The Killing Game

[quaerit]

Who: The Raven crew: Gansey, Blue, Adam, Ronan and Noah
What: Blue targets Gansey during the Assassin event
Where: The Raven House.
When: During Rage's Assassin event
Warnings: Attempted murder, the full list of swear words known by Ronan Lynch, teenage angst.

[ As far as Gansey knows, it's an ordinary morning in their house. He's yet to venture outside, and hasn't seen any of his friends emerge from their rooms. Given that his own is the living room these days, and also given that he struggles to sleep most nights, he typically finds himself wandering around alone in the mornings. This isn't a place with a great prevalence of cereal boxes, and his beloved car is still at home, so his usual methods of distracting a wakeful mind are unavailable.

That's why, on this particular morning, his friends will arrive to discover Gansey has built some approximation of the Eiffel Tower out of a range of the house's cutlery. There may have been one or two minor crashes, when his efforts collapsed on him, but really, that should just make everyone glad that he didn't decide to use the plates. This is a lot harder than it looks. He's in the kitchen, minding his own business, and setting this monstrosity up on one of the counters. There's also some indeterminate can of something being warmed in the microwave; let no one say he never attempts to cook for his friends.

Oblivious to what's started to happen around the city, Gansey goes innocently about his model building, and waits for the first of them to wake up. ]

Comments

[unknowable]

[Since when has Ronan ever cared about stained clothing? Adam doesn't quite roll his eyes, but he's not buying it. He lets Ronan take the shirt, though, and decides not to question it. Not right now, anyway.

Besides, he sort of likes the idea of wearing one of Ronan's shirts. They aren't really Adam's style, mostly because Adam doesn't have a style to speak of unless you count wearing mainly things from the thrift store because he couldn't afford better. Here, he just wears whatever fits and doesn't look too weird.]

All right. Sure.

[He was just going to take his shirt into his room, though - it's too awkward to get dressed in front of someone else, not when he can't lift his arm much. He still doesn't really want Ronan to see that, though he's aware Ronan would probably just think it was funny. Maybe that's why he doesn't want Ronan to see it.]

Go get me one, but you'll have to help me get it on.

[That might be asking too much - pushing too far. But if so, Adam will back down. He doesn't want to make things weird. He does want Ronan's shirt, though.]

[greywaren]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ronan sighs as he moves over toward his dresser, which is mostly empty. There's nothing that remotely looks like clothing hanging up in his closet either, and he resists the urge to look back at Adam to see his reaction to the state of mess that his room is in. Not that Adam is the cleanest guy ever, but- well. Probably a bit better than this.

The clothes hamper is at least clean though, so Ronan digs through that, tossing aside socks and pants until he finds something workable. It's not much to look at, just a dark t-shirt that happened to fit, and he turns it right side out, holding it up for a moment to make sure that it's actually clean and not excessively full of holes.

It seems to pass his test though, because he steps in closer next, not minding in the slightest that he'd have to help Adam into it. Honestly, it means enough to him that Adam would even suggest a thing, and Ronan is grateful for the flash of vulnerability that it puts between them.]

Here, bad arm first.

[He'd never say it though.

Ronan figures that it would be easier to start with the arm that has limited mobility, and he tucks the shirt up and eases the sleeve of it over Adam's wrist, and up to his shoulder. There's a quick scuffle as he tries to properly fit Adam's head through the neck hole, disheveling his hair in the process, and then gently stretches out the rest of the material to accommodate his good arm.

Not bad.]

There, [Ronan murmurs, tugging the hem of his shirt down over Adam's stomach. It fits a little looser on Adam than it does on Ronan, and the sudden thought of it makes his stomach turn relentlessly as he steps back to take a better look.]

Good as new.

[unknowable]

[Ronan is not practiced, but he's careful, even gentle. The shirt doesn't pull at Adam's shoulder, and he doesn't really need to lift his arm, so it's less painful than getting dressed by himself this morning was. Adam would rather not have to ask for help every day - he won't, he can handle a little pain - but right now, he appreciates it. He also appreciates that Ronan managed to find a clean shirt for him. It seems like that might be a rarity.

He tugs at the shirt with his good hand so it falls the way it should. It feels a little odd to be wearing Ronan's shirt, but - well, he loaned one of his to Ronan, ages ago, and he never got it back. He sort of doubts he's getting the one he wore today back, either. And that's okay. He'll keep this one in return.]

Thanks.

[He smiles at Ronan, easy and affectionate, and runs a hand through his hair to try to get it back to some semblance of order. It doesn't work that well, but it's an improvement, a little.

He would like to stay here with Ronan and get up to - well, whatever they might think of. Adam has a lot of ideas. But with Gansey and Blue at odds, with someone out there intent on killing each of them, now isn't the time. If nothing else, they both have to try to keep the peace, keep any blood from being spilled here.

For a moment he hesitates, then he steps closer, leaning in to press a careful kiss to the corner of Ronan's lips.]

I better go.

[greywaren]

[Ronan's heart lifts with that smile, with every minute movement of Adam's body that suggests he's not in pain. He feels revitalized with that smile, like he could take on the rest of the world in here- even Blue, even his own assassin, even Fear himself.

He starts to smile back, but the expression is cut off by a kiss, and Ronan returns the gesture, at once marveling at how sweet Adam is. Before this, when they were alone and watching one another through feet of empty space- sometimes, rarely, Ronan would try to imagine what something like this could be like. All he had for context back then was the way that Adam had tried to court Blue and Declan's own shoddy dating skills.

He'd thought- wondered, maybe a tiny part of him had hoped- that Adam would be as cautious and as sure as he was with Blue. That Adam would like him, really fucking like him, no matter how high school bullshit that sounds, and in those rare snapshots of moments, Ronan didn't know if he'd even be able to respond to such a thing, but some soft, silly part of him had had wanted it anyway.

Now, he kisses back, reaches in to squeeze Adam's hand, and presses their foreheads together just for a moment before nodding and stepping back, a smile still tugging at his mouth.]

Then go. I'll see you around.

[unknowable]

[It feels easy, in a way, to be affectionate with Ronan like this. Adam is still finding his balance, feeling out the edges of their relationship, figuring out what he can do and what he shouldn't, but in some ways it's easy. Fierce, intimidating Ronan responds so easily to Adam's careful affection now, and that more than anything tells Adam that he meant this, he meant all of it. That he really does like Adam.

Not that there was really any doubt anymore. But still.

He squeezes Ronan's hand in return, then lets go.]

Yeah. See you later.

[And though he'd like to stay, Adam does what he knows he ought to do. He goes back out Ronan's door, onto the balcony, and back to his own room. His shoulder feels better, he feels light and surprisingly happy despite the dire situations they always seem to be in. It's not impossible to find good things here.]