chapter 30

So chapter 30

The three sat alone on the green couch, sulking in a low thought that threatened to ruin the silence.

"So what do you guys wanna do?" Percy asked with a smile. As he sat up, he met both their eyes. Wren looked back down at the floor while Ronin tilted his head, a grin creeping up his cheek. Percy began to guess, interrupted as Ronin perked up, "I got an idea..." he said, pushing himself to the edge of the couch before getting to his feet, planting on the cold concrete as he jogged to the stairs with a hand on the railing. Looking back, they both followed with a shared glance, the three hitting the stairs like a drum under their steps, creating a low rumble that could only play the tune of Ronin's plan.

Their silhouettes stood beside Ronin and the aged green car in front of them, parked in the almost empty apartment complex lot. Barely three lights had led them, adding to Ronin's beat he'd begun to create.

His hands were placed on the fogged window, looking inside the dark car with a scrunched expression he held. "Ronin, are you sure we should be doing this?" Percy asked, huddling himself with Wren in a slight shiver, his shoulders arched. Watching as Ronin pulled out a pair of keys from his pocket, scratching the car as he felt their way in, unable to see in the dark, "Yeah, it's cool. Fraser won't mind. He taught me how to drive it," he finished with a grunt as he twisted forcefully, his face lighting up in the window as it opened, throwing himself into the car with a bounce and a cheer of excitement, looking down at the ignition as Wren and Percy got in hesitantly.

"Ronin, are you sure this is safe? Do you have your license, at least your perm—" Ronin interrupted him as his voice grew loud in preparation as he twisted the keys, listening as the car roared to life in a cough. Ronin had hit the ledge before placing his hands on the wheel with a wide smile growing open when they swung out of the parking lot, hitting the curb as they made it to the road with a tight turn and the jump of his foot between the pedals.

"And you're sure Fraser's okay with this?" Percy's voice had tried to speak over the radio that leaked through the windows and spilled out the roof, adding a melody to the night. "It's like you don't trust me or something," Ronin said, looking back at him with a confused expression.

Hit with Percy scrambled to form a sentence, his pitch bouncing off the doors as he pointed to the road, almost turning Ronin around with his shaking arms. "Road, Ronin, road," he said for the third time, taking his glasses off as he wiped his forehead with his hand, leaning on Ronin's seat with his elbow while the other one held Wren close, as she slid on the right turns Ronin seemed to do on purpose.

"Wren, open your window," Ronin's voice sounded again as his eyes met hers in the mirror. Watching as she turned towards the door, Percy's concern growing as she twisted it open, the wind entering the car and the music leaving.

"Now stick your head out," he'd continued, noting her expression that jumped between him and his words, "Just do it," he insisted, talking over Percy who had tried to give his opinion, his head whipping to the side as half of her leaned out the window, her feet adjusting their placement on the leather seats that provided grip. Her voice grew in a shriek of freedom and her mouth opened in the biggest smile as he cut the corner, joining her in the noise. Soon, Percy had lowered his window, joining Wren in the wind that blew off the weeks before and dried the months that got them there.

Ronin's eyes glided to both of them as his smile fell into contemplation, his hand tickling the lever of the window, abrupted as Percy pushed himself back in, yelling his name, watching as his hand flew to the ceiling in stubborn acceptance, and a newly firm hand on the wheel.

The car slowed as they tuned into the small strip. Both the music and their voices had gone quiet, the windows silent as Ronin pulled into a parking spot, jerking the car to a stop, his head hitting back on the rest with a grin that both of them copied when met.

"Wasn't so bad, was it, Percy?" Ronin teased in-between the slurping of his leaking cup, the ice slowly melting as they sat sharing it. Ronin seated on the roof of the car, pulling Wren onto the hood while Percy sat patiently on the curb, observing their interaction with the lens he often relied on. Ronin's voice carried the conversation, Wren joined in when cued, growing safe with them as the night went on.

"So who's Fraser again?" Percy asked, pulling his feet together as he bent over to listen. "Oh, Fraser, he's my friend," Ronin responded quickly, setting the cup next to him as he supported himself on his arms he leaned back on. "You should meet him sometime, he—" Ronin had begun when silenced under Percy's voice, "Is he like your other friends?"

"Fuck no," Ronin scoffed, throwing his empty cup at Percy, watching as he flinched, leaning into the grass behind him before meeting Ronin again. "Fraser isn't like that. He doesn't act like that. He's the coolest guy ever," Ronin insisted with an innocence Percy paid attention to.

"He's not like my dad. He doesn't care if I get mad. He never makes me wait or behave for him. I can't scare him," supporting his words Ronin continued, catching Wren's ears at the last words.

"If you let him, you would understand what I mean. Wh-what I mean... yeah," he almost finished in sorrow, for his voice had grown low, quiet. Hurt.

"I think it's time we go back," he'd slid off the roof, his zipper scratching as he lowered himself, matching their height again while the car loaded within a shared glance. The ride home echoed with silence, not even the radio could sing over, for the words of the night had been the lyrics that built into the song he'd begun to sing.

Again.