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mariaofdoranelle · 3 years ago

Text

Golden Tattoo

Rowaelin Month 2022 — Day 1: Songfic (Dress by Taylor Swift)

I’m posting this exactly at midnight (in my time zone) because it’s TS inspired and she only gave us one word to prepare for the new album lol.

Anyway happy Rowaelin Month! (Is saying this a thing? Is it a holiday? TOG fandom holiday??)

Warnings: language, NSFW (very)

Word Count: 3,8K

⨯ . ⁺ ✦ ⊹ ꙳ ⁺ ‧ ⨯. ⁺ ✦ ⊹ . * ꙳ ✦ ⊹ .・。

“Fuck, Aelin, I can’t take this anymore.”

“Come on, Buzzard, just a little more.”

“We should take it easy.”

“But I want my arm to look just like yours.”

They were currently alone in their apartment, chewing an insane amount of bubblegum so Aelin could use their tattoo stickers. She was temporarily tattooed from the shoulder to mid-forearm, they had already gone through the worst part.

Rowan sighed and picked another bubblegum, but they both froze when Aelin’s phone pinged a very familiar sound.

He cleared his throat. “So... You’re still in the app?”

Aelin immediately blushed. It was completely normal to talk about your Tinder activities with the friend you have a crush on. No need to act weird.

“Hardly.” She read the lockscreen. “Ugh. It’s just Ilias. Can you believe he ghosted me for a week after I told him I don’t like fish?”

“Wow,” he said with raised eyebrows. “That’s one way to waste an opportunity.”

An opportunity, as long as he wasn’t the one taking it, right? Aelin didn’t even want to date right now, but she had to get over Rowan, and sharing an apartment with him wasn’t helping. Still, Aelin wouldn’t blame him for having unrequited feelings, she just needed to find someone else and get her friendship back on track.

“Well, Buzzard, at least I’m giving people an opportunity to waste.” She raised her eyebrows at him.

Rowan sighed. “I know what I want, I won’t find it on the app.”

Aelin unwrapped three bubblegums and resumed her chewing. Aelin wanted the best for her friend, but if he didn’t want to look for someone now, she wouldn’t insist on it. He just grumbled something about this being a terrible Saturday activity and went back to their work.

Rowan extended his hand at Aelin and she frowned, confused. Then he sighed and pulled her wrist to him, making her skin burn where he touched. He placed the temporary tattoo on her, and Aelin’s heart was going a mile a minute the whole sixty seconds he pressed the damp cloth against her wrist. Aelin was ready to mourn the loss of his touch, but they were both frozen in place.

A golden tattoo.

“We won!” She threw herself at him without further notice, which made him give on of his rare belly laughs.

He immediately started reading the tiny text on the bubblegum package. “Here it says that whoever gets a shiny tattoo must collect the prize at a official store.”

Aelin got up in a heartbeat. “Let’s go, then!”

“Now?”

“How long do you think the tattoo will last?” She arched an eyebrow.

Rowan just snorted and grabbed his keys. He knew better than to come between Aelin Galathynius and her bubblegum prize.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“We’re here to collect the prize.” Aelin showed Grave, the bubblegum store’s employee, her tattoo with a wide grin on her face. Rowan was trying to hide his enthusiasm, but his lips would tug every time her voice got too bubbly or she got impatient to get there.

Grave barely looked at her golden tattoo before saying, “Fill out these forms, I’ll be right back.” Rowan mentioned to get the papers because he always did the bureaucratic part of things, but Aelin was too excited to just sit and watch. Indeed, the only thing that made her look up from the papers was Rowan’s chuckle.

When she looked up, Grave had brought a very tiny bicycle and a box. “The golden tattoo gives you all prizes, which are copper, silver and golden. Which means you get dinner at Luca’s, a bike and a Nintendo Switch.” Aelin would think about how dull he was for someone who gives prizes for a living if she didn’t have more important matters at hand.

“But these are meant for kids.”

“Not all of them.” Rowan frowned at her while sliding the video game closer.

Grave sighed. “Ma’am, you bought the kids pack of gum.”

Aelin looked at her tattooed arm. Just like Rowan’s, but there was no denying those tattoos were meant for kids. Her shoulders slumped, and Rowan was immediately on her side, one hand rubbing soothing circles on her shoulder and the other protectively holding his new video game.

“Maybe Elide can fit in this bike. Or one of your cousin’s kids,” Aelin muttered, “And we can go to dinner at Luca’s, right? There will be a lot of screaming children, but it can’t be that much different from a Whitethorn barbecue.”

Rowan chuckled. “Too scared of having dinner in a spaceship, Ace?”

Aelin anchored a hand on her hip and gave him a teasing grin. “I hope you’re as excited to go there as you sound. You should see the ice cream tower I’ll make you eat.”

There was no way of knowing if Rowan’s expression was amused or terrified, but he turned to Grave and questioned, “Isn’t Luca’s and Emrys’s from the same chain? I was wondering if we—“

“Yeah, yeah, I’m going to ask my manager. Stay here,” the man grunted.

Aelin needed a few seconds to process the information. She gawked at Rowan, in complete disbelief of what he had done. While Luca’s was the kind of restaurant you left with a major headache because of the screaming kids, Emrys’s dangers were much greater. Like bankruptcy. Aelin had never gone there, but she had reliable sources that their chocolate cake was dreamy.

Rowan was looking down, fidgeting with his game’s box when Grave came back once again.

“It’s an odd request, so I’ll have to call Emrys’s and let them know you’re coming. Can I make the reservation for tonight?”

After everything was settled for hers and Rowan’s non-date, they went home and Aelin started getting ready immediately. She was so happy she even pretended not to notice how Rowan played on the new video game for most of the time she was getting ready—while Aelin bathed, shaved, moisturized, curled her hair and fixed her nails—and then got fully ready while she did her eyebrows and makeup. No, this wouldn’t be the day to complain about society’s gender inequality and double standards. By the time Aelin was finally ready and had a picture posted on Instagram, Rowan was back on the living room couch. She had yet to decide if her heart was beating faster because he looked incredibly hot in his formal attire, or for how cozy and domestic he looked waiting for her dressed up in their couch.

“Buzzard, is this Animal Crossing?” she teased.

“Shut up, it’s relaxing.” While turning off the TV, he asked, “Are you ready?” and finally looked up. His body was frozen on the couch.

Aelin swallowed down her nerves. She loved to dress up just to feel good about herself, but her feelings for Rowan made it impossible not to think about him too. She got used of thinking about him in dressing rooms, at the hairdresser, in her bathtub. Aelin was absorbed on thoughts about Rowan when she picked this silk golden dress, so it was fair that she wore it for the first time with him.

She wondered what the flush he wore on his face now meant. Did she go too far and make him embarrassed? Can he see how starved she is for a different kind of attention from him? Does her dress makes him want to take it off?

Rowan got up and walked towards her with steps as careful as his eyes were intense. He tilted his head while brushing back her hair. “Fireheart.” Rowan slipped one finger behind her spaghetti strap and slid it down a little, making her shiver. His eyes followed the movement, but snapped back to her face after reaching the neckline. The dress wasn’t too daring, but it was definitely something. If she wasn’t as red as Rowan already, it definitely changed when he looked deep into her eyes and croaked, “You look breathtaking.”

She would think about how three words could undo her so badly the next time she could think straight. Aelin carefully placed a shaky hand on Rowan’s chest, and his heartbeat was as fast-paced as hers. He licked his lips, and she mirrored the movement. “You smell amazing too,” he said as his face came closer to her neck, which she arched for him. Rowan took a closer whiff of her perfume, and when his mouth was the closest from her neck it ever has been—

Her phone rang.

The loudest, most heartbreaking part of All Too Well by Taylor Swift started playing, and Rowan pulled back. When Aelin saw the name on her screen, she didn’t know if she wanted to laugh or scream.

“Hi, Rory. How’re things?”

The phone was on speaker. Aelin didn’t think Rowan could get any more flushed, but he did when he realized the person who interrupted their moment was his own mother. She could see his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed, and Aelin’s stomach dropped because there was a chance he was starting to regret it.

Oh, hi, dear. I’m good, how about you? Are you at the party yet? I hope I’m not interrupting. I just saw your Instagram post, you look lovely in gold!

Aelin wanted to scream in frustration, but she liked Rory too much to be angry. While she would sometimes go out of her way to get her best friend to notice her, his mom would randomly call just to compliment something Aelin posted online instead of commenting like most people do. Rowan offered to stop his mom multiple times, but Aelin’s ego would die without Rory’s calls by now.

She laughed, but it was a bit strained. “Thank you. It isn’t a party, Rowan and I are going to Emrys’s.”

Rowan’s taking you to Emrys’s?

His mother sounded so hopeful it hurt. Aelin would be too if she didn’t know better. She didn’t have the guts to look Rowan in the face now, but he sure was mortified. Just like he did every time someone in his family said something about the two of them getting together. Sure, they had a moment, but having physical attraction doesn’t really mean anything.

Aelin cleared her throat. “The dinner is actually a prize we won. It’s a bubblegum thing.”

Okay, we can chat another time. Be safe! Bye.

It didn’t take a genius to know why Rory ended the call in a rush. Rowan cleared his throat and took a step back.

“I’m going to request our ride.”

Aelin arched an eyebrow. “Are you drinking tonight, Buzzard?” she teased. Aelin needed to get rid of the awkwardness between them immediately.

He just sent her a tight-lipped smile. “I’m not turning down free wine.”

The restaurant was intimate and elegant. The pianist was Aelin’s favorite part of the restaurant, making her miss her pianoforte days. She had monthly wine tasting hangouts with her group of friends, and Rowan looked very proud as he used all the knowledge he acquired there into talking with the wine steward.

“Is this a piss-poor attempt of flirting with the sommelier? You know we’re drinking half of the wine list anyway.”

Rowan gaped, offended. “Do you have a problem with finding the perfect wine for this pizza?

Aelin giggled. “How many matches did you find? Because I can’t remember the amount of glasses I had so far.”

“It’s not about the glass count, Ace, it’s about the experience.”

“I do feel like the universe is balanced again by giving me back the pizza it stole,” Aelin mused, referring to the day they met. A mugger robbed Aelin’s pizza, Rowan saw it and threw a frozen chicken at him. They’d been best friends ever since. She noticed the silly smile he was wearing and gaped. “Is that why you ordered pizza?”

Rowan flushed, but he was grinning at her.

After making sure the chocolate hazelnut cake was as amazing as she heard (it was), Rowan requested their ride back home.

“Farewell, free dinner. Farewell, free wine,” Aelin said, waving at the restaurant as soon as she entered the car.

Rowan chuckled, draping an arm behind Aelin’s shoulders. When he started caressing her hair, she leaned on the touch and sighed, closing her eyes.

“Tired, Ace?”

The memory of whatever happened earlier that day, Rowan’s eyes on her exposed neck, and all the wine she drank made Aelin bold enough to rest her hand on his thigh. “Not at all,” she whispered with bedroom eyes. Rowan licked his lips, and the hand that was on Aelin’s hair brushed her arm. She shivered, hoping he didn’t sense how her traitorous skin burned for him.

Rowan held Aelin’s hand to help her leave the car and didn’t let go. When they entered the elevator, Rowan pulled her towards him with their conjoined hands and she wouldn’t dare breathe as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. His soft eyes searching for something she knew the answer for years. Aelin was sure he didn’t reciprocate her feelings. However, in that moment, she knew his body was feeling the same kind of pull towards each other, and that was all the cue she needed.

With embarrassingly shaky hands, Aelin gathered all the courage she had, cupped Rowan’s face and kissed him. She only had a second to be hesitant about it, because he grabbed her waist, pulling her closer almost immediately. If Aelin thought Rowan’s scent was intoxicating, that was because she had never tasted him before. As dizzy as their kiss made her feel, his urgent grip tethered her to the present in the best way. Everything she gave, Rowan took and asked for more. Kissing Rowan was perfect. He was—

The elevator doors opened, its sound shattering their moment.

Unfazed, Rowan took her hand and rushed to their apartment. Fumbling with the keys, he opened the door and pressed Aelin against the wall as soon as she entered home. Their kisses soon turned frenetic. When Rowan picked her up and snaked his hands beneath her golden dress, Aelin realized she loved the way he claimed her. Rowan’s touches were as possessive as his kisses.

“Are you sure?” he asked a little breathless.

“Very.” When she tried to resume the kiss, he leaned away again.

“But we’re drunk.”

“Sober Aelin wants you as much as Drunk Aelin.”

“Really?” His slow smile built like she’d just said the most romantic thing. “I feel the same. In fact, Sober Rowan must be really happy now.”

Aelin started fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. “Tell me more.”

“Sober Rowan.” He kissed her jaw. “Is aching,” he whispered on her ear, nibbling it too. “To do this.” And then he slid his thumb under Aelin’s underwear, running it across her slit and pressing against her clit.

Aelin’s brain short-circuited for a moment, making her do nothing but chase that friction. At least, until she moaned, “Take me to bed. Please.”

Rowan didn’t hesitate this time.

He sat Aelin in his bed and took her dress off himself. Rowan’s lips parted by the sight of Aelin’s naked upper body, and her heart was pounding when he pushed her into the bed, pinning her wrists. It was like he left trails of fire everywhere he touched. Rowan’s knee between her thighs. Rowan’s teeth biting her neck. Rowan’s tongue flicking her nipples. This was complete torture, the way he made her clench around nothing in the sweetest way.

“I need you,” Aelin breathed.

Rowan kissed her once more and started distancing himself from her face, but she stopped him by hooking her legs around his waist. Aelin couldn’t believe she was going to turn down oral sex, but there was a first time for everything. Just like fucking your best friend.

“Are you going to make me beg for your cock, Ro?”

“Don’t worry, baby. You won’t be begging much when I fuck that sass out of you.”

“Was that supposed to be a threat?” Aelin’s eyes sparkled as she rose to the challenge.

Rowan smirked, put on a condom from the bedside table in an instant, and carefully buried himself inside her. When Aelin watched his cock slowly disappear into her body, the only thing she could think about was how big he was and how long it had been since the last time she had sex. Rowan must’ve read her thoughts when he purred “Good girl” into her ear and started setting a pace.

Aelin kissed him between cries of pleasure, and she didn’t know how his back was taking her nails’s gentle stab. It was too much, and she still wanted more. Each thrust made her close to feverish, and even when Rowan slammed into her, they were never close enough. Rowan was the only thing she could feel, smell and see, but somehow it didn’t seem to be enough for neither of them.

“Oh my— Ro, I’m gonna—“ time slowed down as Aelin’s pleasure built and shattered on itself, making her cry out his name. Rowan held her and kissed her face until she recovered, and began chasing his own orgasm as soon as she recovered.

He kept a merciless pace this time, and Aelin wasn’t going to hide how turned on she was by Rowan using her for his own pleasure. Aelin’s muscles tensed, and they came down together, her shattered breaths hard to hear because Rowan was repeatedly whispering her name, praising her.

Rowan laid by Aelin’s side and tugged her close, breathing in the top of her head. Her face was resting on his chest, and she tried not to acknowledge the sound of his heart hammering against it. She wondered what he was thinking now. If he regretted it, or how long it’d take until he did. It was funny how Aelin would do anything to have post-sex cuddles with Rowan every day, except tell him how she felt.

Aelin mentioned to get up, but he pinned her on the bed and gave a long, tender kiss.

She brushed a few rogue strands of Rowan’s hair out of his forehead. “I need to shower.”

After having her shower delayed for several more minutes, Aelin finally went to the bathroom, but not without swishing her hips a little to make Rowan pay for it. When he joined her a few minutes later with a bottle of wine, she realized the three minutes they spent apart were the only ones of this night she didn’t enjoy.

Aelin started pouring a glass for herself, but it was a bit hard to hold the full bottle with only one hand, so she ended up spilling wine in the bathtub.

Instead of being mad, Rowan just laughed. “Are you still drunk?”

“I’m offended. You should try to pour a glass of wine without a table to help.” Except that he did. Without spilling a single drop. Aelin was giggling, but it became a full belly laugh when Rowan scooted closer to kiss her face, making the bathtub water slosh over the side.

He swallowed. “So. That happened.” It wasn’t hard to tell Rowan’s mood sobered up a little.

The neat freak Buzzard. “It did. I hope the water evaporates by tomorrow, I really don’t feel like drying it.”

Rowan shifted on his seat. “I mean us. Having sex.” He gave her a hesitant smile and sipped his wine.

Aelin could immediately feel her heart racing, but not in a good way this time. She knew they would have to talk about this eventually, but she hadn’t really thought about what she’d say. It was too soon for her, but delaying it was actually a stupid hope. Rowan was usually a careful person with his love life, and Aelin knew he wasn’t looking for a relationship. Despite her being terrified about telling him how she felt, she didn’t want to ask for too much of him and ruin what they already had. Even if it was just a tiny, earth-shattering sex bubble.

“You don’t need to worry,” Aelin blurted.

Rowan tilted his head. “How so?”

“Um,” Aelin stammered, “I— we’re not in a rush to define anything. Right? I mean, it’s fine. This happened, and we’re fine with it, right?”

His shoulders slumped a little, probably in relief, and he gave her a small smile. “Sure.”

Aelin had no idea how to make it less awkward, so she grabbed the first thing she saw to scrub her body and later realized it was his pine soap.

Rowan tapped Aelin’s side with his foot. “You’re too far.”

“Is that so?” she teased, thrusting out her chest so Rowan could see it above water. If everything went to shit, Aelin could always count with her bravado. Despite the last uncomfortable minutes, his eyes sparkled.

With that, Aelin was on her knees in front of Rowan, and she positioned herself until they were aligned, face to face. His eyes darkened in a heartbeat, and he kissed her while holding her hips, helping her sink in his already hard cock.

“You,” he muttered into her temple, “Are better than my wildest dreams.”

Aelin started moving, and they both moaned. The roll of their hips was languid this time, but the gentle pace didn’t ease any of the burning between Aelin’s legs. She was kissing, biting Rowan’s neck, and they way he started pressing her nub told her about how close he was. When Aelin went still and started crying out his name, Rowan started to roughly thrust himself from underneath her, not stopping until he emptied himself.

Still on the tub, Rowan was caressing her hair and stroking shoulders with his fingers. Aelin nuzzled her face on him. God, he gave such amazing cuddles. The three orgasms definitely drained her, Rowan wouldn’t even notice if she stopped to rest her eyes for a minute.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aelin was sat, and her arms were being held up, a soft cotton fabric going around them. And then her head. Cracking her eyes open, the room was dark, but she could see Rowan’s silhouette in front of her. She grunted.

“You fell asleep on me, Ace.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Aelin couldn’t see his face, but the softness of Rowan’s voice was enough to soothe her drowsy worries.

Realizing she was already on her bed, Aelin adjusted whatever she was dressed in and laid down. She heard his footsteps, and saw a light coming through the door. “Ro?” The footsteps stopped. “Cuddles?”

The corridor lights being turned off. Soft footsteps coming to her. Rowan’s weight on her bed, and his arms pulling her closer. Aelin hummed, immersed in his pine and snow smell. Time to go back to sleep, then.

⨯ . ⁺ ✦ ⊹ ꙳ ⁺ ‧ ⨯. ⁺ ✦ ⊹ . * ꙳ ✦ ⊹ .・。

Part 2 is out! Or you can read how they met before the plot thickens.

A/N: I just found out I love making Rowan feel like an Augustine?? Am I a terrible person?

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@elentiyawhitethorn

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109 notes · View notes

snelbz · 6 years ago

Note

“Am I your lockscreen?” “You weren’t supposed to see that.” for Rowaelin.

Emilee, my darling. Ask and you shall receive.

Two Missed Calls - Rowaelin High School AU

A drunk oneshot for @highqueenofelfhame.

Aelin knocked on the front door of the Whitethorn‘s home as she cracked open the door. “Hello?”

A bright, cheery voice answered her. “In the kitchen.”

She kicked her shoes off by the rack, her vans flopping on top of Rowan’s enormous cleats. She tossed her purse on the small bench by the door and rounded the corner into the living room. As she passed by, she gave Rowan’s cat, Snowie, a scratch under the chin. The cat, never having been the biggest fan of Aelin, immediately began to hiss at her. Aelin tossed a vulgar gesture at her and kept walking. As she crossed the threshold into the kitchen, she was hit by the smell of freshly baked banana bread.

“Okay, that smells amazing,” she said, sitting at the bar and propping her chin on her fist.

Rowan’s mother, Genevieve, turned around and gave Aelin a fond smile. “Well you may just find a loaf in your bag when you leave then,” she said. She turned back to her stove, a multitude of pots and pans in front of her. “Are you staying for dinner?”

Rowan’s parents owned the White Tail, a restaurant in downtown Orynth. Every single thing Genevieve made was delicious.

“Is that even a question? Of course,” Aelin replied.

“How did tryouts go?” Genevieve asked, moving to the fridge to grab the carton of heavy cream. “Anything exciting happen?”

It was Aelin’s senior year and she had been elected captain by her fellow cheerleaders and coach, which meant tryouts for the upcoming year were up to her.

She shrugged. “A few girls coming up from middle school could be a good addition to the JV squad. But yes, something exciting did happen.” The tone of her voice told Genevieve how unexcited Aelin was. She turned around and looked at her.

Aelin pulled her phone out of her pocket and slid it across the counter.

The screen was shattered, glass spiderwebbed across from top to bottom. As she pushed it, she could hear the faint tinkling on the marble as small pieces fell out.

Genevieve picked it up and looked at it. I looked like it had been run over by a truck. “Oh no, what happened?”

“Field goal practice,” Aelin said, deadpan.

Genevieve had to keep from laughing.

Aelin had made her frustrations about sharing a practice field with the football team clear many, many times. Especially to the captain of the football team’s mother.

“I’m sure Vaughn didn’t mean to,” she said, placing the ruined phone on the counter. She laugh quietly. “Lord knows that boy can hardly ever keep the ball between the posts, much less aim for your phone.”

Aelin rolled her eyes. “Okay, true. But I still have to go buy a new phone. These aren’t cheap and my parents are NOT going to be happy.”

Genevieve pursed her lips as she thought. With the same silver hair and shining green eyes, Aelin thought that Rowan was the spitting image of his mother, but even more so when she saw Genevieve make that face. She had grown up in the Whitethorn house, her family living across the street. She and Rowan had been best friends all of their lives, inseparable. When he tried out for football in 6th grade, she tried out for cheerleading so they could ride the bus together the to away games, neither of them realizing they’d found their callings.

As a junior, Rowan had been offered a full ride to the University of Terrasen, to play football. Aelin hadn’t received any offers yet, but her season wouldn’t start until the following fall. She did know that her coach had already reached out to a few schools on her behalf though, one of which was UT.

“Rowan’s old phone should be in his room, I think I saw the box sitting on his nightstand. Borrow that one until you can get a new one,” Genevieve said, smiling at her “other” child. Aelin remembered that the Whitethorn’s had just upgraded phones and thanked the gods her best friend’s mother loved her so much. “It was practically brand new anyways.”

She hopped out of her seat and ran around the counter planting a kiss on the woman’s cheek. “You’re the best!” She said, hugging her. She stepped back. “Speaking of Rowan, where exactly is your son? I expected to find him in here stuffing his face.”

Genevieve laughed. “You were about 5 minutes late for the ‘post practice face stuffing’. He went upstairs to his room. Go on. I’ll have some snacks ready for you guys in a few minutes.”

Aelin smiled at her warmly, grabbed an apple from the basket on the kitchen counter, and made her way back into the living room and took the steps two at a time. She stopped in front of Rowan’s closed bedroom door and knocked.

No answer.

“Open up, Buzzard, it’s me.”

Nothing.

She lightly knocked again and opened the door. She slipped in and said, “Rowan?” as she shut the door behind her with a soft click.

It was then that she could hear the shower running in his bathroom from the half open door. Her eyebrows rose as she realized she could see him in the reflection of the foggy mirror, his muscular back on full display.

Aelin started, watching the blurred form of him as he reached up and ran his hands through his wet hair, rinsing the shampoo out. She watched as squirted soap into his hand and began to watch his body. She tried not to watch, but couldn’t tear her eyes away as one hand pressed against the tile and the other dipped below her line of sight and stayed there for quite a few minutes.

The sound of the water shutting off spurred her into motion and she rushed to his nightstand. She didn’t see the box or the phone sitting on top, so she opened the drawers.

Her eyes roved over the condoms and Sports Illustrated magazines she saw (and knew there had to be some she was glad she didn’t see), until it fell on the phone sitting in the corner. She picked it up and tried to turn it on, bumping the drawer closed with her hip. It was dead, so dead that not even the battery indicator popped up to tell her it was dead. She grabbed the charger off the floor by his bed and plugged it in, sitting down. After a minute, the screen came to life, a white apple on a black background shining back at her.

“Holy sh- you just scared the shit out of me, Aes.”

Rowan’s voice caused Aelin to jerk her head up.

He was standing in the bathroom door way, wearing nothing but a towel slung low on his hips. Her mouth dried out and she couldn’t remember how to speak or even her own name. She could only stare.

“I didn’t know you were coming over,” he said, crossing to his dresser and grabbing clothes. “You never texted me. I called you twice.”

Aelin cleared her throat. “Yeah, that’s because my phone is destroyed. Tell Vaughn thanks for me, by the way.”

“Oh, shit, that was your bag that got hit?”

“Yep.” She sighed. “So your mom said I could use your old phone, I just need to get it booted up and reset it.”

He whirled, so quickly that it surprised Aelin. His eyes immediately locked onto the phone in her lap. “Uh,” he stammered. “You can’t- You cant use my old phone. It’s…broken.”

Aelin rolled her eyes. “It’s not broken and you and I both know it. I’ll be careful with it, I promise.”

With that, Aelin looked down to see it had booted up and only needed to be unlocked.

She typed the 4 digits Rowan used for everything into the keypad as she heard him say, “Aelin, please, don’t-.”

The world went silent. Aelin wasn’t moving. Rowan wasn’t speaking. The white noise of the ceiling fan even sounded distant.

The phone had unlocked to a nearly empty page, only a few apps across the top and bottom. And she was looking at a picture of herself, taken at one of her competitions.

“Aelin, let me-.”

“Am I your lockscreen?” She asked, eyes darting up to him, his clothes balled up in his hands.

“You weren’t supposed to see that,” he said, voice barely above a whisper.

And once again, Aelin was noticing Rowan’s handsome face. The way the evening sunlight made his emerald eyes sparkle. His killer body. The way his bottom lip was pulled between his teeth.

The way she wanted to pull that lip between her own.

She set the phone on the night stand and stood, crossing the room to where Rowan stood in front of the dresser.

“Why am I your lockscreen, Rowan?” She whispered, inches away from him, the scent of him, freshly showered, heady and distracting.

His eyes flicked from her hers to her lips and back. “Because you’re the last thing I like to see before I go to bed and the first thing I want to see when I wake up.”

A soft gasp left Aelin as his hand rested on the back of her neck and he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. He stepped back and she stood there, shock written across her face. He patiently waited for her to do something, not wanting to make another move until she’d made hers.

With no warning, she threw herself on him, arms going around his neck and the clothes balled up in his hands forgotten as one dove into her hair and the other wrapped around her waist. He leaned back against the dresser pulling her closer to him and it was only when he felt her warm hands on his bare chest that he remembered he was only wearing a towel. He stepped back and cleared his throat, glancing down at his body, at the same time Aelin did, and he watched as a smirk formed on that gorgeous face.

It was in that moment that Genevieve knocked on the door, saying “Ro, Aelin? I have snacks for you!”

Rowan grabbed his clothes off the floor and dashed into the bathroom as Aelin fought off the urge to laugh out loud.

It was in that moment, she decided senior year might be fun after all, especially if she had Rowan Whitethorn by her side.

#rowaelin #rowan whitethorn #aelin ashryver galathynius #throne of glass #throne of ashes and beauty

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