#it's just really easy to get Rowan flustered | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

writtenonreceipts · 4 years ago

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four thousand words later and another random fic is done.

A companion to this fic. Can be read separately but some stuff might make more sense if you read the other first. Based on characters from the “Throne of Glass” World.

The Boys are Back in Town

Modern AU In which Rowan and Lorcan are up to their hijinks and where Lorcan ponders murder, his feelings, and food allergies. Warnings: None, just slight language.

“I made a mistake.” Elide leaned against the kitchen counter--nose scrunched and fingers knit together beneath her chin.

Lorcan narrowed his eyes confused. Elide Lochan rarely, if ever, made mistakes. Lowering his cup of coffee from his lips he shook his head.

“I find that hard to believe,” he said. He sat across the counter from her on one of the absurdly uncomfortable stools. Lorcan suspected the only reason Elide and Aelin had bought it was because it was on sale.

Elide’s lips puckered into a pout. “It’s true and you are going to hate me.”

That was impossible, but Lorcan didn’t say that. He’d only just barely managed to tell Elide that he really, really liked her. In reality, he was head over heels in love with her, but telling her that meant actually saying the words and admitting the feelings. Not to mention the storm Aelin Galathynius would rain down on him after Elide was sure to tell her.

“Lorcan,” Elide said again. She slipped around the counter until she came to his side. She leaned into him until her chin rested on his shoulder and her lips nearly grazed his cheek.

It would be so easy to take her mouth with his. So easy to let his hands trail over her body, through her hair. Aelin wasn’t home so they had the apartment to themselves for a long while.

“Elide,” he said, his voice low. He turned his face and their noses grazed. He found her dark eyes bright with humor boring into his.

“Aelin and I are having girls night,” Elide said. Her mouth quirked to one side. “She went to pick up Lysandra and Manon.”

And just like that, Lorcan’s mood went to hell. Sighing, he looked away from his girlfriend and stood.

It had been a while since the two of them had had time alone together. Between her going to school and his job--he felt like they were ships in the night that kept passing by with little more than dim lights acknowledging the other’s existence.

“Hey,” Elide said, she snatched a hand out and cupped his cheek bringing his attention back to her. Her expression softened. “I know. I know what you’re thinking. But if you want someone to blame, blame Rowan.”

“Rowan?” Lorcan scowled. “Why?”

“He said you all needed a boys night.” Now Elide was full out grinning. She chuckled as Lorcan’s confusion and small bit of anger. Slipping onto her toes she brushed her lips against his and sighed. “He sounded desperate. Aelin’s been giving Fleetfoot more attention than him. I think he’s jealous.”

As if summoned, the demon puppy flopped into the kitchen whining softly. Elide laughed and stepped away from Lorcan to dote on the dog. He frowned at the creature. While Aelin was the one who ended up getting the dog and not Elide, Lorcan knew it was only a matter of time before Elide made goot on her promise and got an animal of some sort.

Just then the front door burst open.

“Y’all better be fully clothed,” Aelin announced as she marched into the apartment. Behind her came Lysandra and Manon. None of the women looked ready for a girls night. In fact, everyone was in their pajamas.

“That was one time,” Elide said. She glared at her roommate, hands on her hips. “And we weren’t even doing anything.”

Aelin shook a single finger in Lorcan’s direction. “Mm-hmm.”

Lorcan held his hands up in a silent surrender, not wanting to say anything that would make him the topic of discussion for girls night.

Rowan waited outside the apartment, leaning against the door jam. “Let’s go Salvaterre. Dorian and Aedion are meeting us at the bar.”

“Have fun!” Elide said. She reached up to give Lorcan another sift kiss before she exclaimed the need to find her pajamas.

Lorcan shook his head and grabbed his jacket hanging over the side of the couch. He, for once, offered a small wave to Manon and Lysandra. The latter was the only one to acknowledge him.

One outside and away from the door, Lorcan punched Rowan. “This was my first Friday off in weeks and I was planning on spending it with my girlfriend.”

Rowan ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “I made a mistake.”

Unlike Elide, Lorcan was fully convinced Rowan was quite capable of making mistakes.

It had only been a month ago when he and Rowan were running for their lives through an impound lot. Giant dobermans had been very close to eating them and Lorcan had decided then and there that he would never get into another one of Rowan’s antics. Granted, that night he’d also been helping Elide by reducing a pair of Manon’s shoes from an impounded car...but still. It was Rowan’s fault because it had been Aelin who first insisted on needed help.

It was a convoluted mess.

Now, Lorcan had been hoping that night was long gone and would only be a distant memory that Rowan and Lorcan would never, ever, bring up to anyone.

Oh what a fool he had been.

“No,” Lorcan said.

“Lorcan,” Rowan began.

“No.”

“But.”

“Hell Rowan, after last time?”

“This will be nothing like last time.”

“I don’t believe you. Nor do I trust you.” Loran ran a hand through his hair, loosely contained in a low bun. He’d been meaning to cut his hair for a while now, but Elide had insisted he keep it long. So he had.

“It won’t be that bad,” Rowan insisted.

They stood in the alleyway behind Rowan’s apartment staring at the sickly green dumpster where tenants put anything, and everything. It stank like ten different somethings had died back here and had ten different somethings growing on them. Not to mention it was the prime of summer and the nights stayed unbearably hot more often than not.

“I’m not dumpster diving,” Lorcan said.

“The bag shouldn’t be down that far,” Rowan said. “I had to hide something from Aelin, so I put it in the trash. How was I supposed to know she’d take the bag out while I was in the shower?”

“What kind of boyfriend hides stuff from his girlfriend?” Lorcan shot back.

“A stupid one.”

“Obviously.”

Lorcan ran a hand down his face. “Where are Aedion and Dorian? We can just chuck them in the dumpster for us.”

“Ah, well, they are maintaining our cover at the bar,” Rowan said.

Yes. It was official. Lorcan hated Rowan. And Aelin. Of course she was behind this.

Cursing, Lorcan sighed. “You could have at least warned me.” He gestured down to his clothes, nice jeans and an expensive button up Elide had gifted him for their two-month anniversary.

Rowan brightened. “Oh, I actually came prepared.”

Not five minutes later Rowan was throwing a thick blue jumpsuit at him, complete with rubber gloves.

“Fenrys might have committed a felony to help me out,” Rowan explained.

Lorcan zipped up his jumpsuit over his clothes and sighed. He really didn’t want to do this. He glanced to the dumpster then at Rowan.

“You know I’m allergic to peanuts, right? What happens if someone just left a giant tub of peanut butter in there? My throat closes up and everything.”

Rowan rolled his eyes and muttered a few curses under his breath, completely ignoring Lorcan.

“Do you want to give me mouth to mouth in that sort of situation?” Lorcan added. “Hell no.”

“Lorcan,” Rowan said.

“Hell no,” Lorcan repeated.

“Get in the dumpster or I tell Elide how you really feel about her.”

Several vicious curses flew out of Lorcan’s mouth. “Mother-loving blackmail. Dammit Whitethorn.”

“Get in the dumpster lover boy.”

“It had better be one impressive ring,” Lorcan muttered and he approached the dumpster. Sending prayers up to whatever gods were listening, he launched himself into the trash pile.

It was worse than he’d imagined.

At least Rowan had also had the foresight to bring back up shoes. But Lorcan could have lived without feeling his socks getting soaked by some mystery liquid.

“Oh I hate you,” Lorcan muttered. He tossed another garbage sack out of the way. They all looked the same and Rowan had no idea what brand of garbage sacks he used.

The cheap ones, he’d said.

Sure, because having a 401k and benefits meant you had to skimp on things like decent garbage bags.

“It’s not like you can get the plastic embroidered with your name,” Rowan added as they still had no luck finding the right bag.

“What kind of stuff are we looking for?” Lorcan asked.

“Mail,” Rowan shrugged. He tore open a black bag and gagged. “This was not my smartest idea.”

“No? Really?” Lorcan snorted in derision.

Of all the things he’d done, Lorcan was sure this was the most disgusting. Even worse than trudging through a pig farm with his foster brother while trying to run away from home when they were ten.

“What were you even hiding from Aelin anyways?” Lorcan finally asked.

Rowan tucked his nose in the collar of his shirt a moment and looked way. If Lorcan wasn’t mistaken he was sure he saw a flush rise on his friends cheeks.

“Rowan?”

“It..I...you wouldn’t understand,” Rowan finally said.

Lorcan’s brows shot up. “I wouldn’t understand? Then why am I out here digging through trash with you? Why not bring Aedion or Dorian and leave me at the bar?”

“That’s not,” Rowan began. He paused. It was the first time in a very long time that Lorcan had seen the silver haired man flustered. “I got a ring.”

A banana peel smooshed in Lorcan’s grasp. He shook it off with a curse and stared at Rowan. “You got a what?”

“A ring,” Rowan repeated. “I got Aelin an engagement ring.”

“You don’t even live together,” Lorcan said.

“We practically do,” Rowan said. “Seriously. My closet is full of more of her close than mine. Not to mention how often I find her underwear lying around.”

“Stop,” Lorcan demanded. He was tempted to find the moldy cup-noodle he’d just passed over and toss it at Rowan’s face.

The two stilled. Distant sounds of the city passed around them. Occasionally a siren shrilled or voices shouted back and forth. A car backfired.

Lorcan finally found what he wanted to say. “You’re serious? You guys have only been dating a year.”

“I love her.” Rowan’s words were so genuine and sincere that Lorcan found himself sneering.

Love. What did any of them know about it?

Rowan could tease him about being in love with Elide all he wanted, but was he? Really? Lorcan had no idea. Every time he thought he was he found himself doubting everything.

His only experience with love had been an elusive relationship spanning four hundred miles and eight months with Essar. They’d met every other weekend spending barely a day together with phone calls few and far between. And Lorcan had thought...well he had thought that had been pretty damn great until Essar had called it off saying she found someone in her neighborhood. Two months later she was engaged.

Not that Lorcan was mad or hung up about it. Not really. Because, he supposed, he’d only had surface feelings about Essar. But with Elide...there was nothing surface or superficial about the way he felt about her.

But was it love? Lorcan had no idea.

“Come on,” Rowan said after Lorcan had remained quiet for too long. “You can’t tell me you don’t feel the same way about Elide.”

Lorcan shrugged. “We’ve been together five months.”

“And?”

“And what, Whitethorn?” Lorcan held a bag of trash in either hand. “How am I supposed to feel? It’s Elide. You know her. You know what she’s been through. And you know me. I’m the worst possible person for her. Hell, for anyone.”

Rowan nodded silently along, pursing his lips. “You’re an idiot.”

“A bigger idiot than the man who threw out an engagement ring?”

“I wanted it to be romantic,” Rowan said defensively. He opened his mouth to speak again when he stilled. “Oh hell.”

Lorcan glared. “If I hear a single dog start barking, I am going to murder you.”

“It’s Aelin,” Rowan hissed. He flapped a hand trying to get Lorcan to shut up.

“How could you possibly know that?” Lorcan asked, but then he heard the very definite sound of Aelin’s laughter.

The two men looked at each other for a split second before dropping down into the piles of trash.

“Rowan, I swear,” Lorcan snarled.

“Shut up.”

The two stilled and listened as Aelin’s voice came closer.

“I can’t believe you left your laptop here.” Lysandra, by the sounds of it, was not pleased. “Do you really need it?”

“Yes,” Aelin replied. “And I can’t have Rowan bring it, after what happened with my car at the impound lot.”

“Did you ever get the full story about that?” Lysandra asked. “It sounds like some weird stuff happened.”

“Apparently Rowan and Lorcan have a secret society,” Aelin said.

Their voices disappeared. Neither man moved for several moments.

“What do we do?” Lorcan asked. His face was pressed entirely too close to some old chinese food.

“I’m not leaving without that ring,” Rowan said.

“I’m telling Aelin you threw her ring in the dumpster, just so you know,” Lorcan said.

Rowan grunted. He was probably just grateful Lorcan had stopped calling Aeling “fire-breathing bitch queen.”

They hurriedly began sifting through more trash.

“I think I found it,” Rowan practically yelled. He hauled up a white trash bag and grinned at it.

“Well find the damned ring and--” Lorcan began, but he cut himself off when Lysandra’s voice rang out.

Cursing, the men dropped back into the trash.

“I’m telling you, you’re reading too much into it,” Lysandra said.

“He’s been acting so weird,” Aelin replied. “It’s the second weekend in a row he’s been busy or made plans or whatever that haven’t been date night.”

“Aelin,” Lysandra groaned. They came to a stop just beside the dumpster. “You literally sound just like Elide, I’m going to slap you.”

“I’m serious,” Aelin said. “He only got like this when he gave me a key to his place. And then when he got that new job. He’s going to break-up with me.”

“No he’s not,” Lysandra nearly shouted. “Just breath. Every couple has their off weeks.”

Aelin let out a sigh.

“Come on,” Lysandra said, “or else Elide and Manon will have drunk all the margaritas without us.”

Silence again.

“You’re an idiot Rowan,” Lorcan said.

“Shut up.”

They found the ring.

Which was a good thing because Lorcan had also found an abandoned wrench at the bottom of the dumpster that would make a very good weapon of mass destruction to use against Rowan, if necessary.

After hauling themself out of the trash, they sat next to the dumpster for a long while. They’d long become accustomed to the stench that would likely be a perpetual stain on their skin.

“Why would Aelin think I’m going to break-up with her?” Rowan asked suddenly.

“What?” Lorcan glanced over at his friend. “What are you talking about?”

“You heard her and Lys talking, she thinks I’m breaking up with her,” Rowan said. “Why would she think that unless it’s something already in her head.”

Lorcan groaned. He did not want to deal with this. This was Aedion territory. Dorian territory. Hell even Chaol had gotten good at this sort of advice giving crap.

“Lorcan I’m serious.”

“Man,” Lorcan said. He banged his head against the dumpster once. “How the hell should I know? You both love each other right? You spend every waking hour around each other.”

“We don’t live together,” Rowan said. “What if this is moving too fast. She’s been through a lot in the boyfriend arena.”

“Rowan,” Lorcan said, reaching out to punch his friend roughly in the shoulder. “You’ve been happier in the last year with Aelin than I have ever seen you been before. You said it yourself, she makes you want to do better and be better. Or whatever Hallmark crap it was you spat out.”

Rowan snorted, shaking his head. “I see why Elide keeps you around.”

The night continued around them. Cars on the street passed by in a flurry despite the late hour. Lorcan barely paid it any attention, grateful they were tucked back in the alley.

“I think Aelin is just scared of losing you,” Lorcan said quietly. Rowan shifted giving Lorcan an incredulous look. “I'm serious. They way she looks at you, man. The both of you are happier around each other and losing that happiness would terrify anyone.”

“And here I was thinking you were hoping she and I would break up.”

Lorcan rolled his eyes. Maybe a part of him had wanted that, in the early days. Bit that was back when life had been screwing him over time and time again. Back when he'd known Aelin as the competitive piano player, the girl who never took no for an answer, who seemingly had no soul when it came to dealing with problems.

Lorcan was convinced all of those things we're still true and forever would be, but he'd also seen how Aelin used those personality traits to help others. Elide in particular.

“Yeah well,” Lorcan finally said, “Aelin owes me fifty bucks from poker last week so until she pays me back she can stick around.”

Rowan’s phone gave a buzz and he reached over to look at it. He swore lightly. “Aedion and Dorian are wasted.”

After Rowan lent Lorcan a change of clothes, they went to pick up Dorian and Aedion from the bar. The two were indeed wasted.

“Just so you know,” Rowan said as they drove back to Elide and Aelin’s, “you should tell Elide how you feel.”

“Why do you guys smell like you spent the night in a dumpster?” Dorian complained. He rolled down the window of Rowan’s car and stuck his head out.

Aedion muttered something incomprehensible as he flopped over into Dorians lap.

The two sober men ignored them.

“I’ve decided to never take advice from you,” Lorcan told Rowan. “And this is the last time I help you with anything.”

“I’m going to need help setting up how I’m going to ask Aelin,” Rowan said. He glanced in the back to see that Dorian and Aedion were completely passed out.

“No dogs and no dumpsters,” Lorcan said. “You’ll be fine.”

Rowan barked out a laugh and shook his head. Grinning, Lorcan shot Elide a text telling her they were on their way, two drunk men in tow.

As they passed through the city, Lorcan pondered what would happen if he did admit how deep his feelings for Elide ran. Maybe he would turn out like Rowan--giddy and happy to the point he was literally walking on water. Lorcan wouldn’t mind feeling like that all the time.

So as he glanced at the ring box Rowan tucked in the drink holder between the front seats he decided that both he and Elide deserved to be disgustingly in love. Even if it meant Elide would insist on getting a dog.

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lifeofkaze · 4 years ago

Text

An Art of Balance #4

Warning: mention of food

Word Count: ~ 2.500

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Chapter 4: Devising A Plan

The Great Hall was already crowded when Charlie and Lizzie returned. It had been the first time Lizzie had been to the creatures reserve this year. She couldn’t resist checking on all of their charges and the sun had almost gone down when they had started to make their way back.

Hagrid had been quite busy adding new arrivals. They were eagerly chatting about the new flock of Diricrawls they had encountered just as they had been about to leave. It had taken all of Charlie’s efforts to prise Lizzie from their adorable antics.

Lizzie looked the Hufflepuff table up and down for where Rowan was sitting. Charlie noticed her searching look and nonchalantly put his arm around her shoulder, craning his head.

“So, who is this ‘something like a date’ person? Do I know them?”

She shook his hand off and rolled her eyes. “Do you even care if it’s not a Norwegian Ridgeback?”

“Who do you take me for? Of course I do!” He waved at Bill who had kept a seat for him at the Gryffindor table. “Although, to be honest, not quite as much as if they were.”

Having spotted her, Lizzie pointed to where Rowan was waiting. “See, that’s my dinner date over there. If you don’t mind, I’ll go and spend my evening without any talk of dragons.”

Charlie only laughed at that. “As if you’re not loving it.”

Lizzie hid her affectionate smile by turning her back on him and walking over to her house table. She passed Orion and McNully, who offered her a seat. She quickly shook her head, not even stopping.

“Not today, guys. Next time.”

She heard McNully mutter a “That was about 63,7% unexpected.”, and continued on.

When she walked past Penny, Skye and Tonks, who shifted on the bench to make room for her, she halted for second.

“Thank you, but don’t mind me. I’m having dinner with Rowan today.”

Penny arched her eyebrows. “So that’s why she didn’t want to sit with us. I was wondering what was going on.” She gave Lizzie a sympathetic smile. “It will do you good to catch up a bit.”

“I really hope so.”

Lizzie took a step forward when Skye caught hold of her wrist. Surprised, Lizzie turned around again to see her suspicious glance towards the table where Charlie was goofing around with his brothers.

Knowing exactly what she was about to ask, Lizzie wrenched her arm free and put it against her hip.

“Skye, don’t, I warn you,” she glowered at her friend. “We have been working at the reserve, like so many times before. Get over it.”

Skye was clearly not satisfied with Lizzie’s answer, but said nothing, surprised at Lizzie’s sharp tone. Angrily Lizzie walked on, letting herself fall into the seat facing Rowan.

Her friend was toying around with her fork. Lizzie noticed her plate was still empty. Her anger subsided instantly. Rowan had actually waited for her to start her meal. Feeling guilty for dallying, Lizzie blushed.

“I’m so sorry for keeping you waiting, you really should have started without me! I was looking at all the new creatures Hagrid brought in and forgot the time. Can you imagine, we have a whole flock of Diricrawls now, and some new Abraxans have joined the herd and- “, Lizzie noticed her rambling and willed herself to stop.

“Thank you for waiting, is what I wanted to say,” she mumbled sheepishly.

Rowan didn’t seem to be particularly mad and reached for one of the sandwiches piled on a plate in front of her. Relieved she didn’t mess things up even further, Lizzie did the same.

Lifting the top half up, she grimaced. “Ugh, tuna.” She nodded at Rowan who had done the same and looked equally disgusted as she was. “What have you got?”

Rowan wrinkled her nose. “Roast beef.”

“Swap?” they asked simultaneously. They burst out laughing, exchanging their sandwiches. They had each picked the other one’s favourite.

The laughter subsided and they started eating in silence, neither quite knowing how to begin the conversation. Lizzie couldn’t remember a time when she had not been able to tell Rowan what was on her mind. But now, everything felt strained, as if they didn’t know each other by heart.

Setting her sandwich down before her, Lizzie took a deep breath.

“Let’s get this over with, shall we?” She looked Rowan directly into the eye. “Tell me what is bothering you.”

Rowan, however, seemed determined to avoid Lizzie’s inquiring gaze. Instead, she reached for her cup of pumpkin juice, turning it around between her hands again and again.

“I don’t know what’s the matter, Lizzie. I’m alright. We’re good.”

Lizzie snorted and crossed her arms before her chest. “I’m not leaving this table until we have settled this. And neither are you,” she added quickly as she saw Rowan’s eyes shift towards the entrance of the Great Hall. “Now, let’s try again. Why are you so uncomfortable around me? Is this really only about my Quidditch friends?”

Rowan pursed her lips, still looking everywhere but directly at her. Her nervous fingers had moved on to a slice of bread, tearing it apart into tiny pieces. Lizzie reached across the table and gently took it out of her hands. Rowan had hung her head, her face partly obscured by her long black hair. Lizzie leaned forward a bit, trying to take a peek at her friend’s expression. Seeing how miserable she looked, Lizzie instantly felt sorry for her.

“You can tell me,” she said softly.

Finally, Rowan lifted her head, a guilt-stricken expression on her face. “Why do you have to be like this? I have been so snarky to you and still you try so hard to make something right that you don’t even know about!”

Lizzie frowned in confusion. “I don’t know what you’re on to, but I think that is what friends are supposed to be doing.”

Disbelief was written all across Rowan’s face. “Can you please stop being so disgustingly perfect for just a second?” She waved at her angrily. “Just look at you. As popular as Penny, as good a chaser as Skye and although you spend all your time hopping from one party to the other, or throwing quaffles around on that stupid pitch of yours instead of studying, you are still as good in class as I am!” It had all burst out of her in a rush. Her cheeks had flushed with her anger.

Lizzie couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing. “Are you trying to tell me, that you are jealous of me? Seriously?” she asked incredulously.

Rowan pressed her lips together. “But I’m right, am I not? Everything comes so easy to you; you’re not even trying. I, on the other hand, study the hardest of all of us and I just can’t surpass you!” She slammed the new slice of bread she had been reducing to crumbs down onto her plate.

Now it was Lizzie’s turn to get angry. “That is the biggest pile of nonsense I have ever heard come out of your mouth.” She leaned forward, her body tense. “I work hard for everything I do and you know that damn well. I used to think we were a team. Complementing each other, not rivals about who performs best.”

“Yes, because you don’t even see me as competition.” Rowan had raised her voice, attracting the attention of the students around them. While some were looking curiously, most seemed uncomfortable to witness their fight and pretended to not notice.

Furious, Lizzie got up. “This is ridiculous. I don’t have to listen to this. We can talk when you have come back to your senses.”

Turning around, she found the way blocked by Orion and Murphy, standing a few feet away from her, suddenly pretending very hard not to have listened to the angry exchange between the two friends.

“What do you want?” Lizzie snapped.

Startled by her sharp tone, Murphy started rambling. “Oh, we just came over because Orion wanted to tell you something. But we didn’t want to interrupt you and Rowan talking, because it seemed important and everyone knows you had a rough start this year and I don’t know if it helps but statistically there is a phase in every friendship where even the best friends start fighting; chances of this being between the ages of fifteen and seventeen lie at 88,2 %. This is probably because people are growing up and getting interested in thinks like dating, which can strain- “

Noticing Lizzie’s withering gaze and Orion’s raised eyebrows, he trailed off, looking rather sheepish.

Orion turned his attention back to Lizzie. “Are you alright? You seem upset,” he asked quietly.

Lizzie averted her eyes. “Forget it, it’s nothing.”

He didn’t seem as if he believed her. He put a hand on her shoulder. “Whatever is troubling you, clear you mind. Focus on what is ahead.”

Lizzie glanced at his hand, confused by the gesture. “And what would that be?”

He let go of her, suddenly beaming. “The time for try-outs has come! We shall set out to find the missing link to the chain that holds our team together.”

Lizzie blinked at him. “What, right now?” She wouldn’t put it past him.

“No, tomorrow after class.” Murphy chimed in, switching into full announcing mode. “Prepare for a detailed recapitulation of last season’s strategic highs and lows, prepare for a thorough analysis of your physical condition, prepare for dreams being fulfilled and dreams being crushed when the aspirants for the vacant beater position are tested in Hufflepuff’s first practise of the season!”

Having gotten a little overexcited, he took a deep breath to calm himself. “Just be prepared.”

The prospect of getting back to the pitch had considerably heightened Lizzie’s spirits again.

“Don’t worry, I can’t wait,” she smiled at both of them.

Orion returned her smile, waved into Rowan’s direction and walked off, catching up to Murphy who was already halfway out of the Great Hall.

Now in a calmer mood, Lizzie turned around again to try her luck with Rowan one more time.

Rowan didn’t seem to notice, however. She was staring after Orion and Murphy, hand still half raised, a blush on her face. Their eyes met for a split second before Rowan dropped her gaze, but it was enough for Lizzie to see the flustered look in them.

Intrigued, she sat back down again.

“So that is it, isn’t it?” Although she really tried, she couldn’t keep the hint of smugness out of her voice. “The reason you don’t want to be around me when I’m with my teammates.” She interlaced her fingers and rested her head on top of them, blinking innocently. “You fancy Orion, am I right?”

Her face colour turning from a slight blush to a deep scarlet, Rowan frantically looked around if someone had heard. “You might as well hop onto the table and shout it out, if you don’t keep your voice down,” she hissed.

Lizzie tried to stifle the laugh burning at the back of her throat. It came out as a giggle. “Come now, it’s not like this is something bad. How long has this been going on?”

Helplessly, Rowan buried her face in her hands. “I don’t know. Maybe since about Christmas last year? I can’t really put a date on this, you know?”

Lizzie was surprised. “So long? Why did you never tell me?”

“It’s not like you were telling me everything either,” Rowan shot back, hinting at Lizzie and Charlie kissing.

“Fair game,” Lizzie conceded. “So, what’s your plan?”

Rowan shifted nervously on her seat. “I don’t know. Do you think I could have any chances with him?”

Lizzie considered for a moment. She had known Orion for quite some time now. He had become a close friend to her, he was a brilliant captain and gifted chaser, but she had a hard time picturing him doing something as mundane as dating.

“Honestly, Rowan? I’m not entirely sure he even does that,” she said cautiously.

“Does what?”

“Well… dating and stuff,” Lizzie shrugged.

Rowan impatiently waved her off. “Of course he does. He’s had girlfriends before; do you really think I haven’t done my research?”

Now it was Lizzie’s turn to blush. She had never thought Orion could actually have past relationships. She had never known about any of them. Thinking about this felt like invading his privacy somehow.

But this was Rowan, her best and oldest friend, who had fallen for her team captain. It was very unlike Lizzie to leave things alone once she set her mind on it and she felt the need to mend the relationship with her.

“No, of course you have. Now tell me, what are we going to do about it?”

Rowan’s brows shot up in surprise. “You want to help me? After all the things I said earlier?”

“Especially after all the things you said earlier,” Lizzie explained. “Orion is my friend and I like to think I know him a fair bit. Maybe I can set you up.”

Rowan remained doubtful. “I don’t know, Liz, what if he doesn’t like me? This could be a real clash of interests for you.”

“There’s only one way to find out.” Lizzie happily reached for a bit of fruit from the bowl before her. She spun the grape between her fingers before popping it into her mouth. “What do you want me to do?”

Knowing Lizzie wouldn’t give up on this, Rowan surrendered. “Actually, I was going to ask Penny for help in this… but it might work even better with you.”

“You know Orion is one of the best Herbology students in his year?” she asked in a matter-of-fact voice.

“No, but it figures.” Orion loved everything to do with nature, him having a talent for cultivating plants made perfect sense.

“Exactly. And it just so happens that he is tutoring students who are not as skilled as he is.”

Lizzie tilted her head. “But you are good at Herbology. You grew up among plants, quite literally.”

Rowan shook her head. “No, I’m really struggling with this year’s curriculum.”

Lizzie’s head dropped to the other side. “You are?”

“Same as you.”

Now she could only blink in bewilderment. “I am?”

Rowan pointed her fork at her, annoyance clearly visible on her face. “Go on asking like that and I might just believe it’s actually true.”

Shaking out of it, Lizzie gave Rowan’s plan a thought. “You want us to pretend to struggle in Herbology, so Orion can tutor us?”

“Exactly.”

“And what do you need me for?”

Her friend looked a little bit embarrassed. “A bit of moral support, I guess? Besides, you know him better than I do.”

Lizzie winced. “I’m not sure about this, Rowan. Like you said, I know Orion. He really values honesty. This could go terribly wrong.”

Rowan’s eyes flashed impatiently. “Are you in or do you want me to ask Penny for help?”

She had a bad feeling about this, but didn’t want to ruin their unspoken truce already. “Alright, I’m in. I’ll talk to him tomorrow after practise.”

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #orion x mc #orion amari #orion amari x mc #lizzie jameson #art of balance #charlie weasley #rowan khanna #murphy mcnully #quidditch squad #the quidditch squad

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clownsgobeepbeep · 3 years ago

Note

So, it is war between us!

Skiiiiiiin

Hopefully this is good ^^'

“Can we watch Boorhees after?”

“You wanna watch Friday the 13th after this one?”

“Yes!”

Davey gave a nod as he chuckled, sitting in front of his nephew who immediately dropped the topic in question. His attention had soon returned to the items before him: large papers and small tubs of paint that he constantly dipped his little fingers into. He then smeared the paint onto the papers, attempting to paint a tree.

“What kind of a tree is that?”

“A me tree.”

“Me tree?”

“No, me!” Rowan giggled as he pointed to himself, accidentally painting a red dot onto the apron he wore to prevent a big mess.

“A you tree?”

“Nooo, me!” the toddler repeated before Davey gave a laugh.

“Oooh! A rowan tree!”

“Ye.” Rowan nodded as he painted little red dots onto the tree, these resembling the berries on the trees. “What you making?”

“I’m painting a jellyfish. Like the ones your mama Jelly likes.” Davey spoke as he presented his painting, noticing that Rowan hadn’t even looked up from his own art. Davey quietly chuckled to himself before turning his attention to his other nephew who was seated on the couch behind the pair. “How you doing Basil?”

Basil’s eyes were practically glued on the TV screen that was on the other side of Basil and Rowan, Halloween 2 playing on the screen. In his little hand was a stick with cotton candy that he bit into every now and then.

“Oh, I’m fine Uncle Davey. I love the movie and cotton candy my Auntie Ally made.” Davey spoke in a high pitched voice before using his own voice. “Oh that’s so good to know Basil. Nice that you’re having fun.”

Davey looked over at the screen, of course Basil would be so entertained with Michael Myers chasing down his victims.

“Davey? Sweet Cheeks?”

“Y-yes?” Davey’s cheeks slightly flushed at the sound of one of the many nicknames his wife used for him.

“Dinner’s ready! Should I bring the bowls over or could you bring the boys?”

“Um…” Davey glanced over at the toddlers who were each still occupied with their own things, but he knew how to get the attention of at least one of them. “Who’s ready for some pasta?”

“Pasta!?” Rowan piped up, nearly spilling one of the cups of paint as he hopped onto his feet and nearly ran to the kitchen. Davey however caught him mi-air.

“Whoa, whoa. Slow down there.” he laughed as he set the squirming Rowan down, then standing up himself. “We’ll be there in a bit Ally.”

“ ‘Kay!” Ally called back as bowls being moved around were heard, starting to be set up.

Davey picked up the TV remote to pause the movie, receiving a sudden reaction from Basil who whipped his head around, almost offended.

“Relax, we’re just gonna go eat now. It’s dinner time.” Davey assured him, Basil giving him a look before giving in and sliding off the couch. With the hand that didn’t hold onto his cotton candy, he took Davey’s hand as Rowan took the other. Together, they all made their way to the dining room.

“What make Auntie Ally?” Rowan asked his aunt as they saw her setting down the bowls of food.

“I made some pasta with pesto sauce.” Ally described as she handed Rowan a silicone fork after she helped him onto a chair. “And do you know how the pasta is shaped?”

“How?”

“It’s shaped like bunnies!” Ally exclaimed which in turn made Rowan gasp loudly, and he excitedly waved his arms around as he looked down at the bowl of green pasta.

“Yeeesss!” Rowan cheered before digging his fork into the pasta, immediately shoving the gathered pasta in his mouth. “I wuv it!”

“I’m so glad.” Ally giggled before watching Davey help Basil up onto his own chair, the toddler being handed his own silicone spoon much to his dismay. Not even forks were harmless in his tiny 4-year old hands. “Hopefully Basil also likes it.”

“I’m sure he will.” Davey grinned as he pulled a chair out for Ally, hearing her whisper a thank you before he took his own seat.

“It’s sooooo good!” Rowan agreed as he shoved more of the pasta bunnies into his mouth, almost finishing the plate. In turn, he coughed as he choked just a bit. Nothing too bad.

“Whoa, slow down!” Davey laughed as he patted Rowan’s back. “I know it’s good, but take it easy, kay? I need you alive for when she picks you up.”

“Okay!” Rowan happily swung his little legs as he continued to eat his pasta a bit more calmly.

Davey looked over at Basil who scooped up his pasta in a much tranquil manner.

“You enjoying the pasta, Basil? I’m sorry we couldn’t find any shapes you would like.” Davey ruffled his nephew’s hair. “We could try to get you some dinosaur shaped ones. Or maybe Halloween ones with little bats and pumpkins.”

“Pumpkins.”

“Yeah, pumpkins.” Davey nodded before hearing Ally drop her fork on her plate, and he looked up at her, taking notice of her shocked expression. “What?”

Davey blinked as Ally’s eyes peered at Basil who continued on with his pasta business.

“Basil, do you want the Halloween pasta?” Ally asked the toddler who gave a nod.

“Halloween.” he repeated after her, a hint of an Australian accent present.

“Oh my god.” Davey now realized. “I...I have to call my sister!”

“Indeed.” Ally smiled as she gently pinched Basil’s cheek. Basil in turn, only continued to eat his pasta as if nothing grand had ever happened.”

_____________

“Skin. Skiiin. Skiiiiiin.”

“Rowan, why are you saying that?”

“Saying what?”

“Skin. Why are you saying that?” Ally asked as she tucked the boys into her and Davey’s bed, letting them sleep there until their parents came to pick them up.

“Oh. Because I hear it a lot.” Rowan shrugged with a giggle as he snuggled into the blankets and pillows, cuddling with his plush bunny that Ally handed to him.

“Where do you hear it?”

“My room. At night. After mommy and daddies go to sleep.” Rowan smiled as Ally gave him a weird look. “Stops when deer daddy comes.”

“Davey?” Ally called out to her husband that soon came into the bedroom.

“Yeah?”

“Um, I think maybe we should stay in the room with the boys.”

“Oh? Is everything okay?” Davey held Ally’s hand as she stood up and led him a bit away from the boys.

“Rowan was saying he constantly hears something saying ‘skin’ in his room. It is heard when their parents go to sleep.” Ally whispered, filled with concern as Davey looked at the boys for a moment.

“I’m...I’m sure it’s nothing. I know these boys and I know their parents; they would have realized if something was up with their boys. Especially with how talkative Rowan can be.”

“I...I guess that’s true.”

“And look, if anything, I have a feeling it might just be Basil. We just learned he actually speaks, so...I dunno...skin might be a word he really likes and he says it when his parents head off.”

“That would make a bit of sense.” Ally gave a smile as she felt a bit more comfortable. It really did make sense, and had it really called for any concern, Davey would have known. “Okay. Let me just finish tucking them in and I’ll meet you in the living room.”

“Sounds good.” Davey nodded. “You still up for Candyman?”

“Of course.” Ally returned the gesture before speaking in a volume she hoped Rowan wouldn’t hear. “Make sure to get the cheese puffs.”

“On it.” Davey snickered with a grin before making his way out, Ally then returning to the boys.

“Auntie, are you gonna read story?” Rowan sweetly asked before Ally sat at the edge of the bed to ruffle his hair.

“I already read you a story. Two, in fact.”

“I want another oooone.”

“No, no. You have to take a nap. Then I can read you another one.” Ally leaned down to kiss the top of Rowan’s head.

“Okie.”

“Okie.” Ally repeated before turning to Basil. “Don’t think I forgot about you.”

Basil gave Ally a side look before his eyes looked back to the front, soon shutting as he played coy.

“Basil,” Ally laughed before leaning over to now kiss his cheek. “Such a cutie. I also have your little Sin-A-Ma-Jig.~”

Basil now opened his eyes before he turned to his side, being handed his singing toy that he squeezed a few times.

“Skin-na-ma-rink.” Ally sang with the toy before fixing the blankets that covered Basil. “You boys have a good night. Sweet dreams, don’t let the bed bugs bite.”

“Good night Auntie.” Rowan yawned before he hugged his bunny tighter, soon going out as it too Basil a few moments to finally fall asleep too.

Ally smiled at the sight of the peacefully slumbering twins before turning off the lights, making sure to leave on a small projector that made stars on the ceiling. She left the door a little open before walking down the hallway, soon entering the living room where Davey laid on a couch with blankets and a large bowl of cheese puffs.

“How are they?” Davey asked before shifting so that Ally could comfortably lay between his legs.

“Both went out like a light.” she responded as she snuggled against his chest, feeling Davey drape a blanket over the two which already had Ally shutting her eyes.

“It looks like you’re going out too.”

“I’m just very comfortable on my Snuggle Shark.” Ally batted her eyelashes at Davey who looked away rather flustered, watching the movie that had been playing. “I love those boys Davey.”

“Me too.” Davey gave a sigh as he ran his fingers through Ally’s hair.

“You know,” she started. “I can’t wait till we have our own little ones.”

“Yeah.” Davey nodded, but he soon stopped himself once he properly processed the words. He looked down at Ally who only gave him a sly smile, soon burying her face into his chest before watching the movie. Davey, on the other hand, couldn’t help but give a flushed smile as he also turned his attention to the movie.

“Skin.”

“Did you say something?” Davey looked down at Ally again.

“No.” she shook her head.

“Oh. Okay. I must be hearing things with all this…”

“This what?”

“Well, ya know.” Davey made a motion with his hand as Ally looked up at him with a smirk. “Kid talk.”

“Uh huh.~”

“I mean,” Davey shrugged with a shy smile. “I know we’ve briefly mentioned the topic before but...I also...yeah…”

Ally watched Davey fumble with his words a bit, chuckling to herself before she brought herself closer to his face to plant a kiss on his chin.

“We could always start planning to have a little shark of our own.” Ally breathed out before pecking his chin once more.

“Oh, I see.” Davey basically giggled at himself at the suggestion, but the moment was soon ruined by a single word.

“Skiiin.”

“Okay, you had to have heard that.”

“Heard what?” Ally made a weird face.

“Skiiin.”

“Um,” Ally now sat up as she furrowed her brows. “I told you something was wrong!”

“Skiiin.”

“No, no. I think I know where it’s coming from.” Davey reassured her. “Just stay here, I’ll be right back.”

“Skiiin.”

“Are you sure? I can come with you.” “Skiiin.”

“Trust me, it’s all okay. I’ll be right back.” Davey removed himself from the couch before making his way to their bedroom. He immediately turned on the light to look at the sleeping boys, neither one seeming like they had woken up.

Davey gave a “hmm” as he slowly approached the bed, closely examining the two boys.

Rowan was in a deep sleep, arms and legs clearly sprawled under the blankets as his bunny was set on his chest. Meanwhile, Basil slept on his side, hugging his Sing-A-Ma-Jig tightly.

“I know you’re awake.” Davey claimed to the latter of the two, not receiving any response. So, he reached out and took hold of Basil’s toy, immediately feeling a grip from Basil. “I know you’re awake Basil.”

After a few tugs, Basil finally opened his eyes and glanced over at Davey who gave a sigh and chuckle.

“Buddy, come on. You have to go to sleep.” Davey insisted as he ruffled Basil’s hair, then he reached down to poke Basil’s toy. “Was that you, or this little guy?”

Basil looked down at his toy, giving himself a moment before he squeezed its belly.

“Skiiin.”

“Oh my god.” Davey gave a bit of a laugh. “Okay, well...I just need you to go to sleep, okay?”

The toddler stared up at Davey, giving him a single blink of his eyes that looked almost judgemental.

“Look, if you go to sleep, I can ask Ally to fire up her cotton candy machine and I’ll send you home with some cotton candy in some cool shapes.” Davey attempted to bargain as his nephew actually gave the offer thought. “Come on Basil. You really have to sleep, I shouldn’t be bargaining with my 4-year old nephew.”

Basil once again only blinked up at Davey.

“If you won’t sleep for cotton candy, at least sleep for me.” Davey grinned, but Basil only gave him a weird look. “Alright, alright. If not for me, sleep for your mommy. I know she’d be happy if I told her you were being a good boy and went night-night.”

At this, Basil could do nothing but give a sigh before rolling onto his back, toy hugged tight against his chest before he shut his eyes.

“I’m watching you.” Davey joked as he slowly stepped out of the room, finishing the interaction by turning off the light as he officially made his way out and back to the living room where Ally eagerly awaited him.

“So?”

“It was just Basil.”

“Really?”

“Well, not Basil-Basil. He was playing with that toy of his.”

“Skinamarink?”

“Skina-what?”

“Skinamarink, that’s what the toy sings.” Ally explained as Davey as he took a seat beside her. “Skinamarink, a-dink, a-dink. Skinamarink, a-doo, I love you. I love you in the evening underneath the moon.”

“Not ringing a bell.”

“Davey! You’ve babysitted these kids before!” Ally laughed as Davey gave a shrug. “But I don’t understand how the toy would say ‘skin’ and only ‘skin’.”

“Maybe Basil broke it and instead of making such a big deal he decided he liked it that way.”

“Maybe.” Ally gave a bit of a shrug as she resumed snuggling up to Davey, his arms wrapped around her as he nuzzled his nose into her hair. “Are we still watching the movie?”

“Yeah, of course.” Davey nodded as he cuddled with Ally, beginning to feel his eyes grow heavy as they landed on the TV screen.

“Skiiin.”

“God dammit.”

“What?” Ally lifted her head, also having found herself falling asleep.

“Skiiin.”

“Oh dear.” Ally rubbed her eyes as she woke up a bit more. “Davey, just leave him be.”

“Skiiin.”

“I would, but he has to take a nap. Or else he’s not gonna sleep at his own house.” Davey shook his head as Ally carefully removed herself from him. “I’ll be right back.”

“Mmkay.” she gave a disappointed hum as Davey made his way to the bedroom once again, turning on the lights in an instan to see Basil with his toy propped up on his chest.

Basil ever so casually looked at Davey, maintaining eye contact for a few seconds before his attention returned to his toy. Soon enough, he continued pressing the toy’s stomach before that dreaded sound was heard once again.

“Skiiin.”

“So, it is war between us!” Davey claimed, partly as a joke but still a bit serious as he approached the apathetic Basil. The toddler didn’t even bother to look at him as he continued to squeeze his toy. “Basil, come on. We talked about this.”

Finally, Basil looked up at Davey who gave him a semi-stern look.

“Skiiin.”

“Basil.” Davey repeated. “Please, you have to go to sleep buddy. You don’t want your mom to be upset, do you?”

Basil blinked at Davey, then shook his head no.

“Then you have to go to sleep, okay?”

Davey stared down at Basil who only stared back, blinking at him every now and then without any response. It was clear that Basil was just not feeling it; he was only going to continue playing with the toy unless Davey took it away, which Davey was not about to do. Unfortunately for him, there weren’t very many other options to hand to Basil in exchange for the toy.

“Okay, let’s make a deal.” Davey thought. “If I let you watch Candyman with me and Ally, will you go to sleep?”

Almost immediately, Basil gave a nod.

“Yeah, I had a feeling you’d say yes.” Davey helped Basil sit up. “But that just leaves me with the question...what to do with Rowan? I don’t want to leave him alone, but I also don’t want him waking up with the movie…”

“How about, you take Basil with you to the living room, and I take a nap with Rowan?” Davey now heard Ally behind him. “I’m actually getting a bit sleepy.”

“Oh, well that solves that.” Davey grinned as he picked up Basil, his nephew of course not letting go of his toy.

Ally gave a hum before kissing Davey’s lips, and then kissing the top of Basil’s head.

“You two have fun.” she spoke as she climbed into bed with Rowan, hugging the toddler to herself as he unconsciously snuggled back. “Nighty night.~”

“Sleep well.” Davey bid his wife before turning off the lights, soon walking out with Basil in his arms. The two were now in the living room once again, Davey laying on the couch as he let Basil lay on his chest.

“Did you know that the second Candyman movie is named ‘Farewell to the Flesh’?” Davey told Basil who looked over at his toy, giving it a single squeeze. “Yeah, Farewell to the Skiiin.”

Davey chuckled to himself as he fixed Basil’s hair, then giving him a kiss on the forehead.

Basil sprawled out all of his limbs on Davey, all but one that held onto his toy. He set his head down on Davey, eyes beginning to shut as he spoke one last word.

“Skiiin.”

“Yeah, yeah. Skiiin..”

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averagesmw · 4 years ago

Text

Penny Haywood x MC- Memories

Game: Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery

A/N: @schese wanted me to write more, so I brought you a few more ideas! I got back in the game to get some inspiration. I hope you enjoy!

____________________

Memories

For a school so massive, Hogwarts could get really quiet at night, sometimes too quiet

Although the silence made for a risky time sneaking through the castle, there were still people that dared to roam around, some with the intention to grab a midnight snack, others to study

And then there was me, sitting under a tree, my eyes fixed on the precious night sky, but somehow absentminded despite the beautiful display above me

Truth to be told, I found myself restless after so many events that had taken place, like the release of a Dementor on school grounds, an experience that left a far deeper impact than I initially thought

It all started when I found out Penny Haywood was the first casualty, I never ran faster in my life to the hospital wing

She would recover, but the monster wouldn't stop anytime soon, so I took it upon myself to face it before anyone else got hurt. I almost lost to one, but we managed to defeat it in the end

And now I was just there, under a tree, stargazing without a clear objective

I mean, there was so much to think about, aside from the vaults, how I feel it was my fault, or the memories I invoked to cast a Patronus, or even my feelings for--

"There you are! One would think an empty school would make for an easy search"

A soft, familiar voice stopped my train of thought in its tracks, I was surprised to see the blonde Hufflepuff herself standing near me, her bright eyes showing slight concern when looking at me

Bloody hell, if I knew I would see her tonight, I would have put something decent, but fortunately, she didn't seem to mind

"Penny? What are you doing out here?"

"I wanted to talk to you", She answered calmly while sitting next to me,

"Don't you think it's a bit too late for that?"

My answer didn't have much thought put into it...that didn't come out as I wanted it to

"N-Not that I don't enjoy your company b-"

I was unable to finish my sentence due to her laughing it off, even now her laugh was so cute

"It's fine, I know what you meant. And no, I know you've been restless for about four days"

Oh my...She really did know everything happening in this school, didn't she?

"How do you know?"

Penny chuckled as if the answer was obvious, and I was obviously not aware of it

"Insomnia is not precisely subtle, Y/N. You fell asleep on my shoulder during a class, you know?"

Like a bolt of energy coursing through my body, I shot right up in an alarmed state, any sleep left in me had just disappeared like that

"I-I did!?"

I stood up to look at her, of course, I would be the one with the strong reaction

"Don't worry about it, I covered it up for you"

The way she just calmly delivered her words made me believe that I was overreacting, and perhaps it wasn't that big of an offense. On the other hand, falling asleep on her shoulder, that's... that's not something I would even dream of trying

"Why didn't you just wake me up?"

"When you finally look peaceful? Not a chance"

That was awfully considerate of her, like Penny normally is. You could do so many wrongs and she would still understand you, or at least try

She looked at me with a tender smile and tapped the spot where I was sitting before, asking me to sit back so we could continue

However, before I complied, I spotted an oddly familiar scarf keeping her warm, I recall giving it to her to help combat her symptoms after her unfortunate encounter with the Dementor

It was more of a placebo than actual help, but it was quite welcomed. At least I knew it was still in good hands

Penny noticed this as well and with flushed cheeks, she looked away from me, attempting to smile, and just like that, the incredibly confident Haywood became as flustered as Rowan

Needless to say, it was a sight to behold

"I-I didn't have a chance to give it back to you, sorry"

Just when she was about to take it off, I motioned her to stop, not wanting to ruin such an adorable gesture

"No no, it's quite alright, it looks better on you anyway"

My attempt to lighten the mood made her giggle, helping her to recover her confidence whilst I scooted closer to her

"As I said, I didn't have the chance to give it back to you, mainly because I hadn't seen you until...well tonight"

A sigh left my lips when I found myself recalling the last time that we daw each other under normal circumstances

"Sorry, I was just so focused on getting rid of the Dementors before they could harm anyone else"

"So I've heard, you even manage to cast a corporeal Patronus, wouldn't expect less from the star of Hogwarts"

She punched my shoulder playfully. I didn't even feel it if I'm honest

But we did chuckle together

"However, there is still one question I have, I hope it's not too intrusive..."

She gulped shortly after saying that, as if she knew the weight of her question

"You'll have to forgive my curiosity, but I've seen you spend as much time helping us out like you do searching for the vaults, dare I say you barely even have time for yourself"

That...hurt, but it wasn't wrong

Penny saw my reaction and shook her head, trying to reorder her questions until eventually, she succeeded

"That didn't come out right. My question is, what helped you to successfully cast Patronus?"

I was taken back by this. It wasn't the easiest thing to answer, but it all happened so fast that I was having a hard time remembering what it was

Penny noticed my silence and nervously tried to fix what she thought was a mistake

"Y-You don't have to answer, it may be too personal..."

"No, no, I think I trust you enough to say it..." I raised my hands to calm her down while I talked

Since we're at it, what do you think it's yours?

"I told Tonks a few examples like when my brother taught me magic or the letter of acceptance, but there was another memory but...no"

"What?"

"It's too corny"

My blush was barely noticeable, but the embarrassment was not

"What? No, I won't say anything. Promise"

I looked at her giving me a tender smile to earn my trust and well, she succeeded

"Alright..."

I sighed, my hands at the sides of my head as words of my memories finally emerged

"It was the day of the Celestial Ball. Not the event, but the fact that I got to spend so much time with you, helping to set up everything and...

"A-And?"

That's when my head slowly turned to meet her eyes, I could even see the anticipation hiding in them

"The fact that we got to dance together. That exact moment, that's what I used for my Patronus"

The blonde didn't say anything at first, but the warm spots in her cheeks said everything for her

"I... Wow... I'm speechless"

Maybe she wasn't expecting that to be the answer. Whether that was a good thing or not remained to be seen

"Although I want to say that you have given me plenty of memories as well. So many"

With my hand feeling the grass, I tilted my head to the side, curious as to what did she mean

"I'll never forget our first meeting, or when you stopped me from drinking that forgetfulness potion, or even when you helped me by impersonating Snape"

We shared a brief laugh at that last memory. It was unnecessarily risky, but it worked perfectly

However, Penny was the first to stop laughing once she decided to continue

"Or when you sang to her when I fell ill"

My reaction changed at the mention of that recent memory. For me, it was more worrying than anything, but it was quite relieving to know she got better because of my remedies

... although her actually listening to me sing was something that I'd rather not talk about

But then, I felt another hand brush against mine faintly

"...and of course, the Ball. I know I thanked you a lot for it, but I meant to thank you for actually spending the day with me, Y/N"

Gently, I moved my hand so that it was above hers. She didn't oppose

"Our memories make us who we are"

I felt her hand squeeze mine slightly to gain my attention

"And well, I think there's a lot to say about you, Y/N"

We found ourselves staring into each other after that, a smile creeping its way as well

"...By the way, can I keep the scarf?"

#penny haywood x mc #penny haywood x jacob's sibling #hogwarts mystery

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alice-beaumont-ravenclaw · 4 years ago

Text

A Night to Remember (Part 2)

A/N #1: Here is part 2 of the Celestial Ball fic! This is where all the dance and the romance is! Aaaah, Charlie and Alice... Will they? Won’t they? If you want to know, you’ll need to read on! Also, if you want to see Alice’s full outfit, CLICK HERE. If you want to know which music to listen to during various moments of the fic, CLICK HERE. (Oh, and there is a certain reference to a pants problem I had when drawing the art below...) Other parts in the series: You’ve Got a Friend in Me | Distraction | Something There | One Step Closer | Fashion Emergency | Get Your Head in the Game | Der Walzer von Alice | Of Quidditch and Ballgowns | From Paris, with Love | A Night to Remember (Part 1)

Alice was looking down at her half-eaten sandwich, playing with some crumbs that had fallen to the plate’s side. She rolled them between her fingers, lost in her thoughts.

“Alice!” said Rowan, waving her hand in front of her friend’s face to get her attention.

“Huh? Oh! How long have you been here?” asked Alice, looking at her friend sitting next to her.

“I just arrived. You seem perturbed. What’s bothering you?”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe the fact I’ll be dancing in front of thousands of people in just a few hours.”

Alice’s tendency to exaggerate always made Rowan smile. “Well, actually, taking into account that there is a max amount of 5 people per dorm, ten people per house per year, meaning 40 people per year… This means 200 students, minus the prefects and head boy/head girl on the dance floor, meaning 174 but adding the professors, which means about 13, plus Filch, Hagrid, Madam Pomfrey and Madam Pince, that makes about 191. And you also have to think the other prefects might not necessarily go with a fellow prefect like you and Charlie. Not to mention students who are not coming… So you’ll be dancing in front of about 180 people, which represents 18% of a thousand.”

“That makes it so much better,” grumbled Alice, laying her head on the table.

“It’s not that much, Alice,” pointed out Rowan.

“Easy for you to say… If I recall, you told Bill you were willing to practice with him at the beginning, but you would not be his date because there is no way you will dance in front of a crowd…”

“I wouldn’t dance in front of a crowd of 10, to be honest, but that’s me. You are Alice Beaumont, Curse-Breaker extraordinaire. Nothing scares you!”

“Dancing is not like dealing with a Vault, Roro…”

“Roro?”

“Trying something new.”

“Don’t.”

“Ok,” replied Alice, a small smile spreading her lips.

“Ah! I see a smile!”

“Yeah, yeah, alright. I guess I’ll survive. At least I’m dancing with a friend, so no pressure on that side. And Tulip is there to deal with Merula, so that’s being taken care of as well. I guess all that’s left to do is hope for the best…” said Alice, slowly raising her head from the table. “Speaking of Tulip, do you know what happened to Filch?”

“I heard he’s in the infirmary with boils on his face… It also seems like he doesn’t know where the liquid that fell on him came from.”

“Lucky break…” whispered Alice.

“There you are!” said Andre, standing in front of her.

“What do you mean, ‘there you are?’ You’re the one who told me to go eat.”

“That was an hour ago! It’s time to get ready. Chop, chop!” he said, clapping his hands.

“The ball is still in a few hours…” started saying Alice as she got up from the bench.

“Exactly! We need to put you in your dress, do your hair and your makeup… We need to start now, or you’ll be late for the ball!” said Andre before walking away while looking at a pocket watch.

“At least he didn’t say that I was going to be late for a very important date…” mumbled Alice as she walked out the Great Hall.

Alice was back in Andre’s dorm, sitting on his bed as he had told her to wait for him there while he brought Charlie his suit. Talbott had gone to the common room, so Alice was all alone. She noticed that Quidditch magazines were mixed in with fashion publications on Andre’s nightstand, while some old books were on Talbott’s. While Talbott’s side of the dorm was barely decorated, Andre’s walls were covered in posters, and most were of the Pride of Portree. There was also a small picture with an autograph on it. The only thing she could read was “Westwood,” the woman’s surname, she assumed. Two very different personalities were sharing a dorm…

“Finally, I’m ready for your makeover,” said Andre as he entered the dorm.

“Took you long enough. Was there something wrong with Charlie’s outfit?”

“Hum… Let’s just say there was a situation with the pants. A slight sewing problem, really, but really needed to be fixed. Anyway, here, go put this on,” said Andre, handing Alice a garment bag.

Alice took the bag and headed towards the bathroom. “What was wrong with Charlie’s pants?” she asked after a few moments from inside the bathroom.

“Hum… Let’s just say that he looked very excited about the ball?”

Alice’s head appeared from a small gap in the door. “Huh? How could pants show excitement?”

“You know…” he replied, raising his eyebrows.

“Hum, no, I don’t. I’m not an expert like you in fashion,” she said, zipping up the side of her dress as she left the bathroom.

“You sweet, innocent child,” Andre said, pinching his friend’s cheek.

“Ow!” Alice rubbed her cheek, glaring at Andre.

“Sorry,” he said, taking a step back to look at Alice in his creation. “Merlin, I’m good.”

“Ok, great, the dress looks good, but do I look good in the dress?”

“You look great! But I’m still not done with you. By the time your entire look is completed, you will look like a vision. Now, sit,” he said, pulling out the chair in front of his desk. “First, the hair.”

Andre stretched his fingers and rolled his shoulders as if he was preparing for the most daunting task of his life. After stretching his neck, he promptly took a hairbrush and started brushing Alice’s hair after he had removed the headband she was wearing. He went through her hair with swift movements. Once her hair was brushed to his satisfaction, he took out a comb and started parting her hair. Taking the hairs framing her face, he started braiding them, adding strands of hair as he went further towards the back of her head. Little beads of sweat began to form on his forehead, but he hastily wiped them off. As the two braids joined each other, he used a flick of his wand to make them stay together. He then removed the silver threads from the tiara Alice’s grandmother had gifted her. He carefully placed the tiara right below the braid, and once again flicked his wand to make the tiara stay in place without the help of the threads.

After admiring his handiwork for a few seconds, he turned the chair around so Alice would face him. He took out the blush and mascara Penny had lent him. He also pulled out a blush brush from his desk. Alice didn’t bother asking him why he had such a brush in his possession. He dipped the brush lightly in the blush and started applying it to Alice’s cheeks delicately. He then got out the mascara and started applying it slowly to Alice’s eyelashes.

“This is going to take forever,” grumbled Alice as her eyes started to water while he did the lower lashline.

“You can’t rush art,” replied Andre.

After applying the mascara, he took out a lipstick, which was a very pale shade of pink, and started dabbing it on Alice’s lips using his finger. He took a step back and quickly grabbed a handkerchief to remove some of the mascara that had stained Alice’s lower eyelids. He then put her jewelry on, before standing away to take a good look at his fashion protégé.

“I feel like Professor Higgins…” said Andre, looking at Alice.

“I don’t know him… What subject does he teach?” asked Alice, looking up at Andre.

“Well... he’s a fictional character,” replied Andre. “Anyway, all you need now is to put on the shoes, and you’ll be ready.”

“I’ll put them on in the common room. There is no way I’m going down five flights of stairs in those, especially not in a narrow spiral staircase,” she said, leaving the dorm bare feet, holding her shoes in her hand.

“Don’t leave without me!” shouted Andre as the door was closing behind her.

Alice rapidly descended the narrow staircase until she finally arrived in the almost empty common room. Only Talbott was there, reading his book.

“Has everyone left already?” asked Alice.

“Yes, it was very noisy when everyone was getting ready to leave, and the first and second years were gawking at everyone,” said Talbott, looking up from his book. “Are bare feet the new trend in formalwear?”

“Haha, very funny. I told Andre I would put my shoes in here,” said Alice, showing the shoes she was holding as she sat down. “So even the younger students left?”

“Yeah, they all wanted to see everyone’s evening looks,” said Talbott as he took a closer look at Alice. “Hmm, Andre outdid himself.”

“Was I such an ugly duckling before?” asked Alice, glancing at him as she tightened the strap of her shoes around her ankles.

“That’s not what I meant…” started saying Talbott, flustered.

“I know. I’m messing with you, Winger,” replied Alice before sticking her tongue out.

“I’m ready,” said Andre as he entered the common room.

“Wow, you changed quickly,” said Alice as she got up.

“Well, when you look this good…” started saying Andre, tugging at his jacket’s lapel.

Alice lightly punched his shoulder. “Stop bragging, or we might be late to the ball.”

“Milady,” said Andre, extending his arm for her to take.

“Fine… But it’s only because I’m wearing heels,” said Alice as she took his arm.

They stepped out and saw the younger students gawking at what was going on downstairs from the gallery. As they started passing them, some turned to see, and many of the girls were impressed by Alice’s outfit.

“She looks like a princess,” Alice heard one girl whisper to her friend.

“Oh lord… Andre, maybe this is too much,” whispered Alice.

“Just enjoy it, Alice. Tonight, you shall be the belle of the ball,” said Andre, gently squeezing her hand.

As they started to descend the moving staircase, Alice could hear the chatter coming from downstairs. She and Andre were the only ones in the stairs as the ball was about to begin. She heard Tonks’s distinct laugh as they were one staircase away from joining their friends.

Andre quickly released her arm. “Stay here,” he said, before going down a few steps to stand at the top of the stairs that led to the entrance hall. He cleared his throat to get their friends’ attention.

“Andre! Took you long enough! The ball is about to start. Where is Alice?” asked Penny.

“She is right here,” said Andre, looking in Alice’s direction, giving her a small nod as her signal to come into view before quickly going down the stairs himself.

Alice took a deep breath and slowly started to go down the stairs leading to the top landing of the final staircase. She felt uneasy in high heels, and the last thing she wanted to do was to fall. She finally arrived at the top of the stairs and turned to see her friends.

“Oh! Alice!” exclaimed Penny while Tonks wolf-whistled.

Charlie was talking with Barnaby, his back to Alice. Barnaby, who had a little bowtruckle embroidered on his lapel, looked up and stopped paying attention to Charlie, staring at his friend who was slowly coming down the staircase. Charlie turned around, and his eyes widened when he saw Alice. His mouth remained slightly open as he looked at her every move as she carefully came down the stairs. As she stepped down the last stair, Andre lent her his arm once more and brought her to Charlie, who just kept staring in awe.

“Oh, Charlie! You look great in your suit!” said Alice as she looked at Charlie, who was wearing a dark navy Regency-style tailcoat with a high collar and two silver dragons adorning the front, paired with red pants, and black leather derby shoes.

“Huh? What?” said Charlie as if coming out of a trance. “Oh! Thanks! You look great too!”

“The ball is about to begin,” announced McGonagall, standing at the Great Hall’s entrance. “All the students should be inside, except for the Headboy and girl, the prefects, and the students accompanying them.”

“Good luck,” said their friends as they went inside the Great Hall, while Alice, Charlie, and Bill took their position in the line of students that were going to open the ball.

Bill took his position at the front with his date, while Alice and Charlie were at the back of the line as they were only 5th-year prefects. Charlie raised his hand, and Alice delicately placed hers on his. They glanced at each other before looking back in front of them, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm their nerves. They heard the music starting, and Bill immediately started to walk into the Great Hall, followed by the other students. Charlie and Alice looked at each other before taking their first steps into the Hall.

The Great Hall was full of students in formal attire who were all standing around the dancefloor, observing the prefects’ arrival. Alice noticed Merula staring at her and looking surprised, while Diego, who was standing next to her, gave the pair two thumbs up as a sign of encouragement. Alice and Charlie took their position on the dancefloor along with the others, Alice placing her hand on Charlie’s shoulder while he put his on her waist.

“Ready?” he whispered.

“No?”

“Me neither… Well, let’s hope for the best. At least we’re together,” whispered Charlie, to which Alice nodded.

There was a slight pause in the music before it started again, indicating to the dancer that it was time to waltz. The couples started to sway to the music before starting to move around the dancefloor. It looked like a scene straight out of a period movie to the Muggle-borns. For students less familiar with the Muggle world, it looked more like something straight out of the stories their grandparents used to tell. Then, as the music became louder, the leads lifted their partners while turning, allowing the audience to see the magnificent gowns the ladies were wearing. Alice and Charlie kept looking into each other’s eyes, trying to forget all the people who were looking at them. Looking into Charlie’s warm brown eyes made Alice feel better, while his reassuring smile made her heart beat faster.

As they were dancing, their friends were observing them.

“Oh, look! Alice is blushing!” whispered Penny to Andre as she nudged him with her elbow.

“Are you sure it’s not Andre who put too much blush on her cheeks,” whispered Tonks, smirking.

“Unlike you, I have some talent when it comes to applying makeup,” whispered back André.

“Touché,” said Tonks before laughing.

“Look! He just made her twirl in front of us, and they completely ignored us. It’s like they’re in their own world,” pointed out Tulip.

“Can’t believe Alice was worried about the dance all this time,” whispered Rowan. “They look so graceful together.”

“Isn’t it romantic,” whispered Badeea as she sketched on a small pad.

“Are you actually sketching during a ball?” asked Ben.

“Of course! How many other balls will I get to see in my lifetime?” replied Badeea as the ladies were lifted once more by their partners.

The music eventually slowed down a bit, allowing others to join. The first to enter the dancefloor were Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, who were soon joined by other students, including Merula and Diego, as well as Penny and Andre. Soon the dancefloor was filled with students, as well as some professors, waltzing. While Diego was supposed to be the lead, he felt like Merula was making him dance more quickly than the others. He soon realized she was trying to catch up to Beaumont and Weasley. Annoyed, he made a sharp turn so that they would dance further away from the couple. Andre and Penny kept looking over at their two friends, who were now both blushing, though neither seemed to be aware of it.

“One Galleons that he asks her out tonight,” said Penny to her partner.

“Two that they have their first kiss tonight,” replied Andre.

Most of their other friends had remained on the side, Rowan and Ben refusing to dance in front of so many people, while Badeea kept sketching. Tulip and Tonks danced together on the side, laughing as they tried to lift each other and failed. Rowan observed her best friend, smiling, as she swayed to the music. She was happy to see Alice thinking about something other than the vaults.

The leads spun their partners before catching them at the waist. All the skirts twirling on the dancefloor made for a dizzying spectacle as the couples whirled around the dancefloor, at varying speed, depending on the music. At last, the music became louder and slightly faster as it approached the end, making the couples dance a bit more quickly, making them all seem like a blur to the audience. As the music ended, the dancers curtsied to their partners.

Alice and Charlie looked at each other with a smile of relief. They held each other’s hands before hugging each other in a tight embrace.

“Well, you two were quite the pair,” said Andre as he made his way towards them with Penny.

“Is there a piece of gossip I should start spreading around?” added Penny grinning.

“What are you talking about?” asked Alice, looking at the blond Hufflepuff.

Charlie looked at his friends, annoyed. They were not even trying to be subtle anymore. “Just ignore them,” he said, placing an arm around her waist. “We should go to our table.”

Charlie guided Alice to one of the prefects’ tables, where Bill was also sitting with his date, under the watchful eyes of Penny and Andre.

“Hmmm, I’m afraid we might lose our wagers,” said Andre as they made their way to their table.

“Don’t be so sure, the night is still young,” said Penny, smirking.

After dinner, the Weird Sisters took their place on the stage and started playing their hit song (and the only song Alice had ever heard them play), “Do the Hippogriff.”

Many of the students went to the dance floor and started to dance to the rhythm of the music. Alice could see Penny, Andre, Tonks, and Tulip shaking their heads to the rhythm while jumping. Bill led his date to the dance floor, while Charlie and Alice remained seated, the Ravenclaw beating the tempo of the music with her fingers on the table.

From the corner of his eye, Charlie noticed Barnaby approaching their table. While Charlie didn’t like the idea of dancing again in front of everyone, he took Alice’s hand and led her to the dance floor. There was no way Barnaby Lee was going to cut in on his time with Alice. Especially not if it was to dance with her. As they joined the group of dancing students, he made her do an inside turn, before they started to shimmy to the beat, smiling at each other.

When the song ended, and they started to go back towards their table, Penny grabbed Alice’s arm and whispered something in her ear, while Andre and Charlie were having a conversation about Quidditch.

“Wait, how did you manage to…” started saying Alice as she heard the Weird Sister play the first notes of a song she knew all too well, along with nearly all Muggle-borns and many half-bloods.

“It took some convincing, but I managed to make them include some Muggle song in tonight’s repertoire, even if Myron didn’t find them dark enough to his taste,” replied Penny as she dragged her friend near the front of the stage.

“I really would love to know what you used to convince him to play Ghostbusters,” said Alice as they started to dance.

“Oh, that one was easy. I had to get creative for Footloose and Y.M.C.A.”

“Wait… THE Weird Sisters are going to play Y.M.C.A.?!”

“Yup! But Myron’s not going to sing that one. No amount of blackmail… uh, I mean, convincing, would make him sing a fun song.”

“Who will?”

“Who else?” said Penny, nodding in Diego’s direction, who seemed busy warming up his voice while Merula was giving him the cold shoulder and pouting.

“What’s up with Snyde?”

“Eh, ignore her. She’s just pissed because you were the center of attention.”

“I was not! Everyone is wearing such gorgeous outfits. I nearly asked Andre if he designed everyone’s outfit.”

“You are too precious. Honestly, though, you and Charlie probably have the best outfits. Barnaby was so jealous of the two silver dragons on his chest. And I heard a lot of murmurs about a certain sparkling blue dress, not to mention your tiara. You two looked like a couple straight out of a fairytale or a period drama.”

Alice shrugged at that last comment as she kept dancing to Ghostbusters. Andre had also hinted at the whole fairytale scenario. She didn’t know what her friends were on about with the whole fairytale thing. Charlie wasn’t a prince, and she was no princess either, at least not literally. Maybe it was the tiara? Perhaps it was her tendency to read fairytales? But it wasn’t because she read fairy tales that she necessarily believed in the unrealistic love stories found in them. Anyway, no one said anything about love, right?

With these thoughts in mind, she glanced towards Charlie, who was sitting at a table, deep in conversation with Andre and Barnaby. As if on cue, he looked in her direction at that moment, and their eyes met. He smiled at her; she smiled back. As she did so, she felt her heart thumping faster and a warm sensation enveloping her body. She started to feel as if there were too many people around her as they all did the Y.M.C.A moves. Her chest was tightening, making it hard to breathe. She quickly made her way out of the crowd, Penny trying to catch up to her, to no avail.

Alice opened the door leading to the Entrance Hall, and quickly closed it behind her. She leaned against it, holding her hand over her chest as she tried to catch her breath. She didn’t understand what had happened. Maybe she was getting sick? She placed a hand on her forehead. No, her temperature seemed normal. Maybe there were just too many people…

She made her way toward the courtyard, hugging herself to keep warm in the Scottish winter. She stood at the edge of the courtyard, looking up at the starry night sky.

“Nothing beats the real thing, huh?” said someone behind her as a jacket was placed on her shoulders.

She turned her head and saw Charlie standing beside her.

“I wanted to make sure you were alright. You ran out of there looking frantic,” he said, looking at her worriedly.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to worry you. I just felt like… Like I was suffocating? I don’t know… I just kept hearing my own heartbeat and feeling hot. My head was just telling me to get out,” tried to explain Alice.

“Well, as long as you are ok now,” said Charlie, glancing in her direction as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Mmm, I am, thanks… You can go back to the ball. Wouldn’t want you to miss all the fun on my account.”

“Nah, it’s fine. Diego commandeered a guitar and started singing in Spanish… Something about a bamboleo? Or is it a bambolea? Either way, many girls are swooning over him. Anyway, I’d much rather spend time with you,” he said with a shy smile, a blush appearing on his cheeks.

“Oh! Hum… Thanks,” replied Alice, looking back at the star as she felt her heartbeat quicken again, and her face, unbeknownst to her, had become redder.

Charlie stared at her. Was Alice Beaumont blushing? Could she possibly have feelings for him? “I liked dancing with you this evening,” said Charlie, trying to break the silence.

“Me too,” replied Alice, still looking up at the sky.

“I’m happy I got to dance with you…”

“Me too.”

“Too bad we’ll probably never do it again…”

“What do you mean?” asked Alice, suddenly looking at him.

“Well, I don’t think we’ll ever attend a ball again,” pointed out Charlie.

“Oh, right,” replied Alice, looking down.

“Well, we could have one last dance…”

“Not sure I want to go back in there,” said Alice, nodding in the Great Hall’s direction.

“Who said anything about going back in there? We have the courtyard all to ourselves; the night sky matches the theme way better than all the decorations in the Hall…”

“Hey! We put a lot of effort into those decorations!”

“I meant that they couldn’t beat the real thing.”

“True… But there is one problem: no music.”

“So? We practiced plenty of time without music,” said Charlie, extending his hand to her.

Alice looked at his hand, then into his eyes. She smiled as she shook her head, taking his hand. “Fine. Just let me put on your jacket properly, unless…”

“Nah, I’m fine. A turtleneck plus the gloves should keep me warm enough,” he said, taking her hand and leading her outside after she had put on his jacket.

Alice placed her hand on his shoulder, while he gently placed his free hand on her waist as they had done earlier, but this time, there was no pressure. They were just together. They started to sway together in the courtyard, slowly going around the fountain. The only sound they could hear was the wind and a little bit of the music coming from the Great Hall. The only witnesses to their dance were the stars twinkling in the sky. Charlie made Alice turn, making her skirt twirl, and the sparkles on it looked as if they were trying to compete with the stars as they glittered. He then caught her and lifted her, turning around as he did so, her hands resting on his shoulders as she looked down at him, smiling. Gently putting her back on the ground, they went on waltzing around the courtyard, a shy smile on their faces as they kept looking into each other’s eyes. They were in their own world, the heavens watching over them with benevolence. Charlie was lost in her green eyes, remembering the first time he had noticed her in this very courtyard when she had duelled Merula by stuffing her wand up the Slytherin’s nose. Alice looked at his smile and thought of the time he had caught her in his arms in Hogsmeade. She recalled being a bit mad when he had made fun of her book, but who could stay angry at someone with such an endearing smile. Not to mention he had helped her so many times since that day. Writing essays on creatures, finding the forest vault… He was always by her side…

They slowly stopped dancing, staring into each other’s eyes. Charlie leaned in closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist, their faces nearing each other. As she looked at his lips coming closer, she started to close her eyes when…

“Alice!” shouted Rowan from the doorway.

Charlie and Alice stepped away from each other as if suddenly remembering where they were.

“Alice! I’ve been looking everywhere for you! We still have some packing to do for tomorrow!” shouted Rowan as she hugged herself to keep herself warm. “What are you doing out in the cold? You could catch a cold!”

“I’m coming,” said Alice as she started to walk towards her friend, before turning towards Charlie. “Oh, your jacket…”

“Keep it,” said Charlie, looking at her with tenderness in his eyes.

She looked at him for a moment. “Thanks,” she said with a small smile before walking back inside with Rowan.

A/N #2: Well, looks like Charlie didn’t kiss the girl this time around, but maybe Alice is realizing something... Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to leave a comment, and know that I am always open to constructive criticism. I’m not sure yet what my next fic will be. Maybe a musical sequel to this (mostly because I know a song that would fit so well after the events of this fic). Oh, and if you are wondering why Ghostbusters seems like a special song for Alice and Penny, read this fic. For the fic where Alice stuffs her wand up Merula’s nose, CLICK HERE. For the fic where Charlie catches Alice in his arms, CLICK HERE.

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musesofolive · 4 years ago

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Ahh I have been posting a lot today, I’m sure you’re all waiting for me to shut up lol. But not right now! Now that I think of the multi-muse house in my head and how my beloved oc’s are just like living in the place like they’re all roommates, I wanna explore that a lil bit.

Isla:

She is pretty much the closest thing to the mom of the house. She may not be the oldest, but she is the most emotionally and mentally mature for sure. Which, she constantly finds amusing considering Rowan is there and is her older sibling, but I digress! She’s the one who’s got the house set up on a system that works, who’s cleaning what room, who’s getting the dishes, who’s washing the laundry. She settles any disputes that come up in the house that may lead to violence, and she’s always the best shoulder to lean on when you’re not feeling the greatest.

She’s the natural leader of the house and everyone tends to trust her, there’s no one she really dislikes or doesn’t get along with. She gets along well with everyone, but mostly with Ciri and Rowan since she’s known them the longest. She tends to treat Nova like she’s her daughter, is always glad to have Sahar’s level headedness, and does appreciate Riley’s laidback ways.

Ciri:

She definitely keeps things the most lively in the house. She’s an agent of chaos, what can she say? Once she flies into the room, any hope of the atmosphere staying quiet is completely ruined. But she does have a habit for putting people in a good mood...most of the time, when she’s not pranking them or they’re not next to her room where they can constantly hear her singing. She can be more serious and stick to rules if she sees Isla getting overwhelmed though, but that’s really the only scenario where she loses her goofiness.

Isla and Nova are the ones she sticks by the most, with Rowan falling closely behind those two. She knows that they’ll enable her chaos whenever she decides to cause it. Riley is next after that because he’s just so easy to get with pranks, and it’s super funny teasing him, especially when he thinks his flirting is getting him literally anywhere. Sahar she doesn’t stick around too much, she gets the sense that the soldier can’t tolerate too much of her shenanigans and so for Isla’s sake, she leaves her be for the most part. But Sahar does tend to stop by to listen to Ciri’s songs when they’re not too bombastic.

Nova:

I love my girl, and it’s because I love her that I tend to deem her the emotionally wounded teen of the house. She’s not an actual teenager and she doesn’t act like one really, but Nova has been the most emotionally and physically scarred out of all them and has not had the time to heal any of it over yet, like the other roommates. So, she sticks to herself a lot. She used to only come down for meals and stay holed up in her room, but Ciri eventually wouldn’t have any of that and dragged her out from time to time. That came to the agreement that Nova will spend time with some of them outside of meals so long as Ciri stops busting her door down and dragging her by the arm. But for the most part she just follows the rules set and keeps her head down.

Ciri is the one she hangs around most, not entirely by choice, but she is the one she’s most familiar with so it’s better than a stranger in her opinion. After that is the Comerde siblings. Isla is very comforting, warm and treats her nicely. And she helps in such subtle ways so that Nova doesn’t have to feel embarrassed for asking for help. So when it comes to who she likes Isla actually sorta takes the cake. As for Rowan, they’re quiet and don’t usually ask too many questions. So, when Ciri and the others get way too overbearing, she rolls up to their room and just vibes with them while they read or do work, it’s a very mutually beneficial thing. Sahar’s not too far behind, she’s a bit too intense sometimes for Nova to vibe with her properly like she does with Rowan, but she’s helpful in getting her anger out, and helps her get better at self defense which makes her feel safer and less like she needs to lash out constantly. And then there’s...Riley. She does not like Riley. A. He’s a human man. B. She knows all the charm and flirting is just a facade, and she hates it. She doesn’t like people being fake with her, because then it reminds her of Dorian and makes her wonder what they’re really hiding. Also he’s way too touchy for her liking. Everything about him just rubs her the wrong way so she tends to stay away from him, and if she can’t, then those two are going to get into a fight.

Rowan:

They are simultaneously one of the chillest and one of the strictest in the house. Which makes no sense, but it’s true. Like, no, go ahead, do whatever you want, as long as you’re not bothering them, they really don’t care. But also, if they catch you not doing your chores or not following the rules, they will harp on you subtley like no tomorrow. They helped design the system set up actually, and they tend to supervise how it goes, suggesting different things to try to Isla when they notice something that can be improved. They sorta tried to take over as leader of the house since they believed they could run it better...yeah that lasted about a week before they handed that title back to Isla with a shake of their head. This group is nothing like their tribe, they just can’t. So, instead they’re like Isla’s left hand, enforcing the rules and keeping the peace from the shadows...but also not, because they are an enabler of chaos at their core. Not an agent, but if someone is looking to fix up some good natured mischief, they will gladly help and sit back and watch it all unfold. But usually they’re either in their room or in the library, working on papers for the trading business to send back to their father.

The Skywings are the two they get along with best, but for different reasons. Ciri creates glorious chaos while still following the rules, and they find that absolutely immaculate as they do whatever they feel like to help her. Nova is quiet and precisely what they need when they get into one of their “I’m surrounded by idiots” moods. Isla comes next, there are worse people, and she is still family. When they’re homesick they spend more time than usual with her, just to be reminded that there is still a piece of home with them. Sahar and Riley come afterwards. Not that they really dislike anyone here, if they don’t like them, then they have a neutral disposition at most. Sahar is just neutral territory because they’re very alike in some aspects, but she also shares some of Torin’s traits. It’s like an amalgamation of them and they find it interesting. And Riley is also someone who causes mischief, which they like, but also, they just...cannot deal with the flirtiness. Like at all, it flusters them way too much. If they are with Riley, it has to be in a group setting because otherwise they’ll just be blushing like no tomorrow at Riley’s endless flirting and charm.

Sahar:

If Isla’s the designated mom, Sahar is oddly enough sort of like the dad. She respects Isla and her desicions greatly, and enforces them more directly than Rowan does. She is Isla’s right hand woman for sure. She makes sure everyone is safe physically since that’s her better strong suit as a guard/soldier, she lets Isla handle the emotional aspects. She’s also the one to break up any fights physically, she’s tall and strong, it’s what she’s good at. She usually spends time in the training room, especially when she’s worked up, but honestly she makes her rounds to just about every room in that house that isn’t someone’s bedroom. She likes knowing the layout.

She prefers Isla’s company more than anyone else’s. The elf is just one of the few she doesn’t have to be all soldier-face with (and Isla is 100% teaching her how to dance. Sahar wasn’t convinced she’d be any good at it, but Isla’s proving her wrong.) and genuinely feels like she can be relaxed around. They respect Rowan’s professionalism and regards for the rules, even if they do let mischief happen. She feels both pity and admiration for Nova, she has clearly gone through things that would probably kill weaker people. And she wants to let her know that her battle is over, there’s no more need to keep fighting and it’s time to heal. But, words aren’t always her strong suit, so she tries to express that with how she spends her time with the young elf. She finds Ciri annoying and troublesome, but in a good way, if that makes sense. She’s like both a pesky hummingbird that keeps flitting around her face, but also reminds her of her brothers so she doesn’t mind it. So, she tolerates the Skywing so long as she doesn’t get herself into too much trouble. She tolerates Riley the least. They’re just two very different people. Sahar is about upholding the law and protecting others and being selfless, Riley is a con man who is selfish and literally only thinks about himself. Plus he’s committed crimes in her very country. Safe to say, opposites do not attract this time around. She’s much more no-nonsense with him than anyone else.

Riley:

I feel so bad but this one just like...gets picked on mercilessly. He is constantly bullied in this household, but not in a way that’s genuinely like upsetting just, teased a lot so that he can learn and get character development. And I promise the others aren’t treating him too badly and Isla always steps in if she feels everyone needs to lay off. That woman is basically Riley’s saving grace because she’s the only one who doesn’t pick on him. Not to say others don’t enjoy his presence on occasion, he didn’t learn his people skills for nothing after all, he’s usually one of the bigger talkers at the table and keeps the atmosphere nice and light. Either with his skills, or by being the comic relief. He’s starting to get fond of libraries all things considered, so he does find himself there often. And if he’s not there, he’s usually in the game room fiddling with some pool or playing cards. If he can rope the others into joining him, he’ll play some poker or just generally a game or two. And the bar, that man loves his alcohol.

Isla and Rowan are at the top of his list. Isla, for being the motherly saint she is and constantly getting the others to stop bullying him, plus she’s the only one who can in all actuality, handle him. She plays along with his games without ever actually losing, and she never gets boring to talk to. Which surprised him, because she’s one of the most sentimental, family-oriented people he knows. He didn’t think he’d ever get along with someone like her, but she’s just that inviting. And then there’s Rowan, again another family-oriented type. But he knows he started liking them because they fluster so easily at his flirting. He does love to get under people’s skin and tease them. Plus, for as family-oriented as they seem to be, they care in a very sensible way. And when he’s at the bar, usually drunk, he wonders if he could have ever been like them had he been with a proper family. He doesn’t really dislike Sahar, so much as he is just...frightened of her. Like, every time she looks at him, he can just tell she’s imagining putting his head on a pike or something. He’s very happy there’s a no fighting truce in that house, otherwise he’d have fled that house so fast to avoid getting either murdered or brought to jail for so many years by her. And Ciri and Nova are tied for the ones he dislikes the most. Ciri’s got an annoying habit of pranking him, and it sucks because nothing he ever does seem to get under her skin, he’s tried everything. But there’s nothing that does the trick, but she gets under his skin so easily and it drives him crazy. He only approves of her mischief from afar, and he hates that she constantly makes up little tunes that mock him. And then there’s Nova, and he was a little surprised. He didn’t think he’d ever end up liking her, sure, but like the animosity she shows him for literally no reason just astounds him. There’s nothing he can do to rectify it either. Everytime he tries it just gets worse, and he hates working with people he can’t control at least a little. That, and I mean, the guy is 40, she’s 25, the difference in mentality just makes them even less likely to enjoy the other’s presence. He’s constantly saying “who do you think you’re talking to, little girl? Hasn’t anyone told you to respect your elders?” To which she always snaps back “I’m an elf, you crusty bag of bones! Just because I look younger than you, doesn’t mean I am! And there’s hardly anything to respect from someone who’s an outlaw in every nation they can hide in!” Like just...keep them away from each other. The insults are funny at first, but it’s not long before someone makes a move to attack or say words that are going to cut too deep.

#ooc #musings #all muses #Riley #Sahar #Rowan #Nova #Isla #Ciri #multi-muse house

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concealeddarkness13 · 4 years ago

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WHG Post Games Nesri Part 4

I had to break this one up. I was already over 3,000 words, and we weren’t done, so I took the spar and made it its own part. I’ll only mention the characters that have speaking parts in this (sorry, Nesri focused too much during the fight to hear Elvira’s comments). Tagging: @ratracechronicler (also thanks for Rebecca!), @maple-writes (also thanks for Cirrus!), @nightskywriter, @rhikasa, @pen-of-roses, @aeslin-writes, @the-moving-finger-writes, @knmartinshouldbewriting, @makeitmonstrous, and @timefirewrites!

I leaned against the wall across from the door to Cirrus’s room. It was a couple days after the Capitol showed off Lynne, and it was the day of the big announcement. I had to figure out how to spend the time before that.

So, here I was, waiting for Cirrus to emerge so I could pester him again. He finally did open his door, and I stood up straight with a smirk playing on my lips. “So, remember how you agreed to a spar two days ago?”

He took his time opening the door all the way, and he groaned. “You really don’t give up, do you?”

I grinned. “I’ve been told it’s both a positive and negative trait of mine. So, about that spar?”

“Why do you want to do this so much?” He leaned against the doorway, but he only looked half-annoyed. “You don’t have any other hobbies?”

“Fighting is one of the few joys of my life. I have to have some kind of excitement to release this pent up energy. I can’t just take up knitting. I’d probably break the needle in frustration.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know, those things are pretty strong. I think they make some in aluminum or something.” He sighed, and I could see the defeat in his expression. “I’m not going to change your mind, am I?”

I shook my head. “Nope! I’ll just bug you until you give in.”

“Fine.” He groaned and made a big show of rolling back his head. “I’ll do it.”

“Wonderful!” I started running toward the living room. “Zenith, move the furniture! And you owe me money! I told you I’d make him give in! You have to be referee!” Zenith groaned somewhere else in the apartment.

Cirrus sounded astounded. “You bet on this?”

I laughed. “Bets are one of the other joys of my life!”

I started pushing the furniture out of the way, and Zenith helped after handing over some money.

Somewhere else in the apartment, Rebecca shouted, “Ooh, friendly violence is important!” And soon, she was there sitting on the overturned couch (there wasn’t enough room in this small living room to put the couch off to the side right side up). Rowan had slid in with a cup of tea, and the smell of coffee was wafting from the kitchen. Asher was sitting next to Rowan. And Cirrus was looking exasperated about the whole spectacle.

Zenith stood off to the side to make sure we followed the rules. Which I hadn’t explained yet. I snapped at Cirrus to get his attention. “So, this spar is just hand-to-hand, no weapons. And no magic. It’s a fair, normal human being spar. Even though neither of us are normal human beings, are we?” I winked at him.

He crossed his arms. “Don’t snap at me.” He huffed but nodded with a mischievous smile. “Ready?”

“The question is, are you ready?” I rushed him but at the last second, I slipped behind him. Time to test how good his reaction time was.

He swore. How ungentlemanly in front of a lady! He swung at me, but I just dodged and exaggerated a yawn. “Ugh. I thought you’d be faster than that.”

“I thought you wanted a fight.” He watched me, standing up straight and looking down on me. Ooh! The intimidation factor!

I winked. “This is a fight. You’re just monumentally bad at it.” I knew this wouldn’t work, but I kicked out at his legs anyway.

Wow, it actually connected! He stumbled, but backed away before I could knock him over. He grabbed at my arm, but I slipped my arm out of my jacket sleeve so he just grabbed that. I flung my jacket at his face. “Sloppy.” I stayed still, rocking on my feet. “You’re looking a little red in the face. Are you sure you’re feeling well?”

Oh, now I made him really mad. Good. He gripped the jacket. “You little shit!” He grabbed both sleeves of the jacket and threw it forward, looking like he was going for my neck.

I smirked and ducked under the jacket. This was my chance. I kicked at his legs again, and he stumbled. “How ungentlemanly, cursing in front of a lady!” I slipped behind him and kicked at his legs again, and he fell. I tried to pounce, but he kicked at me, and I couldn’t get away fast enough. I rolled but landed on my feet.

I laughed. “Now, that was finally a good hit! What were you going easy on me before this?”

Cirrus got back up. “You know, if you wanted to talk, you could have just said so.”

“Nah. It’s much more fun to talk while I fight! Anyway, I couldn’t have secured such a handsome or entertaining partner any other way.” I winked and then glanced at everyone else. “No offense to anyone else here.”

He froze. Ah. His weakness. He blinked and stared. It was as if he didn’t know how to respond. So, instead, he tried the jacket move again.

“Aw! You’re so cute when you’re flustered!” I grinned and dodged the jacket, but I made sure to get close so that our faces were inches apart, and I winked. He really was handsome. Maybe later, we could talk more.

He froze, but then he recovered and grabbed my hair. Sloppy on my part. He elbowed me in the ribs before I could try anything, but he looked clumsier than before. But I couldn’t capitalize on that. I gasped in a breath. He could hit hard. “So, what’re your plans later?”

He didn’t get distracted and pause. Shit. He swung for my head, but I dodged. Just slower than normal. “Why, bored?”

“Just trying to make small talk.” I tried to elbow him in the stomach.

It connected, but not enough. He gasped, but grabbed me by the back of my shirt and shoved me down.

I had to gasp for breath before I could even speak. I was done. But still, I laughed. It was a fun battle. “Best two out of three?”

Cirrus was catching his breath as well. At least I had gotten him too. He grinned. “That wasn’t part of the deal, right Zenith?”

Zenith just shrugged, muttering something about not crossing me. I sat up and held out a hand for Cirrus to shake. “It was an honor sparring with you. And I wasn’t lying about you being handsome and entertaining.” I winked.

He shook my hand and helped me stand up, and he was blushing. “I, thanks. You’re not bad yourself.” He grabbed my jacket and handed it back to me, but I didn’t put it on yet. It was too warm now that I had exercised. Now, we just had to wait for the Capitol’s special announcement.

#writeblr hunger games #whg #writeblr

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fairytales-of-yesterday · 5 years ago

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Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)

A/N: a late christmas present for one of the best people I’ve ever known :)

@gardnerlangway this one’s for you, my love

summary: christmas with your favorite mail carrier :)

word count: 4.1k

warnings: none!! simply loving fluff!! (unless you’re rowan, in which case this will make you cry)

(please forgive any typos!!)

“Happy Christmas!”

Gardner blinked. He woke up that morning thinking he knew what the day would bring. He had expected it to be chilly, and it was. He had expected to finish his route slightly early, and he was about to. He had expected to eat lunch at his usual spot, and he did. He had expected to see you, his favorite customer, his new best friend, and there you were. He had been excited to see you, like always. What he had not expected was the carefully wrapped box you were holding out to him. He had also not expected to be this flustered by how beautiful you look in that yellow sweater he’d delivered to you a few days back, but that was beside the point.

“For… me?” He looked down at the small parcel in awe. You had to suppress a giggle at the little “O” his mouth formed as he stared at your hands.

“Yes for you!” You laughed, extending your arms towards him even further. He took the box from you gingerly, as if what was inside could break with the slightest touch.

“I can hold your bag while you open it? If you want?” You offered with a grin. When you saw him hesitate for a second you quickly added, “I’m dead vague about mail carrier protocol, so if that’s not allowed I totally understand! I just thought I’d offer.”

“N-no! No it’s okay,” he blushed a bit, handing back the box before taking the bag off his shoulder and passing it to you. He didn’t miss the way your eyes lit up as you slung it across your body, and he couldn’t help but grin softly at your excitement.

“Sorry,” you laughed, giddy, “I’ve just always wanted to wear one of these! Makes you feel important, yeah?”

To say that Gardner was speechless was an understatement. No one he had ever met had even pretended to care about his job, much less actually been curious about it. Granted, this wasn’t the first time you had shown interest in his humble occupation, but it still surprised him. All he could do was nod sheepishly with a pink tinge on his cheeks as you passed him the gift.

When he had it in his hands again, he stared at it for a moment, not yet opening it. You noticed his gaze.

“I uh.. I tried to find a wrapping paper that matched the color blue you wear, and I know it’s not perfect, but I think I got pretty close!”

You’d gotten blue wrapping paper. You’d gotten his blue. He laughed quietly in disbelief, and you very nearly had to physically restrain yourself from clutching your heart at the sound. He began to gently tear into the paper, and you watched with eager eyes. When he finally got into the box, he paused with a quiet gasp. Staring back at him was a pile of letters. Old letters. Very old letters. He softly rested his hand on them, only to realize they were sitting atop a pair of soft, dark blue, knit gloves. He looked up at you in shock and you gave him a genuine, soft smile.

“I found the letters in an antique shop a while ago, and they all had such lovely stamps on them! I only know about a few of them, google was kind to me, but the others I couldn’t find.”

Gardner couldn’t even speak.

“Oh! And I figured that you were pretty sick of having to touch all those freezing cold mailboxes all the time, and I’ve never seen you wearing gloves, so I made those, and all blues just remind me of you.”

Gardner prayed that you thought his cheeks and nose were pink because of the cold. It wouldn’t be wrong, but there were definitely more factors involved in the equation. It took him a moment to even think of what he could say. No amount of words would be able to fully convey how truly touched he was by your kindness.

“Gosh I… Thank you,” he breathed quietly. You grinned softly, very proud of yourself for making him speechless. He looked up at you with wonder in his eyes, and you felt like the air had been knocked out of you. Gardner had only marched into your life a few months ago when you moved to Austin, but he had quickly managed to walk into your heart as well. Every cup of tea the two of you had quickly shared before he set off to his next house, every slight smile and polite wave, every quiet laugh you got from him when you told him a new joke, every evening chat the two of you had on your front porch on the rare occasions he accepted a dinner invitation… you had fallen hard. That sweet, somewhat stubborn, shy mail carrier had somehow managed to occupy all your waking thoughts. He must’ve been exhausted with the way he’d been walking the whole city and running through your head every day. He was just so… him. So kind and gorgeous and passionate and him. God him.

“Oh, love, of course!”

His face reddened at the term of endearment, and you smiled even wider. He ran his fingers over the letters, smiling softly to himself, still in complete awe that anyone would do something so nice for him.

“Wait,” he gasped as your words caught up with him, “you made these?” You grinned bashfully as you watched him pull out the gloves in amazement.

“I did! I hadn’t made anything other than scarves in a while, but I’m still proud of them!”

He looked up at you seriously, with a watery smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“They’re perfect.”

You beamed and did a mock curtsy as a thank you, drawing out another soft giggle from him. You were enjoying yourself immensely just seeing him so happy, when you saw his brow furrow in slight confusion.

“Hold on, Christmas is a week away,” he said, tearing his gaze away from his gift. Apparently it was your turn to be sheepish, and he watched a slight blush creep over your cheeks.

“Well, I… I didn’t know when you’d be off for Christmas, and I’ve been trying to find something for you for a while, and then the knitting took a minute, but I wanted to make sure I caught you before you went on holiday or something, and I was really excited to give it to you, so… here it is.”

When you met his eyes again, you had to stop yourself from laughing. He had the most awestruck look on his face you’d ever seen.

“You… you thought about all of that?”

“I mean, yeah! I wanted you to have your gift! Plus, you’ll get to use the gloves!”

It might have been 30 degrees outside, but Gardner had never felt warmer or happier in his life.

The soft, nearly dopey smile on his face made you giggle, and he blushed again. He wanted so badly to truly thank you, to tell you how much all of this meant to him, but all he could do was look at you with all the love in the world. He was so in awe of you that he failed to notice the look of mild panic that crossed your face.

“Oh god, have I made you late?”

He was brought back to reality by the alarm in your voice.

“No! No no, you’re my last house. I usually get home in time for dinner, Calvin cooks every night, but he’s got a date tonight, so I’m on my own time.”

He surprised himself with how willing he was to alter his schedule. His schedule was very important to him. Punctuality made him feel in control and organized. You, however, made him feel… something new. Something different. Something nice.

“Oh!! Well in that case, d’you wanna come in for a cuppa? I have cocoa too if you’d prefer that! I’m in the middle of baking some cookies as well if you want to help!” You gave him the warmest smile he’s ever seen. All he could do was nod, his face red, and follow you into your home.

He didn’t know what he had expected your house to look like inside, but he did know that everything felt just right. The moment he stepped through your front door, he was greeted by a warmth he had never felt before. It was as if the house had welcomed him in with a hug, beckoning him in further. The next thing he noticed was how nice it smelled, almost like tea, but also with something else mixed in. Like you had patented a candle called “happiness and comfort” and it was perpetually burning. The glow-in-the-dark stars that dotted the ceiling brought a grin to his face as he imagined you excitedly putting them up and seeing them glow for the first time. Everything was bright, but in a calm, easy-on-the-eyes way, and Gardner felt himself relaxing, truly relaxing, for the first time in a very long while.

He followed you into your kitchen, and watched with a full heart as you carefully took off his bag and set it on your kitchen table. With a smile, you excused yourself, saying you needed to grab something from your room, and he smiled at the mess before him. When you said you were in the middle of baking cookies, you weren’t kidding! Every countertop around him was covered in flour or cookie cutters or containers of icing and sprinkles. You hadn’t spared the kitchen from your decorating either, and the tiny christmas tree on your table did not escape his notice. He was just starting to get curious as to where you’d gone when you entered the kitchen once more holding a speaker.

“I hope you like Christmas music!”

He nodded in confirmation, and with a smile, you turned on a bright song that immediately made him feel even more light. Then, you got down to business. You quickly filled him in on what to do, and it was off to the races.

The next hour or so went by in a blur of jolly music, loud singing, laughs, and definitely not eating the dough before you baked it, oh no, absolutely not. He impressed you by being somewhat skilled in the kitchen, and he feigned offense when you mentioned it teasingly. He amazed you in a lot of ways actually, as you ended up talking a lot more than you previously had. He seemed unashamedly open in a way that you hadn’t come to expect from him, and it warmed your heart. The trust he had given you, the willingness to show you his whole, true self was the best Christmas present you had gotten. You found him animatedly talking about the importance of his job, something you adamantly agreed with, his passion for stamps, and his love of being a mail carrier around the holiday season. You listened intently as he described the joy on people’s faces when he hands them packages, the smiles when he delivers Christmas cards from friends they don’t get to see often, the kind greetings from people caught up in the holiday cheer.

“It just makes you feel a bit like Santa,” he smiled, “in its own special way.”

You watched as his eyes twinkled, looking somewhere far away and remembering all of the love he’d witnessed on his route in the past few weeks.

“Well, Santa,” you started with a grin, causing him to meet your eyes with a bright smile, “what do you say we get these last few cookies out of the oven, and then sit down and have some for ourselves?”

You didn’t think his smile could grow any more, but it seemed he was full of surprises that night.

“You know, I think that sounds perfect.”

After getting your cookies out without any burns, you led him to your living room, and he took a seat on your couch. Inhaling again, he could smell the pine from the garland you had hung on the mantle, and he smiled softly. How you managed to make him feel so at home was unreal to him. Your presence just seemed to wrap him up in a warm blanket.

“Still interested in that cuppa?”

He snapped out of his small trance enough to stammer out that he wouldn’t mind some cocoa, and with a comical bow you left him to his own devices.

With wonder in his eyes, he gazed at the room around him. You had obviously been very liberal in your decorating for Christmas, and he couldn’t help the quiet chuckle that escaped him as he took in all the lights strung about. Somehow, you had put up just enough so that the whole room was illuminated in their cheerful glow, but also not so many as to strangle anyone that walked in. He also found himself looking at some of your family photographs. He smiled to himself, thinking about you as a child and the kind of mischief you must have gotten into. The photos made him nostalgic, as if he had experienced this beautiful childhood with you. As if he had played in the streets with friends and come home for a good supper with his family. As if he had ridden his bike along the city streets and played along the riverside. However, he suddenly felt a pang in his chest and realized it couldn’t be nostalgia. Nostalgia implies a longing for things once possessed or experienced. And he had lived none of those happy memories. His smile slowly faded.

His thoughts were interrupted as you waltzed back into the room. He perked back up immediately, almost completely forgetting his melancholy, and if you had noticed the slight sadness in his eyes, you said nothing. Instead, you handed him a warm cup of hot chocolate and a small plate of cookies with a kind grin. He took it eagerly, murmuring a thank you and reciprocating your smile.

You, of course, had noticed him staring at your old photos with a mournful gaze, but elected not to say anything. He had told you about his parents over dinner one night, and it broke your heart. You wanted to tell him right there in that moment that you would gladly be his family, you would absolutely have him and hold him for the rest of your life, but you quickly pushed those feelings down, reminding yourself to keep it together. You situated yourself next to him, and lightly bumped his shoulder with yours, a wordless gesture of comfort. You saw him grin into his mug, and felt victorious.

After each of you had tried the cookies (and made some extremely suggestive sounds that definitely made you both feel emotions you weren’t willing to share), you fell into a comfortable silence. That is, until you saw your dvd collection.

“So, you have a favorite christmas movie?”

He looked up at you, surprised.

“I… don’t think I’ve really seen any.”

“What?”

Your mouth hung open in shock as Gardner looked down at his cocoa. He eventually met your gaze and gave you an almost sorrowful, crooked smile.

“I just… haven’t ever gotten around to it I guess.”

He saw a brief glimmer of sadness, maybe even a tinge of guilt cross your face as you realized why, but it was quickly outshone by the twinkle in your eye as a grin slowly spread across your face.

“Well I guess we’ll have to fix that then.”

You watched Gardner’s eyes dart across the screen. His features were soft, his eyes bright, as he watched the money pile up on George Bailey’s table. You couldn’t help the few tears that sprung to your eyes as the people of Bedford Falls mingled and laughed and sang.

“Are you okay?”

You looked away from the screen to see Gardner’s concerned face as he realized you were crying. You let out a watery laugh and nodded, wiping your eyes.

“I’m fine! This just always gets me.”

A small smile made its way onto his face, and he bumped his shoulder against yours, mirroring your move from earlier. Your heart melted a bit at his gentle kindness, and you bumped him back.

The credits began to roll, and you turned so that you faced him.

“So, I think it’s time for the verdict. What’d you think?”

He smiled softly as you looked at him eagerly.

“I don’t think I’ve seen a better movie.”

He chuckled a bit as your eyes lit up even more.

“Oh!! Gosh I’m so pleased!! And I’m honored that I got to be the one to show you.”

Looking at your proud smile as you focused again on the television, Gardner found himself wanting to kiss you right then and there. The way the light of the movie danced across your face, the way your eyes shone so bright, the way you swayed slightly to the music, lightly humming along, he was in heaven. He was about to say something, god knows what, when your eyes flitted over to the window.

“Oh, Gardner,” you breathed quietly, “look.”

His heart fluttered a bit at his name coupled with the softness of your voice, and his eyes followed yours.

“Oh.”

It was snowing.

Quicker than he could realize what was going on, you pulled him off the couch, bundled him up a bit, and pulled him out your front door. You gasped loudly as soon as your feet hit the ground outside to find it covered in an inch or two of light, soft snow.

“It must have been snowing for ages now,” you cried with a grin, jumping around a bit.

Gardner watched with a bright smile on his face as you gazed up at the sky, watching the flakes fall all around you. You took a few deep breaths, feeling the cold sting your nose, and laughed. Then, with little warning, you grabbed his hands and pulled him out into the yard with you. A small yelp escaped him, but he was quickly giggling alongside you. You roped him into a snowball fight with ease, playfully taunting about how his aim should be fantastic if he’s “really as good at horseshoes as you claim.” He chuckled at that, telling you to “bring it on.” You were sure the neighbors were going to come out to complain, but your antics went unbothered. Eventually though, after Gardner narrowly missed the neighbors’ already-flimsy mailbox, a cease-fire was called.

It fell quiet for a moment, the two of you giggling softly to yourselves and panting a bit. You watched him as he caught his breath, looking up at the falling snow. His eyes seemed to dance between the flakes, not quite knowing where to land. In the few months you had known him, he had never looked as content as you had seen him tonight. His gaze found its way to you eventually, and your cheeks reddened a bit as you realized you’d been staring at him.

However, he didn't seem to notice, and he offered you a kind smile, one you returned very quickly. You took a step toward him and gave him an affectionate shove with your pocketed hands. A quiet giggle escaped him, breaking the calm silence of the night. Your breath caught in your throat at both the sound and your proximity to him. It was possibly the closest you’d been. You could see every detail of his face, his eyelashes, the little flecks of gold in his hazel eyes, barely illuminated by your porch light, his faint freckles across his nose and at the corners of his eyes.

You felt your cheeks heat up as you met his eyes. He gave u another little grin, this one a bit cheeky, and you knew this time he’d caught you. You stepped even closer to him, if that were even possible, and almost timidly took your hands out of your pockets and grabbed his. You watched his eyes widen and his cheeks redden as you laced your fingers together. He looked down at your hands and opened his mouth to speak, but closed it after a second, seemingly unable to say what he wanted to. So you tried.

“Gardner…” you began.

His eyes met yours once more and you faltered. There was so much you wanted to say. You wanted to tell him how beautiful you thought he was, how genuinely gorgeous he looked when his eyes lit up as he talked about his job. You wanted to tell him how much you admired him and his passions. You wanted to tell him how strong he was. He had been hurt so badly, cut so deeply, and yet here he was, loving and giving and laughing and living. You wanted to tell him how much you liked him. Really, truly liked him. Full on fancied him. And still, it was as if you’d forgotten how to speak at all.

“Gardner, the only thing I’m good at is words, and when I look at you, they’re all gone.”

His eyes softened a bit, and he looked down at your hands once more. Then, something new flickered across his face. Determination. He met your eyes.

“Maybe… maybe you don’t need words.”

You were in the middle of debating whether or not you should ask him if he meant what you thought he meant when you realized Gardner’s lips were pressed gently against yours.

It wasn’t like anything you had ever experienced before. It was short, not even lasting two seconds, but it was the purest, most content moment of your life. He pulled away quickly, hands beginning to shake in yours. He didn’t miss the way you chased his lips slightly afterwards, and that helped to somewhat calm his nerves, but he was still terrified at how you were going to react. When his eyes found yours again, he almost breathed a sigh of relief. The smile that spread across your face could outshine the sun. He wanted to say something, anything. He wanted to thank you for his gifts and the cookies and all the kind greetings and the drinks and the dinners and the listening ear. And he opened his mouth to try, but before he even got the second word out, you were kissing him.

The first kiss had been soft. It had been short and sweet. This one was desperate. He made a soft noise of surprise, but quickly relaxed against you. Your lips moved against his hungrily, trying to make up for lost time. He was making these soft, quiet noises that were like music to your ears, and you knew you would never stop trying to draw them out. Your hands untangled themselves from his and moved up to cradle his face. God, his dumb, stupid, lovely face that you had wanted to hold for so long. To hold and to kiss. You found yourself laughing softly in utter disbelief against his lips. He let out a small whine into your mouth that sounded both like a plea for more and like a sigh of relief, as if he felt like he was finally where he was born to be.

Eventually the two of you broke for air, and you chuckled gently at the slight smear of your red lipstick on his mouth. You looked into his beautiful eyes, hands still on his face, and smiled brightly.

“What were you gonna say? Sorry, I completely interrupted you!”

Gardner, still breathless, decided his “thank you” could come later.

“Please… please do that again.”

You laughed loudly, feeling on top of the world, and as much as you desperately wanted to grant his wish, you instead gave him a soft kiss on his lovely little nose.

“My love, I’ll do that a million more times, trust me, but let’s get inside first, yeah? Your nose is an adorable, but probably unhealthy shade of pink.”

He thought about it for a second.

“Just one more?”

You giggled softly at that and took his hands once more.

“Alright, pretty boy, one more.”

After one more lingering, loving kiss, the two of you made your way back inside. After a change of clothes (you into some pjs, Gardner into a soft sweater vest your brother had accidentally left behind once) and a phone call to Calvin to let him know Gardner wouldn’t be home for a while, you both collapsed on the couch. He found himself cuddled up against you, your arms around him, feeling safe and content and truly at home. And when you started describing the Christmas movie marathon he was about to endure, he felt like, for the first time in his life, the feeling would last.

#gardner langway #gardner langway x reader #dear sidewalk #My writing #ohhhh boy #does this mean I need a masterlist now fhsgfshs #here's hoping this is good #love you ro :)

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charincharge · 4 years ago

Text

Cruel Summer, Epilogue

cruel summer masterlist

AN: I swore to you I would have this posted before I moved, and I DID (I leave in 11 hours for my cross country drive). Sorry this took forever, I pretty much wrote... a 10k word sequel.

It seems that fate enjoys playing cosmic jokes on Rowan Whitethorn when it comes to the first day of summer.

He and Aelin were supposed to take off for Terrasen yesterday, in order to make it to opening day at the park. Then, after closing, he was going to take Aelin down to the water, beneath the docks, where they’d kissed for the first time. It was going to be perfect. Just the two of them, reunited by the water, watching the sun dip below the horizon, ready for a new summer of memories – this time to be made together. But today was a piece of shit, and everything had gone to shambles. With the app formally launching this week, Rowan’s office was in crunch mode. He tried to escape, but was held back with last minute bugs to fix. He sent Aelin off, telling her he’d meet her there as soon as he was freed from work. But before he knew it, yesterday turned into noon today. And somehow noon turned into five. And then to six. At seven, Rowan finally put his foot down and insisted he would answer any questions from the road. He’d be working remotely all summer anyway. He’d dictate code for them over the phone, if they needed. And they had. His front dash rings with an incoming call from Aelin as he speeds along the interstate, praying to the gods he doesn’t get pulled over. Although with the way his day is going, he wouldn’t be surprised. He sighs loudly in greeting.

“That bad, huh?” Aelin’s sleepy voice comes through the speakers. It’s already midnight, and he’s sure she’s about to fall asleep any second.

“I’ve had about six calls with Darrow,” Rowan sighs. He doesn’t really mind – he loves his job, and loves being part of this team. But, his boss’s perfectionist tendencies have him working long after the clock stops. “I’m so tired,” he complains. “Oh no,” Aelin coddles him. “How far away are you?” Rowan glances at his navigation. “Three hours out. If I don’t hit any more snags.” Aelin chuckles softly. “Yeah, you didn’t forget anything else important, did you?” Rowan groans, thinking of his absolute incompetence as a human. Maybe if he’d been less flustered about rushing out of work and heading to Terrasen, he wouldn’t have made this insane mistake. Nearly an hour on the road, Rowan realized he’d forgotten the most important item he needed this summer. Unconsciously, Rowan pats at his pants and finds the lump in his pocket easily. He swallows thickly. His entire plan would have been ruined without that tiny box. Unable to tell her what he really went back for, he lied and told Aelin he’d forgotten his wallet. She seemed to believe him, but he was now running two hours behind. He picks up his pace even more. “I miss you,” he sighs, and he can hear the crinkling of Aelin’s starchy sheets beneath her head as she rolls to her side. “You’ll have me soon enough,” she laughs. “I wish I could have you right now,” he whines, and he can hear the small hitch in Aelin’s breath before she replies. “Oh yeah? And what would you do to me?” Her voice is low and breathy, and he can’t help but groan her name in frustration. He’s been working his ass off prepping for this app launch. And with Aelin taking classes and studying for boards on top of teaching, they’ve both been far too tired to do anything but curl up in bed and sleep. Two exhausted ships passing in the night. Two exhausted, and clearly horny, ships. Rowan swears as arousal courses through his strained muscles. “Should I pull over?” he asks.

If Aelin wants help getting off through the phone, he’s not not participating. Rowan looks ahead to see when the next exit is. He’ll need to find somewhere dark and secluded fast. But Aelin hesitates, and he can practically see her flushed cheeks and wild eyes as she chews on her bottom lip as she debates her answer. “No,” she finally replies, resigned. “Just. Drive fast.” Rowan taps the accelerator a little harder, pushing his new car another few miles above the speed limit. “On it.” “Rowan?” She breathes softly into the receiver. “I don’t care how late it is, wake me up when you get here.” “Yes ma’am,” he laughs. “Love you,” she mumbles sleepily. Rowan blessedly doesn’t get pulled over, and somehow he makes up an entire hour, pulling up the long driveway to Ashryver Estate just after 2am. He turns the headlights off quickly, hoping he didn’t wake anyone. The house looks as imposing as always, its wide balconies and oversized windows glowing under the outdoor lights. But Rowan can’t help but think how different his life is from a single year ago. For one, he and Aelin will be sleeping in her room together, with the complete awareness and approval of her parents. Rowan assumed it would be weird for them to be in the house, so they rented a place of their own, but Rhoe and Evalin insisted they spend at least their first night with them. At least. He supposes when he’s been living with their daughter since last Yulemas and asked for her father’s approval of their marriage a few days later, it can’t be that weird. But still, Rowan’s excited to have their own place. Albeit. A much smaller. Less expensive place.

A large yawn rips its way from Rowan’s mouth, and he decides to leave his bag in the bag seat. He’ll get it in the morning. For now, he just wants to take off his work clothes and get into bed with Aelin.

But of course, nothing about today is easy. Rowan lifts the front mat, expecting the key beneath, but it’s missing. He checks his phone to see if Aelin told him they moved it elsewhere. But no. It’s supposed to be there for him. He reaches under a potted plant just to make sure. But still. No key. He jiggles the doorknob, hoping against all hopes that in this small beach town maybe they left the door unlocked for him. But it remains unmovable. Shit. The gods truly are against him. Rowan flicks his cellphone light on, searching the small path that leads to the backyard. Thorns from the overgrown rose bushes scrape his arms, and he hisses as one catches his skin. Fuck this day. Once he makes it safely to the back patio, he attempts the sliding door, but of course, it is locked, too. Rowan glances at the rose trellis, leading up to the second floor balcony he knows so well. It’s been a while since he climbed it, but he thinks he can. He grasps at the holds above his head and pulls himself up, one foothold at a time. As he launches himself over the railing and onto the balcony, he prays to every god he knows that Aelin has left her window unlocked. It doesn’t budge.

Crouched uncomfortably, Rowan lifts his tender knuckles and knocks against the glass of the large window. He watches as Fleetfoot lifts her head, wondering where the knocking is coming from. She spots Rowan and thumps her tail against Aelin’s fluffy comforter, but doesn’t bark or come to greet him. She’s not exactly the best guard dog.

Rowan knocks again, this time a little louder, and he watches as Aelin sleepily rouses from her slumber. He knocks a third time, and Aelin looks around, confused, obviously thinking that he’d woken her from inside the room. He waves from his crouch as she finally locates him on the other side of the glass.

She pads barefoot across the room and unlatches the window, which finally swings open easily.

“Feeling nostalgic?” she asks, her eyes squinting with unreleased laughter.

“Ha ha.” Aelin is the only one laughing as she helps Rowan through the window, but he can’t help but smile at the way her arms circle his waist and pull him towards the bed at the center of the room. “Where’d the front door key go?”

“Oh no, I forgot to put it back? I must have been more tired than I thought…”

He nods, and her arms squeeze his waist tighter, apologizing with her touch. A shiver runs up Rowan’s spine as her warm hands push the hem of his shirt up his back.

“If you’re too tired,” Rowan begins, but his words are muffled by Aelin tugging his shirt up and over his head. “This can wait until tomorrow…” Her fingers splay across his bare chest, and her lips brush against his shoulder, her eyes dark with want as she insists.

“We’ll sleep in tomorrow,” she insists, tilting her chin up towards his.

Rowan lowers his head to hers, and she hums happily as his mouth caresses hers. He doesn’t have to be asked twice. He lets Aelin lead the way, crawling onto the bed on top of her. Aelin’s hands immediately go for his belt buckle, and he helps her, kicking off his pants one leg at a time as he pushes her nightgown over her head.

Clothes scatter across Aelin’s bedroom floor as the pair climb under the covers. Fleetfoot dodges his flying briefs with a loud huff and slinks under the bed, causing both Aelin and Rowan to laugh. But they aren’t distracted by the dog’s antics for very long. Within seconds, the pair is wrapped up in each other, finally after so long, relishing in the feel of being skin to skin. Rowan’s hands skim up her thighs, and he kisses every inch of her neck and shoulders he can reach. He has every intention of taking his time and worshipping her body, something they haven’t had the privilege of doing in weeks, but Aelin has other thoughts in mind.

She guides his hand between her legs, showing him how much she wants him, moisture dripping onto his fingers before he’s barely even touched her.

“Please, Rowan,” she moans, and Rowan chuckles into her cheek, whispering into her ear with a quiet. “Bossy.”

“You like it,” she says, smirking softly.

He does. He loves when she takes charge. But he doesn’t let it happen for very long. Before she can finish her sentence, Rowan lines himself up with her and slides into her with a deep thrust.

Aelin gasps and wraps her legs around him, digging her heels into his ass as he sits back on his heels and grasps her hips. He’s overwhelmed, as he always is when he first enters Aelin. Warmth spreads through his body as he adjusts their position and pace, lifting her hips off the mattress to meet him as he kneels in front of her. He loves her this way, splayed out for him, her hair a tangled, golden mess haloed around her head. She breathes heavily with each torturously slow movement of his hips. She bites down on her lip, but releases a too loud, breathy moan regardless.

Rowan shushes her through his chuckles, loving that even after a year, this hasn’t remotely gotten old.

“C’mere.” She reaches out for him, and Rowan is helpless before her commands. He lowers her hips and leans down to kiss her. Fingers tug at his hair, keeping him pressed against her face. Even when their kiss breaks, they’re content to just breathe into each other’s mouths as he moves inside her slowly and deliberately, savoring each moment.

Rowan increases his pace, feeling them both on the brink, Aelin’s nails digging into his back, his lips at her neck – when the doorbell rings.

They both freeze. Rowan stills his hips, and Aelin’s gaze swings to the door.

“Was that our house?” she asks, eyes wide. The doorbell is followed by several knocks.

“Uh, I think so,” Rowan says, glancing at the clock, which now reads 3 am. Who the hell could that be? Fleetfoot pokes her nose out from under the bed and slinks towards the door to sniff under it.

“Do you think if we stay quiet they’ll go away?” Aelin whimpers, grasping his neck tighter. “I’m so close,” she half cries-half laughs. Rowan joins her.

“Me too,” he says, letting his head drop onto her shoulder.

“Just finish quickly,” she says, tilting her hips toward his, and Rowan chuckles into her skin.

Rowan refuses to move as he hears two pairs of footsteps coming down from the third floor. Aelin’s parents.

They listen as the front door opens, but are unable to pick out any words. The door closes just as fast, and he can feel Aelin relax and push her hips against his as her parents make their way back upstairs. He finally gives in and starts moving again, much to both their relief.

The relief is short-lived, though.

“Um, Aelin?” Evalin calls from the other side of the door, accompanied with a quick knock, and Rowan has the good sense to roll off to the other side of the bed, grumbling the entire way, upset to be cockblocked as Aelin tosses on her nightgown. Whatever was happening is officially over now. Rowan briefly wonders if it’s a cursed day as Aelin swings her door open.

“Is everything okay?” she asks her mom breathlessly, and Rowan tucks himself further under the blanket, willing his still prominent erection to subside quickly.

Suddenly, two cops emerge, and Aelin crosses her arms over her chest, backing up into the darkness of her room. Rowan would like to throw a robe over her, too, by the way the two cops are looking at her, but he can’t exactly go anywhere right now.

“Sorry to disturb you, ma’am,” the shorter of the two begins. “But we were notified by your neighbor of a breaking and entering? We wanted your permission to sweep your room for any intruders.”

Rowan groans loudly and lets his head fall back against the pillow as Aelin snorts.

“I’m so sorry to waste your time, officers,” Aelin says politely. “But, uh, there’s been a huge misunderstanding.”

Her eyes flick to Rowan’s, who is still under the covers, but based on the state of the pair of them, there’s little question as to what they’ve been up to.

“Let me guess?” the other cop snickers. “Intruder?”

Rowan waves, and Rhoe and Evalin smile as they wave back.

“Rowan, when did you get in?” Rhoe asks, failing to hide his smile behind his hand.

But Rowan’s fairly certain this day could not get any worse. He’s still erect beneath the covers, and completely naked, and his nearly naked girlfriend is being interrogated by the cops and her parents. He wants to die.

“I forgot to leave the key out for my boyfriend,” Aelin explains. “So, he climbed up the trellis into my room.”

The cops apologize for the late-night intrusion, and Rhoe finally laughs fully. “As you were…”

They close the door with a soft click, and Rowan groans, falling back onto the pillow as Rhoe and Evalin head back upstairs, taking Fleetfoot with them.

“Intruder,” Aelin laughs as she closes her bedroom door. “The Cortlands would never have called the cops.”

Rowan perks up at that. “Oh yeah, who’d they sell to?”

“I don’t kno-oww!” Aelin hisses in pain and clutches at her foot. “Ow, what the hell did I just step on?” she cries again, stumbling her way over to the light switch. “Was that your belt buckle? Shit, that hurt.”

Rowan squints as the bright bulb illuminates the room, and his heart stops as he sees what Aelin holds in her hand. Aelin stares with wonder at the tiny box that he’s managed to keep from her since he purchased it last December. Six months living together, and she never suspected once. In his haste to disrobe earlier, it must have fallen out of his pocket. He forgot it was even in there. He’s a fucking idiot.

Aelin’s jaw drops as she looks from the box up to Rowan, her blue gold eyes swimming with awe and confusion.

“Rowan?”

Her voice sounds so small and timid and so un-Aelin like, and Rowan’s stomach drops. Does she not want this?

“I swear to the gods, it was going to be perfect,” Rowan says, scrubbing at his face with his hand. He watches as Aelin’s eyes grow impossibly wider. He closes his eyes and imagines the scene he’d wanted so badly. ”I had it all planned out for today. But, then today happened.” He He sighs loudly.” Six months of waiting… to find your ring on the fucking floor.”

He hates the spike of insecurity and flagellation that fills his brain, ready to convince him he’s useless. He’s gotten better about his negative self-talk over the last year, but sometimes old habits are hard to break.

“Six months?” she asks, fiddling with the box in her fingers.

“Yulemas shopping,” Rowan chuckles to himself, but there’s no humor to be found there.

“Rowan.” She repeats his name, nothing more than a whisper from the other side of the room.

“I used to feel like the lesser party in this relationship. And I swear, I don’t feel like that anymore. But, the way this has happened, I’m feeling pretty useless. That, or this proposal is cursed.”

“Can I see it?” she whispers, and Rowan suddenly feels even more nervous, if that were even possible.

He nods, feeling the strain in his throat as it bobs uncomfortably, his throat suddenly dry.

She cracks the box open, and Aelin breathes in sharply as she picks up the emerald, flanked by two smaller diamonds, and laid into a platinum band. It had cost two full months of his paycheck, but he’d seen it and immediately known it was meant to sit on Aelin’s finger for the rest of her life.

She approaches the bed slowly, and his body warms as her awed expression turns into a brilliant smile. He loves when she looks at him like that. Like he’s special. She straddles his lap, bringing one knee to either side of his waist and wraps one arm around his neck, the other cradling the box in her hand still.

Her lips press against this over and over again as she whispers between kisses, “Yes, yes, yes, yes.”

Rowan’s heart pumping wildly as he pulls back to look at her.

“Yeah?” he asks, and she replies quickly.

“Oh yeah.” She grins and kisses him again. “And if you want to do your plan tomorrow, I am all yours,” she says, and Rowan’s heart feels like it’s going to explode of joy.

He slides the ring onto her finger. It looks just as perfect there as he’d imagined, and he can’t resist perssing the newly jeweled hand against his thrumming heartbeat.

“I’ll give it back in the morning,” she says, a small tear trickling down her cheek.

She can’t stop smiling, and neither can Rowan, both of them mumbling “I love you,” over and over as Aelin climbs into his lap to finish what they started earlier in the evening.

~*~

Rowan wakes before Aelin, which is highly unusual, but she did say she was tired. He glances at the glittering gems on her finger and kisses it softly. He can’t believe this beautiful creature is actually going to marry him.

“Mmm,” she smiles back in her sleep, and he can’t resist pressing his lips against hers.

As he distracts her with sleepy kisses, he slides the ring off her finger, and she pouts immediately. “I’ll give it back soon, I promise,” he says softly, and her smile returns. The ring finds its way back into the small velvet box without any problems, and Rowan pulls on clothes from the floor and pockets it immediately. “Coffee?” he whispers into her ear, and Aelin nods, eyes still closed.

Rowan heads downstairs and grabs his bag from his car, and decides to shower before bringing Aelin coffee. After working all day, then sitting in a car for nine hours, and then engaging in sexual activity for most of the night, he could really use a shower. Plus, maybe he can tempt Aelin into joining him, he thinks.

Upstairs, though, Aelin is already in the bathroom and looking worse for wear. Dark circles rim her undereye, and her cheeks looks pale and sweaty. She flushes the toilet and walks slowly to the sink to rinse out her mouth.

Rowan drops his bag from his shoulder and rushes to her. “Aelin? Are you okay?”

She shakes her head and shrugs. “I think you might be right about the cursed proposal. I’m so sorry,” she apologizes, splashing water onto her ashen face. “A few of my students had this stomach thing, and I thought I escaped it, but…”

She stops and breathe slowly through her nose and out through her mouth. Her eyes flick to Rowan’s in the mirror, looking disappointed and upset.

“Hey, hey,” he reassures her, pushing back her damp hair from her clammy forehead. “You never have to apologize for getting sick.”

Aelin had also caught the flu from one of her students in January, a terrible cold in March, and strep throat that turned into an ear infection in April. Rowan was extremely grateful she’d already gotten the chicken pox otherwise their May would have been really upsetting. It turns out Aelin’s immune system kind of sucks.

“Good thing is it’s only a twenty-four-hour bug, so we can just push until tomorrow?” she says hopefully.

Rowan kisses the top of her head. “Get back in bed. We’ll worry about that when you’re feeling better.”

Aelin grumbles all the way back to bed, but she must be feeling extremely sick if she followed his directions so quickly. Aelin is one of those suffer in silence such people, who likes to think that if she doesn’t acknowledge not feeling well then she won’t be sick. As if she ignores her problems they’ll cease to exist. Rowan has to admit, when he discovered that he was fairly relieved. He’d thought it only applied to him. Oh how wrong he was. If the fact that she climbs into bed without any hesitation is any indication, she currently feels like shit.

“Who gets sick during the summer?” she complains to herself, but when Rowan comes out of the shower, she’s already fast asleep again.

He wanders downstairs to grab coffee for himself and is only slightly surprised to see the whole family there.

“Uncle Rowan!” Gavin cheers, throwing himself around Rowan’s thighs.

“Hey, bud, you’re getting really tall,” Rowan laughs. “And strong,” he continues, realizing he’s unable to walk with the little boy grasping his legs.

“Where’s Auntie Ae?” Gavin asks, his blue eyes wide with wonder and curiosity. Rowan recognizes that look. It’s the look of a man obsessed with Aelin Ashryver. He doesn’t particularly blame the child.

“She’s still sleeping,” Rowan answers the little boy, who immediately looks disappointed.

“Someone wore her out?” Lysandra jests, welcoming Rowan with a warm hug and a nudge to his ribs.

“Very funny.” Rowan says, though his tone lacks any humor.

Aedion snorts. “Come on, it’s a little funny. And a great story. Locked out, and then interrupted by the cops while banging?”

Rhoe chokes on his coffee. “I don’t think I used the word banging.”

“No, you used the words ‘being intimate’ which is somehow much grosser,” Aedion laughs again, taking a long sip of his coffee.

Rowan’s cheeks are burning, he can feel the flames go all the way up to his ears. This is why he’s grateful he and Aelin have their own rental they can check into tomorrow.

He ignores the conversation at the table and instead lets them know Aelin isn’t feeling well.

“So she’s not coming to the park today?” Gavin pouts.

“I don’t think so, but maybe tomorrow?”

Appeased, Gavin rushes off to play with Fleetfoot..

Rowan wishes the family a good time at the park and heads back upstairs, wanting to check in on his sick girlfriend. Wait, no. Not girlfriend. Fiancée. He grins at that.

Upstairs, he climbs into bed next to Aelin’s slumbering form. She immediately curls into his thigh, and his mouth twitches upward when she sighs his name in her sleep. His fingers run through her hair, and he basks in a moment of silent happiness. In sickness and in health, right? While Aelin sleeps, Rowan opens his laptop to see about a hundred emails waiting for him. He answers them dutifully as he sips his coffee. His work only halts when Aelin launches herself out of bed and stumbles to the bathroom, still half asleep. He itches to help her, but he’s learned from previous experience that Aelin does not like to be coddled when she’s sick. Instead, he opens her windows to let some fresh air in. The room fills quickly with the crisp scent of salty sea air traveling on a breeze. The shower turns on in the bathroom, and Rowan returns to his never-ending emails while he waits for her to emerge. A cloud of steam billows around her skin as she opens the door. Her skin has regained some color, a pink flush to her cheeks and her eyes look brighter. “Napping helped?” “How long was I out for?” she asks, her voice hoarse as she curls back up next to him. He glances at his watch. “Only a few hours. How are you feeling?” “Like crap,” she laughs. “You should go downstairs. You do not want to catch this.” “I don’t know,” Rowan says, stroking her cheek. “I wouldn’t mind staying in bed for a few days.” Aelin shivers and nuzzles further into his side. “You’ll mind it when you’re hunched over the toilet.” She sniffs the air and a greyish pallor takes over her complexion. “If nothing else, can you take your coffee cup downstairs. The smell of anything food-related is...” “Not good?” he asks, and as Aelin goes to shake her head, she rushes into the bathroom again and slams the door shut. As loathe as he is to leave her, Aelin is right. He can’t afford to get sick right now. So, Rowan takes his laptop out to the patio with Fleetfoot keep him company as he finishes his work. When Aelin finally makes her way downstairs at the end of the day, she looks significantly better. The whole family sits at the dinner table, and their heads swivel to the disheveled blonde, still wearing her pajamas. “You look like you’re feeling better.” Aelin nods in affirmation and Rowan breathes a sigh of relief that it seems the worst has passed. “Can I make you toast, Fireheart?” Evalin asks her daughter, who wrinkles her nose at the large dinner spread on the table. “No, I need something cold for my throat.” She pats at her neck. “Do we have any ice cream?” Rhoe laughs. “Yeah, she’s feeling better.” “Freezer,” Evalin directs her, and Aelin makes herself a bowl of mint ice cream quickly before taking a seat on Rowan’s knee. Rowan looks at Aelin’s empty ring finger as she eats. He can’t wait for tomorrow. Can’t wait to make it official. ~*~ “Twenty-four-hour bug, my ass,” Aelin frowns as she exits the bathroom the next morning. She’d been so convinced it’d passed when her ice cream stayed down last night. Apparently not. “This is the worst.”

Rowan pats the fluffy comforter next to him, and Aelin crawls on top, cuddling into his side like a cat. It’s been a long time since she felt this sick before. And she had the flu earlier this year. Stupid music students and their germy fingers!

“Rowan,” she whispers, wondering if she should admit what she’s about to admit. “I’m starting to believe in the curse.”

Rowan snorts too loudly, taking her comment as a joke, but she’s not so sure. Three days in a row his plans have gone to shit, and Aelin is starting to feel antsy to have that stunning ring on her finger again. She missed its weight as soon as he pulled it off yesterday, and she’s ready for it to be returned to its rightful owner. Her.

As if he senses her agitation, Rowan drags his fingers through her hair, scratching her scalp and playing with the strands like he knows she likes. Her eyes flutter close, and within a few minutes, she’s asleep again. Aelin wakes again in the late afternoon feeling groggy but with an even stomach. She takes a quick shower and brushes her teeth and heads downstairs, where Rowan is lounging out on the back patio. His computer glasses are perched on his nose as his fingers type a mile a minute, probably fixing some bug that Darrow couldn’t reprogram. His brows are furrowed, and he bites his lip – his concentrating face.

He finally looks up as she approaches the doorway, and she watches as his wrinkled forehead smooths out, his serious face replaced by one of delight. It makes her heart beat faster.

“You must be feeling a lot better than this morning if you’re looking at me like that,” Rowan says, closing his computer and standing to greet her. His arms welcome her with a warm embrace, and she inhales deeply as he wraps his arms around her, tugging her close.

“Is everyone at the park?” she asks, lifting an eyebrow suggestively, and she can’t help but smile as Rowan’s eyes darken.

“What happened to being concerned about me getting sick?” he asks as his fingers trail patterns against the thin fabric of her tank top.

“Who said we had to fuck face-to-face?” Aelin says, tugging his shirt with her hands. “Just bend me over the kitchen island.”

“Aelin,” he groans, pressing his face into the top of her head. She can feel his chest vibrate with laughter against hers, letting her know that her idea is being rejected. But if the other things moving against her are any indication, he’s not completely disinterested.

“As tempting as that sounds,” he begins, and by the look on his face, she knows he’s been thoroughly tempted, “I was kind of hoping not to be interrupted the next time we do it. If you’re really feeling better, though, maybe we should move into our own place tonight?”

Aelin grins excitedly. As much as she loves Ashryver Estate, she’s thrilled she and Rowan will have their own place this summer. Where they can be as loud as they want. And desecrate every single surface.

It takes them barely thirty minutes to pack, and Aelin calls her parents to let them know they won’t be there when they return. Aelin assures her parents she feels better, that the bug has run its course, and apologizes for sneaking out while they’re gone.

She and Rowan pull up to the small brown house nearly simultaneously. It’s not on the beach, about a fifteen-minute drive from Aelin’s parents, and about a ten-minute walk to Lysandra and Aedion’s, on a small residential street dotted with lush green trees and bright verdant lawns. They drop their bags in the foyer and immediately wander around the place, taking in the cozy, beach town vibes.

The backyard is perfect, and Rowan opens the screened in porch door for Fleetfoot to run around the wide gated lawn. At the center is a long, narrow pool, which glistens a bright turquoise. Aelin can’t wait to spend her summer lounging in it.

As they make their way back into the house, they finally make their way to the kitchen. Its immaculate marble counters are dotted with decorative bowls of lemons, and Aelin notices Rowan nearly drooling at the Viking double ovens. But what has her attention is right in the middle of the room.

Rowan follows her gaze and his green eyes darken, a shade of forest that she knows means trouble for her. The pair practically race to the kitchen island, and they make good on Aelin’s earlier suggestion, well into the evening.

~*~

Aelin wakes in the middle of the night, gasping for air, feeling overheated in her own skin. She must have had a nightmare, but she can’t remember what about. She looks down at a dreaming Rowan for comfort, his eyelashes twitching against his tanned cheeks, and feels her heart swell in her chest. She loves this man so much. She can’t believe she’s going to be his wife. Years ago, when Chaol had thrown around the word “marriage,” she’d flinched. Literally. Flinched. Now, she aches to let everyone know that this man is going to be her husband.

She leans down and kisses his bare shoulder. “Rowan,” she whispers against his skin, and he stirs slightly. “Rowan, wake up.”

He startles awake, bolting upright faster than he has any right to do, and looks her over seriously. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” she says, and he exhales quickly.

“Why am I waking up then?” he asks, looking at the clock. It’s barely past 4 am.

“I know you wanted to do your perfect proposal, but…” Rowan’s face pales in the moonlight, and Aelin reaches out to reassure him quickly. “I don’t need a perfect proposal. I knew when we left here last summer that you were it for me. You’re kind and funny, and you understand my terrible humor without making me feel stupid about it.” Rowan smiles at that one, making her stomach flutter. “You’re ambitious and proud, but you have never asked me to change what I want or to make myself bigger or smaller. You just love … me.” He swallows and nods. He does. She knows he does. Which is why, she barrels on, confessing what she’s been ruminating over the last two days in bed.

“I want to marry you so much,” she breathes, her voice cracking with the weight of her emotion. “And even though I don’t know what your plans were, I know this wasn’t even close to what you imagined. But,” she pauses and bites at the skin on her lip as Rowan leans closer. “I can’t imagine us doing anything traditionally, can you?” He shakes his head and rubs his thumb against her bottom lip, unhooking it from her tooth. She smiles at the gesture. “I loved my accidental proposal,” she says more boldly, “And I want to tell everyone I know immediately. I want to have a celebratory dinner with all our friends, and I…” Her voice cracks again as a rogue tear falls from her eye. “…want my ring back.”

“Right now?” Rowan asks, unshed tears in his eyes, and Aelin nods readily. As Rowan crosses the room to the dresser and pulls the small velvet box from his sock, Aelin’s heart starts pounding again. This is really happening.

He shakes his head slightly as he opens the box and pulls out the ring. It gleams under the soft glow of the moon, casting emerald shadows across their white duvet.

“You know, that was a hell of a proposal, Ms. Ashryver.” He smirks, and she cocks her eyebrow in return.

“So what’s your answer, Mr. Whitethorn?”

He pretends to look pensive for a second, before sliding the ring back onto her finger. It fits perfectly. “Yes, I think I’d like to marry you,” he says, leaning close to her lips. “And what about you? You’ll marry me, too?”

“I already said yes,” she whispers. The tension hums between them, both their hearts pounding with the electric current of their promises. “Yes,” she answers again, and Rowan pulls her beneath the blankets with him.

~*~

“You know your initials are going to spell AAW, now, which I find absolutely adorable,” Lysandra says as she takes Aelin’s splayed hand in her grasp. Her eyes narrow in on the new piece of jewelry, examining it like a hawk.

“It’s stunning, Ae,” she concludes, and Aelin can’t help but peer over Lysandra’s shoulder to grin at the man of the hour, taking beers out of their fridge.

“I know,” Aelin says, her cheeks starting to hurt from smiling so much at her family and friends’ enthusiasm over their “very expected” nuptials, as Manon put it.

The doorbell rings, and Aelin attempts to extract herself from the small circle of women who have huddled around her hand to “oo” and “ah,” at her ring, but Rowan is faster. He welcomes her parents into their abode with a wide smile. Evalin and Rhoe drop off giant catering tins filled with food, prepared by Emrys, on the kitchen island.

Rowan throws Aelin a knowing smirk, and her cheeks pink remembering the thorough way they debased that particular part of the house last night.

Lysandra chuckles softly and whispers in her ear, “I hope you Cloroxed that.”

Aelin’s pink cheeks darken, heating wildly at Lysandra’s knowing smile. She must look shocked, because Lys simply shakes her head and shrugs. “How do you think we got two kids? Please. Aedion and I used to screw on every surface in—”

“Okay!” Aelin holds up her hand. “I don’t need to know.” She gags, feeling slightly queasy at the image of her brother and his wife going at it. “But yes, we invested in Clorox wipes this summer.”

“Smart girl,” she says, squeezing Aelin’s shoulder lightly.

Aelin rolls her eyes and heads to the island to help her fiancé unpack the food and welcome her parents. They greet her with hugs and kisses, and Evalin can’t stop smiling. Neither can Aelin, though. She’s getting married. To Rowan. She’s never felt this kind of happiness.

When Aelin goes to lift the foil from the food, Rowan pushes her away. “Go, sit. I’ll make you a taco.”

The food smells heavenly. Emrys has outdone himself, Aelin thinks to herself as she takes in the spread of multiple taco fillings and accoutrements. And in a separate Tupperware, just for her, is her favorite potato salad, labeled with her name and the word, “Congratulations!” underneath. She thinks she might cry.

“Grilled adobo chicken with corn salsa, guac, and cheese?” she asks, and Rowan nods.

“Chips?” he asks, and she shakes her head, instead pointing to her special Tupperware. He winks at her and shoos her away, back to entertain everyone as he calls out, “Food’s ready!” A line forms across the island, and Rowan oversees food distribution as Aelin wanders back out to heir friends. She knows what he’s doing. By staying by the food, Rowan doesn’t have to socialize or make small talk. Things he loathes. She doesn’t call him out, letting him retreat to his comfort place of the kitchen as she makes her way out to the screened in porch where most everyone is sitting.

“So, when do we get proposal details?” Elide asks, sipping at her beer. Lorcan frowns, commenting that proposals are private, and Aelin briefly wonders if those two are next in line to walk down the aisle.

She smiles as slides onto the chaise next to an outstretched Dorian, who’s already working on his third beer, and tells a very vague and abridged version of their proposal.

Manon laughs every step of the way, relishing in the ridiculousness of their premature proposal. “And the ring traveled across the room from his pocket, hm? How aggressively was he kicking them off?”

“Manon, my family is here,” Aelin hisses.

“Your family knows what you two were up to in your bedroom all last summer,” Aedion laughs loudly, “And apparently this summer,” he continues, pulling Lysandra into his lap, as the room bursts into laughter at Aelin’s expense.

“I hate you all,” Aelin groans as Rowan walks into the porch, both their plates in hand.

“I hope not,” he says as he hands off the plate to Aelin. “Otherwise, the rest of our lives are going to be pretty awkward…”

“You know I love you,” Aelin says, batting her eyelashes. “You bring me food.”

Rowan rolls his eyes and takes a large bite of his taco. Aelin does the same and nearly moans in satisfaction. It’s so spicy and so good. She really hopes it stays down. The only food she’s had in the last two days has been ice cream and toast.

As she devours her plate, she listens to Elide and Lorcan’s summer plans, nodding and hmming in all the right places. She saved her potato salad for last, because you should always save the best for last, and excitedly plops a piece into her mouth. She chews twice before she spits it back out onto the plate. The whole room silences.

“Sorry,” Aelin apologizes, covering the chewed potato with a napkin. “I think the mayo was off.”

Rowan takes a bite of it himself and cocks his head to the side. “It tastes fine to me. Are you sure you’re not still sick?” he asks, leaning over to feel her forehead. It flushes under his touch, but not because she’s sick. She’s been fine for over twenty-four-hours.

“I’m fine,” Aelin whines. “But that mayo was not.”

Manon opens her mouth and closes it. And then opens it again. “Maybe you’re pregnant.”

“No…” Rowan and Aelin reply quickly at the same time, before glancing at each other, and then back at the room filled with their friends and family. Their expressions range from amused to suspicious to horrified to confused, and suddenly Aelin thinks she’s going to be ill all over again.

“That’s not possible,” Aelin comments confidently. There’s no way. She went back on the pill as soon as she went home last summer. Although now that she’s thinking about it, she’s not a hundred percent sure she actually bled during her last placebo pill week. But she must have, right?

“Aelin?” Rowan asks, his voice unreasonably high. He leans forward and places his hand on her knee, and she looks down at it, placing her hand atop it, before looking back at him.

“I think we should go to the pharmacy.”

“Oh, I’m coming too!” Elide announces, downing the rest of her beer.

Aelin rushes out of the house without saying goodbye to anyone. She assumes Rowan makes some excuse for their departure, but she doesn’t have time to delay. She needs to know and needs to know now. How the hell could this have happened? There must be some other explanation. Her knuckles are white on the steering wheel as Rowan hops into the passenger seat, and Elide slides into the back.

“Are you okay?” he asks softly, and Aelin nods tersely.

“Uh huh,” she replies, but she’s not entirely sure how she feels.

Inside the pharmacy, Aelin pulls three different brands of pregnancy tests. Rowan stands awkwardly beside her, arms crossed, perusing the back of each.

“I don’t know,” he says calmly, but his wild green eyes betray his panic. “Is there a best brand?”

Aelin doesn’t know. She decides to get all three.

As they wait in the check-out line, Elide giggles loudly.

“Aw man,” she places a hand each on Rowan and Aelin. “Remember the last time I ran into you here? You were buying condoms.” Her eyes flick to the pregnancy tests. “Why’d you stop using them?”

“Elide!” Aelin hisses, and Elide grimaces at her tone. Rowan pays quickly and swipes the bag of the counter and returns to the car. She looks at Rowan, his eyes simmering with worry as he looks her over. “The mayo was off… wasn’t it?” she asks again, and Rowan reaches for her hand, taking it in his larger one and shakes his head.

Aelin speeds home, ignoring everyone as she makes her way into the guest bathroom and pees on every single stick. She’s taking no chances. She sets a three-minute timer on her phone, and slinks against the bathroom door, falling until her butt hits the cold tile of the floor. This was absolutely not the engagement celebration she had anticipated.

Through the door, she can hear Rowan lean against the other side. He must be sitting, too. His head thumps against the wood and she breathes in deeply, eyes screwed closed.

“I love you,” he murmurs against the door, sliding his fingertips through the crack beneath it. Aelin brushes her own against his, and she releases some of the panic she’s been holding in her shoulders at his calming touch.

She stays like that, until her alarm goes off. And she can feel that tension creeping back into her body, which is suddenly frozen with fear.

“I can’t look,” she says.

“You have to look,” Rowan insists through the door.

“I don’t want to,” she groans. “And I don’t have to.” She pauses. “You can.”

She can hear his sharp exhale. “Do you want me to?”

“Please,” she says quietly, and she can hear him stand. The doorknob turns and he pushes the door open. Aelin shifts slightly so he can get through, and he walks straight to the counter top where the tests are laid out, getting her pee all over one of the fancy hand towels.

Aelin closes her eyes tightly, thinking that if she closes her eyes, she won’t have to see the result. But of course. She forgot about her ears. Rowan’s breath stays steady as he turns and crouches in front of her.

“You’re pregnant,” he whispers. Aelin’s heart thuds. She knew she was. As soon as Manon said the word, she knew.

“It was those stupid antibiotics when I had strep,” Aelin grumbles, putting her face into her hands. “I knew there was a chance, and I didn’t say anything. Why didn’t I say anything?” This was so not the plan. Her feelings are all over the place. “Rowan, what are we going to do?”

She opens her eyes, shocked to see how close Rowan is to her. He cradles her face in his hands, his thumbs stroking her cheeks gently as he probes into her with a loving gaze. It takes her aback for a second. The way he looks at her. Gods, she loves him so much. She blinks and is surprised when a tear rolls down her cheek. He wipes it away and kisses it. The small gesture is enough to solidify how Aelin feels.

“I know this isn’t the right time for us. It’s so soon, and you’re in the middle of your schooling, and I’m going to be looking for a new app to work on soon, so… if you don’t a baby right now…” He swallows, his voice pained as he continues forward, and Aelin can’t gasp soon enough. “I’ll support you no matter what—”

“No!” Aelin shakes her head.

“No?” Rowan asks, quirking his head to the side, and Aelin finally lets her tears spill over her cheeks.

“No.” She shakes her head, giving him a watery smile. “This is our baby. I want this.”

“Yeah?” he asks, and she nods again, blinking rapidly. She can’t blink the tears away fast enough, so Rowan kisses them away, pressing his lips against her eyes and her cheeks until her crying abates.

The pair kissing in the bathroom don’t even notice when their party departs, too busy being wrapped up in one another.

~*~

Rowan is woken up in the middle of the night, again, by his fiancée. He loves her more than anything, but he’d really enjoy a full night of sleep one of these nights. Preferably without her yelling at him.

“Rowan!” she growls, rousing him from his pleasant dreams, and hoisting him up. Her face is red with anger, her eyes glittering in the moonlight, looking ready to attack.

“Hmm?”

“I can’t believe you knocked me up! Now we have to have a shotgun wedding!” she yells, louder than she has any right to in the middle of the night.

“Can it really be considered a shotgun wedding if I proposed to you before I knew you were pregnant?” Rowan asks, trying to pull her back down, and immediately regrets it, based on Aelin’s increased anger.

She frowns. “I don’t want to be fat at my wedding.”

Rowan laughs sweetly and pulls Aelin into his arms. “You won’t be fat. You’ll be pregnant.”

Aelin pushes herself out of his grasp and glares. Ok. Wrong thing to say, clearly. “I refuse to be fat at my wedding,” she growls, flopping back onto her pillow. “But if we wait until after we have the baby for me to get my body back… that could be two years from now.” She rolls over and faces him. “I don’t want to wait two years.”

Rowan scoots down until he’s facing her, his legs tangled with her bare ones beneath the covers. “First of all, you’re beautiful, no matter what.” Aelin scoffs, clearly not believing his truth. “But, we don’t have to wait.” He can’t help but kiss her surprised face. “Let’s get married this summer. Here. It’s where I’d want to do it anyway.”

He can see a hundred thoughts racing through Aelin’s blue eyes as she contemplates his proposal.

“Plan a wedding in two months? My mom is going to die.”

“If it’s too much…”

“It’s not too much,” Aelin replies, snuggling closer to him. He runs his hand up the back of her tank top, feeling her skin warm the pads of his fingers. She presses closer to him, her curves against his chest, and he dips his head down to kiss her.

“It’ll still be a shotgun wedding,” Rowan says through kisses. “The people who don’t already know will surely figure it out when the baby comes six months later.”

“As long as I look good in photos, I don’t care.”

“Good to know motherhood won’t affect your vanity,” Rowan chuckles, and Aelin gasps.

“Rowan, we’re getting married, and we’re going to have a baby.”

Rowan shakes his head. “I know. What have we done?”

~*~

If Rowan thought last summer was a whirlwind, it’s nothing compared to a summer with a pregnant, last minute wedding-planning Aelin. As soon as they told her parents the plan, Aelin was off to the races. They’ve decided to forgo everything traditional, much to Evalin’s distress. The only thing Aelin has insisted upon is Rowan not seeing her wedding dress beforehand, which he has no problem with.

In fact, he’s been fairly uninvolved in the wedding plans, leaving the decisions to Aelin. He found out very quickly that she had strong opinions about flowers and colors and food. The only thing he’s insisted upon participating in is the guest list – which includes only twenty of their closest friends and family. He knows that number isn’t even a tenth of the amount of people who attended Aedion and Lysandra’s wedding. Aelin is expected to have a high society wedding, but she and Rowan are defying expectations left and right with their lives. But somehow, it doesn’t seem to matter. They stopped asking for approval from anyone the second they got together, and everyone seems to be okay with that.

Rowan smirks as Aelin sighs loudly from the back seat of his car. Her arms are crossed against her chest, pushing up her breasts to make an even larger than usual swell of cleavage. Despite her insecurities, pregnancy looks incredible on Aelin, and Rowan can’t help if his eyes flick to her chest more often these days.

“Stop checking out my rack, Rowan,” Aelin frowns, and he laughs boisterously, tipping his head back in amusement at his grumpy fiancée. “It’s not funny. Look at the road.”

Rowan stares harder. “We’re at a stoplight.”

Aelin’s lips curl into the most adorable pout, and her blue eyes widen.

“You know, you could have driven up here with me,” Rowan says of the empty passenger seat next to him, and Aelin shakes her head.

“No, changing levels is the one thing that makes me queasy,” she explains.

“Which is why you should have driven up here,” Rowan says. “My mom is going to insist that the pregnant girl sit in the front.”

“Adults sit in the front,” Aelin snaps, and Rowan smiles.

“I hate to break it to you, but you are an adult.”

Aelin frowns again. “You know what I mean.”

They drive in silence for a few more seconds until the tension becomes so thick that Rowan has to ask. “Are you nervous about meeting my mom?”

It’s all the prompting Aelin needs to explode. “Yes!” she shouts, throwing her arms up in defeat. “Of course I’m nervous! I’ve stolen her son away from her. You didn’t even go back for Yulemas,” she prattles nervously. Rowan watches as she emphasizes with her hands, a sure sign of Aelin’s stress. It’s completely unfounded, though.

“Aelin, you don’t understand,” Rowan throws her what he hopes is a reassuring smile over his shoulder. “You made Dora’s dreams come true by dating me, much less marrying me and incubating our child. She loves you.”

Aelin barks out a laugh. “Incubating?”

Rowan shrugs. “What would you call it?”

“Incubating works,” she replies with a snort, and Rowan can tell he’s had some luck in calming her nerves.

By the time they arrive at the airport, Dora is already waiting on the curb with her bag in her hand. She’s come to spend the whole wedding week, spending time with Rowan and meeting her in-laws before they make it official. Rowan’s been playing it cool, but he is incredibly excited to see his mom.

He hops out of the car and welcomes her with a big hug as soon as he can. Aelin nervously exits the car and waves hello. He watches as Dora’s eyes go wide as she extricates herself from Rowan and throws her arms around Aelin.

“You are even more stunning in person,” Dora says, causing a soft blush to appear on Aelin’s cheeks. “How are you feeling? Sick at all? How are the cravings? How are your studies? Are you teaching at all this summer?”

“Uhhh…”

It’s so rare that Aelin is flustered, that is gives Rowan some sort of sick pleasure that it’s Dora Whitethorn, who makes her nervous. Rowan can’t help but smile as he watches his two favorite women meet each other. As he expected, Dora goes straight for the back seat when it’s time to return to the car, and it’s a fight Aelin loses quickly.

“Told you so,” Rowan says, winking at a disgruntled Aelin, as she buckles herself in.

“Has your son always been so self-righteous?” Aelin asks the white-haired woman making herself comfortable in the back of Rowan’s roomy SUV.

Dora’s green eyes twinkle as she hums. “No, but he’s always been a pain in my ass.”

“Mom!” Rowan can hear her snickering behind him, and Aelin’s eyes widen in joy. There’s nothing she loves more than teasing him. He forgot that these two share that interest.

“It’s true, baby,” Dora laughs. “You’re constantly making things much harder than they should be. Aelin should know what she’s getting herself into.”

Rowan frowns as Aelin laughs harder. “If I get left at the altar I’m blaming you.”

Aelin snorts loudly and puts her hand on her stomach. “As if I’d raise this chicken on my own. No offense, Dora, but I seems really hard. I don’t know how you did it. And so well.”

“Sometimes you get a good egg,” Dora says with a small smile just for Aelin. “Now, tell me all the gossip about everyone who’s going to be at this wedding. I just flew ten hours and am ready to be entertained.”

~*~

“Stop fidgeting,” Manon hisses, swatting Rowan’s hands away from his carefully brushed hair.

“I can’t,” Rowan admits, tugging nervously at a lock of his hair. He’d meant to get a haircut before the big day, but clearly that hadn’t happened, and now his hair is just a smidge too long, falling into his eyes ever so slightly.

Manon glares, her heavily lined eyes throwing him a look that could kill. And he knows she means it. Rowan stands still, taking a deep breath and attempting to center himself as Manon rolls up the sleeves of his light blue blazer.

“How are you this nervous?” Manon asks, quirking her red-painted lips into an amused half-smile. “Dorian is officiating.”

“Don’t remind me,” Rowan groans. How he said yes to that idea, he’ll never know. Aelin must have been in the midst of performing some incredible sexual act for him to agree to that detail. But it seemed too important to her say no. Plus, it’s not like there was anyone else he’d rather do it. He was just… nervous. About what Dorian might potentially say in front of their guests. After all. He’d been there since the very beginning.

“He loves you both,” Manon says with a sigh. “And I do too. Although if you ever use it against me I’ll deny forever.”

“You love Aelin?” Rowan asks, and he watches as his best friend rolls her eyes and hip checks Rowan. She adjusts the thin straps of her navy jumpsuit, smoothing out the silky fabric to assure her minor assault hasn’t messed up her wedding look.

“I just told you I’d deny it.” She places her hands on her hips, examining Rowan up and down, before adjusting the small white pocket square in his blazer. “There. Perfect.” She says with a pat to his chest. “Ready?” she asks, and Rowan nods.

Rowan leads Manon through the gates of Ashryver Playland and lets his worries ease away. He’s not sure why he was ever nervous. He’s about to marry the most amazing woman in the world.

Beside the pier, in the location where Rowan had intended to ask Aelin to marry him, is a small walkway leading out to a platform on the beach. Ten chairs flank either side, filled with smiling, familiar faces. Dorian waits at the center of the platform, beneath a stunning arch of twisting greenery dotted with pale flowers.

As the sun starts to descend, a dark golden haze casts itself over the sand. He watches as it turns to orange and then pink beneath his shadow. And then he knows it’s time.

Rowan smiles as Gavin leads Fleefoot down the aisle, spreading pale flower petals across the platform with his other hand and then takes a seat next to his family, who congratulates him with high fives and cheers. Fleetfoot happily thumps her tail as Rowan gives her a smile, too.

But his attention is diverted immediately as everyone stands to welcome Aelin. His heart thumps wildly in his chest, hammering against his ribs as he spots her face. Aelin lifts her chin up toward the colorful tie-dye sky and takes a deep breath. As she takes her first step onto the platform, she smiles the most beautiful smile Rowan’s ever seen. He’s sure his face mirrors hers, and he can’t help but laugh as she scrunches up her nose slightly and sticks her tongue out at him. Gods, she’s perfect.

His eyes never leave her grinning face. When he takes her hands in his, when she stands here facing him, all the way until they say, “I do.” He’s not sure what he was ever worried about, because he barely even hears Dorian’s officiating, too busy being swept up in the turquoise-gold of Aelin’s eyes.

When Dorian announces, “You may kiss the bride,” Rowan doesn’t think twice before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. If she’s surprised by the exuberance of his kiss, Aelin doesn’t show it. She matches his fervor with equal force, soft lips parting to let their tongues explore each other’s mouths a little too thoroughly for public consumption.

“Now everyone knows how Aelin got pregnant,” Dorian snorts quietly behind him, and Aelin smiles and laughs into Rowan’s mouth.

Seeing his opportunity, Dorian interrupts them before they can go in for another kiss. “I now pronounce you husband and wife!”

Rowan lifts Aelin, scooping her from under her knees, and cradles her against his chest as he bounds off the platform.

“Where are you going?” Dorian yells as Aelin squeals loudly. But Rowan doesn’t care.

He finds the pole he was looking for immediately. Below the pier. Where he first kissed Aelin. He wants to kiss her there as his wife for the first time.

“Rowan!” she gasps as he presses her against the wooden beam, his mouth finding hers quickly. He can feel her soft fingers in his hair, tugging him against her, reciprocating his kiss, making his pulse race just like that very first time.

He pulls away panting, and rests his forehead against hers.

“I love you so much,” she whispers. “But if you ruin my dress before we get a picture together, I’ll murder you.”

Rowan laughs and lets her down, and they both kick off their shoes and sink their toes into the sand. He finally lets his eyes trail down her body, taking in her flowing white dress and grins.

“I’m going to be honest, I just looked at the dress for the first time.”

She smacks his shoulder, and he recoils, grabbing her hand and bringing it to his lips. “You’re perfect.”

She tilts her head to the side, letting her loose waves fall over her shoulder. “You’re a sap.”

“A sap you love,” he retorts quickly.

“Gods help us,” Aelin laughs, reaching up to kiss him again. But Rowan has other thoughts in mind. He trails his lips down her neck to her chest, loving the way the neckline of her dress emphasizes it.

“Oy!” Dorian cackles, “Let’s keep it PG. There’s people who want to eat dinner soon.”

Rowan flicks him off. “We’ll meet you there.”

But Aelin grabs his hand and pulls him to follow Dorian.

Their small reception is only a ten minute walk away in the Ashryvers’ back patio. Aelin made the playlist herself, and they covered the pool with a temporary dance floor. Emrys made the dinner – no mayo in anything and sparkling cider to last well into the night.

Rowan walks hand in hand with his bride across the sand, walking the familiar stretch from Playland to the Ashryver Estate. Only this time, everything is different. Nothing is a secret. And they both belong in a world of their own creation – one they’re going to start getting ready to bring a life into.

~*~

“What are you thinking?” Aelin says from her perch on his lap, well into the evening. She runs her fingers through his hair, now disheveled from hours of dancing and too many sips of champagne.

“I’m thinking that I can’t wait until next summer,” Rowan says, cracking a smile at Aelin. She rubs her thumb against his cheek and presses her lips to his.

“The last two summers weren’t crazy enough for you?” she asks. “You want to know what it’s going to be like with an infant in the mix?”

Rowan pales. “Oh my god, Aelin, we’re going to have a baby.”

“Did you forget?” she says, holding back a laugh.

He shakes his head. “No. I just…” He pauses. “What are we going to do with a baby at Playland?”

Aelin laughs, leaning her tired head against his shoulder. “Well, we’ll obviously take them on the Firecoaster, first and foremost. Then the High Flyer. Oh, and the Bumper Cars.”

Rowan can feel his lips turning down into a frown as he imagines his child on the dangerous rides.

“Rowan, I’m kidding,” she assures him, and he squeezes her side, causing her to let out a sharp cackle. “We’ll figure it out,” she finally says quietly. “We always do.”

She tightens her hand around his, and the pair sit together, wrapped up in each other, long after their party has ended and their friends have gone home, telling each other stories of summers to come and memories yet to be made.

~*~

I have loved writing this fic so much, and I don’t truly want to say goodbye. Which is why if you ever want a futuretake with these two, I will be more than happy to take prompts. ALSO, in case you hadn’t seen, I started a new Rowaelin fic called I Don’t Want To Wait (linked the masterlist).

Per usual, if you’d like to be added to my TOG taglist, please message me HERE.

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#rowaelin #cruel summer au #amusement park au #charincharge writes #she did it #tog fanfic

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