#he really did get a mini aelin at that point ))

[ircnwrought]

__________△       DESPITE       THE       NERVES       &&       THE       PAIN       SHE       FINDS       HERSELF       IN,       HIS       JEST       BRINGS       A       LIGHT       LAUGH       TO       HER.     she    tries    not    to    wince    at    the    movement    it    causes,       but    she    is    glad    to    have    him    at    her    side    in    this    moment.     ❛    i   believe   we   could   come   to   an   arrangement.    ❜       no   one   has   ever   treated   her   this   gently.     he    has    just    seen    her    kill    a    man    without    flinching    &&    still    looks    upon    her    with    such    softness,       she    cannot    quell    the    way    her    stomach    flips.     ❛    i   know   you'll   intend   them   to   be   guard   dogs,       but   i   warn   you   that   i   will   spoil   them.    ❜     she   grounds   herself   in   the   way   he   strokes   her   hand,       in   the   way   he   has   left   his   face   open   to   her.     she    wonders    if    he    could    see    the    shift    occurring    in    her     (       her   entire   world   seems   to   have   tilted   on   its   axis    &&    she   is   only   just   now   finding   her   new   balance     )

△__________       HER       SHOULDER       IS       ON       FIRE       AS       THE       PHYSICIAN       PACKS       &&       WRAPS       THE    WOUND.       she   never   looks   away   from   him,       trying     (    &&    failing     )       to   keep   the   pain   off   her   face.     still,       she    does    not    make    a    sound.     ❛    i   look   forward   to   it.       i   have   only   seen   the   beach   twice    &&    have   not   stepped   foot   in   a   sea.       terrassen   is   mountainous.       we   swim   in   the   lakes    &&    rivers.    ❜       her   tone   is   wistful   as   she   thinks   of   home.     she    misses    it    deeply.       she   always   knew   that   taking   a   reigning   monarch   as   a   husband   would   mean   splitting   time   between   their   respective   countries,       but   sometimes   she'll   smell   pine   or   feel   a   breeze   just   a   certain   way    &&    think   of   her   birthplace   with   a   bittersweet   nostalgia.       he   gives   into   her   dream   of    family,       of    ordered    chaos,     &&    she   looks   at   him   anew.     there    is    wonder    &&    astonishment    in    her    gaze    &&    she    offers    a    watery    smile.     damn    her    for    melting    as    she    does.     ❛    it   will   be   a   shared   burden       …    ❜     teasing   is   cut   short   as   she   bites   her   lip   to   stop   the   term   of   endearment   from   leaving   her   lips.     my    heart.       here,    she   can   pretend   it   is   because   of   the   physician's   now   finished   work.     she    tastes    blood.       she   hears   him   begin   to   pack   his   instruments,       leaving   instructions   for   care    &&    assurance   he   will   check   on   her   before   the   end   of   the   night.     the    queen    is    lucky,       she   catches.     lucky    indeed.

"Naturally," he continues her jest, amusement playing at the corners of his lips despite the seriousness of their situation. "Although, I think I'd prefer a different kind of treat..." he winks, ignoring the fire burning in his stomach as the physician approaches. It was taking all his effort and control to remain calmly seated at his wife's side, instead of raging to his men to immediately find who the assassin was working for. His expression softens at Aelin's earnestness in response to his suggestion, and he nods. "Of course, I'll get you two," he promises, his thumb brushing against the back of her hand.

He flinches as the physician smoothly pulls the knife free from Aelin's shoulder and staunches the sudden gush of blood that follows. Remarkably, his reaction is almost greater than his wife's own response and he looks at her in surprise - he is accustomed to obtaining injuries of similar severity, but that would not stop him from roaring with pain. But, for now, he ignores the implication behind Aelin's evident familiarity with pain (he'd drawn his own assumptions about her numerous scars, but had hoped he might have been wrong) and remains focused on her words, a small smile tugging his lips upwards. "Yes. We must visit as soon as you are recovered," he nods, certain that their army could manage without them for a day or two. His expression turns uncharacteristically soft as she continues his talk of children, and he hums in agreement. "We can have that," he assures her. "In fact, we will have that. As many children as you wish. Just as long as I don't have to clean up after them all," he teases, ever so gently moving over to press a kiss to her cheek. Bizarrely, the thought of half a dozen children running down the corridors of the palace does not feel him with fear as it once did - not when he imagines Aelin's eyes that gaze up at him from their tiny faces.

[tomtenadia]

For the love of a kingdom - Epilogue

And that’s another story officially over....

2 years later

Fenrys had decided that playing hide and seek with the princess and Aidan in the royal wing had been a bad idea. The toddlers were two and three and a half respectively but were as sneaky as their parents. Uncle Fenrys had offered to babysit while their parents were busy. Aelin and Rowan were in a long and tedious council meeting that luckily he did not have to attend. Aedion was at the academy training some new recruits with Lorcan and the rest of the fae and Lysandra was at school. After things started to go back to normal, she had decided to go back teaching like she used to before the war with Adarlan. Elide had opened her own clothing shop and was also the official royal seamstress. 

“Come on kids, come to uncle Moon, Moon.”

Fenrys started to worry. He knew he had locked all the doors and they would not be able to escape but he still worried. Those two really were sneaky.

“I promise sweet treats, if you come out and let me catch you.”

He walked to the bed and that’s when he heard a giggle. 

“Where are my two favourite little ones?”

The man crouched and then lifted quickly the sheet and Aidan screamed and tried to wiggle out but Fenrys caught him.

“Let me go,” shouted the boy.

Fen put the boy down and then told him to be quiet with a finger on his mouth “if you help me find Aisling I will give you double ice cream.”

The boy’s face lit up “strawberry?”

“I think Emrys made it this morning.”

Aidan gave him his hand and the two marched around the room. The fae finally heard the little girl and pointed at the closet. They walked slowly to it and then Fenrys opened it and Aisling screamed.

“Got you,” he told the girl as he grabbed and lifted her in his arms.

The girl climbed down quickly and ran away and Fenrys started chasing the two kids around the room. Until he finally managed to grab them both and carry one under each arm “Do you surrender?”

“Never!” They both shouted.

“Well, no ice cream then.”

The kids stopped screaming and calmed down and Fen smiled in victory.

Still with both kids in his arms he walked to the kitchens and once there he dumped them at the table and Emrys laughed.

“You look exhausted.”

“They are two hellions.”

“Ice cream! Ice cream!” Both started shouting in unison and the cook went to grab two bowls, spoons and distribute the food.

“Finally peace and quiet,” added the blonde man when the two kids eventually calmed down.

He stared at them eating quietly and smiled. Aidan was Aedion’s copy and same fierceness. He was very close to Aisling and he was just as protective of her as the general was of his queen. Aisling was identical to Rowan. Growing up her hair had settled to his same silver shade and her eyes was just as piercing green. But that’s where the similarities finished. Aisling was a mini Aelin. Just as fierce and stubborn as her mother.

They were expecting another child and Rowan had confessed his hope for the next one to be less of a handful. He loved his daughter but Fen was aware of his friend being in a constant state of exhaustion for the past two years.

“Finished!” Shouted Aisling all happy with a face that was a chocolate mess.

“We wait for Aidan.”

“He is slow.”

“Lin…”

“Can we go to the library?”

Aisling loved books like her mother. She could not read yet but her parents had started reading to her very early and the girl loved spending time in the library with an adult reading stories to her.

“Books are boring.”

The girl glared at Aidan and he grinned back.

“What if I tell you a story about your parents?”

The two children perked up.

Not long after they were heading to the library for storytelling time.

*

“I am five months pregnant, these meeting are far too long,”

“No one will blame you if you miss one from time to time.”

Aelin looked at her mate “I am the queen, it’s my job.”

Rowan sighed, he had lost that battle fat too many times.

“Let’s go and get our daughter and save poor Fen.”

They found him in the library. Fenrys was asleep on the couch with Aisling laying on top of him and asleep too. His strong arm held her tight and safe. On the floor a few kids’ books abandoned.

Aelin giggled at the image.

“He had two today. The poor man must be shattered.”

Rowan went to get his little girl and that’s when Fenrys woke up “I swear I was not sleeping.”

The queen laughed “It’s fine, they are exhausting, we know.”

“I did not lose Aidan. Lys came to pick him up a while ago.”

“Go Fen, you are relieved of your babysitting duties.”

The man bowed and walked out happily.

In the meantime Aisling had fully woken up and was now trying to wiggle free from her father’s embrace.

“Did you have a good time with uncle Fen?”

“Yes.”

The girl had far still to much energy and Rowan had an idea.

“It’s a lovely day, shall we go for a walk in the woods?”

The little girls squealed in delight.

Aelin took her mate’s hand “let’s go buzzard, baby and I need fresh air too.”

Rowan lifted his daughter on his shoulder and hand in hand with Aelin they ventured out of the castle.

They stopped in a clearing and the warrior deposited his daughter on the grass and then helped Aelin to sit down.

Aisling started running like a free spirit and Aelin smiled at her daughter while Rowan stood and followed her with keen eyes. Then he had an idea and transformed into his hawk form. Aisling screamed and walked to him. She knew her dad could transform into a bird and he would use that trick to calm her sometimes.

“Dada bird!”

Bird Rowan proceeded to her and Aisling sat on the grass and patted the animal on its head and let his daughter hug him. Aelin scooted closer and petted him too.

“Fly birdie.” Aisling grabbed her father’s wings and tried to make him fly. Rowan pretended to peck her, then took the skies with a mighty cry.

Aelin pulled her daughter to her and both watched Rowan circle around them and disappear.

Rowan did a few circles overhead then decided to go for a short exploratory flight. Until something caught his attention. He cried and flew quickly back to his two women and landed in a hurry.

“Come fireheart.”

“What?’ What’s all this urgency?”

Aisling went back on his shoulders and then he helped his pregnant wife to get up and then started walking.

Ten minutes later he stopped and Aelin gasped. Not in horror but in surprise.

In front of them carpeting the side of the hill a bed of kingsflames was spreading through Oakwald. 

Legend said that the flower was a gift of the gods and it would carpet the hills of the Stagorns to bless the current regent of Terrasen.

Rowan brought her in front of him while his arm wound around her stomach.

“All for your, fireheart.” He kissed her head while Aisling stared at the pretty flowers.

“No, buzzard, for both of us.”

For the pain.

The struggles.

For them.

And for their love of a kingdom.

tags:

@rowaelinismyotp​ @swankii-art-teacher​ @whimsicallyreading @elentiyawhitethorn​ @aelin-bitch-queen @bruiseonthefaceofhumanity  @mis-lil-red @thegreyj​ @sailorsassley @leiawritesstories​ @clairec79 @morganofthewildfire​ @sv0430 @heartless--aromantic @autumnbabylon @rowanaelinn​ @backtobl4ck @susumaus98  @gracie-rosee @mybloodrunsblue @tanvee1231 @avenrebekah @whoever-you-choose-to-love  @theywillnotsingforme @universallytreepost @black-daisy-water @goddess-aelin @whispers-in-the-darkest-heart @lovely-dove-zee

[manonblaqkbeak]

Friendship Rekindled

Hello, back for Day 10--single parents. This is the second part of a mini series during canon week. this is continuing off from Day 1--desperately in love. there’s going to be two more parts and i cant wait to get them out there!

i think this could be considered a little angsty, given some of the conversation topics that happen.

cw: brief mention of death and blood loss. mention of an abusive parent. (if i miss any, pls dont hesitate to let me know!)

enjoy! :)

2.9k words (my longest fic yet i believe)

It was nice to be finally out of the house, Aelin decided as she walked up to the nursery, her five month old daughter, Olive, strapped to her chest. After being cooped up for what felt like the last five months, Aelin had decided to liven up her apartment with some plants.

Hardy, un-killable plants, that is. Being a single mother didn't leave her much time to look after other things, so she needed some plants that required minimal water, but also had to be pretty to look at.

It was also a plus that there was a cafe attached to the nursery, and she heard that they served the best scones with homemade strawberry jam and cream in Orynth. All her life she had never come here, but she needed somewhere new to visit. And to reacquaint herself with her home town. Not long after Rowan and Lyria's wedding, Aelin had transferred to Rifthold for work, and had used the miles apart to quietly disappear from their lives.

That was four years ago now, and come back home to be closer to her parents. Aelin had never known her grandparents, and Aelin didn't want to deny her parents the privilege of knowing Olive, so she had transferred back just before she went on maternity leave. Aelin was happy to be back, especially since she hadn't seen Rowan or Lyria. The last she heard was from Elide, who got it from Lorcan, that a year after marriage, they were expecting. She was happy for them, she truly was, but that didn't stop the stab of pain she felt when she heard the news. She had dreamt of her being in Lyria's position for a few weeks after she heard the news, but forced herself to stop. To move on.

Aelin had, in a way. She would always love Rowan, but she needed to move on. It was wrong to consider her daughter a distraction, but she did provide the perfect one. Aelin briefly removed her lemon printed bucket-hat (Aelin wore a matching one) to kiss her head, her golden hair sparse, laughing her perfect baby laugh.

Aelin finally entered the nursery, tugging her nappy bag higher on her shoulder as she took in the hundreds of plants. She had no idea where to start, but started her browse. She slowly walked through the fern section, stopping every now and then to let Olive touch one, making the cute hand grabbing motion when she saw one she liked.

Aelin heard the laughter of a young child behind her, and then a deep and familiar one accompany it.

Aelin froze. It couldn't be. Surely the Gods weren't that cruel. Months she had been here, for the first time in ages she had decided to do something for herself, only to be met by that damned laughter.

Slowly she turned, her sandals making the gravel underneath crunch. She saw a flash of silver and a broad body.

Turning around had been a mistake, because when she did, so did the silver-haired man.

And for the first time in four years, turquoise eyes landed on pine-green ones.

Rowan blinked, and then blinked again as he took her in. His eyes widened as he noticed Olive strapped to her body, her face on display as she took in her surroundings. Her baby had the chocolate brown eyes of her father, but it was clear to anyone that knew Aelin that Olive was hers. Her daughter had Aelin's nose and hair colour, and would likely grow to have more of Aelin's features as the years went by.

Behind Rowan, his cousin Enda was holding the hand of a brown-haired boy. It was difficult to tell his exact age, but he looked to be about three. If Rowan was here with his son, then it was a good chance that Lyria would be here, too. The woman was a flower enthusiast, and was practically a walking encyclopedia when it came to flowers. Any questions anyone had, they went to Lyria.

Aelin really did not want to be here. Did not want to have that conversation of why the hell she had left and dropped all communication with them after the wedding.

Aelin hated it, but she adverted her gaze and started to leave. She would have to come here another day—maybe after she called the office to make sure that there was no silver-haired man in attendance.

“Aelin,” Rowan said, his voice raspy from surprise. Gods, she missed his deep voice and the rolling purr of his accent.

Aelin pretended that she didn't hear and made a beeline for the exit. Rowan called her again, and then a third time. Just as she reached the gate, his warm hand landed on her shoulder gently. His hands were still calloused, his hands always doing some type of manual labour work. She wondered briefly if he was still an auto mechanic.

Turning around, Aelin noted the shock in his dark eyes. She gave him a weak smile, not sure what to say.

“What are you—I mean, how are you? Where have you been?”

“I'm good,” Aelin answered after a moment, not really sure how else to respond. “I've been around. What about you?” Somehow, these questions didn't feel like the right ones to ask. Before Rowan could say anything, Olive made herself known, making grunting sounds that meant she wanted attention, so Aelin kissed her hand and said to Rowan, “This is Olive.”

Rowan's eyes dropped down to Olive. “Is she yours?”

Aelin snorted, a sound she hadn't made in so long. It was something she often did around Rowan—or used to, that is. “No, I bought her from the store. Yes, she's mine.”

Rowan's eyes dropped lower, to her ring finger—her empty ring finger. There had never been a ring there. Aelin's traitorous eyes drifted to Rowan's and her heart stopped when she noticed that his ring finger was bare as well—that there was no tan line to suggest that he had only recently removed it.

“I'm doing this on my own,” Aelin found herself saying after a moment.

“As am I,” Rowan said. Aelin cocked her head to the side, annoyed at herself for being curious. “Lyria...Lyria passed away three years ago.”

Aelin's heart shot up to her throat, choking her. Years ago, Aelin had horribly wished that the ring Rowan had purchased was secretly for her and was heartbroken when it wasn't.  In her loneliest moments, she had wished that Rowan and Lyria would break up and somehow find his way to her in Rifthold; but never, never-ever in a million years would she ever have wanted this to happen.

Why the hell hadn't Elide told her? Or anyone else for that matter?

Aelin found her voice after long minutes of just staring at him, processing his words. “Rowan, I am so rutting sorry. I had no idea. Are you...are you okay?”

“I have my good and bad days”. He pointed to the brown-haired boy with Enda, who were both busy inspecting each leaf and flower petal in front of them. “That's Egan, he's a plant lover like his mother.”

Aelin couldn't really see him, but she still said, “He's adorable.”

“He is, and a little terror,” Rowan said, a small smile on his tanned face. After a moment, he turned back to her, and asked, “Are you...doing anything? I'd like to talk, it's been a long time since we have.”

She should say no, but she ended up saying yes.

Taking a deep breath, she followed Rowan back inside the nursery and to the cafe.

X X X X X X

It was turning out to be an ordinary Saturday when Rowan had needed to get out of the house, so he asked Egan if he wanted to go to the nursery and his son had enthusiastically agreed, asking if Uncle Enda could join them. Thankfully, his cousin was free and more than happy to spend time with his nephew.

Never in a million years did he think he would run into Aelin. He had heard the rumours that she transferred back to the publishing house and that was it; there was no mention of her being pregnant. But when Rowan looked up and spotted Aelin, and his eyes immediately dropped to the baby strapped to her chest, his heart had stopped.

He had once wished to have that life with Aelin, exploring the world with their child, one that had Aelin's hair and his eyes; but Rowan never told Aelin how he felt because he knew how badly her last relationship ended, and he didn't want to put any unnecessary stress on her if she didn't feel the same way. Didn't want there to be any chance to ruin their friendship.

And so, he had moved on. Had started dating Lyria and came to love her, but not the same way as he loved Aelin. And when Rowan proposed, he had only done it because his parents were getting older and wanted him to get married, wanted him to have a grandchild.

It was cruel irony that they had both died before Lyria had even given birth.

He was bastard, and he hated himself. Lyria was kind, sweet and gentle—and deserved someone better than him, should have been with a man that truly wanted to marry her for her and not because of family pressures. But he never stopped himself from their relationship moving forward.

But he was doing better, thanks to therapy, because while he may have been a bastard, he didn't want his son to know that. Maybe it made him a bastard to hide this part of himself to his son, but his son was gentle like his mother and Rowan loathed the idea of Egan growing up to hate him.

And as Rowan asked Enda to take Egan home, Rowan could see that Enda thought that this lunch was a bad idea—Rowan had confessed his secrets to his cousin long ago, how he loved Aelin even when he was married to Lyria. How he had wanted that life with her instead.

Rowan knew that he was going to be on the end of a scolding conversation when he got back to his house, but he told Enda that it was going to be okay and that he was fine and could handle this.

Enda sighed heavily through his nose and muttered a 'good luck' under his breath. Rowan planted a kiss of Egan's head and told him that he would be home soon. His son was too excited to spend time with his Uncle to really notice.

When Rowan returned to Aelin's side, they soon found a nice spot in the cafe that was away from others.

It was...painfully awkward for a good while. They only spoke to order their food—scones with jam and cream with a side dish of seasonal fruits for Aelin, and a steak sandwich with fries for Rowan—and then lapsed back into silence.

They ate in silence, too, and Rowan wondered if maybe this was a tremendously bad idea when Aelin said, softly but not weakly, “What happened to Lyria?”

Taking a deep breath, Rowan swirled his fries in the mustard on his plate. He hated this part. “She passed away not long after giving birth. She hemorrhaged and bleed out too quickly for anything to be done. Egan never really got to meet her.”

“I'm sorry,” Aelin said, doing her best to speak over the lump in her throat, “that's horrible. I'm so sorry.”

Years later and Rowan still never really knew what to say to that. Needing to distract himself, he asked, “So, what's your story?”

Before she could say anything, Olive started crying, and without a seconds hesitation, Aelin started feeding her. Some people stared in disapproval and Aelin stared right back, unflinching. He knew that if someone said something, she would spit back. It never made sense to Rowan how people frowned upon breastfeeding. A small smile made its way to Rowan's mouth at the steely look in her stunning eyes. That was the Aelin he knew and loved.

When the strangers turned back around, Aelin looked back at him, the steel in her eyes softening. “I briefly dated my high school boyfriend, Sam, for a while back in Rifthold, and well...the condom broke and Olive made her appearance.” Not the most elegant way to describe the situation, but Aelin figured she had years to think of a better way to explain Olive's appearance if her daughter ever asked.

“And he wants no part of it?” He had no right to ask, but the question left his mouth before he could stop it.

Aelin sighed, and finished feeding Olive and cleaning themselves up before responding. “It's complicated...Sam's father, Arobynn, is a cruel man. He's manipulative and sadistic, but knows how to turn on the charm when it suits him. Sam has been scared of him his entire life, and didn't want Olive to know the fear that he did. So, every month Sam sends money, but he's not on the birth certificate—he doesn't want there to be any paper trails leading to Olive's existence. I had to convince him that it was safer to transfer me the money than to send it through the mail. I send him pictures from time to time, but whether he saves them, I have no idea.” Not to mention the miserable length of the conversation of sending money electronically. Sam was so damned paranoid that Arobynn checked his accounts that Aelin had almost told him not to bother to send anything when he relented. Aelin could provide Olive well enough on her own, but it was helpful to have that extra bit of cash—baby things were expensive as hell.

Aelin bit her lip. She hadn't meant to divulge that much, no one knew that, not even her best friends,  but she didn't regret it. It felt...like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

“That's awful, Aelin, I'm sorry to hear that.”

“I just...” She probably shouldn't ask, but out of everyone she knew, none of them were single parents. “Has Egan ever asked about his mother? What do you say to that?”

“He's asked a few times, and I've told him that she passed away when he was little, but I don't think he fully understands what I'm talking about.” Those conversations were the hardest that he ever had to go through, and he knew it would be worst when Egan grew and fully understood what death meant.

“I have no idea what I'll tell Olive when she's older and asks about her dad,” Aelin admitted. “It's not like he's gone, but he is absent and I just...what if she grows up to think he hates her? I think that would kill me if she ever thought that.”

Without thinking, Rowan reached over and too her hand in his. Her hand was soft in his, and he swiped his thumb against her knuckles. “You have a good few years to worry about that. Who knows,” he added, “maybe Sam will be able to get out from his father's shadows and you three can be a family.”

A small smile made its way to Aelin's face. She was more beautiful then he remembered, and he wasn't sure if he should feel guilty for thinking that.

“I like the sound of that, but I'm not going to get my hopes up. I'd like to think that I can do this on my own.”

“You can, but if you'd like...if you ever need help with something, if you need someone to look after Olive, I could do that for you.”

Silver lined Aelin's eyes as she watched him. “Are you sure? I wouldn't want to intrude.”

“That's what friends are for, aren't they? To help?” And as a single parent himself, he knew how hard it could be raising a child in this hectic world.

Aelin's smile grew. “Okay, I'll keep that in mind. And if we're friends, could you help me find some plants? I'm sick of looking at my boring walls.”

“Okay, I know the perfect ones for you to get—ones that are practically impossible to kill.”

“I'm going to ignore that implication that I can't look after a plant.” Although it was true.

Rowan snorted. “Because you can't. I remember that poor aloe Vera plant that you slaughtered.”

Aelin narrowed her eyes, but he could see just a hint of mirth behind the glare. “I did not slaughter that plant, it just didn't like me!”

Rowan laughed and it was the most freeing sound he made in a long time. After he calmed down, he said, “Come on, let's finish here and I'll help you to liven up your place.”

“Fine, but I better not hear anything about my poor gardening skills or I'll let down your tires.” And she would, he knew, but Rowan just smiled even more.

“It's a deal.”

The conversation moved much more smoothly and Rowan realised how much he missed her. And Aelin realised how much she missed him, too.

Maybe things wouldn't be too bad after-all. It would be nice to have Rowan in her life again, even as a friend, even if she still loved him and knew it could never be, not after everything.

[leiawritesstories]

Improbability

Rowaelin Month, Day 26: You’re seeing my roommate and accidentally walked into my shower. Featuring Sam and Rowan as roommates. :)))

Word count: 1542

Warnings: language, little bit of math gobbledygook that I stole from my stats class.

Enjoy!

~~~~

“Mate, you alright with my girlfriend coming over today?” Sam called out to his roommate. “We’re probably going out, but I asked her over here first.”

Rowan pulled out one of his earbuds and stuck his head out his bedroom door. “Yeah, that’s totally fine, just for God’s sake warn me if you’re going to do the dirty on our couch, bud.”

“THAT WAS ONE TIME!” Sam yelled, “and I was 100 percent sure you had football!”

“It’s called soccer, Cortland!” Rowan laughed, never missing the chance to poke at his British roommate. 

“Whatever, mate. You’re good with Ae hanging out here for a bit, yeah?”

“Sure am. She’s a fun person.” Rowan put his earbud back in and returned to doing his homework, or rather, swearing at his statistics textbook. Some fifteen minutes later, he heard the door of his and Sam’s dorm open.

“Anybody home?” enquired a throaty female voice. “Someone told me he was at home, but obviously he’s too busy to go out today. Guess I’ll just go drink with the girls, then.”

“And leave me lonely?” Sam asked.

Aelin Galathynius, who’d been dating Sam for almost two years now, smiled. “Never.”

He returned the grin and pulled her into the living room, where their conversation faded into a blur of noise too dim for Rowan to interpret. Not that he minded…much. Aelin was hilarious, though, and he loved hearing her make cracks at Sam’s British habits, her friends, her day, and pretty much anything else she thought deserved a snarky comment. 

Slamming his stats book closed, Rowan huffed a sigh and decided that he could use a quick shower to relax a little before heading out to training. He grabbed his towel and a bar of soap and went into the tiny dorm shower, which was low enough that he, at 6’3,” had to crouch to fit under the shower head. Grumbling to himself about the stupidity of whatever idiot architect designed dormitory showers, he stood under the stream of hot water and tried to make sense of all he still had to do. Which was too much. After somewhere around five minutes, he stuck his head out of the shower, realizing the dorm had gone awfully quiet. 

Maybe Sam and Aelin were out, then, he thought.

Rowan turned off the shower and reached for his towel, giving himself a quick dry-off before stepping out. He was just wrapping the towel around his waist when the door swept open.

“Oh, shit, sorry, I didn’t realize you were in here!” gasped Aelin.

Rowan gaped at her, forgetting that the only thing between her and a prime view of what he may or may not have been doing in the shower was a dark green bath towel.

A too-thin green bath towel.

Aelin’s turquoise eyes traveled down his frame, decidedly not missing a single detail. A pink flush spread over her cheekbones, and she hastily backed out of the bathroom and shut the door with a firm click.

Rowan swallowed whatever he’d thought he might have said and told his raging male hormones to calm the hell down. Quickly, before anyone else could walk in on him, he pulled on his practice jersey and sweats and went back to his room, where he grabbed his soccer bag and hauled ass for the gym.

He spent the entire 90-minute workout trying and miserably failing to get the image of Aelin Galathynius in her unfairly attractive blouse and miniskirt blushing at his nearly-nude self out of his mind. When he got back to his dorm, having showered in the locker room, this time without anyone interrupting, Sam and Aelin were gone. Sam had left a note on his bedroom door, stating that he’d probably be back around three. Checking his watch, Rowan groaned. It was almost two, and he’d broken down and signed up for stats tutoring at four. 

He just hoped that whoever the tutor was, they’d be able to help him get his mathematical shit together and pass the course. 

~

Two hours later, Rowan walked into the library and took a seat in the study room marked with a sign that read “STATS 320 TUTORING 4 PM.” Nobody else was there, but to be fair, he was a little early. He plopped his textbook, notebook, and calculator onto the table and waited. 

And nearly fell off his chair when Aelin Galathynius walked into the room.

“What the hell?”

“What the hell, what?” she asked, obviously amused at his reaction. 

“I--I didn’t expect to see you here, that’s what the hell. You here for tutoring too?”

“Yes and no.” Rowan blinked in confusion. Aelin’s little smirk grew bigger. “I am the tutor, Rowan. You’re here for my assistance…and expertise.” She winked.

He felt himself flush at the image that conjured. “Yeah, expertise, in stats, right?” He knew full well he was stammering like a fourteen-year-old on his first date, but that about summed up how his roommate’s girlfriend made him feel right now.

“Correct.” Just like that, Aelin was all business. She set her backpack down, closed the door, and sat across from Rowan. “So. How can I help?”

He sighed. “I’m stuck. I need this class, it’s the last math I have to take for my major, I’m usually decent at math, and I’m fucking stuck on a concept my professor said was fucking simple.” 

Aelin listened to his mini rant without comment. She pulled out her own stats notebook and calculator from her backpack and slipped on a pair of glasses. Rowan cocked his head. 

“I didn’t know you wore glasses.”

“Reading glasses, Whitethorn. I’m supposed to wear them whenever I’m reading, on my laptop, or studying, but do I? Hell no.” She grinned. “Don’t tell my optometrist.”

“Given that I don’t know them, no problem.” He returned her grin.

She flexed her fingers and turned her attention to Rowan’s math. “Right, big bad soccer boy. Where are you stuck?”

He flipped his book to the section on conditional probability distributions. “Here. I took notes, and it seemed logical enough, but I completely tanked the quiz we just had, and I don’t know where I went wrong.”

Aelin scanned the quiz. “You’re reading the graphs wrong.”

“What?”

“Conditional probability is the probability of an event occurring given that a certain condition is satisfied.” She opened her notebook to a blank page and drew a horizontal line. “Any time you see a condition, that condition goes in the denominator.” She pointed to one of the problems he’d answered wrong on the quiz. “What’s this question asking you to determine?”

“Probability that a student chosen at random is an engineer given that the selected student is female.”

“Right. So, you take the condition, the ‘given,’ and put that number in the denominator. Remember you’re only looking at the row labeled ‘female,’ because that’s the condition. Once the condition’s written in, you find the other part of the question, in this case the number of female engineers. Put that number in the numerator, divide by the denominator, and there you have the probability. Does that make sense?”

“Condition in the denominator…” Rowan mumbled, writing it in his notes. He looked up at Aelin and smacked his hand flat on the table. “Aelin, I’m a fucking idiot. I spent so much time trying to look at the totals that I didn’t remember to keep the condition, I--goddammit, I’m stupid.”

“You’re not stupid, Rowan, lots of people struggle with conditional probability at first.”

“I’ll bet you didn’t.”

“Oh, I did. A lot.”

“Really? But you just explained this shit to me better than my professor.”

“I…I happen to like stats. Might be part of my major description, but I just find working with the numbers extremely satisfying.”

“What’s your major?” he asked, intrigued.

“Don’t judge me.”

“Nope. Promise.”

“I’m in finance.”

His eyebrows shot up. “I’m impressed.”

She blushed. “Thanks. It’s a lot of stats and spreadsheets and yelling at each other about the stock market, but I really love it.”

“You’re making me look bad; I’m just your standard pre-PT student athlete”

“Standard pre-PT student athlete,” she mocked, “don’t sell yourself short, Whitethorn. Pre-PT is nothing shabby.”

“Yeah, but not remembering a stupidly easy math concept sure as hell is.”

She snickered. “Fair enough. Is there anything else I can help you with, or is that all for this session?”

He flipped through his notes. “That’s all I had for today, but I’ll probably be back at some point whining about another tricky concept.”

Aelin grinned, closing her notebook. “Wait until you get into chi-squared models. I’ll be here then, waiting for all the stats students to come crying to me while I plug seventeen equations into my spreadsheet and hope it actually calculates the quarterly interest this time.”

Rowan shook his head. “You lost me at ‘chi-squared,’ Aelin.”

“Oh, trust me, it’s fun.”

“As much fun as you and Sam have?”

Her voice dropped to a sultry purr. “Your couch would know.”

Before he could sputter out a response, she’d shouldered her backpack and was walking out the door. Rowan watched Aelin Galathynius leave, wondering how fast he could make up an excuse to talk to his roommate’s brilliant girlfriend again.

[cloudywriter]

camp staghorn - 2

alright, here’s part 2, starting to get good now! next part features rowan’s side of the story its very exciting. anyway, enjoy! also send in prompts (preferably rowaelin) if you want, i like a mix of things im writing or i get bored. 

masterlist, main masterlist, AO3

~~~

It was the first official day of camp. Aelin was slightly disappointed by the basic ice cream sandwiches that were apparently the well sought-after prize, she almost felt bad for sabotaging Rowan over such a thing. 

Nonetheless, Aelin got dressed along with the rest of her campers. They sleepily weaved around each other as they readied for the busy day ahead. Pulling on a generic tank top and shorts while shoving her hair in a ponytail, Aelin decided she was ready enough.

“Alright, everyone has to apply sunscreen before we go!” Aelin reminded the group as she squeezed toothpaste onto her brush. She received a couple of okays in return. 

Finally, she and the rest of the camps made it to the dining hall where eggs and mini pancakes were being served. Aelin spotted Rowan Whitethorn from across the room, hunched over the small, white table surrounded by his friends from the other day.

She made her way to the line forming for food, consequently passing Rowan’s table in the process. 

“Hey, Rowan, look it’s the girl who kicked your ass!” She recognized Fenrys as the one making the snide comment. Rowan only glared.

Aelin tossed him a sweet smile, “The ice cream was delicious by the way!” She didn’t linger for a response, instead, she joined Lys in line, but she heard Fenrys laugh and slap Rowan on the back.

The rest of breakfast went without consequence, Aelin sat with Elide and Lys while keeping a close eye on her campers. She thought she’d likely just have to endure Rowan’s glares and frowns for the rest of the week in retaliation for her behavior. 

Boy, was she wrong. 

+++

It was midday and the afternoon sun was beating down on everyone. Aelin felt sticky with sweat and sunscreen as she sat down with the rest of her campers on a bench painted with a peeling, light green rouge in front of the stage.

Every day, before lunch, the camps were scheduled to gather back in the center. It was a time for kids to hydrate and camps got the chance to perform skits or play games. So far, Aelin’s group had gotten plenty of time on the rock climbing wall. She was enjoying herself despite the weather, she was having fun getting to know her campers. 

Now, Aelin was desperately gulping down water as Gavriel appeared on stage. 

“Hey, guys! I hope everyone is having a good first day at camp so far! As you know we at Camp Staghorn like to take this time for some fun between the camps! First up on today’s agenda camp 12 has a special skit they’re apparently dying to perform, so without further ado, everyone give it up for camp 12!” The crowd responded in claps and even a few whistles. 

Gavriel exited the stage and handed Rowan the microphone as he did so. Rowan hopped on stage with his group of boys in tow, they all looked giddy, practically bouncing in their shoes. 

“Hi everyone, I’m Rowan, camp 12’s counselor, and today-” 

“We will be baking a cake!” A little boy screamed into the mic, interrupting Rowan. 

“Uh, yes, a cake.” Rowan was adorably awkward on stage, Aelin had to admit. 

Rowan passed the microphone down to another little boy, “First, we need a volunteer!” The boy shouted enthusiastically into the mic. Hands shot up around Aelin, kids were half out of their seats jumping up and down in an attempt to obtain the boys’ attention.  

“Hm,” the boy mused as he surveyed the crowd. Rowan bent down and whispered something in his ear and that’s when the boy pointed right at Aelin. “We will take you as a volunteer!”

Aelin’s girls giggled and started trying to push her out of her seat, she rolled her eyes playfully and made her way on stage. Once she was up there the boy instructed her to sit in a chair that had been pulled onto the stage. Aelin did as told and waited. She wasn’t quite sure what was about to happen but Aelin was never one to turn down the spotlight. 

“Alright, everyone knows the first ingredient that’s called for in every cake recipe is flour,” Rowan now spoke into the microphone once again. Aelin waited patiently for directions when suddenly a mound of flour was poured into her lap. It coated her, the flour stuck to her sunscreen and covered her face, attempting to wipe it off was futile. 

“Don’t forget the eggs!” A boy yelled and then Aelin truly almost lost it.

An egg had been cracked atop her head and was sliding down her hair, she could feel it. The kids were laughing hysterically now, all thinking it was one big joke but Aelin was seeing red. She was honestly shocked and trying to process what the hell just happened. 

“We need sugar too!” As soon as a granule of sugar made contact with Aelin’s hair, she hopped out of the chair, still wiping at the flour around her eyes. 

“What the he- heck!” Aelin demanded, turning to face Rowan with a scowl. 

“Did I not mention it was a human cake?” Rowan grinned, looking mighty pleased with himself. 

Aelin wanted to punch the stupid smile off his face. She wanted to curse him out with every dirty word that she could think up but the laughter of children reminded her of their audience.

“I’m afraid you didn’t,” she responded in the coldest tone she could muster. Rowan only shrugged then wiped his finger through the flour on her cheek. 

“You’re a little under-baked.”

It took every ounce of Aelin’s self-control to walk off the stage and back to her cabin to wash off without murdering Rowan Whitethorn. 

Poor Rowan had started a war with the wrong girl. 

+++

As dinner approached Aelin had thought up about 10 different ways she could get Rowan back and she kept a mental list of all of them. 

Her campers were well aware of Aelin’s foul mood and let her have her space as the day went on. The wheels kept turning in her mind until Aelin deduced she had a perfect plan to get him back tonight, it wasn’t anything too crazy, no. Aelin wanted to start small, minor inconveniences until she could really fuck him over as the week progressed. 

Aelin and the girls were taking a stroll around the lake when she turned to them. “How do you guys feel about getting camp 12 back for their little skit this afternoon?”

The girls raised their eyebrows and a little girl named Ansel spoke up, “Like a prank war?”

“Yeah, like a prank war,” Aelin considered. The girls giggled at that and were totally on board as Aelin explained her master plan. 

+++

The camps were meant to be eating down at the lake tonight, cuddled up around campfires and each camp had their own pre-packed dinners to bring down there. Aelin and her girls went to the dining hall early, ready to snatch up camp 12’s dinners well before they came to collect them. 

Nobody was even there to question Aelin and her campers as they retreated with the dinners, slipping out of the dining hall with ease.

Now, it was time for phase two. It was a fairly simple plan, easy to execute. They stuffed all the dinners into a trash bag and ventured into the forest where there was a collection of mini ziplines that traversed a flowing creek. 

It was just too easy to tie up the trash bag onto one of the ziplines and send it off until it was dangling above the middle of the muddy stream. 

“Looks good girls, now let's go get our dinner,” Aelin turned around to the group of girls all wearing wicked smiles.

So, Aelin made her second trip to the dining hall that evening to claim her camp’s dinners. She decided to leave Rowan a little note on a napkin where his food was supposed to be, she intended for him to know exactly who had done it. 

I heard there’s special dining tonight at the staghorn mini ziplines 

-A

She even added a little heart for emphasis. 

~~~

taglist: @live-the-fangirl-life

@rowaelinismyotp

@gosuckadickghostman​

@camilamartinezdunne​

[louiseleblancdiggory]

can you do some rowaelin content based on invisible string by Taylor? pretty please

I love TS!!! Invisible String is so pretty and I had the perfect idea for it immediately. The whole bracelet thing was a real thing where I grew up, so it was nice to write about it. Enjoy!

Invisible string

--

May 1993

Aelin didn’t believe in love at first sight, but the first time she saw Rowan Whitethorn, she wanted to.

She had barely turned fifteen, just two days before, when she saw him for the first time. Then, she didn’t know his name, his age or anything about him, but she wanted to.

She was sitting down on a shaded spot on the green grass. Lysandra and Elide had dragged her to the park in the morning to watch the early Beltane commemorations. Every year on Beltane day, the kids were provided a series of games and prizes in the Centennial Park, and at night the adults would come, light up the fires and dance until the sun shone in the sky once more. Aelin loved Beltane, it was her holiday. Her family used to joke that it made sense that a girl that had so much wildfire inside of her had been born so close to Beltane.

Her spot in the grass gave her a direct view into the yogurt shop on the other side of the park. And there, standing in a ridiculous pink-and-blue apron and white hat, was the silver headed guy she couldn’t stop staring.

“You know who’s the guy working at Emrys’s?” She nudged Lysandra with her elbow, and her friend sat up and looked to where Aelin was jerking her chin.

“The silver headed?” Lys asked, her nose scrunching up. “Rowan Whitethorn. He’s in your cousin’s class, turning seventeen in a few months, I think.”

“Hum.”

“Oh, no. I know that look. Whitethorn is bad news, Ace. Stay away from him.” Lys warned and Elide nodded from where she was laying down.

She nodded vaguely, but her eyes didn’t leave Rowan. Even for his age, he was already tall and toned. His teal shirt was rolled back at the sleeves to reveal a tattoo sneaking up his arm from his wrist. He was completely serious, not smiling at one costumer and seeming infinitely bored.

Rowan Whitethorn looked like bad news, and Aelin was attracted to it like a moth to the flame.

However, she didn’t go up to him. At that time, as much daring as she was, she still possessed that teenage natural shyness, and talking to a boy two years older than her who looked like he wanted to smash everyone’s skulls wasn’t really her area of expertise. She watched him every now and then, though. The morning ended, giving away to a hot afternoon. At some point, a few kids started running around with buckets, giving away little strings to everyone.

“It grants you a wish.” The little boy told her when he stopped by her tree. “You tie it around your wrist and when it falls down naturally, you can make a wish and it comes true.”

“Oh, really?” Elide, always the nicest one of their trio, asked sounding genuinely interested.

“Yes. Anything you wish becomes true. Sometimes it falls after days, sometimes it takes years, my daddy told me. But it falls eventually and you get a wish.” The boy sounded extremely excited. Aelin guesses that being eight and going around giving magical strings did that to a kid.

“I’ll take one, then. Who doesn’t want a wish, right?” Elide said and the little boy nodded eagerly, handing her a purple string.

“I’ll take one too, of course.” Lysandra smiled, receiving a green string and tying it around her ankle.

When the little boy turned to Aelin, she grinned at him. “I wouldn’t waste the opportunity of having a wish come true, would I?”

The boy smiled back at her, giving her the only gold string inside his bucket. He was running off to the next group of people before she could even thank him. She laughed under her breath, starting to tie it around her wrist. As she gave it the final knot, she looked back at the yogurt shop. Rowan had, surprisingly, also accepted a string from a little girl. He gave her a little smile as he knelt near her, and when she sauntered off, his eyes roamed around the park, stopping on her.

Aelin thought she was mistaken, that in no way in hell he was staring at her, but as Rowan finished tying his string, he raised his wrist and winked.

Aelin could only stare at the equally golden string on his wrist.

———————————

October 1996

Rowan was celebrating his twentieth birthday just the way he planned: getting drunk.

He and his friends had been planning this trip to Los Angeles for months now, and they had ditched a whole week in the university to do it . It was completely worth it, though. They had spent the last three days doing fucking nothing other than drinking and playing some shitty videogame. Rowan had watched Fenrys flirt with every woman that talked to him, watched Lorcan and Aedion scowling and Connall and Vaughan acting like the loving couple they always were.

Things were normal and they were good.

“Man, how the fuck did you find this restaurant?” Fenrys muttered, taking a sip of his beer. Rowan had to agree, the pub’s entrance was almost unnoticeable, and if it wasn’t for Aedion, they would have never found it.

The food was great, the drinks were great and whoever was in charge of the playlist had impeccable taste. Rowan couldn’t think of a better place to spend his birthday.

Aedion scoffed, putting his phone down. “I didn’t find shit. My cousin has been to LA a thousand times and pestered me about coming here. She said, and I quote, that it was her favorite pub in LA, that the food was divine, the beer didn’t taste like piss and, even if the two latter statements weren’t true, the amazing music makes up for it.”

“You are Aelin’s cousin!” The waitress exclaimed, a heavy Scottish accent making the words roll out of her tongue. She must have heard what Aedion was saying when she was walking back to their table to ask if they wanted anything else. “You have her face, and I’ve heard her say those words every time she visited us. Lovely girl, wicked smart, too. Tricked poor Rolfe into letting her buy beer at the age of seventeen! We all though she was twenty two until she was tipsy enough to reveal the truth.”

Aedion grinned. “Sounds exactly like my cousin.”

The waitress laughed out loud, looking at the rest of them. For some reason, her eyes stopped at Rowan. “Beautiful girl, isn’t she? Gets prettier every time she comes by. Looks like one of those American singers.”

He smiled politely at her, but didn’t answer. Rowan had never spoken to Aedion’s cousin. Actually, he had only seen her once.

Rowan looked down at the worn string on his wrist. All his friends had lost theirs already, but Rowan’s was still standing strong. He didn’t believe in any of that bullshit, but he had to admit he had grown fond of the soft scrapping the string gave him. The mention of Aelin and the vision of the golden string only helped him remember the only time he had seen her. It had been Beltane little over three years ago, he was just sixteen and working with yogurt because he really needed the money.

He would have never wore a blue-and-pink apron otherwise.

The day was terribly hot, and Rowan hated interacting with people. Hated small talk and it looked like every person that came by decided that they didn’t want only yogurt, but also a five minute talk with him.

Absolute fucking torture.

When the kids had come around with the strings, it was the first time Rowan wasn’t pissed at the need to talk to someone. The kid had been lovely; a little girl explaining how he would be granted a wish if he wore the string and let it fall naturally. She grabbed the only golden one inside her bucket, running away as Rowan tied it on his wrist.

He looked around mindlessly, but his gaze stopped on a golden haired woman looking at him. Being so far away, Rowan couldn’t identify who she was exactly, but there was something familiar about her. And even from afar he knew that the girl was drop dead gorgeous.

And then he noticed the golden string on her wrist. If it was any other color it might have been something he would have missed it, but the golden thing caught in the light and shined, just like the one on his own wrist. Rowan never understood why he did it, but he raised his wrist to how her his string and winked at her.

Later he discovered why she had looked familiar. She was his best friend’s cousin.

“Ace does get prettier every year.” Fenrys’s voice rang, taking Rowan out of his memories. “Much to the dismay of anyone who has to deal with her ego.”

Vaughan laughed at that. He and Fenrys were the only ones besides Aedion who had any contact with Aelin.

Still staring at the golden string, Rowan almost opened his mouth to ask Aedion for her number. He didn’t know why, the thought had come all too sudden to his head, and he bit his tongue to stop the words.

He didn’t know Aelin one bit, and just ask for her number after a waitress said she was beautiful sounded like a way to pick a fight with Aedion who was extremely protective of his younger cousin.

No, Rowan thought, better to just leave things as they are.

——————————————

New Year’s Eve 1999

Aelin never thought she would be spending New Year’s Eve in a dive bar with her friends and her cousin’s friends.

Usually for end of the year celebrations, her parents would organize a gala or some shit that would force Aelin to wear a boring dress. This year, however, her parents decided to go travel to Europe and spend two weeks there.

And because of that Aelin was wearing a mini red dress, extremely high stilettos, listening to obnoxiously bad music in a small dive bar as she and her group drank beer of questionable quality.

It was fucking great.

She toyed with the dull string on her wrist, the thing probably just hours or days from snapping. After almost seven years, it was about time. She had thought about simply cutting it before, but could never go through with it. It had become a friendly bracelet, one she twisted when nervous or distracted. It had been in all her photos since the age of fifteen, and it would be strange when it fell.

“So I wasn’t the only one who didn’t get their wish yet.” A man’s voice came from behind her, and Aelin turned around to stare at her teenage crush.

Rowan had been attractive at sixteen, but now at twenty three he was straight up hot. He had grown even more, his body looking just as defined. Even with the heels, Aelin tipped her back a little to look at him.

They had never talked, never even looked at each other after that Beltane celebration. Every now and then Aelin would consider asking Vaughan or Fenrys for Rowan’s number, but that would have been strange. She had even once looked him up on social medias after a nasty break up with a man named Chaol. Rowan had no idea who she was, but a small part of Aelin would never be able to forget him.

He had been the crush of her teenage years, even if they had never interacted.

“I’m almost.” She said, raising her wrist the same way he had years ago. “Never thought I would enter the two thousands with this thing still on my wrist.”

“Looks like the golden ones are really lasting.” He showed her his wrist, an equally worn golden string laying there. “I’m Rowan.”

“Aedion told me about you. I’m Aelin.” She extended a hand, and he grabbed it with a smile on his face.

“Aedion has told me about you, too.”

“I tremble just from thinking about exactly what Aedion has told you.” She shivered and he laughed. He didn’t look like the angry teenager she had fallen for in secret, but like an easy going man that she would have no problems talking to.

Oh no. We are not going back to our fifteen years old crush. We have grown out of that.

“Want to go to the bar grab a drink?” He asked.

“Sure.”

Fucking idiot.

Aelin almost told her brain to shut up out loud.

“So, what have you been doing? Still with the whole yogurt shit?”

He smiled at her as they walked to the bar. “Fortunately have left those days behind. Most miserable job I have ever had.”

“The blue-and-pink apron and fake smile really did it for you, though.”

He laughed out loud and Aelin smiled, sitting on a stool.

“Was I that memorable, Galathynius? You saw me only once.”

And at that moment, a doubt she had for the past years had been answered. He had seen her that day, and the wink had probably been to her too.

“The sight was ridiculous enough that I could never forget, Whitethorn.” Her grin became wider. “And the little white hat on your hair was the cherry on top.”

Rowan was trying to scowl, but Aelin saw how he had to bite the inside of his cheeks to refrain from laughing. The moment he opened his mouth to reply, Fenrys threw his arm around her shoulders, taking all attention to him.

“My two favorite people.”

“You’re drunk.” Aelin deadpanned as Rowan sighed.

“It is my happiest state of mind, my dear.” He booped her nose. “I’m so glad the two of you started talking by yourselves. I thought I would need to introduce you guys.”

Aelin knew she would regret it immediately, but she asked anyways. “Why would you bother, wolfie?”

“Well,” he started, suddenly trying to act serious. Aelin had to bite her lower lip at the impatient look on Rowan’s face. When he looked at her, his eyes were almost pleading.

As if I could stop him now. She mouthed to him.

Wishful thinking, Galathynius. He mouthed back.

“Three years ago I thought it would finally happen, you know?” Fenrys continued, oblivious to Rowan and Aelin’s silent conversation. “Me and Vaughan always thought the two of you would get along. Same music taste, same movie taste, and bla bla bla… Three years ago,” hiccup. “Three years ago I thought Rowan was finally going to ask Aedion for your number after Aed said that you had been the one to choose the pub Rowan had loved. But he didn’t.”

Fenrys turned to Rowan, scowling deeply. Rowan’s ears were red, his cheeks slightly pink.

“And Aed was a prick and didn’t offer it himself.” Fenrys looked genuinely pissed. “And then tonight I learn from Lysandra about Aelin’s teenage cru—“

“Ok!” She said a little loudly, her own cheeks on flames. She tried not to look at Rowan, hoping Fenrys’s drunk words had been misinterpreted. “It’s two minutes for midnight, Fenrys. Go find someone else to make the last minutes of the century miserable.”

As if he hadn’t been about to drop one of her biggest secrets and embarrassments, Fenrys simply gave her a peck on the cheek and walked away.

She stared at his back, not wanting to look at Rowan.

“What was that, Ace? I didn’t catch it right. Teenage what?” He asked, but by the tone of his voice Aelin knew that he knew exactly what Fenrys was talking about.

She was going to kill Fenrys. And then Lysandra for telling him. And the Aedion for buying Lysandra the alcohol that made her tell him.

“I was young.” She said through clenched teeth. Her cheeks were burning.

When she turned back to him, he had a grin on his mouth.

“You liked me?” He sounded dopey.

“Fuck off.”

He laughed loudly, almost doubling over. Gosh, she wanted to open a hole on the ground and never see civilization again.

“Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, the heartbreaker, had a crush on me?” A little bit of laughter was still on his voice, the smile still big on his face. “I’m flattered. Honestly.”

“Please, please shut the fuck up. And never talk about it again.” She pleaded, looking at the big clock on the bar. One minute for 2000. She was going to spend the last minute in the century dying of embarrassment. “Gosh, I want to kill you right now. And Fenrys, and Lys. Anyone with the information.”

“I remember when I heard that you had made Archer Finn cry when you broke up with him.” Rowan said as if she hadn’t said a word. “And you were head over heels for me.”

“I wasn’t head over heels for you, you insufferable bastard.” She grunted, crossing her arms and standing up. “And Fenrys said you were going to ask for my number three years ago, so stop gloating about me liking you.”

“I was.”

“I know you were gloating, I fucking heard you.” She raised her chin, looking at the clock again. Thirty seconds.

“I was going to ask for your number, I mean.” He explained, still smiling. Aelin didn’t know what to answer at that, so she only stared at him. He sounded so much more comfortable talking about it than she was. “You think these things accept me getting my wish before they fall?”

“What?”

Twenty seconds.

“Like, I get my wish now and when it falls I don’t wish for anything.”

Fifteen seconds.

“I don’t know?” Aelin replied. “I’m not really an expert on fake strings’ magic.”

Ten seconds. Everyone started the countdown.

“Well, let’s pretend then that it was an invisible string.”

Nine, eight, seven…

“Huh?”

“An invisible string. It broke right now and I get a wish.”

Six, five, four..

“An invisible string?”

“Yeah.” He smiled at her, and she instinctively smiled back at him.

They just stared at each other during the next two seconds, and when everyone screamed “one”, Rowan put his hands on Aelin hips and dragged her forward, placing her in between his legs as he bent down and pressed his lips to hers.

Aelin sighed, putting her arms around his shoulders and kissing him back. Rowan’s mouth was soft and warm against hers, and Aelin could feel his smile against her lips. She smiled too, and he took the opportunity to shove his tongue inside of her mouth, deepening the kiss. One of his hands went to the back of her head, holding her in place was his lips moved on hers, as his tongue moved against hers.

“Happy New Century, Galathynius.” Rowan murmured against her mouth, the screams around them sounding muffled by his voice.

“Happy New Century, Whitethorn.” She murmured back, smiling against his mouth as they kissed, not caring for anyone else, or anything else, as they focused on each other during the first minutes of the new century.

——————————————

December 2008

“And she had the biggest crush on me when she was fifteen.” Rowan whispered.

“Rowan Whitethorn, I swear to the gods that if you are telling them I liked you when I was younger, I’ll become a widow today!” His wife’s voice rang from the kitchen, and Rowan fake winced.

His kids only laughed at their parents, bright and happily.

Aelin’s golden head popped out of the kitchen, showing him her tongue. Rowan only winked at her, the same way he had when she had been fifteen. Her face morphed into a soft smile, and she came to them. Aelin sat on his lap, turning to their kids. Rowan pulled her back against her chest, putting his nose on the crook of her neck and breathing in.

He had been wrong eight years ago. The invisible string between them hadn’t snapped.

His wish did come true, though.

Tags:

@abookishfreak @faerie-queen-fireheart @in-love-with-caramel-macchiato @jlinez @courtofjurdan @aelinfeyreeleven945tbln @ladywitchling @maastrash @morganofthewildfire @queen-of-glass

[saylors-universe]

All Hands on Deck, four

Rowaelin Cruise Vacation AU

Masterlist here

word count: 3275

[This is an interactive story! I will include Authorʻs Notes throughout the chapters to inform you when to start a particular song that you can find here in the All Hands on Deck playlist (Also can be found on the masterlist). For the best experience, listen with headphones, AND FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE STORY. Please try to use your imagination when listening and reading - live through the words. Have fun :) - Saylor]

-

Day 3 - ANIELLE PORT - “Welcome to Anielle! The Ellywe Voyager will depart tomorrow at noon, so make sure you are back onboard!”

   “Wake up you lazy bum,” Aelin straddles atop Manon on her bed, pillow in hand, ready to hit and smother her. She strikes with the soft cotton once, reviving her comatose roommate. Aelin makes a move to strike once more when the aggravated, waken beast catches the pillow mid-swing, much to Aelinʻs surprise.

“Hit me again and Iʻll gut you,” Manon threatens with a deadly tone.

“Good morning to you too, sunshine,” Aelin smirks, gets off of Manon and heads towards their bathroom, “donʻt worry, I wonʻt take it personally. You do get grouchy when you donʻt get enough sleep,” she pokes her head out of the bathroom to look at Manon, “So who, pray tell, kept you out so late last night, a handsome activities director perhaps?”

“I have no idea what youʻre talking about,” Manon refutes drowsily, now sitting up against her bed frame. 

“Oh come on,” Aelin pushes back, now sitting at the foot of Manonʻs bed, “you think I havenʻt noticed the little ʻflirty thingʻ going on between you two?”

“Thereʻs nothing ʻgoing onʻ,” Manon shares with air quotes.

“Oh yeah? Well then whereʻd you go last night?”

“Nowhere, I just stayed back to help Dorian clean up from the show,” Manon gets cut off by Aelinʻs burst of laughter.

Aelin, breathless and on the brink of losing it again, “You? You helped him clean up from the show? Manon you have never once offered to be helpful or selflessly volunteered to do something for someone,” she giggles even more, “Oh my god, you are SO into him.”

“Oh shut up,” Manon throws the pillow at Aelin and she falls back in laughter, but because she was at the foot of her bed she ended up tumbling over and falls on the ground. Manon cackles at the sight of Aelin on the ground, getting up and flipping her off.

   Eventually they both calm down from their humorous morning and relocate to their patio balcony, looking over the docks and people watch. 

“Where are we?” Manon inquires.

“Anielle, Lys and Aedionʻs door says they went out on a hike and I have no clue where Elide and Lorcan went,” Chaol was from Anielle and from what she last heard, he was home visiting family, most likely introducing his new girlfriend to his parents. “You feel like getting off the ship and hitting up the supermarket?”

“Nah,” Manon shares, and Aelin feels a sense of relief, sheʻs not exactly sure why. Although it was highly unlikely she would run into him, she decided not to leave the ship at this particular port, just in case, after all the Gods did hate her and she wouldn't put it past them to somehow place her ex in her path. “Wanna look around the ship more? Iʻm sure thereʻs more to this big floating raft than just the pool and Sky deck.”

“Sounds like fun, letʻs do it,” Aelin was happy to have this time with Manon. It had always been Manon and Elide, the two roommates turned inseparable best friends. She could tell that ever since Lorcan entered the picture, Manon had been getting left out. Now, with them being the two singles in their friend group, they have time to get closer and become great friends.

   The two women get ready for the day, leaving their room after organizing their doorʻs magnets into the message “out exploring” and then they stroll off to the food bar before their day plans to grab a quick cup of coffee and say good morning to Emrys and Luca. To begin their adventure, they continue on the Lido deck, already familiar with the pool, they investigate the extensive food buffet bar. They find that Emrys and Lucaʻs station specialize in breakfast foods in the morning and then offer fresh burgers and fries for the rest of the day. A little further down they find the all-you-can-eat salad bar, the ice cream machines, and the dessert bakery. Aelin sets her sights on the most glorious stack of chocolate cakes she has ever seen. Her mouth waters and she begs Manon to stop for her to grab a slice and demolish it. 

   They move on to the opposite side of the pool, they happen upon the hot tub jacuzzi and the sauna rooms nearby. Traveling a little further down, they find four ping pong tables, three occupied with intense, heated games. They halt for a quick game on the remaining, open table. A game that Manon absolutely destroys Aelin at. Who knew Manon was so speedy and had the most precise hand-eye coordination? Also near the ping pong tables they notice giant chess and checker boards with giant, life-sized pieces. 

   They make their way to the stairs and travel up to the next deck, the Sports deck. They walk around, taking note of the basketball courts and the mini-golf putt courses. Taking the elevators to the Verandah deck, they find the fancy, dress up, sit down restaurant, The Antica. The two women agree to drag the rest of their friend group there later that night to finally have a family style meal.

   Moving to the Promenade level, where they knew the music room was located, they found a library and recreational center on the opposite side of the ship. Aelinʻs passions had always been music and reading so she found her comfort, happy place in the shipʻs library. She dragged Manon through the libraryʻs alcoves and bookcases, finding a brilliant, diverse collection of stories and works. 

Coincidentally enough, the two run into Dorian Havilliard, his nose stuck in a book in the deepest shelf in the library.

“My, my,” Aelin spooks Dorian who jerks up from his reading, “heʻs devastatingly handsome, and he reads, how very ostentatious of you Mr. Havilliard.”

He blushes and grins at the realization of being caught, “My preferred method of escape,” he closes his book and returns it to the shelf, “how may I be of assistance today,” his dazzling smile returning.

“Well being an avid reader myself, Iʻd love to share some recommendations with you later but for now could you point us in the direction of some attractions on this massive ship.”

“Absolutely, have you guys seen the dance club or the arcade/casino lounge bar yet?” The two shake their head, “Why donʻt I escort you guys?” They happily accept the tour and Aelin takes the role as wing-woman, nudging Manon closer to Dorian every so often. Aelin doesnʻt miss the murderous glare Manon gives her in warning, she just sticks her tongue out, scrunching her nose, and continues on. Dorian gives them the full tour of the dark, vacant dance club. She made a mental note to visit later and experience the chaotic night life first-hand. Then Dorian shows them through the casino lounge, Aelin sticking close to Manon in fear that sheʻd be tempted and fall victim to the trap of gambling, again. 

The three of them return to the main deck when Aelin gets distracted by the sound of soft piano playing. 

[A.N.] Play “Pantomime” by Ben Hammersley now, follow along, and let your imagination work. Find playlist here.

Aelin canʻt determine where the music is coming from, which intrigues and sparks her curiosity. 

   BREAK TIES

   BUT STRUGGLE WITH THE CHAINS IN LIFE

   YOUʻLL ALWAYS BE THE PUPPET WIRE

   STAPLED TO MY HEART

   IʻM WASHED OUT

   IN SORROW AND IN GLORY

   ITʻS ALL THE SAME OLD STORY

   BUT THIS WILL BE THE TIME

   AND I DONʻT KNOW WHY YOU CALL

   WHEN ITʻS ALL GOING WRONG

   OH, I DONʻT KNOW

   IʻLL TELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT

  AND I DONʻT KNOW WHY YOU CALL

  WHEN ITʻS ALL GOING WRONG

  OH, I DONʻT KNOW

  IʻLL TELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT

-  Aelin addresses Manon and Dorian, “Do you guys hear that?” 

   They both nod, looking just as confused and curious. They collectively take on the challenge of the mystery and peruse around the ship trying to find the source of the music.  -

   FORGIVE ME

   FOR ALL THAT I HAVE DONE

   AND ALL THAT I WILL DO

   ITʻS NOT BECAUSE OF YOU

   IʻM DARKER NOW

   AND DARKER WITH EACH DAY

   AS BOTH OF YOUR FACES

   START TO LOOK THE SAME

   AND I DONʻT KNOW WHY YOU CALL

   WHEN ITʻS ALL GOING WRONG

   OH, I DONʻT KNOW

   IʻLL TELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT 

  AND I DONʻT KNOW WHY YOU CALL

  WHEN ITʻS ALL GOING WRONG

  OH, I DONʻT KNOW

  IʻLL TELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT

   IʻLL TELL YOU WHAT YOU REALLY WANT

   TO HEAR

  TO HEAR

  TO HEAR

  TO HEAR

-   They follow the sound, leading them to the elegant ballroom. Aelin spots a small crowd, formed around where she last recalled the grand piano. The three respectively move around people to take part in whatever has captured everyoneʻs attention.   -

   AND I DONʻT KNOW WHY YOU CALL

  WHEN ITʻS ALL GOING WRONG

  OH, I DONʻT KNOW

  IʻLL TELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT

 AND I DONʻT KNOW WHY YOU CALL

 WHEN ITʻS ALL GOING WRONG

 OH, I DONʻT KNOW

 IʻLL TELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT

  IʻLL TELL YOU WHAT YOU REALLY WANT

   TO HEAR

-  Aelin slips in through a crack in the wall of bodies just as the maestro ends and the crowd applauses. She catches Rowanʻs attention, sitting at the piano, a soft smile plastered over his tanned, slightly pink from sunburn, face. He clears his throat, now fully aware of her presence, and then addresses his small audience.

“This one, I wrote recently, itʻs called Rome.”

[A.N.] Start “Rome” by Dermot Kennedy now, follow along, and let your imagination run wild. Find playlist here.

Rowan:   SO WHATʻS THE PAST FOR?

   IʻLL NEED IT IF LOVE DONʻT LAST LONG

   YOU CAN RUN AROUND INFINITE IN MY HEAD

   OH YOU CANʻT SEE, OH, IʻD STAY IF YOU ASKED ME

   NOW YOU KNOW I CARE, 

   BUT ITʻS HARD TO TELL WHEN YOUʻRE SCARED

   BUT LAST NIGHT

   IT HURT ME TO HEAR YOU SAY IT FELT BROKEN

   AND EVEN THOUGH I TRIED

   ALL THESE MEMORIES RUN MY MIND IN SLOW MOTION

   DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN

   MIDNIGHT DRIVES WHEN YOUʻD SING

   IʻD PLAY YOU SONGS YOU WERE IN?

   I JUST WANT TO BE THERE AGAIN

   DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN

   WITH ROME BELOW US THAT DAY

   YOU SAID, “I WISH WE COULD STAY”

   I JUST WANT TO BE THERE AGAIN

   REMEMBER THAT FIRST LAUGH?

   ALL IT CHANGED ONCE I HAD THAT

   LIKE A HURRICANE, BUT I DONʻT CARE WHERE I LAND

   SO, DANCE CAREFREE, I HOPE ITʻS EASIER KNOWING ME

   NOW, YOUR SOUL IS YOURS, BUT IʻLL HELP IT MOVE IF I CAN

  BUT LAST NIGHT

  IT HURT ME TO HEAR YOU SAY IT FELT BROKEN

  AND EVEN THOUGH I TRIED

  ALL THESE MEMORIES RUN MY MIND IN SLOW MOTION

  DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN

  MIDNIGHT DRIVES WHEN YOUʻD SING

  IʻD PLAY YOU SONGS YOU WERE IN?

  I JUST WANT TO BE THERE AGAIN

  DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN

  WITH ROME BELOW US THAT DAY

  YOU SAID, “I WISH WE COULD STAY”

  I JUST WANT TO BE THERE AGAIN

   DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN, OH

   DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN

   I DONʻT EVER WANNA LEAVE WHEN YOU CRY

   I KNOW I GIVE YOU REASONS TO HIDE

   I NEED YOU TO STAY BY MY SIDE

   FIRST SHOOTINʻ STAR THAT YOU EVER SAW

   WE WERE RIGHT ON OUR FEET THOUGH, RIGHT?

   OPENING THE CAR DOOR FOR LIGHT

   I REALLY THOUGHT IʻD LOSE YOU THAT TIME

-   Their eyes lock onto each other  -

 DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN

 MIDNIGHT DRIVES WHEN YOUʻD SING

 IʻD PLAY YOU SONGS YOU WERE IN?

 I JUST WANT TO BE THERE AGAIN

 DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN

 WITH ROME BELOW US THAT DAY

 YOU SAID, “I WISH WE COULD STAY”

 I JUST WANT TO BE THERE AGAIN

  DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN, OH

  DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN

  DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN, OH

  DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN

   OOH, AH

   OOH, OOH

-  The crowd cheers and applauses, Aelin shortly following them once her heart slowed to a healthy pace. She offers Rowan a shy, sincere smile and then proceeds to grab Manon by the wrist and drag her back to the library where she letʻs out her panicked, disoriented rambling. Manon manages to calm her down by opening up a nearby book and getting Aelin to start reading. She spent the next few hours reading the book, totally oblivious to the real world and her surroundings. Once completed, she returns, finding Manon no where to be found. She probably went off to see Dorian no doubt. Aelin makes it to her empty cabin room and takes a nap, waiting for her friends to return.

-

Night 3 - ANIELLE PORT - “Movie Night: ʻBeauty and the Beastʻ Tonight on the Lido deck at 8:30pm, Come join us!”

   Aelin wakes from her nap right at the peak of the sunset. She enjoys the beautiful display of colors from the comfort of her cabinʻs patio balcony, basking in the silence and alone time.

   She leaves her room and notices across the hall on Lys and Aedionʻs door, the magnets reading ʻHomeʻ, so she knocks and to her surprise, Lorcan opens the door. He lets her in and finds all her friends; Lys, Aedion, Manon, and Elide in a heated game of cards.

“Hey sleepyhead,” her cousin greets, looking up from his unfortunately delt hand.

“How was your hike?”

“Oh it was awesome, right Lys?” 

“Oh yeah, it was so much fun, you guys should have come, we left really early though, we tried knocking on your door but you two must have still been sleeping,” Lysandra answers.

“Next time. And you guys?,” Aelin gestures to Elide,” what did you and Lorcan do today?”

“The cruise offered us some honeymoon spa sessions, so we got some couple massages today,” Elide grabs for Lorcanʻs hand, their engagement bands clinking. 

“Sounds fun”

“We were actually waiting for you, weʻre all going to get ready, dress up all nice and fancy and go to dinner. And then maybe weʻll stop by for the movie tonight?” Manon pitches.

They finish their game and everyone ushers off to prepare for dinner. Manon puts on a one shoulder, black to red ombre dress that falls all the way to the floor. She styles it with thin, black strapped, open-toed high heels and red, ruby earrings. Aelin decides to wear a deep blue, backless, form fitting dress with a deep v-neck, presenting her flattering cleavage, and a front slit reaching to her high-mid thigh. She styles her ensemble with creme colored close-toed heels, and a warm, creme-toned bracelet and pendant necklace.

The two meet back up with the group, everyone styled very fancy and professional. “Wow, you boys clean up nicely, and ladies you look as beautiful as ever,” Aelin exclaims enthusiastically. Aelin and Manon lead the way to The Antica on the Verandah deck. A server meets them at the entrance and informs them that there is assigned seating. He asks for their keycards and they provide them, he looks over their cards indicating their place on the seating chart and then leads the way.

   They are shown to a large, round table, able to seat nine maybe ten. They each take a seat, Aelin and Lorcan being the bookends with the other empty seats in between them. The waiter returns, taking the tables order for drinks, they order a bottle of red wine for the table. After about ten minutes, three very attractive men, in formal wear, are guided to the table by another server and they each take their seats. Connal takes the empty seat next to Lorcan, opposite Elide, Fenrys beside his twin, and Rowan next to Aelin.

“Evening everyone,” Rowan greets. His deep, sensuous voice sends a warm tingle down Aelinʻs spine. “Aelin” he says more quietly, and only to her, in greeting. Her eyes graze over his finely-tailored suit and his styled hair. Wow, she thinks to herself. How is it possible for him to look even more fine. Her train of thought gets cut off when the waiter returns with the bottle of wine they ordered, he then goes around taking drink orders for the new patrons.

“Iʻm fine with just a water, thank you,” Rowan informs the waiter. Aelin tries really hard to focus on the menu in front of her, but her eyes continually wander elsewhere. Before she knew it, the waiter confronted the table, jotting down everyoneʻs order for their entree. The waiter gets to Rowan and Aelin monitors his face, not exactly hearing any words. The waiter gets to her and still being undecided she blurts out, “Iʻll have what heʻs having.”

“Escargot?” Rowan questions in disbelief.

“Um, yeah, Iʻll have whatever he said,” she notifies the waiter, having absolutely no clue what escargot is. 

For the duration of the wait for their meals, the entire table take part in friendly discussion. They share jokes and laughs and Aelin recognizes feeling comfortable, happy even, with this group of individuals. 

Their food arrives and Aelin stares at her plate for a few minutes. Snails. Rowan had ordered cooked snails. In their shells and everything. And like an idiot who couldn't pay attention for five seconds, she ordered them too. Not ready to own up to her idiocy, Aelin takes a few bites of her questionable meal. Not terrible, she thinks to herself, but this is definitely a one time thing, god Iʻm going to have to stuff my face with so much cake after this.

The group finishes their meals and wine, continuing their exciting conversations which everyone contributes in. Manon brings up her idea to catch the showing of ʻBeauty and the Beastʻ on the Lido deck and so the group finishes up their thoughts, cleans up a little and travel together to the Lido deck. Before finding their seats, they all stop by the ice cream machine and help themselves to a creamy, soft-serve cone. Aelin takes the chance to sneak away and head further in the bar and gets to the dessert bakery. She snags a slice of chocolate cake and begins devouring it.

“Still a fan of chocolate, I see,” 

Aelin turns, mouth full of cake, “you caught me”

She says it so innocently that Rowan canʻt help but laugh.

“Did you want some?” she offers him a bite. He holds up his hand.

“No, thank you though, I just wanted to check on you, make sure youʻre okay.”

She laughs, “Hm let me see, besides eating snails, Iʻve found the library, read a really fascinating book, taken a nap, and tried the best cake Iʻve ever tasted, Iʻd say Iʻm doing pretty great.”

They share an intimate moment of pure laughter and joy.

“Well we better get back to everybody, Iʻm sure the movieʻs about to start.”

   She follows his lead and they find their friends. They lay on deck chairs facing the projector screen, right next to each other. The rest of the night is a dream. Throughout the movie, she shares laughs with her friends, old and new, and she shares a few lingering glances with the man in the chair next to her. Aelin and her friends sing along with the songs of the movie, a little too loudly at times, earning annoying glares from nearby children. When the movie ends, the two groups share hugs and promises to hangout and do something the next day. A tired Manon and Aelin safely make it back to their cabin and Aelin quickly drifts off into a deep slumber, dreaming of being Beauty with a certain, familiar Beast.

-

All Hands on Deck taglist:

@smalltddygothgf​ @booksbqueen​ @underworldboxers​ @live-the-fangirl-life​ @booknerdproblems​ @rowaelinismyotp​ 

-

[shyvioletcat]

could we get pt. 3 of zoom interrupted??? i need to know what happened after the second meeting.

I know I already did the part 3. So how’s about a part 4?

Zoom Interrupted Masterlist

~~~~~

Rowan was trying not to zone out for the tenth time in this Zoom meeting. But he was just so tired. He had been taking care of Elsie almost entirely by himself, Aelin was still not feeling her best and she was tired all the time so it was Rowan pulling the hard yards. He didn’t mind, he wasn’t the one creating a human life. But it just meant he had a hard time focusing on work, especially when his daughter was being adorably distracting. She was doing things like lining up small horse toys on his desk, asking him to open snacks or a packet of crayons in her cute little voice. 

Aelin wasn’t home, she had gone for a check up and a scan, and because of the current conditions he wasn’t allowed to go with her. Plus there was the fact they had a toddler who no one was really allowed to babysit anyway. So Rowan had stayed home and left the study door open so that Elsie could walk in and out as she pleased and he could keep an ear out for what she was up to. Right now he heard a dragging noise and then she came through the door, her mini backpack dragging behind her. Rowan smiled at her and she gave him a toothy grin in return. 

“Whitethorn.”

Rowan nearly jumped at Lorcan’s voice, but managed to keep his cool. “Yes?”

“I’m going to pretend this isn’t the third time I’ve asked you for those numbers,” Lorcan said, but his voice was lacking it’s usual harshness. He was the most understanding of all Rowan’s colleagues, with a hellion like Korbin running their household. 

“Yeah, one sec,” Rowan started lifting the toys on his desk to find the paper that he needed. As he did there was a screech and Rowan froze, looking over at his daughter.

She started waving her hands, her brow furrowed in her distress as she said, “No, no, no, no, no.”

She toddled over and Rowan tried to figure out what she was upset about. Then he looked at what he held in his hand. He had moved her horses. Muffled laughter sounded from his screen, they all knew that laughing at Elspeth was a dangerous game if she wasn’t in on the joke.

“Sorry, little love,” Rowan said, putting the horse back where he found it as Elsie glared up at him. “Dada just needed to get his papers.”

“Ta!” Elsie said, raising one hand and doing a grabby action. 

Rowan took a guess at what she was asking for and started handing her her horses and she put them in her backpack, one by one. When she was done she left, taking her full backpack with her. That left Rowan to go back to looking for the page he needed. It seemed that Elsie had been in his papers as well and they were all mixed up. His colleagues were chatting amongst themselves while they waited. Rowan knew if it had been any other day they would have been ripping into him, telling him to hurry up, but instead they were being lenient. Finally, Rowan found the page he was looking for, but his face fell when he saw he couldn’t read it because it was covered in thick, black texta lines.

Rowan shook his head, “Hold on, I’ll have to grab it off my laptop again.” Frazzled, he grabbed his laptop from the corner of the desk. When he opened it he saw it was almost out of battery and he didn’t want it cutting out mid sentence. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Ducking under the desk Rowan grabbed the charging cord, Elsie calling his name from right next to him made him jump and he smacked his head on the underside of the desk. He bit back his curse, not wanting Elsie to repeat it. When he emerged she was holding out a hat to him, one of Aelin’s. It was a blue felt thing with a pink ribbon around it, with a wide and floppy brim.

“Do I have to?” Rowan asked.

Elsie stepped closer, offering it to him. With a sigh he took it and put it on.

“Looking good, Rowan,” Vaughan teased. 

“It really makes your complexion pop,” Connall added. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Rowan said, not even looking at the desktop while he looked at his laptop screen.

Elsie was unpacking her horses again, lining them back up on the desk, Rowan didn’t try to stop her.

“Ok, I’ve got it,” Rowan said and started rattling off his report. The brim of the hat kept falling into his face so he went to take it off. There was another screech and Rowan’s heart just about stopped in his chest. “Gods damn it.”

“Dammit!” Elsie parroted back to him.

“Ah — no,” Rowan stammered, “don’t say that, alright?”

Fenrys just laughed at him and the others joined in. Then Fenrys lent forward, “Elsie, sweetheart, what you got there?”

She could barely see over the top of the desk but she looked up at the screen and held up one of her toy horses to show Fenrys. “Neigh,” she said by way of explanation.

“Oh, a horse,” Fenrys said very seriously. “Do you have anymore?”

Elise started to babble away, showing Fenrys toy after toy as he nodded and gushed over when he showed her, not understanding her in the slightest. Rowan gave his friend a grateful look as the distraction let him remove the hat. Soon Elsie had gone through all the horses and then pointed to Fenrys.

“‘Tay dere,” she told Fenrys and she toddled out of the study.

With the distraction gone Rowan continued to go through his report. Elsie came back in and Rowan assumed she had just brought in another toy to show her audience but then there was a choking noise, and he looked up to see Gavriel choking on his drink. Confused, Rowan looked down to Elsie and he felt his cheeks flush. 

“Ahhh ffffuuuu...dgeballs,” Rowan muttered and then could only stare.

Lorcan noticed next and snorted.

Rowan felt as though his face was burning. Elsie had somehow managed to find an empty condom box and was now using it as what looked like to be disproportionate stable for her horses. The box bent out of shape as she tried to cram them in. 

“Wait, what?” Fenrys blurted out as he registered what Elsie had. “If you had those… Oh, it’s empty, that explains things.”

“Mute him now!” Gavriel said, his voice strained still recovering from his choking.

There were murmurs of agreement and then Fenrys said, “What, wh —“ 

He didn’t get to finish his sentence before Lorcan muted him. He flipped off the rest of his colleagues.

“What is going on?”

Rowan turned to see Aelin standing in the doorway, a small smile on her face as she took in the scene before her.

“Why is Elsie using that box as a house?” Aelin asked, not embarrassed in the slightest. “And why is Fenrys holding up a sign with insults written on it?”

Rowan looked at the screen and Fenrys was indeed holding up a sign featuring some colourful language. Lucky Elsie couldn't read yet. 

“Want to see something?” She asked Rowan. He nodded and she pulled out a photo from her pocket. “There is our little baby.”

Rowan looked at the little black and white photo, the writing in the top corner reading 9 week + 2 days. In the middle was a little figure that was just starting to look like a real teeny tiny human, with a head and little limbs. But there it was and Rowan couldn’t help the tears that were stinging at his eyes. 

When he was done he handed it back to Aelin and she turned it to show everyone on the screen. They all ooo-ed and ahh-ed, Fenrys held up a sign that said congratulations, Connall said it was already looking like Rowan and Aelin exclaimed, “That’s what I said!” Elsie reached up, doing her grabby hands again and Rowan lifted her into his lap. Aelin passed her the photo as she then rested on Rowan’s knee and talked to her uncle, the meeting very well and truly derailed once again. 

“What dis?” Elsie asked, pointing to the photo.

“That’s the baby that’s growing in Mummy’s tummy. That’s your baby brother or sister,” Rowan explained.

“Baby,” Elsie said as she touched the photo. “Essie baby.” Then she hugged the photo to her chest. 

Aelin turned precariously so she could watch her daughter, no doubt catching a glimpse of what was happening on the screen. Her eyes were starting to brim with tears and she lent down to kiss Rowan.

“And I think we’re done,” Lorcan said and Rowan’s screen went entirely black as he was disconnected, leaving the family to enjoy this moment on their own.

~~~~~

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[modern-fae-female]

Elorcan Modern AU Chapter 5 Elide’s POV

You have got to be kidding me. Lorcan Salvettere is my partner for a 6 week project. I officially have the worst luck in history, I mean how mad must my luck me to have to be partnered with him. I guess Ms. Ansel must have finished reading the names because the time I get out of my shock people are meeting up with their partners. I look up to see Lorcan walking over, with a slightly nervous face. What does he have to be nervous about? He’s not the one who almost got pushed over and apparently might be playing some sort of game with me. 

“ Hey..” Lorcan quietly as he sat down next to me. 

“ Hey..”

After a couple more minutes of awkward silence Ms. Ansel came around and gave us the topic we would write a debate about. 

“ So... when do you want to me.” I asked quietly.

“ Um... I can’t do tonight and after school I have football practice until 4 everyday.”

��� Oh um.. maybe Wednesday at 5:00 we can meet at the public library?”

“ Sure that works.”

“ Great...”

Another couple of moments of awkward silence and of course we both decide to talk at the same time. 

“ Oh you can go first” I saw quickly.

“ Oh um.. I just wanted to say sorry about PE class. You seemed pretty uncomfortable.”

I was shocked, I totally forgot that he was there in class when I explained my ankle and was basically embarrassed in front of the whole class. 

“ It’s fine, people would have found out at some point.” I said quietly

“ Well I’m sorry that happened to you. I saw you limping earlier and I thought it was because of this morning.”

“ Oh no, I was fine, just shocked this morning. Not the best way to start a new school by almost being pushed to the ground by a door.”

“ Ya, I am sorry about that. I was just frustrated about football.”

“ Like I said it’s fine and you technically already did apologize for it during history. I guess we some sort of odd luck. I mean your the one who I almost ran into, sat next to each other in history, and now this..” I say and immediately regret it. 

I looked at him and saw he seemed kinda nervous and uncomfortable. And your stream of luck continues Elide you just started to be fine and you just had to go and ruin it. 

“ I guess so. We definitely have some sort of odd luck. “ 

Thank god, hopefully that doesn’t get brought up again. 

“ Yeah.. I guess we can go over some of the basics of this project now, we still have some time before class ends.” 

“ Oh sure..”

We talked with ease about different stuff about school and the project for the rest of class. I don’t really get what Aelin and the rest of them were going on about during lunch, Lorcan seemed like a nice guy. Soon the bell rang and school was over for the day. 

“ Well I will see you tomorrow morning.” I said quickly as I went to go find one of my new friends and tell them what happened. 

“ See ya.”

After leaving class I walked towards the doors to leave school when I saw my friends talking to Maeve and the rest of the Cadre. Somehow Lorcan was already there and he seemed like a different person. I walked closer and I could hear insults being thrown around, including some my Lorcan. Who was this person because it was not the person I was just talking to in class. 

“ Well if it isn’t the new little crippled girl,” I hear Maeve say as I walk closer to them. 

I see Lorcan look at me with shock and his cold front started to come down. 

“ Don’t you dare talk to her like that!” Aelin yells at her. 

“ Why should I. I mean she is crippled with her poor little ankle.”

“ Shut it or you will regret it you little bitch.” Manon steps in. 

I see Maeve look a little more hesitate as Manon steps in along with Rowan and Dorian. 

“ Let’s go boys, we will see the little cripple tomorrow,” Maeve said. 

They walked away and I looked at Lorcan and I could see regret and disappointment in his eyes as he walked away with Maeve and the Cadre. 

“ Sorry about that Elide, they are a bunch of bullies and bitches,” Aelin says as she goes to hug me. 

“ Oh it’s fine, I was expecting it at some point.”

“ Still doesn’t make it right, so how was the rest of the school day?” 

“ Oh, um it was good. I got paired with Lorcan for the debate project.” I said not really showing that I was worried about it or that it was a big deal. 

I looked around at them with shock and disgust on their faces. 

“ You got paired with Salvettere. Maeve’s favorite little cronie and devoted to her?”  “ Oh, ya that’s him. Don’t worry we talked during class and were all good. We’re meeting Wednesday after school at the library to start working on the project.”

They still all looked mad and worried. 

“ You and Lorcan worked it out?” Lysandra asked me.

“ Yeah, he apologized again for this morning and about PE class and we talked some about school and the project.” 

They looked even more shocked which I didn’t know was possible. 

“ He apologized to you to your face?” Rowan asked like it was totally unbelievable. 

“ Yeah, I still don’t get why your making a big deal about this. He was nice to me.”

“ Well I don’t know what magic powers you posses Miss Lochan but if you somehow got the Lorcan Salvettere to apologize and be nice to you I defiantly like you.” Aelin said, “ Hey the rest of the girls are coming over to my house for dinner now, do you want to come?”

Now it was my turn to look shocked. 

“ Seriously, you want me to come over.”

“ Yeah, your one of us now, and like I said earlier, you’re stuck with us.”

I smiled and was so glad that I really had made a good group of friends. 

“ Yeah, let me text my uncle that I won’t be there until later tonight, you guys head out I will be there in a sec.”

They walked away and I was so excited but realized I don’t know what my uncle will say. I take out my old phone which only has his number on it and call him. It rings for a little bit before I hear my uncle’s drunk voice on the other end. 

“ What do you want,” he grumbles. 

“ Hey, I made some friends at school and they asked if I wanted to have dinner with them.”

“ You made friends, ha!”

“ Yeah I did, so can I go?”

“ hmm.. fine.” and he hung up.

I was relieved he seemed to be in one of his better moods. I quickly got my bags and went to met my friends. I saw them by a white BMW which I assume is Aelin’s. 

“ Hey there you are, you ready?” Aelin asked. 

“ Yeah my uncle said it’s fine. Let’s go.”

Aelin, Manon, Lysadnra, and I all got into the car, me in the back seat next to Manon. Manon seemed like a girl that many people were scared of, but I had a knack for seeing through people’s façade. I could tell that she was a nice person deep down. 

“ So where do you live Elide?” Lysandra asked me. 

“ Oh, um about a ten minute walk from school on Hollin Ave.”

“ Oh perfect. When I drop you guys off Lysandra your house is on the way to Manon from Lyandra’s house,” Aelin said 

“ Oh you don’t have to drop me off. I can walk or get and Uber or something.” 

“ Nonsense, it’s on the way and there’s no way I’m letting you walk in the dark,” 

After a couple minutes we pulled into a house, that was more of a mini castle. I mean it was ginormous with pillars at the front with vines growing and was two stories tall with a stone drive in and a gate. 

“ The girls often come over here to hang out. It’s practically like a second home to them, so welcome to your second home Elide.”

@elorcan-trash @bri-loves-sunflowers

[nalgenewhore]

in the stars

“Oh, my gods, Ellie,” gushed Aelin as she did the zipper of Elide’s dress, “you look so beautiful, my love.” Elide grinned at her maid of honour through the mirror and smiled at the tears that brimmed in Aelin’s eyes. The golden-haired woman shook her head, “I’m not crying, I’m not.”

“I know you’re not,” replied Elide, passing her sister a tissue, “it’s allergy season anyway, all the flowers and pollen.”

Nodding, Aelin carefully dried her tears, not wanting to mess up her makeup, “Yeah, who even gets married in the spring?”

“Heathens,” Elide said, looking at Lysandra when she approached, Elide’s phone in her hand. “What is it, Lys?”

Her plump lips curled into a smile, “Your betrothed called and left a message.” Butterflies swarmed in Elide’s stomach, ones with great big wings; she didn’t know how, with just the thought of him, he managed to make her feel like it was their first date. “Go on, we can work around you,” Lysandra said, indicating Elide’s veil and hair.

Elide smiled and took the phone, holding the device to her ear after clicking on the voicemail. She bit her cheek to calm the smile that threatened to overtake everything. After the automated message played, his voice filled her ear, “Hey, baby, it’s me. I want you to know that I will be at the altar, I’m-“ he cut himself off with a chuckle and Elide could nearly see him running his hand through his hair, “I’m just running a bit behind, but I’ll be there, I promise. I’ll, uh, I’ll see you soon and I love you more than words can say.”

There was a knock at the door and Aelin nodded reassuringly at Elide, “I’ll get it, just stay here with Lys.” Aelin waltzed to the door and cracked it open, poking her head out and then opening it further, revealing to everyone else Rowan and Gavriel, looking somber where they stood.

The three of them began to talk and Elide couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it didn’t look good. Maybe it was about Lorcan being late so she turned to Lysandra, “Darling, can you tell them there’s nothing to worry about? In the voicemail, he-“ her throat tightened and something oily coiled in her gut, “he said he was running late, but he’ll be here, can you tell them that?”

Lysandra nodded, “Of course, Ellie Belly, it’s ok, he’s coming.” She patted the veil in place and walked over to the door, adopting the hushed tone of the others.

It didn’t feel right and Elide stared at herself in the mirror, running her hands over the lace details of her bodice that crept onto her skirt. Her eyes fell to her shoes, resting in the box they came in, not ever worn. She’d worn the sample size in the store and they’d ordered in a pair for her. A sound from the door had her looking over at Aelin, who was staring at her with the most heartbroken expression she’d ever seen on her sister’s face.

Elide huffed a laugh and gathered her gossamer skirts in her hands, stepping off the mini catwalk-like set up and walked over to them, “Guys, it’s ok, Lorcan told me he was running late, he’ll be here…” she trailed off when Rowan slowly shook his head, anguish clear in his eyes. “What?”

“Ellie Belly, it might be best if you’re sitting down for this… we need to tell you something,” Gavriel began, his tawny eyes warm and kind.

She shook her head and shied away from the hand he reached out to her, “It’s really fine, I don’t know why you are all being so weird, he told me, he left a voicemail.” When their faces only grew more devastated, she turned to Aelin, tears threatening to spill from her electric eyes. Elide felt her throat close up again, “Ae, wh-what is it? Can somebody tell me what happened?”

Despite, maybe, her better judgement, Aelin glanced at Lysandra and back to Elide, the two girls taking one of Elide’s hands in theirs, “Baby girl, there was-“

“Fireheart,” said Rowan, shaking his head but Aelin cut him a hard look and he backed down, not meeting Elide’s eyes. Nobody did, except for Aelin. Why wasn’t anyone looking at her?

Aelin turned back to Elide, “He isn’t coming, baby.”

“No, I know he’s not here yet, but he will be, remember the message?” She looked to her phone, “He left a message, he said he was running late but he’d be here, he promised.” Aelin just slowly shook her head. “But he promised.” 

“There was an accident, Lor, he was driving and—” Elide felt her heart drop and didn’t bother listening to the rest. Wrenching her hands from her sisters’, she shoved through Rowan and Gavriel, the two men falling out of her path easily as she tore through the hallway to the nearest door.

This couldn’t be happening, it had to be some stupid, really really stupid, elaborate joke Lorcan had planned, one that she would yell at him for before hugging him really tightly and telling him the next time he did that, she’d kick his ass for scaring her like that.

Outside was overcast and the clouds threatened rain. All her life, she had wanted a warm, breezy spring day, but as long as they were getting married, she didn’t care. The asphalt was cold and rough against her bare feet and she nearly tripped over her skirts. She gathered them in her arms and sprinted as fast as she could to the front of the manor, coming close to running over a few guests that milled about and stared in shock at the apparent runaway bride.

An ambulance sped past her and she knew, without a doubt, where it was going. Elide realized she had started crying at some point and ran faster, feeling a twinge in her ankle, something from an old injury, but the discomfort was secondary. She chased after the ambulance, its sirens on and lights blazing as it drove down the road, getting closer and closer to the lovely little house she and Lorcan owned.

She saw it, a block or two down, a collection of ambulances and fire engines all parked together, blocking the road.

It could’ve been an eternity or a single second, Elide couldn’t tell, before she was there, her eyes falling on the sight of their truck crushed into a building, pinned to the brick wall by another car that had crashed right into the driver’s side. She felt her heart crack and shatter, so painfully that she stumbled back a step and pressed a hand to her chest, her hand digging into the lace and bead details of her sweetheart neckline. Shaking her head, Elide was frozen in place, watching as the firefighters pried a door open and carried out a frail-looking woman, blood streaming down from her head.

Tears were streaming down her face and finally someone noticed her, jogging over and stepping in her way, blocking her from seeing what had happened. “Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to step away-“

“That’s my truck, he’s, we’re getting married today,” she whispered and the man looked down at her white dress and veil. Her dress was ripped and the hems dragged over the dirty ground, wrecking her pristine skirts. It didn’t matter, this day was already wrecked and ruined. Her heart thundered painfully and she wanted it to stop, it hurt too much. “We’re getting married today.” 

The sounds of feet on pavement caught up with her and she turned, looking at her family sprinting down the road to her, expertly avoiding anything that came in their way. 

“Ma’am, I think it might be best if you go with someone, is there anyone we can call for you?” 

Lorcan. They could call Lorcan. But Elide couldn’t say that and so she shook her head. No, there was nobody anymore.

His eyes were full of pity and they flicked above her head just as someone wrapped their arms around her waist, hugging her to a broad chest. Elide turned, it felt so much like his but that head of shocking silver hair wasn’t Lorcan and she pushed Rowan back, pushed him away away away, wrapping her arms around herself as she sunk to the ground, screaming. 

Her throat was on fire, burning as violent sobs ripped from her. There came a loud sound, explosive, and when she looked up, she saw flames engulfing the cars, hungry fire burning and burning, forcing the firefighters to back away, but they dragged a body, one she knew better than she knew herself. 

Managing to stand up, Elide stumbled forward a step and then another, taking another and another, shoving away the hands that grabbed at her. When they started CPR, she let out a sob, the sound of his ribs cracking under the force of chest compressions somehow the loudest of them all. In her heart of hearts, she knew it wouldn’t work because he was gone and it was all for naught. Absolutely nothing would bring him back. “Stop, don’t- don’t do that, you’re hurting him,” she screamed, fighting when Rowan grabbed her and pulled her to him, restraining her movements. “Ro, he’s gone, they’re hurting him, make them stop!” 

It seemed like they had come to the same conclusion and sat back on their heels, a defeated slump to their shoulders. They covered him with a sheet, a finality to the movement. Lorcan was gone gone gone. Never to come back again. Never to be a husband, never to call her wife, never to hold their child in his arms, never kiss her one last time before they gently faded - together, always together - surrounded by family. 

But instead, he’d been alone. Trapped as he waited for his dark god to take him away from her. Scared, terrified as it settled in that this wasn’t something he’d escape. If only he’d been on time… maybe then this wouldn’t have happened. Maybe he’d be alive and maybe she wouldn’t feel like this, like someone had ripped her heart clean out her chest and squeezed it until it finally stopped beating. 

The man that had approached her was talking to one of the firefighters that had taken him from the truck and he pointed to her. Slowly, Elide managed to stand, not bothering to push Aelin and Lysandra away when they stepped up next to her and sandwiched her between them, unwavering as she leaned against them. 

The firefighter walked up to her, sorrow in his face, “Miss, are you Elide Lochan?” 

Elide nodded, not trusting herself to speak as the man let out a strained breath. 

“Before, um, before we got him out, he asked us to pass you a message, would you mind if I told you what he said?” 

“Please.” 

He nodded, more to himself than anyone else and found somewhere else to look as he said, “He asked us to tell you that he has always and will always love you and that,” he cleared his throat, sniffing and finally looking at her, “and that he was going to be fine and that one day, he’d see you again in the stars. I’m sorry we couldn’t save him, Ms. Lochan.” 

Elide smiled a sad and tired smile, “Thank you anyways.” The man smiled back at her and then walked away, his shoulders curving inwards. Her hands fell to her stomach, where a new life had begun, the secret she’d been carrying for just two short weeks. Even Lorcan hadn’t known. Elide wanted it to be a surprise, a little wedding gift just for him. 

Someone gently roused her from her slumber and Elide lifted her hand to her cheek, feeling her tears. She turned to whoever it had been, finding the doctor standing by her side. “Is something wrong?” Elide asked, turning to look at the little bundle sleeping in the bassinet beside her hospital bed. She was so so little, her skin a warm brown, just a few shades lighter than her father’s, and so soft. 

Yrene smiled reassuringly, “Oh, Stella is just fine, a very strong baby. We just need a last name for her.” The door to Elide’s hospital room opened and in walked Aelin, looking tired after the birth. “You didn’t tell the nurse.” 

At the sight of Elide’s doctor, her brow furrowed and she walked to Elide’s side, holding her hand. If nine months ago Aelin had been protective of Elide, there were no words for what she was like now. Everything had changed that grey and cold day, in so many different ways. “Is something wrong, Dr. Towers?” 

Yrene laughed that tinkling laugh of hers, “Everything is ok, we just need a last name for the babe.” 

As if on cue, Stella Luna squirmed and began to cry. Elide sat up, still sore from the birth after the epidural wore off, and gently picked her baby, cradling her in close and softly shushing her. She ran a finger over the curve of Stella Luna’s pink cheek, marvelling at how soft and smooth the skin was. 

“Elide?” Aelin prompted, indicating Yrene where she was waiting patiently with a fond smile and a clipboard. 

She didn’t have to think, leaning down and pressed her lips to her daughter’s forehead, inhaling that intoxicating scent all babies had. “Salvaterre. Stella Luna Salvaterre.” Stella Luna let out a soft cooing noise and nestled closer to her mother. 

Yrene nodded and smiled, if a bit sadly, writing it down on a slip of paper, one of the many forms she’d had to fill out during her stay. “Ok, well, I’ll register this and you rest, alright? You deserve it.” With a little wave, Yrene was gone and then it was just Aelin and Elide, both of them unable to take their eyes off of Stella Luna. 

The bed dipped as Aelin sat, pulling a McDonald’s bag out from her hoodie that she’d snuck in for Elide and putting down on her bedside table. Elide bounced the bundle, whispering to Aelin, “I just can’t stop looking at her.”

Aelin grinned warmly and gently booped her finger over Stella Luna’s button nose. She saw the tear tracks on Elide’s face and sucked in a sharp breath, “What happened?” 

Elide shook her head, nodding down to the sleeping baby she was rocking, “Just a dream, hon. Nothing to worry about, I promise.” 

“Ok,” said Aelin, worry still coating her voice. “Are you alright, El?” 

Huffing a laugh, Elide looked up at her sister, “Not in the slightest, but… I will be.” She dropped her eyes to Stella Luna once more, unable to tear her gaze away, “We’ll be just fine. I’ll see him again.” 

The stars outside her window were calling to her and she looked to them, smiling up at the twinkling lights. I’ll see you again one day, in the stars. 

not even sorry for this, oops 🤷‍♀️ ✌😗 

@mythicaitt @schmlip-scribble @kandasboi @the-regal-warrior @westofmoon @empire-of-wildfire​ @rhysands-highlady​ @city-of-fae​ @shyvioletcat​ @alifletcher2012​ @tangledraysofsunshine​ @ttakeitbacknoww​ @tswaney17​ @ourbooksuniverse​ @flora-and-fae​ @thesirenwashere​ 

[writersplanetarium]

Facade: Rude Awakening

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12

Aelin wasn’t usually awoken in the middle of the night by a phone call, not unless it was an emergency, so the sound of her phone buzzing had her up in an instant, answering before she even looked at the caller ID.

“Hello?”

“Is this Aelin?” An excited girl’s voice asked from the other end of the phone.

“Who is this?” Aelin asked.

“I am such a big fan of yours! Watching you on the show is so good and the romance between you and Rowan just feels so real-”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know who you’re talking about. Don’t call this number again.” Aelin hung up, quickly blocking the number. She knew this had to be Rowan’s idea of revenge. Giving her number to a fan. How petty.

Aelin was about to go back to sleep when her phone rang again. Another unknown number. Aelin hesitantly answered it.

“Hello?”

“Aelin I am absolutely in love with you and I know that while you don’t know me I’m confident that with a little time you could come to love me too-” Aelin hung up. So he gave her number to two people. Then Aelin’s phone rang again. And again. And again. Aelin didn’t know what to do as her phone buzzed over and over, again and again. Her texts started to blow up as well.

Something was up.

Aelin grabbed her computer, unable to open a single app on her phone with the immeasurable amount of calls and texts coming in, blowing it up. She went right to Rowan’s twitter feed and found a new post. A text conversation that was supposedly between them. And her actual number was right at the top.

Aelin swore thoroughly, raking her fingers through her hair. He’d really and truly decided to screw her over this time. She chucked her phone across the room, knowing it was well and truly screwed. It hit the corner of the wall, the screen shattering, and the phone physically breaking apart. Everything she needed was on her computer anyway. She dropped back down onto her bed. Of course, he had to go there. 

“God I hate him,” Aelin said to herself, rubbing at her eyes. She could deal with that all in the morning. New phone, new number, new everything.

 “Don’t say a thing, I know exactly why you’re here,” Lysandra said when Aelin showed up at her door the next morning.

“He’s going to actually be the death of me Lys,” Aelin said, raking her fingers through her hair.

“You need a day to just forget about Rowan. So we’ll get you a new phone, a new number, and then we’re going to go get pampered.”

“That sounds perfect,” Aelin said.

 Aelin bought a brand new phone with a high-quality camera and more storage space. She’d needed a new one anyway, she supposed, but she’d grown rather used to her old one and the way she’d had her apps set up. Now she had to download them all again and rearrange them and set her accounts back up. 

She was just exhausted.

“Hi ladies,” Phillipa said with a smile as Aelin and Lysandra walked into the spa, “What can I do for you today?”

“Full package, Phillipa. Aelin is having a day,” Lysandra said.

“I hear that,” Phillipa said with a sympathetic nod, “I can get you ladies right now.” The spa was beautiful. Lysandra and Aelin often frequented it for massages after busy weeks. The stunts on the show could take a real toll on their bodies. It was a lot of action and when they weren’t fighting they were standing or walking or moving. They spent hour after hour on their feet, working their bodies to the limit, so they often came here to relax and unwind. Phillipa’s massages never failed to relax Aelin. 

They started out in the jacuzzi, relaxing into the warm water. Aelin sat back, letting the jets ease away some of the tension in her body.

“Do you want to talk about what’s been going on with you lately?” Lysandra asked.

“What do you mean?” Aelin asked.

“You and Rowan have been at each other’s throats relentlessly lately,” she replied, “Normally you two get at each other and then you let off for a while, but it’s been constant. Talk to me.”

“I haven’t been able to relax lately,” Aelin said, “It’s getting close to… the day Sam… And with everything Rowan’s been doing… I don’t know. It’s just been a lot lately. This break from work is supposed to be my time to relax, but it seems like I just can’t get into it.”

“I know it’s hard for you,” Lysandra said, “But maybe you just need to take a break from your feud with Rowan. If he’s stressing you out, be the one to take the high road and stop this.”

“He crossed a line, Lys.”

“And you didn’t?” Aelin sighed, tipping her head back. “I’m just saying, you both react to each other. You’ll keep reacting to each other if you don’t stop.”

“I’ll think about it,” Aelin said.

“Will you also think about taking Evangeline tonight?” Lysandra asked, “Aedion got tickets to a concert and she’s got school tomorrow.”

“Of course,” Aelin said, “She is exactly what I need right now.” Lysandra grinned.

“She does have an uplifting spark to her, doesn’t she?”

“Life is never boring with her around,” Aelin chuckled, “She doesn’t give you a chance to be lonely.”

“Don’t I know it,” Lysandra chuckled, “But she’s one of the best things to happen to me.”

“How’s she doing in school?” Aelin asked, “Still keeping her grades up?”

“Great. She’s smart as a whip. She’s already doing great things and I can’t wait to see her when she gets older.” Aelin and Lysandra continued to converse, teasing and joking, slowly relaxing more and more. They went back to the massage room a little while later.

Aelin let her eyes fall closed, groaning contentedly as Phillipa massaged the knots out of her muscles. She slowly felt the tension ease out of her, starting from her shoulders and working its way down to her feet before she flipped and Phillipa worked her way back up.

Next Aelin and Lysandra got their nails done, Aelin choosing to have hers painted a dark green, while Lysandra picked a vibrant red. When they got done, Aelin felt refreshed and more at ease than she had been before. They picked up Evangeline from class as they left and gave her the news.

“Hey Ev, how do you feel about spending the night with me?” Aelin asked from the passenger seat, turning to look at the girl. Evangeline’s face lit up with joy.

“Really?!” She asked excitedly, “We can have a sleepover on a school night?”

“So long as you’re in bed at a reasonable time,” Lysandra answered.

“I’ve got face masks, and Oreos with peanut butter we can eat while we watch ‘The Parent Trap’. But only after you’ve done your homework.”

“Consider it done already.” Aelin grinned at the girl and turned back to the front.

Lysandra dropped Aelin and Evangeline off at Aelin’s house and they headed inside.

“You hungry, Ev?”

“Starving,” she replied, setting her bag on the couch, “But please don’t make me eat your cooking.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Aelin said dryly with a slight tease to her tone, making Evangeline giggle. “We can order pizza, no worries. I won’t make you suffer. What are you thinking about for toppings?”

“Extra cheese and pepperoni and bacon,” she said definitively.

“You got it,” Aelin said, ruffling her hair. Aelin ordered a pizza and had Evangeline work on her homework while they waited. Aelin worked on setting her phone upright again. Soon enough the pizza was at the door and they were eating happily.

“Hey look! Rowan’s outside!” Evangeline said, looking out the dining room window. Aelin turned and saw Rowan in his backyard, shirtless as he mowed his lawn. Aelin hated that she took a few moments to stare. His tanned skin glistening with sweat, his tattoo visible and winding up his left side. “Ooo, you’re staring,” Evangeline said.

“What? No,” Aelin said, a slight flush creeping on her cheeks. She did not think of Rowan like that. “No. No way.”

“Why not?” Evangeline asked, “Lysandra says he’s Hot with a capital H.” Aelin gave a small snort before defending her decision.

“He gave my number out online, Ev. I had to get a new phone and a new phone number. Someone could track me down and break into my house and kill me.”

“That’s not going to happen,” Evangeline said, “Rowan would never let someone kill you.”

“Maybe not let, but it could still happen,” Aelin stated.

“But now you’ve got a new phone, so it’ll be fine,” Evangeline said.

“Fingers crossed,” Aelin said, giving the girl a reassuring smile. They finished up eating and Evangeline finished up her homework. 

They easily coasted through the rest of the night, joyfully participating in a mini spa of their own. Aelin let Evangeline turn on the jacuzzi jets in her tub when she took her bath and once she was out, they both got into their pajamas. Once they got dressed, Aelin put in ‘The Parent Trap’, letting it play in the background as they got started. 

Aelin combed through her hair, pulling it back with a headband, then, she busted out the face masks.

“Pick a face mask, any face mask,” Aelin said, showing Evangeline the variety. 

“This one!” She exclaimed, pointing to the glittering, peel off mask and closed her eyes, eagerly awaiting the application. Aelin painted it on the girl’s face, both of them grinning widely. Once Evangeline’s was on, she put a grey, foaming mask on Aelin, giggling at the way it puffed up.

“Now a color.” Aelin showed the girl the wide array of colors she had and Evangeline picked out a cobalt blue. Aelin carefully painted her little fingernails and toenails while Evangeline snacked on the Oreos and peanut butter Aelin had set out. They sat together once Aelin finished, waiting for the polish to dry. 

They ended up having time after ‘The Parent Trap’, so Aelin agreed to watch a few episodes of their show with her until bedtime.

Evangeline was yawning by the time they made it through the third episode, cuddling right up beside Aelin.

“You ready for bed?” Aelin asked. She nodded, her eyes heavy with the need for sleep.

“Can I sleep in your room with you?” Aelin looked around and leaned with a conspirator's grin.

“I guess one night won’t hurt.” Aelin decided to leave the mess to the next day, heading upstairs with Evangeline. They both hopped into the bed, Evangeline wrapping herself around Aelin, making her smile. “Goodnight, Ev.”

“Goodnight, Aelin.”

For the first time in a long time, Aelin was content and relaxed. Happy. She drifted off, confident she’d be having sweet dreams.

But she just couldn’t seem to catch a break lately.

Aelin was startled awake by a crash downstairs that wrestled even Evangeline out of sleep. 

“Aelin, what was that?” She asked.

“I don’t know,” Aelin said, panic crawling in her veins.

“Is someone breaking in?” Evangeline asked, “Did they find you?” The stark possibility that the words could be true made Aelin’s protective instincts kick into gear.

“Under the bed. Now,” Aelin said. The girl did as she was told and Aelin grabbed her phone, going to call Aedion before remembering that he and Lysandra were out. It was early enough that they’d no doubt still be at the concert. Aelin hated it, but she needed to put Evangeline’s safety first. So she called Rowan.

“Hello?” He asked.

“I think someone’s breaking into my house,” Aelin said, grabbing her throwing knives from her bedside drawer.

“Aelin?”

“Yes, it’s me, Buzzard. Evangeline is here in the house with me and we heard crashing downstairs. Aedion and Lys are gone, so you have to get your ass over here right now.”

“I’m on my way. Stay on the phone and don’t go down there until I’m at the door.” Another crash sounded.

“Hurry up.” Aelin locked her bedroom door, pulling it closed behind her as she crept out into the hall to keep Evangeline safe. She went down the stairs as quietly as she could, staying on the line with Rowan.

“I’m at the front door. It’s locked. Where’s the spare?”

“Mailbox. I’m heading down now.” Aelin tried to keep her voice as quiet as she could, not wanting the intruder to hear.

“Aelin, don’t be stupid,” Rowan said, “Just wait until I can get inside.” Aelin closed her eyes, clenching her jaw. She heard Rowan rustling on the other side of the phone as she made it to the last few steps. It was too dark for her to see anything as she scanned the living room. Then, just barely, she saw something move by the coffee table. “Okay, I’m coming in. Can you reach the lights?”

“Yes,” Aelin said, her voice not even loud enough to be considered a whisper. 

“Three… two… one.” Rowan came in through the door as Aelin hit the lights, rounding up with a throwing knife at the intruder as Rowan shouted. “Freeze!” He looked around for the intruder and found where Aelin’s eyes fell. On Fleetfoot, who was eating the jar of peanut butter she’d left out, the nail polish and face masks all knocked over.

“Gods, Fleetfoot,” Aelin said, putting her hand over her chest with a rush of relief.

“It’s the dog?” Rowan said, lowering the gun in his hands, clicking on the safety, “You called me over here because of your own damn dog?” He was still dressed in his pajamas, no shirt, long hair ruffled, clearly having jumped right out of bed.

“She wasn’t here when I went to sleep!” Aelin shot back, “Dorian must’ve dropped her off. He probably texted me, not knowing I needed a new number because somebody gave out my previous one to millions of people online!”

“I come over here in the deadass middle of the night to help you and you’re going to yell at me?” Rowan asked.

“Yes because I wouldn’t have even had to call you over in the first place if you hadn’t created this mess!” Aelin retorted, “And now Evangeline is upstairs hiding because she thinks someone could be in the house to kill us because you gave out my number online. People can find me based on that! Which means they could just as easily find you too. And Aedion and Lys and Evangeline. It’s common knowledge we’re all neighbors. Do you not think before you act?”

“That’s rich coming from you, Princess,” he retorted. Aelin heard the soft patter of feet behind her and saw Evangeline come downstairs.

“Is everything okay now?”

“Yeah, Ev, it was just Fleetfoot. Dorian must’ve dropped her off.”

“Fleetfoot!” Evangeline ran down to the dog, taking the jar of peanut butter and setting it aside as she cuddled up to the dog. “I missed you!” Aelin ran her hand through her hair, her adrenaline still pumping as she let out a long breath. 

“I’m going back to bed,” Rowan huffed.

“No!” Evangeline said, “You have to stay. What if someone really does come for her?”

“No one’s coming for her,” Rowan said.

“You gave out her number and I’ve been on enough cop shows to know people can find you that way,” Evangeline said, “Please, Rowan?” Evangeline gave him puppy dog eyes that Aelin knew even he couldn’t resist.

“Fine,” he said reluctantly, “Just one night.” Evangeline pulled him upstair by the wrist, Fleetfoot following not far behind. Aelin shook her head, pressing the heels of her palms into her eyes.

Rowan Whitethorn was staying the night in her bed. Perfect. Just perfect.

Aelin cleaned up a bit before shutting off the lights and heading upstairs with them. When she went into the room she found Rowan on the far end, Evangeline beside him, curled up with Fleetfoot who was closer to Aelin’s side.

“I put my gun in the lockbox in your nightstand,” Rowan said.

“Fine,” Aelin replied, setting her knives beside the box.

“Were you seriously going to take on an intruder with knives?” Rowan asked.

“Better than nothing,” Aelin retorted, “And I’m a good shot.”

“Shhh, it’s time to sleep,” Evangeline said.

“Okay, okay,” Aelin said, climbing into the bed. She pulled up the blanket around her and felt the covers tug as Rowan pulled them over towards his side, Aelin rolled her eyes, shifting to get comfortable.

“Goodnight everyone,” Evangeline said.

“Goodnight Ev,” Aelin said as Rowan also gave a curt “Goodnight”.

Aelin took in deep breaths, willing herself to calm down. She was just exhausted. Utterly exhausted. She wasn’t relaxed anymore, yet, whether she wanted to admit it or not, she felt safe with Rowan in the room. So she drifted off into sleep not too soon after she laid down and slept all the way through the night.

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[thefandomhighqueen]

5. hands on the other person’s back, fingertips pressing under their top, drawing gentle circles against that small strip of bare skin that make them break the kiss with a gasp - for Rowaelin ☺️ please and thank you

mixed with prompt number 13: following the kiss with a series of kisses down the neck

sorry this took so long and is so bad! i’ve been sick for most of this week and it’s been sucking hardcore. but here it is, hope you like it!

Aelin had rarely felt as alive as she did when she was on the dancefloor. When she danced, music flowed in her veins while the bass kept the steady beat of her heart. 

Aedion had always thrown the best parties but this one really took the cake. Over half the school was there and everyone was having the best time. Even a few members of the cadre were there, and the popular group rarely ever made appearances outside of their own parties. 

One of them was missing in action though, and Aelin was grateful for it. Rowan Whitethorn was always a pain in her ass at parties. He never let a single boy get near her, but he never made any moves on her himself.

It was his personal goal to make her life a living hell, and Aelin hated that she was attracted to him for that very reason. 

“Why do you look like someone pissed on your shoe?” 

Aelin turned to find her best friend Lysandra dancing right beside her. Lysandra grinned at her. “Well?” she yelled. 

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about!” Aelin yelled right back.

Lysandra chuckled. “Then shut up and go dance with somebody!” 

As she started to dance away, Aelin tried to find the dark-haired beauty in the crowd. “I will!” 

The next song blasted through the speakers as she set her eyes on her next target. He was some random guy from the football team, but he looked just good enough to be Aelin’s new dance partner from the night. 

Her golden dress flared around her as she worked her way across the floor to get to him. For a moment, she felt as if she had lost her shoes with the way she was spinning, but she kept going. 

Many people danced with partners while others watched from the outside of the room, trying to find a place to get in on the action. The floor was crowded, but not enough to make people want to stop. 

She was about to say hello when a hand grabbed her hip and spun her into an incredibly muscular body. 

“Are you kidding me?” she grumbled. 

“I would’ve thought you’d been happier to see me,” Rowan said. 

Looking up at him through her lashes, she saw a rare grin on his face. Usually, he arrived with a smirk on his face and a drink in his hand. However, he was empty-handed as he started moving his body in time with the music, mirroring her movements from just moments before.

Before she could unleash hell upon him, he leaned down in her ear and whispered, “C’mon, dance with me.”

An unwanted chill ran down her spine at the thought of continuing to dance with Rowan. She was supposed to hate this guy, supposed to run away from him, but everything in her body screamed at her to stay. 

Continuing to tease her, Rowan spun her out and pulled her against his body once again. “You don’t want to dance anymore?” 

“I do,” she responded. “But not with you.” Aelin yanked her hand back and fought her way through people to storm up the back stairwell. 

On her way up, she prayed that no one would be in the spare bedroom that was more or less hers. She stayed in Aedion’s house often enough, it was a surprise that the room wasn’t permanently hers. 

A certain pounding on the steps behind her led her to turn around. With a small amount of shock, she saw Rowan walk up the last few steps to put himself about even with her. 

Aelin dropped her head and sighed. She crossed her arms in front of the cutouts on the side of her dress and asked, “Why do you keep following me? Have I not suffered enough for you?”

His evergreen eyes narrowed. “Do I cause you suffering, Aelin?” 

“Yes, you idiot!” She poked him in the chest, causing him to grab onto the railing and step down. “You know you ruin every party for me.”

He took another step up. “What exactly do I do? I don’t forcibly drag you away from any situation, I don’t scream and yell, so tell me, what exactly do I do?”

She glared down at him. “It’s constant withering looks on any boy who tries to even look in my direction, it’s staring at me from your little corner with your friends, and it’s you never even talking to me otherwise!”

Another step. “You’re pissed at me because I never talk to you?” Rowan didn’t look angry, but there was heat behind his words.

“Did you not just hear the other two reasons?” 

“Maybe the reason I don’t talk to you is because you run away every time I try and talk to you.”

Her heartbeat increased as she lowered her voice and said, “I run away because you don’t do anything, and I don’t want to waste my time.”

Rowan was now standing on the same step as her, standing up tall and slightly looking down at her. Even in her heels, she was still a good four inches shorter than him. 

His own voice lowered as his lips quirked up in a small smirk. “Well, what do you want me to do?”

Enough was enough. If he wasn’t going to make the move, then she would. 

“This.” She grabbed a handful of his dark shirt and pulled him down to meet her lips.

Aelin had feared she’d made the biggest mistake of her life before Rowan grabbed her by the hips and kissed her back with a passion to match hers. 

Their lips moved against each other in a way that sent sparks all over Aelin’s body. It had been a while since she had felt this much, and wanted so much more. 

Rowan backed her into the wall as he continued his assault on her senses. When he moved a hand to her hair, his tongue traced her lower lip and Aelin melted as she opened her mouth and gave him access.

Everything that wasn’t Rowan drained away from her senses. Loud music faded to a soft hum. Smells of beer and vodka turned into fresh pine and snow. No one else mattered in the world besides him and her. 

When one of his hands came up to cup her head, Aelin’s hand drifted from his solid chest down to the hem of his shirt. She grabbed onto his hip and began moving her thumb in mini circles around his warm skin. 

Rowan broke from the kiss with a gasp from that small contact. Both of them stared at each other, trying to seem so out of breath. 

It wasn’t long before he gave her a small, mischievous smile and leaned down to press his lips on her neck. They were soft, feather-light kisses that made her entire body shiver as she dragged a hand through his hair. 

She let out a small sigh as his lips found the hollow spot on her neck just above the collarbone. He pulled back for a moment, grinned at her, and then pressed his lips more insistently on that same spot. 

Aelin murmured his name, “Rowan.” She dreaded the thought of his lips leaving her body, but she needed a moment to recollect and go over everything that had just occurred. “Rowan,” she said, this time a little louder. 

He pulled back, still holding onto her body. “Yes?”

“We should stop.” As the words left her mouth, they felt wrong. 

“Stop?” His eyebrow raised as he removed his arms from her body. “Was this a mistake?” He took a step down.

Aelin bit the tip of her tongue, not wanting to say something stupid in the heat of the moment. 

For the first time that night, Rowan’s eyes dropped to the ground and a frown overtook his features. “I see.” He turned to go down the steps. 

Before he could leave, Aelin grabbed him by his shoulder and flipped him around. “Don’t go,” she whispered. She cleared her throat before saying, “I just don’t want to be another fling, Rowan. I don’t see the point in that.”

His shoulders lost their tension as a large sigh left his body. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and said, “You aren’t going to be, Aelin.” A corner of his mouth turned up. “Believe it or not, I kind of care about you.”

She smiled at him and grabbed his hand. “I kind of care about you too.”

[longsightmyth]

Myth Reads The Naming, Chapter 19

This chapter is, at fourteen pages, technically the fourth shortest chapter in The Naming, but only because two chapters have thirteen pages. This means fewer Throne of Glass chapters, for which I am thankful.

PELLINOR

So Hem has had a pretty grim life, starting, as far as he knows, with his delivery to a really terrible orphanage by a hull. One day he was called up and told that his uncle had finally gotten back from wherever and was taking him home. His ‘uncle’ wasn’t great but he wasn’t awful either unless one takes into account the fact that there were five hulls around at all times.

Said hulls eventually tried to get him to commit human sacrifice but Hem wouldn’t do it, so they locked him in a room and starved him, which was when Sharn broke into the house to steal stuff and found a Pilanel boy locked in a room. Obviously, he busted him out. I’ll talk about that in the comparison.

So they ran, and eventually the hulls caught up to them. Hem told Sharn he heard them coming earlier, but Sharn didn’t believe him, so Hem hid. The hulls tortured Sharn, who for a while said they’d sold Hem but eventually broke down and admitted that he’d run away recently, and the hulls killed everybody anyway.

Which is, of course, when Maerad and Cadvan found Hem. Since Hem mentioned that Sharn also stole some stones, Cadvan asks to see them. Hem is curiously possessive of the medallion he wears, but when Cadvan has no interest in that he forks over the stones.

They are basically mini-palantir, I guess? They let people with the corresponding partner stone hear and sometimes see what’s going on. Thankfully Maerad’s magic fire blasts blanked them out, but we know why our heroes were so easy to find earlier. Cadvan tosses the stones away and jokingly forgives Hem for almost getting them killed.

Sometimes Cadvan has a questionable sense of humor, honestly.

Anyway, then he asks to see the medallion, and Hem reluctantly lets him, at which point Cadvan goes very quiet.

“What?” demanded Maerad, after the silence had lengthened unbearably. Hem was watching them both with a mixture of bafflement and despair.

Cadvan didn’t respond at first. “Maerad,” he said at last. “Do you remember your father very well?”

Oh yeah, folks. We’re going there. Cadvan further presses, asking if Maerad remembers what Dorn looked like, whether she actually saw her brother Cai killed or not, etc. The medallion has the symbol of Pellinor on it, and it says on the back in the speech, “The House of Karn. Minelm made me.”

Cadvan starts considering both of them and their physical similarities, and he and he concludes that they could be brother and sister. Hem is the right age, and the hulls kept him around for a reason, after all.

Maerad is less cautious, declaring that Hem is definitely her brother, she can feel it, that’s why she had to go find him, etc.

“...I remember Dorn, Maerad; and Hem is unmistakably Pilanel. It would explain why the hulls were interested in him. But I might be wrong.”

“You’re not often wrong,” said Maerad with a wry smile, echoing something he had said to her long ago in Innail.

“No.” Cadvan smiled very slightly. “I am not often wrong. Mind you, when I have been wrong, I’ve been very wrong indeed.”

Sometimes Cadvan’s humor is spot on, though.

Anyway, Cadvan surmises that the hulls knew about the prophecy but grabbed the wrong kid. He tells ‘you Pellinor folk’ to nap and he’ll keep watch, since he couldn’t sleep with his headache anyway. Maerad tries and can’t, remembering Cadvan on the ground and how she’d felt about killing things after.

Darsor returns about an hour after that, Imi in tow. After Darsor imparts some encouraging words for Maerad and Cadvan, Imi comes up and apologizes for running, and Maerad tells her it was good that she did. Cadvan further assures her that there is no shame in running from what are essentially demons.

They ride some more. I know you’re shocked.

The chapter ends when they crest a hill and can see Norloch.

THRONE OF GLASS

Thirteen pages in two chapters y’all I can do this.

Apparently Cain has been getting better not because he trains every day but because he summons dark powers. He calls out a ridderak. I’m sure the ridderak has actually been mentioned before but honestly I can’t be bothered to check right now.

It was something out of an ancient god’s nightmares. Its hairless gray skin was stretched tightly across its misshapen head, displaying a gaping mouth full of black fangs.

Fangs that had ripped out and eaten Verin and Xavier’s internal organs; fangs that had feasted on their brains. Its vaguely human body sank onto its haunches, and it sl;id its long front arms across the stone floor. The stones whined under the claws. Cain raised his head and stood slowly ad the creature knelt before him and lowered its dark eyes. Submission.

I’m not saying that there was a perfectly good place to use Sarah Janet’s trademark ‘those’ instead of ‘the’ in there, but I’m not not saying it either. Also, I still don’t remember which serial killer was which in regards to Verin and Xavier. I forgot Xavier existed, so.

Anyway, Cain says it wasn’t supposed to be Celaena tonight but she’s who he’s got, so Celaena whimpers at him and draws her absolutely useless knife monstrosity, which Cain promptly relieves her of on his way out the door. Honestly, good riddance.

Celaena screams a lot and eventually runs through the secret passages, eventually making it to Elena and Gavin’s tomb, where she snags Damaris, which is a sword that becomes sort of important later. I mean, kinda. Look, I don’t know, sometimes in Kingdom of Ash Dorian uses it to find out if people are telling really obvious lies because Sarah Janet decided she needed a sword of truth up in here in the last book.

Anyway, she kills the ridderak, marking the first time Celaena has won a fight on-page and unassisted, I think, but it bit her along the way. She walks back to her rooms and then collapses, suddenly overcome by the venom. Nehemia finds her and does something and Celaena falls fully unconcious while being rocked gently by Nehemia in a bathtub.

I’m not saying you should ship it, but like. **makes Will Smith present-y hands**

Anyway, that’s the end of chapter 42. Next chapter.

Celaena wakes up to see Nehemia waiting in a chair by her bedside. It has only been three hours, but Celaena feels entirely healed. After some prodding from Nehemia, Celaena confesses her true identity (of course we (and actually Nehemia, come to think of it) are, per later book retcons, aware that it isn’t actually her true identity. More on that in the discussion). Nehemia is upset that Celaena didn’t tell her, but eventually says that Celaena is impressive because,

“...you did not let the mines harden you; you did not let it shame your soul into cruelty.”

Methinks Nehemia speaks more out of hope than actual evidence, because Celaena is a petty, cruel brat who thinks only of murder and her own self-interest at the moment who upgrades to thinking of conquering other nations ‘to spread culture’ later. Nehemia also names her ‘Elentiya’, which means ‘spirit that could not be broken.’ We all loved Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Sarah Janet, I get it. Possibly Nehemia is operating on the assumption that naming a thing determines the character of the thing. Sorry, Nehemia, I know you tried.

Celaena decides to tell Nehemia how she ended up as Adarlan’s Assassin when Nehemia asks, and that’s how we end the section but not the chapter.

Celaena admits next section that she didn’t tell Nehemia everything, because we must still Not Know that Celaena is actually a princess. We have to Not Know very hard at this point, because that’s just the kind of book Throne of Glass is. Also Celaena refused to tell Nehemia about what bit her, so basically everything is pointless.

Chaol needles her about dancing with Dorian, Celaena reflects that she killed the ridderak so the darkness is lifted from the castle, I despair.

Later they spar, and Chaol says he saw her reading poetry, which he thought she didn’t like. She says epic poetry is different because it’s not pretentious. As a fellow hater of poetry, I have to say that I agree, re: enjoyment but must note that it is Celaena who comes off as pretentious here. Anyway they round a corner and she sees the unnamed King of Adarlan and it’s presented as a dramatic reveal but like. You live in his castle, Celaena. He’s a public figure. He’s going to be around.

COMPARISON

Celaena remains a bratty twelve-year old confident in her abilities until faced with anything that might make her prove them. What else is new.

Well. I guess the idiot ball got bigger. The dude who summoned the monster is still out and about but sure the darkness in the castle has been defeated. That makes sense. (Celaena does nothing without being shoved into it, by the way: she has to be sent places by Elena, who she doesn’t ask for help, she has to be shown with actual glowing neon signs the monster that eats things, and then she has to be locked in the catacombs with it to fight it? Y’all. If she wants to rule a country later she should really display some initiative.)

Meanwhile Maerad and Hem/Cai get to be brother and sister, and since names are inherently tied into the narrative by way of bardic names already being important to the story, the fact that Hem will continue throughout the series to prefer being called Hem over Cai is an interesting twist on the later Celaena, who thinks that because she tells everybody to call her Aelin she’s an entirely different person.

Also of note is that both chapters contain human sacrifice, though Hem says that he wouldn’t kill the other boy with so little fanfare that it rounds the corner into having us go duh. I mean that in a good way: it is presented as so much the common-sense choice that it lets us the readers understand a core component of Hem. He can’t be evil. He refuses to be evil. As a child who grew up hungry and starved, he still refused to kill somebody despite the threat and implementation of starvation. The narrative doesn’t wax rhapsodic about it, either. It’s just who Hem is.

Similarly, no one waxes rhapsodic about Sharn, though I might here for a moment. Here’s a guy who broke into a lord’s house to steal valuables, found a starved little boy in a room, and said, ‘okay there is no way I’m leaving this kid here’ and stole him from evil magicians. Pellinor has a mindset and purpose of execution similar to Lord of the Rings: small, kind actions eventually cascade into larger, world-saving actions. Sometimes small good deeds are all you can do, but that’s okay. Small good deeds lead to more small good deeds and eventually the scales tip.

That only works, though, when small good deeds are the only good deeds available to you. Celaena giving Kaltain a cloak in Crown of Midnight, for instance, doesn’t tip the scales much, because Celaena is capable of so much more, and has shown it by faking the deaths of all of the (male, for the record) targets given to her by the king and helping them make their escape. That she chooses to only give Kaltain a cloak, when she is completely aware that Kaltain is regularly raped by both the guards and Perrington, when Kaltain has been consistently wronged by the same people as Celaena, is more of an example of performative compassion instead of, like, actual help. I’m just saying. Further, the whole reverent ‘she gave Ansel one extra minute before shooting at her’ is nonsense. She should have just not shot at Ansel. That would have been an act of compassion. Nobody was holding her to it. There wasn’t any sort of magical compulsion. Celaena performs the most tepid of merciful acts, and the book portrays them as Glorious Acts of Defiance and everyone is in awe over her forgiving nature. She says she doesn’t believe in slavery but never bothers to condemn it in any stronger language. I’m tired of it. I’ve been tired of it. Comparing it to The Books of Pellinor just makes me more tired of it.

In short, I despair.

STATS

Throne of Glass:

Pages: 13

Fragments: 14

Em-Dashes: 34

Ellipses: 7

Pellinor:

Pages: 14

Fragments: 6

Em-Dashes: 4

Ellipses: 12

[imhereforbvcky]

Cuddles Can Hurt - Part 2

Masterlist  -  Part 1  -  Part 3

Summary: You and Bucky have always had a strictly professional relationship, until it becomes a little too easy to get too comfortable when you can’t sleep.

Prompt(s): I would love to read number 4 or 19 from the list! (with Bucky)

4.      “I couldn’t sleep, and I know you’re practically nocturnal, so I thought you’d answer.” 19.   “How exactly did you manage to give yourself a black eye?”

Warnings: a little swearing

Word Count: 1595

Author’s Note: 3 part mini series, posting every day the next 3 days. No series tags for this one. :) Mostly floof, and Bucky being a dumb, because I love that loveable idiot.

A few nights had gone by and you’d made a point to waste your late night awake time out in the living room hoping Bucky would wander in again, but he didn’t. You tried not to take it personally, not everyone could function on 4-6 hours of sleep, and you knew Bucky was only up when something woke him. It was a good thing if he wasn’t here, right? Right.

But it didn’t feel so good, so by the 4th night you only shuffled into the kitchen long enough to grab an entire box of Lucky Charms before you wandered back to your room with a bowl of milk. You sat cross-legged on the end of your bed, chomping on a mouthful of cereal balancing the bowl in one hand, your spoon and the remote in the other as you thumbed through your list of saved movies.

A stupidly giddy smile erupted across your face when you heard a quiet knock on your door. You bit your lip in an effort to force yourself to contain some of the excitement and act like a normal human being. There was no mistaking who was on the other side of that door, the sound of metal on your steel door gave it away and you shifted anxiously in your seat with no real purpose.

“It’s open,” you called, taking another bite of cereal just to keep yourself from rambling.

“Hey,” he greeted you as he stepped inside, he looked a little reserved, like he wasn’t sure if he was welcome so you waved him over with your spoon. “I couldn’t sleep, and I know you’re practically nocturnal, so I thought you’d answer.”

“Yeah, c’mon in!” You quickly gulped down your mouthful of cereal, “I was just about to pick a movie.”

“I don’t know if I trust your judgement anymore,” he teased, but stepped into the room anyway, falling carelessly across your bed.

“What?!” you demanded, getting up to set your bowl on the dresser. “What was wrong with the Fox and the Hound?”

“It was traumatizing!” he complained, shifting to make room for you as you eased back onto the bed beside him.

You sat alongside where he lounged comfortably, his head propped up on his hand, elbow digging into your mattress so he could see you. You, however, felt reserved and uncomfortable, still thrown off by the distance the last few days, worried this was just a closeness and charm he used to fill a night. A part of you wondered if that was really a bad thing, but another part worried you would get too caught up and could get hurt.

You drew your knees to your chest and tried your best to carry on with the conversation despite the racing thoughts in your head and the flutter in your stomach. “Wow!” you made a show of drawing the word out, “A world class assassin got too emotional over a fox hunt.”

“When they make the fox feel like your best friend, yes!” he defended, “If they made a movie like that about cute baby cow I’d stop eating meat.”

“Just wait til we get to Dumbo, then” you mumbled, swiping up the remote.

“No!” Bucky firmly protested, lurching over you to make a grab for the remote in your hand.

You were again surprised by his speed. He went from casually lounging at your side to hovering over you, reaching for your hand in an instant. It took your breath away. You squealed as you fell backwards, stretching your arm overhead, trying to keep it out of his reach.

You were suddenly very aware of how big he was. Just... tall with strong, far-reaching arms and thick thighs that anchored around you as he stretched over your body. Every part of him was pressed so damn close. If he leaned a little further, he could have easily taken the remote out of your hand, but instead he let half his weight fall on you as he brought another hand to your ribs.

You jolted, your instinct to ball up and protect yourself from the tickling took over and you soon brought the remote within reach. He snatched it out of your hands but continued to squeeze your side as you squirmed beneath him.

“Bucky!” you spat angrily. “S-stop! I w-will fucking MURDER you!”

He stopped tickling you but didn’t move off of you. Instead he fell into a fit of laughter and dropped his head to your collarbone. His warm breath came out in bursts as he continued to laugh, your hair dancing in wisps over your skin in response until you were laughing with him.

He finally rolled off of you, well half way, he propped himself up on his elbow, looking down at you, still hovering, one leg weighing heavy on yours.

“I have never seen you that mad before,” he laughed, “Not even on an assignment.”

“Yeah, well, people usually go for gun or fist fights on our missions, not tickle fights,” you huffed, but couldn’t reign in your smile.

Closing your eyes, you pushed your fingers into your hair, resting your hand on your forehead, just catching your breath when suddenly Bucky’s lips were on yours. Your eyes snapped open in surprise but quickly fluttered closed again when he gently sucked on your bottom lip. You responded quickly, molding your lips around his and running your tongue across his upper lip.

Your hand dove into his hair, slipping easily through the soft length until your fingers wrapped around the back of his neck, pulling him deeper. His hand slipped over your side, gliding gently, lightly, over your ribcage, his thumb sweeping teasing circles as he went. You whimpered softly  as his teeth dragged over your lip when he pulled back, panting slightly.

He swallowed hard and looked down at you with the greatest hesitation playing across his face. It made you nervous and you began second guessing everything and tried to slide away, but he didn’t move. His hand on your side held you in place until he finally spoke.

“Maybe… maybe we should slow down,” he whispered before he ducked down to kiss you again, this time a quick, tug on your lips, like he wanted more. You wanted more, and found yourself chasing after his lips as he pulled back again. Then he quickly rolled off of you and pulled himself higher up your bed so he was leaning against the headboard.

“O-okay,” you mumbled, sitting up with your back to him. “Yeah, that’s fine.” Your fingers traced over your lips, still tingling from the heat of just seconds before, trying to reconcile the coolness that now enveloped your skin and sank into your bones. “You pick a movie, I’ll um… I’ll be right back.”

Before Bucky could get in another word you swooped up your cereal bowl and the box you’d absconded with and headed to the kitchen. The bowl clattered into the sink as you cursed under your breath, mind and heart racing. There was no scenario that made sense to you, nothing that explained why he had cooled so quickly. What the hell was going on. You needed to talk to Nat, but it was 2am, if she was up, you definitely didn’t want to know anything about what she was doing.

After placing your bowl in the dishwasher you rolled your shoulders and resolved to go back in there and watch whatever damn movie he chose, to be yourself, to follow his lead. He had every right to put on the brakes, just like you did. It would be nice if he told you why, but he didn’t owe you anything.

The confident new resolve that brought you back to your door sank quickly when you stepped through and found the room empty. You closed the door behind you and flopped down on your bed with a groan. This would be a sleepless night of replaying every second of the night trying to figure out where it went wrong.

“Steve what the hell is wrong with me?” Bucky complained, taking a long pull on his water bottle as Steve stretched. It was early, and Bucky was tired, and irritable, and he hadn’t stopped talking since they left the compound on their run. “I used to pick up girls all the time; now I have no idea what I’m doing. I have no idea who I am anymore.”

“Okay, woah.” Steve put both hands in front of him, palms out to Bucky. “It’s not the end of the world, Buck. It’s been, what, 75 years since you picked up a girl?”

Bucky rolled his eyes but nodded, conceding to the point.

“Times have changed,” Steve continued. “And you’re not trying to just pick her up, which is also not something James Buchanan Barnes would have done 75 years ago, but that’s not bad thing.”

Bucky nodded again, “I don’t know why I’m coming to you for advice on this. Your last relationship was 75 years ago, too.” He shoved Steve in the shoulder before stepping into the elevator.

“Because of the two of us, I’m not the one who made out with a girl and ran,” Steve teased, with raised eyebrows, stepping into the elevator. He had his hands on his hips, daring Bucky to argue.

“Right, right,” Bucky agreed, “You just got with your ex’s niece.”

Steve sighed heavily, dropping his hands to his sides, his head falling back. “Are you ever going to let that go?”

“No, probably not.” Bucky grinned.

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