107 Stories of Rowaelin

15. DTR

Stupid, title, I know. This is just a rewrite of the scene where Aelin and Rowan DTR (define the relationship ;D). Page 433 (in my copy at any rate). It's currently 4 am and I don't feel like sleeping, so I might just be crazy. Please don't hate-- it will be quite similar to the original scene, and it's not intended to not.

     They sat on the couch together, not touching one another. She wouldn't touch him, not after that night on the rooftop. Don't touch me like that. She wouldn't, not if he didn't want her to. It was he who broke the silence. "Fireheart, I'm sorry. He had me. He didn't even know it and he did." She'd seen it, the rage on his face, like cold slivers of ice, but also the terror, of what Lorcan, knife at her throat, could have done. Her breath caught as she thought of what would that have been like, for her-- for either of them-- to have died with this between them. 

     "Please don't shut me out," she breathed. 

     "Never," he whispered. "And I will never fail you like that again. He could have asked for anything, and I would have given it. The key, any bit of information, anything."

    "No," she breathed. "You could never fail me, Rowan. Not ever." He drew her closer, into his arms. She wrapped her arms around him, feeling his muscles through his shirt. Slowly, ever so slowly, he pulled back. He took her hand and rested it against his cheek, his swirling tattoo.

    She froze. I'm sorry, his eyes seemed to say. She cupped her hand around his face. Her entire world narrowed down to that sensation, the warmth of his skin underneath her hand as her thumb stroked across his cheekbone, down his cheek. He hardly seemed to be breathing. So she arched her neck, a wordless invitation. He bent his head and his elongated canines slid along her flesh. She ran her hands along his back drawing her closer to him. "Never," she whispered. "No one else at my throat." She felt his teeth just above where her lifeblood thrummed. His mouth slid higher and she exhaled softly, arching into him, bending back, down onto the couch. He pulled back though. 

     "Not tonight," he said hoarsely. "Aedion's in the next room." She muttered something very rude at Aedion's general existence. He chuckled, but his expression turned serious. "I will find you. I will always find you. Be it across oceans, or realms, or even worlds, I will come to you. And I will be there."

     "To whatever end," she whispered back.

They slept cradled in each other's arms that night, neither waking even once from nightmares. 

I. Am. So. Tired. I will probably read this in the morning and realize how infinitely stupid I am, but oh well.