#AGKOL

[joleneghoul]

Booster to Rani

#alternatively Ted to Ripley in my stuff #also the plot to the rip arc in agkol ig

[seasonofthewicth]

A Groovy Kind of Love - Chapter 19

AN: Only the epilogue to go from here... I hope you guys enjoy as much as I enjoyed writing this.

previous chapter - masterlist - ao3

-- 

Rowan had never seen Aedion so hurt.

Pissed off? Sure. 

In their first year of college they had fought like the testosterone-fuelled, hot-blooded, young men that they had been. Rowan still remembered the black eye Aedion had given him during one particularly awful fight in their junior year. The bruise had hung around for far longer than the bad blood between him and Aedion and by now Rowan couldn’t recall what the reason for their fight had been, the punches had been thrown and that had been it.

As they had grown older and their friendship had matured they didn’t often fight. They knew each other well enough at this point that any fights ended before they had even begun, any points of view that would provoke the other were reworded before they could launch. Any snipes or taunts were let go before they had a chance to land. 

But this–the fight they had had back at the loft they shared with the others. Aedion was hurt. And Rowan had no defence. 

He hadn’t been keeping the job a secret on purpose, he hadn’t wanted to bring it up when he applied. He could admit to himself that a part of it had been out of fear of the shame that would follow a rejection. As it kept going however–an interview, a second interview, and then the offer–it had snowballed and there had never seemed the right moment to bring it up. 

Truthfully, he had thought it had been a longshot. The position in the law firm in Doranelle had seemed unattainable even with his degree, but seeing Aelin with the doctor had stirred something within him and he had sent off the application. He hadn’t expected to hear back from them and had busied himself with the bar since but now it seemed uncomfortably real.

Since applying he and Aelin had moved further than he had ever been able to hope for, he came home to her every night in his bed, he kissed her before she left in the mornings, he took her for dinner and was allowed the luxury of peeling her clothes off after they arrived back home. 

It was why Aelin had been the one person he had wanted to talk to about the job. Aelin was who he wanted to talk to about the busker he had seen on his way to work in the morning, Aelin was who he wanted to call when Lorcan was chewing his ear off, Aelin was who he wanted to turn to when he was lost. 

And he was.

But he had still held back, and now it had come around to bite him.

The job offer had been lingering around the back of his mind for the days since the firm had called, and they needed an answer by the end of the week. He had wanted to discuss his options with Aelin beforehand but had never found the perfect opportunity. 

He had tried to bring it up the day before but she had been late for a yoga class with Lysandra and had only had time to peck his lips as she had rushed out of their front door. He had tried to bring it up the day he had received the offer but Aelin had looked so pretty with her golden hair spread out across his pillow, only wearing his faded t-shirt with a brilliant smile on her beautiful face that he hadn’t wanted to risk scaring it away. 

He hadn’t meant for Aedion to find out. At least not before he had spoken to Aelin, but Aedion had caught the email notification that popped up on his screen before Rowan could clear it away, desperately hoping his friend was paying no attention. 

Aedion had demanded to know what the email had meant, even though they had both known it was more than clear. The words Aedion had hurled at him, Rowan knew, had been out of hurt and he had done his best to shake them off. 

He had been a coward, yet again, and he had all but ran from the loft, leaving Aedion clenching his fists in their living room, only to find himself face to face with Aelin. Her smile had been so open at the sight of him that his heart had clenched in his chest. He needed to talk to her–and he would–as soon as his shift was over. 

The clock on the side of the bar seemed to be taunting him, moving impossibly slowly, he swore at one point the time had even jumped back a minute between him checking the hands on its bare face. 

He nodded at the older male he had just served before walking away, wandering over to the other end of the bar. He was stacking glasses on the shelf when a voice sounded from behind him. 

“Rowan.” It was Malakai. 

Rowan hadn’t thought the night could spare any more confrontations but this was one he knew he couldn’t avoid, he couldn’t save this one for later. 

“Malakai,” was all he said as he turned to face the other man. 

Malakai’s face was kind as he surveyed Rowan. The lines around his eyes grew deeper as a kind smile curved onto his face. Rowan had always looked to Malakai as a mentor of sorts and he would be sad to see the older man go. 

“Have you decided then?”

Rowan sighed, throwing his towel over a shoulder. Malakai wasn’t wasting any time. 

“Whether you’re staying or going?” 

Rowan couldn’t help the small smile that he knew he wore and Malakai’s own smile grew at the sight. 

“Yes,” He said finally. “I wanted to speak to you but I hadn’t found the opportunity. I heard back a few days ago and it’s all ready to go.”

“You’re sure?” Malakai stepped forwards. 

“One hundred percent.” Rowan allowed the older male to clap him on the shoulder in as close to a hug as they would ever get. He didn’t hold back from returning the gesture. “The papers are ready to be signed any minute.”

Malakai drew back, a proud smile still on his lined face. “It’s good to hear, I told you this was a great opportunity.”

Rowan allowed himself to laugh as he flipped the other male off.

-- 

Aelin left the light off as she lay curled up in Rowan’s bed. 

The smell of him surrounded her, his musky pine and snow scent that she had become so accustomed to. She breathed it in deeply, comforted by even the leftovers of his presence. She wore a t-shirt of his, the well-worn cotton soft against her bare skin, and her legs were drowning in the lengths of a pair of his joggers. 

She almost hadn’t gone into his room, a dark and viscous part of her mind had wanted to hide away in her own room as punishment to him for not telling her but the rational part of her brain knew that was unfair. In their short moment in the hallway he had asked her to talk and she had to hope that he wanted to tell her. It wasn’t Rowan’s fault Aedion had blabbed. 

It was that thought that kept her tucked up in Rowan’s bed. That and her desire to see him. 

She hadn’t even known he had been looking for another job. She wondered when he had applied, whether he had applied before or after they had become… whatever they were. Gods, were they even a couple? 

Aelin hadn’t thought they had needed a conversation to explicitly discuss what they were doing, she had thought their dates, their kisses, and their time spent together said enough. Surely Rowan agreed. They had always been on the same page. 

This job threw more than a spanner in the works. Aelin had a job in Rifthold, and she hadn’t held it long but she loved it. She loved the school and each and every single one of the kids in her class. She loved her friends here. Lysandra and Dorian, Nehemia, Chaol and Yrene. She loved living in the loft, even with Lorcan, and she had become accustomed to coming home at the end of every day to some scheme or situation her roommates had concocted. She wasn’t sure she was ready to up and leave. 

Aelin swallowed, the motion an attempt at calm as she flopped onto her back, Rowan’s duvet rustling as she turned. The tightness in her chest at the thought of remaining here and trying to maintain a relationship while Rowan was across the sea in Doranelle told her all she needed to know. 

Aelin blinked back the tears as the soft click of their front door being unlocked echoed through the loft. She knew what she had to do. 

She stayed quiet as she listened to the thud of a pair of shoes being dumped by their front door, she didn’t dare move as she heard Rowan’s footsteps pause in the hallway outside their bedroom doors. She held her breath as the door cracked open and a sliver of light slid in from the hallway. 

Rowan didn’t bother flicking the main light of his bedroom on and Aelin watched as he emptied his pockets onto the desk, flicking out his phone and wallet before pulling his flannel off and tucking it onto the chair tucked under the table. He ran a strong hand through his hair as he leaned against the desk and released a sigh. 

“Hey, you,” Aelin said softly. 

Rowan’s head jerked towards her and the hand that had been in his hair slid down to rest on his now-bare stomach. Aelin flicked on a lamp and couldn’t help but bite her lip as she took Rowan in in the soft lighting. 

His body was powerfully cut and it was a shame it was always covered by those loose flannels he wore. His skin was brushed gold with the faintest dusting of fair hair and the toned planes of his body were a delight. She wanted to run her hands down his chest and feel how his heart would race. 

“Hi,” He said finally and his voice was quiet, careful. “I wasn’t sure you’d be in here.”

“Because of Aedion?” She asked, too nervous to bother beating around the bush. 

Rowan offered her a slight shrug of his broad shoulders. “I’m guessing he told you.”

“Yeah, he was upset. He didn’t know I didn’t know.”

Rowan nodded. “I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you, it’s what I wanted to speak to you about after my shift.”

“Yeah I guessed. Rowan I–” Aelin kept her voice quiet as she built up to spill the words she had been tossing through her mind repeatedly in the hours he had been gone. “Rowan from what Aedion told me it sounds like a fantastic opportunity. I know we were starting something here and it was good but–”

“Aelin.” Rowan’s own voice was soft as he interrupted but Aelin shook her head. She needed to tell him how she felt. She lifted herself onto her knees on his bed, needing to be somehow closer to Rowan as she spoke. His position across the room had begun to worry her.

“No, Rowan. Please let me get this out.”

Rowan nodded, but a small smile crept onto his handsome face. He pushed away from the desk and began a slow journey towards her, Aelin took his smile as her cue to continue.  

“I have loved every minute we have spent together and I love living here and I love our life together here.”

She took a deep breath as Rowan came even closer still.  

“Aelin,” He said again as he placed a warm hand at her waist. Aelin almost melted into the touch. The feeling of him against her was enough to make her knees unsteady, even through the cotton of his t-shirt. She longed to kiss him, she knew Rowan’s touch could reassure her but she needed to get this out.

“Rowan, I love all of it.” Aelin lifted a hand to gently cup his cheek, she felt the stubble beneath her fingertips and she could feel the curls of air against her skin as he breathed, slowly and evenly. “And I hope we’re on the same page here or I’ll feel really stupid but,” Aelin swallowed. “If you’ll have me, I’d love to come with you.”

Rowan kept his gaze locked to her own as he lifted his hand to cup the back of her head. Aelin leaned back into his touch and allowed her eyes to flutter shut as Rowan drifted closer. 

She could feel him close to her, the heat of his body burning into her. He was still shirtless and it was a pity she had been too nervous to be able to take him in in all of his glory.

Slowly he leaned in and pressed his lips to her own. He lingered for a moment, only a gentle touch of their lips before pulling back. Aelin let her eyes drift open to look into his deep green eyes, swimming with the words he had held unsaid. 

He leaned back in to press his lips to her own once more. This time he stayed longer, and used the hand at her neck to tilt her head to the side as he parted her lips with his own. He used his tongue to tell her all the words he was yet to say and he poured them into his kiss. 

Aelin let herself lean into him, lining her body up with the length of his as he kissed her. He kissed her with an intensity she hadn’t thought possible and Aelin was swept along. She twisted her fingers into his hair, holding him even more tightly to her as his lips caressed hers. 

He let out a soft gasp at the scratch of her nails against his scalp and Aelin smiled into the kiss. 

Rowan returned the smile as he pressed a final kiss to her lips before pulling back to look at her. His hand still cupped the back of her head, holding him close to her as he spoke, his voice thick with emotion. 

“You’d do that for me?” He sounded breathless, only partly from the kiss they had shared.

Aelin smiled. It was the easiest answer she had ever given him. “Of course I would.”

Rowan didn’t speak, he only leant back in to kiss her again. This kiss was stronger and he held her more firmly as he ran his tongue across her lower lip and slid his fingers into the tangles of her thick hair. His kisses told her more than his words ever could, she could feel the tightness in each of his muscles and the passion in each sweep of his tongue. 

After a few moments he pulled back once more. His chest heaved under her hands and Aelin ran her palms down the ridged planes of his abdomen, marvelling in the sensation of the velvet-wrapped steel beneath her fingertips. 

She lifted her eyes back to his face to find him watching her, an awed expression on his face as he did.

“Aelin, I’m really hoping we’re on the same page here too or else I’ll feel stupid,” He threw her an almost cheeky smile and she leaned back into his arms, her chin tilting upwards to look at his face. “But I love you. I love you and if you’ll have me I’d like to stay here. We’re not going anywhere.”

Aelin threw her arms around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder. Rowan loved her. Her heart felt like it could take off inside her chest and she could only laugh into his shoulder as the relief settled into her. All of her doubts had been unnecessary because Rowan loved her. Rowan loved her and he wasn’t going anywhere. 

“Rowan,” She pulled back but kept her arms looped around his neck as she grinned at him. “I love you too.”

Aelin closed the gap between them and pressed a kiss to his lips. She could barely kiss him through the laugh that bubbled out of her, unable to contain her joy. 

“Wait,” She pulled back with a jolt. As overjoyed as she was she couldn’t let it slide. “We’re not going anywhere? Rowan you can't turn this job down.”

“I can,” He pressed the gentlest of pecks to the tip of her nose. “And I will.”

“Why?” Aelin shook her head, struggling to comprehend all that had occurred since Rowan had returned from his shift. “Don’t you want to take it? Would you regret it?”

“I definitely won’t regret it.” At her brief look of apprehensiveness he continued. “I thought it was what I wanted when I submitted the application but it’s not.”

He punctuated his statement with a squeeze of her waist and if Aelin was stood up she definitely could have swooned. 

“It’s not? Why?” Aelin shook her head. “You have me, either way you decide to go.”

Rowan smiled down at her and Aelin could only describe the look in his eyes as he spoke as love. “You don’t think I only had one plan did you?”

The crooked smile he flashed at her gave Aelin a glimpse of the cocky side to him he didn’t often show. He had begun to show it to her more and more since they had started dating and Aelin swore her skin heated every time that cocky smile made an appearance. 

Aelin bit her lip as she tightened the loop of her arms around his neck and she fell back to lie on the bed, pulling Rowan into the space between her legs as she did. The weight of him between her thighs and the heat of him against her core sent a pulse through her that set her skin on fire.

Aelin could rest here forever, with Rowan surrounding her and pressing her into the mattress as she curled her leg around his hip. 

“No?” She asked finally, raising an eyebrow at him as she remembered the words he had said that had led her to pulling him onto the bed. 

“I don’t want to work in a stuffy law firm, I want to work here in the bar.” He took a deep breath, still hovering above her as he tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. He shrugged almost nonchalantly. “A few months ago Malakai came to me about selling his half of the bar. He and Emrys are retiring back to Wendlyn and so he’s selling his share of the bar.”

Aelin felt her mouth drop open slightly. She hadn’t even known the bar was to be sold, and she hadn’t ever imagined Rowan would buy it… But it made perfect sense. The bar was a part of Rowan and it always came to her mind when she thought of him. The same way flannel shirts and the scent of pine did, with the memories of his hand on her waist or the sound of his low laugh in her ears. 

Rowan continued to speak, his voice growing more and more sure as he did. 

“He offered me a really great price but even so I wasn’t sure I could swing it–or that I even wanted to. And then we were there one night, all of us. Me, you, Aedion, Lorcan and Fenrys–Lysandra and Elide were there too–and I realised I didn’t want the job in Doranelle, I wanted what I already have. I don’t want to leave you or the others or the bar.”

“I’m sure Lorcan will be so thrilled to hear.” Aelin knew her grin was blinding. 

He kissed her neck. “Mostly you.”

“So?” She prompted, forcing her mind to stay on task even as Rowan’s mouth roamed her neck, pressing hot kisses along her skin. 

He drew back after a final kiss to the base of her throat. His eyes were dark with heat but he cleared his throat, shaking himself out of the arousal she knew he felt. 

“So, I went to the bank and apparently years of living with Aedion and his organisation,” Aelin snorted a laugh at the description of her cousin. He was somewhat uptight when it came to money but it always came in handy. “Has left me with a pretty decent credit score.”

“Yeah?”

Rowan nodded as he returned his face to her neck, this time nuzzling the skin gently. 

“Yeah. As of tomorrow when we sign the papers I’ll be a majority owner of the bar.”

Aelin smiled as she squeezed her eyes shut and slipped her fingers through the thick strands of his hair. 

“The boss,” Aelin crooned, leaning so that her lips brushed his ear. “That’s hot.”

He nipped at the skin under her ear, pressing down with her skin between his teeth enough to make her hiss. 

“I know.” Rowan said as he slid his mouth up to the skin under her ear, a tease of what she knew was to come. “I know as much as you front you like it when I’m in charge.”

His words sent a peal of heat through her, curling into her core as she dragged his face up to her own and crashed her lips to his. 

-- 

Loft meeting, read Aelin’s message to their group text chain. 

Rowan wasn’t sure they’d had a loft meeting since Aelin had moved in and the thought of his girlfriend calling one now amused him. Lorcan didn’t look amused to be crammed on their sofa between himself and Fenrys while Aelin stood in front of the four of them, her arms crossed across her chest doing things to her boobs that left Rowan trying not to stare. 

“Please get on with telling us why you called this meeting Galathynius.” Lorcan’s tone was playfully bored and Rowan rolled his eyes. Aelin only grinned as she clapped her hands. 

“We have a matter to settle.”

Rowan barely held back his groan. 

“Don’t moan,” She told him. “It was you two that wrote the loft charter.”

“Yeah,” Aedion scoffed. “Like ten years ago.”

Aelin shrugged, undeterred. “The rules still apply. Any loft disagreements settled with one dig each, and then never to be mentioned again.”

“Aelin, no,” Rowan began and stopped as she cocked a brow at him. 

“It’s this or you can talk it out.”

Rowan glanced to where Aedion sat at the other end of the couch. The blond male was avoiding his gaze. From where Rowan stood–or sat–their argument was water under the bridge, he completely understood everything Aedion had said, but Aelin had wanted to make sure the two of them were good. 

Without wanting to drag it out anymore Rowan stood from the sofa, pointedly ignoring the wide grin Fenrys wore. He stood in front of Aelin and Aedion squared up opposite him. 

His friend’s face was full of remorse and Rowan only nodded in acknowledgement. They knew they were good, this performance was for Aelin’s sake. 

“I am sorry about what I said, man,” Aedion began. “You’re definitely not going anywhere?”

Rowan spared a glance to the woman at his side, her bright blue eyes shining as she smiled at him, the golden ring at their centre just as intriguing as it had been the day he had met her. He hadn’t ever imagined he could have ended up in this position, where this beautiful woman wanted him as much as he wanted her. Where she returned everything he felt with just as much passion and intensity, it could make his head spin just to think about. 

He offered her a quick quirk of his lips, and delighted in the soft pink that dotted her cheeks. 

“No,” He said at last. “I’ve got a pretty good reason to stay.”

“Gods, get on with it,” Fenrys jeered from their side. 

Rowan made to flip him off but Aedion beat him to it. 

Rowan grinned at his friend as he raised his fists. Aedion nodded as he readied his own. 

“Three, two, one,” Aelin counted down. 

Rowan swung as Aedion did, landing a dig to his friend’s bicep as Aedion landed his own. As always, it was over before it began and he allowed Aedion to throw his arm around his shoulder, barely hissing as his arm pressed into Aedion’s side. 

“Glad that’s sorted.” Lorcan stood, smoothing down the dark denim coating his long legs. “Drinks at Whitethorn’s bar? Now you own it we’re not paying for drinks.”

Rowan laughed and felt Aedion’s own laughter at his side. Slim fingers linked through his own and he squeezed Aelin’s fingers as she joined in their laughter. 

“When have you ever paid for a drink in there anyway?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Lorcan shrugged as he led the way to their door. “I was warning you I wasn’t about to start.”

Rowan wrapped his arm around Aelin’s shoulders and he pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head as they followed their friends out of their front door. The echoes of his friends’ laughter and the sweet peals of Aelin’s surrounded him as they made their way through the space.

-- 

tags:

@jesstargaryenqueen​​

@maybekindasortaace​​

@slytheringalathynius​​

@http-itsrebecca​​

@morganofthewildfire​​

@in-love-with-caramel-macchiato​​

@fictional-horan​​

@tottenhamboys20

@dressedindustandshadows​​

@sleeping-and-books​​

@perseusannabeth​​

@ireallyshouldsleeprn​​

@superspiritfestival​​

@aelinfeyreeleven945tbln

@spyofthenightcourt​​

@jlinez​​

@queen-of-glass​​

@booknerdproblems​​

@sjmships​​

@elriel4life​​

@bamchickawowow​​

@woollycat22​​

@claralady​​

@illyrianwitchling

@SHINYA-HIIRAGI

@fangirlprincess09​​

@darlinminds​​

@bookittothelibrary1

@thenerdandfandoms​​

@danibutterr​​

@inthecityair​​

@autophobiaxx​​​

@imaginedhaven​

​@endlessdaydream - I’m having an issue with this tag not sure why :(

please as always let me know if there are any issues with tags

#rowaelin #rowan x aelin #aelin x rowan #throne of glass #a groovy kind of love #agkol #im going to miss this fic so much #rowaelin fic #also i read over this once just because i wanted it posted #so enjoy any typos or errors lol

[joleneghoul]

Im 70% of the views on the rip hunter arc of agkol sorry its true.

#just read it again sorry

[joleneghoul]

The amount of times ive just gone to slett just to be like im thinking abt the rip chapters of agkol again is highkey insane.

#🚶‍♂️

[joleneghoul]

Rip and/or Jeff for the character meme?

I will do them both at the same time! Sadly there's not a lot of content for Jeff so, sorry [pensive] FOREWARNING..UM THIS IS REALLY LONG ACTUALLY... so under cut

– Overall opinion of them

Rip: This will be so shocking I'm sure (sarcasm) but Rip is one of my favorite characters. There is something about him being so unknown even to like comics themselves that is SO appealing to me. He is a character that is mostly a blank slate, like sure we know some basic things about him (who one of his parents are, what he does, his morals mostly, etc) but that's it, and I think that just makes him so interesting to think about because he CAN be anything and canon ALLOWS him to be anything you want.

I think though Rip has been done a lot of injustice to his character by making him a lone-wolf type character who only teams up with his father or occasionally another hero for a few minutes. He serves as a plot device more than a character...but once Rip had his own team and friends. It is a disservice to his character to say he does everything alone because he DOESN'T and that's just another interesting thing about him! He needs to keep his life a secret but there's some people he confides in...isn't that cool? there's a lot you can do there.

Jeff: As far as current canon goes, there's not much for Jeff at all even if you consider the 90s Time Masters (which i wouldn't really recommend in itself overall) but somehow he remains a REALLY endearing character to me. I think it's similar to the reason I like Rip, the fact there's not much there but there's a lot you can DO with what is there. Jeff is rips best friend and LAB partner- the CO-INVENTOR of the TIME SPHERE and there is SOOO much you can do with his character. I wish he didn't suffer at the "lone wolf" mentality writers give Rip which led to his erasure.

– Gender/sexuality headcanons

Rip: Transgender man (i actually have a really solid reasoning behind that but also you don't need reasoning to consider characters trans LOL), Bisexual! Jeff: Trans and Bisexual I don't believe in cis time travelers.

– Favorite moment in canon

Rip: ALL OF HIS SCENES IN 52...SORRY I LOVE HIM THERE... But especially I love the vulnerability he shows with Booster in this scene in issue 36

ORRR I also like this scene from time masters #7 a lot. No words are said but I think it says a lot.

Jeff: Again sadly not much to choose from with Jeff but I do love most scenes with him in Time Masters #1. it's a really strong introduction to his character and his relationship to Rip as well as his overall wit and that he himself can see more in stressful situations than Rip can.

Of course there's the scene in the same issue where Jeff and Rip form the Time Masters together...iconic..the energy here.

– Favorite moment in a fanwork

Rip: I HAVE GOT TO SAY LOLLLL...the Time Travel arc in AGKOL by @slettlune is forever iconic to me. I genuinely reread it all the time I just really like the characterization of Rip because he feels like he's treated like more than a plot device! He isn't the main character in the arc but also doesn't feel like he's unimportant which is really impressive. Also there are a lot of intricacies in that 3 chapter arc i love, I wont spoil it if you haven't read it but you really should! Jeff: Um...unfortunately this will sound vain but I have to say my own fanworks that involve Jeff specifically one of my more recent pieces is my favorite. He isn't well known and doesn't get any fanwork mention, i hope that eventually changes.

– Favorite line, in canon or otherwise

Rip: Sorry to post 52 again but I love this line from #50 (i think)

Jeff: My favorite line from him is from my favorite scene (makes sense right), I just ADOREEE this line it really says a lot.

also this line from time masters #3 which isn't supposed to be funny probably but is to me.

– Characters I love seeing them interact with EACHOTHER...ok besides each other. Rip: I want to see Rip interact with Ted SO bad like I cannot describe how bad I want Rip and Ted even in current canon go on a stupid time adventure or talk without Booster. I feel like Rip is too tied to booster in current canon and it really holds him back. Rip's interactions with Booster are really funny though at times.

Jeff: Bonnie! I would love to see Jeff and Bonnie interact again but in a way that treats them respectfully. In generally I want Jeff to interact with ANYONE ...PLEASE. I think a funny Idea would have Jeff interact with some of the league! We see him interact with Booster and Booster say he's heard so much about Jeff from Rip..which I find interesting...I want them to have a conversation.

– Last thing before sleeping headcanons & Sleeping habits headcanons

Rip: I personally think Rip has OCD (this is something i've moreso observed from canon than just a headcanon) and as someone who also has ocd...I think rip would take pre-sleep routines seriously. I think he has to fall asleep the same way or he can't sleep. I don't specifically have a routine for him in my mind but im sure he has one he has to do in order. But again I also think Rip is someone who gets ABYSMAL sleep and has a HORRIBLE sleep schedule. Between time travel, obsessions keeping him awake, and just plain FORGETTING to sleep I think Rip is someone who averagely stays up days at a time without sleeping at all and doesn't even realize it until he's about to fall out. I think when he actually does fall asleep he can pass as a dead body.

Jeff: I haven't thought much about this at all lol but I think he similarly stays up too much but sleeps much much better than Rip does and probably is one of the people who is like "you NEED to go to bed NOW". – First thing after waking up headcanons I think both Rip and Jeff have breakfast routines (mostly i think Rip HAS TO have breakfast or again he will forget how long he's been awake or the passage of time itself. I think breakfast hour is one of the pillars of his routine and keeping himself in check.). I think for both of them as Time travelers that's one of the one things of normalcy they try to keep.

I've drawn them having their breakfast here!

– Favorite locations headcanon

Rip: I think locations is a funny question for a time traveler because I think moreso Rip has a favorite TIME than a favorite PLACE (outside of his home vanishing point), I think Rip's favorite time is the Mesozoic Eras I think he finds pieces he enjoys in all of those time periods because well dinosaurs are cool.

Jeff: I genuinely think Jeff's favorite location is just the lab, inventing things, testing things out. Yes he's a time traveler too but I think there's a security and balance in staying within a place you know and have built the things around you.

#tagging this so i can find it later probably #jeff smith #rip hunter

[seasonofthewicth]

A Groovy Kind of Love - Chapter 18

AN: Sorry for the two month wait, but we’re finally back!! I hope this chapter can make up for it! 

previous chapter - masterlist - ao3 - my askbox

-- 

Aelin had lost interest in the bowl of cereal sitting on the counter in front of her a long while ago. She twirled the silver spoon between her fingers, barely registering the clink of it against the edges of the bowl as her mind slumbered through the chatter between her two roommates. 

Aedion had been in the kitchen when she arrived, and Rowan had followed behind her a minute later. Aelin thought it was discrete enough that their timings could have easily been passed off as coincidence, as she had been hoping for the past week.

Concentrating on anything other than him had proven to be an impossible task when Rowan had slid onto the stool at her side, the scent of fresh pine that clung to him wrapping around her and stealing her focus as he murmured a greeting to herself and Aedion who stood across from her groaning at their sink. 

She hadn’t been paying attention to Aedion’s muttered complaints, lost in her thoughts of the morning she had spent in bed with Rowan, wrapped up in the hands that now rested on her upper thigh. The heady weight of his hand against her drew flashes of heat along her skin and she dropped any pretence of eating breakfast, the spoon chiming against the bowl as she dropped it.

Her attention was drawn to the scrape of his calloused thumb across the soft skin of the top of her thigh before her eyes pulled back up to Rowan’s. 

He offered her a small, sly smirk before dropping his gaze to the low neckline of her nightgown and back up again. A quirk of his lips that told her his mind was right alongside her own, lost in the thoughts of their slow and easy start to the morning. 

Rowan had woken her with soft kisses to the back of her neck-the same way he had woken her for the past few mornings-and she had buried her face into his pillow, revelling in the sensation of his lips against her neck and his hands around her waist. 

She hadn’t spent the night in her own bedroom for a while, it had been their unspoken agreement to share a bed in the nights following their long-awaited first date and Aelin had no regrets.

Rowan’s bedroom was exactly like him. The dark green sheets and dusky grey wallpaper were offset by splashes of light from rustic brass lamps in the corners of the room, dotted about were stacks of books and trinkets she liked to toss between her fingers as she demanded the backstory for each of them. He didn’t often pull back his blinds, a feature Aelin had never had a taste for until now, but it gave his room a dark and intoxicating feel. It was easy to get lost in the dark space, just the two of them, skin to skin.

His kisses had warmed as she had woken, upping their intensity until he was trailing his tongue up the line of her throat and she was writhing back against him. 

Rowan knew how to work her. 

He knew the scrape of his teeth underneath her ear would elicit a cry, he knew a tug of her hair would draw out a gasp, so quickly he had learned that pressing his fingers just so would leave her trembling. 

Aelin forced her attention back to the bowl in front of herself, dragging her gaze away from Rowan as she grasped the spoon again to lift a mouthful to her lips with a mostly steady hand. 

“Do you know where this goes?” Her cousin’s voice now sounded from below the counter, as a tanned hand held a length of pipe above the bench. 

“No.” Rowan’s voice was low, sounding bored as his thumb kept up the teasing strokes. “Don’t mess about with it, you’ll make it worse. Call the landlord.”

Aedion sighed as he stood up from below the sink, shooting Rowan an exasperated look. “The landlord is an asshole, last time he came around he couldn’t hold a conversation with me, he was too busy staring at Lysandra’s chest.” 

Rowan grunted his disgust and a line of tension ran through his shoulders at the thought. Aelin knew he wouldn’t be likely to call the landlord about an issue any time soon. 

“He is an asshole,” Aelin chimed in, ignoring the swipe of Rowan’s hand that left his fingertips resting gently in the space between her thighs. “Can we call someone else? Do we even need to? How hard can it be to fix a pipe?”

Aedion levelled her with a flat look. “Hard.”

At the word Rowan’s hand pressed more firmly against her and Aelin couldn’t help the jolt of her hips, pressing forward into Rowan’s hand, craving the friction, anything to release the pressure building within her. 

Rowan only drew his hand back, trailing his fingertips back down the length of her thigh. Aelin fought the sigh in her throat, stamping her teeth down on her bottom lip at the loss. 

It hadn’t taken Rowan long at all to learn his way around her body. It was something she both loved and hated, the game they played in his bed of teasing and taunting. She hadn’t experienced it like this before, Arobynn had been a lazy lover, seeking his own pleasure before rolling over and promptly falling asleep. 

Rowan had taken her breath away. Pounding into her relentlessly, his fingers gripping her hips hard enough to bruise, his other hand clamped across her mouth, holding in the cries she knew would give the game away to their roommates. 

He was tender afterwards, pressing kisses down the length of her spine as she lay sleepy and sated in his bed. He would stroke his broad hands down the curve of her waist as she came down from her high, whispering sweet nothings into her skin. 

Aelin loved it. 

“Morning,” Lysandra’s voice sounded from behind her, and Aelin managed a welcoming smile as her friend took a seat on the spare stool on her other side, her cousin and Rowan offering their own greetings. 

Lysandra dropped a knowing glance to Aelin’s lap, where Rowan’s hand was now barely visible beneath the hem of her baby blue nightgown and Aelin fought the blush that threatened at her friend’s smirk. And the matching one she knew Rowan wore. 

It was yet another new side to Rowan she had discovered, the smug side that owned the purely male smiles he wore, dripping in pride at the way she moaned his name, at the way she lay breathless after he had used his fingers and tongue to bring her to her release.

It hadn’t even been half an hour since they had finally left his bedroom in search of food and Aelin was ready to abandon their mission. 

“It can’t be that hard,” Rowan said, sounding completely composed as Aelin twisted her hips closer to his hand. He pinched the skin of her inner thigh in response, only hard enough to make her squirm. 

“Where did you get that from?” He motioned to the length of pipe clutched in Aedion’s hand. At his shrug Rowan shook his head and continued, “Did you loosen the valve?”

Aedion’s scoff was almost enough to drag Aelin out of her haze. “Do I look like I know what that is? Can you just come and fix it?”

Rowan looked back towards her, eyes shining with regret and a promise for later as he withdrew his hand and stood to approach the sink Aedion had yet to begin mending. 

Aelin missed the pressure of his skin against her own but couldn’t say she wasn’t grateful for the clarity in her mind. 

“Good morning?” Lysandra asked with an arch of a dark brow.

“I’ve had worse,” Aelin shrugged, tossing her golden hair over a shoulder as she clawed back any shreds of composure she normally possessed. 

Lysandra was the only person Aelin had fully confessed the progression in herself and Rowan’s relationship to, needing to speak it aloud to someone in the excitement that had followed their date. Her friend had indulged her, oohing and aahing at all the right moments in her story. Aelin knew her relationship with Rowan was different than it had been before, but she didn’t feel it needed a big announcement to their friends.

Lysandra’s smirk remained as she turned to look over towards where the two blond males stood crouched over the still leaking sink. Aelin allowed herself the luxury of taking in the sight of Rowan in a tight fitting cotton t-shirt, the tanned curves of his biceps, the left covered in striking whorls of ink. 

She watched the way his brow pulled into a frown and the way his teeth tugged at his lower lip in concentration as he tinkered with the tap. Her mind flashed with the image of the previous night when he had taken her lower lip between his teeth as he thrusted-

“You’re drooling,” Lysandra stage-whispered in her ear. 

Aelin snapped her mouth shut, subtly tapping a finger across the corner of her mouth, more than relieved to find it dry. “I could say the same for you.”

Lysandra cocked her head, “I have no shame in finding my boyfriend attractive.”

Aelin didn’t need to see herself to know her cheeks burned red but she was saved by the sound of Lorcan’s voice from the doorway behind her. 

“Don’t fucking make it worse,” He said as he brushed past where she sat with Lysandra to take the length of pipe out of Aedion’s hand, their tiny, midnight black kitten trotting at his heels. 

Aelin didn’t miss the grateful sigh that escaped her cousin as he scooped up the kitten and her dark-haired roommate took over the tinkering with their sink. 

“You shouldn't have touched it,” Lorcan snapped as he batted Aedion further away from the sink and sunk into a crouch before the counter, her cousin drifting over to stand against the bench next to Lysandra.

“Should be fixed in no time,” Rowan said with a nod to Lorcan as he reclaimed his seat next to her, quickly slipping his hand back onto her thigh. Aelin ignored the smile Lysandra flashed at her, her eyes no doubt tracking the motion. 

“Good morning,” Fenrys’ voice broke the easy silence that had fallen over the kitchen. “I hope to the gods one of you thought to make coffee.”

He stood out among the gathering in the kitchen, fully dressed in jeans and a shirt while the rest of the loft wore an array of pyjamas and sweats. Aelin could have believed he was freshly dressed for the day had one side of his golden curls not sat slightly deflated. 

It seemed her cousin shared her assessment, “Where have you just got back from? Busy night?”

Fenrys’ smile turned all too sweet as he glanced to where Aelin sat, filling a mug almost to the brim with coffee before taking a long sip. After a sigh, he said, “A gentleman never tells.”

A snort from Rowan at her side. “Shouldn’t stop you.”

“You normally love to brag about that shit,” Lorcan chimed in from his perch under the sink. 

“True,” Fenrys admitted with a grin before turning to Aelin. “You really missed a trick with Dorian, you know.”

Aelin grinned. “I’m devastated. Truly.”

Fenrys returned her smile as he slapped his palm against the one Aedion held outstretched at the comment. “I would recommend you give it a go, but I think he might be occupied from now on.”

Aelin opened her mouth, ready to express her happiness at what she knew was blooming between her friends but Lorcan beat her to it. 

“I don’t think she needs Havilliard, have none of you noticed her room has been empty for days?”

Rowan’s thumb stilled above her knee. 

“What?” Aedion’s eyes flicked to her own as he spoke. 

Lorcan rose from the floor, wiping his hands off against his baggy t-shirt, a shit-eating grin threatening at his lips. Aelin stared him down, and she knew Rowan was doing the same. 

He cocked his head at her, locks of his dark hair sliding forward over his shoulder. “I have the bedroom closest to their end of the loft, even so I’m surprised none of you have heard the noises coming from Whitethorn’s room.” 

He didn’t break eye contact as he revealed her little secret, but Aelin didn’t miss a beat. “If you like listening so much you’re always welcome to join.”

Lorcan shook his head, “I’m good. This loft doesn’t need to get anymore incestuous.”

“What?” Aelin asked, stumped for a moment. “Rowan and I…” She trailed off at the matching grins on each of her roommates’ faces. 

“What are we missing?” Lysandra asked, a smile dancing through her words even though she sounded as clueless as Aelin. 

Lorcan shifted his attention to her dark-haired friend. “You mean Aedion hasn’t told you how we all met?”

Aelin felt Rowan shaking silently at her side, still gripping her thigh as he reigned in his laughter. The touch had lost its teasing, but she still enjoyed his hands on her, nonetheless. 

Lysandra shook her head. 

“Let me set the scene,” Lorcan began with a grin before Fenrys stepped forward to interrupt. 

“You weren’t there, we had the misfortune of meeting you on Craigslist years later. You’ll get it wrong.”

Lorcan held a hand up in surrender. 

Fenrys continued the tale with a smirk, leaning forward against the island in front of Lysandra. “You know your boyfriend met Whitethorn at college.”

A nod from Lysandra. 

“Roommates for what?” Her cousin asked, looking at Rowan. “Ten years, nearly?”

“Unfortunately for me,” Rowan muttered but Aelin read the begrudging smile in his voice. 

“Now I met Aedion on the football team,” Fenrys told Lysandra, his tone wistful as he reminisced. “He was the year above me, the captain, and sexy as hell.”

Aelin let out a groan as Lorcan raised his brows at her with a nod. 

“All blond hair and blue eyes. Good genes Galathynius,” Fenrys continued with a nod to Aelin. “How was I to resist?”

“No,” Lysandra breathed, a shocked smile curling at the corners of her lips. 

“Yes,” Fenrys’ eyes were shining with glee as the realisation dawned. 

“They sexiled me for almost my entire senior year.” Rowan’s voice rumbled close to her year, filled with reluctant amusement. 

“Sorry, man,” Aedion said with a shrug. “Needs must, you know? But then he got far too annoying.” 

Fenrys flipped him off over his mug of coffee, his smile still standing strong. 

“It was the start of a beautiful friendship.” Fenrys’ eyes were twinkling with mischief and Aelin cackled with delight at Rowan’s sigh. 

“And then we met you.” His voice was soft at her side and as she looked to Rowan she knew her own expression was just as fond. 

--

The autumn air of Rifthold had a bit of a bite to it, far cooler than the mild seasons back in Doranelle. In his time in Rifthold he had learned that the seasons were far starker here than back at home. 

Summer was clammy and close, spring was fresh and bright, winter; cold and harsh in his lungs, and then autumn. The dimming of the light and the closing in of the nights that were characteristic of a Rifthold autumn were a lifetime away from the year round bright sunshine of Doranelle.

Rowan had had to slip on a t-shirt beneath his usual flannel before leaving for his shift, and even now, deep within the heart of the bar he was glad for it. The cool breeze that drifted in each and every time the door swung open, letting patrons in and out, had him slinging prayers of thanks to his earlier self for the forethought. 

The breeze that followed his raven-haired roommate was brisk but Lorcan, as always, was unaffected, clad only in a thin grey t-shirt. 

Lorcan slumped into a stool at the bar with a nod, not needing to speak before Rowan had handed over a cool pint. His friend took a long gulp, downing almost half the glass before dropping it back to the bar and releasing a tired sigh. 

“I’m going to quit my job.”

Shit. 

“Why?” Rowan asked eventually, his tone wary.

Lorcan shrugged, the hand resting along the bar curling up into a loose fist. “A number of reasons.”

Rowan narrowed his eyes. The effort that went into getting Lorcan to open up was comparable to trying to get Fenrys to shut up. “Such as?”

His friend dragged the hand that rested on the bar through his hair, the sable strands drawing back before immediately falling down across his forehead again. A futile, frustrated gesture.

After a moment Lorcan spoke, “I’m not allowed to work under my girlfriend, and this new transfer is boring as fuck.” He took another moment, inhaling a deep breath and frowning. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while. It’s not what I expected when I first started, and I don’t think it ever will be.”

Rowan opened his mouth before closing it again, debating his best strategy, and he leaned forward to brace his hands on the bar in front of him. 

“Do you want to know what I think, or do you want to drown your sorrows in silence?”

Lorcan shot him a dark glare, but Rowan had been at this long enough to know it wasn’t just an unfounded stereotype of his job. He normally knew at a glance or a greeting whether patrons wanted conversation or not, he could read people pretty well after a few years in this gig, but his friend was far from an open book, and bluntness often worked best with Lorcan.  

At his silence Rowan spoke. “I think you should do what makes you happy.” 

Lorcan rolled his eyes but Rowan continued. “You know it’s what any of us would tell you.”

“I could have gone to either of the Ashryvers for that shit, seems like Galathynius has been rubbing off on you.”

Rowan ignored the comment, and the hidden innuendo, determined not to let his friend shrug this off. 

“And yet here you are.” Rowan mopped up a couple of drops of spilled beer off the bar top before he spoke again. “You’ve been seeing Elide for a while, been in the new department for a while, and it’s been fine. Why change now?” 

Lorcan twisted away, taking another long swig of his beer before shrugging his shoulders. Rowan could almost see his reluctance to speak in the tightness of his swallow, the tension running through his arms.

Lorcan sighed, a sharp release of breath through his nose, before turning back to face Rowan.

“You see how Aedion is, he actually gives a shit about what he does. I couldn’t care less about filing reports on petty theft and missing bikes. It made me think.”

Rowan shook his head, fighting a somewhat inappropriate smile. “First of all, Aedion is fucking weird, he thinks marketing is some life-altering necessity that makes the world turn around. Remember when he went crazy trying to sell sponges to men?” 

He paused to share a grin with Lorcan. “Secondly, I’m not convinced many people actually care that much about their jobs. I don’t.”

Lorcan finally twisted fully around to face him, his brows drawn in, and Rowan swallowed. 

“Bartending was supposed to be a temporary means to an end, I don’t think I’ve found my true calling, but it’s fine. I’m not sure everyone finds that niche that they love.”

His friend’s lips twisted to one side. “But shouldn’t we?”

Rowan waited, sensing his normally stoic friend had more he wanted to say, sensing there was more he needed to say. 

“Aedion and Aelin they… They both come back to the loft everyday smiling and jabbering on about whatever they’ve achieved that day. It’s annoying as shit but-” He took another sharp breath, releasing it with an almost grunt. “Shouldn’t we feel like that?”

He didn’t often hear Lorcan at such a loss, he normally stuck to sarcastic quips and snappish barbs and Rowan himself took a deep breath as he considered his response. 

Lorcan wasn’t wrong, but he wasn’t sure he was right. His job was fine and that was enough. He enjoyed the day to day, made enough money to pay his rent and he got to see his friends while he was on shift. Was anything more necessary?

He took the coward’s way out. “What does Elide say?”

Lorcan saw through him but seemed to let it slide. “Same as you, that if it will make me happy I should do it.”

Rowan nodded. Elide, in the small number of times he had met her, had always carried an air of wisdom around her, a settled confidence in what she did and what she thought. A good match for his friend who could be somewhat challenging at times. 

“What will you do instead?”

Quitting his job was fine, but there had to be something else. Was there any point quitting his job only to land back in another mindless routine? Unless there was something else lined up.

“A friend of mine has a private security firm,” Lorcan shrugged his broad shoulders before finishing off his beer. “He’s asked me about joining before, whether I’d give up the force, and my answer has always been no.” 

Until now, Rowan filled in the gaps. 

“It pays pretty well too,” Lorcan’s voice had taken back an element of his usual dry humour. “Which I’ll need now that the bet about you and Aelin has been called off.”

Rowan flipped his friend off with a scowl, muttering an insult under his breath. 

“I was supposed to win five-hundred bucks,” Lorcan revealed, a dark smile brewing across his face now that the conversation was back to more familiar territory. 

“Pity.” Rowan snarked as he turned away to serve another customer, stewing on the things Lorcan had said. 

Even though he had grown to love the bar since starting a few years ago, surely there should have been some progression as he neared thirty. The role that had seemed to be a perfect fit at twenty-two, the flexibility it offered… it was a good choice at the time. Fresh out of university with no clear plan, the job had landed in his lap. He’d never had to challenge himself. 

Not like Malakai, who cared about his business and had poured so much of himself into curating something with an elegant charm out of the dingy dive bar it had been when he had bought it. 

The wooden panels of the bar were sleek and smooth after years of glasses and elbows and palms passing over them, the leather of the booths was softened and faded after years of use but it didn’t look shabby. It was a place of comfort and ease, but with a quiet kind of pride about it. 

But was it enough?

He returned to Lorcan, sliding another pint across the bar that his friend accepted with a nod. 

Rowan knew who he wanted to talk to about the thoughts running through his mind, he and Aelin had barely been dating for a week and he knew he wanted to share these thoughts with her. He wanted her advice and knew he would value any insight she could offer. 

Rowan knew she’d listen with an attentive ear, logically sifting through the jumbled thoughts in his brain and shaping them into something decipherable. Aelin was more than her beauty or her sense of humour, she was wickedly sharp and perceptive and smart. 

Lorcan raised a dark brow at the intensity of the sigh Rowan let out. 

“Anything you’d like to share with the class?”

“No,” Rowan’s answer was short. There was nothing he wanted to share with Lorcan. 

His friend shrugged, unfazed at Rowan’s dismissal and he took another swig of his beer before speaking again. “Feels like a time for change, and not just me.”

Rowan cocked his head, it seemed as though Lorcan was in a talkative mood tonight.

“There’s you and Galathynius,” Rowan fought the thrill that ran through him at the mention of him and Aelin as a unit, as a pair, as Lorcan continued. “And I think Aedion’s going to ask Lysandra to move in with him.”

This was news to Rowan. “In the loft, or somewhere else?”

Lorcan shook his head. “I don’t know, but it wouldn’t be much different if she moved in with us.” 

Lorcan paused, seeming to mull over the possibilities as Rowan was doing. He and Aedion had lived together for so long Rowan supposed he took it for granted to always have his best friend in such close proximity. 

It made sense for it to one day reach an endpoint, Rowan just hadn’t expected it to feel so soon. 

He glanced back to Lorcan, his friend’s decision still lingering in his mind.

Rowan needed to make sure he wouldn’t be left behind. 

-- 

Coming home to Rowan was a thought that always made Aelin smile. 

There was always a nervous flutter in her stomach as the elevator made it’s ascent towards the loft, the twisting and turning reaching a crescendo as the elevator doors opened, facing the hallway and the doorway that had led her to Rowan only a few months ago. 

Now however, she took the steps to her home, smiling at the knowledge that Rowan would be behind the door waiting for her to return. 

The elevator doors opened with a chime and Aelin stepped out into the hallway, hitching her bag higher on her shoulder as she made her way home. The hallway wasn’t long and the doors were thin enough that any sounds within the number of lofts on their floor were audible in the open space, usually muffled enough to offer moderate privacy unless the sounds from within the lofts were particularly loud. 

The raised voices from within loft 4D were loud enough to carry, but as Aelin slowed her steps towards the door no words were clearly defined. She lingered in the hallway, not wanting to intrude on whatever was going on behind the closed door. 

Abruptly, the argument stopped, and Aelin took a step further towards her own front door. She hadn’t yet made it down the length of the hall, her keys still tangled between her fingers, when the door swung open in front of her. 

Rowan’s face was carefully calm, but she could see the storm brewing in his eyes, and she could feel the frustration rolling off him in waves. The moment his eyes beheld her the tension leaked out of his body in a flood and a small smile worked its way onto his lips. His gaze softened as his eyes did a gentle sweep of her from head to toe. 

Aelin offered him a small smile in greeting. “Everything okay in there?” A nod to the door behind him.

Rowan seemed to shake himself, rolling his shoulders back as he reached her and wrapped his hands around her waist. Aelin relaxed into the touch, loving the feeling of his arms around her and tucking her face into his chest. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head and she smiled as she pulled back to look up at him. 

She lifted a palm to cup his cheek as she repeated, “You okay?”

“Of course,” He ducked to press his lips to hers for a second, far too brief for Aelin’s liking. She slid the hand on his cheek to cup the back of his neck, holding him to her for a second longer. 

Aelin felt Rowan’s smile against her lips as he kissed her once more, his lips parting softly against her own. 

“I have to get to work,” He said, pulling back again and sounding far from pleased at the idea, his hands tightening at her waist. “Can we talk when I get back?”

“Sure,” She said slowly, concerned at his request so soon after overhearing an apparent argument between him and one of their other roommates. “Anything I should be worried about?”

Something flickered across Rowan’s face, almost too fast for her to catch, but he pressed his lips to hers one final time before drawing away. 

“No,” He said quickly, stepping past her to head to the elevator. “It’s all good, we’ll talk later. But I’ll see you in my bed when I get back?”

Aelin fought the lick of heat that bloomed within her at his words as her lips pulled up into a sultry smile. “I’ll see you there.”

Rowan shot her one last longing glance as he stepped into the lift and Aelin focused herself as she stepped into the loft. 

It was quiet now, no sign of the earlier argument that must have taken place close to the now-shut door. 

“Hello,” She called into the space, chucking her keys into a bowl on the cabinet by the door and hooking her bag over the coat rack. 

“In here, Ae.” 

Aedion’s voice sounded from around the corner and she stepped into the living room to see him sprawled across their couch. His defeated expression told her he had been the one she had overheard talking with Rowan and the wary look he gave her as he took her in all but confirmed it. 

“You heard that, huh?”

“Yep,” She said, throwing herself into the seat by his side and tucking her feet up beneath herself, resting her head against his arm. “Anything you want to talk about?”

He might not want to talk to her about it, knowing what she was to Rowan, but he was still her cousin and she cared for him. She wanted to make sure he knew he could talk to her. 

Aedion blew out a sigh, lifting his eyes to their ceiling. Aelin waited, knowing Aedion wasn’t the type to keep his feelings bottled up. 

“Do you know?” He asked at last, his voice carefully measured and Aelin felt her heart stutter. 

“Know what?” She said slowly, her heart restarting faster than it had been before.

Aedion winced as she sat up to look at him more directly, sensing she hadn’t a clue what he was talking about. 

“Know what, Aedion?” She repeated, swallowing the uneasy feeling at whatever was to follow. 

“That he’s got a job in Doranelle.”

-- 

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@maybekindasortaace​

@slytheringalathynius​

@http-itsrebecca​

@morganofthewildfire​

@in-love-with-caramel-macchiato​

@fictional-horan​

@tottenhamboys20

@dressedindustandshadows​

@sleeping-and-books​

@perseusannabeth​

@ireallyshouldsleeprn​

@superspiritfestival​

@aelinfeyreeleven945tbln

@spyofthenightcourt​

@jlinez​

@queen-of-glass​

@booknerdproblems​

@sjmships​

@elriel4life​

@bamchickawowow​

@woollycat22​

@claralady​

@illyrianwitchling

@SHINYA-HIIRAGI

@fangirlprincess09​

@darlinminds​

@bookittothelibrary1 

@thenerdandfandoms​

@danibutterr​

@inthecityair​

@autophobiaxx​​

@imaginedhaven​

please as always let me know if there are any issues with tags

#AGKOL #aelin ashryver galathynius #rowan whitethorn #rowaelin #rowaelin fic #lorcan salvaterre #aedion ashryver #lysandra #throne of glass #throne of glass fic #feels so good to be back omg #a groovy kind of love

[seasonofthewicth]

A Groovy Kind of Love - Masterlist

“But, she needed to not mess this up, which looking at Rowan like she was tonight might very well do. He wasn’t looking at her the same way. Probably.

She whirled, leaving her own glass on the side and marched into her bedroom, the one opposite Rowan’s. But she wasn’t thinking about that, she needed this loft to work out.”

And they were roommates! A New Girl inspired Rowaelin fic. 

AO3 link

Chapters:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Epilogue

Extras:

Chapter 8.5 - Lysandra POV

#rowaelin #rowaelin fic #rowaelin fic masterpost #a groovy kind of love #agkol #throne of glass #tog #aelin ashryver galathynius #rowan whitethorn #aelin x rowan #aedion ashryver #lysandra #aedion x lysandra #lorcan salvaterre #fenrys moonbeam #throne of glass fanfic #rowaelin fanfic

[seasonofthewicth]

A Groovy Kind of Love - Chapter 16

AN: This chapter was heavily inspired by a scene from Queen of Shadows, but as this is a throne of glass fic I hope you’ll all enjoy! Happy holidays!

masterlist - ao3 - my askbox

-- 

The following week could only be described as bliss. 

Aelin barely registered the time passing, swept up in a haze of Rowan. The haze of his presence, his conversation, his touch.

Everything about him was exciting now in a way that was different than it had been before. Spending time in the bar as a group was a regular occurrence while Rowan had shifts, but now each night they visited she made sure to curl her hair and prime her makeup just so. She wanted to look her best, even though these nights still weren’t their long-awaited first date. 

Rowan had promised her it was coming, if she could be patient enough to wait for the next weekend when they were both free. She had barely been able to agree, desperately excited after the tease that had been the last weekend. 

Their group dinner had only made her crave time alone with Rowan more. And the kiss they had shared… 

His kiss had been powerful, a sharp contrast to the gentleness with which he had cradled her face. He had teased and taunted her with his tongue and his hands, he had used his fingers to trail a burning path down her sides before coming to rest leisurely at her waist. 

Their kiss had made her dizzy, had made her head spin so fast she struggled to comprehend thoughts other than the sensation of his lips against her own and the hard length of his body crowding her against the wall. 

It had been almost impossible to separate, and she knew had he kissed her again after their goodnight she wouldn’t have been able to leave his side. She would have drawn him into her bedroom and kicked off her shoes. She would have peeled the soft jumper that he wore up until it was lashed somewhere in the corner of her bedroom, only pausing for a moment to mourn the delicious contrast it provided with his golden skin. Aelin was sure a shirtless Rowan would have more than made up for the loss. 

She had admitted to herself a long time ago that she wanted him. Bad. 

Now she stood in front of her class, desperately trying to claw her way back to the train of thought she had been on before her mind had been invaded by the thought of Rowan and his broad chest, the planes of toned muscle she knew were beneath his usual flannel shirts. 

Her mouth was dry. 

Gods, she needed to get a grip. She was standing in front of a room full of children. 

“Miss G?” A student asked, and Aelin was dragged brutally back down to earth. 

She cleared her throat and shot a glance to the clock on her classroom wall. “Yes, um, we’ll continue this tomorrow. Take lunch five minutes early, happy Friday.”

This wasn’t like her at all, and her students wore expressions of wary appreciation. She was never going to find her momentum again with the five minutes remaining in the period. “See you all next week.”

With that the class dispersed, not to look a gift horse in the mouth, and within seconds her classroom was empty. She shook her head with a slight laugh and turned around to collapse into the chair waiting behind her desk. Aelin fished around in her small handbag to draw out her phone. 

Her phone screen bore a number of notifications, one a text from Lysandra with a link and a number of heart emojis, Aelin would get to that later. The notification that widened her smile was a text from Rowan. 

Busy? was all his message read, and Aelin didn’t hesitate before tapping the call icon at the top of her screen.

“Hello, you.” Aelin could hear the smile in his voice as the call connected. 

“Hello,” She sang, unashamed in the smile that crossed her own face. There was an intimacy in his greeting that she revelled in. “What’s up?”

“You called me.”

She bit her lip at his tone of voice. Rowan Whitethorn a tease? Who knew. 

“I did. I thought your text implied you wanted to talk… I must have been wrong. I guess I’ll go.” 

Aelin leaned back in her chair and kicked her feet up onto her desk, if her phone had a cord she would have been twirling it through her fingers. 

“Alright, see you later.” Rowan’s voice was calm through the speakers of her phone and Aelin immediately dropped her feet back off the table as she scoffed. 

Rowan’s returning laughter was loud, the sound deep and rich that struck something in her stomach. Aelin couldn’t play offended for long as he spoke again. 

“I wanted to check in with you, it’s just me and Aedion in the loft today.”

Aelin knew his meaning immediately and she bit her lip for an entirely new reason. 

“Oh,” She said carefully. She needed a moment to think. 

The proposed ending of their relative secrecy was something she had delayed contemplating so far. 

Aelin had enjoyed the sneaking around she and Rowan had shared. Only a couple of nights ago she had joined Rowan and her other roommates on the sofa in their living room while they watched a football game. Aelin had slipped herself in between Rowan and Aedion casually, and the sharp look Rowan shot her when she had made sure her crossed legs pressed along one of his own had sent a flicker of heat curling through her. 

Rowan had adjusted himself, leaning further back into the cushions and uncurling his arm along the back of the seat behind her. Aelin hadn’t seen her cousin or either of her other roommates bat an eyelid at the movement, so she had allowed herself to lean backwards into the sofa, resting her head in the crook of Rowan’s elbow. 

Rowan had smiled down at her, another one of those smiles that said ‘we know something they don’t’ with the corners of his lips twisting in an almost unbearably attractive way, and it had left her attempting to hide her own smile behind a curtain of her hair.  

Aelin thought that maybe she understood Lysandra some more now. 

The secrecy was exciting, and the risk she felt when she trailed a finger along the band of skin between the hem of Rowan’s t-shirt and the waistband of his trousers set loose a cloud of butterflies in her stomach. He had been standing in the kitchen, talking with Aedion, and she hadn’t been able to resist teasing him. She had barely grazed her finger along the slim path of exposed skin but Rowan had tensed, delightfully responsive to her touch, and grabbed her hand below the counter, out of Aedion’s line of sight. 

Aelin didn’t think Aedion had noticed the tension in his friend, or the tightness of his voice as they continued their conversation, but Aelin had. She wanted to do it again, and was desperate to find any excuse she could to touch him. 

She was sure Rowan felt the same, even though it had taken him a little while to relax into the flirty exchanges. Just yesterday morning, as she had been about to leave the loft with Fenrys to journey to the school, Rowan had twisted a lock of her hair around his finger and tugged, ever so slightly. Aelin knew the blush she had worn at the gesture was fierce and she had shot a glance at Fenrys immediately afterwards, but he had seemed blissfully unaware of what had transpired between his roommates. 

“Aelin?” Rowan’s voice broke the silence, and she realised she had been silent for more than a moment, lost again in the visions of Rowan and the sensation of his skin against her own. 

“Yes, um, well.” She paused again to collect her thoughts. She’d have to get to Lysandra before Aedion did, but Rowan clearly felt ready to tell his best friend. Aelin squeezed her eyes tightly shut, thanking the gods there was no one around to see her smile. “Enjoy your day with him.”

“Yeah?” Rowan’s voice was soft as he double checked. 

“Yeah.” She drew her eyes open finally and glanced around her classroom as she braced a hand along the desk in front of her. “Make sure when you talk about me it’s all bad things.”

Rowan laughed. “I’m sure Aedion probably has worse on you than me.”

“Maybe.” She shrugged even though he couldn’t see. “For now at least.”

Rowan’s breath hitched and he only said her name. “Aelin.”

She loved the sound of her name on his lips. She wanted to hear it again and again. 

Movement caught her eye in the doorway to her classroom and Nehemia appeared waving a Tupperware container in the air. Aelin held one finger up in the air and then pointed to where she held her phone to her ear. Nehemia flashed her a thumbs up then disappeared back around the corner. 

“I have to go,” She said, already regretting the words, talking to Rowan was the highlight of her day. “But have a good talk with Aedion. I’ll see you later.”

“Of course,” Rowan sounded just as disappointed as she at the end of their conversation. “I’ll see you later.”

“Bye.”

Aelin ended the call and quickly gathered her things before joining Nehemia in the corridor. 

“And who was that getting you smiling like that?” Her friend asked with a knowing smirk. 

“Stop,” Aelin laughed as she led the way to the breakroom. 

-- 

Aedion sauntered into the kitchen and strolled over to the fridge before taking out a bottle of juice. He nodded to Rowan where he sat at the breakfast bar and Rowan steeled himself. 

Aelin had given her blessing for him to come clean to Aedion, even through the heavy veiling of their conversation, and it was something he had been waiting to talk to his best friend about. He just wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. 

“I’ve got a bone to pick with you,” wasn’t quite the approach he had intended to take. 

Aedion only turned, a golden eyebrow raised as he continued to swig juice from the bottle. He stood unashamedly shirtless in their kitchen, only a pair of almost threadbare joggers hanging low on his hips protected his modesty. 

After living with him for years, it wasn’t a sight unfamiliar to Rowan. Fenrys was worse, he would often stroll about the loft naked, and Rowan counted himself lucky once Aelin had moved in and Fenrys had been forced to cover up.

“Oh please do tell,” his friend laughed. 

Rowan narrowed his eyes at him, and Aedion’s smirk only grew as he placed the bottle down on the counter between them. 

“You crashed my date at the weekend.”

“Date?” Aedion laughed disbelievingly. “With who?”

“Whom.”

“Fuck you.”

Rowan only cocked his head and waited for the penny to drop. It didn’t take long. 

“Wait.” Aedion dropped himself onto the stool opposite Rowan. “No fucking way.”

Rowan nodded, now playing with a jagged piece of skin around the edge of his nail. 

“To be clear, you do mean Aelin?” Aedion leant forwards to Rowan and braced a hand against the counter.

“Yep,” Rowan said, hardly blinking as he looked towards his friend. 

His friend took another moment, before bursting into a loud explosion of laughter. Rowan waited for it to pass. 

“You and Aelin? On a date?” 

“Yes,” Rowan bristled. This wasn’t the reaction he had anticipated either. “Why is that so hard to believe?”

“Ro, man. It’s not hard to believe.” Aedion shook his head. “What’s hard to believe is that you seem to be pretending this is new.”

“What?” 

This was new. Everything with Aelin felt so new and exciting. The thought of her made his heart race, made his head spin. 

“What do you mean what? Now I’m confused,” Aedion said, playing with the cap of his bottle. “Is this new?”

“Yes, that’s why I’m telling you about it now.” Rowan had thought that much was clear. 

“Oh, shit, man.” Aedion laughed again, now rolling the bottle cap between his fingers. “Sorry for crashing your date then.”

Rowan shrugged again, it was done now, and he had big plans for their next weekend together. 

Aedion spoke again, seemingly brimming full of questions. “Is this serious? Are you going on another date?”

“Yes to the second question, maybe to the first.”

“Why maybe? Tell me you’re not messing with her, this is exactly what I wanted to avoid.”

A sliver of steel had crept into Aedion’s voice at the thought. 

“No, no of course not.” Rowan spoke quickly, flustered at the idea that he in any way wanted to play with Aelin. Well, unless she wanted to play the way she had been recently. Driving him crazy taking any opportunity to put her hands on him. 

She seemed to like doing while they weren’t alone, and it sent a thrill through him every time. The knowledge that Aelin’s hands were on him just out of sight of his roommates was exhilarating, the feeling of her pressed against him was invigorating. 

“Good,” Aedion said, placing the bottle cap flat on the top of the counter. He took a moment to consider his next words before smiling at Rowan with a predatory grin. “You need help to plan then?”

“Plan what?” Rowan asked, returning the smile gently but still somewhat confused. 

“Your date with Aelin.”

“You’re alright with this then?” He knew whichever way Aedion’s answer went he wouldn’t change his mind, it would just be nice to hear his friend’s support. 

Aedion laughed again. “You know as well as I do that we have no say in whatever Aelin does.”

Rowan nodded along and Aedion continued. 

“If she wants to date you, she will. I’m happy for you, I think you’ll be good for each other, hopefully she can whip you into shape.” 

Rowan flashed him the middle finger, but Aedion still wasn’t done. 

“I’ll just have to pretend I don’t know what will be happening on that side of the loft,” He winced. “Or what’s already happened.”

Rowan shook his head slightly and Aedion smirked. 

“Just treat her right, or I’ll have to kick your ass. I won’t want to, even though you barely work out you could probably beat me, but I’ll be looking out for her.”

“Right.” Rowan wiped his damp palms along his trousers under the counter. 

“And I love you man, but if she hurts you you’re on your own. She could definitely kick my ass.” 

Aedion laughed and Rowan couldn’t help the bark of laughter that escaped him too. 

“Thanks,” Rowan said sarcastically. “And I think I’m alright, I already know what I’m going to do.”

-- 

“This feels like a kidnapping.”

Rowan laughed where he stood holding the car door open for her. He had asked her to meet him in the parking garage under their apartment building where his car was waiting. He seemed to have managed to persuade Aedion to share the one spot allocated to the loft for one day. 

“It’s not a kidnapping,” He told her, his eyes bright in the dim lighting of the garage. 

Aelin pretended to look around, her eyes widened dramatically. 

“I don’t know,” She paused as she rested a hand along the top of the car door. She was going to get in, she just wanted to tease him first. “Dark parking garage, no one else around, taking me to an unknown location…”

“Okay,” Rowan said, his tone filled with amusement. “It’s a kidnapping, and I had really thought you wanted to go on a date with me.”

Aelin knew he was joking from the smirk he wore, but she still rushed to reassure him. She did want to go on a date with him, she had been waiting for this moment for almost two weeks, but each time she was with Rowan it was too much fun to flirt with him to pass up an opportunity. 

“I do, I do! But you have to admit this is kidnap-y.” She said as she almost threw herself into the passenger seat of his car and she heard his laugh as he pushed the door shut and crossed the car to slide in next to her. 

“Ready to go?” He asked her as he buckled his seat belt. 

His expression was so light and so happy that she couldn’t respond for a moment. Even in the short time she had known Rowan she had noticed the change in him. His smiles came more easily, as did his laughter, and Aelin never wanted them to stop. 

“Ready,” She said finally and her voice came out past a catch in her throat. 

Rowan only smiled again as he turned to start the car. 

-- 

They drove for longer than Aelin had expected. She had thought he was taking her for another meal somewhere in the city but they had long since left the busy streets of the city behind. They drove through quieter roads now, lined with towering verges, filled with masses of wildflowers. There were blends of pinks and purples and greens and she watched out the window, entranced, at the sights that flew by.

She made sure to sneak regular glances over at Rowan who drove with one hand on the wheel and the other braced along the open window. The sleeves of the shirt he wore were pushed up to his elbows, allowing her eyes access to trace the paths of ink up his skin. Before him, Aelin had never considered herself particularly keen on tattoos, they were fine, just not for her, but the lines of elegant black ink worked well on Rowan, even more so now that she knew the meaning behind them. 

The breeze swirling in through the open window tickled his silver hair, sending it flopping down across his forehead and swooping back up off his face. He looked completely at ease in the gentle sunlight, his smile wide and easy, with his golden skin glowing in the clean light. 

They were far closer to the coast now and Aelin could smell the brine in the air, she could hear the calls of the gulls that swept in along the cliffs of the beaches. The coast always filled her with a childlike glee, and the smells and sounds transported her back to the trips she made with her parents as a child, the years of visits they paid Aedion and her other cousins in Wendlyn. 

He finally pulled up in a small space allocated for parking at the side of one of the roads overlooking the beach. Aelin could see miles of shining sand and sparkling sea and she could make out small groups of people enjoying the last of the summer sunshine. 

There were couples strolling down the sand, holding hands between themselves, and there were groups of children staring down into the small pools of water that were trapped in the rocks at the base of the cliffs. 

It was stunning, and she knew the smile she wore as she took it all in was blinding. 

“The beach?” She asked through her smile. 

“Is that okay?” Rowan asked with a hint of nervousness in his tone. He broke their eye contact to step out of the car and Aelin followed.

“Rowan, it’s perfect. It’s gorgeous.”

Aelin wasn’t lying. She had been looking forward to their dinner last week, but this trip was incredible. It tugged in her chest that he had thought to bring her here. 

Rowan smiled again, almost bashfully, as he met her at the front of the car. He held a hand out to her and she revelled in the feeling of linking her fingers between each of his. 

“We’ll get to the beach later, there’s one place I want to take you first.” 

Aelin squeezed his fingers between her own as he began to lead her down the street. Every time she formed an expectation of Rowan he smashed right through it. 

It didn’t take them long to reach his next surprise. The journey had only taken a couple of minutes of wandering slowly down the seaside path and each moment had been a delightful release of a breath. The feeling of the sunlight on her skin and the sea breeze through her hair didn’t compare to the feeling of Rowan’s hand in her own or his presence at her side. 

He led her away from the beach and into a small, rustic looking, town with small buildings that each looked over a hundred years old. They had an aged charm to them with white walls and wooden beams decorating their fronts and the cobbles of the street they walked down were enchanting in the way they were worn down after years of people travelling the same path Aelin took now. 

At the end of the street the space opened out into a large square filled with stalls and tents, the streets were busy but not overcrowded and there was an air of chatter filling the space. 

“Rowan, what is this?” She asked. 

“I found this place when I first moved to Adarlan. They have a market here every month where the people in the town come to sell their goods. There’s all kinds; food, drinks, trinkets. There’s usually a man who sells really great pan-fried trout. I get a piece every time I come.”

“Rowan,” She breathed as she came to a stop and turned to face him. “This is amazing.”

Aelin was almost overwhelmed, and flattered, that he had planned to bring her here and share this with her. 

“I know, now come on. You have to try this guy’s fish.”

Aelin winced. The market was incredible, a spectacle of wholesomeness and she couldn’t wait to explore, but she was sceptical of the fish. 

“Trust me,” Rowan said with a smile as he tugged her into the heart of the market. 

Aelin gaped in awe at each of the rows of stalls, Rowan hadn’t been wrong. There was something for everyone to be found within the maze of stalls. They had passed a stall with hand knitted scarves and she knew her mom would love one for Christmas. There was a stall, manned by a young woman, selling bottles of freshly made lemonade that she made with the lemons grown in her garden. 

Aelin had spent a long while speaking with the girl, jealous of the space the young woman described that bore endless varieties of the fruit. Aelin bought herself and Rowan a bottle of the sweet drink and the taste had matched perfectly with their stroll through the seaside town. 

Rowan took her to the stall with the man selling the trout, he was an older man who was openly friendly with everyone, and he had even clapped Rowan on the shoulder when they approached. Aelin had been reluctant to try the fish but she had discovered that it was delicious, and she had finished off her own portion in minutes before stealing bites of Rowan’s own. 

Aelin was full on freshly made food and drink and the time spent with Rowan as they strolled through the grids of stalls. She was relaxed and satiated and looking forward to the romantic walk along the beach Rowan had promised her once they were finished at the market. 

They were heading towards the exit when Aelin spotted a stall she knew she would have been devastated to miss. An older lady sat perched on a rickety wooden stool, smiling at each person who passed. Aelin offered her own smile as they passed, but it was the lady’s wares that had caught her eye. 

There were rows and rows of delicate little chocolates, some covered in dustings of pink, dried raspberries, some covered in the green dustings of pistachios, some white, some dark. Aelin’s mouth almost watered at the sight. 

She tugged Rowan over to the stall and he followed easily, smiling a knowing smile as he took in where she was leading him. 

“Do you have anything chocolate and hazelnut?” She asked the woman hopefully. 

The woman smiled, the lines at the corners of her eyes deepening as she took Aelin and her question in. “Of course, I have some chocolate hazelnut truffles.”

“Perfect, please may I take ten.”

“Of course.”

Aelin felt Rowan watching her as she waited for her treats to be bagged up. 

“Ten?” He asked. 

“Ten is a very reasonable number of chocolates,” She told him. “Especially for two people.”

“Aelin,” He chuckled. “That’s very kind but I’m alright. I don’t want to eat your chocolates.” 

Aelin whirled to him, outraged. 

“Of course you do! Who doesn’t eat chocolates?” 

She caught the stall owner smiling at their exchange. 

“Me, Aelin. They’re far too sweet.”

Aelin shook her head as she turned back to the stall owner who held out the bag of sweet treats. Aelin handed over the money with a smile and a grateful thank you. 

“I put an extra one in there for you, he reminds me of my husband back in the day,” The woman told her. “He would pretend until his last breath that he didn’t want my chocolates, but I could always taste them in his kisses.”

Aelin smiled and glanced back to Rowan, who wore a slight pink tint on his cheeks at the woman’s words. 

“Thank you,” She said again. “I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.”

The woman laughed and bid them farewell as they turned to head down onto the beach, chocolate truffles in hand. 

As they walked, barefoot along the sand, Rowan graciously carrying both of their shoes, Aelin popped a couple into her mouth, unable to hold in her moan at the taste. Rowan’s gaze had snapped to her face at the sound, his stare heavy and intense in a way that she craved, but he made no move to kiss her. 

She held out a truffle to him but he shook his head. “Come on, Rowan. I know you want one.”

“I really don’t,” He shook his head. “Save them for yourself.”

Aelin parked her feet deeply in the soft sand and turned to face him. She held the sweet treat up to his lips with her lips pursed in expectation. 

“Aelin,” was all he said, but she just waited. 

Finally he opened his mouth and she placed the sweet treat between his lips. He chewed in silence before smiling down at her again. She had never seen him smile so much, and with the backdrop of the setting sun and the soundtrack of the crashing waves she couldn’t help herself from leaning up to press her lips to his. 

His lips were warm and pliant as she kissed him, and his hands came up quickly to wrap around  her waist. She held tightly to the bag of sweets in her left hand as she brought her right up to cradle his face to her own. 

Their kiss deepened as Rowan’s tongue darted gently into her mouth, leaving her toes curling into the sand as she sank into him. The lady was right, he tasted of chocolate and hazelnut and she smiled through their kiss. 

She pulled back to gaze up at him, losing herself in the deep green of his eyes and the feeling of his arms wrapped tightly around her. 

“Thank you, for today,” She whispered. 

Rowan only pressed his lips back to her own.

-- 

Rowan had never imagined that his and Aelin’s first date could have gone so well. He had hoped that Aelin would enjoy herself, he had known that the market was delightful and that Aelin would have loved the sights of the ancient town and the seaside views, but somehow the reality had exceeded his expectations. 

He hoped, so deeply, that Aelin had enjoyed herself and his heart had lifted at the kiss she shared with him as they stood on the beach. It was a picture perfect moment he wanted to savour, but he couldn’t fight the desire to check in. 

“So, you’ve enjoyed today then?” He asked with his arm around his shoulder as they made their way back to the car. He balanced his trainers with her sandals in his spare hand as the other was linked with Aelin’s where it lay across her shoulders. 

She glanced up at him sharply, concern covering her face. 

“Rowan, are you serious?” She asked. “ I have loved today, it was perfect.”

Her words warmed him like the final rays of sunlight of the day. 

He dropped his arm from her shoulders as they reached the car, but kept their fingers linked as she leaned back against the passenger side door. 

“I just wanted to make sure.” 

He felt satisfied and overjoyed at their day, but he still struggled to believe that Aelin could feel the same. The smile she gave him did well to wash away those thoughts. 

“Rowan,” Her voice was soft as she took him in, seeming to read more on his face than his words gave away. “Rowan, I’m all in.”

“You’re all in.” He repeated softly and Aelin only smiled. A sight so beautiful it caught his breath in his chest.

“All in.” She confirmed and took a step towards him, bringing her free hand up to rest against his chest. She smiled up to him, her mouth set and her gaze unwavering. 

Rowan lifted his hands to rest against her waist, her soft skin and warm curves fitting his hands perfectly, as he smiled widely at her, unable to control the curve his lips adopted. 

“I’m all in too,” He told her as he leaned down to press his lips to hers. 

-- 

tags:

@jesstargaryenqueen​​

@maybekindasortaace​​

@slytheringalathynius​​

@http-itsrebecca​​

@morganofthewildfire​​

@in-love-with-caramel-macchiato​​

@fictional-horan​​

@tottenhamboys20

@dressedindustandshadows​​

@sleeping-and-books​​

@perseusannabeth​​

@ireallyshouldsleeprn​​

@superspiritfestival​​

@aelinfeyreeleven945tbln​​

@spyofthenightcourt​​

@jlinez​​

@queen-of-glass​​

@booknerdproblems​​

@sjmships​​

@elriel4life​​

@bamchickawowow​​

@woollycat22​​

@claralady​​

@illyrianwitchling​​

@SHINYA-HIIRAGI

@fangirlprincess09​​

@darlinminds​​​

@bookittothelibrary1​​ <- this came up as the url please let me know it its not right

@thenerdandfandoms​​​

@danibutterr​

@inthecityair

@autophobiaxx​

#rowaelin #rowan whitethorn #aelin ashryver galathynius #rowaelin fanfic #throne of glass #throne of glass fanfic #aedion ashryver #this chapter isn't xmas themed because we're up to september in the fic lol #rowaelin au #a groovy kind of love #agkol #the fluff here is sickly sweet guys #i toned down the horniness a little bit because I wanted it to be sweet #but it is coming #if anyone's still reading this #smut next chapter lol

[seasonofthewicth]

A Groovy Kind of Love - Chapter 17

AN: Shout out to pink gin and the beach scene from empire of storms for making this chapter happen. Sexual content ahead. 

masterlist - ao3 - my askbox

-- 

The parking garage was quiet and dark as Rowan cut the engine and turned to her. 

The drive home had been a scene straight out of a movie. The windows had been rolled down and the last embers of the summer air had teased her hair as Rowan had driven away from the fading sunset. He had braced one hand on the steering wheel and the other held her own, resting against her thigh with their fingers interlocked. 

Aelin had snapped a photo of him on her phone, his side profile lit up in the fading sunlight, and then tucked it away, knowing she would make it her wallpaper later.

“That was the best kidnapping I’ve ever had,” She told him with a smirk. 

Rowan only shook his head, but Aelin caught the smile threatening to break through his bitten lip. He looked glorious, his skin slightly pink from a day in the sun and his hair mussed from the wind. 

Aelin liked something about the relaxed disarray he wore, it was warm and comfortable, but she couldn’t help noticing the way his rumpled collar exposed the length of his throat, the edge of his collarbone and the beginnings of his tattoo. The sharpness of the black ink against his bronzed skin was enticing and she reached out a finger to lightly trace one of the first lines of script. 

Her fingers traced the curls of the letters, dipping beneath the collar of his shirt and onto his chest. His skin was warm and soft as she explored and his chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm as she followed the words on his skin. 

“Aelin,” His voice broke the silence, her name almost a plea.

“Sorry,” She said with a mischievous smile, drawing her hand back, but Rowan caught it in his own and pressed a kiss to her fingers. 

“Don’t be.” 

His smile was pure contentment and one Aelin returned easily. Without a second thought Aelin unbuckled her seatbelt and leant across the car to press a kiss to his lips. 

He kissed her back immediately, reaching a hand up to cup her cheek and then sliding further to stroke the space behind her ear with his thumb. Aelin leaned into the touch, gently easing back from the kiss to smile up at him. 

“Thank you.”

The words weren’t enough for the day he had given her.

She pressed a kiss to his lips again, harder this time as his hand slid deeper into her hair. She tilted her head to the side, sinking into the kiss as Rowan took control, parting her lips with his own. 

He still tasted of the chocolate and hazelnut treats they had shared back at the beach and she wrapped a hand around the back of his neck, tugging him closer. Rowan mirrored her action, bringing his hand up to rest against her lower back, the pressure of his hand easing her over to him. 

Rowan broke the kiss and Aelin moaned her displeasure until he trailed his mouth down her jawline, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses down the length of her neck. 

She groaned at the sensation, the scrape of his teeth against her skin had heat pooling in her core and she tugged his face to hers again, kissing him harder, hotter, faster. Aelin shifted her weight until she was leaning up on the seat and cradling his face up to her own as they kissed. 

She could hear her breathing coming in fast breathless pants, desperate to be closer to him with every sweep of his tongue. 

Rowan’s hand on her lower back slid downwards to slip into the back pocket of her jeans and Aelin gasped at the feeling of his hand spanned across her backside, the warmth of his palm burning through the fabric. 

Aelin sank further into him still, throwing her leg across the centre console of his car until she was perched in his lap. She didn’t care who could walk past and see them-it didn’t matter. She was lost in him and threw herself further into his kiss wanting to be even more so. Rowan’s hand, that had until now been twisted through her hair, trailed a burning path down her body to join his other, flexing his fingers against her in a way that had her rocking her hips down into his own. 

A groan crossed his lips at the motion and his head fell back to rest against the seat. Aelin kissed a path down his neck until she reached the collar of his shirt, still rocking her hips down into his. His hands slipped upwards to rest on her hips, pushing her down to meet him with every roll of her hips and the tips of his fingers slid up above the waistband of her jeans. 

The sensation of his fingers against her skin sparked a frenzy and she began to fumble with the buttons of his shirt. She wanted his chest bare against her own. His hands crept up her sides until they teased the underside of her bra and she wanted more. 

Her pace increased as she wrestled with his buttons and she smirked in triumph as she got one undone. She pulled open the top of his shirt to reveal planes of divine golden skin as her elbow hit something hard. 

The car horn jolted her out of her haze of arousal and it stilled Rowan’s hands under her shirt. 

His green eyes blinked open slowly at the interruption as he caught his breath, his chest heaving beneath her fingers. A hazy smile began to tug at the corners of his lips and Aelin ducked her head to his chest, pressing her cheek to the skin to hide her own smile. 

“Oops,” She said innocently. 

It was all Rowan needed before he erupted into laughter. 

It was a sound she didn’t often hear from him, his displays of delight were usually muted smiles and small chuckles with a handful of smug smirks, but his laughter was a wonderful sound. 

Aelin allowed herself to laugh along too, partly at the interruption and also at the image of themselves, making out in his car like a pair of horny teenagers. She remained sprawled across his lap and despite his laughter she could still feel him hard beneath her. She slipped her hands into his shirt and back across his shoulders, allowing herself to feel the planes of his chest as she snuggled deeper into him.

After a moment she felt his laughter diminish as he stilled beneath her and his hands dropped from her chest to rest at her hips. 

“We should head up to the loft,” He said, his voice thick and raspy. 

Aelin lifted her head to kiss him again at the sound, but he saw the gesture coming and ducked to press a kiss to the base of her throat. 

“Come on.” His hands squeezed her hips as he spoke and Aelin was pliant in his arms. 

“Okay,” She murmured, but made no attempt to move from her position atop him. 

“I don’t want to push you off,” Rowan began. 

“So don’t.” Aelin lifted her head to meet his eyes, a challenge dancing across her face. 

Rowan’s head dropped back again to lie against the headrest as he groaned. “Aelin, you’re going to be the death of me.”

He shifted himself beneath her and Aelin leaned into the motion. She wanted to tease him, wanted to work him up the way he stirred something red hot within her. Aelin wanted his heart to pound in his chest at the sight of her the way hers did when she spotted him. 

Rowan squeezed his eyes shut, his head still tilted back in a silent prayer. 

“Aelin. The loft,” He said, unable to string any longer of a sentence together. 

Aelin leaned forwards until her breath was a whisper across his lips. 

“Fine,” She said softly. “Come and get me then.”

-- 

Aelin had all but thrown herself out of the car and sprinted her way across the space to reach the lift leading to the loft. Rowan had chased her, hot on her heels with his hands outstretched reaching for her waist as they ran, but Aelin had managed to twirl away, giggling, and beat him to the doors. 

Once inside he had swiftly jammed the button for their floor and crowded her against the wall, kissing her until she was panting and her back was arching away from the wall as she clung to him. 

She had half a thought to hope none of their neighbours would stumble upon them, or worse any of their roommates, but the thought was quickly swept away as Rowan slid his mouth down the length of her throat. She stamped down the other half of her brain that thought she might quite like being discovered in a position like this with Rowan. 

The image set her blood on fire again.

Aelin managed to keep her hands to herself as Rowan unlocked the door to the loft. She knew if any of their roommates spotted them the game was up, her hair felt like a birds nest and her lips were tingling from the pressure of Rowan’s, and she made an attempt to appear dignified, smoothing a shaky hand over her hair. Rowan’s shirt, only half buttoned, was a lost cause.

The fear of discovery, and the sly smiles she spotted on Rowan’s face, were reminiscent of the years she would sneak back into her parent’s house after spending nights in the park playing spin the bottle with Lysandra and some of the other kids from their school. 

There were differences of course. Rowan couldn’t be compared to those teenage boys she used to spend her time with and she knew this night would have a completely different ending to the unsatisfying and unsure kisses of her past. 

“It could be pretty useful,” She said with a glance to Rowan as they made their way quickly across the loft. “Our rooms being on this side of the loft.” 

“Oh, yeah?” 

“Yeah.” Aelin smiled as they came to a stop outside their bedroom doors. She reached up to loop her arms around his neck and Rowan’s hands came up to rest comfortably at her waist. “The rest of the loft don’t come down here. It’s only me and you.”

Rowan’s fingers flexed at her waist and he tilted his head to the side, taking in not only her words, but the presumptuous smirk she wore. “And that’s what we need? Privacy?”

Aelin licked her bottom lip as she considered him. “Definitely. We’re all in, right?”

Rowan leaned down to brush his lips against her own and Aelin smiled into the kiss. “All in,” He told her, his lips moving against her own. 

The touch was brief, soft and delicate, as Rowan smiled against her mouth. This was what she had been waiting for, all these months since moving into the loft. 

She hadn’t ever entertained the possibility of something like this resulting from her moving into the spare room in her cousin’s apartment, she had been too caught up in the loss of Arobynn and her job and the utter desolation she felt to even consider the three relative strangers that occupied the other rooms in the loft. 

The day she had wandered up to the loft and been met at the door by Rowan felt like a million years ago now, and she and Rowan had become something unexpected, but something brilliant. When she first moved in Rowan had still been worried about seeing Lyria. Gods, she couldn’t help her laugh at the thought. 

He paused his kiss against her lips and moved to nuzzle her neck. 

“Where’s your head at?” He asked, so carefully trying to muster a calm into his voice. Aelin smiled again. 

“My head is wondering whether we should go to your place or mine.”

She could feel Rowan’s smirk against her neck. “Mine’s closer.” He nipped the skin of her throat with his teeth and pulled her back into his bedroom before slamming the door tightly shut behind them. 

Rowan didn’t waste time before slanting his lips over her own. Aelin kissed him back enthusiastically, twisting her hands through the soft strands of his silver hair as she backed up until her knees hit the edge of his bed. 

Her fingers were hurried but steady as she fought the buttons of Rowan’s shirt for a second time. This time she was victorious, and Aelin yanked the material off his shoulders revealing a broad expanse of toned chest. 

Aelin broke the kiss to glance down at the newly revealed skin. She was helplessly into his tattoo. It stretched across the toned planes of his upper chest and down one of his sculpted biceps. The muscles tensed as she placed a flat palm against the upper left of his chest, covering the swirls of dark ink. 

Rowan’s hand came up to cover her own, before lifting it and pressing a kiss to the back of her knuckles. “Your turn.” He grinned at her as he dropped her hand to peel her shirt off. 

His gaze grew heavier as he took in the newly revealed skin and his hands skimmed her sides, sparking shivers across her skin. 

Aelin lifted her hands to unclasp her bra but Rowan’s voice halted her. 

“Let me,” He said with a bite to her bottom lip. 

Aelin surrendered herself and allowed her eyes to flutter shut and Rowan released the clasp and dragged the straps down her arms, his motion torturously slow as he trailed his fingers over her skin before throwing the bra across the room. 

Aelin’s eyes snapped open as he cupped a breast in his palm, his thumb flicking over a nipple. 

“You’re beautiful.” Rowan’s voice was hoarse. His eyes roving over her skin as his teeth worked his bottom lip. 

She preened at his words, her head ducking to the side to fight her blush.

“I know,” Aelin said with a grin as she dropped her hands to his belt. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

She caught the huff of Rowan’s laugh before he kissed her again, his tongue delving deep and twisting something deep inside her. 

Her skin was both pebbled by his touch and burning red as he continued his motions against her breast, squeezing the flesh and pinching her nipple between his finger and thumb. She pushed her chest up into his touch and his touch grew firmer and more demanding, flicking his fingers against her peaked flesh and sending heat directly into her core as he reached a hand down to grab her ass. 

Aelin moaned. His fingers were godly and she needed more. She dropped out of his touch and onto his bed, relishing in the soft cotton against her back but missing Rowan’s hands on her body already. 

Rowan watched her every movement with a focus akin to a hawk. His eyes catalogued every inch of her skin, darting up to her face and down her chest and lower where her hands paused at the button of her jeans.

“You want to do these honours too?” She asked with a raised brow. 

“With pleasure.” 

His voice was low and curled another flicker of heat deep within her. 

He kicked off his own jeans before peeling hers carefully down her legs. He held her ankle delicately before pressing a soft kiss to the bone. Aelin lifted her hands above her head and lay back to watch, biting her lip to suppress her smile. 

Rowan peppered kisses down the length of her leg, incorporating the occasional scrape of his teeth across her skin.

Aelin hadn’t known it possible to burn this hot, her skin was flushed and her mouth lay open, gasping any breaths she could as Rowan smirked up at her from between her legs, the leg he had kissed thrown over his shoulder.

Her breathing was too loud and she was struggling to keep her hips against his bed. Rowan lifted a hand, just as he came to hover just over the apex of her thighs, and pinned her hips to the bed and oh, gods-

He kept eye contact with her as he slowly pressed one sweet kiss to her center, watching her, and making sure she was watching him, before tugging her underwear down over her hips. Aelin took a deep breath, fighting to keep her eyes open against the anticipation of what she knew was to come. 

She arched off the bed at the first touch of his tongue. He devoured her without hesitation, tasting her with fast strokes that brought her close to a haze of euphoria before pulling back to press hot and wet kisses to her hips when she came close to her release. Aelin gripped her fingers through his hair to pull him back to where she needed him most and he hummed a laugh against her at her enthusiasm. The vibration through her core set her skin aflame.

Aelin knew a half conscious stream of babbling curses were falling out of her mouth but she didn’t care. 

“Please,” She whimpered and her toes curled as she felt him smirk against her. “Please, Rowan.”

He pulled back as far as her hands would allow to glance up at her. “If I knew this was all I had to do to get some manners out of you I would have done it a long time ago.”

Aelin groaned but the sound morphed into a gasp as he brought his mouth back down to her and lifted a hand to join. The feeling of his tongue against her and his fingers inside her lifted her up to her peak, working her higher and higher, until finally release barrelled through her with a cry of his name. “Rowan.”

She squeezed her eyes shut and her legs together, trapping him between her thighs as she came. 

It took her a moment to land back down on earth, and as her eyes fluttered open she saw Rowan grinning darkly up at her. 

“Come here,” She whispered as she released her grip around him and tugged his mouth back up to hers. 

The taste of herself on his tongue was enough to reignite the fire in her veins and as Rowan settled into the space between her legs, lining himself up to grind into her, she tipped her head back in a gasp. 

His hand dropped back down to play with her again gently and she moaned as she pushed at his boxers with a hand. She couldn’t form sentences, could only produce gasped moans and wild gestures. 

Rowan pulled back for a second to sling his boxers into the corner of the room and Aelin allowed herself to take in the magnificence of his body. Endless stretches of toned muscle covered in golden skin and a splattering of pale silver hair. Her mouth went dry at the sight. 

Aelin raised herself up on her elbows as she took him in. 

“Rowan.” Was all she whispered. 

It took Rowan only a second to settle over her again and slot his lips to hers. The kiss was filthy, all scraping of teeth against lips and battles of tongues. Aelin was desperate for him. 

She reached a hand in between their bodies, marvelling in the inches of soft skin, before wrapping a hand around the length of him. Rowan broke the kiss with a choked moan. 

“Aelin.” His hips stuttered into her hand as she crossed her thumb over the tip. 

Aelin relished in the sharp gasps and low moans he made into her neck as she worked her hand and she knew the smile she pressed into the side of his neck was wicked. She was proud of herself for drawing such noises out of him. 

Before long his hips increased their pace and he pulled back to kiss her hard. 

“Condom?” She asked between breathy kisses. 

“In the drawer.”

Rowan stretched his arm past her head to retrieve the small foil package. Aelin took it from him as her tongue darted out to wet her lower lip. Rowan pressed his face into her neck as she rolled it on and she pumped her hand a couple of times, relishing in the stutter of his hips against her, before pulling back to kiss him again. 

Their kiss slowed as she took her time to taste him, slowly rolling her tongue and hips against him and losing herself to the moment. This was Rowan, and the feeling of their bodies against each other was exquisite, but she loved the tenderness between them more. 

He towered over her usually but as they lay tangled on his bed they were eye to eye. Every glance between them was passionate and intense but reassuring. She felt safe under him, and that meant more than she could express with words. She lifted a hand to his face and pressed a soft lingering kiss to his lips. 

“I’m all in.” 

They hadn’t explicitly stated the terms of whatever it was between them, but she knew he read the wealth her words held. 

“All in,” He said with a nod before pressing into her slowly. 

He rolled his hips slowly as she adjusted, whispering promises of adoration against her skin as she gasped. Gorgeous, perfect, so good. Soon his pace sped up and Aelin blinked her eyes open as he wrapped an arm around her waist, adjusting the angle as he thrusted into her. 

Aelin dug her fingernails into his shoulders, needing something to ground her in the sensations rushing over her skin and flooding inside her. She was lost in Rowan, he was lost in her, and it was more than perfect. 

She met his mouth in a messy kiss as his pace increased. She barely heard her mewling cries and Rowan’s laboured breaths over the pounding in her ears. 

“Rowan,” She moaned his name unashamedly as the wave within her built to a peak. 

“Aelin.” He sunk his teeth into the flesh of her neck as he came and the sensation sent sparks through her body as the wave crashed around her. 

It took her a moment to reel herself and climb back down from her high. She knew her heart was racing and her breaths were hurried but she barely registered it, lost to the euphoria.

The soft kisses Rowan peppered across her skin as she came down were delightful and she knew without opening her eyes that he was smiling. She was too. 

Something between them had settled and she stroked the back of his head as he pulled out of her. Her eyes fluttered open as he pressed a final kiss to her lips. Aelin kissed him back gently but the kiss was broken by her smile. 

“I agree.” She smiled at his confusion. 

“With what?” He asked, rolling onto his back and pulling her with him until she was lounging across his chest. 

“We should have done that a long time ago.” 

He kissed the smug smirk off her face. 

-- 

Aelin’s bed remained unused for the rest of the week. 

Rowan had enjoyed taking his time to thoroughly get to know Aelin’s body. He loved coaxing each and every single noise he could from her throat, and rejoiced each time a new one was discovered. 

One in particular he had enjoyed was a soft cry when he had flicked his tongue just so against her as his fingers pressed inside her-he hadn’t been able to banish that sound from his head for a few days. It had haunted him in the shower when Aelin was at work for almost as long.

He had barely been able to walk around without a smile in the days since their date, and Lorcan and Fenrys had both repeatedly been shooting him confused and questioning expressions. He didn’t bother explaining, it would probably result in some level of easy mockery and they’d no doubt find out soon enough.

The level of secrecy within the loft was low, he still didn’t know how Aedion and Lysandra had kept their secret from Aelin for so long, and he doubted himself and Aelin would stay secret for long. Especially when Rowan himself had confessed to Aedion and Fenrys had made any number of comments betraying his insight to the situation. 

There was also the fact that Aelin’s room had been obviously empty for days. Someone would cotton on soon, but until then, Rowan was enjoying himself. And the peace he and Aelin had eased into. 

He had left her with a kiss when he headed to his shift, he didn’t know how he had managed to pull himself away, but here he was. Pulling cool pints for strangers while Aelin remained at the loft. Likely in the oversized t-shirt he had left her in. 

Gods, the image of her in his clothes sent a jolt through him. The gold of her hair against the green of the cotton, the hem barely covering her underwear that it had taken all of his self control not to peel off. 

Out of the corner he saw Malakai throwing him a weird look. He subtly adjusted his trousers and turned to the older male. 

“You alright?” He asked. 

“Yes,” Rowan said plainly, hoping the other man wouldn’t ask him to expand. Rowan doubted he would be interested in Rowan’s inner monologue about Aelin and the image of the miles of exposed skin he had been left with; Malakai’s husband, Emrys, couldn’t look any less like Aelin if he tried. 

Malakai only tilted his head, the sprinkles of grey through his dark hair shining in the fluorescent lights of the bar. He slung the rag in his hand over his shoulder and crossed his arms as he turned to face Rowan fully. 

“Have you thought anymore about what we discussed?”

Gods, not this again. 

“No, not yet. I will get back to you.”

He’d give his whole shift's worth of tips to have a customer turn up and bring this conversation to an end. 

Malakai nodded slowly. “Alright, I need an answer soon though.”

“I know,” Rowan said, still glancing around the bar. 

“I think you should consider it,” Malakai began, bringing up the argument Rowan had heard before. 

“I will.”

Rowan had never been so glad for the sight of his dark haired roommate as Lorcan plopped himself down at the bar in front of Rowan. He’d also probably never jumped to get his friend a beer so quickly. 

“What was that about?” Lorcan asked as Malakai wandered over to the other end of the bar without another word. 

“Nothing,” Rowan dismissed the thought and Lorcan narrowed his eyes before ultimately deciding it wasn’t worth it. 

“I need to ask you something.”

Rowan barely held back a wince. “What?”

“I need help to plan a date.”

Rowan thought his eyebrows could very well have hit his hairline. 

“With the captain?”

Lorcan nodded and Rowan tucked that piece of information away for later. 

“And you came to me?” The scepticism was clear in his voice. 

“I can go somewhere else and leave you to whatever conversation I interrupted,” Rowan narrowed his eyes. “Or you can tell me what you did with Galathynius.” 

Rowan couldn’t help the smug smirk at Lorcan’s words. It seemed the secret was already spreading.

His friend swung a punch to his bicep, slightly too hard to be completely a joke. “The date you bastard. I know perfectly well how to do the rest.”

-- 

tags:

@jesstargaryenqueen

@maybekindasortaace

@slytheringalathynius

@http-itsrebecca

@morganofthewildfire

@in-love-with-caramel-macchiato

@fictional-horan

@tottenhamboys20

@dressedindustandshadows

@sleeping-and-books

@perseusannabeth

@ireallyshouldsleeprn

@superspiritfestival

@aelinfeyreeleven945tbln

@spyofthenightcourt

@jlinez

@queen-of-glass

@booknerdproblems

@sjmships

@elriel4life

@bamchickawowow

@woollycat22

@claralady

@illyrianwitchling

@SHINYA-HIIRAGI

@fangirlprincess09

@darlinminds

@bookittothelibrary1 <- this came up as the url please let me know if its not right

@thenerdandfandoms

@danibutterr

@inthecityair

@autophobiaxx​

@imaginedhaven​

#rowaelin #rowan whitethorn #aelin ashryver galathynius #this whole thing is fucking shameless #its just over 4k and barely 500 words is dedicated to plot lol #starting 2021 how i mean to go on #a groovy kind of love #agkol

[seasonofthewicth]

A Groovy Kind of Love - Chapter 15

AN: This chapter takes us over the 60k line, and I never expected this fic to get this long! We’re finally at the date! The date!!! Please nobody throw anything at me (even virtually)... 

masterlist - ao3 - my askbox

-- 

“My saviour.”

Aelin hurried her final few steps through the hallway towards where Dorian stood, her heels clacking along the linoleum flooring and echoing through the now silent hallways of the school. 

“Thank you,” She gasped as she closed her fingers around the royal blue mug he held in an outstretched hand and the scent of freshly brewed coffee swirled around her. She breathed it in deeply as she took her first sip, relaxing into the rich taste and the anticipation of the caffeine induced energy boost she knew was imminent.

“Anytime.” Dorian’s smile was charming as he slid into place beside her as they headed to the corridor bearing both of their classrooms. 

“I needed this,” Aelin spoke as they covered ground. “Rutting Fenrys rushed me out the loft so quickly this morning, something about an early meeting with Maeve, as if that’s somehow more important than coffee.”

Aelin shrugged as she finished, her main concern with the rush had been that she had missed out on her second cup of coffee this morning, but Dorian’s brow pulled in tight.

“Is he-” He cleared his throat as his walk slowed. “Is everything alright?”

Aelin slowed her pace to match the crawl Dorian had adopted and she tilted her head to the side to shoot him a look of confusion. It wasn’t like Dorian to stumble over his words. 

“Yes, I think so,” Aelin began slowly. “He mentioned something about funding for a trip. For one of the sports teams maybe, I- Why are you blushing?”

A delightful, soft rose tint had graced the planes of Dorian’s high cheekbones. He turned away from her slightly but Aelin shot out a hand to grasp his bicep and pulled him back around to face her. 

Aelin tugged him to a stop as she said, “Explain.”

Dorian brought a hand up to brush back one of the raven curls draped across his forehead. “I think I’m going on the trip too.”

Aelin narrowed her eyes, suspicion burying its hooks deep within her. “Why would you volunteer to go on a school trip outside of work time? And a sports trip at that.”

A flicker of expression shadowed his face before he carefully schooled it into calm. “Fenrys and I have been… speaking.”

Dorian phrased it like a question and Aelin’s mouth dropped open in an onset of shock. 

“You and Fenrys speaking? Like… you and Fenrys?” 

Dorian nodded. “I think so.”

“How did I not know this?” Aelin cried. “Is everyone keeping their relationship a secret from me?”

“Aelin,” Dorian began his walk again and she hurried to keep up. “It’s not a relationship, we’ve mostly just been texting. No big deal and-”

“It is a big deal,” Aelin interjected. She held her free hand up in surrender when he shot her an unimpressed look. 

“It’s not a big deal, and it’s nothing serious.” He told her with an air of finality and she knew not to push it any further.

Aelin had known of their brief hook-up years before she had got the job at the school, but she had to admit she hadn’t expected anything more to bloom between the two. 

It had, quite possibly, been a bit of an oversight on her behalf. She had noticed Fenrys perking up whenever Dorian was mentioned, and he had always found a reason to appear whenever she had brought Dorian around to the loft. 

Even most recently in the hospital, he had jerked to attention the moment she had mentioned Dorian. 

“You scoundrel,” She said with the beginnings of a wicked grin, unable to resist one last taunt. “Using a school funded trip as a romantic getaway with your man.” 

Dorian only winked at her, “Would you expect anything less?”

Aelin laughed, the sound a sinful cackle. From Dorian and Fenrys? No, probably not.

“And,” He continued. “You can’t talk about keeping secrets. You’ve gone radio silent on Rowan recently, and I bet if anything bad had happened I would know about it.”

It was Aelin’s turn to blush. She hadn’t told anyone Rowan had asked her on a date yet. She had wanted to keep it just to herself for a little while, at least until after the date had occurred. 

He had asked her out a couple of days ago now, but with Aelin working in the daytime and the majority of Rowan’s shifts being concentrated in the evenings, they were still yet to find a chance. Aelin was bursting with anticipation and she had struggled to sleep during most of the nights since their recent encounter in the kitchen. 

An element of her insomnia was the excitement, her anticipation to finally be on a date with Rowan, but a large part, arguably the largest part, was the knowledge that Rowan slept just across the hall from her. It would be so easy for her to tiptoe across the space and into his room, into his bed, and to be faced with Rowan. 

Rowan who she had now kissed, who she had been pressed up against, the heat of his body burning every inch of her own. But she knew she couldn’t cross that gap, both physically and metaphorically. At least not yet anyway. 

Rowan had been the one to press the brakes on the two of them, and Aelin knew it was coming from a place of respect rather than a lack of desire, but it didn’t mean it wasn’t difficult to temper the part of her brain that wanted to throw all caution to the wind and-

“Damn,” Dorian laughed. “It must be really bad for you to end up that inside your own head.”

Aelin bit her lip. She hadn’t told anyone, not even Lysandra, but surely telling Dorian couldn’t hurt. 

“Just promise me you won’t tell Fenrys.”

“Gods, that bad?” Dorian joked. 

“It’s not bad, just don’t tell him.” She said simply.

Dorian nodded his agreement. “Promise.”

“It’s not bad at all,” She began with a coy smile. “He asked me on a date.”

Dorian’s returning smile was wide as he took her in. “Took him long enough,” was all he said with a slight laugh, before he continued, “When?” 

“The weekend.”

Aelin knew she wore a doelike smile, one she couldn’t help at the thought of Rowan. She was excited, sue her. It felt like she had been waiting for herself and Rowan to reach this point since she moved into the loft, and their relationship had only gone from strength to strength since she moved in. It felt as if her anticipation was reaching the climax, but there was relief that went hand in hand with it. 

Rowan was right along with her, treading steadily by her side as they stepped down the path of whatever it was that was coming their way. 

He had been the one to kiss her, and the one to ask her on a date. Aelin knew where she stood with him, and where he stood with her, for the first time in what felt like a long time and the feeling was reassuring; it allowed her to relax into the excitement she held. 

“What are you doing?” Dorian asked. “Something outdoors?”

“Why something outdoors?” Aelin laughed and Dorian shrugged his shoulders. 

“I don’t know, seems to fit Rowan.” 

Aelin laughed again, she knew Rowan enjoyed the outdoors, maybe slightly more than the average individual, but she wasn’t sure something like that was what he had meant when he had promised to plan something nice.

“No,” Aelin said, pausing to take a sip of her coffee. “I think we’re getting dinner.”

She still struggled to contain the smile that wanted to dawn, the joy that ran through her at the thought was almost childlike and free. 

“The classic,” Dorian teased, but Aelin was unbothered. She truly didn’t care whether or not Rowan took her for a simple dinner or an extravagant adventure. Spending time with him was enough.

“Shut up,” She laughed, swatting the air between them. “I’ve got further than you.”

“Now that’s not exactly true, is it?”

Aelin snorted, almost spitting her drink across the hallway. Dorian’s smile was perfectly innocent, no sign of the act his comment was alluding to and she shook her head. 

It wouldn’t be long, Aelin was sure, until she and Rowan were there too. 

-- 

The week had dragged on for Rowan. A seemingly endless cycle of mindless shifts at the bar, and stealing snippets of time with Aelin in the loft during the limited hours they were both in the apartment. The time they shared had never seemed so brief as now when he craved her so.

Rowan had enjoyed those stolen moments, filled with the desire to simply reach out and touch. He longed to kiss her lips again, but he had promised he would only do so after their date. 

He had settled himself to tracing his fingertips down the line of her hand, tracing the delicate lines and pathways of her veins beneath her golden skin. He had allowed himself the pleasure of tucking a rogue lock of hair behind her ear, and relished in the spark that bloomed within him when he lightly caressed his thumb down the shell of her ear. 

Rowan longed for their date, and for the end of the night that would inevitably follow. The date itself was a long time coming to Rowan, and he didn’t wish to rush through it, he wanted to savour the moment and the image of Aelin sat beautifully across from him, but there was an impatience within him for the part that came after.

The part where he would finally allow himself the sweet touch of Aelin’s lips against his own once again. 

He had managed to drift through the week, spurred on by the evernearing climax he could sense along the horizon. Rowan had managed to trade his Saturday night shift with an older bartender named Malakai in order to take Aelin out. The older man had only shaken his head, and assured Rowan to take the time he needed to treat his special lady. 

Something about the comment had thrown Rowan somewhat. His lady. Aelin.

The idea was both exhilarating and terrifying. It filled him with warmth in his chest and a churning in his stomach simultaneously. 

He fiddled with his collar as he scrutinised himself in the mirror. Rowan had been ready for a while, but the nervous energy within him was channelling itself into mindless motions and fluttering hands. 

He had swapped his usual flannel and baggy jeans for a crisp, white shirt and a new pair of dark jeans. Smarter attire than usual, fitting for the occasion, but relaxed by the couple of buttons undone at the top of his collar. He had thrown a jumper over the shirt, hoping to fight off any of the approaching chill in the air of a late summer night in Adarlan. 

They weren’t going far, but he wanted to make sure he was prepared. 

He had chosen a relatively nice restaurant for their date, one only a couple of blocks from the loft, but he hadn’t wanted to go anywhere overly formal. He thought a more relaxed environment fit himself and Aelin better than something stiff and uptight. 

There weren’t many secrets between them, living together and across the hall from each other didn’t allow for many to exist. He had chosen a setting for them to enjoy each other’s company, they didn’t need a candlelit dinner while they discussed their favourite colours, they didn’t need to sip champagne while they compared their careers. 

Rowan had never been on a first date like it, he knew Aelin so well by now and truthfully, it didn’t feel much different than the dinners they had eaten together in the past. There was a level of comfortability between them that most of the usual first-date fears were absent. 

Rowan felt as if his fears were different to those preceding a usual first date. This was Aelin, and he couldn’t bear to let her down. He wanted to make it special and a night that she would remember. 

He had chosen to send her a text with the details, and he had heard her laugh through the walls when she had received it. It was exactly the response he had hoped to receive, and now he assumed she was tucked away in her bedroom getting ready. 

It was almost time for him to cross the hall, and he was struggling to hold back. His foot had been tapping on the ground for a while and he pressed a hand to his knee, hoping to halt the pounding. 

Finally he gave up, sure that five minutes wouldn’t make that much of a difference to Aelin anyway. He swung his door open and crossed the hall in a second to knock gently against Aelin’s door. Within a second she swung the door open and Rowan lost any attempt at a greeting.

He could only marvel as he took her in. Aelin looked truly phenomenal. 

Her hair was curled and flowed down the length of her back, with the front tresses pinned back behind her ears. She wore a black dress covered in small, shining, golden stars that hit mid thigh leaving her toned legs on display until they tucked away into small black boots at her feet. 

He knew from the gentle way she bit her lip she was waiting for him to speak and a whisper of a smirk crept up into the corner of her lips. Rowan cleared his throat. 

“Hi.” His voice was rough, but Aelin’s smile dawned into a full smile. One Rowan knew he returned. 

“Hi,” She mimicked, her voice soft. 

He allowed himself the luxury of a moment to take her in. To track his eyes down her face and back up, taking in the brightness of the blue in her eyes, the flush of her skin and the shining golden highlights through her hair. 

“Aelin,” He breathed. “You look incredible.”

Aelin preened at the compliment, her smile spreading even wider as she leaned to brace herself in the doorframe. 

“Thank you, and you too.” 

Rowan bit his lip at the appreciative look in her own eyes as she took him in. He fought the embarrassment that teased his senses at her appraisal and attempted to lean into the flattery that accompanied it.

“Ready to go?” He asked.  

“Ready as I’ll ever be, I’m curious where you’re taking me though,” She said with another easy smile as she turned to grab her small shoulder bag off her bed. 

Rowan watched the motion and the glimpse of thigh the waves of her skirt allowed him as she spun. He couldn’t take his eyes off her and he couldn’t believe she had agreed to go on a date with him. Or the level of pure joy radiating from her at the prospect. 

He straightened himself as something settled in his stomach at the thought. Aelin reached him again and he offered her an arm. 

“You haven’t got much longer to wait before you find out; I’m not ruining the surprise now,” He told her as she slipped her arm around his own and stepped out of her bedroom.

“Do I look okay for where we’re going?” She asked, looking down at herself suddenly vulnerable. 

Incredulity struck him, at the idea that Aelin could look anything less than perfect. He couldn’t hold himself back from dropping a faint kiss to the top of her head. “You look perfect.”

A beautiful cloud of rose dusted her cheeks and Rowan smiled again, he was sure this was the most he had smiled in a long time. 

“So, dinner?” He asked as they stepped into the hallway by the door. 

“Dinner,” Aelin agreed as she slipped her arm from his to slide into her coat.

“You guys are getting dinner?” Lorcan appeared in front of them and Rowan froze. 

Only a moment later the front door to the loft opened at Rowan’s side and Aedion and Lysandra strode into the loft, tucked up in jackets from wherever they had been. 

“Oh, hello,” Aedion laughed at the apparent welcome party. “Are we all heading out somewhere?”

Rowan cursed the gods as Lorcan spoke again. “Dinner.”

Aedion nodded appreciatively and looked to Lysandra who only quirked a brow. Rowan braced himself for Aedion to deliver the damning verdict. “Great, we’ll join.”

Rowan could only look to Aelin, unable to hide the mild panic he knew was stark on his face. Aelin looked back up at him, and from the twist of her mouth he knew she wasn’t thrilled, but was frozen in the same predicament he was in. 

They couldn’t, or didn’t want to, reveal their exact plans for the night. 

Rowan had wanted to keep this just for the two of them, at least for the night, and he knew Aelin felt the same.  

“We weren’t going anywhere exciting,” He tried, and Aelin attempted her agreement at his side. 

Aedion shook his head, still painfully oblivious. “No big deal, I’m not sure I’m up for anything too fancy now.” 

“Is Fenrys coming?” Lorcan asked as he pulled on his trainers, and Rowan squeezed his hands lightly into fists at his sides. His head snapped to the side when he felt Aelin’s touch at his wrist, she linked her smallest finger through his own, tucked out of sight behind his back. 

She looked up to him, a small smile across her painted lips accompanied by an amused look in her eyes, and he knew she was disappointed but he understood the gesture. He could feel his own annoyance fading into an amused acceptance, and he offered her a small closed-lipped smile of his own as he gazed down at her. 

Rowan knew that dating Aelin would never be fully separate from their roommates, and even though he still needed to speak with Aedion he knew they would be supportive. He had just expected to make it through their first date before their roommates interfered. 

He rolled his shoulders back and gave Aelin’s fingers a gentle squeeze, hoping to convey his disappointment through his touch. Her returning squeeze reassured him she was more than alright with the turn their night had taken.  

He flashed her a soft smile before detangling their fingers and turning to face the group now assembled by the door.

“Someone get Fenrys, and quickly,” He instructed as he leaned into what the night had become. 

-- 

Aelin had not expected to spend her first date with Rowan jammed in between her cousin and Lorcan in a booth at some chain restaurant downtown. She had expected a romantic evening, where the two of them would have had a chance to talk and drink and laugh. She had been looking forward to spending time with Rowan, and getting to know him as truly more than just her roommate, more than her crush. 

She had been looking forward to watching him across from her, watching the way he talked and the expressions he made when he did. Rowan didn’t often get animated in a group, but around her he loosened his inhibitions, and she enjoyed watching him come alive. 

She could never take her eyes off the way his hands would gesticulate as he spoke about something he was passionate about in the brief moments where he did. Sometimes it was the bar, sometimes it was sports and other times there were topics she had never expected from him. It was easy to forget that he had studied law at university, he liked to keep his intelligence understated, but there were times when it was hard to miss.

Aelin was a little disappointed to have missed out on the opportunity to enjoy that side of Rowan, but she was comforted by the fact she knew they would get to reschedule, and by the knowledge she was still going home with him tonight either way. She was also determined to get her kiss afterwards, whether or not this had managed to qualify as a date or not. 

The small smiles he offered her over the table helped too. The smiles that said ‘we know something they don’t’ as their roommates chattered away around them. 

She pursed her lips around her straw at him as Fenrys jabbed a fork aggressively at Lorcan and Lysandra cackled. They’re clueless, not sure how much we can blame them. 

His own shake of his head as he bit back a laugh told her more than enough. I can blame those idiots as much as I want. 

Aelin forced herself to take another drink to cover her laugh. Rowan’s eyes were sparkling and there was a lightness to his shoulders as she took him in as he lay back in his chair between Fenrys and Lysandra.

The shirt and jumper combination had thrown her the moment she had swung her door open. Rowan didn’t often dress fancy, in fact the only time she could remember seeing him in something other than his usual uniform of a flannel and jeans was at the wedding a few months ago. 

The colour of his jumper over the top of his shirt did wonders for him, highlighting the tan of his skin and the brightness of his green eyes. Or maybe that was just Rowan. 

She couldn’t remember a time where she hadn’t taken the opportunity to just observe him. To observe the beauty in the line of his brow, the handsomeness in the cut of his jaw. Her mouth had dried as she had watched him and she lifted a hand to take yet another sip of her water. 

“Aelin?” Lysandra’s voice snapped her to attention. 

“Yes?” She asked after taking a large sip. 

“Was he as hot as Fenrys is making out?” It was only then she realised the attention of all those at the table was directed at her. 

Rowan was hot, but Aelin wasn’t convinced that was who Lysandra’s question was regarding. 

“Who?” Gods, she had been far too lost in Rowan to even attempt to follow the conversation at the table. 

“The doctor, from the other day?”

Lysandra’s final question had taken on a different edge to the others, her voice soft and an unusual look in her green eyes. Surprise, intrigue, and an element of… was that suspicion?

Aelin cleared her throat and dared to look across to Rowan. His expression was carefully guarded, hidden was the amusement they had shared only moments before as he watched her from across the table. 

He wasn’t the only one doing so. The others at the table, even Lorcan, had turned to her, each waiting for her response. 

“Um, yeah. I guess.” Aelin had little interest in discussing the supposed ‘hotness’ of the doctor from the other day. She wasn’t even sure she knew where the paper with his number on had ended up. 

“Damn, Aelin,” Aedion jeered. “Why’s he not here now then?”

Aelin flicked her eyes between Fenrys and Rowan. Fenrys was all too knowing. A twist at the corner of his mouth was the only visible hint of his discomfort, and she followed his gaze as it flicked to Rowan. 

He wore a deliberately careful and mild smile as he watched her, and she hoped her expression conveyed the level of dismissal she gave to the doctor. If not, she hoped her words would convey exactly how she felt. 

“I wasn’t interested,” She said plainly. “He was nice about it.”

“Not interested in a hot doctor?” Aedion scoffed. “At least go on a date, I can’t imagine how much luxury a doctor’s salary could get you. Probably at least champagne.”

Aelin laughed, a little weakly, desperately finding a way to change the subject. Rowan’s expression was a little less guarded, but she wanted him back to the amusement they had shared earlier. 

She nudged his foot under the table with her own, and was beyond grateful when he returned the gesture with a small smile. The twinkle in his eyes had returned, if only a little dimmed. 

Aelin sighed and allowed a slow smile to spread across her face. “If he’s so perfect Aedion, I might be able to set you up somehow.”

Her cousin only stuck his tongue out at her and she laughed, she heard the rest of the table laugh too. 

“Sorry, Lys,” She said with a grin and her friend only shrugged. 

“I know where I’m beaten.”

“Hey,” Aedion sounded offended at the thought and leaned across the table to press a kiss to his girlfriend’s cheek. Aelin smiled at the gesture and looked back to Rowan. 

Soon. 

Soon they’d finish dinner, and Aelin had plans for him. 

-- 

The walk home had likely been his favourite part of the evening. They had split off into subgroups for the short walk back to the loft, Aedion and Lysandra walked ahead, their linked hands swinging in the space between them. As much as Rowan had disliked his friend’s teasing at dinner he was happy for his friend, and it was clear to him that Aedion’s relationship was serious. More serious than Rowan had seen Aedion before. 

Lorcan and Fenrys had taken up the rear, debating something Rowan was deliberately tuning out as he enjoyed the feeling of Aelin tucked into his side. Her arm had wrapped around his own, her hand tucking into the crook of his elbow and her other hand reached across her body to hold the bicep of the arm she gripped. 

It felt delightful to have her there, and he didn’t care about the looks Fenrys was throwing him. He knew what he and Aelin looked like, and he didn’t care. It felt good. Felt good that Rowan was here with Aelin like this. Not the doctor. 

Rowan wasn’t petty enough to feel jealousy that the doctor the other day had given Aelin his number, or at least he thought. There was something in his stomach, the only thing that came close to bringing him out of this moment, that he couldn’t quite name. A feeling he couldn’t quite pin down. 

They reached the loft having walked in relative silence, but it hadn’t been an awkward journey. It had been relaxed, and satisfied, and easy with Aelin. 

They each went their separate ways once in the loft, and he led Aelin to the small stretch of hallway that housed both of their bedrooms. 

This was the moment he had been waiting for all night. 

She turned to him, releasing his arm as she bit her bottom lip slightly. Rowan couldn’t peel his eyes away until she finally spoke. 

“That wasn’t quite what I expected,” She said with a soft laugh. 

Rowan shook his head, laughing himself. “No, me neither. I will take you on a date properly soon, if you want to.”

He couldn’t stop himself from adding that last part. Aelin only tilted her head and took a step closer to him. She placed a hand gently on his chest as the smell of her surrounded Rowan. The fruity scent was enticing and he wanted to bury his face in her neck and breathe her in. 

“I don’t know about you, but I’m still saying that tonight was our first date.” 

Aelin was even closer to him now as she spoke and he raised a hand from his side to rest gently at her waist. The fabric of her dress slid between his fingers and he pulled her into himself slightly. 

“Really?” He couldn’t help the tone of disbelief he used. 

He hadn’t had a bad night, far from it in fact. He enjoyed spending time with his roommates, he wasn’t sure he would have been able to have lived with them for so long if he didn’t, but Rowan wasn’t sure he would have pictured their group dinner as his and Aelin’s first date. 

“Yep,” She said, tilting her face up towards him and Rowan lifted his other hand to cup the back of her neck. His eyes were flickering up and down, an endless race between her eyes and her lips. “And I know what you promised me after our date.”

Rowan couldn’t help the wide smile he wore at her words. The realisation that she was as desperate as he was for their lips to touch again. 

“Oh yeah?” He asked, rearranging his hand to rest more comfortably against the back of her head, his fingers slipping between the thick strands of her golden hair. “And what was that?”

Aelin lightly pinched his shoulder but rose up onto her tiptoes to finally press her lips to his. 

Rowan could have sunk into this feeling forever. The spark that lit within him at her touch ignited, burning brightly as Aelin leaned even deeper into him, her lips opened in a soft gasp as her hand lifted from his shoulder to wrap around his neck. 

Rowan breathed her in as he tasted her on his tongue. Aelin was divine, sweet and addictive. He chased her, wanting more and more and more. Too much wasn’t enough. 

He only recognised that they had moved when the knuckles of his hand wrapped through her hair hit a solid surface. He had walked her backwards to the wall and at the realisation that he now boxed her in he drew back from her. 

His breaths came fast and his heart was pounding ferociously in his chest as he gazed down silently at her. Aelin’s eyes fluttered open slowly as a broad smile bloomed. 

Her cheeks were flushed from the kiss and Rowan risked one last press of his lips against her own. Unable to beat the urge to taste her again. 

What he had intended to be a brush of lips Aelin stole control of. She locked her arms around his neck and held him to her, parting her lips for him again. Rowan took and took, unable to fight the desire building deep inside of him. 

Aelin gasped against his lips as he removed his hand from her hair to hold her waist and lift her to him slightly. The sound sparked him, and he felt… He couldn't describe how he felt. He never wanted to stop, but Aelin’s gasp had reminded him where they stood. 

Rowan pressed her against the wall in the hallway of the loft they shared with the others. They stood so wrapped up in each other that if anyone stumbled upon them denial would be an impossibility.

Rowan went to step back but Aelin rose forward and pressed one last gentle brush of a kiss against his lips before leaning back on her heels and releasing her arms from around his shoulders. 

“Goodnight, Aelin,” He whispered, unable to muster anything more than a breathy whisper. 

Aelin seemed in the same state as him. Her pupils were blown wide and her lips were a dusty shade of just-kissed pink. Rowan wanted to kiss her again. 

“Night, Rowan,” She whispered, just as quietly as he had spoken. 

Rowan took a step back and smiled down at her as she smiled up at him. He slowly backed across the hallway until he stood in front of his own door, his hand braced on the handle.  

Aelin offered him a final, dreamlike smile before she slipped inside her bedroom. Rowan crept into his own and threw himself straight onto his bed. 

His mind was blissfully restful as he lay, staring at the ceiling, replaying every touch he and Aelin had shared. His mind ran over all the details of their night, from the smile she had worn when she opened the door to greet him, to the feeling of her arm wrapped around his. 

The unspoken words they had shared, wearing mutually knowing smiles, had warmed him and he fought off a smile at the thought. 

She had rejected the mention of the doctor, quite outright, which relieved him, but the feeling from before had crept back into his stomach. 

He still couldn’t place it, but as he lay, his thoughts came together, and he reached over to the side for his laptop. He sat himself up in bed, this wouldn’t take long, and typed a few words into the search bar of his browser. 

-- 

tags:

@jesstargaryenqueen​​

@maybekindasortaace​​

@slytheringalathynius​​

@http-itsrebecca​​

@morganofthewildfire​​

@in-love-with-caramel-macchiato​​

@fictional-horan​​

@tottenhamboys20

@dressedindustandshadows​​

@sleeping-and-books​​

@perseusannabeth​​

@ireallyshouldsleeprn​​

@superspiritfestival​​

@aelinfeyreeleven945tbln​​

@spyofthenightcourt​​

@jlinez​​

@queen-of-glass​​

@booknerdproblems​​

@sjmships​​

@elriel4life​​

@bamchickawowow​​

@woollycat22​​

@claralady​​

@illyrianwitchling​​

@SHINYA-HIIRAGI

@fangirlprincess09​​

@darlinminds​​​

@bookittothelibrary1​​ <- this came up as the url please let me know it its not right

@thenerdandfandoms​​​

@danibutterr​

@inthecityair​

#rowaelin #rowan whitethorn #aelin ashryver galathynius #rowan x aelin #throne of glass #a groovy kind of love #agkol #i know this probably isn't what people were expecting lol #but I had a good time writing it #dorian havilliard #fenrys moonbeam #dorrys? #DORIS HAHAH #fenrian? #lorcan salvaterre #aedion ashryver #lysandra #lysaedion #rowaelin au

[seasonofthewicth]

A Groovy Kind of Love - Chapter 14

AN: I hope you all enjoy!! This was fun to write...

masterlist - ao3

-- 

Dr Sam Cortland stood tall with a mop of curly brown hair drooping across his forehead. He had a charmingly crooked smile, with rows of shining white teeth on display, that he flashed her as he breezed past Aelin to gently pick up Fenrys’ hand. His elegant fingers drew Fenrys’ arm up and into the light, twisting it around to get a better look. 

Fenrys was looking at her pointedly, and Aelin knew exactly what he would say the minute the doctor left the room. He was boyishly handsome, young for an ER doctor, and his brown eyes had a twinkling kind of mischief in them, despite the focus he directed at Fenrys’ hand. 

The skill with which he sewed the wound in Fenrys’ hand was impressive, and he made easy conversation while he did it, but she had left most of the task of conversing to Fenrys, only speaking when it would have been impolite to stay silent. She could easily recognise that he was attractive. Six months ago she might have slipped him her number, but now all she could think of was Rowan. 

All she could think of was how the doctor was slighter than Rowan, how his hair was dark where Rowan’s was a beautiful shade of silver. At the sight of his deep, brown eyes she could only compare them to the bright, forest green of Rowan’s. 

“It’s worse than it looks. A couple of little stitches will sort it out.” The doctor turned to Aelin, drawing her attention back to him. His accent was pleasant; something she couldn’t quite place with a mix of the harsh Rifthold twang. “I’m sure you’ve been very worried about your boyfriend, but he’ll be good as new in no time.”

Fenrys snorted, an obnoxious sound that drew the doctor’s attention back to him and away from where Aelin gawped. 

“My boyfriend?” She mumbled dumbly.

“Thanks Doctor, but-” Fenrys spoke quickly before he was interrupted. 

“Please,” He said with an easy smile directed at Aelin. “Call me Sam.”

Fenrys reached a hand towards her with a twinkle in his eye, “Ah Sam, if only Aelin had wanted me, what a power couple we could have been. But don’t worry, she is single.”

She bit the inside of her cheek, what was he playing at?

“Good to hear.” Her gaze snapped back to the doctor. His voice was quiet as he spoke, and a soft pink tint spread across the strip of neck that stood above the collar of his clean, white coat. 

Aelin was floundering, good to hear? Where had that come from, and where was her response? 

The doctor, Sam, spoke again before she had a chance to find the words. “I just have to check these papers, then I’ll be back to discharge you.”

He gave her a small, closed-lipped smile as he left the room. One she almost didn’t manage to return. 

As soon as the door closed behind him Fenrys was on her. 

“What was that Galathynius?” He demanded. “He was flirting with you and I don’t think you actually spoke!”

“He wasn’t flirting with me,” She said quickly.

“Aelin please.” He leaned towards her, his voice pleading. “That was a hot doctor, do I need to repeat? A doctor. Who is hot, and flirting with you.”

“Stop,” She said.

“What’s the hold up?” He asked, seemingly unable to comprehend a reason Aelin wouldn't be as excited as he was. 

She took a breath. The hold up, she supposed, was Rowan. She still hadn’t had a chance to speak with him since their kiss, and so, she still wasn’t sure where they stood. 

Well, she didn’t know where he stood. She knew she wanted to leave this hospital and forget all about the hot doctor and go home to the guy she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about for months. 

Shit, she wanted Rowan. 

She laughed, a soft sigh of a sound, and turned to Fenrys who was still waiting on her response. She didn’t want to blurt out her reasoning for dismissing the doctor, Sam, she reminded herself again, until she had spoken to Rowan. She didn’t want to gush about their kiss to Fenrys only to find out he regretted it. 

“Nothing, no hold up.” She rose from her chair. “I’ll go get us a ride home, meet you outside when he comes to let you out?”

Fenrys nodded as she fled. 

-- 

“Hello?” His voice came out sounding far rougher than he had intended, and Rowan cleared his throat as Aelin spoke. 

“Hi. Are you busy?” 

Rowan blinked and sat up straight. He saw Aedion throw him a curious glance and he shook his head. Lorcan’s eyes remained shut despite the jostling and Rowan was convinced he had been asleep for a while.

“No, what’s up?” He asked. 

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to speak to her, quite the opposite in fact, he had spent far more time than he should have thinking of opportunities he could find to seek her out, but he was unsure why she would be calling him now. Especially if she was out with Fenrys. 

“I was going to ask for a ride,” She said, and he could hear the cheer in her voice already. “But now speaking to you I wonder if you’re safe to drive, you drank quite a bit last night.”

She finished with a laugh that Rowan couldn’t help but return.

“I didn’t drink that much.”

“No?” She asked, teasing him. “So you always sing like that?”

“There was no singing.” That Rowan remembered at least. “Was there?”

“I don’t know.” He could hear the opening and closing of a door and the sound of a siren in the background of her call. “Ask Elide, I think she has the video.”

Rowan bit his lip, he was pretty sure she was joking, there was no way he had drank that much. Despite her jokes being at his expense, he was enjoying the teasing and the brightness in her voice. He couldn't help the goofy smile he knew was dawning across his face, and he determinedly ignored the look Aedion still watched him with.

“I know you’re a liar,” He said and the giggle he received was incredible. “I didn’t drink so much I did anything I wouldn’t have done sober,” He continued, and from the soft catch in her breath he knew she caught his meaning. 

“Oh, good. Me too,” Aelin said softly, and Rowan couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips.

They still hadn’t spoken about the kiss, but they would, Rowan would make sure of it. And if Aelin’s reaction to his comment was anything to go by, Rowan had hope. 

“Where do you need picking up from?” He finally made his way back to the reason she had called him.

“We’re at the hospital, Rifthold General-”

Rowan cut her off. “The hospital? Are you alright?”

He knew it was rude, and nothing so far in their conversation had told him Aelin was anything other than fine, but the panic in his chest at her words had shocked him in its speed and intensity. 

“I’m fine,” There was a trace of laughter still in her voice. “It’s Fenrys, he’s just cut his hand, he’s fine.”

Rowan could feel guilty about the relief that filled him at another time. 

“Oh,” He knew she heard the relief, but kindly didn’t comment. “I can be there in twenty?”

“Thank you!” She cried, and again, Rowan knew the smile he wore was disgusting. 

He tapped the screen, ending the call, before he finally turned to Aedion.

“Who’s at the hospital?” His friend’s voice was all too innocent.

Rowan narrowed his eyes at the unspoken accusation. It was right, but he wasn’t at the point of admitting that to Aedion yet. At least not until he had spoken to Aelin. 

Rowan thought the oath they had all sworn was pretty much redundant now, he knew Aedion only had the best intentions mixed with a rogue streak of overprotectiveness, but Rowan had no intention of hurting Aelin. And Aedion knew that, at least Rowan thought.  

“Aelin and Fenrys.” 

“They okay?” Aedion seemed to be feeling some genuine concern.

Rowan nodded as he stood from the couch.

“Good,” Aedion spoke as he settled back into the sofa next to a still sleeping Lorcan, the man could sleep through anything. Rowan shook his head and headed to grab his keys. 

--��

The hospital wasn’t far from the loft, and he crossed this distance at a more reasonable pace than he would have done had Aelin been hurt. He and Aedion were the only two in the loft with cars, there wasn’t a need for them in the city, nor was there space to park. The loft came with one space in an underground parking garage, which Aedion took with the argument that Rowan’s car was a piece of shit and far less valuable than his own. 

Which it was. But it had been a gift from his parents after his graduation from college, and it still ran, so he kept it. It turned out to be useful in times like these. 

Rowan found a space quickly and made his way to the entrance of the emergency department. He spotted Aelin quickly once he had passed through the doors. Gods, she was beautiful. 

He took her in from head to toe before finally drawing his eyes up again to rest on her face and the polite smile she wore. The curve to her pink lips was enticing, and he wanted to press his own lips to hers again. He thought she would let him, and a bloom of excitement appeared in his stomach.

Aelin turned slightly towards him, and the intensity of her smile only increased when she spotted him. He felt his own grow without a thought and took a step towards her when an arm was slung across his shoulders. 

“Thanks for coming to get us man, I didn't think I could have walked with this.” Fenrys held a bandaged hand up in front of Rowan, blocking his view of Aelin.  

Rowan lifted an arm to gently lower Fenrys’ hand. “You’re alright I see, what happened?”

Fenrys laughed, “It’s a story with any number of twists and turns and a negligent supermarket. You could probably sue them for me.” Fenrys’ voice took an imaginative turn. “But I’m all good, the hot doctor stitched me up.”

“The hot doctor?” Rowan regretted the question the moment it was asked, but the regret only increased when Fenrys lifted his injured hand to point over to where Aelin stood. 

Rowan hadn’t noticed the man she stood with, and wished he still hadn’t. The guy was handsome, Rowan wasn’t blind, and he had his charm turned up to the max as he spoke with Aelin. 

His eyes snapped to Aelin, attempting to get a read on her thoughts on the hot doctor, but he didn’t gain much. She only wore a small smile as she nodded along to whatever the doctor was saying. Her hands were in her pockets, and she removed one to tuck a strand of her hair back behind her ear. 

Rowan swallowed. He knew Fenrys clocked the movement. 

“Hot right?” Rowan rolled his eyes, finally dragging them away from Aelin and the doctor to shoot Fenrys a glare. “And he’s definitely into her.”

Rowan stiffened even further, but Fenrys continued.

“She should go for it,” Rowan took a deep breath at the words. “Unless there was a reason for her not to.”

Rowan released the breath in a big gust. “Why would there be a reason for her not to?” He managed at last. 

Fenrys was the joker of their group of friends, always the one to lighten it up if conversation ever got heavy, not that it often did between them. He seemed to have an endless supply of shit jokes that by now Rowan and Lorcan had built up a resistance to, but now he faced Rowan with a serious look. 

“I’m just saying, she barely paid attention to the doctor in the room, even though he tried to get her attention more than once.”

“Yeah?” He shouldn’t have bitten, and a spark of the usual cunning in Fenrys’ eyes returned, but he needed to know. 

“You know what I’d tell the guy who clearly holds her attention at the moment?” Rowan looked back over to where Aelin had snuck a glance over to the two of them. “I’d tell him not to waste his time, or the next time a hot doctor calls she might not ignore him.”

Rowan swallowed, and shoved his hands deeply into his pockets. Aelin turned back to the doctor, said a few final words, and turned on her heel to head over towards him and Fenrys. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said finally, and Fenrys sighed, but didn’t say another word as Aelin approached. 

“Hey,” She said with a shy smile. “What are you guys talking about?”

“Nothing,” Rowan said quickly, ignoring the jab Fenrys stabbed into his side. 

He was going to talk to Aelin, he didn’t need Fenrys giving him any advice, the most romance Rowan had seen him experience was whatever he had going on with Aelin’s co-worker, and Rowan still doubted that that had come to anything yet. 

“Are you ready to go?” He asked and watched Aelin send a barely perceptible glance to where the doctor had last stood, but then she turned back to him and smiled.

“Ready.”

-- 

Doctor Sam had been sweet, if not somewhat fumbling, when he had slipped her his number before they left the hospital. It had only been chance that Rowan had walked through the double doors of the emergency department the moment he had handed the card over, and she knew he had caught the smile she had worn at the sight of Rowan. 

He had courteously backed off, telling her not to worry about it. I get it, he had said with a soft smile, if it doesn’t work out give me a call. Aelin doubted she would ever use the number, doubted the card it was scrawled across would see the light of day again. Especially not if her plan worked out in her favour. 

She had picked this nightgown for a reason. It was a shimmering and glittering metallic gold silk that flowed loosely from the thin straps across her shoulders. It clung to her chest and hips, dipping low and emphasising the gentle curves of her body and the dip of her waist.

She was independent enough to know she never needed to dress for a man, but damn if she hadn’t worn this specifically for Rowan. She craved the reaction she knew this nightgown would elicit.

She padded through to the living room, but the worn brown sofa was empty with the television switched off. Rowan had been here a minute ago. She curled her hands into fists, she didn’t want to lose her nerve, and continued through to the kitchen. 

She could hear the sound of water as she rounded the corner and spotted his frame hunched over the sink.

He was ready for bed as she was, loose grey pants hung from his hips and a faded green t-shirt stretched across his broad shoulders. The shifting of the muscles in his back could be seen through the material as he moved at the sink and she swallowed. 

His head snapped to the side at the sound as she leaned against the doorway.

His eyes widened at the sight of her and she registered the clink of a dish against the steel sink. He spun to face her and water dropped down from his fists where they clenched at his sides. 

“Hey,” she murmured.

He swallowed, and the sound was audible in the silence of the room. 

She watched him take one, very careful, sweep of his eyes down her body and she felt her cheeks blush and her muscles clench under the intensity of his stare. 

Rowan seemed to be frozen, his expression almost pained, and his mouth hung slightly open as he took her in. His eyes snapped to hers, their green almost black in the shadows, and didn’t stray from her as he reached to the side for a towel to dry his hands. 

“Aelin,” He said, his voice low as she took a step further into the room. “I, um-”

He swallowed again.

“What are you doing here?”

She laughed as she reached the section of countertop opposite him and the air between them seemed to crackle with anticipation.

“I do live here,” She teased, “You know this.”

He let out a gust of air through his nose, a telltale sign that he didn’t want to find what she had said funny but did anyway. She smiled, leaning back into the counter behind her and crossing her legs at the ankles. 

“I just wanted to see you, I haven’t seen you, or spoken to you after yesterday.” She admitted, laying clear her reasons for seeking him out. 

Rowan cocked his head, the roots of a smile beginning on his handsome face. 

“You’ve seen me since then, and spoken to me.” 

Aelin would have rolled her eyes had he not stepped closer, the heat from his body spilling into her, but he didn’t touch her. 

“You know what I mean,” She said, not managing to hold back her whine. 

“Do I?” He asked, he was definitely playing with her now, and he placed his palm down on the counter at her side. The hairs on her arm stood at his proximity, but he still held back from making contact. “Enlighten me. Please?” 

The rasp of his voice, so close to the shell of her ear sent a shiver through her. The ball was in her court and she supposed it was only right. He had kissed her, and even though she had done nothing but think about it since, she hadn’t let Rowan know where they stood. At least on her end. 

“You kissed me,” She began softly and she tilted her chin back to look up at him. 

“I did,” His words were careful. His face was only inches from hers and she felt the soft tickle as his breath drifted across her face. 

He wasn’t going to make this easy for her; he was going to make her work for it. And gods if that didn’t send a thrill through her. 

It was make or break time and Aelin knew what she wanted. “I was hoping you’d do it again. More.”

The smile that spread across Rowan’s face was wide and the light from beneath their cupboards glinted against one of his canines. 

“More?” He repeated, almost breathlessly. His free hand came up to cup her cheek and she took a sharp intake of breath. The smell of him drove her crazy, something musky and masculine, with the hint of pine trees and snow. “Like this?”

He trailed the hand from her cheek down her throat and past her breast, his fingers only lightly brushing the side. He drew a path from there to her waist, her skin burning beneath his touch, until he travelled further, his fingertips brushing the hem of her nightgown to find their place again at her thigh. 

Aelin could only nod, couldn’t find the words to respond past the flurry of arousal spreading through her. 

Her approval seemed to spur Rowan on, and he took his hand from the counter and wrapped it tightly around her waist. The hand brushing her thigh wrapped around the skin and lifted until she sat atop the counter, Rowan crowded between her spread legs. She could feel her pulse pounding through her body, deep and hot, as she wrapped her arms around his neck. 

His palm splayed wide up the side of her thigh and slid beneath the hem of her nightgown. She tilted her head back at the sensation, baring her throat to him, as she leaned back into the arm he held around her waist. 

She was dangerously turned on now as Rowan’s hand crept higher and higher to brush against the lace covering her hip. 

“Something like this?” He asked. 

She could barely find the words but somehow managed a breathy, “Yes.”

He slid his hand higher, until it was firmly gripping her hip beneath her dress, and used his other hand to pull her even tighter against his body. The warmth of him between her legs sent her eyes rolling into the back of her head as he let out a dark laugh. 

“What is it with us and this kitchen?” He asked, mostly to himself, and she couldn’t look away from him as he spoke. She barely registered the question but managed to shrug as she twisted her fingers through his hair, the motion dragging her front lightly against his with a torturous gentleness. 

“What more would you like from me now?” His question both a taunt and a promise. 

“Kiss me,” She begged. Rowan broke the eye contact they shared to glance down at their bodies pressed tightly together, her legs spread for him with her ankles locked behind him, and her core so close to his groin. “Please.”

He let out a breath before glancing back up to her. He leaned impossibly closer to her and she felt her eyes flutter shut. She tilted her head up, ready for the heat of his lips against hers once more, but it didn’t come. 

Instead she felt his lips press to the junction of her skin between her neck and shoulder. She gasped and tightened her legs around his waist. Her eyes snapped open and she glanced down to where he looked up at her, his lips hovering over her neck. The sight had her burning even hotter inside, and she shifted against the counter, needing some friction from him. 

He didn’t miss the motion and clamped his hands firmly on her hips, pulling her impossibly closer, the waistband of his trousers pressed exactly where she needed him and his eyes narrowed at the soft moan she couldn’t hold back. 

His mouth returned to her neck, but instead of a kiss, he scraped his teeth lightly down her throat. She gasped at the sensation and she wasn’t sure she had been this turned on in a while, or ever. She needed him. Now. 

His teeth closed lightly around the flesh of her neck and she yanked on his hair. 

“Please.” 

He pressed a featherlight kiss to the skin he had bitten and pulled his head back. 

“No,” He said quietly and she jerked. 

“No?” Aelin knew she was frowning now. 

“No.” He repeated and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I want to take you to dinner first. If you’d like.”

Despite the fire burning through her, she smiled softly at him. “Dinner?”

She loosened her hands in his hair and dropped them to his shoulders. 

“Dinner.” He nodded. “Are you free some time this week?”

Aelin laughed and ducked her head. “I’m sure I could find somewhere to fit you in.”

“Great,” He said into her hair, loosening the hold he had on her hips, and taking a small step back. “I’ll plan something nice.”

“Can’t wait.”

Aelin knew she looked absolutely ruined, and he hadn’t even kissed her. She wasn’t embarrassed though, she knew what she’d find if she dared to let her eyes drop to the front of Rowan’s trousers. 

She couldn’t stop the small smile that crept across her lips as she hopped off the counter top. She trailed a hand down his arm as she stepped around him to leave the kitchen and head to bed. She wanted to grab his hand and pull her behind him, but she knew going down this path meant more, and she was glad of it.

As she left, Aelin took a final look back at him, his hair was mussed and there was a slight colouring along the high lines of his cheekbones. 

He was gorgeous, and he had just asked her to dinner. She couldn’t wait.

-- 

tags:

@jesstargaryenqueen​​

@maybekindasortaace​​

@slytheringalathynius​​

@http-itsrebecca​​

@morganofthewildfire​​

@in-love-with-caramel-macchiato​​

@fictional-horan​​

@tottenhamboys20

@dressedindustandshadows​​

@sleeping-and-books​​

@perseusannabeth​​

@ireallyshouldsleeprn​​

@superspiritfestival​​

@aelinfeyreeleven945tbln​​

@spyofthenightcourt​​

@jlinez​​

@queen-of-glass​​

@booknerdproblems​​

@sjmships​​

@elriel4life​​

@bamchickawowow​​

@woollycat22​​

@claralady​​

@illyrianwitchling​​

@SHINYA-HIIRAGI

@fangirlprincess09​​

@darlinminds​​​

@bookittothelibrary1​​ <- this came up as the url please let me know it its not right

@thenerdandfandoms​​​

@danibutterr​

#aelin ashryver galathynius #rowan whitethorn #rowaelin #throne of glass #a groovy kind of love #aedion ashryver #fenrys moonbeam #lorcan salvaterre #sam cortland #rowaelin au #agkol #this took ages lol #it was one of them where it was one scene beating me up #then i realised it wasn't even necessary and cut it #oh well

[seasonofthewicth]

A Groovy Kind of Love - Chapter 13

I’m so sorry this update took so long, I have no excuse it just took me a while to make Aelin do what I wanted her to do! As usual I hope you enjoy, things get a bit more exciting from here!

masterlist - ao3

-- 

Her first kiss wasn’t her favourite memory. She was fifteen, and at a bowling alley of all places for Lysandra’s birthday. It had been with a guy called Nox and he had tentatively pressed his chapped lips to hers for a second before pulling away. Their feet had been a solid foot apart and he had all but ran from her as soon as it was done. 

She liked to think her kisses had only improved from then; as much as he was a dick, Arobynn had been a pretty decent kisser when he could be bothered to offer her any kind of affection. 

Rowan’s kiss had been something different though. 

His lips had been gentle but insistent against her own, and she hadn’t been able to help the soft sighs and the gentle moan that had slipped out of her. He knew what he was doing, and she hadn’t doubted him in all the times she had imagined kissing him, but she had still been pleasantly surprised. 

He had kissed her confidently and she had been taken, perfectly content to let him take control and kiss her strongly, to steal her breath and tilt her head. She hadn’t been like that with Arobynn, but she vowed for that to be the last time she would compare the two. 

She had spent the whole night struggling to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, the phantom touch of Rowan’s lips against her own filled her mind, she swore she could still feel the spike of heat where his fingertips had brushed, ever so gently, against her thigh. 

She was still blushing from the sensation of his fingers lightly tugging her hair and the groan it had elicited from her throat when she woke, barely rested after hours of tossing and turning with her mind unable to fully switch off. 

She wanted to see him, wanted to kiss him again, wanted him to kiss her and take control again. 

But she needed to be careful. As much as she longed to throw caution to the wind, and to cross the hall and plant herself in his bed, to press herself against his side and lay herself bare for him, she needed to make sure she knew exactly what she was going for. 

She felt confident enough to guess that the attraction between them was mutual, he hadn’t shied away from roaming his hands along her skin and it wasn’t like she was blind to the way he watched her. 

But he had been the one to walk away from the kiss. 

In the quiet of the hall last night she likely would have been inclined to follow had he invited her to his bed. But he hadn’t. And as much as Rowan was sometimes reserved, sometimes quiet where she was loud and brash, he wasn’t quite shy. He had a quiet kind of confidence to him that she expected him to have asked her to join him if that was what he wanted. 

That left her with only one choice. 

-- 

She pounded her fist against the door and each sound was blow to her head, a telltale sign she had drunk more than she ought to the night before. She hadn’t realised the sensation in her head was likely due to more than just her lack of sleep, she had drank more last night than she had in a while. Aelin lessened her knocking, and changed tact to call through the door. 

“Can I come in?” She half whispered, not wanting to disturb any of the other occupants of the loft. “It’s important.”

She heard the rustling of bed sheets before the voice of the room’s occupant spoke.

“What, Aelin?” Her cousin sounded only mildly irritated to be woken up relatively early after the state he had been in last night. She bit back a snort at the thought of how hilarious her cousin had been after a few too many drinks. 

He hadn’t been the only one to make her laugh; she had taken more than a liking to Elide. The woman was feisty and sarcastic. Her sense of humour gelled well with Aelin’s and she knew she’d have to get her number from Lorcan. 

“Aedion, I need to speak to Lysandra.”

Immediately her friend’s voice sounded. “Come in Ae.”

She pushed the door open and quickly shut it behind herself. She took in where her cousin and best friend lay, both clearly unclothed beneath the sheets if the way the dark blue sheet was tucked up high was anything to go by, resting just under each of their chins. She deliberately looked only at her best friend. 

“I need to speak to you,” She announced before risking a glance toward Aedion. “Alone.”

He barked out a laugh. “This is my room.”

She shot him an incredulous look; this was important, did he not realise that?

Lysandra only patted her boyfriend on the shoulder and tilted her head towards the door. Aelin grinned as Aedion began to move, but spun around quickly to face the wall, she wasn’t keen to see her cousin naked. 

“Thank you,” She called teasingly and he only grumbled under his breath as he shucked on his clothes and poked her side before heading out of the doorway and into the kitchen. 

She waited until his protests faded, until his reminder that ‘you have your own room you know’ was far enough from them that she didn’t think he would be able to hear her, before turning to Lysandra and placing herself, cross-legged, at the end of Aedion’s bed.

“Someone’s grumpy this morning,” She said, only a hint of mockery coloured her tone. 

Lysandra laughed. “Always. Now not that I’m complaining, you know you’re my favourite Ashryver, but what’s so important you had to kick him out at this time?”

Aelin found herself unable to fully hold back her smile, even though she tried, tugging her bottom lip between her teeth slightly. 

She wanted to smile both at Lysandra’s reassurance of her place as the superior Ashryver, and at the news she had been waiting to drop since she had closed her door last night, but faced with her waiting best friend she became… almost nervous. 

She mostly hoped Lysandra wouldn’t immediately jump to the wrong conclusions. Aelin knew the situation was slightly messy, but she was happy, she had kissed Rowan, and she wanted at least a morning before she had to face the consequences, whatever they might be.

She could feel her face heating as she thought through exactly how to fill Lysandra in on what had gone down since their disastrous game of truth or dare. 

“So,” She looked down to her knees where they crossed beneath her and took a breath. “Rowan kissed me.”

Lysandra’s green eyes widened almost comically as she sprung up in the bed, only half remembering to keep the sheet pressed to her chest. A coil of dark hair managed to hide what the sheet exposed.

“He what?” She shrieked. 

Aelin shushed her quickly. She didn’t want Aedion, or worse, any of her other roommates coming to see what the commotion was.

“He kissed me,” She said, pressing her hands to her cheeks. She still felt slightly giddy when she thought about it and she doubted the feeling would fade soon.

It had been an end to the night that she hadn’t seen coming; she had still been reeling from his rejection when she found herself face to face with him in the hall. He had surprised her. She supposed all she had been expecting when she saw him was a depressing explanation of his reasons for not wanting to kiss her, but what she had received had been so much better. 

“When did this happen?” Lysandra demanded, her mouth opened slightly in an excited smile. 

“Last night,” Aelin said, still trying to reel in her excitement so not to squeal like a high-schooler after their first kiss. “After everyone went to bed.”

Lysandra’s grin took on a dark edge, “And was it just a kiss?”

“Yes,” She tutted. “Just a kiss.”

“Was it a good kiss?”

“Lys,” She said simply, still fighting against her smile. It was all she needed to say for Lysandra to shake her head with a grin. “It was like he was a man and I was a woman and he just took me and kissed me and I was gone.”

“Aelin Galathynius,” Lysandra shook her head, still smiling along with her. “Who could have foreseen this?”

“Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit,” She deadpanned, tugging threateningly on the sheet Lysandra still held against herself. 

“What does this mean then?” Her friend asked, and truthfully? She wasn’t sure. 

Rowan had left her last night, in the hallway, with his killer getaway line. While it had reassured her that he didn’t just not want to kiss her, it hadn’t given her much more to go off. It hadn’t clued her into whether or not he wanted to kiss her again, or whether he wanted to do anything more than kiss her. 

“I’m not sure,” She started but Lysandra spoke again when she sensed Aelin didn’t have anything more concrete.

“Did he say what it meant?”

She breathed out a laugh. “All he said was, and I quote, ‘I didn’t want the first time I kissed you to be for some stupid game’.”

Lysandra nodded before she grinned. “The first time he kissed you? Means he was definitely planning on doing it at some point, with or without the stupid game.”

Aelin smiled again, she had had the same thought, and hearing the confirmation from Lysandra was almost dizzying in its relief. And if she allowed herself to admit; excitement. 

She wondered when he would have kissed her if Elide hadn’t dared him to do so. She knew she and Rowan had been dancing around the edge of something for a while now and she couldn’t stop the desire building within her for something more. Had he not been her roommate, and had there not been such dire consequences if it ended badly, she might have made a move by herself at this point. 

But, she supposed, if she had this hold up he probably did too, and she sighed. There lay their issue. 

They lived together, and she was happy living there. She didn’t want to lose him, or the other guys in the loft, if she went for it and it ended badly. She could accept that if anything happened she would have to be the one to leave the loft, Rowan had lived there first and was far closer to the other guys than her. 

Lysandra, as always, could see right through her. 

“I think you need to talk to him.”

The door swung open behind her and she turned around to berate Aedion for interrupting when Lysandra let out a squeak and threw herself further under the covers. 

“Fenrys, knock!” Her friend yelled. 

The offender only raised a hand to cover his eyes before stepping into the room as well as he could while blind. “I’m not even looking.”

She heard Lysandra’s scoff behind her and raised an eyebrow at her friend, still lingering in the doorway. It only worked in his favour, she reminded herself, when he didn’t respond to her non-verbal prompt. 

“What?” She asked. 

“Can I see yet?” He asked and Aelin rolled her eyes before turning to Lysandra. Her friend snuggled deeper into Aedion’s bed, making sure she was covered, before offering Aelin a thumbs up. 

“Yes, now why are you in here?” She asked, before adding; “Interrupting.”

Fenrys only grinned and dropped his hand from his eyes, undeterred as he stepped forwards. 

“We need toilet paper, and it’s your turn to buy.”

Aelin blinked. She couldn’t believe him. What was it with guys in the loft and not realising this was serious? Just when she and Lysandra had got to the really important part, the part where Lysandra was going to give Aelin the advice she desperately needed. 

“This was why you barged in here? Toilet paper?” Lysandra was equally as incredulous as Aelin.

Fenrys shot her a look that just read duh. 

“You two use the most, and you,” He pointed to Lysandra, “don’t even live here.”

Lysandra shrugged, unbothered. Lysandra was now a fixture of the loft the same as any of the official residents. Her place as Aelin’s best friend and Aedion’s girlfriend gave her unlimited access and Aelin wouldn’t be surprised if she had already had a key cut. 

“Not exactly true,” Aelin said, but smiled at him. “Could you not go, just this once? For me, please?”

She was sure he definitely owed her at least one favour for some reason or another. 

“Aelin, please.” She looked away from where he had attempted to dial the charm all the way up. “I’ll come with you.”

She weighed it up. 

“Is Rowan up?” She asked. 

A splash of confusion crossed Fenrys’ at her abrupt and seemingly out of nowhere question, but he shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

She sighed, it probably wouldn't take long. And Rowan wasn’t working today, so he’d be here for her to talk to when she got back. 

“Fine, but we’ll be quick.” She said, standing up before turning back to Lysandra. “We’ll carry this on later?”

Lysandra saluted her from her position still tucked into Aedion’s pillows.

--

Rowan swung the toy up and across his chest, before sweeping it backwards and over his body to the other side. Hellas pounced on him, diving onto the planes of his chest with his claws outstretched before leaping off and attacking the small snake toy with the ferocity of a lion. 

Rowan scratched the tiny beast on the head, receiving only a mild purr in response as the kitten curled into the space between his side and the arm he had slung across the back of the sofa, clutching the now loose toy in his small claws. He stifled a yawn, not wanting to disturb the kitten who had cemented his position as the prime of the loft in a matter of days. 

He had barely slept last night, hadn’t been able to get his mind to shut up for more than a minute before it was back onto images of Aelin from the night before. The soft pink of her nightgown, only a shade lighter than the blush gracing her skin, the swell of her lips after he had pulled back from the kisses they shared to draw a breath. A tug in his lower stomach noted, with a kind of purely male satisfaction, that he had been the one to make her look like that. Freshly kissed and sexy as hell. 

He hadn’t been able to stop replaying the gentle moan that had slipped through her lips when he had pressed the hard line of his body even tighter against her, and in combination with the memory of the way her fingernails had scraped against his scalp, he had pressed his pillow firmly across his face and hoped that would be good enough. He would no doubt be questioned if he had snuck off for a cold shower at three in the morning. 

Her lips had been gentle against his own, only pausing for a second before kissing him back. 

That, he supposed was the detail his mind kept snagging on. He hadn’t expected her to return the gesture, and had already readied himself for damage control, before her hand had crept up and tangled through the strands of hair at the base of his neck, locking him to her. It had given him the confidence to sweep his tongue into her mouth, and the taste of Aelin on his tongue had sent a pulse of something hot burning through him. 

He had imagined kissing Aelin any number of times, had imagined a soft peck after taking her to dinner, had imagined pressing scorching kisses down from her lips to her neck as he pulled her bra straps down her shoulders. He had even imagined kissing her only to be rejected, had imagined her as stiff as a board while he pressed his lips to her own. 

The reality had surpassed any of the scenarios he had been able to come up with. 

Kissing Aelin had been everything he had expected it to be and more; soft and sweet, hot and intense. He could at least admit to himself that he wanted to do it again. Wanted to do more than kiss her, if she would have him. 

But Aelin deserved more than that. 

She deserved more than a hook-up with her roommate. She deserved flowers, and a knock on the door at eight o’clock sharp. She deserved to be romanced, with petals and love proclamations scrawled across little notes. Aelin deserved to be swept off her feet.

After that piece of shit Arobynn, who Rowan had to constantly remind himself was out of her life now, Aelin deserved everything. 

Fuck. 

He guessed that was why he had panicked, why he had crept back to his room before she had had a chance to speak. It was the cowards approach, but he couldn’t believe he had done it, that he had kissed her, and he had needed a moment to compose himself. 

He sighed, a long and cathartic release of the pressure that had built up inside him since the night before. It had been an eventful night.

“You alright?” Aedion’s question was teasing where it came from behind him. 

Rowan rolled his head back along the cushions of the sofa to shoot his friend a look. Aedion laughed. 

“Yeah, me too,” He said as he gently lowered himself to the seat beside Rowan, dropping a gentle scratch along the spine of the kitten still tucked into his side. Hellas had long since fallen asleep, but Rowan knew Aedion was just as powerless as he was against the kitten. All of them were. “You look how I feel. Never let me drink that much again.”

Rowan snorted. “You were fine when I was serving you, you can blame Fenrys for this.” He waved a hand to where Aedion cringed into his seat, fingertips massaging his temples as his eyes drifted shut. 

“I’ll blame you all,” Aedion said finally, his eyes shut tightly.

A moment of silence passed before Rowan asked, “You the first one up?” 

He hadn’t seen anyone else this morning, well afternoon now, but most importantly he hadn’t had a chance to speak to Aelin. Her bedroom door had been open when he woke, but she wasn’t anywhere to be found and he supposed he would have to play the waiting game. 

“Nah,” Aedion said. “Aelin kicked me out of my own room at gods know what fucking time this morning to speak to Lysandra then left, also hideously early, with Fenrys. And I haven’t seen Lorcan. Not entirely convinced he spent the night here.”

A surprisingly long run down given the state he was in and Rowan caught the twitch of his brow at the effort required to sustain such a long conversation. He would have laughed if he didn’t feel similar. 

He hadn’t drank that much, and it definitely wasn’t enough that he could have blamed his kiss with Aelin on the alcohol if she was unhappy. 

He pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes, trying to wipe his mind clear. 

“You think Lorcan went home with Elide?”

Aedion offered half of a shrug, then winced at the motion. 

“Not sure, it wouldn’t surprise me if he had. But then again, it is Lorcan.” He paused, letting his hands drop from his temples but his eyes stayed closed. “We’re agreed that all the moaning he did, he’s just into her, right?”

“One hundred percent.” Rowan nodded slightly, cursing the sharp spikes the motion sent through his head. He took a pause before saying; “The captain seemed to quite like him too though.”

“Can’t understand why,” Aedion laughed. “She was nice, attractive, and could actually hold a conversation, unlike-” 

“I know what you’re about to say and don’t bother.”

Rowan had missed Lorcan’s entrance before he spoke, but the gravel of his voice cut through Aedion’s words like a knife. He then didn’t miss the heavyweight throwing himself between him and Aedion. His roommate swept the kitten up to plunk Hellas on his own chest as he too collapsed into the cushions. 

“I didn’t sleep with the captain,” Lorcan almost growled. “And her name is Elide.”

“Sorry, boss.” 

Rowan felt the slap Aedion swung at Lorcan’s shoulder and felt his lips tilt up. It had been a while since they had all festered like this after a night of drinking and it sent him back to college. Even though Lorcan hadn’t been to college with the three of them, they had met soon after, and it hadn’t been long before the four of them had moved into a smaller apartment outside of Rifthold. Their college antics had continued for a while after that, drinking to excess and being straight up gross the next day. 

They didn’t do it often anymore. He was desperately avoiding the knowledge that as they neared thirty it was getting harder and harder to recover and, apart from Rowan, they all had proper jobs now that didn’t allow for being out of action for a whole day afterwards. 

He lay back, settling into the amiable silence with his friends, and he closed his eyes. He was content to lie there for however long, but it could only have been seconds before the peace was interrupted by the buzzing of a phone. 

His phone, with Aelin’s contact photo lighting up the screen. 

-- 

There was a beeping coming from somewhere down the hallway. It was kind of getting on her nerves at this point, but she didn’t want to stray from her place at Fenrys’ side to go and complain about it, she could try to tune it out as best as she could. It didn’t matter that he wore an easy grin, exuding an unbothered energy by the turn their day had taken, she wouldn’t leave him. 

Aelin didn’t know how it had happened; one minute they had been traipsing the aisles of the local supermarket searching for the one item they had come for, and the next Fenrys was sprawled on the floor, a steady stream of blood flowing from a gash in the side of his hand. 

She hadn’t seen the spill on the floor in time to warn him, and had only been able to watch in horror as he had slid straight into a display case of bottles of some kind of wine. The glass had shattered across the floor, sending floods of fizzing liquid across the tiles in waves as Fenrys clattered to the ground, arms braced in front of himself to cushion the fall. 

The staff at the supermarket had offered them rolls and rolls of blue tissue paper to stem the bleeding but Aelin had taken one look at the wound and knew, from her very limited medical knowledge mostly gained from television programmes, that it would need stitches. They had taken an Uber to the emergency room and ended up waiting in this room for a doctor to come and stitch up Fenrys’ hand. She wasn’t sure how long they had been there, but it definitely hadn’t been what Aelin had meant when she had emphasised the need for their trip to be quick. 

She sighed as she shifted in the hard plastic seat placed next to the bed Fenrys relaxed into. He caught the expression. 

“I’m sorry,” The quirk of his lips didn’t diminish. “I really was trying to be quick.” Cheeky.

“It’s not your fault,” She dismissed him quickly. “I just wish this doctor would come sooner, I have better things to do today.”

“Like what?” He prompted. “Are you seeing Dorian?”

She narrowed her eyes at the way he always seemed to work Dorian into their conversations. “No. Why?”

“No reason.” He spoke far too quickly for it to be casual, but before she could speak the door behind her swung open and a doctor strode in. 

“Fenrys Moonbeam?” He asked, his voice curling smoothly around the words. “Dr Sam Cortland, now let’s see what we can do about that hand.”

--

tags:

@jesstargaryenqueen​

@maybekindasortaace​

@slytheringalathynius​

@http-itsrebecca​

@morganofthewildfire​

@in-love-with-caramel-macchiato​

@fictional-horan​

@tottenhamboys20

@dressedindustandshadows​

@sleeping-and-books​

@perseusannabeth​

@ireallyshouldsleeprn​

@superspiritfestival​

@aelinfeyreeleven945tbln​

@spyofthenightcourt​

@jlinez​

@queen-of-glass​

@booknerdproblems​

@sjmships​

@elriel4life​

@bamchickawowow​

@woollycat22​

@claralady​

@illyrianwitchling​

@SHINYA-HIIRAGI

@fangirlprincess09​

@darlinminds​​

@bookittothelibrary1​ <- this came up as the url please let me know it its not right

@thenerdandfandoms​​

@danibutterr​

#rowaelin #rowan whitethorn #aelin ashryver galathynius #throne of glass #rowaelin au #a groovy kind of love #agkol #aedion ashryver #lysandra #fenrys moonbeam #lorcan salvaterre #sam cortland #rowaelin fic #rowaelin fanfic #I can't believe no one saw this coming lol

[seasonofthewicth]

A Groovy Kind of Love - Chapter 1

A Throne of Glass x New Girl fanfic. Rowaelin. No warnings.

masterlist

AN: This first chapter is heavily inspired by the first episode of New Girl but this fic will diverge from the show in the future!

-----

Aelin looked up from her phone screen to the large brick building in front of her. Squinting in the sunlight, she took in the old warehouse with its rustic, evenly spaced square windows.

She looked back down to her phone, her text conversation with her cousin Aedion left open. Loft 4D, his message read. She tried the entrance to the building, but the rusty door wouldn’t budge.

Sighing, she tapped call on Aedion’s contact.

“Hello?” His voice came through the tinny speakers of her phone.

“Hey Aedion, it’s Aelin. I think I’m outside.” She peered through the glass of the door, looking for any sign of the golden haired man.

“Oh, right, one second,” The phone clicked as the call ended. She pulled her phone away from her ear, staring at it puzzledly.

“Aelin!”

As she reopened her phone to make the call again the shout rang out from above and she squinted back up at the building to a now open window a few floors up. Aedion peered out of the window waving enthusiastically at her.

“We’ll buzz you up now, fourth floor.”

She raised a thumb towards him and stepped inside when she heard the click of the door.

She hadn’t seen Aedion in a few months, the last time being at a family event hosted by one of the endless Ashryver relatives, but they were friendly enough for cousins. She hadn’t expected his message the day before, offering her the spare room in his loft, but she supposed her mother must have let slip the situation Aelin was in and Aedion was generous enough to extend the offer.

The situation Aelin was in was the result of her cheating, now ex-boyfriend Arobynn. He had been away travelling for a few months and Aelin had prepared for his return by slipping into something silky and small and setting herself up in their house to surprise him.

She hadn’t prepared for the short, curvy woman he had returned with.

Not thirty minutes later Aelin had been in a cab, cursing Arobynn to hell. Most of her belongings were shoved in two duffel bags on the seat next to her as she made her way to her best friend Lysandra’s apartment, ultimately homeless.

As the elevator pulled to the fourth floor, Aelin took in her reflection of the elevator door. She smoothed her hair behind her ears, then untucked it again. It was only Aedion and his roommates, and she just needed a room.

She’d known a couple of Aedion’s roommates from previous birthday events of his own, but not greatly. She scowled briefly at the thought of Lorcan, the grumpy, giant of a man, who her previous interactions with had all ended with snarled insults, but it was harmless. At least to her, she couldn’t begin to understand what went through the raven-haired man’s mind.

She stepped out of the elevator to the hallway just as the door to loft 4D was pulled open. The first thing she spotted were the swirling lines of an elegant tattoo, creeping up the arm holding the door handle.

Rowan Whitethorn, Aedion’s college roommate who she had met maybe once or twice, held the door open, smiling at her slightly. Her eyes tracked up his muscular arms to the broad planes of his chest and shoulders stretching the plaid shirt he wore tightly. His tanned skin peeked out from the collar of the shirt setting off his silver hair nicely. She swallowed before opened her mouth.

“Hey,” She started. “Thanks for having me.”

“Not a problem,” His voice was low and gravelly, but he cleared his throat as he lifted his arm, stretching behind himself into the loft beyond. “Come in, the others are in the living room.”

She smiled and ducked past him through the doorway into the short hallway of the apartment. She heard Rowan shut the door but was spotted by Aedion who grinned as he bounded over from the open living area, a mug of coffee gripped tightly in his hand.

“Aelin! Glad you’re here, how you doing?” He swept her into a tight hug but drew back as he seemed to realise his mistake. His face twisted awkwardly as he leaned back. “Apart from, you know…” He trailed off releasing her fully.

“Don’t,” She groaned but laughed it off shaking her head and turned to smile at the others in the room.

Lorcan was sat on the end of the brown leather couch, his dark hair hanging over his shoulders, arms crossed, and legs stretched out in front of him. He offered her a brief nod as Aedion reintroduced them.

“Lorcan, you know, and of course Rowan.”

The two men acknowledged their introductions, but her attention was drawn to the only male she hadn’t already met.

In the space next to Lorcan, a blonde man with golden skin dressed in grey sweatpants and a loose t-shirt reclined into the sofa, both arms draped along the back. He offered her a wide smile and a hand to shake in greeting.

“I don’t think you’ve met Fenrys.” Aedion smiled widely, taking his seat next to the new introduction, followed by Rowan.

“Great to meet you,” Fenrys offered taking her hand in his own.

She shook Fenrys’ hand with a smile and crossed the room to the remaining seat, a single chair facing the couch. She smoothed her skirt down as she sat, readying herself for the inquisition.

-----

When Vaughan moved out of the loft to move cross-country with his girlfriend, Rowan assumed they would use the spare room as maybe a home office for Aedion, or a work-out space for Fenrys. His recent obsession with training them all to practice his coaching for his job at the nearby high school wasn’t going down well so far in the oddly shaped space remaining in the living area. But, Rowan hadn’t objected when Aedion asked them if he could offer it to his cousin who was in need of a room.

Rowan had been friends with Aedion since their first year of college and had lived with him for most of the eight years since then. Their friendship was easy, despite a rocky start, since the collision of Aedion’s bubbly personality and Rowan’s quiet demeanour had initially resulted in a stiff acquaintanceship until an incident in their freshman year had led Rowan to view the other male as more of a brother. Not that he would ever admit it.

The first time he had met Aedion’s cousin, Aelin, he was a shy, nineteen-year-old and Aedion had introduced them at his own nineteenth birthday party thrown at his parents’ home in Terrasen. He remembered stammering his hello to eighteen-year-old Aelin, stunned by her bright blue eyes and golden hair that matched Aedion’s.

He hadn’t spoken much to her that first time, he’d been nervous and intimidated by the confident, beautiful young woman, but he had met her a few more times since and they had been cordial each time in their brief exchanges.

He didn’t mind a new roommate, especially when it would mean his own rent wouldn’t increase. Not that he would struggle to cover the increase, with the extra shifts he had been picking up at the bar since the break-up with Lyria six months ago.

Lyria. His on-again-off-again girlfriend of three years. They had finally called it off-again for good recently and he considered himself to be doing well in not texting her again for the first time. This break-up felt different to the previous ones.

As he took his seat next to Aedion he observed the girl sitting opposite them all. She had definitely matured in the years since he had last seen her, more a woman than a girl now. Her golden hair fell in soft waves to her middle, and her body had settled into its gentle curves from the slimness of her teens when they had first met. The loose dress she wore fit the muggy Adarlan summer air, as well as bringing out the gold ring in her blue eyes.

“So,” Aedion began, “We know you need a room. Do you have any, uh, questions for us?”

Rowan smoothed his hands down his jeans, waiting for the list of questions he was sure Aelin would have.

“Um,” She started, unsure, “The bathroom. Is there only one? What’s the deal on that?”

Rowan heard Lorcan snort and felt the shaking of Fenrys’ laugh beside him. The bathroom rota, devised by Aedion, sick of being late for work when one of the others took too long, had been a point of contention in the loft since its introduction a year ago. It was mostly followed now, with only minor complaints.

They each had twenty minutes allocated from six-thirty in the morning, but Rowan’s were often up for grabs. He didn’t need them that early when most days he got back from the bar past midnight and didn’t wake up until the others had all left for work.

He knew Aelin was a teacher, like Fenrys, so maybe she could take his allocation. It seemed Aedion was on the same wavelength.

“There’s a schedule,” He said with an almost imperceptible level of embarrassment, but Aelin seemed to hear it too as the corner of her mouth drew up in a teasing smile. Rowan didn’t let himself stare too intensely at her mouth.

“Okay great,” She drawled mockingly. “I’m used to the rush getting ready for work from living with Arobynn.” She looked down at that but waved a hand as if she could beat the thought away.

“Aww Ae,” Aedion said. “Don’t be sad over that asshole. You can just get drunk and forget about him, it’s what Rowan’s been doing over Lyria.”

Rowan’s head shot up at that, glaring at Aedion who was barely even trying to hide his grin.

He sighed, it wasn’t that he had been drinking to get over Lyria, he just worked in a bar. Where there was alcohol that he could drink and at the same time he has been getting over Lyria. Two completely separate things.

Aelin seemed to look at him in understanding and then shrugged.

“I’m down for that,” she said. “It will make a change from crying over Dirty Dancing.”

All four of them groaned at that.

“There won’t be any of that in this living room.” Lorcan stated, in a tone that Rowan wouldn’t even try and debate with. Lorcan probably wouldn’t fight over Dirty Dancing but he couldn’t be sure.

“Dirty Dancing is a sure fire way to get over a break-up,” Aelin said defensively.

Rowan laughed shaking his head at the dynamics already building for the loft, this would surely be fun.

-----

Aelin knew she didn’t have to defend herself to Lorcan, especially not over a film that she was confident in her enjoyment of, but she couldn’t resist winding him up.

She continued. “I need the boost especially considering now basically all of my friends are models.”

Years of being friends with Lysandra had almost numbed Aelin to her beauty, her flowing dark hair and piercing eyes captivated many, not to mention her sizeable breasts. It was what Aelin supposed, made her so successful in her career. Though she knew her best friend was attractive it didn’t normally make her feel insecure but the recent break-up had been a knock to her confidence, but she knew it wouldn’t last long.

Fenrys coughed, leaning forwards, suddenly very interested. “All of your friends are models?”

Aelin nodded and watched Fenrys. His fingertips formed a triangle as his elbows rested on his knees.

“Excuse us, I need to have a word with my boys.” He gestured for the others to follow him to the kitchen.

Rowan and Aedion shifted. Rowan dug Fenrys lightly in the side, narrowing his eyes, but Fenrys just wiggled his eyebrows at Rowan in return.

“My boys.” Lorcan muttered “That is not a thing.” But uncrossed his arms and stood to lead the way to the kitchen.

Aelin couldn’t hear what followed, but it seemed to involve some pleading from Fenrys with Rowan and Lorcan looking varying degrees of uncomfortable. She definitely caught Fenrys mouth the word models, as his arms jerked out, hands splayed wide, but she looked away and took in the rest of the loft.

The open plan living room was surprisingly homely for a group of men in their mid-twenties, with a worn-looking brown-leather sofa with a number of patterned pillows and throws draped along. The wooden dining table behind looked worn but sturdy, with a few odd items left haphazardly on the top.

It was also surprisingly clean. She supposed that’s probably Aedion’s influence, not that the others were slobs, but Aedion had always been a meticulous cleaner, and hideously organised.  

After some more hushed whispers the men turned and slotted back into the living room. Each took up the spot they had occupied before.

“We,” Rowan waved a hand between the members of the group “just have a few questions we need to ask. Logistics.” He directed a pointed look in Fenrys’ direction.

“You don’t have pets do you?” Lorcan asked.

“Nope.” She shook her head.

“You don’t keep weird hours like Rowan do you?” Fenrys chimed in with a scowl at Rowan who raised his hands.

“No,” She replied with a laugh, “The youth of Adarlan test my patience regularly enough for me not to risk going to work without enough sleep.”

They all nodded along.

“And you can move in right away?”

“Yes, as soon as possible. I don’t think Lysandra’s roommate likes me.”

Manon Blackbeak had lived with Lysandra for years, and had always seemed the quiet type to Aelin, seeming to keep to herself. She was stunningly beautiful, as all of Lysandra’s model friends were, but her personality didn’t seem to match. Moving in with them, Aelin had seen a new side to the golden-eyed woman. A side that was particularly unhappy that Aelin and most of her belongings were covering the small space of Lysandra and Manon’s living room. It was why she needed a new place. Fast.

“Okay, great.” Aedion said, smiling at her “We’d love for you to move in as soon as you’re ready.”

She couldn’t hold back her own grin, relieved at how easy it had been with this group of males.

Hello, Loft 4D.

-----

This is the first fanfic I’ve posted for Throne of Glass! I hope you enjoy I’m very excited for this!

#rowaelin #rowaelin fanfic #aelin ashryver galathynius #rowan whitethorn #aedion ashryver #lysandra #lorcan salvaterre #fenrys moonbeam #throne of glass #throne of glass fanfic #manon blackbeak #aelin x rowan #aedion x lysandra #rowaelin fic #agkol #a groovy kind of love

[seasonofthewicth]

A Groovy Kind of Love - Chapter 18 snippet

“I don’t think she needs Havilliard, have none of you noticed her room has been empty for days?”

Rowan’s thumb stilled above her knee. 

“What?” Aedion’s eyes flicked to her own as he spoke. 

Lorcan rose from the floor, wiping his hands off against his baggy t-shirt, a shit-eating grin threatening at his lips. Aelin stared him down and she knew Rowan was doing the same. 

He cocked his head at her, locks of his dark hair sliding forward over his shoulder. “I have the bedroom closest to their end of the loft, even so I’m surprised none of you have heard the noises coming from Whitethorn’s room.” 

He didn’t break eye contact as he revealed her little secret, but Aelin didn’t miss a beat. “If you like listening so much you’re always welcome to join.”

#we're back baby!!! #idk if anyone still cares about this fic #but i do #and i feel like discussions of reveals is a theme for my snippets #so this is what we're going with #agkol #damn it has been a while #it should be up tomorrow #I’m nervous about posting this it’s been so long #oh well

[seasonofthewicth]

A Groovy Kind of Love - Chapter 6

AN: I feel like I’ve got my mojo back with this fic a little bit, this was so fun to write and I hope it’s fun to read too!

masterlist

------

First days were always nerve-racking, and this one was no different.

Aelin knew she had no real reason to be nervous other than the fact it was new, she had prepared what she needed, even taking extra time this morning to make sure she had put on a swipe of make-up and a smart outfit to feel primed for the day.

She’d taken it upon herself to wake Fenrys up half an hour earlier than normal to make sure he would be ready to leave on time, she knew he normally rocked up to the school right on the bell, but she needed to be at least five minutes early to meet the principal, lest she look unprepared.

Fenrys had left her outside the principal’s office, waiting for the woman to arrive, taking in the blue carpet of the floor and the wooden panels of the walls. The school was in an old building, with mostly traditional décor that gave it character unlike her old school. She liked it. Even though the chair she sat in was hard and uncomfortable as she shifted her weight while she waited for the principal to appear.

She had been thankful for Fenrys’ comforting presence in the car on their way, he had chattered away filling her in on the harmless school gossip, distracting her from her worries about the new school, but now he was gone, off to teach his own classes for the day, the nerves had settled back in.

He had been almost more excited than Aelin about her new role, glad to have her at the school, and he had championed most of the drinking the night she had found out. She had had a great night, each of her friends seemed genuinely happy for her and had toasted to her all night, even once she had gone to bed they had continued to celebrate.

She hadn’t managed to quiz Lysandra after her kiss with Aelin’s cousin, whenever Aedion came up between the two Lysandra had been quick to change the subject, embarrassed at her drunk actions and the fact that they had even played truth or dare at all.

Aedion had recovered well, from Lysandra’s determined ignorance of his existence every time she saw him since, and Aelin was relatively sure he had brought a guest home from the night she hadn’t made it out to and had instead gone to bed.

Gone to bed might have been putting it generously, she remembered the way Rowan had guided her to her room. A gentle hand making sure she didn’t stumble, tucking her sheets over her and leaving a glass of water for her to down in the morning.

Her heart gave a squeeze at how gentle he had been.

Heels clacked against the cheap flooring and she glanced up. The woman striding towards her was dressed smartly in a black pencil skirt and a navy blue blouse. She had a couple of decades on Aelin, but her dark locks didn’t have even a hint of grey, nor did her harsh face have the beginning of a wrinkle.

The woman strode up to Aelin and presented her with a hand.

“Miss Galathynius I presume? Welcome to our school.” Her voice was stern but polite and Aelin stood and shook the hand she was offered. “I’m Maeve Valg, Principal, we’re glad to have you on board. Please follow me.”

The woman, Maeve, led the way into the office Aelin had been sat outside. Aelin nodded, greeting the woman and following her in.

Inside the office it was tidy, shelves lined the walls, overflowing with books and files, but organised in a way that Aelin was jealous of. Her own organisation wasn’t lacking, it couldn’t be, as a teacher she needed to know where things were, but she could never reach this level of military-style precision.

The Principal took a seat behind the large wooden desk in the centre of the room and Aelin dropped to the seat on the other side, facing her.

“Welcome,” She said again, a polite smile on her lips.

“Thank you, it’s great to be here.” Aelin said, folding her hands in her lap.

First impressions were important, and she knew she’d be able to get away with much more at a later date if she gave Maeve the initial impression that she was to be trusted.

Maeve nodded.

“It’s great to have you here, I was impressed with your interview, and I’m confident that you will fit into our school ethos well.”

Aelin smiled. She knew from Fenrys that the school valued the community spirit and communication between teachers a departments, she was excited to get stuck in. She told Maeve as much and she received another slight smile.

A knock sounded at the door behind her and Maeve called for whoever was on the other side to come in.

“Ah yes,” Maeve said standing from behind her desk. “I’ve invited Mr Havilliard to show you around. He can give you a bit more information than I can as I have to attend a meeting now.”

Aelin turned to the man in the doorway and saw he was grinning at her.

He was as handsome as a Disney prince, his thick dark hair curled around his ears, and his deep blue eyes were striking and sparkling. She took in his clean white shirt and pressed trousers where he stood. He wasn’t as tall as her roommates, but he still tilted his chin to smile down at her.

“Dorian Havilliard.” He offered his hand. “At your service.”

She shook his hand. “Aelin Galathynius.”

He grinned at her even wider than before. “Follow me Aelin,” He turned to the door with a nod behind her at the principal.

“Thanks,” She smiled at the dark haired woman before following Dorian out the door.

Once in the hall, his posture relaxed, and Aelin adjusted hers in response. He led the way down the nearest hallway, the corridors empty of any students given that the first period had already begun.

“Don’t worry about her, she’s a hard ass, but you get used to it.” He told her, his voice was low and smooth.

“Right, good to know,” She joked. “I was worried.”

He shook his head. “Don’t be. She’s like that with me still and I’ve been here for years.”

She blinked; he couldn’t have been much older than her. He must have sensed her confusion, or seen the look that crossed her face, and said, “I’ve been here seven years, got the job straight out of college, worked my way up to be one of the assistant principals last year.”

Impressive, Aelin noted. He must have been at least couple of years older than her then, making him maybe thirty, if her quick mental maths added up.

“What do you teach?” She asked him, curious about that path he had taken to get where he was.

“English,” He told her. “I love it, have loved it since I was a kid.”

Aelin shared his interest, she had loved reading ever since her childhood and her mother had bought her book after book when she devoured the stories one by one. She supposed that was where her interest in history had stemmed from, reading historical fiction had led her to historical non-fiction and she found the tales of knights and kings and queens to be fascinating. Sweeping her away into tales of honour and warfare and romance, distant enough from her reality to transport her away.

They were making their way down the halls, Dorian pointing out the points of interest on their tour, telling her where the cafeteria was, where the main hall and staff rooms were. He showed her where her office would be, and they walked past the classroom that would become hers once she had time to make it her own.

“So,” He turned to her after walking her through the grounds of the school, showing her the sports pitches and athletics track. “What’s your story?”

She pondered his question for a moment, chewing the inside of her lip slightly as she took in his smile and the way he was walking close to her, his shoulders leaning into her own.

“My story?” She shrugged, flicking her eyes out across the field in front of her. “I lost my old job to budget cuts, but I’d been there for a couple of years. I actually moved here after college when I qualified and then got the job pretty much straight away.”

He nodded along as she spoke, a dark curl of his hair bobbing along his forehead as he did, but then he tilted his head at her, a piercing look in his sapphire-blue eyes.

“I knew you weren’t from around here, but I couldn’t place the accent.”

“I’m from Terrasen.” She told him, thinking fondly of her home country and her parents who lived there still. It’s rolling mountains and grassy plains that she had explored as a child, sometimes alone, sometimes with Aedion when him and his parents came to visit.

“My accent isn’t as strong now that I’ve been in Adarlan for so long.”

Dorian only smiled at her. “I like it.”

She smiled, unsure how else to respond. Was it wise to flirt with a colleague? She wasn’t truly sure she wanted to flirt with him, and she fought the part of her brain that flashed an image of Rowan up at her. She was trying her best to keep her distance, at least in that respect.

“I teach history, I love it, but I love reading too. I also live with Fenrys, I don’t know if you know him?”

“Fenrys?” He questioned. “Coach Moonbeam?”

She nodded and watched something flash across his face at the confirmation, something she’d have to ask Fenrys about. If his reputation had ruined her first friendship at the school before it had barely had chance to start she’d kill him.

“Yeah,” She confirmed warily. “We live together. He told me about the opening here.”

“I see.” She couldn’t place Dorian’s reaction to her roommate, so quickly changed the subject.

“Any advice for this school?” She asked as he held the door open for her to re-enter the building.

“Not really,” He huffed a slight laugh, scratching his jaw. “Stick with me, and a couple of other teachers here that are pretty sound, and you’ll be fine.”

“Yeah? You’ll have to introduce me.”

Maybe if she could make her own friends here she wouldn’t have to follow Fenrys around like a lost puppy.

He checked his watch, something silver and clearly expensive before saying, “Actually, I think some of them might be free now.”

He led her back through the hallways to the staff room he had pointed out earlier and pushed into the small room.

There were kitchen counters around the sides, a number of cupboards no doubt stuffed full of mugs and plates, standard for a school staff room. There were tables and chairs dotted about the space and at one of the tables sat a man and two women, each nursing a mug that based on the smell she knew contained coffee.

“Aelin,” Dorian began. “Meet Chaol, Yrene and Nehemia.”

He pointed around the table as he made the introductions.

The man, Chaol, was stern looking but his expression lightened when he offered her a small smile, his copper-brown eyes crinkling at the motion. The woman next to him smiled widely at Aelin, Yrene, was beautiful, and her brown hair fell in spirals down her back, golden highlights standing out. A shining ring on her left hand glinted as she waved at Aelin around her mug.

The final woman, Nehemia, was striking. Her dark skin was smooth and her raven hair, braided down her back, had small elements of gold scattered throughout. Nehemia shot her a sly grin upon introduction, Aelin liked her immediately.

“Guys meet Aelin Galathynius. The new head of humanities, Terrasen native and Fenrys Moonbeam’s roommate.”

At Dorian’s introduction Chaol nearly choked on a mouthful of coffee and Nehemia outright cackled. Aelin needed to ask Fenrys about it.

“Hi Aelin,” Yrene smiled at her, her face kind as she waved a hand at the teachers on either side of herself. “Ignore them, welcome. How is your first day going?”

“It’s fine so far,” Aelin said as she followed Dorian over to where he was fetching a cup of coffee and grabbing her own. “I’ve had a great tour.”

Nehemia laughed again, “Right.” She said sarcastically and Dorian flashed her the finger.

“Where did he show you? I’m sure he probably managed to leave somewhere out,” Chaol cut in, his tone ribbing Dorian again.

“Everywhere, I think. Or at least I’d hope so.” She said, taking her seat next to him, Dorian slotting in on her other side.

“Hmm,” Chaol hummed, shooting an unimpressed look at Dorian who held his hands up, grinning at Chaol.

“I did!” Dorian protested to Chaol who rolled his eyes and sighed a laugh. Aelin laughed along, she could tell Chaol was exasperated, but fond of Dorian.

The dynamic between the group was easy, friendly and teasing, but clearly a very tight knit group. Chaol and Yrene were an adorable couple, very much in love, Dorian had sung at her when she had asked. Nehemia had a killer sense of humour, mostly at Dorian’s expense, but he always laughed along, taking the jokes in his stride.

He had been extremely friendly towards her. Filling all of the gaps in her knowledge without her needing to ask, touching her gently on the arm when he directed the conversation to her.

He was an extremely attractive man, with a charming kind of confidence that she normally would have been all over. Had she met him in a bar, she could see herself sliding into the seat next to him and flashing him a small smile while she accepted the drink he would have offered to buy her.

But they weren’t in a bar, they were at work, and he was technically her boss.

She could hear Lysandra’s warnings, you know it’s a bad idea, she would tut before reassuring Aelin she could find a man anywhere else, that she didn’t need Dorian and his disarming smiles.

Lysandra, as per usual, was probably right.

------

The rest of her day flew by quickly. She had a brief introduction to her classes from Maeve, fresh out of her meeting with the school board, and she had had some time to move her belongings and teaching aids into her classroom. Tomorrow would be her first full day of teaching and she was prepared.

It was only later that evening that she remembered to ask Fenrys about Dorian and his friends’ reactions to his name, even though they had driven home together he had filled the journey with tales of his students and their inabilities to play simple games.

She cornered him in the kitchen as he grabbed a beer from the fridge, resting her hand against the island, blocking his exit as she asked.

“Dorian Havilliard?” He questioned; his face carefully blank.

“Yes, do you know him? He had an interesting reaction to your name.”

More than just that, his friends had outright laughed at Dorian when Fenrys’ name had been mentioned. Surely all of the outlandish situations her imagination was telling her were way off, it had to be something small.

Fenrys sighed, taking a swig of his beer and lifting a hand to rub the back of his neck.

“Dorian Havilliard and I have a history.” He winced as he said the words.

Aelin groaned. She could try to repair any fights they had had; she knew she could definitely blackmail Fenrys into an apology, she liked Dorian and his friends.

“What kind of a history?” She narrowed her eyes.

A blush started on Fenrys’ neck, spreading up to his cheeks.

“A… sexual history.”

“No!” She gasped.

She ran through the interactions she and Dorian had had today. She felt a blush creeping up her cheeks, she had thought he had been flirting with her, complimenting her accent and the way he had been leaning into her. How had she read it so wrong? And Fenrys had a… history with him?

Fenrys bit his lip as he nodded.

“Oh gods,” She groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead. “I thought he was flirting with me.”

Fenrys shrugged, unbothered by both her reaction and his own revelation. “He probably was, to be fair. He flirts with everyone.”

It was that moment that Rowan chose to come into the kitchen.

She fought the small wave of embarrassment at the sight of him, at the thought of the conversation they had had when she thanked him for putting her to bed. She hadn’t been sure whether to mention it or not but decided it would have been worse to not acknowledge it.

He had been graceful, reassuring her with a small smile that it was no bother. Which she appreciated, had the roles been switched she would have made sure he got to bed. Well, she would have tried.

And she was grateful, any of her other roommates probably would have left her on the couch. Lorcan probably would have even taken photos of her passed out, probably would have enjoyed seeing how many things he could have balanced on her sleeping form.  

“Who flirts with everyone?” He asked, stepping around her to get to the fridge.

He was dressed in his usual uniform of jeans and a flannel shirt; this one was green, and it complemented his silver hair.

“Fenrys’ ex, one of the teachers at the school.” She told him, but Fenrys shook his head around a mouthful of his beer.

“Not my ex,” He said once he had swallowed. “It was a one-time thing. Years ago.”

It reassured her slightly that she hadn’t been crazy, and that she had probably picked up on the cues from Dorian correctly.

“He was flirting with you?” Rowan turned to her, pulling his own beer out of the fridge, his tan face unreadable.

“I think so,” She pursed her lips.

“Oh,” Rowan’s voice was quiet, and he looked down to the beer in his hand.

“It was probably nothing,” She found herself saying. “I wasn’t flirting back.”

“You could.” Fenrys said from beside her. “It would be fine with me, he’s a decent enough guy. Good in bed too.”

She pushed him on the arm, and he laughed.

“Didn’t need to know that,” She laughed as she pushed his arm again when he made a suggestive gesture at her. “Get out that’s gross.”

“Didn’t think you were a prude, Galathynius.” He teased, but turned from the room, blowing a kiss at her as he left.

She turned to Rowan, who remained leaning against the counter opposite her, picking at the label on his beer bottle.

“Office romance on day one, huh?” He teased her, his lips twitching with the smirk that was threatening to break through.

“Stop that,” She told him. “It was very light flirting.”

He shrugged at her, taking a sip of his beer.  

“If that even, he probably wasn’t. Or maybe I’m making it up.”

“Now you stop.” Rowan told her; his eyebrows drawn as he pushed off from the counter. “Why wouldn’t he have been flirting with you?”

She raised her eyebrow at him, unimpressed, daring him to continue.

“I’m serious,” He continued, stepping over until he was directly in front of her.

Every time they were close she was struck by how much bigger he was than her. And how good he smelled, his pine and snow combination was clean and fresh, she took a deep breath in.

“Why wouldn’t he want to flirt with you?”

She tilted her head up to look at him, suddenly vulnerable in what had previously been a light-hearted conversation, taking in his serious expression. His eyes were earnest as he looked into her own.

“I don’t know,” She started, not drawing her eyes away from his. She wasn’t sure she was able to. “After Arobynn I haven’t been flirted with for a while.”

She loosed a self-deprecating laugh.

He put his beer down on the counter, resting his hand on the counter by her side, his front was almost pressed up against hers now and her breaths came quickly.

“Of course you have,” He told her, his voice soft. “Maybe you just haven’t noticed.”

She swallowed hard.

He picked up a piece of her hair between two of his fingers, smiling gently as he twisted the strand around a knuckle. Aelin liked his smile, it showed a lighter side of him, and he looked especially handsome when he did.

“I think I would notice if guys had been flirting with me.” Her voice was rough as his other hand came down on the bench by her waist. He boxed her in to the island now, close enough to her to share breath, as he hummed in response.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she felt as if an electric current was thrumming below her skin at his close proximity.

“I’m not convinced.” His voice rumbled over her skin, his breath brushing her ear sending shivers down her spine as she tucked her chin down at the sensation. Her action pinned Rowan’s face in the crook of her neck, but he didn’t pull away, instead he pressed his face into the spot where her shoulder met her neck, breathing her in deeply.

His lips brushed against her neck, their touch feather light.

Aelin couldn’t move. She was sure she was panting now; Rowan’s own breaths had increased their pace where she felt his chest pressing against her own. Each brush lighting sparks along her skin.

She needed to be careful, this would look incriminating to any of their roommates if they walked in now, but she couldn’t connect her brain to her body.

While her rational brain was screaming at her to step away and put some distance between herself and Rowan, her traitorous body urged her to press closer into Rowan. Urged her to press her hips against his own and generate the friction she craved.

Rowan’s brain seemed to work faster than her own as he drew his head back with a hiss, leaning on his heels to put some distance between them. She felt the cold where her body now touched only air.

His green eyes were dark, almost taken over by his pupils as he scanned her face.

He cleared his throat and picked his beer back up of the island.

“I think you’d notice.” He told her with a hint of a smile.

He stepped back from her fully and left the kitchen without another word. She heard his bedroom door close before she managed to breathe again.

She screwed her eyes shut as she squeezed her thighs together, trying to convince herself she felt nothing.

He was a rutting good flirt, damn him. She definitely noticed.

------

tags:

@jesstargaryenqueen​

@maybekindasortaace​

@slytheringalathynius​

@http-itsrebecca​

@morganofthewildfire​

@in-love-with-caramel-macchiato​

@fictional-horan​

@tottenhamboys20​

@dressedindustandshadows​

@sleeping-and-books​

@perseusannabeth​

@ireallyshouldsleeprn​

@superspiritfestival​

@aelinfeyreeleven945tbln​

@spyofthenightcourt​

@jlinez​

@queen-of-glass​

@booknerdproblems​

I’ve combined the tag list for this fic and general tog for ease, but I’m not convinced I’ve done it right so let me know if I need to make any changes.

#rowaelin #throne of glass #rowan whitethorn #aelin ashryver galathynius #rowan x aelin #rowaelin au #a groovy kind of love #agkol #aedion ashryver #fenrys moonbeam #lorcan salvaterre #lysandra #aedion x lysandra #lysaedion #dorian havilliard #chaol westfall #yrene towers #nehemia ytger #throne of glass fic #throne of glass fanfic #rowaelin fic #rowaelin fanfic #I hope i dont get any hate for my choices lol #fenrys loves dorian in canon lol #wbk

[seasonofthewicth]

A Groovy Kind of Love - Chapter 3

masterlist

AN: This took me so long because I wasn’t sure whether to split this chapter in half, I ended up doing it so I think it flows a bit better and hasn’t become a monster of a chapter. Things are starting to get a little juicy!!

----- 

The next two weeks flew by in a blur as Aelin settled in to her new normal. She had spent days debating how to arrange the furniture in her bedroom, enlisting Fenrys and Aedion multiple times to move her bed from one side of the room to the other and back again until she was satisfied with its placement.

She had managed to put her personality into the boring room, its brick walls spiced up by colourful wall hangings and the wooden beams of the ceiling offset by drapes of dangling plants across her shelves. She felt at home in the loft.

Her moving into the communal areas had been more of a struggle. Rowan and Lorcan protested her attempts to cover the sofa with her hand-made quilts but they had relented once Fenrys and Aedion had expressed their support.

“We don’t want it to be too much of a guys’ apartment,” Aedion had admitted.

When Lorcan had protested that it was a guys’ apartment with a not-so-subtle smirk at her she had lobbed one of her throws at his head. He had caught it and his smirk spread to a full blown grin, but he tucked it onto the arm of the couch, nonetheless. She supposed it was actually a progression of their relationship that she knew he was teasing. The past two weeks had shown her that most of his snarky comments were joking, whether or not their delivery seemed as such.

 She had learned many new things about all of the guys in the loft since moving in. She had thought she had known all there was to know about her cousin, and they had always got along, but she was delighted to find that they had quickly become as close as brother and sister. His eager personality paired him well with Aelin’s outgoing nature.

The only issue was the frequency that she had ended up sharing her breakfast with one of his visitors, always dressed in one of his shirts or their own dress from the night before. She didn’t judge the girls, she just didn’t need to think about her cousin in that way, although it had surprised her that he hadn’t made any comments to Aelin about Lysandra since their flirtations the day she moved in. In fact, she had expected him to ask for her friends number the next day; but the request never came.

She had watched the two of them on the first night she and Lysandra had visited the bar Rowan worked at. It had quickly become the spot she spent most of her evenings at, the rest of the loft joining too, on the nights Rowan was working.

The bar reminded her of Rowan; dark walls with old-fashioned lamps placed around the room to brighten up the space. The wooden panels around the bar were rustic and worn-looking without being shabby, and it had an easy mix of regular patrons and drop-in drinkers that felt homely and comfortable. Rowan’s attire of plaid shirts fit in as well and while they rotated in their colour they were a guaranteed feature, along with the rag he slung over his shoulder that made him look like such a typical bartender she hid her snigger in her drink.

It was during those nights at the bar that she had gotten to know Rowan the most. The bar was never particularly busy so he could spend most of his shifts talking to her, fixing her sweet cocktails without her even having to ask.

“What else would Aelin Galathynius drink?” He had teased her the first time she and Lysandra had paid the bar a visit. He had even tucked a pink umbrella into each of their glasses.

They had made easy small talk while he worked and she found it fascinating to watch him work, the way his hands would flow across the bar, steady and strong while he poured. He had an easy way of interacting with customers, polite but charming that helped to earn him the tips she spotted him receiving.

She herself had contributed to a large number of those tips, seeing as he hadn’t let her or Lysandra pay for a single drink any of the times they had visited. Aedion, Fenrys and Lorcan didn’t pay either, but none of them seemed inclined to tip, probably a result of having the routine down for years.

She sighed, longing to spend a chilled night in the bar now, but the summer was over and her first day back teaching high school history was upon her. She adjusted her blouse where it hung from her shoulders and slipped on her pumps.

She headed to the kitchen to fix her coffee and was met with Fenrys and Aedion in the kitchen.

“Morning,” Fenrys greeted her around his mouthful of cereal.

“Good morning,” She greeted in return. “You excited for today?”

“You know it,” He pointed his spoon at her, “Being the most liked teacher in the school really is fun.”

“Right,” She laughed as Aedion rolled his eyes.

“Fortunately, I have to get to my job where I’m also the most liked employee.” Aedion drawled sarcastically. He was the only male employee at a marketing company and he probably would have enjoyed it if any of the women there would have given him a second thought. Instead, to his dismay, he had ended up the little brother of the office.

“I’ll head down with you,” She said collecting her things and waving a goodbye to Fenrys as they headed out.

Once at her car she bid Aedion goodbye and started her drive to the school. From the new loft her school was now an hour drive, it had only been fifteen minutes from Arobynn’s place, but that was beside the point. She could put up with a longer commute if it meant not having to see that monster of a man ever again.

She arrived at the school and pulled into her allocated parking space, grabbing her things she headed into the morning teachers briefing. She smiled at the few teachers she knew as she took her seat, she didn’t have many friends at the school, most of the teachers had at least twenty years on her which made finding common ground tough, not impossible, but she wasn’t desperate to see them outside of the school.

“Morning everyone, welcome back.” The principal started and read the list of notices for the beginning of the school year. She zoned out, these notices were the same every year and she didn’t have any first year classes this semester, so she knew all of the kids she’d have and nearly all of them were great.

“Now, unfortunately I’ve saved the worst until last.” The principal’s voice cut in, interrupting her planning. “The district has let us know we need to make some budget cuts, and we’ll likely be looking to cut some staff in the larger departments.”

Her stomach sank. Shit. That didn’t bode well. History was one of the biggest departments and had one of the largest budgets for the number of trips the students went on to complement their studies. She also hadn’t been at the school for long either, only a couple of years since she qualified, so she’d likely be one of the ones to be cut.

“We recognise that this isn’t great timing but unfortunately the decision has come from the high-ups.” The principal’s apology mellowed her slightly, but she couldn’t fight the element of panic that was creeping in.

Once the principal had finished she left the meeting and traipsed to her classroom. She couldn’t fight the dread in her stomach, it was surely only a matter of time before the principal sent for her to break the bad news. She couldn’t believe the timing, at the start of the school year, just as she was beginning to feel settled in the loft it was all getting shaken up.

-----

The bar wasn’t busy, it never was on late Tuesday afternoons, but there were still a scattering of customers Rowan needed to serve in between chatting with Fenrys who was perched on a stool at the bar. Aedion and Lorcan would likely come through the doors soon, settling in their own stools until Rowan closed up.

It had become their place to hang out once Rowan had got the job there a couple of years ago. It was comfortable and Rowan’s boss didn’t mind him giving his friends a few drinks on the house, Rowan knew he was a valuable employee, he took it seriously, even if it was just bar work to some. It was also nice to spend some time together out of the loft, and he liked that Aelin had joined a few times since moving in, she slotted well into the dynamic.

He was wiping some spilled beer off the top when Fenrys’ question reached him.

“Have you decided who you’re bringing as your date for the weekend?”

His date? The weekend?

“What’s this weekend?”

Fenrys rolled his eyes, used to Rowan’s lack of organisation.

“Essar’s wedding remember, we RSVP’d months ago.” Fenrys’ tone was teasing.

“Right, that. I remember now.” This was something he must have buried deep inside his mind. He knew what Essar’s wedding would mean. All of their college friends would be reunited, himself, Aedion and Fenrys had all received an invitation which meant Lyria would have had one herself. Ah, the question of his date. “I hadn’t thought about it to be honest.”

The door swung open and Aedion slid through, loosening his tie, followed by Lorcan out of his uniform but still in a Rifthold City Police Department t-shirt. As they took their seats he filled their glasses.

“What’s the topic of conversation for tonight gentlemen.” Aedion’s voice was cheery.

“Essar’s wedding, or more specifically our dates.” Fenrys’ eyes sparkled.

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself, boyo,” Lorcan said to Fenrys, “If there’s an open bar one of you is taking me.”

“Since when!” Fenrys exclaimed.

“Since now,” Lorcan laughed.

“I can,” Rowan offered, but didn’t go any further when he caught Aedion and Fenrys share a look.

“No, my friend,” Fenrys grinned at him, leaning over the bar, “You will take a date. A female date. Someone who will show Lyria you’re over her.”

“Who? I’m not dating anyone and there isn’t long to start dating someone new.” Five days was not enough to find a date he could take as a plus one for a wedding. That was at least a second date activity.

“There’s plenty of time, and if not,” He didn’t like the grin building on Fenrys’ face, “You could always take a fake date.”

“No,” He shook his head, absolutely not. He wasn’t that pathetic. “Absolutely not. What are we? Fifteen?”

“You don’t have to be young to be desperate.” He was going to kill Fenrys.

“You could go alone and show Lyria that if you wanted.” Aedion knew his words would hit Rowan in the right place. “Or you could take a fake date.”

“Who would I even ask?”

Even Lorcan grinned, seemingly caught up on the joke Fenrys and Aedion were teasing him with. Rowan knew his resistance was somehow waning.

“How about Aelin’s friend Lysandra?” Fenrys’ suggestion came far too quickly.

“Stop it,” Rowan scolded him, he couldn’t be serious. He barely knew Lysandra, they had only met twice, and hadn’t ever spoken one on one. But she was an attractive woman, and Lyria would notice. Stop. He wasn’t seriously considering this.

“Maybe I’ll invite Lysandra then. You could always ask Aelin.” Aedion said, enjoying himself far too much.

“Aelin?” He repeated, Aedion had to be joking. He and Aelin were friends now. That would be weird.

Aedion’s response was interrupted by the arrival of Aelin herself, Rowan hissed at them to change the subject as Aelin slammed her bag down and plopped into her seat. Her golden hair was mussed, her ponytail pulling to one side and her cardigan hung off one of her shoulders. It was the most dishevelled he had seen her; she was normally far more put together.

“Pink wine, stat. Please.” Her manners seemed to be tacked on at the end as an afterthought.

“Everything okay?” He asked her, turning to the side to fetch her drink.

She let out a delirious laugh, “I lost my job today.”

The atmosphere at the bar changed immediately, Aedion hopped off his stool to slide onto the one next to her and put his arm around her shoulders.

“Gods, are you okay? What happened?” His voice was full of concern.

“Nothing bad, I wasn’t fired or anything, but it’s budget cuts,” Her voice was thick, clearly more affected than she attempted to seem. He placed her glass in front of her.

“That’s rough, I’m sorry. Drinks on me though.” She offered him a tight smile. The others murmured their own commiserations.

“Thanks.”

“Ace I’m so sorry, is there anything we can do?” Aedion asked gently.

“No,” She leaned into his arm and raised her glass, “Just drink with me, distract me. What were you guys talking about before I arrived?” This brought a smile to Fenrys’ face again as he leaned forward.

“We were discussing our plans for the weekend. The wedding of a friend from college is coming up.” Aelin nodded along as he spoke, taking a large gulp of her wine. “Essar’s family is minted so we all get plus ones, meaning,” He seemed to pause, building his own tension. “Rowan needs a date to show Lyria he’s over her. And seeing as it’s Rowan he might need some help with that.”

He was going to kill Fenrys.

“I’m just going to suck it up. There’s not time to find a date.” He dismissed the idea, this ended now.

“Rowan,” She smiled at him, “Of course you can find a date by the weekend.”

She was being so nice, but all it was doing was adding fuel to the fire for Aedion and Fenrys.

“Thanks, Aelin, but—”

“Ace,” Aedion interrupted him, “Poor Rowan here, is useless at finding himself dates even without time pressure, so I suggested an easy solution to his problem.”

He was going to kill Aedion too.

“He takes you.” Aelin’s eyes snapped to him, her mouth dropping open. “A fake girlfriend, it’s perfect really.” At Aedion’s explanation something changed in her expression that he couldn’t decipher.

He stumbled to put her at ease, “You honestly don’t have to, it’s a stupid idea.” He ran a hand through his hair shakily. This was embarrassing.

“How bad will it be? Seeing Lyria?” She asked, tapping her fingers on the side of her wine glass. Surely she wasn’t seriously considering this.

He looked to the ceiling, hoping to draw some strength from somewhere. “Honestly, it could be pretty bad,” he admitted. There was no point in lying when nearly all of the cards were on the table. “But I would be fine, there’s no pressure.”

She took another sip of her wine, swilling it around her cheeks before carefully swallowing.

“Who doesn’t love a wedding?” She asked, sending him a sly smile. “I’ll show Lyria what she’s missing.”

“You’re sure about this?” He still wasn’t convinced this was a good idea. He ignored the grins he knew were likely already on his friends’ faces.

“Why not?” She shrugged at him. “I’m not buying my own drinks though.”

“Deal,” He returned her smile. He really wasn’t sure this was a good idea. Alcohol and playing Aelin’s boyfriend were definitely a dangerous combination.  

-----

tags:

@jesstargaryenqueen​

@maybekindasortaace​

@slytheringalathynius​

@http-itsrebecca​

@morganofthewildfire​

@in-love-with-caramel-macchiato​

@fictional-horan​

@tottenhamboys20​

@dressedindustandshadows​

as always if I’ve missed anyone please let me know!

#a groovy kind of love #agkol #rowaelin #rowaelin fic #rowaelin fanfic #aelin ashryver galathynius #rowan whitethorn #aelin x rowan #aedion ashryver #lorcan salvaterre #fenrys moonbeam #lysandra #throne of glass #throne of glass fanfic #new girl au #aelin galythinius #also i read this over multiple times so if anything isn't right deal with it