This chapter (and story) takes inspiration from RowaelinHerondale's Hogwarts AU fic ( s/12191117/1/Rowaelin-One-Shots )

"Damned Whitethorn. He's such a bastard. I've told you he's a bastard before, right?"

Aelin rolled her eyes. "Yes, I believe it's come up before." About a million times, you broken record.

"Good. Well, he is." Aedion was pacing furiously in the parking lot. Whatever had happened at practice to set him off, Aelin didn't want to know.

"Will you just get in the car? You can rant on the way home." As he always did. Every day after football practice, Aedion would rant about his nemesis, Rowan Whitethorn. Really, Aelin was sick of hearing it.

Aedion and Rowan were both on the football team, and they were always competing to be the best. Really, the only reason Aedion hated him was because Rowan was slightly better. But the reason didn't matter; just being related to Aedion meant that Aelin was supposed to hate Rowan too. In all fairness, she did at first.

It was true, Rowan was a bastard. Impossibly smart, incredibly athletic, and… fine. Attractive. Extremely attractive. Early on, their encounters had just been snide, sarcastic comments, but at some point that Aelin couldn't quite put her finger on, those comments became less hateful and almost…friendly. She wouldn't exactly call herself friends with His Royal Bastardness, but she was finding that she didn't really mind their little conversations. Looked forward to them, almost. Honestly, if it weren't for the feud between him and Aedion, she probably would have been friends with Rowan. Maybe even something more.

She frowned. She hadn't really just thought that, had she? She shook her head in an attempt to clear it.

On the way home, Aedion went on and on about how terrible Rowan was, and how they needed to win their game tomorrow night, and how that bastard was supposed to make one of the most important plays of the night, and if only he were distracted so Aedion could make that play instead, and-

Aelin cut him off. "Distracted?"

Aedion gave her a slightly annoyed look. "Yes. There's no way he'll mess up a play like that on his own unless he were distracted or something. Now, if I were to make that play, coach would…" His voice filled the rest of the ride home, and Aelin didn't interrupt again.

It was halftime, and Aelin walked up next to Aedion on the sideline. She flashed him a mischievous grin. "Still need that distraction, right?"

Aedion's brows came together and his eyes narrowed slightly. "I don't know what you're planning, but don't do anything too stupid."

Aelin bit her lip before responding, "No promises."

With that, she turned on her heel and made her way over to Rowan, who stood watching her approach. As she neared him, he smirked and raised a brow. "Galathynius. You look determined to raise hell."

Aelin stopped a hands-breadth away and bit her lip again. "Something like that." Then she grabbed his face between her hands, pulled him down and kissed him. He went rigid, but after a moment she felt a strong hand find her waist, and she tried not to let her surprise show. It was an effort not to arch into his touch.

It was a gentle kiss, and it only lasted a few seconds before Aelin broke it and brought her mouth to his ear. "Good luck," she whispered, feeling the hand at her waist tighten slightly as her breath warmed his ear. Pulling back, she ran a hand down his neck and muscled chest. Aelin tried to fight the heat blooming in her core and rising to her cheeks as she took in his dazed expression and the green eyes that kept flicking between her eyes and mouth.

Aelin could still feel his eyes on her the whole time as she made her way back to the stands.

Aelin loosed an exasperated breath as she checked the time on her phone again. What the hell was taking him so long? She'd been leaning against the car, waiting for Aedion to show up so they could go home. It had been over 20 minutes, and by now the parking lot was empty save for her and a scattering of parked cars.

She closed her eyes and sighed again, pulling her jacket tighter around her. Dammit, Aedion, I'm freezing. Where the hell are you? She wished she hadn't left the car key with him. At least then she could've been warm and annoyed.

She heard soft footsteps approaching. "It's about time. I've been freezing. What the hell took you so long?" Eyes still closed, she listened to the footsteps get nearer. "Not even going explain yourself?" She opened her eyes. "I… Oh."

It wasn't Aedion that stood before her. It was Rowan.

"I think you're the one that gets to do the explaining."

The chill of the night was forgotten as heat bloomed in her core. Aelin cocked an eyebrow, feigning nonchalance despite her now pounding heart. "Explain what? I thought it was pretty obvious. Distract you so Aedion could make that play he'd been ranting about."

"I'm sure you're pleased to know you succeeded," he said with a frown.

"Mmm." Honestly, she hadn't even known whether Aedion had made the play or not. She hadn't cared. All she'd been able to think about was Rowan. The feel of his eyes on her. The taste of his lips.

As if he could read her thoughts, Rowan cocked his head and took a step closer so that they shared a breath. "Are you sure that was all it was?"

She struggled to steady her slightly ragged breathing, struggled to keep her eyes off of his mouth. When she said nothing, he slid a hand around her hip and pulled her against him. Aelin couldn't help herself this time as she arched slightly into him.

"I'm glad it's not just me," he breathed before claiming her mouth.

Aelin nearly moaned at the feeling of his mouth on hers, the way his arms were wrapped around her, the heat of him. She truly couldn't help the small moan that did manage to escape when his tongue brushed against her lip, requesting access. She obliged.

They lost track of the time that passed as they stood tangled in each other. Once, Rowan broke away, moving his lips to her neck. He let out a low laugh at the breathy sounds she'd made, the way she'd dug her fingers into his shoulders. Then he was back to her mouth, his tongue sweeping in, lazy and thorough.

They'd only stopped when they heard Aedion calling out from across the parking lot. Rowan had quickly typed his number into her phone, kissed her one more time, quick and intense, and retreated to the shadows before they were discovered.

Aelin made her cousin drive them home. She didn't trust herself to operate heavy machinery after… that. So she climbed into the passenger seat, grinning like an idiot all the way home.