#Rowaelin humor

[acourtofquestions]

"Should we, or is it rude?" Aelin mused, peering at the wooden door.

Rowan sent a spear of his wind aiming for the lock and splintered it apart. "Looks like it was already open when we got here," he said mildly.

Aelin gave him a wicked grin, and Fenrys pulled a torch off its bracket in the narrow stone hallway to illuminate the room beyond.

[julemmaes]

Mrs. Flatus

finally Rowaelin Yulemas Swap

A/N: As late as usual, wouldn't be me otherwise, here's your fic you kind and patient soul, @live-the-fangirl-life, hoping your expectations didn't go as high I'd wished for. I have to thank all the people that helped me get this out and @bookstantrash and @thewayshedreamed especially, for being my forever support. Enjoy this little baby!

Word count: 5.834

Rowan’s head fell back at the sound of his front door. The hinges creaked loudly as Lysandra waltzed in without so much as a knock. It wasn’t the first time, and he bet it wouldn’t be the last.

She looked at the shirtless guys standing in the middle of the kitchen and whispered with horror in her voice, “What the fuck are you eating?”

“Girl, is that what you’re focusing on?” Elide, coming in right behind her, hunched forward, eyeing the glass in their friend’s hand. Her eyes, filled with concern and a little disbelief, slid to Lysandra. “He’s drinking beer at 11am.”

Fenrys frowned, scratching at his naked chest. “No, I’m not.”

“It’s tea,” Lorcan called from the couch, drawing everyone’s attention to him.

“Why is it in a pint glass?” Elide asked the room, walking towards her boyfriend and leaning down to kiss him on the lips. She went to rise again, but she was pulled by the waist to sit on Lorcan’s lap, who was mindlessly watching an old game’s recording.

“Why don’t you mind your own fucking business?” Fenrys retorted, a sarcastic smile on his lips.

Elide gasped, bringing a hand to her throat. “The disrespect.”

“What’s disrespectful—”

Rowan slammed his hands on the desk hard enough to stop whatever line was about to come out of his friend’s mouth. He stood up from his work table and eyed everyone in his apartment.

When silence fell and everyone’s gaze was fixed on him, he took a deep breath and spoke clearly. “What’s disrespectful…” he said, glaring at Fenrys, “is that I’m trying to work, and none of you should be here.”

“I live here,” Lorcan deadpanned.

Rowan sighed, running a hand down his face, “I know that, dickhead. I was referring to the ladies and the pup.”

Elide raised a hand to defend herself. “My boyfriend lives here.” 

“I got wasted yesterday night and need assistance to recover,” Fenrys said around the rim of his glass. 

Rowan arched a brow, “I— I don’t even,” he trailed off, looking at Lorcan. “Did you guys go out yesterday?”

His flatmate shook his head, keeping his eyes on the screen.

“Then what are you talking about?” Rowan asked Fenrys.

“I went out with Connall and some of the girls. We were at Pip’s.”

Rowan stared at him, waiting for him to continue. He didn’t.

“Okay, and?”

Fenrys shrugged, “Then, I just let myself in at 4am and crashed on your couch.”

“Your place is closer to the bar than here,” Lysandra noted.

The blond guy slightly tilted his head to the side, “Whose side are you on?”

“It’s just kinda stupid that you walked all the way here instead of going to your house. And where did Connall—”

“Lys!” Rowan interrupted her.

“What?” She asked,exasperated.

He went to rebut, but his phone pinged with an annoying chirping sound.

Aelin.

As he dived for his phone on the desk, Lorcan groaned, muttering about him falling off the face of earth whenever she texted.

Fenrys huffed a laugh. “Didn’t know you’d moved to Pussy-Whipped Town, Ro. Isn’t it crowded there? I heard it’s getting uncomfy.”

Lorcan snorted, and it caught Lysandra’s sharp attention.

“What are you even laughing about, lover boy?” Her and Manon had started calling him that since his and Elide’s very first date. Needless to say, he hated it. “You probably helped him move his stuff there, since you know the city so well.”

Elide chuckled on his lap at the frown on Lorcan’s face. He was caressing his girlfriend’s thigh, but nothing stopped him from flipping his dark-haired friend off as Elide gave him a peck on the lips.

Rowan, in the meantime, had shut the world out.

That had turned out to be an easy task in the last few months. Whenever Aelin was in the same room as him. Or whenever she called. Or texted, actually.

He didn’t waste a second opening the glimmering notification.

the kids at this thing are driving me fudging insane I need us to go to pip’s tonight please

Rowan’s lips curled as he reread her text, specifically the child-friendly curse word. She’d been working as a piano teacher in one of their neighbourhood’s elementary schools for five years now, but she still had issues with censuring herself in front of her students. And he knew it was probably proving harder than ever as she attended the school fair she’d organised for the past two months.

Looking at the clock on the wall before replying, he hoped his words would ease some of the tension in her.

You only got started half an hour ago. You got this, Fireheart. Just remember all the leftovers you’ll get to take home once it’s over.

“It’s disgusting.” Lysandra’s voice brought him back to reality.

Rowan lifted his head and noticed, with no small irritation, that all his friends were looking at him. 

“You’re not even together and you’re disgustingly in love,” she finished.

“Shut up,” he grumbled, sitting back down.

Elide perked up, moving her hands mid-air as her gaze went from him to Lorcan, to Lys, and back to him. “Wait, what? Is that true?”

Rowan shook his head, not meeting his friend’s eyes.

“Are you in love with her?” Elide pushed for a verbal reply, gripping the back of the couch as if her life depended on it. 

He didn’t dare open his mouth. This had nothing to do with them. This was his private life, and as much as he appreciated his friends, he had no business discussing it with them.

“You might as well say it, man. Aelin’s got you wrapped around her devilish little fingers,” Fenrys butted in.

He pretended not to hear them as they continued talking about his not-so-subtle crush on one of his dearest friends and went back to work on his laptop. He managed to work for a total of twenty seconds before his phone pinged again with a new text from her.

Rowan couldn’t stop the grin that spread over his face, earning a laugh from the others.

tbf it wouldnt even be that bad if one of the girls had agreed to come with me but they all said they had important poop to do and now im lonely

This text was accompanied by a sad face. Rowan scowled, looking up at the women standing in front of him, doing important poop.

“Why didn’t you go with Aelin to her school fair?” he asked, not caring that he interrupted something about Aelin’s boobs and the effect they had on him.

Lysandra’s eyes rolled to the back of her head as she huffed. “Cause those kids are too much work, and if Aelin could skip those events, she would too. She can handle a few hours on her own.”

Rowan looked at Elide then, who shrugged. “What she said.”

He glanced at his computer screen, at Fenrys, who was currently munching on some leftover pasta from the night before, then at all these people who he greatly loved but that needed to get out of his house. That way, he could finish his job, reach her himself, and help however he could to make it easier for her. An idea popped into his head.

“What if,” he started, standing up and promptly taking Fenrys’ shirt from the floor and walking up to him. “You all got the fuck out of here—”

Fenrys gripped Rowan’s arm. “Why are you pushing me?”

“—and went to Aelin’s school for a few hours—”

“No, seriously, man, stop pushing me out. I don’t have my pants on. It’s below zero outside.”

“—so I can finish this in peace, and I’ll see you all tonight at Pip’s?”

By the time he’d finished talking, Fenrys was halfway through the front door—pantless and with his shirt hanging around his neck—and Lysandra was muttering under her breath how rude he was for kicking them out so mercilessly. Elide seemed hesitant to get up, but when Lorcan met Rowan’s eyes and understanding passed between them, his best friend slapped her on the thigh.

“You heard him, Lochan. Get your ass out,” Lorcan prompted. He followed his own advice, offering a curt nod to Rowan on his way out.

As soon as silence fell over his house, he released a sigh and went back to work.

***

Rowan was undressing to get into the shower before heading to Pip’s when he got a text from Aelin. He huffed as his chest tightened a bit at the sound, but he decided not to dwell too much on his feelings for the blonde goddess and just check what she wanted.

ur cooming 2 the bar ight

He smiled, shaking his head at the amount of typos and abbreviations she used. That had been a hot topic of discussion during those first weeks of them talking.

Yeah, just taking a quick shower first and then I’ll meet you there.

He hit send and then decided to add a smiley face, just to show that he was excited about seeing her. She took less than ten seconds to reply with an emoji herself.

i smell like horse poop

Rowan barked a laugh and leaned on the sink, running a hand through his hair. He bit his lip as he pictured her navigating through farm animals all day long, trying to avoid stepping on shit while also keeping all the kids alive and unharmed.

i also drunk a lot of juice and someone spiked it and im kindaish tipsyyishh

He stood up at that, typing fast on his phone.

Is someone with you? You’re not driving right now, right?

Aelin took way longer than usual to reply, and Rowan was about to say hell with the shower and run to the school in his underwear if she hadn’t replied in the next two minutes.

relax im with the gvng lys is gonna drive us

He released a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding and then texted her they were gonna see each other in a bit. She said the same, and just as he was about to enter the shower, he remembered something.

Oh and, Ace? You should bring a coat tonight.

The last time they’d gone out, she’d worn the skimpiest dress ever. It had driven him insane, but it had also made Aelin catch a cold that had spread across their entire group of friends. And surely no one needed a repeat of that.

I SHOUKD?!?!?!?

Her reply came as a surprise, and Rowan reread his text, wondering if he’d typed something wrong.

...yes?

The three dots appeared and disappeared at least five times before a blue bubble finally popped up.

u wont be amgry??

Rowan questioned his sanity at that point. What was going on?

Of course I won’t be angry, what are you on about?

Aelin again took forever to reply and once she did, it did nothing to calm him down.

NPTHING! SEE U THERE, LOVE YU

The entire way to the bar, Rowan couldn’t focus on anything but that weird conversation. Nothing but that simple love you she had mindlessly thrown out there. It wasn’t unusual of Aelin to say those two words to her friends. She used it as one does hello and goodbye, but it had been the first time she’d done it with him and his mind was racing with thoughts like why now.

Had he been too harsh on her? Why would she think he’d be upset about her wearing a coat?

Had she been wearing those tormentingly short dresses for him?

No, that couldn’t have been it. It didn’t make any sense. Plus, he’d stalked her Instagram account. She’d worn those things way before she came into his life.

Without being able to take those thoughts out of his mind, Rowan started thinking of what Lysandra had implied today. What Elide had asked confirmation for.

He and Aelin hadn’t seen each other in some days now. He had been too tied with workloads and due-dates, and Aelin had been busy even at night with all the prep she had to do for her classes.

And he couldn’t lie, he missed her like hell.

He wasn't sure when it had started to change with Aelin, but there had been a moment when their relationship had gone from being a simple acquaintance to something much deeper. Rowan would have liked to say that it was thanks to that night when they had both opened their hearts to each other, discovering that they had much more in common than they thought, but he knew that his feelings had been there for much longer—dormant perhaps, but always ready to explode in his heart.

And as supportive as their friends had been of this hypothetical relationship, Rowan and Aelin still hadn't hinted at what was between them. And Rowan was fine with that. More than fine.

There was a certain dynamic between him and Aelin, and there was no reason to break that perfectly stable balance by complicating things with feelings he himself still couldn't fully comprehend.

He parked the car at the end of the street—Pip’s being at its fullest on a random Friday night—and rapidly walked to the bar as the winter cold embraced him like a too-tight hug.

The second he stepped inside, the warmth and commotion washed over him, and he could not help but smile slightly at the sight of the Christmas decorations hanging around the room. He rubbed his hands together, trying to warm himself a little as he sought out his group of friends. It wasn't long before he heard Aedion's thunderous laughter on the opposite side of the place.

They were all there.

Elide and Lysandra were dancing beside the pool table, where Dorian, Manon, Aedion and Fenrys were challenging each other to death. Connall and Lorcan, together with Asterin and Nehemia, were sitting at their usual table, and it was impossible for Rowan to stop the spontaneous question forming in his brain. Where was she? Lorcan turned towards him just then, and the expression on his face made him stop in his tracks.

A mixture of amusement and exasperation marked the features of his friend's face. Rowan shook his head, arched an eyebrow and silently asked him what was going on, and Lorcan squared his shoulders, and with a nod of his chin, pointed to the bar counter.

Rowan shifted his gaze to the crowd of people, ready for anything. Aelin dressed like an elf. Aelin dancing upside down on the bar. Aelin covered in chocolate.

He was sure that whatever she was up to, Rowan would be ready.

He was wrong.

“What the fuck.”

On the other side of the room, bleating on a stool in all its mighty and hairy glory, sat a goat. And right next to it, Aelin circled what Rowan supposed were the goat’s shoulders with her arm. They were both sipping something that resembled chocolate milk and what he really hoped wasn’t Aelin favourite kind of Bailey’s. Whatever their drinks were, the goat really seemed to be enjoying it.

A goat.

Rowan closed his eyes, turned his back to the room and went outside. The cold hit him like a brick as he ran a hand down his face, taking a deep breath. He blinked a couple of times, hoping whatever he’d just hallucinated wouldn’t appear in the parking lot as well and went back inside. His eyes went straight to the counter, where now a waving Aelin was calling out his name.

The goat was still there.

He turned to his friends, hoping they would be at least somewhat shocked by whatever the fuck was going down, but every single one of them was too focused on something else to notice that there was an actual farm animal sitting mere meters from them. As if Aelin chilling at the counter with a fucking goat was something they were used to.

He didn’t even make it to the bar before her tiny, warm body slammed into him and she started blubbering nonsense.

“I’m so happy you finally got here,” she was saying. “I gotta introduce you to my new friend, Mrs Flatus. She’s going through a hard break up, and I think we could learn something from her. I can’t really understand her that much, but also I guess we could learn how to communicate with her.”

She took his hand and the spark that simple touch sent up his arm made his legs move automatically. He would have followed her anywhere. Or almost.

He hit the brakes, tightening his hold on her and making her halt as she sprinted towards Mrs Flatus. The movement might have been a little too brusque, because Aelin tripped over her own feet and fell back against his chest. He caught her around the waist before she went sprawling to the ground, and the sharp intake of breath from her had his whole body heat up in under a second.

“Easy there, Fireheart.” He whispered to her ear. Her shoulders trembled with shivers.

Aelin tilted her head back and glanced at him, “I-”

“Where did the goat come from?”

The way she rolled her head on his chest made him realise she was way more drunk than anticipated.

“At the fair,” she sing-sang. 

As she replied, Aelin moved slowly in his embrace, turning fully towards him, bracing her hands on his chest, drawing the two of them impossibly closer.

“And how— what did you…” He trailed back, not really knowing how to pose the question.

What had he meant to ask her again?

Rowan frowned, feeling drunk all of a sudden as well. He was just so confused.

He turned to the goat, not really listening to what Aelin was now mumbling against his shirt, and he noticed with crippling dread that the animal was staring right at him. It wasn’t even sitting in their direction, still posed against the counter, a hoof too close to the glass of milk to be coincidental. Only its head was turned towards them and those squared pupils were just looking straight into his soul.

“You told me to bring the goat.” Aelin grumbled then, sounding angry, and snapping his attention back to her. Her golden eyes were piercing his very heart and his hands automatically tightened around her hips. “I asked you if you were gonna be mad and you said no, so you have no right to come here and stand here looking like that-”

It was like a bucket of ice poured over him. He brought a hand to her mouth, leaning down so they were eye to eye, and he spoke every word carefully, making sure she heard.

“I told you to bring a coat. C-O-A-T. C, Ace, c!”

Her mouth gaped under his hand, and he shook his head as she started laughing hysterically.

“Oh my.”

Rowan closed his eyes briefly, before taking a deep breath and gently pushing Aelin to the side. She slid her arm around his waist as he stalked to the counter, and he couldn’t believe this was how his night was going.

As soon as the bartender, and owner of the pub, saw him approach and probably noted the stunned expression on his face, she snorted.

“I gotta say boy, when I first opened this place, I never thought I’d let anyone in with a goat.” Peig said, tilting her head to the side to take a look at Aelin, who was currently petting Mrs Flatus on the head, trying to get it to drink more of what Rowan got confirmation was milk. The old lady glanced back at him, an amused smile on her lips as she continued, “Your girlfriend here can be pretty persuasive.”

Rowan tensed, ready to deny those words, but Aelin spoke first, an equally spirited smile on her face. “I’m sure I could convince the President to let me give a speech to the world if I wanted to.”

Not even the slightest acknowledgment to the term Peig had used to describe her. And she didn’t seem bothered by it at all. Maybe she hadn’t heard it. Maybe she was just too absorbed in her new friend to have noticed-

Aelin looked at him and smiled. Her whole face lit up and she hugged him closer, pushing her cheek against his chest.

Rowan let go of a trembling breath and pulled her to him, even more, pretending his heart wasn’t beating a thousand beats per minute. Pretending that smile hadn’t just obliterated his stability.

Pretending the woman he was holding on for dear life didn’t own him thoroughly.

***

Aelin hadn’t had a headache this strong in years.

She felt like she was about to pass out again when something loud and… wet exploded in the room. She groaned, willing whatever that sound had been to never replay ever again.

And then the smell hit. 

The gag forced itself up her throat and before she knew it someone was holding a bucket in front of her face. Nothing could have stopped her body from heaving into it.

“That’s what you get for getting shit-faced at a school fair and then stealing a goat.” 

Rowan’s voice had always had a certain hold on her body. The way her fingers would start tingling with the desire to touch his face, his neck. Touch places she only had the courage to acknowledge in her dreams so far.

Her fists clenched around the sheets as she puked whatever was left in her stomach from the night before. A hand came down on her back, massaging between her shoulders as Rowan whispered words of encouragement to her. She couldn't really understand what he was saying, but his presence was enough for her to come down from the disgusting embarrassment she was feeling.

As soon as her body decided it was enough, she fell back down on the mattress, groaning as loud as her head allowed. It wasn’t even a moment later that a heavy weight was placed on her chest. She only had time to blink at a furry wagging tail before the goat was taken from her. 

Mrs. Flatus bleated for a half a second and then the sound was muffled by something. 

“Shut your cute lil’ mouth, Jesus.” Rowan yell-whispered. 

Aelin couldn’t have stopped the smile from spreading over her face if she’d sold her soul to the devil. 

She heard him moving around the room but still couldn’t open her eyes, her head pounding like a fresh, open wound. He was walking around, probably stalking after that pitter patter that must have been the goat’s hooves. A heartbeat later, Rowan was standing next to her bed again and was trying to make her swallow something that, according to him, was going to help her. She managed to do as he asked, then she rolled in her bed but couldn’t really find peace as the terrible taste of vomit persisted in her mouth. 

She must have been drunk still because she stumbled to the bathroom like a toddler who’s still learning to walk. Rowan helped her as she used mouthwash to get rid of the disgusting taste. 

As soon as she was done, she spit out everything, then quite literally launched herself on the bed and found a comfortable enough position to sleep. 

When Aelin woke the second time, her headache was just bearable, but nothing she wasn’t used to. She sat up with no small amount of effort, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. The moment her room came into focus, her heart swelled.

Rowan was snoring softly on the armchair posed in the corner of her room, lips slightly parted with his head tilted to the side. He seemed so at peace—even with a goat sitting on his lap. 

Even if the picture in front of her was cute as hell, and Rowan made a great goat keeper with his arms tight around the animal, Aelin shook her head, bringing a hand to her forehead. 

How the fuck had she managed to steal a goat? 

She vaguely remembered Lorcan helping her, making her swear she wouldn’t tell Rowan. Elide and Lysandra laughing their asses off in the front seats as she tried to push Mrs. Flatus in their car. She had glimpses of Aedion and Manon scolding them all, Dorian chatting with their new group pet and Fenrys trying to hit on a girl with the help of the goat. 

Then, utter void.

She scrunched her nose as Mrs. Flatus farted in her sleep and decided the room needed some fresh air. She got up on unstable legs and wobbled to the window, opening it wide and hoping the awful smell wouldn’t permeate the rest of the apartment. 

She basked in the sun for a bit, listening to the birds chirping, the wind through the leaves. Looking out to the streets and the traffic. Focusing on anything that wasn’t the man sitting behind her.

Rowan had been trouble since the very first time he’d stepped into Lysandra’s apartment and introduced himself to her. 

She remembered their first meeting as if it was yesterday. The way Elide had begged Lys to bring Aelin to that party so Lorcan could bring Rowan in turn. The months of anticipation and build up that had made her anxious to finally meet someone after so many years of rejection and heartache.

Rowan had been a ray of sunshine in the midst of the endless shitstorm that was her life. He had been a warm embrace during the dark, lonely days that seemed to have become her norm.

She was thinking about the gazillions of things this man had done for her without even knowing, when Mrs. Flatus farted again. Rowan groaned, raising his head and making a grimace that was similar to a baby eating a lemon.

Aelin could not stop the laughter that rumbled in her chest. He opened his eyes, settling in his chair, his gaze going straight to her.

The little goat, probably disturbed by all that movement, jumped off his lap, running in her direction as she bleated animatedly.

She crouched down to pet her on the head, and Mrs. Flatus turned and jumped on the bed, walking around in her sheets. Aelin winced and kneeled on the duvet, hoping to make the animal calm down. Hoping the little shit wouldn’t poop on her bed.

“Dammit,” Rowan murmured. 

Aelin tensed. His voice. It made her want to smash her head against a wall. 

In a good way.

"I'd kind of hoped it was all a nightmare. Or that someone had drugged me and I was hallucinating,” he continued, making her nerves even more restless. It was as if someone had turned up the heat a few notches. Everything seemed to be suddenly warmer. "But no. You actually stole a goat last night."

She glanced at him, her cheeks reddening. 

“I’m sorry?”

He shrugged like it was nothing, yawning. He rubbed his eyes, looking like a fever dream.

She whined and brought a hand to her face. He was so fucking precious. 

“What?” He asked, his voice like gravel.

Aelin shook her head, peering at him through her fingers as Mrs. Flatus settled between her legs. She couldn’t quite tell him Oh nothing, it’s just that you’re so pretty I want to sit on your face until both of us can’t breathe anymore. No, she really couldn’t. That would have made him run for the hills. 

She settled for a shrug of her own and then she frowned, realising something.

“Why are you here?”

“Well,” he started, running a hand through his already ruffled white hair. Aelin’s attention snapped to his fingers. “You were really drunk at the bar last night. I don’t know if you noticed. And you were hellbent on this goat having a good time and being taken care of.”  

She scowled, “I- Of course I wanted her to have a good time. You would have left her at the bar?” 

Rowan chuckled, and there was something different about him just then. The way he sagged against the back of the armchair, the look he was giving her, like he couldn’t take his eyes off her—like he didn’t want to. 

He kept his calm demeanour as he replied. 

“Of course not. That’s why I came home with you guys.” 

Aelin bit her lip, trying to stop her smile from spreading even more. 

“Go on.”

Rowan nodded, smirking knowingly. “You definitely weren’t in shape to take care of the goat and you when you got home, so we danced a bit with some dudes from Lunathion. They were fun, but we couldn’t understand a word they were saying. Fenrys hooked up with one of the girls in their group. Then you kept drinking for a while with Lys and the goat. Around 4am, I loaded you both in my car and drove you here.” 

Aelin thought she’d never heard him speak for so long without interruption. She was also kinda moved he’d sprinkled that bit of gossip in the story just for her sake. She knew perfectly well he didn’t care for those kinds of things, so if he’d included it, he must have done it for her.

“And then you woke up at 7:00 to puke. I gave you some aspirin, and that was it.” 

She looked at him for a few beats. 

“But why?” 

“I wanted to make sure Mrs. Flatus didn’t eat anything while you were passed out.” A small pause. He looked straight at her, and a thousand unsaid things passed between them. “And that you were okay.” 

Aelin blinked in surprise. She passed her fingers through the goat’s fur. 

“You didn’t have to do that,” she whispered, “but thank you.”

Rowan nodded once, cracking his knuckles, something Aelin had started to notice he only did when he was under pressure. “Don’t mention it.” 

When he squared his shoulders and bent his head to the side to crack his neck as well, grimacing a bit at the soreness there, she curled her lips. 

“You shouldn’t have slept in the armchair. The couch would have been a better choice.” My bed, also.

“I really didn’t want to be that far from you in case you needed something.” 

They’d never come close to talking about whatever they felt for each other. She’d already told him multiple times she loved him, the same way she loved Lysandra or Fenrys. And even if he’d never verbally spoken those words, he’d shown her multiple times and so many ways he did as well.

But she knew that wasn’t the whole truth. He knew.

Before she could thank him again and scold him for being dumb, he went on.

“And it didn’t feel right getting in bed with you while you were passed out.” 

Aelin looked at him then, feeling bolder than ever. Her voice came out much lower than intended, “I wouldn’t have minded.” 

He must have shared the same feeling, because he didn’t bat an eye as he said, “I would have, but I want you to remember the first time you fall asleep in my arms.”

She snorted, feeling her cheeks redden once more. She bent her head down, focusing on Mrs. Flatus’ little ears, stroking her neck. The goat screamed, and they both flinched at the sound. 

When Aelin glanced up at him, he wore a shy smile of his own. She shook her head disbelievingly, “That was kinda lame.”

Rowan’s eyebrows snapped up. “It was, wasn’t it?” 

They stared at each other for some time and then Rowan’s attention was elsewhere, but she couldn't stop looking at him. The muscles in his arms as he got up and stalked to her bed. His thighs, perfectly wrapped in those jeans Aelin loved so much, that made his ass look amazing. His hand on her duvet as he bent down, towards… Mrs. Flatus.

“Stop eating her pyjamas, you douchebaguette,” Rowan said with amusement lacing his every word. He wrapped his hands around the goat’s snout and opened her mouth. The way he’d said that insult told her it wasn’t the first time he’d used it, and the scrunched up expression Mrs. Flatus seemed to turn his way as she screamed made Aelin burst out laughing. She hadn’t even realised the goat had been munching on her clothes. 

At the sound of her laugh, Rowan’s head snapped up. The smile on his face fell in a second when he noticed just how close they were. His lips parted, and released a trembling breath. Aelin’s eyes slid down to his mouth, watching intensely as he wet his lips. When she looked up again, his pupils were dilated, and the desire shining there was a fist around her heart.

“Ace–”

“Just kiss me,” she breathed out.

So, he did. As soon as Rowan’s lips touched hers, Aelin kindly pushed Mrs. Flatus away, making space for his huge figure between her bent knees. 

His free hand  went to her neck, slowly sliding up to her jaw until he was cupping her cheek, angling her head so that he could deepen the kiss. Everything in her lit up like he’d poured gasoline and thrown a match on her. His tongue trailed over her upper lip, and her surprised gasp as he gently laid her down was invitation enough for him.

She was lying on her back, his full bodyweight on her as they kissed and kissed, basking in the other’s touches and caresses. 

They had waited long enough for this. 

When Rowan finally came up for air, Aelin was sprawled on the bed, hoping to look only half as stunned as she felt. He hovered over her, his hair tousled from her fingers running and tugging through it. His eyes darted across her face—for what, Aelin didn’t know. Then, he dropped his chin to his chest and started laughing. 

She watched, confused just as much as amused. “What are you laughing about?”

Rowan stopped for a second, giving her a peck on the lips and settling next to her, circling her shoulder with his arm and pulling her close. 

“I can’t believe it took a goat for us to kiss.” 

Aelin hid her face against his chest, mumbling something. 

Rowan started tracing lines on the small of her back, leaving kisses on her hair, forehead, shoulder. Wherever he could reach, he kissed. 

Aelin was about to tell him how long she’d been wanting to do it, but her phone started aggressively vibrating on her nightstand.

She groaned as she stretched to reach it without getting up. 

The name on the screen made her wince in anticipation for what was about to come. She pressed accept and brought the phone to her ear.

She couldn’t even get a word out before Cassian’s voice boomed in the silent room.

“WHAT DID YOU DO?!”

Aelin looked at Rowan and grimaced. “Oops?”

tog tag list (if you wanna be added or removed, you send me a dm or an ask)

@maastrash @ireallyshouldsleeprn @sleeping-and-books @thegoddessofyou @ghostlyrose2 @claralady @sayosdreams @perseusannabeth @letstakethedawn @tangledinmysoul @post-it-notes33 @booksstorm @nalgenewhore @imagine-me @vasudharaghavan @cupcakey00 @bri-loves-sunflowers @queen-of-glass @the-regal-warrior @fangirlprincess09 @januarystears @rowaelinismyotp @starbornsinger @thegreyj @feysand-loml @autumnbabylon @a-court-of-milkandhoney @highqueenofelfhame @story-scribbler @mariamuses @rhysandswingspan @whoever-you-choose-to-love @endlessdaydream

[acourtofquestions]

ANOTHER!

A lil bored & mostly sleep deprived (but gotta stay awake for da bb’s (trying to channel Auntie/god-mother Taylor Swift vibes; because that woman never sleeps & practically runs the universe)… but alas my weakness; I have no books available😭 & since I’m still thinking about Throne of Glass 24/7 because how could I not in a post-EoS world) I’m answering them myself😂 … so you’ve been warned; this weekend of sleep deprivation, auntie duties, and travel shall lead to some weird posts probably😅😂 or perhaps new genius *she said humbly* … though less of a “genius” fashion & more of a mad scientist throwing spaghetti at a wall🤣 … here’s a more bar for the sake of “the feed”😂🤣

Rowan likes frosted mini wheats. Aelin mocks him for it relentlessly calling him grandpa or snowman.

Aelin is always storing a kick-ass dress in the back closet… and it probably is quite literally able to kick-ass as it is loaded with daggered corsets.

A library for Aelin, anywhere with Aelin for Rowan… or maybe a beach🤣

Aelin has a legit “get ready” routine, oils, perfumes, skincare, you name it (in an AU she would even own THE headband). Rowan just uses whatever she tells him to (or not to) though she still lets him use the lavender soap😭

Rowan and Aelin are both big on physical touch; they need proof the other is alive & well, close enough to hold their hand & remind them, or at least be protected if they need to jump in front of a bullet. They often show love the same way; in the little things they can do amid chaos. Rowan gently rubbing Aelin’s back, Aelin kissing his cheek, or brushing his hand on her way out. They like to be close, always sitting next to each other, or going so far as to share a seat if there isn’t room (though Aelin is kinda like a cat & has a habit of turning anything into a seat, whether it be a table, wall, or person). Rowan has also learned to sit beside her & never stand while a meeting has free chairs unless he wants relentless mocking for “perching” or being ready to fight, flee, or jump in front of a bullet for her at any given moment… including breakfast. As far as differences go; Aelin is also big on quality time (or more so any amount of time) just being in the same vicinity each doing/reading their own thing. Really, any moment they have (even solving murders😅) she wants and needs to spend it with him as well as feel like he wants to spend time with her (reminder: she has major abandonment issues). And she can be surprisingly sentimental for someone who’s never had anything, the things she does she struggles not to keep forever, while Rowan is the opposite. Mostly though it’s just noticing her and doing something specific for her. Words of affirmation melt her into a puddle of heartsick puppy love (Rowan is surpsingly good at them) and it’s one of the main ways he does show affection. She shows Rowan in little things (or big little things) like setting up a surprise (gift-ish), or washing his hair (physical touch/acts of serve), doing something so he doesn’t have to like finishing paperwork, or dishes, something little to make it easier to rest when he gets home (even going so far as to try & make dinner… though she’s been banned from cooking after almost setting the castle on fire & simultaneously giving everyone food poisoning). Final note: Acts of service are dearly noted by both, but honestly overall terrifying as they’ve lost too many people (and are both far too ready to die for the other) so it’s kinda off limits😅🖤.

Aelin has always loved pretty things, as an only princess she had everything she could have wanted, except the one thing she really ever wanted most; normalcy. Then she lost everything, every pretty trinket, every person, any sense of “normal” or the world. And while she got many gifts, Arobynn’s “love” came & went with bribes, rewards, punishments, and tests; a taste of freedom, pretty dresses or new weapons, creepy perfumes, than nothing. And once again, all she craved was normalcy. A family. & nothing ever filled that gap, or became more than just “things”; things she loved, things she held onto, but never quite “everything”. As far as gifts that meant something though: the amulet of course as the last gift from her mother & surviving family heirloom. The candies from Dorian, the ring from Chaol (for a time), the books… so many books… perhaps most of all the moment Rowan brought her chocolates (back when they were still “just friends” — but even then)… however the greatest will always be Fleetfoot; it is beyond a gift, IT’S FLEETFOOT. Sorry future Rowan/everyone, I don’t think much could top that. For Rowan, let’s say he wanted a sword from the moment he could wield one (more than the sticks his cousins & him would use as kids) most of all he wanted to be a knight, a warrior, dreamed of a greater purpose; ever the practical yet fire-hearted baby fae🥹.

Rowan did not write any, except for Lyria, he did everything he could to win her, to love her, back when he was a “young immortal”. And though he will deny this at all costs, he can be quite the poet… and still will leave little notes for Aelin; indecipherable inside jokes in their secret little love language. And Aelin was a sparkly, neon, gel pen with heart dotted eyes kinda cover my notebook in “Mrs. so - and - so’s name”.

They both have trouble unwinding and need to learn to rest, so often it’s less routine & more so a non-stop marathon of work & wars & training & something/anything to do or distract free time; until they are so tired they fall asleep the second they hit the pillow. When they decide to try & “learn to rest” it normally looks something like Rowan hunched over his desk toying with some project, a new drawing (he doesn’t get much time for it but he does love it when he can). While Aelin takes a fancy bath with all the candles, bubbles, & bath bombs, she can cram into a single pampering. By the time it’s actually time for bed they’ve both normally managed to wind themselves back up from the free-time to think, falling into work or some old “busy” habit, so they try to trade books & keep their minds busy. (Especially since Aelin has exited the bath to find him practically tying red thread; marking maps, learning new war strategies, & reading she describes as “depressing manifestos of mind numbing nothingness” that she must read aloud as dramatically as she possibly can to “show him the light of never reading such things again”… or at least make him laugh till the lines ease from his face again). Though book trading has also proved to be a very chaos ensuing activity, after Aelin decided to start giving him the worst, romance novels she could find (she hasn’t even made it through half of them herself… she just likes seeing what shade of pink she can make his ears turn) while it has proved to give him some new inventive ways to get back at her😂 (he tried a mathematics book once… it ended with her nearly chucking it through the window😂. Otherwise Rowan always grab Aelin an extra blanket (mostly because she hogs them all; despite the fact she’s the one with the fire powers😂 she once went so far as to ask him to cool down the room because it was too hot all the while she was piled under four blankets she simply could not move as it was too soft).

Her last birthday, the last she can remember; when the kingdom was full of life and so was her family as they celebrated their little princess, the streets had flowers and fires and she felt free as the wind as she danced and ran with Aedion the entire night. … Rowan bringing her chocolates in Mistward was the first birthday since that last one that was worthy of being remembered. Rowan stopped celebrating birthdays long ago, it seemed pointless as an immortal (especially one who’s “mate” was gone) and since she was the only one who would still put in effort to make it special; no one even knew his birthdate for a long time after… until (like most things) until Aelin; she spent days baking a cake (that turned out far more crisp than cake), but her laugh; the utterly lovely chaos of her covered in flour, alarms going off & smoke in the air, yet streamers & all this celebration had been set just for him made him feel more thankful then any wish come true ever had. She made every birthday since worth celebrating with him.

Anything the other does (there’s a reason Rowan eat the whole horrid cake, and Aelin cried when Rowan spoke those beautiful words). They are fire & ice, they literally never stop melting. … for Aelin it’s the little details; how well he knows her (even the parts she hates or tries to hide), the scars he kisses, the way he holds her hand a little tighter because he just knows when something (even the littlest of comments) hit where it hurt, the way he makes sure she feels safe with him & is as safe as possible even in the terrors of their world, the way he remembers things; the dates that make her want to run, the shirts that lived in that bottom drawer for months; he never cared, never got jealous, never gave her grief for anything she was or felt. For Rowan it’s the moments he realizes he is loved wholly & he has finally found her; this magical, other worldly, miracle for him. It’s her teasing him like anyone else (not a dangerous general, or widower, ancient hero, or cursed villain), it’s her laugh, it’s the way her eyes glimmer for him, or seek him in a heavy room. It’s the moments she looks up and smiles because it’s him she saw, or comes running to jump into a hug even if she saw him mere hours ago. It’s the days he wakes with her asleep on his chest, peaceful, safe, simply being and breathing. It’s smoke & alarms, her making breakfast & burning everything to chars. It’s the fire breathing, promising heart, of life; of living life, wherever it may be, or go.

Aelin will spin the teacups until she is sick… and she often is because she happily stuffs her face with everything she can find; including the non-existent fruit, neon colored, pure sugar (that the court has considered banning her from after a sugar crash once nearly caused a little more than a “sunburn” for half of Epcot). Rowan likes the giant turkey legs… or liked… until he found out it was a bird… one that he claims cannot possibly occur in nature… after a few trips without them & seagull dive bombs he gave up on caring and went back to his “meat on a stick” favorites😂.

Aelin tried to learn to knit once… let’s just say everyone got a lot of tangled web like half singed baby blankets that year that Rowan may or may not have death-glared them into liking. Rowan likes woodworking & building bird houses, and Aelin makes the wood burning process much faster … minus her MANY bird puns. Rowan once considered keeping a nice one nearby for the next pun he hears😂 or argument he loses sent off to the “dog house” or in his case ⬆️🤣.

Primarily, Answered in love languages. Rowan is a beautifully true “perfect” words of affirmation person (fae) primarily but also gentle physical touch; a hand squeeze, a back rub, a forehead kiss, a shoulder to lean on. Aelin is also a physical touch; hold your hand, kiss your cheek, hug, etc. she is also a “little details” acts of service; like let me put this away so it’s one less thing for you to do. Or let me leave a tiny “gift-ish” thing around for you. Or let me spend & make the time to do something special and make a memory for us. Kinda gal.

Back before game night was cancelled after a “Settlers of Catan” game left Yrene to quite literally stitch everyone back together with the pieces😅 (banning; Aelin, (Lorcan if Aelin is anywhere near by) Aedion, Manon, & by compliant association & too smart counting Dorian😂). Mario Kart remains undecided despite it being just as lethal (however they all enjoy it too much to suggest another ban😂). Before this Aelin used to pick Monopoly (despite the fact everyone & she hates it) precisely why, as she liked her own new rules, & determined to win chaos. Rowan likes chess, and battleship (one he & Aelin can agree upon); Though he also secretly enjoys the video games he’s “begrudingly forced to play”. And they both get far too much enjoyment out of clue, minus the “inaccuracies” according to Aelin😅😂.

Aelin loves sitcoms, she’s seem most of them 10 times over. She however writes for romance novels… which Rowan would die from if he ever knew was her (& vice-verse anyone ever found his accounts ;-) & he likes watching HGTV?😂

Rowan loves helping out around the house anyway he can, especially if he can with Aelin; he just appreciates being able to take care of her. Aelin loves doing the dishes (she likes to try and practice her water magic… and if Rowan happens to get soaked in the process or the soap bubbles up to cover the kitchen… who’s to say if she meant it or not ;-)😂

Fireheart & Buzzard🥹 (the fact this is canon — my gods I love them). Pretty much any nickname from Aelin is going to be teasing and sarcastic & possibly drive you nuts at first (uncle kitty) and any from Rowan are going to make you cry (not even a “nickname” but every time he calls Aedion brother, and Lysandra his sister, my heart pulls a grinch and grows even more🥹😍😭)

They love to travel. Especially when they can find somewhere Rowan hasn’t been (it’s rare in his 200 years but they’ve found a few) thankfully in contrast it’s easy for Aelin (as she hasn’t been most places) and she loves getting to see the world she dreamed about but was always bound away from. Rowan makes for a great tour guide because he knows where the non tourists hundred year old ruins are to visit ;-) & they often run off to their own secret adventures, or trying to find the best hole-in-the-wall cafe/mom&pop shops. She does enjoy going “full tourist” mode some days (the I heart New York tee & everything… partially because the glare from Rowan as she says “smile” and flashes cameras is priceless🤣) or in the complete opposite mode she tries to be a local (Lysandra taught her well) & she’s got some convincing accents… but on occasion it goes horribly hilariously wrong & becomes far too much fun for them. Same with shopping districts (Aelin will get samples until she’s practically had a meal… & then change costumes for more after a ban). Lysandra however is far better at this & a preferable companion for such mischief; and they do love traveling with their family too. They miss them when they’re away too long.

Aelin loves flowers, Rowan loves the woods; it makes a good combo of him finding them & leaving them for her as a surprise, or on a bedside table with a note when she wakes up. Every-time her heart gets so sappy over it she wants to keep them forever (and often does; drying them into bookmarks… their shelves are full🥹). Aelin also loves spices for cooking, or lavender for soaps and perfumes, so he often brings her new things; loving how much she loves the little “moments of luxury”. He was the first one to ever bring her flowers (he is 200 years old after all he had to retain some sort of classic chivalry) and the way her eyes sparkled that first time made it impossible for him to ever pass something beautiful without stealing a piece for her. She did try to braid them into his hair once😂. Or make him wish on every dandelion they pass, & he does because her crinkling nose as she grins at him is enough to make him smile until they both laugh.

Aelin can make a fire, or a heating blanket of a shield; however despite the many ways THE “Fire-Bringer” could, her preferred method of warmth is getting as close to Rowan as possible. He is in agreement with this method.😂

Rowan is incredibly proud of Aelin. It is his honor to be hers, to serve a Queen who is so good, to love a woman who has a heart of wildfire. And she is incredibly proud of them all; this court of dreamers, her family. — It’s the only thing she undoubtably knows somehow went right… Lysandra especially; every-time she sees Evangeline she is so thankful; they were able to spare someone where they were not so lucky, they are fighting to stop the cycle. And she is proud to be the friend & sister of such a woman, & the lucky aunt of such a niece.

Rowan & Aelin have a real Luke & Laurelai vibe when it comes to coffee; Rowan thinks it’s a death trap, despite Aelin’s affliction/affecrion for it. Though Rowan & Aedion did have to set a rule for how much espresso is allowed within a 10 mile radius of her after a venti & 2 days of no sleep nearly has her burning the palace down.😂 He’ll drink whatever’s around & doesn’t mind when Aelin mixes some cinnamon or something in, otherwise he’s a 1 black coffee kinda guy. Aelin likes anything with sugar and spice and espresso… but often sticks to tea for sanity’s sake.😂

Aelin loves the finer things in life; including her secret drawer full of chocolate. & Rowan has Aelin.😂

Aelin unabashedly loves rom coms & chick-flicks, though musicals are her favorite (even the ones she can’t stand, or are not at all happy & instead tragedies); she likes plays the most though). Rowan “hates them” but always cries at the notebook; he will deny this & do it everytime.

Each other period. Fleetfoot running with Evangeline in a meadow, filled with their family of friends, give everyone a book to read & good music; that’s their “happiest place” haven.

Happy Headcanons Asks!

Send me a character and a number and  I’ll answer: 

Which type of cereal is their favorite?

What outfit do they wear when they need to feel confident?

Describe their dream date

What is their bath or shower routine?

What is their love language?

What was on the TOP of their Haukkah/Christmas/Birthday/etc list as a kid?

What did their high school love letters look like?

What is their bedtime routine?

Describe their happiest birthday.

What makes them melt romantically?

What is their favorite ride at Disneyland? Favorite food?

What craft do they learn to make for a gift? Who do they give it to?

How do they like to provide for others?

What game do they always select for game night?

What fandom do they write fanfic for? Give us a small sample.

Which household chore do they privately love?

What sappy nickname do they give their loved one(s)?

What is their favorite touristy thing to do when traveling?

Do they like to receive flowers? Give flowers? What kinds?

How do they warm up when it’s cold outside?

What makes them feel proud?

What is their usual Starbucks order?

How does this character indulge themselves?

Which sappy romantic movie is their favorite? Do they admit to it?

What brings them the most unmitigated joy in all the world?

[manonblaqkbeak]

A Little Tumble

Rowaelin month Day 6: Misunderstanding Leading to Disaster. @rowaelinscourt

I hope it's okay that I'm posting this a day early, I have a busy weekend ahead and I don't trust tumblr's queue system tbh lol.

I can't wait to read everyone's stories and see what everyone does, I feel like I'm never on here anymore but I couldn't stay away for rowaelin month. I love this little tradition of ours!! Rowaelin forever <3

cw: forced kisses, teenagers being dramatic (although not about the forced kiss because that would be horrible), injuries and mentions of sex but nothing graphic and me attempting to be humorous because nothing super disastrous happens lol.

1700 plus words. Sorry for any grammar errors :)

Please enjoy!!! Xx

Aelin couldn't stop crying. She had been crying for an eternity now, or what felt like it. And everything hurt, from her eyes to her toes as she sobbed and sobbed.

She hugged her pillow tighter as she heard her phone vibrate on her nightstand. She didn't need to look to know that it was Rowan. Her phone had been buzzing for ages now. She was sure her phone would soon freeze from the force of all the notifications she was getting.

She should block him. She should, but she couldn't move her arms. She breathed in the scent of Rowan's aftershave that clung to his pillow.

He wouldn't be sleeping in this bed next to her anymore. Wouldn't buy her iced coffee every morning on their way to school, would no longer would there be talks about their futures. No more of him buying her favourite snacks as study aides. No more calling her 'Princess'.

She no longer had a future with Rowan Whitethorn and her soul broke at the realisation.

A soft knock rapped against her bedroom door, and her mother's voice filled her ears. “Aelin, sweetheart, can I come in? I just want to talk.” Aelin nodded, her throat too sore to speak. “What happened today, at school?”

Fresh tears left Aelin's eyes as she made herself speak the horrible truth. “Rowan broke up with me.” Her voice was raspy.

“What? What do you mean that Rowan broke up with you?” Evalin asked.

“He dumped me, mum. He dropped me for Remelle Frost.”

“Are you sure?” she had never heard her mother sound so confused.

“Yes! I saw him kiss her!” Just saying it out loud made her cry even more, if that was even possible. Her mother came closer to her, running a smoothing hair along her hair. Her phone buzzed again. “Can you please leave me alone, and take my phone with you?”

“Okay, sweetheart, but I'll be downstairs if you need me.”

Aelin just nodded and her mother left, taking Aelin's phone with her.

Aelin closed her eyes and sobbed some more.

X X X X

Aelin woke up to the sound of knocking—not on her door, but her bedroom window. She lived in a two storey house, so that only meant one thing; someone climbed the tree next to her side of the house and was standing on the roof.

Aelin sat up and saw Rowan outside her window, his face desperate as he knocked again. Like she was fucking blind and couldn't see him there. At some point it had started to rain and he was drenched.

Anger shot through her at the sight of him, that he would come here after everything that happened today.

She left her bed, her blankets tangling around her legs but she managed to stand up straight as she unlocked her window. “What do you want, Rowan? To rub it in my face about your new girlfriend? Because I don't want to fucking hear it.”

Rowan's face crumpled at her anger. “Aelin, please, I can explain. There's been a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding?” she hissed. “I saw you kiss Remelle.” Bile raised in her throat at the words, at the image that zapped through her head. Remelle's hands clenched in Rowan's school blazer, her lips on his. “If there's a misunderstanding, then I don't want to hear it. Go to your new girlfriend and leave me alone!” Aelin ripped off her beloved promise ring and threw it at him. He flinched as it hit his face and tumbled off the roof.

Aelin heard her parents voices echoing, asking her if she was alright, and then they were there, at her bedroom door, watching Rowan as he watched her.

“I didn't kiss her!” Rowan said, pleading. “She was talking about how she's leaving during the summer to go to a new school and that she didn't want to leave with no regrets and she kissed me. Forced herself on me, actually. I pushed her off. Lorcan saw the whole thing, he can tell you what happened. Please, Aelin, let me in.”

“I don't believe you.” Even though it did sound like something Remelle would do—and Aelin was aware that Remelle was leaving, and was ecstatic when she heard the news. She and Remelle had never gotten along, not even in kindergarten.

“Please, text Lorcan,” Rowan begged, his own eyes filling with tears. “He doesn't like you enough to lie to you.”

That was definitely true.

“Rowan, you should come inside, before you hurt yourself,” Aelin's dad, Rhoe, interjected. He ignored the glare Aelin sent his way. She was willing to text Lorcan but she didn't want Rowan in her room, not now.

Aelin went to ask her mother for her phone when her parents gasped and swore, and when Aelin turned around, Rowan had fallen off the slip of the roof and was on the ground.

Aelin had never run so fast in her life.

X X X X

Waiting in the urgent care felt like an eternity—which made Aelin dub this day as the longest day in her life.

But soon Rowan was walking out towards the waiting room—towards her—when Aelin noticed the cast covering his right forearm. Tears sprung up in her eyes at the sight.

“I'm okay,” Rowan said as he sat next to her. “No concussion, no bleeding on the brain or anything, just this eyesore for the next eight weeks. Thank the gods that summer has started, at least.”

“What about work?” They were both employed at the Stag Rose Grille as servers and were going to use half their weekly paychecks to go towards their trip after graduation next year.

“Doctor gave me a sick note, and I have a lot of personal leave saved up.”

Aelin nodded and they sat in silence, even as the loudness of the urgent care lobby surrounded them.

“I called Lorcan as I was waiting,” Aelin said after a moment, and Rowan's dark green eyes snapped towards her tear swollen face. And his heart broke at the sight, at knowing that she had cried so much over him. “And he told me what happened, about Remelle. I'm sorry that I didn't believe you, and I'm sorry that she forced herself onto you. Are you okay? We can go to the police and report it, I'll be with you every step of the way.”

Rowan leaned over and kissed his girlfriend on the cheek. “I'll be okay. And I just want to forget that it happened. I've already blocked her on everything—I should have years ago.”

“I blocked her, too,” Aelin said, “but not before I gave her a piece of my mind.”

Rowan knew Aelin, and knew that what she said wouldn't have minced words. “What did you say?”

Aelin's answering smile was the very definition of pleased. “That if she ever came back here or ever contacted you after what she did, I was going to set her on fire.”

“Aelin! I think that's considered a felony.”

“What she did to you is a felony! Besides, she called me a cunt and said I was insane and that she would torch me if she ever saw me, so I think we're even.”

Rowan snorted, even though it made his head throb a little—he had no concussion, but his head was definitely a little sore.

Aelin yawned and looked ready to pass out. “You should tell your parents what happened, I know they're away for their anniversary weekend, but they would want to know before they come home to an unexpected insurance bill.”

“I'll tell them later. Let's get you home.”

Aelin smiled and kissed him on the lips. “I like the sound of that.” As they slowly made the way to Aelin's car, she said, “I also like the idea of ordering an extra large cheese crust pepperoni pizza, with garlic dipping sauce.”

Rowan smiled. “You drive and I'll order.”

X X X X

It was midnight when Evalin checked in on Aelin and Rowan, the young couple clinging to each other in Aelin's queen sized bed, Rowan's cast resting on one of Aelin's many pillows.

The room stunk of garlic and cheese and she slowly made her way across her only child's room to open up her window to let in some fresh air.

As Evalin made her way towards Aelin's nightstand where the last of the pizza remained, Aelin's eyes cracked open.

“Sorry about today, mama.” Her voice was still a little strained.

Evalin reached down and kissed her daughter on the forehead and smoothed her hair away from her eyes. “It's okay, I'm glad it worked out for the best. And your father found your ring, by the way, it's in the kitchen, drying after its wash.”

“Thank you.”

“Get some sleep, you've had a long day.” Aelin nodded and closed her eyes.

Evalin grabbed the pizza box and froze at the sight of Aelin's bin.

She knew that Aelin and her boyfriend had made up after the events of today—they had been dating for three years, after all, and Aelin was very open about their relationship— it was the reason why Aelin's TV was so damned loud earlier, but she hadn't expected to see three condoms on top of the waste bin.

“Mama, if you keep looking at them like that, your eyeballs are going to fall out,” Aelin said, her eyes still closed. “Rowan got too excited—”

“I don't really need to hear the rest. Goodnight, love.”

Aelin chuckled. “Night, mama.”

Aelin's bedroom door closed and Rowan groaned beside her. “Did you really just tell your mum that I came too early?”

Aelin chuckled again, her boyfriends face a little red from the embarrassment. “She won't judge, she'll just tell me to cover them up next time like I normally do. Besides, she knows everything that we've done. And she's walked in on us, too, remember?”

Rowan's groan vibrated the bed. “No. I had made myself forget.”

Aelin smiled at how bright Rowan's face had become and pressed a great, big smacking kiss on her boyfriends cheek. “Goodnight, buzzard.”

“Goodnight, Fireheart.”

Aelin rested her cheek against Rowan's bare chest and fell asleep to the sound of Rowan's strong heartbeat and the light drizzle of rain.

[writtenonreceipts]

Rowaelin Month Day Nine: Meet Ugly @rowaelinscourt

Month Masterlist // AO3 Link

Remember when I went to a rage room?

.*.*.*.*.

All the Rage

She comes in late one Saturday afternoon during the middle of summer and the heat has driven everyone inside for some taste of air conditioning.  It’s been a miserable week, and Rowan wants to just close up early so he doesn’t have to deal with the silence.  Fenrys should have been here, but the little asshat decided it was more important to call out with no other reason other than I don’t want to come in.

Rowan is going to kill him the next chance he gets.

But first there’s this customer to deal with.  At first Rowan thinks she’s lost and he’s going to have to explain that her phone is perfectly capable of giving her directions and not him.  He hates giving directions.

And he would have done just that if he weren’t caught up by the blonde curls that tumble over her shoulders and fire that burns in her eyes.  She’s beautiful and determined and he’s certain that turning her away will get him scorched.

She’s wearing a pair of jeans that hug her lean curves and an oversized t-shirt displaying a grunge band Rowan’s never heard of.  Her eyes hold no room for argument, condescension, or play of any sort.

“Can I help you?” Rowan asks, leaning across the front counter.  

“I need to break something,” the woman replies. 

She doesn’t look at him but examines the shop.  It’s small, smaller than Rowan would like, but they’ve got four stalls for throwing hatchets and knives and two soundproof rooms for customers to use to beat out their frustrations on bottles, computer equipment, and the likes.  

Everything else is decorated with black paint and frames of records, music posters, and few black and white photos of early Terrasen that Rowan had inherited from his da.  It’s simple enough, but that’s what makes the shop what it is.

“Sure,” Rowan says, “bottles, computer equipment?”

“Both,” she says.  She approaches the register and hands over a credit card. “I signed your waiver online.”

Rowan raises a brow, but she doesn’t seem to notice or care about how she may be coming across.  Though, he’s never minded an assertive woman.  So, he accepts the card and looks at the waiver that came through recently.

“Aelin?” he confirms, her name rolling easily from his tongue.  It’s an old name, one he’s only seen in the history books.

“Yeah,” she confirms.  

Rowan can feel her patience waning and it only spurs his interest in what she’s doing here.  He confirms her card information and her license to make sure it's her and is surprised to find that she’s from way up north, nearly an hour away.  He thinks better than to ask her about it so he instructs her on a few extra safety precautions.  They provide their clients with gloves, goggles, and jumpsuits and as long as they wear closed toed shoes, there never has been much of an issue.

“You’re the last person I have on the books today, so take your time,” Rowan said.  May as well, he’d be late cleaning up the rest of the shop anyways.

Aelin accepts all his instructions and heads back to one of the soundproof rooms.  There is a distinct look of rage in her eyes (fitting for any one of his customers that wants to break things).  Rowan quietly shows her where she can pick a box of bottles and a box of electronics as well as how to get her choice of music playing.

He leaves her to her own devices, only partially wondering where all that rage had come from.  The other part returns to Fenrys when the younger kid asks if he can take tomorrow off too.  Rowan wonders if having a staff meeting about work ethic will have any sort of effect when the music starts blaring from the room where he left Aelin.

Even with the soundproofing work they’d done on the rooms, there was still a bit of noise that happened.  Not that it got too bothersome, in fact it could get pretty humorous in learning what people listened to or screamed in their sessions.  It ranged from the usual rock to Adele.  He always found the Adele rage roomers to be the most concerning.  The rooms also had large viewing windows so if a large party came in, they could watch before switching off.

Still, Rowan can’t help but look up and smirk to himself when the opening notes of “Master of Puppets” began beating through the walls.

…

Aelin has never considered herself an angry person.  She’s never had reason to hate anyone with too much of a burning passion or talk negatively about them.  She’s always been a live and let live, a forgive and forget kind of a person.

Until her dad died and she lost her job.  Until her boyfriend left and she had to pick up the pieces of a life that she has come to realize is a bit of a joke she has no idea what to do about it.

To say the least: rage is child's play in comparison with what she’s feeling.

So she throws bottles against the wall and beats a printer until a plume of toner coats her jumpsuit.  And she screams.  

Metallica, AC/DC, Skillet, and artists she doesn’t know continue to beat through the speakers and she continues to scream.

It isn’t until she has a sheen of sweat on her forehead and she’s out of things to break that she pauses.  Her heart thrums in her chest with a mix of exertion and energy.  It’s the most alive she’s felt in months.  The metal bat in her hand clatters to the ground, crashing against the broken glass laying at her feet.

She wants to do more.  She wants to destroy everything she can get her hands on.  But not tonight.

Aelin leaves the bat where it lands and stalks back to the exit of the small room.  Overall, she’s rather pleased with the destruction she weaved.  Certainly, she got her money’s worth with the hour spent and attention she gave the phone.  She’d beaten that thing to a pulp.  All she wanted was to see the guts and innards spilled out.  

At her job—the phone had been the bane of her existence and seeing its destruction was more therapeutic than actual therapy.

Once out of the room, she strips out of the jumpsuit and gloves, settling the goggles and earmuffs in their respective bins.  Sweat still clings to her skin and she can feel bits of hair sticking to her neck.  But it’s a good feeling, the sense of accomplishment that comes after physical labor.  Rolling her shoulders, she glances back at the man who’d checked her in.

When she’d first entered the shop, she’d been so intent on getting into the room and breaking things that she hadn’t really paid him enough attention.  Sure, she’d noticed he was attractive in the rugged, tortured soul sort of way but she hadn’t taken the time to really look at him.  Like she does now.  He’s built like a brick wall, well over six feet tall with broad shoulders and muscles barely restrained in his black t-shirt.  His silver hair is pulled back in a half knot, leaving the rest to fall to his shoulders.  The styling offers a view of his chiseled jaw and sharp nose.  His golden-brown skin gleams in the overhead lights.

He looks up as though sensing her.  Just like when she first came in, he doesn’t smile.

“Finished up?”

“Yes,” she says. “Is there anything else you need from me?”

“No—” he begins, then stop when he glances up at her. “You’re bleeding.”

Aelin freezes, frowning as his words register. “Bleeding?”

She glances down.  Her jeans and t-shirt look fine, the bare skin of her arms normal, just the nearly invisible scars at her wrists, her forearms.

The man moves from around the desk at a quick pace, scowl cutting across his handsome features.  The look in his eyes shocks her enough that Aelin steps back.  Either not noticing or not caring about her reaction, the man continues towards her.  He reaches out a hand and snags her chin before she can pull away.

“What are you doing?” she demands.  Being manhandled was not on her list of things to have happen to her today.  Been there, done that.

“Cut,” the man says succinctly.

Aelin stares up at him, because of course he has to be a giant. “So?”

Later, she will berate herself for such a stupid response.  For now, all she is concerned about is how close he is to her and the scent of pine that wafts off his skin.  He also has a scar along his jaw, small but there.  Which she has no business noticing.

“A piece of glass must have flown back and nicked you,” the man says to her oh so pithy retort.  He raises an eyebrow and forest green eyes bare into her.

It is only then that Aelin feels the sting on her cheek.  Her sweat has finally rolled down into the wound.  She inhales sharply before trying to pull away.  The grip on her chin remains too strong.

“I’ll fix it up myself,” she says. “No big deal.”

She’d signed a waiver about injury anyways.  And if this is just a little cut, she really doesn’t care.  She doubts it will leave much of a mark after it heals anyways.  It’s not like she doesn’t have any other scars.

“I’ve got a kit,” the man replies in a way that tells her no amount of arguing will be tolerated.  It makes her hackles rise and her scowl deepen.  She doesn’t care much to be bossed around like this.

“And I said I’m fine,” Aelin insists.  She manages to pull away from him, her skin still burning for where he’d touched her.  It’s not that he hurt her, rather the way it lingers.  The feel of his skin on hers and the brush of calluses from his fingers.

He jerks his chin toward a stool sitting by the register. “Just sit down.”

“I signed a waiver,” Aelin reminds him.

A glare in return.

Damn he really needs to work on his customer rapport.

“I’m leaving you a mean review on Yelp.”  

“I’m terrified.” A deadpan response.

She thinks briefly about making a break for the door.  Having someone else touching her…being so close…well it makes her a little jumpy and desperate to leave.  But she saw how quickly he crossed the room once he noticed the blood.  Reluctantly, Aelin shuffles to the stool and huffs as she takes a seat.

The man goes around behind the register to grab said first aid kit.  What she is not expecting is a giant canvas duffle to slam onto the desk beside her.  The camo design is scuffed and beat to hell and back, duct tape slapped on in a few places, and faded Sharpie marks.

“It’s a scratch, not a gushing wound,” she says.  Why she bothers, she doesn’t know, her comment is ignored as the man unzips the bag and grabs a pack of gauze, disinfectant, and band-aids.  “Seriously.”

“My shop, my rules,” is his only reply.

Aelin sighs again and crosses her arms in front of her. “Fine.  What’s your name then?  Or can I keep referring to you as Asshole?”

Not even a twitch in his lips. “Rowan.”

Not the name she would have first associated with him, but Aelin’s not the best at naming things.  She named her dog Fleetfoot for crying out loud.  Really, what kind of a name is that?

“Do you even know what you’re doing?” she asks as he takes her chin again to tilt her face up.

“Sure,” he says, far too casually. 

Aelin wonders for a brief moment if she is possibly running the risk of being murdered.  Or maybe some sort of smuggling ring?  Rowan has enough dark surliness roiling around him that really, she won’t be surprised if the worst happens.  

She shifts on the stool.  Well, she does take self-defense classes.  And she knows where to find a metal bat to hit someone with.

“Relax,” Rowan says, as if sensing her discomfort. “I was a paramedic.”

“And now you run a store where people beat the shit out of things,” she says, “interesting.”

Rowan douses the gauze with disinfectant. “This’ll sting.”

That’s all the warning he gives before pressing the gauze to her cheek.  Aelin hisses out a curse, trying her best to sit still.  She can deal with pain.  She knows pain.  And this is hardly more than a mosquito bite.  One deep, slow breath later and she is fine.

“Good job,” Rowan murmurs.  He sets the gauze aside, leaning in to examine the spot on her cheek.  His fingers have gone soft as he gently probes the skin around the injury.

Aelin feels her heartrate ratchet up and she has to fight to keep a blush from rising on her cheeks.  There is no reason for her to be reacting the way she is.  No reason to be focused on the way his fingers are light as air against her skin.  Nor how close he is.  Apparently, assholes can still be attentive to the injured.

“It’s not too deep, but I wouldn’t argue against a stitch or two, though, no use getting a scar.”  

“Just a butterfly band-aid of steri-strip is fine,” Aelin tells him.  “No use going to the hospital for this.”

She’s had enough hospital visits to last a life-time.

Rowan fixes her with another frown and Aelin drops her gaze from his.  She doesn’t owe him an explanation, no matter if he is helping her.

“It doesn’t even hurt that much,” she adds. 

Her mutters under his breath and the only thing Aelin is somewhat sure he said is “damn woman.”  She can at least pride herself that she’s giving him a hard time.

“What’d you even do in there?” he asks, surprising her.  She really thought he was only capable of giving one or two syllable responses.  “Haven’t had an injury in six months.”

“Six months?” she frowns. “That’s how long you’ve been open.”

“Yeah, well opening night a bachelor party reserved the whole place with a bunch of idiots that didn’t know how to listen,” Rowan says.  He shakes his head and grabs a small tube of ointment for his bag-o-tricks. “And then they were drinking and we don’t have a test for that.”

Aelin read something like that in their waiver, something along the lines of an honor policy mixed with they didn’t have that proper authority to ban, even on suspicion of drinking.  Which seemed like a stupid rule, but she wouldn’t bring that up.

“The groom didn’t release his ax properly,” Rowan continues, “his wedding night could have been a disaster.”

Aelin lets out a startled chuckle.  Rowan too finally releases a smile of his own.  Though, when she blinks, it disappears.

“We’ve been a bit more careful about how we take reservations,” he says.  As he dabs some of the ointment onto her cheek, they fall into silence. “This’ll help with infection and keep it clean.  But you should go—”

“No.”  Aelin reaches for the bandage he set out; the butterfly strip doesn’t require too much thinking. “This is plenty.”

Rowan plucks the bandage from her fingers. “Stubborn.  That why you had to smash things to pieces?  Work out some anger?”

She doesn’t feel the need to reply to that, so she only adjusts her face up for him to apply the adhesive.  He may not have smiled again, but his eyes do have a bit of a gleam in them.

“I’m not the one who opened the shop, seems to me you’ve got more anger bottled up than me,” she says.  Granted…it sure feels like she has enough anger boiling up within her to fuel the sun.  Everyday.

Rowan flattens the bandage with his thumb.  His dark gaze sweeps over her face one final time before he steps back to start collecting the trash and other discarded items.

“All good,” he says. “But—”

“Good-bye, Rowan,” Aelin interrupts as she rises from the stool.  There is still a flood of endorphins running through her body over not just the rage room, but what came after.  And that’s what spurs her on.

“Do I need to prepare for a negative review?” Rowan asks.

She is already at the door, ready to burst out into the early evening warmth.  Aelin glances over her shoulder and offers a delicate shrug.

“We’ll see.”

[acourtofquestions]

Literally. LOL. Accurate.

Aelin and Rowan when they first met

[goddess-aelin]

Feels Like Home

For @backtobl4ck for the Rowaelin Yulemas celebration/ Secret Santa. For the second year in a row, I once again had the pleasure to write something for Maria! I was so excited when I found out I had you because we both loveeeee fluff and friends to lovers. So I hope you love this little gift and have a very happy Yulemas :) @rowaelinscourt

Masterlist

Word Count: 4k

Warnings: none!

Her hands were everywhere. Her lips touched his softly as she breathily moaned at his ministrations between her thighs. Silky blonde locks brushed his face as he made his way down the side of her neck. He never tasted anything so sweet, so right. “Rowan. Rowan. Rowan.” Her voice got louder and louder as he laid her back on the cushions of his couch, muscles straining to reign in all the things he wanted to do to her. He had to do this right. Move slowly. This thing between them was as precious as the sun’s warmth. “Rowan. Ro.” Her voice changed cadence, suddenly closer and louder. “Ro!” 

A stinging sensation against his cheek woke him. Like lighting, he shot up, catching the arm of the person who slapped him. Once he registered where he was and what was happening, the first thing he noticed were the depthless blue and gold eyes of his best friend. His best friend. Aelin. Who he was in the middle of having a sex dream about.

Rowan could feel his face flush as he became more aware of his surroundings. He silently thanked the Gods that he chose to cover himself with a blanket for this particular nap. Otherwise, it would’ve been painfully obvious just exactly what he had been dreaming about. 

“Must’ve been some dream, huh? Since you didn’t wake up the first twenty times I called your name.” Aelin raised an eyebrow. “Sorry for the slap, though. I just didn’t know how else to wake you up.” Aelin gave him a devious smile. 

Rowan rubbed at the still stinging area on his left cheek. The good thing was that the slap hid any blush that might’ve remained on his face. “Sure you are, Fireheart.” She pouted slightly, giving him her best “but I’m innocent” look. “Wait, how did you even get in here?”

“You gave me a key, remember?”

“Yeah, for emergencies. Not to barge into my house at…” He checked his phone. “4:35pm on a Thursday afternoon.”

“This is an emergency, Ro.” 

He raised an eyebrow and silently commanded, explain.

“Well ok…you see, I have this cousin. His name is Galan. Well he’s sort of my cousin but he’s also not. Not in the sense that Aedion is my cousin. But he’s still sort of close family, ya know? And I got the invite a few weeks back and I hoped that I could find a date but I haven’t yet and I just really think that maybe it would be a fun time and there’s going to be good food-”

“Hold on. What the fuck are you talking about?” Rowan couldn’t keep the humor and huff of laughter out of his voice. Aelin tended to ramble when she was nervous. So obviously this was something she was nervous about. He gently took her hand. “Start again and take a deep breath this time.”

For once, she listened to him. After inhaling and exhaling deeply, she tried again. “My cousin, Galan. He’s getting married and I have a plus one. I can’t go alone because my mother will have a fit and that will make her and my aunts scheme like hell to set me up with one of the groomsmen. But I 100% do not want that. I know Galan’s friends and they’re all dumbasses. I love my cousin, but his groomsmen all make really stupid, idiotic decisions. So no, thank you. So I guess my question is, will you go with me? As my plus one?” 

Rowan took a moment to process the information. What are the odds that he would have a sex dream about his best friend right before she asked him to be her plus one to a wedding? He was treading dangerous territory and he wasn’t sure what to make of it.

He must’ve taken too long to answer because Aelin hastily said, “As friends, of course. And you’d get free food, booze, and a night of dancing. You get to dress up, which I know you hate but it’ll be fun! Plus, you’ll get to have the most beautiful, amazing, graceful date on your arm.” 

That shocked him out of his stupor. Rowan let out a cackle. “Modest, aren’t you?” 

“Modesty is my middle name.” 

Rowan hummed in mock agreement. “Yeah, I’ll go with you. It’ll be fun. A night away, drinking, eating great food, and getting to watch the bridal party get increasingly drunk as the night goes on? I’m in.” 

Aelin beamed but quickly bit her lip. He knew her too well to know that it wasn’t just a nervous tick. There was something else. Rowan narrowed his eyes.

“It’s also like five hours away in Varese so we need to rent a hotel for the night.” She looked apprehensive, as if this new information was going to make him change his mind and say no. 

“O..kay? We’ve been on vacations together before, Fireheart. What’s different this time?” 

She blew out a breath. “I don’t know. I just know you don’t like being the center of attention and I know that my mom and my aunts are going to be all over you like vultures. So I just want to make sure you know what you’re getting into before saying yes.”

Rowan shrugged. “How bad can it be?”

- - - - -

Bad. The answer to his question from a few weeks ago was just that: it could be bad.  The date of the wedding crept up steadily, he and Aelin hammering out the details of their stay in Varese. Aelin, of course, insisted on coordinating colors for their outfits, which is how he found himself standing at the base of the stairs in the grand ballroom attached to their hotel in a black tux and emerald green bowtie, talking with Aedion while waiting for the two ladies to make their grand entrance. Aelin insisted on the emerald green to match his eyes. He really didn’t care either way, he just hoped he was able to reign in his budding feelings when he saw Aelin in what just so happened to be his favorite color. And that if he somehow did accidentally let some of his feelings show, that it wouldn’t make it awkward for when they got back to their hotel room.

Oh right, that. The other predicament he was in. 

Once he and Aelin arrived at the hotel that morning, they were surprised to find that not only did their room only have one bed, it also had one of the most romantic views of Varese, overlooking the river that flowed through the center of the city and its beautiful architecture. Aelin was quick to insist that she had nothing to do with this and that she ordered a double room. At the time, the wedding was only a few hours away and Aelin shoved him out of their room towards Aedion and Lysandra’s across the hall, stating that she needed to get ready and she couldn’t have his broody self in the room while she was doing so. So he and Lysandra had switched places, Aelin assuring him that they’d remedy the bed situation later. 

He and Aedion took a whopping total of ten minutes to get ready in comparison to Aelin and Lysandra’s two hours. Rowan’s foot started tapping of its own accord as the time ticked closer to the ceremony. If Aelin didn’t hurry her ass up- albeit her very, very nice ass- they were going to be late. 

He was cut off from his thoughts by the two sets of clacking heels on the marbled floor coming from the top of the stairs. It took one look at the thigh slit of Aelin’s dress for his mouth to dry up. Another glance at the way it hugged her hips for his body to go wholly still. And one final glance to her beautiful, glowing face for him to black out completely. 

He must’ve actually blacked out since, in what felt like a single moment, Aelin was standing right in front of him. Her emerald green dress matched his bowtie perfectly, of course, the gold accent of her minimal jewelry complimenting her eyes. She didn’t need baubles and gems to make her sparkle. She, just as she was now, was an ethereal being, glowing from an internal, unseen star. 

Rowan tried so hard; so, so, incredibly hard to will his mind to say something, anything. And yet, words escaped him. How could he ever put into words how beautiful she was, how much she meant to him? As saliva started making its way into the dry desert that was his mouth, all he could manage was a “Holy shit.”

Aelin’s laugh was like twinkling bells in his ear. “Back at ya, Buzzard. You look…very handsome.”

Was it just his imagination or did she sound…breathless? He couldn’t help but become aware of every place her eyes drifted to, like they were emitting invisible fire and burning him everywhere. His hand subconsciously came up to rub at the back of his hair, trying to smooth out anything that was out of place. “You’re being sarcastic, aren’t you?” He managed a small smirk. Or, he hoped he did.

Aelin’s eyes continued their unhurried perusal, mouth parting slightly and hand coming up to grab his own to stop him from messing up his hair even more. “No,” she breathed, “For once in my life, I’m not. I Promise.” Rowan could see her swallow hard.

Rowan had to take a deep gulp of air, otherwise he was sure he was going to pass out. Somewhere, deep inside of him, some air of confidence kicked in and gracefully allowed him to offer his arm for Aelin to take. Gently, she placed her hand in the crook of his elbow, both of them silently making their way to the doors where the ceremony would be held. As they neared the room, Rowan purposefully slowed them down, falling behind Aedion and Lysandra. “Fireheart,” he whispered. “You look…you look stunning. It’s what I wanted to say earlier but I couldn’t find the words.”

Rowan could have sworn a blush overtook her face. But she beamed up at him, giving him a sweet, shy smile. 

“Thank you.” He could feel more than see her sharp intake of breath. A breath to recenter and refocus. “Well, shall we, Buzzard?” Rowan nodded and steered them once again to the doors.  

An hour later, the ceremony was over and Rowan’s stomach was rumbling. Loudly. Seated next to Aelin, he knew she could hear it and she continued to sneak glances and little smirks at him. The hunger he could deal with. The sly glances from Aelin? Not so much. She had been driving him insane since she floated down those stairs and it was slowly but surely causing him to lose his cool. That would be if he ever had it in the first place.

And as the night went on, the torture only continued. Throughout dinner, her arm would brush his as she turned to talk to Lysandra next to her, her leg would tap against his own when she told a joke, and she would find any excuse to touch him as often as she could. In normal circumstances, he wouldn’t mind. But they were here as friends. And these touches were making him want much, much more than that. 

The only time he felt like he could breathe was when Aelin got up to dance with Lysandra to an upbeat pop song, leaving Rowan and Aedion sitting alone at their table to chat. Rowan had a few drinks already but he was nowhere near drunk. A nice buzz was flowing through him but he was still very much so in control of his actions.

At least, that’s what he thought until Aedion cleared his throat. Rowan broke his stare from Aelin’s sensuous dancing. Did she even know what she looked like to him? How much she was torturing him just by being herself? He wasn’t sure if she was aware. But Aedion sure as hell was. 

The blonde man gave him a knowing look and raised an eyebrow. Rowan just rolled his eyes and allowed his gaze to maneuver back to Aelin. He caught the moment when she threw her head back and laughed, the sound making his bones feel like they were both on fire and also a pile of mush. It was a feeling that he was unaccustomed to, having only felt anything of the sort with his high school girlfriend. But if that feeling was a good one, this one made him feel like he was flying. Made him feel a need so deep that he wasn’t sure he would ever recover. He needed every inch of her. Not only her body, but her soul, her smiles, her laughter, her tears. He wanted everything.

“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath. 

Beside him, Aedion chuckled. “You’re only now just realizing it?”

Rowan could do nothing but stare at the table, knowing that if he looked at Aedion, his secretly harbored feelings would be completely out in the open for the other man to see. And if he looked up at Aelin, the same outcome. So yeah, he was fucked. 

“I know you’re having a complete crisis over being in love with her but I’m glad you finally figured it out. Took you long enough.” 

That made Rowan look toward the man sitting next to him, brows furrowed. 

“Yeah, we’ve all known this for ages. I feel like it was obvious to anyone with eyes, to be completely honest. Some of us even have a bet on how long it’ll take for you two to finally admit that you’re in love with each other.” 

  Rowan made to open his mouth with a denial but Aedion held up a hand. “Nope, dude. Save the bullshit. I know just by looking at you that you’re so far gone for her, it’s unreal. And I know that Aelin has never been as happy as when she’s with you. She never laughed this freely until she met you.” Aedion let out a small huff of breath. “You have my blessing.” 

Rowan just repeated his earlier statement. “Fuck.” 

Their conversation was interrupted by a breathless Aelin sitting in the seat to Aedion’s right, where she promptly picked up the half-full glass of wine and chugged it. 

“So what are you boys gossiping about over here that has poor Whitethorn all red in the face?”

Internally, Rowan was panicking. Aedion opened his mouth to say something that Rowan was sure to be snarky but before he could, Rowan blurted out, “birds!” 

The corners of Aelin’s mouth quirked up slightly. “Birds…?” Rowan could tell that she didn’t fully believe him but luckily, Aelin was already half drunk. He hoped she would just let it go. 

The first mistake Rowan made was making eye contact with her. She always had an uncanny ability to read him like an open book, despite most people not understanding him. As she narrowed her eyes, the part of their souls that has always been intertwined translated for him, as if to say, I don’t believe you and think you’re full of shit, Buzzard.

So Rowan sent his own thoughts back, I don’t know what you’re talking about, Fireheart. 

The second mistake was continuing to hold her gaze. Not because he gave anything away to her but rather because it prompted the man sitting in between them to throw his hands in the air and exclaim, “Oh no. Oh helllll no. This isn’t happening right in front of me.” Aedion quickly shoved his chair away from the table and got up to leave. Before walking away completely, he turned around and pointed right at the two of them. “I’m tired of this bullshit. You guys need to get it together and just fucking make out already. Gods.” And with his piece said, Aedion stalked away, directly to the bar where he knocked back a shot immediately. 

Rowan turned back to Aelin, whose eyes were wide and brows furrowed. 

“Umm, what just happened?”

The only thing Rowan could do was shrug. He sure as hell wasn’t going to lie to her but he wasn’t sure that he could outright confess his feelings, either. He was saved from deciding by the transition to a slower song, one he knew Aelin liked. As he looked back over at her, her eyes had drifted closed and her shoulders were swaying slightly, moving along to the lilting melody of the song. 

Rowan shoved his chair away from the table, extending his hand toward her. Blue eyes met his own and held his gaze with an intensity that could’ve set him on fire. “Dance with me, Fireheart.”

Aelin managed a small smile and took his hand, following him to the dance floor where Lysandra and Aedion and her parents were already coupled up and swaying back and forth. He gently guided her hand to rest at his shoulder, laying his own on her waist, and cradling her other to his chest. 

Looking down at her, he felt like he could do this forever. Her bright teal eyes were hazed with alcohol and something else, as if she felt content, safe. Slowly, she tilted her head so it rested on his chest. Of their own accord, Rowan’s lips gently placed a kiss to her hair, inhaling her sweet lemon verbena and lavender scent. Aelin always smelled so good. So…comforting. Like home.

Through the haze of their otherworldly bubble, Aelin murmured something. 

“Hmm?” he asked.

Pulling her head back, she answered him, “I said ‘are you going to tell me what that was back there at the table? With Aedion?”

He tensed, Aelin tensing along with him. “It was nothing, Aelin.”

She raised an eyebrow in protest. He knew she was disappointed. She could tell he was lying through his teeth. “It obviously wasn’t nothing. Just tell me. Did my mom say something? She and my aunts have been watching us all night like hawks.”

“Really, Fireheart...I…It’s nothing. Everything’s good.” He gave her a tight smile, hoping she would let it go and they could go back into their bubble. But, of course, this was Aelin. She tensed even further, pulling her hand off of his shoulder and making to pull away from him completely. But before she could walk away from him, he grabbed her hand and as gently as he could, pulled her back toward him. She was caught off guard, Rowan could easily tell that much. 

He slowly began to sway them back and forth again. Not caring about the eyes on them, he murmured “I’m not good at this.”

Aelin’s brows furrowed together. “At what?”

Rowan’s shoulders shrugged up and down of their own accord. “This. Talking about…about my feelings.”

Aelin’s head tilted in that way of hers that told him she was thinking. “And what about your feelings are you having a hard time with?”

“I’m not having a hard time with my feelings, I just…I can’t–” Rowan sighed. “For fuck’s sake.” It was at that moment, when Aelin was looking up at him with her eyes that could see everything, her beautiful mind that could work out any problem, that he grabbed her face. “Aelin–I love you. I’m in love with you.” Rowan felt as if his heart was going to beat out of his chest, his breathing so ragged as he waited in anticipation for what she would say back. But the answer didn’t come after a few seconds. And then it didn’t come after a few more. Aelin just stood there, wide-eyed and mouth opening and closing as if she couldn’t find the words, either. And bit-by-bit, Rowan was beginning to give up hope. 

   Slowly, he loosened his grip on her face, meaning to step back and give her space. But before he could pull away completely, Aelin threw her arms around his neck, dragging his head down forcefully and attaching her lips to his own. If he was being honest, it was probably the least romantic kiss he’d ever experienced but it didn’t matter one bit because it was Aelin. 

The kiss was over before it started and Aelin pulled back slightly. Just enough to murmur, “I love you, too, Buzzard.” 

He couldn’t help the smile that overtook his face. Properly this time, he held her face between his hands and brought her mouth back to his. This kiss was entirely different from the first. Gone was the urgency and desperation and in its place was genuine love and devotion. Would he ever get enough of this? He could’ve died in her kiss a happy man right at that moment. But he hoped that he would get many more chances to experience Aelin in all her glory.

Cheers and clapping broke them out of their reverie, startling them both back into reality. Rowan assumed it was cheering for Galan and his wife but as Rowan’s gaze roamed over the crowd, they all seemed to be watching…him. Aelin’s mother was at the head of her sisters, all five of the Ashryver sisters looking toward him and Aelin. All with smirks on their face. He could’ve sworn he heard a few swoony sighs as he and Aelin made their way back to their seats, faces aflame. 

Once seated, Aelin leaned in close, putting her hand dangerously high on his thigh. “Well, I’d say it’s not such a bad thing that our room only has one bed, wouldn’t you Buzzard?” 

Rowan narrowed his eyes. “Did you plan this, Fireheart?” 

Aelin shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. Who could ever know.” Rowan pinched her side, making her giggle. “I will say, though, that my wheels might have started turning the moment I walked in on you having a nice little smutty dream about me.”

Rowan gaped. “Wh-what?!”

Aelin shot him an answering smirk. “Oh yeah, did you think I didn’t know? You were literally moaning my name in your sleep. How else was I supposed to take that? Unless there’s another Aelin in your life, which, if that’s the case, excuse me, I’ll let you two be alone.” She feigned getting up from the table but he pulled her right back down, bringing her face close to his. 

“And so what if I was, Fireheart?” He murmured in her ear. He both saw and felt the shiver that made its way down her body. 

“Then, Buzzard, I’d say its a very good thing that our room has a king bed.” While his blood heated at her promise, he couldn’t help but think that this was the start of something amazing. Something that felt like home.

Tagging:

@cretaceous-therapod @morganofthewildfire @tomtenadia @live-the-fangirl-life @charlizeed @violet-mermaid7 @euphoric-melancholyy @kritical24 @rubyriveraqueen @dealfea @wellofnothing @ayaashryver @moonknight-spector @leiawritesstories @whoever-you-choose-to-love @holdthefrickup @heirofflowers @thecrispypotatochip @shanias-world @rowanaelinn @bruiseonthefaceofhumanity @hanging-from-a-cliff @fantacysoup @swankii-art-teacher @thegreyj @fromthelibraryofemilyj @westofmoon @lovely-dove-zee @books4eva04 @cookiemonsterwholovesbooks @backtobl4ck @dreamer-133 @elentiyawhitethorn @writtenonreceipts @shyvioletcat @aelinchocolatelover @captain-of-the-gwynriel-ship @athena127 @tothestarsandwhateverend @highqueenofelfhame

[highqueenofelfhame]

rowaelin // 5.5k words // ciwyw masterlist // masterlist

AN: If your at starts with @secondstartorightand can you please comment on this so i can fix your tag? it somehow got cut off in the creation of my tag list and i can't find your blog lolol. ALSO, i'm sorry i update in the middle of the night. i'm nocturnal i'm sorry.

The car was barely put into park before she was throwing herself out of the driver’s seat and sprinting around the front. Aelin launched herself at her cousin, happy tears sparkling on her cheeks while joyous giggles flowed out of her. Aedion didn’t budge an inch when he caught her. His arms wrapped tightly around her middle and he squeezed so hard she thought her lungs might collapse altogether, but it didn’t matter. 

“What the fuck? I thought I was picking up Lysandra!” She cried, scowling over her shoulder at the police officer shouting at her. 

“You can’t park here.”

“I’m not parked, I’m picking up,” she argued, wiping her cheeks with the backs of her hands. Aedion’s hands came down on her shoulders, lightly pushing her toward the other side of the car so they wouldn’t wind up with a ticket thanks to her smart mouth. It wouldn’t have been the first time. 

Once they were back in the car, seatbelts on and pulling out of the maze that was the Varese airport, Aelin said, “What are you doing here?”

“Lys said you needed me. She booked my flight instead of hers. I’ll go home when she gets here next week.” Love and appreciation swelled inside her for her best friend. Of course it would have been amazing to have Lysandra here early, but the relationship she had with Aedion… the two were on a different wavelength. Save for finding out about the pregnancy, the first call she had always made upon getting big news was always him. The only reason he hadn’t been her first call when she took the pregnancy tests was because if they were positive, it felt too important to tell him over a phone call. They needed to be face to face. 

“I do. I do need you,” she confessed, reaching over to squeeze his hand. Telling him about the baby settled over her body like a heavy weight. It wasn’t that she was dreading it, but she was nervous about how he might react. It could go in a million different ways, starting with Aedion hunting down Rowan Whitethorn and beating him senseless for knocking up his little sister.

“What’s going on, bub?” Out of the corner of her eye she saw him shift so he was facing her more, eyes zeroing in on her face, scanning her body. Making sure she was okay. Strings plucked at her heart like a guitar and she had to swallow the crescendo of emotions that wanted to burst out. 

“I’d rather wait until we get home to get into it. But, Gods, I am so happy you’re here.”

“It’s not like, a major illness is it?” The humor was gone from his face, replaced by stern determination to fight whatever it was that plagued her. 

Aelin smiled. “No. I’m okay. I’m… mostly good. There’s just so much to catch up on. Apparently a lot can happen when we’re apart for three months.” 

Aedion snorted in response as he ruffled his fingers through his hair. “I’ll accept that until we’re home. After that, all bets are off and you better start talking.” 

Aelin swore she would, patting his knee to placate him.

The drive back to her apartment was short and quick. Even though she lived in the historic part of downtown, Aelin had quickly discovered that she was no more than twenty minutes away from everything she would need. The airport was the furthest, but all the stores, restaurants, and nightlife a girl could want were in that radius. Not that she was in the market to have a nightlife anymore. These days she found herself tucked into bed by ten or earlier. 

After the hike up the stairs to get to her door, the exhaustion from the last forty-eight hours was starting to creep into her muscles, her bones. All of her limbs were made of lead. After she broke the news and they settled in a little bit, she would reward herself with a nap. Aedion wouldn’t complain about it either after she told him about the baby. In fact, he would probably insist on it. 

Aelin gave him a quick tour of the two bedroom apartment, showing him the room he would be staying in for the week. They would have to share the one bathroom, but they had shared many spaces over the last decade. It wasn’t anything new. 

“Just don’t leave your hair stuck on the shower wall,” was his only request, as if he wasn’t guilty of the same crime. Long and thick hair that had a tendency to shed was hard to wash off when it adhered to her skin while wet. 

Evidently,  the girls had been a little too tight-lipped. The only thing Lysandra had told him was that he was needed, and Aelin hadn’t given him much to go on. By the time they settled onto the couch, the man looked like he was ready to crawl out of his skin.  His hands were constantly flexing into tight fists that relaxed into flattened palms with drumming fingers, then back again. The foot that was on the floor was bouncing so hard it was shaking the couch and threatening to send Aelin into a bout of motion sickness from hell. She put her hand on his leg to make him stop, brows raised pointedly until he obeyed.

“Can you please tell me what the fuck is going on?” Every word was wrapped in distress, the waiting game spiraling him into madness. A million and one scenarios had probably been flying through his mind from the time he found out he was coming to Wendlyn. There was one thing she needed to say first, though. He could wait a few more seconds.

“I want you to know that the only reason you weren’t the first person I told is because you were the one person I needed to tell face to face. Well. There were two of you, but I’ll get to that.”

“Aelin,” he whined, leaning forward and taking her hands in his. When he noticed the tremor in them, his entire demeanor changed. Gone was the impatience, replaced by his protective nature. 

Aelin’s eyes were snagged on their hands. Her’s looked so small between Aedion’s, and she wondered how tiny the baby’s would look when he held it for the first time. The thought of him holding something so tiny and pure had her eyes brimming with tears all over again.

“Hey,” he said softly, drawing her eyes back to his face with a knuckle beneath her chin. “Whatever it is, it’s okay. We’ll deal with it.”

Aelin laughed a little because it would be okay. Not just her and the baby, but Rowan, too. All of them would be fine. The road through the woods was just a little scary, is all. 

“Okay,” she nodded again, using her shoulder to catch a tear that escaped. Ripping the band-aid off was the easiest route. Dancing around it would only drive them both crazy, and they were each antsy in their own way already. On the exhale of a deep, steadying breath she said,  “Aedion, I’m pregnant.”

“Bullshit,” he blurted, jerking back from her. His hands never left hers, if anything his grip tightened. But he was leaning so far away that his back hit the plush armrest of the sofa. Aelin tugged until he was sitting up straight again, mouth parted in a wide ‘O.’ With shaking fingers, she reached over and pushed up on his jaw until his lips were closed.

“You’re going to drool on my pretty couch.” Though she tried to sound serious, there was no bite to her words. In fact, it was getting hard to keep her face neutral. 

“You’re– you’re fucking serious?” With eyes wider than the moon he took her in, pulling their arms out to look directly at her stomach. 

“You aren’t going to see anything, it’s still stupid early. And I’ve been so sick I’m probably losing weight, but… yes. You’re going to be an uncle.” 

The tears he had been trying to hold back broke free of their invisible cage, sliding down his face as he pulled her to him. One of his hands cradled the back of her head as his lips pressed soft kisses to her hair over and over again. Aelin’s arms snaked tightly around his waist, her face burrowing into his shoulder. 

Aelin tried not to think about it, but until she met Rowan, nothing ever made her feel more safe than being with Aedion. They grew up so close that half the time they referred to each other as their siblings. Both of them were only children and had been each other’s best friends since the day she was born. According to their parents, the first time three-year-old Aedion held Aelin when she was merely a few hours old, he made her promise after promise to always be there for her, to protect her. 

When her dad taught her to ride a bike at age four, Aedion had been there, too. When the training wheels came off, he ran alongside her with one hand on the middle of the handlebars for a little extra insurance. And when she had toppled over a bump in the concrete and skinned her knee, Aedion had picked her up and carried her back to the house while promising she was going to be okay. 

At age nine when she was tall enough to ride her first big roller coaster, he was the one that rode with her. The entire time he kept her hand tightly in his, reassuring her that it was going to be so much fun, that she would feel like she was flying, and if she was scared she didn’t have to let go of his hand. They spent the rest of the day running ahead of their parents to get in line for everything she was tall enough to ride and if it only sat two at a time, he sat with her and their parents fell in line behind them.

When she was sixteen and experienced her first heartbreak, he drove home from college that weekend. They laid in her bed until she had it all cried out, Aedion making violent promises to break all of the boy’s bones if he ever so much as breathed in her direction ever again. There was a steady supply of chocolate truffles and popcorn while they watched every silly rom-com she wanted. When he left to go back to school, he’d promised her she was going to be okay. 

At age twenty-two, when he found out the depth of her college sweetheart’s mental and emotional abuse, Aedion managed to keep his emotions under a careful lock and key when she showed up on his doorstep with nowhere to go. As she grieved over the loss of herself and the relationship, he was a steadying presence that refused to let her tumble into darkness on her own. On the bad days, he was there to make it better. Nearly every day for several months he promised she was going to be okay. 

It took some time, but she was okay. Even on the days she felt like she might completely crumble, his pinky promises when they were children held true. Aelin was going to be okay. It didn’t matter what happened, what life threw at her, she was going to be just fine. 

Aelin tried not to think about Rowan, how the safety of his arms had felt impenetrable the way that Aedion’s did. Not even her father had made her feel quite as protected as Aedion had. It wasn’t to say that he wasn’t a good father– Rhoe was the best father a girl could ever dream of having. There was just something different about the connection she had with Aedion. Now it was extended to Rowan, and she didn’t know what that meant. 

When they finally pulled away with red faces and puffy eyes, Aedion was smiling so widely it was making her cheeks hurt because she wore a grin to match. His thumbs brushed her tears away, both of them exhaling so shakily it resulted in laughter. 

“This is good?”

“It’s good. It’s… scary as all hell, but I think it’s good. It still doesn’t feel real. I haven’t had any scans yet, just a blood test because I was so sick. Lys made me go to the hospital for fluids when I couldn’t keep anything down. Then there’s the two dozen pregnancy tests under the bathroom sink. The throwing up has been the worst, though. Which shouldn’t even be called morning sickness, by the way. This shit hits me at all hours of the day without being provoked.” Aelin hadn’t thrown up since the day before, but she wasn’t going to jinx it by saying so out loud. It had a mind of its own and a vengeance against her. 

The depth of how badly she wanted to tell him hit her then.  The way the words just poured out of her lips in a steady stream made it so glaringly obvious that this was exactly what she needed. She wasn’t sure she could have gone much longer with a secret so hefty.

The muscles at his jaw rippled beneath his skin from the force of his clenching. Even the grip he had on her hands tightened further, almost to the point of hurting while he made peace with himself that he couldn’t protect her from being sick because of the baby. Something flickered through his eyes and it made her sigh as she said, “Go ahead and ask.”

“Who is the father.” The short, clipped tone had her fighting off another smile as he added, “And what is his degree of involvement, because if he isn’t–”

“Relax, bub. We had a moment after I told him where things were… rough to say the least. Yes, he upset me. No, he didn’t mean to.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.” His lips were bracketed with tension.

“You know that soccer player from Doranelle, Rowan Whitethorn?” She tried to make it sound nonchalant and dismissive. Partially because he wasn’t really soccer’s most famous athlete when they were together. He was just Rowan.

“What the hell does a living soccer god have to do with this?” The genuine confusion cloistered amongst his features made her bite her lip to keep from smiling. Gods, it was so good to have him back. 

“I’m going to let you sit on that and connect the dots while I get some water.” Aelin patted his knee as she rose and walked to the kitchen. She was halfway there when he gasped.

“No fucking way!” 

“Yes fucking way. That’s how it happened actually,” she called, swiping a bottle from the fridge and returning to the couch. His face was torn between pure excitement and disbelief. For the thousandth time in the last hour or so, she laughed. 

“Rowan Whitethorn is one of the best soccer players to ever live, Aelin. I know you don’t care about it but he’s– I had posters of him on my dorm walls in college. I met him before the game I played against Doranelle and told him that he’s my hero, and– wait.” The excitement dropped from his face, eyes narrowing slightly. “What the fuck did he say that upset you?”

Aelin sunk back against the cushions with a heavy sigh, taking a long drink before getting into that mess. Her brother’s gaze didn’t once waver from her face, looking for any indication that he needed to get in her car and go kick somebody’s ass. It was sweet. Funny as hell, but sweet. Part of her would pay to see that fight, though. It could go either way depending on who wanted the win more.

“I found out yesterday that he had a situation a while back where someone he was sleeping with got pregnant and tried to milk him for all he was worth. And then told him she miscarried, and he found out weeks later that she lost the baby well before she even told him about it.  It’s even more convoluted than it sounds, but when I first told him he asked if I was doing it for money. Whether he meant if I’d gotten knocked up or was lying about it, I still don’t know. He knew the truth when I told him, but went into self-defense mode. Anyway, I–”

“Why the fuck would you be doing it for money?” 

“Well… He didn’t know who I was. Obviously I did it on purpose the first few times we hung out, but after that it just got to a point where it didn’t come up? So he didn’t know. But don’t worry, I plan on giving him shit about it for the rest of my natural life. Once I die, I’ll give him the occasional spook, too.”

“This isn’t funny, Aelin,” Aedion said flatly, lips pressed so tightly together they had disappeared. 

“It isn’t,” she agreed. “But I’m pretty sure he’s willing to grovel for my forgiveness until we both die. Don’t worry, I’m going to make him work for it.” 

“That’s my girl,” he grinned, bumping their knees together. 

“I didn’t even know who he was until after he accused me, and–” Aelin was cut off by an abrupt cackle that startled her so badly she splashed water on herself. She scowled at Aedion, smacking him in the shoulder.

“What the fuck do you mean you didn’t know who he was?!” Incredulity dripped from every letter and matched his expression perfectly. Aedion was gaping like a fish. “He’s the most famous soccer player– no,  forget soccer. The man is probably the most famous living athlete right now, period.”

“He told me he was a high school soccer coach! I didn’t think we were both lying about who we were!” She cried. Aedion’s whole body shook as he laughed at her. Even as she hit him again, she was fighting off laughter of her own.

“How did you find out the truth?”

“Lys wanted to know what he looked like. So she just googled a few key words hoping for a news article about his team or something. Lo and behold, it was him in his stupid blue jersey looking fine as hell even while drenched in sweat.” Aelin chuckled, shaking her head. “I’m sure mom, dad, and grandpa will all be thrilled I’ve made my way back into the soccer world.”

“If your baby isn’t a soccer prodigy by the time they can walk, Rowan should request a paternity test.” Aelin punched his bicep as hard as she could. Aedion howled with laughter  as he rubbed at the hurt. She was hoping to leave a nasty bruise. 

“He’s the only guy I’ve been with in…” Aelin puffed out her cheeks, eyes narrowing as she stared out the window to backtrack on her love life. When she came up empty handed on a time frame her lips morphed into a frown. “That’s so embarrassing I’m not even going to go down that rabbit hole.”

“Have you talked to him about Sam?” All of the joy from the morning was blown to tiny pieces. The blood in her veins thickened, turning into ice and making her shiver. 

“I’m going to need a nap if we’re going to talk about that,” she declared, rising to her feet and heading toward her bedroom. 

“We’re talking about this later,” he shouted after her, and she merely waved him off with the flick of her wrist. For that discussion, she needed to be fully rested with a full belly of chocolate hazelnut cake. 

Just before she rolled over to go to sleep, Aelin checked her phone. A text was immediately fired off to Lysandra reading BITCH! I’m too hormonal for a surprise like this!!! Which was quickly followed up with I love you. Thank you. 

Before allowing herself to drift into the waiting arms of unconscious bliss, she opened her message thread with Rowan.  A text had come through an hour ago, likely just after he woke up. The idea that he texted her to start off his day did things to her that she wasn’t willing to face. 

>> Just checking in. You didn’t let me know you got home safe last night. 

It was hard to ignore her emotions when he did shit like that. They hadn’t parted on the most outstanding terms. She could have forgiven him and they could have gone back to how things were. Instead she told him she needed space, told him not to touch her in that way because it had sparked things that she wanted to ignore for now. There was so much to process and there was no room for error.

It was such a casual intimacy, him brushing her hair out of her face. In another world where he hadn’t stomped on her trust like a twig, he would have been kissed for it. Everything about the way he just looked at her, for gods sake, sent sparks exploding through her. Aelin knew she couldn’t let her emotions lead her on this. It had backfired before, and she couldn’t let it happen again. Like she had told Lysandra, she just needed to be sure about him. 

Still, she felt a little guilty for not telling him she made it home okay. 

<< Hi, sorry. Safe and sound, don’t worry. Had an early morning and now I’m going back to sleep for a bit. I’ll let you know if I start dying. 

<< That was a joke. I’m entirely fine. Please don’t speed down here like a bat out of hell. 

Her thumbs hovered anxiously over the screen, the blinking cursor mocking her. It was weird how quickly things had gone from amazing to awkward between them. Making jokes seemed weird when they still had things to work through and talk about. 

Worse than the awkward tension that had settled over them like a fresh winter’s snow, she wanted to tell him that Aedion was in town. That she wanted them to officially meet. Not as two athletes, but just as people. Maybe crowded around a table at the Neon Moon, the two of them spouting off soccer stats and reliving match highlights from World Cup games. 

That scared her. It made her stomach turn and her ribs constrict until it hurt. It filled her muscles with sand and made it hard to move. Aelin didn’t want to think about what that meant, so she didn’t tell him about Aedion, didn’t mention how much she wanted them to meet and get along. Instead, she sent a much simpler text before she rolled over and fell asleep.

<< I hope you have a good day. 

~*~

The sun was setting and casting a beautiful golden glow over the city as Aelin and Aedion walked arm in arm down the street. What was supposed to be a few hour nap turned into a full seven hour sleep, but her cousin didn’t complain. After freshening up with a shower, she made quick work of a little makeup and an outfit she felt good about herself in. Lately all she had been wearing to the office was leggings and oversized shirts. 

Aelin dragged Aedion down the sidewalk with their final location just around the corner. Tonight the pair were taking on the Neon Moon. She knew that he was going to love everything about it. The gritty but slightly sophisticated feel of it reminded her so much of the Staghorn back home, and Aedion loved finding hidden gems like this one. On the rare occasion that they had been able to travel together, their main goal was always finding the coolest bars and cocktail lounges in every city. The only difference was that tonight, and for the next several months, Aelin wouldn’t be running up the tab with him. 

It was a good night to be here. The crowd was to be expected on a Sunday evening, but it wasn’t too noisy. There was a small table back in the far corner that she was quick to grab while he gathered their drinks at the bar. Aedion would no doubt come back with some sort of bourbon cocktail for himself and either a water or a mocktail of sorts for her to sip on while they waited for food. 

A pretty waitress swiftly stopped by the table and Aelin immediately put in an order for soft pretzel nuggets and beer cheese. It had always been one of her favorite snacks, and over the last few weeks she found that she could almost always keep the pillowy bites down. Baby seemed to like those, which was great, because they were her favorite thing at the Neon Moon. 

“You’re right about the Staghorn vibe,” Aedion said as he slid into the chair across from her. “I definitely get that.”

“This is where I met Rowan.” She pulled the fruity looking beverage from his hands, smiling a little when the flavor of lavender exploded across her tongue. It was nothing crazy, just a simple ginger ale with lavender syrup added, but it had become her go-to when she stopped in. Something about the lavender and ginger soda soothed her rioting belly. Plus, it was absolutely delicious. Connall must have seen her come in with Aedion if he knew to make it for her. 

“What was he doing in Varese?”

“Friends. He has an apartment here, too. He says it’s easier to be low-key here than it is in Doranelle,” she shrugged and took another drink. “Fenrys Moonbeam’s twin brother Connall owns the pub. We’re friends, I think.”

“You and Fenrys or you and Connall?” Aedion’s eyes were scanning the room, checking out all the decorations that lined the walls. 

“Connall. I’m assuming he made the drinks because I ask for this every time I come in.”

“I knew he looked familiar,” Aedion half-mumbled to himself. Aelin smiled, but it faltered when his eyes widened in the direction of the bar. Her stomach flipped and she started silently praying to the gods that she wasn’t going to look over and see Rowan sitting at the bar. 

But it wasn’t Rowan that caught Aedion’s attention. It was a golden-haired man who looked just as surprised as Aedion did, though his full lips were starting to twist into a smirk. His long curls were wild, falling around his shoulders in ringlets. One side was tucked behind his ear, completely exposing one half of his perfectly chiseled face. The man was beautiful. There was no other word in the dictionary to describe him. 

He looked so much like Connall, Fenrys’s coloring seemed to add a little more life to his face. She had ample time to take him in as he made a beeline for their table, an amber beer bottle in hand. While Connall was all dark shadows and whispered promises in a dimly lit room, Fenrys was life that came directly from the sun. His skin was a darker shade of brown than his brother’s, probably from spending so much time outside soaking up the sun’s rays during practice. And though his eyes were just as dark of an onyx as his twin’s, Fenrys’s seemed to glow as they settled on her face. 

Before she had time to fully process what was happening, Fenrys had grabbed a chair and pulled it right up beside hers. He plopped down, their thighs nearly touching. The table shook when he dropped his elbow onto it, his chin resting on his first as he looked directly at Aelin. 

“I have been absolutely dying to meet you,” he drawled, eyes jumping over every inch of her face. Aelin couldn’t help it. She started smiling, too. 

“Fenrys.” Not a question. This was definitely the fair side to Connall’s dark coin. 

“The assistant coach, at your service,” he winked, that cocky smirk never leaving his mouth. Her laugh was involuntary, lighting up the dim corner they sat in. Aedion looked lost, but Fenrys’s dark eyes pulled from her just long enough to look at him and extend his free hand. Everything about the man had a relaxed and almost giddy air about him. “Aedion Ashryver, it’s a pleasure to meet you. How’s your knee these days? I was bummed as hell about your injury.”

Aedion shook his hand, shrugging one shoulder, “Twinges when the weather is bad and gets achy in the winter, but doesn’t give me too much trouble. The pleasure is mine, by the way. Huge fan.”

“And I of you.” The interaction made her feel lighter somehow. There were times when Aedion still got extremely upset about his knee, especially if it was brought up in the context of how great his career could have been. This was one of the times where she didn’t sense an impending doom spiral. She would have to thank Fenrys for addressing it tastefully when Aedion wasn’t listening.

Fenrys’s eyes turned back to Aelin, cheek still squished against his fist. Up close she noticed little wrinkles around his eyes like he spent so much time laughing that it carved little canyons and valleys into his skin. Rowan always called him a pain in the ass, but she had a feeling it had more to do with jokes and teasing comments than anything else. Good. Rowan needed that in his life, even if it was in the form of annoyance. 

“Whitethorn has been gatekeeping you. I’ve been begging for an introduction because anybody that can draw him out of his constant state of brooding is worth meeting.” Fenrys paused, his eyes dipping down to her fingertips that rested against her belly. “Congratulations, I think?”

“Thank you. I’m happy about it. A little more every day,” she confessed, brushing her thumbs in abstract shapes over her t-shirt. 

“I know he said something stupid–” Aelin cut him off with a snort. Calling it stupid was an understatement, but the mirth in Fenrys’s eyes told her that he was well aware. “How much are you going to make him pay for it?”

“I’m nowhere near done, if that gives you any indication.” It wasn’t that she wanted to be mean to Rowan. It was just that there was no parallel universe where she wasn’t a little brash. Teasing was her second language. Aedion had frequently called it her love language, and he wasn’t wrong. It was almost like a test of sorts. An initiation. If he couldn’t weather the jokes and smart-ass remarks, they weren’t meant to have a relationship beyond co-parenting their child. 

One of the biggest red flags she ever ignored was Sam not understanding or approving of her humor. The way he had made her swallow everything down and bottle up her personality until she was merely a shell of herself and couldn’t even pretend around her family anymore had been a mental battle she lost. It wasn’t the worst of everything she went through with him, but Aelin wasn’t going to lose herself again.  Not for a man. Not even because they had to raise a baby together. That could be done at arms length with minimal contact unless necessary. 

Fenrys was grinning at her, completely ignorant to the dark spiral she had just been on. Something like mischief danced in his eyes as he said, “What would you say if I had an idea to make him squirm?”

“For your own enjoyment, or ours?” Aedion asked warily. Always the protective big brother making sure nobody was laughing at Aelin’s expense. 

“Why not both? I’m team Aelin. And if it’s a hard divorce, she wins my custody. Whitethorn was a dumbass and a little joke won’t kill him. It might take a few years but he’ll start laughing about it eventually.” Fenrys gave a dismissive wave through the air. The relaxed nature of him made her lean back a little in her chair. While Connall was easy going in all of their interactions, Fenrys was the amplified version. What would it take for him to snap about something? Going off first impressions, it seemed like a lot. 

Fenrys was looking at her expectantly, almost hopefully. Like he somehow knew about the sass and swagger she liked to carry for a security blanket. He felt like a kindred spirit, and Aelin liked it. If things went sideways she just might have a shiny new friend to get her through it when her family couldn’t be by her side. 

So Aelin smiled at him and leaned forward, bracing her arms on the table. Across from them, Aedion swore quietly. He’d been on the receiving end of her bullshit for twenty-five years. By the looks of it, she had just met someone that would stoke that fire into a roaring flame. Whether he was cursing the chaos the pair of them would bring upon Rowan, or hoping that it didn’t turn on him eventually, she wasn’t sure. 

Either way, Aelin was so in. 

“What do you have in mind?”

@elentiyawhitethorn @autumnbabylon @fancysludgeshoelamp  @wordsafterhours @live-the-fangirl-life @the-hospitality-of-knives @tangledraysofsunshine @readandlisten @westofmoon @rowanaelinn  @morganofthewildfire @writtenonreceipts @feynightlight @emster1622-blog @scarblx @secondstartorightand @thefaetrove @loveyatopluto @actuallybarb @peppermint-fae @the-devils-own @scottmcgivemeacall @livingmylifeforme  @wordsafterhours @foreverfallingforthestars @llyncooljones @emily-gsh @loosesimplicity @emilyrose111294  @charlizeed @aelinchocolatelover @cretaceous-therapod @sayosdreams @fireheart-violet @the-regal-warrior @backtobl4ck @shyvioletcat @bellasbookboyfriends

[acourtofquestions]

"I thought this could be a casual date, then we could casually go out for dinner a hundred more times, then casually have kids together, and then casually grow old together. Casually get on each other's health insurance. Then casually die side by side like in the end of the notebook."

— Aelin to Rowan

[acourtofquestions]

Accurate😂 + "trust me: if I wanted him dead, he'd be dead; that was called "flirting" with death" vibes

Aelin: If you want my advice-

Dorian: No offense but you're the last person I want relationship advice from. You tried to kill your husband. Multiple times.

Aelin: First off, that was before we started dating. Secondly, he also tried to kill me.

Rowan: It's true. It was mutual attempted murder.

[rowanaelinn]

I wanted, once more, to wish an amazing birthday to @morganofthewildfire !

I have known you for almost two years now, and you are such an amazing person, and honestly an amazing friend. Your advices are always spot on, and I love your sense of humor. You’re just bliss to speak to, and you make me regret that we have only met through a screen!

Your work made me want to post mine as well, and you influenced me so, so much. You were renamed Rowaelin fandom’s mom for a good and amazing reason!

I wanted, on the behalf of everyone, thank you for your work, your dedication, and your amazing ideas. You’re truly a jewel in this fandom, and we hope we will never lose you!

But, have fun being 20! I wish you all the best, and everything good that life can provide!

[acourtofthought]

How come that when Sjm reuses phrases with with other ships for example the "I would get on my knees to get a chance to taste her" (something like that) because Cassian said that too about Nesta, it has a whole meaning behind it and it stands for endgame.

But when she does that with gwynriel, for example the "felt a spark in his chest", and she had used that phrase with literally all the other engdame couples it's "Sarah always reuses phrases and plots, it doesn't mean anything.

How come the scene where Rowaelin were about to kiss before Rowan pushed her away aligns with the El/riel scene, even though the context and the reasons as to why Rowan and Azriel stopped are completely different, is "forshadowing" for El/riel.

But Bryathalar's bonus chapter that ended exactly like Azriel's bonus chapter doesn't mean jackshit? Gwyn stays a lightsinger, even though plenty of others like Hunt, Rhys, Yrene etc. Made their significant other feels some type of way.

Hello? The amount of times I've read the exact same line: feeling a spark/glow, saving an Image of someone in ther mind, the whole heard a singing etc. The ending of Bryathalar's chapter is even more obvious. How come these do not count but lines like "get a chance to taste it" (their cunt) has more meaning. Wow, I guess Sex is all that matters.

The double Standards. You can't just pick and chose, tf. I also always here of them that Tog and CC shouldn't be compared to Acotar because they have different storylines- WELL WHY DO YOU DO IT YOURSELF THEN???

They do that with Elucien and Jassa too, my god.

(sry for my english, I don't know if you understand what I'm trying to say here)

I do understand what you're saying!!

And that's part of that whole "Canon isn't just about matching single lines" argument.

Yes, Rhys and Cassian had sexual thoughts about their Mates, yes they were extremely attracted to their Mates but you know what else they did? Encouraged their Mates to do more, thought about their bravery, their fire, who they were as individuals.

Az only has half the puzzle when it comes to Elain, the physical part of it. He does not encourage Elain to do more, he does not make note of anything about her personality (her bravery, her growth, her kindness, her sense of humor).

We all want the male love interest to be physically captivated by the female (or F/F and M/M) but we want the other stuff too. We want them to respect her, we want her to make him feel in a way that no one else has before, we want him to have the urge to protect her while also stepping back and realizing she's capable without him.

It's infuriating when E/riels accuse us of having a problem with the sexual language in the Az POV Chapter because they honestly don't seem to get it. It's not the sexual language that's the problem, it's everything else and everything else that's missing. And even more infuriating when they ignore actual romantic coding, not just sexual coding, for other ships.

[fireheartwhitethorn4ever]

Blame it on the hormones

Aelin was horny. Like really horny. And it was all Rowan’s fault. Like who had asked him to get her pregnant? Okay, maybe after three years of marriage, they both wanted kids. But still. Rowan really had the audacity to sleep, while Aelin was awake and horny. They were in this together. If Aelin had to deal with these hormones, so should Rowan. 

 Aelin rolled onto her side, and faced her snoring husband. She shook his shoulder. ‘’Rowan. Hey, wake up, buzzard.’’ He didn’t move. ‘’Rowaaaaaaan.’’ She bit his shoulder. 

 Rowan’s eyes flew open and landed on her. ‘’Ow! What?’’ He rubbed his shoulder. Aelin almost laughed at how his eyes widened. ‘’Is everything okay? Is the baby okay? Are you okay? Are you in pain? What’s happ-’’

 ‘’Nothing! Everything’s okay.’’ Aelin frowned. ‘’No, you know what? Everything is not okay. And it’s all your fault.’’

 Rowan rubbed his eyes, still confused from being woken suddenly. ‘’Why? What did I do?’’ 

 ‘’I’m horny. And it’s your fault.’’ 

 ‘’Did you just wake me up, because you were in the mood?’’ He looked at her very seriously. ‘’I mean I know you say that I look like a Greek God. But really?’’

 Aelin snorted. ‘’It’s not because you look like a Greek God. I mean, sure, you have a cute butt.’’ She rolled her eyes at him. Like he was the one who was acting crazy in the middle of the night. ‘’It’s because of these hormones, your dick has given me.’’ 

 ‘’I’m still confused.’’

 ‘’The pregnancy hormones, you buzzard!’’ Rowan was really getting on her nerves now. 

 ‘’Oh… Oh, okay!’’ Aelin moved to his lap.

 ‘’Come on, Rowan. Please? I just need 10 minutes.’’ When he didn’t answer. She leaned down and whispered in his ear. ‘’I need you, baby. I’m so wet right now.’’

 Rowan was fully awake now and started kissing her. He broke the kiss after a minute, to look at her. ‘’Can I go pee first?’’ 

 ‘’Yes, but please hurry.’’ Aelin threw herself on her back. 

 ‘’I’ll be like freaking flash.’’ Rowan said as he got out of bed. 

 Aelin laughed and slapped his ass. She was pretty sure that Rowan had set a record for toilet time that night.

Taglist:

@themoonthestarsthesuriel

@backtobl4ck

[acourtofquestions]

For real though🥹😂🫶

Aelin in Rowan's bed

[calypsoscoutt]

my list of life goals

1. to have an arrogant, cocky, tomboy, humorous attitude like aelin yet still dress in elegant, expensive, feminine clothes and be an assassin (a very good one might i add)

[daisysoodles-blog]

Stealing a couple lines from something I saw once! I would tag them but I don’t know where or when I saw it so if whoever you are sees this, I’m sorry!!

Rowan: pretends to yawn and puts arm over Aelin’s shoulders.

Lorcan: sees Rowan, goes to do the same to Elide, yawns, punches elide in face, jumps back in shock so hard he falls off the sofa and hits his head on the coffee table; proceeds to pass out.

Rowan: he’s fine he’ll come to in a bit.

Aelin: yeah he’s fae he’s fine, don’t do that yourself though, might hurt a bit.