for Blue / Ronan

[iwasmore]

Noah existed in the grocery store, which didn't make much sense seeing as he couldn't eat. Sometimes he bought food for the ducks, or a surprise snack for Krem, but beyond that the grocery store was a useless place for him to visit. He felt the pull of a friend nearby, and maybe that had brought him there. He started searching the aisles, but got distracted by a display for Oreos - he missed Oreos - and nearly ran, bodily, right into someone. "Sorry!"

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[thedreamthief]

It is different here, Ronan can't argue that. He doesn't like the fact that they're all spread apart either, doesn't like that he can't stay up at night watching Gansey build a miniature Henrietta or wake up from a restless dream with Noah hovering over him.

Darrow isn't home and never will be. It's better now than it was months ago, even without Cabeswater or Matthew or a purpose, he at least has his friends.

And Adam...

"You're not going to walk in on us having sex," Ronan says, a small offering.

[iwasmore]

Noah shrugs, tracing the letters on the other crack boxes. He doesn't think Ronan is lying, he doesn't lie, but he also doubts that will stay true for too long. And if not sex, then something like it.

"Are you still in the woods, or at Adam's?"

[thedreamthief]

"The woods," Ronan answers because that's not a lie either. He isn't always there, less and less recently. But he doesn't think Adam would claim that Ronan's moved in or anything. Because he hasn't.

Frowning, Ronan reaches out to right the box that Noah's knocked over. "Stop fucking sulking. Jesus."

[iwasmore]

"I'm not sulking," Noah protests, kicking the box away from Ronan's reach with a shit-eating grin. "I'm happy for you, but it sucks being the fifth wheel."

Ghost Uncle Noah. That's what he'd be to Ronan and Adam, and Gansey and Blue's kids. If he would be around by then.

[thedreamthief]

"You're not a fucking fifth wheel, loser," Ronan argues, grabbing for Noah's leg and tugging hard instead of going for the crackers. "It's not like anything's going to last anyway."

[iwasmore]

"That's exactly what it means when your friends pair off," Noah says dryly, but then he falls on his ass because Ronan is a giant jerk. "Ow! Hey!"

"Oh my god." He tries to hook his leg around Ronan's to send him stumbling, too. "Nevermind, I take it back. I don't want to know. You're both too self-deprecating."

[thedreamthief]

Smirking, Ronan dodges Noah's swung leg and crouches to ruffle his hand through Noah's loose hair.

"Are all ghosts so fucking nosy?" he asks, holding his hand out to help Noah back to his feet as he stands up. "Or is this just a you thing?"

[iwasmore]

Noah doesn't take it, not willing to give Ronan another opportunity to knock him on his ass. Instead he goes from sprawled to standing in the blink of an eye. "Are all humans so violent, or is it just you?" he counters, and sticks out his tongue.

"Come on, brute, go buy your groceries before the attendant has us kicked out."

[thedreamthief]

"You mean you don't remember?" Ronan shoots right back, giving Noah a light shove when he blinks to his feet. "You used to be human once, too."

There's a small selection of pet items two aisles down and Ronan swings by there on the way to the cash register, grabbing a box of dog biscuits for Copper. This place has a self-service register and Ronan starts ringing himself up, shoving the Teddy Grahams at Noah once they're paid for.

[iwasmore]

Noah isn't even going to point out that he knows more than most, because it was his dumb joke. He shoulders Ronan, though, playfully jostling as they make their way up the grocery store aisle.

"Wow, insensitive much? What am I supposed to do with these?" he asks, shoving them back in the bag. "I picked them for you so I would watch you eat them and live vicariously through you."

[thedreamthief]

"That's creepy," Ronan points out, though he leaves the box in the bag for now and glances over at Noah, the tilt of his lips making his voice more fond than harsh. "Why the hell would I want to eat something I don't even like that much just so you can watch me? Fucking voyeur."

[iwasmore]

Noah gets really close, eyes wide and mouth curled into an ominous smile. "You have no idea the things I see when I'm invisible and no one knows I'm there," he says on a ghostly voice.

[thedreamthief]

"Fuck off," Ronan snarls, placing a hand on Noah's chest to shove him away even as a slight grin curves his lips. "The last thing I need is to wonder if you're creeping around every time I eat a fucking Oreo."

He honestly doesn't think Noah does it much, especially not now, here in Darrow. Hell, only minutes ago he'd claimed to be worried about barging in on Ronan and Adam having sex so he clearly has some respect for privacy.

[iwasmore]

Noah cackles and moves backwards, he doesn't walk but his body backs up and out of Ronan's reach all the same. Almost like floating. "It wouldn't be to watch you eat an Oreo," he taunts, grinning.

[thedreamthief]

Ronan's grin slips into half a scowl as Noah floats backwards. Death comes with some unfair advantages, he thinks. Plus, he's not sure how he feels about what Noah's implying.

"Oh right, Teddy Grahams," he says, dodging slightly. "Your fixation seems a little unhealthy if you ask me."

[iwasmore]

"I'm not talking about eating," Noah says in a sing-song voice, traipsing ahead of Ronan, bogged down by the bags of food.

[thedreamthief]

Noah's being a little shit which, honestly, Ronan can appreciate. If nothing else, it feels normal. Feels right in a way so much of Darrow feels irrevocably wrong.

His lips curl into a sneer. "I'm not dumb enough to take the fucking bait, man. You know that."

[iwasmore]

Noah waits and lets Ronan catch up with him, walking alongside him. His smile hasn't dimmed much. "Really? So what are you dumb enough for?" he teases.

[thedreamthief]

There's a neverending list to answer that one, but Ronan only throws Noah a quick glare before shoving one of the bags into his chest. "Dumb enough to be friends with a shitweasel ghost, apparently," he says,

[iwasmore]

"You know you love me," Noah says, grudgingly taking the bag and carrying it.

[thedreamthief]

"Guess someone has to," Ronan says, though there's the tiniest hint of affection in his tone. Noah's a little shit and Ronan is an asshole and somehow that works for them.

Fighting a smirk, he adds, "If you ever go creepy invisible ghost mode while I'm jerking off, you have no one to blame but yourself."

[iwasmore]

Noah laughs at both of his comments, but mostly the second. "Who says I already haven't?" he teases, and waggles his eyebrows at Ronan.

"Kidding!" he adds quickly, before Ronan tries to bodily throw him across the parking lot. "I seriously don't lurk in invisible mode. Um, if I am, it means I'm not really...myself." Which is mainly referring to when they'd moved his body off the ley line and he'd been a little more ghostly than usual.

[thedreamthief]

Despite Noah's easy smile, something low in Ronan's gut coils at the idea of him being... less Noah. It should feel like just a part of him at this point, just a facet of who he is, but it's too easy to remember why he's this way, too easy to remember that cracked-in skull as explanation for the permanent smudge on Noah's cheek.

"Do you remember stuff when you're like that?" Ronan asks, though he weirdly isn't sure if he wants to know.

[iwasmore]

Noah gives his usual response to questions about how he works. He shrugs. In truth, he knows, but he'd rather not talk about it. His friends think he's creepy enough without him adding to it.

He tries to think of a change of subject instead.

"Hey. You know Cremisius-- Krem?" he asks, looking over at Ronan. "What did you say to him to like...upset him?"

[thedreamthief]

Ronan's lips twist into a scowl as he glances over at Noah.

"The fuck? How the fuck do you know Krem?" It's a stupid question probably, but if Noah's going to ignore his question in favor of another one, so's Ronan.