#refused so Manon called him to come and take her away from there which he did but the therapist wasn’t too happy about it and said some

[pergaminaa]

Modern au:

When I'm speaking about Manon's stress/anxiety, I mean that she's really a mess.

One is her inability to deal with those emotions because she doesn't understand them. She was shamed out of that and it's just something she tries to ignore until she's in the middle of a panic attack.

It all goes back to early childhood; her grandmother conditioned her to behave in a certain way. If she was too upset or too worked up (even if she’s excited) it was something she’d get admonished for. She must always be perfect, and anything other than that is unacceptable.

The toxic, abusive environment she grew up in bled into her personal life. The few times she dated, she ended up with the worst kind of man. Very similar to her grandmother. It’s familiar, she knows how to navigate that. She is always hyper-vigilant, paying attention to the smallest quests, navigating a mess, and being miserable.

It’s what she knows. She knows how to handle this.

Also, she is undiagnosed and unmedicated. The entire concept is unfathomable. What would her grandmother say if she's not right in the head? Her grandmother will never accept this, and this is why Manon doesn't even think about what might be the cause of those issues.

Also, just being wired this way is going to be a sure way for her grandmother to outright disown her and find someone who is sane and not screwed up in the head to take her place. So no. She is totally fine and doesn't need any help managing anything. She's perfectly normal.

So really, with a major issue like this being ignored, Manon continues to pretend nothing is wrong. Things are okay until the slightest bit goes wrong, and she spirals. But she's mostly in denial about it. It is not because of her, but rather, the circumstances and things going wrong. Because when everything is going according to plan, she is perfectly fine.

The wake up call was when she started dating Dorian. At one point, she contemplated breaking up with him. She was going to, being with him was too overwhelming and she felt out of her element, out of control.

Dorian only has love and support for her. He doesn’t get angry, he doesn’t yell and gaslight her. He never did anything to hurt her and she doesn’t know how to navigate this. It was stressing her out and she felt like she was drowning. She can't predict anything. She can't tell when he's going to lose his temper or just... flip the script on her and blame her for his reactions.

One night she went to Sorrel, on the verge of a breakdown because she had made up her mind. It is the best course of action. There is only way to cut their losses and end things before they get too tangled up. But it pained her and she needed to talk to someone.

Sorrel was clear with her, she was self sabotaging. She has something good and she doesn’t know how to handle it. She feels safer with what is familiar, even if it means getting herself hurt.

Sorrel asked her if this was what she really wanted. To leave Dorian and all that he’s doing for her and end up with another abusive/toxic asshole. Manon said that she didn’t want to leave Dorian, but she didn’t know what to do. She can’t read any cues from him. She can’t tell when he’ll lose his cool.

Sorrel reminded her that Dorian is not this kind of person. Despite teasing him, she knows that he will never hurt Manon. Her best friend only reacts like this because she doesn’t know how to handle it better. But she deserves it. She deserves a man who worships her and has her best interest at heart.

This is why Sorrel didn’t let Manon sabotage her relationship. It was she who suggested therapy. If only for the relationship part. Baby steps, she doesn’t want to push Manon towards addressing her other issues when this is going on.

Manon took some time to become comfortable with the idea. It took hours for Sorrel to talk some sense into her, but she finally relented. She realized that she doesn’t want to leave Dorian, she loves him and wants to have a life with him. She doesn’t want anyone else, it’s either him or no one else.

She will keep this a secret. Her grandmother doesn’t have to know if only goes to therapy once a week to make her relationship work with Dorian.

Those therapy sessions weren’t easy at all. By the third one, she was ready to call it quits because it was opening up so many buried wounds and she couldn’t cope with that.

Sorrel wouldn’t let her quit though. She knows that Manon needs this kind of help and she’s so glad she realized it and took the first step. Sorrel will support her through it and even drive her to and from therapy (she did, it was the only way to make Manon go at one point)

At first, the therapy was about not sabotaging her relationship with Dorian. But as the therapist dug into the roots of this kind of sabotage, it was clear that her upbringing was the cause of all of this.

This is why the therapist referred her to another therapist because this is much bigger than just seeking a certain type of relationship.

Again, Sorrel was thrilled. Because yes, someone needed to dig deep enough to realize the amount of damage that’s been caused. And hopefully, work on fixing it.

Manon was very uncomfortable with the idea. She doesn’t want to speak about her life, her childhood, her grandmother. She loves her grandmother. She just needs to stop being careless and her grandmother is happy. She has internalized all of it, reasoning that her abuse and mistreatment are one hundred percent justified.

She also realized if the first therapist is referring her to someone more specialized, then she must be too broken to be fixed. And this is bad because:

A) Her grandmother is right, there is something fundamentally wrong with her and it can’t be fixed.

B) Dorian deserves so much better than this. So she must cut him loose rather than drag him down with her.

But she’s also a coward and can’t face telling him this. So she got Sorrel to help.

Sorrel listened to her and agreed. She will invite Dorian and speak to him. Manon will not be present, she will hide in Sorrel’s room and get herself used to not seeing Dorian ever again (the thought almost crushed her)

Dorian arrived earlier than the appointed time. Sorrel’s call scared him and he wondered what was wrong. If it’s about Manon and she isn’t the one telling him, then something is wrong.

Sorrel was calm, and she explained the situation to him. From start to finish.

Honestly, it’s all heavy stuff and Sorrel isn’t sure how Dorian is going to take it. Manon seems resigned that he’s going to leave, and Sorrel isn’t sure what to think of.

During their conversation Dorian asked multiple times where Manon is, and Sorrel diverted his attention every time. He did see her eyes fall on the closed door though, making him realize that Manon is close by.

At the end, he heard Sorrel loud and clear. If he leaves, Manon understands. She wouldn’t hold him back or make him stay. She’s too much baggage she isn’t sure she can handle herself, let alone burden someone else with her.

Hearing this, he stood up, his face unreadable.

“I would like to speak to my girlfriend,” He said in a non-negotiable tone.

Hearing him refer to Manon as such, Sorrel realized that he wasn’t leaving. He can judge her all he wants, she’s here looking out for Manon.

“She’s behind that door,” Sorrel looked at the closed door.

Dorian took offense at what Sorrel was insinuating. He wasn’t going to leave Manon just because of that. When it comes to love, he loves all of her. He doesn’t pick and choose what parts to love and what to hate.

If anything, he is glad she’s working with a professional to help her. He hates that she suffers alone like this. If she thinks her trauma and therapy is what’s going to send him away then she’s delusional.

He will especially stay to help her and support her during this time.

Walking into Sorrel’s room, he immediately went to the woman he loves. Holding her in his arms and wiping her tears, promising her that he won’t leave.

Also, telling her how proud he is that she is going to therapy.

[marauderundercover]

Taking Chances: Ch. 24: Important Questions (Wedding)

AO3

Prev

Marinette pouts from her spot on the couch, shoving another spoonful of cookie dough in her mouth. She makes her eyes as big as possible, channeling Manon as she tries to emulate the younger girls’ puppy dog eyes.

“Silena, your kid’s eyes are breaking my heart. Look at her!” Harley cries, pointing at Marinette’s face. Silena rolls her eyes.

“Don’t give in Harls, remember what happened the last time we watched it?” Silena reminds her, and Marinette resists the urge to huff at her soon-to-be stepmom. Or, bonus mom, as she’d taken to mentally calling her. Stepmom had such an unfair negative context thanks to fairytales, and she actually really liked Silena. Except in this one moment. At this moment, they were on opposite sides of the war.

“Please Auntie Harley! Please!” She begs again, sitting up so that she can make direct eye contact with the woman. If she was any good at the ‘Manon stare’ as she called it, then Harley would be giving up in 3, 2, 1-

“Okay! I give! Looks like we’re watching Mamma Mia next.” Harley calls out, leaning over to grab the remote and turn the movie on. Marinette grins widely, settling back on the couch and curling into Selina’s side. Selina huffs.

“You’re lucky I love you, kitten. Last time we watched this Harley got in trouble for her impromptu ABBA concerts.” She complains, and Marinette’s grin widens.

“Really?” She says, then she gasps as the best idea comes to mind. “I just realized something.”

“What is it kiddo?” Harley asks, popping a handful of Reese's Pieces in her mouth.

“You guys can be Donna and the Dynamos.” She says, before miming a small explosion. This was awesome! Amazing! She could- whoa. She could even design them a group outfit with the characters in mind. She could already imagine all the ways she could improve on the original design. Of course she’d keep the bell bottoms, they were a staple of the time. And she knew her bonus mom and aunts would rock a good pair of bell bottoms. The major changes would come with the material type, the colors, and the sleeves of the suits.

“If we perform another musical on a roof Batsy’s gonna get mad.” Harley says with a sigh. Marinette purses her lips as she thinks. She was technically already on thin ice. She’d stolen the Batmobile earlier in the week, and had managed to worm her way into regular patrols. Which was technically her dad’s fault, but he still looked frustrated the first night she walked down and asked who she was patrolling with. But she was finally patrolling with them regularly, even if it felt like she had a babysitter some of the time (all of the time). She was supposed to always be with her dad or Dick (apparently she’s not allowed to go out with just Jason or Damian because they caused ‘trouble’ when they were left unsupervised). So she went, but it was more stifling than patrols in Paris. Patrols which she’d had to lighten up on, with the lack of attacks and the way it tired out Kaalki before there was even an emergency. It was wrong. But if she kept one of Gotham’s former rogues off the crime path with catchy tunes and bell bottom pants, who was her dad to judge?

---

Apparently her dad wouldn’t judge. Dick on the other hand..

“How can you do this to me? This is an absolute, utter, complete, total-”

“Dick, calm down! What’s wrong, talk to me.” Marinette hushes her older brother, looking at him worriedly. He takes a deep breath.

“I can’t believe you would stoop so low. After the hurtful things you said about my discowing suit?” He sniffles, throwing a hand over his heart. Marinette blinks, then realizes what the man was talking about.

“Is this about the Donna and the Dynamos outfits that I designed for those girls?” Marinette asks frowning. Dick lets out a pained moan, contorting his face as if he was in actual pain.

“I thought you cared about me! I thought we were close!” He cries. Marinette huffs, shoving him lightly.

“If I designed your discowing suit, it wouldn’t have been godawful. We would have used the disco elements in a way that didn’t suck. Ya know, like I did with the Sirens’ outfits?” She says, patting his back. “Just because I hated your suit doesn’t mean I hate you.” She reassures him. Though the distressed groan he lets out lets her know that he’s still taking it to heart. Oops.

---

“Hey! I’m here. I brought ice cream, like Harley asked.” Marinette announces, using the key Silena had given her to get into the apartment. She frowns at the emptiness of the apartment. She’d never seen it so devoid of life. Someone (usually Harley) was always there to greet her and pick her up into a huge hug. Not today though, which put her on edge. Creeping forward slowly, she glances around the room, looking for any potential danger. Or clues on where the Sirens might be. Had they forgotten about her? Just as she’s about to text Silena, music seeps into the apartment and she tenses. Until she sees her bonus mom and aunts. In their Dynamo outfits. Performing “Super Trouper”. With choreography and everything. Marinette lets out a short laugh, grinning widely at the three who just laugh and continue singing.

“Cause somewhere in the crowd there’s you.” Selina sings, pointing dramatically at Marinette. Marinette runs over and stands next to Silena, moving quietly and copying their movements. She’s pleasantly surprised at the level that she’s able to keep up with them, laughing with glee as the song continues. Once it’s done, the three women wrap her in a hug and Marinette’s eyebrows furrowed together.

“Ya know, I love that I got to see the outfits in action and everything, but was there a reason for the dramatics?” Marinette asks with a teasing smile. Silena glances at the other two before nodding.

“Marinette, sweetheart, I wanted to ask if you would be one of the bridesmaids.” Silena says and Marinette freezes. She swears she bluescreens. Bridesmaid? Her? She’s a disaster. She can’t do anything right and then her dad and Silena will be upset with her but then they’ll get more disappointed at each other and when she tries to fix it they won’t let her and instead they’ll send her away and say they never wanna see her again because she’s an awful bridesmaid and-

“Kitten, I need you to breathe.” Silena’s voice breaks through the haze she’s found herself in. Marinette blinks slowly, trying to break herself out of whatever hell her mind had managed to suck her into today.

“Why me?” Is what’s able to escape her mouth. It’s the only question that is able to breath past the barrier that Marinette set up for herself.

“Because you’re my daughter, whether you like it or not. So I want you to be part of the wedding, more than just someone who shows up for the food in a fancy outfit. Though that can definitely be your motivator.” Silena says, looking slightly unsure as she watches Marinette’s face- probably looking for any visible cues of discomfort. Marinette grins widely before throwing herself forward, wrapping her arms around the older woman, melting in the arms of the woman who truly was her second mom. She sighs in content at how safe she feels, how at home she is. It was strange for her, how quickly Gotham had managed to worm its way into her soul. Strange, but definitely something that they would figure out. She had to. She refused to lose either side of her family- civilian or not.

Next

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[jasmine-the-fox]

Her sweet bunny villain

I thought about it for a while and decided that I wanted to do a fic where Mari is dating Izuku Midoriya who is a villain... Hope you all like it!

Mari always wondered why her boyfriend decided to do crime, she never really asked him but she does wonder about it at times, Izuku Midoriya entered her life when she went to Japan for a week to destress from what her class was doing by believing Lila to this very day, she was only walking around when she found him in an alley injured, from the way he dressed it was obvious he had a terrible taste in style and it was all bad quality so after taking care of his injuries she helped him get back close to his home before making him promise to contact her for clothes.

Since that day she had been designing his clothes and then it began there long distance relationship, Izuku who decided to go by the name Usagi when he’s working was happy to have her call him Deku... And while she knows it means useless and worthless, the way she says it makes him happy and not mind it at all, she also did meet through video calls the rest of his team, like Dabi who has a blue flame quirk, Himiko Toga who when she drinks someone’s blood can look like them... And many more after that, she does worry about him at times but he always calls once a mission is done with so she knows he’s alive.

One day, Mari came to school to overhear Lila claiming that she’s dating Katsuki Bakugo, son of fashion designers Mitsuki and Masaru Bakugo, she talks about how she used to model with him and all kinds of things but Mari simply ignored it and headed to class... This was the new normal for her now, no longer was she greeting her classmates, no longer was she invited to things, no longer was she making them free things... It didn’t really matter to her that they were mad at the fact she wasn’t making them free things anymore, she had a website where she sells her designs and is happy to having good paying customers.

Lila claimed that her designs were cheap looking and claimed that Mari was being a brat by demanding money, miss Bustier even tried to make Mari bake and design for free again and when she refused she and her parents were called to the principals office where he was chewed out by her parents for trying to drain her by forcing her to spend her well earned money to buy fabric, threads, buttons and baking ingredients to make free things for a class who doesn’t even help or thank her anymore.

Needless to say... He and Caline were threatened with being put to court if they made such a demand on Mari again...

After that, the class simply glares at her whenever they bring up wanting baked goods or new clothes... And she would ignore them the whole time, it made them angry because they would then need to spend money on new clothes that even though they show it off she doesn’t react, they also need to spend money to buy baked goods and then complain at school because it was expensive and Mari doesn’t say anything, instead she focuses on her homework and designs for her paying customers to get there approval... And prepare to message her boyfriend about some clothes she was sending his way.

Alya was just about to stomp over towards Mari to demand free stuff but Caline had just walked in to reveal to everyone that the trip that Mari had prepared for them to go to Japan for two weeks was approved “Now I just need everyone to get there parents signature for this try by tomorrow so I can confirm who will be coming” she explained as she handed out the paper for the signature of a parent, Alya squealed and pointed out how Lila would see her boyfriend while the liar internally winced as she would need to have the class avoid anything connected to Katsuki.

Mari smiled as she packed the paper and then began to listen and take notes in class like Adrien and Max were doing... While the others were either on there phones or doing something else then listening to the lesson, when the day ended Mari walked into the bakery and handed the paper to her mother who quickly signed it for Mari to hand it to her teacher tomorrow, she then took back the paper and went straight to her room to get to work on sending pictures of the designs to her clients, then as she waited for there replies she took the box of clothes to mail while sending a message to Izuku about how she was sending the clothes now, then once she was told how long it might take she estimated the delivery date for him.

All the while she was seen by Lila sending the box...

By the time Mari got to the bakery, the delivery company she dropped off the box at called her, they said that a girl with tanned skin, green eyes and hair tied in three sausage style came claiming there was an error with the box she dropped off and asked for her to explain “I don’t know why she’s lying to you, I brought the box over because I wanted to get it delivered so she’s lying to you simple as that” she replied making the man claim he would take care of Lila and then hung up making Mari smile as she went up to her room... To find Alya there rummaging through her things “What are you doing in my things!?” she demanded loudly making her parents hear and dial for the police.

Alya glared at Mari as she focused on her task, Lila had claimed that she had gotten a dress from Katsuki and brought it at school to show... But Mari had taken it, she described it as a lightly ruffled white dress with light blue flowers flowing on the dress, Alya promised to get it back so after picking the look of the house door she snuck into Mari’s room to look for the dress, after a while the police arrived and forced her outside with questions while waiting for her parents to arrive, but Alya refused to answer the whole time when her parents arrived as they promised to bring her down to the police station for questions... And claimed she wouldn’t be going to the Japan trip in the end.

Alya went pale and the revealed what Lila claimed, her mother lost it and asked if she ever asked Mari about it, the pigtailed girl then said she had made a dress of that style for Manon... The girl she would babysit, Alya was shocked at those words as Mari then pulled out her phone to reveal a picture of the little girl wearing the exact dress Lila claimed was her’s, her parents took her home for a bit to make sure that Nora could watch the twins before taking Alya to the station to answer further questions, Mari with her parents then walked back inside and up to her room to clean up the mess Alya had made of her clothes, she also checked on the responses of her clients and reply from her boyfriend making her smile in excitement.

The next day, Mari arrives at school to be glared by her classmates, turns out Lila was told by Alya what happened and Lila decided to hide the fact that she lied about the dress and claimed Mari got the police on Alya for no good reason, so when in class and class was surrounding her in anger she revealed the lie about the dress Lila claimed with a picture of Manon that her mother Nadja sent her... It made them all turn to look at Lila in shock, Caline then walked in and asked for the paper signed... Everyone but Adrien and Alya handed there’s, it turns out that Gabriel had a few things set up for Adrien to do so he refused to let him go to Japan while Alya was banned from going on the trip by her parents... This angered Lila as she called the man during class break to get him to sign the paper and have it brought at lunch.

He just had to make sure that Lila is happy during the trip...

A week later they arrived in Japan, they quickly got to the hotel to rest but the class decided to listen to Lila and walk around while Mari being smart decided to stay in her room to sleep a bit... Adrien decided to do the same and ignored Lila, she woke up a while later from a text from her boyfriend asking if she was awake so she replied that his message woke her up, he felt bad which he wrote but asked her to come outside of the hotel making her smile and walk out, Adrien had been awake for a while and heard her room door open and close so he decided to follow her outside to see her talking to a guy wearing a hoodie with green eyes, curly green hair and freckles.

Adrien wasn’t sure what to do at the sight, as he watched them walk away... All he could was stay at the hotel and hope nothing bad happens to her while she’s out there...

Mari smiled towards her loving evil boyfriend, Izuku smiled as they walked around before slowly entering a coffee shop and heading to the back... Where the LOV team was living, to hide who they really were the team opened a coffee shop and used Mari’s work to hide and look different and to blend in like it was nothing, right now Himiko and Dabi were working at the front while the other’s were in the back “It’s great to see you all again” Mari smiled making them smile in return, they prepared her a cup of coffee making her smile and thank Kurogiri who was happy of the praise he gained as they spoke together until Himiko and Dabi walked in as they closed just now... Meaning Mari would need to head back.

By the time the class came back, it was with the police, turns out that the hotel had not been informed that the class would leave all of a sudden to go around unlike Marinette who did before leaving so they called the police to get the class found, the police found them after a while and gave a stern talking to miss Bustier about how she needed to be an actual adult and have the class follow the plans... And not allow them to leave the hotel all of a sudden outside of there plans, because of that it was decided that another teacher will come to assist on watching over the class... While Adrien watched in shock from the hall.

The next day a lady named Nemuri Kayama arrived to assist in watching over the class, she was supposed to be teaching at the prestigious school called UA but instead was asked to help with a class who decided that leaving the hotel without telling someone was a good idea, so with that they got going, Adrien did watch Mari as he was worried on where she went yesterday but with Lila keeping close to him... He wasn’t able to ask her about it, Nemuri began showing them around and correcting things each time Lila tries to spin a tall tale about something... And then glares at Caline for allowing the girl to lie like that and does nothing to make her stop.

Slowly they walked over to UA making the class get excited to see the place as then class 1-A comes to view as there training, Mari then noticed a certain blonde named Katsuki Bakugo... Her boyfriends bully who told him to take a swan dive off of a roof and pray that he get’s a quirk in the next life, because of that she hated him but acted like she knew nothing about him at all... But she was planning something, she and her classmates got to meet them and then watched as Katsuki yelled at Lila for lying about them dating and swore he would sue her for that... Which led to all of her lies being uncovered making Mari smile at the sight as none of her classmates or even her teacher thought about there actions towards her and went to apologize.

She also didn’t notice Katsuki watching her with a faint blush...

The day continued like that, her classmates angry at Lila for lying, forgetting about the fact that they bullied Mari because Lila claimed she did something to her, nor did they remember that they would get mad at Mari because she wasn’t making them free things anymore, there was also the fact that Katsuki was keeping close to her... She didn’t like it and decided to ignore him, her plans couldn’t start just yet of course so instead she was going to relax and enjoy her time in Japan, she did have a few things planned with her boyfriend already during there free days so that was a good thing of course, when lunch came she sat alone at a table away from everyone while texting Izuku with a smile.

No one from her class tried to go over to talk to her, she did faintly notice Adrien looking at her but she decided to ignore the look as Katsuki walked over and sat at her table “Can I help you with something?” she asked while not looking at him, instead focused on her phone, Katsuki didn’t say anything and simply began to eat his spicy curry making her then begin to eat while texting Izuku before she had to join the class once more to look around the school before they would need to head back to the hotel to either relax or to enjoy the rest of there free day walking around or shopping... Mari couldn’t wait to go on a date with Izuku for the afternoon.

Katsuki still followed until they got to the hotel, Mari never spoke to the blonde and instead focused on the tour of the school and going to her hotel room without a word to get cleaned up before waiting for Izuku outside the hotel for there date, Katsuki waited for a while before sighing and heading back to school... He could tell he didn’t do something right with Marinette so all he could do was wait until tomorrow to try again, once Mari was ready, she walked down to the lobby and then informed the lady at the counter that she was going to walk around before heading outside to wait for her amazing boyfriend.

Without knowing that Lila was watching her from afar with a glare...

Even though she worked so hard to destroy Marinette's life, that everything she told them wasn’t true but she worked to make them believe everything... She still believed she should win somehow against Marinette, because of that she decided to try and confront the girl once they get back to the hotel about it but the pigtailed girl was to fast for her and she was gone to her room before she even noticed, now she watched as the girl walked out of the hotel alone making her angry as she rushed of to tell there teacher about it, Caline was a little angry and the two went to the counter to get the police involved but the worker refused.

“Your student informed me of her using her free day to tour around Japan, she has the right as I was informed” she explained and then went back to work while ignoring them, Lila was furious about that as Mari smiled while holding hands with her boyfriend as they enjoyed there date together, Izuku was actually claimed dead, after Katsuki told him to kill himself and All Might telling him that a quirkless person can’t be a hero... He jumped to end his life, it was then that he was found by Tomura who promised him a better life, so he was claimed dead, even though his coffin had no body, Izuku was trained to be the best in combat even though he didn’t have a quirk.

Then he became friends with Himiko and Dabi... He also met Mari and then slowly fell for her and ended up dating her, the girl didn’t even care about the fact he was a villain, instead she helped when she could by making them clothes, she did however did something different, clothes Izuku would wear will have her signature, but the clothes he and the league wore didn’t and instead looked different enough from her usual work that no one would notice unless they saw her working on clothes and were with knowledge in fashion designing, so with that she was safe, Izuku also needs to be careful since even though he is claimed dead... Someone might figure it all out at some point.

Slowly there trip to Japan got to the last few day of there second week, some complained that time went by too quickly while Katsuki felt anger because he failed with Mari every time he had a chance to talk to her, so he decided to try and simply ask her out on a date, but he failed horribly, when they got to pick up the class from the hotel to go to the mall, he tried asking Mari out and she flat out rejected him and then walked away from him to do some shopping alone, his friends were a little surprised at that but still believed that things would get better so they helped him by encouraging him to try again at a later time.

And it still failed... But it was worse because he felt like he was going through déjà-vous all of a sudden...

She was alone heading back to the hotel early so he walked her back, once at the door he asked her out once more until she spoke “Why don’t you take a swan dive off of a roof and pray in the next life that i’m single when you ask me out... Or even interested in a bully like you” then walked back into the hotel while leaving him outside frozen in place... Those words... To kill himself... Were the same last words he told Deku before he killed himself, it made Katsuki slightly sick as he ran back home and into his room while ignoring his parents to curl up in his bed, his mother walked in to try and get gently some answers but all he said was “She said the same words I did” and it made no sense to Mitsuki so she simply left the room.

After that, he kept away from her because of the pain he felt in his chest when her words echoed in his head, she then went back to Paris without another word from him for two months before he and his class came to visit for two weeks... And Katsuki saw a living and breathing Deku holding her hand and being happy with her as they walked around Paris... She was dating him, he faked his death to escape him and now he was living the life he wanted but away from his bully.

All the while not knowing that Deku is Usagi... The same villain he has a hard time in capturing.

So there you go guys! Another BNHA crossover to miraculous ladybug! I’m hoping you all enjoy it and are excited for my next fic with these two universes!

[scribble-blog]

Soulmate AU, part 1

masterpost     next

Huge thanks to the Maribat Fandom tumblr chat, without whom I wouldn’t have made this blog or posted this piece (or probably written this at all given that it’s a maribat fanfic)! @the-fusionist and @rebecarojas07 specifically for encouraging me!

*****

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

Damian is a week shy of fourteen the day the names appear inked on people’s skin, when he wakes up to ink that doesn’t wash off and the news reports that all around the world people have woken up to find the same phenomenon.

The world accepts it readily enough.

Soulmates.

There are tales of it happening before, every mythology and history and folklore delved into and the proof brought forward, but no one actually can say what triggered it, or why now.

In Paris, Marinette wakes up the day after she becomes Ladybug, a dark inked name of her own blooming vivid across her skin.

“It’s because you’re a true holder, Marinette,” Tikki says almost bouncing in midair. “People can use the Miraculous without being as in tune with them, but when we land in the hands of someone who is not just attuned, but truly meant for us- interesting things happen! Especially with the Ladybug Miraculous! These markings reveal who your Soulmate is!”

Her eyes still skim over the writing, and she has to hold in her almost immediate disappointment when she doesn’t see the two swirling A’s she wanted.

“Damian Wayne.”

*****

Marinette doesn’t let it get to her most days, the fact that the name across the front of her shoulder and the name of the boy she feels she’s lost her heart to aren’t the same.

Adrien, for his part, says nothing about what name he has, and it isn’t visible for anyone to find out.

Marinette keeps her designs modest in the neckline, always layers with her favorite jacket and does not say hers either.

The world divides into those who show them proudly, who build forums and websites and apps where people try desperately to connect with their soulmate, and those who decide that to seek it out would ruin the- destiny of it all.

Marinette doesn’t even google him.

She doesn’t want to think about destiny any more than she has to.

*****

Damian keeps it hidden from his family. Grayson has Kori’s name running down his neck, and though they don’t show them off, he’s aware that Todd and Drake have their own as well. Father’s got “Selina Kyle” trailing from his wrist down to the side of his left thumb.

Grayson asks him, once. He shuts it down immediately, and he doesn’t get asked again.

*****

Lila claims her soulmate is someone rich, reclusive, and far away. She doesn’t give details about who they are, but she can tell you millions of stories about how they met as children, grew up knowing each other, how he’d begged for her to stay by his side but she had sighed and told him she must be free to live her own life! And how he waited for her even now to return once she’d graduated and they could marry and be fabulously wealthy and beautiful and happy together.

The class fawns over it. Each time the elusive soulmate is mentioned, Marinette locks eyes with Adrien and Chloé, unable to voice her annoyance but perfectly able to share it with them.

Alya sneers under her breath sometimes, when Lila is being particularly mouthy with her lies, that Marinette has always refused to show or even talk about her mark. That perhaps she doesn’t have one at all.

Marinette doesn’t ever respond.

Adrien tried his hardest to shut them down when they start moving in towards her or Chloé like sharks. She’d lost her crush on him when he’d told her to let Lila lie, that she wasn’t hurting anyone. And then Chloé had knocked on her door one day and- apologized.

Marinette had accepted.

And then when Chloé found out that Adrien not only knew but had actually allowed Lila to continue spinning her lies, she’d taken the boy to task and explained very clearly that Lila could not be treated the same way as his Father, where staying quiet and giving in was the only way to weather his unsavory bad moods. And while his Father demanded he still associate with Lila and keep her placated, that shouldn’t stop him from standing up and doing something when she started actively going after people the way she’d gone for Marinette.

He’d very quickly apologized to Marinette and started, if not scolding Lila when she targeted Marinette, at least trying to guide her and the rest of the class away from any interactions they might have initiated because of Lila’s words.

And now, even if the hours spent at Francois DuPont were chilly and quietly isolated for the three of them, they could meet up at the bakery for lunch, and more often than not now, they would spend evenings hanging out in either Chloé’s room or Marinette’s and it almost made up for it.

*****

Damian has been dead before.

He watches a girl in his class start screaming as the name splayed across her palm withers, it almost looks like it dissolved into her veins, the ink shrinking and bleeding into normal, unmarked skin.

He goes home and he looks at the long curling script that circles the right side of his chest, sweeping across his ribs. Marinette Dupain-Cheng exists somewhere and he wonders if dying once is enough that his name never showed up on her.

He searches the last names. He finds a small but well known and very well loved bakery in Paris, France, with mentions of the owners, Tom and Sabine, and one daughter.

He closes it out.

*****

Marinette turns 16.

It’s not momentous, as she once thought it would be. It’s another day facing the cold sneers of her classmates, catching Adrien and Chloé’s eyes and waiting until the end of the day when she can go home where her parents will have a cake waiting for her, Chloé, Adrien, Kagami, and Luka over, visits from Nadja and Manon, and hopefully some calls from her great uncle Wang and her pseudo uncle Jagged with Penny. Birthdays in this class used to be extravagant, and they still are- for everyone who Lila allowed it.

But Marinette’s birthday will be a quiet affair, at home with her family and her truest friends, her team, and she can’t help but prefer that.

*****

Damian turns 17. Dick marries Kori. Father and Catwoman continue their game of cat and mouse (who is what in this scenario?) and Todd keeps leaving and coming back, and Drake says nothing but acts as if he still knows everything. Damian is, in almost all ways, more capable than most of the old men that do business with Wayne Enterprises and he still has to sit through school and act like birthday parties matter or mean anything to him.

(They do. They do. He can count on one hand how many birthdays he’s ever actually celebrated.)

He’d like to know why he feels so unsatisfied.

*****

Ms. Bustier calls her aside when they break for lunch.

“Marinette,” she begins, and Marinette sighs internally, bracing for another round of upbeat admonishments.

“As class representative, I need you to start staying after class with me for the next few weeks at least- perhaps we can start tomorrow. The submission you made to the Wayne Enterprises Community Awareness and Support Program won, and we have to start planning for the trip in July.”

Marinette stops short. “Wait, trip?”

Mme. Bustier straightens her papers and selects one, handing it to Marinette. On it is a very formal letter from representatives of Wayne Enterprises, congratulating her and her class on their community outreach and outlining the award money they have been offered to plan their trip to visit Wayne Enterprises in person.

Marinette struggles not to sit there with her jaw dropped to the floor. “I didn’t realize there was any actual- reward. I thought it was just an award or recognition?”

Mme. Bustier gives her the smile she used to give her on a daily basis, back when Marinette had cared about making her teacher that happy with every success their class had. “Well, then it’s just as happy a surprise for you as for the rest of the class! I’ll send a note home with you tonight explaining why you’ll be staying after school for the foreseeable future. I won’t ever keep you longer than an hour.”

Marinette knew that would not be true, but it wasn’t as if she couldn’t make up an excuse to leave when necessary. “Yes. We’ll want the trip to be planned perfectly, especially if we’re going to Gotham. Thank you, Mme. Bustier!”

She skips out to lunch, runs across the street to the bakery to meet her friends and tells them the news.

*****

Damian thinks about her often, even if he doesn’t want to. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the baker’s daughter somewhere in Paris, presumably, who may or may not have his name somewhere scrawled on her body.

He doesn’t search anything about her again. Even that single search that led him to her parents’ patisserie was risky.

Jon can tell him everything he wants to about the happiness between himself and his soulmate. His siblings can tiptoe around the subject, happy themselves and never bringing it up to him again. He watches people at school, wondering which of the couples are bound by the words inked into their skin and which are the ones who decided to forego fate. It takes him a very long time to figure out that despite himself, despite his brothers and his allies and his few friends, he is lonely.

*****

Seven weeks before the trip to Gotham, Marinette’s mother finds the Miracle Box.

Marinette hasn’t had Master Fu to guide her in a very long time. She is, in name and deed, the true Guardian of the Miraculous now.

Marinette breaks down on her mother’s shoulder for the first time in four years, since Hawkmoth started terrorizing Paris. Sabine, terrified and proud and angry, soothes her daughter, holds her and runs her hand over her hair, and asks her daughter what she can do.

Marinette has an idea.

[snelbz]

Puppy Love {Elorcan Angst/Smut}

A/N: Collab with @tacmc. Let’s be honest. This is pure smut with a thinly veiled plot. And we have no shame.

WC: 5,161

Lorcan’s fist slammed against the door again, the reverberations shooting up his arm and causing the pictures on the wall to rattle.

“Open the fucking door, Elide!”

There was no response from inside.

The silence only made it worse, only made him angrier, only made him panicked.

“Elide,” he said, voice low, trying a calmer approach, but it only made his hands shake at his sides.

He waited.

Took a deep breath.

Two.

Nothing.

He slammed on the door, continuously, wanting to break it down, but using his fist as cordially as he could muster, instead.

“Elide, I’m sorry, okay? I’m so fucking sorry.”

The words had flowed from his mouth before he could stop them, constantly said by his friends on the team, but as a joke.

The lack of reply told him everything he needed to know.

He heard the key in the front door behind him, but it was already unlocked, and the door opened freely.

Manon and Asterin Blackbeak entered the apartment, the cousins’ eyes narrowing as they saw him standing outside Elide’s bedroom door.

“What are you doing here, Lorcan?”

“Fuck off,” he muttered, knocking on Elides bedroom, once again.

“Go home,” Manon snapped, walking up beside him and pushing him out of the way. “El? It’s Manon. We brought you food.”

They waited for a moment, but still nothing came. Manon slowly turned to Lorcan, golden eyes narrowed. Asterin had taken a seat on the couch, clearly ready to watch the show.

“Why are you still here?” Manon asked, voice low, the to go box with Elide’s breako clutched in her hands. “I told you to go home.”

“I’m here for Eli-.”

“I know why you’re here, but this is my apartment, too, and I’m telling you to go home,” she said, voice rising with every word.

Before Lorcan could reply, which was probably for the best, the door creaked open slightly.

Manon surged forward, entering before Lorcan, but he looked in. And what he saw made his chest crack in two.

Elide’s eyes were red and puffy. She glanced up at him, and he could see the pain his words had caused.

He hadn’t known she was there, she’d told him she wasn’t coming to the party because she would be studying for their bio chem exam. The game of Never Have I Ever started out innocently enough, teammates asking about stupid pranks and injuries. And then one of them had to bring up Elide.

“Be honest, Salvaterre. You’ve hit that, right?”

Gods, only in his wildest dreams. But he couldn’t tell them that. He had a reputation to uphold.

“Of course not, have you seen her?” He’d taken a drink from his beer, draining the cup, and although his friends’ eyes had gone wide, he’d assumed it was just due to the bluntness of his words. He continued. “She’s cute, but she’s too cute. It’d be like fucking a puppy.”

He stood, heading for the keg for a refill.

And she’d been standing there, in the doorway, tears already streaming down her beautiful face.

Lorcan froze, unsure of what to do next. He wanted to run to her, but that hesitation cost him. She shook her head and ran herself, fleeing the party and getting far as hell away from him.

Now, the next morning, sober enough to get to her, Lorcan was in her apartment, heart breaking at the damage he’d caused.

“Elide,” he said, breathing her name, his eyes widening at her distress, but she just shook her head and went to close the door.

But he stopped it with his hand and took a step toward her.

“I’m sorry, okay?” He whispered. “Please, just, give me a minute to explain.”

“If you enjoy having those fingers,” Manon crooned, the words a promise rather than a threat, “you’ll let go of the door before I shut them in it.”

He bared his teeth. “I don’t recall you being a part of this, Blackbeak.”

Her golden eyes were damn near glowing with anger. “You made me a part of this when you made her cry.”

The door slammed shut, and if Lorcan hadn’t jerked his hand back at the last second, Manon’s promise would have been fulfilled.

“Why don’t you run back home to your dogs?” Asterin asked from behind him.

His shoulders slumped as he ran his hands frustratingly through his dark, tangled hair. He slowly turned to face her, all the anger having faded. Now, he was just tired. Now, he just felt like shit. Now, he had lost his best friend, the woman he was in love with, and wasn’t going anywhere until she spoke to him.

“I’m not leaving until I talk to her,” he said, making sure his voice was loud enough to be heard through the door, but keeping his calm.

“You’re not welcome here,” she said, her voice sharp. “And your name isn’t on the lease. So I suggest you get out before we call-.”

Elide’s bedroom door opened and Manon stepped out. If looks could kill, he’d be a dead man. “If I hear so much as one sob from her, if I hear her crying at all, I will come in there and I will personally rip your balls off one by one and feed them to you.”

Lorcan’s eyebrow rose and rather than be concerned for his own safety, he was wondering what kind of kinky shit Dorian Havilliard was into if these were the kind of threats his fiancée made.

Elide stood in her doorway, clearly waiting for him to enter, but she wouldn’t look at him. She wouldn’t look up from the fuzzy Christmas socks she wore, regardless of the fact that it was barely October.

He entered the room and Elide shut the door and locked it. She said nothing, leaning against her desk and crossing her arms over her chest.

Lorcan wasn’t sure to begin. There were a million things he wanted to say, a million things he should say, but none of them were coming out. Instead, a horrendous amount of stuttering was taking place when he opened his lips to attempt an apology. “Elide... I... Look... just- th-I...” He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. He had never been good at apologizing - he’d had very little practice. It definitely wasn’t something he was known for.

When he opened his eyes, once again, Elide was watching him, but he quickly broke her gaze. He’d been in her room countless times, but this time felt different. Not only because he was an asshole and couldn’t make it right, but because he wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms and lay her down, apologize with his actions instead of his words, but that was a pointless ideology to have.

“El,” he began, again, speaking slower so that his words didn’t get jumbled. “I fucked up and I’m sorry, oka-.”

“Why would you say that?” she asked, her voice nothing more than a whisper. The pain in her eyes was unbearable, but Lorcan deserved to look at the pain he’d caused, even if it felt like a punch in his gut. “Why would you say that about me?”

He sighed, dragging his hand through his hair again. “Because I was trying to save face. Because I was trying to uphold my tough guy reputation. And-.”

“And you could never do that with me, because it’d be too cute?” Her voice was like ice, he’d never heard her so cold.

“That came out wrong, it’s not-.”

She laughed and it sounded so much like Galathynius that he cringed slightly. “How does it’d be like fucking a puppy come out right, Lorcan?” He was ashamed because she was absolutely right. “Just admit you got caught being an asshole and-.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do’,” he said, his voice raising of its own accord. “That’s exactly what you caught me doing! And I’m trying to apologize. What I said was fucked up.”

“It’s not even that it was fucked up, Lorcan.” She shook her head and chewed on her lip. “It’s that you said it. My best friend, my Lorcan, would never say that about me.”

She was right. Lorcan ran a hand down his face and stared at his feet. She was right. She deserved better than that. She deserved someone who would never say such a thing, whether he came to regret it or not. His apologies meant nothing, because she deserved people in her life who didn’t have to apologize.

“You’re right,” he breathed, refusing to meet her gaze. “You’re right, and I can apologize all I want to, but it won’t really make a difference, will it?” He looked up at her then, and those tears continued to stream silently down her face. “I went home after you left last night and I laid in bed and I couldn’t fucking sleep and all I could think about was the look on your face when I turned around and saw you there. I hurt you, Elide, and I usually don’t feel bad about the shit that I do, but when I saw the look on your face…” His words trailed off, and he shook his head. “I realized that when I leave this place in a year, everything I’ve done to uphold the reputation of what this fucked up school expects me to be will mean nothing. When I’m gone from here, I may be known as a good football player, sure, but what’s the point of that? I realized, last night, after being a complete dick, was that I don’t care about any of that. When I’m gone from here, Elide, the only thing that I want to take with me is you. Not my reputation or my legacy or whatever the fuck else. Just you.”

She was shaking her head, the tears coming faster and faster. “We’ve been friends for years, Lorcan. You’ve been my best friend since I was fifteen and I have never imagined you talked about me like that when I wasn’t there. Is that how Rowan talks about Aelin?” Lorcan opened his mouth to reply, but she cut him off. “Of course he isn’t. Because he doesn’t give a shit what people think about him. He loves her and he wants every person he meets to know it. And with how we’ve been recently, I thought maybe you-.” Her voice broke and she shook her head. “Nevermind.”

He knew what she was about to say. For the past few weeks, it hadn’t been their entire group of friends hanging out. It had just been them.

It started out studying for a quiz, but then they decided to grab lunch. She asked if he wanted to meet for coffee. He asked if she needed a ride to class. There had been more accidental touches, less awkward silences. Things between them had finally felt...right.

And now he’d gone and fucked it up.

“Tell me what to do, and I’ll do it,” he breathed.

But she was shaking her head as she took a slow, shaky breath. “Just lea-.”

“No,” he interrupted. It was the one thing he wouldn’t do. “Don’t tell me to leave, Elide, I’m not going anywhere until I make this right, I have to make this right, let me make this right.”

“There is nothing to make up for, Lor,” she said, quietly, her voice small. “Just….please, leave.”

He didn’t.

He stayed put, exactly where he was and said, “I love you. I’ve loved you for years, but I never knew how to tell you.”

She was shaking her head. “You’re just saying that to try and-.”

“If you think I’d use your feelings for me like that, you don’t know me.”

“I feel like I don’t!” She said, tears falling again, though they’d never really stopped. “Fuck, do you know how long I’ve wanted to hear you tell me that you love me? And now you say it and I can’t even tell if you mean it.”

Lorcan ran his hands down his face and let out a deep, frustrated growl. “Damn it, Elide! You know me! You’ve known me for years! How many times have I ever told anyone that I’ve loved them?” He took a step closer to her, hesitantly, but to his satisfaction and relief, she didn’t back away. “I am so in love with you. I’m an idiot, and an asshole, and you deserve a hell of a lot better than me, El, but I fucking love you, am so undeniably in love with you.”

She didn’t move, didn't blink, hardly breathed.

“I love you,” he repeated, quietly.

She was quiet for a long while, and Lorcan could see the internal battle going on in those dark eyes. But when she finally spoke, the words she whispered were the last thing he expected.

“Prove it.”

He didn’t give himself time to think, didn’t stop to consider whether there was another way to show her how much he cared. He closed the last couple of steps between them and pressed his lips to hers, not as gentle as he’d imagined their first kiss would be, but he didn’t care. He just needed to show her how much he cared.

And if he couldn’t do that with his words, he’d do that with his actions.

She gasped at the contact, her body going rigid at first, but it soon relaxed. His tongue slipped inside of her mouth, between her lips, brushing alongside her own, as her hands wrapped around his neck. He pulled her closer to him, his arms snaking around her waist, his mouth crushing against hers with such desperation that he had to remind himself to breathe.

He kissed her again and again, slowly, passionately, his teeth clashing against hers. He should probably calm down, probably be more gentle, take it slower, but he couldn’t convince himself to.

He had wanted to kiss her for far too long.

He pulled away, his forehead pressed against hers and breathed, “Do you believe me now?”

She didn’t say a word, couldn’t remember her own name. The only thing she could do was lean up on her toes and crash her lips against hers again.

Lorcan practically growled as he knitted his hand into her hair and their words were no longer needed.

His back was straining from where he was having to lean down to kiss her, so his hands made a slow, deliberated path down her body, until he was cupping her ass. He lifted her and she gasped, legs wrapping around his waist.

Elide’s back pressed up against the door as he kissed her and her hands dove into his hair. His lips left hers and instead trailed kisses down her neck, to the hollow of her throat and then to spot where her neck met her shoulder and he sucked. The quiet moan that fell from her lips had his teeth biting down on the soft skin, his tongue soothing the ache a moment later.

There was a banging next to her head. “Are you fucking kidding me, El?”

Lorcan’s head snapped up, meeting Elide’s bright, humored eyes and her pale, flushed cheeks.

“Fuck off,” Lorcan called back, but his tone was light as he met Elide’s lips with his own.

If they were bothered by the sweet little moans coming out of her mouth now, Lorcan couldn’t wait for their reaction when she was screaming his name.

Elide was smiling into his mouth as she pulled on his shirt, a silent question with no hesitation. Lorcan leaned back, pressing her up against the wall with his hips as he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside.

Elide had seen him shirtless before, at the beach and pool parties and while he practiced football, but she had never reached out and traced the tattoo across his chest as she was doing now. Lorcan’s eyes closed, enthralled by her featherlike touch against his skin.

They heard someone call, “Traitor!” before a bedroom door closed down the hall.

When he opened his eyes, he found her staring at him, bottom lip caught between her teeth. He reached out, skimming his thumb over the flush high on her cheekbone and then down to that sinful lip. He worked it out from her teeth and whispered, “What do you want, Elide?”

He had imagined this for so long, spent some many nights with his hand wrapped around his cock, pretending it was hers. But he wouldn’t pressure her into anything, wanted her to make that decision on her own. Because, gods, he wanted to fuck her. He wanted to make her moan loud enough for the witches down the hall to hear. But he’d wait if she wasn’t ready.

“You,” she breathed. “All of you. Now.”

The slight whimper in her tone, laced into those words, had him instantly hard. He carried her to the foot of her bed and gently laid her down before climbing on top of her, his lips finding hers once more.

“Are you sure?” He asked, terrified to ask it, but felt he had to. And yet, he didn’t break contact with her lips.

“Yes,” she begged, and that was all the permission he needed.

His hips fell into hers and she gasped from the feel of him as his hand snaked up her stomach, to her breast, underneath her old tee.

She wasn’t wearing a bra so there was nothing to stop him from palming her breast and gently tweaking a nipple. The gasp that left her had him grinding his hips into hers and pulling back to look down at her.

His hand left her chest to grab the hem of her shirt - his high school football shirt, he realized with a purr of male satisfaction - and lifted it, revealing those magnificent breasts he’d always tried so hard not to stare at whenever they were even minutely displayed. But now he could stare all he wanted, he could drink in his fill of the expanse of tan skin in front of him. Of the dark pink nipples, peaked in the air, just begging for his teeth to tug on them.

He observed her, worshipped her with his eyes as they grazed over her breasts, her abdomen, down to the leggings that began at her waist. His hand slid beneath her ass as his lips trailed down her neck, between her breasts, over that peaked nipple where his lips wrapped around and he sucked, lightly.

Her slim fingers tangled into his messy hair as her breathing quickened. Lorcan’s teeth tugged her nipple, ever so slightly, as he pushed down the waistband of her leggings.

Elide lifted her ass to help, her little sign of permission.

Lorcan gripped the fabric and ripped them off, tossing them to the side and letting his fingers play up and down the insides of her thighs. With every pass, he moved closer and closer to the apex of her thighs, and she writhed more and more as he teased her. She whimpered and he pulled back to look at her, a smirk on his lips.

She sat up, pulling her shirt over her head and hooking her thumbs in the lace boy shorts she was wearing. She scooted to the head of the bed, her back hitting her pillows, and she opened her legs for him.

She was completely bare and Lorcan thought he might actually combust. His cock was so hard, he was in physical pain.

For a second, he remained still, his breathing heavy as his eyes trailed down her body, and back up again. Then he unbuttoned his jeans and kicked them off. He was perfectly aware where her wide eyes lingered as his boxer shorts quickly followed. He went to climb back up her body, but she put a steady hand against his chest and subtly shook her head.

Lorcan froze, but she only whispered, “Sit.”

He obeyed without protest, sitting, leaning back against the pillows up against her headboard.

Then Elide was crawling on his lap, straddling his waist, his cock standing tall, teasing between her thighs.

She reached down, gripping him in her hand and he hissed at the contact. Stroking him twice, she rubbed the tip between her folds, the slick heat making his eyes roll into the back of his head.

She pressed his length flat against his stomach, grinding her hips along him. He groaned, gripping them and helping her move.

He licked one of his thumbs and pressed it to her clit, rubbing a slow circle in time with her hips. She whimpered again and he looked up at her. There was a look in her eyes that had him pausing. “What is it, baby?”

She shook her head and laughed. “Nothing, it’s just I-.” She chuckled again, moving her hips deliberately slowly. “That is not going to fit inside of me.”

A dark laugh left him and the sound itself gave her chills. He reached up, pulling her lips down to meet his and breathed, “Don’t worry, baby, it will. It will and I’m going to make you feel so good.”

She laughed, breathlessly, tugging on his bottom lip with her teeth. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

The grin he gave her as she leaned back sent chills down her spine, as her hips paused. She reached down beneath her and grabbed his cock, with gentle hands, and ran a thumb over the tip before lining him up with her opening.

Lorcan’s grin faded as his head fell back against the pillows and he took her hips into his hands. She stayed like that for a moment, and it nearly drove him insane but then she slowly pushed herself down on him, just a little bit, just a tease.

The only reason Lorcan didn’t slam her down, taking her as deeply as he could, was because she was right. Lorcan’s member was larger than most and Elide’s small stature meant she was going to have to get used to his size.

So instead, he began to rock her again, pushing her hips down little by little, until most of his length was inside of her. She was gasping and he was damn near holding his breath.

She was tight. She was so fucking tight.

“Wait, wait, wait,” she breathed, her hands pressed to his chest, “Just a minute.”

Lorcan nodded, reaching up and brushing his thumb over her nipple. He’d wait. He’d go slow. He’d do whatever she asked of him, just as long as he was inside of her.

But then she started to roll her hips on top of him, her eyes fluttering shut, her head tilting back. Her hands remained on his chest as she did so, and Lorcan couldn’t help but watch, his breathing ragged as her slim hips moved in a slow, steady circle. He cursed under his breath as she continued, moving herself up and down on top of him. She went slow, was hesitant, cautious, but persistent. And when she started to become more comfortable, she only quickened her pace, her tits bouncing in front of his face.

He swore, his voice low, his hands gripping her hips as she moved, as she rode him slowly, but relentlessly. The quicker she moved, the deeper that crease between her brows became, the more her nails dug into his skin, into his shoulders.

He did his best to let her lead, to let her control the pace, but when his name fell from her lips, the breathy moan bouncing off the walls, his control broke.

He held her in place above him and lifted his hips, snapping them into her, making her cry out. She fell on top of him and his mouth latched to her breast, while his arms wrapped around her waist, holding her in place. The noises she made were music to his ears and he reached down and grabbed her ass, kneading the curve in his hand.

There was a sharp smack and Elide cried out, clamping down on Lorcan’s cock.

She sat up, her hands on his chest again. An eyebrow raised, she asked, “Did you just smack my ass?”

Lorcan squeezed where his hand had just made contact, smirking. “Depends. Did you like it?”

A grin broke out across her lips as she said, “Try it again and I’ll let you know.”

He did as she asked, and pushed herself down on him until she was full of him and Lorcan was watching her with dark, humored eyes.

“I never knew you were so naughty,” he whispered.

She leaned down to nip at his bottom lip. “You have a lot to learn about me, Lorcan Salvaterre.”

All of his control escaped him.

Lorcan flipped her over, his lips instantly connecting with her neck. He sucked the tender skin, his tongue moving in circles as her moans continued to fill the air.

He was certain Manon was furious.

The walls were thin.

And Lorcan didn’t give a fuck.

Her legs wrapped around his body as he thrust his hips into hers, just once, with as much force as he could conjure. She gasped, gripping his back, and muttered a curse.

Lorcan pulled her hands from him and pinned them above her head with one of his. Lorcan pulled back, almost all the way out, and their eyes connected. Again, Lorcan snapped his hips into her and Elide was unable to stop the scream that fell from her lips. “Fuck, Lorcan, please!”

Again, and again, and again, he thrust into her slowly, deliberately. Every time, Elide cried out and Lorcan pressed his thumb into her clit.

Elide cried out, but Lorcan thrived on the sounds tumbling from her lips, the sounds she was unable to stop. He picked up to a steady pace, his skin growing damp with sweat as he made love to her, fucked her as he had in his mind so many times. It was finally a reality. It was happening, and Lorcan was desperate to make it one to remember.

He loved this woman.

And gods it felt good being inside of her.

A loud bang came from the door. “We’re leaving you, nymphomaniacs. We’ll be back later.”

At that moment, Lorcan’s cock hit that illustrious spot inside her and Elide cried out, her legs shaking and Lorcan groaned as she became unbearably tight.

“Fuck you, too,” Manon yelled, and the outside door fell shut.

Lorcan wasted no time in taking advantage of their solitude, picking her up and putting her back against the door once more. The door shook with every thrust of his hips, his hands on both side of her head, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist.

He didn’t hold back, was tired of holding back, as he pushed into her, over and over again, relentlessly, faster and harder. The more she cried out, the more those little sounds escaped her, the faster he went, the more he lost control.

Manon was gone.

Asterin was gone.

He and Elide were alone in her apartment, and he would not take that lightly.

His hips connected with hers so forcefully, his cock slamming into her vigorously, that those little sounds flowing from her mouth became mute. Her face was distorted in pleasure, her breathing becoming heavier.

Lorcan was on the verge of losing himself completely.

One of her hands was in his hair, tugging on the long strands and spurning on his merciless pace. The other clutched at her breast, pinching and tugging on her nipple, kneading the soft flesh.

One of his own covered the other and he growled, “Have I ever told you how much I love your tits?”

She let her hand skim down her body and she touched herself, gasping at all of the sensations coming together. “No,” she groaned. “But I’ve always caught you staring.”

“Oh, really?” He brought his thrusts to a torturously slow pace, but they were no less brutal.

“It’s not like you tried to hide it,” she said, giggling softly, only cut off by her gasps, her moans, every time he slammed into her.

Lorcan decided he would never grow tired of it, those sounds.

It only pushed him further. His teeth found her shoulder and he bit into her flesh as he pounded into her, without boundaries. He became one with her as she clung to him, unaware of the rest of the world, unaware of anything but she and him.

Then he was close.

So fucking close.

But he begged himself to hold on, a little while longer, if only so he could listen to the sounds falling from her lips. That could only last for so long though.

“I’m gonna cum,” he said, breath hissing through his teeth.

“Me too,” she said, voice no louder than a whisper. Her eyes were closed, head thrown back and her breathing was shallow. Lorcan watched, watched as her chest began to heave, breasts bouncing. She continued to play with herself, one of the hottest fucking things he’d ever seen, and after a minute, he felt her getting tighter and tighter.

She moaned his name one last time before she fell over the edge, crying out.

He felt her come around him, felt her juices flood out over him, and the sensation had him approaching a climax of his own. He cursed, deeply, brutally, fully captivated by the beauty before him, as he pulled out and came on top of the soft, ivory skin of her abdomen. His head fell back, his eyes closed, and he groaned as he rode it out.

For a moment, he said nothing. He only pressed his lips upon her shoulders, her neck, her lips, as his climax came and faded away.

Elide was the first one to speak, breaking the silence and saying, “With how all of thia started, thanks for not fucking me doggy style.”

Lorcan laughed, the sound full and bright, and kissed her before laying her on the bed. He grabbed a towel from her attached bathroom and cleaned her up before laying next to her and gathering her in his arms.

He was almost asleep when she murmured, “Only eight-forty-five in the morning and I’ve already had three orgasms.” His eyes snapped open and he looked down at her.

“Three?” He asked. He could only think of two times she’d cum: once, right when he’d gotten on top, and then at the end.

She smirked and said, “What can I say? I couldn’t sleep last night.”

He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut without saying a word. She laughed at his speechlessness, and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You have no idea the way I feel about you, the way I think about you.”

Lorcan chuckled, pulling her closer to him beneath the blankets. “Trust me, I have a pretty good idea.”

[elentiyawhitethorn]

Sneaking Around | Chapter Ten

All of the thoughts went out of Aelin’s head except for one: Rowan was cheating on her. No, they hadn’t specifically said they were exclusive, but Rowan seemed to agree when they discussed his date earlier.

But hold on a minute. Rowan knew she would be here. Is that really something he could forgot? Did he really bring a woman back to the apartment his girlfriend’s in? Rowan isn’t that much of an idiot, she thought.

But why else would he have her - Remelle, she could only assume - clinging to him like that? She was dressed in the shortest dress Aelin had seen in a long while, and her breasts were largely exposed.

All of this raced through Aelin’s brain within a matter of seconds. This was when she saw Rowan turn to her and his expression morph into one not of panic, but relief. Why is Rowan relieved to get caught with some other lady?

Aelin was thoroughly confused at this point. The most she could muster was a raised eyebrow.

Rowan said, “Aelin! I thought you were coming in tomorrow. Sorry, Remelle, I should spend some time with her. I only see her a few times each year.” Aelin had no idea what to say to this, so she kept her mouth shut, eyeing the hand Remelle had on Rowan.

Remelle frowned. “And who is she?” As if Aelin couldn’t hear them.

“This is my cousin. Aelin, meet Remelle.” His eyes widened and he mouthed help.

Aelin summoned a smirk and said, “Rowan dear, catch yourself a girlfriend?” Her voice came out sharper than she had intended.

Rowan quickly said, “No! I mean, Remelle is only here for a little while. She’s heading out now.” He said this with a pointed glare at Remelle.

Remelle scowled. Before she could say anything, Aelin offered in her sweetest voice, “Remelle, you should stay for a little while.” Rowan glowered at her.

Luckily for his sake, the woman shook her head in distaste and walked out without saying goodbye.

“Nice lady,” Aelin commented. “Why, exactly, did you bring her here?”

Rowan sighed and closed the door, taking a seat on the couch beside Aelin, who still hadn’t risen. “I did not bring her here. That woman is a menace. She was trying to seduce me throughout the whole dinner. When I refused, several times, her offer to go back to her place, she insisted on walking me home. I said no but she told me she was staying right next door, which I doubt. Anyways, I figured the easiest option was finding my “cousin” here.”

Aelin smirked. “And what if your cousin was running late?”

“Then I would have had to shove that woman out the door. She doesn’t seem to know what no means.”

A laugh from Aelin turned Rowan’s worn out expression into a scowl. “Is this funny?”

Another laugh. “A little bit, yeah. I kind of wish I had been running late just so I could see you shove her.”

Despite his attempts to remain angry, Rowan laughed too. “You’re a menace too. And how the hell did she become a family friend of the Moonbeams?”

“Gods only know. And you are such a wimp if you couldn’t just say “Go away Remelle.””

“You have no idea how hard it is to deal with her. She was making eyes at me the whole time and what could I say? How do you tell someone you’re not interested when you’re on a date with them?”

Aelin couldn’t stop laughing. “Poor baby, all the women love him.”

Rowan responded, “I wouldn’t call that love, I’d call it issues.”

Aelin giggled. “Can you blame her for not expecting a refusal? She’s very beautiful.”

“You did not just say that. Anyways, looks aside, surely someone’s turned her down before.”

“No one’s turned me down before,” said Aelin with a simpering smile.

Rowan rolled his eyes. “Somehow I doubt that.”

Aelin gasped. “Excuse me! I’m desirable. And don’t deny that. You’re the one who couldn’t keep it in his pants.”

Rowan rolled his eyes yet again. He didn’t reply to that, though. “I need to brush my teeth.” He got up and stalked away, giving Aelin a view of the back of his neck, which had reddened. Ha.

When Rowan came out minutes later, Aelin was standing. She walked over and pushed him against the nearest wall. “I’ve been waiting all week to do this. I need to start staying over on the weekdays.”

Rowan chuckled, but that didn’t entirely hide the catch in his breath.

One of Aelin’s hands traced its way down his chest and grabbed his belt. He hadn’t bothered dressing up for Remelle, only wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Probably in rebellion of Fenrys’ damned favor.

Aelin unlatched his belt and pulled it off. She unzipped his jeans. Rowan’s breathing was ragged.

Rowan grabbed Aelin’s arms before she could go any further. He spun around and pressed her against the wall where he had been.

Aelin gasped as he pressed his body against hers. Her back arched and her breasts dug into Rowan’s chest. She ground her hips against his. Rowan returned the pressure with equal fervor.

Aelin managed to say, “I think I can forgive you for being a pushover.”

Rowan’s hand roved over her body. “If you spent the evening with that creature, you wouldn’t blame me. Maybe for your insistence to be as rude as possible, I shouldn’t give you what you want.” His hand brushed the apex of her thighs to make his point.

Aelin couldn’t think of anything better to say other than, “Or maybe you should,” as heat pooled inside her.

“What’s the magic word?” Rowan whispered, his lips brushing her ear.

“Prick,” Aelin got out.

Rowan chuckled. “Not quite.” He nibbled her earlobe, drawing a gasp, and his fingers once again traveled south. This time they pressed against where she needed them, dragging a guttural groan out of Aelin.

“You’re an asshole,” Aelin breathed as his hand retreated. Another chuckle.

Rowan wasn’t giving in. He got so close, but every time, his hand stopped when she needed the pressure. She tried to grind against his hand, but he slid it back up. Across her navel, her breasts, her neck. But not where she needed it.

“Please,” Aelin moaned, too far gone to care about her pride anymore.

She could feel Rowan smile against her neck. Then he slid a hand under the waistband on her pants.

Rowan’s fingers worked their magic, reducing Aelin to a trembling mess. She couldn’t even get out coherent words. Rowan’s weight pressing her against the wall was the only thing holding her up as she writhed at his touch.

He slipped a finger inside of her, and then another. In, out, in, out. Aelin shook as she climaxed, held throughout by Rowan. He pulled his fingers out, causing Aelin to hiss.

Rowan murmured against her ear, “Not so smooth now, are you.” She couldn’t bring herself to protest as he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to his bedroom.

-

The group gathered at Aedion, Gavriel, and Lorcan’s the next evening.

After a morning with Rowan, Aelin had informed Ansel of the Remelle situation, to which she had laughed her head off. Aelin couldn’t help but join in. She had also mentioned Fenrys’ knowledge of the affair.

The two had driven over in Ansel’s truck, and were now at the door. It was opened to reveal Rowan. He didn’t even live there; perhaps he had just been closest to the door. Whatever the case, Ansel leaned over and whispered “pushover” in his ear as soon as she saw him. Aelin giggled, and then giggled some more as Rowan directed a glare at her.

He muttered something about “immature schoolgirls” and moved aside to let them in.

Most of the others were already gathered on the various seats. Aelin chose a different sofa than last time, and kicked her feet onto Lysandra’s lap.

“So,” Lysandra drawled, “How’s Mystery Man?”

Everyone turned towards them. “Piranhas,” Aelin muttered, not for the first time.

“Who is it, Aelin?” asked Aedion, perched on a stool. She just glowered. “Is it serious?” he demanded.

“Suppose so,” muttered Aelin.

“What, really?” exclaimed Lysandra. “You should bring him to the Christmas party!”

Aelin scowled. “I am.”

“What, no fair!” shouted Elide. “I’m going to my parents’ for Christmas.”

Aelin smirked. “I know.”

Lysandra narrowed her eyes. “Ansel, darling, why do you look so amused? I thought you were going home for Christmas too.” To damned observant.

Ansel grinned. “I know who it is.”

“Ansel,” Aelin growled.

“What? I didn’t say who.” At least she wasn’t making obvious glances at Rowan, who Aelin was trying not to look at.

Everyone was outraged. Geez, Aelin thought. Immature schoolgirls is right.

Ansel chuckled. “I promised not to tell. Fenrys didn’t, though.” Everyone turned their attention to him.

“Hey,” said Fenrys. “I’m not dumb enough to face the fire-breathing bitch-queen’s wrath. I’m keeping my mouth shut.”

“Don’t worry, Elide. I’ll text you when I find out who it is,” Lysandra promised.

“You have to tell me,” said Connall, looking at Fenrys. The twins were also going to their parents’ for the holiday.

Vaughan and Gavriel were also told they would be informed. Because they couldn’t wait another week to find out the latest gossip. Aelin sighed.

“Lorcan, you’ll be here, right?” asked Manon. The two got along because they were very similar people.

“Oh, um,” started Lorcan. “I’m going to Elide’s parents’ with her.”

This caught everyone’s attention. Lysandra, the drama queen of the bunch (actually, they were all drama queens), shouted, “Fuck you two for not telling me! This surely isn’t last minute!”

“This is why we didn’t say anything earlier,” said Elide, sighing. “You people are the nosiest humans in existence. I pity Aelin when you all find out who she’s fucking.”

“Hypocrite!” It was Aelin’s turn to yell. “You’ve been just as nosy as the rest of them. At least I don’t pretend I’m not a busybody.”

Rowan snorted. “You have something to say, Whitethorn?” Aelin growled with a menacing glare.

He smirked. “Nothing.”

Fenrys and Ansel chuckled, aware the two were more than just a couple of people who didn’t get along. The others chuckled as well, used to their arguments.

Aelin didn’t feel like adding fuel to the flames, so she just grunted at Rowan and turned away.

Everyone went around sharing their plans. Aelin, Aedion, Lysandra, Rowan, and Manon would be at the party. Only three people would be finding out about Aelin and Rowan’s relationship, but Aedion and Lysandra were the worst of the bunch, so better to deal with that fallout first. Manon would probably just laugh at them.

The others would all be updated when Lys found out. Aelin called them all a few choice names for the need to know the situation. Even Lorcan. Why the hell Lorcan Salvaterre cared enough, Aelin didn’t know, but he lost all respect from her.

The night ended, and Ansel covered for Aelin by suggesting they go home as Rowan and Fenrys did. Aelin hopped in Rowan’s car as Ansel and Fenrys took her truck back to the women’s apartment. They were now officially dating.

Fenrys and Ansel kept making kissy-faces at the two. “Jackasses,” Rowan muttered as he flipped them off.

Aelin just said, “Look who’s talking. You two better not do it on the couch by the way. I sit on that.”

Ansel and Fenrys reddened at that, letting Aelin and Rowan drive off laughing. “Gods, I was serious though. And the table. I eat there.” Aelin started praying those two kept it in the bedroom.

Rowan chuckled. “Stop worrying. If they sully your furniture, there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“Not helpful,” Aelin said, scowling. “Ew. There are images in my find. Gods spare me.”

Rowan laughed at her. And off they drove.

[featherymalignancy]

this is so random but can you please tell us more about Manon, Dorian, and their relationship? when you included Manorian in In Vino Veritas I was so happy they are one of my top favorite Sjm ships :)

Omg this is the ask I didn’t know I wanted! This is gonna be fun.

So they met (kinda) at one of Dorian’s games. He’s a center for the LA Kings, the very real NHL hockey team in LA

SIDENOTE: When writing in modern AU I try not to make up details if I can help it, so it’s so fun when the stars align for me to make a cheeky nod to canon that’s still rooted in fact. For instance, when I’d already set the AU in California and decided to make Dorian a professional athlete and it just so happens to be that the hockey team in LA is The Kings.

Okay so Dorian Havillard: Captain, starting Center, and all-around Superstar for the Los Angeles Kings.

Rich boy from Beacon Hill, a suburb of Boston, MA on the East Coast.

Despite being recruited by Boston College in his hometown, he play hockey for The dreaded University of Michigan (listen, if you like college sportsball and you didn’t go to Michigan, you probably hate Michigan for good reason jk to anyone who went to U of M but also yall know your reputation 😂😂 )

He was teammates at Michigan with Chaol Westfall, the iron-tough goalie for the Colorado Avalanche, hailed by fans as the second coming of Avalanche superstar Patrick Roy

In LA, the line between athlete and celebrity is thinner than other markets so like...Dorian’s got a lot of famous friends. He parties with pop stars and actors and he was in a commercial with Lebron James for Gatorade.

And like...he’s hot so he kinda gets a lot of tail too. (jk not kinda the dude is promiscuousssss)

Manon Blackbeak:

Manon mixed race. Her mother was Cree, one of the largest of the First Nations in Canada. Her father was French.

As teenagers, Manon’s mother and aunt became models in Paris after being “discovered” in Québéc in the early 1970s by China Machado, the fashion editor for Harper’s Bazaar at the time.

Previous to becoming to the fashion editor at HB, China (pronounced Chee-na)—who was of Chinese and Portuguese descent—was one of the first non-Caucasian models to become a breakthrough success. She was taken by the Blackbeak sisters’ beauty—striking and so unlike the placid blondes dominating magazine covers and runaways at the time—and convinced their mother to let the girls to move to Paris to model for names like Balenciaga and Givenchy.

Jacqueline and Naomi both married French men, and had their daughters—Manon and Asterin—a year apart. The girls were raised mostly in Paris, though their pride for their Cree heritage was fostered by both their mothers and grandmother.

Professionally, they both go by their maternal surname Blackbeak, which has given rise to the nickname “The French Hadids” (in reference to American models/sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid) even though Manon and Asterin are cousins and not sisters

I could go on about their careers and the badass way they use their influence to speak out against the cultural appropriation of indigenous imagery in fashion and entertainment (DO BETTER, VICTORIA SECRET/KARLIE KLOSS) but thats a story for another day

How Did They Meet?

The Blackbeak cousins had begun spending more time in the US as their fame as models grew, and paparazzi took obvious notice.

When the girls attend an LA Kings game, obviously the stadium takes notice.

Between periods of play, they stadium gets the crowd excited by playing music and getting fans on a the Jumbotron singing along or dancing

AnYWAYS

The camera finds Manon for the FIRST time when they’ve got the crowd BUMPING to Timmy Trumpet’s “Freaks”, but Manon is not having it. She refuses to dance or even acknowledge that the camera is on her...

Which DELIGHTS the camera guy/the crowd, and Manon immediately beguns their fave target.

Every time there is a break in the game and music is playing, the camera pans to find a sullen Manon, who is continually nonplussed.

However, at one point Dorian draws a penalty and is put in the penalty box and they play Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” as the other team prepares for their power play (basically Dorian is forced to sit on the bench while the other team has an extra player) and

When it gets to the end of the chorus (I’m a baaaaaad guy) the camera hits Manon just in time for her to give a small but unmistakeable shrug and a evil little smirk for the “duh”

And the crowd goes WILD

And Dorian is totally goo goo eyes. In the two minutes he’s in the box, he manages to wave over one of the interns and send her to where Manon and Asterin are sitting to invite them to come out with him after the game

Coincidentally, despite being TOTALLY distracted by her, Dorian gets right out of the bench and scores

For her part, Manon is not impressed when some college-age girl is interrupting her evening to ask if she’ll come out with some himbo Manon’s never hear of. (Manon is not really a fan of the sportsball

She tries to send the girl away, but Asterin accepts Dorian’s number from the girl.

The intern isn’t foolish enough to try and relay this info to Dorian while the game is still going on, but when the game is over she informs him that Manon wasn’t particularly jazzed by his approach, but her cousin had accepted Dorian’s number.

Dorian gets dressed and goes out after the game (last game on a series and he decided he deserved to party a little, in-season or no)

A few hours in he gets a call from an restricted number. It’s Asterin Blackbeak informing him where they are.

Dorian hightailed it to the bar and begins laying the moves on Manon

They INEVITABLY go home together (it’s 💦 🔥 🍆 👅)

When he suggests they go to breakfast in the morning Manon is confused to the point of offended.

Is he expecting to get her in bed again? Because....not happening

Still, he convinces her to get breakfast.

And they are both rather shocked to find they actually...have shit in common?

So when Dorian asks for her number and to take her out on a proper date, Manon surprises herself by saying yes.

[charincharge]

Cruel Summer, Part 18

cruel summer masterlist

AN: This chapter is almost 4k words... whereas most of them have been just over 2k, so -- we had a lot of things going on. And some hopefully insightful revelations. Anyway, thank you all for your patience while I struggled with this one. I hope you enjoy learning a litttle bit more about Aelin. Okay, ONWARDS!

Aelin glances at her buzzing phone and silences it. It rings with another phone call from her dad that she sends straight to voicemail. It’s been almost three weeks since her blowout fight with her mom, and her dad has tried in vain to get them to reconcile – she’s just not ready yet.

“Your dad again?” Rowan asks, coming to sit on the couch with her. Rowan has been an undeniable pillar of strength through it all. He hasn’t pushed her to talk about the fight – he’s simply let her exist in his space, giving her a wide berth to process everything. Which is ironic, because Aelin has refused to process a single thing. She’s pushed all her discontent to the back of her brain, easily compartmentalized and boxed away to be dealt with at a later date. It’s Aelin’s most impressive ability. But, regardless of “not dealing,” she knows that without Rowan’s silent support she would have fallen apart already. She can’t even begin to express her gratefulness to him. Though, she’s tried. With her mouth. And other parts of her body.

Rowan’s fingers gently dance against the bare skin of her shoulder, and she leans into him and nods. He pulls her tighter into his side and kisses her forehead, and Aelin melts into him further.

Their moment is interrupted by Manon entering the small apartment. She takes a look at the couple on the couch and attempts to reign in her scowl, but Aelin spots it anyway. She’s come to realize that Manon might not be her biggest fan.

“Oh, you’re here…” Manon says, tossing her bag onto the kitchen counter.

“Not for long,” Rowan replies, and Aelin perks up, curious. She’d assumed they were just going to hang out in his room, like usual. Rowan looks back down at Aelin. “I was thinking we could go take some photos on the beach before the sun completely sets.”

Rowan’s favorite activity makes Aelin smile. He received a brand new Nikon and zoom lens from his mother in the mail, and she’s never seen Rowan so outwardly blown away as when he pulled it from the box. He’s snapped more pictures than she can count over the last few weeks, most of them of Aelin, which she pretends to be annoyed by but secretly loves.

Aelin glances down at her outfit – comfy leggings and one of Rowan’s old college t-shirts. “I’ll go get changed.”

He squeezes her hand as she gets up from the couch, and she makes her way into Rowan’s room to sort through the pile of clothes Dorian pinched from her room at home. She throws on a dark blue maxi dress and pulls her hair from its top knot. She fluffs her hair in the mirror, feeling more camera ready.

Rowan smiles when he sees Aelin emerge from his room, and her stomach flutters at the sight of his contented face.

They wave goodbye to Manon, who replaces them on the couch with her dinner, looking relieved to have the place to herself.

“Where to?” Aelin asks as Rowan ushers her down to his truck.

“Know any good private beaches?” he asks, and she frowns. She does. It just happens to be a very short walk away from her backyard. Rowan sees her face and squeezes her hand over the center console. “We don’t have to see your family. But. I thought maybe you’d want to.”

Aelin scrolls through the many texts from her father, which she’s left unanswered.

Fireheart, we understand you need time to cool down, but please call us when you’re ready.

Please, Aelin. Talk to us.

Your mother is sorry. She didn’t mean what she said. She was just emotional. She loves you so much. It’s upsetting her every day to know that she hurt you so badly.

Do you plan to stay with Elide indefinitely?

Are you really going to miss out on our family park day?

Gavin and Evie asked where you were today.

Dorian stopped to get your clothes. He says you’re doing well, but I’d really like to see for myself.

Fireheart, I understand that you’re hurt, but cutting us out isn’t going to make this better.  

We return to Adarlan in less than a month. Let’s not have this argument ruin the rest of the summer.

The texts feel endless. And Aelin does miss her dad. She just can’t believe her mom hasn’t tried to reach out and apologize to her. After everything she said… Aelin shakes it off, not willing to think about those hateful words and shrugs at Rowan.

“Sure.”

“Really?” he asks cautiously. Aelin nods. He’s right. Their private beach is the perfect place for a sunset photoshoot.

They park at the Playland, which is still bustling with activity, and walk down the beach until they get to the pale sand behind the Ashryver’s estate. Aelin glances up at her room balcony in the distance, half covered in twining roses, and her chest clenches uncomfortably.

Rowan surprises Aelin by wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his chest, and she relaxes into him. He leans down and sticks his nose against her neck, and Aelin releases a shaky breath. As his chin finds a place to rest on her shoulder, Aelin’s eyes slide toward him, taking in the periphery of his tanned face and messy hair. She can’t help but smile.

Click.

The shutter of the camera whirs as Rowan takes a picture of them.

“Test shot,” he says, straightening up and looking at the display. Aelin peers over his arm to look, too, and she gasps at the casually beautiful photo.

It’s a closeup of their faces – with a soft pastel sunset out of focus behind them. But the thing that really shocks is the way she looks at Rowan. And the way he smiles back at her. She looks so happy with him. Aelin is so happy with him. She wants to print that photo out and keep it forever so she can remember this feeling long after this summer ends. Her stomach rumbles with something akin to sadness, but she pushes it far, far down. She knows her feelings about her mother aren’t the only thing she’s decided to compartmentalize – but she’s not going to unpack those either.

“I think that’s the first picture you’ve taken of us together,” she comments coolly, and Rowan lifts an eyebrow.

“I guess it is.” He looks down at the display screen again, then back at her with a confident smile. “We look pretty good together.”

“You’ll send that one to me, right?” she asks, and Rowan’s green eyes glow brightly as he assures her he will.

He leans down and kisses her forehead – his new favorite place to kiss, and a blanket of warmth and joy caresses Aelin’s face. Rowan directs her down to the water, where the small waves crash against the sand, and Aelin pulls up the long skirt of her dress, so as not to get wet. As she skips through the waves, her feet dancing in circles across the darkened sand, Rowan snaps pictures.

Aelin lets her heavy worries about her mother and their fight and the impending end of summer float away as she enjoys living in this moment. The setting sun casts shadows of deep magenta and purple and orange across the water, shimmering across the small ripples in the water. Feeling the cool sand beneath her toes, Aelin tilts her head back, closes her eyes, and grins.

She breathes in the salty sea air, especially pungent with the evening tide, but her moment of calm is disrupted by a large wave, which knocks against the back of her thighs, breaking all over her skirt, drenching her up to her waist.

Her eyes shoot open as she squeals loudly, and her peals of laughter float across the beach as Rowan continues taking pictures from the dry safety behind his camera.

Aelin runs out of the water and drops her dress skirt to the ground. It’s completely soaked.

Rowan finally lowers his camera, and she can see him biting his lip in an attempt to hold back his laughter.

“Shut up.” Aelin pouts as a cool breeze whips through the air, whirling around her and making her skin prickle with goosebumps.

“Come here,” he says with a soft smirk, and she happily obeys.

Rowan rubs his hands up and down her bare shoulders, trying fruitlessly to warm her as the sun completely descends behind the horizon. As she tries to wring the water out of her dress, Aelin shivers. Searching for more heat, she tries to pull herself closer to Rowan, but he takes a large step back.

“You’re dripping everywhere,” he laughs, and Aelin winks.

“You didn’t seem to mind that last night.”

Rowan’s cheeks redden, and Aelin cackles, loving how easily she can fluster him, just with the mention of sex.

He stares at her, and she watches as his bright eyes darken as she takes a large step toward him. He steps back again.

“Aelin, no…” he warns.

“Aelin, yes,” she decrees as she leaps into his arms, pressing her wet body against his as she attacks his face with kisses. He laughs against her lips, and she tightens her grip around his neck, pulling him as close as he can get to her.

“You’re evil,” he mumbles between kisses, and Aelin thinks he’s far too coherent if he’s able to reply so easily.

She squeezes her legs around his waist and drags her mouth to his ear. She scrapes her teeth down his strong jaw and lets her tongue snake out and taste his skin. Aelin’s efforts are rewarded with a pained groan and the feeling of Rowan’s fingers sliding through her hair and caressing the nape of her neck.

She reaches back for his lips and she hums happily as he lets her deepen their kiss. After she’s sated, she slows and pulls her face back to catch her breath. She smiles and kisses his lips softly.

Rowan smiles back, and as she looks into his eyes, she sees the depths of emotion that truly terrify her. Her box of emotions threatens to open and spill everywhere, and she can’t have that. She closes her eyes and kisses him one last time before sliding down onto the cold sand, awash in guilt. And not just for dampening his clothes with ocean water.

“Should I sneak into your room and grab you something dry to wear?” he asks, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “You’re freezing.”

Aelin lifts her nose as the faint traces of cigar smoke waft through the air. She would know that smell anywhere. It smells like summer nights on her back patio with her dad. Her stomach clenches.

“No,” she whispers. “Let’s just go.” She bolsters herself by plastering a cocky smile across her face and squeezing Rowan’s hand. “You can warm me up when we get home.”

“But that means you’ll be getting wet all over again,” Rowan deadpans, and Aelin’s feet stop moving in shock.

“Rowan Whitethorn,” she says, eyes wide. “Did you just make a dirty joke?”

His cheeks flame with a dark blush, and she drags him back to his truck quickly, so he can follow through on his promise.  

He does, and then some, and Aelin wakes up the next morning sore and satisfied.

She stretches out and frowns at the cold spot next to her where Rowan should be. He’s up early today. She hears voices murmuring outside in the living room and decides to get dressed and join them. She’s stepping into her shorts when she hears Manon’s sharp voice ask, “And what about our no live-in girlfriend rule?”

Aelin moves closer to the closed door and listens as shame rises within her. She knew she’d overstayed her welcome.

“It doesn’t count if she’s not my girlfriend,” Rowan quips back, and Aelin bites her lip, worrying the skin there. She can hear the anger in his biting tone, and it unnerves her.

“Oh please, you gave her apartment keys, Rowan.” Manon says with an undignified snort.

“So she doesn’t feel like a prisoner, trapped with nowhere to go!”

“Come on, dude,” Manon drawls. “If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck…”

“We’re not ducks,” Rowan insists, and Aelin almost laughs with Manon at his reply.

“You are ducks, and also liars,” Manon insists. “Quack, quack, bitch.” A long beat of silence.

“I’ll talk to her,” Rowan says, his former anger turning into resignation. Aelin knows this means she needs to start thinking about where she’s going to go next. She knows Aedion and Lysandra would let her crash, but she’s not sure she’s forgiven Aedion for everything he said about Rowan, either. She definitely can’t stay at Dorian’s; his father gives her the creeps. And with Elide and Lorcan just getting together, she has no intention of being a cockblock to one of her best friends. Maybe it’s finally time to go home.

She remembers the faint smell of cigar and sighs. As if on cue, her phone buzzes with another text from her dad.

Can I take you out to lunch? Anywhere you want. You won’t have to see your mom.

Aelin finally responds.

Okay.

Her dad is ecstatic, and replies back quickly, arranging details to meet at Aelin’s favorite sandwich shop in town. A small little hole in the wall Italian deli called Rinaldi’s.

When Rowan enters his bedroom, he clutches at his hair nervously, and Aelin decides to put him out of his misery quickly. She doesn’t need him to explain why she needs to leave.

“So, I finally texted my dad back,” she says, and Rowan’s eyes widen in surprise. That is not the conversation he was expecting to have.

“Wow. Uh… what prompted that?” he asks, looking at her seriously.

She shrugs. “Maybe being at the house last night. Maybe it’s just time to get over it.” She looks around the room. “I know I’ve been here way too long.”

Rowan looks alarmed. “No, no. I told you you could stay as long as you want, and I meant it.” He pauses and swallows nervously. “I’ve really enjoyed having you here.”

“I’ve enjoyed being here,” she admits, and her heart beats faster at the blinding grin that takes over Rowan’s face. “But, we’ll see how convincing my dad is.”

“Okay,” he says nervously. She kisses him softly and smiles.

“Now go, before you’re late to work.” She grabs him by the collar of his polo and kisses him again, and she loves the way the tips of his ears turn pink – the first tell tale signs of his arousal. She likes leaving him flustered and wanting more. Plus, it’s nearly impossible for her to keep her hands to herself, so it works out nicely.

Aelin lazes around Rowan’s room for the rest of the morning, too scared to run into Manon, who works from home. She finally sneaks out and makes her way to the restaurant. She hopes to get there with time to spare, but when she arrives, Rhoe is already waiting outside, arms crossed nervously.

Aelin resists the urge to hug him, nodding tightly instead. She leads him in and orders her favorite sandwich – prosciutto and provolone with hot peppers and vinegar on a roll. And her dad’s – hot pastrami with swiss and mustard on rye – and then finds a small table near the window.

Rhoe looks tired. If the bags under his eyes are any indication, he hasn’t been sleeping much.

“You look good.” He reaches out a hand across the table and then retracts it, nervously, unsure of what to do.

“You look terrible,” Aelin replies. Her filter must be broken this morning. Rhoe laughs, despite her comment.

“The two loves of my life are fighting,” he says quietly, and Aelin is torn between wanting to scream at him or cry. Either way, she’s about to unleash three weeks worth of feelings she’s been ignoring.

Crying wins out. Moisture stings the corners of her eyes as her eyes fill with tears. She blinks rapidly, trying to keep them in, but a rogue tear drips down her cheek. She swipes at it hastily and breathes deeply, trying to get her emotions back under control. But she can’t. And she suddenly feels very, very small.

“Is that really what mom thinks of me?” Aelin asks, her voice barely a whisper through the thick frog in her throat. “That I’ve been a waste of her time and money?”

“No, Fireheart,” he assures her, finally reaching for her hand across the table. Aelin lets him.

“I’m sorry I don’t like Sam, but he’s not nice, Daddy.” Another tear falls from her eye. And another. Aelin can’t swipe at them fast enough. “He’s so spoiled. And entitled. And…” Her voice breaks. “And I don’t want to be anything like him. But… she likes him, and she hates me.”

“Oh, baby, she doesn’t hate you,” Rhoe insists. “She loves you. So, so much.” He pauses. “She just doesn’t understand why you don’t want the same life she has.” Rhoe sighs. “Believe it or not, this is a fight I’ve had with her many times before. Every time she enrolled you in etiquette classes or ballroom dance lessons or cotillion…” He sighs.

“Aedion was just so eager to fit in,” he continues. “He wanted to follow in the Ashryver footsteps. To join the business. But you have never wanted that.” Rhoe laughs, recalling a memory. “I remember the first time you came home from your etiquette classes. You pulled those little white gloves off your hand and said ‘YUCK’ so loud. You were disgusted by the fact that you had to touch some little boy’s hand.”

Aelin remembers those lessons. The girls stood in a circle on the inside, while the boys stood in a circle on the outside, facing them. They’d learned how to give a proper handshake, and curtsey and bow. She was only nine. She had hated every second of it. The dance lessons were even worse.

“They were sweaty,” Aelin chokes out, and her dad smiles sadly.

“When you started dating Chaol,” he begins again, and Aelin tenses up. She’s not sure she’s ready for the commentary on her five year long failed relationship. “Mom was so excited. Long time friends with the Havillards. In your college class. Destined for business, just like his father. But, you never quite fit with him. And I watched you try and change yourself, contort yourself to be the partner Chaol wanted. And we all saw your light dim.”

Aelin doesn’t bother swiping her tears as her father talks. They run in steady streams down her cheeks and down her chin, dripping onto the table.

“But since you’ve been free of him, you have bloomed again. You have been glowing this entire summer, and I’m sorry your mother hasn’t seen it.” He looks her straight in the eye. “But I do.”

Aelin sniffles loudly. The waiter places their sandwiches in front of them, looking terrified at the scene in front of him, so Aelin waves him off, assuring him she’s fine.

“So, you’re not going to sell me off to the highest bidder just because I don’t know what I want to do with my life yet?” she asks.

“All we want you to do with your life is be happy,” Rhoe says and takes a large bite of his sandwich. “Whatever that means to you.”

“What if what makes me happy doesn’t live up to her expectations?” Aelin fiddles with her napkin.

“We’ll deal with that when we get to that,” Rhoe says, patting Aelin’s hand comfortingly. “So, will you please come back home?” he asks, and Aelin nods.

“On one condition,” she says, and Rhoe clasps his hands, waiting patiently for her to continue. “I want to go on the staff overnight next weekend.” She clears her throat. “Elide has been talking about it for years. That it’s her favorite weekend of the summer, and I’m friends with all of them anyway, and I want to go.”

Rhoe chuckles. “That’s the condition? Not… an apology from your mother?”

Aelin shrugs. “I only want her apology if she means it.”

“Fine,” Rhoe replies. “I’ll have your mom talk to Lorcan about adding you to the list of attendees.” He pauses. “You know there’s a ropes course, right? And hiking?” Aelin nods. “It’s just… you’re not much of an outdoor girl, honey.”

Aelin frowns. Her father’s right, she’s not much for hiking and trust activities, but she doesn’t want to lose a whole weekend with Rowan either. Not with so little of the summer left.

“I’m going.”

He holds up his hands in defeat. “Your condition is accepted.”

The pair finish their sandwiches in relative silence, which is good because Aelin can’t begin to process everything her dad just said to her. She feels somewhat reassured, but she can’t stop hearing her mother’s shrill voice repeating, “You have been a waste of my time and money!” over and over in her head. And she knows without a doubt if she really told her mom what was making her happy this summer, she’d be saying much, much worse.

Her dad is right – she has never wanted to be part of the family business, nor has she wanted to be married off and slip into high society life. And those are the only paths her mom views as viable.

Aelin can’t allow herself the privilege of thinking of other possible paths. Other paths with other people. She has no idea what that life might look like, but she knows it’s not allowed for her. If she even barely contemplates the possibility of that future, she knows she will be crushed when she can’t have it. Her chest tugs, wanting her to open that box, and see what that option holds for her, as dead ended as it might be. But she ignores it.

This is nothing more than a summer fling, she reminds herself. When she gets back to Adarlan, she’ll recalibrate and figure out what her life’s purpose is. But for the next few weeks, she’s sticking with what makes her happy. Here. In Terrasen.

She pulls out her phone and texts Rowan:

My dad was pretty convincing. I’m headed back home tonight.

I’ll leave the window unlocked for you ;)

“Everything alright?” Rhoe asks, wiping the crumbs from his mouth.

“Yup,” Aelin assures him, far too brightly. It is. At least, for now.

~*~*~*~*~

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[riorsonxaden]

Handle With Care

Written for @ladywitchling​, “Something with Manorian and children” Here ya go babes

WC: 4747

                                ********************************************

"Manon, I'm sorry," he said, weaving his silken, slim tie underneath each other. Looping it into a knot pulling it flush against the white-collar, "I didn't think I'd be called in when I told Aelin we could."

Her arms folded tight across her chest. Leaning against the crowning of the door frame. Fixing him a pointed look through the mirror. Holding his gaze, gold meeting sapphire. She watched her husband run his long fingers through perfectly coiled blue-black hair.

"Since it was your suggestion. Why don't you take her to work?" she questioned, surveying the way his solid muscle moved underneath his button-down. Crimson lips pursing as her gaze swept over him.

He simply turned towards her, a lazy smile from a mouth that harbored all sorts of wicked things. Dorian pinned her against the door. A hand settling on her hip. Her palms splayed across his chest.

"I can't or I would. Besides, it’s not for long. Chaol said Duke needs to have a finance meeting immediately, " Manon rolled her eyes, huffing out a response while Dorian brushed his nose along hers, hovering his mouth over Manon's blood-red ones, "Are you telling me Manon Havilliard can't handle a toddler?" If it wasn’t displayed so roguishly on his handsome face, she could hear his mocking smile in the words.

Her lips curled upward, coiling at his tie bringing his lips hovering over hers, “Oh I can. And you will bring me that big bottle of merlot from Wendlyn Wines and sushi when you get home,” She tugged him a tad closer, feeling his breath hot against her mouth. Like the caress of a heated wind kissing her lips.

Dorian dropped a hand gripping her waist firmly. She in turn tilted her head, holding his gaze. His words fell from his lips, tone dark and sensual, “I’ll give you something big alright.”

He closed the short distance between them, nipping at her bottom lip before claiming her mouth. A soft moan came from her, slipping her tongue between his parted lips searching for his. Dorian pressed his wife harder into the door, hearing it smack against the wall behind them. Her hands slid up into the perfectly styled hair all set for a day's worth of meetings. Just when his hands moved to cup her pert ass and lift her. The doorbell chimed ringing through both floors of the house. Breaking apart from each other, both with heavy breaths and blushed cheeks. Manon fixed her loose fitted shirt the color of granite giving him a chaste kiss.

“Finish getting ready. I’ll get her,” She turned to leave their room.

He called out to Manon as she reached the hallway smiling at her with encouragement, “You’re gonna do great.”

“I know."

Dorian knew the way she said it, his wife wasn't so sure.

It wasn’t that Manon had some irrational fear of kids. She simply didn’t know what to do with them. Despite her cousin Asterin having one and Elide having two. Manon had successfully dodged babysitting. Until now. Two years into marriage and the question was like a battering ram. To her and Dorian both. Have you thought about kids? Do you know time is ticking? She was a thirty-year-old woman and they had a few years before “time was ticking”. The happily married couple had discussed it. Plenty of times and the answer was always the same. If it happens, then it was meant to be. The Havilliards were perfectly content with their huskies, Abby and Abraxos. That was their family. Having a child wasn’t on top of their lists. At least for Manon.

For Dorian, the more their friends had children the more she noticed the longing on his face. Whether it was family gatherings, dinners, or birthdays he was always with the kids. Playing whatever games they asked and roughhousing with them. Majority of the time a babe would be in his arms. Or an older child on his hip or his shoulders. The warmth and tenderness would fill her watching him play the role of fun uncle. Knowing how good he would be as a dad. Manon knew her husband only said if it happens to appease her. To let her know it was okay and he’d wait months, years for her to be ready. It seemed now, she would have a test to see if she was. If she’d ever be.

Manon walked out of their room and down the hall, following the loud noises of their dogs barking relentlessly in a chorus of excitement. She shouted at the door, knowing it was Aelin on the other side. Quickly she pulled the sliding glass door open ushering the dogs outside. Closing it after Abby stepped onto the porch. Manon rushed to the front door pulling it open with a twist of the knob. Aelin stood in the doorway, a backpack over her shoulder filled to the brim. Looking more like she was preparing Manon for a hike in the Terrasen mountains and not watching a child. Manon’s gaze fell to the girl, standing up to Aelin’s knee, Keira Whitehorn. Her hair primarily taking after her father. Though thanks to her mother most likely, it was a lighter shade. More of pale moonlight. Close to Manon’s. The girl sported evenly split pigtails that bounced as she swayed behind her mother. Besides the hair shade, she looked practically identical to her. Including the traditional Ashryver eyes, turquoise, and gold.

It was then Manon noticed the shimmer on Keira’s lips and the bright pink on her cheeks. Manon arched a brow at the look. Aelin must’ve caught the confused look in her eyes as she sighed.

“Kay refused to leave until she did her makeup. Because auntie Manon likes makeup. She’s in a copycat phase, “ Aeling said handing over the bag. Manon took it setting it inside her home, “It’s pretend makeup and will come off with water. Anyways, Good Morning.”

She thought most of the kids tolerated her because they loved Dorian so much. Honestly, she believed they were scared of her. Which was ridiculous although given her usual cold appearance understandable. It was never the kids' fault, Manon just had a people tolerance level and after some point, she was ready to go home and be with her dogs and Dorian. He always felt the same, Dorian just had a better way of masking it. Little Keira wanted to copy her, to be like her. Manon could truly say she was touched by this notion.

“Good Morning, “ Manon crouched down to Keira’s level, a softness in her voice that surprised even her, “Not bad, I could give you some pointers if you’d like, I might need a model... If your mother is okay with it that is.”

Keira gasped, eyes widening tugging on her mother's blazer, “Please oh please!” she begged, working her best puppy face.

“Your father would have a fit,” Aelin commented, running her fingers as if in thought before flashing a grin, “but his face would be priceless. Do it.”

“What are we doing?”

Manon heard her husband question as he stepped behind her. Keira shouted his name flying into his arms. Dorian hoisted her up, keeping her on the seat of his hips. Keira’s small four-year-old face lit up as bright as the smile on his. Gone was the seductive prowl of the man moments ago who almost took his wife against a door. Yet, Manon found him equally desirable at this moment.

“Manon’s gonna do my makeup,” she giggled.

“She is?” he quipped, looking over at her. Manon shrugged as if saying, it’s what she wants.

“I have to go. Thanks again you guys,” Aelin kissed her daughter's brow, “Don’t be a terror,” the girl twisted her brows pouting her face, “too much of a terror. I love you and I’ll see you tonight.”

Keira said her goodbyes as Aelin walked away shouting good luck. As she peeled out of the parking lot Dorian slid Keira into Manon’s arms. Manon kept her steady on her hip. She’s held kids before, but the feeling always felt off to her. Dorian pressed a quick peck to her cheek, as he ruffled the top of Keira’s hair musing up the perfectly brushed strands pulled into elastic bands.

“I should go too. The sooner I get this over with. The sooner I can come home.”

Manon nodded, “Remember your promise. Sushi and wine. The big bottle.”

He leaned over growling against her ear that sent a shiver down her spine, “I told you there’s something bigger I’d rather give you,” teeth nipping at her ear. Causing her body to heat at the wanton touch. Prick.

Manon squeezed Keira tightly as she stepped back, shoving Dorian in the shoulder as he laughed, “I'm holding a kid you rutting ass-” he cut his wife off with a quick searing kiss.

“Language Havilliard. There’s a child present,” Dorian quipped.

Manon glared at her ass of a husband. He grinned, his sapphire eyes shining bright in the sunlight. Suddenly his features turned soft and caring. Then Manon knew why he did what he did. To ease her tension. On the outside, she appeared calm and ready for a day with a four-year-old. On the inside, she was still nerve wrecked. Taking care of kids wasn’t something she knew nor understood. In mere minutes it would only be Manon and Keira. When Manon glanced over to the girl in her arms, with pretend makeup on for her. She felt the uneasiness begin to ebb away.

Dorian flashed her a glance that said, If you need me just call, but I think you’ve got this.

Manon placed the young girl down onto the cemented ground, approaching her husband kissing him ever so lightly on his lush lips, "I love you. Have a good day at work,” she responded in the way a loving wife would. Manon whispered into his ear far away from the peering ears of the toddler behind her, “Bring me my wine or that big thing can find your hand tonight.”

His only response was a low hungry purr. Dorian knelt to Keira, wrapping her in a tight embrace as he said his goodbye. How he can be in a state of primal desire and tender to a child in the same breath, Manon didn’t know. Only that her desire and love for him grew. With a wink and an I’ll call you later he left, leaving behind Manon and Keira as they went inside.

“Auntie Manon?” Keira questioned following Manon to the patio door. She didn’t wait for her aunt to respond, “You don’t have to worry. Mommy calls daddy a bastard all the time.”

“I see.” it was the only thing she could muster in the shock of this four-year-old saying bastard. Then again she is Aelin’s child.

After Manon let the dogs in and they kissed all over the little girl. The duo went to their food and skittered off somewhere in the house. Keira flopped onto the crimson sofa as Manon sat next to her. The little girl kicked her feet as her aunt chewed her bottom lip lost in thought. Manon was good at thinking on her toes, but with kids, she was unsure of what to do. Sure she promised her make up lessons. By Aelin’s response, she thought it better to wait until later.

The girl leaned back on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling, “Mama told me you met uncle Dorian on my birthday at the hospital.”

Manon bit back a smile recalling the memory of Asterin's thirteen-hour delivery and the sapphire blue-eyed idiot who wouldn’t leave her alone in the general waiting room, “I did.”

“So you fell in love and married because of me?”

“If that’s what you wanna think kid.” Manon drawled.

Things fell to another beat of silence. Manon was sure the dogs were sprawled out on her bed, napping. The living room felt still and awkward. She could hear the rustle of Keira’s tutu as she moved and twisted angling herself to look at Manon. Manon looked at her from the corner of her eyes as the girl watched her and she could tell Keira had more questions.

“Why don’t you have a baby? Do you want a baby? Mommy says you’re not sure. Daddy tells her it’s none of her business. She sticks out her tongue and then he gives her a spanking,” Keira rushed that all out in a single breath. It was more of Rowan and Aelin then she cared to know.

“Well you’re father is right. It is none of her business and I don’t know."

Manon prayed to whatever God would listen that this conversation would end and soon. She didn’t want to find some child-like way of explaining her fears. Terrified of being a horrible mother. Growing up she didn’t have a mother figure. Her mother and father passed away in a tragic accident. Her grandmother was a hard woman with a cold heart. Because of that Manon believed in the depths of her soul, she would parent with a cold harshness. That wasn’t what she wanted for any future child of hers.

“Babies are cute and funny. You should think about it. Can we watch Frozen and have a tea party?”

Manon furrowed her brows, tapping a finger lightly on her chin, “I’ve never had a tea party before,” she didn’t miss the confused look or the gaping on the small girl, “My grandmother raised me. She wasn’t a tea party kind of person. I learned how to shoot a bow, martial arts, Sword Fighting, which sounds insane now that I think about it.”

Keira’s eyes danced like rays of sun glittering on the clear ocean waters. Her smile grew from ear to ear. If Manon had any doubt this kid belonged to Rowan and Aelin, her excitement over this showed it. With Rowan being an FBI agent in a specialized unit called The Cadre, he knew various skill sets of a violent trade. Aelin took up jiu-jitsu as well as a routine fitness regime. Which Manon knew well being they worked out together. It was no surprise Keira marveled at her confession.

“What would your parents say if I let you play with a wooden sword in the yard?” she grinned.

Keira shot her an incredulous look too much like Aelin.

"I have toy swords all over my home."

"Welp," Manon slapped a hand on her leg, "To the yard. Beat me once I'll buy Frozen and order pizza for lunch. Kids like pizza right?"

Keira nodded jumping off the sofa, speaking with enthusiasm, "Deal!"

Perhaps, this kid thing wasn't all too bad.

******************************

There were no other words to put it. Dorian simply felt bad for his wife. He had a whole day planned for them, but when Chaol called about a meeting his irritating second cousin, Duke demanded to be held today. Citing it needed immediate attention, Dorian had no choice in the matter.

He knew she wasn’t ready for kids if she ever would be. Despite their friends around them growing their families, It suited them both just fine. True, he loved kids. He loved playing with their nieces and nephews during get-togethers, holidays, and the like. A small part of him envied the fatherly joy beheld by Rowan, Chaol, and Lorcan.

He understood the depths of her fears. That it wasn’t the thought of having kids, it was Manon’s inner conflict. The fear of treating her children the way her grandmother treated her, with little love and a brutal life. That thought usually kept her away from kids, even her goddaughter. Dorian despised her grandmother for sowing these feelings so deep into Manon.

When the few times she was with Asterin’s daughter, Stella, or how she was with their dogs, he knew Manon would be the perfect mother. Harsh and stern when needed, yet loving them with such fierceness that even the mere thought made his heart swell with pride. He hoped with two of them watching Keira it would ease that fear. Now he was sitting here in a four-walled office tapping his fingers along the rich mahogany desk and she was home with a child and her fears swirling inside her like darkness.

As he waited for that damned prick, Dorian looked through his emails when the camera icon caught his attention. He might not be able to be with her, but he could watch her. Was it an invasion of privacy? Probably. Would she beat his ass for it? Yes. If he saw her acting like a mother, perhaps he could ease those wicked feelings. It was worth the risk. Clicking the icon and waiting for the cameras to appear he wasn’t prepared for the video that popped up.

There was his wife, her precious crimson blanket passed down from her family on her father’s side, wrapped around her neck like a cloak. Something in her hand, a wooden sword he assumed. Dorian rubbed his palm over his face, keeping it over his mouth hiding his laugh. His wife was in their yard with a play sword clashing against a toddler. Noticing Keira’s hair was now pulled into a braid just like Manon as the small girl charged at her, most likely with a warrior’s cry. His dogs running beside her.

He could envision himself there, with a child of their own running through the yard. With a kid and the dogs trailing behind as he or she chased down their parents. Until they would collide into each other, Dorian tickling the kid while he busied kissing his wife. Abby and Abraxos jumping in on the fun licking whoever they could. Or until one of them fell, like Keira just did of the gravel clutching her legs. He didn’t have to be there to know the girl was crying a wallop of tears falling down her small face. Manon threw the sword down undoing the blanket immediately scooping the girl in her arms and running into their home.

His phone rang as Dorian looked over Manon’s distressed face appearing on his screen. Flicking the answer key he held up his phone smiling at her pretending he didn’t witness the events that unfolded, “Having fun?”

“Dorian I broke the kid," Manon confessed

“Babe you didn’t break her,” he noted the worry hidden behind her golden gaze.

Keira was crying and whimpering in the background. From what he could see, Aelin’s daughter sat on the toilet. Legs propped up, with two bright red knee caps, a deep scarlet slowly trickling down. Manon wiped the blood away once more.

“I already cleaned both knees, but I can’t find any band-aids,” she rushed out, setting her phone down.

Dorian watched as she lowered herself to Keira. Brushing a thumb affectionately over the girl’s tiny hand. The touch he could tell was gentle like a mother’s caress. Manon tucked a stray strand behind her ear.

“You’re a tough girl right?” she said soothingly. Keira sniffled, nodding her head. Manon took a tissue wiping Keira’s tears away, “Tough girls can cry when we get hurt, but we’re strong right?” Another nod followed by a smile from his wife, “ Tough girls dry there eyes because these,” pointing to her knees, “Are your battle scars from defeating the evil witch queen. You should wear them with pride.”

“Okay,” Keira’s voice was barely above a whisper. Dorian was lucky enough to hear it, “We can watch Frozen now? With pizza and a tea party?”

“Soon as I find the band-aids."

Dorian refused to bring attention to what he witnessed. He’d save that for later.

“Manon look on the top shelf in the cabinet. We have a first aid kit in the kitchen too.”

Picking up the phone she replied, “Thanks. I’ll text you later.” and then she clicked off the phone.

Dorian sat in this meeting bored out of his mind. What any part of this couldn’t wait till Monday he didn’t understand. He was only half paying attention to the discussion. His mind on other things as in his wife having a tea party with pizza and Disney films. Being the CEO of Havilliard Enterprises he knew this was highly unprofessional. However, as the man in charge, he could do as he pleased. To which included pulling his phone out and accessing the security cameras of his home. Dorian leaned into the armchair of his cushioned leather seat. Eyes scanning the small squares until he found the camera angled in his living room. If the swordplay warmed his heart, this melted it entirely.

There sat Manon, her back braced against the sofa, tucked in between the base and the coffee table. A box opened in front of her that Dorian figured was pizza. He stifled a laugh seeing she had two coffee mugs on the table and not teacups. It was hard to tell what part of the movie was playing. Seeing Keira twirling around and pulling Manon to her feet, he knew the iconic song that every parent abhorred was about to play. The pride and love in him radiated watching Manon pretend to use ice magic and what he guessed was sing with Keira.

“Mr. Havilliard I had no idea fiances put a smile like that on your face,” Perrington commented in a way that seemed to be a falsified attempt at pleasantries, “Or was I disturbing something important?” he questioned raising his brow.

It was this moment, Dorian knew he’d have enough. This dreadful meeting could wait. He wanted to be near his wife and niece.

Turning his phone off returning it to his pocket as he stood grabbing his blazer from his chair, the faintest glare on his face, “Truthfully Mr. Perrington. I find this immediate finance meeting on a Saturday unimportant. Nothing you have mentioned needed any sense of urgency and could have easily waited until Monday,��� Duke went to speak and Dorian held up a hand, “I’m not finished. To answer your question yes you did disturb something important today. If you’ll excuse me I’m going to leave now and we can continue this Monday. Disturb me again when things do not need urgency and you will find yourself out of a job,”

“You wouldn’t do that to your second cousin would you?”

Dorian had to reign in the gag at his pathetic attempt of innocence.

“You mean the same cousin who believes I am unfit to run this company?” Dorian’s smile turned wicked almost lethal striding over to him, clapping a shoulder on the older man squeezing it tightly, “Enjoy your day Duke,” Dorian lowered his head down, “My warning holds. I will fucking fire you.”

******************************

With that Dorian walked away from the grey walled meeting room, leaving a raging Duke Perrington behind. Dorian didn’t care, he was going to go home.

Opening the door with Manon’s favorite merlot in hand, he noticed it was quiet. Too quiet for a four-year-old and two dogs. As if they heard him thinking Abby and Abraxos showed up. Dorian hung his keys on the wall before petting them. He looked around for any movement and saw nothing. The couch was empty and the tv stayed on the rental screen. Settling the bottle on their counter he walked through the house.

“Man? I’m home,” he wondered if they were hiding from him. He did send her a message after all. Maybe they were trying to spook him, “Babe?”

His shoes tapped along the wooden flooring down the hallway. Checking everywhere he could think, even their bedroom. No one. His heart started racing. They weren’t outside and Manon’s car was in the driveway so they didn’t leave. If anyone broke in there was no sign of struggle. Rounding the corner he noticed their library door ajar, though the lights were off. Still, he pressed on pushing against the ivory door. This was Aelin’s kid he should have looked here first.

“Manon?”

Still nothing.

He moved past the various shelves of books. All lined with fantasy, history, and whatever books caught their eyes. Walking past four aisles he wandered into the reading space. In between, two wing-backed chairs he found blankets tied on the knobs of each one, a faint glow coming from within. Dorian silently stepped forward, crouching when he opened the lip of this makeshift tent. Immediately he pulled his phone out to snap a picture before crawling inside.

In the tent, there were pillows scattered across the floor. Manon and Keira huddled in a corner a protective arm wrapped tightly around the little girl. Keira nuzzled into the nape of his wife’s neck. A small hand resting on her chest. Manon’s hand settled over Keira’s hair. Both of them breathing deeply as they slept. Carefully Dorian slipped next to his wife. The tips of his fingers, gingerly running across her arm kissing her brow as he did so. Manon shifted ever so lightly leaning into him. Her hold on Keira remaining tight.

“You’re home earlier than expected,” she whispered keeping her eyes closed.

“I can leave,” he suggested. “And take your wine with me.”

Golden eyes flashed open as quick as she could, Manon turned at him, “Don’t you dare,” she paused, “and my sushi?”

He pulled her and Keira in tighter, his nose brushing along her neck, “I was thinking after Aelin picks up Kay we can order sushi, finish what we started earlier…” he trailed off.

Manon hummed her approval, “practice making a baby,” the way she suggested it gave him the implications she was serious.

He blinked once, twice. His mouth opening several times to speak yet no words would come, until he swallowed thickly as her statement sunk in.

“Manon...Are you serious?” She turned to face him carefully slipping out and away from Keira. Sitting up Dorian followed her movements.

She thought about her day with Keira. From the sword playing to the fear and maternal instincts that kicked in when she fell. Even in her panicked moment how Dorian, unknowing to him calmed Manon. After Manon placed a bandage on her knees, Keira flung herself from the toilet hugging her. At first, she froze surprised by the action, then she returned the hug. Since then she didn't think as a sitter, or an aunt, she thought as a mother. To test it out. Manon pictured her husband with her doing these things, the movies, dancing, innocent duels, and stories in a tent.

When Keira asked for story time in a tent. They built one together, the one they sat in now. It was this moment that truly settled the notion everything would be fine. When Keira snuggled up to her as she read the book about a pig named Olivia. Occasionally Manon would glance over to the empty spot, thinking of this situation with Dorian and a child of their own. It struck her how badly she wanted this. There was an ache, a burn in her chest knowing in a couple of hours and after she does Keira’s makeup, she will be childless again. Until the foreseeable future. And she hated it.

Manon knew not every day would be perfect. There would be days she struggled. That Dorian would struggle. Days where they would argue and days where their kids would be at their absolute worst. Seeing this girl look at her today like she was the world. Filled her with a feeling she couldn’t possibly describe. It was a sensation that made the fear and those soon to be harsh days worth it.

Manon glanced over at Keira watching as she started to stir under the blanket, “Being with her today and you not being here. I kept thinking of what it would be like for us to be doing these things with our own, “turning to face Dorian once more, “I want that Dorian. I want our family to grow. I know on low days as a parent I’ll have you and you won’t let me fall.”

Dorian pulled her into a warm embrace, wrapping his arms around her. Resting his head over hers. Manon ran her hands down the expanse of his back, “I saw you on the security cameras playing with her. I watched you, heard you comfort her when she was hurt. Manon, you will be amazing as a mother and yes I won't let you fall. I'll be here. Always."

                                    ******************************************** 

Read it on Ao3

Come celebrate with me!

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[abraxos-is-toothless]

Undercover- Throne of Glass AU (1)

This was meant to go up Friday but my new laptop turned up late, and from now on the schedule should be a Thursday/Friday.

Warnings: Swearing and brief mentions of violence. I’ll update these as the story progresses.

Prologue.

Full Masterlist.

—————

Aelin couldn’t help but grin from as she watched her family bicker amongst themselves. They were in the house they all used for small gatherings including family dinner and movie night or for when they were waiting for new recruits to arrive, such as now.  She was sat at the edge of the room in her window seat where she could see every exit and could have her eyes on every person in the room. Manon and Dorian were sparring in the middle of the room, neither one of them managing to keep the other down for very long before they were at each other’s throats once more.

Aedion and Lysandra were curled up on the loveseat together, the dark haired girl giggling at whatever her cousin had just whispered in her ear, which in turn made Aelin want to smile and gag at the same time. Elide was cleaning her gun as she sat on the floor between Ren’s legs as he braided the girls hair. And last but not least, Chaol was currently fussing over a pregnant Yrene who would bat his hands away and kept threatening to poison him if he didn’t stop.

The last group of muscle they had hired turned out to be undercovers that Aedion convinced her should be left alive, unfortunately, not to mention that they were absolutely fucking useless considering their backgrounds. This time around, Aelin allowed Elide to do the search because the girl was not only capable of killing a man twice her size in under a minute; she was also the biggest nerd and hacker amongst them. Her second in command had pulled through, and when she came to Aelin a few days ago to show her the files, she was told she could have whatever new knives she wanted for such an amazing find. The smaller girl had grinned that awful grin which even terrified Manon sometimes.

Everyone was on alert in a second at the sound of the doorbell and had moved into place by time it had stopped ringing through the house. Aelin was now seated behind her desk with her feet up and hands folded across her stomach.

Celaena Sardothien was present now.

The others were spread about the room, her cousin to her right and Elide to her left, while Lysandra went to greet the new recruits. It would have been Yrene once upon a time, but Celaena refused to let her when she told everyone about the baby. That was their one rule. You do not harm a child. And the gods fucking help you if you do.

Lys came back into the room and wiggled her brows at Celaena before moving to stand beside Ren at the back as five very tall, tanned and muscled men came through just behind her. The first to enter was the man she knew to be one Rowan Whitehorn, sporting an incredibly bored look, much like his second. Lorcan Salvaterre was right on his heels, followed closely by the rest of this little band of misfits. The twins, Fenrys and Connall, she remembered, were the only one with smiles on their faces. Mischievous was a correct description. Vaughan was quiet and looked quite shy on the outside, but she knew he was calculating and planning as he scanned the room and the people inside of it. The last to enter was Gavriel. She hadn’t noticed before, you can’t ever see things in photos, but as he stood before her now in the flesh, there was a familiarity about him that she couldn’t place exactly.

Celaena smirked, making an obvious show of looking them up and down as she spoke, “Gentlemen, welcome. It’s so lovely to finally meet you all.”

They all gave a short bow of their heads with a muttered “Miss Sardothien”.

Manon snorted at that and was promptly glared at when it didn’t go unnoticed by the men before her. The witch rolled her eyes and went back to looking at her nails as if she was entirely uninterested, yet she was the complete opposite.

“Please boys, ignore the formalities. You may call me Celaena,” each of them were clearly about to nod once more but she continued before they could, “if you can survive one little test.”

oOoOo

Rowan was now regretting this whole assignment. Sardothien was an entitled brat that clearly thought this whole thing was a god damned game. She was nineteen years old and had somehow inherited Rhoe Galathynius' empire. It would have made sense to go to Ashryver, being one of the only living relatives Rhoe had left. The whole thing was absurd if you asked him and he couldn’t wait until he and the Cadre had taken everything apart piece by piece.

He wouldn’t let her know how he felt so through gritted teeth he asked, “A test, Miss Sardothien?”

Celaena stood and walked around to the other side of her desk and leaned back against it, still smiling. Rowan didn’t think that he liked that smile which quite clearly said trouble was brewing.

“Yes Whitehorn, a test. Am I not allowed to test people who wish to work for me as I see fit?”

Fucking hell, if this carried on then the mission would be over faster than they expected because he had killed her. “Of course you are. I apologise if I made it sound otherwise.”

He received nothing other than a raised brow and quick once over.

Bitch.

“As I was saying before I was interrupted, if you pass this little test, you’re all hired. If not, well, you won’t be suited here.”

Holding back an eye roll at something as childish as a test, he conceded, “What test ma’am?”

“See how polite this one is Havilliard, why have you never called me ‘ma’am’?” she called out to one Dorian Havilliard, who Rowan knew to be Celaena’s mercy killer. He had the unfortunate job of killing one of their members if any of their injuries were too severe to treat. No matter what business they may be in, he felt for the man and hoped he’d never have to do such a thing for one of his own. He banished the thought when he heard Dorian scoff before her Royal Highness continued.

“If your second here can last at least five minutes in a sparring match against my own second, we have a deal.”

Lorcan, ever one to prove he was better than most, agreed before Rowan could say anything and that time he did roll his eyes.

“Done.” He sneered as he turned to the right of the woman to face Aedion and beckoned for him to come forward. Within seconds of that display the whole room began laughing and more importantly, Blackbeak full on cackled as she noticed their shocked faces. He realised why when a strong feminine voice full of mockery and laughter said;

“I’m over here sweetheart.”

He turned to see Elide Lochan in all her tiny glory, giving his second a smile that even sent shivers down his own spine. There wasn’t much about her in the file they had, just that she was an excellent techy and had disposed of her own Uncle after he tried to sell her off into some underground prostitution ring over in France. No wonder she was second in command when she was so inconspicuous. He should have guessed.

Rowan had barely any time to process the information before she moved faster than he could blink, landing a powerful left hook to Lorcan’s jaw which resulted in his ass meeting the floor.

oOoOo

Having a woman hand him his ass should not have turned Lorcan on, but by the gods it did.

She was a feisty little fireball and Lorcan hadn’t had such a tiring workout since that day six years ago when Whitehorn had nearly killed him and beat him black and blue. He had been an angry, hateful mess after the accident and no one could out last that icy rage for very long. So he had endured it full force until the silver haired had broken down in his arms.

Sardothien did indeed call time after what were a very long five minutes and the two of them were left panting and sweaty in the middle of the room, gazes locked. Lorcan wished it was a different activity that had left them that way.

Enough Salvaterre, you’re here to take them down. No fucking the enemy.

“I’m impressed. Nobody ever lasts even two against Elide, not even the Wolf over there.” The bitch queen jerked her thumb over her shoulder to where Ashryver was standing, who simply flipped her off. Many would have been killed by their bosses for such behaviour, but apparently everything worked differently here.

This was going to be difficult.

“Ren you shit stain, show them to their rooms. You’ll be on the first floor along with Manon, Dorian, Lys and Aedion. They’re very loud lovers so I hope you brought ear plugs with you.” She said it with a smile and wiggled her fingers in goodbye as they were ushered out of the room by a man with a scar on his face. Just before the door closed, Lorcan saw the swagger facade drop as Celaena fussed over her second, worry written on her face as she turned the dark haired woman’s face this way and that way.

Each individual room was pointed out to them by Ren as they passed, he didn’t look too happy to be given the job though. The twins were in the room closest to the stairs, next to them was Vaughan and Gavriel and then himself on his own followed by Rowan’s own closest to the next flight of stairs up. They stopped outside of Rowan’s room before they were allowed to disperse and were given a few ground rules as if they were dogs.

“Boss says you can use the ground floor as you wish; watch a movie, read a book or whatever. You are not to go up to the second floor with permission from Lochan or the Boss herself. Most of us have our own houses so we won’t all be here twenty for hours. The only permanent ones for now will be the Boss, Lochan, the Westfalls and myself. Any questions?”

They all shook their heads which was apparently deemed acceptable.

“Good. Take the day to get yourselves situated; we’re all having dinner at seven, if you can call it that. Don’t be late.”

He nodded before disappearing back down the stairs and Rowan addressed them now that they were alone.

“Get unpacked and sorted.  I want you mingling to your heart’s content tonight, the faster they trust us, the faster their empire falls. Understood?”

They each murmured a “Yes Sir” before walking back to their own respective rooms and Fenrys and Connall went to the stairs to go get their bags from the car. Just before he could turn the handle to his room, he stopped when Rowan spoke again, all seriousness and a stern look.

“Oh and Lorcan? Keep your fucking dick out of tiny, short tempered ladies please. I will not allow us to fail because your hormones led you astray.”

Vaughan chuckled under his breath while Gavriel just shook his head, the twins already out of hearing distance, thank fuck.

A woman had never messed with his morals before and he certainly wasn’t going to let such a thing happen this time.

Not now and not ever.

—————

I hope you like my baby Badass Elide and Horny Lorcan;) If you want to be added/removed from the tags just give me a shout!!

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[mcheang]

Musicians AU

We all know that Marinette has a thing for Musicians. Adrien’s a pianist and Luka is a guitarist. But what if it was the other way around? What if Marinette’s obsessed with music instead of boys? And yet she’s still the most sought after girl? Oh she still wants to be a designer but her second hobby is singing and violin instead of Adrien. Chat Noir is still crushing on Ladybug but admits he has a soft spot for Marinette.

Let’s see...

Bubbler: Marinette gives the present easily and Adrien’s bummed because of his dad’s negligence

Dark Cupid: Marinette and Adrien receive a lot of valentines.

Horrificator: Marinette actually manages to kiss Adrien because she isn’t nervous and they start filming earlier. While Marinette isn’t bothered, this is Adrien’s first kiss that he can remember.

Kung Foo: Adrien introduces Marinette to Chinese music

Gamer: Marinette was a contestant from the beginning. She and Adrien are the finalists. Marinette has no trouble inviting Adrien over. She gives him her lucky charm. There is a romantic moment between them, on Adrien’s part.

Animal: Nino has a crush on Marinette but because Marinette is crush-free, Alya is there at the zoo. Adrien tries to get Alya away from their friends. Nino winds up confessing his feelings...for Alya. Adrien is sorta relieved by the end result. For some reason, he had hesitated at Nino’s crush.

Guitar Villain and Pixelator: Marinette is definitely starstruck but she controls herself well.

Volpina: Marinette immediately identifies that Lila is lying after the Ladybug lie. She transforms into Ladybug to tell Alya this. Infuriated, Alya confronts Lila while she is with Adrien at the park.

The Collector: judging by what Alya said before, Adrien deduces Lila must have stolen the book. He asks his friends to get it back from her. Under coercion, especially from Chloe, Lila lies that she may have seen that book at the park. Camera footage reveals she dumped it in the trash and is now headed for garbage rocket ships to space. Chloe halts the rocket launch, but leaves the garbage digging to the rest. Marinette is the one who finds it, and she takes pictures on Tikki’s advice. She later delivers the pictures to the Guardian.

Despair Bear: Adrien notices Marinette tapping her foot to the music and invites her to dance.

Befana: Adrien worked hard on Marinette’s present.

Riposte: Adrien wonders if he has a thing for Asian girls because now his heart is so torn.

Glaciator: Ladybug agrees to meet Chat because honestly, she wasn’t looking forward to being paired up by an ice cream maker. She hears Chat’s confession and is touched but admits she isn’t interested in romance at the moment. Chat is still hopeful.

Gorizilla: Marinette leaps into action to save Adrien from his fans. Can you blame him for his fluttering heartbeat?

Captain Hardrock: Marinette gains a new admirer. She certainly connects with Luka on a musical scale.

Frightingale: Marinette refuses to let Chloe play her.

Troublemaker: Jagged commends Marinette on her artistic and musical skills.

Sandboy: Marinette’s nightmare is that her precious violin and sketchbook are destroyed.

Frozer: Ladybug admits that she has a thing for musicians to Chat when she admits she still isn’t interested. Chat perks up and mentions he plays the piano. Ladybug teases that he could give her a recording next time.

Malediktator：Marientte apologizes to Adrien that he is feeling sad and feels bad for him. It is enough to kill her partying mood.

Catalyst: yeah...after the garbage digging, nobody in class likes Lila.

Backwarder: no delivery mix up so Hawkmoth is still unaware of the Guardian’s whereabouts.

Chameleon: everybody is unwilling to accommodate Lila. Only when she pulls a pity card do Rose, Mylene and Marinette show some mercy. When Lila tries to apologize to Adrien, he reminds her to apologize to the class too and not to lie again. While Adrien has forgiven her, Lila wasn’t in the mood to deal with his higher than thou attitude. She gets akumatized. Later, Alya calls her out for mistaking the location of her disability. Sympathy is gone. After school, Lila declares war on Alya

Silencer: Marinette is visibly touched by Luka’s confession and admittedly decides she has a soft spot for him. However, given their lack of interaction, it is unlikely to develop into a real relationship anytime soon.

Oblivio: Adrien realizes he has a crush on Ladybug. Before the cure is cast, he confesses it to Ladybug. She agrees to give him a chance and they set up a date. She kissed his cheek then casts the cure. After that, Adrien is delighted while Marinette is curious and puzzled. At that date, Chat finally showcases his musical skill, and so does Ladybug. Chat reveals he loves music because of his Mother. Ladybug feels closer to Chat and admits she wouldn’t mind a second date. Chat is ecstatic

Stormy Weather 2: Chat and Ladybug are still in the beginnings of a relationship

Reflekdoll: Juleka was given a chance to calm down while they took pictures of Adrien first. When she still had not calmed down, everyone has to go already. Marinette decides to wear her own outfit.

Oniichan: Adrien confesses he is in a secret relationship to Kagami after this. She is gracious about her rejection.

Puppeteer 2: Nino invites Marinette and Manon along so Adrien won’t be a third wheel. Manon plays with Marinette and Adrien.

Desperada: Marinette recommends Luka instantly. When Alya questions why she won’t date Luka, Marinette finally admits she is secretly dating someone. Luka is the first choice for a miraculous.

Ikari Gozen: Kagami and Marinette get along well though Marinette does find Kagami puzzling at first

Party Crasher: Marinette deduces the reason behind the boys’ absence and lets it go. She actually has a date later with Chat.

Gamer 2.0: Ladybug goes on another date with Chat to chill out. They play video games.

Felix: Ladybug isn’t interested in Adrien and makes that clear. Chat isn’t impressed with his Cousin either. Felix thought Marinette was boring.

Sentibug: Chat has a difficult time telling which Ladybug is his Girlfriend until Ladybug offers to let him cataclysm her earrings. Alya is expelled until Adrien threatens Lila.

Loveater: Adrien and Marinette find out each other is in a secret relationship. Andre’s ice cream gives a further clue. The couple noticeably freak out upon discovering each other’s identity. Kagami is bemused. She finds it confusing how they could be in a secret relationship and not know it was with each other. Marinette babbles our that it was an online game relationship. Later, Kagami leaves the couple alone to bond. She encounters Luka and both commiserate their heartbreak together. BTW, Master Fu was never exposed because Ladybug and Chat Noir didn’t need help. Chloe is irked she wasn’t chosen again.

Adrien and Marinette finally announce their relationship. Chloe and Lila aren’t pleased. Gabriel tries to break them up but Marinette isn’t worried because secret identities do come in handy sometimes.

[alectology-archive]

SJ/M’s plagiarism from fiction/media

I’m hoping to make a comprehensive list of all the sources SJ/M has outright ripped off from in the past. Feel free to comment down below or send an ask if you can think of anything.

SJ/M has very clearly ripped off of GRRM and JRR Tolkien’s works. Same goes for a lot of Anne Bishop’s works, too, and a lot of her favourite authors - so if anyone’s read books SJ/M has stated that she likes please let me know.

Note that this post will keep getting updated as I discover more evidences of plagiarism. Also note that there is every possibility that some resemblances are purely accidental and/or unintentional. So take it with a grain of salt.

(?) indicates a questionable addition to the post.

T/HRONE OF GLASS

- “The Queen Who Was Promised” comes from GRRM’s “The Prince who was Promised” prophecy in ASOIAF, who also goes by Azor Ahai, who wields Lightbringer, and is also known as the Son of Fire. 

- “Aelin” is probably derived from “Aelin-uial” in the Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien. Additionally, it may have been derived from Aerin Dragon-Killer/Aerin Firehair from Robin McKinley's The Hero and the Crown, as SJ/M stated it was one of her favourite novels.

- “Fireheart” is the name of Corlath’s horse in The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley, an author SJ/M admires.

- Empire of Storms, 2016, contains the infamous line ‘velvet-wrapped steel.’ And… so does Fifty Shades of Grey, in 2011: ‘Steel encased in velvet.’ 

- “Valg” comes from Terry Brooke’s The Sword of Shannara, another author SJ/M admires.

- “Hope. You cannot steal it, and you cannot break it." is awfully similar to the line from The Princess Bride about love "you cannot track that, not with a thousand bloodhounds, and you cannot break it, not with a thousand swords". SJ/M has said that she loved the movie.

- The infamous “You could rattle the stars” is a ripoff of Treasure Planet’s “You’re gonna rattle the stars.”

- “To Whatever End” comes from The Two Towers where King Theoden says it just before the battle of Helm’s deep begins.

- “You bow to no one” is said by Aragorn at the end of the Return of the King after his coronation.

- Orynth has white walls and is surrounded by snow capped peaks. It has large white walls and bears an unusually striking resemblance to Minas Tirith in The Lord of the Rings.

- Aelin’s journey mirrors that of Aragorn. The lost heir to a powerful throne, spends years in the wilderness denying their claim, joins forces with the elf/faes to reclaim it and has an immortal elf/fae as consort.

- Nehemia names Aelin ‘Elentiya’, saying, “I give you this name to use with honour, to use when other names grow too heavy. I name you Elentiya, ‘Spirit That Could Not Be Broken’.” It sounds similar in tone and cadence to the way Galadriel describes the light of Earendil to Frodo. The name Elentiya even sounds Elvish, and sits discordant with the other naming conventions in Eyllwe.

- Manon gathers the witches to go to war by starting a series of beacons, lit all across Erilea, from snow-capped mountains to the woodlands - directly from the Return of the King when Pippin helps Gondor call for aid. 

- The wall defences of Orynth are completely sound, except there’s one more way in, through a grate in the water canal - another striking resemblance to a place in Lord of the Rings known as Helm’s Deep. There is even a scene where someone asks if there’s a secret passage the women and children can escape through.

- In EoS and ToD, Chaol is referred to as “Hand of the King”. In GoT the “Hand of the King” is a title given to the King’s advisor.

- The speech that Haldir gave when he arrived in Helm’s Deep, uniting the elven and human forces, is paraphrased at least three times in this book. Most notably when Manon brings the Crochan witches to fight alongside the humans. She actually says “Long ago, Crochans and humans fought side by side…”

- Kingsflame blossoms bloom only when a kingdom is at peace and the rightful monarch is on the throne. Also a very similar plot point to the White Tree of Gondor in The Lord of the Rings.

- The dam breaking in Anielle and flooding is based on the Isengard dam breaking in The Two Towers. 

- Chaol crosses the Narrow Sea to get to the southern continent. In GoT the Narrow Sea is the body of water between Westeros and Essos.

- The “Wyrdkeys” are the Silmarils. There are 3 Wyrdkeys and 3 Silmarils. They’re ancient and powerful stones forged by a being of great power (Feanor, who made the Silmarils, was the most powerful elf of all time). Everyone is fighting over them. And just like one Wyrdkey eventually ends up in the Terrasen Amulet, one of the Silmarils ends up in a necklace called the Nauglamir. They’re also all destroyed/lost at the end.

- Kingdom of Ash, page 543: “It was not arrows alone that had been fired, and now peppered the snow.But heads. Human heads, many still in their helmets.” In Return of the King, the orcs catapult severed heads (still in their helmets) over the walls of Minas Tirith.

- “What say you, Queen of Witches?”…….“I shall answer Terrasen’s call.” is a blatant rip-off of the scene where Aragorn approaches Theoden after the beacons are lit in the Return of the King.

- Rowan is referred to as, “My friend through many dangers.” which is exactly what Gandalf says about Shadowfax, his horse, in Lord of the Rings.

- The Land before Time, 1988: ‘Some things you see with your eyes. Other things you see with your heart.’

Crown of Midnight, SJM, 2011: ‘Some things you hear with your eyes. Other things you hear with your heart.’

- ‘Spirit that could not be broken’ is seen in Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002) and Throne of Glass (2011).

- It’s possible that SJ/M may have plagiarised Maria V Snyder’s Poison Study(?) (published 2005). Both books begin with the heroine being released from prison and being offered the choice to be freed by working for the very rulers who’d imprisoned them. Also, Valek - Yelena’s love interest - is the greatest and most feared assassin in the country and also acts as a mentor to Yelena much like Rowan does in Heir of Fire. However, I think this is a questionable addition despite similarities because SJ/M began writing Queen of Glass in 2003 and all the aforementioned aspects that are similar were already present in the version she published online.

- S/JM has saved a pin of Connor Kenway from the Assassin's Creed series (AC3) as Rowan and Lorcan on Pinterest. Towards the end of the series they started using hatchets as weapons, which is Connor's choice of weapon, outside of swords, and is used heavily in art which features him. Aelin's assassin suit from the earlier books also had a blade built into it, which was very similar to the hidden blade the assassins in Assassin's Creed use.

Further reading: Why not everyone liked Connor’s characteristic traits being ripped off: https://dragonidk.tumblr.com/post/614614548495859712/i-went-through-sjms-tog-pinterest-board-the-other

Further reading: An article comparing EoS’s ending to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: https://thebookfinch.wordpress.com/2016/09/08/review-empire-of-storms-by-sarah-j-maas-in-which-we-discuss-plagiarism/

A/COTAR

- “Prythian”, the A/COTAR world, is taken directly from Anne Bishop’s Daughter of the Blood.

- The Archeron sisters could be based off the painting “The Acheson Sisters” by John Singer Sargent which features three women.

- The Illyrians could have been based off of the Eyriens from Anne’s Bishop’s Black Jewels series. Both are warrior races with bat wings that use a war blade to fight with. They also both completely refuse their women any right to fight and consider losing their wings to be the absolute worst thing that could happen to them. 

- Feyre tells Tamlin, “The sun was shining when I left you.” which is basically Paris saying, “The sun was shining when your wife left you.” in the movie Troy (2004)

- Rhys proclaims, “Light can be found even in the darkest of hells,” Which is really close to Dumbledore saying (in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

- Daenerys: “We’re going to leave the world better than we found it.” 

ACOWAR: “Leave this world… a better place than how you found it.”

- “Pity those who don’t feel anything at all.” is a variation of “Pity the living and above all, those who live without love,” said by Dumbledore in the Deathly Hallows.

- A Dance of Dragons, George R.R. Martin, 2011: ‘He is fire made flesh, she thought, and so am I.’

ACOMAF, 2016: ‘Fire - he reminded her of fire made flesh.’

- SJ/M may have also plagiarised The Chronicles of Prydain for ACOTAR wherein Prythian is altered to Prydain and The Cauldron is derived from The Black Cauldron. This may be especially true considering the fact that SJ/M has expressed her love for the books and stated it on Twitter. She also went on to mention that she got the name for Prythian from those books. Similarities to the cauldron can also be seen in the fact that SJ/M’s Cauldron can transform humans into fae while Alexander's Black Cauldron is able to resurrect the dead.

!!!! Further Reading: Noticeable similarities between ACOTAR and The Chronicles of Prydain series: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Prydain

- Possible plagiarism(?) of Titanic: Rose is Feyre, Cal is Tamlin, Jack is Rhys. The story is similar - the girl is involved with a guy who seems nice enough, but turns out to be abusive etc. There are similar incidents of the table being chucked across the room/and the study being destroyed. Then you also have the girl being told the other guy isn't nice and she should stay away from him, but then it ends up being the other way round. The guy bosses her about, making her decisions for her and ends up dying for her later on.

- Rhapsody by Laura Thalassa and A/COTAR have awfully similar tropes. Both involve faeries, in both the main female lead leaves her barbaric boyfriend to go with the dark, elegant Fae boyfriend who came to collect a debt.

Further reading: A conversation in comparing The Vampire Diaries(?) to ACOTAR:  https://crescentcitysux.tumblr.com/post/618622356795064320/iolanthepeverells-pokeyfaes

Further reading: Similarities between Shatter Me and the ACOTAR trilogy: https://discountalien-pancake.tumblr.com/post/174823303683/dont-take-this-as-an-attack-im-just

C/RESCENT CITY

- Similarities between the plot of Darkfever by Karen Marie Morning (an author S/JM likes) and Crescent City’s plot: https://polysorscha.tumblr.com/post/183661492639/funny-thing-i-came-across-the-crescent-city

- The Princes of Hel might be from the Seven Princes of Hell demonology (some ancient writings trying to classify demons in christianity). [MINOR INFRACTION]

Sources:

- @sjm-exposed 

- @soartfullydone 

- @falstaffing for “My friend through many dangers.”

- https://readatmidnight.com/2018/10/27/book-rant-kingdom-of-ash/

- strangestoryteller.com

- https://camryndaytona.com/2019/08/sarah-j-maas-and-jrr-tolkien

- @rougeam for “fire made flesh”

- @sylphene for Aerin firehair 

- @sylphene and @paperbacktrash  for The Chronicles of Prydain.

- An anon for the Laura Thalassa comparison

- @hireath24 for the Crown of Midnight quote and “spirit that could not be broken.”

- @pokeyfaes and @iolanthepeverells for The Vampire Diaries comparison

- A reddit thread for the Titanic comparison 

- An anon for the Eyrians

- An anon and @dragonidk for the Assassin’s Creed addition

- @longsightmyth for Fireheart

[rufousnmacska]

Goodbye and Hello - 9

Manon and Dorian said goodbye in Orynth. But for them, saying hello again is only a matter of time.

The final chapter! Thank you so much to everyone who has read this! I really appreciate all the support and comments!

Previous chapters (full recap)

Part One: I Wish…

Part Two: Another Day

Part Three: Those Two Words

Part Four: Breakfast in Bed

Part Five: Waiting

Part Six: Confessions (nsfw)

Part Seven: Old Friends

Part Eight: Light in the Darkness

***

Part Nine: Not Even Close

***

The sight of Rifthold on the horizon made Manon’s heartbeat skip into an uneven rhythm. As if in warning. For the first time since she’d left on this journey, fear and regret surged through her every nerve, replacing the impatience that had pushed her these last two days. The urgency to get here was gone in an instant.

Abraxos continued on, as though he didn’t notice her change in mood. Or, he was just ignoring it. That thought made her smile, relieving some small piece of tension from her body.

She’d never admit it to him – it’d go straight to his head – but he often knew what she needed before she did. When her grandmother had gutted her, when the horrors of Morath were chasing her, when she was on her last breath, she’d told him to take her somewhere safe. Only to awaken in a bed on a ship in the middle of the sea. A ship upon which Dorian sailed. No other person on board was known to Abraxos, had even been seen by him. Yet, he’d flown her there. To Dorian.

The memory helped dispel the fear, giving her a boost of much needed courage. Her wyvern reacted by flapping his great, silvery wings a little harder, propelling them faster towards the city that began to glow before them.

It was almost dark, and as the sun disappeared, she was glad to have taken this more traditional route. The long way, instead of using a wyrd gate. Manon knew Glennis questioned the wisdom of taking the extra time flying here. The gate would’ve been faster, easier. No chance to back out. But Manon had insisted. She needed that extra time to think, to make absolutely certain of what she wanted. Flying cleared her head. It always had. And though she’d had that frightening moment of doubt an instant ago, the wind had lifted it away.

Perhaps carried on that same wind, Glennis’s words came floating back to her. The not so innocent questioning had propelled her to this moment.

*****

Five days ago...

The room was large, warm, and well furnished. Except for the fact that there was only one bed. It could easily accommodate two witches though.

“I’ll try not to snore,” Glennis said as she sat her bags in a corner.

Manon, following right behind, said, “I’ll try not to kick you when you do.”

The old witch laughed. “At least your mood hasn’t soured at the prospect of a roommate. Especially one who is not your first choice in such matters.”

It had been just over six months since Dorian first appeared in Morrigna through a wyrd gate. Petrah and Glennis knew about the king’s frequent nightly visits. Chaol and Yrene knew of the queen’s occasional stays in Rifthold. And other than a few exceptionally trustworthy guards, no one else had been told.

In order to maintain secrecy while she and Glennis were in Briarcliff to meet with Ansel, Manon would have to go a few nights without the company of the king.

Watching Glennis sort through her things, Manon smiled, realizing she was glad for this time together. They spoke every day, but there was always so much going on around them that often it felt like she hardly ever saw her great-grandmother.

“Well, you’re my first choice tonight.”

Glennis laughed again, and Manon warmed at the sight and sound. How quickly she’d grown to love the witch. How completely she relied on her. The feelings were equal parts terrifying and comforting. Manon was still trying to parse them when she realized Glennis was asking her a question.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I asked if Dorian has discussed the problem he is having with some of his nobility.”

“No,” she said, not bothering to hide her confusion. “And how would you know of it?” She knew that answer at least but wanted to make the crone squirm a bit.

As she began to remove her heavy flying clothes, Glennis tried to appear innocent. She worked at the leathers and boots with her gnarled hands for several minutes. Manon’s patience dissolved as she began to tap her foot on the floor.

“You can speak and get undressed at the same time.”

“Ha! I’m not as young as you are.” Finally, she was in her bedclothes, climbing into bed, and moving to adjust the pile of blankets atop her. “Yrene mentioned it in a letter.”

“The letters he and I carry back and forth for you?” Manon asked. “If you’re going to plot and plan behind our backs, I’m refusing to deliver them anymore.”

Her great-grandmother sat against the headboard and pulled the covers up around her. “Perhaps we wouldn’t need to … what did you accuse us of? Plotting? We wouldn’t need to plot if the two of you took matters into your own hands.”

Manon leaned on the tall corner post at the foot of the bed and crossed her arms. “What matters? What is happening with his lords?”

“They are pushing their king to find a queen.”

Something in her stomach flipped and her face paled. She turned away and began to fumble with her own leathers. “No,” she said roughly. “He did not tell me.”

“Have you never considered it?” Glennis lost the smug teasing and now sounded concerned, truly grandmotherly. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t pry.”

She pulled one of his shirts from her bag. It served as her bedclothes, when she needed to wear them. But she just held it, staring, trying not to inhale his scent that was still clinging to it. “Are you and Yrene aware that I once asked him? And he said no?” There was no anger, no cruelty in her words. She’d gotten over the rejection when he’d admitted that he wanted to say yes. Larger forces had kept him from it. And now, those forces were gone. She had yet to decide how that made her feel.

“No. When?”

Manon smiled. So much for not prying, she thought. Quickly, she threw the shirt on and got under the covers. Or, what was left that Glennis had not commandeered for her side. It was late spring, which meant it was still cold in the Wastes.

“The night before he left for Morath.”

Glennis sucked in a breath as a look of understanding filled her face. “Ah yes. I remember. I almost thought you’d go after him. If the call for aid had not come.” Curious now, she asked, “Would you have?”

“I don’t know,” Manon confessed. She’d felt the pull to go. The same pull she often felt around him. To him. Shaking her head, she said, “It doesn’t matter now. He said he would never cage me. Alliance or not.”

“Alliance?”

“I offered him a marriage alliance. For the war.” As she said it, she began to realize perhaps his duty to the keys wasn’t the only reason he’d turned her down. The cringe blooming on Glennis’s face seemed to confirm it. “Shit,” Manon said, flopping back on her pillow. “I made it sound like something to be … endured.” The memory of what she said came rushing back, making her feel worse. “Gods, I called it a sacrifice.”  

“Oh dear.”

“Shit,” she repeated. “It’s no wonder.” A sense of frantic urgency almost overtook her as she turned to the witch. “Why is he still with me? After an insult of that magnitude?”

This time, when Glennis laughed, it didn’t make Manon feel warm and comforted. It only increased the anxiety. Almost like she knew what was coming.

“Because he is madly in love with you, granddaughter. Surely you know that! It’s written all over his face. The way he looks at you, the way he seems to…” She paused, looking for the right word. “The way he glows when he’s near you.”

Ghislaine’s books popped into her mind. The romance stories she’d glanced at that used ridiculous, flowery language and went on and on, endlessly describing feelings and heated looks and secret glances. Suddenly, she wondered if maybe she should actually read them to understand what the hell was happening to her.

Mouth halfway hanging open, she faced Glennis. “I didn’t realize …”

“Well, now you do.”

Manon said nothing, not letting herself be convinced by the observations of an old witch, who was no doubt influenced by a young, recently married healer. She couldn’t decipher their motives, and she didn’t think they were lying. But … they had to be wrong. Dorian would have said something by now.

But then she thought of the letters. And the Ferian Gap. The breakfast in bed. The gift of her favorite pastries. The wyrd gate that let her mourn in Theralis. That let them see each other whenever they wanted.

No. Glennis’s conjecture was turning her into some silly, love struck witchling.

“Do you love him?”

Her head shot around to find her great-grandmother’s curious, caring face.

Manon opened her mouth to answer, but then she stopped. What was the answer? She thought again of the Ferian Gap and asking him to dance. The books she retrieved from a place of bad memories to give to him. The pull, always towards him. Even before the war. He’d never feared her, never judged her.

Moisture began to fill her eyes as she stared intently at Glennis. “Yes,” she whispered. A sweet smile, full of love and joy, stared back at her. “But …”

The smile faded. “But what?”

“He is mortal,” Manon said, almost choking out the last word. A word she’d tried so desperately to forget. Dorian was a mortal. She was not. Losing him was a heartbreak she didn’t think she could take.

Glennis reached over and placed a cold hand on Manon’s cheek. “He is mortal.”

The affirmation of what she already knew still sent a spike of grief through her heart.

“But …” Her great grandmother had a sparkle in her eye.

“But what?” Manon asked.

Glennis sat back, beaming with some emotion Manon couldn’t decipher. “But he has raw magic, dear.”

Manon shook her head. “So? A lot was taken by the lock, he isn’t as strong as he used to be.”

Exasperation. That was the look on her face now.

“I happen to have it on good authority that he did not expend so much as to keep him from healing. He still has a substantial reserve of power.”

She knew he still had the ability to heal. But again, “So? I clearly don’t know what your point is. What authority? And what are you saying?”

"My point is that according to our continent’s greatest healer-”

Manon rolled her eyes. Not at the description of Yrene’s skill, but the meddling. Yrene and Glennis were like two little birds chirping back and forth and sticking their beaks in other peoples’ business.

“-the King of Adarlan’s magic will grant him a very, very long mortal life.”

She sat upright. “How long?”

All the amusement left Glennis’s face. “No one has the ability to predict such things. And that’s part of my point. I could drop over dead tomorrow.” Manon frowned, but Glennis kept going. “Harsh, I know. And not something I like to think about. But it’s the truth. It’s true of you as much as me. And Dorian. And Petrah and Bronwen. All of us. Do not conflate immortality with immunity from death. Long-lived by nature of being a witch or fae, or possession of raw magic … It amounts to the same thing. But,” she said, patting Manon’s arm gently, “never forget that we will all meet the same end.”

“So,” Manon started, unable to hold back a smile at Glennis’s raised eyebrow. “You’re saying that since any of us can die at any time, I shouldn’t worry about things outside my control and just enjoy the time I’m given?”

“Well said, granddaughter.”

Manon huffed a laugh, trying not to let this bright spot of hope take over too quickly. Glennis’s words, though greater in number and a bit more philosophical, mirrored Asterin’s final command to her. A command she never forgot, but one she sometimes didn’t translate well into whatever situation was troubling her.

“Do you really view marriage as a cage?” Glennis asked.

After a moment’s thought, Manon said, “I don’t know. I used to. But now, after seeing the Crochans with their husbands and wives, and the Terrasen queen with her mate …” Asterin had loved her hunter, enough to want to stay with him. Enough to regret not going back. “I’m not so sure.”

Glennis nestled down under her blankets. “I’ve seen it become so. But I’ve seen the opposite. Experienced the opposite. Marriage demands compromises and sacrifices, just as any relationship does. Allies, friends, family, lovers, spouses. None of it is easy. I can’t tell you what to do. Despite all of my plotting with Yrene,” she said with a wink, leaving Manon smiling. “It is your choice. Yours and Dorian’s. If you were to marry, the two of you determine the shape of that bond, and your paths through troubles and happiness. No one else.”

Thinking of all the interested parties, Manon wasn’t sure about that. Plenty of unimportant people, both human and witch, would offer their loud, critical opinions. And those who were important to them … Glennis, Chaol, Yrene, Petrah, maybe a few more. She wasn’t foolish enough to think they wouldn’t be among those giving unwanted advice. With a soft laugh, she realized that would be no different than her life now.

“Damn it,” she muttered, looking around the room, wishing she didn’t have to be here. Wishing she wasn’t obligated to spend two days cooped up, playing nice to get humans to stop harassing witches trying to settle near the border.

It must have shown on her face because Glennis said, “Be patient, dear. With all the meetings we have scheduled, this trip will fly by. Then you can tell him how you feel.”

And just like that, her insides somersaulted and she was glad to be here, unable to use the wyrdgate, unable to fly to Rifthold. Feigning agreement, Manon told Glennis goodnight and turned onto her side, pretending to fall asleep. But her mind and heart were racing, keeping her far from any sort of rest.

Tell him how you feel.

It sounded so simple. Just three words, spoken aloud. Laying herself completely bare in front of him in a way she’d never done before. That pathetic proposal might no longer register in her list of most humiliating memories. This confession would surely surpass it. As her imagination truly took off, envisioning myriad scenarios, almost all ending poorly, her stomach joined her heart and head. The sensation was nauseating, leaving her feel like she was falling.

Oh yes, she thought. This will be easy.

*****

“Is Manon joining us for dinner?” Yrene swung Josie around to her other arm flexing her newly freed hand in an attempt to relieve the numbness. “She’s almost too big to carry.”

“Here,” Dorian said. “I’ll hold her. She’s not too—"

Falling backwards onto the sofa, he cried out, pretending he couldn’t stand with her in his arms. Josie laughed and then screamed as she scrambled away from him. He didn’t reach for her, letting her crawl back towards him. When she was close enough, he lunged, grabbing her feet and wiggling his fingers on her chubby toes. She screeched again in between bouts of laughter. When she was gasping for breath, Dorian sat her on the floor and let her go, smiling as she crawled speedily away.

Short of breath himself, he took another moment before answering. “Not tonight. She’s in Briarcliff with Glennis. They’re meeting with Ansel about some border disputes.” They both watched Josie try to chase the dog around the kitchen table. “Not all of Ansel’s people like being so close to the witches.”

Yrene scowled. “I wish people were more open minded.”

“Like you were when you first met me?” Chaol asked as he came through the door. His wife dismissed him with a wave of her hand and went into the kitchen as Josie begged for Chaol to pick her up.

Yrene returned quickly, placing large bowls of steaming food on the table. With a decent attempt at innocence, she asked, “And when should we expect the wedding?”

Dorian sighed and didn’t reply, pretending to be too focused on scratching the dog’s belly.

“Honey,” Chaol said through clenched teeth. “It’s none of our business.”

Yrene opened her mouth to argue but she caught sight of Dorian’s face and stopped.

If Manon initiated it, he’d have the wedding tomorrow. But he’d long ago decided not to broach the subject with her. If it were to happen, it would be on her timeline, not his. As royals, they had the advantage of being able to set the terms of a marriage and union between kingdoms. That didn’t mean it was something she would look upon favorably. She’d never acknowledged it, but they both knew he had not been wrong about the cage.

To placate the sad, apologetic look on her face, Dorian winked and said, a little too brightly, “Yrene, you will be the first to know.” Her resulting smile pleased him, and they all sat down to eat.

Dorian was quiet as Chaol and Yrene talked about their day – what trouble Josie had started in the healer’s quarters, some issue with sword training and new guards, plans for the new Torre – only speaking when he offered to watch Josie one evening later in the week.

He loved them both dearly and appreciated their concern and desire to see him happy. But he wished they could understand that, marriage or not, being with Manon was enough. They already had a commitment, and thanks to the wyrd gate, the means to see each other whenever they wanted. He loved her.

And if that word had never been spoken between them yet? What did that mean?

He dipped a piece of bread in the thick stew and tossed it in his mouth. A good excuse to not have to talk. And the faster he ate, the sooner he could go back to his rooms and sulk.

*****

Josie squealed as the terrier leaped just out of her reach. He spun around, front paws stretched out, rump in the air, tail wagging like a feather, goading her to try again. He was not giving up the ball without a struggle.

Her face, pink with frustration, looked like a perfect mix of her parents, making Dorian laugh.

They continued playing, the dog teasing her with the ball as they sat in the midst of a chaos of toys in his drawing room. He tried to focus on them and not Manon. She should have returned from Briarcliff by now. That she hadn’t meant the border trouble was worse than they’d suspected. Another high pitched squeal broke through his worry. And just in time, he pulled the slobbery ball out of Josie’s hand before she could put it in her mouth. Tossing it across the room, he was grateful for this distraction. Probably not as grateful as Chaol and Yrene for the evening to themselves.

With a bright eyed grin, Josie suddenly pointed behind him to the door into his bedroom. Still sitting cross legged and holding a doll that was missing an arm, Dorian turned to find Manon watching them.

She was utterly still, her own eyes wide and shining.

Dorian blinked, thinking she was a vision, and before he could move, before he could even say hello, she shook her head and said, “This was a mistake.”

Then she turned and disappeared.

Dorian ran after her, calling her name, only to see her cross his balcony and hop onto Abraxos. It took her several commands to get him airborne, as if the wyvern was stalling, giving Dorian time to reach them. But Josie started crying from where she still sat in the other room and he skidded to a stop, looking between the toddler inside and Manon about to leave.

“Wait!” he shouted. Abraxos twisted his long neck around and gave him a sorrowful look just before Manon kicked with her legs, ordering him off the railing and into the air.

She had not looked back at him. Not once.

As they flew away, Josie’s cries reached him again and he ran back inside. She hadn’t moved, and he realized she was upset because the dog had raced off after him. He picked her up and bounced her in his arms as he paced around the room, wondering what in the hell had just happened. She quieted down quickly and, despite the guilt of interrupting their night, he called for a page to find Chaol.

It wasn’t long before Chaol and Yrene appeared, worried something had happened to Josie. But at the sight of her asleep in Dorian’s arms, they calmed down.

He was not calm though. With a quick explanation, mostly because there wasn’t much to tell them, he passed the baby off to her mother and went straight for the large closet in his bedroom. They never left a wyrd gate open, but only used them in private locations. The wyrdmarks were half written so it took him no time to complete the spell.

After a drop or two of his blood, the gate flared to life, looking out into the night sky. Darkness, a chill wind, and fragments of clouds drifting past the moon. He glanced back to Chaol, wordlessly asking him to close the gate. Chaol nodded and within a second, Dorian shifted into his raven form and flew through the flaming doorway.

His corvid eyes adjusted slowly to the lack of light, but there, flapping ahead, he spotted the brief moonlit gleam of Abraxos’s spidersilk wings. The magical door hovering behind him disappeared and Dorian sped up to try and catch them. Shifting to a wyvern gave him a boost of power and speed and soon, he was flying in their wake. Another shift, back to the raven, and he was above her. She hadn’t noticed him until the pop and buzz of magic with the final shift into his own form caught her attention. Manon looked back just as he dropped onto Abraxos’s back.

Crouching behind her, clinging to the edge of her saddle, Dorian shouted, “Land!”

Manon spun around, her eyes wide in anger as Abraxos began to bank and descend. As she realized the command had been to him, not her. And he’d obeyed.

Before she could say anything, the wyvern was skimming over the tops of trees, then landing at the edge of a freshly tilled field. Then, came the rage.

Jumping off the instant his talons touched the ground, Manon turned on the beast. “You traitorous worm! How dare you ignore my commands in favor of his!”

Dorian climbed down, feeling guilty for involving Abraxos. Though, he’d only told him to land. That the wyvern obeyed him was as much a surprise to him as it was to Manon. When he reached her, still yelling at her mount, he suppressed a smile.

Abraxos stared her down, taking her tantrum in stride, as if the screaming and cursing meant nothing. As if he knew none of this was really about him. When his eyes slid to Dorian, hers followed. And the yelling ceased.

*****

Damn those wyrd gates, she thought. And damn his shapeshifting. But, she might as well damn herself, her own stupidity, for coming here.

Dorian said nothing as he looked at her, waiting for her to explain. And as she stared up into his eyes, all she could see was that baby. How he’d been playing with her. Laughing. Happy.

The sight had made her question everything. Not her feelings for him. But whether those feelings were enough. Whether she was enough. And could give him what he wanted.

She hated this. Love and fear and doubt and need. A million emotions swirling inside her. A tempest she had no control over.

His brow creased and he leaned towards her, as if reading all of it on her face. Gently, he brushed his thumb along her cheek, hoping to coax her into speaking. And just that small touch was like a balm, cool to her skin, but a torch to her blood, sending heat coursing through her. Warmth, and love, she realized. It had always been there, in his touch. But she was only now able to see it for what it was.

“I came here to tell you.” She broke off, still fighting back the fear.

His hand dropped to her shoulder, down her arm, until he interlaced their fingers. “What?” he asked softly. “What do you want to tell me?” That fire from his touch still moved through her, filling her. “Manon,” he whispered.

With a deep inhale, hoping it would somehow give her courage, she said, “I came here to tell you that I love you.” She held his gaze, searching for any small sign that she would regret this. But there were already tears gathering. In his eyes as well as her own.

Dorian cupped her face in his hands and shook his head, blinking rapidly, not just to dispel the tears about to fall, but as if he couldn’t believe what she’d said. So, she said it again.

“I love you.”

And then, he was kissing her. And she felt the smile on his lips, felt the moisture on his cheeks, felt the joy radiating from him. His magic burst from him like a bright light, enveloping them in its glow.

Breaking their kiss, he rested his forehead on hers. “I love you too, witchling.”

Hearing it back, feeling its truth and gravity, Manon broke into a smile mirroring his own. She felt that warmth again, stronger, taking her over. And she realized it wasn’t just coming from him. It came from inside herself too, forcing its way to the top of that storm of emotion, overpowering everything else. Dorian kissed her again, and all she knew was that heat. From his touch, his love. And her love for him.

*****

“What spooked you earlier?” Dorian asked as he traced out some sort of pattern on her bare back.

They’d flown back to the castle, where Abraxos had been given several large haunches of meat – a thank you from Dorian and apology from Manon – and was settled in the stable that had been built for him.

Manon didn’t move from where she lay curled against him, enjoying the caress of his fingertips across her skin. Serene, safe. Two things she couldn’t remember ever feeling. Certainly not before him. Even his question didn’t intrude upon the peace she felt.

“I think you know,” she hedged.

He huffed a breathy laugh. “Just because I love playing with Josie doesn’t mean ...” He trailed off and Manon finally shifted, propping herself up on his chest so she could look into his eyes.

“We both require an heir,” she said matter-of-factly. “Delaying this discussion won’t make it easier.” She didn’t know where this newfound courage was coming from. True, she’d always been blunt. But hours ago, she’d been terrified.

Manon tried to envision a boy-sized Dorian, tearing through the castle creating mischief, only to be caught and punished with dance lessons. But try as she might, she couldn’t see it. It was as though Dorian had been born, fully formed, as beautiful and haunted and powerful as the day she’d first seen him in Oakwald, collared and possessed by a valg prince.

The sensation of his pulse beneath her fingertips made her blink and she realized she was touching his neck. The scarred skin, not overly rough but lighter than the rest of him, wrapped around his neck. The edges where pale skin met darker were jagged, like a lightning bolt. As if he’d been struck in one spot and the energy rippled through him.

Her eyes met his and she started to remove her hand. But he grabbed her arm and placed her fingers back on the scar.

“Only you,” he said. “Only you acknowledge it. No one else looks at it. They act as if it never happened.”

Manon considered. “Perhaps they think you want to forget.”

“They’d be right. To a degree.” Dorian closed his eyes, struggling to find his next words. “Part of me wants nothing more than to forget. That part would do anything, give anything to go back. Back before this,” his fingers grazed hers still atop the scar. “But the other part of me wants to remember. So it never happens to anyone again. I must remember so I can make amends to all those hurt by Adarlan.”

He moved her hand up to kiss it. “I don’t want to go back. I want to go forward. I want to live. You once told me to take no more than you gave. And I promise, I won’t. But I need you, however much you can give, I need you to live. At least, the life I want to live. I can’t see a future without you in it."

“And children?” Manon didn’t know what answer she was hoping for. Didn’t know what she in fact wanted.

The need for an heir was a steady, growing beat in her head. Not loud. Yet. But it was there. Along with the godsdamned fear. That she or the witchling would die. Or that she wouldn’t know how to be a true mother. 

Dorian was silent, reading her expressions. Finally, he asked, “What do you want?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “With you ...” she paused, sorting through the thoughts twisting in her head. “Having a witchling is the greatest honor in a witch’s life. If that happened, I would want to share it with you. Only you.”

“But,” he prompted. His fingers began their previous motions across her back.

“But I don’t want to be pushed into it. I don’t want it to be about fulfilling a requirement.”

“You want time. You want it to be your choice.”

“Yes,” she said, relieved that he seemed to understand. “You never answered my question.”

Dorian smiled. “You just answered it for me. I would love to have children with you Manon. But by our own choice, and on our own time.”

“And if it never happens?" The joy he’d shown playing with Josie earlier ... Did he know how rare witchlings were?

With a shrug to make it seem as if he hadn’t spent time thinking about it, he said, “A suitable heir is not guaranteed by blood. I can name anyone heir, just as you could for the Wastes.” When she only hesitated, he added, “Despite all my mother’s ministrations, despite all the expectations of heirs and alliance and bloodlines, all I’ve ever wanted is a queen who I love, truly and with my whole heart. And a queen who would love me in return. Can you give me that?”

“Yes,” she replied, without an ounce of doubt. Pulling his hand to rest his palm on her chest, she added, “You have my heart.”

“You have mine,” he said, brushing his lips across hers. “Whatever else comes with it will be like frosting on a cake.”

Manon laughed, looking over at the few remains of the chocolate cake they’d devoured earlier, then resumed her position laying on him.

He took up the writing on her back again and she began to relax, enjoying the sensation, when something made her still. Dorian kept going and Manon focused, trying to pay attention to the shapes he was making.

“What is that?” she asked, not moving. “What are you drawing?”

“Letters,” he said, his voice giving away the fact that he must be smirking. “Words.”

Manon tensed and sucked in a breath. “What words?”

He brushed his palm down her back, as if erasing what had come before and started again.

With each word he wrote on her now hot skin, Dorian translated by whispering in her ear.

Will

you

marry

me

Manon remained motionless. Except for her heart, which was beating so rapidly she thought it might explode.

No fingertips this time, Dorian said quietly, “We can wait. For however long we need. There’s no rush and if you can’t do it, I understand. I just …” She heard him swallow, hesitating. “I love you.”

Pushing herself back up on her elbow, Manon looked at him. Just looked. Then she brushed her thumb across his lower lip. “This was supposed to take the edge off.”

“And did it?” he asked, no hint of levity or teasing. The sparks in his eyes were proof he remembered the last time they’d exchanged these words. He knew what should come next.

Not even close.

As she considered, she realized there were some edges he had subdued. Not the sharp edges of her witch soul, not the edges of who she was. Those were honed anew. But he had helped her onto the path of healing from the loss of the Thirteen. He’d helped her learn about trust and love and the hope of a better world. He challenged her, accepted her. He was her mirror in so many ways. There would be no cage with him.

Ignoring the line she was supposed to say in favor of answering the previous question he’d posed, she said simply, “I will.”

*****

Epilogue

Nine years later…

After a week of stormy gray skies, and high winds, the sun broke through on the one day that mattered. Even though they’d agreed to keep it small and simple, guests from three continents had come to the Ferian Gap. To celebrate a union and reunion. For the first time since the defeat of the valg, the royal wedding joining the Witch Kingdom and Adarlan brought together the allies of the war: Wendlyn, the Khaganate, the Western Wastes, the Silent Assassins, Eyllwe, Terrasen, Doranelle.

Manon wore a dress for the first time in her life, while Dorian, for the first time in his, felt nervous about having so many eyes on him. The only eyes he sought out, gold and brilliant and glittering in the sun, helped calm him. And he reassured her, many times and in many ways, that she was stunning in the form-fitting red silk.

The ceremony, held outside for the benefit of the Queen’s wyvern, was brief but emotional, with the heartfelt vows causing more than a few guests to reach for a handkerchief. None more so than the Queen’s great-grandmother and the head of Erilea’s Torre, who shared a long hug at the end.

A host of witches on wyverns and brooms joined a large group of Rukhin, riding mounts born and raised here by their Wing Leader Orghana, as they flew across the Gap, whooping and cheering their King and Queen.

Qara oversaw the food, which was plentiful and delicious. The old Rukhin cook was offered a bribe by the Terrasen Queen to move to Orynth. But she refused. Unbeknownst to a dejected Aelin, Manon convinced the cook to give up one recipe for chocolate pastries. She then secretly offered it to Rowan, as a gift he could give his wife. And as a thank you for helping Dorian escape Rifthold all those years ago.

At one point, the recently crowned Khagan and his children encouraged the Empress to sing. However, it took the combined efforts of Chaol, Yrene, and Dorian to get her to agree. Nesryn’s voice brought more guests to tears as the Rukhin were reminded of the old homes they’d left to start a new one here.

While their friends laughed and ate and danced, Dorian never left his wife’s side. He knew this was a bittersweet day for Manon. A day of love and joy, but it was incomplete without the Thirteen. She found solace in his suggestion that they were sharing that joy in whatever afterlife they watched from. Not the Darkness. They had not gone to a dark place. Her sisters resided in light.

When the music sped up and the other Rukhin singers took over, Dorian led Manon away from the crowd, back to the shadowed corner where they’d shared their first dance. And as they turned in slow circles, holding each other so close there was no space between them, they laughed and whispered, dancing like that for the rest of the night.

Well, not the rest of the night. They were interrupted by a witchling who had refused to be taken to bed. Rhiannon insisted on one more dance with her parents, only then would she go to sleep.

And she kept her word. Halfway through the song, held tightly between them, Rhia fell asleep on Dorian’s shoulder as Manon gently stroked her hair.

The end.

*****

Thank you again!

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[creampuffqueen]

Aedion x Lysandra baby headcanons

Also introducing: shifters!

-This is actually going to be a kind of short chapter

-You'll see why soon

-So Aedion and Lys thought they were prepared for a kid, right? After all, they're the adoptive parents of Evangeline

-But raising an eleven year old girl who's been through a lot of traumatic experiences (being sold by her mother, witnessing the war, etc) is a LOT different than raising a baby

-They don't know this, of course

-Aedion and Lys have been happy together for a while, and have built the city of Carraverre into something great. The city is thriving, trade is booming, the people love their lord and lady

-But then Lysandra meets Aelin and Elide's babies

-She's instantly in love

-Like, completely obsessed

-Since Lyria is not an easy baby, Lysandra offers to babysit her all the time

-Aedion does too

-After all, he considers the young princess his niece

-And so does Lys

-Evangeline loves her baby cousin Lyria, and she's so good with her. Lys thinks that since Ev's face is so different than those she's used to, it always makes her happy to see Evangeline

-So Lys is holding Lyria in her lap, with Evangeline clinging to her arm and cooing at the baby, and Aedion is lighting the fire to warm the room, and its just so perfect

-With her golden hair and green eyes, like a mix of Aedion's hair and a darker version of Lysandra's eyes, she can almost believe that the baby is hers

-She shakes the thought from her head immediately of course. She could never be jealous of Aelin and Rowan and their daughter

-But now she's deep in the grips of baby fever

-Aedion and Lys had not been taking contraceptives, at least until Rowan and Aelin got pregnant out of the blue. They realized that if two pure-blooded Fae could get pregnant that fast, then they had to be careful

-When Lyria goes home with her parents and Ev is off to bed, Lysandra pretty much pounces on her husband

-He doesn't complain, of course

-The next morning he goes to get her a tonic, and she refuses

-"Aedion, I want to have a baby" she says

-Aedion has been thinking the same thing. He just didn't want to bring it up, because he didn't know if Lysandra wanted to

-But now -

-"Why didn't you just so?" He laughs

-Anyway,

-A very flustered Aedion tells Evangeline to get herself breakfast and that she can do whatever she wants until lunch

-And a very smirking Evangeline skips off to eat chocolate for breakfast, because the girl knows what's up

-Though, not quite

-Lysandra and Aedion pretty much have a repeat wedding night, but this time in the middle of the day

-There's sporadic sexy times every now and then throughout the next few weeks, just to make sure

-But...

-Lysandra's cycle arrives exactly on time, just like it's been doing since she was thirteen

-So what, they say

-It might take a bit

-But...

-Months pass

-And Lys's cycle just keeps on coming

-They're getting frustrated, but when they go to a healer, she just says to give it time

-Lysandra asks Yrene in private the next time she sees her, only for her to get the same answer

-"It takes some people more time, don't worry." She assures her. "Just relax, anxiety doesn't help conception."

-Even so, Lys is anxious

-She wants a baby

-Even Evangeline is remarking occasionally that she'd like a baby brother or sister

-And Aedion and Lysandra desperately want to give her one

-But even with all their trying, there's still no baby

-Then Aelin, Elide, and Yrene all become pregnant at the same time

-It's a blow to Lysandra's heart

-She wants so badly to be happy for them. She's trying so hard to be happy

-But all she can think about is that her friends will all have kids so close in age to each other, and she might not even get a baby

-Her smile is forced at the announcement

-And that night she cries into Aedion's arms, and he makes love to her slow and deep, all the while assuring her that it has to happen soon. Any month now, her cycle will disappear

-But it still comes

-Lys starts trying all sorts of 'pregnancy helping' herbs. Nothing works

-She wonders if it's because she's a shifter that it's so difficult for her. But if it was hard for shifters to conceive, then how on earth would her father have sired her, a bastard child he abandoned?

-She's becoming obsessed

-And as much as Aedion wants a baby, he wants his wife to be happy more

-So he takes her on a vacation, in the hopes that it'll help her relax

-And it works, sort of

-Not seeing the babies seems to help, but she still worries

-At least when they get back she seems calmer

-Lysandra decides that if being a mother isn't going to be meant for her, then she needs to find a hobby

-Handicrafts? No

-Gardening? No

-Painting? A disaster

-She's in the middle of trying to write a book (and failing horribly, she's three pages in and it's only utter nonsense on the page) when Evangeline calls her downstairs

-Lysandra's daughter, fourteen years old, is standing in the entryway, holding open the heavy front doors

-There's three children outside on the doorstep. A girl, about Ev's age. Another girl, about ten years old. And a little boy, maybe five. All are covered in dirt and grime, and looking absolutely terrified

-The eldest girl gives a low curtsy, and Lysandra's heart breaks. She can't believe this girl, who looks like she's been through hell, is still curtsying, for someone she doesn't even need to.

-"I said I could get them some food." Evangeline says

-"Of course." Lysandra responds. "Food, but first, a bath. And clean clothes. And after dinner, a warm bed."

-The kids look scared, but Evangeline drags them through the manor, holding the girl's hand

-Lysandra draws each of them a bath, and orders Evangeline to tell the cook to make something hearty and hot for dinner

-When all the dirt is cleared away, the children are quite pretty. The girls have lovely dark hair and eyes, and the little boy has light brown hair and blue eyes.

-They introduce themselves. The eldest is Marsha, the middle girl is Ella, and the boy is Declan. They're siblings

-They eat dinner, and Lysandra tucks them away in guest bedrooms

-Aedion is out with the Bane at this time, and not due back for a while

-In that time, Lysandra has managed to find her new hobby: helping children

-She draws up plans for a house where all homeless and orphaned children are welcome. A place where they can go to get a bath, and clothes, and food, and a warm place to sleep

-The building is underway when Aedion arrives home

-He takes one look at his wife's beaming face as she cares for the kids, and his heart melts

-The house gets built, and the kids move in there, happy and safe. Evangeline frequents it, as she loves to visit with the older kids and help out with the younger ones. Lysandra is over there every chance she gets. Aedion visits often, and the kids love it when he tells stories from the Bane

-Lysandra has gotten out of her obsessive baby fever. She still wants a child, of course, but it's not always at the forefront of her mind

-But then another blow is dealt to her

-Manon announces that she and Dorian are expecting. She doesn't make a big deal of it, of course, but still

-Lys can't believe that the witch gets a baby and she doesn't

-She puts all her efforts into helping the kids of Carraverre

-With her hobby, she's able to finally look at her friends' children again without feeling like she's going to cry

-Which is good, because damn does Elide need a babysitter

-Lysandra is able to find it funny now that Elide is drowning in kids. Drowning in baby boys, more specifically

-Well, all this relaxing must have been good for her

-Because one day, after nearly three years of trying to have a baby, Lys's cycle is late

-She tries very hard not to get her hopes up. Her cycle's been a few days off before. It probably means nothing

-And she doesn't want to get Aedion's hopes up either, so she says nothing

-But a week passes. And then two. And still her cycle doesn't start

-After about two and a half weeks of nervously waiting for her cycle to come, to dash her hopes again, Lysandra suddenly starts getting very nauseous

-And when Aedion offers her some eggs at breakfast, she barely makes it to the bathroom before she hurls her guts up

-Aedion is super worried, because she hardly ever gets sick, right?

-And even though she's vomiting and feeling miserable, Lysandra can't help the flicker of hope in her chest

-When her husband comes into the bathroom after her, she smiles at him

-"Aedion, I think I'm pregnant"

-Of course Aedion flips out

-He had been secretly blaming himself for a while now, thinking it was his fault and his Fae blood that was making it so they couldn't get pregnant

-But... there might be a chance

-Both are super nervous now

-Lysandra stays in bed or at least sitting for most of the time. She's scared that something will go wrong and she'll miscarry

-She doesn't even shift, because she doesn't know what will happen if she does and doesn't want to risk it

-A month passes with no sign of her cycle, and the pair dares to hope

-Lys sends Yrene a letter detailing her suspicions. Yrene can't come and confirm it, but she promises that if Lys really is pregnant, she'll come to deliver the babe

-At two months is when Aedion detects a change in his wife's scent

-She normally smells divine, but he wakes up one morning and she smells exquisite, with her scent much richer than usual

-They go the same day to a healer and get it truly confirmed

-They're having a baby

-Both start to cry when they hear the news, and Lys can't stop smiling

-They tell Evangeline, and she cries too, because she's so excited to be a big sister

-They see Aelin a few weeks later, and Lys knows they immediately scent her

-So the first thing she says when she sees them is "I'm pregnant!"

-Rowan gives them both congrats, and Aelin drags Lys away to hear everything

-The males find them, hours later, curled up on the couch by the fire talking about baby names and holding little Sam and Lyria

-The two are acting like it's their child, but hey

-Lys is happy, so Aedion is happy

-Lysandra's pregnancy is not that bad, at least nausea wise

-She's only sick for the first two months, and then its gone

-Her real pregnancy issue is joint pain (mostly in her back and hips) and the weirdest fuckin cravings ever

-She wakes up one morning and asks Aedion for chocolate and cheese bread. Not separately, no no no, she wants cheese bread covered in chocolate

-Aedion goes 'honey wtf'

-Then she starts to cry, so Aedion's like 'ok looks like we're eating chocolate cheese bread for breakfast'

-Evangeline is stoked to be a big sister. She doesn't care that she'll be fifteen years older than her baby sibling, she's just so excited

-Let me just tell you, when this baby starts kicking, it doesn't stop. Ever

-At any given time in any given place, you could place a hand on Lysandra's belly and feel kicks. Kicks, punches, headbuts, who knows

-So Lys pretty much doesn't sleep during the last trimester of her pregnancy

-Also, she hates with a burning passion when people touch her belly without asking

-Only her friends and family can, and only for a bit

-It's because she spent so long without being able to say 'no' to people touching her, and it seems that any essence of consent goes away when you have a baby bump

-Aedion and Aelin are always ready to fuck people up if they show even a hint of heading to touch Lys's belly

-When she's seven months pregnant, she feels a sharp pain in her abdomen

-Aedion is out with the Bane, Evangeline is visiting the childrens' home

-The baby isn't due for two months

-It's too early

-Lysandra starts to cry, hugging her stomach and holding onto the bedframe, trying to breathe through the sudden pain

-There's another sharp pain, and she screams

-A maid finds her, and immediately calls for a healer, for anybody who can help

-The healer tries in desperation to stop the labor, but is unsuccessful

-It's moving too fast to stop, Lysandra is nearly fully dialated after barely half an hour

-She's so scared

-Aedion was supposed to be there for the birth

-So was Aelin, and Yrene was supposed to deliver it

-Her uncle was going to be there to see her baby afterwards

-But she's all alone

-And her baby is so small

-And it's heartbeat is dangerously slow

-Her waters break, and they're a sickly green color

-There's an infection in her womb

-They need to get the baby out now

-Lys gets bundled onto the bed that was rapidly stripped, and five minutes later she's pushing like her life depends on it

-Because her baby's life may depend on it

-She pushes for fifteen minutes

-And then a tiny little babe slips out into the world

-"A girl" the healer says

-She's nearly blue in the face, and the cord is wrapped around her neck

-The healer quickly fixes it, but the babe's cries are so weak

-Lysandra is sobbing, reaching her arms for her daughter even as she pushes out the afterbirth

-The healer tells her the statistics and the facts: The baby's chances of survival are slim

-But there is a chance, and they have hope

-Evangeline bursts through the bedroom doors, her red-gold hair a mess

-"Is the baby okay?" She asks

-Lysandra isn't sure how to answer her

-"You have a baby sister, Ev" Lys finally says quietly

-Ev wants to hold her, but Lys is cautious. She's scared for her baby, she doesn't want her to catch anything

-Evangeline understands, and goes to send a letter to summon Aedion home as soon as possible

-The tiny baby girl has a little tuft of golden blonde hair

-The first couple of days are some of the most stressful in Lysandra's life

-Because every noise her baby makes she overthinks and by the end she's called the healer about twenty times

-She's so tiny it's hard for her to breastfeed, and a very stressed Lys is terrified that her daughter will starve to death. Luckily, she's able to get it well enough

-Ev wants so badly to hold her baby sister, but Lysandra is so nervous and stressed that she won't let anyone else hold her

-Aedion arrives home as fast as physically possible, bursting through the door and running to his wife and newborn child

-He pretty much drops to his knees when he sees them, tucked in the bed together

-His first words to Lysandra are 'she's so small... oh my gods, i'm so sorry'

-Lysandra shushes him and assures him its not his fault he was away for her birth. She wasn't due for two months, damn it

-Finally, with her husband home, Lys feels comfortable enough to let her baby be held by someone other than her

-Aedion cuddles her, and she's so small she fits in the palms of his hands

-When she's held by her father, her little eyes open up

-They're Ashryver eyes

-The brightest blue, ringed with gold

-Evangeline is so happy to hold her baby sister. It's the purest thing ever

-They may not look like sisters, but Ev swears to Lys and Aedion that she'll always take care of her, no matter what

-The healer comes twice every day to look at the baby girl

-She's so small. So awfully small

-She eats very little, since breastfeeding is difficult for her

-But she's getting stronger

-Lys sends out letters to everyone, letting them know the news. And that nobody is to see the baby until she says so

-So for the next month, the baby girl gets stronger and stronger, and is only seen by her immediate family and the healer

-She still doesn't have a name

-They're honestly scared to name her, because if something goes horribly wrong, even though all signs are pointing to her being just fine, they don't want their heartbreak to be doubled

-But then Evangeline points out that it's awfully sad she isn't named

-That's it

-They won't let their daughter think she's not loved, even at only a month old

-Aedion picks out the first name, Lys the middle

-And Asceline Eleanor Ashryver is now a part of their family

-Aedion picked the first name because it goes well enough with Ashryver, as well as his name and Aelin's. After, all, she's an Ashryver

-Lysandra picked Eleanor for the middle name after Aedion's mother (That's my headcanon name for her)

-Asceline is a bit of a mouthful for a newborn, so they stick to calling her Lina and Ashy

-When she's two months old, she finally is able to breastfeed without a myriad of issues, and Lysandra nearly cries with joy

-The healer confirms it: Little Lina is healthy enough, and she will definitely live. And now she can have visitors

-Aelin comes over the next day

-She walks in and sees the baby, and she nearly cries at seeing her new little niece

-"Well," she sniffles, "That's an Ashryver if I've ever seen one"

-Asceline gets bigger and stronger, but due to her being a premie she develops a lot slower than a normal baby

-She doesn't even crawl til she's nearly nine months old

-Her first birthday comes and goes, and she hasn't even started standing

-She can say a few words, though her favorite is her own nickname, Lina

-That, along with Mama, Papa, and Sissy

-She finally starts walking when she's eighteen months old, and then she's completely unstoppable

-Terrible twos extends into Terrible Threes

-Asceline is a tantrum machine

-She'll fall to the floor kicking and screaming at any given moment

-Despite this, Aedion and Lysandra couldn't love their daughter more. She may be a handful, but she's their handful, so that makes her wonderful

-When she's four, her favorite thing is to walk around with her Aunty Aelin and her cousins (who by this point have been joined by little Aspen)

-However, sometimes it's only Aelin who can come, without her cousins. No worries, Lina loves walking with just her aunt and mother

-The only issue...

-People mistake her for Princess Lyria

-Despite the fact that Lyria is seven and Asceline is four

-But people see the hair, and the eyes, (though Lyr's are green) and automatically assume she's Aelin's daughter

-It never fails to make Lys want to throttle people

-After one such incident, that evening Lys cries into Aedion's arms because gods, why can't people ever tell that they're mother and daughter? Why can't for once, her daughter walk with Aelin and not get mistaken for her cousin

-Unbeknownst to both parents, Lina is in the doorway, hearing every word

-And though she doesn't understand all of what's being said, she knows that her mommy is sad, and so she does what she can to make her feel better

-And that means that her golden hair suddenly turns dark brown

-Lys notices her daughter in the doorway, her daughter with a new hair color

-Asceline is a little shifter

-It's very sweet, but soon enough the little girl is using her newfound power to play all sorts of tricks on people

-She likes to amuse the kids at the childrens' home by shifting into different animals

-She's quite powerful, and can make very large animals, even though she's hardly five years old

-Ashy gets bigger and bigger, though she's always fairly small for her age

-By the time she's ten, she has pretty much complete control over her shape-shifting powers

-She enjoys having her hair blonde like her father, but she often keeps it brown to make her mother happy. However, her favorite hair is when she turns it inky blue, the color of the night sky

-She's eleven when she comes across a stray dog in the streets on her way back from the childrens' home

-And the caring little girl doesn't hesitate one second to take it in

-It's a fairly small dog, and she names him Scruffy

-Knowing her parents will be upset if she takes in a stray, she tries to hide him in her room

-It's not a secret for long. Being a boy dog, Scruffy has a tendancy to pee everywhere. And I mean everywhere

-Lys feels bad for the dog, but she doesn't want a dog in the house

-Aedion, however, tells his daughter that she can keep the stray only if he stays in the stables at night and she housetrains him

-Asceline has never smiled so hard

-Over the next few years, she happens to take in a lot more strays

-She cleans them up and trains them, and then gives them to good homes

-Half of the stables now belongs to her dogs

-Asceline is fourteen when Lord Darrow dies. Evangeline, being his heir, packs her things and leaves for the land of Arran

-Lina is heartbroken. Her big sister, her best friend, moves away

-She cries for days and only leaves her room to take care of her dogs

-She's acting as if Evangeline died, and didn't just move to another part of the country

-Eventually she comes to her senses more and accepts it, though she hates being apart from her

-Without the steady guidance of her sister, Asceline makes more and more irrational descisions

-Evangeline is like 99% of her impulse control

-At fifteen, she sneaks out all the time to meet a boy

-When she's sixteen, she secretly follows her father to meet with his Bane

-And at seventeen, she gets in a lot of trouble after an incident involving a certain shape-shifter, a large amount of dogs, a lot of water, and a freezing cold army

-She's a prankster, and a creative one at that

-But she's no longer listening to the authority of her parents

-So...

-Find out what Aedion and Lysandra do to try and tame their wild daughter in my story, Worlds of Fire and Darkness, where Asceline is 17

[mor-rigan]

An Alliance of Fire and Night

Its here! My ToG/ACoTaR crossover fan fiction!

I’m so excited to finally be able to start putting this story out and having people read it. I’m hoping for it to be a longer fic, so stay tuned! As for updates, I’m going to try to get new chapters up every week, if not sooner. I don’t live on Tumblr, so please have patience. Sometimes it will be longer than a week before I update. Thank you all for your understanding, and happy reading!

Tags: @viajandosinalas @dagypsygirl @aelin-godkiller @bookworm-lovemarvel @starrynightren @throne--of-sass @princess-of-eyllwe @shyvioletcat @badwolf084 @blades-are-for-skating-ya-dingus @smartass-mee @sassysaltysarcasticstupid @maadsrevolution @resignedcatservant @admantum (I’m sorry if I missed anyone else that wanted to be tagged!)

Chapter One

~ Aelin ~

Aelin Galathynius sat with her eyes closed in the gardens of her castle; her face was upturned to the rain. It ran down her forehead to pool in the corner of her eyes, then fall down her cheeks like tears. The queen was not sad, however, and when she got sick of the droplets, she would lift the water from her face with that kernel of water magic and flick it away.

It was a joyous day despite all that was going on and all she had to do. It was her and Rowan’s sixtieth wedding anniversary, and also the day they celebrated winning the war against Erawan and Maeve. It hadn’t been an easy road, and many rules were broken. Elena had defied those self-proclaimed gods all those years ago, so she had as well.

But that was a thought for later. Her mate was away hunting with the rest of the cadre while Lysandra planned the festivities. The rain had been unexpected but manageable. The ballroom in the Palace of Orynth was more than accommodating for the guests that would arrive, and Manon would arrive with her witchlings soon.

Not witchlings anymore, Aelin reminded herself. The Crochan and Crown Princesses of Adarlan, Asterin and Rhiannon, were approaching fifty years old. Gods, Aelin couldn’t believe she was almost eighty herself. Perhaps immortality would never fully sit right with her. Especially since she’s seen so many comrades - no, family - die over the years. Sam, Nehemia, Elide, Lorcan, Chaol, Yrene, Dorian, and so many more that worked to help her in the war.

Part of Aelin always hoped that her little group would live forever, but not everyone is blessed with immortality. Elide may have had witch blood in her veins, but it wasn’t enough to make her Settle. Lorcan had tied his life to hers, and they both passed from old age in the same year, four summers ago. Elide passed first, and Aelin truly believed that Lorcan died of a broken heart. The idea originally made her laugh, considering how cold the bastard once was.

Chaol and Yrene were only mortal. Yrene was the best healer both Adarlan and Terrasen had ever seen after Mab; and Lydia - Chaol and Yrene’s daughter - was doing her mother proud by carrying on her legacy. She even taught her son his grandmother’s magics. Chaol was a tough son of a bitch, Aelin knew for sure, and one of the best friends she ever had despite their rocky history. They both died peacefully in their sleep, slipping into the afterlife together because of their bond. Something, Aelin realized sometime later, she was grateful for. There was a time when she didn’t think any of them – regardless if they were fae or human – would see old age.

Dorian had been one of the hardest to come to terms with. Aelin had thought for sure he would Settle since he was Mala’s scion just as much as she was. But as time went on, there were no tell-tale signs of Settling, and his hair began to turn gray. Manon had become with child when Dorian was thirty, and he was able to give his daughters a full life before he passed just last year. Aelin teared up just remembering the last time she had seen him – so frail and delicate in old age despite still having the spark of the friend she always knew. He had been a good King of Adarlan and rebuilt his country’s legacy after his father destroyed it. When he finally passed from difficulties of illness, it had been a difficult time for everyone, but Manon took it the hardest.

The Crochan Queen went into recession, and only brief letters from her daughters gave peace of mind that the White Witch was alright. This celebration would be the first time since Dorian’s death that Aelin would talk to Manon or the witchlings in person. And she was honestly anticipating it. She admitted to herself often that she missed her ally and friend.

A sigh heaved Aelin’s shoulders at the same moment a pine-and-snow-scented breeze disturbed the rain. It was a different scent from Terrasen’s; something alive tethered it to her mate, as true as an actual rope. Aelin could follow that smell for miles and know Rowan would be waiting for her at the end of it.

The breeze seemed to say, Why are you sad, Fireheart?

Aelin tried to shake her mood off and changing the subject by sending a wave of heat dancing with sparks along that invisible rope in answer. I must truly be irresistible if you’re thinking of me even when hunting beings from the Rift.

You’re always on my mind, milady. That answering breeze had more of an icy bite to it, but Aelin blushed as she remembered the truly depraved things they did last night. They never needed an occasion to fuck each other until the early hours of morning, but there was something different when their anniversary came. Like a deep instinct that beckoned their bodies together.

I’m sure, Aelin sent back with flame instead of sparks, I’m surprised you can even walk.

Aelin could practically hear Rowan’s chuckle on the wind, as if he carried it directly to her. I should be saying that to you.

Indeed, Aelin closed her legs tighter together, and the hickeys on the inside of her thighs slightly throbbed. They were healing, but still prominent. They had been sore enough this morning that she opted to wear a flowing gown instead of a tunic and pants. Damn her king. Her wonderful lover of a mate.

Unable to help herself, she sent a bone-warming stream along the rope. A gentle, suggestive caress. Perhaps we can fit in a round two before the party tonight.

Oh no, my queen, Rowan replied instantly, With the things I want to do to you, I’ll need much longer than an hour. The wind he sent with that particular comment had her breasts tightening.

Fine, King, Aelin said back, that mated tether singing with heat and ice, I’ll be waiting here planning the party with Lysandra and the others. And though she was known for her sass and snark, after a heartbeat, the Heir of Fire sent another soothing flame down the bond. Be safe and return to me in one piece.

Always, Fireheart. Then the bond went silent.

It was likely almost noon, so the queen figured she should at least check on the progress of things. Hesitantly, Aelin rose from her spot and peered over her kingdom. Finally healing, it seemed, and the Kingsflame was still in full bloom even after all this time – showing the safety and prosperity her rule promised. It warmed her heart, and she could only hope that her uncle and her parents were proud of all that she had accomplished. She felt proud of herself, at least, given everything she had been through and everything she had sacrificed to get here.

Finally pulling herself from her thoughts, the queen made her way to the ballroom. As she traversed the palace, noises from the planning became louder. The union of their King and Queen was something all of Orynth celebrated. The night was celebrated as a liberation from darkness and a promise for a brighter future. It has already become a tradition that carried through a generation. Initially, people had even tried to bring gifts, but Aelin refused them after so long. She was grateful, but she wanted her people to care for themselves before her. Merciful and caring, but a leader, nonetheless.

Aelin finally reached the ballroom where most of the planning and decorating was occurring. She couldn’t spot Lysandra, but she knew the shifter was in here.

“Your Majesty!” A familiar voice called. Aelin’s head snapped to see a small, plump woman waving her hand at her. She couldn’t help but smile and stifle a giggle.

“Hi Loralei,” Aelin greeted through as the woman approached, “Did you need help with anything?” The queen honestly hated talking so formally, but she felt it odd to speak otherwise outside of her inner circle of family. Even though this woman may as well be her best friend with how many escapades she’s made to the kitchen for a late-night snack when Rowan was fast asleep. Though, she’d never tell Lysandra that.

“Not so much help as a confirmation,” Loralei said, “I pride myself in knowing your favorite foods at this point, but I just thought I would make sure.” The cook listed off the menu for the night, which only made Aelin’s near empty stomach gurgle. Gods, she was starving and hadn’t realized. Loralei could probably tell and beckoned for the queen lower.

Aelin stooped enough for the woman to whisper in her ear: “There’s leftover cinnamon bread in the kitchen. I’m sure no one would notice if you slipped a piece over the fire with some butter.” Aelin stood and received a wink from the cook, which made her smile. She could kiss this woman. Woman – a funny word to describe the girl Aelin had seen grow up from the time she was born, to then take her father’s place as the palace’s head cook.

“Thank you,” Aelin replied at last, “Everything sounds great. Just tell Rowan and the rest of those vultures that the hazelnut cake is reserved for the ladies.” They both shared a friendly laugh, then the cook was off to start and finish her duties. Aelin was off to find Lysandra.

* * *

~ Feyre ~

“Is there any news?”

The Inner Circle gathered in the House of Wind. Strange portals had started opening around Prythian, letting beasts as foul as the Attor back into the land. It wasn’t anything Rhys or the Inner Circle or even I couldn’t handle, but it was concerning. Cauldron knows what else may come out.

“None,” Amren said as she studied all of our faces, “From any of the other High Lords anyway. The rifts aren’t becoming more frequent, but they aren’t slowing down either. As for the Shadowsinger – he, Nesta, and the other Heir of Night are still dealing with a rift that was sighted near Illyria.”

The news wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t the worst. I didn’t particularly like that Demetra was with them, but she was sixty years old this year – long since becoming a woman. As for the portals…Manageable. It was manageable for now. I just had to remind myself of that.

“Have you consulted the Book?” Rhys asked without missing a beat. Amren’s sharp eyes snapped to him. They were a dull gray color now, but her years alone held the power she needed to make anyone cower.

“I read that book cover to cover eighty years ago. Anything I can get out of it, I did when we fought Hybern.”

“That means there’s more,” Leirus spoke, “You read everything you could, which implies there is something you couldn’t.” Everyone’s attention was on him, but he did not balk – even from Amren. Something I’m sure he learned from his father, though he was probably just as nervous as the rest of us.

“Yes, Heir, there is more,” Amren admitted as she crossed her arms, “The rest of the text is in a language even older than me.”

Older than Amren – the only person we had that could remotely understand any ancient or otherworldly texts we encountered.

“There has to be someone,” I chimed in, “A historian, a librarian, someone who has the ability to read it.”

“Perhaps in the Prison, or maybe even Bryaxis, but none have interacted with him since the War,” Rhys said, and it went quiet for a moment. It was left unsaid, but I know at least Rhys thought of the Bone Carver or the Weaver – Stryga as she was named. But they were truly lost in the War. Bryaxis had merely taken an extended vacation it seemed.

“What if Bryaxis is the cause of the portals?” Leirus suggested. Cassian seemed to consider it for a moment but stayed silent.

“It’s possible, but the portals are appearing all over Prythian,” Rhys pointed to the blots of dark ink on a map where we had marked portal sightings, “If it were him – or one person – I would think that they would appear in a consistent location.”

“Unless he – or whoever – is doing this isn’t trying to open a portal to their home world, like we thought, but to bring something to us.” By the Mother, I saw so much of Rhys in our son. Not only from his appearance, but from the way he talked and took lead in trying times. It made me proud as his mother, but I worried all the same.

The Inner Circle contemplated his suggestion with true possibility. He did have a point, but –

“Who would do that?” Mor asked what we were all thinking. And none of us knew. Unless a Hybern sympathizer was trying to spark a resurgence, there was no one we knew of who would ruin this time of peace.

Before more discussion could be had, the doors opened. Azriel, along with Nesta and Demetra, walked in. Their gates were tense – as one would be after a battle – but not urgent.

“How did it go?” I was the one to ask. Still, Cassian said nothing.

“The same as usual,” Demetra answered, “The portal was already closed by the time we got there, but the beasts were still in the area. Our shadows were able to scout them all out, and we exterminated them.”

Manageable, I heard in my mind. I looked to Rhys and his eyes softened, and I gave him a grateful smile.

But for how long? I didn’t have to ask it – everyone was already thinking it.

“None of them can – or would – talk,” Nesta added, “When interrogated, they only growled or made other animal noises. So, I doubt they’re intelligent beyond the desire to kill.” Azriel didn’t need to speak his confirmation, we all saw it in his face.

It went quiet again. Then: “What if we went into one? A portal, I mean.”

All of us visibly recoiled as Cassian made the suggestion. “Are you an idiot?” Amren demanded, “We speak of not even being able to understand their origins, but you want to walk into one without second thoughts?”

All of us seemed to be in agreeance. It would be suicidal to go through one of the portals with no understanding of them.

“Look, I know it’s not the best idea –”

“It isn’t an idea at all,” Mor snapped.

“But,” Cassian continued after giving the blonde female a pointed look, “I’ve been thinking that the portals aren’t coming from someone in Prythian at all. Beings from other worlds have been coming to Prythian for eons. Think of the Bone Carver, Bryaxis – hell, even Amren.”

“And look at those of us you mentioned,” the Second practically growled, “We were stuck here, never to return to our worlds because we did not know a way.”

“Besides,” this time, to my surprise, it was Azriel who spoke, “Even if we knew a way back, what good would going through one of the rifts do?”

“It could take the fight to whoever is causing this.” Cassian sounded sure – almost too sure. I caught Rhys’s eyes with my own, and they mirrored my concern.

“It isn’t an option. At least right now,” Rhys said. I couldn’t help the sinking in my stomach at the words right now. Like the suicide mission could be a possibility later on. “If we could find a way to open a portal home, then it’s a possibility. But for now, we deal with what is happening here. We protect our lands and people.”

We all looked to Cassian, and he nodded his understanding, thank the Mother. I felt the whole room relax just a bit more.

“Good,” Rhys continued, “Amren, continue with the Book. Have Elain help you search the library, as well.”

“I’ll help as well,” Leirus added, earning an acknowledging nod from Rhys.

“Azriel and Demetra: stay on portal duty. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you to have your shadows out scouting.” A nod from our daughter and Azriel.

“Mor, if you could act as an ambassador for us. Just go to the other courts and see if you can find out anything more from the other High Lords. Try to access any archives they may have.” Mor nodded.

“The rest of us will act as protection. Nesta, if you could go back to Illyria and watch over things there – Feyre, Cassian, and I will handle here and anywhere else on the continent that needs help.”

With all of our duties assigned, the Inner Circle dispersed, leaving Rhys and I alone in the room. “Everyone seemed so quiet and grim. I don’t like it,” I admitted as I brought my arms around myself. I never like seeing my family so serious, especially Mor and Cassian. And for Cassian to suggest such a ludicrous idea…

“They’re all just tense, darling,” Rhys said. I felt a caress of night in my mind, settling my reeling thoughts, “We all are. But I promise it will sort out.”

I nodded this time, something I noticed a lot of during the meeting. None of us have anything left to say, I suppose, as we all knew the general problem. The portals started appearing months ago, and the beasts that came with them wrought havoc on anything they came in contact with. They were foul and vile creatures – a darkness that was near indescribable.

“You’re still thinking too much, my love,” Rhys said softly. His hands cupped my face, and I couldn’t help but to relax with him this close to me.

“How can I not? Our Court and our family are in danger.” I thought of our children, but Rhys already knew.

“Leirus and Demetra are young in terms of Fae, yes. But they are smart and powerful, just like all of us. We will still be here for them, just as they are here for us.”

I smiled and pressed my forehead to Rhys’s. “I know.”

Rhys tilted my head up and gave me a grin that still had my heart leaping, then he pressed his lips gently to mine. To soothe, not to arouse despite myself. Cauldron damn me. And Rhys knew, too, though he pulled away.

“Feyre, darling,” he teased, “Right now? In the middle of such turmoil on the continent?” I slapped his chest mockingly. He says that as if he didn’t have me screaming only last night. A wicked grin followed by a wink told me he knew exactly what I thought about. Bastard.

“You –” I didn’t get to finish my banter before a thundering boom shook the mountain. All of Velaris, it seemed. It had Rhys and I separating immediately, and both of our clothes were replaced with Illyrian armor and steel blades.

Darkness filled the sky as a vortex formed in the clouds. The darkness was forming from the center. A rift was forming right over Velaris.

[dawninlatin]

Queen of Peace, chapter 3

A manorian high school au

Words: 2161

Warings: Mentions of psychological abuse

AO3 Link: Click here

Summary: Manon Blackbeak is flawless, untouchable. From the outside at least. Her grandmother pushes her to achieve greatness, and she doesn't let anyone get too close in fear of being hurt. How can anyone love her when not even her parents could?

Dorian Havilliard has always felt safe and confident around his friends. He might not have the greatest of families, but with Aelin and Chaol by his side, nothing can go wrong. That is until he tries keeping his greatest secret from them.

What will happen when Dorian and Manon gets to know one another? Can two lost souls find their way back together?

Mother, make me

Make me a song so sweet

Heaven trembles, falling at my feet

-Florence + The Machine, Mother

«Is that drool I see on your chin?»

Dorian chuckled as Aelin gave Chaol a deadly glare for his comment. They were sitting at the bleachers, watching the football field where Aelin’s boyfriend currently were busy doing push-ups.

She had suggested sitting at the bleachers to study, had said that the fresh air was good for their brains. How convenient that we chose to study outside at the same time as Rowan Whitethorn’s football practice, Dorian thought.

When Dorian and Chaol kept mocking Aelin for the way she was staring, she turned back to them, a smirk playing on her lips. Anyone who knew Aelin also knew that smirk meant you should run.

«It’s not my fault you lot don’t know how to appreciate the gift that is the male body,» she countered. Chaol groaned before shifting his focus back to his books.

Don’t be so sure about that, a voice inside Dorian said after hearing Aelin’s words, the ever-present unease in his stomach growing. He knew he should just tell them, that this would be the perfect moment.

Hey, guys, there’s something I wanna tell you..

It was just words. There was nothing to be afraid of. He just had to open his mouth and speak.

But Dorian couldn’t. Every time he tried, he felt his throat tighten, the words stuck.

He looked at his friends again. Aelin was laughing at something Chaol had said. Dorian hadn’t even registered that his friend had said something. Just say it, you coward.

It won’t make a difference. They’ll love and accept and support you no matter what.

Repeating the words inside himself over and over again, he tried to speak, tried to tell them the truth, yet over and over again, he failed.

Dorian felt tears prick behind his eyes, getting more and more frustrated over the fact that he couldn’t just say it.

He was sick of it all. Sick of keeping secrets, sick of pretending, sick of feeling like he was watching his friends from behind a wall. He couldn’t sit here anymore.

«I have to go to the bathroom, see you later,» Dorian mumbled, abruptly standing. He gathered his things and walked away, not hearing what Aelin was calling after him.

He rushed past the students crowding the hallway, past the bathrooms. He just needed space, to clear his head, to think, to just fucking breathe for a moment.

Dorian swore he felt a pang of relief as he saw the wide double doors leading into the library.

The library was surprisingly empty, which meant his favourite spot would be empty too. Not many knew about the little alcove hidden at the very back, behind a shelf of some old novels that no one ever touched.

It had become Dorian’s haven over the three years he had attended high school. This was the place he went if he wanted to get lost in a book, or when he needed a break, or the times he just needed to sit and think.

All thoughts from earlier disappeared as he reached the alcove and saw what was in front of him. As he spotted a white-haired ponytail. Because there - in his spot - sat Manon Blackbeak, her head in her hands, her breath hitching and her whole body shaking.

-

As soon as the bell rang, Manon ran out of the classroom. She just needed to get away, needed to think, to breathe. Her head hurt, her vision was blurry and damn it, she just needed to breathe.

Ignoring the students coming out of their classrooms, she headed towards the library. The only place she could think of that would be empty and quiet.

Her feet were heavy, but she forced them to move. She needed to get away, to be alone.

Once inside the library - which was fairly unoccupied - she went all the way to the back, where she found an alcove. The light was dim and it was cold and exactly what she needed right now.

Manon let her back hit the wall, before she sank down, her head falling into her hands.

While focusing on her breathing, she tried not to think about the red B at the very top of the test she had hastily shoved down in her backpack.

She knew it was only a test, that this would hardly matter when it came to her final grade, but her grandmother would not accept it.

You’re a disappointment, an embarrassment to this family. Do you think you will get anywhere in life with grades like this? I always knew you would turn out just like your mother. Weak and pathetic and-

Her breathing grew heavy again, coming out in short pants. She tried to calm herself again, tried to block out her grandmother’s voice echoing in her head. She kept breathing, in, out, in, out.

Manon felt her pounding heart calm a little, the ringing in her ears stopping, her shaking body shaking a little less.

A sudden noise made her lift her head. She flinched slightly as she saw a boy standing in front of her, a worried look on his face. How long had he been standing there? Why hadn’t she noticed him approaching?

She recognized him as Dorian Havilliard. He was in her English class, and he always had his nose stuck in a book.

Now he was looking at her like she was some wounded animal. She couldn’t stand the look of worry and pity on his face, so she schooled her features into that cold, unapproachable expression she was used to wearing.

«Are you okay?» Dorian kept staring at her, kept searching her face for any indicator that she was definitely not okay.

«It’s none of your business,» she mumbled. Manon knew she should have stood up and walked away, but she wasn’t sure if her legs could carry her right now.

But Dorian kept standing there, looking at her.

«Leave me alone…»

He didn’t budge, just stood there.

Do not let anyone see you as weak. Ever.

«You’re in my English class, right? Manon?» He still had that concerned look on his face, and she couldn’t help but feel a little small under his gaze. She refused to meet his eyes. What did he care if she was okay or not?

So Manon did the only thing she could. She rolled her eyes and hissed: «I told you to leave me alone, can’t you take the hint? Besides don’t you have a book to get back to or something?»

As her words hit, he finally shifted his gaze away from her. Dorian looked down on his shoes, before he stepped over to the wall opposite of her and sat down.

Manon felt herself boiling with anger. Couldn’t he just leave? She didn’t need anyone’s pity, and the last thing she wanted was to talk about what had caused her panic earlier.

Dorian opened his mouth to speak again, but she stood up, gathered her belongings and walked out the door before she could hear what it was.

She heard him call after her - but like she did with everything else - she blocked it out.

-

Dorian couldn’t stop thinking about earlier today. About Manon, and whatever the hell she was going through when he found her. She might have claimed the opposite, but she was definitely not okay.

It was late, and he couldn’t sleep, so he had tried finding her on various social media so he could send her a message. He needed to tell her that he didn’t mean to bother her earlier, but if she needed to talk about it, he was there. He doubted she would reply, but it would make him feel better.

The mission quickly deemed itself impossible though. He couldn’t find her anywhere. He had tried writing her name in different ways, had found her cousin and looked at all the people she followed, but Manon wasn’t one of them.

Who are you? he wondered to himself.

His interaction with Manon had almost made him forget about what happened earlier with Aelin and Chaol. One day, he thought. One day he was gonna be brave enough to tell them.

Downstairs, he could hear his parents fight. The other reason to why he couldn’t sleep. They had been yelling at each other for a good twenty minutes now, and he doubted it would end soon.

Dorian closed his eyes, once again attempting to sleep. School was going to be hell tomorrow if he didn’t get enough rest. He almost managed to drift off to sleep, when his door creaked open and his little brother peeked inside.

Hollin was almost 7, and Dorian had to admit he was an annoying child. His brother was incredibly spoiled and was known for throwing tantrums if he didn’t get his way.

But as the little boy carefully stepped into his room, a scared look in his eyes and his teddy bear clutched in one hand, Dorian didn’t have the heart to throw him out.

«I couldn’t sleep,» he said quietly, sounding as if he was about to cry.

Dorian sighed, before making some space. «You can sleep here if you want.»

Hollin rushed over to him and climbed into the bed. Dorian put the covers around his brother before laying down himself.

The room was pitch dark, and they were both silent, the only sound to be heard was the sound of their parents still fighting.

Dorian thought Hollin had fallen asleep already at how quiet he was, but suddenly he whispered: «Do you think they are going to get divorced?»

His chest tightened at hearing his brother’s words. He had never really thought about how much the boy noticed. How much he saw and heard. How much did he actually understand?

«No, Hollin, I don’t think they are getting a divorce,» he said to comfort his brother, even though what he wanted to say was: I hope they get a divorce.

«Thank you for letting me sleep here,» Hollin said back to him while yawning.

«Goodnight Hollin,» Dorian said, listening to his brother’s breath become slow and even.

-

Manon was standing in the middle of the floor at the empty dance studio. It was late at night, but she didn’t care. She needed to be alone for a little while. Needed to get it all out.

This afternoon had been a disaster. She had come home from school, and her grandmother had immediately asked how the test went. Manon had only reached into her backpack and handed her the piece of paper.

She swore her grandmother’s eyes had gone dark as she saw the B. The woman had begun asking questions about whether she had studied enough, if she had paid attention in class, demanding to know what had made her distracted enough to fail.

«How could you fail at something so simple as math? If you keep this up you are going to end up like your mother. Do you not have any respect for yourself? You disappoint me Manon. You can do better than this. I will only accept the best from you. Do you understand?»

Manon had only stood there, staring at the floor, too ashamed to meet her eyes.

«DO YOU UNDERSTAND?»

She had actually flinched when her grandmother had screamed. Her entire body had stiffened, so all she could do was reply a weak «yes, grandmother, I will do better.»

The woman had stormed into her study then, slamming the door behind her. Asterin was nowhere to be seen.

Manon sometimes felt herself get jealous over how little their grandmother demanded of her cousin. She didn’t have to study day and night to get straight A’s or make sure she was always the best. She did what she wanted as long as she didn’t get in their grandmother’s way.

Knowing that Asterin had it much easier simply because their grandmother didn’t care made it all a little better.

She is a lost cause, she had said once.

And Manon knew the discipline would pay off one day. She would get into a good college, get out of this town, and be someone.

Her grandmother’s lecture kept repeating itself inside her head.

Do you not have any respect for yourself?

She walked over to the speakers and turned on the music. If she didn’t work harder, she would become a failure.

You disappoint me.

She knew that she should stay home and study, should focus on her grades…

If you keep this up you are going to end up like your mother.

Her grandmother had been so angry…

So disappointed…

I will only accept the best from you.

Manon decided she didn’t want to think about it anymore. Instead, she started moving her body to the rhythm, letting herself get lost in the music.

A/N: Once again, thank you so much for reading!

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Peace&Love -Dawninlatin