fluxscape | Closed - Not Quite an Aglionby Party

What: Gansey and Declan Lynch

Where: Declan's townhouse

When: After Gansey's trip back to Henrietta

Warnings: Will update as needed.

Gansey might be avoiding a few things. If he was honest with himself, he was avoiding a number of things. Two of those subjects of avoidance were Ronan and Adam. He still wasn't sure how to talk to them about the past few weeks, or his return to Henrietta. Texting Adam had at least opened up the conversation. Ronan was going to be difficult. Talking with death was never easy with his best friend and talking about his own death wasn't exactly comfortable for Gansey.

Since Ronan seemed to be busy with work or the Barns, Gansey felt that he could visit Declan without too much guilt. And visiting the eldest Lynch might help him figure out how to talk to Ronan about what happened in October that the months following Gansey's resurrection.

He hadn't been able to find pizza, so he picked up a variety of noodles to go with the 'not entirely terrible alcohol' that Declan had acquired. He made sure that they were the type that he'd noticed Declan gravitating to before when they'd shared a meal. He had the feeling that Declan would easily defer to Gansey's tastes, which usually reverted to Ronan's, instead of his own if Gansey let him.

Arriving at this world's version of Declan's townhouse, he shrugged his messenger bag's strap higher onto his shoulder, balancing sacks of take out before knocking on the door.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Sometimes it was difficult to know how to interact with Declan. He remembered the version of Declan that had lived at the Barns. Who had been dragged into the games that the younger teens had played with Matthew. He knew of a Declan who owned a motorcycle and was always surrounded by acquaintances from school. He also know a Declan who was changing, taking on the type of roles that Gansey had been forced into whenever he visited his family in D.C.

He wasn't certain why those changes were occurring, but that might have been because, in Henrietta, he had been dealing with the repercussions of what happened in October. Maybe here he could focus more on Declan while figuring out what was going on with the more supernatural aspects of himself.

The tie was a detail to shuffle away as part of that focus, one that didn't fit the Declan of the past, but sadly fit the Declan that he'd interacted with the last time he'd been in Henrietta. He almost commented on it, and then decided that it would be rude.

"Good evening. Thank you for inviting me." As he spoke, Gansey shuffled bags from his hands to Declan's while shouldering his messenger bag carefully into a more secure position. He caught a glimpse of the townhouse, remembering what it'd been like to walk into a stripped version of the Barns. Had it been easier for Declan to walk into an empty version of his home since it was newer, possibly less filled with memories or had it been just as difficult? The thought made Gansey grateful that he'd thought to bring a housewarming gift with him. Declan needed something to break up the blankness of an emptied home.

"I wasn't sure what you'd like, so I got a little bit of everything." Actually, he'd paid attention to what Declan had liked the last time they'd had take out, but he'd wanted them both to have a chance to try new foods. Ones that hadn't been purchased because their friends and family liked them. "Also, I bought you something."

Part of it was that Declan had been a liar, holder of secrets and untruths since he was young. Even the Declan that lived at the Barns had only been half the story, a deception to keep the softer boys from the ugly truths. But, Gansey knew more of the truth now. Pieces of it, at the least, if maybe not the way it all fit together. But he knew more sides to Declan than anyone else- his brothers had never really paid attention to who he was at Aglionby when he didn't have to be anyone else.

Which was still a mask, but if you put them together there was a truer picture than most people had. His best-kept secret was the shape of who he really was under all the masks, even if Declan typically told himself that there was nothing there at all.

"Of course. I thought you could maybe use the distraction, and I could use the company." His smile is easy, but there's honesty in the sentiment. And in truth it was hard walking into a stripped down townhouse. If it had just been the house, it wouldn't have bothered him. But the attic had been all but empty and that was a hole in his heart that ached in a way he didn't want to say the words to. Beautiful things that he'd actually valued, that spoke to the parts of himself no one saw. Even the smallest had meant more than any of the tasteful black and white photographs on the walls, only just evocative enough to pretend they said something.

He sets the takeout on the table with the bottle of alcohol, and then pauses, metaphorically forced back on his heels. But then Gansey always had that way of doing it; which would be frustrating if he wasn't always so charming about it. But it still takes him a moment, just because he hadn't expected gifts for the occasion. He doesn't say you shouldn't have or any variation on theme, as they all feel either too obvious or too revealing.

"Oh- thank you," he settles for instead, and his mask slips just a little. It's a little bit touching, just the fact that Gansey thought of him enough for it.

"I could. It's been strange having to deal with so many memories. Here. What's left of that other Gansey. What happened after I went home..." Declan knew more than most about what happened in October. Gansey had lied easily to his family, deflected Blue's, even though all the psychics knew that Blue had kissed him. The reasons, the real reasons other than the vague, 'It was the only way to save everyone', was only known by a select few. "And now I'm here again, trying to figure everything out."

Everything being Adam and Ronan and how he fit in now that he had a forest hidden inside him.

That was something very few people, if anyone, knew.

Declan might have guessed, but Gansey wasn't certain. The eldest Lynch was far more clever than Ronan considered, only seeing Declan as an obstacle instead of other traits.

As Declan set down the food, Gansey placed his messenger bag down carefully, trying to make sure the contents didn't rattle together. He smiled at the thank you, strangely pleased that he'd managed to get a reaction from Declan that wasn't rote politeness and careful smiles. He set down a bulky, paper wrapped parcel, the practical housewarming. A set of eight dinner plates, in four bright colors, two of each one so no one would fight over who could have a certain color. He'd almost bought an odd number, but it seemed like that would remind them both of people who weren't in Haven with them.

The other gift would wait until they'd both relaxed over food and whiskey. Then Gansey wouldn't be so nervous about offering that present to Declan.

Closed - Not Quite an Aglionby Party

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