hearts of metal

xlii. operation matchmaker

Aelin awoke to gentle knocking on the door. She sat up and examined the faint light drifting in from the window, noting that it was barely dawn.

"Be right there," she said, when the knocking began again. At least he hadn't barged in, as per usual.

A pause. "Are you dressed?"

"No," she lied. "Give me a sec."

Rowan mumbled something unintelligible beside her, half of his face buried into her pillows. He lifted his head sleepily. "Is that Fenrys?"

"Yes," Aelin said. "I promised to help him with something." She slipped out of bed and traded her shorts for sweatpants and Rowan's shirt for one of her own.

The last three nights, Rowan had continued to sleep beside her in bed. Neither wanted to part with the steady comfort it gave them at night, the relief of waking from a nightmare to find themselves already wrapped around each other.

Rowan was being especially clingy after the incident in the sewers, as if her merely leaving his sight could mean her demise. She was torn between annoyance and fondness over his constant hovering.

Eventually, Rowan would have to return home though. He said his younger cousin, Sellene, was already suspicious. And Sellene was friends with Fenrys, which meant anything from her made its way back to the blonde haired man currently waiting outside her door.

Rowan sat up in bed, a bit more awake at Aelin's words. "Should I be worried?" his brow dipped into a concerned crease, and she leaned closer to press a kiss to the spot.

"No," she said. "It's nothing dangerous."

"Yes, but you and Fen plotting together doesn't bode well for me. Why are you even up this early on a Saturday? I thought you had a strict no-waking-up-before noon policy."

"Ye of little faith," she teased. She pushed him back by his shoulders. "Go to sleep. I wouldn't wake up if this wasn't a matter of utmost importance." When he continued to frown at her, she sighed. "We're just messing with Connal."

Seemingly convinced that she wasn't going to be in serious danger, Rowan buried his head back into the pillows. "Just don't set anything on fire," he mumbled.

She huffed a laugh. "No promises," she said, then shuffled to the bathroom to freshen up.

Fenrys wasn't out in the hallway when she got there, so she made her way downstairs. The living room was empty, but a clatter in the kitchen alerted her to his presence.

Aelin entered and padded towards him. She tapped his arm, only for him to startle and jump back with a whispered curse.

"Gods, Ace, don't sneak up on me," he said.

She rolled her eyes. "This was hardly sneaking up on you, you just need better hearing. I could have been an assassin or something, and you'd be dead."

Fen flipped her off. His expression turned concerned, lips tilting downward and eyebrows furrowed together. It was unusual on him, as Fenrys rarely had anything other than a smirk or grin on.

"Do you think it'll work?" he asked.

"He's your twin," Aelin reminded. If anyone knew what Connal would like, it'd be Fenrys. "I'm sure everything will go fine."

Fenrys nodded. With a quick grin, he stated, "operation matchmaker is a go."

Connal sighed for the eleventh time as he listened to the rumble of tires. He'd been blindfolded by his twin and Aelin, who had basically kidnapped him the second he woke up. Literally.