[Ronan's Birthday Gathering]

[thatsallthereis]

"This is a night for truth."

For hours, the libations had flowed. That was thanks to Gansey's imaginary money and his relative fascination with what he couldn't help but think of as Supermarket Culture. There, he purchased a couple new pool cues (why would this place also have pool cues would be a question too logical for his new life; sometimes he thought seeking sleeping kings was the more gentle fate). Alcohol, pool, music, and -- thanks to Noah -- decoration. A great banner, capable of shedding more glitter than the local warlock -- screamed in cheerful swirling letters HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ASSHOLE!. Gansey loved it. It was just the right tone for a Ronan birthday. The array of spider-themed decor and the paper spiderweb banner that bordered the pool table reminded them not only that Halloween had just passed, but also that the leftover decorations were dirt cheap. Anything ghost shaped was carefully, politically polite to any ghosts that may have purchased them.

There was also cake. Noah made sure there was cake. It was a carrot cake that read Happy Birthday We All Love You. It was like Noah knew what was ahead.

So, with his free-flowing drinks and new pool cues and nothing but the five of them, they drank and they played and they tolerated Ronan's terrible electronica, and they laughed. They shot the shit. They got to be regular teenagers for a few hours.

So, when the most energetic part of the night was wending toward lethargy, Gansey took action.

"Nobody knows if we were plucked out of our old life or if we made some kind of unconscious choice to be here. We may never know." That didn't sit well with Gansey, so he perched himself on the coffee table, facing these people -- his people. "We can agree that time is messed up. I think we can all agree that's done something to spread us out." There was no one he looked at in particular. Life did that sometimes. Not to them.

So, he said again, "this is a night for truth. I'll go first."

Comments

[incognoscibilis]

"Of course he hated me," Adam said, not in the least offended. He'd known as much the second he and Ronan first properly met under Gansey's auspices. The same had been true of Blue Sargent. Ronan had come to love and accept them both in time. What was it about Henry and Gansey liking Henry that made this one so impossible.

Adam glanced down, briefly, at Gansey's tapping fingers and sighed. It wasn't misplaced masculinity that kept Adam from holding Gansey's wrist, just the simmering knowledge of Ronan's present.

"At least there aren't monster horses coming out of the ocean."

It was a very bad attempt at optimism.

[thatsallthereis]

Gansey laughed entirely in spite of himself. It wasn't funny. In fact, it was a clumsy subject change, but Gansey was so relieved to have it. He closed his eyes for a second. He was going to have to let go of Adam's arm and that tiny bit of comfort would be gone. Could he take comfort in knowing that it had happened at all?

"Not here, anyway." He squeezed Adam's arm one last time and he let go, he stood up. Sitting down would mean too much time to contemplate all he'd felt he'd lost in last hour or so, that small bit of comfort included. Blue eyes scanned over the interior of Hywel, his home. It looked different. Gansey had never felt fractured in the confines of these walls before.

A thumb swiped at his lips. It seemed he tried to say something a few times. What came out was: "thank you. I don't know where I would be without you." Maybe he was talking about tonight. Maybe he was talking about his support when it came to Henry or for trusting him from the jump. He had thousands of reasons to be grateful for Adam Parrish.