Angel of Small Death, Epilogue
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Lemon under the cut.
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Sometime in the middle of the night, Elide woke. She was on her side, Lorcan’s arm draped over her waist. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck.
And her arm - squished underneath her - was cramping.
She shifted and found a comfier position, facing him. Her movement caused Lorcan to stir, blinking sleepy eyes at her. His hair had fallen into his face, and before Elide could think, she brushed it back behind his ear. His eyes fluttered shut under her touch.
“It’s the middle of the night,” she whispered, still running her fingers through his hair. “Go back to sleep.”
Lorcan reached up and enveloped her hand in his own, brought it down between them. He pressed his lips to her knuckles, the simple touch sending shivers down Elide’s spine.
When he looked at her, his black eyes glinted in the moonlight. And Elide wondered what those lips would feel like on her own, remembered how it had felt that night in the marsh, all those weeks ago.
She wanted to kiss him again.
She pressed her lips against his, once, twice, heart hammering in her chest. For a brief, terrifying, irrational moment Elide panicked - what if he rejected her? What if the mating bond was a fluke? What if -
But all thoughts were cast aside when Lorcan pulled her flush to his chest, lips on hers, arms holding her tight. He ran his tongue over the seam of her lips and Elide opened, pliant beneath his touch. His kisses were warm, and surprisingly gentle. He planted kisses against her neck, up her jaw. “What do you want, Elide?”
She swallowed. What did she want? The thought of sex used to terrify her, but with Lorcan she felt safe.
And she wanted him. Wanted him to kiss her harder. Wanted to run her hands over his naked skin, wanted to feel his lips and teeth and tongue all over her. Her core felt tight and hot, as if begging for his touch.
He skimmed his hand down her waist, rested it on her hip, the heat of his hand seeping through the fabric of her pants, and she couldn’t help but think what it would feel like if he touched her there.
“I want…” she said, and thanked whatever gods were listening that her voice didn’t shake. “To finish what we were doing that night. In the marsh.”
Lorcan inhaled sharply, and with inhuman speed moved so he was hovering over her, those massive shoulders blocking out the moonlight.
“That night in the marsh,” he said, voice low, “I would have done this.”
He kissed her with the feral hunger she’d expect of a fae, as if he were trying to devour her. His hand came up, cupped her cheek and tilted her head back, deepening the kiss, sending waves of heat straight to her core. He pressed kisses down her throat, and then scraped his teeth against the sensitive flesh by her pulse point.
Elide couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her.
His hand came down to her hip, fingers skimming underneath the fabric of her shirt - ghosting over her ribs, higher. His hand cupped her breast, thumb brushing over the sensitive peak. A wave of heat sliced through her, and Elide bit her lip to keep quiet.
Lorcan repeated the motion, again and again. “Off,” he murmured, tugging at her shirt.
Breathless, Elide complied, grateful for the dark, for the barely-there moonlight. Lorcan sat back on his heels and watched her rapturously as she sat up and removed the garment.
He leaned forward and kissed her. “You are,” he murmured, lips brushing hers, “The most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen.”
Hand fisted in her hair, he pulled her neck back in a sinuous arch and planted kisses down her throat, her breasts, laved at the ovesensitive peaks. Elide dug her fingers into the meat of his shoulder and pressed her thighs together, skin feeling too tight, too hot. She wanted him closer. She wanted him in ways she didn’t know how to describe. Closer. Wholly. Lorcan was hers, and she was his, and doing this with anyone else was unthinkable.
Feeling heady and bold, Elide tugged her pants and undergarments down. Lorcan stopped what he was doing and lifted his head, a silent question in his eyes. Elide kicked her pants off from around her ankles. “You, too.”
And he did, slowly, as if giving her time to change her mind. As if expecting her to reject him.
And Elide wondered how much of it was giving her the space to lead this, and how much of it was a genuine fear.
So Elide leaned up, took his face in her hands, and kissed him, slowly, gently, thoroughly. His hands found her waist and he held her steady as he laid back, Elide’s knees on either side of him. She could feel his cock pressing against her thigh; her mouth went dry at the thought of it. Inside of her.
She took his lower lip between her teeth as she pulled away. Spurred on by the low moan she elicited, she reached down and wrapped her hand around his cock.
“Elide,” he choked, but she hushed him with a kiss.
“I said I wanted to finish what we started in the ruins,” she whispered. “I meant it.”
Something glinted in his eyes. “So did I,” he said, and Elide didn’t have time to ask what he meant before he lifted her forward, until her knees were on either side of his head.
“Wh - oh!”
Nothing could have prepared her for what happened to her body when he licked her, dipped his tongue between her folds, tongue teasing just at her entrance. She fisted her hands in his hair and held on for dear life as he made her see stars with his lips and tongue.
She slapped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming when his lips found that bundle of nerves, and sucked -
Minutes, hours, Elide didn’t know how long it lasted; but when he finished, her legs were shaking and his lips were glistening - from her. He grinned. “Good?”
She swallowed, nodded. She’d never imagined that someone would kiss here there, that it would feel like that. She leaned down and kissed him, her hair - and when had it come undone from her braid? - falling around them. For a moment Elide marveled at him, the deadliest fae this side of the continent, chosen by death himself - naked and prone beneath her.
And instead of feeling satiated, she wanted more.
He was already guiding his cock to her entrance. “Go slow at first,” he murmured. Elide sat up on her knees so she could take him in, bit her lip as she sank down, slowly. It stung at first, but she was aching, pulsing, and something deep inside of her wanted more, more, more. She sank down upon him inch by glorious inch.
Lorcan let out a breath that he’d been holding, and said, “Now, take what you will.”
Elide glanced down at him, for guidance, for instruction, she wasn’t sure. He looked up at her with such a look of - of adoration in his eyes, that she almost couldn’t bear it.
She gave an experimental thrust of her hips and - oh, it was like an itch inside of her was finally being scratched. Lorcan must’ve read something on her face, because he grasped her hips and moved. “Like that?”
Elide gasped; he did it again, hit a spot deep inside of her. And again, and again, until her entire body was coming alive, until she scored her nails down his chest, until she began moving too, rocking her hips along with him, faster and faster, chasing that crest of pleasure until -
Until she angled her hips just so, and Loran pulled out nearly all the way and slammed her back down, his grip on her hips near bruising, and he hit that spot right there, please again oh my godsLorcanplease-
She saw stars. She saw galaxies. Her soul left her body and, and -
And when she came back down, her legs were shaking. Lorcan was still inside of her, she was propped up on her knees, and her legs were shaking.
Lorcan pulled her down for a kiss, and began moving again - slower, this time, much slower. A gentleness she’d never thought him capable of, before today. And her heart was so full, and this man, this fae, her mate -
“I love you, Lorcan,” she whispered, breathless. “I love you.”
For a moment, Lorcan paused. And then he looked up at her with such a look of pure joy that Elide thought her heart would burst. He rolled her onto her back and kissed her neck, and said, “I have loved you since you took an axe to the ilken. And I will love you until the world is burnt to ash.”
He kissed her and rocked his hips, and pleasure sliced through her.
“Good?” he asked, lips brushing the shell of her ear.
“Y-yes.”
“Tell me,” he said, dropped a kiss to her neck. It seemed like he was pleading with her. For what, she didn’t know. But she let out the gasps she’d been suppressing, let out a breathy “there, fuck, do that again - I love you, Lorcan. I love you.”
She scored her nails down his back and he hissed through his teeth. “Do that again - harder -”
She did, and for a moment was afraid of drawing blood - but the fear dissipated when he groaned. His pace quickened, and Elide could only hold on as he drove them closer and closer to the crest of pleasure.
She climaxed with a cry, and Lorcan wasn’t far behind, uttering words in a language Elide didn’t know into her neck. Elide’s whole body was trembling - from the exertion or the pleasure, she wasn’t sure.
Lorcan was still hovering above her, gazing at her as if he couldn’t believe she were real. She put her hands on his shoulders and guided him down, until his head was resting on her chest. She ran her fingers through his hair. “What does it mean? That we’re mates.”
“It’s a bond,” he said, words slow, careful. “That binds us. It’s…” he trailed off. “Nothing has changed, from before. Not really. I acted territorial enough to give Whitethorn a run for his money. I have every intention of skinning your uncle alive. And I will love you until my very last breath.”
He swallowed. “It is indelible proof that I am yours. If you will have me.”
Elide reached down, and entwined her hand with his. “Until my very last breath,” she whispered. And she lay there, holding him, until they fell asleep.
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Can we get more of rowaelin playing chess in canon? It'd be so funny!
yea! i have a lil something something up my sleeve! enjoy!
(also plz be gentle my chess notation is NOT good)
~~~
Aelin Galathynius worked well under pressure.
Better than well, to be honest. Her life had been on the line often enough that working under pressure had become second nature. Her work as Celaena Sardothien had always been intense, and being a queen was no easier.
All of her practice over the years was the only reason she hadn’t cracked yet.
She sat across from Rowan, chess board situated between them. Both of their brows were furrowed in concentration, leaned forward and staring intently at the black and white pieces. Their game had been going on longer than any of their other matches had in the past.
Aelin hadn’t expected it to last this long. It was almost Yulemas, and most of their court had made the journey to Orynth for the holiday. They had been drinking and lounging around the parlor, warmed by the blazing fire Aelin tended to. Somehow, she and Rowan had migrated towards the chess board and set up a game, a practice that was becoming standard between them in the evenings.
As the game went on, as they manipulated the pieces and schemed and thwarted one another, they had slowly gained an audience. It started with Elide, who was an excellent player herself, always seeing three steps ahead. Then, Fenrys, who provided unwanted commentary. Lysandra and Aedion paid a bit of attention, but neither of them were that fond of the game anyway. Finally, Lorcan begrudgingly stood behind Elide and watched them play.
With every game Aelin played against her husband, she got better. Rowan was a damned good player and never went easy on her.
Rowan had been studying the board for longer than Aelin had ever witnessed him do. She had made the last move, blocking the play she knew her husband had been trying to make. It had gone on like that for a while, shifting pieces strategically, no clear winner in sight.
Aelin glanced up from to board to the male across from her, a small smile on her lips as she noted his furrowed brow. He looked quite handsome, not that she should be thinking about such things now. It would only distract her.
A few more moments went by, the air filled by the crackling of the fire and tiny whispers between their crowd.
“Draw?” Aelin offered. She had never managed to come to a draw with him before, but this might be the day. She felt as though she had run through every possible move on the board and she couldn’t find a way to victory for either of them.
“No,” Rowan said with a single shake of his head.
Aelin narrowed her eyes at him, wishing she knew what was going on in that head of his. He must have been seeing something she hadn’t if he wasn’t going to agree to a draw.
“I would have taken the draw,” Aedion murmured to no one in particular.
“That’s because you’re a shit player, Aedion,” Fenrys shot right back.
Everyone fell silent when Rowan shifted, reaching towards the board, grabbing his remaining knight, placed it down, before looking up. “Check mate.”
Aelin blinked in disbelief. There was no way that was checkmate but… she studied the board as if it might change for her.
“Oh, you bastard!” Aelin hissed in fury, knocking over her king.
There was a little self-satisfied smirk on Rowan’s face that she could tell he was trying to hide, but did so unsuccessfully. "Great game, Fireheart. Your best yet."
"Don't compliment me. I'm mad at you."
"That was an excellent play, Rowan," Elide commented, studying the board a bit more.
"Don't compliment him either!" Aelin cried. "It'll go right to his fat head."
"You're a sore loser, cousin."
Aelin’s returning snarl was nothing short of viscous.
"I don't understand why you all are so invested in this," Lorcan grunted. "It's just a game."
"Spoken like someone who doesn't know how to play," Aelin taunted.
He glared. "I'm five hundred years old. I know how to play chess."
Aelin glanced across towards her husband, a glimmer in his eyes that seemed to say, Kick his ass, Fireheart.
She grinned wickedly, turning back to Lorcan and gestured at the board. "Indulge me in a game then, Lord Lochan."
In the years she had known Lorcan, Aelin had learned his pride never let him back down from a challenge. Especially if Aelin was the one offering it. He simply loved to prove her wrong.
So it wasn't surprising when Lorcan huffed and ground out a tight, "Fine."
Aelin started setting up the board once more, Rowan bequeathing his seat to Lorcan. She had never once seen Lorcan play chess before, and judging by the veiled excitement in Fenrys and Rowan’s eyes, neither had they. Oh, they were about to witness a massacre.
Aelin grabbed two pawns, one white and one black, mixing them up before holding them out in two clenched fists. She inclined her head towards her opponent. "Choose one."
Lorcan didn’t deliberate long before tapping her left hand, which held the white pawn. He seemed pleased at this fact.
He looked at the board for a heartbeat before moving his F pawn up one square. Aelin squinted, wondering if he would be foolish enough to make the move she was thinking of. She moved her king's pawn two spaces.
And then the bastard did it. He moved his G pawn up two squares. Aelin wasn't able to hold back her loud bark of laughter. Neither did their audience.
"Oh, you did not just make that move!" Aelin snickered.
"What?" he snapped. "What's wrong with that move?"
Aelin could only shake her head as she continued to laugh, moving her queen on its diagonal and settling back in her seat. "Check mate."
Lorcan merely blinked at the board as Fenrys howled with laughter beside them.
"Five hundred years old…" Aelin mused. "And you just got Fool's Mated by a twenty-three year old woman. How does that feel?"
Lorcan merely scowled, moving the pieces back to the start. "Again."
The queen shrugged, placing her pieces back in their starting position. She generously allowed him to play white again, beginning by moving his queen’s pawn up two spaces, clearly not wishing to make the same deadly mistake he made the last time.
Aelin would give it to him. Lorcan lasted longer this game. Not much, though. In four moves, Aelin had captured his queen, and with eight more, she had mated him once more, making Lorcan release a filthy curse.
“Again.”
So, they went again, Aelin playing white this time.
She won with twenty moves.
Lorcan banged his fist on the table. “Fuck. Let’s go again.”
They went again.
It took twenty-one moves for Aelin to win once more.
The young queen leaned back in her seat, satisfied smirk on her lips. She felt rather than saw Rowan beaming at her proudly.
Lorcan shook his head at the board, fingers tangled within his long, inky hair.
“No need to feel bad, Lord Lorchan,” Aelin drawled, stretching her legs in front of her. “We can’t all be good at everything… well, I can, but I can’t hold you all to that same expectation.”
Elide perched herself on the arm of her husband’s chair, pressing a long kiss to his temple. “It’s okay, love. I can help you practice.”
“Yeah,” Fenrys agreed. “Maybe with a few hundred years, you’ll be able to beat Aedion.”
Lorcan scowled at Fenrys, but wrapped his massive arms around Elide and pulled her firmly into his lap.
“I like to watch you win, Fireheart,” Rowan murmured against the shell of her ear before kissing her cheek.
She grinned, poking her index finger into the middle of her mate’s chest and vowed ,“Just wait, husband. You’re next.”
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