Ronan feels something similar to relief at Kavinsky's reaction, immediate and visceral. Fighting is so much easier than talking, than dealing with Kavinsky's predictable insults and his own internal bullshit. There's no Gansey to get between them here, and Ronan is grateful, both because he'd never want Gansey to be in literal Hell and because he doesn't want to have to stop.

Kavinsky's hand is on his throat pretty quickly, but he's spent so many years fighting anyone that he could fight, that doesn't matter. He swings again, better thought out this time, if only barely, hoping to connect with the other boy's face. He doesn't care if they beat each other senseless; this is familiar and he can lose himself in it.