#rowan whitehorn

[acourtofladydeath]

What are 5 fics on your tbr right now?

Oooo this is such a good question! These are the fics that I'm itching to read as soon as I can give them the time they deserve:

Ultima Ex Nobis - Nessian AU by @fieldofdaisiies

I seriously can't believe I haven't read it already but I'm going to inhale this as soon as I can. I love an AU and this post-apocalyptic Prythian set up sounds so detailed and intriguing!

Heart of Velaris Series by @whisperingmidnights

I'm so excited to start this series. I love fics that expand on canon and build out the environment. Plus this author has hit me in the FEELS SO HARD ALREADY and I can't wait for more.

Blood in the Wine by @secret-third-thing

I have actually already read some of this fic and I'm SO READY to dive into the rest. I love the world building and Gianna is such a babe and I'm so excited for her journey. There's so much complexity in this story and gods above it deserves ALL the attention. I seriously can't wait to spend more time with the Vanserra's as well.

Come Hel or High Lord by @chunkypossum

I'm so excited for this one because it explores the ENTIRE MAASVERSE. You've got Azris, Rowaelin, Nessian, Feysand, and the house of wind all featured in one place. I'm so damn excited to get deeper into this fic.

I Miss You (When The Lights Go Out) by greenvelvet_couture on AO3

Nessriel with sexual AND emotional intimacy? That's all you need to say, I'm immediately there. I can't wait to read this one.

There are SO MANY OTHER FICS that I want and need to read, but if I have to only pick 5 these are the top 5 and I'm so excited for them. I think you should be too.

[gothicbabydollz]

i will give you a metaphorical cookie to elaborate on strict dom rowan

…what kind of cookie are we talking about here?

[morganwrites12672]

An Unfortunate Turn of Events

Rowan Whitethorn x Reader

Summary: "I imagine something where the reader was kidnapped and is being tortured, maybe she was undercover but everything went wrong, and now Rowan has to save her? Just something cute please"

A/N: Thanks for the request! I loved this ask so much (I had to cut out some of it so it wasn't too long but I read the entire thing and I am very grateful).

。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。

It was rather unfortunate. It was supposed to be a simple assignment. In and out. Just gathering a little bit of intel, and then heading back to home.

If only it had gone that way.

The past twenty-four hours ran through Y/n's head as she sat there, tied to the chair. She hadn't even realized it had been a trap until it was too late. Someone knew she was undercover gathering intel. Someone had given her up. Whenever she returned, she would find the bastard herself.

Ignoring the pain she was in, and the stiffness of her body, she thought about Rowan. He had always worried about her, and she had always tols him not to. She was highly trained, she would be fine. Or so she thought.

Her eyes snapped open as the rusty door was jerked open. Her blood practically ran cold as a man walked in, accompanied by a metal cart. The items on the cart sent a shiver down her spine. She had been trained to endure far worse.

She wasn't worried about herself or what this man was about to do to her, she was worried about Rowan. How would he react to finding out her assignment had gone South?

By now, he was probably scouring the lands. Looking for her. She knew he would. Hell, he probably half the entire Cadre looking for her. He wouldn't leave his mate in a cell. He would go insane trying to find her.

。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。

Y/n groaned, a loud noise awaking her. She hissed in pain as she tried to move. She could see the fresh wounds littering her bruised body. The only thing that had kept her sane was the thought of Rowan. She wasn't able to escape herself. The chains were made of pure iron.

A man walked in the room, a human. She instantly noticed the lack of pinged ears. She felt the mating bond thrum in her chest before she saw him, Rowan. He practically stormed in the room. The man Rowan had brought quickly picked the locks on her wrists, midsection, and ankles.

She almost sobbed in relief as Rowan helped her stand. She could feel the anger radiating off of him. He was pissed. Seeing the bruises and cuts across her body, it only made him even more determined to find the bastard who had given up her identity.

"Is there anything fatal?" He asked, his voice a low growl. She could see the concern on his face as he helped her walk out of the room. She shook her head, still not able to form words.

He gave a curt nod of acknowledgement. The earlier chaos she had heard earlier had died down, the base was quiet. Too quiet. She looked to Rowan, wondering whom he had brought with him.

He didn't even look at her. He simply navigated his way out of the base. She would make him answer her questions once they were in a secured location.

"You're going to be okay, we're almost out of her," His voice had lost the earlier harshness. His concern for her outweighed his hatred for the situation.

A faint smile graced her lips despite the pain she was in. He had come for her. The second she hadn't returned on time, he had began his search. Every hour she wasn't accounted for, his desperation grew.

"I know. It was just... a an unfortunate turn of events," Y/n said. Attempting to brush off this entire event. She would try and control his anger.

His voice was a growl as he spoke, "An unfortunate turn of events?" He stopped walking for a moment. "You were kidnapped and tortured! I'm going to find who did this," He murmured as he continued walking with her.

She sighed, there was no convincing him other wise. He was far too angry over this for her to convince him of anything short of finding the man and making sure his death was as slow as possible.

Before she knew it, they were out of the dark building. She squinted her eyes as she was adjusted to the brightness of daylight. She saw the few horse waiting for them.

God's above.

He really had brought most of the Cadre. Fenrys, Lorcan, and Gavriel all waited on horses. So Rowan had sent them out once the guards were down. She was in awe as she mounted Rowan's horse (more of Rowan placing her on top of it).

"I'll always find you," He whispered as he mounted on behind her, taking the reigns.

。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。

I had so much fun writing this! I love getting Rowan requests. Send some more my way!

[wvsteria]

dorian havilliard & rowan whitehorn @lavendaers

"you're amazing, you know that?" dorian complimented the other at their suggestion of food to eat. "this was a great idea. i may have to come here more often."

[papisimbathemongoose]

If you ever met a werewolf, no you didn’t.

[loonylooly]

at this point i'm wondering what sarah is thinking when writing her love interests, like ok it's clear she finds them hot but like....are they good people

Rhys:

UTM lap dance shenanigans

throwing Feyre into danger constantly (Weaver, destroying cauldron, getting the book from Adriata, etc etc)

Still not doing jack shit about wing clippings in Illyria?? Emerie is right there, Rhysand, go enforce your damn laws

Insulting his wife's sister constantly

Almost killed his wife's sister cause she dared give her important medical information

Locked Lucien (MY BOY!!) in the house of wind

Locked Nesta in the house of wind

Didn't give Mor any warning that time he made her face her abusers and she cried i think (ngl i forgot most of it)

Ignoring Hewn City even tho...Kier is like the only bad guy we've seen from there?? Surely there's decent people in Hewn City, don't gotta make everyone suffer

Nesta windhaven kidnapping intervention so she stops spending Rhys' money (if it was really about her own sake, they would've put a stop to it much earlier)

Seemingly alienates everyone in Feyre's life that could and would stand up to Rhys for Feyre's sake. Lucien? Nah, shoo. Nesta? Nah, shoo. Weird thought but Tarquin? Yeah, makes her steal his book.

And last but DEFINITELY not least; demon baby wife death

HE COULD'VE TOLD FEYRE... OR ATLEAST NOT THREATENED TO KILL HER SISTER FOR TELLING HER WHEN HE HOULD'VE TOLD HER IN THE FIRST PLACE??

THERE'S PROBABLY MORE BUT MOVING ON

Cassian:

Barely ever stands up for Nesta in the IC

Aids in kidnapping Nesta to Windhaven so she stops spending whysand's money

Laughs at Nesta when she falls down the stairs

Aids in punishing Nesta for daring to tell Feyre important medical info

Constantly going agaisnt Nesta's wishes and trying to "save her" when she doesn't want him to

That one time Azriel asked Nesta if Cass had pushed her down the stairs...Like are we gonna ignore that?? Personally I'd have a quarter life crisis if my closest friend, who is like my sibling and has known me most of our lives, seriously entertained the idea that i would physically assault the girl I like

general aggressiveness all of ACOSF

aids in bulldozing Nesta's apartment

Rowan goddamn Whitehorn (Who I've yet to see people bashing him somehow,,, HoF rowan was like if ACOSF cassian had a horrific murder baby

Left his pregnant mate alone during a war cause he wanted to prove himself....like..idk man if i had the choice between war and taking care of my pregnant wife i'd pick the wife (did he know she was pregnant? i've kind of forgotten by now)

Rowan's kid would've been hundreds of years older than Aelin.....just think abt that

Literally everything he did to Aelin during training in HoF

Their argument where he PUNCHED HER IN THE FACE

Threatened to whip Aelin...I repeat....Threatened to whip Aelin, an ex-slave....

Told Aelin it'd be better if she died 10 years ago (unprovoked?? bitch you met her like 2 weeks ago just cause she's getting on your nerves doesn't mean you gotta wish DEATH upon her)

Literally was relieved to find out she was only 19 because if she was a few years older she could've been THE CHILD OF HIS BEST FRIEND.

No issue with marrying the cousin of his best friend's child....Imagine if he hadn't met Aelin first.. If he'd met Aedion first, Aelin would've always been the relative of his friend's son to him

FOR THE RECORD i hate all of the SJM age gaps but rowan and aelin's specifically irks me because Aelin LITERALLY CALLS HIM OLD throughout the WHOLE SERIES

Literally tells Aelin he doesn't care about what she's been through and that she is nothing to him after she confronts him for leaving her

Puts Luca in danger by sticking him on to a frozen lake with a monster inside where he'll DIE if Aelin can't save him

Funnily enough, some of the only seemingly decent person guys in SJM 1. Are completely forgotten about in the books or 2. SJM had to make them violently unlikeable

Like we've got:

Tarquin, seemed like a pretty good guy, rightfully pissed that the IC stole his family heirloom, shows up like twice in the books (LET HIM COME BACK SARAH I LOVE HIM)

Tamlin, was pretty decent in book 1, was made violently unlikeable in book 2 onwards

Chaol, very strong morals, generally a good person, loves his wife, made violently unlikeable and boring in late CoM, HoF, and QoS (ToD is one of my favorite books in the series, will praise ToD till the day I die, my boy EARNED his own book)

Aedion, seemed like a good person, strong morals, spent years trading his dignity for the sake of Terrasen, loved his cousin above all else, made violently unlikable in KoA (even tho I think he was justified in being angry about it, i'd be SO pissed)

Sartaq, good guy, strong morals, Nesryn's chapters were some of my favorites in ToD, Sartaq is one of my favorite SJM love interests, i'll never forgive author lady for forgetting about him in KoA (tho i guess she forgot about everyone from ToD? Yrene and Chaol are the only important ones, she barely even mentions Nesryn even though Nesryn's BEEN an integral part of the gang since QoS, giving her the Suki from ATLA treatment)

[tatiana03]

The Witcher gives Rowan Whitehorn vibes

[tothestarsandwhateverend]

sometimes i just think about how rowan whitehorn said,

“ love you. There is no limit to what I can give to you, no time I need. Even when this world is forgotten whisper of dust between the stars, I will love you.”

and almost cry.

anyone else?? no just me ok 😂😂😂

[andrewminyardlawyer]

hi, i'm kevin, i'm nineteen years old, and i come from poland. I'm studying classical philology, and I'm in my first year. I love riding horses, reading books, and listening to music. My interests in particular are Greek mythology and the broadly understood Hellenic faith. I am bisexual and genderfluid, I use all pronouns (currently he/him). My comfort characters are:

andrew minyard

neil josten

aaron minyard

kevin day

nicky hemmick

percy jackson

aaron warner

nikolai lanstov

zoya nazyalensky welcome !! have a nice day (art cr: unholyrodeo, lunapiq )

My favourite characters are: deanerys and rhaenyra targaryen, aelin ashryver galathynius, rowan whitehorn galathynius, fenrys moonbeam, cardan greenbriar, jude durate, jon snow, sansa stark, aegon III My fav greek gods are: Apollo, Hermes, Aphrodite, Ares, Hades, Hera, Nemesis, Athena, Poseidon, Artemis

[midnightwriter21]

prob deleting when i look back and find this a lil bit too cringy 😌

masterlist

BUT!! i wanna make this blog a little more personal sooooo if you wanna know a little more about the gal writing or making ur your hcs, oneshots, or characters tweets here is a little bit…

ABOUT ME <3

Name?

My real name is Lily but most of you guys call me midnight! But your welcome to call me Lils!

Age?

21

Am I in school? Or what is my job?

I’m both in school and have a job!

I’m in my junior year of college as a health science major! After graduation, i’ll be entering radiology school to become a radiology technician!

As for my job… I’m a martial arts instructor!

(fun fact: im a black belt in the style of martial arts that I train in.)

Favorite shows to write for?

Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer

however I think I’ll start writing for a new fandom soonnnnn ;))))

Favorite shows to watch?

Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, Fairy Tail, ATLA, TLOK, Criminal Minds, MTOLACN, 7DS, SWAT, Supernatural, Tokyo Ghoul, House, and the list goes on and on….

Favorite Show Characters?

Sanemi Shinazugawa, Laxus Dreyar, Dean Winchester, Dr. House, Meliodas, Satoru Gojo, Toji Fushiguro, Zuko, Dr. Spencer Reid

Favorite Book Characters?

Sirius Black, Aelin Galathynius, Dorian Havillard, Sam Courtland, Rowan Whitehorn, Finnick Odair, Haymitch Abernathy, Xaden Riorson

Random Facts About Me:

I am the oldest of 5 siblings!

I have 4 fur babies (2 cats and 2 dogs)

I’m a southern gal ;)

I’m a 3x national champion and 1x world champion athlete

MAJOR book nerd

I’m writing a book 🤭

ANYWAYSSSS that’s all I’ve got for y’all! If you’ve read this far and wanna know a lil bit more about me feel free to ask me some questions! ily <3

[afantasycourt]

independent multi muse rp account featuring a variety of muses from acotar, bridgerton, the witcher, marvel, and more. written by kel, 21+, she/her, uk based.

open starter tag

currently reading: fourth wing

rules & mules are under read more

MUSES.

bridgerton.

hyacinth bridgerton: florence hunt, danielle rose russell

sophie beckett: alexandra dowling

francesca bridgerton: ruby stokes, hannah dodd.

lucy abernathy: adelaide kane.

kate sharma: simone ashley.

daphne bridgerton: phoebe dynevor

edwina sharma: charithra chandran

penelope featherington: nicola coughlan

anthony bridgerton: johnathan bailey

benedict bridgerton: luke thompson

colin bridgerton: luke newton

violet ledger (bridgerton) - ruth gemmell, connie jenkins

lady danbury - arsema thomas

queen charlotte - india ria amarteifio

a court of thorns & roses.

nesta acheron - phoebe tonkin

elain archeron - lily james

feyre archeron - freya allan

rhysand - undecided

throne of glass.

yrene towers - zendaya

elide lochan - danielle campbell

aelin galathynius - skylar samuels

dorian havilliard - matthew daddario

rowan whitehorn - henry cavill

the witcher.

jaskier - joey batey

yennefer of vengerberg - anya chalotra

cirilla of cintra - freya allan

shadow & bone.

alina starkov - jessie li mei

stranger things.

chrissy cunningham - grace van dien

eddie munson - joseph quinn

nancy wheeler - natalia dyer

once upon a time.

emma swan - jennifer morrison

robyn mills - tiera skovbye

alice jones - rose reynolds

snow white - ginnifer goodwin

drizella/ivy tremaine - adelaide kane

the musketeers.

queen anne - alexandra dowling

constance - tamla kari

ninon de larroque - annabelle wallis

aramis - santiago cabrera

merlin/arthurian legends.

lancelot du lac - santiago cabrera

elaine of corbenic - undecided

lady morgana - katie mcgrath

guinevere - angel coulby

the chronicles of narnia.

lucy pevensie - georgie henley

susan pevensie - anna popplewell

wednesday.

wednesday addams - jenna ortega

enid sinclair - emma myers

downton abbey.

sybil crawley - jessica brown findlay

daisy mason - sophie mcshera

other.

hayley marshall - phoebe tonkin ( originals )

hope mikaelson - danielle rose russell ( legacies )

rebecca mikaelson - claire holt ( originals )

freya mikaelson - riley voelkel ( originals )

amy pond - karen gillan ( doctor who )

yasmin khan - mandip gill ( doctor who )

morgan stark - katherine langford (marvel)

bucky barnes - sebastian stan (marvel).

peggy carter - hayley atwell (marvel)

rebecca barnes - tbd (marvel)

RULES

RULE ONE/OOC INFORMATION Hi, my name is Kel, I'm over 21+ and use the pronouns she/her. Time zone is GMT.For now, my blog will run on a queue as I'm busy with some real life stuff. But sometimes, I may come online for an hour or two, depending on my mood. Blog is selective, private and mutual only. Also OC, multi fandom and multi-muse friendly too.

 RULE TWO/THREADS AND REPLIES  Replies can take a while to reply to, but I am not ignoring anyone. Please message if I haven't replied within a month.The best way to begin threads are through sending ask memes. I will also post open starters and maybe the occasional starter call. Not really a plotting person either; prefer to go with the flow.

RULE THREE/TRIGGERS I don't really have any triggers. That being said I will tag other people's triggers the best I can, and if I don't feel free to send a message and let me know. Don't send anon hate either. We all make mistakes and can't remember everything. Regarding shipping, I'm open to anything really. That being said, don't force any ships on any of my characters. I'll just unfollow/block if it continues to happen.

RULE FOUR/ETIQUETTE I do not tolerate any forms of hate. Racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia and any other forms of hate are not tolerated on this blog and I don't want to see any of it on the dash. It's an immediate hard block if I see anything. Respect each other, it's not that hard.

RULE FIVE/SHIPPING. Regarding shipping, I'm open to anything really. That being said, don't force any ships on any of my characters. I'll just unfollow/block if it continues to happen. I mostly ship for chemistry, but don't mind discussing ships beforehand if anyone wants to try anything out.

RULE SIX/SMUT AND MATURE THEMES Smut will not be featured on this blog. All other mature themes will be tagged accordingly and I'm pretty much open to anything except rape, incest etc.

CREDIT All gifs, icons etc on this blog do not belong to me. Credit goes to their rightful owners.

[thecambriaone]

yearning for more maasverse? why not bring us a character or two while we all wait for the next book!

azriel, cassian, morrigan, elain archeron, lucien vanserra, eris vanserra, jurian, amren, tarquin, gwyn, bryce quinlan, lidia cervos, hunt athalar, aelin galathynius, rowan whitehorn, dorian havilliard, manon blackbeak and more!

[gothicbabydollz]

here are the cookies in advance 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

on it

[hiddenwashington]

@lavendaers said : also can i change rowan’s fc to emilio sakraya?

rowan whitehorn's fc is now michael b jordan emilio sakraya!

[luxmaeastra]

Sebastian looked to the Magister and back to Rowan. His teeth stained with blood, his eyes dark and wary. Sebastian shut his eyes, looking to the non-existent stars. Maeve was going to kill him, fuck.

He looked back to Rowan, gritting his teeth. He could kill him, solve the problem easy enough.

Aelin would loose her mate, would drift and he knew if she had no anchor...she needed one, they couldn't afford her not to.

"You know where your family lives Rowan?"

He nodded, licking the gristle from his fingers, wasn't very talkative. But then he hoped he wasn't defective.

"You will take me to them. Till then, stay here."

Rowan frowned and looked around.

"How long? They didn't bother to feed me before -"

"You have meat, I'll be back."

He hesitated looking back at him. The boy had locked onto the body though. He exhaled and Windwalked away.

He found Natalia in their garden.

"We have a problem."

"The prison? What did Rhoe want?"

"Well he's dead but -"

Rowan Whitehorn is Aelin's mate. Mab's Great Grandson. Natalia if she found out -

If Maeve found out there would be hell to pay. Mab had nearly tore the kingdom from her hands. She'd rallied the other nobles and it had been a chapter he was happy to forget.

Fuck, why couldn't their lives stay simple?

The news hammered down upon her like a lightning bolt, his words thundered in her head as her blood ran cold. If their daughter was to be mated to the Great-Grandson of Mab, then they had bigger issues.

Natalia rose from where she was tending to the floors, wiping her hands upon her apron as she moved to approach him.

"We can't let her know, she will demand Aelin. She will demand to use her as a bargaining chip, or worse." She would kill Rowan, she would turn on them because the risk of keeping the family of someone who was mated to Mab's.

Natalia swore as she turned and began pacing. "We need to remove the ties, we need to hid it."

[tothestarsandwhateverend]

this chapter is everything 😭❤️

lmao aedion is a menace. not him bringing up wiggly jiggly again 😂

“I have everything I could ask for at home” 🥹🥹🥹

them cuddling on the hospital bed is making me warm and fuzzy inside. and rowan’s face hurting bc his girls are ming him smiling so much 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼

he loved her — YES HE DID and YES HE STILL DOESSSS

ugh rowan waiting until the time is right to act on his feelings. THE TIME IS RIGHT NOOOOOWW

i’m so glad rowan got to say what he needed to say 😭 i have such a vivid mental image of him saying “but you forced me to leave” and it’s gut wrenching. poor bby

HAHAH maisies road rage is the cutest. i can see her lil nose all scrunched up

@ rowan whitehorn — the lobster is giving you a sign from the universe. i am once again begging you to pls kiss and make up with aelin

rowaelin sleeping together and cuddling their baby>>>>>>>> literally anything

“Besides, his mother didn’t need to trap him into anything with Aelin, he’d do it himself” she

the family grilled cheese sandwich 😭🫶🏼❤️

gjdixjjsbf mayomaise 😂😂😂😂 that kind of humor is right up my alley

i loved this chappie!! i feel like they’re soooo so close to fixing everything

Look at Us Now - ch. 13

Fic masterlist

Thank you for your patience ❤️

This chapter is my baby. I know I say this every time, but some of the scenes took me longer to write than entire chapters. So *cracks knuckles* if you don’t like it… just kidding I won’t do anything 😂 but please don’t let me know if that’s the case lmaoo

Words: 4,9k

Warnings: language, postpartum depression

The yet to be named Galathynius-Whitethorn firstborn came into the world on October 19th, after 13 hours of labor.

Rowan almost lost his mind with worry. It was the best day of his life.

Aedion was holding the baby, his eyes darting between Rowan and the little bundle on his arms. “Holy rutting Mala, the baby is Rowan’s.”

Aelin gave him an unamused look from the hospital bed. “You just figured that one out?”

“You don’t get it.” He lifted the baby so her face would be side by side with Rowan’s from Aedion’s point of view. “It’s like he made a girl clone of himself. It’s day one, and she’s already frowning like Whitethorn.”

To be honest, Rowan was more focused on the way Aelin’s cousin was carrying the baby than on his words. Aedion Ashryver wasn’t exactly a graceful person, and watching him carry that very fragile baby made Rowan a little tense.

”Enough of that.” Orlon took the baby from Aedion’s arms, making Rowan’s shoulders drop an inch. “Do you have no clue about what to name her?”

Aelin and Rowan exchanged a look, then she said, “Our favorite so far is Maisie.”

“It’s beautiful!” Philippa beamed, studying Aelin with a fond look while Orlon agreed with her.

Darrow came closer to his husband and cooed at the little one. “It suits her.”

“I don’t know.” Aedion wrinkled his nose. “I like Aedinna better.”

“Aedion,” Philippa cautioned.

Aelin was shooting daggers at him, jaw tight as she grabbed the tissue box from the bedside table.

Rowan went stiff. “That’s enough—“

Smirking, Aedion added, “Or Wiggly Jiggly—“

“Shut up!” Aelin aimed the tissue box at her cousin and sent it flying across the room. “You’re such a fucking loser!”

“Aw.” Aelin’s cousin beamed. “Is it the first time you curse in front of the baby?”

Instead of the usual glaring that was expected, Aelin’s face faltered. She clamped her lips together and blinked, but at the same time the baby started fussing on Orlon’s arms, then he immediately gave her back to Aelin, not knowing what to do.

Enough of visitors. Rowan’s blood was beginning to boil under his skin, so he looked at his watch. His online sources said the visits shouldn’t be longer than 30 minutes, and they’ve been here for 32 already. It was time to kick everyone out.

“Aedion. Out,” Rowan said through gritted teeth, low but stern. He didn’t give a fuck that Aelin’s cousin was raised as her brother or how they’d tease each other. She got upset, and Rowan only had one job. He gave Orlon, Darrow and Philippa something that could at least resemble a smile. “Please.”

The elder ones of the family were good sports about being kicked out, just taking a second to say their goodbyes before leaving.

Except that when Rowan was holding the door for them to leave, Darrow asked to talk outside and led him a few steps away from everyone, enough to give them some privacy.

“I won’t apologize for putting you in jail.”

Rowan gave him a stiff nod. “I don’t expect you to, sir.”

“Good.” Colonel Darrow gave him a guarded look. “But I was upset, and I put Military Law before my family’s trust. That’s not something I’m proud of. It put me in enough trouble at home.”

Rowan would never know what happened in his house besides Aelin moving out, and he might not want to. Whatever his intentions were, Rowan broke the law, and his sentence for improper sexual conduct was fair. The only person to blame was himself.

“Because you are family now, Rowan, and I want you to feel welcome with Orlon and I.”

Rowan’s breath hitched until his body restarted so he could swallow a lump in his throat. “Thank you, sir.”

“But don’t fuck up again. I’m still your superior at work.”

There was not a chance Rowan would have sex inside base again. Not after going to the guardhouse for it, not after Aelin.

“There’ll be nothing but teaching at the Training Center, Colonel.” Rowan did his best to bite back a smile. “I have everything I could ask for at home.”

Darrow gave one last tap on Rowan’s shoulder. “I’m happy for you, kid.”

He watched Aelin’s family leave—his family too now, not his words—but not for long. He quickly went back to the room, his eyes meeting Aelin’s as soon as he entered the room again.

She looked nothing short of heavenly today in the Air Force’s maternity ward.

Aelin moved to the side a little, silently telling him to join her in the bed. She didn’t need to ask twice. There was a lot of paperwork waiting for Rowan, but it wouldn’t be done until they decided the baby’s name.

They just stayed there for a moment, watching their baby’s rosy cheeks—she was all bundled up, so it was all they could see—the loudest thing in the room being the AC running.

Rowan chewed on his lip, thinking about her telling her uncle she liked ‘Maisie’ best. “You don’t mind naming her after a junkie’s song?”

“What? No.” Aelin gave him a confused look. “The name is so cute, and my dad was a fan. I thought you were the one who didn’t want it.”

”You know…” a gentle kiss on the crown of Aelin’s head. “I have really good memories attached to that song.”

“So?”

Rowan caressed his daughter’s chubby cheeks. “I think Maisie is ready for another nap.”

Aelin smiled against his chest. ”So is Maisie’s mother.”

He brushed her hair back with his fingers and said, “Me too. Maybe I should teach Maisie’s first lesson on adulthood and make her fill her own paperwork.”

Aelin mentioned to pinch his side, but Rowan grabbed her hand before the minor assault. He restrained his hug as much as he could, careful with her tired postpartum body, and cuddled Aelin to sleep.

Of all the pain Rowan had to endure in his life, his favorite so far was feeling his cheeks hurt from grinning so much. All because of his girls.

He was living with Aelin, the mother of his child. Rowan had the whole package already, he just needed to convince Aelin of one thing.

Rowan held her tightly, and there was something in his mind as he did, repeating itself like a broken record while he felt it take over his body and soul.

He loved her

He loved her

He loved her

˜˜

Turns out pursuing Aelin while having a newborn was harder than Rowan thought.

Between tending Maisie and giving Aelin space to recover from giving birth, the last thing on Rowan’s mind was his own dick. Actually, pursuing the woman he loved in hopes to become an official family with her went beyond ‘thinking with his dick’, but that’s how Rowan felt when he considered asking her that when she looked so… Aelin was far from fragile, but she still seemed to be overwhelmed by postpartum hormones, or whatever made new moms sad.

Rowan opened the fridge and ran a hand through his face, not missing the sharpness of his unshaved cheek. Did Maisie drink all those bottles already? They were prioritizing breastfeeding, but Rowan would do anything to let Aelin rest as much as she could.

He was so sure her insomnia would end with the pregnancy, but she seemed to sleep even less now that Maisie was here.

“Rowan!”

He blinked, jerking towards the stove, where his mom was. “What?”

At first, they dismissed his mother when she first offered to spend a few weeks with them until things were settled, but now Rowan thanked her every night for insisting to stay. He had just realized how demanding a two-week-old can be.

“Were you listening to me?”

Rowan grimaced. “Can’t say I was, sorry.”

Rory’s shoulders dropped, nothing but fondness in her gaze. “Did you talk to Aelin?”

Rowan settled close to his mother to wash a few dirty bottles. “She told me she’s fine.”

His mother had her I-know-it-all look, the same one she gave him when Rowan was a teenager grew like a tree, but wouldn’t admit he was taking workout supplements.

“Could you not?” Rowan gave her a look to rival her Mom Look. He failed miserably.

She was turning the beef around on the pan, frowning at the half-cooked meat. “I’ve seen a lot of new moms, Rowan. I know what a happy one looks like.”

He flexed his jaw, scrubbing the bottle harder than necessary. “If you’ve seen a lot of new moms, you know they get overwhelmed after birth.”

Rory turned back to work on dinner. “It’d be a lot easier on her if she had an actual partner, you know?”

His neck stiffened, his pulse faster in a heartbeat. Rory’s hints about him marrying Aelin had gotten less and less subtle as the months passed. As much as Rowan wanted to do that, those comments still irked him.

“You’re telling me she won’t be happy until we’re married and I put a white picket fence around the house?”

“I’m not telling you to marry her because of whatever people my age say a family should look like.” Rory gave him a dagger-sharp look. “I’m telling you to marry Aelin because you’re in love, but you two don’t seem to know what to do with that.”

His chest tightened, and Rowan wouldn’t look Rory in the eye. “It’s complicated.”

Her posture relaxed, and her eyes and tone were a lot softer when she said, “It’s not. You see what you want, and you seize it.”

Rowan felt his throat closing, and he just rushed with the rest of the dishes before leaving to check on Aelin and Maisie. For Mala’s sake, was his mother this desperate for a daughter-in-law?

He stood by the open door, watching them before announcing his arrival. Aelin’s hand was gentle but restless as she patted Maisie’s back, her eyes distant as she tried to burp the little girl.

Rowan would act on his feelings when the time was right, he was happy to just watch his family in the meanwhile.

And Aelin… she was recovering from giving birth. That’s the reason she wouldn’t get out of bed.

He sat beside her on the bed. “She’s done feeding?”

“Not quite.”

Rowan extended both hands. “Can I try?”

Since the usual technique wasn’t working, Rowan decided to try something he saw online. He held Maisie against his chest and shoulder as usual, but gently swiveled her bottom instead of patting her back.

Until the cutest little burp echoed through Aelin’s room. A completely different experience from the ones he’s used to hearing at the Air Force’s mess hall.

”There she is.” He kissed Maisie’s belly and held her in front of him, father and daughter staring at each other with the same pine green eyes. “Did you like Mommy’s dinner?”

“She better enjoy it while she can, that’s the only dinner I can make.”

Rowan squeezed her hand. “I’ll take care of that once she grows some teeth.”

She leaned against the bedpost, lips flat. “Of course you will.”

His breath caught inside his chest. Did he say something wrong?

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing.” Aelin bowed her head and grimaced. “I didn’t mean to snap, it’s just—“ she ran both hands through her hair. “I feel like I’m always messing up with Maisie.”

Rowan hummed, moving himself and the baby closer to Aelin. “I think Maisie disagrees, since you’re very clearly her favorite person.”

This line was supposed to make Aelin smile, but it completely backfired now that she was staring at the ceiling and blinking back tears.

“Wanting me is just her instinct. She’s biologically inclined to do that.”

He caressed her shoulder, trying to comfort her in any way he could. “Instinct or not, I still think you’re a great mom.”

“And you’re like a dream dad that came straight from a diaper ad.“ She gave him a weak smile. “It’s annoying sometimes. I love it.”

Aelin leaned her head against his shoulder and they stayed there, savoring the moment until Maisie decided it was enough.

It wouldn’t be long until the time to act on his fluttering stomach came. Rowan would pour his heart out, put a ring on her finger, and have as many children as she wanted.

He’d do it when the time was right.

˜˜

“Who’s ready for some beach-themed therapy?” Yrene greeted them into her office with a huge grin, holding a beach ball with emotions written on it.

Aelin threw her head back, laughing. “What’s that?”

That made Rowan’s chest fill with warmth, and it was a well-known fact that he could live his whole life gravitating around that laughter alone. He flexed his hands, then gave in to the ache in his fingers and fondly brushed them against the middle of her back. Aelin gave him a quick smile and turned back to their therapist.

Yrene gave them space to walk inside while explaining, “We use this activity mostly with teenagers, but I thought it’d be nice to get you in the mood for your trip.”

After they discussed last week’s homework, she explained that it consisted of passing the ball around, reading the first word that pops in and telling one time they felt that way. Easy.

“Furious.” Aelin gaped at the ball, and then at Yrene. “That’s a way to start.”

“Now you tell us a time when your family made you furious,” their therapist said.

Aelin squinted her eyes at him. “When you cut Maisie’s hair without telling me.”

Rowan grimaced. Fatherhood was hard, but nothing could prepare him for dealing with his daughter’s hair. There were so many different creams, he always got the hairstyles wrong, and she’d scream bloody murder while getting her hair rinsed.

So Rowan did the logical thing and cut his toddler’s hair around the chin.

Maisie liked it, but Aelin yelled so much at him she nearly ruptured his eardrums.

She had one arm holding the ball against her, the other on her hip. “You have nothing to say for yourself?”

“It grew back.”

Aelin threw the ball at him a little harsher than necessary. “Your turn.”

By the looks of it, there was a reason therapists chose a beach ball, and not something heavier and therefore deadlier to do this dynamic with.

“Thankful.” Rowan twirled the ball in his hands, smiling inwardly. “When Maisie trashed my house while I took a nap and you helped me clean it up.”

His memory broke her angry stance, making Aelin’s shoulders relax. “You could’ve pressed charges against Maisie for what she did to your house.”

“Technically, I could arrest her myself, but I don’t think the Brigadier would approve.”

Aelin rolled her eyes, like she always did when someone joked about her being the Air Force’s nepo baby, and he passed her the beach ball.

“Appreciated.” Aelin had a wistful smile on, and looked as if it was a crystal glass showing her past. “When I was pregnant, you’d leave the house in the middle of the night to buy something I was craving.”

Rowan’s heart constricted with the memory, but he knew he’d do it all over again. Getting to know her, living with her while they watched Maisie grow made those some of the best days of his life.

Flooded with memories, he almost missed the beach ball when Aelin passed it to him. It was like time stopped when Rowan grabbed it and read the first word his eyes settled in, his chest caving and the floor falling beneath his feet. Should he lie? There was only one time he felt—

“What’s the word, Rowan?” Yrene asked when silence stretched for too long.

He swallowed. “Betrayed.”

“What?” Aelin let out a low, shaky laugh. “I never betrayed—“

“When you asked me to leave.”

Aelin was rooted to her spot, gaping until she blurted, “How was that a betrayal?”

Yrene cleared her throat. “Let’s remember this should be a safe space to share our—“

“You want me to be petty now?” Rowan shook his head and started finger-counting everything he barely remembered now, but weighted on him six years ago. “You were my student. You had a boyfriend. I went against every rule I had for you.” Rowan’s mouth opened and closed, his breathing ragged as he voiced every feeling he ditched over the last six years, like weed growing from small cracks in an old road he buried with asphalt day after day. “I went to *jail* for you. I fixed your entire house for you—“

“I didn’t force you to do any of that—“

“But you forced me to leave!“ Rowan sat on the couch and scraped his palms against his face, trying to think of the right words. ”I know things were shitty, but you were clutching Maisie to your chest when you told me to pack my things and leave!” He held one finger up while holding his head down and took one deep breath. And another. And another. Until the boiling in his blood calmed down.

He continued after a moment, “I didn’t mean to snap. I know that wasn’t exactly a betrayal, but emotions don’t always align with facts, or whatever Yrene has been telling us.”

Aelin sat by his side, reading every line of his wretched expression with her own, and said, “I wish I’d done things differently, but I couldn’t make the right choices because my mind wasn’t in the right place.” She playfully elbowed his side with a small, tentative smile. “Or whatever Yrene has been telling us.”

Rowan slowly nodded, knowing he’d mull this words over and over after this session ended. “I wish I’d done things differently too. I can’t stop thinking about every time I messed up that year since…” Since Ansel suggested that he was the reason Aelin kicked him out, but he wouldn’t open this Pandora‘s box now. Rowan sighed, all the weight of these six years heavy on his shoulders. “I‘ve been trying to puzzle things together, and the only conclusion I get to is that I failed you and Maisie.”

Aelin squeezed his hand. “You never did.”

She meant well, but hearing that she regretted her decision and that it wasn’t his fault wasn’t reassuring at all. It only sent him back to square one, even more confused.

Aelin took a deep, pained breath and closed her eyes, then fiddled with his fingers. She must’ve read something on his face, because she added, “I wish I could give you a better answer and explain those last few days to you, but I don’t remember Maisie’s first months very well.”

Rowan caressed her wrist with his thumb, not knowing what to say. It was odd that she didn’t remember, but—

Yrene cleared her throat. “And remember that if you’re feeling overwhelmed by your own thoughts, I’ll be happy to help you with that.”

Beating himself up for every little thing he did six years ago was a natural response for losing the love of his life. Rowan had no idea why his therapist was so obsessed with him starting individual sessions.

He looked back at Aelin, noticing her unguarded expression and how the touch of her hand covering his wired and soothed him at the same time.

Right now, he just needed one thing.

˜˜

“Why is this taking so long?” Maisie whined from the backseat of the car they just rented.

Rowan had an ‘I told you so’ ready, but it wouldn’t help with anything now. With a plane trip to Southeastern Doranelle and a long drive to his parents’ house on the same day, he knew getting into the long drive-thru line would only make Maisie stressed. The problem is that his daughter was as stubborn as she was impatient.

“I don’t know, honey.” Aelin gasped from the passenger, eyes wide in a display of theatrics she only did to entertain Maisie. “Maybe they’re ordering the whole menu.”

“They’re taking forever.” The little girl crossed her arms, unamused. “Why did everyone’s daddy have to grab lunch today?” Maisie was doing distressed, dramatic gestures with her arms. “Where’s all the mommies?”

Rowan’s spine went rigid and he frowned at his daughter. “What do you mean?”

“Rowan…” Aelin grimaced and bit back her laughter at the same time. “You’re a slow driver. I thought you knew that already.”

His eyes widened. “I’m not!”

Aelin threw her head back, laughing. “You are! And Maisie has your road rage.”

He shook his head, but swallowed his retort when the car in front of them got their bag. He hit the brake pedal, hands clutching the steering wheel as he leaned forwards, breathlessly waiting… but the car wouldn’t move.

“Ugh!” Maisie looked up and sighed. “Daddy, do you want me to get out and push so they’ll move?”

Her “threat” worked like a charm, now that the car moved and they were one step closer to getting a meal. Rowan’s lips were pinched together, restrained, but when he saw Aelin’s shoulders shaking with her head between her hands, he silently rested his head on the steering wheel and did the same.

It should be illegal to feel this amused at his own daughter’s frustration, but Maisie was too cute with road rage.

After they got their food and went back to the road, Aelin put on the Little Mermaid soundtrack again. The girls were singing at the top of their lungs, and Rowan could finally agree that this was better than having the GPS on and not taking a wrong turn every fifteen minutes. He didn’t remember how many times he listened to Under the Sea today, but he remembered getting warm, funny feelings in his chest every time their voices got louder than the song.

Before the trip really began, Rowan already accepted that the vacation was theirs, and he was just the chauffeur.

He wasn’t supposed to love this idea this much.

However, his mind was half there, half on the last therapy session they had. It hadn’t left his mind ever since he stepped out of Yrene’s office.

Aelin told him very clearly she wished she’d done things differently.

Restless nights, charged pauses when they spoke, fingers hovering over his phone’s keyboard. Rowan felt like he was on the edge of a cliff, on the verge of jumping and asking a detailed explanation of what she meant, in whatever way that would answer all the questions in his head. Or at least the most important one.

“Use your words, boy and ask her!” They sang in the background of Rowan’s anxiety. “If the time is right and the time is tonight, go on and kiss the girl!”

Rowan paused the song with a heartbeat faster than it should, but not without groans of protest. “What’s that?”

“Kiss the Girl!” Maisie whined. “Daddy, I want the song back.”

“Okay, okay.” He put the song back, feeling a tad guilty for disrupting an already stressed Maisie. “Sorry, kiddo.”

Rowan only relaxed when the song ended, though, and half of the weight of his shoulders left his body later, when they finally got to their destination.

Maisie burst into his parents’ beach house as soon as her door unlocked like the little cannonball she was.

“Go on.” Rowan nudged Aelin forward. “I got the bags.”

Stubborn as the day she was born, Aelin took her bag from his hand. “I’m not gonna barge into your parent’s house like I’m their five-year-old granddaughter.”

This was ridiculous, considering how much Rory and Owen loved her, but he understood why she was a little guarded now. Rowan came here with Maisie once or twice a year, but it was Aelin’s first time visiting.

“Knowing my parents, they might even like it.” Rowan snorted, shaking his head. “They already act like you’re the daughter they never had, anyway.”

He took two steps towards the house, but Aelin didn’t follow. She was staring, frozen with an indecipherable look aimed at him, and the realization of what he’d just said rooted him to the ground, his body so heavy it expanded to his core.

This week at therapy. If she was looking at him like this, it meant that being part of the family to his mother meant something to her. Every single interaction now led him back to therapy.

She dumped him, but she wished she’d done things differently.

Of all the reactions Rowan thought she’d have if he ever voiced the thoughts that made him pace in the middle of the night, holding his hand and apologizing wasn’t one of them.

Maybe he held back for being still used to the explosive reactions he got from her before family therapy, or maybe he knew he’d never say it out loud only to have his fears confirmed.

That he focused on the baby and didn’t pay her enough attention. That he was working too long hours. That his fussiness made him micromanage her mothering—which Rowan was actively trying to stop. That she got trapped with him, then decided she could have more.

But whatever happened that year, she wishes she’d done things differently.

“Aelin!” His mother shouted from the front door, stepping out their way. “I couldn’t believe my ears when Rowan told me you’d come!”

She hugged Rory, finally out of that trance. “Your house is so beautiful.”

His father showed up with Maisie while pleasantries were being exchanged. “About time,” the old man mock-complained.

“Sorry we’re late.” Rowan gave his dad a man hug and got the usual two pats on the back. “Maisie and Aelin turned off the GPS. The voice directions were disturbing their Disney sing-along.”

“Oh, that’s understandable.” Owen picked his granddaughter up, grinning. “I didn’t know you like singing with your mom that much, Maisy Daisy.”

She nodded with all the earnestness a five-year-old could muster. “The songs are fun, and Mommy is really brave.”

“Maisie!” Aelin chastised, her lips somewhere between a gape and a smile. “Why am I ‘brave’ for singing?”

The little girl just giggled and hid her face on her grandpa’s shoulder.

Rowan slowly shook his head, never failing to be amused at his daughter. He was ready to defend Aelin‘s skills, but that was her own sass biting her in the ass. Maisie might’ve gotten the Whitethorn looks, but that fiery personality was all Aelin’s.

On the second floor, Rowan got his usual guest room, but his mother was still showing everything because of Aelin.

“This one I prepared for you.” She was pointing everything around, assuming everyone was catching up. “There’s Sellene’s room, the other is Enda’s. Their kids have a room for themselves, they just asked me to put on a show about a boy and dogs.”

Maisie’s eyes brightened. “Pawtrols.”

“That one!” Rory crouched down enough to be eye to eye with Maisie. “Well, the kids’ room I prepared has a TV and lots of toys.” She pointed at a door down the hall. “You could sleep there with your cousins and leave the other room just to your mom and dad.”

Rowan didn’t know why he was surprised.

Maisie crossed her arms. “No.”

Rory’s face fell. “What.”

The little girl put her foot down, dramatically shaking her head. “I wanna stay with Mommy and Daddy.”

His mother didn’t agree or protest, knowing she was already bordering the line between scheming and being pushy.

“We don’t have to decide now.” Rowan crouched to talk to Maisie, ready to get rid of that weird tension. “You can stay with us for as long as you want, and play during the day or have sleepovers with your cousins when you feel like it.”

Aelin wiggled her eyebrows. “You could have both rooms, Mais.”

The little girl’s eyes lit up with the idea. “Can I have both rooms, Grandma?”

“Of course you can, honey.” Rory grinned at her granddaughter, all the distress from her failed plan vanished already. “You three get settled, everyone’s downstairs.”

When they set the bags on the room, Maisie threw herself on the bed while Aelin excused herself to the bedroom.

Rowan laid on the bed next to his little girl, where the three of them would sleep squashed together. It’d be nice to have some alone time with Aelin, but he was also incapable of saying no to Maisie.

Besides, his mother didn’t need to trap him into anything with Aelin, he’d do it this time. Forget about reading her cues and waiting for the perfect time, he was tired of feeling like his soul was being ripped into threads every time he watched her eyes light up while her lips arch into a smile.

Rowan wished he’d done things differently too, but that had to stop somewhere.

And if he didn’t have a shot with Aelin, he’d at least fight for what he wanted this time.

She walked back into the room, smiled, and laid on the other side of the bed, hugging Maisie as well.

He’d make a move and do everything on his mind in the near future. Right now, he had a family hug to attend.

“Mom? Dad?”

Aelin hummed.

“You’re a slice of bread.”

Rowan frowned. ”I don’t get it.”

Their daughter beamed. “I’m the cheese!”

That earned her a chuckle. Indeed, Maisie was sandwiched between them in a hug.

Aelin smacked a kiss on her cheek. “You’re our Mayomaisie.”

You can get notifications when I update by either following me on @backtobl4ck-fics or entering my (sometimes glitchy) tag list!!

TAG LIST

I couldn’t tag the people in bold, sorry!

@aelinchocolatelover

@autumnbabylon

@bookcide

@booksandteaonarainydayislife

@cookiemonsterwholovesbooks

@courtofjurdan

@dreamer-133

@elentiyawhitethorn

@elizarikaallen

@empress-ofbloodshed

@fangirlprincess09

@goddess-aelin

@gracie-rosee

@leiawritesstories

@lululululululuop

@renxzs

@rowanaelinn

@sarahjswift

@superspiritfestival

@swankii-art-teacher

@s-uppertime

@thegreyj

@violet-mermaid7

@wishfulimaginings