Work Text:
Blue was working a late shift at Nino’s when Gansey paid an unexpected visit. As he approached her, she felt a warm fluttering sensation which she told herself was the fault of Henrietta’s climate and the restaurant's faulty air conditioning. She busied herself with pouring iced tea for a couple who had decided to get pizza after a movie date. They had been discussing the movie, and since she was bored she’d been listening to them argue about which actor had the worst Southern accent and whether the effects or the soundtrack were better or worse. Then she went behind the counter to see what Gansey wanted.
“Hello, Jane,” he said.
“Not all of us are the idle rich,” said Blue, “can’t you see I’m busy?”
Gansey held up his hands. “I come in peace. I only wanted a favor.”
Blue crossed her arms. “Make it quick.”
“I need you to tell Adam that he should move back into Monmouth.”
There was a tense pause. Then –
“No, I will not.”
“Jane, please –”
“I’m not going to tell him to do as you command.”
“It’s not about that.”
“No?”
“It’s just about safety. I’m worried about him, Blue. You know that he has trouble asking for help.”
Blue did know that. She’d been growing increasingly frustrated with Adam lately, him becoming withdrawn and dim one moment then blowing up the next. “I know that. I wish he’d trust me too. But Noah said that we should be patient with him.”
“Noah said the same thing to me. However, you don’t strike me as a patient person.”
Blue huffed in exasperation. “No, I’m not. I don’t understand why he thought going to Cabeswater that night would make things better. It’s a good thing he did, because if it had just been Whelk or if it had just been Neeve – but why did he have to bring a gun, I don’t understand that. What do you think he was going to use it for?”
Something flashed across Gansey’s face, and there was a tightening of his jaw before the storm passed. “If it were Ronan, there’s something I would be worried about. But with Adam I just have no idea.”
Blue wanted to ask what it was about Ronan he was thinking of, but it was probably better not to pry.
As if sensing Blue’s inner conflict, Gansey changed the subject. “How are things going at your other jobs?”
“Dog walking is still my favorite. The craft station with the kids isn’t allowing me to teach them how to crochet or make jewelry or anything, they just want me to teach them calligraphy.”
“How is your handwriting?”
Blue glared in exasperation at him.
“I could give you lessons.”
“I’m not a charity case.” said Blue, annoyed.
“She’s also not a teacher’s pet like Adam,” said Noah.
Gansey and Blue both jumped abruptly at his interruption.
Noah grinned knowingly, then busied himself with shaking the ketchup and mustard dispensers.
~
Blue hated how good Gansey's calligraphy was. She didn’t really understand how patient he was when scribbling in his journals, but she couldn’t help but admire it.
“Where did you learn to write like that?”
Gansey scrunched his nose adorably. “Mother insisted Helen and I have tutors. But I think I also picked certain things up from Mallory.”
“What’s his handwriting like?”
“He writes like a doctor, which is why my penmanship had to observe certain standards, as I would transcribe for him.”
Blue thought that she’d sneak a peak at what Gansey had written while he was getting another cup of coffee for himself. There were scribbles of ley lines arrayed around three separate lists he had made: one for locations related to Glendower in Wales, one for bookstores in D.C. one for groceries he needed here in Henrietta. And they were all written in cursive. She was debating whether or not she should flip to the next page when he returned.
“You can keep the journal for a bit, if you want to,” said Gansey.
Blue was startled. “It’s private, though.”
“It’s not all that private, and you looked through it once before. I like to think it was our proper introduction.”
Blue snorted. “You say ‘proper introduction’ like it was some fancy event.”
“Well, I like Nino’s more than I like most fancy event venues.”
“Well, you don’t work here.”
Gansey nodded vigorously. “That’s why I thought we should come here when you don’t have a shift.”
“Yeah, I don’t know how you expected me to feel because of it but it’s still just the place where I work. I can’t turn it off.”
“Like how you can’t turn the battery off.”
“That’s not all I am, you know. A station to charge at.”
“Oh, that’s not what I meant.”
“That thing about ‘the table everyone wants at Starbucks’ which I’ve never been to, by the way, is that I don’t want to be stuck in one place forever.”
“Of course not. I meant a portable one. Like there’s this pink portable charger my sister has, it’s actually the same color as your sneakers.”
“Don’t be so literal.”
“What’s he being literal about this time?” asked Adam.
Blue felt startled, and like she’d been caught for some reason.
Gansey’s eyes were unreadable. The warm, camel brown of them was now clouded by a forest of doubt and weariness. “We were only discussing Mallory.”
“Does he have any new notes on the ley lines?”
Gansey hesitated for a second. “No,” he said. “We aren’t really meeting to talk about ley lines. I’m helping Blue with her cursive.”
Adam’s eyes flashed with vexation, and his lips formed a thin line. “Why does she need help with that?”
“I’m actually not letting him help me,” said Blue. “He just keeps trying to get me to accept.”
Adam’s taught shoulders relaxed. “You really shouldn’t try to pressure her.”
“Oh my god.” said Orla.
Gansey and Blue were startled. Adam didn’t seem surprised she was there. “You didn’t see her?”
“How long have you been standing there?” asked Blue.
Orla shrugged. “I came here for a date, he’s not here so I thought I’d come watch you and your raven boys. But this is too overdone.”