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Rowan regretted his life decisions. Well, he didn’t. Not all of them, anyways. But this one, yes. Taking a 7am class was one of the worst decisions of his life.
Usually, he was an early riser, up by 5, at the gym by 5:30. However, college was well and truly kicking his butt.
He was five minutes early, getting a seat at the very back of the class with empty seats surrounding him.
He was currently in his Arts History class, which most people took for extra credits, but Rowan found truly fascinating. He loved art, loved the way strokes of a pencil or brush could bring something inanimate to life.
The professor was late, and Rowan was resting his chin on his tattooed hand, desperately trying not to fall asleep.
The door behind him opened, and a young woman slipped through, a large mug of what smelled like coffee in one hand, and a black backpack strung over one shoulder. She looked harried, her blonde hair up in a messy bun, a ratty old AC/DC tee shirt reaching to mid thigh over her black leggings.
She plonked down in the seat next to him, sighing loudly and ignoring the stares she got from people around them. She reached into her backpack, and pulled out a laptop plastered in stickers, and a monster energy drink.
As the professor entered, Rowan returned his attention to the front of the class, shaking his head slightly to wake himself up.
Ten minutes later, Rowan heard a snore from beside him. He rolled his eyes, before lobbing a pen at her head.
She woke with a start, blushing like crazy and making a ‘sorry’ face at him. Rowan just shook his head.
Five minutes later, he looked over again when he heard a sigh. The girl had opened the lid on her coffee, and was staring at the liquid like it would cure cancer. He continued to watch as, in one smooth movement, she opened the can of monster energy drink, and swiftly poured it into her coffee. Rowan blinked, as if his eyes were deceiving him. His eyebrows furrowed as she stared at it for a heartbeat, and then whispered,
“I’m going to die.”
Then she drank the whole thing.
Fifteen minutes later, he looked over again as he heard a tapping on her laptop. The professor was still speaking, so Rowan frowned. The way the laptop was angled, he could see her screen, so he could see as she opened up the college page, clicked on Arts History, and promptly changed her major.
Twenty minutes later, Rowan groaned as he stood, stretching out his sore muscles. Half the class had already dispersed, and he shouldered his bag as he turned to leave. Hopefully, back to bed.
He was out in the corridor, almost at the exit when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned, already irritable, to find the young woman standing behind him.
He stared, and when she realised he wasn’t about to speak, she rolled her eyes and started.
“I just wanted to give you your pen back, Rowan.”
He continued staring.
She huffed, flipping her now down hair over one shoulder, “well don’t thank me too much.”
Rowan blinked. In his sleep-addled brain, he hadn’t noticed until now that, well- she was rather pretty.
“Sorry,” He started, his voice gruff from disuse, “Lack of sleep. Um- thank you. For the pen.”
She smiled, and Rowan though she looked even prettier when she did that. He hoped she kept doing that.
“No worries, it was the least I could do, after you woke me up.”
“Yes, well, the monster and coffee chug was very impressive.”
She blushed.
“How did you know my name, anyways?” Rowan asked, confused all of a sudden.
“The pen.” She replied simply.
Rowan looked down at the pen he was holding. Indeed, it was the crappy personalised pen gift Fenrys had given him for Christmas two years ago.
“Oh well. Thank you, uh-”
“Aelin.” She supplied for him, grinning.
Rowan blinked, “Aelin.”
The name, while unusual, fit her, somehow. Aelin smiled, shrugged, and turned to leave.
“Well, then, I’ll see ya around Rowan.”
“Yeah, see you.” Rowan said faintly, still squinting at the pen.
She was half way down the corridor before Rowan’s mind caught up.
“Wait! No- um, Aelin.” He touched her shoulder, and she turned, eyebrows raised.
He gulped, “Wouldyouwannagetcoffeewithmesometimesoon?”
“What?” Aelin shook her head, “I didn’t catch that, sorry.”
“Would you- want to get coffee? Sometime soon? Like a date? I mean- or as friends. But like. Yeah. Real coffee, not monster infused?”
Aelin bit her lip, seemed to consider, then smiled blindingly bright at him.
“Coffee. Not monster infused. Sounds great.” She dug out a small little card with her number on it, handing it to him.
Rowan heaved a deep breath, and Aelin winked at him, before sashaying away, hips swinging slightly.
Well, maybe Rowan didn’t regret taking a 7am class quite so much.