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"No shit, freckles," Ronan said, mouth close to his phone as he lay in the dark of the Barns. Everything smelled like fresh fertilizer through his window, still open despite the biting fall air, and he heard no sounds from any of the creatures that always surrounded him. Everything was quiet, except for the young man trying to control his breathing on the other end of the phone conversation. “You knew it was going to be hard. Hasn’t everything been hard?”
“Yeah,” came Adam’s voice, distant, breathy, scared. “I know…”
“So you know you can get through this. You’re failing one class. So what? It’s not the end of the world. Shit, Parrish, it’s not even the end of October. You got time to pull it around, and if you don’t, no one’s gonna die. It’s just a general class, isn’t it?” He still didn’t get all the college terminology Adam used. Not because he didn’t listen, because he hung onto every word out of Adam’s mouth as if his speech was the only lifeboat off of a sinking ship. But Ronan thought - knew - that Adam was so far above all of that menial collegiate shit that he didn’t waste a single brain cell thinking about it.
"Yes, but if I fail it, then I have to retake it, or another class, and if I have to take an extra class, I have to pay for it. Scholarship doesn't cover everything." Ronan heard the long, drawn out "a" sound in pay. Take the magician out of Hernrietta, but you could never take the Henrietta out of the magician. Especially when he was stressed out about a class at 3:42am. Stressed out enough to call. Though, Ronan had been very good about keeping his phone charged, on, and with him at all times now. It didn't help that Opal had gotten addicted to some inane nonsense Sargent had download on her first smart phone, and then insisted that Ronan download it for her. Now he had to keep a car charger in the glove compartment, along with snacks and a first aid kit, like a kindergarten teacher. It was all bullshit.
But nothing was as bullshit as the bullshit of Adam being up all night worried about some shit Atoms to Galaxies class. Adam was a galaxy within himself; what point was there in learning about what made up the others?
"And," Adam's voice came through again, thicker after a shaking breath, "I can't get even CLOSE to losing my scholarship, I don't want to think about that. So I have to pass THIS one. It's not even that it's complicated, it just gets lost between work and you and my other classes and the volunteer hours, and - "
"Shut up, Parrish," Ronan said, rolling out of bed and flipping on the old lamp next to him. He looked blearily around the room before leaning over to grab the first moderately clean piece of clothing he saw, a hoodie from Adam's college - Ronan wasn't COMPLETELY unsentimental, after all - and slipped it on over a bare chest. "Don't pass out on me, you'll need to let me in."
"Ronan, what are you - "
"You deaf in both ears now? I'm coming." He slid off of the bed and into a pair of comfortable jeans, as well as his boots. "I'll stop somewhere and get something to eat for us, alright? Your roommate there?"
"No," Adam said, and Ronan could hear the relief in his voice, both that his roommate wasn't there and that Ronan was coming, even if Adam wouldn't admit it. "Every since he got a girlfriend I never see him."
"Good. I'll be there in a couple hours." He smiled, softly and briefly, at Adam's thanks.
Driving at night was actually good for him. At least Opal was off with Blue's coven on Fox Way, so he didn't have to worry about her. Adam would have liked to see her, surely, but if she was there, Adam would feel like he had to pretend everything was alright. He DIDN'T have to pretend, but no one had ever been able to tell Adam Parrish anything.
Ronan poured himself into the car and turned on the radio before anything else. A think, heavy thumping shook the night as the music blared into life and Ronan sped off, a knight in leather boots on a steed of screeching black metal.
___
Two hours and one pit stop later, for some burgers and fries from a 24-hour fast food joint in Adam's college town, with a large black coffee for him and a chocolate milkshake for Adam, Ronan pulled into the campus drive. He could find his way to Adam's dorm, to Adam's room, to Adam, blindfolded. But he still needed to be let in - campus didn't open for another hour and fifteen minutes, officially. So he lurked in the doorway, blending in with the shadows from outside, until he saw Adam with his phone, in his pajamas, come down the hall and open the door from the inside. "Lynch."
"Parrish."
They moved as equals to Adam's room, arms bumping but no more words spoken. He looked around the hall as Adam unlocked the door. Ronan fit into Adam's room about as well as a manatee fit into a teacup. He also looked as if he belonged nowhere else. Kicking off his shoes, he perched himself on the bed. "Give me your book."
"What book?" Adam asked, watching him with bleary eyes.
Ronan rolled his eyes, but it was affectionate. "Your Atoms and Milky Ways or whatever bullshit. Give it to me." As Adam opened his backpack for the textbook, Ronan dug out the food he had brought for them. Adam thanked him as he clambered into the bed. The textbook he traded to Ronan for a burger and fries, lukewarm but still appealing, was pristine, beautiful, clean. Ronan flipped through it and saw that it was the same on the inside, not marked up or anything. But it was full of post it notes. Adam also passed him a notebook. "Jesus, Parrish, this looks exactly like it did the first time I came to visit." He remembered the cover.
"My scholarship doesn't cover books," he said. "So if I want to sell it back, I have to be careful." He unwrapped his burger."Did you want it just to grade its quality?"
"No. You eat. I'll read." Ronan pulled his fries over to him. "What part are you studying?"
Adam was surprised enough to leave his hamburger paused halfway to his mouth."Chapter five," he said slowly."But -"
Ronan spoke over him, gently reading out-loud from the boring tome on his lap. Ordinarily, Ronan wouldn't talk over Adam, but this chapter looked long. Plus - the sooner Adam quieted, the sooner he cold relax. And maybe, with how BORING this book was, he could get some sleep. And just after the food was gone and the sun was rising, Adam stilled against his pillow.
Ronan kept reading.
___
Adam woke with a start to sunlight pouring in from the window. Blearily he reached for his phone. It flashed 9:43AM at him. "Shit," he mumbled, trying to roll out of bed. But then a strong arm pulled him back, crushing him to a solid chest. It took him a moment to recall last night. "Ronan, I gotta get up, I'm late..."
"No you're not," Ronan said, sleepily. But he had clearly not just woken up. "I called your professors - thanks for keeping them in your phone, you nerd - and told them you weren't coming. Job, too. You're off today."
"Ronan," Adam huffed. "You know I can't, I need to save the days in case something happens."
Pushing himself up, Ronan looked into Adam's eyes."Adam...something's happened. You called me in tears in the middle of the night. And after you fell asleep, you tossed and turned like a goddamned caterpillar rave, and you TALKED. Muttered all of the shit from that book." And about his fuck of a dad. But Ronan wouldn't bring him up.
"You're stressed. So I want you to go back to sleep. Alright?"
Adam watched him, but sleep was pulling at his eyelids again. "Just today, Ronan."
"Anything you say, Adam." They lay back down, Ronan angled on his side, Adam on his back against Ronan. One of Ronan's rough, calloused hands cupped Adam's bony hip, keeping him stable. Keeping him safe. Adam closed his eyes to swirling planets, sparking stars, and the powerful heartbeat of the galaxy against his back.