a heavy sigh, and collapsed on the nearest chair, a brown leather recliner that looked old, but had only been bought at Restoration Hardware five years ago when Gansey first moved in.

Blue laughed for a second, until she saw that he was serious. "Wait... what?"

"Ronan. Lynch. I know him. Since we were kids. He's in town, and I told him to come by for dinner."

Pointing at the dark hardwood floor, she said, "Here? In this house?"

"Yes."

"Ronan Lynch. Wait?" She narrowed her eyes. "Is this like some other guy named Ronan Lynch and this is a joke you play on all of your new girlfriends?"

"No! You're not that new. And really, I haven't had that many girlfriends - new or otherwise. And, well... yeah, none that I introduced to Ronan. I was worried you'd be upset that I hadn't told you sooner."

"Oh my god. You're serious. You really do know Ronan Lynch." She sat down on sofa, also bought five years, from where, Gansey didn't know. His sister Helen bought it and it looked new and modern, silver gray, with sleek chrome legs. He liked his brown leather chair better.

"I do. He's my best friend."

"Wow. That's... I don't know... I'm trying to wrap my head around this. I mean what I know of you and what I know of him it doesn't really fit to think of you two as friends."

"He's not... I knew Ronan long before the version of Ronan that the public knows."

"You mean the spoiled actor who gets into fights with paps, staggers out of nightclubs at five in the morning, and, every so often, has his mugshot, from his latest DUI, plastered on the front of every trash magazine. You're talking about that version?"

He winced at the harsh memories of watching his friend fall apart in a very public way. "He hasn't been that..." Gansey searched for the right word: angry, toxic, sad, reckless. "He hasn't been like that for a few years. Two years nine months and some days to be exact. " She looked taken aback by his exactness. "I helped him get his act together."

"Oh. You really are close."

"I was going to tell you about him. It's just -"

"I get it. He's famous. You were trying to protect him."

Of course, she 'got it'. He got up and sat next to her on the sofa that okay he just didn't not like, he really hated. He grabbed her hand and kissed the top of it.

"So does Noah know him too?"

"Yeah. Noah was at Aglionby with us. A few years ahead, but he'd got assigned as Ronan's 'big brother' when we were freshman. That's how we met him. Most seniors abandoned their little brothers after the first week, but Noah really helped Ronan out. It wasn't easy being the son of a famous actor. Noah protected Ronan the best he could."

"What about Adam?"

"I haven't told him yet. Ronan hasn't been in town since Adam moved in. And today's visit was unexpected. I only heard from him a few hours ago." He looked at his watch. "I thought Adam would be home by now."

"What time is Ronan supposed to get here?"

"He didn't give an exact time, but I suspect soon."

"Cool. But, you didn't answer me. Did you remember the extra string beans?"

"You're amazing," Gansey said. He hated when someone pestered him about his relationship with Ronan. Back in college, a photo of Ronan and him had been posted to a popular gossip site. Word spread around campus, and Gansey had spent months under an avalanche of questions about Ronan, even from the faculty. Blue's casual nature about it only solidified his growing feelings for her. "I'll get you all of the string beans that you ever want."

"Okayyyyy," she said, leaning in for a kiss.

The doorbell rang. "It's probably the food," Gansey said, standing up.

When he opened the front door, the first thing that hit him was a blast of cold air. The second was the sound of angry voices, an unusual sound on his normally quiet Georgetown street. Without a word, the delivery guy handed him the bags and ran back to his car that was blocking the street. Gansey looked down the block and saw two people standing in the dark several houses away, one on the curb, the other standing between two parked cars. He thought that it wasn't any of his business and started to close the door when he recognized one of the voices.

"I don't want more money. I don't want any money."

Gansey walked down the steps to the sidewalk.

"Listen, man, there's no need to be a dick about this. I offered to pay for your bike, even though you hit my car."

Gansey knew that voice too. This wasn't good. He jogged down the street, listening to the reply. "I hit you? I was in the bike lane. You're supposed to check for bikes before you swing your door open!"

"Hey... hey," Gansey said, approaching the angry men. "Hey - hi, Adam - Ronan. What's going on?"

"You know this guy?" Adam asked, turning to him, and Gansey noticed a scrap on the side of his jaw and Adam's bike on the ground, the wheel bent.

"Shit, Adam. Are you okay?" Gansey looked Adam up and down. One knee of Adam's jeans was ripped and dirty.

"I'm fine."

"Hey, Gans," Ronan said. "This a friend of yours?"

Gansey stepped up and hugged Ronan. Ronan patted his back twice and stepped back. He said, "I'm not drunk or anything else."

"I didn't think you were," Gansey said.

"I'm just setting the record straight because your friend here, who was riding a bike in the goddamn dark, accused me of it. And who the fuck rides a bike in thirty-fucking-degree weather?"

Adam glared at Ronan as he spoke. "After hitting me, this guy tries the bullshit 'don't you know who I am' line and offers me ten times what my bike is worth, if I don't call the cops. Of course, I suspected that he'd been drinking. Why else wouldn't he want me to call the cops?"

Gansey looked around to see if anyone was outside or looking out of their windows. They had to move this inside before someone does call the cops or, worse, starts recording it to sell to a gossip site.

"I'm sure it was an accident," Gansey said, hurriedly, putting his hand on Adam's elbow. "Why don't we go inside and talk about it there?"

"Well, I don't know who you are," Adam continued, "or why you're afraid of the cops, but…" He looked at Gansey and his face softened a bit. "If you're a friend of Gansey -"

"He's fucking with me, right?" Ronan looked from Adam to Gansey back to Adam, his mouth hanging open.

"No…" Gansey was pretty sure that Adam was not "fucking" with him. He spotted a couple walking down the street. "Really, let's talk about this inside."

Gansey picked up Adam's bike intending to take it inside for him, but Adam grabbed it and brought it inside himself. None of them spoke until they were in the house. The moment the door closed behind them, Ronan asked, "You really don't know who I am?" Adam ignored him and rolled his bike under the stairs in its usual parking spot. Ronan couldn't stop staring at him.

Blue was standing there looking concerned. "Um, Jane this is –"

"Seriously," Adam interrupted, "if you think that works on me, you're sadly mistaken. It doesn't matter who you are. You were at fault and then you were rude about it."

Ronan went off like a firecracker. "Rude? I offered to buy you a new bike!"

"You offered me five-thousand dollars. A bike isn't worth that."

"A good one is!"

"Now, that's classic Ronan Lynch."

Adam and Blue jumped as Noah appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, behind them.

"Fuck you, dickface," Ronan said, embracing Noah.

While they patted each other's backs, Noah, over Ronan's shoulder said, "Adam, that scrape looks badass. Looks like you got into a fight."

In the light, Adam's injuries were more apparent. Besides the scrap on his face, there was blood on his jeans where they were ripped, and the palm of his right hand was scrapped up as well.

"Listen, man - Adam," Ronan said. "Are you really hurt? I can drive you to a hospital."

Adam's eyebrow quirked up, slightly. "Are you going to admit that it was your fault?"

"No. Because it wasn't. Doesn't mean I don't want to assist someone when they're in need help."

"Yeah. Thanks, but I don't need a hospital."

"Why don't we all take a minute here? And I can do some introductions. Ronan Lynch this is Adam Parrish and –"

"Blue Sargent." Blue stepped closer to Adam. Gansey sensed some sort of sides were being drawn.

"Parrish. Sargent," Ronan said, nodding towards them and smiling, an odd thing amongst Gansey and Noah. If you didn't know him, it looked perfectly natural. If you did know him, you knew that it wasn't his smile that he was showing off; it was his father's. Ronan had learned Niall Lynch’s most charming mannerisms and took them on and off like a costume.

Neither of them looked impressed.

"Come on, Adam," Blue said, grabbing Adam's hand. "Let's get you taken care of." She gave Gansey a pointed look that he thought he should know what she was wordlessly trying to tell him, but he didn't have a clue.

They all watched the two of them walk up the stairs. When they were out of sight, Ronan said, "That's the new roommate - the Parrish guy from Henrietta - the one you haven't shut the fuck about for like a year?"

Gansey nodded and suddenly realized he was still holding the food bags. He walked to the dining room, Ronan and Noah following.

"And he really doesn't know who I am?"

"Adam's, um..." Gansey searched for the word.

"A fucking genius," Noah said. "And doesn't bother with mundane and nonsensical things."

Ronan punched Noah in the arm. "Gee, thanks, Czerny. I'm mundane and nonsensical."

Gansey laughed. "I would've put it more eloquently."

"I'm sure you would've, Dick," Ronan said, pulling off his leather jacket and throwing it on a chair.

Gansey and Noah took the food containers out of the bag and laid them on the dining room table, which looked old because it was old. His grandfather Richard Campbell I, who Gansey had inherited the house from, bought it at an estate sale. It's rumored to have been once owned by one of the Kennedy's. Gansey could never remember which one.

"Adam's..." Again, Gansey struggled. It's hard to explain Adam without talking about Adam's background, and Gansey didn't feel that was his story to tell. "Adam's very academic. He probably hasn't seen a movie in years."

Noah, his mouth full of an egg roll, shook his head. He swallowed. "He doesn't even have a TV in his room." He grabbed another egg roll, but Ronan snatched it out of his hand.

Gansey grinned at them. It felt good to have them all together, joking, rolling around, like old times. It was especially good to see Ronan looking so comfortable and, most importantly, healthy.

"So, what happened with Jane?" Ronan asked.

"Um, nothing."

"Did I fuck up her name? Are you dating Blue and someone else?"

"Oh, no - sorry, yeah, that is Jane."

Noah said, "Jane is Blue. Blue is Jane."

Ronan shrugged. "Whatever." He threw a hot mustard packet at Gansey. "Fucking weirdo."

Gansey sat down and opened up a container of wonton soup. Noah went to the kitchen, bringing back utensils, plates, and bowls. When he sat down, he asked Ronan, "How long are you staying in D.C.?"

"Yeah, I need to talk to you about that," Ronan said. "I'm here to shoot a movie, but we're trying to keep it quiet that I'm in it. It's sort of, um - sort of something different than what I usually do. It's an indie project. We just don't want the press and the gossip sites to get a hold of it until it's done and ready for release."

" That's great," Gansey said. "I'm glad you're doing something new."

"I can't stay at a hotel or rent something, someone will release it to the press, but, if I'm staying with friends, it's a better chance that it doesn't get out and, if it does, I can say I'm just here to visit with friends and family."

"You want to stay here with us," Gansey clarified.

"Yeah. If it's okay?" Ronan looked at Noah.

Gansey frowned. "Why are you even asking? You know you can stay here when and for however long you want?"

"Yeah," Noah mumbled with a mouthful of food. "I didn't ask."

"If I remember the story correctly, Gansey didn't even know you were living here for over a month."

"It wasn't a month," Gansey argued. "How long?"

"Several weeks."

"You'd spend Christmas here then?" Gansey asked, hopeful.

"Yeah. Nothing in LA for me anyway."

"Great," Gansey said. "Really, really great." He smiled at Ronan, until he saw Ronan's eyes shift towards something that might be happiness. Gansey thought of something important. "But we have to check with Adam about you staying here."

Noah chuckled.

"Shut up, asshole," Ronan growled.

"Ronan Lynch the absolute, unarguably King of Fucking Awful First Impressions."

"Who the fuck rides a bike in the freezing cold? That's what I want to know."

"Adam does," Gansey replied. "And it doesn't matter when he was riding the bike. You hit him with your door. You should apologize - with sincerity."

"He hit my door!"

"Semantics," Gansey said, waving his hand. "I know you. And I know you flung that door open without even glancing in your side mirror." Ronan shrugged, which meant he had no argument with that. "I see you have the BMW. You were home?"

"This afternoon. Not long though."

"Matthew bring you?"

"Declan. Flew into JFK to throw the paps off. He picked me up there. "

"Your life sucks, dude," Noah said.

"Yeah. Riding in the car with Declan was pure hell."

Noah laughed, and Gansey rolled his eyes.

Ronan looked over his shoulder. "What are they doing up there anyway? Surgery? It was a few scrapes."

"Belittling his injuries isn't going to win you any friends," Noah pointed out.

"Neither is eating all the food," Gansey said, grabbing the veggie fried rice container from Ronan's hands. When Ronan reached for the container of Szechuan beans, Gansey grabbed them out from under him too. "Eat the pork lo mein. Jane and Adam don't eat meat."

"Of-fucking-course, he is," Ronan said. "Parrish is a fucking save-the-planet-freak."

Adam and Blue went up to the third floor into Adam's bedroom. Adam ranted as he pulled clothes out of the dresser. "Honestly, Blue. Rich people think they can buy their way out of everything." Blue sat on the bed fiddling on her phone. "I'm still not certain that he wasn't drinking. There was damage to his car. You'd think he'd want to file an insurance claim. What are you doing?"

She handed him the phone. "Press play."

It was a YouTube video. Adam did as he’d been told and a trailer for an action movie began to play. The music was loud and annoying. It had everything Adam would expect to see in one of those types of movies: a car chase, a car exploding, someone jumping out of a plane, someone walking out of a burning building… Oh. That was the guy downstairs walking - no swaggering - out of the fire, dirty, bleeding and very much without a shirt. The trailer continued to show scenes, every one with Ronan in it, either fighting someone beautiful or kissing someone beautiful or rolling around in the bed with someone (or someones) beautiful or saying something clever, clipped, and sarcastic. The screen went black and the name "Ronan Lynch" appeared as a deep, baritone voice said, "The Doomsday Clock, starring Ronan Lynch, the #1 box office action hero in the world."

The first and last name put together did bring up a memory for Adam, but not of the really tall, strikingly handsome man downstairs, but of a young boy with unruly, curly black hair, standing at his parent's funeral, holding a crying, small blond boy in his arms. He'd seen the photo while waiting in the checkout line at the grocery store when him and the boy were around the same age. The magazines on the rack had usually gone ignored, but that photo had captured his attention. The look on that boy's - Ronan's face had haunted Adam back then, had made Adam feel uncomfortable and sad in a way that he didn't understand. Maybe it'd been because Adam couldn't understand that sort of grief or maybe it'd been because Adam couldn't understand the sort of love that had to exist first to cause that sort of grief.

"I remember now. His mother and father were famous actors, right? They lived near us."

"Yeah. Singer's Falls."

"Okay. Yeah. I remember it now. A stalker murdered both his parents in their home." He handed the phone back to her, then took off his jeans, without any shame in front of Blue. They'd spent months together living in a tent while doing research. They’d seen a lot more of each other. He sat on the bed to study the wound on his knee. "I didn't know what'd happened to him. I don't really watch action movies."

"He's been in a few romcoms too." When he didn't say anything, she added, "Romantic comedies."

"I don't watch those either."

"I know. He did a music video once too. I'm just giving you some background. You should watch one of his movies. They're mindless, fun, and..." She elbowed him. "He's super hot."

He stood up, pulling on a pair of shorts because Noah kept turning the heat up to eighty-five. "I guess."

"You guess? Bullshit, Adam Parrish. I saw your face when you were watching that trailer." She mimicked wiping drool off her chin and laughed when he rolled his eyes at her. As Adam pulled on an old faded crimson red Harvard sweatshirt, she went back to watching the trailer. "He's so tall. Taller than you. And brooding. Is that your type? What is your type?"

Tall. Really tall. Pale blue eyes. Broad shoulders.

"Not entitled rich assholes."

She turned the trailer on again. "I can't decide if I like him with a tux on or with it off. Or how about with the tux pants on and no shirt?

"Stop. It's weird when he's just downstairs and a friend of Gansey's."

"Are you telling me to stop objectifying him because he's a real person with real feelings?"

"Well, I don't know about the feelings bit yet."

They both laughed as they went to the hallway bathroom. Blue sat on the toilet as he cleaned the scraps. They really weren't that bad. The only one that needed serious attention was the one on his knee.

"All kidding aside," she said. "I trust Gansey and Gansey says he's alright now, but he used to be a lot of trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

"Drugs. Partying. Racing cars. Fights. Getting arrested. And then there was his very toxic and public relationship with Kavinsky."

"Kavinsky?"

"Kavinsky - singer? Infamous for his controversial lyrics, concerts that ended up in riots, and generally just existing to be a nasty dick?"

Adam shook his head.

"Anyway. They dated on and off for years. Had paps - you do know what paps are, right?"

"Yes. I know what paps are."

"They had paps on them practically 24/7. A sex tape of theirs was leaked a few years ago and -"

"Oh, wait. He's out? Isn't that a big deal in Hollywood?"

"Yep. That's been one positive thing he's done. He really broke down barriers. After his first major box office hit, there were all these rumors that he was dating his female costar. Everyone was obsessed with it. The media really played it up. Tweens were swooning over them. And then Lynch responded by bringing a guy to the Golden Globes and full on making out with him on the red carpet. Shut it all right down. One of his movies even had him romantically paired with a man. It was a big deal."

"Do you think the sex tape leaking was intentional?"

"I don't think so. It got put on some really gross porn site, uncut and uncensored. Lynch took legal action and got it taken down, but it's the internet. It'll always be out there somewhere."

"Did you...?"

"No - no." She scrunched up her face. "It's - it's disgusting knowing that the person in the video didn't consent to being watched by millions of people."

"That had to be humiliating for him."

"It must be so weird to have your life out there like that."

"You think he's still trouble?"

"I don't know. Gansey said he's different, and... and now that I think about it, it has been forever since I've heard any gossip about him."

"I'm surprised at you, Blue. That you follow this stuff."

"I really don't! It's comments on Facebook and Twitter, people at work talking about it, or hearing it mentioned on the news. It's just out there, you know. Well, you don't. I really don't understand how you can filter so much out of your life."

"I'm just focused on other things." He closed the medicine cabinet door and washed his hands.

She stood up. "I'm sorry that Lynch hurt you though. People really should be more careful when opening their doors!"

"I was angrier that he didn't bother to ask if I was hurt. First thing he asked me was not to call the cops, but now I see why he asked that. It would've ended up as a gossip story."

"Yeah. I'm sure it would've, and it would've dragged you into it too. So, maybe, you can say he did you a favor?"

"I wouldn't go that far, Blue."

Smiling, she tugged on his wrist. "Let's go. I'm starved."

As they descended the stairs, Adam heard his friends and Ronan talking in the dining room.

"Eat the pork lo mein. Jane and Adam don't eat meat."

"Of-fucking-course, he is. Parrish is a fucking save-the-planet-freak."

Blue breezed into the room. "He's not just your average save-the-planet-freak." She grabbed a container of string beans and chopsticks and sat next to Gansey, tucking one leg under her, giving Ronan her 'look.' "Well, technically, he's a save-the-forests-freak and he's a professional one at that."

Adam stood in the doorway feeling awkward. He was still a bit angry about earlier, but Ronan clearly meant something to Gansey and Noah. He was the new guy in the roommate trio. The outsider. He didn't want to be the wet blanket and stop everyone from having a good time. So, he shrugged it off and took the only empty seat next to Ronan, who seemed to be deliberately not looking at him.

Of course, this guy Parrish was right behind me when I insulted him. Again.

Gansey had seen an opening to gush about Parrish and his girlfriend and he took it. "Last year, Adam and Blue spent nine months in the Brazilian rain forest." Gansey beamed. "They work together. They received a huge grant from Georgetown to study Ecology and Natural Resources. Jane's a botanist and Adam's an ecologist, studying for his doctorate. They've done great work in…."

Ronan tuned Gansey out and turned to Parrish. His eyes looked an incredible blue now. Ronan's stomach fluttered with a long-lost sensation he'd hadn't felt since his teenaged years. A feeling that he'd left behind, along with a lot of other things, when he moved to Hollywood. He looked away. "You're trying to save the forests?"

"That makes it sound simple - it's a lot more complicated than that, but, yeah, basically."

"Cool. I like forests."

I like forests. Smooth, Lynch. Smooth.

Ronan cracked open a fortune cookie, throwing the tiny slip of paper aside and shoving the entire thing in his mouth to save himself from saying anything else stupid.

Blue Jeans or Jane or whatever her name was grabbed it. She then took a fortune cookie and gave one to each of them. "Take the paper out and give it to me. Don't read it though."

"Why?" Adam asked.

"It's a game. That's all. I'm going to read them and decide on your fortune."

"Jane's family are psychics."

Oh, for fuck's sake. She was a weirdo. No wonder Gansey was smitten with her. Two weirdos.

It sounded stupid, but, for some reason, the rest of them did it. Blue read them. The first person she handed one to was Adam. He read it and rolled his eyes. "Subtle, Blue."

Gansey went next and smiled. "I like this one. Thank you, Jane." He kissed her cheek. Noah made a gagging noise.

Ronan laughed. "I get it now. You really are a fucking weirdo, Dick."

"Get what?" Noah asked.

"He calls her Jane because he thinks it's clever." Noah looked at him, waiting for more. "Dick and Jane."

"Ohhhh..." Noah shook the egg roll in his hand. "That makes sense." Grinning, he dipped it in hot mustard sauce and took a bite.

Adam leaned forward to look at Noah passed Ronan. "You really didn't get that before?"

"You're gonna judge me, Parrish? You didn't know who," he pointed the half-eaten egg roll at Ronan, "that was. I can't go a day without seeing his ugly mug somewhere. Saw it on the side of a bus just this morning. Now, give me my fortune, please."

"With pleasure," Blue said, handing him the paper.

He read his aloud, "The wise man is the one that makes you think that he is dumb." He winked at her. "Good one."

"That's not a fortune," Ronan said.

"They're not always fortunes," Gansey pointed out. "I like the ones that are inspirational."

"What'd yours say?" Ronan asked him.

Gansey had folded the paper and put it in his breast pocket. He left it there. "It is easy to govern a kingdom but difficult to rule one's family."

"What about yours?" he gave a quick glance at Parrish, who had a mouthful of fried rice. He swallowed and looked at the slip. "Don't worry about money. The best things in life are free."

Ronan huffed. "That's the bullshit rich people feed poor people to keep them from burning everything the fuck down."

"Hell yeah," Blue said.

"Power to the people," Noah chimed in.

Ronan held out his hand. "Don't I get one?"

"Sure." She handed him his fortune.

He read it and glared at her. "You set this up."

"I did not," she said.

"Come on. I'm not stupid."

"I didn't!" Blue protested. "What do you think I carry spare fortune cookie fortunes around with me?"

"What does it say?" Adam asked.

Ronan handed it to him. Adam's laugh filled the room. Ronan didn't realize he was smiling as well until he caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror that hung on the opposite wall. He slammed his own, rightfully earned, infamous, fifteen-million-dollar-a-movie scowl back on.

Adam read it to everyone, "It takes courage to admit fault."

They all laughed, and Ronan made a low sound in his throat that could be a chuckle or a growl. He looked at Adam in the mirror, smiling, and felt his stomach turn upside down again. Fuck. He changed the subject.

"Parrish, I'm here to shoot a movie, and I'd like to stay here while I do it."

"In D.C.?"

"In this house?"

"Oh."

When Ronan realized Adam was going to make him ask it, he looked at Gansey, hoping he'd do it for him, but Dick the Third was talking to Blue Jane and not paying attention to him. He turned to Noah, but his chair was empty. Creepy fuck.

"Is it okay if I stay here?"

"Starting when?"

"Um, tonight."

"How long?"

"I can't give an exact time. We're here to shoot on location. Location shooting is unpredictable."

"I'm sure. Weather and everything."

"Crowds. Traffic. Yeah. It's a pain in the ass. But it would be at least six weeks."

"So, from now until mid-January?"

"Yeah. And me shooting this movie is being kept quiet. I need discretion about my whereabouts."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why is it being kept quiet?"

Jesus Christ, this guy. "It's something different than what I usually do. We're just hoping to keep the press away from it until it's ready for release."

"What would happen if people find out you're staying here with us?"

"Lots of people hanging around out front. Like paps, autographs hounds, fans."

"What are the chances that will happen?"

"For fuck's..." He took in a deep breath. Reminded himself that he was trying not to be a dick. "I'll be extra cautious."

"The spare bedroom is on the third floor with mine. I work hard, and I'm working on my dissertation. I need sleep when I can get it. And we'll have to share a bathroom."

"No wild parties in the room. No loud sex. No farm animals." Parrish raised an eyebrow at that, but said nothing. "Got it. And I won't be here that much. We're going to have a lot of night shoots. We'll probably be passing each other by like ships passing in the night." Adam didn't say anything. Ronan added. "I promise I'll knock before I enter the bathroom."

"Sure. It's okay with me then."

He really didn't know what to think of Parrish. On one hand, he was a real fucking pain in the ass. A hot pain in the ass, but a pain in the ass nonetheless. On the other, Ronan had to respect him. He had to have known that Gansey and Noah were okay with it, but instead of simply going along with his friends, which most people would've done, he made up his own mind.

Adam grabbed a pair of chopsticks to eat broccoli out of a container. Out of the corner of his eye, Ronan watched his long lean fingers control the sticks with expert ease. He wondered what else this Parrish guy could control with his hands. This was not good. Ronan had to focus on this movie. He could not get distracted.

He stood abruptly. "I need to get my overnight bag."

"Hey, no," Gansey said. "You're supposed to be lying low. I'll grab it."

"It's twenty feet. In. The. Dark. Dick."

Gansey opened his mouth, but Ronan ran out before Gansey could say anything else.

The street was quiet. It really was cold. Ronan's blood had thinned after all the years in LA. He should have brought some clothes from The Barns. He hadn't thought of it. While he was there, the only thing that he could think about was not thinking about what had happened to his parents and thinking a lot about how bad he needed a drink. And, since he couldn't have a drink, he'd picked a fight with Declan instead. It'd been a minor fight, probably the sort even normal brothers with healthy coping mechanisms had, but it'd worked, and, unless he falls apart in the next few hours, he made it another day without drinking.

None of his old clothes would probably fit him anyway.

Back inside, he found Gansey and Blue in the kitchen cleaning up. He saw some containers still on the dining room table and retrieved them to look like he was helping. Parrish was nowhere to be seen. He hung around, listening to them talk about some historical exhibit - something about dead kings - they were attending this weekend, until it felt awkward. He looked at the clock on the microwave. It was eight, which meant his internal clock felt like it was five. He was tired from the red eye and the emotional reaction of being home, but he wasn't that tired to go to sleep. He wondered where Czerny had gone.

"Hey." Noah stood at the entry to the kitchen. "Call of Duty?"

Ronan didn't know how Noah did the things he did, and, right now, he didn't care.

"Yes!" He grabbed his bag from the floor where'd dropped it. "Let me run this upstairs."

He jogged up to the third floor, taking the steps two at a time. He got to the top and realized that he didn't know which bedroom was Parrish's. The last time he'd stayed here, both were empty. At the top of the stairs was the bathroom. The door was closed, and Ronan could hear water running. On either side of the door was a bedroom. The lights were off in both. He picked the right and turned on the light. The room had a double bed, a nightstand with a small light, and a dresser with a matching mirror over it. The walls were bare and there was nothing on any of the surfaces.

Ronan dropped his black leather duffel bag on the bed and unzipped it. He hadn't packed much in it. His toiletries, clean underwear and clean t-shirt. On top of all it was the script for the movie. He took it out and let it drop on the bed.

"Excuse me. This is my room."

Parrish was standing in the doorway, arms crossed.

Ronan looked around the room again. "Jesus, Parrish. Get some flowers or something. I've seen hospital rooms look more homey."

Parrish raised an eyebrow. "Flowers?"

"You know. A fucking plant."

"I didn't know you were an interior designer and an action star." Adam's smirk was slight, just a slight rise on the left side of his mouth. It was the kind of smirk you wanted to punch or kiss off someone's face. Ronan really wished he only wanted to punch this guy.

"Hey. I've done romantic comedies too." He put the script back in his bag. "And a horror movie."

"Did you survive the whole film?"

"Nah. Got offed in the last ten minutes." He brushed by Parrish on his way out. Maybe a little bit on purpose. "The chick's always the sole survivor."

"Remember," Parrish called after him. "No farm animals."