Doraelin OneShots

Comforting a Friend (PART 3)

(Aelin POV)

If felt good to laugh, even it it was only because the wine clouded her feelings. Feelings. Aelin looked down at the chocolate icing coating her fingers, and for an instant saw his blood instead.

"Why does everyone I love die?" She felt Dorian still beneath her at the question, but she didn't care. Sitting up, he turned to look at her. His chest and back, covered in her chocolate icing art. Opening his mouth, only to quickly close it, he took her hands in his.

"Everyone will die someday, Aelin. It has nothing to do with who you love. Plus I'm pretty darn lovable and I'm still around." He added with a wink. Aelin nudged him in the shoulder a small smile spreading across her face. She knew he was trying to make her feel better, draw her attention away from the issue, but it was true everyone she loved, truly loved had been taken from her too soon.

"First Sam, then..." She couldn't will herself to say his name. She felt cool hands wiping away tears from her cheek, looking up she met his sapphire eyes. "I was unfair to you Dorian." She watched as confusion showed across his face, and she wondered if they would even remember any of this in the morning.

"That is why I pushed you away. Because you were important, because I loved you and I wanted you to live. So I let you go."

Dorian grabbed her face, smoothing her hair behind her ears. Leaving streaks of chocolate icing against her skin. "Aelin," he breathed, "You had to let me go. We both had to let each other go. So that we could become who we are now." She nodded as he leaned forward placing a quick kiss against hew forehead. The coolness of his lips against her warm skin sent a shiver down her spine.

"I know, I know. It's just." The words wouldn't form properly in her alcohol induced mind. "It's just that I didn't want to." Dorian was watching her cautiously as he laid back down on his back, giver her better access to finish the design she was currently working on that went across his chest. "Do you ever feel like in another world" her words trailed off, leaving her thought unfinished.

"Hmm?" Aelin shook her head, "Never mind it's silly." It was the wine she told herself the wine causing her to think such things. Turning her attention back to her human canvas, Aelin continued drawing designs on the King of Adarlan. They sat in silence for a long time, Dorian had long since closed his eyes, she would have thought him asleep if she didn't catch the way the corners of his mouth would occasionally turn up when her fingers would graze against a ticklish spot, completely on accident of course.

"Do you believe that you can have more than one mate?"

"Of course." His quick response caught her off guard. She hadn't expected him to sound so sure. As if sensing her thoughts, he continued. "I've read stories where a character mated twice." Aelin nodded, she had too. "Why do you ask?" Cracking his eyes open, Dorian looked at her out of the corner of his eyes.

Dipping her finger into the chocolate icing, she started tracing more chocolate swirls along the muscles of his arms. "I think Sam and I were mates" she whispered. Dorian remained quiet for a long time, before he said. "You loved him very much. You loved both of them equally." Tears leaked down her cheeks, using the backside of her hand she dried her eyes. "Thank you" Somehow he had known exactly what she needed to hear, what had been bothering her. He always knew how to help her. Always.

Aelin smiled down at him. Raising her pointer finger to her chin she surveyed her handiwork. "Finished!" she exclaimed. Dorian sat up glancing down at all of her intricate designs that now covered all available space of his bare skin. Grabbing his arm, Aelin pulled him off the billiards table and dragged him into the bathing room, standing him in front of her full length mirror so that he could get a good look.

His eyes grew wide, as he turned surveying all of the different designs. "Wow" he whispered turning to face her. "I almost hate to have to wash it off." Aelin laughed. "Well let me know how easy it was to wash off tomorrow."

Dorian raised a perfect eyebrow at her, "Oh no my dear, there is no way I'm leaving this room covered in chocolate icing and walking all the way across this castle to my chambers."

"You could just have the witch, lick it off for you." Aelin purred, even though she knew Manon was miles away.

Water started running in her iron claw tub, as she spoke a washcloth flew across the room hitting her in the face. Cursing Aelin turned around, while Dorian undressed listening to the splashing of water as he lowered himself into her tub.

After she had helped Dorian wash off her chocolate art, she made him a bed on her reading couch. His eyes closed the instant that his head touched the pillow. Smiling Aelin pulled the covers over him, but as she stood to walk to her room she was suddenly hit by a since of dread and loneliness. Grabbing more pillows from her bedroom she threw them on the floor making a pallet of sorts. Before lying down on her make shift bed she bent downwards, to place a kiss to Dorians cheek, as she whispered. "Thank you." Without opening his eyes Dorian mumbled "Always."