Title: Broken

Author: Evil_Little_Dog

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: This is a derivative work, and, as such, I make absolutely no money writing this. Darn the luck.

Summary: Barrington Whelk tried to kill Gansey. Ronan has to get his head around that.

Ronan did his best to look the part of the worst example, with the tattoo licking up his neck, with having stolen his dead father's car, with the racing and the destruction and the scabs and scars he wore like decorations on his body. He'd hold it together only so long, then let it explode out in a conflagration.

He should be the one in the E.R. He knows this.

Gansey shouldn't.

But Gansey is the one who'd had his life threatened. Faced down the barrel of a gun. Broken his thumb punching the gun away. Gansey, who'd already died once. Technically, theoretically, completely dead. Who could've died again and Ronan wasn't sure what he would've done if Whelk had actually killed Gansey. Their Latin teacher, a murderer. Attempted. Pointed a gun at Gansey. Wanted his fucking journal.

Ronan's used to being the one scolded, kept in line, leashed by Gansey, and Gansey could've left him drifting, cold and furious and alone.

Ronan swore with the full command of the languages he knew, slamming his hands against the BMW's steering wheel. When the fury left him - as much as it ever could - he took a deep breath and got out of the car. A strange sensation filled him - the fact he'd get to scold Gansey in turn.

Ronan smiled his knife-sharp smile as he walked through the sliding doors of the E.R. Such is the price of life. Everything would come back and bite you in the ass eventually.

~ end ~