#i imagine that's how all of Rowan and Aelin's kids were | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

morganofthewildfire · 1 year

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You're On Your Own, Kid

Part 3

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CW: mentions of cancer, implications of prostitution, mention of death, implications of child abuse, NSFW,

~ 11k words

it is complete 😭 this story has been quite the ride, and i would love to know what you all think; also, i'm trying to work on the formatting, i don't know why it's been so weird lately

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Now

Rowan groaned as he slowly returned to the waking world, his eyes bleary as he slowly cracked them open.

His whole body felt heavy with exhaustion, and he lifted a tired hand to rub at his face, his other unconsciously searching for the body at his side.

But he found nothing but sheets.

The thought shocked him awake, and he sat up, glancing over to find an empty bed. The cup of water and the pain medication was gone from his nightstand, and the door of his bedroom was open too. Had she -?

He stood up out of bed quickly, finding the shirt he’d abandoned at some point in the night. He didn’t normally sleep in one, so he’d stripped it off while half awake in the middle of the night. Aelin had been sleeping peacefully then.

But where was she now?

His brows were wrought together as he hurried out of his bedroom, hoping for a note or something to signal that she hadn’t just run away. Had she woken up and not known where she was? Had she not remembered last night? Had she gone back to her apartment, to that man she was so intimidated by?

His heart was racing as he hurried out into the living room, only relaxing when he saw Aelin perched on his couch, flipping through channels on the tv.

She was wearing one of his t-shirts, and was sipping on the glass of water as she watched whatever home improvement show she’d ended up on, her golden hair hanging loosely over her shoulders.

“Good morning,” she said, smiling thinly up at him. Her voice was hoarse. “I stole a shirt, I hope you don’t mind.”

Rowan just blinked, shaking his head and clearing his throat. “No,” he answered, “that’s fine.”

He kept staring at her, and eventually she just looked back at the TV, curling her feet up under her. It was so domestic, the sight of her there on his couch that it nearly sent him spiraling, imagining what could’ve been.

But he restrained himself and went to the kitchen to turn on his coffee maker. How else could he start off the day?

“Your mom called earlier, by the way,” her musical voice carried from the living room. “She didn’t leave a message.” He winced, but he couldn’t call her back right now. Not with Aelin finally relaxing in his apartment, a wish that was finally more than a figment of his imagination.

“I’ll make sure to get back to her. Do you want some coffee?” Rowan asked her over his shoulder, fiddling with the machine before reaching the box of mugs he hadn’t unpacked.

“Do you have any cream and sugar? Or am I expected to drink the shit you drink,” Aelin said, a small smile on her face and he chuckled slightly, shaking his head.

“Fair enough,” he said. “Hope you have coffee somewhere else because I do not have any of that sugary monstrosity.”

The kind she always used to drink. Or at least buy from the local coffee shop when they went there after school.

“I’ll just get some from my apartment,” Aelin replied, her gaze focused on the TV. “I don’t know how far away it is but I should probably be getting back.”

Rowan paused in the middle of pouring his own cup.

“What about -“ he started to say.

“Farran?” Aelin said wryly, relaxing back into the couch cushions. “I’ve been dealing with him long enough, he’ll get over the fact that I had one bad night.”

But despite the confident words, her voice wobbled with what sounded like fear.

Rowan clenched his jaw, finishing pouring his cup before moving to sit next to her on the couch. “How are you feeling?” He asked, instead of prying like he wanted to.

“Better,” she rasped. “Thank you, again. I don’t deserve your help.”

He narrowed his eyes at the addendum but didn’t say anything.

“I don’t usually seek out alcohol like that,” she shook her head. “But I needed the escape last night.”

“Hey,” Rowan said with a shrug. “I’m not here to judge, I was there too wasn’t I?” He sighed. “I just don’t want you to be in danger.”

Aelin seemed to be waging a battle within herself as she fought for what to say. A thousand different emotions flew across her face until she sighed, turning to look out the window into the morning sky.

“He was the man in the bar,” she nearly whispered. His heart stopped. “He helped me - start this life. And has reaped the benefits for eight years.” Rowan didn’t say anything, and didn’t move either.

“Say something,” Aelin urged, looking back at him. Her face was vulnerable.

He finally unclenched his jaw, sighing heavily. He shook his head, laughing humorlessly. “Well, I’d really like to go murder him right about now, but I won’t.” He met her nervous gaze.

“Why not?” She asked, her voice hoarse. “That’s not like you.” She smiled.

“It’s about you,” Rowan answered, sipping on his coffee. “Not me. I’m not going to go out there and fulfill my violent need for vengeance and forget your feelings. I’m here for you.”

Aelin’s lips wobbled and she looked away, trying to put those walls of hers back up.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. They sat in silence for a few minutes, the sound of the TV the only thing in the room, before - “I do need to go back though.”

She uncurled her feet and set them down on his carpet. “I have an appointment tonight.”

Rowan just nodded, smiling tightly. “Yeah,” he rasped. “If that’s what you want to do.”

Aelin didn’t answer. And didn’t look at him once as they got ready to leave.

----

Rowan decided to walk her upstairs to her apartment, wanting to make sure that no one was lingering from the night before.

They hadn’t exchanged many words on the taxi ride over there, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was peaceful, and it felt a little bit like old times.

She’d laced a hand into his on the seat in between them, and hadn’t let it go as they’d left the taxi, entering her apartment building and heading into the elevator. And hadn’t said a thing about it.

Neither did he, but as the elevator zoomed up to her floor, he squeezed her hand once. She squeezed back.

And when he chanced a glance over, a small smile was curling on her lips.

At least, until they got onto her floor and stepped out onto the landing, the sight in front of them making both of them freeze.

There…across the hallway…her door was wide open.

He could practically feel Aelin’s heart racing as they walked toward it. He couldn’t deny his was too, his palms sweating as they approached the apartment.

She reached for the door handle, pushing the door open even farther. The lock was busted open, hanging loosely and leaving her apartment free to walk in and out.

“Fuck,” she cursed under her breath as they stepped inside. It was completely trashed.

Dishes had been pulled from cabinets and smashed on the floor, cushions pulled off the couch and books thrown off the shelves. One look into her bedroom revealed her comforter ripped off and clothes thrown out of her closet. The other bedroom door was open too, the red velvet comforter and sheets torn up and her stash of lingerie all over the floor.

Her red silk robe looked like it’d been stomped on or covered in something, the once pristine material completely ruined.

But the worst…

Scrawled out in what looked like lipstick or some sort of makeup taken from her bathroom, covering the wall right over the TV, was the word SLUT.

Rowan couldn’t breathe, and he looked cautiously over to Aelin at his side. Her jaw was clenched and she sighed through her nose.

“He wasn’t very creative,” she admonished sarcastically, “like I haven’t heard that slur before.”. But then her eyes went wide. Rowan watched as she dropped his hand, hurrying toward the room where her piano was.

He hurried after her cautiously, watching from the door as she knelt on the ground, piling up her thrown journals.

“Are they okay?” He asked, and she nodded. Her hands were trembling, showing she was more disturbed by this than she wanted to admit.

“I guess he was upset I wasn’t here,” she said, her voice tight as she stood up, the journals in her hand.

“You shouldn’t stay,” Rowan said carefully, trying to sound convincing but not pushing. Aelin sniffed, nodding without a fight.

“Yeah,” she said, wiping at her eyes before looking over at him. “Can I stay with you?”

He smiled softly, nodding once. “Of course. Always.”

---

Eight Years Ago

Aelin’s hands were trembling. They were shaking so badly her phone was rattling in her hand, her body humming with nerves as she walked down the bleachers. It was dark outside, well into the evening, but summer was creeping up quickly, leaving the air sticky and humid.

It’d been a week after prom, a week after losing her virginity to the best friend that she was undoubtedly in love with, and she’d finally decided to tell him. She couldn’t keep living like this if she didn’t.

She’d debated on when and where to do it, to potentially catastrophically ruin their friendship forever, but she’d decided this would be the best time. It was the spring football game, which was just a scrimmage, but Rowan had clearly been the star of the show, with several great touchdown passes and runs, and it’d been announced that he would be the captain next year. She was so incredibly proud of him and how hard he worked.

And she wanted to tell him that, the right way. With an I Love You.

Aelin had tossed and turned the night before, but she wasn’t sleepy. In fact, she was the opposite of sleepy as she walked down the bleachers, leaving her safe haven in the top corner and entering the mob. The spring game was relatively inconsequential, but it always attracted a huge crowd, and she saw a lot of her fellow juniors throughout the pack of people.

It was loud, with unnecessary celebration, and she caught glimpses of various plans to go out and party, either downtown with fake IDs or at some various seniors' houses. Aelin, of course, wasn’t invited. But Rowan was sure to be.

She just had to catch him before he left.

Not that he’d leave without seeing her, right?

Aelin glanced around, searching for a shock of silver hair. She couldn’t see him where the other football players were emerging, greeting girlfriends and friends and parents. It was hectic, and busy, and her heart was racing with a bit of panic as she began maneuvering through the crowd.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Remelle’s whole gaggle of girls, and she glanced away quickly, heading in the opposite direction. She was not in the mood to deal with them, especially after successfully avoiding all of them for the week since prom.

She’d actually missed class two days that week, holding herself up in her room to write music instead. She’d had too many emotions to spill after her night with Rowan, too much eating away at her to ignore in favor of mindless lectures. Arobynn hadn’t given a damn, and she’d just avoided him too. It’d been twenty six days since her last bruise, and she was determined to extend the record.

“Looking for Rowan?” A voice reached her ears, and Aelin turned, seeing Kaltain Rompier leaning against the fence, tilting her head at her. She was one of Remelle’s best friends, and Aelin looked at her warily but nodded. “He’s down that way,” Kaltain said, gesturing toward the fence line, going around behind the concessions building.

“Thanks,” she said after hesitating a moment, slowly turning to head that way. She didn’t trust any of them, but she really wanted to find Rowan.

She wished it was cold so she could have a jacket to hug around herself as she headed down the sidewalk, maneuvering through the crowd to get behind the concessions stand.

Her fingers tapped an idle melody as she got closer and closer, her sneakers hitting the concrete with each step.

Her heart was racing, full of nerves and anticipation as she finally rounded the corner, the words nearly bursting from her lips. But then she stopped, nearly tripping over her own feet.

She couldn’t believe her eyes.

There…was Rowan still in his football uniform, leaning against the brick wall of the concessions building, with - with Remelle leaning up against him. She watched, sharp nausea racing through her as Remelle leaned up, pressing a kiss to Rowan’s lips. Lips that Aelin had kissed just the week before.

Gods, she was going to throw up. Why her? Of all people, why her?

Aelin had known it was unlikely Rowan would care for her the same way she cared for him, she’d known that and still decided it was worth taking that risk. But now… this just proved that he really didn’t care about her at all.

He said she was his best friend, he spoke those pretty words and acted like she mattered to him. But if he did, how could he do this?

She pressed her lips tightly together to try and stop the trembling, trying not to cry at the sight in front of her.

It was only then that Remelle pulled back, turning to smirk at Aelin, who she clearly spotted down at the other end. Rowan looked then, his eyes widening as he saw her there. He opened his mouth to say something, but she didn’t give him the chance.

Instead, she ran.

Aelin turned on her heels, bolting from the entire football stadium. It was too crowded to sprint outright, but she walked as quickly as possible, wiping at the tears falling down her cheeks.

“Aelin!” She heard Rowan call after her, and she sped up, fighting to get away from him. Footsteps pounded against the concrete, and she knew he was chasing after her.

She didn’t stop and let him catch up, instead running out toward the parking lot and down toward the street. But by the time she got there, there was a hand on her arm, tugging her to a stop.

Aelin ripped away from his grasp, turning around with wide eyes, breaths heavy. Rowan had his hands up, taking a step away from her.

“What,” she spit, wiping her face roughly. “What do you want.”

“Aelin,” he breathed lightly, and she glanced away, blinking away the tears. “You didn’t see what you thought you saw.”

She laughed drily, shaking her head. “It doesn’t matter,” she said, “it doesn’t matter.” He looked like he was going to argue, but thought better of it.

Because it didn’t matter. Because no matter what she’d tried to convince herself, he was never going to love her back. No one ever would. So why the fuck did it even matter who he was involved with?

He just didn’t fucking care anyway.

“I’m so done with it all,” Aelin said, shaking her head and staring off into the street. “I’m so done.”

She could practically hear Rowan stiffen. “Done with what?” He asked, his voice careful.

“I don’t want to be here,” she admitted, the distance between them feeling larger than ever. It was quieter out here than in the stadium, too quiet.

“At the game?” He asked, and she laughed once.

“Here, at home,” she shrugged, “anywhere.” The words settled in her gut with a heavy clunk, feeling somehow inevitable and yet freeing. Because it was true.

She closed her eyes, a tear slipping down her cheek. She could feel Rowan step closer.

“Aelin,” he said, his hand suddenly gently cupping her cheek. Aelin couldn’t stop herself from leaning into it. “I -” he hesitated, and she hated how she clung to his words, hoping for scraps of affection. “I’m sorry.”

With those words, something settled in her, and she stepped away from him, finally opening her eyes and looking up at him. His green eyes were filled with emotion, his sweaty hair plastered on his forehead.

He was so beautiful. And she knew she’d never be able to forget him, but she couldn’t stay.

“I’m leaving,” she whispered, the decision settling through her veins.

“What?” He asked warily, and she nodded.

“I’m leaving,” she repeated, tucking her hair behind her ears.

“The game?” Rowan asked carefully, like he knew the truth and didn’t want to admit it.

“Perranth,” she corrected, smiling sadly. “I’m leaving Perranth.”

“But -” he said, stepping toward her. She stepped back. “You can’t leave.” He shook his head, panic flashing across his face.

“I have to,” she said, her voice tight with unshed tears. “I can’t stay here, I need you to understand.”

“I -” he said, shaking his head. “I can’t.”

“Goodbye, Rowan,” she said lightly, ignoring his devastated face. She couldn’t keep up the nerve to do it if she looked at him. So all she did was step forward, kissing his cheek briefly, relishing in the feel of his skin under her lips.

But then she turned away, not letting him stop her as she headed toward the street.

But he didn’t even try, and that just told her that this was the right decision. That for once, she needed to do something for herself.

So she left him standing there, barely remembering the walk home. Arobynn was passed out on the couch, and she just brushed past him up the stairs, grabbing a duffel bag and throwing things in there.

All she could fit was a few outfits and some toiletries, but it was enough. And soon enough she was sneaking back downstairs and into Arobynn’s room, quietly opening his top drawer and digging out his wallet. She pulled out all of the cash in it, tucking it into her pocket and heading out of his room, tiptoeing past him and back out the front door.

She hailed a taxi easily, giving the driver her destination. Rifthold.

Then they were off, and she settled with a sigh into her seat, leaning her head against the window. Tears fell down her face as she watched Perranth sweep past her, the city she’d lived in for nearly a decade. The city she’d grown up in, the city she’d fallen in love in, the city she’d hurt in.

It was finally time to leave.

-----

Now

Aelin gathered a bag of things and then they headed back to Rowan’s apartment. Luckily it was a Saturday, so he didn’t have to go into the office.

It was strange - for the weeks leading up to his move it’d been all about work and about his mom. And now that he was actually here, it was all about Aelin.

In fact, he hadn’t spoken to his mom in a few days, which he felt nauseous about. He’d been so overwhelmed, he hadn’t been able to properly check in. He would soon.

But, no work meant he was able to stick with Aelin as they went back to his apartment. He’d urged her to just take his bedroom, not knowing how long she would need to be here, but she hasn’t responded. In fact- she’d barely spoken at all, besides refusing to report the break in to the police.

I’m a prostitute, Rowan. She’d said, breaking his heart with the finality of it. Any interaction with the police is not going to end well for me.

He hadn’t known how to reply, so he just didn’t.

Instead, he’d gone out to go pick them up some food for lunch, and they’d had a quiet afternoon in. A really quiet one.

Rowan wasn’t going to force her into any conversation, instead just enjoying her presence. And it seemed she was doing the same. In fact, later that evening, when they’d curled up on the couch next to each other, she’d even leaned her head on his shoulder. He’d frozen at first, but relaxed, and tucked his arm cautiously around her.

They had changed into her comfortable clothes, her in a tank top and sweatpants and him in a t-shirt and joggers, and it all just felt so…normal.

“Does it feel weird?” Aelin asked suddenly, turning to look up at him slightly. “After eight years?”

He looked back down at her, smiling softly. “Even after eight years, I still care for you.”

For reasons he didn’t understand, her face fell, and she looked away, even moving to sit up slightly, letting his arm fall behind her.

“Yeah,” she said quietly, with an obviously forced smile. “I bet.”

He furrowed his brows, but she didn’t add anything more, instead just reaching for something on the coffee table. She returned with the scrapbook he’d abandoned days before, and when she leaned back against the couch, the space between them felt like miles.

Rowan cleared his throat, reaching for the TV remote and flipping through random channels as he let her reminisce, or whatever she was doing, in private. His skin was prickling with discomfort, dissatisfied at the distance between them. Both physical, and now emotional.

He didn’t understand her like he used to. Or… a truth that hurt… maybe he’d never understood her at all.

How many times had she faked a smile? How many times had she lied? He thought he understood all of her struggles, and maybe he had, but did he ever really comprehend how much she was hurting?

The kind of pain she seemed to be facing now didn’t seem recent. It seemed deep. Was it just the pain of her new “career”? Or was it something - more?

Whatever it was, Rowan wanted to be there for her. He wanted to be there to make up for all of the times he wasn’t. All of the times she’d showed up at his house, a bruise on her face that she tried to cover but failed. All of the times she’d hid her tears because of some asshole at school, and he’d just brushed it aside in his search for his own popularity. Even that damned night he’d gotten high, indulging himself to escape his own troubles when really, that night was supposed to be about her.

He wanted her to be comfortable sharing her burdens with him. He wanted to be there to help her lighten the load. He wanted to be there to comfort her, to be a shoulder to cry on. He wanted her to let him…love her.

Holy shit.

He loved her.

He loved her. Of course he did. How could he not?

Rowan was sure his face was pale as death as he fought through the onslaught of emotions.

But before he could process the alarming realization, he heard a sharp gasp. Ever so slowly, he turned his head, seeing Aelin on the couch next to him, her eyes glued to the red and gold friendship bracelet in her hand. The scrapbook was flipped to the last page and abandoned on the coffee table, the little pocket hanging open in the back.

“Why do you still have this?” Aelin asked, and in his haze, his utter frozenness, he blurted out yet another deluded thing.

“My mom kept it,” Rowan said flatly, his eyes wide. Her face just tightened even more. “You don’t have yours, do you?”

Her nostrils flared, and he could feel the crackle of the raging storm of her temper as she pushed herself to a stand, heading into the kitchen and roughly grabbing the top journal on the stack she’d left on the counter earlier that day. She flipped through the pages roughly, before pulling out a familiar bracelet of green and silver.

“Yes,” she spit, “I still have it.” She shook her head. “I never got rid of it, but I see it was just a second thought to you. Just like I always was.”

Oh gods.

“Aelin…” he trailed off, his voice a whisper. “I -”

“No,” she cut off, shaking her head. Her hands were clenched around the bracelet. “You don’t get to make excuses now, Rowan. I have sat by for years, waiting for you to finally put me first.” She shook her head again. “It was football, and then it was popularity, and then it was girls, and so much other stuff, and I just got dragged along.” Her voice was so full of emotion, his heart was absolutely breaking.

But he couldn’t interrupt her now, not when she was clearly saying what she’d been holding in for years. Even if he was absolutely bursting with the need to confess.

“And I don’t blame you, I never wanted to hold you back, you didn’t deserve that. But - you were my only friend,” Aelin said weakly, her blue eyes glistening in the low kitchen light. “You were the only one who was ever there for me. But even then… you weren’t.”

“Aelin, I-” he tried again, but she cut him off.

“I stood by your side,” she continued, “I was there for you. I supported you. And you threw it back in my face by kissing the girl who terrorized me, who made my life at school hell.” She spit the last word. “But you didn’t care, because you were Mr. Popular. And I was just the little charity case you didn’t need anymore.”

“I didn’t kiss her,” Rowan said, needing to interrupt there. He shook his head aggressively. Aelin’s brows were furrowed, but her jaw was clenched, holding her ground. “I know what it looked like, and I can’t make excuses for my other behavior, but I did not kiss her. She came up to me after the game, I was looking for you. She cornered me, and I was trying to get away when she pushed me against the wall and kissed me.”

This time, his voice shook. “We were best friends, Aelin,” he continued. “You really think I would do that to you?” It hurt to think so. Even though he’d known for eight years that the sight had hurt her.

“It doesn’t matter,” Aelin said, though her voice shook, betraying the truth. It did matter. Because that was when she’d decided to leave. “It doesn’t change that you didn’t treat me like a best friend. It doesn’t change that I’ve always been on my own. It doesn’t change anyth-”

“I love you,” Rowan suddenly blurted out, the words escaping him before he could decide if it was a good idea or not. “And I’m so so sorry for not being there when you needed me, but I’m here now. And,” he sucked in a shaky breath. “I love you.”

But her face was as pale as death, her head shaking back and forth slowly like she couldn’t quite believe it.

“No,” she repeated, her voice shaky. “No.”

“No?” He pressed, taking a step closer. “No, I don’t love you?”

She backed away, and the move hurt him more than he was expecting. She looked like she’d seen a ghost.

“No,” she said one more time. “You can’t. You don’t get to.” Her lips were trembling. “Not when I’ve spent the last fifteen years of my life loving you.” She pressed a hand to her chest like she could contain the emotions. “Fifteen years of feeling like I’m not good enough, that I’m not enough for you.”

His mind had gone completely blank. He couldn’t hear. He could barely see. All of his senses had focused in on this stunningly strong woman in front of him. His best friend. The love of his life.

He understood now.

Rowan cautiously took a step forward, and this time she didn’t step back.

“I don’t know how I didn’t realize before now,” he said, his voice unsteady. A rebellious tear dripped down her cheek, her golden hair curtaining over her shoulders. “How I didn’t realize how much you meant to me, how much I loved you.”

“It can’t be true,” she whispered, another tear falling down her golden skin.

“It is,” Rowan said softly back, a tear slipping down his own face. “It is. I’m so sorry for all of the years I didn’t know.” He took another step.

“You told me our first time didn’t mean anything,” she said, tears streaming down her face now. “Do you know how much that hurt?” A sob escaped her, and Rowan fell to his knees in front of her, grabbing her hands.

“I know, and I am so sorry,” he said, his own voice thick with tears. “I think even back then I must’ve known deep down how much you meant to me. But I was too scared I’d turn out like my dad and mess it all up, so I just buried it even deeper.” He could taste the saltiness. “You deserve so much more than that, you deserve so much more than me.”

“Rowan,” she breathed, her voice tight with emotion. The hands he still held came up to cup his cheeks. “I don’t deserve you. I never have. Especially now.”

He stood up then, leaning down to press their foreheads together. Aelin’s beautiful eyes closed, more tears slipping off of her dark lashes.

“Fireheart,” he said, quietly but firmly, needing her to understand. “You are the strongest person I’ve ever known. The most caring person I’ve ever known. The most trusting, the most loving, the funniest, the warmest...” He placed a quick kiss on her forehead. “You’re beautiful, but it’s who you are that drew me to you that day on the playground. It’s who you are that kept me by your side for ten years. It’s who you are that makes me love you.”

Aelin sniffed, finally cracking open those eyes and looking up at him. Blue met green, and while everything had changed - somehow nothing had.

“You love me?” She whispered after a moment, and he lifted a hand to her cheek, brushing away fallen tears with his thumb.

“To whatever end,” he replied, the words a quiet promise in the air between them. “You love me?”

She laughed wetly, beaming up at him. “To whatever end.”

He tenderly brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, his heart bursting with both the realization of how deep his feelings went and the fact that those feelings were returned.

“Can I kiss you?” Rowan asked, and she smiled coyly up at him.

“I don’t know, can you?” She teased, and he chuckled, nudging his nose against hers before tilting his head down just that little bit more to capture her lips in a soft kiss.

Aelin sighed into it, their lips sliding slowly against each other in a whisper of a kiss. But then she nipped at his lip and he deepened it, pressing closer to her body. Her hands crept up to his shoulders and he grabbed her waist, pulling her closer.

Her hands clutched the material of his t-shirt, and he tilted his head to the side, brushing his tongue across her lower lip. She opened his mouth for him and he swept his tongue through it, getting a taste of her for the first time in eight years.

But back then, they’d both been kids, fumbling through their first time. It was different now.

He slipped a hand under her tank top, feeling the warm skin of her stomach and back as they kissed slowly, decadently.

Aelin was the first to take a step further, tugging off his shirt. His bare chest was out, but he didn’t feel self conscious, especially at the small sigh of want she let out at the right.

Rowan wasn’t modest, he worked out and he knew he looked good. But he was still a lot more exposed than he was used to.

He took the opportunity of their broken kiss to place kisses onto her neck, sucking and nibbling and breathing her in. His hands snuck farther up her tank top, thumb brushing the underside of her breast.

“Aelin,” he groaned into her neck, and her breath hitched. At that, he moved both his hands to grab her thighs, hoisting her into his arms in one easy motion. She clutched around his neck, moving her lips to claim his in a searing kiss as he carried her into his bedroom.

Rowan laid her down on his bed carefully, climbing up to cover her. He was about to return to kissing her when she hesitated. He immediately stopped too.

“Is everything okay?” He asked, brows furrowed. “We can stop if you want.”

“No I don’t, but - Rowan, I -” her cheeks were flaming scarlet, just like they’d been that first time. But for a different reason now. “I’m not whole anymore.” Her voice was nearly a whisper. “I’m not like last time, I’m… ruine-”

“Don’t even finish that,” Rowan interrupted, brushing hair off of her face. She looked so beautiful, with her hair sprawled around her on the pillow, her face and neck flushed, her eyes wide. Even if he wanted to wipe that fear away. “I don’t care about anything in your past, that changes nothing. The only thing it’s changed is me wanting to kill someone for the first time in my life,” he chuckled humorlessly, and she gnawed on her lip. “Well, the second time.” Arobynn.

He shook his head, meeting her eyes. “But that’s not the point,” he continued. “Nothing could change the way I feel about you,” he said softly. “Nothing is going to make me stop loving you, okay? Now let me show you.”

Aelin considered for a moment before nodding slowly, her lips trembling.

“I’ve had a lot of practice,” she said wryly, a hesitant and self-deprecating smile on her lips. “Think you can keep up?”

Rowan chuckled darkly, nipping at the underside of her jaw. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.”

To prove his point, he began kissing down her throat, down her collarbone and down her chest, before pushing up her tank top with his hands, moving down to kiss the revealed skin of her stomach. She was gasping as he laved at her stomach, his hands dragging along her hips to begin pulling down her sweatpants.

Aelin helped him, kicking them off, before opening her legs for him to lay between.

“Rowan,” she moaned as he pressed a kiss to her underwear, right over her clit, darting out his tongue to tease her through the fabric. “Stop teasing,” she complained, tugging at his hair, and he huffed a chuckle, the feeling of his breath making her toes curl in the sheets.

He obeyed her order, pulling down her underwear to devour her fully, groaning at the taste of her as he put his mouth against her. He didn’t hold back, but already right away she was ready to fall apart. Cynically, Rowan wondered if anyone had ever done this before.

Besides that first time with him, had she ever done this out of her own desire? For her own pleasure?

The thought both saddened him and made him more determined to make her feel good.

Quickly enough, she was shattering beneath his mouth, and he lapped up the taste of her before she was tugging at his hair, dragging him up to kiss her.

Rowan groaned into the kiss, tugging at his own clothes before ridding her of her tank top, massaging a breast.

“I need you,” she panted, breaking the kiss, and he reached into his nightstand quickly, pulling out a condom and getting himself ready. Soon enough, he was lining up, both of them sucking in a breath as he pushed into her heat.

He waited for a minute, until she nodded, and then he began moving. It was like last time, but it wasn’t, but it was just as overwhelming, noises escaping him that he’d normally be embarrassed about if she wasn’t making just as much noise back.

She wrapped a leg around his waist, pulling their bodies somehow even closer, and claimed his lips for a frenzied kiss as they neared that edge together. With each pull and thrust they got closer and closer to that cliff, falling into the throes of pleasure at almost the same time.

“Aelin,” he groaned into her neck as he shuddered through his climax, her body clenching around him deliciously as she broke too, moaning into the humid bedroom air.

They were both panting as they came down, and he was smiling as he pulled out gently, disposing of the condom and coming back to bed as fast as possible. He tugged Aelin into his arms, pressing a flurry of kisses to her temple.

“I love you,” he breathed into her ear, her eyes already closing. So were his, his body falling into the grasp of sleep, but not soon enough he couldn’t hear those precious words whispered back.

“I love you, too.”

-----

Eight Years Ago

She’d been drifting through the city for the few days since she’d gotten there, the taxi having dropped her off on a random street. Aelin had used the meager money she’d stolen from Arobynn, renting a cheap motel for a few nights and buying food until it ran out. She was left with a few measly dollars, but completely unmotivated to do anything to get more.

There wasn’t much she could do anyway.

She didn’t have a resume, she’d never even had a job before. Plus, she didn’t have a legal address, nor did she know how to interview for anything.

It was fine, she’d figure it out.

But for now, she was wandering.

Rifthold was dark and yet still crowded, with nearly piles of people out on the street, laughing and talking and wandering around from dimly lit building to dimly lit building. Aelin wasn’t sure what side of the city she was on, but it certainly wasn’t downtown. The buildings were big and close together, but it wasn’t full of skyscrapers full of offices, with businessmen streaming in and out.

That was for the day, this part was for the night.

It was loud, and no one noticed the seventeen year old girl slipping by, glancing around at all of the what she assumed were bars and lounges of sorts as she passed. She was a nobody here, and she craved that anonymity. She could be anyone, not a girl from a podunk town, with a guardian who hit her and a best friend who’d never spare her a second glance.

Pathetic, she was pathetic.

But she didn’t have to be.

She could be anyone, do anything, and that thought carried her as she wandered down further toward a side alley. There was a lilting piano playing, barely audible above the raucous cheers, and unconsciously she searched for the source of the noise. Aelin didn’t pay much attention to where it took her, but she vaguely recognized she was stepping foot into some sort of lounge.

Glancing around, she took it in, barely across the threshold, but she couldn’t see the piano so she hesitantly stepped further in. There was a haze of smoke around the whole room, and she had to step down a few stairs to get onto the main floor, which was filled with various low lying booths and couches, which were all filled with men smoking cigars and drinking, waitresses and women flitting about in types of outfits she’d never seen before.

It was decently noisy in there, just like it was on the street, but it was full of a different kind of chaos. Illicit chaos. And she didn’t even think she was seeing it all.

Her heart beating a little faster, she wandered over toward the side of the room, eying the piano in the back. She was extremely underdressed, with her jeans and the zip up jacket she was holding tight around herself, her dirty sneakers making marks on the sleek floor.

There was a young woman sitting at the piano, and Aelin was enchanted by the music coming from it. Aelin wanted to play, desperately; she could practically feel her fingers vibrating with the need to join in and create those lilting melodies.

But she just stood there, bathing in the scene of forbiddenness, stepping foot into a new world.

“That’s quite the outfit,” a deep voice said, and she glanced over her shoulder, seeing an older brunette man who’d sidled up to her side. He was fairly handsome, and looked rich, but there was something in his eyes that made her skin crawl.

“I just came in,” she said, shifting a bit. “I don’t know what I’m doing here.”

It was the truth, but maybe she shouldn’t have said it.

“How old are you?” The man asked, and maybe this time she should’ve said the truth, but she didn’t.

“Eighteen,” she lied, after a moment of hesitation. She watched him warily, but he just nodded in contemplation, his hands in his pockets.

“Want a drink?” He asked, gesturing over to the bar, and Aelin thought for a moment before nodding. She followed him as he walked over there, but didn’t hear what he’d ordered for her, and didn’t know what it was as he handed it to her. It was just amber liquid in a crystal glass, and she took a deep breath before taking a sip, coughing as it burned her throat.

“Gods,” she said, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. The man just chuckled a little bit.

“Too much?” He asked, raising a dark brow, and she almost said yes; she’d never drank before after all. But - Rowan’s face flashed in her mind, kissing that other girl, kissing Remelle. They were all right about her, she was too much of a child. She nearly spit at the thought.

She didn’t have to be.

She forced a smile on her lips, taking another sip and forcing herself not to choke on it.

“No, this is perfect.”

He smiled back at her, and she sipped at the horrid drink, feeling the heat racing through her. Aelin looked back at the piano, humming a bit to the music as the man came up to stand next to her.

“So, where are you from?” He asked, leaning into her space and nearly murmuring the words into her ear. His free hand twirled with a loose piece of her hair. “I’m assuming not from Rifthold?”

Aelin shook her head, holding the drink close to her lips. “I’m from Terrasen.”

“Ah,” he said, a bit playfully. “So that is an accent I hear.”

Her cheeks warmed and she tucked her bottom lip into her mouth, enjoying the attention of an actual grown up. It didn’t matter that he was at least fifteen years older than her, if not more. He was older than Rowan.

“Terrasen born and raised,” she said, leaning in a bit closer, looking up through her eyelashes like she knew girls did to make themselves more appealing. To look sexier.

They were so close she could feel the heat from his body, and there were weird things going on in her body too. She wasn’t sure it was arousal, more of a strange sense of determination? An urge to prove herself?

To shove it in Rowan’s face and try to erase the touch he’d left on her skin?

Maybe that was why, when he invited her back to his hotel room for some quiet, she said yes. Maybe that was why, when he sat down next to her on the couch in the suite, she didn’t lean away. And maybe that was why, when he captured her lips in a kiss, pulling off her jacket roughly, she gave in. She gave him everything.

She awoke the next morning in an unfamiliar hotel room, tucked under the white comforter with no clothes on, sore in an unfamiliar way.

Rowan had been gentle, this man had not. But she didn’t regret it.

He was nowhere to be found as she stood out of bed, pulling her clothes on efficiently, and she was grateful for it as she roughly combed out her hair. Especially as her face fell when her gaze landed on the dresser, seeing a paper with a phone number, and a stack of twenties clearly left for her.

Was that what that had been? A transaction?

It made her feel incredibly dirty, and her lips trembled as she stared at the evidence of what she’d done. But soon enough, she pushed her dignity aside and grabbed the money.

And so began her new life.

-------

Now

Rowan woke up the next morning to soft kisses. He’d fallen asleep behind Aelin, but now she’d turned around in his arms, placing fluttering kisses to his bare shoulder. A lazy smile curled on his lips, and he hummed tiredly, tightening his arms around her.

Both of them were still naked, so he could feel all of her smooth skin beneath his touch.

His eyes cracked open slightly, and all he could see was golden hair. He kissed her head, stretching out his legs like a cat and pulling her closer.

“Hi,” he rasped, and she stopped her kissing, smiling softly back at him.

“Hi,” she said, and Rowan couldn’t stop from staring at her. She looked like an angel, with her golden hair mussed around her head on the pillow like a halo, her skin glowing in the soft sunlight creeping in through the window, her blue eyes hazy from sleep but bright.

She was his angel.

“I like waking up to you,” he said, finding her hand under the sheets and lifting it to kiss gently. Aelin smiled shyly, glancing away. But she harnessed every inch of her bravado as she replied -

“Who wouldn’t?”

He chuckled, using his grip on her to roll them both so he was on his back, her head on his chest. Rowan toyed with a strand of her hair, combing his fingers through the loose strands.

“I love you,” she murmured softly, and a beam grew on his face.

“I love you, too,” he said, just as softly. One hand remained in her hair, the other caressing her lower back lightly, his thumb brushing against her spine.

They fell back into silence after that, Aelin’s eyes falling shut. She wasn’t sleeping, just taking in the moment, and he was doing the same. He never thought they’d get to this point. If someone had told him only a few weeks ago that he’d be in bed with his former best friend, waking up naked after sleeping together the night before, in love, he would’ve told them they were insane.

“Why did you take off the bracelet?” Aelin’s voice rang quietly through the still morning air. Her eyes were still closed.

Rowan’s brows furrowed, but he answered honestly. “I was hurt,” he said. “You’d left and I was young, and I didn’t know how to process my feelings so I reacted with anger. My mom saved it for me.”

“No,” Aelin said, holding herself up on her elbows on his chest, finally looking at him. Her gaze was a little stiffer, but not accusing. “Not that time. Before that.”

“When?” Rowan asked, going back through his head and trying to remember when he’d ever taken it off.

“The sleepover,” she said lightly, her eyes a little sad. “When you came home high, I was in your room and I found it on your nightstand.”

Understanding washed through him, and instead of panicking, he just let out a light chuckle. Aelin’s eyes went cold, and that made him panic, so he rushed to clarify.

“Remember that horrible rainstorm the day before?” He asked, lifting one hand to caress her jawline. She nodded hesitantly. “Well,” he laughed again. “This is embarrassing, but it was all muddy out at the football field that night and I completely face planted at practice. My mom made me take it off so she could clean it, but I put it right back on after you left that day. I didn’t realize you’d seen it.”

Understanding filled her face and she shook her head, laughing slightly. She buried her head in his chest.

“I should’ve just asked,” she said, propping her chin up to meet his eyes. “It would’ve saved me a lot of trouble.”

Rowan looked at her fondly, turning to kiss her wrist when she ran her fingers through his hair. “We made it back to each other,” he said, “I wish it’d been sooner, but I’m just so grateful for the chance now.” Aelin just hummed in response, cuddling back into him. “And I know we still have plenty to talk about -” more baggage from their past, more about what happened to her, more about what Aelin wanted to do now, but they’d have time for that in a little bit. “But right now I just want to kiss you.”

She looked back up, a devious smile on her pink lips, and leaned up to press a slow but deep kiss to his lips.

Rowan’s eyes fluttered closed, his hands gripping her hips as they kissed decadently, relaxing into the feeling.

Her hair draped over her shoulders, tickling his neck until he rolled them over, settling between her hips. He could feel himself getting hard, pressing against her, and their movements were getting more frenzied, about to pick up where they left off last night until -

His phone rang.

He paused as the sound rang out, but eventually continued kissing her neck. He’d look at it later. They were back to where they were before as the phone rang out, but it just started again.

Rowan groaned, but pulled back, reaching for it. “One second,” he told Aelin, who just smiled up at him from his pillows. Gods, he just wanted to devour her.

But the feeling quickly went away as he answered the phone. “This is Rowan Whitethorn,” he answered, sitting back. His face drained as he listened to the voice on the other end, and he didn’t know how to comprehend any of it as the other person hung up.

Clearing his throat, he set his phone back on his nightstand, looking down at Aelin, who’s brows were furrowed.

But he was still in shock as he said, “My mom’s in the hospital.”

------

Rowan had driven to Rifthold from Perranth just a few weeks ago, but on this trip back, he took the train.

There was no direct flight there, but the train was sufficiently faster than a car, though not nearly fast enough. The nurse hadn’t given him any information over the phone, just telling him that his mom had been admitted overnight and he ought to come by.

His leg had been jiggling from nerves the entire ride there.

The only soothing presence had been Aelin, sitting in the seat next to him. Rowan hadn’t insisted she come, she had. The moment he started getting ready to leave, she’d done the same, not letting him say a word about it.

But he appreciated the support.

He tried to give her support right back, especially as the train pulled into the Perranth station and she reentered her hometown for the first time in eight years.

“Are you okay?” Rowan asked her as they stepped out of the taxi that’d arrived at the hospital, squeezing her hand once. She smiled tightly, nodding once. Her tension was clear.

“I’m okay,” she answered, before directing the question back at him. “What about you?”

He loosed a heavy breath, looking up at the hospital in front of him. “Let’s go see.”

Neither of them said another word as they entered the hospital, those glass doors sliding open for them. He’d been here too many times recently, and though the last time had only been a few weeks ago, it felt like ages. He’d hoped it’d be ages.

But here he was again.

He gripped Aelin’s hand tightly as they walked up to the receptionist’s desk.

“Lianna Whitethorn’s room, please?” He asked, his voice tight. “I was called this morning.”

“Just right down the hall that way,” the young receptionist pointed, her voice light. “She’s the third room on the right.”

It was a small hospital, but was actually very celebrated for its cancer research and care, which worked well for Rowan and his mom. She was able to get good care, while still being in her home.

“Thanks,” he said, barely a hiss of air through his teeth, before heading in the direction she’d pointed in. Aelin followed close behind, hands still interlocked.

His heart was pounding as he walked toward the room, even more so as he reached the door, his brain imagining the worst possible scenario. It’d spread, the tumors had grown, she wasn’t going to make it, she was going to leave him.

Rowan didn’t know what he’d do without her.

“I’ll wait out here,” Aelin said, shocking him, but when he turned to face her, he could see her own nerves written all over her face. She was scared, he realized. Scared to see the woman she’d come to regard as her own sort of mother figure, scared of judgment.

She should know his mom would never judge her for what had happened, but Aelin’s own self hate was probably so deeply ingrained she couldn’t understand that.

Meeting her again would probably help. But he’d give her some time to prepare herself.

“Okay,” Rowan said, smiling thinly. “I’ll come get you in a minute.” He didn’t give her a chance to protest before pushing open the door.

His mom was laying in the hospital bed, a sight Rowan despised, but she didn’t look nearly as bad as his nightmares had convinced him.

“Hey mom,” he said softly, letting the door close behind him. “How are you feeling?”

His mom’s green eyes snapped open, and she smiled at him as he went to sit down in the chair next to her bed.

“Never better,” she answered, her voice weak. Rowan could feel hot tears threatening to spill.

“What happened?” He asked, “your next appointment wasn’t for another few weeks.” His mom shrugged.

“The nurse could tell you the proper medical blah blah blah,” she answered, “but it’s just side effects from the chemo. I got really dizzy last night, my heart racing, and you always insist I should just be careful and not hesitate to go get checked out, so I listened to your advice.”

He loosed a relieved breath, grabbing his mom’s hand and kissing it quickly. “I’m glad you listened to me,” Rowan said, chuckling a little to keep away the heaviness in the room. “But you called Lorcan too, right? If something serious had happened I wouldn’t be able to get here in time.”

The thought saddened him, but it was a sacrifice he’d had to consider. Besides, he trusted Lorcan to take care of her until he could get back to Perranth. The two had become pretty close while he and Rowan were in law school together, probably due to Lorcan losing his own mom rather young.

That’s what Lianna Whitethorn did; she helped out anyone who needed the comfort of a mother.

“Lorcan’s here already,” his mom answered, gesturing to the door, “talking with the nurse.” Then she smiled a little mischievously. “I just figured a call from the hospital would shake you up a bit, you weren’t answering my calls after all.”

Rowan let out a short laugh, tears in his eyes. “You think?” He said, smiling wetly. “I’ve been panicking the whole day.”

“It’s good for you,” his mom teased. “Now, who is that you brought with you, loitering out in the hallway?” She asked, in a tone that showed she already knew. Or at least suspected.

Rowan’s smile grew, and he stood up, heading toward the door. “I’ll show you.”

He slipped out of the room back into the hallway, finding Aelin leaning against the wall, her eyes closed. He’d say she looked peaceful, if not for the way her hands were shaking.

“Come on,” he said softly, reaching for one of them.

“Rowan, I-” she said, shaking her head, but he just leaned in and kissed her softly.

“Just take a chance,” Rowan whispered, before kissing her temple. “Okay?” Aelin sniffed, but nodded, letting him guide her toward the door.

Her grip on his hand was like steel as he opened the door, following close behind him as they both entered the room, almost like she was trying to hide behind his body. But his mom’s eyes immediately snapped to Aelin, her face settling into an expression of fondness. He didn’t think he was mistaken when he saw tears in her eyes.

“Hey sweetheart,” she whispered, voice full of emotion. Rowan nudged Aelin in front of him gently, but didn’t let go of her hand. His mom looked at their grasp on each other knowingly, and he couldn’t hide his smile.

“Hey Mrs. Whitethorn,” Aelin said just as softly, her voice tight likely from unshed tears.

“It’s nice to see you,” his mom said, smiling at her fondly. “I’m assuming it’s you that’s been keeping My Rowan so busy?”

Aelin chuckled a little bit, ducking her head down. But she actually let go of Rowan’s hand, moving carefully to go sit down in the chair he’d abandoned earlier.

“He’s easily distracted,” she teased, shooting him a small grin, and Rowan winked at her.

“Don’t I know it,” his mom added, and as much as Rowan would love to witness the rest of this conversation, he also wanted to give them some space. So he just walked over, carefully kissing the two most important women in his life on the cheek before pushing open the door, heading out to the hallway.

Maybe he’d go find the doctor, try and get a little more information about her condition. But before he could, he came across Lorcan, who was heading back down the hallway, a steaming cup of coffee in hand.

“Hey man,” the brunette said, lifting the coffee in a welcoming gesture. “Glad you made it alright.”

They paused in the hallway, only a little bit away from his mom’s hospital room. “Yeah,” Rowan said, sticking his hands in his pockets, messing with the two familiar objects in one of them. “The train ride was quick.”

“I just talked to the doctor,” Lorcan added, and Rowan straightened. “She’s alright, just a bit of an episode from all of the chemo.”

He nodded, sighing through his nose heavily. “That’s what she told me.” He rubbed at his forehead. “Thanks for being here.”

“‘Course,” Rowan’s friend dismissed. “That’s what I’m here for.” He glanced over at the door to the room. “Is she sleeping?”

Rowan shook his head. “Talking,” he corrected, “to Aelin.”

He didn’t miss the way Lorcan’s brows shot up. He’d told his friend a little bit about her, and the years they’d been so close, so he wasn’t surprised at the other man’s reaction. It was a strange mixing of worlds, but Rowan slowly came to realize that maybe it was for a reason.

“Hey,” he said, his brows furrowed. “Can I ask you a question?”

------

Aelin had stayed in his mom’s room for close to an hour, though Rowan had joined her about ten minutes after leaving. Aelin had shared a little bit about her life, in veiled enough terms that she didn’t have to say it outright but his mom knew exactly what she meant.

Rowan knew it wasn’t a trick of the light when he saw tears in his Fireheart’s eyes when his mom told her not only that she’d grown into a beautiful young woman, but also that she was so, so proud of her.

His mom had been free to leave after a quick chat with the doctor, and Rowan had invited her to dinner with him and Aelin, but she’d just wanted to go home and rest, which he understood. So it’d just been him and Aelin out on the town, though they’d stayed closer to downtown, farther away from all of their old haunts.

At least for dinner.

They’d taken a walk after eating, holding hands loosely and chatting about everything and nothing, and had ended up at the park they’d first met at. The sun was setting around them as they swung idly next to each other on the swingset, comfortable silence flowing in the air.

But Rowan broke it.

“I don’t know if I ever told you,” he said softly, looking back around the chain of the swing to meet her beautiful blue eyes. “But Lorcan is a criminal lawyer here in Perranth.” Aelin hesitated, clearly unsure of where he was going with this, but didn’t interrupt. “I asked him for advice about your situation.”

She froze, that instinctive fear to hide or fight or argue about to rear its head, so he pushed on.

“Just about Farran,” he added, shaking his head once. Aelin relaxed a little bit.

“What did he say?” She asked, and Rowan sighed.

“Honestly,” he said, “once I told him you didn’t want to push for legal charges, which he agreed could get messy as frustrating as it is, he said the best thing would probably be to just leave. To get your stuff and move out of Rifthold.”

He watched as Aelin processed the information, turning her head to look out forward across the park. It would be a big change, but Rowan thought it would probably be for the best too.

“Yeah,” Aelin rasped, “I think I should.” She shook her head. “That city - doesn’t have good memories. But neither does this one.” She laughed humorlessly before looking back at him. “Where am I supposed to go? And what about you?” Her lips wobbled. “I just found you again, you want me to leave you?”

“Gods no,” Rowan answered, horror racing through him at the thought. “I would go with you.”

It was obvious to him, but she furrowed her brows. “But what about your job, what about your mom? Don’t you need the money?”

He just smiled softly. “I had another job offer in Orynth that I turned down. I could probably finagle my way back into it.” He shrugged. “It was a little bit less money, which is why I said no, but today has made me realize that I really value proximity too. Orynth is only an hour away from here, just in case.”

An unidentifiable emotion grew on her face as she leaned her head against the chain of her own swing. “That’s where I was born,” she said. “I haven’t been back since my parents died.” A small watery smile formed on her lips. “I think I’d like to.” Silence fell for a minute before she turned to look at him. “I have a lot of money,” she offered, “if your mom needs any of it, I’d be honored to give it. Especially after everything she’s given me.”

She pressed a hand to her chest.

“Thank you, but I can’t accept that,” Rowan said, shaking his head.

“I insist,” Aelin protested, before her face faltered. “I know it doesn’t come from the best place but-”

“That’s not why,” he interrupted, stopping that train of thought. “Gods no. I just don’t want you to feel obligated, we don’t need charity.”

She just smiled. “I want to, I don’t feel obligated. I just want to help out however I can.” Rowan didn’t know what to say, thick emotion blooming in his chest, so he just nodded.

He loved her so much, so much it baffled him that he’d never realized before. But he was grateful for their past, just as much as he was grateful for their present, and for their future. Without everything they’d been through, who knows if they would have even ended up here at all?

With that thought, he reached into his pocket, and Aelin looked at him curiously as he pulled out his hand. Tears formed in her eyes as he opened his palm, revealing both of their friendship bracelets. He’d grabbed them from his apartment that morning when she wasn’t paying attention, and now felt like the right time to bring them back out.

She sniffed back her tears as he reached for her arm, tying the green and silver string around her wrist gently. He was fighting his own as she grabbed the red and gold, tying it around his own wrist just the same.

Both bracelets returned to their rightful places, Rowan didn’t let her go, their hands loosely connected between their swings.

“Thank you,” Aelin said a few moments later, looking over at him. Her expression was soft. “For being here for me.”

Rowan smiled back. “Thank you for forgiving me for the times I wasn’t,” he replied. That was all he needed to say, that’s all she needed to hear. And yet those simple words held so much more. Just like those other three that constantly seemed to be on the tip of his tongue now. “I love you.”

A lone tear slipped down Aelin’s tan cheek, and she smiled brilliantly back at him, a smile he hoped to see every day for the rest of his life.

“I love you, too.”

------

Eighteen Years Ago

Aelin swung back and forth on the swing idly, leaning against one of the chains to look over at Rowan swinging next to her.

It was a couple days before school started, her first year at a new place, and she and Rowan had now been friends for a few months. A hard few months that had only been made better by him.

“Where do you think you’ll be in the future?” Aelin asked, looking at him. His brows furrowed and he looked at her thoughtfully.

“Like next year?” He asked, and she giggled.

“No, like twenty years from now,” she corrected, and he shrugged.

“I dunno,” Rowan answered honestly, before smiling. “But I do know we’ll be together.”

----------

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#rowaelin #rowaelin au #rowaelin fanfiction #yoyok #throne of glass #throne of glass au #throne of glass fanfiction

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rowaelinprompts · 2 years

Text

PROMPT MASTERLIST!!

All the open prompts will be listed here! Also, any that have been filled will be marked with a *, but please feel free to fill as many prompts as you like as many times as you want! We love seeing all the different takes!

~~~~~~

ART: QUEEN OF SHADOWS ROOFTOP SCENE via @house-of-galathynius

ART: ROWAN/DAUGHTER via @thegreyj

ART: "I claim you too" scene via @thegreyj

~~~~~~

*FIC: "I don't know what to do"//"we'll figure it out" via @morganofthewildfire

FIC: College AU with athlete/trainer via anonymous

FIC: "Research" via anonymous

FIC: Crime scene cleaner via @backtobl4ck

*FIC: Proposal emergency via @thegreyj

*FIC: Finding out the teenage pregnancy via @thegreyj

*FIC: Rowaelin with their toddler via anonymous

*FIC: Rowan takes care of Aelin during her cycle via anonymous

*FIC: "I kept this for you while you were away"//"It's been two years"//"I know" via anonymous

FIC: First date pumpkin via @thegreyj

FIC: "if it fits, it fits" via @thegreyj and @leiawritesstories

*FIC: Clingy Rowan via anonymous (could totally be an art prompt also!!)

FIC: Rowan decorating a pumpkin for Aelin via anonymous

FIC: "The pain served as a reminder" via @thegreyj

FIC: Rowan comforting Aelin postpartum via @thegreyj

FIC: Aelin playing breakup songs via @thegreyj

FIC: Rowan POV when he's skinning Cairn via @autumnbabylon

FIC: Rowaelin vows from EOS via @autumnbabylon

FIC: "Are you coming?" 👀 via @thegreyj

FIC: this Instagram reel via @backtobl4ck

FIC: Pajama party via @thegreyj

FIC: Rowaelin's child telling this joke via @thegreyj

*FIC: "Geriatric pregnancy" via @thegreyj

FIC: "Is that a candy cane or are you just happy to see me?" via @thegreyj

FIC: Aelin gets pregnant because of an orange via @backtobl4ck

FIC: "Fuck you" // "No, you fuck me" 👀 via @mariamuses

FIC: "She'd been waiting to hear that voice.." via anonymous

FIC: Rowaelin in the theater Rowan gifted Aelin (canon) via @autumnbabylon

FIC: Rowan washing Aelin's hair via @autumnbabylon

FIC: "Married At First Sight" via @thegreyj

FIC: Rowan and son and dress-up via @thegreyj

FIC: Rowan and son going shopping via @thegreyj

FIC: "Midlife crisis/Ongoing crisis" via @thegreyj

FIC: Aelin's clothing parades to Rowan via @autumnbabylon

FIC: Twitter feud AU via anonymous

FIC: Terrasen High School camping trip via anonymous

FIC: Drunk and clingy Aelin via anonymous

FIC: this TikTok via anonymous

FIC: Chef's knife via @thegreyj

FIC/ART: this cartoon via @thegreyj

FIC: "You're my favorite pillow" via @thegreyj

FIC: "That was not how I imagined my first kiss" via @thegreyj

FIC: 20 questions via @thegreyj

FIC: Rowan's sexy accent via @thegreyj

FIC/ART: Rowan simping over Aelin via @thegreyj

FIC/ART: Aelin wearing Rowan's reading glasses via @thegreyj

FIC: Rowan quoting classic movie lines via @thegreyj

FIC/ART: nose kiss via @thegreyj

FIC: "Stop doing that!" / "What?" / "Smiling!" via @thegreyj

FIC: Rowan is bad at flirting via @thegreyj

FIC/ART: renfaire via @thegreyj

FIC: Interrupted proposal via @thegreyj

FIC: "I'm a big kid now!" via anonymous

FIC: Secret spies/Mr. & Mrs. Smith AU via anonymous

*FIC: "Is he your boyfriend?" via anonymous

FIC: Selection AU via anonymous

FIC: "Books" via @thegreyj

FIC/ART: Throne of Glass x Avengers via anonymous

#rowaelin #rowaelin prompts #rowaelinprompts #open prompts #fic ideas #art ideas

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goddess-aelin · 2 years

Text

Stick to You Like Gum on My Shoe

Aelin accidentally spits gum into the hair of the gorgeous guy sitting in front of her in class. This could either be a disaster or the best thing that ever happened to her.

Word count: 6.5k

FLUFF. So much fluff.

TW: mention of death. Mention of controlling relationship, language

A/N: listen, I know some people prefer long haired Rowan but I’m fully team short hair Rowan. 100%.This is just a fun little 6.5k Drabble with lots of fluffy tropes. Sharing a bed, drunken shenanigans, enemies to friends to lovers, hurt/comfort. I mean, what could you ask for?

Aelin’s senior 8AM history of world politics class was the bane of her existence. The class itself? Perfect. She loved history and she loved politics.Those two subjects combined were her major, after all. No, she hated mornings. If it were up to her, she would be sleeping in until ten every day, not speaking to anyone until at least one cup of coffee was in her system, sweetened with an exorbitant amount of sugar. Who even scheduled classes at 8AM in their senior year? The answer, apparently, was her.

That was her excuse for her current predicament. Simply a series of unfortunate events leading to a level of embarrassment she had never experienced before. All stemming from her lack of sleep and hatred of mornings.

She didn’t mean to do it. The day started when Aelin didn’t have time to brush her teeth that morning, running late from snoozing her alarm one too many times and subsequently waking up with only five minutes to spare and a three minute walk to her class. In trying to hide her morning breath (at least she didn’t go drinking last night, thank the Gods), Aelin had decided to pop a stick of spearmint gum in her mouth. Nothing out of the ordinary. Aelin chewed gum all the time. Peppermint, spearmint, cherry. She had an entire arsenal to get her through the day. It wasn’t her fault that the professor happened to be the most hilarious person on the planet while dismissing them from class. It wasn’t her fault she was sleep deprived (ok maybe that was her fault but she would never admit that) and couldn’t help her cackle at whatever corny joke left her professor’s mouth. The same joke that she couldn’t even remember and was the catalyst for her chewed, disgusting, morning-breath gum ending up in the long hair of the guy in front of her.

Aelin always admired Mr. Silver Hair from afar. She always noticed his shiny, flowing, grey-tinted hair that ran to just below his shoulders. Sometimes it was pulled up and back in a ponytail, sometimes in a half-up bun. The hair sometimes ran over his extremely muscled shoulders and touched his deliciously defined arms. Those arms were the subject of many fantasies she dreamed up during the more boring periods of the class. She imagined how it would feel to run her fingers over his smooth, tanned skin. To be lifted up by his toned arms. To run her fingers through his silky hair. Oh, to live in that fantasy.

It was a much better fantasy than her current situation where she was internally panicking over the fact that her wad of gum now rested peacefully in the hair nearest to this poor man’s skull. Maybe he wouldn’t feel it and she could escape before he noticed. Or maybe he’d be nice about it. Both dreams were shattered as the victim turned around, fixing his emerald gaze upon her and reaching a hand into his gorgeous locks. Aelin had to admit that she was dumbstruck by his green eyes. She felt as if they pierced her soul and it felt as if time stopped. Aelin always knew she had a penchant for dramatics, though, and that thought was confirmed as a deep voice spoke a few choice words.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” He might as well have slapped Aelin in the face with how quickly she was torn from her reverie. Raising her eyebrows and gaping like a fish was all she could do before he picked up his books and stormed away angrily.

Aelin’s head dropped into her hands, mortification overtaking her at the thought of what just transpired. She just spat gum into the hair of the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. Fuck. She had two other classes right after this, no coffee in her system, and she was starving. That, in addition to what happened just minutes ago and the fact that she had two exams to study for, were all the reasons why this day was off to an absolutely fantastic start.

- - - - -

Aelin made her way back to the apartment she shared with Lysandra and Elide, completely exhausted. She was ready to pop open her favorite bottle of wine and forget everything that happened that day. After the incident, her day only got worse. She decided to get a coffee from the campus cafe but turned around as soon as she saw what may or may not have been a head of silver hair. Aelin couldn’t take that chance. So she walked all the way over to the vending machine on the other side of the building and got herself an iced tea instead. The same iced tea that she immediately spilled on herself. Then, afterwards, she received her grade for her senior math midterm which was….not so great. She didn’t fail but she could’ve done better. To top it off, today was the anniversary of her father’s death. Really, it was no wonder why her day was going the way it was.

So yes, Aelin was ready for a nice glass of wine. Or two or three. Anything to drown out this horrible day.

When she entered the shared space, she smelled something delicious. Lysandra was at the stove, cooking what looked to be a scrumptious beef stew. Aelin could have kissed her friend at that moment. But when she went to reach for a tiny taste test, Lysandra smacked her hand away with the wooden spoon, claiming that she had a netflix date tonight with her new boy and wanted to bring something easy but nice to dinner for him. Who this elusive “him” was, Aelin didn’t know and her friend refused to tell her. But Aelin would find out soon enough, she always did. Though it wasn’t like Lysandra to be so secretive. She had her fair share of lovers but she had never been this quiet about it before. Aelin wasn’t sure if that meant she really liked him or didn’t think it would last. She had a mind to follow Lysandra when she left but decided against feeling the wrath of her friend afterwards.

After Lysandra left, Aelin was just about to text Elide when the door opened and in walked the woman in question, arm in arm with her hulking brute of a boyfriend. Aelin and Lorcan were self-professed enemies. They simply had clashing personalities. Truth be told, she thought sweet, innocent Elide could do much better than Lorcan Salvaterre but she kept her mouth shut about that since Elide was in love. So Aelin kept her distance and tried not to pick fights. Even if she tried, though, she couldn’t help it sometimes. It was just so much fun.

Lorcan’s presence made Aelin decide to get takeout by herself and hole herself in her room to study. She had two exams tomorrow, anyway, and then she was free. At least for the weekend. Fenrys was having a party at his new house he rented with his brother and new roommate, Vaughn, the next day and Aelin could not have been more excited. She needed a good party after this week. She needed to dance with Lysandra, take shots with Elide, and absolutely crush Aedion at beer pong. And she needed to completely forget every mortifying thing that happened that day.

- - - - -

Aelin was ready. She did her entire makeup and pre-party routine, already having had a few hard seltzers and some whiskey shots. She knew she looked damn good in her tight, golden dress. It wasn’t her normal choice of outfit but Lysandra leant it to her and insisted that it would look amazing on her. Lysandra, as always, was right. To top it off, she had her favorite pair of heels on and a pair of cute emerald gemstone earrings dangled from her ears.

She could already hear the bumping bass coming from the corner house as she, Lysandra, and Elide made their way to the party. Aedion was meeting them there, never one to miss out on one of Fenrys’ great bashes. Aelin could tell that the house was already full of people based on what she could see through the windows. And as they entered the doorway, her suspicion was confirmed. There were a ton of people there. More than Fenrys probably even knew. And it was loud.

Elide quickly veered off to the left, meeting Lorcan in the doorway to the kitchen and kissing him as if she hadn’t seen him in months. Ick. Aelin made a face and decided that this was a great time to get a drink, taking the other entrance to the kitchen. Here, she found the party’s host and gave him the tightest bear hug she could manage in her already-tipsy state.

“Aelin! So glad you could make it!” Fenrys always had a way of making her smile. He was like a puppy in human form, always happy even if he truly wasn’t. He took her hand and pulled her back into the living room before she could grab a drink. “So Aelin, you know Connall. And this here is our new roommate, Vaughn.” Aelin gave a little wave to the man in question. Fenrys looked as if he was searching for someone. “Our other new roommate is around here somewhere.” Other new roommate? Aelin thought it was only the three of them. Hmm.

Just as she was about to leave to finally grab her drink, Fenrys shouted a loud “Rowan!” Across the room. Aelin heard a voice before she turned and distantly thought about how deep and beautiful it was. Familiar, too. And as she turned, she found out why.

“You.” Mr. Long Silver Hair- Rowan- spat. Except Mr. Long Silver Hair now had short hair. Oh gods. It wasn’t often Aelin was embarrassed but this was one of the rare occasions she was sure she turned beet red.

Aelin was about to reply. With a sorry? With an argument? She wasn’t sure since this man completely infuriated her in the few moments she’d known him. But before she could reply, Fenrys started. “Wait, you two already know each other?”

Rowan looked as if he could spit fire. “Know each other? This is the girl that spit gum into my hair yesterday and caused me to get a very unwanted haircut!” His tone and arrogance were stroking Aelin’s fire.

At that, Fenrys started cackling. “Wait, you’re gum girl? Oh, this is just too good!” Rowan glared.

“It was an ACCIDENT, okay? I didn’t mean to do it!”

“And still, you haven’t even apologized for it yet!”

“Well you haven’t even given me a chance to! You walked away right after!”

“Well maybe you shouldn’t chew gum in class anyway!”

“What kind of stupid comeback is that!? I’ll chew gum whenever I please, thank you very much!”

“You’re probably the person that sticks gum to the bottom of tables. No regard for anyone else.”

“Well. You’re….You’re..” Aelin didn’t know what he was. She let out a noise of frustration. He was so aggravating. Arrogant. Irritating. Rude. Obnoxious. Handsome. Boy, was he handsome, especially with the short hair. And boy, did she want to kiss him right now. She wouldn’t. But she wanted to. And apparently Fenrys had the same thought because he was looking at them as if they were the night’s best entertainment. She knew the gleam in his eyes, knew what his raised eyebrow meant.

Aelin was about to storm away in frustration when a voice she did not want to hear called her name. Chaol was weaving through the crowd toward her, looking like he wanted to have a conversation about their relationship. Or lack thereof. One in which Aelin did not want to have with him. Ever.

“Aelin! Wait! Can I just talk to you for a second? I don’t like how we left things. Please!”

I don’t like how we left things? Rich, coming from a guy who called her a monster just weeks before. The guy who told her she was unlovable because she didn’t let people in. Yeah, she was not going to have this conversation with him.

So instead, she turned tail and walked briskly for the kitchen. She found a staircase leading up to the second floor so she took it, grabbing two beers from the cooler on her way up. She remembered Fenrys mentioning a balcony and luckily, the first door she tried was the winner.

The cool night air soothed her soul and calmed her nerves. What she hoped was going to be a night of fun and dancing was quickly turning into a night she’d very much like to forget. She opened the first beer with a crisp pop and, after realizing how disgusting it tasted, decided it was just better to chug it. So she did. And the second one. Maybe she’d feel better after this. Aelin wasn’t a heavy drinker, she swears. It had just been a really shitty, ridiculous week.

Once she was feeling better, lighter, she decided to go and find Lysandra. She turned the knob on the door only to be met with resistance. Locked. Shit. Fishing her phone from her wristlet, she called Lysandra to no answer. Elide picked up on the second ring and when asked to come and help her, Elide claimed she was indisposed. Which really meant she went home with Lorcan and was currently naked. She told Aelin to try calling Fenrys, which she did to no avail, either. No answer from Aedion and she didn’t want to even think about calling Chaol. Fuck. She truly was stuck out here.

As a last resort, she tried banging on the doors and yelling. After waiting a few minutes to see if someone came up to find her, she slumped on one of the patio chairs, giving up. Of course no one would be able to hear over the pounding music. Her phone was about to die. She had no food or water. And it was getting a little chilly out here. This definitely was not how she imagined her night going, that’s for sure.

It could’ve been minutes or hours that Aelin sat there, distantly listening to the muffled bass pumping from below. She supposed she could try climbing down the side of the building but it was high. And she wasn’t feeling entirely stable after chugging those two beers. Finally, she heard the click of the door and got up as quickly as her tipsy legs would allow. Which apparently wasn’t fast enough because the person was already standing on the balcony staring at her, door completely shut. And if it wasn’t Rowan. Shit.

“What are you doing out here?” Even though Aelin knew he probably hated her because of the gum incident, she was taken aback by the accusatory tone in his voice.

“I came out to get fresh air, you Buzzard. And then I got locked out here. And now you’re locked out here too unless you can magically produce a key.” Aelin knew they would have no such luck when his frown deepened. “I called everyone who I know at this party and no one picked up or had already gone home.”

“Let me call Fenrys.”

“Tried it. And texted him. He’s probably making out with that brunette he was hanging with when I got here.”

“How about Lorcan?”

Aelin scoffed. “As if I would have his number. But no. Elide left early which meant she went home with Lorcan which means they’re occupied. I already tried Lysandra and Aedion, too.”

“They’re also currently occupied.” Aelin could only gape.

“What?” Lysandra and Aedion?

“I mean, you’re talking about that green eyed brunette you came with, right? And Aedion is the blonde that is literally the spitting image of you?” Aelin nodded. “They were making out before I came up here.”

Aelin plopped back down onto the cushioned patio furniture. It wasn’t often someone could surprise her but Rowan sure as hell just did. Lysandra and Aedion didn’t bother her. No, they were quite cute, actually. She always had a mind to set them up for years. It was just the fact that Lysandra had been seeing someone for a few weeks now and said nothing to her about it being Aedion. She would certainly have to have a talk with her whenever she escaped this balcony.

Aelin took a deep breath. “Ok, so our options are waiting here or you can climb down and come back up through the inside and unlock the door.”

“Me? I’m a little drunk, princess. I don’t think that climbing down a two story building is in my best interests right now. Why don’t you do it if you think it’s so easy?”

“Because I just chugged two beers before you came up here and already had a few seltzers and shots in me. So I am also fairly drunk and would most likely end up dead. So no thank you, Buzzard.”

Rowan just let out a huff and sat down next to her on the cushioned bench. For a while, their breathing was the only thing that cut through the night air and muffled music. Rowan leaned forward and put his head in his hands.

“This is not how I thought the first week in the new house was going to go.”

“Tell me about it.” Aelin murmured as Rowan lifted his head up, giving her a conflicted look. Aelin just side-eyed him and rested her head on the back of the bench. “Yes, Rowan. I’ve had a shit week, too. Being stuck out here is just the icing on the cake.”

“You’ve had a shitty week but were you the one who ended up with gum in your hair? Didn’t think so.”

“Oh, get over it. It’s not the worst thing that could’ve happened. The haircut looks good on you, anyway.” Rowan scoffed, looking more annoyed by the minute. But Aelin couldn’t help but notice the shadow that crossed his face. Which is what prompted her to sigh and softly say, “I am sorry for doing that though. I didn’t mean to, I swear. I like pulling pranks on people but never something like that. So I’m sorry.” Rowan didn’t say anything, just looked at her with furrowed eyebrows, so she kept going. “I don’t even remember what the joke the professor made was. Probably something stupidly cheesy. But I was very sleep deprived and left that morning without brushing my teeth and without coffee. So that’s my only excuse.”

Rowan let out a long sigh and after what felt like an unending moment, replied, “It’s okay. I needed a haircut anyway.” When their gazes met, they both had half-smiles on their faces. Rowan let out a small cough and looked away before asking, “So who was that guy you were running from?”

It was Aelin’s turn to let out a sigh. How much information did she want to give to this virtual stranger? Nonetheless, a stranger who hated her up to a few minutes ago. Her tipsy brain decided on the whole truth. “His name was Chaol. We dated for like six months but broke up about a month ago. He was just…controlling. Nothing I did was ever the right thing with him. The little things got to me the most. He was always telling me to put on shoes when I wanted to go barefoot in the grass. Or would order my meal for me. Or telling me that I couldn’t wear a certain outfit because it was too revealing. He would hate this dress I have on tonight even though I don’t think I’ve ever worn a piece that feels more…me. In hindsight, it was actually really horrible and I’m not sure why I tolerated that for that long. I’m not something to be stifled. I need to feel the air in my lungs, ya know? It sounds super cheesy but I just didn’t feel like myself anymore.” Aelin shrugged.

“So when he told me he loved me, I totally freaked out and ran.” She let out a small laugh at that. “It was not my finest moment. But it wasn’t the wrong thing, either. I came back like an hour later and he yelled at me for running off and told me I was being ridiculous. And I told him I wanted to break up and he just called me all sorts of names. Not so nice ones. And he basically said I was unlovable. So yeah. That’s why I ran from him tonight. Because, honestly, I’m not sure if I could have a civil conversation with him without wanting to punch him in the face.”

Aelin finally turned to Rowan and braced herself for the judgment on his face. But there was none.

“I don’t blame you for any of that. Hell, I probably would’ve punched his smarmy face if you had stayed. If he doesn’t appreciate you as you truly are, then he’s incredibly stupid. You’re not unlovable, Aelin. That’s just bullshit. Plus, that dress you have on is…is…” Aelin giggled at that. Giggled. There was something about Rowan trying to compliment her that made her feel like she was back in high school again.

“It’s what, Buzzard?” Aelin smirked.

“I’m not saying anything else to feed your ego since it already takes up all the space on this balcony.” He smirked, though his eyes softened. “You know how beautiful you are, Aelin. You don’t need me to tell you that.” Aelin felt her cheeks heat and her heart rate speed up a little. Gods, what was this man doing to her? A few moments ago they were ready to tear each other apart. Now she just wanted to tear his clothes.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier. And for being an ass yesterday. I haven’t gotten a haircut in so long and it was just…very unexpected. That’s all. I knew you didn’t mean to do it and I just reacted badly. I’m sorry.”

Aelin smiled and gave him a nod.

“Since you shared your sob story with me, maybe I could share one in return that will hopefully make you hate me less for the way I acted.”

“One, I don’t hate you. And two, yes of course share your sob story. We can bond over our shared woes,” Aelin laughed. Rowan returned the smile even though a nervous jitter rose in him.

“Okay. Well, I had this girlfriend in high school. We had been dating since sophomore year so I guess we were technically high school sweethearts. I loved her but when we went away to college, we just… grew apart. Or I guess I did. I called her one night in freshman year and told her that I just didn’t think we could do the long-distance thing. I wasn’t very good at breaking it off. And like I said, I did love her but just not in the way I should’ve. So she insisted she drive to see me and that we talk. She was going to school in our hometown of Doranelle and was going to make the 300 mile drive to see me here in Wendlyn. She was maybe halfway when she got hit by another car and died. That was three years ago.” Aelin’s heart was breaking for this man she barely knew.

“She was in cosmetology school so she was always the one cutting my hair. I felt so guilty for the longest time. I was the one who was a coward and couldn’t just tell her not to make the drive because my answer was going to be the same whether we talked about it or not. I wanted to break up either way. I always think about how maybe if I was just open with her, that maybe she would still be alive.

“Anyway, I haven’t gotten my hair cut since then. I suppose it’s mostly out of guilt. But she also always liked my hair long so I kept it like that to honor her, I guess.” Aelin could see the tension in his face. She also thought maybe she saw a few stray tear tracks down his face but she didn’t comment.

All she could do was whisper, “Rowan.” It was at his name that he finally looked at her. “I’m so sorry. For everything. I’m sorry for causing you to get your hair cut. I’m sorry that this happened. I’m just….sorry.” Aelin wanted to hug him. To take him in her arms and hold him as tightly as she could. But she wasn’t sure if they were there yet or if he even wanted that from her.

“I’ve never told anyone that before. Fenrys and Lorcan know that something happened but I’ve never told them exactly what.” He huffed a small laugh. “And not only do I not blame you, I almost want to thank you. Because I’m not sure I would’ve taken that step by myself. You pushed me to move on in a way.”

“Can I hug you?” As soon as Rowan gave a nod, Aelin threw her arms as tightly as she could around him. She buried her face in his shoulder, breathing in his pine and snow scent deeply. She could feel her dramatic side making its way to the surface again because she could swear that she never felt so at home as she did in this moment.

After that, it was easy to pass the time. They talked about everything and nothing. Aelin told him how her parents were politicians and her dad died in what might have been an accident but probably was an assassination. And why that’s the reason she wanted to get her degree in history and politics. She told him about her favorite color (red) and her favorite food (anything sweet, duh). They laughed and chuckled and when things moved to more serious topics, they listened intently and held each other.

Hours later, Aelin was dozing on Rowan’s shoulder, his head resting on hers and his jacket wrapped halfway over her, when the balcony door opened.

“Well, well, well. What do you know? Looks like everyone owes me money.” Aelin and Rowan glared at Fenrys, who interrupted what actually was a very nice and comfortable sleep. “I bet that you two snuck off to hook up. I blamed the belligerent sexual tension I could feel just oozing from you two. Looks like I was right.”

Aelin was up before she knew it, trying to tackle Fenrys. Before she could, strong arms wrapped around her and held her back.

“We weren’t hooking up, Fenrys. We were trapped out here.” Aelin could hear the irritation in Rowan’s voice at the stupidity of their friend. “You didn’t pick up the phone and no one else could be bothered to help us out. But apparently you could bet on us.”

“Oh, I saw the text hours ago. I just wanted to give you guys some time to work things out. And then I actually forgot. Oops.”

Panic struck Aelin. Did Lysandra know where she was. “What time is it?”

Fenrys checked his phone. “4 AM.”

Aelin muttered a shit at that.

“Don’t worry, your friends know exactly where you are. I told Lysandra I would look out for you so she went home.”

“Alone?”

“What?”

“Did Lysandra go home alone?”

“Oh. No. She went home with someone...” Fenrys looked apprehensive to say any more.

“Fenrys. I know she went home with Aedion. It’s really fine.”

“Alright, well… this has been a great conversation but I must get my beauty sleep.”

“Wow, what a great person to have ‘looking out for me.’” Fenrys gave a shrug as if he knew that she now had someone else to look out for her.

Aelin followed Rowan into the hallway after Fenrys disappeared.

“I suppose this is where I leave you,” Aelin crooned.

“Do you have a ride home?”

“No. I was going to call an Uber. Annnnddd my phone is dead. It’s fine, though. I’ll just walk. I live just a few blocks from here so it’s no big deal.”

“Or you could stay and we could just finish what we started?”

“Rowan…ya know, I actually don’t know what your last name is…Are you trying to get in my pants?”

“What!? No! I swear I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that you were already half asleep and if you wanted to, you could just stay over. And sleep.” Rowan slapped a hand to his face. “Oh my gods.” Rowan slowly met Aelin’s eyes with a sheepish look on his face. But Aelin just laughed. It was like music to his ears.

“I’ll stay. If you don’t mind. I can take the couch or something but I don’t have any clothes.”

“You can take my bed. And you can borrow some from me.”

“I’ll only take the bed only if you also take the bed. Also your shirts will literally swim on me.”

“Does that matter? I have an extra toothbrush, too. My room’s the third one on the left. Go and get comfortable and I’ll get you a bottle of water.” He started walking away before stopping abruptly and looking her way. “Whitethorn.”

“What?”

“My last name is Whitethorn. Earlier you said you didn’t know my last name. So my name is Rowan Whitethorn.” He held out his hand. “Nice to officially meet you.” Aelin gently took his hand but instead of shaking it like he meant to, she pulled him closer to her, tugging him slightly down to her height. Her lips met his before he could think about anything else. And before he could deepen the kiss, she pulled away and sauntered off down the hallway. She knew exactly what that dress was doing to him. He supposed he did give his hand away earlier when he fumbled for a compliment like a high schooler, anyway. With a shake of his head he made his way to the kitchen.

- - - - -

Aelin was lounging on his bed when he returned, golden dress laying delicately over her curves. Rowan took a deep breath before entering completely. This girl. He quickly made his way to his dresser where he pulled out a pair of sweatpants that were slightly short for him and a t-shirt that had his name on the back from his hockey days. He threw both at her with a little too much force. She started cackling immediately. This. Girl.

As she went to change, Rowan took the time to change into something more comfortable, too. He usually slept shirtless but would Aelin be uncomfortable? Before he could find an answer to that question, she walked out of the bathroom in his clothing. A protective and possessive feeling came over him as he watched her climb into his bed wearing his clothes. Clothes that had his last name on them.

“Well? Are you going to join me?” Deciding that two could play at this game, he chose to forego the shirt, climbing into bed next to Aelin. She looked pleased with herself. Before he could let himself feel any type of self-consciousness, Aelin reached out an arm and pulled herself closer to him, almost hugging him like a tree. This was great. Aelin was a spooner. A smile crossed his face.

Rowan breathed in her delicate scent. He can’t remember the last time he felt so calm. This definitely wasn’t how he pictured his night going. Especially not with gum girl. But he couldn’t say that it was a bad night. No, not at all.

- - - - -

Aelin awoke well-rested. Probably the most well-rested she had been since the semester started. She attributed that to having a very nice, very muscular pillow. One that smelled very, very good. Aelin took a deep breath and inhaled Rowan’s pine and snow scent, relaxing into him once more. She was content to stay like this forever. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt this safe. And loved. She knew Rowan didn’t love her. They had just met for Gods’ sake. But she could envision it. Waking up with him like this every morning, being enveloped in his arms when she needed a hug. She was getting ahead of herself, though. First she needed to work up the courage to ask him on a date. Her liquid courage from last night wore off and she was more doubtful of herself now than she was when she kissed him last night.

Finally, he began to stir, letting out a few groans until his eyes fluttered open. Aelin’s own eyes met his own and the biggest, most uninhibited smile overtook his face. “Morning.”

“Morning, buzzard.” He let out a deep belly laugh at that.

“Where did that even come from?”

“I don’t even know. I just looked at you when you came out onto the balcony last night and it just fit.” Aelin gave him a sheepish smile which he returned.

“Hungry?”

“Absolutely famished.”

“I can go make us something. Eggs and bacon okay?”

Aelin nodded. As he rolled out of bed, she asked, “Okay, what’s the catch?”

“The catch?”

Aelin nodded. “There’s always a catch. You’re extremely handsome. You lent me clothes and had an extra toothbrush. Let me sleep in your bed. Let me pour my heart out. Gave me the biggest and most wonderful smile when you woke up. All of this despite the fact that I spit gum in your hair, and now you want to make me breakfast? So what’s the catch?”

Rowan gave her a grim smile. “There’s no catch, Aelin. I like you. So I want to do this for you. And if you let me, I’d like to take you out to dinner later. Or whatever you want to do.” He gave her a shy smile as he moved closer, close enough to take her hand. “I’m sorry that other guys gave you the impression that you have to give them something for them to do something nice for you. But I like you. And it sounds crazy but I just want to do things for you because I want to see a smile light up your face.” At his words, indeed a dazzling smile spread across her face.

She gripped his hand tighter and brought her forehead to his. “Okay,” she whispered. With a small kiss to her forehead, Rowan made his way downstairs to start breakfast. Aelin took a moment to freshen up and brush her teeth before following him. Once down in the kitchen, Aelin stopped in her tracks, eyes darkening. She didn’t know that a man cooking for her, shirtless, was a thing for her but apparently it was. Though she thought maybe her thing was more of just a Rowan thing.

As they sat there eating breakfast (Rowan was a fantastic chef, Aelin thanked the Gods), Aelin felt contentment wash over her. She never felt so content to just be. Usually, her mind was going a thousand miles a minute but now it was quiet thanks to Rowan’s presence. She could get used to this. As they set up their date for that night, Aelin hoped she would be getting used to this. Who could’ve known that spitting gum into a beautiful man’s hair would be the start of a great love story?

Tagging: (as always, lmk if you want to be added to/removed from my general list

@cretaceous-therapod @morganofthewildfire @tomtenadia @live-the-fangirl-life @charlizeed @violet-mermaid7 @euphoric-melancholyy @kritical24 @rubyriveraqueen @dealfea @maeclin @ayaashryver @anna-swims @leiawritesstories @whoever-you-choose-to-love @holdthefrickup @kyereads @heirofflowers @bananaanna23 @thecrispypotatochip @shanias-world @rowanaelinn @bruiseonthefaceofhumanity @hanging-from-a-cliff

#rowaelin #rowaelin fanfiction #rowaelin fanfic #rowaelin fic #tog #throne of glass #tog fanfiction #throne of glass fanfiction #throne of glass fanfic #tog fic #rowan whitethorn #Aelin galathynius #my fics #elorcan #lysaedion

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pearblossommina · 1 year

Text

I finished it!!!!

(And here’s a photo of the Pacific Ocean)

(Good god that ending) (I did take notes until about chapter 51 and then I just kinda fell into vacation mode) (here are some notes! From whatever days-of-the-read-a-long)

Good stuff

Cuddling

Holding hands

Listening to her trauma dump with rapt attention

This is like, the best first date Celaena’s ever had. (It’s about damn time) (I have been. DYING. For a trickle of romance. A small taste, a sweet little nibble?)

I’m gonna assume that they are each other’s carranam

(rare)(oh so rare)(so special)

Hey, guys, hurry up and fall in love, let’s get this over with, MY HEART IS READY.

Heyyyy also when they talk to each other wordlessly, is Celaena imagining it, or are they both daemati?

Or is that just a thing that all fae can do in this world?

Dude this grandmother is such an awful woman and I hate how abusive she is

(You have a heart, Manon. I know you have one.)

ABRAXOS taking the crossing! Hell yeah!

“There was nothing romantic about sharing a bed with Rowan, and they kept to their own sides.” Uh huh. Sure. I platonically sleep with hot guys I’m attracted to all the time.

You know, the thing is, she did love Chaol, but they were only together for like ONE WEEK? I don’t? Understand? How she hasn’t moved on yet? And her feelings for him are so tangled up with her feelings for Nehemia. Like; I’m not judging, I know sometimes people fall in love and it’s just, you know, hard to move on, but?

Girl?

Can you move on?

(I’m complaining but I think it’s so important. SO IMPORTANT. That girls and women have representation like this. Love, and relationships, and complicated feelings, especially in a fantasy novel) (it’s very well done SJM) (Ty for your service)(it does remind me of Feyre/Rhys tho) (I mean if I’m being honest the arc is starting to feel a little same-y) (lol)

I just. I dunno if it’s even important to find out the mystery or if I should even care about what the king of Ardarlan is up to.

Idk

It’s the same beast from the library - right? But the king has made millions of them?

And unleashed them on the continent to try and kill off all the fae and Demi-fae, probably in the hopes of eradicating magic?

Does he, specifically, hope to murder Aelin Galathynius or does he just hate fae and magic in general?

I’m very confused by this chapter

I mean it’s exciting but

I kind of don’t know what’s going on

Wait are we done fighting the creatures???

What about the creatures?

Wait

Then they had all the slaves killed - all the slaves?

(That bastard!)

Why does Dorian hate his brother so much

I mean he’s just a kid. A LITTLE BOY.

Sorscha is such a cutie. I wish she had been here when Celaena was still staying in the castle. I mean I know she was, actually, they just ignored her at the time… BUUUUT. I wish she was dating Dorian so that they could have had a cute little friendship square with Dorian and Sorscha and Chaol and Celeana, going out and having adventures and being in tender love before all this shit hit the fan.

These books don’t have enough *love* it’s just intense intensity all the time and sometimes boring plot laden exposition stuff. I like a slow burn but I’m READY for the ignite.

Day 8

"I claim you, Rowan Whitethorn. I don't care what you say and how much you protest. I claim you as my friend."

AWWW

“If Narrok planned to lay siege to Mistward,” I don’t know who Narrok is, who is Narrok? Did I space out and miss something vitally important? Did the King of Ardarlan get a name in the last 50 pages or something?

(Maddy read the remainder of the chapters without taking notes) (Maddy is at the beach) (Maddy flies home tomorrow) (The vacation is over and the book is finished) (when’s the next one) (😭😭😭)

#tog read along 2023 #special edition: vacation catch up day!

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pinklayla123 · 2 months

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okay idk if you answer asks but i saw your post about the “coincidences” that like maybe aren’t and i’ve already i sent part of this to another account but idk if they’re active anymore and booktok and the ig community are too much for me because i can’t hide behind anon but i was wondering the same thing, i don’t read a lot of the theories out there because they seem too far fetched to me but i was thinking isn’t it weird that after the Archeron mom died they lost everything. If she had a child (Nesta) with a Fae or a male Witch she would’ve been conceived during Amarantha’s rule and could’ve (given Rhys keeping the Inner Circle on his payroll) gotten some sort of child support for keeping the kid safe and maybe a blessing from the person she conceived Nesta with leading to the birth of Elain and Feyre therefore two blessed mortals by either a Witch of Fae of some power and maybe that was why Papa Archeron rode in one the ship named after Nesta who essentially (if this is true) by being born gave that man his wealth and he felt like he owed the Fae something aka his life. Lanthys also didn’t say Nesta wasn’t a Witch but that she didn’t smell like Oorid and the overlap between Throne of Glass Witches and Nesta is a lot more than i can cross examine like Blue Annis being described as an Iron-Teeth Witch meaning it’s possible Crochan Witches exist in Prythian as well.. like Witches being able to sense storms and hear the roaring of the wind in their ears and whenever Nesta is pissed the weather reacts… the Dead Trove could be similar to the Witch Mirrors and other objects Witches could supposedly make and Crochan witches can have magic similar to Fae, like the entire book Silver Flames was spent listening to everyone say how not mortal Nesta has been her entire life and she even said she was her mothers creature and if this is the case it sounds like Azriel refusing his Illyrian side and as we know her and him are close. What if she felt something recoil in her if she she had gotten near the wall looking for Feyre like she knew if she went out there she wouldn’t come back so she sent others out there because imagine how different the books would’ve been if Amarantha got a hold of Nesta... I’m rambling so i’ll stop because this is probably unhinged but like Nesta wasn’t allowed to give up all of her Magic to save Feyre and maybe because that’s what she was born with like that amount of Magic and her mother made her suppress it and similar to Feyre wanting her to train her mother may have made her take dance to expel her magic in some way also if her mother had a child with a Fae- Ash Wood stops Fae healing and Rowan cut Aelin’s ears into points to make her shift, maybe to save her child Mama Archeron cut her daughters ear points off? and the Cauldron just regenerated her, maybe Elain couldn’t be as connected to the Cauldrn as Nesta and she knew that deep down and her instinct was to keep Elain away from it like with Feyre and the drawers because like Feyre- Elain was made but maybe Nesta was just regenerated or healed back to who she originally was.

Me reading this ask

Okay, so I think that all three sisters are biologically mama and papa Archeron's. It's mentioned that despite the fact that mama Archeron wasn't even a parent, she did love her husband, and something similar was said for him as well, so I don't think she had an affair with someone.

From what I remember, papa Archeron's money was accumulated by generations of his ancestors who were merchants, and he was on the brink of losing it because of a series of bad decisions. I think the reason why it all came crashing down after mama Archeron's death is because he wasn't thinking straight and made a dumb decision to risk everything out of desperation.

However, you're right, it's very interesting how SJM keeps bringing up the "Nesta was never truly mortal" thing. I read that as her having a strong intellect and personality in a "she was destined for more than balls and parties and a rich husband" kind of way, like when Rhys calls her an Illyrian, but it could also allude to some non-human ancestry in the bloodline, possibly on mama Archeron's side as Nesta was most like her so maybe those genes are strongest in Nesta. (Adding to this, it's also very interesting that the bargain magic chose the Starborn symbol for Nesta, how does that connect to everything?)

I think that all the other weird stuff happening with her, like Lanthys saying she smells weird, the environment being affected by Nesta's emotions, many people calling her a witch, and her intense connection to the Cauldron boils down (pun intended) to the fact that she took a huge chunk of the Cauldron's power in her fury. Like, this piece was substantial enough that the king of Hybern was allocating resources to getting Nesta back so the Cauldron would be back at 100% power, so she probably took a lot more power than was given to Elain, making her connection to the cauldron much stronger.

If Nesta was truly something other than human as a child, I think her mother would have given her more attention beyond dancing lessons and teaching her manners. Her mother is described as a vain social-ladder climber, and she would have used Nesta's ancestry to her advantage somehow if this were the case. If Nesta had been born with the power she has at the end of acosf, there would have been some mention of "this power was familiar to her, it had been hidden in chest her entire life, waiting to be freed" or something. I think the power Nesta is left with at the end of acosf is either from mercy or kindness on the Mother's part or she has larger plans for Nesta which require her to keep some of what she stole from the Cauldron.

This got really long, but in summary, I think that the Archeron sisters were originally human with maybe a dash of some magic in the bloodline. I think more than that though, it is a case of fate weaving its threads across centuries to get all these people together (the Archeron sisters and the Bat Boys) and giving them the powers needed to help right an ancient wrong (the Daglan and the corruption of the Cauldron).

#ask

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theladyofdeath · 2 years

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Every Other Weekend {2}

Summary: Rowan was just looking for a night of fun after his divorce. Aelin was looking for one last reckless moment before selling her soul to her everyday grind of 9-5. Neither had any idea of just how much one night could change somebody’s life.

Warnings: Mature content throughout. Language, sex, drinking, etc. Explicitly NSFW will be labelled at the beginning of chapters containing NSFW content.

A collab with @snelbz

It was a day that Aelin had been waiting her entire life for. It was the first day of school and she was so excited to meet her students. Today would mark her first year in her first school, and she managed to get a job at one of the most prestigious elementary schools in Orynth, thanks to who her uncle was. She had to admit, sharing a last name with the Governor certainly had its perks.

She’d spent the past two weeks since she moved from Rifthold in her classroom as often as Staghorn Prep would allow her, and she had decided that it was finally almost perfect.

The only thing it was missing were the tiny people who would be descending upon it any minute.

After double checking everything, Aelin opened her door and waited. She had about five minutes to waste, so she took out her phone and scrolled through her recent messages.

She smiled at one left for her last night that read, Looking forward to Friday.

Her night with Rowan had gone well.

Better than well.

Perfect.

He had treated her like a queen and she hadn’t stopped thinking about it, about him, since.

As she laid in bed the night before, she replied with a me too then imagined that her vibrator was him instead.

Imagining that had her cheeks turning pink and Aelin closed her messages and double checked herself in the camera before putting her phone away and stepping into the hallway just as the first bell rang.

Students started coming in quick after that, some on their own, some with parents. She made a point to greet every one of them, introducing herself first to her student and then greeting the parents, making sure they felt welcome.

There were, of course, a few tears shed. For some kids, this was their first separation from their mom or dad. Some of the students already knew others from preschool the year before and before she knew it, almost her entire class was full.

With five minutes to the bell, she glanced down at her roster, seeing that only one student was still unaccounted for.

Oliver Whitethorn.

She frowned, hoping he would show up soon. She would hate to have any absences on the first day. With countless activities planned, she wanted all hands on deck.

As she was making her rounds around the room, just as that final bell rang, a little silver-haired boy ran into the room.

“I’m here! I’m here!” He announced.

Aelin chuckled. “Hi, you must be-.”

Her words faded as an all too familiar man rounded the corner to the classroom.

Aelin shot up, her back straightening.

The man, a handsome, silver-haired man who knew how to hold his liquor and fucked like a god, froze.

For a second, they stared at one another.

Then Aelin said, “Hi.”

“Hi,” he replied.

Aelin knew to not go into her first day expecting anything, but Rowan was the very last thing she expected to walk through her door.

“You…” Aelin was absolutely floored. She repeated, “Hi.”

A tiny hand grabbed hers and she looked down into a pair of big, dark eyes. They were offset by his hair and looked like glimmering onyx. Remembering that she was, in fact, a teacher, she crouched to the boy’s level. “You must be Oliver,” she said, completing her unfinished sentence from earlier.

He beamed, smile adorably crooked, and said, “I am! Oliver Shay Whitethorn. But you can call me Ollie.”

She snickered. “My name is Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, but you can call me Miss Aelin.”

She showed him where to put his backpack and his desk, all the while she could feel Rowan’s eyes on her.

Clearing her throat, she said, “Class, I’ll be right back. Get to know your desk buddy while I’m gone.” She gestured to the way the desks were paired off.

Rowan was still standing by the door and as she approached, he stepped out into the hall and held it open for her. Once they were both out, he let the door shut behind them with a quiet click.

“When you said you couldn’t wait to see me Friday, I didn’t think you’d show up here,” she laughed awkwardly, tucking her loose hair behind her ear.

Rowan hesitated. “I…”

“Have a kid,” Aelin supplied, rocking back and forth on her heels. “Who is in my class.”

Rowan started rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah. It’s…not something I share on first dates. Or…whatever that was we had.” Aelin must’ve given him an interesting look, because he quickly added, “Not that I didn’t enjoy our date. Or, non-date. I did. A lot. And I’m not ashamed of Ollie. He’s everything to me. I just…”

His words faded and he looked uncertain, uncomfortable.

He let out a breath. “I feel I should start over.”

Aelin gave him an amused look.

“I’m Rowan, a single dad of a five year old,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything before.”

“Don't apologize,” she said, quietly. “I was just a little surprised to see you here is all.”

“I was surprised to see you, too,” he said, his voice just as low.

Aelin realized she had been away from her class for far too long. “I should get back in there, but…we can talk about this later?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, backing away. “I can, uh, I can call you after I get off work. My ex-wife is picking him up.”

She was reaching for the doorknob and she cringed. “Okay. Sounds…okay.”

“She’s…” He hesitated and that made her even more uneasy. He settled on, “Harmless. Especially since she doesn’t know what went on between us.”

Nodding, Aelin was about to head into the classroom when Rowan said, “You look beautiful, by the way.”

Her cheeks were a deep shade of pink, but she said, “Thank you.”

They parted ways, but he managed to stay with her throughout the day. Every second that Aelin wasn’t completely enveloped in her work, she was thinking of Rowan. Even when she was distracted, her mind flashed to him. It didn’t help that a tiny version of him was everywhere she looked.

Oliver was his spitting image, all but the eyes. He was a sweet kid, too. Incredibly smart for five. He spoke of his father highly, and his mother just as much. He made friends quickly and was a great helper.

Ex-wife.

Rowan’s words ran through her head.

She hadn’t realized just how little they knew each other. Yeah, their night together had been incredible, but he was practically a stranger. Ex wife? Aelin had never had a relationship that had lasted more than a year, but Rowan had been married? The thought was intimidating.

Aelin had a ton of questions, but none of them seemed appropriate to ask him. Considering she didn’t know him that well, she assumed he wouldn’t approve of him prodding about his ex-wife.

By the time the end of the day had come, Aelin had mixed emotions. Her day with her kiddos had gone fabulously. She couldn’t have asked for a better first day of school.

But, she longed to call up Rowan and chat for hours about the surprise the morning had brought them.

As she waited for parents to come pick up their kids once the three o-clock bell rang, she took a seat by Oliver.

“Did you have a good day, Ollie?” she asked.

“The best!” Oliver grinned. “I’m so excited to show my mommy and daddy the pictures I drew.”

“You’re a very good artist,” Aelin agreed. “I’m very happy to have met you. I think we’ll have a good year together, you and I.”

“Me too,” he replied, smiling.

She heard the door open and a stunning woman with her dark hair tied up in a high ponytail stepped inside. She’d seen her once before, at orientation, when the parents had been introduced to all of the kindergarten teachers. Rowan hadn’t been with her and Aelin knew why now.

Seeing her then was a hell of a lot of pressure. Seeing her now, knowing who she was, was damn near intimidating.

She touched Oliver’s shoulder and said, “I think your mommy is here.”

He looked up and gasped before barreling towards the woman. She squatted down and caught him right as he reached her. Aelin got up and approached her. “You must be Oliver’s mother. I’m Aelin.”

She held out her hand for the woman.

The woman completely ignored it. Instead, she took Oliver’s backpack and slung it over her shoulder.

“We’d better get going,” she said. “Your dad will pick you up in a few hours. We want to get all the time in together we can.”

Oliver’s nose scrunched. “With Cairn?”

Oliver’s mom shook her head. “Just the two of us.” When Oliver beamed, she met Aelin’s eye. “I’m Maeve. How was his first day?”

“Good,” Aelin replied. “He was an angel, has a lot of art to show you.”

Maeve nodded and rose to her feet. “I assume you met his father this morning?”

Met him a few days ago. “I did.”

Maeve’s lips pursed but she nodded. “Very well. I’d like for all parental communications to be sent to me, too, no matter what he’s told you.”

Aelin’s eyebrows had to nearly be in her hair line. “That’s fine. I can certainly do that. If you’ll send me an email, I’ll get you added to the classroom thread and-.”

“No, thank you.”

Aelin balked. “Excuse me?”

“I don’t want to be included in a chain.” Maeve was looking at her nails and Oliver was putting his drawings in his backpack, oblivious to the conversation happening above him. “You can email me directly.”

Floored. Aelin was absolutely and totally floored. “I can’t email every parent directly, Ms. Whitethorn.”

“It’s Mallory, not Whitethorn. He’s my ex-husband,” she said, reaching down to pick up Oliver’s backpack. She took his hand after helping him put it on. “You’ll do well to remember that.”

She tugged on Oliver’s hand and left Aelin gaping, stuck in her tracks.

Rowan had been married to that? If he could fall in love with someone so…rude and awful, perhaps she had misjudged him in the first place.

Then again, they had gotten divorced, Maeve had just made that perfectly clear. Maybe she was the reason.

Aelin thought again about the night she had spent with Rowan. It was so good, so perfect. She couldn’t have misjudged him.

It didn’t stop her from thinking about it, though, the entire time she cleaned up her classroom and packed up her belongings for the day.

Having to talk to someone, she called her best friend. Lysandra picked up on the second ring. “Hey, how’d your first day go?”

“So, you remember Rowan?” Aelin asked, completely ignoring Lysandra’s question and heaving a breath as she flopped back into her desk chair.

Lysandra laughed and said, “You mean the guy you haven’t shut up about in three days? Yeah, I remember him.”

Aelin was idly swaying back and forth, brushing the ends of her hair back and forth over her lips. She hummed in confirmation. “Well, he dropped his son off this morning.”

The other side of the line was silent air.

“And his scary ex-wife picked him up,” she added, brushing the hair across her nose now.

Lysandra still hadn’t spoken, but Aelin knew she was still there. So she waited.

“Excuse me, what?”

“You heard me,” Aelin sighed as stood from her chair and collected her stuff to leave.

“He has a kid?” Lysandra asked. “And an ex-wife?”

“Scary ex-wife,” she corrected, locking her classroom door as she left. “And why is that more shocking than the fact that he has a literal child? A child who is one of my students?” She whisper-yelled the last part, careful to make sure no one overheard, even though no one was in the hall with her.

“How do you feel about all that?” Lysandra asked hesitantly.

Aelin chewed on her bottom lip as she made her way to the parking lot. “Honestly, I have no idea. I’m still wrapping my mind around it.”

Lysandra hummed. “Want to know what I have to say about it?”

“Depends,” Aelin muttered. “Are you going to be the voice of reason?”

“Maybe,” she said.

Aelin snorted. “Fine. Go ahead.”

“Call him,” Lysandra said. “If you like this guy, don’t start off on the wrong foot. Call him. Get all the facts.”

Aelin sighed. “I don’t know. Seems like a heavy conversation for a guy I just met.”

“Well, it’s not like the kid or the ex-wife are going away,” Lysandra hedged, and Aelin could hear a phone ringing in the background.

“I know,” she sighed and added, “and I know you’re busy so I’ll let you go.”

“I’m sorry, my three o’clock just got here.” There was a pause and Aelin heard Lysandra greeting her next hair appointment. Her best friend’s voice came back through the receiver. “I’ll call you as soon as I’m done for the day.”

Aelin nodded, regardless of the fact that Lysandra couldn’t see her. “You can come over if you want. I’ve got a bottle of moscato and there’s a new episode of Arctic Love tonight.”

“I’m having dinner with Aedion,” Lysandra replied. “But I can tell-.”

“No,” Aelin interrupted, unlocking her car and putting her stuff in the backseat. “Don’t cancel. I’ll be fine. I guess I need to call Rowan anyway.”

“Yes, you do. I love you, I’ll call you later.”

“Love you.”

Aelin ended the call and tossed her phone into the cup holder beside her. Today had exhausted her. She was absolutely and completely wiped. She had woken up today thinking about Rowan, hoping to maybe text with him here and there, but she sure as hell hadn’t expected she’d be seeing him.

In her classroom, no less.

She drove home in silence, taking in all the facts. She didn’t want to assume anything, didn’t want to judge, but it was hard not to. She assumed Rowan wasn’t much older than she was, and she certainly hadn’t expected him to have already been married.

It wasn’t a big deal, Aelin told herself, but his ex-wife?

She was horrible.

Once Aelin got home, she settled into a bubble bath before tugging on a set of comfy pajamas and pouring herself a glass of wine. Once she made herself comfortable on the couch, she picked up her phone to call Rowan, but as soon as it was in her hand, it began to vibrate and his name popped up on her screen.

Rowan.

After a deep breath, she answered. “Hello?”

“Hey,” he said, slowly, uncertainly. “Is now a good time?”

She could hear his car beeping in the background. He must have been leaving work. “Yeah, what’s up?”

He laughed quietly on the other side of the line. “What’s up? This morning…you seemed confused. I just wanted to call and clear the air.”

Aelin was quiet for a moment before saying, “I met Oliver’s mom.”

She didn’t know why she chose those specific words, wasn’t sure why she didn’t say your ex or Maeve.

Rowan sighed as Aelin heard a car door shut. “Yeah, I…” His words trailed off and Aelin heard him start his car. “I really like you, Aelin. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since the other night.”

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you, either, she wanted to say, but didn’t. “I just…I didn’t expect to see you this morning is all. It kinda threw me off.”

“I get that,” he said, simply. “Like I said this morning, I don’t tell women about Oliver quickly. If I’m being honest, Aelin, I haven’t…” he stopped, but Aelin didn’t push. She waited, patiently. “I haven’t dated since my divorce two years ago. I’m not really sure how to do…this…with a kid.”

She listened to the open air of the call while she thought. She completely understood why he hadn’t been up front about having a son. That’s a big thing and she could see how that might be a deal breaker for some women.

But…not for her.

“I get it,” she started, “why you didn’t say anything about him. And I don’t blame you. You didn’t know if I was going to be a hookup or a booty call or what.” Rowan started to interrupt but she went on. “And I’ve never done the whole dating with a kid thing either. So we’re even there.”

It was quiet again but then Rowan asked, “Dating, huh?” And Aelin could hear the smile in his voice.

Aelin’s cheeks turned a dark shade of pink. Realizing that she was far more invested at this point than she should be, she said, “I like you, too, you know. I still would like to see you again.”

“I’d like to see you again, too,” Rowan said, softly. “The other night was the first time I’ve felt alive in a long time.”

Aelin’s stomach was flooded with butterflies. “Does that mean dinner for Friday is still a go?”

Rowan’s quiet laughter sent chills down her spine. “I hope so.”

“I’ll be there,” Aelin promised.

“I’ll pick you up at seven,” Rowan shot back.

“Good,” Aelin said, and she couldn’t stop her spreading smile. “I’ll be ready.”

“I can’t wait,” Rowan said. A second passed before he said, “I’m almost to Maeve’s to pick up Ollie. I’ll talk to you soon?”

“I’ll talk to you soon,” Aelin promised, and they said their goodbyes.

She sunk into the couch and turned on her movie, but all she could think about was him.

#rowaelin #rowan #aelin #tog #throne of glass #modern au #fanfic #fanfiction #snacmc collab #multichapter #sjm #daddy ro #daddy rowan #the dilf series

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yabai-korra · 3 years

Text

The reasons why we're getting Manorian book

There has been a lot of speculation whether SJM is going to favor us with book/novella about Manon Blackbeak and Dorian Havilliard, recently I saw some fans doubting it, so here's a list of logical reasons why it's happening.

1. It's SJM

This woman writes two 500+ pages books per year, for her it would be a piece of cake.

2. There have already been books focused on side characters

a) Chaol and Yrene - Chaol was one of the most unpopular characters before Tower of Dawn (which made me love him hehe) and she still wrote a 600+ pages long book about him, just imagine what she'd do with the most popular character (Manon) and one of the most popular ones (Dorian).

b) Nesta and Cassian - this is ship is the closest to Manorian equivalent in ACOTAR series, aka starting from a physical relationship that develops into a sentimental one. Also 6th ACOTAR book will be focused on a new characters (most probably Elain)

3. Favoritism

SJM has talked multiple times about her love for these two. When asked about her favorite TOG character, she said Aelin, but Manon was a close second place and she said that she absolutely loves writing her.

In another interview, when asked who she would go on a book tour with and a few similar questions, she answered Dorian.

Now, I haven't seen all of her interviews ever and I'm not sure how much she loves Nessian and Cahorene (seems to love Nessian a hella lot tho), but it's definite that Manorian are some of her favorite characters and it's just logical that she would write about them.

4. Unfinished story/Unresolved feelings

Ships at the end of TOG:

Rowaelin - married

Elorcan - engaged

Lysaedion - engaged

Chaorene - married with a baby on the way

Nestaq - engaged

Manorian - hug and "we'll see"

All the ships basically got engaged in the last chapter (it's not like I didn't like it hehe) and their stories, romantic-wise, were pretty much finished and they have no unresolved tension between them. Manorian on the other hand, have enough of it for all the ships lol.

KOA spoilers ahead!

Keep in mind, Manorian relationship was mostly a sexual one, and they don't quite yet have a way of communicating their feelings properly. So there is a lot of unaddressed between them, even though they obviously care a lot about each other.

The unresolved things between Manon and Dorian:

"“And if I asked you to stay?” / “I’d need a very convincing reason, I suppose.” / “Because I don’t want you to go.” - they just fucked and Dorian left for Morath later, which impacted Manon a lot but they haven't discussed it

"I even care about you." - Manon got up and left

"There is only one witch who will be my queen." - Manon doesn't know about this

Manon saved Dorian from Valg demon even when Aelin couldn't. It was the worst thing to happen to Dorian and he still bears scars from it, yet he didn't have an appropriate situation to thank Manon for it

Dorian knows that Erawan lusted after Manon, which got him pissed of course, and he didn't have a chance nor time to ask Manon about it. It might be nothing, but if I were Dorain and my girlfriend who doesn't show feelings was locked up with a crazy guy who has a thing for her, and have seen the way he treats women, I'd be concerned. Erawan was a Valg king, a tough opponent even for Manon. If he had done something to her, and he had plenty of means and opportunities and wish to do so, Manon would never openly tell anyone (maybe Asterin) about it, because it would imply opening up and being weak, which is Manon's worst fear. Again, SJM, as the Queen of Foreshadowing, wouldn't just randomly throw in the main villain having a thing for an important character, everything in her books always has a meaning and purpose.

"Would you miss me if I didn't [come back]?" - Manon didn't reply

This is how SJM described Manorian marriage: "She would be his wife, his queen. She was already his equal, his match, mirror in so many ways. And with their union, the world would know it." - and you're telling me it's not deserving of its own book? Not just that, Manon asked Dorian for marriage and they, again, just had sex, with Dorian loving the idea but deep down knowing that Manon would feel caged in a marriage. And that attitude won't just change out of the blue. It takes time and development which is something SJM writes amazingly.

With the Thirteen gone, beside Abraxos Dorian is the only creature Manon cares about.

Dorian's mortality (although as you'll see in point #6 I'm sure he's not human)

The dreaded "You could just marry each other." / "We'll see." (Thanks Yrene :)

5. Foreshadowing

Listen here, SJM IS THE QUEEN OF FORESHADOWING. She thought of a detail (Dorian's dad's name) in the first book that would matter in the last book. Of course, there are many many many more examples of that, but if we got "We'll see." then we'll fucking see it happen.

6. Unresolved things about Manon and Dorian as individual characters.

Manon and Dorian and both pretty broken at the end of KOA.

Manon lost the Thirteen, the only people she cared about. That is a huge trauma that needs to be addressed, especially with someone so reluctant to show feelings and heal like Manon.

Dorian can't be human?? He has fae abilities due to his relation to Gavin and Elena even though he's not even called a demi-fae. He possesses powers no one else does, phantom hands for example, which he didn't steal like shape-shifting. And Maeve pointed out that due to his father being possessed by Valg when Dorian was sired, it's possible he got some of the Valg abilities. (Also she said that he's stronger than Aelin) The main villain, especially written by Queen of Foreshadowing, wouldn't just let drop it there and that's it. Also not to mention Dorian's own struggle with depression and self-worth.

They have both just become rulers of their kingdoms, completely new to it. Dorian has spent a big part of KOA imagining what kind of a king he wants to be (one that will have a witch queen hehe) and it was a major point of his character. And addition to that affecting them as characters, the future of Adarlan and Witch Kingdom could make a good plotline.

7. Other TOG characters

Although pretty much all the readers would die to see Chaorene baby, Lorcan in Perranth, Aelin and Rowan ruling Terrasen, Lysandra and Adeion officially adopting Evangeline, Nesryn and Sartaq becoming Khagan and Empress of Antica, all of these don't make enough of a plot on its own. They are great side-plots.

We know all of these characters love each other and are happy together, there isn't that much to be added to their personal stories other than kids. (same way Feyre and Rhys got a baby in Nessian book) Manorian however, they haven't even kissed without it leading to sex, they hugged at the end of KOA and it was the pique of their relationship. Their relationship is merely at the beginning, whereas others have pretty much reached their ultimatum (ofc SJM can decide to add some drama with betrayal, kidnapping, pregnancy etc. but for now everyone is good and settled beside Manorian)

Not to mention the way other relationships would affect them. Chaol, Dorian's brother, and Yrene, Manon's wannabe bestie and Manorian shipper, would bring their baby to meet his/her uncle Dorian and aunt Manon, and imagine Manon with a baby lol.

SJM loves Aelin and other characters way too much not to give us an insight on them as married couples, but since her books are huge and it's her, it needs a plot with drama, addressing traumas, repressed feelings, worldbuilding, and sex, and Manorian's got all of that.

8. Abraxos

We need more Abraxos, that's just a fact.

Wow that was a long one. Anyways, in conclusion, we're getting that Manorian book. Pretty sure it's gonna a book rather than a novella (TOD was also planned as a novella but then guess what) because there is just SO MUCH possible content.

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charincharge · 3 years

Text

I Don't Want To Wait, forty-eight

rowaelin high school bff au masterlist

Based on the prompts:

“This wasn’t supposed to happen – this wasn’t – the plan was…”

Seeing someone’s made them their lockscreen

“Take these clothes and make them smell like you again.”

“I’m mad at you because I love you”

“Is that all you’re going to sleep in?” “Yeah, you know this is what I sleep in when it’s this warm.”

“Want to kiss me?” “Not in the slightest.”

Aelin did her best to keep a smile on her face as they drove the short distance from the beach to Aelin’s house, but inside she felt like she was dying a thousand deaths. She kept Rowan’s hand in a vice grip, laced with her fingers, and tried to focus on every detail of his hand instead of the gnawing feeling in her stomach. She turned his hand over in hers and let her thumb trail down each long finger, tapping the pad gently and trailing back down. He shivered as he pulled into her driveway, causing her to smile softly. But it was wiped off her face as he turned to her, concerned, pulling his hand away and resting it on his lap.

“Are you okay?” he asked, and she nodded.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

His side-eye was enough to let her know that he’d clocked her sudden silence in the car, but she didn’t want to fight tonight. She just wanted to be with him. She wanted to pretend that he hadn’t just torn apart the future she’d imagined for them; she wanted to feel him pressed against her and kiss him senseless until all her bad thoughts had emptied out of her head.

“It kind of feels like you’re mad at me?” Rowan prodded, not getting the hint that she just wanted to ignore things and barrel forward. But she was always better at ignoring things than he was. “Is this about the, uh… sex stuff?”

“I’m not,” she said. It wasn’t even a lie – she’d been so distracted by the college news that his new sex parameters had been completely erased from her brain. Plus, it wasn’t even that she was mad. She was confused. Really, really confused. “I’m just hungry.”

At that, a wide smile cracked across Rowan’s face, his green eyes glinting with laughter as he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. She hummed happily at the feel of his soft mouth against hers.

“I should have known,” he chuckled against her skin. Then it was her turn to shiver.

His voice was ever so slightly lower, and she loved the new feel of the vibrations against her cheek. Her eyes widened as he pulled back, giving her some sort of indiscernible look, and then immediately closed as his lips crashed against hers. The kiss took her by surprise as the ferocity melted away into something softer. This kiss was unlike anything she’d experienced before; it was slower, more prolonged, his tongue just barely brushing between her lips to touch hers. An uncontrollable guttural noise escaped her mouth as his hands knotted in her hair, grabbing fistfuls of her salt-dried locks. He reared back quickly, his eyes downcast as he rubbed his hand over his face and groaned a low, painful sound. But he smiled at her again, regardless.

“Who taught you how to kiss like that?” Aelin asked, breathless and eyes glazed over with lust, feeling phantom tingles against her mouth, remembering the kiss in excruciating detail.

Rowan’s cheeks flushed, but she barely noticed, too distracted by the way his new muscles flexed beneath the sleeve of his t-shirt as he ran his hand through his unruly hair.

“I told you the guys at camp were…informative,” he laughed under his breath. His eyes flicked up to hers, nervously, and she couldn’t help but sigh happily. That was the reunion she had imagined. Incredible kisses and sweet smiles and soft blushes.

“We were supposed to eat hours ago,” he laughed. “And you’re going to get even grumpier if you keep looking at me like that because I’m not going to let you out of this car.”

“We can arrange for that,” Aelin laughed, leaning over the console, but Rowan just laughed and grabbed his vibrating phone from his pocket. A long string of text alerts appeared on the screen, garnering Aelin’s curiosity. “Someone’s popular…” she said, wondering who could possibly be texting Rowan that much.

“Camp guys group chat,” he explained, quickly clearing the notifications away with a swipe of his thumb and revealing his lock screen – Aelin’s own face smiling back at her from his hand.

“Am I your lock screen?” she asked, though the answer was quite clear. His lock screen was the picture she’d sent with him to camp – her smiling and posing in her lifeguard uniform. At his shy answering smile, she wanted to launch herself at him again, but he stopped her with a soft kiss. She couldn’t help but pout.

“Food,” Rowan protested weakly.

“Kisses,” Aelin said, leaning forward again. “I need to collect on a thousand of them, remember?” Her lips pressed against his softly over and over, her words escaping between the thousand kisses she meant to collect.

“Babyyy,” he said, pained.

The sound thrilled Aelin and sent a jolt of electricity down her spine. She pulled back, flushed and smiling, their discord pushed to the back of her brain, erased by Rowan’s thorough kisses.

“So, not that I mind… at all,” Aelin said, unbuckling herself and finally getting out of the car. “But, I don’t think you’ve ever called me baby so much before.”

Rowan slung his arm over her shoulder and pulled her tight, and she inhaled his scent that she’d missed so much and exhaled the tension from her shoulders.

“It’s so I don’t confuse you with my other girlfriends,” he said so nonchalantly that Aelin froze and looked up at him. And up a little further. It was going to take some getting used to his new height. His answering smirk was enough to have Aelin pulling herself out of his grasp and punching the side of his arm. “Ow,” he laughed, rubbing at the spot where Aelin had landed her first. “What?” he joked. “If I call you all baby I have less chance of mixing up your names…baby,” he said with a wink.

Though she was a hundred percent certain Rowan was joking, she couldn’t help the small tug of insecurity, reminding her that she wasn’t always his one and only.

She must have made a face because Rowan tugged at her hand and pulled her close again. “I’m kidding, Ace.”

“You’d better be,” she mumbled, opening the front door.

They were greeted by the sight of Rhoe and Lorcan in the kitchen, which barely phased Aelin at this point. Lorcan was sitting at the table, hunched over as he scooped tortilla chips into a large bowl of guacamole, while Rhoe cooked something on the stovetop.

“BABE!” Lorcan bellowed through his mouthful of chips.

Aelin practically rolled her eyes as her hulking friend galloped across the room to embrace her boyfriend. Though she couldn’t help but notice that Rowan was only about an inch or two shorter than Lorcan. Wow, he really had grown. Apparently that was the first thing that Lorcan noticed, too, because his eyes widened as he took in Rowan’s new form, perusing him up and down before smirking soundly and clapping his friend on the back.

“Well, well, well, look who finally grew up,” Lorcan said with a salacious grin. “You fill in that much everywhere?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Salvaterre, don’t be gross,” Rhoe chastised weakly before giving his own hug to Rowan. “Welcome back, kid. We missed you. And it looks like Antica agreed with you,” he said with a smile.

“I guess?” Rowan shrugged, but Lorcan wanted to make sure her boyfriend knew exactly what that meant.

“Babe,” he began, getting Rowan’s attention back. “You got hot. Like, really hot.”

A steady blush crept up the back of Rowan’s neck as he shyly tucked his chin into his chest, his eyes sliding to Aelin for confirmation.

“I don’t know about that,” he mumbled, but Lorcan just let out a snort.

“Well, I do.” He paused and looked at Aelin, concerned. “Come on, Aelin, tell him. He looks like a golden god.”

Aelin frowned at the boy who had become like an annoying older brother to her in the course of the summer, and reached up and covered Rowan’s ears as best as she could, lifting up onto her tiptoes. “Don’t tell him, Lor! It’s much better for all of us if he doesn’t know.”

“I can still hear you,” Rowan laughed, eyes amused as he pulled Aelin’s hands from his ears.

“So, Golden God,” Rhoe said, trying his hardest not to laugh. “Don’t keep us waiting forever. Maeve said you had some very exciting news to share, but she wouldn’t tell us.”

Rowan looked nervously at Aelin and then back at Lorcan and Rhoe as they waited impatiently, and Aelin’s stomach twisted again. She’d been able to push away this information for a little bit, but she knew she’d have to deal with it eventually.

But she stood dutifully beside him, always smiling as he showed them his Wendlyn recruitment letter.

“Wowwwww,” Lorcan said, taking the letter and looking at it closer. “Better get those grades up this semester,” he joked at Aelin, causing her bad mood to return in full force. She was afraid she was going to cry, seeing how happy her dad and Lorcan were for Rowan. She should have been just as happy, but she just couldn’t bring herself to be.

She lifted herself up onto her toes again and pressed her lips to his cheek.

“I’m going to go shower and change. Will you figure out dinner?” she asked softly. She didn’t bother to wait for Rowan’s acceptance of her request to bolt upstairs and shut the door.

Carefully encased in her room, she let her shoulders sag. She felt the weight of the night collapse onto her, her emotions running wild as she finally let herself really truly feel. The strong spray of the shower wasn’t enough to clear away the feelings of upset, but then she was clouded with guilt. She should be happy for Rowan. Everyone else was. It was a fantastic opportunity, what he was being presented with. A full ride to an incredible school.

An incredible school that she had no shot of getting into.

She hadn’t realized how much she’d thought about their future. She’d imagined walking across campus hand-in-hand and sneaking kisses between study sessions in the library, of coming back to her dorm late at night, tipsy on cheap alcohol and endorphins and twisting into a tiny twin bed, legs entangled as they slept together. She imagined going to his games and getting decked out in their college colors and sitting with their group of friends as they cheered wildly for him, for their team to win. She imagined meeting on campus for coffee between classes and coming back home together.

As the water pelted onto her sore muscles, she mourned the loss of her imagined future. She took deep breaths as the images faded away, becoming something horrible, something sinister. She saw Rowan on the Wendlyn campus, surrounded by other girls far smarter and more talented than her, all laughing and trading stories about their exes from high school. A wave of insecurity swept over her, tugging her mood down, down, down, until all her dreams had swirled down the drain with the last droplet of water as she turned off the faucet.

She looked at herself in the mirror, her usually bright eyes looking sullen and angry, and tried to shake it off, but it was too late. She’d let it wash over her. She’d been overtaken.

Her mood only worsened when she realized most of her pajamas were dirty, and she had nothing more than an old dryer shrunken tank top and well-worn shorts to wear. So, now she didn’t even feel cute. She was calling tonight a wash.

Heading downstairs, she was unsurprised to see all the men in her life, huddled around the chips and guac on the table, shoveling food into their mouths and discussing Lorcan’s favorite parts of fire academy. But as Rowan heard her footsteps creaking across the floorboards, he inhaled sharply and began coughing wildly.

“What are you wearing?” Rowan managed to wheeze out as his coughing subsided, and Aelin looked down at her ratty old pajamas with a frown.

“Pajamas?”

“That’s all you’re going to sleep in?” he asked, his eyes slowly trailing down the expanse of her exposed legs.

Aelin crossed her arms over her chest protectively. “You know this is what I sleep in when it’s this warm,” she replied, nonplussed. The pajamas were old, yes, but he didn’t have to make a big deal about it. She didn’t get why he was so hung up on it. Rowan blinked and blinked again, clearing his throat slightly as he looked away.

“With Lorcan here?”

Aelin frowned. “Lorcan’s always here.”

Lorcan snorted loudly. “You weren’t kidding. She is hangry.”

Aelin’s brows furrowed as her eyes narrowed in Lorcan’s direction as she took the empty seat next to Rowan. She sat stiffly beside him, neither of them reaching for each other how they usually would, no hands held or knees caressed or hair tucked behind ears. She felt all weird and prickly and wrong.

“So,” she said turning to him, “Did you figure out dinner, or did you just eat chips?”

Rhoe paused mid-bite, looking between Aelin and Rowan curiously. His brow raised, but Aelin just shook her head slightly.

“I thought we’d go out for pizza, but if you’re already in pajamas, we could order delivery?” Rowan suggested. Aelin just shrugged and took the empty seat next to him.

“And wait an hour for Aelin to be fed?” Lorcan gasped. “That sounds dangerous.”

Aelin frowned. “You think you’re so funny.”

“He’s not funny, he tells the truth, Fireheart,” Rhoe said, pressing a kiss to Aelin’s forehead as he made his way to the kitchen. “Let’s see what we have in the fridge.” She watched as her dad opened and closed all the doors and cabinets, shouting out options to them, each one sounding worse than the last.

“I think, maybe, pizza is the safest,” Aelin said.

“We have stuff for BLTs?” Rhoe called out, and Lorcan lit up at that.

“Oooh, a BLT sounds perfect,” he bellowed back.

Rowan snorted. “Yeah, I bet you’d like to B your L on someone’s T’s,” he mumbled under his breath, causing Lorcan’s eyes to widen in shock.

“Did you just say what I think you said?” he asked, laughter bubbling up in his chest, his dark eyes filled with amusement.

“No,” Rowan replied quickly, his cheeks burning red as his eyes trained down on the table, away from Lorcan’s prying eyes. Aelin looked between the two boys, not understanding what was just said.

“My little boy grew up in more ways than one this summer!” Lorcan said, pretending to wipe a tear away from his cheek. Rowan threw a chip across the table at Lorcan’s face, shaking his head. "Naughty, naughty..."

“Shut up.”

“I don’t get it,” she said, frustrated, but Rowan just shot her down.

“Don’t worry about it.” Aelin stared at him, willing him to break, but he just shook his head and looked down and away from her again as Lorcan smirked.

She wanted to throttle him. It was enough to be rejected sexually and then have him go to college without her, but now for him to be talking about things and not explaining them to her? Inside jokes or whatever, that she was purposefully being excluded from. She felt a burning fury overtake her sadness, replacing her disappointment with a consuming fire, flames raging on the sides of her cheeks as she spat, “Fine,” and stood up from the table and went to go help her dad with their dinner.

There was something comforting about going on autopilot and making sandwiches with her dad. She’d done it so many nights in her life that she could shut her brain off as she reached for the bread, putting it into the toaster and grabbed a tomato and began slicing. Her dad stood beside her, flipping pieces of sizzling bacon.

“So…” he finally said, his voice low and concerned. “Not that I’m not thrilled to see you, but I thought for sure you and Rowan would be… reuniting—” he cleared his throat uncomfortably as his eyes shot down to focus on the meat in the pan in front of him, “—elsewhere, until late tonight.”

“Dad.” Aelin couldn’t bear to have her dad talk about her and Rowan’s lack of reuniting.

His low chuckle was countered by his concerned side glance, his blue eyes prying for more information that Aelin did not want to give.

“I’m just saying, there is a distinct lack of hand-holding and all-around general cuddliness between you two, and I was prepared for much, much worse from the girl who spent every night kissing Rowan’s picture before bed.”

Aelin’s eyes shot to her dad as the toast popped out of the toaster. “You said you’d never bring that up!”

“Fireheart…” Rhoe continued.

But Aelin wasn’t ready to talk yet. “It’s fine. We’re fine.”

“Uh huh,” Rhoe said, pulling the bacon off the pan and laying them on paper towels to de-grease. “Well, if you want to talk, you know where I am.”

“With Lorcan?” she snapped, and immediately felt bad. Her dad had nothing to do with her bad mood. “Sorry,” she apologized quickly. She snatched a warm piece of bacon between her fingers and plopped it into her mouth, letting the salty goodness comfort her. “I really do need some food.”

Luckily, her dad heard her loud and clear and let her stew in her bad mood as she put the sandwiches together while he sliced up some carrots.

Aelin nibbled on her dinner as Rowan and Lorcan wolfed down three sandwiches each.

“I guess you were hungry?” Aelin asked as Rowan brushed a crumb from the corner of his mouth.

“I wasn’t joking when I told you I was hungry all the time,” he laughed, finally resting his hand on her bare knee.

“Hungry and horny,” Lorcan laughed, sending a wink to Rowan across the table. Rowan snatched his hand back from Aelin’s knee, grasping it in his lap, his fingers interlocked as demurely as possible, as Rhoe smacked Lorcan’s shoulder.

“Get out of my house, Salvaterre,” Rhoe said, and though he said it with a joking chuckle, it was clear he was serious. “You’re a terrible influence on my child. I don't need you corrupting Rowan, too.”

“I was jokingggg,” Lorcan insisted, but Rhoe just shook his head. "And I think Rowan has already been corrupted."

The blush that deepened on Rowan's cheeks made Lorcan laugh, but Rhoe merely sighed, telling Lorcan he still needed to leave.

“These two are going to hang out upstairs in Aelin’s room," Rhoe said, "And I am going to catch up on some work.”

“We are?” Aelin asked, suddenly feeling nervous.

“With the door open,” Rhoe warned. “The rules haven’t changed.”

“Except for later curfew,” Aelin reminded him of the conversation they’d had last week, begging to extend her hours until midnight this year. They compromised at 10 on weekdays, but midnight on weekends.

“Except for later curfew,” Rhoe repeated back to her, ignoring the way Lorcan grumbled as he got his things together. “See you in the morning, trainee,” her dad said, sending Lorcan off with a salute.

“Yes, sir,” Lorcan replied automatically. He wrapped his arms around Aelin from behind and whispered in her ear, “Have funnnn,” causing her to elbow him off of her. She didn’t know how she’d ended up with an older brother this summer, but somehow she had. And sometimes he was really annoying.

“So…” Rowan began, standing suddenly. “Upstairs?”

Aelin nodded and watched him grin and sprint up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

Aelin took them slower, climbing them one at a time, and she wasn’t surprised to see Rowan already laid out on her bed when she made it to her room. His face was buried into her pillow, inhaling deeply as he groaned, “I missed your smell. Like flowers and lemons.” He rolled onto his back, a big dopey grin on his face, his green eyes lit up with mischief as he asked her, “Do you want to come kiss me?” His hand patted the comforter next to him, but Aelin shook her head.

“Not in the slightest.”

Though she’d tried to make it sound like a joke, it was clear it hadn’t landed. Rowan sat up quickly, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“Okay, now I know you’re mad at me.”

And Aelin exploded. She couldn’t bear to keep it all inside for one more second.

“Of COURSE I’m mad!”

“Can you tell me why?” Rowan asked, standing up and coming closer. But Aelin put her hand up to stop him. She couldn’t think if he got too close. And now that she’d cracked, she needed to explain herself. But the emotions were spilling out, pouring over in tidal waves, and she was having a hard time articulating the right answer.

“Because! This wasn’t supposed to happen!” she exclaimed, but Rowan just looked at her like she was crazy.

“What wasn’t supposed to happen?”

“No, that’s not…” she took a deep breath and tried to compose herself. “We had a plan, and the plan wasn’t – fuck!” Then it was her turn to start to pace. Why couldn’t she just string a god damned sentence together.

“What?” he asked, pushing her to tell him more, his eyes probing for more information as his hands came to rest on either one of her cheeks, steadying her with his concerned face. “What?” he asked again, and Aelin shook her head, letting a tear fall down her cheek. She hadn’t even realized she was crying. Rowan’s thumb swiped against her skin softly, moving the wetness away. “Baby, what’s wrong?” he asked, his voice nothing more than a whisper. “What did I do?”

She steeled herself, took a deep breath and looked up. “We were supposed to go to college together,” she said, hoping her voice wasn’t shaking as much as it felt.

“I…” Rowan’s hands dropped from her cheeks as his broad shoulders tensed. “You’re mad that I got into college? I thought you’d be proud of me… You know how worried I was, and it’s my shot to actually do something with my life.”

“No…no, no… that’s not…” Aelin took another breath. “I am so proud of you, Ro. Wendlyn is incredible.” She watched as the tension drained from his muscles at her words. “I just thought the plan was to go to college together.”

“It is,” Rowan insisted, but Aelin shook her head.

“I can’t get into Wendlyn,” she finally admitted out loud what had been plaguing her all night. “That’s a top school. And even if I did get in, it’s a private school. I have no idea how I’d afford it. And I certainly can’t get a scholarship to a school like that.”

Rowan looked struck for the first time. As if he hadn’t considered Aelin’s words. As if he’d just assumed that she’d be able to go to the school he got into, no matter how exclusive and elite it was.

“There are so many schools by Wendlyn,” Rowan finally said. “Mistward is filled with them. There’s Doranelle and Varese and Mt. Cambria and College of Rivers. So, you could be nearby, even if you don’t get into Wendlyn.”

“So you admit, you don’t think I can get into Wendlyn,” Aelin said defiantly, and she thought that Rowan’s eyes were going to pop out of his head with frustration as he threw his large arms up into the air and then back down again.

“You just said you didn’t think you could get in!” he said, exasperated. But Aelin could only hear the negatives ringing in her head, unwilling to hear what he was really saying. “Ace,” he said steadily. “We promised, no matter what, we’d make this work. This is no exception. You’re mad at me over nothing.”

“I’m mad at you because I love you,” Aelin said. “Because I want to be with you forever, and the idea of four years apart makes me want to cry.”

“Please don’t cry,” Rowan said, but it was too late. Tears had started falling down Aelin’s cheeks again. “We’re going to be together forever. We are,” Rowan insisted. “No matter what. Forever." Aelin nodded through her sniffles, feeling overwhelmed and a little stupid at her outburst. "Can I kiss it better?” Rowan asked, rubbing his nose against hers.

Aelin sniffed loudly, laughing at the feel of his nose poking at her. “Only if you take your sweatshirts back and make them smell like you again,” Aelin said.

His answering smile was blinding, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared as he moved his mouth to hers. Ready to kiss it better.

She accepted his kisses readily, letting his arms wrap around her waist and pull her close. He had to duck down to reach her mouth, and she had to tilt her head to the sky, but no matter what, kissing Rowan always felt like a soothing balm on her weary soul. His lips healed her aches and bruises, the cracked edges of her anger and sadness smoothing over with each caress of his tongue against hers. They stood there, kissing until Aelin’s tears dried and a new ache formed in her chest – one of longing and hunger. Her hands played with the ends of his hair, relishing in the sounds that came out of his mouth, tugging him tighter, and refusing to let him go until they were startled by the loud sound of Rhoe’s boot stomping up the stairs.

They parted quickly, wiping at their mouths and faces as Rhoe appeared in the open doorway.

“It’s late,” was all Rhoe said. But Rowan understood.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Rowan asked, and Aelin nodded, the small tendril of sadness sneaking its way back out as he stepped away from her. As if he could sense it, he leaned back in and kissed her again, not caring that Rhoe was standing right there. “I love you.”

“I love you more,” Aelin countered.

“Impossible,” Rowan said, kissing Aelin again until Rhoe was forced to clear his throat loudly.

“She kissed your picture goodnight every night you were gone,” Rhoe said, trying to hide his own smile beneath his hand.

“DAD!” Aelin’s cheeks heated as Rowan’s face lit up.

“Me too,” he said, smiling as he said it. As he was turning to leave, Aelin remembered the bag in her closet and ran to grab it.

“Wait!” she exclaimed, shoving the bag full of hoodies back at him. “You know what to do,” she said, lifting herself up on her toes to kiss him one last time and wrapping his hand around the bag’s handle.

“Goodnight, Rowan,” Rhoe laughed.

Aelin sighed loudly and collapsed onto her bed as Rowan made his way downstairs, and she couldn’t help but smile as her phone lit up with a text from her boyfriend before he even pulled out of her driveway.

Forever, Ace. We’ll figure it out.

The bed dipped beside her as Rhoe sat and turned toward her, eyes wide with curiosity.

“Want to tell me what that was all about?”

“No?”

But Rhoe wasn’t letting her off the hook anymore. He’d endured the weirdness downstairs, and then she was sure he heard them shouting. She was sure he was dying to know what was going on between them, especially since they parted with kind kisses and flushed faces.

Aelin groaned as she fell back onto her pillow, but she couldn’t help but smile as she smelled faint traces of Rowan’s bodywash there. Yeah. She’d missed that scent, too.

“Fireheart?” her dad asked, poking at her side.

“It’s nothing,” Aelin said, propping herself up onto her elbows.

“It didn’t sound like nothing,” Rhoe replied, raising an eyebrow. Fuck. Aelin knew he’d heard the shouting from downstairs. She’d hoped the television would drown them out, but of course it hadn’t.

“Rowan is going to Wendlyn.”

“I know,” Rhoe said. “Pretty awesome, right?”

“Yeah,” Aelin sighed. “Awesome.”

“Or, not awesome?” he prodded. Aelin collapsed back to the bed, staring at the ceiling as she unloaded onto her dad.

“Awesome for him, for sure. Not so awesome for me, who definitely can’t get into that school.”

“Says who?” Rhoe asked.

Aelin chuckled without humor. “Um, everyone? We’ve had two valedictorians get rejected from there. Somehow I don’t think little old me with my A’s and B’s is going.”

“Hmm,” was all Rhoe said.

And nothing else.

Aelin couldn’t stand it. She sat back up and looked at her dad, who was staring at her thoughtfully. “What?” she asked.

He shrugged and shook his head, rubbing his hand against his beard which desperately needed to be shaved.

“I just didn’t expect you to be such a defeatist,” Rhoe said. “I thought you were a fighter, who liked a challenge.”

“There’s a difference between liking a challenge and being delusional, dad,” Aelin said with a scoff, but his sentiment prickled at her skin.

“I don’t know about that, Fireheart.” He paused. “I don’t think it’s delusional to try. What happened to the girl who refused to go to sleep until she learned the top hundred most difficult words to spell?”

“She was ten, and she didn’t even make it past the first round of the spelling bee because she forgot tomorrow has only one ‘m’ in it.”

That brought a wide smile to her dad’s face. “Yeah, but you were so driven. Still are.” He laughed. “You’ve always been an overachiever. Weren’t you the only junior in a senior math class last year?”

“Yes…” Aelin admitted. She was good at math. She always had been. This year she’d be taking an Advanced Placement calculus class, and she didn’t know who else would even be in it.

“The only thing you’ve ever wanted I’ve seen you not go for… is Rowan.”

That made Aelin pause. It was true. She usually had no problem shooting for the moon, but when it came to Rowan, she suddenly questioned everything about herself. She thought she’d outgrown that insecurity, but at the mention of his college admission, it came rushing back to her. Could she actively squash that insecurity? She didn’t know.

“So,” Rhoe continued, “what would you need to do to be a competitive applicant to Wendlyn?” he asked.

“Seriously?” Aelin couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but her dad nodded. “Okay, well… I’d probably have to make my course load way harder, to weight my GPA. And I’d need to get A’s in all of them. And I don’t even know if it’s too late to do that.”

The edge of Rhoe’s lips curled into a small smile. “Okay, well, let’s say it’s not, and you do that. What else?”

“I’d need a direction. Something to make me stand out. An extracurricular or volunteer work or a job, or all three that all tied together somehow.”

“Last I heard, Petrah was begging you to come back and take more classes. Think she might have a job for you, too?” he asked, and suddenly Aelin’s mind was reeling with possibilities. She wanted to temper her excitement, though. She couldn’t just assume she could make this happen.

“Lots of kids dance, dad,” she said.

“Maybe,” he admitted. “But I doubt many of them learned all of Clara’s choreography in sixth grade just in case the understudy and Clara were both sick.” That made Aelin laughed. She remembered practicing the twirls in the studio, following along the choreography until she knew it just as well as her snowflake dance. “You miss a hundred percent of the shots you don’t take,” Rhoe finally said.

“That was cheesy, Dad.”

But she was smiling. He was right. Maybe it wasn’t likely that she’d get into Wendlyn. Hell, it was the longest shot she could possibly imagine. But she had to try. Not just for Rowan, but for her, too.

“Alright, what else?” Rhoe asked, and Aelin got out her journal, ready to make a list of everything she needed to do to try and hold onto her dream. She wasn’t willing to let it slip away. Not yet.

~*~

#idwtw au #rowaelin #rowan x aelin #charincharge writes #tog fanfic #throne of glass fic #i'm not nearly as angsty as you thin #there will be dramz #but come on #i'm me #LOVE YOU ALLLLLLL #review #reblog #inbox me #i wanna hear thoughts and thoris #theories

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bubbles-for-all-of-us · 10 months

Note

for Fen, maybe something like after a long day, what they usually do

Long day

You knew that Fenrys was going to return home late or only the following day. Rowan needed help setting a deal with another court. There had been some uncertainty around the outcomes of the brewing war that had to be resolved. That or it might all burn to the ground. Quite literally.

The girls all stuck around for the day. Not that it was a usual practice. Most of the time everyone was equally as busy so neither got to just sit around. This time was different. You all were left back while all the males scattered in groups finished off the business that had to be settled.

So you're more than surprised when the door to your shared bedroom cracks open. You have no recollection of what time it is. The moon is high up. And you had most definitely lost yourself in the book now resting on your lap. "How are you home already?", you frown slightly. This could easily mean more than one thing. It all went to shit or was way too easy. "Careful it sounds like you enjoy the empty bed", Fenrys steps deeper into the room, fetching a glass of water for himself. And gods doom you when you see his tired face. Hard expression painting his features. So unusual for him.

You make a quick work getting out of bed as you pad towards your mate. The silk nightgown leaves little to the imagination and even if Fenrys's eyes follow your every move you can tell that sex is the last thing on his mind. Never had he been too keen on taking his amped-up frustration on you.

"Did it go to shit?", you ask softly, settling onto Fenrys's lap. His arms instantly loop around you as he leans in to kiss your exposed shoulder. "What did you do today?", he says in return and you take the hint of the instantly changed topic. Not now it says. Not now. Don't make me think of it. So you don't. "Went into town with Aelin and Elide, they were looking for the right fabrics for their dresses", your fingers carefully undo a couple of braids holding Fenrys's hair away from his face. Massaging his scalp while you're at it. "And came across the new part of the city. Did you know they were building houses there?", you continue, Fenrys nods before shrugging his shoulders slightly, "Only heard a thing or two".

You two had been searching for a place to move to for a while. Just none of the houses you visited felt quite right. Something was always missing. Fenrys had almost settled for building a place himself. But even that got pushed aside with all the new court work that had to be sorted.

"I liked one", you hum, "It had a big garden, which would be good for you and the boys to train at", Fenrys frowns, "I don't want a big garden for fights", his voice is so serious as he shakes his head. "Why not?", "I want one so our kids could run in it", you tilt your head to the side, smiling softly, "Okay, no garden for fighting, a garden for kids and flowerbeds", at that Fenrys nods, pressing yet another kiss to your collarbone, before nuzzling his head into the crook of your neck. You let the silence fall over the two of you. Letting him just be here. With nothing threatening to burst this little bubble.

"Do you want to move to the bed?", you ask Fenrys after a while. You can't imagine this position being comfortable after a day of shifting. "Do I get to lay on top of you?", he mutters against your skin, making you let out a chuckle at the desperation lacing his voice. "Yep, anything you need, darling", "And you'll do that thing you do with my hair?". Your heart aches slightly at his need for affection. As if somehow you haven't been giving enough love to him. "Anything, you want, Fen, anything you want".

#fenrys moonbeam #fenrys moonbeam x reader #fenrys moonbeam imagine #fenrys imagine #fenrys x reader #tog imagine #tog x reader #throne of glass x reader #throne of glass imsgine #rowan whitethorn #lorcan salvaterre #gavriel

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live-the-fangirl-life · 3 years

Text

A Starlit Swim

Aelin Galathynius x Rowan Whitethorn - Skinny Dipping Oneshot

Aelin shows Rowan to a lovely, secluded spot.

Written for Rowaelin Month 2021. Day 14: Skinny Dipping

Masterlist | Read on Ao3 | Rowaelin Month Masterlist

Warnings: Language, Lightest NSFW

1547 words

*******

“Shh!” Aelin hissed through a giggle, too loudly to be an actual reprimand.

Rowan snorted and kept a firm grip on his girlfriend’s hand as she pulled him through the woods towards what she insisted was a nice secluded spot.

“Aelin,” he shot his free hand out to steady her waist as she stumbled over a fallen branch, before righting herself and sending a quick smile over her shoulder. “Aelin, I didn’t say anything. That was all you.”

She either didn’t hear him or chose to ignore his point as she kept leading him down a path that only she was aware of.

The soccer team at Terrasen University had just won the championships, and as a Co-Captain, Rowan was very much to thank for that. He and the team set up a bonfire down by one of the lakes to celebrate. But what originally started as the team, their significant others, and friends, soon devolved into a full-on rager the moment some idiot posted a video on Instagram. Now, the entire lake and woods a couple of miles outside campus were crawling with excited, drunk college kids who were all celebrating the victory.

Rowan had been happy standing by the large fire with Aelin leaning into him, her back pressed to his chest with his arms looped her waist and his chin resting on her head. Lorcan and Elide were next to them, standing similarly, although Elide had to stand on one of the logs in order for Lorcan’s chin to reach her hair. Fenrys danced around handing out more drinks to everybody, while Lysandra and Aedion were somewhere in the group of people dancing by the speakers. Rowan had spotted more of his teammates around and recognized a couple of faces of people from classes in the hordes of partygoers, but he was perfectly content being with his small group of friends by the fire.

Until Aelin tugged his arm, urging him to lower his head so she could whisper into his ear. She’d said she knew of a hidden spot a little further into the woods, and that they should sneak off while everyone else was distracted. He almost argued, saying he was fine right where they were, but then she turned in his arms and kissed him in a way that had every coherent thought flying out of his head. He could only grin and nod as she pulled away satisfied and grabbed his hand.

So, now, Rowan was following Aelin as she maneuvered through the trees to this supposedly special spot.

They’d walked far enough that Rowan could no longer hear the music or voices from the party.

“Aelin, where are we going?” He hissed as he nearly tripped over another tree branch.

Aelin only giggled and shushed him again. A moment later she told him, in a horrifically bad haunting accent, “I’m luring you into the woods to kill you. No one will find your body.” Her laughter decimated the fake threat.

Rolling his eyes, Rowan snickered, “Nah, you like me too much to kill me.”

She looked back, almost tripping again as she winked, “I guess.” He caught her lip twitch as she unsuccessfully fought a smile.

“You guess?” he grumbled.

Aelin stopped abruptly and Rowan nearly sent them crashing to the ground before he stopped moving. She turned to face him and the next thing he knew, she was kissing the living daylights out of him. Rowan reacted instantly, the slight haze from a couple beers making him feel even lighter. Aelin pulled away before they got too carried away and ended up rolling in the leaves and dirt.

“Okay, maybe I do like you too much to kill you.”

Rowan laughed and Aelin grinned before spinning around and resuming her mission of pulling him through the woods to wherever she was imagining.

“Seriously, Fireheart,” he asked again as the trees slowly thinned out around them. “Where are we going?”

Instead of answering, Aelin’s giggling filled the air again.

Rowan chuckled under his breath; this was three-drink Aelin escorting him, then. It hadn’t taken Rowan long to notice Aelin’s varying drunk personalities. One-drink Aelin was affectionately named The Megaphone, the buzz of alcohol making her yell and shout. Two-drink Aelin, The Instigator, believed her purpose in life was encourage their friends to act on their ridiculous, sometimes insane, plans. Three-drink Aelin, this Aelin, was The Giggler because for whatever reason she found everything absolutely hilarious.

Rowan was also familiar with four-drink Aelin: The Horndog, who wouldn’t be dissuaded by a party full of people when she’d straddle his lap and practically jump him right there on the spot. Or, five-drink Aelin: The Francophone who gave up all use of their language and spoke solely in French. He wasn’t sure what six-drink Aelin was like—none of their friends were—but once, Rowan had witnessed seven-drink Aelin, forever deemed The Queen, because she’d insisted everyone call her Your Majesty and Queen Galathynius (Lorcan had quickly dubbed her Fire Breathing Bitch Queen much to her utter delight) and, just Rowan: Milady.

Aelin giggled again as she swayed trying to duck beneath a branch and Rowan gripped her hand tighter as he reached above her to push the leaves aside. It took him a second to take in what he was looking at. Aelin had led him to the edge of a small lake hidden within the forest. The sky was visible through the small openings between branches that stretched across the width of the lake, allowing Rowan to see the stars that were normally invisible by the lights of the city.

“How…” he trailed off, facing Aelin again to see her watching him with a rare, tentative expression.

“What do you think?” She asked hopefully.

Rowan stepped closer to her, pulling her into his arms. “Its beautiful, Fireheart. How did you ever find this place?”

She smirked and giggled again. “Magic.”

He raised a brow, amused, and waited.

Aelin sighed dramatically and tipped her head back, “Fine, Buzzard, if you want the boring answer it’s that I was out on a run one day and got distracted and lost and accidentally stumbled onto this place. It doesn’t look like anyone else comes here. Not that I’ve noticed, anyway.”

Rowan’s grip tightened around her waist, pulling her against him and grinning at her breathless gasp. Leaning down so his nose brushed her ear, he asked, “No one?”

She pulled back and flashed him a wicked grin. “Nope. You know what that means right?”

When all Rowan did was return her grin, she slipped out of his arms and stepped closer to the edge of the water. Aelin held his gaze, winking again, and she slowly lifted her shirt and tossed it aside.

Rowan crossed his arms, leaning against a nearby tree and smirked, content to watch the show his girlfriend was giving him. His gaze never left hers as she reached down to unbutton her jeans before rolling those down and throwing them into the pile with her shirt.

When she was standing there in just her underwear and bra she paused, raising a brow at Rowan.

“Well are you going to join me, Buzzard? Or are you just going to watch?” Her smirk told him there was only one right answer.

He slowly stalked towards her, his eyes darkening as she bit her lip while she watched him. When they were almost chest to chest, he gripped the back of his collar and pulled his shirt over his head, smirking at the way Aelin eyes roamed across his bare chest.

Once his pants were off, he grabbed her hand and made to lead her towards the water. Aelin followed without hesitation, only stopping once her feet hit the water.

“What?” Rowan asked, wading into the pleasantly warm lake and raising an eyebrow at his girlfriend still standing on the bank. “I thought you wanted to swim.”

She smirked, her eyes glinting in the reflected starlight. “Not exactly.”

Before he could ask what she meant, Aelin’s hand flew behind her to unclasp her bra, quickly pulling it off before slipping her underwear down her and throwing them into their growing pile of clothes.

Rowan practically growled as Aelin strutted into the water without a shred of clothing. Before she even reached him, Aelin watched as Rowan tossed his sopping wet briefs across the water and heard them land with a slap on the dry rocks.

When she got close enough, Rowan’s hand wrapped around her wrist and then her waist to pull her body flush with his. Aelin wove her wet fingers through his hair and wrapped her legs around his waist as their lips came together in a fierce kiss.

After a few minutes they pulled away, breathing heavily, and savoring the feeling of swollen lips and the other’s arms wrapped around them.

“Have you ever been skinny dipping before?” Aelin asked coyly, looking at Rowan through her eyelashes.

He ran a broad hand down her back, “Can’t say I have.”

She grinned, already having known his answer. “Then allow me to show you how fun it can be.”

By the time Aelin and Rowan meandered out of the woods, the hazy light of morning was just peeking through the trees.

*****

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rhysismydaddy · 3 years

Text

Prisoner's Game Pt. 2 (Rowaelin)

Part 1

~Rowan~

Rowan didn't think he'd ever been so pissed off in his life.

The only time that even came close was when he lost his first and only court case, but over the years he'd come to live with that.

This though?

This immature, childish, irritatingly clever woman... he had a feeling he'd carry the rage he felt against her until the day he finally died of it.

Although, if he was honest, his returning move had been a little childish, too.

He'd ordered one of the guards to strip her cell of everything except the chess set. Her mattress, the makeshift knife he shuddered to think she'd had in the same room as him, her pillow.

If she wanted to steal his shit, he'd steal hers, too.

He'd also had the guard move one of his pawns forward on the board.

Not the most creative, but he didn't have many options.

What did you take from a woman who had nothing? How did you punish someone who was already serving the longest punishment available?

The bank had seized her assets when she'd been locked up, and the lease on her apartment had long since run out. She didn't have any personal items with her, didn't seem to even care about anything besides making his life hell.

Case in point, when he got home that night, exhausted from dealing with Aelin and spending a long day at the office, he'd discovered her retaliation.

She'd stolen his bed.

The whole goddamn thing, frame and all.

How she'd managed to get it out of a penthouse condo with security not realizing a thing, he had no idea. He knew from experience it wouldn't even fit through the door.

It'd seemed if she was going to be uncomfortable, so was he.

Steaming with anger, he'd showered and flopped on the couch like an idiot, not even able to sleep thanks to the rage she'd worked him into.

She was completely kicking his ass. From the inside of a jail cell.

He hadn't gotten more than a few hours of sleep before giving up on even trying. At six, he'd dressed and driven to Whitehorn and Salvaterre, the law firm he was a partner at.

If he couldn't sleep, he'd at least figure out how the hell she was pulling this shit off.

Looking through her folder, he went through her daily schedule, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

Eight am wake-up, breakfast, shower, lunch, yard time, dinner, lights out at nine. Between activities, she worked out in her cell or read a book from the run-down prison library.

In the eight years she'd been in prison, she hadn't had a single visitor. Her cousin Aedion--a playboy Rowan couldn't be paid to associate with--delivered a care package on the first of every month.

Strange, considering nothing of the sort had been in her cell.

She'd been in solitary confinement ever since randomly attacking her cellmate a little over a month ago. She was still allowed yard time and meals with the other prisoners, but she was chained at all times.

Also strange, considering Aelin wasn't the type to do anything randomly.

Rowan watched the security tapes he'd strong armed the guards into giving him, going through the past few days to see how she'd gotten out of her cell to rob him.

He watched as she was escorted to the yard, watched as she ate breakfast and lunch and dinner alone, watched as she put herself through vigorous training in her cell.

Days of footage, and he didn't find anything.

Feeling like a bit of a creep, he watched the nighttime footage of her sleeping, but there was nothing out of the ordinary.

She didn't move too much or too little--both of which would indicate it wasn't really her under that thin blanket. There were no attempts to pick the locks in between her wrists and ankles, no digging into the wall behind her toilet.

Nothing.

Which meant someone was helping her.

He could go through the official channels and ask the police for her known connections, but he hadn't reported either of the robberies yet.

Partly because he wanted to deal with her himself, partly because he felt a bit stupid getting robbed from a woman in the most secure prison in the city.

Which means he'd have to go about it a different way.

Grabbing his keys from his desk, he debated how else he could make her miserable, unfortunately finding nothing else he could do to her, no revenge he could get from robbing her tiny little cell.

No, he'd have to try something new.

Maybe he could bribe her into confessing. She didn't have anything right now, but maybe he could give her something to lose.

He'd bring her lunch, force himself to apologize for yelling at her, and just politely ask who her accomplice was.

He thought on it as he rode down the elevator to the garage. It probably wouldn't work, but he didn't know what else to do.

And besides, he knew from experience Aelin didn't respond well to his anger.

Checking his email to make sure he wasn't missing any important meetings, he pressed the button on his car fob, expecting to hear the resounding beep from his designated parking spot.

Except the beep never came.

Slowly looking up, Rowan had to amend his earlier statement.

Now he didn't think he'd ever been so pissed off in his life.

He stormed over to the security booth, hardly refraining from grabbing the man inside and throwing him to the ground.

"Where's my car, Rolland?"

"In your spot, boss," the stout little man replied instantly and surely, snapping his gum and looking at him in confusion. "Haven't seen you drive out yet."

"Yes, exactly. Which is why it's a mystery why it's no longer in it's spot."

Rolland caught up slowly. "You mean... it was stolen? From here? From you?"

Jaw so tight his molars were practically fused together, Rowan growled, "Just let me see the security tapes from this morning."

The guard nodded quickly, eyes nervous as he typed something into the desktop in front of him.

"That's weird," he muttered a moment later, typing faster and sending Rowan a nervous glance.

"What?" he asked, trying to calm himself down with a few of the breathing techniques he'd learned over the years.

"The tapes are gone, but there's... this."

Rolland turned the screen so Rowan could see it, and all the breathing in the world couldn't keep him from slamming a fist into the side of the security shack.

The footage was gone, and on the blank black screen read: Bishop to J7.

He was going to fucking kill her.

~Aelin~

"Enjoy your taxi ride here?" she asked sweetly, leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs.

Rowan scowled at her as he crossed the small room inmates could use to talk to their lawyers. He yanked the chair across from her out, then threw himself into it. "You are such a pain in my ass."

She just shrugged.

He sat across from her, angry and broody, and for a long time, he just stared at her.

Finally he asked, "Why are you doing this, Aelin?"

"I told you. You locked me up for something I didn't do. I want you to be as miserable as I am. It's simple, petty revenge."

Nothing about it was simple, but that was besides the point.

He was quiet for another moment. "Why now?"

She sighed, but she wasn't upset. Truthfully, she'd been waiting for him to ask that question.

"I want to tell you a story."

He stood up suddenly, face exasperated. "I'm not fucking joking around. And I'm not going to let you waste any more of my time."

He made his way to the door, and his dismissal of her pissed her off enough to say, "Sit down, or your car's going off Whigsby Bridge."

He smiled like he'd won their little game. "So you admit you have it."

"Sure," she said casually, honestly not giving a shit about the car.

His brow furrowed. "You're giving up? Just like that?"

"You're a fucking idiot if you think this is about your car, Rowan. But sure, I admit I know exactly where it, and your bed, and your little dagger are being hidden."

He narrowed his eyes. "This conversation is being recorded, and you just admitted to being an accessory to robbery, so-"

"You aren't going to press charges," she cut him off, pulling a cigarette out of her pocket and lighting it.

Nasty little prison habit she'd developed, smoking.

Or maybe she just did it because she knew he hated the smell.

"Oh, really?" he asked incredulously, eyeing the cigarette with disdain.

She grinned. "Once you sit and hear my story and realize I'm telling the truth, you're going to feel so guilty you won't even care about the car. Now sit down. I'd hate to see a classic get totaled because you're being stubborn again."

He glared at her, but came back to the table and sat down again.

Then reached over and snatched the cigarette from her lips, putting it out against the steel table top.

She just pulled out another, lighting it with one of her last matches. The irritation on his face made it worth the loss.

He waved a hand as if to say Get on with it.

She'd debated how to tell him this story for a long time. It was long, and messy and not particularly pleasant for her. But she wanted him to know the full thing, so she'd decided to start at the very beginning.

"My parents died when I was four," she began, ignoring his dramatic sigh. "I went into foster care, and as you can imagine, I was a particularly unruly child."

She smiled at the few memories she had. "I stole from the nuns, snuck out of my room at night and ran through the house, set all the clocks back an hour so we could sleep in. Small stuff. But it irritated them, because they couldn't prove it was me."

"Sounds familiar," he grouched, making her grin.

"I was adopted by Arobynn Hamel a year later."

As she'd predicted, his mouth fell open at that.

Arobynn was the known king of the underworld in Rifthold. He had a hand in every aspect of crime, yet no one could do anything about it because he never committed the crime himself.

His name was revered, so much so no one ever dared to cross him.

"But your record says-"

"That I stayed in foster care until I turned eighteen, I know."

Arobynn hated public records and had a deal with someone in the system that he'd take some of the kids off their hands if they kept quiet about it. Illegal as hell, but he wasn't someone you refused without suffering serious consequences.

It was the perfect crime. No one would miss unwanted kids, and it gave the system one less mouth to feed.

"I didn't know it, but he'd been watching me for a while. He... I don't know, saw something in me. Natural, innocent talent he could work with and turn into something different. He adopted me on my fifth birthday. And then he started training me."

"To do what?" Rowan asked, shoulders tensing.

"Everything," she answered with a shaky laugh, taking a long drag from her cigarette. "Stuff I wanted to learn, like how to pick a lock or walk without making sound. But as I got older, he taught me other stuff. Stuff I didn't want to know."

"How to kill," he finished, picking up on her tone.

She nodded, finishing her cigarette and flicking the butt on the floor.

"I was good," she told him quietly, looking down at the table. "By the time I was fifteen, he said I was the best he'd ever had. None of his other... children could beat me in a fight, not even the older ones who had a hundred pounds on me. And I could steal anything and not leave a trace."

His eyes didn't show an ounce of doubt, and she didn't know how to feel about it. But she kept going anyway.

"I was his favorite. I was his best asset, and I didn't care about anything that would compromise me. I lost my parents, and despite how much he wanted me to, I never loved him. I had no weaknesses. Except Sam."

"Another of his students?" Rowan asked, and it wasn't lost on her he said students instead of children.

She nodded. "We were adopted around the same time, grew up together. He was a year older, and whenever I had a problem, he was the one I'd turn to. He was good to me, and by the time I was seventeen, not a small part of me loved him."

Aelin broke off and took a deep breath, wishing she had another cigarette and trying to figure out how to put into words how much he'd meant to her.

"Was?" Rowan asked, so softly and quietly and understandingly that she was reminded of the man he'd once been, the one she'd loved.

Shaking her head to clear it, she said, "He made a mistake. He went on a job; he was supposed to break into one of the underground casino's owned by Arobynn's competitor and memorize the ledger, but he got caught. It was messy and horrible and stupid, and the owner wanted blood. Arobynn promised he'd kill Sam as retribution."

Rowan's eyes widened, almost like he hadn't realized how brutally she'd been raised until that moment.

"I begged him not to. Sam had saved me and helped me so many times that I couldn't not do the same for him. I told him I'd do anything."

She studied her hands, regret and guilt thick on her skin. "Arobynn said if I took ten of the jobs Sam was supposed to do, he wouldn't kill him. I thought they'd be similar to the one he'd messed up on, small break-ins or robberies. So I accepted."

A tear rolled down her cheek, and she batted it away as she continued, "The second I shook his hand, Tern--another of Arobynn's--shot Sam in the head."

Rowan's face blanched so quickly, she thought he might pass out.

He started to say something, but she spoke faster. "I... snapped. I killed Tern, tried to kill Arobynn. You called me a murderer, and that's true. I am, and I don't regret it. Tern was a sadistic bastard, and I'm glad he's dead. And one day, I'll kill Arobynn for what he did."

Rowan shook his head, confusion and shock and something similar to pity in his eyes. "Why didn't you leave, run away?"

She leveled a look at him. "I didn't exactly have a choice, Rowan. My punishment for Tern lasted for over a year."

There was a long pause.

"Punishment?" he asked in a breathless voice that made something in her chest hurt.

She looked at the table again, skin pebbling at the memory of that year. "He locked me in a cell in the basement, in the dark. Once a month he'd come in to ask if I knew someone named Sam. It took me ten months to get confused, another three to say no."

Still not meeting his eyes, she looked at his hands, noticing they were clenched so tightly the knuckles were white. And a part of her, buried under all the rage and resentment and sadness, warmed at the thought that he was... he was angry for her.

"It took me a long time after to figure out what was real and what wasn't. But Arobynn never let me forget our deal. And right before I met you, he told me the first job."

"What were the jobs?"

Aelin looked back up at that, the air thick between them as she said, "You already know."

"The murders."

She nodded, somehow managing to keep her spine straight despite the feeling of a hundred pound weight being lifted from her shoulders.

He at least knows why now, she thought to herself.

It was one of the things that had bothered her over the years. That he didn't know why she'd done what he thought she'd done. That he thought she'd.. wanted to do it.

He was silent for a long time, just watching her with a carefully emotionless face. "Thank you for telling me that," he said eventually. "I never could understand why."

Then he stood and walked to the door again, and it was only when his hand was on the handle she spoke again. "You asked why I'm doing this, and why I'm doing it now."

He opened the door but paused. Waited.

"It's because I tried to tell you this all those years ago, and you didn't care. You just assumed I was guilty because the evidence looked like it."

She spoke around the lump in her throat. "I told you I didn't kill those people, Rowan, and you didn't even care."

He spun around, slamming the door so hard it rattled, and in a split second, he was in front of her. A hand on the table, the other on her chair, he leaned down and got in her face.

He was so angry, so unbelievably enraged she couldn't believe it. He was angry?

"I didn't care? I didn't fucking care, that's what you think? Watching you get dragged away in cuffs was the worst moment of my life, and you think I didn't fucking care?"

Shock hit her like a bucket of ice water.

That moment was crystal clear in her mind, and she couldn't put what he was saying with what she knew.

He'd watched her with that same expressionless face, with cold eyes that had haunted her ever since.

She opened her mouth to say something, but he wasn't done.

"I fucked loved you! I thought you were the love of my life, Aelin. I begged you to tell me something that would help, tell me anything. But you didn't! You just kept saying you were innocent; you didn't give me anything to actually work with."

"I-"

"I found that stupid fucking list five days before I reported it, did you know that?"

She shook her head, because she hadn't.

"Exactly. You don't know what the hell you're talking about," he growled, eyes flashing. "I spent five days investigating it myself, trying to make sense of why you'd know those names. After your arrest, I spent two weeks trying to find anything, a single piece of evidence, that said it wasn't you. And after the trial, I spent another two months trying to poke holes in my own goddamn case."

He slammed a hand into the table. "I did everything I fucking could! I was desperate for it not to be you. I argued my case so your lawyer could plead circumstantial evidence. I put you on the stand so you could say anything you wanted. I went for life sentences instead of the death penalty to give you time to actually tell me what the hell was going on!"

She was breathing heavily, heart breaking and reforming over and over again at what he was saying, what he was implying.

"I didn't assume shit," he said in a low voice, so close they shared air. "You didn't tell me anything."

Aelin's voice trembled as she croaked, "I tried."

He shook his head, letting out a breath of amusement. "No, you didn't. If this past week has proven anything, it's that you don't try to do anything, you do it. You didn't tell me anything, Aelin. You're still not telling me anything."

"I'm telling you to look again! I'm telling you you didn't look hard enough, because I left breadcrumbs only you could find, breadcrumbs that explain everything."

"Stop playing games with me!" he shouted, eyes flashing with a fresh wave of anger. "It's been eight years! Stop holding onto whatever secret you're holding onto and just tell me!"

Gods, she wanted to.

He was the one person she couldn't trust with this secret, this stupid, most important secret, and yet he was the also the one person she wanted to tell it to.

She opened her mouth to tell him, but what came out was, "I didn't kill them, Rowan. I promise I didn't kill them. I can't... I can't tell you anything else."

"Jesus, Aelin," he spat, pushing off the table and turning to leave.

"Just look into it," she called after him, fingers digging into the table to resist the urge to try and follow him. "I promise you can figure everything out, and you'll understand everything. Please."

She knew why, after all this time, it was so important for him to know the truth when that hadn't been her original plan.

It was because she'd spent eight years believing he hadn't tried, believing she hadn't been a good enough person for him to even look into the possibility it wasn't her.

And maybe it was because he was once again leaving her, or maybe it was because she felt like she was in that courtroom again, begging him to believe her, or maybe it was because of something she didn't even understand yet.

Regardless of the reason, she found herself saying, "I loved you, too, you know."

He looked at her with sad eyes that she was sure mirrored her own and shook his head. "Not enough, apparently."

"You don't believe that," she argued, shaking her head and trying to keep the building emotions down.

"If you'd loved me, you would've told me. You would've given me the proof, whatever breadcrumbs you're talking about. You wouldn't have let me watch them take you away."

"Rowan-"

"You wouldn't have thought, for a second, that I didn't try to fight for you. And you sure as hell wouldn't have waited eight years to do whatever it is you're trying to do."

"I had to," she whispered, even as she knew it wouldn't be enough.

She shook with the effort to not tell him everything, but even after all he'd told her and how everything had changed, she just couldn't. Not yet.

He stood at the door, watching her with those eyes she'd once thought looked like the most beautiful emeralds. "Sometimes I think about it, you know. What life would be like if I hadn't tried to fix your sink in the middle of the night."

She smiled sadly. "Me too."

Rowan shook his head, gaze taking in her face like he thought he'd never see her again.

He thought it was over now, she realized. He thought that now she knew he hadn't given up on her immediately, now that she'd told him the story she'd wanted to tell him, that it was over and she'd give up.

"Look again," she whispered. "You know I didn't do it. It's why you're here, why you kept looking after the trial ended. You know I wouldn't."

"Goodbye, Aelin," he said instead, not telling her any of the things she really wanted to hear.

It wasn't until the door shut behind him she finally let herself cry.

She'd told herself that it didn't matter; that in a month the truth would come out and everything would be normal again.

She'd told herself she was only messing with Rowan for revenge, not because she wanted to see him again or test that he'd find the clues she'd left for him.

She'd told herself this was just a game.

She'd told herself all sorts of things that turned out to be lies.

~~~

Part 3

@audreycressworth @whimsicallyreading @onceupona-chaos @lil-unoriginal-weirdo-273sole @surielandiareendgame @captain-swan-is-endgame @poisonous00 @vasudharaghavan @sailorsassley @endlessdaydream @swankii-art-teacher @beanco8 @stokingthemidnightflame @mis-lil-red @ladyfireheart-and-buzzard @sheharahu @perseusannabeth @cursebreaker29 @a-bit-of-a-cactus @elriel4life @girl-who-reads-the-books @aelinfeyreeleven945tbln @live-the-fangirl-life @ireallyshouldsleeprn @highqueenofelfhame @gracie-rosee @rowaelinismyotp @nahthanks @ghostlyrose2 @lovemollywho @inardour @tillyrubes10 @claralady @tswaney17 @rowanisahunk @superspiritfestival @thegoddessofyou @awesomelena555 @booksofthemoon @greerlunna @jlinez @studyliketate @over300books @justgiu12 @maastrash @aesthetics-11 @bamchickawowow @b00kworm @sleeping-and-books @musicmaam @hizqueen4life @maybekindasortaace

#rowaelin fanfiction #rowaelin #rowan #rowan whitehorn #aelin #rowan x aelin #throne of glass #throne of glass fandom #throne of glass fanfiction

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tomtenadia · 3 years

Text

My Thursday crush

Rowaelin month - Day 4 - Library or librarians

It was a nice spring day in Orynth and Rowan was slowly walking to work. Headphones on and a book in his hands. He had developed the skill of reading and walking to the point of perfection.

His friends made fun of him but he always replied that if it was socially acceptable for people to walk with their faces in their phones and not paying attention, then a book was surely better. And he never bumped into anyone.

He stopped at the coffee shop around the corner from his job and got his usual order, placed the thermos in the backpack and walked the last stretch.

The library was still closed and it was his job to open it. He had volunteered for the morning shifts since he was a morning person and was happy to open up.

Once he was inside he went through the motions of opening up for day and getting the library ready. Rowan switched on the public computers and then did a walkthrough to make sure everything was looking good. He found a few books abandoned in places where they did not belong and groaned. He loved his job, he loved books.

He had a degree in library studies and once graduated he applied and got a job at Orynth main public library. The place was huge and he had grown up visit the building a lot. He had started using it thanks to his mum who had passed her love for books to him. That love never left him and growing up he realised he wanted a job where he could spend his day with books. But people? People annoyed him. The way they would just abandon books after using them, or the way they sometimes they would not respect the peace of a library. He was not a people person.

He grunted again and placed the books back where they belonged. Then he growled savagely when he noticed one abandoned on a chair, upside down, spine broken and a dog ear on one page as bookmark. Some people deserved to have their library card cut to pieces.

At 9am on the dot he opened up and welcomed his morning regulars “Good morning mrs MacLeod.”

“Oh, good morning, Rowan darling. Is my book here?”

He smiled at the woman and went to the shelf where they kept the returns that had been booked by someone else and grabbed her book.

“Yes,” he passed it to her “it was returned yesterday and we set it aside for you.”

The woman gave him a huge smile and he finished the loan procedure “I hope you will like it. It’s a nice story.”

“I am sure I will, darling. You always recommend me good books.”

He helped her to the door and went back to work, preparing the loan requests they had got online. A wide smile spread on his face at the name he saw on the list. He was not a fan of people but there was one person whose presence he had started to enjoy deeply. She was another regular and a bookworm like him. She had told him that she had to get some of her books from the library to avoid going broke on payday. He had laughed at the joke because it was the same for him.

She was a teacher and on Thursdays she was off and would always visit the library to return a book and get a new one. They would talk about what they were reading and he discovered they had the same tastes and he had been reading a lot of her recommendations. She was just obsessed with books as he was. Rowan had started to admit to himself that he was crushing on her. She had stolen his heart when one day she came to the desk and complained, outraged, that the book she wanted to borrow had a coffee stain on a page. They had raged for ten minutes together at the animals and his heart skipped a beat. It did help as well that the woman was stunning. Her hair was a deep gorgeous blonde and she had the most incredible blue eyes with an unusual ring of gold. Yes, he was definitely a fool in love and Thursdays were his favourite day of the week. Since she started visiting he had never had another Thursday off.

***

Aelin had a bad morning already. She had gone to the gym and found it closed for some obscure reason. Then an idiot on his phone bumped into her and made her spill her coffee. She had shouted a large list of expletives at the savage and left. It was Thursday and she could not let anything ruin her favourite day of the week. She was on her way to the library to collect the book she had reserved. But if she was to be honest to herself, she was looking forward to see Rowan. The librarian had become one of his favourite people, although they only meet once a week, her time spent with him talking about books was always precious.

It did help that the man was hot. As in so unbelievably handsome that he was so out of her league. In the months they had interacted she had developed a crush on him and not just for his unique features. He had short silver hair and the deepest pine green eyes and the days he rolled his sleeves up to his elbows she had spotted a wonderful tattoo in the old language. He had an incredible nice build and tanned skin. He was hotness incarnated. A heart attack on two legs.

Knowing her luck with men, he was happily married, although on a closer inspection she had not spotted a wedding ring. Well, probably a super hot fiancee. She definitely stood no chance with him.

But she had liked him as well because he was smart and loved books just as fiercely she did. He was always ready to suggest some new titles and all his recommendations had been spot on. She had enjoyed every single book. A part of her wished she’d have the courage to ask him out and talk about books perhaps in front of a coffee. Aelin was actually curious to discover what else he liked.

Twenty minutes later she finally reached the public library. She loved that building and her parents had nudged her towards becoming a bookworm. They would read to her and once she was able to read alone, they would gladly buy all the books she wanted. Her childhood home also had a proper library and she would spend hours in there travelling with her imagination.

She stared at the building and finally walked in. She climbed the marble stairs and reached the adult lending library section. On the lower floor they had an area all dedicated to kids.

She opened the glass doors and her eyes went straight to the desk scanning the area for a head of silver hair. Sadness hit her when she did not see him around. It really was going to be the day from hell. She walked to the fiction section and as she turned the corner around a stack of shelves she crashed into someone. What was with her and crashing into people today?

She was about to apologise when she looked up and noticed who she had bumped into. It was Rowan. Gods, even his name was perfect. That day he was wearing a blue shirt, the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, jeans and a pair of rimless glasses. She had so many improper thoughts.

“Aelin, sorry I didn’t see you…” his voice thick with his accent from Wendlyn.

“Hi,” she managed, trying to bring her feelings under control “I thought you were off. I came in and you were not around.” Oh she sounded like a lovestruck teenager.

“I was placing some books back on the shelves.” He indicated the pile in his arms.

Aelin spotted one of the titles “that is a great story. I read it about five times already.” Pointing to a specific title.

Rowan had a look at the book and read the blurb “I’ll set it aside.”

“You look good with glasses.” She blurted out and then blushed. She was flirting like a moron.

He gave her a smile that reached his eyes and her heart skipped a beat. Gods, the things she’d do to him…

“I have the book you reserved, by the way,” and he started walking back to the counter and she followed.

Aelin gave him her card and he processed the loan for her “you know the drill, right?”

“I am going home and spill coffee all over it.” Had it been someone else she knew he would have been horrified but that had become their inside joke. He knew she would never do anything of the sort.

***

Rowan processed her loan and took that moment to think about a good way to ask her out for coffee although he was afraid he was going to get a crushing rejection. She was probably taken already. A woman like her was definitely not single. Plus, she was definitely out of his league. He was about to ask her but froze and decided to leave it.

“I’ll just go and have a look around.” She told him, and he knew she was trying to put some distance between them. How could he even hope she would fall for him? He was the most boring man on earth. That was what Lyria had said when she dumped him. He sighed heavily and went back to his job but his gaze followed Aelin through the bookshelves. In his head he had different conversations he wanted to try. He usually was quite good and in the past he had picked up his share of women in pubs. But with Aelin it was different. He did not want to pass as a pig. All he wanted to tell her was that he found her attractive and fascinating and take her out for a coffee. Then he had an idea.

He walked to a shelf and picked a book that he knew she’d love. He was planning on recommending it to her another time but that was now his tool for his plan.

He scribbled down a note on a post it and placed it in the book, then walked to her “I was meaning to recommend you this one. Loads of angst but it’s a great story, and the female main character is just as badass as you like it. I already checked it out for you.”

The smile she gave him left him breathless “Thank you, Rowan. That’s why you are my favourite librarian.”

Eventually she had to leave and he wished it was Thursday already.

***

It was later in the afternoon when she got home after all her errands. She took her two books from her messenger bag and flipped through the one Rowan had given her until she spotted something bright green through the pages. She reached the post it note and read it.

I think you are perfect and a very fascinating woman. I will eagerly wait for next Thursday. Hopefully you will let me take you out for a coffee. Rowan.

She squealed in delight and texted Lysandra straight away to tell her about the message Rowan had left her. Rowan, the hottest librarian in the whole of Orynth wanted to go out for coffee with her. She could not believe it was happening, and she had to wait until next Thursday. She was off on Saturday but she had no idea if Rowan worked. She could try, she was so impatient to see him again that waiting was not an option.

***

Rowan got home later that night, got changed and crashed on the sofa and noticed the book abandoned there. It was one of the many Aelin had recommended to him. It was a great story, she definitely had great taste. He grabbed the book and thought about Aelin and the message he had left her. He had been so stupid. It was not high school, they were both adults and leaving messages like a lovestruck teenager was beyond pathetic. He should have talked to her like human beings did. He ran a hand through his hair and leaned back against the sofa. He had probably blown every chance with her. Who would ever go out with a guy who couldn’t even ask a girl out?

The following Thursday

Rowan had opened the library as usual but on that day a sense of unease was making him nervous. He still could not think about the stupid move about putting a message in a book for Aelin. He was positive she was going to ignore him the next time, or stop visiting altogether.

The morning had been busy with new applicants, his usual customers and an avalanche of requests to set books aside. Panic caught him when he saw one from Aelin. Which meant she was coming in and he was not ready. What could he say to her? Sorry I am bad at talking to people so I write secret messages like a teenager? He was embarrassed and he was not ready when he spotted her golden mane of hair appear at the main entrance. He tried to hide but she had spotted him and was now walking towards him with a huge grin. His heart started racing. Was just an impression or she was more gorgeous than usual?

Rowan saw her come to the desk and diligently wait for her turn while he finished serving the three people in front of her.

“Hi stranger,” she said to him once it was her turn.

Rowan felt a savage blush rise on his face “Hi you. I assume you are here for your book.”

Aelin nodded and passed him her library card “and for a coffee date.”

Rowan froze halfway to the computer. He cleared his voice “so you saw my message.”

“And I loved the idea. It reminded me of one of the books I read recently where one of the guard is in love with the princess, they are both bookworms and leave each other messages in books because they need to keep their relationship a secret.”

Rowan smiled “You got me. I took the idea from that book.”

The smile she gave him had the power to almost knock the breath out of his lungs.

“I don’t have school on Saturday. Fancy going out for a coffee?”

Rowan nodded “do you know the coffee shop around the corner from here?”

Aelin nodded in assent “I love that place.”

“I am off this Saturday, so if you want we can go then. It would be lovely to know more about my favourite customer.”

She took a step closer to him, only the counter separating them “favourite customer, eh?”

“Well, the one who gets outraged at people mistreating books. The one who understands my pain.”

Aelin cackled and her hand brushed his when she grabbed the card he was returning to her.

“I have only one condition.” He added softly.

“Hm?”

“You let me pay. You can scoff as many pastries as you want. It’s my treat.”

She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek “it’s a date.”

When she pulled back she noticed his beautiful green eyes set on her. Maybe she had been too forward?

He grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled something down “my number.”

Aelin grabbed the piece of paper happily and winked at him “Now I have to go. I have loads to do.”

Rowan was sad at the idea “Of course. I will see you Saturday, then?”

“Saturday.” Her heart raced and then walked out of the library thinking that she could not wait two more days before seeing him again.

Rowan followed her with his gaze, happy that she had appreciated and understood the message idea. His hand touched the spot on the cheek that she had kissed and he was positive he was grinning like a lunatic.

They had a coffee date. He could not believe his luck.

But most of all he could not wait for Saturday.

He went to the stacks, looked for a specific book and checked it out under his name, then scribbled a message on a post it and placed it in the book and set it aside.

Ready for Aelin.

She was his Thursday crush.

#rowan whitethorn #rowaelinmonth #rowan x aelin #rowaelin fanfic #rowaelin fanfiction #day 4 #fluff #aelin galathynius

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