#can rowan call me fireheart too | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

live-the-fangirl-life · 8 months

Text

Trust Me, it'll be Fun

Aelin Galathynius x Rowan Whitethorn

“It’s just a spooky clock chiming at the incorrect time while all the lights are off and strange footsteps are creeping up the stairs, in a house that won’t let us leave.”

Masterlist | Read on Ao3 | Halloween Collection

Halloween Prompts

2053 words

*****

Whoever had the brilliant idea of sneaking into the decrepit, supposedly haunted house the weekend before Halloween needed some serious help. Aelin.

Whoever forgot to give out snack instructions that resulted in no one bringing any food or drinks with them needed to get it together. Rowan

Whoever raided the cabinets and found an old bottle of Crème de Menthe and thought it would be a good idea to pass it around needed to find something better to do with their time than cause chaos. Fenrys.

Whoever complained the entire time that they needed new friends needed to suck it. Lorcan.

And somehow, that was how they ended up separated – Aedion and Lysandra off to the kitchen, Fenrys gods-know-where, and Elide and Lorcan finally joining Aelin and Rowan in the foyer, arguing about leaving or staying. The front door was open and she could see the steps leading down to the path outside.

“Fireheart, c’mon, can we just call it a night?” Rowan sighed, crossing his arms. “We’ve been here for hours now, it's just an old house. There’s nothing spooky about it other than the fact that it's falling apart.”

“Rowan, we said we would spend the night here.” She argued half-heartedly.

He huffed, rolling his eyes. “How are we supposed to stay here all night with no food or water?”

Laughing, Aelin stepped closer and rested her hands on his crossed arms. “You say that like we're stranded on some desert island.”

“At least on an island, we wouldn’t have to hear your cousin and Lysandra making out in the next room.”

“My cousin,” she scoffed, “your friend is only ‘my cousin’ he annoys you.”

The sounds from the next room came again and she winced as Rowan’s brows shot up in vindication.

“I’m with Rowan,” Elide spoke up, walking toward the couple with her fiancé a step behind her. “Let’s just go.”

“Really?” Aelin spun towards her friend who shrugged. “You too?”

“I didn’t even really want to come.”

“What? Why did you then?” the blonde asked curiously.

“Because you’re my friend,” Elide laughed and bumped her shoulder with Aelin’s. “And I thought you might die otherwise and I needed to see you in your last moments to give you a passable eulogy.”

“Aw, you’re so sweet,” Aelin smiled, ignoring the sound of Lorcan scoffing. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”

“I did.” Elide snorted. “And you said trust me, it’ll be fun!”

“Famous last words,” Rowan muttered, rolling his eyes and leaning against the wall next to Lorcan.

“I’m sorry El,” she really did look it. “I get ramped up with Halloween.”

“I know, babes,” her friend patted her arm with a small smile, “I know.”

“Are we leaving or not?” Lorcan cut it, earning a glare form Aelin and an eyeroll for Elide.

“Fine,” Aelin huffed. “But I’m doing this for Elide, not for you Salvaterre.”

“Goody,” he deadpanned.

She went to walk out the door but paused at the top of the stairs. There was something that she couldn’t put her finger on…

“Something’s blocking the porch,” Aelin said.

Elide stared at her. “What do you mean something’s blocking the porch?”

A gust of wind blew the door shut behind her and Aelin whipped around at the sound, backing up until her back hit Rowan’s chest.

“I mean,” she explained, wrapping her arms around herself and glancing warily around the old house. “I tried to walk down the porch steps and I couldn’t.”

“What? You suddenly forgot how to walk down stairs, Galathynius?” Lorcan laughed and rolled his eyes, leaning back against the wall and letting his head hit the wood.

“No, you little shit—” she whirled on him, pointing a finger.

Rowan stepped in between them before they could get any closer to each other. Aelin shook off her boyfriend’s exasperated stare and tried explaining again.

“What I mean is that I tried to leave this house, and something stopped me,” she looked around at her friends and stressed, “like I physically couldn’t get to the bottom of the stairs.”

Elide forced out a weak laugh. “Ha ha, okay, very funny. You got me. Now can we cut it out and leave?” She stepped closer to Lorcan.

Aelin met her gaze and repeated, “I’m not kidding.”

“I may be a wimp when it comes to Halloween, but I’m not an idiot.” The smaller girl huffed. “You’re really playing up the whole haunted house thing, and you know what? Props to you. You did good.” She began a slow clap that brought a smirk to Lorcan’s face. “Now drop it.”

Rowan walked past them straight for the door and pulled on the door handle. The wood creaked against the effort.

“Cut it out, Whitethorn,” Lorcan griped when the door didn’t budge.

“Uh…” Rowan tried again, this time visibly straining as he pulled on the old door. “It’s not me.”

“Fucking hell.” Lorcan gritted out, slotting Elide next to Aelin as he took Rowan’s place and pulled. And pulled. And pulled. He gripped the handle and used his entire body weight, but it didn’t move.

“What the fuck?”

*****

“’Let’s go to a haunted house’ they said, ‘It's Halloween’ they said,” Aelin began pacing around the hall. “’It’ll be fun’, they said.”

“Don’t you dare pretend like you weren’t the one saying those things,” Aedion barked at her. He and Lysandra found their way back to the front hall when they heard their friends’ yelling.

“Oh, shut up,” she waved off her cousin and tried to think.

“Has anyone tried any of the other doors?” Lysandra asked. “Or windows, or whatever?”

“Okay,” Aelin perked up. “Lys and Aedion take the second floor, Rowan and I will search this floor, and Ellie, you and your guard dog take the attic.”

“Oh fuck no!” Elide protested. “You take the creepy attic, Lorcan and I will take the ground floor.”

“Not gonna correct the guard dog thing?” Rowan smirked at his friend. All he got back was a deadpan glare.

“Fine!” Aelin threw her hands up. “You two take this floor; Rowan and I have the attic.”

“Why are we looking in the attic at all?” Rowan asked, crossing his arms. “Even if there is a window, and even if we can get it open, it would still be three stories up and way too dangerous to escape from.”

Everyone stared at him, blinking, while he tried to find someone to see his point. Finally, Aelin huffed, “This is no time for common sense, Ro.”

He scrubbed a hand down his face and grumbled, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Okay!” Elide chirped, looking a little manic. “We each take a floor, look for anything that can help, and we meet back here in twenty minutes, yeah?”

A chorus of yeahs and okays and I’m going to kill you when we get out of here, Galathynius echoed throughout the group.

“And for the love of god,” Rowan pleaded, “somebody fucking find Moonbeam.”

They all split up, taking a different section of the house. Aelin and Rowan took their time walking up the stairs to the attic, each shift in the wood sending nerves rocketing through them. When they got to the top, they shared a look before Aelin pressed her hand to the door and pushed, letting in swing in and immediately outlining the silhouette of a figure staring right at them.

Three different screams echoed in the small hallway, each higher pitched than the last.

“Stop hitting me!” Fenrys shrieked under the barrage of Aelin’s fists. At the sound of his voice, Aelin pulled back, heart racing and chest heaving, finally shining the flashlight they’d grabbed in her friend’s face.

“Fenrys?!” she hissed, “You almost gave me a heart attack! What are you doing up here?”

She could feel Rowan’s erratic heart beating from where her back met his chest, as Fenrys stared at the pair like they were the crazy ones.

“Looking for these,” he lifted his hands and she saw the two bottles he was holding. “I knew a place like this would have more booze hidden around.”

“And you thought they’d be in the attic?” Rowan asked incredulously.

“Obviously,” Fenrys rolled his eyes. “And they were, so,” he shrugged.

“Gods, whatever,” Aelin pushed passed the blond and walked further into the dark and dusty room. A single swinging light bulb illuminated the space as the three of them looked around.

“What are you two doing up here?” Fenrys shot back.

“Looking for a way out,” Rowan didn’t elaborate.

Snorting, Fenrys mimicked, “And you thought you’d find it in the attic?”

Before either of them could reply, a loud chime sounded from the dilapidated grandfather clock that was pushed against a far wall. They whirled around. Aelin ended up in front of both guys, her fists raised while Rowan reached for the closest weapon he could find and Fenrys cradled the bottle of whiskey to his chest.

They had barely had a chance to wonder how a broken clock was chiming when they heard the stairs begin to creak.

“What are you gonna do, Whitethorn?” Fenrys hissed, “Sweep a ghost to death?”

Risking a glance behind her, Aelin saw Rowan clutching a broom between his hands and gripping it like a baseball bat. She elbowed Fenrys and hissed, “A ghost is already dead, dumbass.”

“Hey,” he hissed back. “Don’t call me a dumbass what it was your dumb ass that got all of our dumb asses here in the first place, dumbass.”

“Will you please stop saying dumbass?” Rowan hissed.

Aelin shot a triumphant look at Fenrys. “Yeah, dumbass.”

“For fucks sake…”

The lone lightbulb began flickering, immediately shutting all of them up. They could still hear the stairs creaking, the sound getting closer and closer every second.

“We’re going to die,” Fenrys breathed.

“It’s fine,” Aelin’s voice came out tinny and shaking.

“The fuck you mean it's fine?!”

“It’s fine,” she said again in that same choked squeak. “It’s just a spooky clock chiming at the incorrect time while all the lights are off and strange footsteps are creeping up the stairs, in a house that won’t let us leave.”

She felt both sets of eyes land on her and knew that if she looked at either man they would be looking at her as if she had lost her mind.

“How. Are. You. So. Calm?”

She forced a laugh, but it sounded more like a strained grunt. “Oh, because, none of this is real.”

“Uh,” Rowan’s voice came from her right, “It’s very real.”

“No,” she repeated, clearing her through and drawing in a breath. “You see, if it were real then you would see a Me-shaped hole in that door. But we can’t leave this house, which means I can’t escape, which means that it isn’t real.”

There was a beat of silence before Fenrys said, “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard, and I’ve been listening to myself speak for twenty-five years.”

Rowan breathed, “Your denial both impresses and astounds me.”

“Thank you,” she breathed just as quietly. Glancing quickly between them, she asked, “Run?”

“Run.” Rowan nodded.

Another best passed and the three of them raced down the steps, screaming at whoever was coming towards them. They made it to the main floor before realizing they hadn’t run into anyone on their way down.

*****

The twenty-four-hour diner’s fluorescent lights lit up the group of seven friends who were huddled together in a booth, silently replaying the night's events in their heads.

“So,” Elide’s voice cracked, and she cleared her throat before continuing, her soft voice sounding almost obscenely loud in the near-empty diner, “What did we learn tonight?”

Groans echoed around the table.

Aedion spoke up first, “Run if you ever hear Aelin say, ‘Trust me, it’ll be fun.’”

A quiet fuck you followed but was drowned out by Lysandra who added, trailing a finger down the side of her water glass following a drop of condensation as it hit the table. “Crème de Menthe and Absinthe look way too similar. Way. Too. Similar.”

“When a door won’t open it's probably a Push, and not being supernaturally barricaded by ghosts,” Rowan groaned.

“That next time we do this, we better have snacks,” Aelin mumbled, staring a hole into the table.

“Next time?!”

*******

@acourtofsnakes @a-frog-with-a-laptop @astra-ad-mare @autumnbabylon @backtobl4ck @bankerfrog @becarefuloflove @camerooonchiu @captain-swan-is-endgame @charlizeed @cookiemonsterwholovesbooks @doubt-less @earthtolinds @elentiyawhitethorn @feyretales @goddess-aelin @highqueenofelfhame @jorjy-jo @julemmaes @leiawritesstories @lemonade-coolattas @llyncooljones @mariamuses @moodymelanist @morganofthewildfire @nerdperson524 @rhysiedarling @rowaelinismyotp @rowaelinrambling @rowanaelinn @shyvioletcat @stardelia @superspiritfestival @sv0430 @swankii-art-teacher @thegreyj @the-lonelybarricade @the-regal-warrior @tomtenadia @westofmoon @whimsicallyreading

#rowaelin #aelin x rowan #rowan x aelin #rowaelin fic #throne of glass #tog #rowaelin fluff #rowaelin au #rowaelin fanfiction #aelin galathynius #rowan whitethorn #rowaelin oneshot #halloween fics #halloween #halloween au #halloween prompts #haunted house #aelin galathynius x rowan whitethorn

60 notes · View notes

goddess-aelin · 1 year

Note

Rowaelin Prompt: “what do you mean you’ve been flirting with me for [x] years?”

Thank you so much for the prompt! Here's a fun little neighbors to friends to lovers fic :)

Masterlist

Word count: 1.3k

Warnings: none!

“Well, Rowan. It looks like this is the end,” Aelin said as she picked up another box of various items belonging to the man in question.

“I’m moving across the hall, Fireheart, not across the country.”

“Yeah, but now that you’re moving across the hall, I can’t exactly call you my neighbor, can I? I blame Lorcan and Elide for this.”

In truth, Aelin had been in love with her neighbor for four years, which also happened to span the entire time that he lived next to her. She and Rowan had met when he moved in with Elide’s cursed boyfriend, who Aelin wanted to murder every time she talked to him and also happened to be her neighbor. But she dealt with Lorcan’s presence only so she could see Rowan more often, the silver haired man quickly weaseling his way into her heart.

It was the dimples that appeared on his face when Aelin brought him half-burnt cookies on move-in day.

It was the way he’d hold the elevator for her when she was running ten minutes late and was low on caffeine.

It was the way he’d let her snuggle into his side during their friends’ movie nights, where she’d inevitably fall asleep and drool on his shirt. Yet despite the drool, he didn’t seem to mind.

So yes, she was in love with her neighbor, her best friend, dare she say the man of her dreams. She was pretty sure he felt the same way.

So why was it so gods-damned hard to tell him that?

Oh, right. It was because despite her flirting, silly cat-calling, and cheesy pick-up lines, Rowan had never acted upon any so-called feelings. After a year, Aelin chalked it up to nerves. Rowan wasn’t the most outgoing of men. So, she persisted. After two, then three, then four, Aelin didn’t know what else to do. She sure as hell wasn’t going to just blurt it out. Maybe she had it all wrong and he didn’t feel the same way. What if her confession ruined everything good they had? Aelin would rather have a small piece of him than none at all.

And that was how she found herself moving all of Rowan’s belongings across the hallway, quietly stewing in her feelings. Elide decided that she was finally ready to move in with her brute of a boyfriend and Rowan happily offered to move out of the two-bedroom apartment he and Lorcan currently shared so the happy couple could have more space than the available one-bedroom across the hall.

Aelin considered just telling Rowan how she felt so that instead of moving his things across the hall, he could simply move into her one-bedroom with her. But that was wishful thinking, so she kept her mouth shut.

“Oh yes, the five steps it’ll take to get to my door is so much more difficult than the four it used to take.” With an exasperated eye roll, Rowan pulled her into his side and squeezed. “Now, I’m going to go see if I can get Lorcan to help me with my bed frame. Can you start setting up these books for me? You always were better at organizing that stuff anyway.”

With a nod, Aelin took the heavy box from his arms and made her way to the bookshelf in the corner of his room.

Aelin was so engrossed in the mystery that was Rowan’s reading material that she mistook the light footsteps she heard for Rowan’s.

"Hey Rowan, why in Mala’s good name do you have Knitting for Dummies in your book pile?”

A twinkling laugh echoed through the room. “Not Rowan but I, too, would like to know why a burly man such as himself has a book on knitting.” Elide continued chuckling and Aelin smiled back at her friend. “Though I will say, it’s kind of hot.”

Aelin sighed wistfully. “Tell me about it.”

Elide took a casual stance at the doorway, leaning against the door frame with crossed arms. “Aelin just tell him. I’m like 99% sure that it won’t be as bad as your thinking.”

“So you’re saying there’s a 1% chance that it will be as bad as I’m thinking?”

Elide gave her a stern look. For such a small woman, Elide could be extremely scary when she wanted to be. “Look, all I’m saying is that the way that Rowan looks at you should be illegal, ok? I’ve never seen anyone who looks so soft yet so lustful at the same time. He wants you, Aelin. And I don’t think it’s just physically. I mean, do you remember last week when you fell asleep on him at movie night?”

“I did not…”

“You did. And when you let out the loudest, most obnoxious snore, that boy had the gall to smile at you like you just hung the world.”

Aelin let out a frustrated sigh. “Elide, I’ve been flirting with Rowan for four years. And I have nothing to show for it.”

“What do you mean you’ve been flirting with me for four years?” Rowan appeared behind Elide, looking as handsome as ever despite the shocked look on his face.

If Aelin could have wished for one thing her entire life, it would’ve been to crawl into a deep, dark hole where no one could find her. Especially Rowan.

Elide’s eyes widened as she turned to face the man behind her. “I’m…I’m gonna just go.”

Aelin closed her eyes and let out a huff of breath. Thanks, Elide. She kept her eyes closed but could hear Rowan’s footsteps entering the room, could hear the door shutting quietly.

“Aelin,” he whispered. “Please open your eyes.”

Aelin shook her head. She could hear him laughing softly. She felt a hand gently brush hers before it picked her own up with tender reverence. Another hand slid up her jaw, tilting her face upwards.

“Aelin.” She wasn’t sure if it was the soft tone of his voice or the fact he sounded slightly panicked, but Aelin decided to listen to him.

Teal met green as she opened her eyes.

“You’ve been flirting with me?”

She exhaled roughly. “Pretty much since the day we met.”

Rowan gave her a sheepish look. “I had no idea.” Aelin just shrugged. “You are a very charismatic person so I just assumed…I don’t know. You’re like that with everyone.”

“I definitely don’t tell Fenrys when his ass looks good in his khaki pants. Or give Lorcan bear hugs when I haven’t seen him for a day.”

Rowan gave her a small chuckle. “That’s not a good example since you hate Lorcan.” Aelin rolled her eyes in reluctant agreement.

“Maybe I hate Lorcan. But I’ve sort of been in love with you for a while.”

Rowan at least had the decency to look shocked. “You love me?”

Aelin took a sharp inhale of breath, not realizing what she was saying until it was too late to take it back. Before she could give him an answer or excuse, however, his other hand came up to cup her cheek, bringing her face closer to his.

“That’s good to hear because I think I might be in love with you, too.”

The first brush of his lips was so gentle, so fleeting that she thought she might have dreamed it.

She couldn’t help but tease him a bit but she also needed confirmation. “You might be in love with me?”

She could feel Rowan’s smile against her own. “No, I definitely am.” And with those words, he crashed his lips down onto hers, the fervor and intensity surprising a gasp out of her. She wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, each of them basking in the presence of the other and using every minute to make up for the four years that they could’ve been doing this.

“You know, we could’ve saved a lot of time if you had confessed earlier. I wouldn’t have had to move all of my stuff into this apartment when I know that I’m just going to be spending all of my time at yours anyway.”

“Mmmm. I think it was perfect this way. Just the way it was meant to be.” Aelin silently thanked the Gods for this moment. “Now about this book on knitting…”

tagging:

@cretaceous-therapod @morganofthewildfire @tomtenadia @live-the-fangirl-life @charlizeed @violet-mermaid7 @euphoric-melancholyy @kritical24 @rubyriveraqueen @dealfea @wellofnothing @ayaashryver @moonknight-spector @leiawritesstories @whoever-you-choose-to-love @holdthefrickup @heirofflowers @thecrispypotatochip @shanias-world @rowanaelinn @bruiseonthefaceofhumanity @hanging-from-a-cliff @fantacysoup @swankii-art-teacher @thegreyj @fromthelibraryofemilyj @westofmoon @lovely-dove-zee @books4eva04 @cookiemonsterwholovesbooks @backtobl4ck @dreamer-133 @elentiyawhitethorn @writtenonreceipts @shyvioletcat @aelinchocolatelover @captain-of-the-gwynriel-ship @athena127

#rowaelin #rowaelin fanfic #rowaelin fanfiction #rowaelin fic #rowan whitethorn #Aelin galathynius #Throne of glass #tog #throne of glass fanfiction #asks #my fics

107 notes · View notes

writtenonreceipts · 8 months

Text

Rowaelin Month Day One: Song Fic @rowaelinscourt

Back by no one’s demands but my own: a part two and conclusion to “Annie” the song fic I wrote for last year. This one does end happier, I pinky promise. Inspired by Mat Kearney’s song “New York to California.” If you’ve been around for a while, you know Mat is one of those artists that I adore and his music means so much to me. I also just really wanted to conclude “Annie” and NYtCA just hits different…anyways, I hope you enjoy? You technically don’t need to read Annie if you don’t want to.

Rowaelin Month 2023 Masterlist Main Masterlist Annie—Part One

Warnings: she’s a touch angsty, nothing worse than how I usually go. ~3k words

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

New York to California

Before

She doesn’t know if it’s late or early when sleep takes her. For weeks now she’s been trapped behind a gray haze. It falls over her mind and tries to convince her that nothing really matters anymore. It’s far too easy to fall victim to that mindset, and usually she does better at chasing the demons away. Usually it’s easier.

So as she drifts off, she’s just glad for a taste of some relief from the day. It’s been hard lately, too hard. And she doesn’t know how she’ll break free from it.

Maybe, for that reason alone, it’s better that she falls asleep. It can be the reprieve from her foster father and the ways the world has a way of crashing down around her.

The problem is, she forgets how easily the dreams find her. They invade this quiet space she’s tried to carve out for herself so easily that sometimes she doubts her sanity. Because the dreams are full of shadows and screams, pain and panic. She wants to escape them. More than anything if she could fade away into the gray haze of dawn and linger there—she would.

She’s in the middle of one of those terrors when a gentle hand glides down her cheek and she can hear his voice calling to her.

Fireheart. Fireheart.

When her eyes open it’s to find him staring down at her, green eyes flickering with the light of the TV, his hoodie drenched with rain. She can see the worry reflecting in his eyes as he brings his hand back to her cheek. His thumb runs in soothing circles along her skin.

“I had one of those dreams again,” she whispers. She doesn’t want to admit it, doesn’t want to cause him more pain. But it’s Rowan. And he’s always been a part of her. “I thought I lost you.”

“It’s alright,” he says, easing onto the couch beside her. “Everything’s alright, I’m here.”

Aelin knows she shouldn’t, but she snuggles into his side nonetheless. He smells like pine and rain and earth and it’s the most comforting thing she can imagine. So she leans into him and wraps her arms tight around him so he won’t disappear on her again.

She knows they shouldn’t do this. Knows he shouldn’t even be here. If Arobynn finds out Rowan showed up at the house Aelin knows there will be hell to pay. The only thing that gives her hope is that her foster father is gone on a work trip. He won’t be back until Thursday. But Aelin lives in a constant state of fear as her mind lingers on the “what-ifs” of it all.

“It’s alright, baby,” Rowan says. He presses his lips into her forehead and pulls the fleece blanket over them. “I’m right here with you.”

She lets his words wash over her and soothe her own worries. He’s never steered her wrong before, never left her unless he had to. And even than he lingers still. Because that Rowan, her Rowan, can temper any storm raging in her mind.

As he holds her close, she can make out the scent of cheap beer and cigarettes. She knows he was singing at the bar again tonight, trying to earn some cash for the two of them to finally breakaway from this damned town.

“Don’t leave,” she says, slurred with sleep and exhaustion. His warmth is all she needs to drift back off to sleep, missing what he whispers to her next.

…

After

The coffee shop is the same as it always is: loud and hot.

No matter when Aelin comes, there is always line out the door and every table is occupied by no one that actually has to be there. She has decided it is a ruse designed by society in general to make coffee shops more appealing. Supposedly they can offer you a sense of peace and comfort and delude you into thinking that you’re right where you belong—mixed up in a mess of people just as desperate for connection as you.

So yes, the coffee shop is always full. Single patrons take up tables for just themselves and their selfies and little cookies that they won’t actually eat. And straw liners are somehow strewn about the floor even though straws have been banned in the city for almost a year now. And somehow the heater is always going even in the middle of summer but no one ever comments because it is a coffee shop so therefore everything is perfect.

But it’s not. Everything is so far from perfect that Aelin has more than once found herself stumbling through life. She’s lost in a world that has passed her by all because her foster father beat her down. All because she stayed behind and let the one good thing in her life leave.

She doesn’t blame him, of course. She can’t. He was always too good for this place anyways. He always had a way about him that said he wouldn’t step back from a fight.

It’s what she loves most about him.

Because of course she still loves him.

Rowan Whitethorn was, and still is, the best thing to ever happen to her. From the time they were kinds to the inevitable night that finally pulled them apart—Rowan had been all she ever needed.

He left the city the second he could after his music managed to get him free. He’d tried to take her with him, tried to say that he’d take care of her and that everything would be alright with just the two of them.

But Aelin knew then that it wasn’t that simple. It never would be.

Except now, Arobynn is dead. Dead and no longer tormenting her daily. Instead, he’s just another terror in her dreams.

They’ve gotten better though, the nightmares. They don’t come every night and even when they do, it’s easier to chase them away now. Because she’s free.

And sometimes, if she’s lucky, Rowan will be there. He’s always had a way of climbing into her dreams and staying right where he’s needed. Even though he’s not physically here he’s still the greatest source of comfort to her.

She tries to shake the thoughts of him away. They won’t do her any good. No matter how badly she wishes they could, that he was there with her. Instead, any and all thoughts of him haunt her and remind her of what could have been.

So she opens her laptop, navigating to the article she’s supposed to be editing.

Somewhere along the way, she managed to pave a small road for herself. She was even the lead editor on this new addition of Kingsflame, an up and coming magazine. It took her a while to find her way here, to find something she liked and was just for her. But she was good at writing, she was good at picking up on details, she was good and weaving a story together.

Just not her own.

Aelin works for a little, trying to give all her attention to the document. The intern that wrote it is promising and Aelin wants to make sure to nourish a love of writing for her. Aelin knows first hand what just a taste of approval can do for someone and she wants the girl to grow in her love of words. Writing is what saved Aelin herself after all.

Sitting back in her seat, Aelin sighs and sips at her coffee. It’s something dark and bitter—not at all what she usually likes. She prefers sweet and sugar and all the extra bits but the poor barista behind the counter looked one pumpkin spiced latte away from quitting so Aelin got a simple black coffee. She added extra packets of sugar herself.

It’s disgusting.

But she has to admit the caffeine is definitely going straight to her brain.

She takes another long sip when it happens. The song on the radio changes and she hears a voice that has only been a part of her dreams. It’s low with the barest hint of his accent. He’s accompanied by a piano which is different—he’s always preferred the guitar, saying that he’ll leave the piano to her.

Only…she never got the chance to play with him.

And now he’s singing a ballad of love and hope over the speakers of her coffee shop. And no one notices. And no one realizes what it means to hear him now.

He’d always promised he’d find his way back to her. She just thought it was going to be different.

…

Before

There’s a storm billowing through the trees and lashing the windows with rain. The gray sky is endless as it grows darker with each passing second. This isn’t any regular storm. It’s been raging on for over an hour now, bringing in a few rounds of thunder and lightning with it.

Aelin finds she doesn’t mind it. Not at all.

Because beside her on the couch is Rowan. He has an arm wrapped around her as he drifts in and out of sleep. It’s been a long day of sneaking about, hiding, and worrying. Now, they just have an hour. One hour of just the two of them before she has to go back home.

“I miss you,” Rowan says, quiet.

Aelin isn’t sure she’s heard him properly. Or maybe he’s talking in his sleep, he does that sometimes. She runs her fingers through his hair, brushing the silvery locks back from his forehead.

“What did you say?”

Rowan twists, his chin resting on her stomach. Green eyes stare up at her, dark with longing.

“I miss you,” he repeats, just as quiet.

“I’m right here,” she says. She doesn’t stop running her fingers through his hair, can’t stop more like it. It’s grown longer recently and she loves it.

He doesn’t say anything. All he does is watch her. A flash of lightning snaps from outside illuminates his face, turning the shadows beneath his eyes lighter for once. They’re just kids but it feels like they’ve fought wars already.

Tightening his hold on her, Rowan lets out a small sigh.

“I know,” he says, “but it never feels close enough, does it?”

“You’re just talking,” she says with a low chuckle. Sometimes, words take on more meaning. Sometimes, words mean more than they usually do. And sometimes words are promises that bind you to more than a moment.

He grunts. “No I’m not.”

Her heart thuds at his words, at the feel of him as he sits up slowly, still pressed close to her; only now they’re chest to chest. He’s so much bigger than Aelin that his frame practically engulfs her. His broad chest and thick arms are enough to keep her from fidgeting too much though. Because where else would she rather be?

“No matter what happen, I’ll be here, you know?” he says. It’s the closest they’ve gotten to talking about the Arobynn situation and how Aelin can’t leave. No matter what hopes and dreams she might have and share with Rowan.

She’s trapped.

“Rowan,” Aelin begins, she can’t let him say things he doesn’t mean or make promises he can’t keep.

“I’ll never be far enough away that I can’t find you again,” he says. One finger curls beneath her chin, causing her to look up. “I’d crawl back to you if I had to.”

“I guess I could get used to you being on your knees for me,” she replies. She wants to ease the moment, to find some levity that doesn’t make her feel like her heart is about be cut open and left to bleed out.

Rowan leans forward until his nose touches hers, until they’re so close that it would be so easy, so easy, to kiss him. To taste him. To have a small part of him that she’s wanted for so long.

“Only for you, Fireheart.”

…

After

California bleeds neon lights and smoke on the horizon.

At first, Aelin can only stare at the skyline and bustling streets and the myriad of people passing by like they’ve got all the time in the world. At first, Aelin can only breathe in the smog that coats the air like a second skin and the underlying musk of sea water.

She flew into Los Angeles on nothing but a whim and her last paycheck. Elide told her not to go. Aedion insisted she at least wait for him to come with her. Lysandra gave her an extra hundred dollars for an emergency.

Now, she’s wandering the old boardwalks by the ocean, watching waves crash and crowds swarm various popular spots. She doesn’t know where she is exactly. All she knows is that she’s nowhere near Hollywood or all the fancy places that she’d always imagined California to have. But that’s alright. She’s always found her way in the unknown and unpredictable. Even if it has been hell.

It's getting late and all she has guiding her is an old news letter she found online. There’s supposed to be an old grunge bar around here along the downtown scene. A place that supports those small artists with dreams bigger than reality.

The late fall light fades into the horizon, bringing a chill to the air. Aelin hadn’t expected it—cool air and gentle breezes. But she doesn’t mind it. She’s full or energy and worry, which may as well be a good thing as the combination has kept her from spiraling out of control.

When she enters the bar she already things she’s in the wrong place. The low lights and heady scent of cigarettes is enough to tell her so. But she pays a cover fee for the musicians playing and works her way to the front.

A part of her mind screams that she should have gotten here sooner, that it’s nearing the final acts and she’s missed her opportunity. Another part of her is convinced that she shouldn’t even be here to begin with. Afterall, it’s been five years.

But Aelin knows she would wait for any length of time; she’d always find a way back to his side. She got out of her own nightmares even if it did take her years. Maybe she should have called. She even has his number and has listened to every voicemail he’s left on repeat as if its her own lullaby for the darkest nights.

It takes some effort, but Aelin makes it closer to the stage. She’s still two rows back, but it’s close enough, she thinks.

On stage a woman finishes a ballad with her guitar. The music’s simple and her scratchy voice doesn’t hold the song together—at least in Aelin’s opinion, but she’s so far detached from this world, maybe she doesn’t know anything.

As the woman exits, a young college kid steps up to the microphone. His hair falls in his face and he’s trying to layer flannel and an old-style t-shirt that doesn’t quite work for him.

“Next up we’ve got our regular,” the kid announces, already pulling away to make room for the final act. “Rowan Whitethorn.”

All around Aelin, the audience erupts into cheers. They’ve all come for him, she realizes. All eagerly awaiting the one person Aelin’s been waiting her entire life for. She wants to cheer, wants to clap, wants to do anything but stand there and stare. She can’t.

Because walking across the stage to the electric piano set up in the corner is Rowan. Rowan with his hair too long. Rowan with an unlit cigarette behind one ear. Rowan with his da’s guitar case by his side, even now. Rowan with tan skin and tattoos reflecting in the pale light of the bar. Her Rowan that she’s loved for longer than she can say.

He doesn’t look up as he adjusts the settings of the piano and strikes a few keys. He messes with the microphone next, making sure it’s lined up the way he likes it.

When he does look up, it’s as though he’s always expected to find her there. It doesn’t take long at all for their gazes to meet, for his green eyes to burn under the yellow bar lights. His lips part in silent surprise and Aelin feels her skin heat when he cocks his head to one side before finally, a small smile kicks up one corner of his mouth.

He leans in to the microphone—eyes never leaving hers.

“Fireheart,” he says. “I promised we’d find each other again.”

…

After

She’s lost again.

But not in the way she once was.

Because instead of being surrounded by her nightmares, she’s tangled up in strong arms that haven’t let her go in hours. She’s lost in him like never before.

She doesn’t mind of course. Because she’s lost in him this time. Skin to skin, soul to soul. And there’s no place she’d rather be.

Aelin sighs and burrows in closer to his side. He smells of pine and snow just like always. It’s better than her memories, being so close to him. Better than anything she could have hoped for. She never thought it would come to this.

For so long she’d wandered through her life trying like hell to find her ways. Too often it felt like she was drowning, scrambling for air, for salvation.

And then she’d met Rowan.

She doesn’t blame him for leaving. She told him as much when he tried to apologized. Silenced him with her kisses, in fact.

Somehow they made it back to his apartment—small and tucked above a Thai restaurant. It didn’t take them long to rediscover each other. For Rowan to find the new scars along her back, for Aelin to learn the paths of his new tattoos. It didn’t take long at all to fall together into bed and spend the night whispering promises into the neon lights that filtered through the bedroom drapes.

“Fireheart,” Rowan whispers, his soft voice enough to pull Aelin from her thoughts.

She looks up into his eyes, already smiling. “Buzzard.”

Rolling his eyes, Rowan runs a hand up her bare side, the calluses on his fingers catching her skin. It’s enough to cause her to shiver which lights a new fire in Rowan’s gaze.

Whatever he was going to say is lost as he leans in and kisses her. She reacts instantly, not that she can help it. Everything about Rowan draws her in. His mouth is insistent and teasing and his hands leave hot trails against her skin as he pulls her on top of him.

It’s only when they’re both gasping for air that they break apart. Rowan brushes Aelin’s hair from her face, his large hand running across her cheek.

“What are you doing to me?” he asks.

Their next kiss is slow and languid and sends sparks shooting through Aelin’s entire body.

They don’t speak again until morning when dawn breaks and scatters sunshine across the bed. But when they wake it’s with the knowledge that never again are they going to come apart. They’ll be together across every mile, side-by-side.

end.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

taglist is a joke will reblog soon

#rowaelin #aelin galathynius #rowan whitethorn #rowaelin month #rowaelinmonth23 #song fic #writtenwrites #fanfic #throne of glass #tog #mat kearney song

51 notes · View notes

theladyofdeath · 2 years

Note

humbly requesting Aelin bathing Rowan/washing his hair because domestic fluff

Ship: Rowaelin, Throne of Glass Trope: domestic fluff, canon, pregnancy T/W: none WC: 832 A/N: ANYTHING to be able to use Geralt's chest as a Rowan header.

Aelin is lying in bed with a newly opened book when Rowan storms into their bedroom, hair in disarray and covered in splotches of bruises and splatters of blood. The Queen of Terrasen merely blinks at her husband before he disappears into the bathing chambers.

"I don't even get a hello?" she calls after him, placing a ribbon between the pages before closing her book.

She can hear him sigh. "Hello."

After waiting a few seconds for him to go on, Aelin hops off the bed and follows him into the washroom where he's stripping off his weapons, one by one. As she crosses her arms, she leans against the doorframe. "I assume it was not a fun day of training?"

"The new recruits are growing stronger," he says, leaning down to untie his boots. "Meanwhile, I'm regretting offering to oversee their progress myself. I went up against nearly one hundred of them today and they all got a few hits on me. Luckily, that means our army grows stronger...but, regretfully, I have a few wounds that need tending to."

Aelin huffs a laugh as she steps forward. "Well, I'm jealous," she begins, helping him unbutton his tunic once he's back to full height. "I would kill to be able to train, let off some steam."

Rowan's eyes soften as he steps toward his wife and lays his dirty, cut up hands on the bump that has grown on Aelin's abdomen. "Ten more weeks," he promises, "then you can plan on showing your armies just how powerful their Queen is."

"That's right," Aelin smiles, but when he leans down to kiss her, she shakes her head. "You smell horrible, Buzzard. Undress. Pants off."

With a dramatic roll of his eyes that Aelin swears he picked up from her, he takes off the rest of his shirt and his pants while Aelin fills the bath with hot water.

He practically groans as he sinks into the water only to have Aelin disrobe and climb in with him. He gives her a rare, sloppy smile as she dips a rag into the soapy, lavender scented water and runs it over his chest and up his neck, washing the dirt away.

"You spoil me," he says, voice low as he leans back against the porcelain, arms resting on the edges.

"I have to spoil you now," she smiles, running the cloth down his arms. "In ten weeks, I'll be too busy giving all of my attention to your son."

Rowan chuckles and watches as Aelin pulls him forward and runs the cloth down his back. "You're so convinced the babe a male."

"That's because he is," Aelin croons, taking the silver pitcher off the ledge next to them and filling it with the water. "Mother's intuition."

"We'll see," Rowan mutters as he tilts his head back and Aelin drenches his hair with warm water. She crawls further onto his lap as she lathers her hands with shampoo and runs it through his tangled, silvery strands. His eyes close and he moans as her fingers massage his scalp. "I don't care what the babe is. I will love them no matter what. As long as they have a heart like their mother's, I will be proud."

As her fingers slowed, Rowan's eyes opened once more and found his wife's eyes shining.

"Don't cry," he pleads, head cocked to the side. "At least not until you're done with my hair."

Aelin laughs quietly as she jabs him in the shoulder. As her fingers continue to work, she says, "I love you, Buzzard. Even if you drive me mad. You're going to be an amazing father."

"I love you too," he promises, "and I can't wait to be the father of our child. To raise them alongside you. To watch them grow and learn. To one day watch them rule this kingdom that we've built." That burning returns to Aelin's eyes as her hands slide down his shoulders and his chest, and into the water to wash the soap off. "You are going to be an incredible mother, Fireheart, and I am so very proud of you."

A tear slides down her cheek as she softly brings her lips to his. When she pulls back, she suppresses a grin. "Even with the loveliest words coming out of your mouth, I cannot take you seriously with soap in your hair."

Rowan's eyes narrow, his humor bringing the slightest twist to his lips. "Better rinse it out, then, so I can say more lovely words to you."

Aelin does just that, refilling the silver pitcher and running it through his hair until there's no soap left. Then, he's hers and she claims him, even though he's sore from spending his day doing his kingly duties.

He does not complain, though. He would never complain, not when it comes to his wife. His queen. His mate. The mother of his child. The love of his life.

She was his love.

And he was hers.

#rowaelin #rowan #aelin #tog #throne of glass #fanfic #fanfiction #sjm #rowan x aelin #aelin x rowan #rowan whitethorn #aelin galythinius #tara answers prompts #canon

111 notes · View notes

leiawritesstories · 2 years

Note

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cj3jmJHAYJE/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Soooo…

Here’s my idea. Rowan and Aelin go to the same school. They are dating very casually . It’s still very early. But Rowan does a scan on Aelin and accidentally finds out that she is pregnant with his baby. Aelin’s friends all freak out and start saying that they didn’t even know that she was sleeping with someone. Meanwhile Aelin and Rowan are just looking at each other like shit!

I CAN'T STOP LAUGHING AT THE REEL AHAHHAHAHAHA ANON ILY THANK YOU SO MUCH

Word count: ~1.2k

Warnings: language, pregnancy, great surprise

Enjoy!! written rather late and rather quickly so forgive anything that doesn't make sense haha

IS THAT A BABY?!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So what are we doing today, I wonder?" Aelin mused aloud, falling into step next to Rowan as they headed to class.

He shrugged. "Hell if I know, but it's practical day, so..."

"Gods, it could be anything." She sighed. "Hope Doc doesn't make us do anything nasty."

"What, you're too squeamish to handle a little fake injection?" he teased. "You're a med student, Ae, we've got to do these things."

"Oh, shut it, Mr. I've-never-seen-intestines-before," she chuckled.

He pinched her side. "You promised you wouldn't mention that!"

"Too bad!"

"Traitor," he grumbled, pretending to pout as they came to their lab room.

Where the stations were already set up, each with a bed, a monitor, and an ultrasound machine.

Aelin stopped short for a moment. "Well, I guess that answers what we're doing."

"Promise me you won't do anything too naughty, love," Rowan smirked, leading her over to one of the stations.

She laughed, winking wickedly at him. "We'll save that for tonight."

From the way his throat bobbed, she'd say he agreed with that idea.

"All right, people!" Dr. Philippa Smith, their lab professor that day, clapped her hands. "Pair off and take a station, we're gonna be learning how to do ultrasound scans today!" Dr. Philippa was an OB/GYN, so naturally she'd be called upon to teach the med students how to work with ultrasounds. She strolled around the room, checking on each pair of students. "One of you get settled as the patient, the other gets to be the tech."

Aelin sat down on the bed, smirking at Rowan's disgruntled frown. "Oh, lighten up, buzzard, you'll get to see all the fun bits."

He spluttered and wheezed, his face flaring bright red. "Aelin!"

She giggled madly, hiding her mirth behind her hands when Dr. Philippa walked past. "It'll be fine, Ro."

"You're a menace," he grumbled, his blush fading.

"Patients!" Dr. Philippa called. "Get settled, you might be laying here for a while." Soft laughter fluttered around the room. "Shirts tucked up, pants tucked down--no, not that far down, we don't need to have our eyes traumatized--just about to the level of your hipbones." She took another lap of the room, checking to make sure all the "patients" were ready. "Good. Now, techs! Glove up, take the bottle of gel on your tables, warn the patient, and squeeze some out onto the exposed area.

Rowan snapped on his latex gloves and took the tube of gel. "Cold gel, Fireheart," he said softly, probably with a little more affection than strictly necessary for an ultrasound tech to his patient.

Aelin muffled her squeak of surprise as he squeezed the gel onto her lower abdomen. "That's unfamiliar," she hummed, getting herself used to the sensation.

"Mmm, maybe we'll have to see what that unfamiliar cold does sometime," Rowan murmured, promise laced into his tone.

Aelin tried and failed to keep from shivering in delight. "Yes please."

Dr. Philippa walked the "techs" through the basic process of using the ultrasound wand, guiding the class as they got the wand positioned on the patients' bodies. "Okay, you'll want to just have a look at the anatomy, you've all seen it in your textbooks and now you can see it in real life. Remember, this is a practical lab, you very well might have to know how to take an ultrasound someday."

"So that's where babies come from," Rowan whispered to Aelin as an image of one of her ovaries came into focus on the monitor screen.

She smothered a giggle. "So you do know something about a woman!"

"Shut up," he grumbled, blushing again. "Shit, Fireheart, we've been together for several months now, and I like to think I know you...well enough to please." His voice dropped a whole octave on those last words.

A shiver danced down her spine. "Hmm, perhaps I'll need another demonstration before I can form a conclusion."

"As you wish."

Dr. Philippa walked past their station, nodding. "Nice clear image, Whitethorn!"

Rowan nodded as the doctor passed. "I have a good patient," he murmured, smirking over at Aelin as he passed the wand to the right atop her abdomen.

She watched the image on the monitor shift as he moved the wand, fascinated by the way she could see inside herself. The black-and-white picture on the screen crackled and resolved, moving from the remarkably clear image of her ovary to--

Holy burning hell.

Aelin's jaw dropped, her brain completely stalling. "Rowan!" she gasped, pinching herself sharply and wincing at the pain.

Rowan's hand froze in place, his stare locked onto the monitor.

Where a clear, distinct image of a little tiny baby shifted and moved its little limbs inside Aelin's uterus.

"Is that--" he breathed, his chest rising and falling rapidly, "is that a--"

"Holy fucking shit!" screeched the girl at the next station over, goggling at Rowan and Aelin's monitor. "IS THAT A BABY?!"

The lab went dead silent.

"ELIDE!" Aelin squealed, turning bright crimson as the entire class abandoned their stations and rushed to crowd around hers. "What the hell?!"

A few students back in the crowd, Fenrys Moonbeam, one of Rowan's oldest friends, whooped. "Way to go, Whitethorn!"

"Holy shit!" Elide yelped, her dark brown eyes flashing rapidly from Rowan to Aelin and back. "I had no idea you two--"

"Do not finish that sentence!" Aelin demanded, covering her flaming hot face with her hands.

"Okay, I won't." Elide stared at her best friend in wonder, glancing to the ultrasound screen and back to Aelin. "But...oh my god!"

"What's all this?" Dr. Philippa parted the gathered crowd. "Is something--oh." She snapped her mouth shut, taking in the clear picture of the baby on the monitor, the shock written all over Aelin and Rowan's faces, the way both of them were still frozen in wonder and disbelief, and the mixed grins and gawping looks of the class. "Go back to your stations, everyone!"

The class reluctantly scattered, the news traveling around the room in stunned whispers.

Dr. Philippa took the ultrasound wand from Rowan and gently but firmly nudged him to sit down next to Aelin. "Did you have any idea?" she asked softly.

"No," Aelin breathed, a little shakily. "We...we've only been dating for seven months, we were always careful."

The doctor nodded. "Okay. And...forgive me for asking this, but it's required of any OB--do you want to keep the baby?"

"Yes." Her answer was instantaneous. She looked over to Rowan, who squeezed her hand, a tiny smile curling his lips as he nodded. "Yes, we do."

"All right." Philippa took the wand away and wiped the gel off Aelin's abdomen. "I'm going to refer you to a colleague of mine, call this number and get an ultrasound scheduled. Since this is class, we really shouldn't try and do a scan of any kind now, you deserve the privacy of an appointment." She scribbled down her colleague and the contact information. "And Aelin?"

"Yeah?"

"Congratulations."

Rowan shakily stood up, his face a portrait of wonder and shock and awe and a little bit of concern. "Holy gods," he breathed, one large hand settling tentatively atop Aelin's abdomen.

"Holy gods indeed," she whispered, settling her hand atop his. "We... Ro, we're having a baby."

~~~

TAGS:

@charlizeed

@cretaceous-therapod

@clea-nightingale

@autumnbabylon

@nerdperson524

@fireheartwhitethorn4ever

@morganofthewildfire

@rowanaelinn

@wesupremeginger

@stardelia

@shanias-world

@mybloodrunsblue

@swankii-art-teacher

@wordsafterhours

@cookiemonsterwholovesbooks

@violet-mermaid7

@holdthefrickup

@goddess-aelin

@rowaelinismyotp

@dealfea

@irondork

@elentiyawhitethorn

@live-the-fangirl-life

@darling-im-the-queen-of-hell

@chronicchthonic14

@lovely-dove-zee

@sweet-but-stormy

@hanging-from-a-cliff

@jorjy-jo

@rowaelinrambling

@thegreyj

@silentquartz

@backtobl4ck

@throneofus7

@elizarikaallen

@llyncooljones

@booknerdproblems

@julemmaes

@earthtolinds

#my writing #answered prompt #aelin galathynius #rowan whitethorn #rowaelin #pregnancy #fluff?#i guess it's fluff haha

114 notes · View notes

rowanaelinn · 2 years

Text

Illicit Affairs - Chapter Thirty-Nine

Masterlist

A/N: hey! if you have time after this chapter, maybe you could check another story I am writing with my incredible friend @morganofthewildfire? It’s called Tied Me To You, and if you love yourself some childhood friends to lovers and second chance romance… This fic is for you!

This was all written in less than a day, so please, be indulgent when it comes to my editing! I was just too excited to share this!

Warnings: Lots of language | Word Count: 6,000

Her head was pounding when she opened her eyes, enough to make her wince. The light was too bright for her eyes, she let out a quiet sob. She didn’t want to wake up, why did she have to? Someone let out a groan beside her, and it wasn’t hard to know it was Dorian.

“Close the lights,” he growled from where he laid on the floor.

“I can’t just turn off the sun,” she answered, her throat sore. She had done too much last night. Maybe doing too much was her mantra. She wasn’t exactly sure it was something to be proud of.

She fought against the throbbing pain in her head and opened her eyes. The living room was in a mess, which she supposed was the way a room should look after a party took place there.

When they started drinking yesterday, Lysandra and Chaol joined them, though they were much, much calmer than Dorian and Aelin. The both of them went to sleep early while Dorian and Aelin kept the party going.

Though she wasn’t sure she could exactly call that a party. She tatted on the table, looking for her phone. She held in another groan when she saw all the notifications on her home screen. She wiped them away; she wasn’t in the mood to be assaulted by texts at… eleven in the morning.

Her heart melted for a second at the sight of her home screen wallpaper. It was picture of Rowan, Aelin and Helia in vacation. They were laying on double sundecks, bathing into the sun.

It was the perfect picture to use, if only because neither Rowan nor Helia were recognizable. Rowan was laying on his side, back to the camera. His tattooed arm wasn’t visible, his silvery hair hidden by a hat. He was hugging her, his head nuzzled into her shoulder. Helia was laying on Aelin’s front, splayed out onto her and Aelin could almost hear her snoring. The only person awaken on this picture was Aelin. Her grin was bright on that picture, brighter than she had seen it in years. She loved that picture.

She opened her text app, only to find multiple texts Rowan had sent last night. And apparently, in her drunk daze, Aelin had texted him back a couple of times.

Rowan, 9:01pm: Tell me when you are home.

Rowan, 9:28pm: Aelin? Please, tell me if you’re home safe.

Rowan, 10:03pm: If you are mad, be mad. But don’t ignore me.

Aelin, 10:05pm: im safe buzzard

Rowan, 10:06pm: Come back, please. We can talk this out. I miss you.

Aelin, 10:13pm: can’t. im busy! ;)

She then sent a picture of her, Dorian and a bottle of tequila between their two smiling faces, their eyes red and smiles all wrong. They were so obviously drunk.

Rowan, 10:15pm: Are you drunk?

Rowan, 10:23pm: Please, be careful.

Rowan, 10:45pm: I miss you, Aelin. Things are going to work out, I promise.

Rowan, 11:52pm: Good night, Fireheart. Text me when you’re awake.

Oh, gods. He’d clearly voiced his concern for her last night, and she… ignored him. He didn’t seem angry in his texts, which she supposed was a good thing. It was hypocritical of her as she was the one who started a fight with him the day before, but she didn’t think she could handle it if Rowan was mad at her.

On the other hand, Aelin was allowed to have a night with her friends. He was the one who told her she cut everyone else off, so it wasn’t a bad thing if she did spend time with other people.

“My head is killing me,” Dorian’s voice was as broken as hers.

She chuckled, “Of course it does, pretty boy.”

He looked up from where he laid on the floor, raised on his elbows. “You think I’m pretty?”

She used her foot to push on his shoulder which made him crash face first. She laughed, hiding her face into her hands. It hurt to laugh but she didn’t stop, Dorian was so dramatic. She needed someone like that in her life.

She got up, still in yesterday’s clothes. “I’m making some coffee.”

Maybe she should call Rowan, though from what time it was, he was in class. Her class, the one she was supposed to attend. Fuck. Even if she jumped into fresh clothes now and that she drove to school she would still miss his class.

A note had been left onto the coffee machine.

Went to class, I will take notes for the two of you.

Rest, you deserve it! Take care,

Lys.

Great, as if she cares about the notes. All Aelin cared about was her professor, though she supposed Lysandra couldn’t know that. At least, Aelin’s tongue didn’t loosen up under the alcohol’s weight.

Dorian joined her into the kitchen, pouring them two glasses of water and placed one pain killer next to each glass. She thanked him and sat, waiting for the coffee to be ready. She drank the entire glass of water in one go, her throat and mouth feeling dry.

“Are you feeling better?”

She knew he didn’t ask that about her hangover. She shrugged, “I think I cried enough for three years last night.”

“That’s not an answer.”

Last night, after maybe her fifth shot, she burst into tears. She hadn’t stopped for hours. Her eyes still hurt, and she wasn’t keen into looking into a mirror right now. She needed ice. A lot of it.

Aelin shrugged, “I have no idea how I feel, if I’m being honest. It just… It doesn’t feel real.”

He nodded, standing to pour them two cups of burning coffee. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Aelin, but why did you come to us yesterday? When something is wrong, you usually go to your boyfriend. Has he done something?”

She shook her head, “No, no he is… the best. I was with him yesterday before I drove back here. But we… I picked a fight with him, I think I wanted him to be angry at me so I wouldn’t have to do it myself, you know?” He nodded. “But he didn’t, he didn’t insult me or yelled at me like I wanted him to.”

“What happened then?”

She took a deep breath, sipping on her coffee. “He has a daughter.”

“Oh.”

“She is… the light of my life. I love her so much, I don’t think words are enough to describe how much I love this little girl. But she… she picked up a habit of calling me mommy, it’s not all the time just… sometimes. She did yesterday, and I think it was too much. I realized I would never have someone to truly call me mommy, to consider me their mom. This girl, she is just… lost.”

“Where is her mom?”

“She passed in a car accident, she gave birth that same day. They never met.”

“It’s heartbreaking,” Dorian breathed, looking down at his smoking drink. “But… Maybe she isn’t lost, maybe she does see you as a mother. I mean, how old is she?”

“Going on four.”

“It’s young, and if she has no memory of her birth mother… What I’m trying to say is that you spend your days there, you love her very much too. I think you and I are the best to know that blood doesn’t mean anything, look at our families.”

“I cannot pretend to be her mother,” Aelin answered, pain in her voice. She wish she could, really she did. “I-Her father and I we are hiding from the entire world. She has known me only for a few months, Dorian. It would need years of trust being built for me to even pretend I could be a mother to her. Have you seen the mess I am? The first inconvenience and I run away to get drunk with friends.”

“Aelin,” he said. “Yesterday was not the first inconvenience. You learned something that truly hurt you and changed your entire future. Hell, you could have driven to a bar and gotten drunk alone, instead to sought help to a friend.”

“You’re trying to make me feel better.”

“Yes, but it doesn’t mean I’m lying.” He covered her wrist with his warm palm. “You are one of the best person I have ever met, Aelin. I have no idea how you just… survive everything life throws in your face.”

“I’m not that strong.”

He nodded, “You are. If I had a twin and I lost them the way you did… I wouldn’t be where you are, Aelin.”

She swallowed difficultly, her voice rough as she asked, “I told you about Celaena yesterday, didn’t I?”

He nodded again, “I have no idea how you just took everything in. But you did, and this is being strong. Yesterday you didn’t lash out at that girl, in a way you protected her by running away. Being a mother it’s not just taking everything in with no reactions, it doesn’t mean you are not human anymore.”

“But R-“ she stopped herself before she could say his name. “My boyfriend, her father, he is so good at it.”

“He has had almost four years to perfect it, and I… I assume he is older, isn’t he?”

She nodded. She didn’t want to say anything, didn’t want Dorian to find out. If it was just her, Aelin would tell him. But Helia… If it backfired, Helia would suffer from these consequences.

Helia and Rowan were the best thing to happen to Aelin, and no matter how much Rowan told her she could tell the people she trusted, she wouldn’t. Not if these was one tiny chance it would hurt them.

“You are still young, no matter how mature you are. Allow yourself time to grow, Ae.”

She sniffed and chuckled through the tears forming in her eyes, “When did you became so wise?”

He shrugged, a secret smile on his lips. “Being in a relationship changes you, doesn’t it?”

She nodded, “Yeah, it does.”

“Do you also sometimes feel as if you are taking too much from your partner? That you rely too much on them.”

She snorted, “All the damn time.”

“I’m not the only one, then,” he said, a hopeful look on his face.

“Thank you, Dorian. Thank you so much.”

—-

Aelin was patiently waiting in front of Rowan’s office door. She had forgotten her keys at his place last night, so she was cursed to wait for him to come. If he ever would. He didn’t always stopped by his university office, but it was worth a try.

If he didn’t come here, she would knock at his house’s door but… She didn’t want Helia to be exposed to their fight.

Should she text him? Tell him where she was, that she wanted to have a talk. But if he was busy… She could wait. His job should come first, he has always taken days off because of her appointments.

“Miss Galathynius?”

Her head snapped to the side, she awkwardly stood almost crashing onto the floor a few times. “Professor Whitethorn.” He looked her up and down, as if making sure she was okay. “Could we have a talk?”

He nodded, opening his office. “Of course.” He looked around, making sure no one was around. “Come in.”

She gave him a small, shy smile. She felt so, so guilty. She… she hadn’t asked him how he felt about it all. He closed the door behind them, and she barely had the time to open her mouth before he pulled her into a warm, tight hug.

“Oh,” she let out, surprised before she gripped him tightly. She pressed her head into his chest and breathed him in, it only hit her then how unhappy she felt if he wasn’t around. “This feels good.”

“It does,” he answered, squeezing her more. “I was worried for you, baby.”

“I’m sorry,” she said into his chest. She had no idea if he heard or understood her but he kissed her forehead.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” he breathed. “I’m not mad.”

She pulled back enough to look at his face, “How could you not? The way I acted…”

“Was because you were mad at yourself,” he finished for her. “Not at me, I know that. And I repeat, it’s okay.”

Her bottom lip wobbled, tears burning her eyes. It was only when she saw him, saw the vulnerability in his own eyes that she breathed, “It’s not fair. It’s not fair, Rowan.”

He nodded, silver lining in his green eyes. “I know, I know it’s not.”

Tears were steaming down her face now. Apparently, she hadn’t cried enough yesterday. She shook her head, “It was just a stupid party to annoy our parents. It was just that,” she tried to push on his shoulders, trying to get him away from her. He didn’t let go, he kept her flushed with his body. “But I keep losing things because of that stupid night.”

“Aelin…”

“I lost Celaena, then my parents became so cold and distant and now… And now that stupid night is taking away my future. Why? Tell me why,” she demanded, her voice rising. She was mad, she was mad at the entire world. She was mad at herself. Life would have been so different if she had just said no, if she hadn’t wanted to get back at her parents for yet another lonely night.

They weren’t paying the full price. She was.

“I can’t,” he breathed. “I can’t tell you why, because I don’t know. But I know I’m here,” he said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Whatever life throws at you; it throws it at both of us.”

She shook her head, “It’s not fair. I don’t deserve that; I don’t deserve all this pain.”

“You are right, you don’t,” he nodded, cupping her cheeks and kissed her. “I love you. Things are going to be alright; we have solutions if we want them. This is hard, but it’s going to be okay as long as we have each other, alright?”

“How do you feel about that?” She asked, because she needed to know. It was her body but… he wanted his life with her. In the long run, it would affect him.

“I am…” He stopped for a second, breathing in. “Not doing too well, but I’m more focused on you now.”

“I’m so—”

He shut her up with a kiss, a hand covering the nape of her neck. “Don’t you apologize, alright?”

She nodded, rising on her tiptoes to steal a kiss out of him. He kept their mouth pressed together for a few more seconds, as if he would never get enough of her.

“Was Helia mad at me?”

He shook his head, “I don’t think she could be mad at you even if she wanted. She was just confused, but I told her it was nothing to worry about.”

“Thank you, and I’m sorry for freaking out when she called me mommy, it was just…”

“Too much,” he finished for her, and she nodded. Yes. It was too much. “I understand, Aelin. Stop apologizing for everything, none of it is your fault.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

His forehead fell against hers, the two of them breathing the same air. “How’s your head?”

She groaned, letting out a half-fake, half-real sob. “It’s killing me, don’t remind me.”

He chuckled, “You looked cozy with that Tequila.”

“Make me promise to never drink again.”

He narrowed his eyes at her, “I think I already made you promise such a thing twice now. You broke that promise that same amount of time.”

“Ugh,” she closed her eyes, enjoying his proximity. “You’re so not funny.”

He shook his head and grinned, “Sit, I’ll get us some coffee, alright?”

She nodded, kissing him in thanks. She laid on the couch, because she was even too tired to sit. The material was stiff under her, Rowan really needed to change that couch. If only for her back’s sake.

A phone pinged, and it wasn’t hers. She looked around the room to find Rowan’s phone screen lit up on his desk. She grabbed it, only to find the strangest message there.

You will pay.

What the… She typed in his passcode, only for it to be wrong. Strange, his password had always been Helia’s birthday. Maybe she typed it wrong, but when she typed it again… It still didn’t work.

Her brows were furrowed, alright. That was very, very strange. She tried her own birthday but it didn’t work either.

Rowan came back with two steaming plastic cup of coffee, “A latte with extra sugar for you.”

She sat and grabbed the cup, but he couldn’t muster a smile. “You got a text.”

He stopped in his tracks, seating next to her. “And?”

She showed the phone screen to Rowan, “Why would someone send that to you?”

More than a thousand scenarios ran through her head, some more realistic than others. But her concern grew every second Rowan took to answer. He grabbed the phone and read it, the muscles in his jaw tensing. “Ro?”

“It’s okay,” he said, a hand on her thigh after he placed his phone on couch. “It’s nothing.”

“Nothing?” she hissed. “Someone wants to make you pay about something and you say it’s nothing?”

“Because it’s true,” he answered. “It’s just a student who is mad about his grade, alright? It happens from time to time.”

Her lips parted, “You’re joking right? A student?”

“It’s the truth.”

“And how would you know that? It came from a blocked ID.”

“I know because it happened before, it’s been delt with, alright? They are more talk than action, they always are.”

“So… All those texts you’ve reacted badly to it was them? Even when we were away?”

He sighed, his head falling back. “Yes. Yes, it was that.”

She cocked her head to the side, “Why didn’t you tell me? I worried, Rowan. You weren’t talking to me, and I know you don’t like to be pushed to talk but… I worried.”

“I’m sorry, alright?” he said, his voice coming up short. “I didn’t want to worry you. There were so many things on your mind already and as I said, this is harmless. It wasn’t worth worrying you.”

“So, I have to talk but you can keep things to yourself?”

He sighed, grabbing her hand, “I was trying to protect you. I would have told you once it was over, Aelin.”

“I just feel useless,” she admitted. “I feel useless in our relationship. You never tell me anything.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” he said, almost too easily.

“Do you promise you’ll be alright?”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and hugged her. “I protect you. Always. I promise.”

She nodded. That was good enough for now, she didn’t have the energy for another fight. He played with a strand of her hair, “You should pick up something to eat and go back home. Pour yourself a hot bathtub and relax, you deserve a few days off.”

She raised an eyebrow, “You allow me to skip classes?”

“I don’t care about school, I only care for your health.”

“I love you,” she breathed into his neck.

He kissed the crown of her head before whispering, “I love you, too.”

---

A week later, Aelin was still soaking daily into a hot bath. Rowan did know how to help her relax. Sometimes, he’d come back from work to find her in his bathtub, and he would join her, other times he would help her relax in other ways while she was still surrounded by water.

But today, she was alone. She had also taken another habit other than the bathtubs; she stopped going to a few classes. Not enough to stop school completely, but enough to take a step back.

Between Rowan, Helia, her infertility and the lies she kept feeding people… Aelin had needed a small, tiny break. Classes for the year were over soon, she could have waited for vacations to start and yet… She didn’t have the energy.

She took care of herself first, she was sure Yrene would be proud of that.

Helia was at her grandparents today and Rowan was a very, very busy surgeon. It was easy to forget, he was good at making time for her and Helia, but there were some days where she was painfully aware of it. And by that, she meant that she usually woke up alone and fell asleep alone. Rowan trusted her to care for Helia in those days, an honor Aelin tried to live up to.

But these days also meant that Aelin had alone time at his house, so she started spending time on herself. It wasn’t too bad, she supposed.

She was texting her friends when her father’s name appeared on her screen and her phone started ringing. “Hi, dad.”

“Aelin,” his voice seemed short. The hospital was very busy lately, and it did not only affect her boyfriend. Her father barely had time to text or call her in the last week or so. “How are you doing, darling?”

“Fine,” she said, her hand playing with pink foam over the water. “Very busy lately.” She hoped it didn’t sound as wrong as it felt. “You?”

“Mostly the same,” he answered. “Wait, aren’t you supposed to be in class at that time?”

She was, he was right. It only took her less than a second to think of a lie. She was becoming awfully good at that. “I’m at the library with Lys and Dorian. We sacrifice a few hours of classes to work a little more on the ones we struggle with the most.”

“Uh, yeah,” her father replied. “I remember doing that a few times, too. Just don’t make it a habit, alright, darling?”

She smiled, “Sure, dad.”

“Alright, listen. Would you come over tonight for dinner?”

“Tonight? That’s a little short notice.”

He chuckled, “I didn’t know a med student’s planning was so full she couldn’t see her parents anymore.”

She winced, “Yeah, sure. I’ll be there. When should I come over?”

“Around seven?”

“That’s good, see you tonight.”

They hung up and Aelin sighed, her head falling back onto the edge of the tub. Rowan had planned on cooking lasagna tonight; she really loved his lasagnas. Maybe she could tell him to leave her some leftovers.

She checked the time and sighed when she noticed she had to be at her parents in less than two hours. Shit. She stood into the bath, but it wasn’t considering how slippery a bathtub full of soap was.

Aelin lost her balance, she gripped the first thing she could hand her hands on, but it made her let her phone fall into the hot water. “Fuck!” she almost yelled, bending to retrieve her phone. She grabbed it a few seconds later, she got out of the tub and wrapped a towel around her chest. She sat on the border of the tub, pressing against the button of her phones but no matter what she did, it didn’t turn on.

“Shit! Fuck!” She hid her face in her hands, taking a few minutes to evacuate her frustration. It was alright, she had her old phone at her apartment. This PIN was dead, but she could buy a new one tomorrow.

But all of her pictures with Rowan and Helia… They were gone. For good. She shook her head, trying to put some sense into that damn mind of hers. She dressed quickly, deciding that she would get a dress her mother would accept at her apartment and took off. She still left a note in the kitchen for her boyfriend to find, and she thanked the gods she wasn’t the one planned on picking Helia up.

She still hadn’t met Lyria’s parents, and if she was honest, Aelin wasn’t in the mood to.

Going to my parents for the evening,

Save some Lasagna for me? I’ll thank you properly ;)

Love you lots! Kiss Lia goodnight for me, please. <3

Aelin.

No one was at her apartment when she opened the door. Good, she wasn’t really in the mood to talk. She’d cancel on her parents if she had any way to do just that. She put her old phone to charge as she picked up a long, black dress. Not very flattering but it wasn’t Aelin-ish enough for her mother to disapprove.

She only brushed her hair and straightened them, applying only a small amount of mascara on her eyes and blush on her cheeks. She hadn’t had a restful night, so she looked pale.

She smiled at herself in the mirror. Her old self, the one she had said goodbye to the moment she met Rowan. But this part of her… Aelin didn’t want it gone. Not entirely. This was the last bit she owned that also belonged to Celaena.

She shook her head, getting rid of the thoughts that were sure to bring tears in her eyes and she jumped into her car, driving to her parents. It would be good to spend some time with them, or at least with her father.

She drove with some mindless music in the background she sang along to, which made the drive feel a lot quicker than it was. When she parked in front of the house where she used to live it was already dark outside.

She opened the door and entered the living room, only to find her uncle Gavriel sitting on the thousand dollars couch, a glass of whiskey in his hand and his perfectly tailored suit covering his body. “Uncle,” she said, a little wary. “I thought tonight was just me and my parents.”

He stood and opened his arms for her, a kind smile lifting up his lips. “Sorry for intruding.”

She rolled her eyes and took him in her arms, “Nonsense, I love spending time with my old relatives.”

He chuckled, “You are always so nice, Niece.”

She cocked her head to the side and smiled, “I know, thank you!”

She looked around the room for her parents, but they weren’t there yet. She was glad they had invited her; it was the perfect occasion for her to do something she hadn’t yet dared to do. “I’m sorry,” she said too quickly. “For the last time we saw each other.”

He shook his head, “None of that. Things got heated on all parts, including mine. This was your fight with Aedion, I shouldn’t have taken part in it. But if I can say something; he misses you. Give him a call when you are ready.”

“Is he here?” She hoped he was. She missed him too, but pride was a tricky thing.

He shook his head and smiled sadly, “I’m afraid he is spending the night with Lysandra.”

“It’s okay,” she said. “Are they… Finally together?”

Her uncle took a deep breath, “I actually have no idea. Knowing my son, I suppose it means they aren’t.”

She snorted, “He’d be the type to brag about it everywhere.”

“I think he could call the mayor and ask him to do an announcement to the entire city,” her uncle joked along.

She laughed when the doorbell rang, “Are we expecting a new member of the family I didn’t know?”

He rolled his eyes, “Open that door, I’ll go look for your dad. I’m afraid he locked himself in his office again.”

She winked at him and went for the door, her heels clicking onto the floor. She opened the door, her breath escaping her lungs. “What are you doing here?” She hissed, closing the door behind her after she looked, making sure no one had seen.

Rowan stood in front of her, looking as tired as he was handsome. He couldn’t be here, shouldn’t be here. Her parents were right in the damn house. “I tried to call you at least twenty times,” he said, careful of the level of his voice. “I kept sending me to voicemail.”

“My phone’s dead,” she answered, almost whispering. “But what the fuck are you doing here?”

“Your father asked me to,” he hissed back. Scared. Her boyfriend looked scared. It took her by the guts, he was so levelheaded usually.

“Why?”

“You think I asked?”

“Well,” She looked around, breathing in deep to not let any fear rise in her. “Why the hell didn’t you? It’s probably the first thing I would have done.”

“If the father of my secret girlfriend who also happens to be my boss asks me to do something, I don’t ask questions. I do everything he said.” He snapped, not raising his voice. Obviously, he was anxious.

“Fuck.” She breathed, passing a hand through her hair and pulling out a few strands.

“Aelin, what is happening.” He demanded.

“Just… Just give me one second, alright.” She was going to have a panic attack. It didn’t make sense, none of what had happened in the last two hours made sense. Why wouldn’t her father tell her he invited Rowan?

“If you didn’t notice it’s kind of a pressing matter.”

She glared at him. As if she didn’t notice. She took a deep breath and said “He doesn’t know.”

“How do you know that?”

“Your face isn’t bloody, that’s what tells me that.”

“You think he would punch me?” Rowan sounded scared, as if he would run away.

“Where do you think I picked my temper from?”

“Oh, fucking Gods,” he breathed, barely loud enough for her to hear.

“Where is Lia?” Oh, Gods. What if he brought her here?

“She is having a sleepover with her grandparents. Aelin, I need you to tell me if I’m about to get punched.” Oh, so she really scared him.

“I-I don’t think you will, alright?”

“You don’t think?” He hissed.

“I’m ninety-two percent sure.” She snapped back. That was what she did under pressure, always snapping.

“Fuck.”

“My father seemed worried about how I handle my time. Maybe this is a committee to say, ‘You’re fucking up again, Aelin!’ or something along those lines. It would be very fitting of my family.” He looked at her, eyes softening. But before he could, the door behind her opened.

“Aelin?”

“Uncle Gavriel,” she breathed, trying to give him her best smile. “This is my professor, Doctor Whitethorn. Doctor, this my uncle.”

“Nice to meet you, sir.” Rowan extended a hand to her uncle who shook it and gave Rowan a nod.

“I wonder why that dear niece of mine didn’t offer you to come in, she is not usually this rude.” He joked.

“Uncle…” Was he serious?

“Please, come in, Doctor Whitethorn. My sister and brother-in-law are on their way, they are on the phone.” Gavriel opened the door wide enough for Rowan to enter the house. He’d already been there. It was where they met, after all. “We’ve seen each other already, didn’t we?”

“At a dinner, a few weeks ago,” Rowan confirmed. “But we didn’t have the occasion of being introduced to one another.”

“Right,” her uncle said. “Can I offer you anything to drink?”

“Sure,” Rowan breathed, “Whatever you’re having.”

She glared at him, trying to communicate everything she couldn’t say in words. Mainly, she just wanted him to find an excuse and get the hell out of here. It was probably the first time she didn’t throw herself on the occasion to spend time with her boyfriend. “So, Doctor, what is your specialty?”

“Neurosurgery,” Rowan didn’t lack his usual pride as he answered. “I used to be one of Doctor Galathynius’ students.”

“And one of the best,” a deep voice interrupted them from behind. Aelin turned around to find her father and mother walking into the room. She hugged her father first, then her mother. She looked her up and down, “You look pretty, darling.”

She smiled, “Thank you, mom.”

“I see you already started drinking,” her father chuckled, “I will gladly join you.”

All of them fell into a conversation, Rowan quieter than her parents and uncle but he still spoke a few times. Aelin, on the other hand, felt like a true outcast.

Only Rowan seemed to see it, throwing her glances every few seconds. She sent him secrets, barely-there smiles. Even in a room full of people who had known her for her entire life, Rowan still was the only person to truly see her.

The real her.

“Shall we eat?” Her mother asked.

“Gods,” she groaned. “I’m starving.”

“Aelin,” she hissed. “It’s not proper.”

She swallowed, “Sorry.”

Evalin shook her head and led her guests to the dining room. Her spine straightened when she felt the brushing touch of a hand down her back.

Her father was at the head of the table, with her mother on his left and uncle on his right. Aelin sat beside Gavriel, and she happened to be in front of Rowan. The first course was served, and Aelin focused on eating it like a proper lady while the adults were talking. She was feeling like a child, only here for decoration.

“Doctor Whitethorn,” her mother asked. “What do you think of Aelin’s progress in classes?”

She stopped dead at that question, and so did Rowan. She nudged him under the table with her foot. He coughed and took a sip of his water. “I think Miss Ashryver Galathynius,” thank gods he remembered to use her mother’s last name too. “Is a brilliant student. Me and her other professors only notice improvement in her knowledge, as well as curiosity to always look for more when she is taught about something.”

Her mother’s smile was proud at these words. She looked at her and send a nod this way, her own way to congratulate her, Aelin supposed.

“It’s good to hear that.” Her father answered. “Some of her professors took contact with us to voice their concern. Apparently, Aelin has been skipping quite a lot of classes lately.”

What.

The.

Fuck.

“Is it something you noticed, as well?” Her father asked, without ever looking at her way. What was he playing?

Was this entire night to humiliate her? Because she was slightly drifting away from the path that had been chosen for her?

Rowan looked at her only once, barely more than a second, before he answered, “I do not think it’s such an unusual behavior. A lot of students, by that time of the year, choose which course they need to put the most of their energy for the finals. I don’t think Miss Ashryver Galathynius’ grades have been dropping in other courses, I know they only improve in mine. So, this is not something I would spend too much time wondering about.”

She wanted to kiss him right now. If she could, she would lean over the table and press their lips together. Hell to properness.

“Thank you for your honesty, Doctor Whitethorn,” her mother answered in her diplomatic voice.

“Dad…” Aelin breathed. “I told you; I pick the courses that need my full attention. My mind is only on succeeding, ask any of my friends they would tell you.”

They would lie for her, at least. She was sure of it.

“I hear you, Aelin. It is my job as a father to worry,” he answered. “One last thing, Doctor Whitethorn.”

“Anything, chief,” Rowan answered. He looked oh-so-relaxed, even if she could hear the tension in his voice.

Rowan was as good a liar as she was. They truly were a match. She pressed her lips together to avoid smiling at the thought, her timing was all wrong.

“What I’m wondering now,” her father said, finishing his one last sip of whiskey, “Is why, in Mala’s name, you thought it was a good idea to screw my daughter?”

••••••

Listen, it HAD to happen at one point…. Right?

Sorry for the hell that is about to hit us all.

••••••

@sheharahu // @morganofthewildfire // @thestoriesyoutell // @fromthelibraryofemilyj // @swankii-art-teacher // @itsforeverinnocent-blog // @becarefuloflove // @imnotsogoodatthis // @rowaelinismyotp // @a-court-of-milkandhoney // @feysand-loml // @elentiyawhitethorn // @live-the-fangirl-life // @story-scribbler // @loves-books // @fangirlprincess09 // @theysayitscrazy // @danibutterr // @endlessdaydream // @thegreyj // @gracie-rosee // @acreativelydifferentlove // @cretaceous-therapod // @louphantomdragon // @mis-lil-red // @backtobl4ck // @whoever-you-choose-to-love // @lemonade-coolattas // @mad-madeline-ace // @the-introverted-bibliophile // @leiawritesstories // @emilyoftheshadows // @anniesbookshelf // @rainbowcheetah512 // @astra-ad-mare // @story-scribbler // @superspiritfestival // @wordsafterhours // @rowaelinrambling // @black-daisy-water // @fireheart-violet // @livsdriverslicense // @charlizeed // @ladykreads // @mariamuses // @autumnbabylon // @justreadertings

#rowaelin #rowan whitethorn #rowaelin fanfiction #rowan x aelin #throne of glass fanfiction #aelin galathynius #illicit affairs

140 notes · View notes

justreadertings · 2 years

Text

Till Death Do Us Part Chapter 3

Ok I know this is out of no where, but I love this chapter so much and I couldn’t stop from sharing it right now! This chapter is definitely my favorite so far, but the big big plot stuff will start next chapter :) I hope you all like it, and of course if you want to be added to the taglist lemme know! -Magee

masterlist

TW: violence, blood, anxiety

Till Death Do Us Part- Chapter 3

Rowan had known fear.

The first time he’d ridden a horse, and fallen. The day he and Aelin had found themselves stuck in a bog after wandering too far on what King Rhoe had wanted to be an instructional hunting trip. The papers the morning after a major protest and looting near Orynth’s walls. The murmurings of war around court. The knowledge that his parents had been murdered in such a way back in Dornelle- with the same fires and destruction.

Rowan knew those memories scared him. He knew that fear. But this- this had to be terror, for those things were trivial in comparison.

He was dying. He knew he was dying. And that should be the worst of it, the fear of the great beyond. Rowan did not care for the Gods as Aelin did, did not seek comfort in what he could not see. He did not know what eternal rest beyond here would be. But it was not his fear to meet Aelin’s Gods- it was the fear that she was about to join him that turned this into terror.

Once they’d heard the gunshot, they’d scurried back to her rooms, the closest they could get. He’d wrapped her in her comforter, the guards screaming in mayhem, and ran. They were so close, knew that they would be safe if they could just get to her closet. Nothing could penetrate those walls. The safehouse built for her should this day ever come.

They’d been so close, her golden room a balm to his fast beating heart. He had squeezed her tighter against him, making sure to protect her at all cost. Rowan knew that it was not him they were after. But nevertheless, he was the one with a gunshot wound through his shoulder.

Now, Aelin was holding him. They were cowered in the back of her closet, all her dresses and things illuminated by a slight candle. His head rested on her shoulder as one of her slight hands snaked around his waist, the other staunching the wound, her arm banded around him like a bandolier. He knew he was dead the second that shot ran through him.

But he could not forgive himself for the time Aelin took hauling him with her, even dragging him at the end into safety. He’d begged her to leave him. Begged. She had called him a bastard, her mother’s favorite term.

“Rowan?” She whispered to him in the dark.

“Yes?” His voice was wet with tears and pain.

She squeezed him the tiniest bit tighter to her. Between her panicked breathing, she whispered, “do not die on me.”

He panted, body accepting her comfort even as his brain told him to be stronger. “I’ll work on it, Fireheart.”

Aelin pressed her face, wet with her own tears, to the side of his. He could smell her jasmine hair products, even through the blood and sweat. Rowan could feel her labored breath against his cheek, and he only leaned farther into the cradle of her.

“Aelin?”

“Yes?”

“If they come in here, you need to act like you’re dead.” She did not respond to him, only breathing in the dark. “Aelin,” he whispered. “You need to do that. Can you do that?”

A hefty sigh escaped her. She sniffled. “I can.”

He exhaled. “Good.”

They were quiet then. Listened to the muffled sounds of destruction through their home, and the sounds of each other's breath. His was growing weaker, he could feel it. Rowan could’ve sworn that’s why she held him even tighter.

“Rowan?” She finally whispered. “Are we going to die?”

He had promised her father that he would protect her. Vowed it, even told him one day he’d take the blood oath and swear it to their country, even if that right was not his to take. And right now, the thing keeping Aelin together, with that big heart of hers, was her hope. If Rowan took that away… he’d fail to keep his vow in the last way he could.

Rowan pressed his face closer to hers. “No,” he assured her. “We’re not going to die.”

He felt her tears against his cheek, but neither said anything else. They just sat there, held each other, and waited for it to be over.

Aelin was supposed to be in her room. They’d all but demanded she’d retreat there. Perhaps her appearance was shaking everyone too much, and they needed to go off and deal with it.

Darrow had pushed Rowan into the War Room very soon after he’d assumed she’d turn and went to her rooms. He clearly did not remember her very well. Aelin told Elide and Marion that she needed some space, and to get settled into their quarters as well. It wasn’t a lie, technically. It was just… omitting the truth a bit. Besides, Aelin was under no impression that she wasn’t being watched. Even if court had been dismissed for the week in her arrival. Security was outrageous. She understood why- she had the scars to prove why- but it did complicate things.

But Aelin decided it was worth the risk. She couldn’t… she couldn’t go in her rooms. Not quite yet. It was already painful enough to be in some of the halls. Her fight or flight tendencies were like an itch she couldn’t quite scratch, every wall she’d ever seen caked in blood making her twitch. And yet she could do nothing. She avoided the Great Hall all together. The idea of going in there… bile rose in her throat.

Rowan should be here, Aelin thought again. Her footsteps echoed against the silver tile, her dress swaying against her ankles. It occurred to her that this may be the last time in her life, in this castle, that she could remain anonymous. A shadow, in Celeana’s skin for the last time. No one noticed Celeana. So she could easily slip into perhaps the only part of the castle that did not have negative emotions attached to it: the library.

The widows had been repaired since the last time she’d seen it. But there they were, creating a dome of light, golden arches in between bookshelves. The space was open, airy. Ancient and new texts lined the walls, and places to study took up the floors. Aelin was able to slip to the back, her fingers caressing the shelves as she went.

She loved this library. The library up in the Staghorns, in the little stop town by her sacred cabin, was fine. It gave her her books, and she could never be ungrateful for that. But this library… She used to read to Rowan by the grand fireplace every night. She’d once told him she would read every book in this library. He’d told her it was impossible. Of course, that only spurred her on.

A smile graced her face as she sank down into the soft, green sofa across from the fireplace. It was growing chillier, so she might light it if she were here long enough. Not that she assumed she could sneak away for that long. Still, the peace of being here had her eyes drifting closed.

“I knew I’d find you here.”

Her peace was cut off, and her heart nearly leaped out her chest. Because there, leaning against a bookshelf, clad in only a billowing white shirt and casual slacks, was Rowan.

A small grin overtook his face. She just watched him, mouth slightly agape.

“How’d you know I wasn’t… in my rooms?”

He gave her a look. “Aelin Galathynius? Following direct orders from someone she doesn’t like? Didn’t seem likely.” They shared a small laugh. “Besides,” he shrugged. “I knew you’d want a minute alone. Take it all in.”

Aelin felt like she might cry. Which was ridiculous. There was nothing to cry about. She just stared at him, emotions racing through her.

“So… how are you? Taking it all in, that is?”

She exhaled a bit. “Well, apparently exactly as you’d expect me to.”

Rowan’s face turned soft. “I’d had a while to think about it.”

Silence engulfed them again. It seemed neither of them cared that they were just looking at each other. Years of yearning pierced through her heart. The feeling seemed mutual.

“I missed you, Ae.”

She covered her mouth with her hand. “I missed you.” Aelin closed her eyes, knowing she couldn’t hold it in anymore. “So. Lyria?”

Joy sparked in Rowan’s eyes. Joy and… something else. Her eyes narrowed. “Yeah,” he replied. “She’s… she’s just great.” He watched her, as if gauging her reaction. “You’re going to love her,” he added, as if it would make it better.

Aelin didn’t know why it made it worse. It seemed she couldn’t stop herself from being blunt- not that she ever had- when she asked, “why?”

“Why?” A silver brow quirked up.

“Why would I love her?” She clarified.

The question had him blinking. But he just waited. She hated that he knew that, especially because the point she was about to make completely contradicted the idea that he still knew her that well.

“There were no letters, no outside contact. How would you know what or who I love?”

Rowan seemed to actually consider the thought. His eyes bore into hers as he thought about it, and she refused, much as she did with everything in her life, to back down. He concluded, “I know you love this country. That hasn’t changed.”

Aelin found herself completely torn on how to respond to that. He was so calm, so collected. She hated that her emotions could slip out like that, even as guarded as her heart was. She reminded herself that Celeana was strong because she learned how to shut it off. The emotion. The human part. That part of her did not wish Rowan to read her, or sense her thoughts. That part of her that wanted him as far from her as possible, especially with that gold band around his finger, symbolizing his unavailability to the whole world.

If he was not hers anymore, Celeana whispered in Aelin’s ear, she would not be his.

“Aelin?”

Her eyes refocused, and she found him looking at her- all of her- again. She did the work of rehiding her soul from his. “Yes?”

“In around thirty minutes, someone’s going to come to your door to announce a Court Meeting.”

Her stomach tightened in anxiety about seeing her rooms again. The last time she’d been in there… a flash of red hair and bone crushing weight stormed her vision. It was one of the memories even Celeana wasn’t strong enough to kill.

“They fixed it, you know.” His face had softened, though his fingers picked at the skin around his thumb. She’d watched him do that every time they had tried to understand taxes their entire childhood. Perhaps he was just as unnerved at the idea of her being back there as she was. Her eye slipped back to his ring. “Your room.”

She couldn’t help it. “Why?”

Again, only a slight hint of confusion. Always calculating, that one. “Why what?”

She forced herself through the words. “Why fix it when you didn’t know if I was ever coming back?”

The truth, even as small as that, stretched like a mile between them. She had to remind herself that the man wearing her best friend’s features was right there, that it was not some fragment of him. Aelin had to remind herself that as much as she remembered about him, he probably remembered a whole lot more about her. Rowan, she reminded herself, was not forced to forget.

“I knew you were coming back,” he assured her.

The sun was the only warmth Aelin could feel when she whispered, “I didn’t.”

Devastation lined his beautiful face, and even the loss of her home, her only friend, her parents, her titles and lands all in one day could not keep her from wanting to get up and soothe those sad lines on his face with the pads of her thumbs. She used to rub her finger over his creased forehead and tell him, “I don’t want to look at your wrinkles for the rest of my life.”

Her heart clenched horribly in her chest. She remembered that the first time she’d donned Celeana’s name she’d felt a rush of relief so high she could have floated. Aelin ached for that relief now.

“I-” Rowan started, but the clock chimed between them, signaling half the hour had passed.

They glanced at each other, an instinct perhaps. They both knew she had to go and change. Celeana was not equipped to handle the likes of the Court. Only Aelin, wearing a face so close to that of the Great Unitor, Evalin, could do it.

“I’ll walk you there?”

Aelin felt her heart in her throat. She knew that being here, safe in this library, was temporary. But the idea of leaving… her gaze snapped to Rowan’s face. In her mind’s eye, his face morphed into that of a fourteen year old. Because she felt entirely twelve when she held out her hand to him, and he pulled her from the couch.

His rough fingers slowly passed over her scarred hands. That sad look in his eyes never left, had been there since the day they’d hid in her closet, and though he’d been bleeding out, he’d still pressed a kiss to her fingers after he’d pulled the glass from them. She didn’t dare let her fingers tremble, she still had that much control over herself.

He squeezed her hand, and Aelin wondered if he still recognized her hands, or if the extra scars from her life as Celeana just blended into the ones he’d already known.

They walked in silence, approaching the room. Her body ached with anxiety, and she silently cursed herself. She’d been in far much more danger, she’d put herself in far more dangerous situations before. It was just a room, she reminded herself.

They finally stopped by her white door, little golden stags still carved into the wood, made to look as if they were running through a field. She was grateful, after everything, her door had been salvaged. Her papa had carved this door. Her heart tugged painfully, her fingers drifting over the white wood.

“It’s just a room.”

Aelin glanced over her shoulder, Rowan a man once more to her. “Do you believe that?” She asked, softly.

Rowan sighed, looking into her as he always did. “Do you?” He whispered. She shook her head. “Neither do I.”

They stared at each other a moment more, until Aelin turned the knob, and for the millionth time today, accepted her fate.

There it is! I can’t help the angst, it just comes naturally to me lol! I hope you all liked it :))

Taglist: @leiawritesstories @tomtenadia @fireheart-violet @backtobl4ck @morganofthewildfire @rowaelinismyotp @aelinchocolatelover @thegreyj @foughtconquered @swankii-art-teacher

#TDDUP #rowaelin #rowaelin fanfiction #rowaelin fantasy au #throne of glass #throne of glass fanfiction #tog #tog fanfiction #my writing #sarah j maas #sjm

61 notes · View notes

tomtenadia · 1 year

Text

Thicker than blood - 21

Welcome to a new chapter... and it’s getting angsty, just to let you know...

Rowan had to physically force himself to move away from Aelin and get ready for work. He wanted to be selfish and screw his job, but there was so much happening that his conscience did not allow him to do that. Once he was ready he walked back to the bed. He had fed her and hoped that it was enough to keep her calm until his return. Her anguish had diminished but he was terrified that it was his closeness. What would happen as soon as he left?

He sat at her side and gently kissed her head “I have to go to work, I don’t want to leave you but I have to,” a gentle caress on her golden hair “I love you.”

Rowan stood but did not move away, his body frozen in place.

Until a knock on the door distracted him.

Evalin entered the room and offered him a warm smile.

“I will stay with her, Rowan,” he noticed the bundle in the woman arms, it was a blanket and a few books. She grabbed the armchair and pulled it closer to her daughter “When we moved her out of the cell I used to read to her all the time. It helped, hopefully it will this time too.”

“I can’t…” a ragged breath left his lips “How can I leave her?”

Evalin placed her hands on his shoulders “You are going to work to keep Orynth safe, to allow you both the peaceful future you deserve.”

He relaxed and nodded and then finally managed to take a step away. Then stopped again and ran back to her and kissed “I love you, fireheart. So damn much.” He then turned and left the room without looking back.

Getting to work took him ages and was ready for Lorcan’s nasty comments about the fact that he was late. He did not care. Also, the fact that he and Aelin were tucked away in the mountain was a secret. Apart from Aedion, no one else knew and they planned to leave it that way. He had called Elide and told her that Aelin was still suffering from the effects of the blood experiment and that she might be off for a while. The woman had reassured him that she could easily run the morgue.

Rowan parked in the covered parking lot and rode the lift up to his floor and mentally prepared himself for another horrible day.

Once on his floor Gavriel was the one who found him and together they walked to his office “Where have you been?”

“Hm?”

“You missed patrol last night and shit is happening…”

He had been so focused on Aelin that everything else had just been deleted from his mind.

“Hamel is shutting down all the clubs for vampires, everyone who is caught drinking from a human is now sent directly to a deviation centre. No more rehab.”

Rowan swore loudly.

“He is segregating everything and doesn’t want vampires in places meant for humans. This is not going to end well,” the old man sighed “Maeve had released an interview saying that it’s outrageous that vampires have to be forced to such rules by a weaker species.”

At the name Rowan had a surge of deep fury.

“She also released a manifest of what she wants vampires to do. She is inciting them to outright rebellion.”

Rowan sat down feeling a sense of desperation rise in him.

“Also,” Gavriel threw a folder in front of him “I have discovered something interesting.”

Rowan took the file, read it and then swore “The Vaults is Hamel’s?”

Gavriel nodded “The only club that caters to vampires that is still open. Suspicious, eh?”

“And the connection to all the murders. All victims had gone there and became blood bags. There is something dark going on.”

“Do you think our esteemed mayor is involved in this?”

“Call me paranoid, but I have a feeling Hamel has some dark profit making machine connected with the Vaults. And while on the surface he wants us all dead, deep down he is using our need for blood to make money.”

Gavriel swore “No one is that much of a maniac.”

“Hamel is. I need to get in that club.”

“You can’t, it’s super exclusive.”

“Well, then found me a way to grant me access,” his voice a deep growl.

After Gavriel left his office he tried to catch up on the actual shitstorm that was happening. They were on the verge of a civil war. He could feel it. It was a lot like the months preceding the great fire. Vampire retaliating, humans doing the same and creating their own society. Maybe it was impossible for the two species to live peacefully. Maybe the dream after the fire had been just a glimpse of a future that might never happen. Except it wasn’t. There were a lot of places around Erilea were they managed to live in peace. He wanted that.

A text from Evalin woke him up from his thoughts.

She is awake. Very weak, but we moved her to the library and we are watching the snow fall while reading.

He relaxed. That was good. She loved snow and books.

I am glad she is doing okay. Tell her I love her and that I am looking forward to be back.

He threw his folder on the side and left his office and walked to Fenrys.

“Oh, look who showed up for work.”

“I need you to do something for me.”

Fenrys’ expression was full of curiosity.

“Ask any of your connected friends if they know anyone who can give me access to the Vaults.”

“Rowan, what are you planning to do?”

“Can you do this for me?”

The young man nodded “I can try, but I can’t guarantee you anything. My friends do not linger in that kind of circles.”

Rowan nodded and walked away.

Elide stared at the female body on her table. This was a Jane Doe that the police had found in an alley near a quiet metro station. The MO for all she could see was the same. Naked body, stamp of the Vaults, multiple healed cuts and drained of all blood. This one though, had been dead for at least ten hours. This one had been moved too. The purple patches typical of the phase called livor mortis were on her back, but the body had been found prone and the rigor mortis was advanced too.

Elide followed all the tests that she would usually do and also did the extra checks that she and Aelin had agreed upon. Police was still trying to identify the woman, they had ran the fingerprints in the database but nothing had come up.

She was busy finishing the measurements of her organs when she spotted the Chief of the paranormal unit step in her room.

“Chief, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

He nodded at the body.

Elide gave him the initial report “It’s not complete but the MO matches the other ones to a t.”

“Chief, this is the fifth woman.”

“I know,” she was positive it was worry in his voice “My unit is investigating on a lot of cases right now. “

She knew. Aelin had told her that Rowan had been super busy at work. Human cops only seemed to intervene when there were vampires to punish. When it was them committing crimes the police had just pretended it never happened. A part of her could understand why vampire were rebelling. She did not approve of Maeve’s ideas but was feeling tired of the current state of affairs.

In the past few weeks they had subjected her to countless tests to check that she was living legally.

Once they had asked her about Aelin and she had come up with a lie that she was on her honeymoon with her new husband. That at least would buy her friend some time to heal and come back.

“I thought I’d help and grab this report myself.”

Elide smiled. The chief was a man who barely smiled but she had started to warm to him. Deep down he cared. He just had problems showing it.

“That is very considerate of you.”

With a cough he cleared his voice “and I might have a more selfish reason too to be here.”

A smirk appeared on Elide’s face.

“I was wondering if, by any chance, you would do me the honour of accompanying me to a pub tonight.”

“Are you asking me on a date, chief?”

“That bad?”

“You are cute.” Elide smiled at him “I accept gladly. I assume you know the safe places?”

“I have your number. I will text you the details later on.”

Elide nodded and the man walked away.

Aelin was curled on the bay window seats. A lot of pillows behind her and a soft blanket on her legs. The book she had been reading lay on her side. Her gaze was fixed on the snow that had been falling hard. They were deep in the mountains and it was so much colder that Orynth. Her mother was at her side on an armchair, sipping tea and reading.

When she woke up she was not expecting her mother and definitely was surprised at seeing the familiar walls of their cottage in the mountains. She hadn’t been there in ages and she loved it.

Her mother had told her everything that had happened and that Rowan had called Aedion in desperation and they had brought her here.

She was such a nuisance to him. She had been nothing but a burden to him since she had entered his life. Accepting his offer had been a mistake and she had been weak.

Since her mother had told her that, she had been thinking about her relationship with Rowan. She had been weak and accepted his marriage because she knew it would help, because she was not capable of dealing with her mess. She had caved at his offer but in the end it had been wrong.

“Maybe I should accept dad’s offer and let Rowan free.”

“Fireheart?”

“I am nothing but a burden to him. He has given up so much for me already.”

Her mother put the book down “Aelin, the man loves you.”

She looked outside “what if it’s just the bond? It might not be real. Maybe he thinks he is in love because we are mates.” Aelin forced herself to believe her words. Doing so, it would make leaving him much easier.

Evalin worried at the tone of defeat in her daughter’s voice “You know that is not true.”

“Maybe it should be. I am not good for him.”

Her mother stood and sat at her side, pulling her daughter to her “He loves you, cares for you deeply and he is a good man. Your dad and I really like him.”

Aelin started sobbing hard “I am a mess. He doesn’t deserve this. I am nothing but trouble,” her tears intensified “He is a cop and broke all of the rules for me.”

“He is an adult. He knew what he was doing.”

“I need to let him go…”

“Aelin… that would be a bad idea.”

“Why? Just because I can only feed from him? He is not a blood bag,” she screamed at her mother while sobbing at the same time “I don’t deserve him.”

“Why don’t you talk to him, when he is back?”

“What’s the point?”

Evalin was worrying deeply now. Her daughter had lost all the fire in her and it hurt. She caressed her head.

“Leave me, mom. You and dad should leave me too, I deserve to be alone.”

Anger surged in the woman “No, none of us is leaving your side.”

Aelin lay down under the blankets and curled on herself, turning her back on her mother.

Evalin kissed her head “I love you, fireheart.”

When Evalin left the library she walked to her husband’s office.

She saw him standing at the window. His blue eyes fixed on the falling snow.

“How is she?” He asked as soon he felt his wife.

Evalin walked to him and crashed at his chest and let the tears go.

“She has given up on everything. She wants to leave Rowan and us. She think she is a burden and does not deserve to be loved.”

Rhoe held his wife tight. It had been hard for both to be separated from their only daughter but his wife was the one who suffered the most from the separation.

“Let’s give her some time. Do you remember how long it took her after she came back to us?”

Evalin nodded “I can’t stand to see her in that much pain.”

“Me neither, mo chridhe.”

“I don’t want her to leave Rowan either. With him I saw her happy for the first time in a very long time. He is good for her.”

Rhoe nodded. He still remembered the soft tone his daughter had used to confess to him that she loved Rowan, when he visited the morgue “I don’t think she wants to leave him. But she is scared now and thinks that sacrificing her happiness is the way to go.”

“Rhoe, I kept away from her for too long. I am not doing that again. She is my daughter and I love her and I will not stand still and watch while she throws away her life.”

The man chuckled at the fierceness his wife used. It had been one of the reasons why he had fallen for her. And Aelin had inherited it from her mother. The two most important women in his life had fire in them and he loved them.

He would do anything to protect them.

TAGS:

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

#rowaelin fanfic #aelin x rowan #rowaelin fanfiction #rowaelin #rowan whitethorn #aelin galathynius #rowan x aelin #aelinandrowan #vampires au #rowaelin angst

21 notes · View notes

mariaofdoranelle · 1 year

Text

Little Protector

Rowan Week day 6: Rowan as a child

This is me attempting to really write a child for the first time, but I tried to make it cute in case everything goes wrong lmao

Warning: stitches because Aelin is a little terror

Word count: ~ 800

Everybody told Rowan he was growing too fast, but his legs still couldn’t touch the floor like his mom’s did. Neither did Aelin’s, but she never admitted that. It was the truth, they were little. Every kid was little, but his best friend would never accept it.

Aelin’s name was called, and a doctor, Hafiza, introduced herself. His mom explained that Aelin fell and hurt her forehead, and that her actual parents were on a work trip.

“What happened to you, young lady?” The doctor asked Aelin.

“We were watching TV, and the witches were flying with a broom!” She pointed at Rowan. “So we jumped from the counter with a broom too, but I hit a stool and now I have an ouchie, look!”

Hafiza smiled at them. “He was a witch too?”

Rowan’s cheeks went red. He knew boys couldn’t be witches in the show, but his mom told him he could play it too if he was having fun.

Aelin crossed her arms, always ready to defend him. “I was giving him a ride!”

“Oh, that’s very generous of you.” The doctor chuckled and looked at her forehead. “Do you want me to fix this?”

Aelin and Rowan both nodded, making Hafiza turn to him.

“Are you her big brother?”

He stood straight and said, “No, I’m her bestest friend.”

The doctor smiled. “So you’re her protector?”

“Yes,” he answered in a serious tone. Rowan wasn’t sure what that word meant, but his mom was smiling, so it shouldn’t be bad.

Aelin laid down so the lady could fix her forehead, but he couldn’t see her right. Rowan got on his tiptoes, trying to see what was going on, until the doctor invited him to come closer.

“I’m just going to clean your wound so I can close it, okay?” Hafiza told Aelin.

She was lying.

The doctor began to poke Aelin’s ouchie with a needle, and Rowan knew exactly what she was doing. She was sewing his best friend. He had seen his mom do the same thing when he ripped his clothes after playing.

Aelin was completely frozen, but when she heard Rowan gasp, her eyes started to look too shiny.

“Fireheart, don’t cry.” She looked at him and swallowed. Without thinking, Rowan said, “I’ll watch the princess movie if you don’t cry.”

She didn’t do or say anything. The doctor and his mom were trying to soothe her, but at least she didn’t cry.

After it ended, Aelin didn’t wait a second to get up, her breathing very, very fast. “That scared my belly!”

Rowan gave her a small smile. He had never met someone as brave as his best friend.

His mom and the doctor talked some grown-up things, but Rowan understood that it was about taking care of her now, so he listened to it anyway.

The doctor turned to them again. “Did he help you fly, Aelin?”

Aelin giggled, a lot calmer now that the doctor wasn’t sewing her. “Yes.”

“Rowan, should we give her a shot or droplets?”

His eyes were so big he could feel the air hitting them. “Droplets,” he said without thinking twice. Why would Hafiza use the needle again if she had the little drops?

The doctor chuckled, and Rowan’s mom was smiling at him the way she always did when someone asked him something obvious.

“Aelin, do you want a balloon?”

“Balloon?” That was easy to grab her attention.

Hafiza smiled. “Yes.” She got closer to Aelin like she was sharing a secret. “But we only give balloons to the brave kids.”

“Aelin was very brave today,” Rowan cut in. “I think she can have a balloon.”

She nodded a lot of times. Aelin really liked balloons.

The doctor took one glove from a box and blew it, making it big with air. Rowan’s eyes went wide. He didn’t know people could wear balloons too, but he liked it.

He received one too, even if he didn’t have a sewed forehead like Aelin.

“What do we say now?” His mom tried to look serious, but she was smiling.

They thanked the doctor at the same time, but Rowan said it quietly with a small smile, while Aelin practically screamed it, showing all the gaps between her teeth.

Giggling, Aelin hit his forehead with her balloon.

Rowan crossed his arms. “That’s not fair, I can’t do the same.”

“We’re watching a Barbie movie. The one where she’s a ballerina.”

He saw his mom was waiting for them at the door, so Rowan didn’t wait to take Aelin’s hand and lead her outside.

That was really close. Rowan would need to convince her to never try to fly while playing witches again.

TAG LIST

@autumnbabylon

@cookiemonsterwholovesbooks

@courtofjurdan

@dreamer-133

@elentiyawhitethorn

@fangirlprincess09

@goddess-aelin

@leiawritesstories

@rowanaelinn

@thegreyj

@rowaelinscourt

#rowaelin #rowan whitethorn #rowan week #aelin galathynius #throne of glass #aelin x rowan

84 notes · View notes

sassyhobbits · 3 years

Note

rowaelin with their first child and they get into that stranger anxiety phase and cry with everyone except when they're in their mothers arms and it's exhausting but also adorable but rowan sometimes feels like a bad dad because his kid doesn't want to be held by him so aelin has to reassure him and then some day this phase is finally over - prompt 😢🥺

ok i adored writing this one. dad rowan is so much fun to work with. i hope everyone enjoys!!

~~~

In his over 300 years, Rowan Whitethorn Galathynius had been awoken by many different things. Whether it was a call to battle while sleeping in a war tent, a summons from his queen late at night, or a lover trying unsuccessfully to disappear quietly before dawn. Yet, none of these manners of waking up had filled him with as much dread as he felt currently.

He was woken in the middle of the night by a shrill shriek coming from the room that adjoined the one he shared with Aelin. In the recent months, what had once been a leisure room had been converted to a nursery for their new baby girl.

It took three years after Aelin’s coronation before they decided to start trying to have a child. It took another year before they were successful. Rowan counted his blessings. He had seen plenty of Fae couples take decades before they finally conceived.

Eliora was four months old now, which meant four months of troubled sleep for both him and his mate.

Rowan was instantly on alert at the sound of his daughter’s cries. He knew that they were no more than a normal babe’s troubles, but his instincts made him tense anyways. He quickly sat up, looking down at his wife quickly to see if she had woken up. Luckily, she still slept, likely beyond exhausted from the mix of raising a child and ruling a kingdom. If Rowan was successful, she wouldn’t have to wake up at all.

He got out of bed and swiftly stepped into the nursery, coming before Eliora’s crib. Her tiny face was pinched up in dainty outrage, small limbs flailing as she cried. Rowan took a deep breath, sending a prayer up to the gods more out of habit than faith at this point, and picked his daughter from the crib. Hopefully, this would be the time he could get her to stop crying.

The little princess shrieked and protested whenever she was in anyone’s arms besides her mother’s. Rowan’s included.

“I’ve got you, my little light,” Rowan whispered to his daughter, cradling her tiny body to his bare chest and lowering himself onto the rocking chair they kept beside her crib. “Everything’s alright.”

Despite his soothing words, Eliora still continued to cry. It broke Rowan’s heart to hear, broke it even more to know that nothing he did could seem to calm her down.

“Please stop crying, love,” Rowan pleaded, threading his fingers through the fine, silvery-blonde hair growing on his daughter’s head. “Your mother is so tired and needs her sleep.”

Unfortunately, even begging didn’t seem to work.

Over the sounds of Eliora’s cries, he heard the door hinges creek, and the sound of bare feet scuffing over stone. Rowan glanced over, finding Aelin walking towards him. Exhaustion weighed down her beautiful face, but her eyes were still full of fondness at the sight of the two of them.

Rowan looked to her apologetically before his face crumpled in defeat. “I can’t get her to stop crying. I’m so sorry, Fireheart.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for, love,” she whispered, leaning down and pressing a kiss to his hair. “Give her to me.”

Rowan handed the squirming bundle of blankets to his wife. Aelin situated their daughter in her arms before she lowered herself on Rowan’s lap, allowing him to wrap his arms around her waist, press a kiss to her shoulder, and begin to rock them.

Quickly, Eliora’s cries began to fade away. Her face unscrewed, looking at Aelin with those wide, Ashryver eyes that she had.

Aelin began to sing a low, Terrasenian lullaby as he continued to rock the three of them. It never ceased to amaze him how good she was with their daughter, how quickly she was able to sooth her temper. He only wished that he could do the same, that Eliora would look at him the same way she looked at Aelin and not scream and scream and scream.

Rowan’s heart was full of love as he watched Eliora’s eyes begin to droop shut at the soothing rocking motion and the sound of her mother’s voice. It wasn’t long before she was once again asleep, the night perfectly silent.

Rowan helped Aelin stand, keeping a hand against her back as she brought their daughter back to her crib and laid her down. Perfect. She truly was perfect.

A gentle hand on his arm drew his attention away from the slumbering babe. Aelin nodded her head towards their room and Rowan dutifully followed, shutting the door quietly behind them.

“I’m sorry, Fireheart,” Rowan said again, drawing Aelin into his arms and kissing her forehead. “I know you’re exhausted.”

“No more so than you.”

Rowan could only sigh, pressing his lips together tightly. His emotions were troubled, and he should have known that Aelin was going to notice. She leaned back slightly, peering up at his face.

“I know what you’re thinking, Rowan, and you’re wrong,” she said matter-of-factly.

Rowan wanted to believe her, but he couldn’t help but ask, “What am I doing wrong?”

He had faced many challenges over his years. Wars and battles and tortures. He had survived them all and came out victorious. And yet, the thing that brought him to his knees, was the fact that he couldn’t bring comfort to his own daughter when she needed it. A baby had finally defeated him.

“You know you’re not doing anything wrong,” Aelin said firmly. “The nurses said this happens sometimes. It’s not your fault.”

Rowan had heard this what felt like a thousand times. It did little to soothe his troubles.

Rowan was good at many things. He was a warrior and a general, had stepped confidently into the role of king consort. His hands could kill and heal and build, but they couldn’t get Eliora to stop crying. He couldn’t help but feel that, perhaps, being a father… wasn’t something that he was made for.

It broke his heart to think. He remembered how excited he was when they found out Aelin was finally pregnant, how they cried and kissed and clung to each other, whispering about the future. He had been ecstatic, but also terrified. He knew Aedion, who had welcomed his own son into the world a year before Aelin got pregnant, had felt the same before he was born. But, Aedion hadn’t had the troubles Rowan did. He had stepped into fatherhood gracefully, and his son loved him immensely.

“Hey,” Aelin said, a bit snappily. She put her hand on Rowan’s cheek and urged him to look at her. In those eyes was a familiar fire. “Stop that. I know what’s going through your head. You’re a wonderful father.”

Rowan sighed and hung his head, pressing Aelin’s hand more firmly against his cheek. “How can I be a good father if I have no idea what I’m doing?”

“Do you think I’m a bad mother?”

“What? Of course not.”

“Well, I don’t know what I’m doing either,” Aelin said. “Neither did Aedion or Lysandra. No new parent has any idea what they’re doing. It’s part of the job.”

She made it sound so easy. Aelin had always had a knack for that.

“I wonder if there’s some secret behind it,” Rowan mused as Aelin tucked herself back into his chest and wrapped her arms around his torso.

He felt his wife shrug. “I don’t know… but if there was, I think it would be to love them. To support them. To do everything in our power to make sure they’re happy.”

“I love Eliora more than life. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her.”

“I know, love.” Aelin rolled on the tips of her toes and brushed a soft kiss against Rowan’s mouth. “Now, all you need to do is have patience.”

He chuckled. “Look at you. Who would have ever guessed that Aelin Galathynius would be lecturing me on patience.”

Her grin was a slash of white in the dark. “I’ve been told I’m wise beyond my years.”

“Who the hell has ever told you that?”

“People. Now, will you come back to bed with me?”

“Of course, Fireheart.”

They climbed back under the covers, pressing their bodies close. Aelin fell back asleep almost comically quickly. Rowan wasn’t far behind, holding his wife tightly throughout the night.

…

Another month went by and little changed. Both Rowan and his wife were getting little sleep during the night, leading to some groggy mornings. He had seen Aelin taking short naps at her desk or dozing off when an advisor spoke for too long. She would, of course, deny it if Rowan ever brought it up, so he wisely stayed silent.

Eliora still abhorred being held by anyone except Aelin. The fact that it wasn’t just him brought Rowan a bit of solace. His daughter cried when held by Lysandra or Fenrys or Elide. She had a particularly nasty meltdown last time Lorcan had held her.

“I know, sweet girl,” Aelin had murmured, taking Eliora from Lorcan. “I wouldn’t want to be that close to him either.”

Still, Eliora’s reactions didn’t deter Rowan from trying to hold and soothe her, though he had not yet been victorious. Patience, Aelin had said. It was easier said than done.

The sun had set below the Staghorns hours ago. Eliora was asleep in the nursery, Aelin was treating herself to a long soak in the tub, and Rowan sat in one of the plush armchairs they kept in their room, sharpening and polishing some of his blades.

It was an easy practice to get lost in. The simple, repetitive movements were a welcome distraction. A good way to cool down before bed.

However, his hands froze when he heard a tiny whimper sound from the nursery that quickly morphed into a shrill cry. Eliora.

Rowan placed his blades down on the low table before him, pushing to his feet and quickly striding into the nursery.

Eliora was wiggling as she wailed. Rowan wished he could read her mind so he knew exactly what was bothering her and how he could help. But, all he could do was take a deep, bracing breath and scoop his daughter into his arms.

“What’s wrong, little light?” Rowan whispered, carrying her over to the rocking chair. “What is it?”

Eliora’s only response was to continue crying.

Rowan sighed, wondering how much longer he had before Aelin got out of the bath and came in to calm Eliora down. He had seen Aelin do it countless times. She would take Eliora into her arms, smile down at her, start to whisper nonsense or sing a low lullaby. She made it seem so easy.

“Everything’s alright, Eliora,” Rowan murmured, switching to the Old Language. “I’ve got you. I’ll never let anything happen to you, little love.”

And then, something amazing happened.

Slowly, Eliora’s cries began to fade away to a whimper and then, to nothing at all. Rowan held his breath, worrying that one wrong move would put her back into a fit of hysterics. His daughter slowly opened her eyes and peered up at him.

Rowan smiled down at her. “You’re just as lovely as your mother. Just as stubborn, too.”

And then, as if she understood his little joke, Eliora flashed him a gummy smile. The shift in expression floored him. She had never given him a smile before.

Rowan felt his throat tighten and his eyes begin to burn, but he smiled back at the tears welled up. A tiny laugh escaped his throat. Finally, finally, he had done it.

Eliora’s chubby arms reached up. Rowan held out a finger, letting her wrap a tiny hand around it. He always forgot just how small she was.

“I love you more than you could possibly know, Eliora.”

He was too distracted by his daughter and the little grip she had on his finger to notice that Aelin had entered the nursery until she was almost upon them. Rowan looked up at his wife, knowing that his eyes were still watery and there were likely tear tracks streaking down his cheeks. Regardless, he beamed.

“It would seem, once again, that I was right,” Aelin said with a triumphant smirk.

“As you often are, my love.”

She laughed and dropped a kiss to his forehead before draping her arms over his shoulders, leaning over and watching their daughter, who was studying them with wide eyes. Once again, Eliora smiled. Rowan would never tire of the sight.

“She looks like you when she smiles,” Aelin mused.

“You think?”

She nodded slowly, reaching out and running her knuckles along the smooth curve of Eliora’s cheek. “I still can’t believe she’s ours. She’s just so… perfect.”

“Like her mother.”

Aelin snorted. “Kiss ass.”

“Maybe a little.”

They faded into silence, simply standing there, wrapped up in their little, blossoming family. They stood there until Eliora’s eyes fluttered shut once more and she drifted off into a peaceful sleep. One she enjoyed for the entirety of the night.

Rowan didn’t know what he had done to deserve such bliss, but he knew it must have been something good.

#every time i write a baby fic im like #is it obvious that i know next to nothing about babies #rowaelin #my writing #tog

440 notes · View notes

goddess-aelin · 2 years

Text

Dancing to a Happy Song

With a peace summit fast approaching, the court of Terrasen find themselves eagerly awaiting the arrival of their friends. Rowan and Aelin might have a surprise for their family when they get there. And a few surprises might be in store for the king and queen, too.

Part 1: Preparations

FLUFF, so much fluff

Word count: 2k

Rowan Whitethorn always considered himself a patient male. He could stand for hours on a battlefield, waiting for the most opportune moment to strike, hunger and fatigue never bothering him. He patiently waited over 300 years for his mate, his true mate, to swagger her way into his life. And then he waited over two months to get that mate back from Maeve’s clutches. So yes, he was a very patient male, thank you very much.

This summit planning meeting was testing his patience, though. Especially when his wife and mate was currently laying in bed, sick to her stomach.

“Do you think we need a seating arrangement for the emissaries?” he distantly heard Darrow ask.

Gods, was this what Aelin had to sit through every time there was a court meeting? If so, he was thankful that his mate spared him from most of these duties. He would much rather be helping with swordsmanship, training the citizens who had just discovered their magic, or helping to rebuild the city. Anything but tablecloth colors and seating arrangements.

“Your majesty?”

He coughed, “Ahem, yes. I think that maybe a seating arrangement would be in order but before we make any solid decisions, I will run it by the Queen for approval. Can you get me a rough draft of the plans and I will take it to Aelin for her to browse when she feels up to it.” Maybe this would finally give him a reason for him to excuse himself from this madness. The only thing stopping him from rescheduling was the fact that both Lorcan and Fenrys were currently looking as bored and pained as he felt. It gave him a little bit of satisfaction.

Fenrys had been an undeniable help throughout the past five years. Not only was he a great asset to the court of Terrasen, but also to their foreign relations. He was one of the main reasons why this world peace summit was even happening. Rowan would be forever thankful to the male for what he did to help Aelin during her time with Maeve. But he would also be thankful for his ability in helping Terrasen create new alliances and trade partnerships.

Lorcan attended this meeting only due to his bi-monthly trek to Orynth where he helped get the armies of Terrasen in shape. It just so happened that this planning meeting coincided with his visit and he had the misfortune of being required to attend. Rowan knew that Elide would’ve liked to be there but taking care of their two year old son while being pregnant did not make travel easy for the young woman. So instead, she would make the two-day trek in two months when the summit began.

Rowan looked around the meeting room, taking in the green and gold banners that waved on a phantom wind. The green and gold that always reminded him of Aelin. Gods, Rowan should have been with his mate at the moment, taking care of her while she was sick. He was sure that he would be called an overbearing buzzard for fussing, but he didn’t care if it meant that Aelin would feel better. No one dared to question why the Queen of Terrasen was shirking some of her duties off to her King-consort and if anyone did, they kept those opinions to themselves. Rowan knew, though. No one else but him and a few healers knew the reason why Aelin had been a tad bit weaker and more prone to stomach illness. So yes, Rowan should be there with his wife, his mate, his fireheart; loving her and taking care of her and presenting her with as much chocolate as she wanted.

But instead, he was here. At this meeting. Which had been dragging on for about three and a half hours. He knew with the peace summit in less than two months, this planning meeting was a necessary evil, but he couldn’t help the fae part of him that was aching to take care of his mate.

The peace summit was supposed to be a meeting of all the world’s current leaders and dreamers, hosted right here in Orynth. With delegations coming from all over the world, it was important that Terrasen presented a strong, unyielding front. Rowan had already approved the list of invites, ranging from the King and Hand of Adarlan to the Khagan representatives to his cousin, the Queen of Doranelle. They were even sending invites to few places that he had yet to meet the delegations of. From far and wide, emissaries would arrive in a short two months to discuss the world’s most pressing issues and create new alliances. Even if he hated the courtly politics, Rowan had to admit that he was excited to see his friends. He was most excited for Aelin to be reunited with all of the friends she made through her travels in her arduous 25 years of life.

Most of their friends had expanded families now, too. In Adarlan, Chaol and Yrene’s son, Troian, was four years old now. In Perranth, Lorcan and Elide had their two year old son, Callum, named in honor of Elide’s father, with another baby on the way. And Aedion and Lysandra had their newborn babe, Gavryn, aptly named for the warrior and father who fell too soon. Rowan was touched to hear their spin on his friend and brother’s name.

Rowan knew that Aelin was just as excited to meet all of the new additions to their family as she was to reunite with her old friends. Rowan only could hope that she was feeling up to the task by then.

He was brought out of his reverie by a messenger stating that he was needed in the royal chambers. Rowan quickly wrapped up the meeting and didn’t even try to hide his eagerness to leave. He said his goodbyes to Lorcan, who would be leaving the next morning to return to Perranth. To his dismay as he was quickly making his way to the stone stairway that would take him to the royal quarters, Fenrys caught up with him, a look of worry etched on his face.

“Is Aelin alright? You would tell me if something was wrong, right?”

Rowan’s annoyance dissipated at the fear that he scented. “Of course. I promise that Aelin is alright, she just needs rest.”

Fenrys didn’t look entirely convinced but didn’t say anything more. Rowan was sure that the male would’ve scented Aelin’s ailment already but given that the queen had been making herself scarce since Fenrys returned from his three month long trek to the western lands just a few days ago, Rowan supposed that he hadn’t had a chance to be in the queen’s company for more than a few minutes.

“Alright, I guess I’ll check in later then?” Fenrys hesitated. “Can you…just… if anything is wrong, can you come and get me? Please?” Rowan gently put a reassuring hand on the younger male’s shoulder and gave a confirmation before he headed back towards the staircase.

Rowan took the stairs two at a time and as he rounded the corner to the royal suite, he heard quiet murmurings. As he approached the door to his and Aelin’s bedroom, an older, brown haired woman exited the room and gave him a slight bow. With a tight lipped smile, Rowan moved to allow the woman to continue on her way. He couldn’t help the flare of anxiety that bubbled in him, despite knowing the reason for the healer’s visit.

As he entered the room, Rowan heard nothing but the soft snores of his mate. He scented Aelin before he saw her, bundled in wool blankets on their large bed. Rowan quietly took off his shoes and weapons and crawled under the blankets with his wife. Aelin’s quiet snores halted as he wrapped an arm around her middle to pull her into his warmth. The healer may have just left, but leave it to his mate to fall asleep in the 30 seconds it took for him to enter the room. He couldn’t bring himself to care, however, when she was snuggled up to him like this. She deserved the rest.

Aelin slowly stretched and turned over to face him. Though her eyes were tired, a brilliant smile crossed her face at the sight of her mate. “So did my urgent note get you out of that boring meeting?”

Rowan chuckled. “It indeed did. I should’ve known that nothing was truly wrong.” He pressed a kiss to her nose. Her cheek. Her lips. “What was your excuse if anyone had asked what was so urgent?”

“Obviously that her majesty the queen needed an urgent foot massage.” Rowan couldn’t help his boisterous laughter at that. His mate never failed to make him laugh. And he couldn’t help the way his heart, even after five years of being with her, quickened it’s pace when he beheld her joy. He knew that feeling would never subside, even in ten years, a hundred, a thousand. “And besides, it’s not like most of what Darrow was asking was that important, was it?”

“What do you mean?” He feigned outrage. “Seating arrangements are of utmost importance!” It was Aelin’s turn to chuckle as she rolled onto her back.

“How are you feeling?” Aelin could tell that despite his laughing exterior, he was switching into fussy mode. “And before you call me an overbearing buzzard, let me tell you that it’s very hard–” Aelin cut him off with a gentle kiss to his lips.

“I wasn’t going to say that,” she said innocently. Rowan gave her an incredulous look that told her he didn’t believe that one bit. “But I’m ok. I’m definitely feeling much better since I took the anti-nausea tonic this morning and the healer just left after giving me another. So at the very least I should be good to go tomorrow.”

“Did she say anything as to why you’re still having this nausea?” A furrow formed in Rowan’s brow that she kissed away.

“She said sometimes it just happens this way. Nothing is wrong, I just need time for it to go away. And rest, lots of rest. Besides, Yrene will be here in less than two months so if I’m still not feeling well, I can have her help me. She is Silba’s heir after all.”

Rowan’s eyes filled with love as his hand gently traced her brows, her cheek, her ear. He continued his light touches down to her collarbone, down her arm, peppering kisses with them. His hand finally reached its destination, where it stayed, and he added the gentlest of kisses to her slightly swollen belly. Rowan’s eyes rose to meet Aelin’s and they couldn’t contain their love and excitement.

“Only five more months until we get to meet you, little one.” Rowan spoke softly. Aelin started tearing up at the reverence in his tone. Rowan talking to the child in her womb was a nightly occurrence, one that never failed to make her cry. Stupid pregnancy hormones.

“Rowan,” she whispered. As his eyes beheld the tears in her eyes, he placed gentle kisses to each cheek and rested his forehead against hers. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, fireheart. And I love the little life we’ve made.” With the warmth of Rowan’s embrace, Aelin began to feel her eyelids drooping. With a final kiss to her forehead, Rowan gathered her tightly in his arms, his fingers tracing small circles over her belly and said “Sleep my love.” Aelin wanted to appreciate the love and care her mate was showing her but quickly and deeply, sleep pulled her under.

A/N: There will be three or four more parts to this fic so keep an eye out :) let me know if you want to be tagged for the next parts! Be prepared for some good ol’ remelle 😉

#rowaelin #rowaelin fanfiction #rowaelin fanfic #rowan whitethorn #aelin galathynius #throne of glass #throne of glass fanfiction #tog fanfic #my fic #dtahs

172 notes · View notes

leiawritesstories · 2 years

Note

Omg game night with the Galathynius-Whitethorns and company would be so chaotic 👀

it really would be 👀👀

word count: 2.3k

warnings: language, chaos, naughty jokes, alcohol (they're all adults)

enjoy!!

You Little Cheater

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you serious?" Aelin propped her hands on her hips, raising both brows at her husband. "You do remember the last time we did this, yeah?"

"It was fun!" Rowan protested, winking snarkily at her. "Just because you lost at poker doesn't mean--"

"All right, Mr. Bragger," she laughed, "you can stop there."

He grinned. "But I won bragging rights, Fireheart."

"Gods," she groaned. "I've married a child."

"But you love me," he crooned, coming over to slip his arms around her waist.

"But I love you," she agreed, lips curving into a soft grin. "All right, you can tell everyone we're hosting game night."

"Yes!" Rowan kissed her quickly. "Oh, love, this is going to be so fun!"

"You keep telling yourself that," Aelin snickered, kissing him back. "I'll go make sure we have enough beer to placate Fen when he inevitably loses every single round."

"WHO'S READY TO LOSE?" Fenrys crowed, bursting into Aelin and Rowan's house with a huge grin plastered on his face and a bottle of tequila in each hand. "I brought presents!"

"Thank you, Fen," Aelin deadpanned, swiping the liquor from him and passing it to her husband, who prudently stored the tequila in the kitchen. Away from Fen's impulsive grasp.

Fenrys beamed. "I'm gonna win this time, I just know it."

"Bullshit!" Lorcan called from the living room, where he was already settled on the couch with a beer in his hand and Elide comfortably tucked into his side, eyeing that beer hungrily.

At twenty-three weeks pregnant, she'd finally gotten over the nausea, but the lack of alcohol was really starting to get to her.

"Thought you were going sober with me, babe," she teased.

Lorcan huffed a laugh. "Yeah, well, that was before I realized Moonbeam would be here."

"Fair enough," Elide snickered.

"I heard that!" Fen screeched. "Asshole!"

"Kinks to yourself, Moon Moon," Lorcan drawled, tipping his beer at the blonde.

Fen's tanned face flushed red and he whirled around to grab himself a beer from the kitchen, grumbling about stupid fucking drunk decisions.

"Wouldn't have to worry if you weren't a stupid drunk, Fen," Aelin crooned, handing him a drink.

"Fuck off," Fen groaned, laughing through his fake irritation.

"We'll save that for later," Rowan smirked, resting his hand dangerously close to his wife's ass.

"Fucking gods!" yelped Aedion from the doorway, where he and Lys and Dorian had just arrived. "At least wait five fucking minutes before tormenting me!"

Aelin responded to her cousin with a silent, single-finger gesture.

"Love ya too," Aedion smirked, blowing her a kiss as he headed into the living room with the others. "Lochan, how's sobriety?"

"Piss off," Elide snorted, tossing a pillow at him.

Aedion smirked. "Okay, okay, I'll stop."

"Damn right you will," she returned. "And you'll shut the hell up about it when I kick your ass at cards."

"So certain you'll win," Aedion drawled.

"Remind me again who's got the longest losing streak out of all of us?" Lys hummed, raising a knowing brow at her boyfriend.

"Shut up," Aedion groaned, flopping against the couch cushions.

Lysandra snickered. "That's right, darling, it's not the pregnant lady."

"I hate you," Aedion mumbled, his voice muffled by the pillow his face was buried in.

"Love you too, babe." The brunette blew him a flirty kiss, resting one hand on his sloppy half-bun.

Aelin waltzed into the living room bearing cards and poker chips and a broad, slightly insane grin. "All right, idiots!" she crowed. "Who's ready to watch Fen and Aedion lose again?"

It wasn't even ten o'clock, and almost everyone was tipsy and giggly.

Probably because they'd played their very own version of drinking poker, where whoever lost had to take varying degrees of drinks ranging from a sip from their cup to a shot to chugging an entire beer.

Out of everyone sprawled around Aelin and Rowan's living room, Rowan and Elide were the most sober, followed by Lysandra and, surprisingly, Aelin. Lorcan was buzzed but not into drunk territory, Aedion was slurring every word he spoke, Dorian was currently laying on the floor crossing his eyes at his cards, and Fenrys was draped all over an armchair with his legs halfway over the armrest and a bright green pillow clutched to his chest, giggling uncontrollably.

In case anyone in the room wasn't aware, he'd lost more than half the hands. And subsequently consumed several beers, a healthy dose of wine, and probably too many tequila shots.

"Lorrrrkyyyyyy," Fenrys sang, his slurred voice warbling over the syllables, "whas'thish shay?" Blearily, he fumbled with his cards, dropping them all over himself as he attempted to show Lorcan the card he was trying to decipher.

It was a five of clubs.

"It's a two of hearts, Fen," Lorcan grunted, snickering to himself at his own little joke.

Fenrys grinned a huge, drunken grin, throwing his cards down onto the coffee table. Attempting to throw his cards down, at least; not a single card made it close to the table before landing on the carpet. "I WIN!" he yelled, kicking his feet like a schoolgirl on the phone. "I WINNNNNNN!"

Ever the voice of reason, Rowan punched the blonde on the shoulder. "What ya got, Fen?"

"Full"--*hic*--"house!" Fen declared, managing to collect his cards and fan them out, displaying two sixes, two twos, and the five of clubs Lorcan had informed him was a two. "Six an' twos!"

"Moonbeam," Rowan sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "why the fuck do you even listen to Lorcan?"

"Cause he knows I'm smart," Lorcan snorted.

Rowan flipped off the dark-haired man. "Shut the fuck up, Lor."

"Cause he's riiiiiight," Fen beamed, his gaze completely unfocused. "I win!"

"Bitch, you do not!" Dorian elbowed the blonde enough to send him flopping out of his chair and onto the floor. "Tha'sh two pair, I gotta three'kind!" He eagerly displayed his three tens, smirking in triumph. "I beat you!"

"Not here, ya don'," Fenrys giggled, smirking up at Dorian from where he was now lying on the floor.

Dorian's whole face turned crimson. "FEN!" he screeched, smacking the blonde upside the head. "NO!"

"Yeah, yeah, not here," Fen giggled, patting Dorian's ass.

"Get a room!" Elide hollered, throwing pillows at both of the drunk, horny, overgrown children. "Gods, you two."

Dorian hiccupped. "Shoundsh like a good idea," he slurred, grinning down at Fenrys, who just beamed right back and made no attempt to get up off the floor.

Probably because he knew he wouldn't even be able to stand up.

"Hmm, pretty boy--"

"All right!" Lysandra, bottle of wine in her hand, interrupted before either Dorian or Fenrys could actually make good on their drunken promises. "I've got a new idea..."

"Please tell me it involves wine," Aelin smirked, swiping the bottle from her friend and pouring herself a healthy measure.

Lys's grin was borderline sadistic. "Everyone get your asses off the floor!" she commanded, clapping twice. "Ae, go get Twister."

"Fuck yes!" Aelin crowed, hurrying off to the hallway closet to grab Twister from one of the shelves.

"Love," Rowan interrupted--obviously the overbearing buzzard had followed her--"are we sure that's a good idea?"

"It's a fucking wonderful idea," she assured him, beaming proudly. And a little tipsily, if she was being perfectly honest.

He sighed heavily, smothering his soft chuckle. "No more tequila while you're playing, though, okay?"

"You ruin all my fun," she griped, but she nodded.

His lips twitched. "Oh, love, I don't think I ruin all your fun, do I?" That godsdamned look of his, it would be the end of her.

"Perhaps not," she murmured, sweeping her darkening gaze up and down his form.

Then dodging him and hurrying back out to the living room, her giggle echoing in his ears.

Lys and Aedion and Elide and Lorcan had moved the furniture out of the way, creating a space large enough for the seven or so adults to play Twister without fearing they'd break something--body or furniture--when they inevitably fell over. Aelin plopped the box atop the couch, pulling the well-loved vinyl mat out and shaking it out over the floor.

"Gimme the spinner," Elide demanded, grabbing the box and settling herself in the relocated armchair. "This pregnant lady isn't going anywhere near you idiots."

"Then why the hell are you by Lorcan?" Aelin snickered, earning herself a rumbling growl from the hulking brute in question.

"I swear to all the fuckin' gods, Galathynius..."

"Hush, you," Elide chortled, nudging her giant of a husband. "Go on."

Lorcan stared at her. "Absolutely the fuck not."

She stared right back. "Go. On."

"No."

"Yes."

The couple stared heatedly at each other for another thirty seconds before Elide pulled her trump card and settled one hand atop her bump. "Your son wants you to have fun with your friends, Lor."

"Gods fuckin' dammit," he mumbled, conceding in an instant. And turning a sharp scowl at everyone else. "Say something, I dare you."

"Such an old softie," Rowan snickered, obviously enjoying the sight of his best friend being complete putty in Elide's petite hands.

"Fuck you."

"Not my job."

Despite himself, Lorcan released a dry laugh, draining the rest of his beer. "Godsdammit, Whitethorn."

"Come on, old men," Aelin interrupted, prodding both of them towards the Twister mat. "No shoes!"

"So bossy," Rowan griped.

"You love it," she hummed, winking lewdly at him.

Dorian's loud wolf whistle was interrupted by Lysandra swatting Aelin. "Get a fuckin' room!"

"Hell no," Aelin retorted, "I've got a game to win!"

"Yeah, we'll see about that," Elide snorted. "Y'all ready?"

Sometime long after anyone had stopped looking at the clock, Aelin and Rowan waved goodbye to Aedion and Lys, the last two to leave their house. Elide and Lorcan went home first, once the round of Twister that of course ended with everyone a tangled mess of drunken and tipsy limbs and indignant squawking had ended. Though nobody could protest that it had been immense fun, what with the alcohol livening things up and the constant stream of hilarity that was Fenrys trying to position his face as close to Dorian's ass as possible.

For obvious reasons.

Despite all attempts to sabotage her, Aelin had prevailed eventually, using her years of dance and athletic training to keep her balance even when both Rowan and Lorcan were pressing into her space, the former trying to kiss her into falling over and the latter just shoving his shoulder into hers. She'd retaliated by walking her hand into the closest green space when Elide had called it, which conveniently required Lorcan to try and reach behind himself to complete the move.

Which resulted in the massive man tumbling all over himself.

"Ouch," she heard him mumble to Elide after he'd extricated himself and gone to curl up at her side.

"Poor baby," Elide crooned, laughter twinkling in her eyes. "Right foot, yellow!"

Aelin shot her foot to the yellow circle, "accidentally" tripping Fenrys in the process.

He flopped onto his stomach, pretending to be mad while being completely unable to smother his giggles. "You little cheater!" he squawked, hiccupping.

"You're a little drunk," Aelin snickered, nudging his side with her foot.

Fen yelped in outrage. "AM NOT!"

She raised a brow. "Dorian? Got something to say about that?"

"You're a lightweight!" Dorian grinned, winking at Fenrys.

"LIAR!" Fen screeched, sloppily pushing himself up off the ground and lunging for Dorian, half-tackling him to the carpet.

"Whoa there!" Aelin called, thoroughly enjoying the sight of the two drunkest people in the room "brawling" with each other. "Save the roleplay for later, boys!"

Fen shrieked in protest.

Dorian's whole face burned scarlet.

Beside Aelin, Aedion groaned. "Every single fuckin' pershon here's fuckin' hornyyyy," he slurred.

Lysandra's muffled response to that had resulted in Aedion tripping over himself as he tried to move to the next place Elide called and sending everyone on the mat toppling to the floor as he went sprawling. Only Aelin managed to somewhat escape the chaotic collapse, keeping herself stable enough to declare that she was the winner.

"Want your prize now?" Rowan smirked, wickedness written all over his face.

Elide threw a pillow at him. "Gods above, you two!"

"Love you too, Ells," Aelin crooned.

Shortly later, she and Rowan were waving at Aedion and Lysandra as they departed, leaving their house quiet, the beer bottles in the bin and the glasses in the dishwasher and Twister safely stored back in the closet.

Rowan yawned. "Gods, I'm exhausted."

Aelin snickered. "Putting up with Fen and Dorian wear you out, old man?"

"Hardly," he promised, closing and locking the front door.

She raised an unconvinced brow. "Mhmm."

"I'll show you old man," he purred, effortlessly hoisting her over his shoulder and striding up the stairs with far more stability than she'd expect from someone who'd drunk as much as her darling husband had.

"Please do..." she murmured, deliberately making her voice soft and breathy, "sir."

The growl that rumbled low in his throat at her teasing abruptly cut off into a jaw-cracking yawn.

Terrible timing, given that he was right in the middle of splaying her out on their bed.

Both of them burst into tipsy laughter, Rowan letting his head drop against his wife's chest. "Sign from above, I guess," he laughed.

Aelin kissed her husband's messy hair. "Guess so. I love you, buzzard."

"Love you more, Fireheart."

Neither of them had time to do more than change into comfy pajamas and halfheartedly brush their teeth before sleep claimed them. Still, just as Aelin let her dreams take over her mind, she couldn't suppress the way she grinned at Rowan pulling her into his warmth, ever the big spoon.

Gods, she couldn't wait to make him a dad.

~~~

TAGS:

@charlizeed

@cretaceous-therapod

@clea-nightingale

@autumnbabylon

@nerdperson524

@fireheartwhitethorn4ever

@morganofthewildfire

@rowanaelinn

@wesupremeginger

@stardelia

@shanias-world

@mybloodrunsblue

@swankii-art-teacher

@wordsafterhours

@cookiemonsterwholovesbooks

@violet-mermaid7

@holdthefrickup

@goddess-aelin

@rowaelinismyotp

@dealfea

@irondork

@elentiyawhitethorn

@live-the-fangirl-life

@darling-im-the-queen-of-hell

@chronicchthonic14

@lovely-dove-zee

@sweet-but-stormy

@hanging-from-a-cliff

@jorjy-jo

@rowaelinrambling

@thegreyj

@silentquartz

@backtobl4ck

@throneofus7

@elizarikaallen

@llyncooljones

@booknerdproblems

#my writing #answered prompt #aelin galathynius #rowan whitethorn #rowaelin #and friends #fenrys moonbeam #lorcan salvaterre #elide lochan #aedion ashryver #lysandra ennar #dorian havilliard #all the idiots #we love them

103 notes · View notes

rowanaelinn · 3 years

Text

Thank you

rowaelin month day 24 - missing scene from canon

warning: nsfw content

“Sit,” Rowan ordered, nodding toward the small table standing in the middle of their cabin. Aelin, surprisingly, did as she was told. She sat and parted her legs enough so her lover could stand between them. He had brought with him a pitcher of cold water, putting it beside her with an old rag in bad condition, the fabric had been white a while ago but it was more yellow than anything else now.

“Are you going to yell?” Aelin asked and he only shrugged, taking her bleeding hand in his hand and bringing it to his lips so he could depose a delicate kiss on her bruised knuckles. She smiled at the small show of affection. Rowan had never been good with words, but he had been good at showing her how he felt.

“Why would I be angry?”

It was Aelin’s turn to shrug. “Aedion looked pissed that I punched the witch.”

“I would have done worse for what her coven did to you last spring.” Rowan’s tight voice resonated in the room. His magic started healing her hand, even if she didn’t need it. He just needed to take care of her. Aelin felt her own magic woke up at that, coming out to play with Rowan’s. She would never get tired of this feeling, this connection between their souls.

“You’re the one who got shot.” She retorted, still able to see his bloodied body on the grass, an arrow coming out of him. Aelin never wanted to experience such pain again in her life. She’d take every blow if it meant Rowan not getting hurt.

“But they targeted you.” Rowan looked back at her and Aelin could see the frozen rage on his face. They had been too close to losing each other that day, even if they didn’t even have each other yet at that time.

“Maybe I wanted to get shot,” she smirked. “But of course, you had to be dramatic and steal all the spotlight from me.”

Rowan barked a laugh. “Sometimes, someone else other than you needs to be the center of attention. We wouldn’t want your head to grow too big.”

Aelin rolled her eyes but couldn’t hold back the small smile on her lips. Rowan took more time than necessary to heal her, she knew it, but she didn’t call him out on that. Instead, she chose to enjoy the way his thumb stroked the palm of her hand, the way this simple touch heated her entire body.

She liked peaceful times like these between them, moments when they were together and didn’t either sleep or discuss war plans were rare, so Aelin learned how to enjoy them.

When Rowan was done playing with his magic, he took the rag and wet it before starting to clean her hand. Once again, he took his time, and Aelin was delighted by it. She kept thinking about how good life would be once they won the war and would be back in Terrasen.

“Done,” Rowan murmured before placing another kiss on the back of her hand. She smiled, indeed, her hand was clean and healed as if nothing happened. Rowan came closer to her, wanting to kiss her but Aelin had something else in mind.

Gently, she put her hands on his shoulder and pushed him so she had the space to slide off the table. Rowan looked at her, confusion clear in his eyes, as she walked to the door to lock it. Gods knew she didn’t want anyone other than Rowan to see what she was about to do.

Rowan’s frown deepened when she took her time to walk back to him, intensifying the sway of her hips and drawing attention from her lover just there. When she stood in front of him, she allowed him to kiss her. Just a peck, before she dropped to her knees, never breaking eye contact.

He threw his head back when he understood what she wanted to do, his breathing becoming ragged. Aelin was perfectly content for a moment to just want him as she went for his belt, unbuckling it in record time.

“Fuck, Aelin,” Rowan groaned as she put his pants down, followed by his underwear. He was already hard as if the sheer sight of her on her knees was enough to arouse him. “You don’t have to,” He told her and just for that, she wanted to do it ten times more.

Aelin didn’t answer. No, instead she took him in hand and licked his tip. He let out more curses than Aelin ever heard him speak.

Aelin had never done this, never felt confident enough to do it to Chaol last year, and ever since she had Rowan shared their body on that beach, Rowan had never let her do anything, always taking the lead and being the one on his knees. So, for the last few days, Aelin had planned how to surprise him so she could finally give him this pleasure. Of course, she hadn’t planned on beating the witch just so she could suck her lover off, but it sure as hell was an amazing opportunity. Especially when she had felt the slight change in his scent when she had delivered the blow. She loved his wicked mind.

Slowly, she licked him from base to tip, taking the head on her mouth and using her tongue to play with it. If the noises coming out of Rowan were any indication, she’d say she wasn’t too bad at it.

She used her hand to pump the base of his erection as she took more and more in her mouth. Aelin felt the ghost of a thrust in her mouth and when she looked up, Rowan’s pained eyes were on her.

The overbearing buzzard probably just wanted to keep it slow for her, once again putting her before his own pleasure, but Aelin was having none of that today. This was for him, she wanted him to enjoy himself and think about himself for once.

She slid her hand from his shaft to his balls, cupping them. At this, Rowan’s hand gripped her shoulder. She kept looking at him as she took almost all of him, this tip hitting the back of his throat almost making her choke. “Fuck, you’re so good,” Rowan said and it had her clenching her thighs. Seeing him receiving pleasure, hearing him speak to her, shouldn’t turn her on that much.

Tears were rolling down her face when she pulled her head back, taking him in hand while she tried to get her breathing back to normal. Rowan’s hand clenched on her shoulder when she fisted him harder and while it did nothing to her, she still moaned with him.

“Fuck my mouth,” she looked up at him and he cursed. She was probably a sight to behold right now saliva on her chin and rosy swollen lips, tears coming out of her eyes. Rowan shook his head, but Aelin had none of it. “Come on, Rowan. I’m not some pretty flower that will break.” She told him as she tightened her hold on him, his free hand shot to her other shoulder, trying to keep himself on his feet.

“One condition,” he told her and Aelin urged him to speak by stroking him faster. “Touch yourself.”

It was her turn to shake her head. No, it was all about Rowan. All about pleasing him. All about thanking him for everything he did for her.

“Aelin, I can smell how much you want it, your scent is driving me-” he groaned as Aelin twisted her hand, her other one finding his balls. “-crazy. Do it,” he said and when he saw he hadn’t convinced her, he used his last card. “For me. Do it for me,” he grilled through his teeth, and suddenly, Aelin was undoing her own belt before shoving her hand down her pants.

She didn’t even know males were turned on by this, but Rowan definitely was. Oh, gods, she’d have so much fun with that later. She couldn’t help but smirk at every scenario in which she could tease him that comes to her mind.

As her hand slipped under her panties, finding her soaked heat, Rowan took off her hand from his balls and started stroking himself, eyes fixed on her hand moving under the garments. She moaned, letting her head fall back on his thigh, as her fingers found her clit and started circling it.

Not wasting time, Aelin put her mouth back on Rowan, taking in his tip and some of his length, before stopping her movements on him, looking up at Rowan, waiting for him to do anything.

She moaned around him when she slid a finger in her, and it urged him to thrust. Faster than she could comprehend, Rowan’s hands were in her hair, holding her head still, as he thrust his hips erratically in her.

Aelin had nothing do to but keeping her mouth open as she kept fucking herself with her fingers. She hadn’t touched herself since Rowan first touched her on that beach and she could not help but realize how small her fingers were compared to his.

She gagged every time he hit the back of her throat but she didn’t ask him to stop. On the contrary, she kept moaning around him, her silent way to beg him to keep going. “Such a good mouth,” Rowan groaned and Aelin clenched around her fingers at that. She loved it when he was talkative in bed.

She was already so close, too worked up from seeing Rowan take pleasure and having his way with her. He pulled hard at her head, making her release a loud moan, Rowan followed, taking pleasure in the vibrations around his cock. “Fuck, Fireheart, I’m gonna-” He groaned loudly as she took the initiative to make him as deep as she could.

He had warned her to let her retract if she wanted, but Aelin Ashryver Galathynius had never been one to back down from a challenge. She wanted all of Rowan, wanted his taste deep in her throat.

They worked together, each second bringing them closer to the edge, and when Aelin reached that peak, Rowan followed, spilling himself in her throat.

Her orgasm made it harder to swallow, too focused on what she was feeling. So she wasn’t surprised to see Rowan kneeling in front of her, using the rag from earlier to clean her lips and chin. When he was done, Aelin smiled at him and he returned it.

“You’re amazing, Fireheart,” Rowan said as he leaned in to kiss her. The kiss started sweet and loving, but it soon turned needy. It was crazy to Aelin how they could need each other so soon after getting off, but she prayed to all the gods it would never stop.

When his hands went to take off her shirt, someone knocked on their door. Loudly.

Rowan cursed, letting his head drop on her shoulder as she chuckled, using her small hands to stroke his back.

Apparently, they’d have to wait before he could find out how wet, exactly, it made her to touch him.

-----

taglist: @sheharahu // @morganofthewildfire // @thestoriesyoutell // @fromthelibraryofemilyj // @swankii-art-teacher // @itsforeverinnocent-blog // @becarefuloflove // @imnotsogoodatthis // @rowaelinismyotp // @a-court-of-milkandhoney // @feysand-loml // @themoonthestarsthesuriel // @live-the-fangirl-life // @story-scribbler // @loves-books // @fangirlprincess09 // @theysayitscrazy // @hellasblessed // @danibutterr // @endlessdaydream // @thegreyj

#rowaelin #rowan whitethorn #rowan x aelin #rowaelin fanfiction #throne of glass fanfiction #rowaelin month #rowaelin smut #rowaelinmonth #aelin galathynius

161 notes · View notes

live-the-fangirl-life · 3 years

Text

Objects in Mirror are Closer than they Appear

Aelin Galathynius x Rowan Whitethorn - Oneshot

Aelin will be the first to admit that parallel parking is not her forte.

Written for Rowaelin Month 2021. Day 5: “I accidentally hit you with my car.” @rowaelinscourt

Masterlist | Read on Ao3 | Rowaelin Month Masterlist

Warnings: Language

1558 words

*******

“It’s not gonna fit.”

“It’ll fit.”

“It’s not going to fit.” Aelin insisted.

“I assure you,” Rowan encouraged, “It will fit”

“Look at the size of this thing and the size of that opening, it’s not going to fit, Rowan.”

“Aelin, I promise you. It will fit. We’ll just take it slow.”

“I swear to gods, Buzzard. I’m telling you; I will not be able to parallel park this car into that space, there’s not enough room.”

A line of cars was slowly building behind Aelin as she sat with her blinkers on while Rowan tried coaxing her into parking the car. The jeep behind them honked again and Aelin flipped them off through the rearview mirror as Rowan sighed and tried not to make eye contact as the driver sped around them. The rest quickly followed suit.

Aelin sighed and looked over at her exasperated boyfriend. “Rowan, you know that I am amazing at many things,” she carried on as he watched her, amused, “but I am woman enough to admit that I can’t parallel park for shit.”

Rowan snorted, but Aelin kept talking, “You love me and that means accepting my single, unimprovable, flaw.”

He sighed and looked at the street again, glad there weren’t more cars stuck behind them. Chuckling, he faced Aelin who was staring determinately out the front windshield.

“Aelin, you live in the city. You need to know how to parallel park.” He shook his head good-naturedly, “How you’ve survived this long without being able to do so is something I can’t understand.”

She rolled her eyes before facing him and over-exaggerated batting her eyelashes while suggesting, “We can switch places and you can park for me.”

He laughed, “No, Aelin, you need to learn this.”

Smirking, Aelin said, “But you look so good behind the wheel. And you know how much I love it when you do that thing when you reverse and put your arm behind my headrest to turn around. It's sexy.”

Rowan’s smirk widened. “I know.” Then he nudged her shoulder and said, “Come on, I’ll even get out and help direct you into the spot, okay?”

She sighed dramatically, “Oh, fine, Buzzard. Have it your way, teach me a valuable life skill.”

He chuckled again and leaned over to kiss her forehead before ducking out of the car and onto the boulevard next to them.

Aelin rolled the window down to better hear his instructions.

“Okay, pull up so you’re next to this car. Yeah, just like that. Stop. Now back up and turn your wheel all the way to the side.”

Aelin did her best to hide her smirk as she watched him, paying more attention to Rowan than the cars around her. He’d put on his instructor-voice and she was loving that way he kept giving out orders.

“Stop. Stop, Fireheart!” Rowan’s voice rose as she jerked to a stop.

“What?”

He stepped off the curb and leaned his elbows on the passenger door’s window ledge, bending over to look into the car and say, “You’re still a few feet away from the curb. Let’s pull forward and try again.”

“'Let's' he says,” she grumbled, not missing the way he huffed a laugh, “as if we’re both driving.”

“Come on, Aelin,” he called, “you can do this.”

Exhaling a deep breath, Aelin pulled forward once more and glanced around to make sure the street was void of any other moving cars.

“Good, now reverse. Okay, stop, now turn the wheel. No, keep going there’s plenty of room.”

“There isn’t enough room, Buzzard!”

“Aelin, no, don’t pull back out.”

She couldn’t stop her snort before saying, “You never did like pulling out.”

“I swear to gods.” He muttered while rubbing his hands down his face

“Oh, come on Ro, that was a good one.” She grinned at him through the lowered window.

He sighed and leveled a look at her, but she watched his lip quirk to the side. “That was mediocre at best.”

She huffed, “Whatever, you just can’t appreciate my level of humor.”

“Aelin.” He crossed his arms, his tattoo stretching over the taut skin. It was too distracting.

“Rowan can’t you just park the car?” she asked again, shooting him the look that normally made him relent and agree with her.

“Uh uh, nope.” He shook his head and raised a single brow. “Not that face. Cut it out, Fireheart, I’m not backing down on this. Try one more time.”

“Fine.” Aelin took a breath and squared her shoulders before bringing the car back into position.

“Perfect, keep going. Now fix the wheel and turn the other way.”

Too excited by her progress, Aelin hit the gas with more force. The car lurched backward, faster than either she or Rowan could anticipate.

Aelin felt the car hit something solid.

She heard a loud grunt, a curse, and the sound of a body tumbling to the ground.

Slamming on the brake, her head whipped between the rearview mirror and over her shoulder through the back window.

“Rowan? Rowan!”

Aelin didn’t care that her car was still sticking halfway out into the street as she threw it in park and flung the door open. She sprinted around the trunk to see Rowan lying on his back on the grass of the boulevard.

“Oh my gods, Rowan! I’m so sorry! Are you hurt?” Aelin fell to her knees beside Rowan.

His eyes were scrunched shut but he hissed out a breath and cracked them open to see Aelin’s distressed face.

“I’ll survive.” He grunted and sat up.

“Oh my gods,” she murmured and sat back on her heels once she was sure Rowan wasn’t in serious pain. “I hit you.”

Rowan rubbed his hip that had apparently taken the brunt of the impact.

“I hit you.” She said again, eyes wide and voice brimming on hysterical. “I fucking hit you with my car.”

“Yeah, Aelin, I’m aware.” He hissed through clenched teeth.

“Let me see.” She insisted, gently grabbing the hem of his shirt, and lifting it enough to see the start of a bruise. “Rowan I—”

“It looks worse than it feels,” he said. “you weren’t even going that fast.”

“I don’t care how fast I was driving, Ro, I hit you with my fucking car.”

He couldn’t stop his lip from quirking at her incredulous stare, “Who knew parallel parking could be so dangerous?”

She met his eyes, pulling her gaze away from the marring bruise she’d caused, and saw the amusement in his face.

Aelin scoffed and sat back. “This just proves it.”

She helped him stand because, despite Rowan’s insistence that he was fine, he noticeably winced as he tried to prop himself up from the grass.

“Proves what?” he asked, leaning back onto the car as Aelin bit her lip, watching him move stiffly

She huffed and stepped into his arms, wrapping hers around his back, careful to avoid the sore spot, as his looped around her and slid into the back pocket of her jeans.

“It proves” she dragged out the word, “that parallel parking and I—don’t mix.” She stepped closer into his embrace as he held back an exasperated sigh, “I vow, on this day and as you as my witness, to never attempt another parallel park in my life.”

Rowan snorted and rolled his eyes even as he chuckled at her words. “Really, Fireheart—”

“I vowed it. It’s been vowed.”

He sighed. He ought to be used to his girlfriend’s dramatics

“Let’s go home,” Aelin suggested, “I think there’s an icepack with your name on it.”

Although Rowan thought that was a fantastic idea, he looked at her skeptically. “You just really don’t want to finish parallel parking, do you?”

“First off, I vowed never to do that again,” she leaned back to get a better look at his face, playfully smirking, “second, you literally just got hit by a car, I think it’s fair to say the least you need right now is an icepack. And third,” she raised a brow, “that car was me. I hit you. While trying to parallel park. Why would you want me to try that again?”

Rowan rolled his eyes but nodded, “Compelling argument.”

“Buzzard, give it up. I’m not going to park this car. I’m going to drive us home, get you an icepack,” she stood on her tiptoes to say into her ear, “and then I’ll make it up to you. Extensively.”

She leaned back and saw his eyes darken at her tone.

“Now get in the car,” she insisted, “I need to get us home so I can tell Elide what happened. She’ll love it.”

Rowan raised a brow but walked to the passenger seat, “Elide will love that fact that you hit me?”

Aelin rolled her eyes and sunk into the driver’s seat. “No, of course not. But she knows first-hand just how badly I suck at parallel parking, so she’ll be thrilled to know that I’ll never attempt it again.”

Rowan chuckled as they drove away.

Aelin turned the music on low and glanced at Rowan, “I may suck at parallel parking, but,” she winked, “I can think of something that likes it when I suck.”

He smirked widely but retorted, “That was worse than your other joke.”

Aelin just laughed and turned the music up.

*****

Taglist:

@acourtofsnakes @allthebooksunderthemoon @astra-ad-mare @becarefuloflove @bisexual-genderfluid-loki @booklover41802 @charlizeed @cookiemonsterwholovesbooks @danibutterr @doubt-less @emily-gsh @enormousbooklover @foughtconquered @fromthelibraryofemilyj @hakunamatatazz @i-have-but-one-brain-cell @in-love-with-caramel-macchiato @jorjy-jo @lemonade-coolattas @mariamuses @mayhemories @midsizewitch @miserablesmusings @morganofthewildfire @nehemikkele @rowaelinismyotp @rowansfirebringer @sayosdreams @sheharahu @sleeping-and-books @stardelia @story-scribbler @superspiritfestival @surielandiareendgame @swankii-art-teacher @tomtenadia @westofmoon @whimsicallyreading @moodymelanist @angelic-voice-1997 @realbookloverproblems @gracie-rosee @julemmaes @yesdreamblog @the-regal-warrior @rowanaelinn @thestoriesyoutell @autumnbabylon @sunflowermoonshinewrites

#rowaelin #aelin #rowan #aelin and rowan #rowan and aelin #aelin x rowan #rowan x aelin #aelin galathynius #rowan whitethorn #aelin galathynius x rowan whitethorn #rowaelinmonth #rowaelin au #rowaelin fic #rowaelin fluff #throne of glass #tog #rowaelin month

165 notes · View notes