30,000 feet
Paring: Adam Parrish/ Ronan Lynch (The Raven Cycle)
Word count: 1k
I wrote this yesterday on a flight & was hunched over my phone the whole time smiling like a madman. In my mind this happens pre dating but imagine it how you like! I have a part two (Adam's revenge duh) written that I'll post in a couple days. Enjoy this for now<3
The pilot had warned that takeoff would be bumpy, so Adam knew he really shouldn’t have been nervous. He took a deep breath and tried to quiet the anxiety dancing around his head. He was fine. He was fine. This was fine.
Ronan, seated next to him, tilted his head as he observed Adam's every move. He’d surely noticed his white knuckles by now. Adam could only pray he wouldn’t make fun. He didn’t know if he had it in him. The clouds were now far too close for comfort.
Why had he agreed to this again?
“You're shaking,” Ronan said, voice somehow the perfect middle of concern and tease.
“I am not,” Adam snapped, forcing his fingers to relax on the armrest with a still rigid body. “This seat is just uncomfortable.”
Ronan raised a knowing eyebrow. “Sure.”
Adam's eyes flicked to him briefly, and then back to the window. “Stop staring at me.”
“I’d like to see you try and make me,” Ronan smirked, leaning closer and smashing their shoulders together. Adam tried to convince himself that hyperventilating was a normal reaction to a shoulder that he really, really wanted to lean on.
“I'm fine, okay? Just leave me alone,” he lied, suddenly feeling an urge to push Ronan away. He wanted to crawl under the seat and disappear. He hated knowing that Ronan knew he was scared. He felt too warm. There was too much anxiety plaguing him and it was coming from five different directions.
“No.”
He let out a nervous, breathy huff. His intention was to sound coolly apathetic but it came out as more of a choke. He tried to focus out the window. He tried to think of anything to take his mind off the fact that their journey had only begun minutes ago and was nowhere close to over. He supposed it would’ve been fine to tell Ronan all he really wanted was a distraction. But no, no, he couldn’t do that. He wouldn’t. He was fine. Adam Parrish did not need or do distractions.
Ronan had been quietly observing him; Adam half feared he could see right into his thought process. His face contorted, as if testing out a theory in his head and watching all the ways it could play out. He looked around them. He looked back at Adam and grinned evilly.
Adam could practically feel the mischief building in the other boy.
“Lynch. Whatever you’re thinking, d–” his don’t was cut off early by a hand poking his side.
He flinched and a sharp inhale slipped through his lips before he managed to stifle it. They locked eyes. Adam’s said don’t you dare while Ronan’s said try and stop me.
Before he could get a real word of protest out, a hand was already attacking his sides. Five fingers were determined to hear laughter, or at least to take his mind off the fact that they were 30,000 feet away from solid ground.
Adam hissed and fought a giggle. He tried squirming away, but the seatbelt was too tight and the space was too cramped. It was a combination concocted in hell. Delightful panic set in as he realized he had no escape and could only sit there and take it.
“Quit! Someone is g–” his warning to Ronan about the possibility of being heard was cut short by the first laugh slipping out.
“We're in the back and there’s no one near us, who the fuck is gonna care?” Ronan rolled his eyes nonchalantly, as if he didn’t even notice his fingers were the ones making Adam loose all composure.
Adam's face flushed as he tried to twist out of reach. He wasn’t strong enough to conceal the smile his face was splitting into, rendering his protest particularly weak.
“I don’t wanna make a scene–” was all he could muster out before putting his hands over his face entirely to cover the giggles that were now spilling out against his will.
“Babies make a scene on planes all the time. Screaming and crying and shit. Pretty sure no one’s gonna give a fuck about a cute laugh coming from the back of the plane.”
“I’m not laughing,” Adam laughed through his hands, hoping he didn’t look as red as he felt. Ronan’s shark grin only grew wider. “Yeah? You sure about that?”
His fingers stopped suddenly.
Adam quickly brought his hands down to guard his sides as he sternly glared at Ronan, who looked overly unconcerned with the matter all of a sudden. Adam scanned him up and down, trying to predict his next move.
Ronan blinked innocently as if he’d never touched him. Then, both his hands were on each of Adam’s kneecaps, squeezing the life out of them.
He absolutely lost it. He let out a bright, loud, clear laugh that was then run over by a yelp and stream of giggles.
“Fucuhuck off–” Adam managed to protest with no real vitriol. He battled helplessly against Ronan’s fingers, trying in vain to unlock hands from knees.
“You first,” he retorted, squeezing even harder. Adam actually snorted. Ronan’s eyes lit up in glee and disbelief, removing his hands as he recognized it might be a little much for such a tight space.
“See? Flying anxiety cured,” he observed smugly.
“You…” Adam trailed off in disbelief, annoyance, and silent gratitude.
“Are the best, Ronan? Are so smart, Ronan? Have great hands, Ronan?”
Adam rolled his eyes but the grin that appeared on both their faces was inevitable.
“You’re welcome,” he concluded before closing his eyes and crossing his arms, getting ready to sleep.
“You’re lucky I’ve gotta piss, otherwise you’d be so dead,” Adam threatened as he unbuckled and slid past him into the aisle.
Ronan just shrugged, eyes still closed, but Adam swore he saw a faint shades of pink paint his face. He tucked this knowledge away for later.
