Ravens and Crows

Chapter 23 ~Ronan~

Since the past has no electricity it gets unbearably dark very quickly, which is not ideal for someone who prefers not getting a full nights sleep.

As I closed my eyes, I wondered if Adam would somehow be in my dreams again. I didn't even know he could do that, I've only ever shared dreams with people twice, Adam, while he was scrying, and Kavinsky, while he was also dreaming.

In my dream I was in Cabeswater, old Caberswater, before the demon unmade it and then we asked it to sacrifice itself for Gansey. Some else was in the dream this time, but it wasn't Adam.

"Gansey?" I asked as I saw the figure crouched by the small pond I once jumped in to save Opal and had almost burned us too death.

Gansey turned around and smiled at me. "Adam wasn't sure it would work with me, because I'm not tied to Cabeswater like he is and you are, but I guess it did."

"You are tied to Cabeswater though," I reminded him. "It sacrificed itself for you."

Gasney made a face that said he didn't enjoy talking about that. "Right."

I raised an eyebrow, for a guy who died twice and told everybody and their mother about his first revival experience, he was sure touchy about his second one. "Why is that such a sore spot?" I asked.

"It's not, it's just-," his shoulders sagged and he huffed. "I don't know, just weird to think about, I guess. How you have such a strong connection with a magical forest that it gave its life up for me."

"We all have a strong connection with the forest." I said. "And it didn't die. It just gave up it's physical appearance or whatever."

"Still."

"Keeps you up at night?"

"Filters through once or twice," he shook his head. "Enough about me, how's the past?"

I smiled as his eye lit up. I was surprised he hadn't asked me to take him to Ketterdam with me, he must have been practicing good self restraint.

"Well," I started, "it smells like shit...."

~-~

"And he has an entire service of maids and cooks." I finished.

"Really?" Gansey asked.

I nodded. "They even seem to like him."

"I didn't think Wylan was mean when he was here."

"I watched him dislocate a man's pinky today."

Gansey whistled.

We were sitting in the grass. Cabeswater had become hot and summery the longer we sat and talked and I had a feeling the sun was going to rise in the real world sun too.

"Why'd you choose not to go to college?" Gansey asked suddenly.

I winced. I knew Gansey wasn't the happiest dad in the world over the fact that I dropped out of high school, but I could barely make it through a day of high school, there was no way I was going to make myself suffer through four more years of college.

"You should kind of get it," I explained, playing with my bracelets as I spoke. "You've seen parts of life that people only dream about; demons and dreams and magic and energy and ghosts and after all that it seems so stupid and insignificant to sit through a class about math I'll never use or proper grammar for essays I'll never have to write. So, I just kind of said 'fuck it' and stopped wasting my time trying to be something I'm not."

"'Fuck it'," Gansey murmured.

"Why?" I asked.

"Why what?"

"Are you asking me why I dropped out? I mean it's been a month and some change now, you've never asked before."

Gansey sighed. "I guess I'm just having a hard time. I know I should go to college but it feels weird trapping myself somewhere away from Henrietta for so long."

"You can always come back. I'll always be here- er- there. And it's not like you can't come back once you go, college is temporary."

"But what about Blue?"

I laughed. "If you say anything to her about not wanting to go to a big college because she's going to community college or somewhere else I think she'll kiss you again."

Gansey laughed. "You do know we can kiss now, without the whole her killing me thing, right?"

"Man, I don't want to know what you and Sargent do or do not do."

"Hey, do you know how many times I've had to walk in on you and Adam?"

"It's called knocking."

"That only works if there's a door."

I shake my head. "So what are you going to do about the big C?"

Gansey shrugs. "What my parent's want, I guess."

I look at him. "Why not what you want?"

"I don't think it's all that different, if we're being honest. I want to become a history professor, I don't care where as long as it's close to Blue and not too far away from you and Adam."

"What about your boyfriend, Cheng?"

Gansey raises his eyebrows at me and I start laughing. "Seriously, though, I mean you three are traveling the country together, maybe you'll end up living together."

Gansey rolled his eyes. "Maybe he'll live you, you like him so much."

I smirked. "You noticed, I'm touched."

"What is it that makes you hate him so much?"

"He's better now, in a kind of of cough syrupy forced down your throat way, but he has certain qualities I find get on my nerves easily."

"Like what?"

I think for a moment. "His hair."

"His hair?"

"His hair."

"What's wrong with his hair?"

"It so pointy."

"I mean this in the most sincere way possible: what the fuck, Lynch?"

I shurgg.

The dream started to flicker.

"What was that?"

"I'm waking up," I said. "Looks like we've been talking for awhile."

Gansey grimaced. "Well then, I guess I have to go apologize to Adam for taking all his boyfriend time. See you in two days."

I smiled. "See ya."

And then I woke up to the sound of an explosion.

I'm curious, can Blue and Gansey kiss? I honestly don't know, I wanna say they can, but at the same time, what changed that's allowed them to? Also why does Ronan hate Cheng so much, like in Raven King Adam talks to Blue and is all like 'oh, Ronan definitely won't go to Henry's party' but, like, why? What did Henry do? Did he insult Ronan's tattoo? Make fun of Adam? If any of you know, please tell me. -RW