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theladyofdeath · 2 years

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Every Other Weekend {6}

Summary: Rowan was just looking for a night of fun after his divorce. Aelin was looking for one last reckless moment before selling her soul to her everyday grind of 9-5. Neither had any idea of just how much one night could change somebody’s life.

Warnings: Mature content throughout. Language, sex, drinking, etc. Explicitly NSFW will be labelled at the beginning of chapters containing NSFW content.

A collab with @snelbz

Aelin scanned her room for the hundredth time.

It was perfect, and yet, she felt like something was missing, felt she was forgetting something. It was her first night of parent-teacher conferences, and she wanted to make sure that everything was perfect. Not only did she lay out treats for the parents and her students, but she also decorated her dry erase board and put together packets of all her students’ school work along with little notes to her students’ parents.

It was her first year at a fantastic and highly regarded school. She wanted the parents to like her, wanted a future in the district.

She was so nervous she felt the need to puke.

The only thing keeping her held together was the fact that her night would end with a visit from Rowan for Ollie’s conference. He would be bringing her tacos from her favorite taco truck as celebration of surviving her first round of conferences.

If she did survive.

She also had to meet with Maeve, so the chances of her survival were quite a bit lower than they would have been if just Rowan was coming for Ollie’s conference. Thankfully, she wouldn’t be alone. They’d be attending together.

It had been tough, explaining to Ollie why he couldn’t bring up Aelin being at their house so much. They’d finally convinced him that her visits were a secret and if anyone but the three of them found out, Aelin couldn’t come over anymore. It of course wasn’t true. But they weren’t ready for Maeve to know yet.

It was just after six when her first student came in, dragging her mom and dad by the hands. Turns out her only moment of peace was when she was making sure her room was perfect. After the first student came in, it was one after the other. For two hours, she talked about how good the students were, then the stuff they could work on, then she would answer a million questions, and then she would have five seconds to catch her breath before the next family came in.

She was counting down the time.

And her nerves were worsening.

As the clock approached 7:45, her door opened and Rowan came around the corner, Oliver and a bag full of tacos in tow.

“Hi, Miss Aelin!” Oliver beamed. “Mommy will be here soon. Me and daddy just ate soooooo many tacos.”

Aelin laughed quietly as she caught Oliver in a hug. “Well, we will wait for your mom before we get started.”

Rowan was frowning when he set the bag of food behind her desk and sat in one of the chairs opposite of hers. He gave her a smile but it didn’t reach his eyes. Having Maeve there was worse for him than it was for Aelin, by far.

The hate between them ran deep.

Oliver didn’t seem to notice, bless his heart. Aelin knew Rowan did his best not to let his feelings for Maeve influence Ollie’s, but sometimes it was hard.

He was regaling Aelin on their dinner and definitely over exaggerating how many tacos he ate when the door opened behind them.

Maeve stood there, iced coffee in hand, her egregiously expensive purse slung over a shoulder.

“Ms. Mallory, hello,” Aelin said, standing from her chair.

“Hi, mommy!” Oliver said, hopping up from his desk

and running over to him. She squatted down and caught him, hugging him tightly.

Standing, she looked at Rowan. She gave him a saccharine smile. “Hi, Ro.”

Aelin could see Rowan’s guard go up at the use of the familiar nickname.

“If you’d like to take a seat, we can go ahead and get started,” Aelin said, gesturing to the seat next to Rowan.

Rowan stared at a spot on Aelin’s desk.

Maeve watched Aelin the entire walk from the threshold to the empty seat. She pulled Oliver onto her lap.

“So, tell me all the good things about Oliver,” she said. It wasn’t her words, but her tone that sent chills down Aelin’s spine.

“Well, he’s a great student,” Aelin began. “He always does what’s asked of him and never gives me any issues. He’s ahead in both reading and writing, and right where he should be with math.” Aelin opened his folder and took out his test scores. Before she could say anything, Maeve snatched the paper out of her hands.

“Great,” she muttered. “Anything we can help him with at home?”

Rowan rolled his eyes, but it was so subtle that Aelin was the only one that caught it.

“Work on addition,” Aelin suggested. “He does well with it, but he could always use the practice. Even when eating breakfast, he can be adding up his cereal pieces.”

“Cereal,” Oliver grinned, with a hungry look in his eyes. Aelin had no idea how he could be hungry if he had just eaten twenty tacos - which is how many he’d told Aelin he had.

Maeve was flipping through the tests and asked, “Shouldn’t you be the one to teach him addition better?”

Aelin blinked. “Excuse me?”

“Well, you’re his teacher,” she said, holding his test scores out for Rowan without even looking at them. “We can quiz him on spelling and colors, but ensuring he’s properly taught something-.”

“Maeve,” Rowan interrupted, taking the papers from her. “You’re the one who asked if we could help him out at home. Don’t berate Aelin because you-.”

“Aelin? Not Miss Galathynius?” She asked, looking over at him with raised brows. “On a first name basis, are we?”

Rowan froze, just barely, and Aelin cleared her throat, drawing Maeve’s attention to her.

“Ms. Mallory, I make it a point to have a good rapport with all of my students’ parents. Rowan takes the time to speak with me every morning when he drops him off and on his afternoons to pick Ollie up as well,” she said, folding her hands atop her desk. “You’re more than welcome to refer to me as Aelin, as well, if you’d like.”

Maeve pursed her lips, her eyes never leaving Aelin’s. Even though she wanted to, Aelin didn’t break that eye contact. “No thanks,” Maeve said, at last. She nodded at the folder opened on Aelin’s desk. “Anything else important in there?”

Aelin cleared her throat and handed them another stack of Oliver’s art and schoolwork. “Just wanted you to see how well he’s doing.”

Maeve took all of the papers and shuffled through them, not bothering to let Rowan see any. He watched as she shuffled through them, nonetheless.

“There’s one last thing,” Aelin said, and held a picture of Oliver, his mom, and his dad across the desk. “I asked him to draw something for you both in class today, and this is what he drew.”

“That’s beautiful, bud,” Rowan said, and smiled at his son, but Maeve was looking at Aelin’s outstretched hand with narrowed eyes.

“That’s a beautiful bracelet,” she said, and her voice had gone cold.

Aelin stilled. “Thank you. It was my mother’s.”

Maeve sat back in her chair. “Looks familiar.”

Rowan audibly swallowed. He knew the story of that bracelet, knew that it was the only one of its kind. It had been passed down through the Ashryver family for years, dating back over a century. And it was very, very distinct.

Sighing, Rowan started, “Maeve-.”

“I mean, it’s gorgeous,” she went on, that sneer growing as she leaned forward and took Aelin’s hand in hers. Aelin didn’t move, didn’t dare snatch her hand away. “The design around the cuff, the turquoise stone…” Maeve shook her head. “There’s not another one like it, is there? One of a kind.”

Aelin’s eyes flicked to Rowan, but he was staring at Maeve.

“Now, where would I see such a one of a kind piece?” Maeve asked, and Aelin suddenly knew exactly where this conversation was going.

“Maeve,” Rowan warned, quietly, thankful that Ollie was focused on the coloring sheet he was working on at his desk. “Now’s not the time for whatever bullshit this is.”

“How was dinner at Mistward last week?” She asked, eye narrowing. “I’ve heard the mahi-mahi is to die for.”

Aelin stopped breathing. She was pretty certain Rowan had too from his still he was in the periphery of her vision.

“Mommy, what’s mahi-mahi?” Oliver asked, turning to look at her, oblivious to the bomb she’d just dropped.

Oh gods, there was no way she’d figured it out.

“It’s what Miss Aelin had for dinner when she went on a date with Daddy last week.”

A crease formed between Oliver’s brows, the conversation going directly over his head, but it was Rowan that asked, “You’ve been stalking me?”

“Can’t stalk what’s put on the internet for all to see,” Maeve said simply, crossing her arms.

Aelin kept quiet. She just looked between Rowan and his ex.

“Last time I checked, you were blocked,” he replied, his voice low. Aelin had never heard him talk in that tone.

Maeve ignored his snide remark. “How long has this been going on?”

“That’s none of your business,” Rowan hissed.

“None of my business?” She repeated. “She’s around my son all day, every day, I’m pretty sure it is my business.”

“Ms. Mallory,” Aelin began, but Maeve cut her off.

“This is extremely unprofessional,” she snapped, barely giving Aelin a second glance. “I’ll be speaking to the headmaster in the morning.”

“The headmaster is aware of our relationship,” Rowan replied and she narrowed her eyes at him. “Since it began before the school year, before Aelin was even assigned to be Ollie’s teacher, there are precautions we have to take, but her job isn’t in jeopardy and if you do anything to change that, I’ll-.”

“You’ll what? So it was just me you were keeping this…relationship from? You’re pathetic.” Maeve interrupted. She turned and sneered at Aelin. “Both of you. You better watch yourself.”

Rowan was about to grab Oliver to leave, but Aelin stood. “That’s enough. Rowan and I owe you no explanation of our time together outside of school. This is my classroom, and I won’t be reprimanded for my professional or personal life. If that’s what this conference has descended to, then it’s over and you may see yourself out.”

Something like pride bubbled up in Rowan’s chest and he didn’t hide his smirk as Maeve looked over at him.

Maeve’s face was turning red. “Ollie is going home with me.”

“What?” Rowan shouted, his smirk fading as he rose to his feet. “No, he isn’t.”

“I assume Miss Aelin is going home with you,” Maeve said, calmly. “He doesn’t need to hear all that. With me-.”

“I have custody,” Rowan said, through gritted teeth. “He’ll come home with me.”

Although Aelin stayed with her chin raised high, she remained silent. As Maeve and Rowan stared one another down, she snuck a glance at Oliver. He was watching his parents with wide, sad eyes.

“Don't worry, buddy,” Aelin whispered when his silver-lined, dark eyes turned to her. “They’re just having a little disagreement, that’s all.”

“There’s no need for you to address my son right now,” Maeve snapped, although her eyes never left Rowan’s.

“Yes, there is,” Aelin replied, calmly. “He is my student and he is in my room. My room is a safe place.”

Maeve slowly turned her gaze to Aelin and Rowan took the opportunity to hold out his hand to Oliver. “Come on, bud, let’s go.”

Aelin held Maeve’s gaze, but she wasn’t the one who spoke.

“I wanna go with mommy.”

A beat of silence.

Rowan’s arm fell to his side. “What?”

Oliver was standing halfway behind Maeve and he held onto the hem of her shirt. “Mommy,” he repeated. “I wanna go home with mommy.”

Aelin said nothing, but she watched as Rowan’s face fell. Maeve was already grabbing Oliver’s backpack. “Ollie…”

Maeve didn’t give him another chance to protest. Scooping him up and setting him on her hip, she didn’t look back at either one of them as she walked out the door.

Technically, per their legal agreement, Rowan could have the cops called and get Oliver back instantly, but he figured one night wouldn’t hurt.

He wanted his mom? Fine.

Even though he felt like shit.

He and Aelin were at her house, but neither of them had spoken in the past hour. There wasn't much to say. Rowan wasn’t sure how, but he was pretty sure he had let his son down.

Oliver had never wanted Maeve over him, had never asked to go with her on his days. And, worse of all, he had almost looked scared. He was clearly upset with the way Rowan had been talking to Maeve.

But, gods, he hated that woman.

As the television quietly played in front of them, Rowan and Aelin laid in her bed, his arm around her and her head on his shoulder.

She had yet to say anything, had yet to ask him about it, but she clung to him willingly.

It wasn’t until another episode of the show they were binging ended that he said, “I’m sorry for the way Maeve spoke to you.”

Aelin nodded and her voice broke as she whispered, “I’m sorry I made your son want to go with her.”

And there was the reason for her silence. Not only was she giving him space to work out his thoughts in his own head, she’d been focused on her part in the day’s confrontation.

Turning her face until she had no choice but to look him in the eyes, he said, “You have absolutely nothing to apologize for.”

She closed her eyes, but a lone tear still spilled over and he watched it until it dropped onto his bare chest. “I should have kept my mouth shut, I shouldn’t have said anything,” she breathed. “It wasn’t my place to-.”

“It was your place, Aelin,” he cut her off. “We were in your classroom, where you teach, protect, and care for Ollie and nine other kids all day long. If anyone has his best interest at heart, it’s you.”

Aelin nodded but still looked uncertain. Rowan started rubbing her back softly with the tips of his fingers.

“It’s all on me,” he went on, looking up at the ceiling. “I shouldn’t have talked back the way I did. It’s what she wanted. Oliver didn’t need to see it.”

“You were defending yourself,” Aelin whispered. “And me.”

“And I should be doing both of those things,” Rowan said. “I just should’ve kept my cool a little better. Oliver has rarely seen me raise my voice or get pissed. Usually I’m good about that stuff. Maeve, though…she just brings it out of me.”

“No one can blame you for that,” Aelin muttered.

Rowan huffed in agreement and they went back to their comfortable silence.

It was Rowan’s day to pick Oliver up from school tomorrow so he would be leaving the office early and getting there right on time. Everything would be fine, he knew it would, but it didn’t make it hurt any less now.

He didn’t want to think about what the alternative might be.

Rowan swallowed and apparently it was enough to get Aelin’s attention, because she looked up at him. He sighed and tucked some loose hair behind her ear. “I’ve told you that Maeve is…manipulative. I’d like to think she’s above using our son to hurt me, but I don’t have any doubt that she’s at home right now making you out to be the villain.”

Aelin nibbled on her lip, but she nodded. “I’d already anticipated that. I’m not going to treat him any differently than I always have, just like the rest of my kids.”

“I just…” He sighed, and rested his brow against hers. “I don’t know how he’ll treat you tomorrow.”

“He’s only five, Ro,” Aelin replied. “Right now, the two most important people in his life are at odds, even more so than normal. I’m sure he’s confused and scared and doesn’t understand what’s happening, even with me.” She sighed and looked around at her bedroom. “Maybe she’s right. Maybe I shouldn’t be around as much.”

“No.” Rowan’s answer was instantaneous. “No, I— That’s the last thing I want.”

“But I don’t want to be-.”

“You’ve done nothing wrong,” Rowan said and he tried to keep the bite out of his voice. It wasn’t Aelin’s fault but he was so frustrated with Maeve, with the situation. “I love you. And we’re going to be fine. Ollie included.”

Aelin nodded and snuggled into him. “Well, we should probably rest. It’s getting late.”

Rowan sighed but agreed and turned off the light then the tv before scooping her into his arms and falling into a fitful sleep.

Both of them tossed and turned all night. By the time five rolled around, Aelin was already up making coffee. She let Rowan sleep but it didn’t do much good because he came down the stairs only a minute or two after she did.

After a quick good morning kiss, Aelin was getting ready and not long after she was heading toward the door.

“Try not to worry about today,” he said, tying his tie in the middle of her living room. “Let me know how it’s going when you can.”

Aelin smiled and kissed him softly. “I will. I love you.”

He said he loved her too, then she was out the door just in time to catch the beautiful oranges and pinks of the sunrise.

By the time she pulled into the parking lot, she felt like she was going to be sick. She wasn’t worried about Maeve, she knew she could handle her. It was Oliver. She wasn’t sure what she’d do if he didn’t want to be around her anymore.

Regardless, Aelin parked and hurried into the building, the late autumn chill seeping into her bones.

She still had a half hour before her students began to arrive. After writing their daily agenda on the board, she made sure she had all the copies she needed and organized their morning snacks so that they would be ready.

Once the first bell rang, she felt like she would faint, that nausea becoming overbearing.

It didn’t show, though. She wouldn’t let it, not as her students began to come in, one by one. She greeted each of them as she usually did, with a hug or a high five or a simple hello - whatever her students chose.

The last one to arrive was Oliver, just as the second bell rang. He didn’t make eye contact with Aelin as he hurried to his desk and began to unpack his belongings.

Aelin looked to the door.

Maeve’s grin spread as she disappeared out of sight.

After a silent prayer to the gods, Aelin approached Oliver’s desk and knelt. “Hey, buddy. Good morning.”

“Hi,” he said, quietly, without looking up at her.

When he said nothing else, Aelin said, “You didn’t choose what lunch you wanted on your way in. Would you like pizza, mac n’ cheese, or did you bring a lunch from home?”

Without a word, Oliver stood and went back towards the door where he moved his name to the label that said pizza.

Aelin hadn’t been sure what to expect, but complete silence wasn’t one of them. It broke her heart.

She sent Rowan a quick text as she let each of them get settled in their desks, letting him know Oliver was safe and sound at school and she’d text him on her lunch.

The morning went by slowly. Aelin kept trying to get Oliver to talk, but the more and more he didn’t, she decided to give him more and more space.

By the time lunch rolled around, Oliver was acting normal with his friends, laughing and eating at their lunch table, but every time he looked at Aelin, his smile would fade.

Aelin looked at her phone.

How’s it going?

She sighed inwardly before texting Rowan back.

I’d like to know what Maeve said to him. He will barely even look at me. He won’t talk, either. I’m concerned.

It took Rowan a few minutes to reply, but then he said, I’ll talk to him after school. It’s all going to be okay. Promise.

Aelin took his word for it even though a heavy feeling sat in the pit of her stomach.

The day continued on with much of the same. The only smile she got from him was when he’d known the answer to one of the reading questions she’d asked, and even then, his dark eyes had lit up briefly before he’d remembered what had happened, and he ducked his head.

By the time pick up came and Rowan came around the corner to her classroom, Aelin was feeling defeated. He gave her an encouraging smile before calling, “Ollie!”

Oliver’s face lit up for the first time that day. “Daddy!” He ran into Rowan’s arms and gave him a great big hug before his body slouched and he was frowning, once more. “Can we go home, daddy?”

Rowan set Oliver on the floor and crouched down so that they met eye to eye. “Usually I have a hard time getting you to leave this place. What’s going on?”

Oliver looked at Aelin, but she pretended she wasn’t listening as he looked back at Rowan. “It was hard not talking to Miss Aelin all day.”

Rowan frowned. “I can imagine that would be hard. Why didn’t you talk to Miss Aelin all day?”

“I couldn’t,” Oliver replied, simply.

“Why not?” Rowan pushed.

“Mommy said I couldn’t,” Oliver said, and it was hardly loud enough to be audible. “Not unless it was about schoolwork.”

When Rowan didn’t say anything, Aelin looked over at them. Oliver was on the verge of crying. Without another word, Rowan pulled his son into a hug.

Aelin felt a burning in her own eyes as she moved around the classroom. She tried to give the two of them a bit of privacy, saying goodbye to her other students and cleaning up as she went.

Rowan didn’t let go of Ollie as he said, “You can talk to Miss Aelin whenever you want, bud. What’s going on with mommy, the reason she doesn’t like Miss Aelin…” He sighed and pulled back to look at him. “It’s hard to explain.”

“She said Miss Aelin is trying to be my other mommy,” Ollie said, lip still quivering. “And that if she is, that she won’t be my mommy anymore. I like both mommy and Miss Aelin though.”

“Miss Aelin is a friend,” Rowan said, quietly, taking Oliver’s hands. “Mine and yours. She hasn’t ever done anything mean to us, has she?”

Oliver shook his head.

“I know you love your mommy, and I want you to love your mommy, but she cannot tell you who to talk to and who not to talk to,” Rowan began, hesitantly. “If daddy tells you it’s okay to talk to someone, you can trust me. Do you trust me?”

Oliver nodded.

“You need to trust me,” Rowan said, and smiled. “Why don’t you, me, and Miss Aelin go to dinner and we can talk this out, hmm?”

Oliver looked at Aelin for the first time. All of his classmates were gone, and it was only the three of them that remained.

She hoped he couldn’t see the tears lining her eyes as she gave him a small smile.

“Okay,” Oliver said. “I want pasta.”

“Pasta it is,” Rowan said, and picked Oliver up as he put his son’s backpack over his shoulder. “Does that sound good to you, Miss Aelin?”

“Perfect,” she said, collecting her belongings. “I’m ready when you are.”

Rowan held Oliver on his hip as he took Aelin’s hand in his other. “Let’s go.”

#rowaelin #rowan #aelin #tog #throne of glass #fanfic #fanfiction #mutlichapter #shara #shacmc #collab #sjm #modern au #parenthood au #daddy au

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