#TOG fics
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SJM ask game
I saw this ask game started by @milswrites and I absolutely love it!
1) What’s your favourite SJM book?
It is a tie between ACOMAF, QOS, and CC1. Those are my top 3 and they rotate on a daily basis on which is my favorite.
2) Which is your favourite series (tog, acotar or cc)
TOG is def my favorite of the three. The story is so beautifully bookended, each book can stand by itself, the characters are amazing and they go through so much growth. I love ACOTAR because I love the relationships that are built there and the world building is so interesting. I also read ACOTAR at a very dark point in my life and reading about Feyre digging herself out of the darkness helped me do the same. I love Ruhn Dannan. Daynight is life. Enough said.
3) Who is your favourite character? (And why?)
I have to have a favorite character from each series.
For ACOTAR, gwyn has whittled her way into my heart as my favorite character. Her bravery, her selflessness, her determination. We see her interact with characters who are previously shown to be extremely unaproachable and she treats them like normal people. She is healing and is in the process of building a life that is worth living. I cannot wait to read more of her journey in the next book.
For TOG, my favorite characters are Aelin, Manon, and Lysandra. Aelin is forced to be so strong from such a young age, and the shit that she is put through just makes my heart ache. KOA broke my heart so many times because she felt so broken and I feel like we never got a true conclusion to it. Manon is such a prime example of Nature vs Nurture. She was Nurtured to be a heartless killer, but once she started seeing the world for what it was and seeing the injustices her people were committing, she and the 13 stood up for what was right and went up against their sister Ironteeth in battle in order to fight for a better world. Lysandra has been a favorite of mine since the first time I read her on the page. She was taken advantage of and was forced into a role outside of her command. The way she takes her own life in her hands, she puts the needs of others before her own, and was a friend to Aelin when she truly needed one will solidify her as one of my favorites.
It is no surprise that Lydia is my favorite CC character. I loved her in CC2, but she CARRIED CC3. She is like the perfect mix of Rhys and Aelin and her ancestors would be proud of her and what she has done.
4) Do you have a favourite quote from one of the books?
I have a million favorite quotes. One of the ones I wouldn't mind getting a tattoo of is "Don't let the Hard days win" it is simple but so impactful and some days I need the reminder. I cannot stop crying when I read Lehabah's last conversation with Bryce. Also, I definately Bawl everytime Aelin hallucinates about her parents and her mom says, "Why do you cry, Fireheart?"
5) Favourite ship?
In no particular order: Gwynriel, Feysand, DayNight, Rowaelin, Lysaedion, Nestaq.
6) E/riel or Gwynriel? Or neither?
I think my username speaks for itself
7) Who’s the most underrated SJM character?
NESRYN MF EMPRESSES FALIQ. I love her. I know she isn't on my list of favorites but she is 100% a favorite. Her and Sartaq are just *Chef's Kiss*
8) Which character do you wish to learn more about?
Oooooh. Azriel, Gwyn, Jessiba, Lydia, VAUGHN, Lucien.
9) Are there any characters you don’t like?
Besides the bad guys? I don't care for Ithan but its not that I don't like him. He just reads like a washed up frat boy but I was impressed with his growth in CC3. It's not like I HATE him, he just isn't a favorite of mine.
10) Favourite bat boy?
It should come as ZERO surprise that Azriel is my favorite bat boy. However, if I had to choose ANY of the SJM Males to be my mate, it would be Dorian :) I would die fighting Manon for him but worth it lol
11) Favourite court?/ Which one would you most like to live in?
I most definately fit into the Night Court. Anyone who knows me knows I am a night owl and I would sleep all day and be awake at night if I could. If Eris was high lord, my second choice would be Autumn.
12) Favourite SJM villain?
I think we can all agree that Maeve is the most flushed out villian that SJM has written to date. I love to hate her.
13) If you could change one thing in any of the books what would it be?
I would get rid of all the "crumbs" for E/riel and I would make Mor more open about her sexuality with the IC from the beginning. I am fixing both in FM2M.
14) Favourite SJM theory?
Gwynriel are mates. There is way too much canonical evidence to prove otherwise.
15) Favourite Archeron sister?
Feyre.
16) A character you feel is over-hated/ underrated
Aedion. Leave my boy alone. Was he a dumbass? Yes. HOWEVER, think about his trauma and the BS Lysandra and Aelin pulled on him. He has had the weight of his kingdom on his shoulders for 10 years. He has been playing the game longer than he can remember, was taken advantage of by older men in the army as he worked his way up the ranks. His father's identity needed to be kept a secret to the detriment of his mother and he resents Gavriel for it. They were going to turn him into the same absentee father that he hated, and they threw his trauma in his face. He would have just been a breeding stud and would never be able to recognize his own children. It was a stab right to his heart and he was betrayed by the two people who meant the most to him in the world. Give the boy some grace.
17) Aelin, Bryce, or Feyre?
I think Aelin is the most fleshed out and goes through the most character growth. However, Bryce and Feyre have my heart. I will not choose.
18) If you wrote an acotar book what would you call it?
A Court of Scars and Shadows. Thanks @thebelladonnamoon for coming up with the perfect ACOTAR 6 title.
20) Who is your favourite acotar blogger?
Here on Tumblr, I love @acourtofthought @gwynrieldefenseatty but there are so many that I love :) And, as always, @yazthebookish
21)What fics would you recommend to people who love the series?
OH GOD. Off the top of my head for ACOTAR: ACoFD by @the-lonelybarricade (or ANYTHING by her and @separatist-apologist) ACOSAS by @thebelladonnamoon, Call Me Home by @propagandaprincess, There You Are by @sweethvilliandarlinggod
You can see my bookmarked favorite fics here: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_of_the_Gwynriel_Ship
TOG Favorite fics: High Infidelity by @heirofflowers, Bad Intentions by @starseternalnighttriumphant, Illicit Affairs is my ALL TIME FAVORITE by @rowanaelinn, remanents by @the_dormouse, and The Inclining of Stars by @Slytherindemigod18
CC Favorites: I havent read too many, but you can always count on Verzavar Haz by @hlizr50 to break down your soul.
Questions for writers
22) Easiest character to write for?
Probably Feyre or Gwyn. I just feel like I can get in their heads the easiest.
23) Hardest character to write for?
Rhys (so far). It is why he hasn't had a POV yet in FM2M but there will be one in a couple chapters.
24) What’s a character you’d like to write for but haven’t yet?
Ooh. Some of the TOG characters. I haven't ventured outside of ACOTAR yet but one day maybe.
25) What’s a court you’d like to write about more?
Autumn wink wink. And Hybern (I know it isn't a court but still).
26) What’s a character you won’t write for and why?
I don't know if there is a character I won't write for. I think it just depends. Probably Elorcan as a couple because as much as I like them, I couldn't really write them.
27) If you could only write for one character ever again, who would you pick?
Gwyn. Easy.
28) Whats your favourite trope to write about when it comes to Azriel?
Oh gods where to start. Friends to lovers, priestess/sinner, trainer/trainee, Acceptance and Longing, Soulmates, Forced Proximity. I could go on.
29) What do you think is the best/favourite acotar fic you’ve written?
I mean definitely FM2M, but I loved writing Up Against the Wall and coming up with the idea for The Great Escape.
30) Who are your favourite friendships to write about?
Right now, the valkyrie and Mor and Feyre, Cassian and Feyre, and Lucien and Feyre.
31) For first time readers to your blog, which three fics would you recommend they read?
Obviously FM2M, you can read some of my other one shots or short fics or check out some of my favorite fics above!
This was super fun and a way to distract me from such a boring work day haha
#acotar#feysand#gwynriel#gwynriel supremacy#azriel shadowsinger#acosf#gwyneth berdara#acomaf#fm2m#azriel x gwyn#tog#aelin#rowaelin#lysandra#tog fics#cc fics#acotar fics
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Drive
Word Count: 212
AU: Modern
Read on AO3 here
Masterlist
It had been a long, exhausting day, and Rowan was grumpy and tired. He just wanted to go home and just go straight to bed, but unfortunately, he was an adult. Therefore, he had adult things that needed to get done such as cooking dinner and eating it, folding the laundry that had been sitting in the dryer for two days now, and actually responding to text messages that he hadn’t answered for about fifteen hours now.
He was just tempted to go and pick up takeout on his way home instead of actually spending the time and energy in cooking. As Rowan considered his options at a red light, he just happened to look over at the car on his right for a moment before turning back to look straight ahead.
Until Rowan processed exactly what he had seen.
He turned his head back around to find his neighbor, Aelin, banging her head and jamming to whatever was playing in her car. She must’ve felt him staring because she turned to look at him, and while still dancing in her car, waved hello to him before making a right turn as the light turned green.
By the time he got home with his takeout, there was a smile on his face.
~~~~
I'm glad everyone's enjoying these :) pls lemme know if you want to be added to the taglist
Taglist: @thegreyj @backtobl4ck @leiawritesstories
#rowaelin#throne of glass#throne of glass fics#tog#tog fics#rowan whitethorn#aelin galythinius#drabbles
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Hi! Would you write for tog characters? After that gorgeous elain fic im imaging Aelin😍
Hi! Honestly I hadn’t considered writing for characters outside of the acotar world but I am doing a reread of all of her books at the moment!
I think once I finish them I’ll feel more confident in writing since it’s been about two/three years since, so I’ll keep updating on the progress!
(It’s definitely something I’ll consider!)
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The Unrecognizable Calculus of This
Art inspired by Part four of The Repair Shop AU
A humidor, a jigsaw puzzle, and a chair. A new home, an old colleague, and love.
At AO3
I cannot express the depth of my OBSESSION with this series, @sheafrotherdon wrote it so beautifully. One of my all time favourite Joe/Nicky fics
#the old guard#the old guard fic rec#kaysanova#yusuf x nicolo#nicolo di genova#yusuf al kaysani#luca marinelli#marwan kenzari#tog#my art
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The Shadowsinger: Prologue
Warnings: 18+. Minors DNI. Parental abuse, nightmares, mentions wing clipping, starvation from being trapped, spoilers for ACOTAR series. If I forgot anything, please let me know!
Pairings: (Eventual) Azriel x Fem!Reader
Summary: After your family tries clipping your wings, you flee to the northern Illyrian mountains.
Disclaimer: I do not own SJM’s characters, only the ones I create for the purpose of this story. This is a work of fiction. I do not give permission to repost my work on any other platform or medium. Please be respectful.
My graphics are my own. If you wish to use them, please give credit!
Series Masterlist
It wasn’t every day you flew your way to the northern mountains of Illyria. It also wasn’t everyday your father tried clipping your wings when you refused to marry the brutal son of a terrifying male.
You flew until you couldn’t see any smoke from fires, tents, homes. You flew so far your wings began to falter from not only the assault they’d taken but the treacherous wind of the storm blowing in. You flew till you glided under the trees and finally stumbled to your feet, shaking from not only the cold, but what you just did. You ran away. You got out of that horrible household. Flinching from the memories as they rolled through, you stumbled over to a nearby small stream. The winter storm was drawing near, and from what the clouds looked like above, it wasn’t going to be a pleasant one.
Thank the Mother, you’d grabbed a bag of supplies on your way out. One of your brothers that they’d packed for a training session coming up. It had a small blanket, a starter for fire, a couple of sheathed daggers, and a canteen. Not a lot, but it would let you survive the storm as long as you got a fire going. As soon as some of the chill from the flight wore off, you went down to the clear stream, filling the canteen.
You just had to make it through the storm, and that would be enough. You would figure out what to do about your scratched, but healing, wings tomorrow.
But day break never came. When you’d woken from your exhausted slumber, your fire had burnt out, and you were completely snowed into the cave. You had gotten some food the night before, but it would only last you until that night, maybe the next if you’d packed snow on it to keep it from rotting. The water you had would keep you to a day or two after that, if you rationed it enough.
You knew it was a death sentence the moment you tried clawing your way out that night, not being able to take the darkness. You knew the Illyrian winter storm wouldn’t let up, and you knew that you’d die in that cave if some blessing didn’t come to melt away that snow.
You spent a long time shivering and exhausted in the pitch black cave. You’d ran out of water some time after you’d run out of the scarce food. Not that you knew what time it was, or how long had gone by. Seconds felt like minutes, hours like days. You strained your ears for any sign of the snow melting. Of footsteps outside the cave so you could scream for help. You thought you went mad when you felt something cold brush up against you, whisper that it would be okay. And that’s when the blessing came. When you felt the shadows wrapping themselves around you, almost in a comforting manner, and like a whisper on the wind, you were out in the bright sunlight. You had to blink for a minute to even adjust to the brightness.
It was the sound of the stream trickling and the light breeze on your face that had your eyes prick with tears. You had gotten out. By some miracle, you had gotten out.
You jolted awake, feeling the familiar shadows tracing around your shoulders, the tips of your wings, as you shot up from the bed. Glancing over to the male that was by your side, still sleeping, you scooted out of the bed. One that was too small even for your wings. Collecting your clothes, you slowly went into the dingy bathing room and prepared yourself for the day. After you’d put your clothes back on, you crept out of the room, the male whose name you’d forgotten still sleeping on the bed.
You couldn’t shake the feeling of the memory you re-lived as you walked out of the small inn and into the daylight, but stayed near the darkness of the trees as you made your way into town. You hadn’t thought about it in a long time, what had happened to you. The horrible last night seeing your blood family was one of the most terrifying experiences you had faced. Only one good thing came from it as far as you were concerned. You’d gotten your shadows. You learned to listen to them, hearing them whisper things about people around you, about the trees and animals. You learned to bend into them, letting them consume you when you wanted. As you pleased.
You supposed that your freedom was the other good thing that came of that night. Those days that were spent in the cave. But you were constantly looking over your shoulder as if your father and three brothers would be standing there, scowling, with the blades to clip your wings once and for all. The wings that took you so far north, you’d only found one small village when you gathered the strength to stray from the cave. The village you’ve spent the following 100 years of your life in.
You learned to earn your keep when a kind female of the name Sirona, the only village healer, took you in to help with your still injured wings and malnourished body. You’d stayed with her while you got back to your normal health, and hunted for her family until you started to help her with healing.
They hadn’t seen a Shadowsinger before. Only ever heard rumors of one that was close to the High Lord. Being so far north, they didn’t get much news from the Night Court, or from any Courts. It seemed only strong willed Illyrians who tried to take on the brunt of the northern mountain range ended up coming through your town. One of which you’d taken to bed the night before. Again, you couldn’t even bother to remember his name. He’d be flying back to his war camp soon enough.
Maybe a war camp where he would see your father and brothers. But wouldn’t tell of your abilities. Of your shadows. Because you’d only allowed outsiders to see them at night, when it could be a trick of the light. The only people you trusted were Sirona, her mate, Igna, and their son, Oran. And perhaps the other villagers, though you didn’t spend much time with them since you’d taken Sirona’s side in learning how to heal. Even if you didn’t have any powers other than your shadows, not that had been unearthed anyway, you learned other ways. How to bandage and clean wounds, to stitch them, to make tonics that would heal them faster. The village didn’t need it much, there wasn’t a lot of trouble here. But it felt good to be helpful.
So that’s what you were doing just a few days after your nightmare. You carried a basket of tonics around the village, delivering them to those who ordered it earlier in the week. Most were for females on their cycle, or contraception ones for them and their partners. You were making your way back to your small apartment, above Sirona and Igna’s house, when you heard doors start slamming shut.
“Run… not safe… help them…” you heard your shadows say in a panic. The next thing you knew, dozens of Illyrian wings littered the skies. You could even make out the bows they carried. You shifted back towards the back side of one of the shops, your shadows whirling around you, tugging you to go help the people who took you in all those years ago.
But you couldn’t move. Not as you scanned the Illyrians, worried this was when your father would finally come back to claim your freedom.
If you knew what was going to happen, you would have wished that was what happened. Wished your father, however terrible and brutal he was, came to get you that day. Because what happened next was worse than the failed wing clipping. Was worse than the days on end you spent stuck in the cave.
It was the day Amarantha came to claim you as her personal Shadowsinger.
Chapter One
A/N: Hello!! I hope you enjoyed the prologue! This is the backstory of the reader. This is very much a story about the reader rather than a love story (at least at the beginning. I’ve only written about half of what I plan to write.) I plan to eventually have reader and Azriel be love interests... Enjoy!
Add yourself to the taglist here
Series Masterlist
#acotar#acotar fanfiction#acotar spoilers#acotar fic#azriel x reader#the shadowsinger#katie writes#In the process of reading TOG#no spoilers pls#minors dni
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Thinking about the sniper duo
#tog#the old guard#siggy draws#quynh#nicolo di genova#the old gays#genuinely they're all i can think about this week#what are they running from / shooting at?? idk they probably fucked up sdfghfds#the headcanon is: when you put these two together they have a lot of fun but they're a DISASTER.#here's a story: some rich man saw quynh and immediately decided she was going to be his wife#and ofc quynh had issues with this and wanted to smack the shit out of this guy right away.#which she did. which escalated into a duel of sorts. nicolo is just there on the side like 'oh shit'.#either quynh was in disguise or she was forced to wear the dress. either way she is Not happy about it.#cue little brother who can lift his own weight and sprint to the rescue#maybe i should make this into a fic omg#can you fucking tell i started this by listening to anime osts ended it with disney songs
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can i pla request rowaelin x reader where reader doesn’t know they’re mates and feel guilty for being attracted to both of them meanwhile rowaelin are internally begging for her to notice the bond
GUILTY
a/n;;; i got a little carried away but i loved writing this :")
WARNINGS;; guilty feelings, long chapter
she shouldn’t be feeling this. she should have done something earlier. but there was no coming back… she was in love with the queen and king of terrasen, and she felt guilty.
everything started with aelin. she entered one day to her bookstore looking for some books for her to read and to send some of them to her friend, dorian havilliard, the king of adarlan. she was going to bow when aelin told her not to, she had enough of it in the castle, she said.
she asked her what books she was looking for. romance with some spice scenes she said. and while she entered the storehouse, aelin was cleaning the sweat in her hands. she gave her the books and told her to come back if she wanted anything more. of course.
and she came back twice a week, sometimes she ordered some books, sometimes she didn’t buy anything… but she had the feeling that the queen of terrasen was in her bookstore for another reason. and one day she came with the king of terrasen. he was beautiful, they both were. you had been feeling something for aelin. her attention towards her, how she would always come to her bookstore when she knew for sure there were better bookstores in orynth.
6 months passed, and she loved them. both of them. in the past few months, they had taken her out on dates, she had read with aelin in her castle room, rowan had helped her with the store… they had done things they shouldn’t have done, but they did, and now she was in love with the queen and king.
she was reading with aelin in her room, like so many days. they had decided to read the same book together and then comment on it. as they finished the last page, aelin said. “i don’t have words to describe it”
“me neither” she looked to aelin and found her eyes on her mouth. she pressed them together but aelin was still looking at them, she was going to say something when aelin kissed her. her tongue entered her mouth, she tasted like lemon verbena and kissing her was like being in heaven. but she was married to rowan, she was a married female, she had a mate. she pulled apart.
they were breathing fast, but she managed to speak “i can’t, i can’t” and she left, running to her home, leaving aelin in the room with tears rolling down her face.
a month passed and she didn’t hear of them or saw them, as if they had already forgotten about her. but it was easier this way. it’s better this way.
it’s better this way.
it’s better this way.
it’s better this way.
but she wasn’t better.
she missed them.
she missed spending the afternoon reading with aelin.
she missed going to walk with rowan.
she missed laughing with aelin and how rowan’s eyes would light up.
she missed them like she hasn’t missed anyone.
she had felt it the day aelin kissed her, had felt it when rowan would take her hand, a tug in her heart and a voice in her head. go. it would say. go, where?. go, just go. and it was her mother’s voice, who had told her to go every time she was with them. and know she knew what she meant. go with them. go where you feel safe. go where you are loved. go with your mates.
mates.
she was their mate.
and she felt guilty for it. for loving them, for being their mate. and she cried. cried for a love that was impossible.
she had fallen asleep, her eyes red, and her mouth dry. but an incessant knocking on her door, had awakened her. she looked at the wall-clock. 2 am. barefoot, she made her way to the front door, and when she opened it… aelin was there.
her blue and golden eyes were red from crying, bags under them, and her usually shiny hair was dull, without life. she knew rowan was near, keeping an eye on the street.
“i need to talk to you” aelin whispered.
should she let her enter? do it.
so she did.
she led aelin to the couch, as she sat down, she watched as aelin started to pace. “i know that you may not want to see me or rowan, and i know i should have come the day you left, but… i didn’t know what to say or how to explain what we have, that you are our mate, and” a breathy laugh “gods, this month apart have been like being in hell, because that is what our lives feel without you. hell. we’ve been trying to tell you for months, but we were scared you would run away the moment you knew it.” she walked to her and she watched as aelin kneeled before her, taking her hands. and the tears she thought were dry, started to flow again like a waterfall.
“but i want you to know that i love you. rowan loves you. we love you. because you are the light in our nights. you are the piece we were missing. so please, let us be yours.”
she kneeled before aelin. moving her hands away from her, she took her face with her hands, cleaning the tears with her thumbs. “i love you aelin, and i love rowan. i love both of you” aelin pressed her forehead with her’s, and a cold wind opened the window, and they watch as a hawk entered the room, and then turned into rowan. he walked to them and kneeling, he embraced both of them. he had heard everything.
she felt the bond sing with happiness as she melted into her mates.
well done, darling… i love you. i will always love you.
EPILOGUE
she heard a little voice talk to her. but she was dreaming and that voice… she knew that voice.
“hi there baby”
evalyn.
she wasn’t dreaming then.
she blinked a few times, getting used to the sunlight that entered the bedroom. she watched down and she saw her. her silver hair was knotted, but her green eyes were bright as she talked to her belly.
“good morning darling” she said to the little girl.
“good morning mommy” she called her mommy, while she called aelin mama. she looked again at her belly. “you think she can hear me?”
she let a low laugh. “of course she can” she said, stroking her hair. evalin climbed higher until her head was resting on her breast, and she hugged the little girl.
aelin and rowan watched her two girls.
we did it rowan.
we did it, fireheart.
all rights reserved to ©rowaelinsdaughter. no tranlations allowed. no copy theme. don not copy my work.
tagging;; @throneofsapphics @danikamariewrites @hellwantfuckme @shadowdaddies
#sjm books#sarah j maas#fanfic#throne of glass#throne of glass imagine#throne of glass fanfiction#rowan whitethorn#aelin galathynius#aelin x f!reader#aelin x you#aelin x reader#rowan x you#rowan x reader#rowaelin x reader#rowaelin x you#tog fluff#tog x reader#tog fic
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It Was Just For One Night
Pairing: Dorian Havilliard x f!reader
Summary: What was only supposed to be a one-time thing turns into a two-time thing.
Warnings: 18+ smut
Word Count: 5,662
Authors Note: This is my first time writing in a while and my first time writing for Throne of Glass/SJM’s work. I’ve never published anything on here before, so please don’t be too harsh. I hate the dialogue and the smut, but oh well. Massive credit to @autumnshighlady for helping me with the smut and for being so kind.
You feel the faint touch of a phantom hand ghost along the skin of your bare back, leaving goosebumps. You suppress a shudder. You could feel a pair of eyes burning into the side of your face, making your heart beat faster. You raised the glass of red wine to your lips and swallowed a mouthful down, trying to appear calm with your father standing beside you, conversing with another lord. They were talking about something that you had no interest in or care enough to act like you were listening to them.
His eyes were on you. Watching you. Always watching you. You finally let your eyes meet the king’s gaze and they were filled with pure hunger and desire. His sapphire eyes slowly trailed the entire length of your body, taking in the dark navy satin dress that had been gifted to you this morning. You weren’t even aware who had gifted you the dress, but it was obvious now. From the way his lips twitched and the hunger in his eyes became more and more apparent.
It had only been a month since you and Dorian had slept together. A drunken fueled haze that had been filled with pure carnal desire. It was a one-time thing. You knew it would never happen again, but it didn’t mean that you would if it did. He had been a very generous and a very passionate lover. Making sure that you had found release, multiple times, before finding his own. When he finished, he asked if you were okay, dressed himself and left your chambers and that was it. You weren’t expecting anything after. It would be foolish to think so.
You were surprised that the king had chosen you of all people to bed. You had heard that when Dorian was still the prince he was a harlot, so surely it wouldn’t be hard for him to find someone more appealing since he’s the King of Adarlan.
After that night there were times when both of you would be in the same room and you would make yourself never look in his direction, or he would talk to your father about diplomatic matters and rather quickly, you would excuse yourself. You didn’t want anyone to find out. You could only imagine the scandal it would cause.
An older man was talking to Dorian, and the king nodded his head, pretending that he was listening. His crown gleaming in the light, rings decorating his long fingers, dressed exquistely, and seated on his throne full of pride. He was beautiful and he knew it too.
You forced yourself to divert your gaze, focusing instead on the people dancing to the music and the decorations that adorned the room for the Yulemas ball. But you felt it again. That phantom touch. And this time, it wasn’t faint. It felt more apparent. More forceful.
The touch stroked the length of your spine before landing on the curve of your backside, trailing downwards until it reached the back of your thigh, and gave a soft squeeze. You purse your lips as your hand clenches the stem of the wine glass, face warming, and you quickly glance at your father and the other lord, making sure they weren’t paying attention to what was happening, before looking back toward Dorian to see his eyes were still on you. He wasn’t even trying to hide the smug look on his face.
Arrogant prick. You couldn’t believe he was choosing to do this in a room full of people. Especially with your father right next to you. You shot a subtle look at Dorian, but it only seemed to amuse him. He cocked his head to the side, a mocking gesture, daring you to do something. The tension was starting to become too much.
You swallowed.
“I’m going out to the garden for some air,” you said quietly to your father. He waved his hand in dismissal and continued his conversation with the man. You placed your glass down on the nearest table and began weaving your way through the crowds of people, careful to not get anyone’s wine on your dress. You could feel Dorian’s gaze burning through the back of your head, following your every movement.
When you walked outside you inhaled the air, welcoming it into your lungs and letting the cold breeze cool your flushed body. Everything had felt too warm and crowded inside that room. Too overwhelming.
Snow fell from the sky, landing on the ground and kissing it a beautiful white. A few snowflakes landed in your hair. The wind was lightly blowing, making your skin prickle. You pulled a single rose from a bush, careful to not cut your fingers on any of the thorns. The rose was a deep, luscious shade of red with soft petals. You lifted the flower to your nose and inhaled its sweet and floral scent. There was a soft crunch in the snow behind you. Footsteps. You didn’t have to turn around to know who they belonged to.
“That is a very beautiful dress,” Dorian said, his voice smooth. You turned your head to the side and met his gaze. Pure mirth in his stare. His raven black hair shining in the moonlight. “You look rather flustered.”
You kept your face blank, feeling a small hint of annoyance starting to bubble up inside of you. “Are you mad?”
Dorian quirked an eyebrow. “No, ‘Your Majesty’?”
A roll your eyes. “Are you mad, Your Majesty?”
He grinned. “Ask me tomorrow.”
"My father was right there,” you huffed. “He could have seen. Anyone could have seen.”
“Yes, but no one did.”
“I’m not an exhibsionist.”
“I apologize, my lady.” He gave a mocking bow.
“Is this a game to you?” You ask, turning to face him fully.
His brows slightly furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“You had your fun. We both did,” you explained. “It was a one-time thing, so why did you give me this dress and why did you do that in there?”
He was quiet for a moment, studying you, and then asked, “What if I want it to become a two-time thing?”
“Why? What’s in it for you?” You say cautiously. Surely he wasn’t serious.
“I get to enjoy your presence once more,” he answered. “I rather enjoyed myself the last time.”
You try to hide your surprise, but he caught it. You kept your eyes on him, furrowing your eyebrows, and wondered why he wanted to sleep together again, with you, when he could have anyone else. You weren’t completely turned-off to the idea. It would be a lie to say that you hadn’t thought about it.
In the dead of night, you would let your fingers slip inside your wet cunt and fantasize about his hands wrapping around your throat, his teeth tugging on your nipple, and his cock thrusting inside of you. The sound of his groans and your moans, both of your bodies slick with sweat. You felt a flutter low in your stomach. Your throat bobbed.
“We could enjoy each other’s company once more.”
“What if someone finds out?” You cross your arms across your chest. “It would make things difficult for you, but mainly for me.”
“The guards wouldn’t say anything,” he reassured.
You raised an eyebrow. “Surely the presence of your absence has been noted.”
“I announced that I was retiring for the night and told everyone to continue partying.”
“What if someone sees?”
“Everyone is too busy drinking and dancing,” he paused for a moment, looking you up and down, noticing that your body was stiff. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Do you not want to? If not, then it’s fine, I don’t mean to place pressure on you.”
You could tell that Dorian’s words were genuine. His face was soft and patient, waiting for you to respond. “I want to,” I admitted. His eyes became bright at your words. “I just don’t want to complicate things.” He waited for you to continue. “You’re the King of Adarlan; I don’t think people would be pleased to know that you’ve bedded me. I would probably be seen as a woman who tempted the king for money and power, as a whore.”
“It's no one's business what I do, or what you do. I am the king. My guards know to keep their mouths shut, especially the ones that are stationed outside my chambers. If anyone does find out, you can come to me and I’ll deal with it.”
You thought about it for a moment, weighing your options, and glanced around the garden to see that it was still empty. You met his gaze once more and nodded. “Yes.”
“Are you sure?” He asked. His voice came out low, taking a step closer to you.
“Yes.” You licked your lips, and his eyes trailed the movement. You took a step forward, glancing at his lips, tilting your head upwards and parting your lips slightly, giving him permission to kiss you. His hand came to cup your face, his thumb lightly stroking the side of your cheek while his other hand settled on your hip, giving it a hard squeeze.
Your bodies were pressed against each other, and it was then that you could feel the hardness of his cock through his trousers. You leaned your head forward, feeling his breathe as your lips were about to connect-
You jerked back as you let out a low hiss of pain as one of the thorns sliced into the tip of your index finger. A bead of blood pooled at the cut, making your skin sting. Dorian plucked the flower from your hand and brought your finger close to his face, his eyes inspecting the small cut and then he looked at you, a sly look on his face.
“You need to be more careful, dove.” He brought your finger to his lips, pressing light kisses onto the skin slowly, as if savoring the taste of the salt on your skin mixed with your blood. His tongue replaced his lips, his eyes never leaving yours.
Your breath hitched and you could feel wetness start to pool in between your thighs. His teeth harshly nipped at the skin, making a small noise escape your throat. “Dorian,” you moaned quietly. “Please.” Your toes curled. He tossed the rose on the ground, releasing your finger, and brought your lips to his.
His lips were cold but soft, and you ran my hands through his thick hair, your nails lightly scraping his scalp. You swallowed the groan that left his mouth. His hands are roughly squeezing your backside, pushing you closer to him. He tugged your bottom lip between his teeth as you pressed your thighs together to try and relieve some of the aching tension.
“Not here,” you breathed.
He nodded and grabbed your hand, walking both of you out of the garden and through a door that had no one near it, and led the two of you back inside the castle. You had to walk fast to keep up with the strides of his long legs. The halls that he led you through were thankfully empty, not even guards were positioned in the hallway, it looked like any rarely came through this way. He squeezed your hand and brushed his thumb across your knuckles.
The hall to where his chambers came into view and the guards stationed outside didn’t so much as flinch as Dorian neared the door. They only gave a respectful bow to their king, averting their eyes, and pretended to not notice that his hand was interlaced with yours, or that his lips were swollen, and the tanned skin of his cheeks were flushed.
He pushed open the door and led you through his room, quickly closing the door. You stopped in the middle of the room and noticed it was rather untidy; books were open and lying on his desk and the table by the sofa, his bed was unmade, and a few of his clothes were on the floor. But it smelled like him. So much like Dorian.
Your back was facing Dorian, his footsteps sounding closer, the sound of his crown being placed gently on a table, and then he was right behind you. His front pressed against your back, the warmth of his body seeping into you. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear before grabbing your chin, making you meet his gaze, sapphire eyes were blazing. His forehead rested against yours. “I need to hear you say it.”
Your breathing was growing heavier.
“Yes. Please.”
His hand released your chin, moving your head back to its original position and his free hand came to rest on your hip. His hand then wrapped around your throat, squeezing softly, and tilted your head back. Dorian’s lips were brushing the shell of your ear before his teeth tugged on the lobe of your ear, biting gently.
The hand on your waist moved until it was settled right above your pelvis, pushing you back so you could feel his cock. You slightly shifted your hips, grinding your ass on his hardened length, and you were pleased when a low groan left him.
He left a trail of rough kisses down the column of your throat, teeth occasionally nipping and harshly sucking on the flesh, marking you as his. Quiet moans escaping your lips as you let your body lean more into him.
The thin strap of your dress fell down your shoulder, exposing your collarbone. Phantom hands came to cup your breasts through the flimsy material of your dress, squeezing before pinching your peaked nipples, hard.
A hiss left you, arching your back away from his body, but his hand pushed you back against him and held you tightly, and grabbed your face again, placing his lips on yours. The tip of your tongue meeting his own. Heat bloomed in your core. He bit your bottom lip as he removed the dress from your body and let it fall to the floor. You turned around, arms snaking around his neck and pulling at the thick strand of his hair.
Both of his hands grabbed yours as he pulled his lips away from yours, breathing heavily, and guiding you toward his large bed. His cheeks were a flushed red and his once neat hair was messy from you dragging your fingers through it.
You climbed onto the bed and sat up on your knees, grabbing the lapels of his jacket and kissed him again. His hand came to cup the side of your ass, his blunt fingernails lightly scratching before a harsh smack came down, the sound echoing throughout the room.
Your body jolted forward and you let out a loud, breathy moan. You felt yourself becoming more aroused.
“You like how that feels?” Dorian asked. Another harsh smack came down, on the opposite side this time, when you didn’t answer. “I asked you a question.”
“Yes,” you groaned, head tipping back in pleasure.
“I’m going to take good care of you.” The words sounded like a promise.
You tugged off his jacket and let it drop to the floor. You took off his tunic next, revealing the pale line on his tan skin from where the collar had been, and strong, firm muscle. Your hand came to cup his cock through his black trousers. Dorian hissed, eyebrows slightly creasing together in pleasure. You press light kisses on the pale part of his neck, sucking harshly, leaving love bites of your own and running your tongue over the bruised flesh.
He grabbed you by the neck, putting his lips back on yours. His kiss was deliberately slow. Teasing. Savoring the taste of the red wine on your lips. His fingers are pulling at the hair at the nape of your neck. You wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him even closer, wanting to feel the hardness of his length against your stomach. Fingertips pressing into the curve of your neck as his tongue sweeps over your mouth.
You moan into the kiss, feeling his phantom hands squeezing your ass, tracing the band of your underwear. His fingertips brush over your nipples. They’re cold with his ice magic. You shiver and his mouth curves in delight. The tip of Dorian’s nail grazes the hardened bud before he bends down and takes your nipple in his mouth. Your underwear is sticky with your arousal.
He keeps his eyes on you, watching how your head tips back, how your lips part as you begin moaning breathily. He rolls your other nipple between his thumb and index finger, leaving goosebumps on your skin from the coldness of his flesh. He sucks roughly, moaning around the bud as you pull at his hair, and then he tugs at your nipple with his teeth. His tongue laps over it before he begins sucking again.
“Feels so good,” you mumble, trying to catch your breath. You can feel him grin in satisfaction.
Dorian releases the abused flesh and he starts repeating the same motions on the other nipple, but this time it’s harsher, more animalistic. His hand starts trailing down your stomach and then cups your clothed cunt. A chuckle leaves his lips at what he found. “You’re so wet.”
He dips his hand in your underwear and runs a finger through your folds. You start to slowly move your hips, rubbing your clit on the heel of his palm to relieve the aching tension. “Stay still,” he warns, “or I’ll stop.” You groan in frustration, but comply, hesitantly. He circles the entrance to your hole, gathering the wetness that had pooled there, and then slips a finger inside of you.
Your back arches the same time as you let out a choked moan. You clench around him, fighting the urge to rub your clit against his palm. Painfully slow, in a teasing manner, he thrusts his finger in and out. He takes his time in stretching you out. Your voice is husky as you say, “Kiss me.” You open your eyes to see that he’s already looking at you. Pure desire in his gaze.
“Kiss me,” you repeat again. He obliges. There’s nothing gentle or soft about the kiss. It’s messy and fast and rough. Your teeth are clashing against each other, desperate to taste each other. Your breaths are labored, trying to breathe in more air.
He enters a second finger and when you gasp, he shoves his tongue inside your mouth. You dig your nails into the meat of his shoulders before brushing your thumbs over his nipples.
“Since that night I’ve thought of doing this again,” Dorian admitted. “I fucked myself to the thought of you. Imagining it was you stroking my cock.”
His words made you clench around his fingers. You could picture it. His eyes closed, head leaning back against the pillows, and his hand gripping his cock, squeezing hard. His groans coming out hoarsely, loudly. There was a sense of triumph in knowing that you had made the King of Adarlan fantasize about you. It was satisfying.
“So have I,” you also admitted.
“Tell me,” he demanded.
You swallowed. “I shoved my fingers inside my cunt and wished that it was yours instead. I thought of your tongue on my cunt, of your hand around my throat and your cock inside me.”
Dorian’s fingers thrust faster the same time phantom hands tug at your nipples, a warm feeling blooming low in your stomach. Your moans were coming out in short gasps. “Dorian.” Your fingernails leave marks on his broad shoulders and your head tips back. “I’m so close.” The pressure that had been building was becoming more intense. He whispers words of encouragement and praise.
And with a curl of his fingers you cry out, arching your body into him as your orgasm hits you. Your breath comes out in stutters, your body jerking and your knees trembling. His phantom hands help keep you upright. He coaxes you through it. And when your moans cease, he very slowly removes his fingers from your cunt with a squelching sound.
He brings them to his face, inspecting the wet sheen on them. Dorian smiles. “Look at how soaked you are.” Your arousal coats his entire hand, dripping down to his wrist. And while he keeps his eyes locked on yours, he puts his digits into his mouth and tastes your juices. Your breath hitches. His sapphire eyes darken considerably.
The palm of his hand rests on your collarbone and he gently pushes you until your back is lying on the bed. He reaches forward and rips off the lacy material of your underwear. After tossing them across the room he takes a step back and greedily takes in the sight of you; a thin sheen of sweat is covering your body, your nipples are red and swollen from where he sucked and bit on them, and your cunt is dripping wet.
“I need you,” your voice snaps Dorian out of his daze.
He starts to undo the button of trousers and pushes them down, removing his undershorts also. He steps out of them quickly and tosses them aside, and his cock slaps against his abdomen hard. You take in the sight; the fine patch of dark hair, the tip of his cock is red and leaking with his arousal.
You lick your lips, desperate to have his cock in your mouth. The previous time you fucked each other, you only briefly got to lick him, and you had forgotten what he’d tasted like.
He wraps a hand around his cock, giving it a firm stroke. He hisses. “You see what you do to me?”
Dorian walks forward, kneels on the bed and uses his phantom hands to restrain your wrists to the mattress. He lowers himself between your legs and an almost pained look crosses his features as he stares at your core, wet and gleaming for him.
It was a slow torture, him slowly kissing the inside of your thighs, nipping at skin and leaving love bites. His thumbs draw circles into your hips, and you keep squirming, wanting his tongue on your most sensitive part, but he seemed keen on the idea to tease you.
“Dorian,” you rasped. He would continue teasing until you begged for it. It’s what he wanted. You held his gaze and watched as he waited, a grin was on his face, but you could see his body trembling with restraint to keep himself from ravishing you. “Please.”
He cocks his head to the side, mockingly, and his grin is feline. “Because you asked nicely. . .”
Dorian took a long, languid lick up the center of your core. You let out a moan in relief and your eyes fluttered shut, enjoying the feeling of his tongue sliding up and down you, tasting you thoroughly. He peppers kisses along your cunt before he starts licking again.
One of his hands comes up to pinch your nipple and you buck your hips against his face, but he throws an arm across your waist to keep you still. He wraps his lips directly around your clit and you cry out as he starts sucking the sensitive nub. You struggle against the phantom hands that bound your wrists. You want to run your fingers through his hair grind against his face.
Grabbing your thighs, Dorian drapes them over his shoulders to hold you closer and keeps his eyes pinned to your face. He wanted to watch you come on his tongue. He pumps his fingers in and out of you, curling ever so slightly.
“Right there,” you gasp.
You watch as he presses his hips hard against the mattress and begins rutting against it, a soft groan leaving him and it vibrates through your core.
You try to free your hands from his magic, but it doesn’t budge. “Let me touch you.” You look at him with pleading eyes. “Please, let me touch you.” Finally, those phantom hands release their grip on you.
Your body writhes and your fingers rake through his black hair to push him closer, nails scratching along his scalp. Your cries of pleasure encourage him to keep going. His teeth scraping your clit is what makes you climax. His fingers quicken their pace, tongue moving faster, letting you ride out your high.
It leaves you trembling with needing more, but Dorian removes his tongue and fingers from you and leans back on his knees. His eyes linger on your abused cunt before he looks at you and you stare at him, too. Blue eyes full of adoration. His hair was in disarray, cheeks a pretty shade of pink, and his chin and lips were coated with your arousal but he didn’t seem to care.
He looked devastating.
You barely had time to catch your breath before he grabbed you by the hips and turned you around so you were on your knees, ass in the air, and the side of your face was pressed against the sheets. His hand left a hard smack across your ass cheek making a yelp escape your lips. Dorian’s hands once again grab your hips to bring you close to his face, and his fingers tease your entrance, and you arch your back, urging him to bring you another orgasm again.
He laughed teasingly. “So eager, dove.”
He sticks his tongue inside of your cunt and your entire body shudders. He moans, as if this is pleasuring him just as much as it is you. The taste of you was going to haunt him after this was over. The essence of you would haunt him.
He presses his fingers inside your leaking hole and the pace is fast, desperate to draw a third orgasm from you. Dorian wanted you to come again, and again, and again. He needed you to come again.
Another harsh slap to your ass has you moaning out his name. Your hands clutch the sheets tightly and you rock your hips against his face, and unlike last time, he doesn’t try to make you stay still. He lets you grind yourself on his face and makes his phantom hands rock your hips to move them faster. The tips of his fingers would leave bruises from how hard their grip was.
Lewd noises were coming out of his mouth and your face warmed from the sounds.
Your body trembles as he flicks his tongue against your clit repeatedly and you feel yourself come again. A loud cry echoing against the walls of his room. He hums against your cunt, letting the vibrations further stimulate you. It isn’t until your whimpering that he finally relents. You’re panting, strands of hair clinging to your forehead, and your knees give out beneath you.
“You’re doing so good for me,” Dorian praised. He presses a kiss against your spine. And then another. His hand rubbing your red backside from the slaps he gave. His ice magic soothing the tender skin.
“Dorian,” you mumble.
“Are you okay?” He asks, running a strong hand down the length of your spine gently. Your skin prickles.
You manage a weak nod.
“Use your words.”
“Yes,” you murmur. Your eyelids were heavy and the perspiration felt sticky on the nape of your neck.
He helps turn you around so you’re laying on your back. You drink in the sight of him and he does the same. Dorian’s lips were shining with your arousal and his cock looked painfully hard. You wanted to kiss him. You reached out a trembling hand, and he eyed it before taking hold of it and leaning over you, bracing his body weight on his elbows. His nose brushes yours softly.
“Kiss me,” you breathe. He brought his mouth to yours. You could taste yourself on his tongue. You were both frantic and desperate, and didn’t want to pull your mouths apart from each other.
You cup his face, rubbing your thumb along the sharp cheekbone as your other hand played with the strands of his hair. His body was trembling and whatever self-control he had left was slipping away.
You reach a hand down, gripping his length and give it a lazy stroke. He makes a soft noise at the touch, slowly moving his hips as you start pressing kisses onto his collarbones. His forehead resting on top of yours, eyes closed and savoring the moment. You run your thumb over the slit, gathering moisture before giving a gentle squeeze that makes a low growl leave Dorian. That last bit of self-control was completely gone.
He takes his cock and lines the head of it up with your cunt and in one motion, he fully sheaths himself inside of you. A sigh of contentment leaves the pair of you. His pace starts off slow, languid. Your hips roll against his, trying to find a rhythm that matches. His hands roam over the sides of your body before landing on your plush hips. Fingertips digging into your flesh.
“Tell me how you feel.” He licked the side of your throat.
“Good,” you pant. “So good.”
“You like me being inside you?” His tone was teasing, mocking, but you could hear how gravelly he sounded.
“Yes.”
He presses kisses to your lips, your neck, your collarbones, the swell of your breasts. Tongue flicking over both nipples. Your legs lock around his trim waist, bringing him closer to you and you clench tightly around him, and his hips jerk, drawing two mirrored moans of pleasure from you both. Your head tips back in bliss and your entire body is buzzing from pleasure.
Dorian’s eyes were a shade of blue so dark they looked like the freezing cold waters of the sea. He moans out your name like a prayer and dips down to kiss you again, as if one isn’t enough. Your hands run up and down his chest, the tip of your nail scraping his nipple. His thrusts were becoming rougher, deeper, more punishing than before. Your breasts bouncing with every snap of his hips.
One of his phantom hands started rubbing your clit and a low pressure was beginning to bloom in your belly, making a breathy gasp leave you. The walls of your cunt start contracting. Hot, heavy, open-mouthed kisses leave a thin string of saliva connecting your lips. It was messy. Both of you were moaning into each other’s mouth. Both of you sounded so needy.
Dorian buried his face into the crook of your neck. A cry left your lips as his teeth bit down on your skin. His thrusts were brutal, each one bringing you closer to the edge, hips snapping into yours hard enough that the headboard was banging against the wall. He obviously didn’t care if someone heard. And neither did you. The fingers on your clit were moving faster and your body was shaking. “Please, please, please. . .”
That familiar coil settled in your lower abdomen snaps. Your back arching off the bed as you come, the walls of your cunt clenching around him rhythmically, and you bury your forehead into the crook of his neck. Nails leaving red marks on his shoulders and down his back, and toes curling from the overstimulation.
Dorian fucks you through it, and his groans are growing louder and his thrusts harsher; he was going to come. He breathes out a desperate, pleading noise, leaning down until his forehead is pressed against yours. He fucks into you harder. The sound of skin-on-skin reverberating through the room. You give him words of encouragement, pressing quick kisses to his lips.
He comes with a deep, guttural groan. His hips stuttering. And you feel his seed spill into you as he rides out his high, fingertips gripping your hips so tight bruises would probably appear. His thrusts start to slow down before eventually stopping, and he pauses for a moment, panting heavily, before collapsing on top of you, unable to hold himself up any longer.
You brush back the damp strands of hair that cling to his forehead. Both of your bodies are shaking and slick with sweat. His breath tickles your skin.
There were no noises in the room anymore save for the sounds of both of you gasping for air, but it didn’t feel awkward or uncomfortable. Dorian’s fingers loosened their tight grip on your hips and rubbed the flesh tenderly. A sigh of contentment left you. A passionate and generous lover indeed.
You could feel him start to grow restless. You unlocked your legs from around his waist and he gently pulled out from you with an almost inaudible hiss, and rolled onto his back right beside you, trying to catch his breath. The air in the room grew cold, his magic cooling the both of you off.
Your limbs felt heavy and you could feel his seed spilling out from you. You closed your eyes for a moment, still feeling the tingling sensation all over your body. Deep down you knew that no one would ever fuck you as good as Dorian just had. You didn’t know if this would happen again or if people would find out that you had fucked their king.
A small part of you inside felt sad knowing that you would be staying at the castle for only one more month before leaving to go back to your city. But you knew it was just sex. You didn’t expect anything more. It would be foolish to.
You could feel Dorian’s eyes burning into the side of your head, his lips parting, “Perhaps we should do this again.” The words were spoken nonchalantly, but you picked up on the tinge of nervousness. “Make it a three-time thing.”
You lifted a shoulder in a casual shrug, making yourself appear calm, and felt a grin tugging at your lips. “Maybe.”
#dorian havilliard#dorian havilliard x reader#dorian havilliard x you#throne of glass#sarah j maas#sjmaas#throne of glass fanfiction#throne of glass fic#throne of glass fandom#tog#crown of midnight#heir of fire#queen of shadows#empire of storms#kingdom of ash#sjm fandom#maasverse#dorian havilliard smut
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Puppy Love
pairing - robert 'bob' floyd x fem!reader
summary - bob finds a puppy on the side of the street and brings it to your shelter, having trouble getting you off his mind after
warnings - fluff, teasing
wordcount - 2.1k
Bob was relieved when he pulled into the shelter’s parking lot and saw the lights still on. The small puppy on his passenger seat whined when the car stopped moving, staring up at him with big round eyes.
He got out and walked around the car, carefully picking up the grey bundle of fur. The door was closed but he was sure someone was still inside as there was another car still parked in the lot. He knocked on the glass gently, then a little harder the second time.
After the second knock, a head peeked around the doorway behind the reception desk. Spotting him drenched in the rain, the woman quickly stepped around the counter and went to unlock the door. She pulled it open just a smidge. “I’m sorry, we’re already closed for today.”
“Oh, I was hoping you could help me really quick,” Bob told her, an apologetic look on his face, mentioning to the puppy he was holding. “But I can come back in the morning. What time do you open?”
The woman looked down at the shaking dog, seemingly thinking for a moment. Then she pulled the door open all the way. “Come on in. You both look drenched to the bone.”
She walked ahead, back to the room she had come from, and Bob followed behind her. She mentioned towards the metal table in the centre of the room and opened up one of the cabinets, pulling out some towels.
“Where did you find this little guy?” she asked and handed Bob one of the towels, before holding out her hand for the puppy to sniff. Seeing that he was not reacting aggressively, she carefully started rubbing over his fur with a towel, trying to warm him up.
“He was lying on the side of the road. Wasn’t moving at all when I found him,” Bob explained, watching as she checked the puppy over for any injuries.
“Thank you for bringing him here. Looks like he has been out there by himself for a while,” the woman smiled at him, happy to find that except for being insanely thin and cold, the pup seemed to be fine. “He doesn’t have a collar. We’ll have to check if he’s chipped, but I doubt it.”
Bob watched in awe how the dog settled down as you fussed over him, stopping his whining. He was now lying down on the towel you had used, eyes closing as you ran a finger over his forehead. He felt his face heat up when you smiled up at him again.
“Thanks again,” you told him. “Lots of people would have just left him there.”
You noticed him nervously rubbing the back of his neck. “Of course, I couldn’t just leave him in the rain.”
“Well, I’m going to get him cleaned up and sort out a place for him to stay for the night. I promise he’s in good hands here,” you said with a grin, aware that the man looked slightly hesitant to leave the puppy’s side. “You should probably head home and get out of these wet clothes before you catch a cold.”
“Sure, yeah,” Bob stammered out, cursing himself for how nervous he was. He was glad Nat wasn’t here to see him make a fool of himself in front of a pretty girl. The whole dagger crew would have heard about it by tomorrow.
You waited until you heard the front door shut before looking down at your new friend. “He was kind of cute, wasn’t he?”
The puppy just licked your hand in response.
⌞☆⌟ ⌞☆⌟ ⌞☆⌟
Maybe he should not have come back. Did people usually come in to check on the dogs they dropped off here? He was not sure.
This time you were standing behind the reception desk when he entered the building, a grin making its way onto your face when you recognized him. You had been kicking yourself for not asking for his name the night before, not thinking you would see him again. And social media stalking without knowing the person’s name turned out to be quite difficult.
“Found another dog?” she joked as he walked up to her.
“No, not this time,” Bob chuckled and watched her mark her place in her book and put it to the side. “I don’t know if this is weird, but I wanted to check in on him?”
His question made you smile again, the sight bringing colour into his cheeks. “Not weird at all. Would you like to see him?”
You told him to follow you when he nodded, leading him through the long hallway of kennels and out into the yard behind the building. Bob walked behind you, passing multiple fenced in areas with dogs relaxing in the sun and playing.
“We got him checked at the vet this morning and other than being underweight he is perfectly healthy, thank god,” you started talking, stopping in front of one of the gates. “No chip, though. That means this little guy is up for adoption. Are you interested?”
“Oh, no.” Bob watched as the puppy ran after one of the other dogs, looking much better already than the night before. “I don’t think I’d have enough time to look after a dog well enough.”
“That’s unfortunate. I bet you’d be a great dog owner. And I think he would agree.”
Bob’s eyes drifted to you, now watching you instead of the dogs. There was a proud look on your face as you looked around at your fosterlings. He liked the way the skin around your eyes crinkled when you smiled.
“Do you work here alone?” he asked you, realising he has not seen anyone else around here.
“Most of the time it’s just me. My sister tries to help out when she can. And sometimes a couple of students come to play with the dogs and take them on walks. But it’s been hard to find volunteers,” you admitted, and Bob frowned when the smile fell off your face.
“So, this is your place?” he tried to steer the conversation into a different direction.
“Yeah, opened it up just a couple months ago.” He internally cheered when you went back to smiling at him. “Have been working up to it for years, though. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before things turn around. Pretty sure people are going to storm the place to make one of these sweet little guys part of their families.”
“Definitely,” he agreed with you. “So, how do you go about volunteering here?”
You turned to fully face him, studying his face to figure out if he was being serious. “Are you thinking about it?”
“Maybe,” he admitted, hand going to rub at his neck as he pushed his glasses back up onto his nose. The two of you made your way back into the building and you went back to your spot behind the desk.
“Well, if you want to try it out and if you’re not busy you should come by on Saturday,” you beamed at him. “I’m hosting an open house. The whole day is going to be about the pups, it’s going to be fun! And I’m bringing snacks!”
“Well if there’s going to be snacks, I’ll have to check it out,” he joked and suddenly felt way too warm at the sound of your sweet laugh.
“Then it’s a date,” you chuckled, sliding over one of the flyers you had made.
⌞☆⌟ ⌞☆⌟ ⌞☆⌟
Bob had already been waiting for almost half an hour by the time the other’s pulled into the parking lot on Saturday. Jake was the first one to arrive, Bradley’s bronco right behind him. The look on Nat’s face when she climbed out of the passenger side made Bob question why he had invited them in the first place.
They had already agreed to tag along when he told them they would be spending the day playing with puppies, but all of them perked up even more at the mention of you. But he had wanted to make sure you saw some new faces at the shelter today. He even went to pick up his niece before coming here, giving his sister and brother-in-law a well-deserved day off.
“Finally. Took you long enough,” Bob complained as Jake sidled up to him.
“Missing your lady that bad?” Jake pushed his sunglasses on his nose, shooting a mischievous grin in Bob’s direction.
His niece pulled at his sleeve to get his attention. “I want to go see the puppies now!”
“Let’s go then,” Natasha smiled at the girl, taking her hand. “Lead the way, Bob.”
The others followed him across the lot and into the building. The reception area was empty today. A sign on the counter pointed them towards the kennels, so Bob led them through the long hallway and out into the yard.
Laughter and squealing was to be heard from one of the fenced in areas outside, a few kids running around and throwing toys for the dogs to chase while their parents watched with differing expressions.
A couple was watching with fond smiles as you talked to them excitedly. Another was mumbling to each other, looking slightly concerned as their son kept on raving about why they had to adopt the golden retriever puppy he was hugging.
Clara let go of Natasha’s hand to run up to the fence, bouncing on her feet. “Which one is yours Uncle Bob?”
He crouched down next to her, looking around the area before pointing out the fluffy grey puppy he had found. “That one right there.”
“Can we go pet him please?”
“Sure, come on,” he said and opened up the gate to let everyone through. The dog in question noticed his arrival right away, sprinting up to him to jump up his legs. Clara let out a laugh when he jumped over to her, licking at her hands.
“Looks like he remembers you,” your voice suddenly called out to him. You were making your way over to him, a beaming smile on your face. Your smile got even wider when you saw he did not come alone. “Who are your friends?”
Jake immediately stepped forward, offering you his hand with a charming smile. “I’m Jake, pleasure to meet you.”
He then grinned back at Bob. “You didn’t tell us just how pretty she is, Bobby.”
Natasha rolled her eyes at the man before introducing herself to you. The two of you quickly hit it off, laughing as you watched the group of men fawn about the little puppies alongside the children.
As you and Natasha continued chatting, Jake couldn't resist teasing Bob about his obvious attraction to you. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Jake leaned in closer to you, playfully teasing, "You know, Bob here has been smitten with you. Hasn't been able to shut up about you. Look, it's written all over his face."
Bob immediately denied it, his cheeks turning a deep shade of crimson. "Jake, come on. I barely know her," he muttered to his supposed friend, sending you an apologetic look. "I'm sorry about him. He thinks he's being funny."
Feigning innocence, Jake grinned and decided to seize the opportunity to rile Bob up a little more. He turned his attention back to you, his charming smile widening. "Well, if Bob's not making a move, I guess I can shoot my shot."
You looked at him with a mixture of surprise and amusement, unsure of how to respond to his sudden change in demeanour. Before you could say anything, Jake winked at you. "What do you say, sweetheart? How does dinner next Friday sound?"
Caught off guard, you hesitated for a moment, glancing back at Bob, who was watching the interaction with a mix of surprise and slight disappointment. You noticed the way the spectacled man's jaw set, his eyes watching you intensely, waiting for your response.
Finally, you smiled and decided that if Bob was too shy to ask you out, you'd use Jake's flirting to your advantage, feeling a sense of excitement bubbling within you. "Sure, I'd love to go to dinner."
Both Jake and Bob's eyes widened, neither of them expecting you to actually agree. Your gaze left Jake to find Bob's eyes, smiling up at him. "But I'd rather go with Bob. Is next Friday good for you? We could go catch a movie after?"
His mouth quivered upwards at the corners in an amused smirk. His heart skipped a beat when you looked up at him with expectant eyes. "Y-yes. Friday is perfect," he nodded eagerly, and you gave him another warm smile, not missing the smut smile on Jake's face.
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#bob floyd#robert floyd#bob floyd x reader#robert floyd x reader#robert floyd imagine#robert floyd x you#fanfiction#fanfic#fic#top gun#tog gun maverick#top gun maverick fanfiction#mari writes
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Sunrise
Word count: 184
AU: Canon
Read it on AO3 here
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There was something so simple about watching the sunrise.
The start of a new day, the promise of a new beginning, the chance to learn something new.
For one, she was grateful to be even seeing the sunrise considering the last year of her life had promised nothing but her death, but somehow she had made it through.
As the sky slowly brightened, the blue and purple of the sky mixing with the orange and yellow, Aelin took a deep breath in and lifted her right palm up, letting a small teardrop of water form. She willed it to dissipate for a brief moment before reappearing as a rope of water that threaded itself around her palm and her fingers. The droplets separated, jumping from one fingertip to another, and Aelin allowed the brightening sky to guide her movements.
As the sun rose in the sky, the water droplets in her palm also rose, mimicking the movement of the sun across the sky.
Aelin promised herself that morning that she would never forget to appreciate the small moments, even as simple as a sunrise.
~~~~~
Please let me know if you'd like to read about any prompts or if you'd like to be tagged!
Taglist: @thegreyj @backtobl4ck @leiawritesstories
#throne of glass#tog#tog fics#aelin galythinius#drabbles#sunrise#slice of life style#throne of glass fic
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When he was young, Joe cast a spell to fall in love with an impossible man to make sure he would never fall in love at all…
But the spell found its goal, and when years later magic brings trouble to Joe’s door, it also brings Detective Nicolò di Genova.
It’s the spooky season once more and so it’s time to rewatch one of my favourite movies. Luckily for me, @gallifreyburning is also writing an amazing Practical Magic TOG AU:
a love even time will lie down and be still for
Read it, it’s beautiful! I can’t wait to see it finished.
#the old guard#tog fanart#the old guard fanart#tog au#fic rec#joe x nicky#joe/nicky#kaysanova#immortal husbands#yusuf al kaysani#nicolo di genova#my art
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Joe & Nicky - inspired by @maddielle 's incredible fic HERE
#old guard fic rec#joe and nicky#the old guard#joe & nicky#yusuf al kaysani#kaysanova#nicolo di genova#luca marinelli#marwan kenzari#fic rec#tog art#my art#suchhhh a great fic#read to have your brain implode at how hot joe is in this#musician joe
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Below him is Earth, floating in an ocean of stars. The sun is just rising, lending it a kind of halo, which is a view he thinks he’s never gotten tired of. His favourite, though, is his view of the planet at night, when it’s lit by a web of man-made stars, stretching across countries and along coastlines, its cities glowing like tiny suns. Aside from the films and books he’s seen and read, sent to him every week or so, and the transmissions, it’s his only real indication that he isn’t the only person in the universe. Doesn’t alleviate the loneliness entirely, but it makes him feel just a little less isolated.
- from @youssefguedira's amazing amazing fic planet earth is blue (and there's nothing I can do) which is just so very perfect and I already love so much <3 and for @theartguard's bi-monthly theme Fic-Inspired!
#the old guard#tog fanart#tog#joe al kaysani#kaysanova#yusuf al kaysani#the old guard fanart#digital art#fanart#clip studio paint#photoshop#artists on tumblr#accessible art#yusuf al kaysani fanart#I hope you like it neon!!! i'm so sorry it took me so long akhfdak#I love your fic and i think about it So Often#just the right kind of story and so well done ;_;#demonicneonfishy
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Hiiiii may please write rowaelin x reader where she gets injured and they get like rlly possessive over her
we know how protective Mr. "you're sleeping in my bed until you're better" is when you're hurt 😏 lmao love this
Protective Instincts
Rowaelin x Reader
Warnings: mention of battle/injury
Head pounding, you groaned in pain, groggily blinking awake as you took in your surroundings. A warm fire roared from a hearth across the room, situated next to the chairs and couch that made up the seating area - Aelin asleep in one of the chairs, curled in an awkward position with her legs swung over the armrest so that she was facing you.
You registered that you were in a guest room of the Lochans’ castle, where you’d been staying during your meetings with Aedion, Lorcan, and Elide over barrier precautions. Memories flashed in your mind as you fell back weakly against the pillows - you recalled the sudden attack, raiders from the Frozen Wastes who had somehow crossed the mountains in an attempt to overtake Perranth.
Recalling the injury in your side from one of the raiders, you instinctively reached for the wounded area only to release another loud groan at the pain. In the corner of your vision, Aelin stirred, eyes widening as the two of you made eye contact. “You’re awake,” she cried, voice choking on the words. You smiled softly at her, your own voice scratching as you attempted to speak to her.
Aelin leapt from her chair as you sputtered out a cough, bringing a glass of water from the nightstand to your lips. Putting the glass back down, she stroked your hair softly, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. “How are you feeling?” You took a deep breath, still coming back to your senses. “I’m in pain, but-“
You were interrupted by Rowan opening the door, a tray with two plates of food in his hand as he noticed your wakened state, tension visibly dissipating from his shoulders as he did so. “Hi,” you whispered at him with a small smile. Rowan sat down the tray next to your water, rushing over to take your head in his hands, pressing a lingering kiss to your forehead. He maintained that stoic expression he usually did, but a torrent of emotions swam in his eyes, filled with concern.
Aelin reached up to take your hand in hers. “You were saying?” Refocusing your attention to her, you nodded. “I’m in some pain, but it’s manageable. I’m just trying to remember what happened.” A muscle ticked in Rowan’s jaw. Barely keeping a leash on his anger, he directed the question at you, “you don’t remember how you rushed into battle? How you jumped in front of a blade meant for another soldier?”
A flurry of guilt, grief, and other emotions overcame you as your lip wobbled under Rowan’s intense gaze. Aelin held up a hand, silencing him before he could lecture you further. “You were the kind, brave person that we know and love.” She glanced at Rowan pointedly before continuing, “we’ve been very worried. You were mostly unconscious for nearly a week.” Your eyes widened, jaw slack as you registered her words. A week? You must have been close to death’s door for an injury to take you out for so long.
You held back tears, looking at Aelin and then Rowan. “I’m sorry, I know that must have been scary for the two of you,” you whispered. Rowan’s eyes softened then, and he crouched down beside where you laid as he took your hand, pressing a kiss to it. “You have nothing to apologize for, love. Here, try to eat some of this food while it’s warm.”
He turned, picking up the tray as Aelin crawled into bed beside you, taking a plate for herself as Rowan sat on the other side of you, helping you eat the warm soup and bread. A knock on the door sounded before Aedion entered, “I just wanted to check and see how you’re do-“
Rowan cut him off with a growl, Aelin flashing her canines as their protective instincts took over. Aedion held up his hands in a placating position, giving you a playful smile as he retreated out of the room. “I’m glad you’re okay. They’ve been like this all week,” he teased with an eye roll as Rowan snarled once more in warning.
The door clicked shut, the three of you alone once more as Aelin finished her food, snuggling into your side as you put an arm around her and leaned your head on Rowan, eyes drooping once more now that you were sated with food. “Uh huh,” Rowan tsked, helping you sit up. “No falling asleep yet. You’ve been asleep for days, and need a proper bath. I’ll be back for you in a moment.”
You scoffed softly under your breath, turning to Aelin as he left the room. She smirked at you, flicking your nose. “He is right, you know. You do stink.” Leaning in to press a kiss below your ear, Aelin murmured against your neck, “but I’ll help you clean up.”
#throne of glass#throne of glass fanfic#aelin throne of glass#rowan whitethorn#throne of glass imagine#aelin ashryver galathynius#rowan x reader#rowaelin#rowaelin x reader#rowaelin x you#rowaelin fanfiction#rowaelin fic#poly!rowaelin x reader#poly!rowaelin x you#throne of glass fluff#tog x reader#tog fanfic#aedion ashryver#tog fluff#rowaelin fluff#poly!rowaelin x y/n#throne of glass fanfiction#kingdom of ash#aelin galythinius#throne of glass x reader#throne of glass fic#aelin galathynius#rowan x aelin#rowan x you#tog rowan
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More fic storyboarding instead of actually writing (x)
#tog#the old guard#siggy draws#quynh#this is the same fic as my last storyboarding doodles lol#you're telling me i really have been ''working on'' fool's gold for a year...#quynh is so proud of her wanted poster
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I Don't Want To Wait, seventy-one
rowaelin high school bff au
masterlist
TW: College admissions. Sorry if you’re going through this now! Also, I went through this a longgggggggg time ago, and I know this isn’t exactly how admissions works, so apologies for creative liberties. I was supposed to post this before Aelin's birthday, but I missed May 3. Just by two days, though, so not too shabby! Okay, lets go. Final stretch, my loves.
“What do you mean you don’t want to celebrate your birthday?” Rowan scoffed. “Ace, you love your birthday.”
Aelin stretched her arms overhead and reached to touch her toes, ignoring the way her boyfriend stared at her with his usual hawklike intensity and instead leaned into her shins, helping relieve the ache from sore and overworked muscles. Dance practices had been relentless on her body, especially with the spring showcase just a few weeks away, she seemed to be in perpetual knots always.
Well, she guessed she couldn’t just blame dance on that. She was having a hard time with everything at the moment. While her friends were smiling and laughing at their last few weeks of high school, Aelin was feeling an acute sense of panic. The weeks following spring break had melted away faster than she could process, gone in the blink of an eye, filled with an onslaught of dance practices and AP exam prep and constantly checking her inbox for that little email notification from Wendlyn. And not nearly enough Rowan, who was spending all his free time with his lacrosse team. Not only that but everyone around her seemed more excited than ever with the prospect of leaving Orynth right around the corner, but with each passing day the knot in her stomach grew tighter. Everything was a ~last~ —and she was having a hard time enjoying that. She didn’t want any of this to be her last. Why was everyone excited that time was moving so fast? Why couldn’t she just freeze right here in this moment. In this limbo things were stressful, but they were still fine. Without knowing what her fate held.
College acceptances had come rolling in, one by one, her friends grinning wildly as they opened their emails. But Aelin’s inbox remained woefully empty. So, she wanted her boyfriend to forgive her for not feeling particularly celebratory, but then again, she hadn’t discussed any of this with him for fear of making him feel guilty about it.
As she breathed into her next stretch, she turned her torso to look back at Rowan, who was still waiting patiently for her response.
“My birthday last year was a disaster,” Aelin finally replied, completely ignoring the real reason she was feeling less-than-enthused. “How quickly they forget.”
But Rowan just rolled his eyes. “That was an exception. I have a feeling that no one is going to get arrested or go to rehab this year. Usually your birthday is all you can talk about for months. Are you really telling me you haven’t planned anything? For your eighteenth birthday?” he asked. “It’s in less than a week.”
Aelin shrugged, leaning to the other side and groaning as she stretched out a particularly tender muscle.
“I just don’t want to do anything this year,” she said. “The spring dance show is in two weeks, and I’ve been practicing every night. So, for my birthday I just want the night off.” She paused. “Is that really so bad?”
“No…” Rowan said quietly, picking up his phone and furrowing his brow. She’d know that face anywhere. He looked concerned.
“What?” she snapped and immediately regretted it when she saw Rowan’s face. He didn’t deserve to be the receptacle of her stress or ire. All he wanted was to make sure she had the birthday she wanted. Her sweet, sweet Rowan. “Sorry,” she apologized quickly. “I’m just…”
“Tired?” Rowan filled in, and she nodded and lifted her arms above her head, extending them out for him. He swooped in quickly and helped her to her feet, enveloping her in a warm and comforting embrace. “I’m sorry, baby,” he whispered into her hair, and she could feel her tension melting away with each one of his butterfly kisses.
Aelin finally looked up at him, and his worried green eyes were staring back down at her. “I’m so tired, Ro,” she admitted as she squeezed him against her tighter. “The idea of doing something big for my birthday just seems like so much work.”
“It’s just a big one,” he replied softly. “I don’t want you to regret not celebrating.”
“And I appreciate that,” she said, letting herself melt into his chest fully. His heartbeat helped center her, and she rued the day that she wouldn’t have it there for her at a moment’s notice. “But I just want to hang out with you, eat too much chocolate cake and maybe go to sleep early.”
“So I should tell Lorcan to cancel the surprise trip to the strip club?” Rowan asked. Aelin’s head shot up, and her boyfriend’s answering smirk was telling enough.
“You almost had me there,” she said.
“He tried,” Rowan laughed, “But I shut him down pretty quickly.”
“What kind of strip club are we talking about?” she asked, causing Rowan’s worried expression to disappear, as she intended. As Rowan explained how he had to talk Lorcan off the ledge, Aelin took out her phone and needlessly refreshed her phone over and over. But her inbox remained unchanged.
. . .
“Stay calm and vote Manon and Elide as queens for prom!” Dorian shouted while shoving a rainbow flyer into a passerby’s hands. “A vote for Manon and Elide is a vote against The Man!” he continued, causing Aelin to snort into one of the crown-adorned cupcakes Maeve had contributed to the cause. Dorian had taken it upon himself to run point for Manon and Elide’s prom queen campaign and had recruited Aelin to help him during their shared free period. Not that he needed the help. Orynth High had rallied around the pair of women, and there was no doubt as to who would sweep the vote, but it was still something that Aelin could do without that horrible nauseous feeling taking over her entire body – which might have been helped by the fact that Dorian was also still waiting for a college acceptance email, and so the pair of them were happy to use lifting up their friends as a distraction. Or at least use it as a reprieve from constantly refreshing their email. He’d received a few rejections and was pinning all his hopes on one last college.
“A vote for Manon and Elide is a vote for equality!” he shouted, offering up his own plate of cupcakes to a nearby freshman, who accepted it readily.
As if they’d heard their names called, the pair rounded the corner, hand in hand, smiling softly at each other. Manon pulled away for a second as she tied up her newly dyed turquoise hair into a messy bun, causing Elide to sigh dreamily. Aelin watched as they slid their fingers tighter as they came back together and leaned into each other’s shoulders. They’d both received their acceptances to Perranth, a small liberal arts school nearby, earlier this week and the pair hadn’t stopped smiling since. Aelin was happy for her friends; honestly, she was. But that didn’t stop her stomach from churning with jealousy at the fact that they were going off into their post-high school future together.
“Oooh, are those Maeve cupcakes?!” Elide asked, eyeing the funfetti confection in Dorian’s hand. He lifted the plate, offering it up, and Elide wasted no time in grabbing it and shoving half of it into her mouth.
“Sooooo good,” she mumbled around a mouthful of crumbs. Manon rolled her eyes at her girlfriend’s enthusiasm and used one of her long nails to brush away a bit of frosting from above her lip. Unable to control herself, she swooped down and kissed the spot she’d cleaned, as if to make sure it was completely free of sugar.
“And I thought Rowan and I were disgusting,” Aelin laughed.
“You are,” her friends all said in unison, not wasting a single beat.
Aelin flipped them all off, burying her face into her own cupcake instead as Manon asked Dorian for a status update on his polling info. She was taking this extremely seriously, and it kind of warmed Aelin’s heart to see her cold friend use her ruthlessness for good. Well, for Elide’s good.
Though they were deep in conversation about numbers and which cliques were voting for whom, Dorian stopped and gasped loudly.
“What?” Manon asked, and Dorian opened his phone and showed it to them.
In bold at the top of his email inbox was a brand new email, waiting in bold from Anielle University with the subject: Dorian Havillard, Application Status.
“Oh my god, OPEN IT!” Manon shouted as she reached for the phone, but Dorian clutched it to his chest in horror.
“NO!”
“No?” Aelin asked, raising a brow in his direction.
“I can’t open this in the middle of the hallway,” he hissed. “What if it’s a rejection?”
Aelin’s chest panged with sympathy. She knew how hard Dorian had worked this year with volunteering at the hospital and all his APs to get into the college of his dreams. Aka, one far away from his father. Anielle was as far as it got, and it was a great school, too. Not to mention it was the last one he was waiting to hear from.
“Do it when you’re ready,” she said. “Don’t let these college admits pressure you,” she continued.
“Ah, fuck it,” he said. He closed his eyes tightly as he pressed the bolded link. He took a deep breath, and cracked an eye open before shutting it again. “I can’t look. Someone look for me.”
“Give me that,” Manon grumbled, pulling the phone out of Dorian’s white-knuckled grasp. As a wide smile appeared on her face, Aelin’s stomach clenched further. She knew what that look meant. “Look yourself,” Manon said, handing the phone back to Dorian, whose eyes were still clenched tightly closed.
He blindly groped for the phone before Aelin shoved it into his wandering hand. “Congrats,” she whispered, knowing what the email would say without even seeing it herself.
Dorian’s eyes shot open, darting across the screen as that very same smile she’d seen on all her friends one-by-one ripped across his face.
Aelin tried to smile back as Manon and Elide crowded him with high fives and hugs and lifted celebratory cupcakes into the air and cheersed them together. Aelin refreshed her own inbox, but there was nothing there. Of course there wasn’t. At this point she was just assuming that she would have to reapply to colleges next year and maybe do community college locally for the year. That would be fine, though. She’d continue to teach dance and maybe volunteer at the hospital some more. Get some real-life work experience. Plus, she’d have time to drive out to Wendlyn and see Rowan on the weekends, if he still wanted her to do that, of course.
“Still nothing?” Elide asked Aelin, having noticed her quiet smile.
Aelin shrugged. “I’m sure I’ll get the rejection soon,” she laughed. “I just wished they’d do it sometime soon and put me out of my misery.”
Elide reached across the table and squeezed Aelin’s tense shoulder. “I know this is going to sound patronizing, but I mean it. If they reject you, it’ll be their loss.” She paused. “Have you talked to your mom, asked her if there’s anything she can do?”
Aelin physically blanched at the mention. “No. Not since the interview debacle.” She cringed more, realizing that her mom would most-likely be calling her on her birthday in just a few days, and she’d be wondering what Aelin’s status was. And Aelin would have to admit that she as a disappointment, just as she always assumed she’d be.
Yet another reason why she would not be in the mood to celebrate turning the big one eight. She’d need a full day to recover from whatever her mom said to her. She tried to remember if Evalin had ever forgotten her birthday before. She was pretty sure she had. And those years had hurt, had made her want to celebrate her birthday even harder. But she wasn’t sure if talking to her this year would be worse than not hearing from her at all. I guess only time would tell.
Instead of wallowing in her feelings, Aelin joined the celebratory cupcake party, drowning her feelings in Maeve’s delicious buttercream frosting, and hoped yet again for a single email to arrive and put her out of her misery.
. . .
Three days later, Aelin woke up to a small nudge against her nose. Then a soft kiss to one cheek, then to her other.
“Five more minutes,” she groaned, causing the offending kisser to laugh against the soft skin of her neck as his kisses trailed down toward her shoulder. “I’m serious, Buzzard, fuck off,” she said, but it lacked any real vitriol. After all, the man of her dreams was kissing every inch of her skin as thoroughly as he could while still being gentle enough to rouse her from her dreams with ease.
“Happy Birthday, Ace” he whispered as his lips ghosted over hers.
She finally cracked her eye all the way open and couldn’t help but smile widely at the sight of Rowan kneeling beside her bed, a sparkling glint in her best friend’s eye as she came to life beneath his gaze.
“Eighteen years old,” she whispered back, her voice still hoarse from hours of sleep.
“I know you said you wanted chocolate cake,” he said, “So I considered making you my poor attempts at breakfast cake again,” he laughed, reminding her of the day she’d woken up on her sixteenth birthday and resolved herself to kiss her best friend within that year. How far away that birthday now seemed, even though it was a mere two years ago. They were different people then. They hadn’t known how much they’d go through, how much life they’d live together to come out of it in this moment on her birthday again. Together. “But I decided to do you a solid and just bring a chocolate fudge cake for breakfast. Because you’re a grownup now. And grownups eat chocolate fudge cake for breakfast.”
She loved that despite their long history that Rowan still rambled when he got nervous with her. She grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him close, kissing him thoroughly. Her tongue slid between his lips and he groaned in response, kissing her harder and letting himself fall on top of her, despite still being on his knees.
“Maybe my first act as an official adult should be having morning sex with my boyfriend,” she mumbled against his lips, tugging him closer. He kissed her back, but shook his head and pulled away, causing her to pout sadly.
“As much as I would love that, your dad is downstairs.”
Aelin closed her eyes and stuck out her hand, revealing a thumbs down. Rowan laughed heartily, and she loved the way it made her feel dizzy.
“But we can eat some cake first,” he said, handing her a fork.
“Thanks, Rowan,” she said in a rare moment of sincerity between the two, not joking at all, and she loved the way his cheeks colored with a dark pink as his head ducked.
“I love you,” he simply replied. And though Aelin had dreaded the approach of this day, she relished in the fact that this boy – her best friend – loved her. For right now, that was good enough.
. . .
“Happy birthday, baby,” Rhoe said, enveloping Aelin into a warm hug.
Aelin quirked a brow up at her dad, who was not usually this sentimental, but she accepted the hug regardless.
“Shut up,” he said, chuckling softly as he pulled back. “It’s the last time I’m going to be with you on your birthday morning, and I deserve a hug. As a reward for getting you to eighteen at the very least. I think I did an okay job,” he said, looking her over.
“You did more than okay, Rhoe” Rowan said, pouring a large cup of coffee into Aelin’s favorite mug and then handing it to her. “You did amazing.”
“You’re already forgiven for waking me up too early,” Aelin laughed, but accepted the coffee nonetheless. “Mmmm, hazelnut,” she said, appreciating that her household had made her favorite flavor, despite not loving it themselves.
“DID I MISS IT?!” Lorcan asked, his voice breathless as he burst his way into the kitchen.
“Missed what?” Aelin asked, looking around at the empty kitchen.
“The gifting of porn and cigarettes, obviously,” Lorcan said with a wry smirk. But Aelin just rolled her eyes.
Her dad narrowed his eyes and looked at Lorcan with disdain. “You’re so lucky I like you.”
Lorcan’s grin only widened in response. “Happy eighteenth, slugger,” he laughed, handing Aelin a pile of scratch-off lotto tickets. “Don’t spend it all in one place.”
Rhoe’s lips curled into an unwitting smile as he wrapped his arm around Aelin’s shoulders, tugging her close once again.
“Dad?”
“Lorcan is being an absolute idiot, like he always is.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, I know you’re still waiting for official replies, but no matter where you end up next year…” Rhoe began. “I’d like you to be able to come and visit as much as you like.”
He pulled something from his pocket and handed it to Aelin. “Happy birthday, Aelin.” He looked around the room. “From all three of us.”
Aelin looked at the men in the room, staring back at her, before processing that the thing now resting in Aelin’s hand was a key. Not just a key. But a car key.
“SHUT UP,” she said, her eyes widening. “SHUT UP!”
“I will not,” Rhoe said, but he couldn’t help but smile.
Aelin sprinted for the door before anyone could stop her, and she was practically crying as she reached the driveway where a dark green sedan waited for her.
“She’s old, but we gave her a pretty good makeover,” Rhoe said, apologetic. But Aelin knew how huge a gift this was.
“You guys did this?” she asked, and Rhoe nodded.
“One of my crew members was ready to retire it for scraps. It’s a got a fair amount of miles on it already, but we replaced all the important parts. New alternator, air filter, battery, breaks, headlights… pretty much anything that wasn’t up to code from 30 years ago.”
“Dad…” she said, running her hand over the shiny fresh coat of paint. “That must have been really expensive…”
But Rhoe simply shook his head. “It was less than I thought it’d be. The whole crew helped out during their down time, and these two bozos put in a fair amount of labor on some overnight shifts.”
Aelin’s gaze shifted to Rowan, who was pushing the toe of his sneaker into the gravel of their driveway.
“I might have lied a few times about being too tired after lacrosse to come over. Sorry,” he said, tucking his chin into his chest, and Aelin was suddenly buzzing with an warm feeling in her chest. The knot that had been there, tightening for weeks, suddenly loosened. Love. That’s what this feeling was. Just the sweetest, most incredible feeling. To be cared for like this by the people around her. So overwhelmed, she couldn’t help herself; she corralled the three most important men in her life together and widened her arms around them into a giant group hug.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you.” She made sure to say it three times, thanking each one of them.
“Well,” Lorcan said. “Don’t you want to get in?”
Aelin squealed, throwing herself into the driver’s seat and adjusting the chair to her particular height. She breathed in the pine scented air freshener they’d hung on the rearview mirror and smiled. It was perfect.
The car was old, that was not a question. But that only added to its charm. The seats were a comfortable worn-in fabric with a pattern that reminded her of the old Terrasen airport carpet, with its greyscale geometric patterns. The dash was covered in a faux wood pattern that she recognized as being trendy decades ago, but it just made her love it more. This car had history. She’d seen things. She was well-traveled, and Aelin couldn’t wait to give her a brand-new life and explore even more. She knew they’d have many, many adventures in this car. Overhead, there was a sunroof, which she immediately opened to let in the mid-morning light, and she couldn’t help but tilt her chin into the light and let the glow warm her skin.
“You didn’t have to do this,” she finally said, lowering the window to look at her dad, who was more than pleased with his own handiwork.
But Rhoe simply scoffed at that comment. “So, are you driving us all to breakfast or what?”
Aelin grinned as Rowan pulled up a playlist titled, “A-ight-teen” and connected it to the clearly refurbished stereo system.
She laughed as the first song came on loudly – Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman – causing Rowan to grin widely, a grin that he reserved solely for her. Their matching smiles morphed into guffaws as Rhoe and Lorcan folded their hulking, tree-like bodies into the backseat, squeezing into the cramped sedan with no complaints.
“To Maeve’s?” Aelin asked.
“Yes, Jeeves,” Rhoe said in a ridiculous fancy accent, causing them to break into laughter again.
. . .
“SURPRISE!”
Aelin literally jumped as her friends popped up from behind the counter of Maeve’s. She glared at her dad and Rowan, who had clearly planned this, despite her specifically telling them she hadn’t wanted to celebrate her birthday with a party. I mean, had she known she was going to see more than just Maeve she would have at least put some makeup on!
As if reading her mind, Rowan wrapped his arm around her waist and whispered, “You look beautiful.”
She frowned but accepted the compliment and a long kiss. As they parted, Aelin was swept into a number of excited hugs from all her favorite people. Manon, Elide, Dorian, Chaol, Lysandra, and Aedion circled around her, and she gasped as Aedion stepped in, surprising her with a bear hug and lifting her off the ground. They were causing a bit of a ruckus, especially with Lorcan making his own rounds saying hi to everyone he hadn’t seen in a few months, so Maeve quickly ushered them all out to the back patio where she’d set up a special table, and Aelin couldn’t help but moan with pleasure at the plates stacked high with all her favorite breakfast foods.
“…stuffed French toast, maple cured bacon, cinnamon rolls with extra frosting…” Maeve started listing, pointing along the table at the overly filled table.
“Anything for someone who doesn’t want to go into diabetic shock?” Rhoe laughed.
“Cheesy scrambled eggs, potato hash, bagels, and toppings for breakfast tacos,” she said, pointing out all the savory options on the table, too.
“Yummmm,” Aelin groaned, her eyes practically rolling back into her head with pleasure at her first bite of French toast, despite having a chocolate cake appetizer barely an hour earlier.
“I think she’s fine with the surprise,” Rhoe snorted, elbowing Rowan, who practically jumped out of his chair, tearing his eyes away from Aelin’s mouth.
Manon cackled with glee. “As if we would let the birthday queen not celebrate her birthday. It’ll probably be the last time.”
A round of awwwws went around the table, but instead of the tightening Aelin would usually in her stomach, her panic was abated by Rowan’s fingers lacing with hers beneath the table. He squeezed, as if to silently say, I’m here and I know and I love you. And Aelin let the familiar feeling of his callused finger pads calm her quickly. As he drew circles on the back of her palm, she couldn’t help but think at how different this birthday was from the one only two years ago – the one where she’d planned to tell Rowan her feelings and chickened out. She remembered the way he’d simply sat in the corner, watching her socialize, and she wondered what would have happened if she’d told him then – would they still have ended up together? Or did they need to go through… everything in order to get to where they needed to be today.
Looking at the way he made conversation with everyone from Lorcan to Lysandra, something shifted inside her. This man would one thousand percent have rather been alone with her all day, but he also knew that – despite her protests – she did actually want to celebrate with her friends. Because he knew her. Fully. And that’s when she knew without a doubt that regardless of what happened between them two years ago, ten years ago, or ten years from now, Rowan would always be with her, silently loving her and helping her be her best self.
Aelin gulped, that knot that had abated earlier suddenly tightening in her stomach again. She had been so panicked for so many months about every moment being the last, progressively becoming more stressed as each of her friends discovered what their future held, while she still didn’t. But what was shockingly clear all of a sudden is that she did know what her future held. I mean, sure, she didn’t know where she’d end up or what she’d end up studying or exactly what her life would look like, but she knew that Rowan would be there by her side no matter what.
She almost laughed at herself. Wasn’t that what he’d been saying to her over and over and over? Why did it take until this moment to make her believe that?
“Presents?” Maeve suggested, and though Aelin nodded and smiled through each one, her mind was elsewhere, thinking about what she needed to talk about with Rowan tonight. Her stomach flipped – although she wasn’t entirely sure that couldn’t be blamed on the copious amounts of sugar she was consuming and her never-emptying mug of coffee.
“You okay, Fireheart?” Rhoe asked, nudging her ankle from across the table.
“Yup,” she answered, forcing a smile back onto her face and actually meaning it for the first time in a while. “Too much frosting,” she laughed, patting at her overly full stomach. Rhoe simply returned her laugh and handed the plate of frosted cinnamon rolls to the other end of the table where Dorian accepted it eagerly. And though she continued to open her presents and bask in the love of her friends and family around her, Aelin couldn’t wait to get Rowan alone.
. . .
“Did you have a good birthday?” Rowan asked, fluffing the pillows on the ground as Aelin gathered a warm quilt and pulled it over their makeshift bed. It’d been months since it was warm enough to go up to Maeve’s rooftop, but it felt like the perfect place to end the day.
“It’s not over yet,” Aelin said, snuggling into his side.
Rowan looked at his phone. “You’re right. You have ninety more minutes to celebrate. How do you want to commemorate your eighteenth year of life?”
Aelin raised her brow. “You think I brought you up here just to talk?”
Rowan snorted and pulled her closer. “You’re a menace. Come on, talk to me. I’ve seen your brain working a million miles an hour all day.”
Aelin looked up. “How do you do that?”
Rowan shrugged. “Do what?”
“Read my mind,” she said. “It’s spooky sometimes. I feel like you know things before I say them out loud allllll the time.”
Rowan chuckled. “I wish I could read your mind,” he said, tapping the side of her temple gently. “Now, come on. Tell me what’s going on.”
The words were on the tip of her tongue when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She’d been so distracted all day that for the first time in weeks, Aelin hadn’t spent every minute of every day refreshing her inbox.
She froze, and then her heart took off in a gallop, racing until she felt shaky with adrenaline. Sure enough, as she pulled the phone up, it was lit up with an email alert from Wendlyn University. Re: Aelin Galathynius Admission Status.
“Oh fuck,” Aelin whispered. Rowan’s eyes darted to the screen, and he shot up, sitting up too quickly and knocking Aelin off him.
“Are you gonna check it?” he asked, but even as Aelin clicked into her inbox, she couldn’t press it. The email that would tell her whether she and Rowan were going to end up at the same school for the next four years. And then, suddenly, she knew what she had to say. And she had to say it before she opened up that email and revealed her fate. Because her fate could only be one thing. One person, really.
She placed her phone down and looked Rowan straight in the eyes and said with as much conviction as she possibly could, “I think we should get married.”
#idwtw au#rowaelin#tog fic#throne of glass fic#tog fanfic#rowaelin fanfic#charincharge writes#rowan x aelin#weeewooooo#throne of glass#throne of glass fanfic
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