[ He'd known they were bickering. He couldn't have not. Ronan's refusal to tell them anything the other day and Noah's disappearance couldn't be more of a coincidence if it tried. Which mean it wasn't.

He watches Ronan for a quiet moment, working through his thoughts. Adam doesn't necessarily believe Matthew should be protected from hard truths the same way he should be protected from the world at large, but as big brother and creator Ronan would obviously see it differently. ]

Maybe it's for the best that he knows now. [ Carefully. ] You've seen how things in this place get. What if Noah's suddenly a ghost again and Matthew had found out we'd been keeping it from him this whole time? I know he's not the most perceptive, but it'd still hurt him then. You can at least help him deal with the fallout while the blow is a little more ... gentle. [ Adam's not as close to either of them, but knowing there's nothing they can do for Noah is hard enough even then. Matthew is clearly attached. ]