For @elegantwizardtree who's enabling me and forever convincing me to write about my oc's <3
1.3k words
Hope you enjoy.
Rowan was grateful his alarm went off when it did.
He had been stuck in a nightmare; lost in that place: the hellhole where the dark waited for him.
The shadows were like a living thing here, under the earth – serpentine in their movements as they slithered over the cavern walls, blocking out the weakening light with surprising speed. They lengthened and stretched, searching, grasping, almost like they were hungry.
No. Not hungry. Starving.
Rowan gasped awake, breathing hard.
The alarm beeped at him twice before he shut it off. The neon letters read 5:30 AM.
Groaning, he buried his face in his pillow. How many more years was he going to have these kinds of dreams and restless nights? Forever?
Waiting until his heart rate returned to normal, he sat up and rubbed at his eyes before peering over his shoulder to see if his wife was still asleep. She was. The arm that had previously been slung over his waist was pulled back to her chest and she rolled over onto her other side, blissfully unaware of his distress.
He sighed, glad that he hadn’t woken her up this time. It happened far more often than he’d like to admit even though Rose slept like the dead... Mostly.
Raking a hand through his hair Rowan began his morning routine of tiptoeing around the bedroom. In the dark he pulled open the dresser drawers and picked out a pair of sweatpants, a shirt and some socks.
Two pairs of curious feline eyes watched him as he dressed. He made a quiet chiding noise as one of the cats – Freya – leapt down from the bed and nearly knocked over the baseball bat that leaned against Rose’s bedside table.
He was grateful that she hadn’t needed to use the bat in a while. On occasion, when the nightmares were really bad and he started sleepwalking she would follow him and stop him from leaving the house, by force if necessary. Locking the door simply wasn’t enough. Not when his eyes were filled to the brim with an inky blackness and he started speaking a language she didn’t understand.
At least this time he had woken up before anything happened.
He left the bedroom door ajar and tried not to trip as the cats got underfoot on the stairs. Yawning, he slipped a hand under his shirt, his thumb moving in a lazy circle over his abdomen. While he was still tired and wanted more sleep, his stomach was awake, so there was little chance of him falling back asleep anyway.
Besides, the cats took priority.
As such, he padded into the kitchen and got out food for them before starting the coffee maker. It would be done brewing by the time he got back from his run.
Making sure the door was locked he took his usual route of going around the neighborhood.
Streetlamps illuminated his way as he passed by house after house and the crisp autumn air burned his lungs as he picked up the pace. He waved to one of the residents who lived on the street corner, who was out early watering their plants.
Running was one of the few remaining hobbies that he kept (and still enjoyed) from his teen years – which otherwise had devolved into chaos and terror…
So, like some other things in his life, he desperately clung to what normalcy it brought him.
Slowing down as he came to the last block before his own, Rowan ended up walking the rest of the way home.
Both Freya and Parmesan were waiting for him when he got back.
Pulling off his shoes he left them in the designated basket by the door and let the scent of fresh coffee lead him back into the kitchen.
Scooching Freya away from the pantry gently with his foot, Rowan pulled out the cereal. He did this again when she tried sticking her nose in the fridge.
Grabbing a spoon, he stepped away from the counter, beginning the song and dance he did with the cats every morning when they wanted his breakfast, meowing incessantly at him as though he hadn’t fed them less than an hour ago.
Pouring himself a cup of coffee at last, he carried it with him upstairs.
Leaning against the doorway of the bedroom, Rowan quietly sipped from his mug, watching to see if Rose was awake yet. When she stirred, he sat on the edge of the bed.
“Morning.” He said quietly.
“Coffee…” she moaned. Moving towards him she grasped at his shirt and reached up. He moved the mug out of her reach.
“Ah, ah, ah, this is mine.”
“Come on,” she said, loosening her grip on him to make a grab for the mug with both hands.
Rowan backed off the bed, just far enough away that Rose would have to fully get up to reach him, which he knew she wasn’t going to do.
“You wouldn’t like it anyways there’s no milk or sugar in here.”
Rose made a disgusted noise and flopped back down on the bed with her back to him. “Ugh, I married a barbarian.”
Returning to the bedside, Rowan leaned down to run his fingers through her strawberry-blonde hair. The thick waves cascaded past her shoulders, covering some of her many tattoos.
“You poor thing. It’s so unfair that you have to go downstairs and make your own coffee.” He teased.
She swatted at him half-heartedly.
Picking his mug back up with a chuckle, Rowan emptied the contents before setting it back on the nightstand.
He checked the time on the clock and walked towards the bathroom. His foot barely stepped over the threshold, however, when Rose spoke.
“Wait… come cuddle with me.”
A few seconds went by in silence. Rowan’s shadow fell over her. In one swift movement he was on the mattress hovering over her.
As he suspected, there was mischief sparkling in her hazel eyes.
“How dare you,” he said in a low voice, placing his hands on either side of her. “I need to leave for work and you’re enticing me back into bed like some kind of temptress.”
He leaned down and kissed her over and over as she giggled.
“I can always grab the phone and tell the library you’re sick and can’t come in.” she said breathlessly as he stopped kissing her and instead nuzzled her neck.
“Unlike you I don’t make my own hours, I actually have to be there. But your offer is very, very alluring.” Rowan murmured as she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him back with enthusiasm.
He sighed contently and snuggled against her as she ran her fingers through his hair, relaxing further when she rubbed her other hand up and down his back.
“Lay down for a bit.”
Rowan sighed again – this time unhappily. He reluctantly leaned away before she could lock her hands around his neck and convince him to stay.
Disappointment rang clear in his voice.
“I can’t.”
Rose mock rolled her eyes at him.
“Alright, alright. I’ll let you get ready.”
She knew he wouldn’t miss work unless he absolutely had no other choice. He loved his job.
Rowan intertwined their fingers and placed one last kiss on her cheek.
“Maybe we can continue this later after we both get home from work?” he said hopefully.
The bemused look Rose gave him suggested that it was a definite possibility.
When Rowan came out of the bathroom a short while later, showered and dressed in clean clothes, he found Rose with her head against the pillows, asleep again.
“Love you.” he said. The snort she let out told him she heard him.
A short while later Rose woke up. Shuffling the cats over to the other side of the bed, she looked over at the nightstand and smiled.
Picking up the coffee Rowan left her she settled back against the headboard. Beside the thermos was a small sticky note with a heart drawn on it in pen.
Reaching out to pet Parmesan, Rose watched the sunlight filter through the shutters as the hour passed. She drank her coffee, enjoying the quiet.
