“Why are you crying?”

Note: Please don’t get too angry at me

The invasion came quicker than they’d expected. Maeve‘s cronies breaking into their home in the early hours of the day after their fight.

I need you safe, Aelin. I just need to know you’re safe.

He wanted them to flee. She wanted to stay. Eventually he had given up, accepting the fact that they would not leave that night and he’d be sleeping on the couch. He opted instead to sleep propped up against the closed bedroom door, behind it was where Aelin was. It was the closest he could be to her.

He wasn’t with her when the window broke in the living room. He knew she could handle herself but something felt off about the whole situation.

Maybe they wouldn’t know she was there.

He knew better than to think that, but he hoped anyway.

The men, three as far as he could see, were quick but not quick enough. The were strong but he was faster.

As soon as he had gotten close enough to them, he had disarmed them, and slaughtered two of them. The third was at his mercy standing with his neck pressed to Rowan’s knife, “Are there any more of you?”

The man smiled, his broken teeth and bloody tongue displaying pure arrogance. Rowan’s knife dug deeper.

“Are there any mo—”

A sharp gasp was heard from the bedroom, then, “Rowan?”

Heavy footsteps treked through the hallway leading to their living room, “Rowan?” Her voice was strained and cracking. She sounded somewhat casual.

When Aelin came into view she was stumbling. One hand was holding onto the wall and the other was clutching her side. She smiled when she saw him, “Rowan,” her hands were shaking.

Before she could fall to the ground, Rowan slid the knife across the man’s throat, leaving him to drop to the floor, instantly going to Aelin.

She grabbed onto his arm, leaning against the hallway wall and pressing her head against it. He sat down next to her, finally seeing it.

Her hand was covered in blood, covering the too deep wound on the side of her body.

“Dear Gods, Fireheart,” he grabbed her hand, pulling it away to try and staunch the bleeding. He quickly took his shirt off, trying and to stop the bleeding. Stop the bleeding. Do anything to just make it stop.

Aelins still shaking hand went to his cheek, “Hi,” she smiled at him, the tears coming from her eyes not seeming to bother her.

His hands shook harder than hers, his tears blurred his vision as he yelled for anyone to help.

She brushed his tears away with her thumb, “Why are you crying, love?”

All he could do was put more pressure to the wound, cauterize it, or at least try to. He could barely breathe and his head was pounding but, “I’ve never seen you cry,” his hand still pressed to her side, he pulled her to him, hugging her as tightly as he could, trying to calm himself down, “I don’t like it when you cry. Please stop crying.”

He would try, for Aelin. He called out again for help, “I thought you were mad at me, Rowan. I th—” her words started to slur, “You didn’t l-love me anymore,” he could barely speak. He gulped In breaths, holding onto her as if she couldn’t leave him in other ways. As if he held onto her tightly enough, she wouldn’t let go. She kept talking, until she didn’t anymore.

He held onto her long after she had gone away.

PE R F EC T

Oh, that sweet, sweet angst.