#maybe ill post the [unbelievably censored] version later lol

[aces-and-angels]

Title: Manito

A/N: I wish we could see the rest of the Flint family, but it's probably for the best that they are living their lives Power-free. Couldn't get this scenario out of my head, so I decided to jot it down. I'll leave it up to you to decide when this story takes place- right in the middle of the ILW madness - or sometime after when things are (hopefully) calmer lol. Anyways enjoy gang♥

Pairing: Abel x MC (F!Rowan)

Summary: Cesar meets Abel's better half @itlivesproject

nsfw below (sex implied), minors dni 

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The rattle of Abel's phone vibrating on the nightstand broke the silence of early morning. He blindly reached over to silence it, settling back into Rowan's touch. Her arm loosely draped over his shoulder as he nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck. Warm puffs of air hit his skin each time she exhaled. He breathed in the comforting scent of pomegranate- her steady breaths lulling him back to sleep. 

Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt.

Groaning, he reached over again. He turned his head slightly, forcing his eyes open, wincing at the brightness of the screen. He blinked a few times, the haze around the letters focusing into a clear image, allowing him to read the word displayed: Manito. Why would he be calling so early in the day?

"¿Hola?" he answered the call, keeping his voice low.

"Mano! Open your front door, there's a surprise for you outside."

He pulled his phone away from his ear to check the time. "Cesar, it's 6AM," he rasped out.

"You're a professor," he deadpanned. "Shouldn't you be used to early mornings by now?"

"Not on a Saturday, manito," he rasped. His brother wasn't wrong. He was used to waking up early. But, he’d barely gotten any sleep since last night. The reason why was lying right next to him. His eyes flicked to her, the small bruises that littered her body were the only visible remnants of their rather... spirited activities. A pleasant warmth pooled in his chest as he recalled how their limbs tangled with each other as they moved as one; bodies so slick with sweat that his skin clung to hers as he buried himself inside her. He was addicted to how his name sounded when it came out of her lips. Everything from her light, airy sighs to her deep, strangled moans was like music to his ears. It was a symphony that only he could create and that she could sing. And he made sure to keep her singing all night long, not stopping until they were both completely spent.

“Mano? Did I lose you?” Cesar’s voice brought him out of his daze.

“Huh? Uh- no,” he coughs, “I’m still here.”

“So will you go look?” 

“Look for what?” he asked, having already forgotten what he was calling about. 

"Ay, quit stalling and go check the front door," Cesar whined childishly.

Despite his momentary confusion, he couldn’t help but smile at his tone. Still the baby of the family. "Alright, I’m going. Want me to text you when I get it?”

"Oh, you won't need to do that," he snickered. He could practically hear the grin on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't worry about it," he replied mysteriously. The phone call dropped immediately after. He found his behavior odd but decided not to dwell on it. Yawning, he carefully lifted Rowan's arm up so he could slide out of bed. She stirred slightly, making a small whine at the loss of his touch. He held his breath, exhaling only when he saw her face relax once more. Out of habit, he pressed a kiss to her cheek, pulling the blanket up to cover her arms. Long, white strands of hair spilled over his pillow. He brought his hand to her forehead to brush away a stray lock. His heart warmed as she unconsciously leaned into his touch, a ghost of a smile forming on her face. He gently caressed her cheek with his thumb, eyes lingering as he admired how peaceful she looked.

“I’ll be right back,” he whispered to her fondly, tearing his gaze away so he could throw on some clothes and tiptoe out of his room. Streaks of orange rays peeked through the opened blinds of his living room. The air was still, apart from the whir of the heater. He kept his feet light as he made his way to the front door, unlocking it to grab whatever was on the other side.

"SURPRISE!"

"¡Dios!" he cursed out, jumping at the sudden yell. On the other side stood his brother, who was bouncing on the balls of his feet with a huge grin on his face. He blinked a few times. Yep, not dreaming. He's still there.

"I finished my exams early and decided to visit for the weekend," he explained, picking up his duffel bag from the floor. "Now let me in, I want pancakes." No longer groggy, his mouth gaped as his brother pushed past him.

"Uh," he cleared his throat, "how'd you even get here? Also, keep it down. We have... neighbors," his eyes glanced down at the shoes Rowan had left at the front door. Subtly, he kicked them over behind a potted plant.

"Remember my roommate, Kai?" he asked over his shoulder, throwing his bag onto the couch.

"Yeah, why?" He followed his brother into the living room, snatching her jacket off the coat rack. Panicked, he threw it behind the potted plant with the shoes. Why didn’t he have more places to hide things?

"He has a car and wanted to visit home too,” Cesar continued, oblivious to his anxiety. He took a seat at the kitchen table, propping his long legs on another chair. “I asked if he could drop me off on his way."

"Oh," was all he could say, preoccupied with scanning for any evidence he needed to hide.

"Oh? I, your amazing and favorite brother, spent the night driving up here just to see you and that's all I get? Oh?" He held a hand to his chest, feigning a hurt expression.

"No, I just-" he ran a hand through his hair, "you caught me off guard."

"That’s how surprises work,” his brother said plainly, rolling his eyes. "Also, no offense, but the apartment is looking a little messy."

"Will do. Now about those pancakes," he wiggled his eyebrows expectantly at him. "I’d make them myself, but they taste so much better when you do all the work."

"Uh, sorry about that, I've just been too busy with work to clean up," he scratched the back of his neck nervously as he lied through his teeth. The truth was that he and Rowan had gotten carried away. Both of them were so eager that they couldn't wait to reach his bedroom, falling onto the first surface they bumped into- which just had to be his study table. At least we didn't break anything. He quickly made his way over to pick up the scattered books, pens and papers he had swiped off the table. "Also, I'm glad you're here- really. Tell Kai thank you for me."

“Aren’t you tired from the drive? I think you should sleep a little first,” he tried to sound nonchalant, but his mind was in a frenzy.

“I slept in the car,” he countered. 

“But shouldn’t you-” 

“I’m fine, mano,” he interrupted, waving off his protest. “But I am hungry, so could you-” he nudged his chin towards the stove. 

He racked his brain trying to come up with another excuse. Nothing substantial came to mind. It's not like he could kick out his little brother. Sighing, he reluctantly made his way over to the kitchen cabinet to pull out a large mixing bowl. All he could do was hope that Rowan would sleep through the rest of the morning so he could sneak her out later. "So, how's school?" He peered up at him as pulled the measuring cups out of the drawer. 

"Not bad. Got a decent grade on my chemistry midterm," he recounted, resting his chin in his hand. "Oh, I tried a garbage plate for the first time."

"That sounds awful," he chuckled under his breath as he grabbed the milk, eggs, and butter from the fridge.

"It's good, I swear! I can't really explain it,” Cesar chewed at his lip, searching for the right words to use. “I think there was macaroni in mine."

"You think?"

"I don't know, Kai ordered it for me. They're perfect for hangov- ah-I mean hangouts.

"Manito, you don't have to lie. I've been to college," he smirked at him while he measured out the flour. "Just make sure you're responsible whenever you hangout," he instructed, making air quotes with his fingers.

"I will. So what about you? How are things with your lady love," his brother asked while pursing his lips mockingly. His face grew warm at his teasing. He kept his gaze directed at the mixing bowl in front of him, hoping that his hair would hide the flush on his face. But judging by the way his brother laughed, it probably didn't.

"Ro and I are good," he mumbled, unable to suppress his smile despite his embarrassment. He had a hard time being anything other than happy whenever it concerned her.

“Since I’m home, you think I can-” 

"There you are," Rowan croaked, her voice still thick with sleep.

His shoulders stiffened, the hand that had been whisking eggs frozen in place. Oh no. His neck snapped in her direction. She was leaning against his bedroom doorframe, the heel of her palm rubbing the sleep from her eye. His breath hitched when he saw that she was only wearing his red sweater. The garment on him was snug, but on her it hung loose, the sleeves barely clinging to her shoulders. She shuffled over to the kitchen, completely unaware of her surroundings. Had his brother not been on the other side of the room, his heart would be pounding for a very different reason. Her arms looped around his neck, the hem of his sweater lifting, exposing her thighs. "What are you doing out here?" she let out a long yawn, nuzzling into his chest.

"I uh- got hungry?" he answered meekly. From the corner of his eye, he saw Cesar pressing his fist to his mouth, barely managing to stifle the laughs falling out of it.

"Well, wake me up next time. I like seeing your handsome face first thing in the morning," she hummed lowly. His face burned, the tips of his ears growing hot. He had always gotten flustered whenever she complimented him openly, but having Cesar witness it left him feeling mortified instead of his usual giddiness. He looked at his brother, silently pleading with eyes for him to go hide in his room. But Cesar only smirked, leaning back into his chair.

I hate you, he glared at him.

Love you too, mano, he winked back, propping his feet up on the table.

Cesar, he gave a pointed look at his feet.

Fine, he rolled his eyes, but obeyed, dropping his feet back to the floor.

Rowan drew his attention back to her by threading her fingers through his hair,  tugging at the strands. She stood on her toes as she pressed featherlight kisses down the column of his neck, her lips moving lazily against him. “I forgive you, but only because I want whatever you’re making,” she murmured, smiling against his skin.

He tensed, his breath shaky as she began to nibble on the skin just below his earlobe. Unfortunately for him (in this case), she knew exactly where he was most sensitive. His teeth sunk into his bottom lip, forcibly stopping the moan that threatened to come out. He shuddered against his will, eyes rolling back slightly when her bites turned into a gentle suction. Her mouth, warm and wet, felt like heaven. So good that he briefly lost himself to her touch, letting his head fog up. The sound of his brother quietly snickering brought him back down, reminding him that he was still sitting right there. His hands scrambled to her shoulders to pry her off. He took a step back, which earned him a concerned look from her. “What’s wrong?” 

"Well- you see, uh, there's a bit of- we can't really-" he stumbled over his words while making wild gestures with his hands, too flustered to form a coherent sentence. The crease between her brows only deepened.

"Breathe, baby. One word at a time,” she reached over to still his hands. He took a deep breath, slightly settling his nerves. 

“We’re not alone,” he muttered lowly. 

“What are you talking about?” she asked, still confused. Wordlessly, he pulled one hand away from her grasp to point towards the kitchen table. Her gaze followed his finger.

"Hi,” his brother waved, wiggling his fingers teasingly.

"Oh my God," she squeaked, shoving his body forward so she could hide behind him. 

"You must be Rowan,” Cesar chirped, laughing freely now that he no longer needed to hide his presence.

“Yeah- that’s me. I’m guessing you’re Abel’s brother,” she muffled into his back.

“Close. I’m his better and more talented brother. Anyways, it’s nice to finally meet you. The dork you’re behind is obsessed with you. Did he ever tell you about the time he- ”

“Cesar,” he whispered harshly, sending him a warning look. He nodded towards his brother’s bedroom door. Taking the hint, he finally stood up from his place at the kitchen table. The chair legs scraped against the tile as he pushed his seat in. He made his way over to his room, but stopped when his eyes caught something that made him grin mischievously. "You got a little something right there.” His finger tapped at the side of his own neck. 

His eyes widened with realization, hand shooting up to cover the mark Rowan must’ve left on him last night. “Just go to your room,” he flushed. 

“You got it mano,” he shot finger guns at him as he left the kitchen. 

He waited for the sound of his door shutting before turning around to face her.

“So, that happened,” she laughed under her breath, peering up at him with an amused look. 

“It was a surprise,” he muttered, his cheeks still warm. 

“I figured,” she said softly, taking his hand in hers, giving a light squeeze. His shoulders, which had been tense the whole time, relaxed at her touch. “Hey, this is still better than the time I met Lola,” she joked. 

“God, don’t remind me,” he groaned, resting his forehead against hers, eyes closed. A content hum fell from his lips as she brushed her nose against his. His eyes fluttered open, his gaze drifting down her frame. “Did you really have to come out wearing that?” He pulled up the sleeve that had fallen off her shoulder. 

“I didn’t know we had company. Besides,” she leaned in to whisper hotly in his ear, “I was trying to get you back in bed.” Her words stirred something in him. 

“Ro, we can’t-” 

“I know,” she cut him off, biting the shell of his ear. “I’m just giving you something to think about.” With a wink, she sauntered back to his bedroom to get dressed. 

This was going to be a long weekend, he thought, trying to distract himself by cooking pancakes. 

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