They drive in silence. Adam is surprised that Ronan isn't playing the Murder squash song. He ponders whether something is wrong.

"I didn't think you'd want to come back"

Adam is shocked to hear the whisper of Ronan's voice as they make their way to singer's falls, to the Barns, to Home.

"Ronan, why would you think that?" "I don't know, you have a life there. You have smartass friends like you, all nerds and destined for greatness and I'm just, me" "Lynch you're being an idiot" "am I Parrish?" "Yes because I didn't goddamn leave for Harvard permanently you fucking asshole. Yes I wanted to leave Henrietta forever but you, you have given me to reason to stay. And I'll always come back, until you don't want me to. You, you giant idiot are the reason I come back, that I want to come back because I love you, if that's wasn't clear before. And yes I will leave at the end of summer again but I'm pretty fucking sure I'll make time to come back and stuff my mouth with turkey and cranberry sauce. I have a home at the Barns"

Adam swallows, he doesn't realized he's yelled at Ronan until Ronan stops the car and just stares at him. He doesn't want to fight, ever. But he's Adam and he's Ronan, they're bound to. Adam pokes a finger in Ronan's chest and quietly whispers "I have a home here, Lynch" as he feels his cheek become wet

"I love you too, Adam. Like a bee loves a flower, like the soil loves the rain, like the stars love the moon" "Of course, I almost forgot that you're a farmer boy, my farmer boyfriend" "shut the fuck up I'm not a farmer boy" "Sure"

They reach the Barns as Adam gets out and takes a moment to absorb all of it until he hears the hooves running and Opal crashes into him, Ronan smiling softly at them while Chainsaw caws in agreement. Laughing, he picks her up as she sobs and nuzzles into his neck.

"Hey Opal" "Et vos desiderabat, Adam" I missed you, Adam. "I missed you too, I'm here now all yours until the summer ends" "really?" "Yes, really"

She kisses both of his cheeks, before grinning at him and running off. Adam watches her and Ronan exchange whispers before she runs into the house.

Adam showers and changes into comfortable clothes, and sees Ronan sitting in the bedroom. They kiss lazily in the bed, Adam getting lost in Ronan's lips as Ronan's hands find their way on his waist, Ronan's fingers warm on his bare skin.

They make dinner together. Ronan is excellent at making pasta and meatballs and Adam doesn't mind watching Ronan cook, it's very adorable seeing Ronan in an apron cooking while he curses as usual.

They stay up till midnight, after Opal has disappeared to sleep and Adam has unpacked to some extent and they're officially done for the day. Adam rambles about stars and constellations as Ronan tangles his fingers in Adam's hair. Adam stops as he notices him doze off.

Adam wakes him up and they tumble into the bedroom, tired limbs and stomachs full.

That night, when Adam sleeps, his back pressed close to Ronan's chest, he prays to whatever God, big or small that Ronan believes him. Please let me get to keep this boy, all of shattered and healing edges, he prays in silence, I know I'm leaving again but I promised him that I would come back. Again and again and again because I was homeless and he made room in his heart for me. He clutches Ronan's hands tighter. And I want him, I need him as long as he'll have me and I'll love him until I die, he prays, hoping he's heard.

Ronan sleeps soundly that night, not waking up once. Adam counts that as a win as he wakes up. The other side of the bed is empty and Adam knows Ronan must've gone to do his daily chores. Before he can open his eyes, he feels his cheeks being licked.

He shrieks as we wakes up and opens his eyes.

THERE'S TWO DOGS

Two golden retrievers, hopping and jumping around him on the bed. Adam is shocked as he bursts into laughter and starts petting the dogs.

They plop down on the bed, tongues doing a blep and tails wagging as Adam scratches their belly. Opal and Ronan come in later, grinning from ear to ear. They sit beside him, joining him in petting the dogs.

"Who are these Lynch?" "Cinnamon and Butter"

Adam laughs. Cinnamon has a pink collar and Butter has a blue, so Adam assumes it's a girl and a boy.

"Are they-" "Jesus fuck no, I adopted them. Few months ago, the little runt is basically their mother"

"I'm not their mom Kerah!" Opal huffs as she coos at the dogs. They don't look very old, they're probably a few months at most, Adam thinks.

"Do you like them?" "So much that I want to take them with me" "fuck no" "why?" "Now you have one more reason to come back"

Adam rolls his eyes. He doesn't tell Ronan he's the only reason, the reason enough to come back. Ronan probably knows this.

Adam carries the dogs in his hands, they're a handful but he manages. He's fallen in love with them in an instant. Adam wants to cry seeing that they've managed to doze off in his arms, in a matter of few minutes.

He sits with them on his lap, Opal watching him with heart eyes as Ronan makes breakfast for them. He runs his fingers through their soft, fluffy and golden fur as Opal just watches, her head on Adam's side and arm locked with his.

She's missed me so much, he realises. How she look at him, never letting him out of sight, as if he'll disappear. No wonder she came out of Ronan's head, they're practically related, Adam laughs privately.

Ronan calls them for breakfast and it's just Adam who's awake by the time they get up. Even Opal had managed to fall asleep. The dogs wake up and run towards the kitchen, bumping and knocking furniture.

Adam follows them. He sees two food bowls on the floor as Cinnamon and Butter eye them and begin munching.

"I'm your boyfriend Parrish, not them" "I think you're mistaken" "asshole" "I'm leaving you for Cinnamon and Butter"

Ronan throws pancake at him as Opal just laughs in her chair. Adam grins and Ronan huffs before pressing his lips to Adam's. Adam smiles. Ronan tastes like maple syrup and mint toothpaste and home, home, home.

Ronan's a lovely shade pink by the time they've pulled apart.

"Now who's your boyfriend?" "You make a good point Lynch"

Ronan grins, sharp yet soft at Adam, his boyfriend. His boyfriend. Adam takes his pride in calling Ronan his and Ronan calling Adam his, and nobody else's.

They take a walk around the Barns, Ronan's hand in his and Opal and the dogs running around the fields. They both sit under a tree, with the dogs napping on their laps as they watch Opal make something with twigs and wildflowers.

She places something on both of their heads. The sight of Ronan Lynch in a flower crown is enough to give Adam a heart attack. Ronan glares but the tips of his ears are red and he carefully removes it and keeps it aside before he lies down too, his head on Adam's lap.

"I'm going to play, you're both boring" Opal huffs before running away. Adam knows she'll be back by the evening. Adam sits quietly under the blue sky, the rustling of the trees evident in his ears and the smell of flowers and earth and moss. He missed Cabeswater, he knows it wasn't his, but he was Cabeswater's. He feels the faint thrumming of the leyline and almost, almost feels Cabeswater.

He chooses to instead watch Ronan, who's napping adorably with Cinnamon on his chest and his hands around her as Butter makes himself comfortable on Adam's lap.

Adam kisses his shoulder. Ronan stumbles off to the bathroom.

When he gets back Adam is half-dressed, wearing a soft green t-shirt and boxers. Ronan pulls on his jeans.

“Breakfast?”

Ronan looks up from fastening his belt. “I’ve got leftover snacks in the car.”

“One of the dining halls is open,” Adam says. He clicks over to the university website, figuring out which one. “My chemistry professor invited anyone in his seminar over for Thanksgiving dinner. I said I’d go, and that I was bringing a guest.”

Ronan nods. He goes to Adam’s dresser, takes out the Coca-Cola shirt, and pulls it over his head. Then he looks at Adam from under his eyebrows.

Adam grabs his biceps and kisses him.

Ronan’s hands hover, then settle, one of them at Adam’s hip, the other warm and heavy at the small of his back.

Adam rests his forehead against Ronan’s. “Food,” he says. He means: it’s good to see you, it’s good to have you here, good morning, I love you.

Over breakfast Ronan tells him about the farm. He’s managed to wake half of his father’s herd of dream cows, but something is baffling him about the other half.

Adam tells him about his twelve-person chemistry freshman seminar, about his library job. Ronan puts milk and sugar in his coffee. He has added two leather bracelets to his left wrist. One is braided, the other slim and red. Adam plays with them, turning the bracelets around and around on his boyfriend’s wrist.

On the way back to the dorm, Ronan calls Matthew. Adam listens to the one-sided conversation about the farm, about Ashley and Declan. He asks Matthew about DC. “Hey,” Ronan says. “Adam’s here. Say hi.”

Adam takes the offered phone. “Hey,” he says.

“How’re you?” Matthew sounds as cheerful as ever.

“Good,” Adam says. Better, now that your brother is here. He tells Matthew about their plans for dinner, then passes the phone back to Ronan.

After instructing Matthew not to forget about the chickens, Ronan hangs up.

“Should we bring something?” Adam asks. “To my professor’s?”

“Yeah,” Ronan says.

“I don’t know anywhere that’s open,” Adam says. “Grocery store, maybe?”

They end up in a Market Basket with a mini-cart containing half a dozen eggs, a can of sweetened condensed milk, a pie tin, a frozen pie crust, and three sweet potatoes.

“This is going to end terribly,” Adam says.