hearts of metal

xxx. as you wish, milady

"Ugh, would you get off of me?" Aelin grumbled. She tried to shove Fenrys' head off her lap unsuccessfully.

"Stop moving. You're my pillow," he complained. "This is payback for ditching us for your little road trip."

Connal snorted. "What? Was my company not enough for you?"

Fen sent his dark haired twin an incredulous look. "You said I was annoying you by simply existing in your presence."

"I was tired of you."

"It was ten a.m!"

Aelin laughed and leaned onto Connal. Her fingers started weaving tiny braids into Fenry's blonde locks, to which he only hummed and didn't protest.

They sat in peaceful silence, until the front door opened. A familiar voice echoed down the main hall. "Ace!"

Aelin turned slightly to see Vaughan waltz towards them. She grinned and stood up, unceremoniously shoving Fenry's head off her lap. With a couple of steps, she threw herself into Vaughan's arms.

The oldest and loudest of her brother's friends had become a cheerful fixture in her life, one she hadn't even realized had become so important until he'd had to leave for a one-week trip.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her gently. "My favorite person," he said, ruffling her hair to which she scowled at him. "And the twins," he added with fake looks of disdain.

Fenrys and Connal flipped him off simultaneously.

"I missed you," Aelin said.

Vaughan grinned brightly down at her.

Once Aelin was set down, she noticed Rowan and Lorcan trailing behind Vaughan. Rowan sent her a slightly strained smile, the look in his eyes unreadable. As he passed her, his hand brushed hers and sent a light tremor up her arm.

Lorcan only nodded and said, "Galathynius," before taking a seat opposite the twins.

Her and Vaughan sat back down in between the twins, with Vaughan sitting next to Connal and Aelin reclaiming her previous spot...as Fenrys' pillow.

Vaughan started explaining about his trip, something irrelevant about the mafia business that Aelin mostly tuned out.

Rowan kept sending annoyed glances at Fenrys dozing on Aelin's lap. At some point, he flung a throw cushion at Fenrys' head.

"Wake up, boyo. Didn't Rhoe say this would be your job next time?" Rowan said.

Fenrys sat up straight and glared at Rowan. His blonde hair was still in its tight braids.

Lorcan smirked. "Nice hair."

Fen flipped the braids dramatically and said, "Ace did it for me," before plopping back down.

"I don't know why you're laughing," Aelin said to Lorcan. "You're up next, Salvaterre. I think you'd look good with a french braid."

Her only response was an eye roll and a surly, "there's nothing I would rather do less."

They were interrupted by Aedion, who came in to greet Vaughan. As he came in to say hi, Vaughan abruptly stood up and tugged her along.

"Wait, what are we doing?" she asked.

"You're hanging out with me and Vaughan today," Aedion explained. "Vaughan's idea."

"What about us?" Fen asked.

Rowan nodded, then caught himself and scowled at Fenrys.

It was Vaughan who responded. In typical Vaughan fashion, he flung his arms out dramatically and said, "you always spend time with her. The twins live here. And you two," he pointed an accusing finger at Rowan and Lorcan who shrunk back, "Spent last weekend with her driving to Adarlan."

"Aedion lives here too," Con pointed out.

"But he's a workaholic who never shows face," Aelin said as she sent her brother a pointed glance.

He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

"You're just going to abandon us here?" Fen asked, hand placed to his chest in mock sorrow.

"Sorry," Aelin teasingly. "I guess we'll have to start a rotating schedule for who gets the honor to hang out with me."

"Sure, an honor," Lorcan monotoned. "Do we have to pay a fee as well, your majesty?"

"Majesty is a step up from 'fire breathing bitch queen,'" Connal quipped, earning him several dark stares. Upon Aelin's questioning glance, he explained, "it was Lorcan's nickname for you a while back."

Everyone seemed to tense, but Aelin only winked at Lorcan and said, "I'll give you points for creativity. Although, I'm sure you could do better than 'bitch.'"

There was a collective exhale and an eye roll from Lorcan in response.

"Anyways," Vaughan said, "get dressed and meet us back down in ten minutes."

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Surprise," said Aedion. "Now hurry up."

She grinned and left the room, the muffled voices dying out behind. Once in her room, she got dressed in some casual clothes. Sam's locket was around her neck, like usual. For good measure, she hid some of her butterfly knives beneath her clothes.

Aelin had started combing through her hair, when someone knocked on the door. "Come in," she called.

The door cracked open, and Rowan peered in. "Hey," he said.

"Hey yourself, buzzard," she said.

"I'm sorry, did I need to request permission or sign up before seeing you?" he mocked.

Aelin rolled her eyes. "It's not my fault I'm in high demand," she said. "But I'll make an exception for today."

Rowan raised an eyebrow, as if to say, is that so? He took a few steps closer, and her heart pounded nervously in her chest. "Maybe I was right to call you a princess at the beginning."

She smirked at him. "Be a good knight and hand me my scarf."

"As you wish, milady," he said solemnly.

A sudden memory hit her. It was her bedroom, but decorated in pink with stuffed animals littering the ground. Hazily, she saw a plastic teacup rolling on the ground. "Knight, throw Dorian in the dungeons immediately," a younger her commanded. "As you wish, milady," came the response. A six year old Rowan stood before her with ruffled silver hair and bright, green eyes.

"Aelin?"

She blinked, and found Rowan watching her uneasily. Extended out towards her was the scarf he'd picked up.

"Thanks," she said, oddly breathless as she lifted the scarf from his hands.

Her hands trembled slightly, but Rowan stepped forward and took the scarf again. He lifted it up and gently placed it around her neck.

A muffled yell sounded from downstairs. "Ace! Hurry up!"

Rowan stepped back from her abruptly, his face carefully blank. "You should go."

"Right," she said. She hesitated for one more split second, then fled the room to where her brother and Vaughan awaited.