#cant believe i spent like three hours the hair took longest

[seancamerons]

wip scoops ahoy era robin🍦

[cryingoverkanej]

the crows in rollerskates:

(this is so long but its worth reading i promise)

anytime all six crows are in ketterdam they have an unspoken rule that they must congregate at the van eck mansion for dinner.

even kaz shows up. every time without fail. he says inej threatens him into it but really he just loves seeing his friends. matthias is alive idc

he’d never tell anyone that but they all know.

so one day after getting an invite from wylans very exhausted runner kaz locks up his office and makes his way through the sunday afternoon crowds.

jesper is buzzing.

wylan sighs at him but cant wipe the grin off his face at his husband’s happiness theyre married now because i said so

jesper has been gliding around the halls for the better part of a week testing out his new rollerskates.

he picked it up suprisingly quickly and was doing jumps and spins within the first day, far too close to the expensive vases for wylans liking.

wylan had had a go too, slipping and sliding, his face twisting into varying levels of uncertainty, falling with every step.

jesper was too busy laughing to catch him every time and so he ended up on the floor more often than not.

the next morning wylan had woken up early with a sore back, jesper was still fast asleep and one glance at the clock told him it would be at least three hours before his husband actually got up.

so out of determination but mostly spite, wylan crept out of bed, got washed and dressed and ventured downstairs to find the skates where jesper had left them in the corridor.

he had given his staff the day off in preparation for the crows dinner that evening so, without the risk of embarrassing himself further infront of a servant, wylan had slipped on the skates.

by the time jesper came downstairs four-and-a-half hours later wylan was skating around the ground floor with confidence much to jespers astonishment and delight.

nina and matthias had shown up not long after that and jes had taken the skates back to show off his moves.

“pleaseeee jes!”

“five more minutes nina!”

nina groaned. matthias grinned, she had wanted a go for the past hour but jesper was somehow still full of energy.

eventually he pulled to a dramatic stop and took a bow before untying the laces and handing them to nina.

she wasnt as smooth as jesper to say the least.

thud. “OW-” and a wide range of swearwords seemed to be her preferred reactions.

matthias got repeatedly swatted and hit away whenever he tried to help her.

“well don’t complain to me when you’re covered in bruises tomorrow”

“you can cover me in bruises later if you like” she winked.

matthias rolled his eyes but went bright red earning a satisfied chuckle from nina.

inej walked over and helped nina to her feet, slipping off her shoes and sliding over the floor in her socks to show nina the correct techniques.

nina copied somewhat successfully, only falling over half as much after that.

then jesper had had a brilliant idea and the five of them spent the next hour gathering every single cushion in the van eck mansion and piling them at the end of its longest corridor.

nina cried and skated towards the pile at full speed, landing in them and bursting into a fit of giggles as jesper jumped ontop of her.

wylan and matthias shared a glance that said ‘i-cannot-believe-we-married-these-literal-children’ before joining in their laughter along with inej.

“no no no no no.” matthias repeated as nina slipped off his shoes.

“yes yes yes yes yes.” she retorted.

matthias suprisingly wasn’t awful.

“it just feels like walking on ice” he’d said.

nina had been positively annoyed at how good matthias was and stuck her foot out when he sped past, her annoyance was replaced with disbelief when he jumped and swirled gracefully to avoid it before plummeting into the mountain of cushions.

inej was next, the shoes were far too big for her and jesper had to lend her two pairs of his fluffiest socks to make sure they didn’t slip off.

but still she skated perfectly, smoothly spinning like she was born to do so.

when they heard a knock at the door she glided eagerly over to let kaz in.

“hello kaz” she grinned.

“hello wraith” he replied fighting the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips, she’d missed that smile.

he tilted his head, she was suspiciously tall, before glancing down at her feet.

“jes got rollerskates.” she said.

“poor wylan.” he said stepping inside.

“hey! im rather good at it actually.” jesper said defensively.

“good at being annoying” wylan added.

inej kept the skates on throughout dinner, mostly because they could see she was happy with them on. and also because everyone had noticed how kaz was mesmerised by her as she slid round the mansion.

“kaz you should have a go!” said jesper when the group had settled by the fire and opened a box of chocolates.

kaz merely raised an eyebrow and waited for the sharpshooter to realise why that would be impossible.

“oh.” jesper said looking to kaz’ cane and bad leg resting on a pile of cushions.

“sorry” jesper gulped, embarrassed at how long it had taken him to remember that his best-friend-of-many-years was disabled.

then his face lit up.

“oh no,” said matthias.

wylan had a similar look of concern “jesper whetever you’re thinking-”

“-is a brilliant idea!” said nina, clearly catching onto his train of thought.

they both stood up and left the room clearly in search of something.

it wasn’t until ten minutes later they reappeared at the doorway slightly out of breath but faces both plastered with mischievous grins.

soon the six of them stood in the corridor and kaz realised what the two of them had planned. his eyes widened.

“absolutely not.” he said.

they had pulled out one of wylans best chairs, some expensive ravkan design that was supposed to be worth half a million kruge.

and it had wheels.

kaz turned around and started to make his way grumpily back to the living room when inej stepped in his way.

“you sit your ass down on that chair kaz or i will steal all coffee and everyone knows without it you’d just wither and die.”

the others laughed but inej was only half joking. kaz knew that and reluctantly set aside his cane and sat down.

“what now?” he said with a scowl.

“you know what.” replied inej.

and with that she grabbed the back of the chair and started pushing him towards the cushions. she still had the rollerskates on as the two of them hurtled along the floor.

inej screamed excitedly and kaz let out a muffled cry as he practically flew out of the chair landing face first in the cushions.

she jumped in a few feet away from him grinning wildly at the look on his face.

he looked… happy.

hair messy, shaking his head and failing to hide a smile. then he started giggling, like a child.

from behind they heard four other sets of running footsteps followed by a clash of thuds and laughs as wylan, jesper, nina and matthias joined them.

none of them made it a big deal that kaz seemed so relaxed, he wouldn’t want the attention. and none of them got too close so they might accidentally touch.

so they stayed, sprawled across the cushions laughing, for what must have been hours.

then as the sun set and they grew more and more drowsy they drifted to sleep.

even kaz brekker, dirtyhands, the bastard of the barrel, dozed off in the company of his friends.

(ig - pcttigrws if someone does fanart of this i’ll love you forever. also gonna post it on ao3 [pcttigrwsfics] )

[the-regal-warrior]

Cadre Weaponry: Part Three

Thank you to everyone who read, liked, reblogged, or commented on the first two parts! I love you all!

Summary: Welcome to Cadre Weaponry - the shop for all your weapons needs, both antique and modern! Join the boys of the Cadre as they become friends and tackle this thing we call life. Maybe, just maybe, they’ll even find love along the way. 

Warnings: You know how I keep promising smut? It’s finally here. And this first smut scene comes in with a bang (pun intended). And, you know, language.

.

FOUR YEARS, ONE MONTH, AND ELEVEN DAYS AGO

He couldn’t believe it. He absolutely couldn’t believe his luck. Fenrys was sitting at the bar with Asterin, and he was pretty sure she was the girl of his dreams. 

She’d ordered an Old-Fashioned - not to impress him, but because she actually liked it - and he’d just watched her take a shot of Absinthe like it was water. She’d had no less than two guys hit on her, and she’d shut them all down without even looking away from him. 

Since the day they’d met, Fenrys had talked to her every day, practically all day. They were constantly texting back and forth, just random little updates about their days and anything that was happening. The three days before their date, they’d even spent around an hour a day just talking on the phone, getting to know one another.

Asterin had even stopped by the shop a couple days ago to bring him lunch, which had brought a smile to Fen’s face that he’d sported for the rest of the day. Fenrys was in awe of her constant thoughtfulness, which was perfectly contrasted by her sarcastic exterior.

It was as Fenrys was thinking about all of this that he saw another guy eyeing up Asterin as he walked around the bar toward them. Nudging her arm lightly with his elbow, he inclined his head slightly in the guy’s direction. 

Turning her head slightly, Asterin groaned and dropped her head against his shoulder when she saw the intention in the guy’s face. “Why,” she grumbled. “Why would he even try? He has to see you sitting here.”

Fenrys just smirked down at the top of her head, running his fingers over the back of her neck in an attempt to soothe her.

Lifting her head and noticing the guy was coming closer, Asterin leaned in close enough to whisper, “Just go with this, okay?”

Fenrys raised one eyebrow at her, but before the question forming could leave his tongue, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his. Despite how surprised he was, Fenrys couldn’t help but kiss her back, his lips moving against hers almost without any conscious effort. 

Her lips moved slowly over his, her tongue tracing over the seam of his mouth as her fingers slid over his shoulders and up into his hair, scratching lightly against his scalp.

He couldn’t help the small groan that escaped him at the feeling of her hands in his hair, and Fenrys had just opened his mouth to allow her tongue when she pulled back, casting a subtle glance over her shoulder.

“Sorry for the surprise attack,” Asterin giggled, her fingers still working in his hair. “I just didn’t want any more interruptions.”

Fenrys traced his thumb over her lips, catching ever so slightly on the bottom one with every pass. Leaning in to brush his lips against her jaw, he whispered, “Trust me, you have absolutely nothing to apologize for.”

He pulled back to meet her gaze, and he watched a wicked gleam light up her eyes. Taking the thumb that he was still tracing her lips with into her mouth, Asterin sucked on his finger, her own hands tightening in his hair. 

Fenrys groaned, tilting his head back as she pulled on his hair. “Asterin,” he whispered, pulling his thumb from her lips. “Gods, you’re beautiful.”

Despite the swaggering confidence she wore like a second skin, Asterin blushed at his words. 

He ran his fingers over the red stain on her cheeks before cupping her face in his palms. “But you’re so much more than that. You’re funny and smart and strong, and you’re everything I’ve been waiting for.” Fenrys could feel a blush staining his own cheeks as he kept talking, but he had no intentions of stopping. “Asterin, would you be my girl?”

Asterin was nodding before he’d even finished talking, her lips meeting his the second the final word left his lips. “Yes,” she whispered between kisses. “Yes, of course. Of course I will.”

Wrapping his arms around her, Fenrys pulled Asterin against him in a tight hug, a huge grin sliding over his lips as he kissed her back enthusiastically. 

Finally pulling away from him, Asterin smiled up at him, a radiant smile lighting up her features. Chuckling at the pure joy on her face, Fenrys leaned in to press his lips to her forehead, sighing contentedly into her hair when she wrapped her arms around him again. 

THREE YEARS, ELEVEN MONTHS, AND SEVENTEEN DAYS AGO

The sound of someone knocking at the front door of the shop pulled Vaughan from his work, his pen falling from his hand as he startled at the noise. He’d locked up the shop fifteen minutes ago, and that meant he was the only one in the building - which was why the noise had taken him by surprise.

Figuring it was probably one of the other business owners along the main street in town coming to talk about something related to the business association yet again, he stood from his chair, plastering a polite smile over his features as he walked to the door.

His smile turned genuine, however, when he saw Sorrel standing on the other side of the door, an impatient look on her face as she waited for him to open the door. 

“Babe, hey,” Vaughan said, pulling her into a messy kiss as he pulled her in the door. “I thought we were meeting at your place later?”

“We were,” she replied, running her fingers over his chest. “But I couldn’t wait.”

Before he had time to reply, Sorrel pulled him into another kiss, wrapping her legs around his waist as he lifted her against him. 

They’d been doing… whatever this was for seven months now. Vaughan had never been the type to stay with any one girl for particularly long - this was probably the longest he’d been with a girl, actually. They’d certainly never defined what they were doing, hadn’t put a label on what they were, but something about Sorrel just drew him in. A player though he was, Vaughan didn’t feel the need to be with anyone else for the time being.

Groaning into her mouth as her tongue moved against his, he carried her into his office, setting her down in the chair in front of his desk. Kneeling before her, Vaughan slid his hands over her sides before cupping her breasts, his fingers playing with her nipples through the fabric of her t-shirt. 

Mewling under his touch, Sorrel reached for the button of his jeans, only for Vaughan to grab her hands in his as he broke away from her lips. “Not just yet, babe. I want to taste you first.”

She groaned at that, her head falling against the back of the chair. As soon as Vaughan released her hands, she reached for the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head in one smooth motion. 

Vaughan watched as she threw the shirt across the room before his eyes fell to her chest, bare before him as she’d elected to leave out the bra when she’d gotten dressed. He took in the stiff peaks of her nipples and the chandelier tattoo that dipped along the valley of her breasts and expanded over the upper portion of her stomach.

Taking a nipple in each hand, he leaned in to press a kiss against the ink between her breasts. She sighed at his touch, body arching as he pinched and rolled her nipples between his fingers. Letting his tongue slip between his lips, Vaughan traced each and every line of her tattoo, not stopping until her breasts were pebbled under his hands and her hips were rolling against the chair in a futile attempt to get friction where she wanted it most. 

Shifting ever so slightly to the left, he took her nipple between his lips and licked over it twice, first with just his tongue, and then flicking it with his tongue piercing before pulling back. 

He smirked up at the broken expression on her face, and he was just leaning over to do the same to her other breast when Sorrel buried her hands in his hair. Applying just enough pressure to show how desperate she was, she began pushing his head down toward her hips, slowly canting them up in anticipation.

Chuckling under his breath, Vaughan gripped the waistband of her leggings and began to slowly pull them down her legs as Sorrel kicked off her flip-flops. As he pushed them off her feet, he smirked as he realized she had forgone underwear as well. 

“Someone must have been eager for me,” he crooned, running a finger through her slit.

Sorrel whimpered in response, her hands still pulling his head toward her folds even as his finger circled her clit. “Gods,” she managed to get out, “don’t be a tease. I’ve been thinking about this all day.”

“Is that why you’re so wet for me?” Vaughan pulled his finger to his mouth, sucking on the digit as he tasted her for the first time that day, groaning at her sweetness. As he sucked his finger clean, he watched as more of her juices dripped down onto the chair.

Deciding to give her what she wanted, Vaughan buried his face in her folds, working his tongue into her slit. He worked her with long strokes from bottom to top, occasionally sliding his tongue inside her to lick at her walls.

Sorrel’s moans filled his office, her hips rolling against his face. Her fingers, still tangled in his hair, guided his face deeper into her dripping center. Sensing what she wanted, Vaughan hooked one of her legs over his shoulder, the new position allowing his tongue to slide just a little deeper inside her.

As she writhed above him, Vaughan focused his attention on her clit, closing his lips around the sensitive bundle and sucking.

Sorrel cried out, her body shaking as her orgasm started to build. Knowing she was close, Vaughan slipped two fingers inside her so he could keep his mouth locked right where it was.

Pumping his fingers into her in a harsh rhythm, Vaughan flicked her clit with his tongue, the ball of his piercing tapping perfectly against it. Sorrel’s hips stuttered for a second before bucking wilding beneath him, so he started flicking his tongue in time with his fingers, his piercing tapping against her every time.

It wasn’t long before she fractured beneath him, her hips rolling against his face while he worked her through her orgasm. Her moans escaped her in gasping breaths, and a keening whine ripped from her throat as Vaughan eased his fingers out of her.

Pulling back to look up at her, Vaughan sucked his fingers into his mouth. She groaned at the sight, once again reaching for the button on his jeans.

He leaned away from her reach as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I’m afraid I’ve still got some work to do. You’re just going to have to wait.”

Sorrel pouted, running her fingers over her breasts and pulling on her nipples as another whine escaped her throat. She must have noticed the way his eyes fixed on her hands, because one of them suddenly dipped between her legs, rubbing her juices into her folds. 

Shaking his head, Vaughan turned and sat himself behind his desk, pulling the stack of papers he’d been organizing when she’d knocked at the door back in front of him. “Looks like you’re on your own for a little.”

“Vaughan,” she cried, pulling her hands away from herself in an effort to calm down. “Baby, I need you.”

“Well, if you want me, you’ll just have to wait. But I think I might have something that will help you out.”

Sorrel arched an eyebrow at him, her hips still moving against the chair.

Smirking at her, Vaughan pulled open the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out a plastic case. When he opened it, he heard Sorrel’s groan as she realized what was inside it.

A vibratror.

Even as she groaned, Vaughan read the hesitance that crossed her eyes - and knowing his history, he didn’t blame her. “Don’t worry, I bought this for you. I was planning on bringing it with me tonight, but now works, too.”

Her eyes cleared, and Vaughan tossed it to her with a sigh of relief. “Go on, then,” he said, his voice dripping with lust. “Entertain yourself.”

~*^*~

Fifteen minutes later, Vaughan was hard as a rock inside his jeans, and Sorrel’s keening cries weren’t doing anything to help the situation.

She’d started slow, moving the toy over her breasts and stomach before inching it down between her legs. She’d then spent a solid three minutes just running it over her folds, her body arching at the sensations. Vaughan had continued his work, glancing up at her every once in a while. 

He could tell the moment she pressed the vibrator against her clit, because the moan that escaped her lips was downright sinful, and he’d heard the sound of her breath hitch afterward.

Every time he’d looked up after that, Sorrel had somehow gotten wetter, the chair entirely soaked beneath her. She’d worked two fingers inside herself, and she was pumping them lazily as she swirled the vibrator over her clit. 

Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore.

Standing from his chair, Vaughan pulled his shirt over his head, dropping it on the floor behind him. Shoving his jeans and boxers down his legs in one go, he kicked them and his shoes and socks off in one movement. 

He reached over his desk to pull the vibrator from her hand, turning it off and stashing it back in its case. She whimpered at the loss, her fingers pumping more desperately as she chased the release she’d been so close to receiving. 

Sliding his chair around the side of his desk, he knocked Sorrel’s hand away from her folds and lifted her into his lap, settling her against him as his cock slid inside her.

They both groaned at the feeling, her breath escaping her in pants as he bottomed out. Vaughan held himself there, waiting for her to adjust, but it seemed that Sorrel had a different idea. 

Keeping still for only a second, Sorrel gripped his shoulders and started bouncing herself on his cock, grinding her clit against his pelvic bone every time he bottomed out. Her moans filled his ears, and he met her hips with powerful thrusts against that one spot inside her that had her shaking within minutes.

Knowing she’d been so close to the edge before, Vaughan wrapped one hand around her back and used the other to work her clit, his fingers pulling and rubbing it until she fell apart, her walls spasming around his cock. 

Vaughan continued thrusting into her as she flooded him with her juices, his thrusts becoming erratic as her walls gripped him tighter. It only took a few more thrusts and he was there, pulling out just as his release hit, his juices covering her folds and upper thighs. 

Sorrel moaned at the feeling, her body still sensitive from her orgasm. Moving his hand from her clit, he gently rubbed their combined release into her folds, her thighs shaking at the stimulation. Eventually, it became too much for her, and she reached between them to pull his hand away.

Bringing it to his lips, he licked their juices from his fingers, Sorrel’s tongue darting out of her mouth to help him.

They stayed wrapped up in one another for a while, Vaughan’s fingers drawing lazy patterns over her spine until she started giggling against his chest.

“I think,” she giggled, “you might need a new chair.”

Raising his head from her shoulder, he looked over at the chair she’d been sitting in, chuckling himself when he realized that she’d completely soaked it. “Eh, I never really liked that chair anyway.”

Sorrel lifted her head from his chest to press her lips to his, their tongues moving slowly against one another. She pulled back after a couple seconds and pressed her face to his chest once again.

Vaughan just pulled her tighter against him, content to hold her for a while. 

THREE YEARS, TEN MONTHS, AND THREE DAYS AGO

Staring intently at the shelf in front of him, Connall kept trying to figure out a way to rearrange everything on it so that their new stock would also fit in the display. Realizing that it wasn’t possible, he dropped out of his crouch and sprawled backward on the floor, his groan echoing around the empty store.

“Uh, everything okay over there?”

Clapping a hand over his eyes as he realized the store wasn’t empty, he looked up between his fingers and saw a shock of bright red hair and eyes that were a startling mixture of gold and black. “Erm, yeah, I’m fine. How’d you get in?”

The woman, who Connall was belatedly realizing was quite gorgeous, gave him a confused look. “Through the front door?”

Sitting up from his position on the ground, Connall shot a look over toward the door, realizing that the open sign was glowing brightly next to it. Nodding at the woman, who still seemed very confused, Connall turned toward their offices and called, “Hey, Gav, how about telling me when we open next time?”

As he was standing, Gavriel shouted, “You’re a grown-ass man, pay more attention to the time” from his office. 

Turning to face the woman (who was laughing at Gavriel’s comment) once more, Connall took in her appearance even as he was apologizing for not realizing the store was open. She was wearing a plum sundress with buttons up the front, her long legs exaggerated by the heeled ivory sandals on her feet. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“I’m actually looking for Fenrys,” she replied, the laughter making her voice raspy. “Is he here?”

“Sorry, he’s at a weapons expo today,” Connall answered. “He won’t be back until late tonight.”

“Shit,” the woman muttered, her head dropping at the news.

“Are you sure it isn’t something I can help with?”

“No, sorry.” She shook her head. “Unless you can help me convince his ridiculous girlfriend that spending one weekend away from him won’t kill her. You’d think they’d be over the honeymoon stage by now.” 

“But they’re not, and it’s absolutely ridiculous.” Connall groaned, rolling his eyes as she laughed at his theatrics. “They were absolutely disgusting at dinner last night.”

She roared with laughter at that, although the knowing gleam in her eye made him think she understood exactly what he was talking about. “You spend a lot of time with the two of them?”

“More than I’d like to, sometimes.” At the confused look she gave him, he elaborated, “Fenrys is my twin brother - I’m practically stuck with them.”

“Ah, so you’re the famous Connall?”

“You’ve heard of me?” Connall questioned, raising an eyebrow at her. “How do you know the two of them?”

“Oh, I’m an old friend of Asterin’s,” she replied, holding her hand out for him to shake. “I’m Vesta. Vesta Iarann. Asterin and I were in college together - we lived in the same house.”

Connall shook the hand she held out to him. “That would make you one of The Thirteen, then?” When Vesta nodded, he continued, “so you would know Sorrel, too?”

“Yes, that’s right. Vaughan works here too, doesn’t he?”

He nodded, resting his arm against the shelf next to him. “So what’s this about getting Asterin away for a weekend?”

Vesta groaned, though a mischievous sparkle entered her eyes as she mulled over the question. “How about you take me out for a drink sometime and I’ll tell you all about it?”

Connall blinked, surprised at how bold she was, but a grin quickly spread across his face. “That would be great. Let me get you my number and we’ll figure the rest out?”

Nodding, Vesta leaned in to press her lips to his cheek. “It’s a date.”

THREE YEARS, TEN MONTHS, AND TWO DAYS AGO

Rowan stood behind the counter at the till, knuckles practically turning white as he gripped the edge of it. Everyone else seemed perfectly fine, but Rowan felt like he couldn’t breathe. He knew what he wanted, knew that this was the next step he wanted to take with his life, but the nerves were threatening to swallow him whole. 

Fenrys, sensing that Rowan was succumbing to his worries, walked up beside him and clapped him on the shoulder. “Relax, man. You know Aelin loves you. She’ll say yes.”

Rowan nodded weakly at him, swallowing around the doubts rising in his throat. “Thanks, Fen,” he whispered, pulling him into a brief hug.

“Anytime, bro. Now come mingle with everyone else or she’s going to know something weird is up.”

Rowan chuckled at that, accepting the cup Fenrys held out to him as he was steered toward their friends. When he’d told them all about his plan to propose to Aelin, they’d all agreed to help him pull it off. Getting them to agree to hold this “art showcase” for him had been the easiest part of all of it.

Art had always been a huge part of Rowan’s life, and he’d actually drawn all of his own tattoos. He’d even drawn the back piece that Aelin was slowly getting tattooed, and he spent much of his free time sketching other tattoo mock-ups. Aelin had always been fascinated with tarot cards, so he combined that with his art skills to create the twenty-three sketches currently hanging along the back wall of the shop. Combined with what he’d hidden in the sketches, he was fairly pleased with the proposal he’d planned.

Twenty-two of the sketches were the cards of the major arcana, starting with The Fool and ending with The World. The final sketch, necessary for the proposal, was the Ace of Cups, which happened to be Aelin’s favorite card in the entire deck. 

He and Aelin had been dating for almost a year, and he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her - and he wanted his proposal to show that.

Taking a deep breath, he cast his eyes around the room, grateful to have his family of friends here with him for this moment.  Fenrys had rejoined Asterin and Connall, his arm sliding around his girlfriend’s waist as he laughed at something his brother said. Across from them, Lorcan and Gavriel were talking to Sorrel and Vaughan, the former leaning against her - well, boyfriend wasn’t the word, as they both kept telling everyone they weren’t dating. 

Deciding this was not the time to try to figure out his friend’s relationship, Rowan had just situated himself next to Fenrys when the door opened, letting in a light breeze as Aelin entered the building. 

“Hey guys!” she called, waving to the room as she made her way over to Rowan. “Sorry I’m late babe, traffic was a bitch.”

“It’s okay, love,” he whispered, leaning in to press a kiss to her temple. “I’m just glad you’re here.”

“Of course! I’m just excited to see all the sketches you’ve been hiding from me for the last month.”

Grinning at the slight impatience in her voice, Rowan gestured for her to lead the way to the back of the shop, shooting a nervous glance at Lorcan and Gavriel over her head. They both just nodded at him, and he had to fight to contain a worried sigh as he followed his girlfriend. 

Aelin walked up to the first sketch, The Fool, and her jaw dropped open as she took in the incredible detail on that one paper alone. “Rowan,” she gasped. “This is beautiful.”

She slowly moved onto the next one, and her reaction was quite the same. It wasn’t until she got to the fifth one, The Emperor, that she noticed something different about the sketches. “Ro, why do you have random letters hidden in each of the sketches?”

He raised an eyebrow at her, and she continued. “At first I thought they had something to do with each card, since the first one has an “F,” which is the first letter in “Fool,” but what does an “H” have to do with “The Emperor?”

Rowan chuckled at how quickly she’d picked up on it, but he swallowed his laughter as he realized what he was about to do. “Maybe it’s a secret message?”

Quirking an eyebrow at him, she moved back to the beginning so she could keep better track of all the letters. As she moved down the line, he could see her lips forming the words as they were spelled. When she realized the first word (Fireheart), he stepped back into the little circle created by their friends. 

Aelin started moving faster as she moved down the line, almost like her mind was anticipating what the sketches were spelling. When she got to the last one, Rowan saw her lips form the question the sketches posed before she turned around.

He dropped to one knee as she turned, and her hands flew to her mouth as she took in the ring in his hand. “Well, as the sketches say: Fireheart, will you marry me?”

Aelin began nodding before all the words had left his lips, tears springing into her eyes as she rushed for him. Rising to meet her, he caught her as she jumped into his arms. Pressing her lips to his, she whispered her answer between kisses. “Of course, buzzard. Of course I’ll marry you.”

Whooping with glee, he spun her around, her laughter spilling into his ears. Setting her down, Rowan gripped her left hand in his so he could slide the ring on her finger. 

Aelin pulled him into another kiss before their friends swarmed them, offering Aelin a cup of the champagne they’d gotten just for this moment before the couple was passed from friend to friend to celebratory hugs.

Looking around the room, Rowan couldn’t help the smile that broke across his face. It was a smile that only grew as Aelin tucked herself into his chest, the feeling of her ring against their intertwined fingers like a dream come true.

Leaning down so his lips were next to her ear, he whispered, “I love you so much, Aelin.”

Aelin turned to face him, tears gleaming in her eyes again. “I love you completely, Rowan. To whatever end.”

“To whatever end.” Pressing a kiss to her forehead, Rowan gazed out at all the smiling faces watching them. He wouldn’t trade the feeling in his heart for anything.

THREE YEARS, TEN MONTHS, AND ONE DAY AGO

Connall couldn’t help the grin that grew on his face at the feeling of Vesta’s legs tangling with his underneath their table in the corner of the pub. They’d agreed to meet for drinks, but they’d opted for a booth in the back rather than just sitting at the bar because they both wanted the privacy so they could talk. He was glad they’d made that choice - Vesta was incredibly beautiful and he had no doubt someone would have attempted to hit on her if they’d been at the bar. He’d taken notice of two or three guys giving her appreciative glances as she passed.

“So,” he started as her foot settled behind his calf, “tell me about this weekend you needed to talk to my brother about.”

Vesta giggled, taking a sip of her wine before she replied. “The Thirteen are planning a weekend trip up to the lake - we have a place we always used to go to during university breaks, and it’s become a tradition of ours to go back a couple times a year. We have a trip planned for next weekend, and Asterin’s being stubborn.”

“Because she’ll be apart from Fenrys?”

“Probably more because he isn’t coming with - sometimes we bring our significant others with, if we have them. Asterin just likes to be difficult, but I was hoping Fenrys could help me convince her not to be.”

Connall chuckled, the sound coming from deep in his throat. “He probably wouldn’t have been much help. My brother likes to cause trouble.”

“Oh, so does Asterin - that’s why they get along so well.” Vesta reached over to intertwine their fingers then, her thumb stroking over the back of his hand. “But enough about our friends - I want to get to know you.”

Leaning closer to her over the table, Connall smirked at her. “What do you want to know?”

~*^*~

After an hour at their table, just getting to know one another, Connall was more taken with her than he’d been when he met her. At some point, they’d wound up on the same side of the booth, Vesta’s legs slung over his lap and their hands tangled in her lap.

She pulled one of her hands away to reach up and tap his septum piercing with her index finger. “I think this is incredibly attractive,” she murmured. 

“Thank you,” he whispered, his thumb rubbing a circle onto her thigh. “Is there anything else you want to know?”

Lifting her head to meet his gaze, Vesta smiled, a light flush rising on her cheeks. “There is one more thing I’ve been curious about.”

She seemed to take a breath then, almost like she was hesitating, and Connall raised an eyebrow at her, silently encouraging her to ask away.

Nodding, almost to herself, Vesta leaned up and pressed her lips to his. Though he was surprised for a second, he pulled his hands from hers to cup her face, keeping her from even thinking of pulling away. 

Connall’s lips moved slowly against hers, content to take his time getting to know the taste and feel of her. The sounds of the pub faded away as they sat there kissing in that booth, and Connall realized that he could very easily find himself falling for this girl.

THREE YEARS, FIVE MONTHS, AND SIXTEEN DAYS AGO

Lorcan was looking over some orders that needed to be filled when the dark-haired woman pushed the door open, heading for the second row from the back of the store. She moved with an incredible amount of purpose, though Lorcan thought he detected a slight limp in her stride, and the minute she rounded the end of the row she ducked out of sight.

Raising his eyebrows in confusion, Lorcan dropped his stack of papers on the counter and walked over to where the woman had disappeared. When he turned the corner, it was to the sight of the woman sitting on the floor behind the shelves, her knees pulled up to her chest even as she jumped at the sound of his approach.

“Er, is there something I can help you with?” Lorcan’s eyes locked on hers, trying to determine if she was going to cause any trouble. 

Levelling him with an intense glare, the woman lifted her chin as she replied, “Yeah, you can act like I’m not here.”

“Yeah, but you are here, so I don’t think that’s gonna work.”

She gave him another look, though this one was tinged with an edge of desperation. “Fine. But if you insist on talking, at least crouch down so no one can see you through the windows!”

Rolling his eyes, Lorcan crouched down to her level. “Okay, I’ll bite. Why are we hiding?”

She was about to reply, but the sound of the door opening caused her to throw her hands over her mouth. The sound of a throat clearing from the front of the store had her shaking her head. She reached out and grabbed Lorcan’s arm, mouthing a frantic “I’m not here” at him.

Lorcan nodded once before grabbing a ceremonial dagger off the shelf in front of him and standing, making his way toward the front of the store and the man who stood there. “Sorry about that, I was looking for this dagger for an order. Is there something I can help you with?”

The man nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. “Yes, actually there is. I’m looking for my niece - we were supposed to be meeting for lunch, but I’m afraid I was running a little late, so when I couldn’t find her, I just figured she’d ducked into one of the shops to pass some time. She has long dark hair, would probably come up to your chest, and she sometimes walks with a limp, poor thing.”

Deciding that he trusted the woman hiding behind the shelves more than the man in front of him, Lorcan shook his head apologetically. “I’m sorry, but I haven’t seen anyone like that in the store.”

“Ah, well, perhaps she’s in a different store.” The man cast another look around the shop before he turned toward the door. “Thanks for your time.”

Lorcan set the dagger he’d been holding on the counter, watching as the man disappeared into the hardware store across the street before he turned back toward where the woman was hiding. “He’s gone,” he called, watching as she stood at his words.

Coming around to the front of the store, she stood on her toes to glance over his shoulder. Once she confirmed her uncle was indeed gone, she nodded once at Lorcan. “Thank you,” she said, her dark eyes full of appreciation. “He can be… persistent.”

He nodded, acknowledging her gratitude. “Do you, uh, mind telling me what all that was about?” When she just cut him a look, he added, “I mean, since I did cover you, I kinda feel like you owe me that much.”

The woman sighed, even as she nodded. “My parents were killed in a car accident when I was just a kid, and my uncle’s the one who raised me after it happened. He tried more times than I can count to find a way to steal my inheritance, since I couldn’t touch it until I was eighteen. When I did finally come of age, I think he planned to try to force me to give him some money, but he never got the chance. I moved in with a cousin the moment I turned eighteen.”

“So you weren’t meeting him for lunch, then?”

“Of course not. I don’t speak to him anymore. But he has friends who work in town - I imagine one of them saw me and told him I was here. I saw him on the street and figured I’d hide. It was either here or the hardware store across the street. I chose here because Rowan and Fenrys are friends and I was hoping one of them would be here.”

Lorcan blinked in shock at that. “Sorry to disappoint,” he quipped. “You know Rowan and Fenrys?”

The woman dipped her head in agreement.  “Well, I knew their girlfriends first, but yeah. Aelin and I met in college, and Asterin is a distant cousin of mine. But the guys are friends now, so I figured this was the safest place for me.”

“Well, you’re welcome to stay here for a while if you want,” Lorcan said. “If he knows you’re here, he’ll probably check the other stores before he leaves.”

“Thanks,” the woman replied. “I really appreciate it. Oh, I’m Elide, by the way. Elide Lochan.”

“Lorcan Salvaterre.” He held out a hand, which the woman shook with a surprising amount of strength. “Feel free to look around, although I can’t promise that anything will be that interesting.”

Elide grinned. “Oh, I’m sure I’ll be fine. You have antique weaponry, right?”

“Yeah, it’s just over there - everything’s dated and historical significance is noted next to some of the weapons.”

“Then I think I’ll be good for a while.” With a grin and a wink, Elide turned toward the section of the store he’d indicated, her long hair swaying against her back.

~*^*~

After about an hour, Elide had determined that it was safe for her to head back out of the store. With another wink, she’d grabbed her bag and walked out the door. 

He didn’t know what it was, but something about Elide had struck Lorcan, had made him want to know more about her. She’d spent most of her time in the shop admiring the antique weaponry, commenting on the potential historical significance of some of the items. The rest of her time was spent trading quips and sarcastic comments with Lorcan. Her biting wit had him laughing more than he ever did, and her beautiful smile was enough to bring a grin to his face.

As he watched her walk down the street, he found himself hoping that Elide Lochan would be at the next party Rowan or Fenrys had.

.

Tags: @highqueenofelfhame @city-of-fae @musicmaam @throne-of-ashes-and-beauty @tacmc @tangledraysofsunshine @lordof-bloodshed @how-to-be-a-bad-ass-be-me @nalgenewhore @bookrebelwordwarrior @sleeping-and-books @froggy-waddles @mis-lil-red @keep-a-bucket-full-of-stars @photofeesh @belamoonbeam

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Thank you all so much for reading - part four comes out tomorrow night!

[grace-ko]

Unraveling | Self-Para

[homophobia tw, gender dysphoria tw ] 

Grace was soft in her steps as she made her way towards her office. The sun was far from rising and she was careful not to make too much noise, god forbid one of the kids wake up. But she couldn’t sleep, couldn’t quiet the millions of thoughts that seemed to be taking place in her mind. Not to mention the empty bed, the absence of Alana’s weight and comfort next to her was enough to have her staring at the ceiling for hours. So instead she wrapped her sweater around her tighter and stepped into her office, adjusting her glasses before she took a seat at her desk chair. She almost reached for her laptop but she knew just the temptation of wifi would get her lost for hours on sites and social media she didn’t need to be on. Or even worse, photo albums from their last family vacation. 

So instead she reached for one of her notebooks and a pen, closing her eyes for a moment before she wrote the date and time at the top. God, where did she even start? She stared at the paper for a moment, gripping the pen over and over again in her hand. “Just start,” she whispered to herself and started. 

Dear Alana,

Do you know what moment I’ve been playing over and over in my head? The bar we met at. The confidence you had, the way you spoke to me like you just knew we’d be something. It inspired me, made me feel bolder. Bold enough to go home with a woman after one meeting. Bold enough to pull you close that morning. Bold enough to let my heart be yours before I even realized it. Bold enough to love you so deeply, so truly, for the past fifteen years. Do you remember that night? Do you remember what you felt when I looked in your eyes? Do you remember the poetry you read to me while your hands traveled my skin? Do you remember the words you said? The way you believed in me, the way you believed in us? Do you remember? 

Because I do. I remember the night you told me you love me. I remember the night we decided we want to have kids, to create our own version of family. I remember the day our son was born, the sight of you holding him, the look in your eyes, the way it felt when you whispered, “I’’ll love you forever.” Was that a lie? It feels like a lie now. It feels like you woke me up from the longest dream of my life. It wasn’t always perfect. But it was good. And when it was good it was so so good. 

Like that trip we took the Amsterdam. Where we got too high and spent too much time in the tub holding each other and making out, afraid that if we got out the ground would sink below us. Or the time we went with your parents to City Island and you put your hand in mind and leaned over to whisper that this was our future. You did all of that, don’t you remember? You did this. You brought me in, let me trust, made me love you. God I love you. I love you so much I want to yell it from the rooftops. You have always been my proudest moment, my favorite muse, the person that made this love possible. But was it all a lie, were we all a lie? 

How pathetic would be that be? 

But I believe it because when we were bad, goddamn were we bad. Ophelia told me about you hitting on her. And maybe that was always there. The lingering glances, the fixation on the other women in my life, on who I may or may not be attracted to. God you were insufferable sometimes, so much so that it felt like I had four kids instead of three. You could be so childish, so...fucking stubborn. And you hurt me so many times. So many times. Like when we took the kids to China for the second time and you almost didn’t go because you felt like it was ‘my family’ not yours. When did you become so insensitive? So fucking distant? When you started dating some juvenile bitch? 

Or maybe it was when you realized that I was growing beyond you? Beyond the woman you had married? Was it when I expressed to you that I felt like I was no longer female. Like this body I was in wasn’t necessarily what I would have chosen when I was born. When I sat you down and told you that I had discovered a term, an identity that felt like home. When I told you how it would feel if just sometimes, sometimes I was your partner, or your spouse or your person and not your wife. If maybe I could be they and not she. And what did you tell me? You told me I was too old for that. That gender identity was for young people. That we were lesbians which meant two females. God we fought, I should have known then. I should have known then. How could I allow you to be around our kids when your thoughts are so fucking backwards? You refused to see me. Refused to see the way that some days I wake up and hate my breasts, I hate my body, I hate the things I was a given by a god I can barely believe in anymore. That some days I felt like the femme Queen of the world and yet others I just..I just wanted the comfort, the safety of the feeling of a good mens button up shirt, a blazer that fit me in all the right places. I almost cut my hair after you left, as the final fuck you but why give you the satisfaction? 

You made me feel like I was wrong, foolish, childhish and yet..that was all that you were. All that you are. You’re a fucking coward Alana. A fucking coward who has now broken my heart. I gave you so much of me. gave you my life. Gave you children. Worked for this home. I gave up my job so that I could raise these kids, so you could have your moment, so you could get your tenure. I shrunk myself to make you shine and how did I let that happen? How did I let your ego drown me out? How did I become the opposite of the person I had always dreamed of being? 

But I’m fucking done with this. I’m done. I’m about to be 51 and I refuse to live this life anymore. I refuse to be the person you made me. I will be stronger for our kids. For MY kids. You lose the privilege, Alana. You lose all of your fucking privilege. I cant believe I’ve cried so much over you. I cant believe I’m mourning a love I felt was unlike any other. But you’re just like the rest. Just another fucking disappointment. Just another waste of my fucking time. 

I’m not yours anymore. So thank you. For releasing me. I am fucked up and sad and broken. But I’ll be okay. Because the woman you fell in love with is still here. And they’re smarter, smarter than ever before. 

And if I can promise you one thing. 

It’s that you’re going to wish you never fucking met me. 

Fuck you,

Grace

They took a deep breath and reached up to their cheeks where tears were falling as they sat back and looked at the paper in front of them. Their heart was pounding, head still spinning with their words. They’d have to face Alana in another week as they sat down to talk about their divorced and they were hopeful that they didn’t feel as angry then as they did right now. But if they did, god help both of them. Because they were ready to fight, for everything they had, for everything they wanted, for their kids, for their life, for everything they knew they deserved. 

Grace pushed away from their desk and took a deep breath, wiping at their tears quickly. They ran their fingers over the letter they had just written and took it in their hands, glancing it over a few times. A part of them wanted to send it but knew that Amelia would tell them to wait to say their peace the day of. So instead they took it over to unlit fire place, grabbing some matches from their desk drawer. “I’m going to take your ass for everything you’ve got,” Grace muttered as they lit a match and brought it to the corner of the paper, releasing it as it caught fire and landed in the fire place. They took a deep breath as they watched the flames engulf it and turn their words into ash, finding some comfort in releasing those feelings into the universe. They didn’t know how much more they could bare this pain. But they knew that as soon as those papers were signed, it’d be a whole new life, a whole new reality. And god they were begging for it now, desperate to no longer feel as devastated as they did now. 

They made their way away from the fire place and back towards their bedroom, sighing as they fell back onto their bed. After a moment they grabbed their phone and typed out a simple e-mail to Amelia. 

“I’ll be ready this week. I don’t want her to see a single fucking dime. Talk soon.”

Grace sighed and covered their face with a groan, begging and praying sleep would come soon. If only for one night. They could put the pieces back together in the morning.