DO IT NOW: Guide To Proper Bra Fit And Measuring Because Victoria Secret And La Senza And Whatever Are

DO IT NOW: Guide to Proper Bra Fit and Measuring because Victoria Secret and La Senza and whatever are full of shit and you are definitely wearing the wrong size ok? ok

Hi guys I’m obsessed with this shit lately because I don’t want anyone to have unhappy, unsupported boobs like I did. Even if you think your boobs and bras are fine, try it. It will make a big difference in comfort, support, and shape, even if you have small boobs or big boobs. A proper fitting bra can fix back, shoulder, and neck pain, along with breast soreness - and it can help you look 10lbs lighter, and your breasts a hell of a lot perkier. This guide also works for proper-sized bikinis and bathing suits (many online stores linked to below sell both- sometimes for as low as 10$!)

Don’t just like this, REBLOG IT. EVERYBODY WITH BOOBS DESERVES A PROPER FIT. Even if you don’t wear bras yourself, spread it around to tumblr or with your friends or family.

Grab a soft tape measurer (use inches) and get nekkid - don’t wear a bra or shirt please, you don’t wear a bra or shirt underneath your bra, do you? This part is fast and easy, and will help you find your ‘Starting Point’ bra size - you may not end up in this exact size, but it will get you in the right ballpark.

How to Measure:

Measure your underbust - go right underneath the root of your breasts, but make sure the tape is straight/parallel to the floor. Take a firm, snug measurement - if you have chub, take it tighter.

Measure your bust bent over - bend forward so your back is parallel to the floor and your boobs are hanging so you have access to all that beautiful breast tissue that is now brought forward. Measure very loosely around the nipples, keeping tape straight/horizontal/perpendicular to the floor.

If your breasts are kind of empty and/or have a lot of sag, this method may overestimate your cup size. Instead, take your bust measurement bent over, standing, and lying flat on your back, and take an average of those three measurements and use that for your calculations.

How to Use These Measurements to find your ‘Starting Size’:

Round up your underbust measurement to the nearest even number. If you are only half an inch or less away from being a lower size, use that instead (unless you have a bony ribcage). This is automatically your band size. No BS. There is no adding imaginary inches here.

The difference between your underbust measurement and your bust measurement dictates your cup size. Every 1 inch in difference represents a cup size, so 1 inch = A, 2 = B, 3 = C, 4 = D. As you can see here, a true D or DD cup is actually pretty fucking small.

CUP SIZES ARE NOT STANDARD, UNLIKE COMMONLY THOUGHT (AND TOLD TO US BY ASSHOLES LIKE VS). They are TOTALLY relative to band size. The cup on a 30D has 4 inches less volume than the cup on a 34D. A 30D is actually the same cup size as a 34B!

No one has their shit together on the lettering for each cup size, so here’s a handy dandy chart. Remember to go with UK measurement as they somewhat have their shit together (and because American companies do not make much above DD, so there’s literally no point in knowing it, but the European sizing may come in handy)

I DON’T CARE IF YOU LIVE IN THE USA, DO NOT USE THE AMERICAN MEASUREMENTS, FFS. YOU’LL ONLY MAKE THINGS HARDER AND MORE CONFUSING FOR YOURSELF. ANY BOUTIQUE IN NORTH AMERICA WORTH GOING TO, AND 99% OF ONLINE STORES, IS GOING TO SELL PRIMARILY BRITISH OR EUROPEAN BRANDS AND WILL GO BY THEIR SIZING. THERE IS LITERALLY NO POINT IN KNOWING AMERICAN SIZING

DO NOT USE AMERICAN SIZING

DO NOT USE AMERICAN FUCKING SIZING

EVEN IF YOU ARE AMERICAN

AND LIVE IN THE US

USE THE BRITISH SIZING

For example, I have a 29.5 inch underbust and a 38 inch bust when bent over. So, I should take a 30 band and then there’s an 8 inch difference. So I am a 30FF in UK sizing. This is just my starting point when looking for bras, and I may not always end up with this exact size

Do not pull the ‘omg no I’m not a G cup my boobs aren’t that big you’re more stupid that the idea of vegetable bread’ shit with me ok? You drank the Kool-Aid and now you need to piss it out. CUP SIZES ARE NOT STANDARD. A 34D IS BIGGER IN THE CUPS THAN A 30E. Here, take a look at a chart of cup volumes and see what I mean.

Also… not all ‘big cup’ bras are ugly and granny-like. Just check out brands like Freya or Gossard or Gorteks or Panache or Cleo! They are gorgeous!

Trying it on: What a proper fit is like

thatbradoesnotfither: Here is an excellent graphic showing how a bra should fit! If your shoulders hurt at the end of the day, or you find yourself constantly re-adjusting your bra, it might be a good idea to re-evalute your bra size and find a bra that’s good enough to support your awesome boobs. (It’s the bra’s fault—not yours!) If your bra does not meet all this criteria you need to measure yourself PROPERLY ok, Victoria’s Secret does not count at all chances are you are not a 34-38 B-C ladies

ALWAYS SCOOP AND SWOOP BEFORE ASSESSING WHETHER IT FITS OR NOT. What does this mean? This means bend over, hike up your bra so that it sits right under the root of your breasts. Then, start smooshing all your back fat and armpit rolls or any loose tissue thats underneath or to the side of the cup, INTO the cup. All that stuff is breast tissue that got pushed around from your shitty bras, no I am not bullshitting - after a few months of wearing better bras, many people end up having to get a bigger cup and sometimes even a smaller band too, as all the smooshed breast tissue migrates back to the boob, where it should be. Not kidding. So get everything in there and make sure the wire is positioned perfectly under your boobs. Then stand up and assess the fit. If it seemed to fit before scooping, it won’t fit now.

THIS IS JUST A STARTING POINT. Try on your starting size and work from there. You may need to go up or down a band size, or up or down many cup sizes. Not all brands or even models in that brand are made the same way, and the shape of your boobs also helps determine the size and fit, so don’t try on JUST the size you calculated, say “it doesn’t fit”, and then give up and go back to your 36Cs. You aren’t doing yourself any favours. If you don’t feel comfortable in your ‘starting point size’, go ahead and try a size up or down in bands and/or a size or two or even three up or down in cups as needed.

ALWAYS start on the loosest hook. If you need to start on the tightest hook, go down a band size. The point of hooks is simple - as your bra gets used, it gradually loses its elasticity and gets loose. So, you use your hooks to bring it in, and when you reach the last hook, well, be prepared to get rid of your bra in a few months (unless you invest in a band tightener like the Rixie Clip)

A proper fit means the bra band is straight and parallel to the floor. If it isn’t, and seems to be getting pulled up, its too big and isn’t supporting you. Get a smaller band. You shouldn’t be able to stretch it more than a couple inches off your back. It may feel tight at first, but bras do need ‘breaking in’ and you are used to wearing things that do not fit correctly, so give it a chance. Of course, it should not hurt either!

A proper fit means your bra straps are not digging in.

A proper fit means the gore (the little centerpiece of the bra where the wires sort of meet) MUST tack/sit firmly against your chest. If it doesn’t, then the wires are not truly fully underneath your boobs and so are not giving you the proper support.

A proper fit means your boobs must fit smoothly into the entire cup (after scooping and swooping). The wire should totally encase all your breast tissue (this includes armpit fat and stuff). There should be no empty space at the bottom or top of the cup. Your boobs should not be overflowing from the top of the cup. If there’s overflowing or uncontained tissue after scooping, or of it feels tight, get a bigger cup.

A proper fit means you should be able to lift your arms over your head and jump around without the band or underwire budging or exposing underboob.

Size Tweaks/Troubleshooting (make sure you scoop and swoop first):

The band feels tight: Is the gore tacking or not? If not, go up a cup size or two (or maybe even three or four). Even if the gore is tacking, try this first. The band may be tight because the cups are too small, so your boobs are stretching the band out too much to overcompensate for lack of cup depth, making it feel tighter. If after trying larger cups, it still feels uncomfortably tight, go up a band size (and down a cup size if the first size fit well in the cups - remember, cup is relative to band, a 32DD is the same in the cups as a 34D). Remember though that it takes a few days to break a bra in, so it may feel tight or perfect at first, and then comfortable or too loose later.

The band feels loose/band is riding up and not remaining parallel to the floor: Go down a band size (and up a cup size or two because blablah relativity).

The gore is not tacking, but band is not tight: Band size is too big, or maybe fits just right - but the cups are too small. You know what to do.

Boobs spilling over: Go up a cup size. Check first though that the bottom of the cup is not empty, and hike it up if it is!

Empty space at bottom of cup: Hike that shit up so it gets right to the roots of your breasts. This may fix bulging/spillage. If you can’t get it higher, then you need a smaller cup or this make of bra is just not suited to your shape.

Empty space at top of cup: You need a smaller cup, or this shape of bra just does not suit you your breasts, especially if your breasts are not very full on top. Or you need to scoop and swoop!

Straps digging in: Loosen them. If your boobs suddenly sag, then the band is not supportive enough, and you need a tighter band.

Armpit rolls: Bigger cup and/or scoop and swoop that shit. The cut of bra may also just not be for you (for now anyway - your armpit rolls may migrate back into the boobs and disappear eventually!)

They don’t even make my size!!: If you’re in a 28-48 D-KK (UK sizing) cup, you will find your size online easily enough. however, if you have a smaller band than that or need smaller cups, they are hard to find - message me and I’ll try to help you with a solution!

So, for example, my starting size may be 30FF, but I may end up wearing a 28G or H if the band of that model is too loose and the gore not tacking. Or the band may be fine and I may need a bigger cup so I’ll get a 30G. Or The band may be good but the cups too big, so I’ll get a 30F or E. Or the band may be too small to be comfortable and I’ll wear a 32F or E (same cupsize-ish as 30FF!).

What Not to Do:

NEVER PUT YOUR BRA IN THE DRYER. AND PREFERABLY, WASH IT BY HAND. The heat and twisting ruins the elasticity of the bra and reduces its life! This is the best way to ruin bras, don’t do it.

Do not add 3 or 4 or 5 inches or whatever to your band measurement. That is BS that American companies use so that they don’t have to manufacture a larger range of sizes - they use it to fit you into their stock, not their stock onto you. The band will be too big and unsupportive. Those 4 inches they add to the band are 4 inches that should be in the cup size, so no wonder people think anything over DD should be huge.

Do not measure your ‘overbust’ cause really what the fuck does that have to do with how large you are underneath your boobs, come on

Do not do the above because 80% of the support comes from the band, which needs to be firm against you and not be sliding or moving around.Would you wear underwear 4 inches bigger than your hips? No, so why would you wear a bra band 4 inches bigger than your ribcage that gets pulled up and stuff and would fall off if not for the straps, while expecting it to support the boobies at the same time?

Do not go down a band size and then forget to go up a cup size or two. Again, cup sizes are not static. A 30FF is the same cup volume as a 32F or E. If you don’t do this, no shit the bra will fit badly or feel tight.

Do not go straight to Victoria’s Secret or La Senza or whatever, even if you are lucky enough to fit in their small range of sizes - they don’t seem to follow sizing very well. Still, try, by all means, but be aware that their bras may be odd compared to others.

"But where do I get these Bras? I’ve never even seen these sizes!“

Luckily, the internet makes this shit really easy. Buying bras online is nearly always way cheaper, even with shipping, and even if coming from somewhere in Europe! But of course, its best to try on stuff first, to avoid the hassle of return shipping (even though its still not that expensive - just annoying). So what I advise is to find a store near you, try stuff on there, note down the Brand, Model, and Size, and then buy it online for up to a quarter of of the in-store price.

If you can’t find a store near you, online ordering is still extremely cheap, even with return shipping. Instead of getting a whole bunch of bras in only 1 size each, pick out a few models and order a few sizes of each. Ex: one with a bigger or smaller band if your measurements are close to needing a bigger or smaller band size, and then some up or down a couple cup sizes so you can compare the fit. When you have the perfect fit in one bra, it will be easier to go on Bratabase or r/ABraThatFits and have them suggest bras that give similar shape or suggest a different size to you as a model you’re interested in may run large or small.

So, Where to Find:

Note: You can find proper-sized bras as low as 10$ US online (particularly from ebay or brastop.com) and most average 30-45$.

List of Online Retailers from BustyResourcesWiki: A complete list of online retailers around da world. Many ship internationally so take a look at all of them (particularly the UK ones)

Ebay, Etsy, and Amazon all have bras inexpensively.

List of Offline Retailers from BustyResourcesWiki: List of chain-stores (not of privately owned stores)

If in Canada, look for a Change Lingerie near you to try on bras. Note that they only carry their own brand.

If in the USA, look for a Nordstrom or Nordstrom Rack near you to try on bras. They carry all sorts of brands and have an online store as well (and also ship to Canada!)

Use a store locator from the webpage of a bra brand company to find non-chain, privately owned stores - if they have one of these brands, they’ll have others. Here’s the locator for Freya, Curvy Kate, Fantasie, Chantelle, Panache, and Affinitas. There are more than just these of course.

If you are small in the band AND in the cup (under a D cup) look at the Little Bra Company.

Ask around on Bratabase or r/ABraThatFits for stores near you.

WOMAN, YOU HAVE THE INTERNET! GOOGLE! YELP!

WARNING: There are many chain stores (Nordstrom, Lane Bryant, Mark and Spencer, Change etc) that do bra fittings and have a good reputation. However, each store is different - some measure correctly, and some use the stupid VS method. Every store has a different team of employees and knowledge. DO NOT GO IN WITHOUT HAVING MEASURED YOURSELF FIRST, JUST IN CASE THEY ARE ONE OF THE BAD STORES. DO NOT TRUST ALL BRA FITTERS, EVEN IF SOMEONE RECOMMENDED THEM TO YOU. If your fitter gives you a measurement different from this one, be mentally prepared to have a difficult time getting them to help you find the right bra.

I had the fitter at Change help me, and when I mentioned that the gore did not tack, she said “Oh, the gore never touches the chest with these bras”. I was like HAHA NOPE BRING ME A LARGER CUP WOMAN. And lo and behold, 2 extra cup sizes later, the gore tacked (and my boobs stopped spilling out). She was very nice otherwise but if I hadn’t known better that could have been bad.

Resources:

r/ABraThatFits: forum for bras, they will help you with sizing, fitting, and finding the right model for your breast shape - they have links to a lot of resources, such as online stores, used bra listings, etc.

Busty Resources Wiki: Great resource for fitting tips, diagrams, explanations, styles.

Bra Band Project: an online gallery of what various sizes look like! Dump your disbelief!

List of Online Retailers: Online is MUCH cheaper and shipping is usually cheap too, even from Europe. Try bras in a store near you , pick out what you like, and order them online instead.

Bratabase: Database of bras, with user inputted measurements of each bra model in its size - bras may be marked the same size, but with this you can see which may have bigger or smaller bands or cups, or what style may suit what shape of breast, all of which helps find the perfect fit for you!

Great Youtube Video on Bra Fitting: This is one of the few people on Youtube who knows their shit about bras. Great for the visuals to help you understand what a bad fit and proper fit look like.

Venusian Glow is a great bra blog - SO MUCH INFO. Suggests bras based on your boob shape amongst other things.

Look at Us Now - Ch. 11

Fic masterlist

This week I had to reassure two different friends about a Rowaelin HEA for this fic, can you believe this? It’s like you guys don’t trust my fluff-loving side at all lmaoo

Warnings: language, drunk idiots

Word count: 4,4k

As a soon-to-be mother, Aelin was so proud of her baby girl for growing so much.

As an orthopedist, she was mourning the perfect posture she used to have.

Fenrys stopped at the kitchen’s doorstep to stare at her. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m trying to save my lombardic curve. Stop being weird about it.”

He shrugged and sat on the nearest couch as Aelin tried to adjust that arched back of hers. Holy rutting Mala, why did pregnancy make her go through all that?

“Is Dorian coming tonight?”

“Probably. If he feels like it.” Fenrys shrugged. “It’s not that serious.”

Aelin crossed her arms, clamping her lips together as she tried to look serious. “You’re just casually seeing each other every day?”

“Exactly.” He turned on the TV. “Just like you and Rowan are platonically living together and having a baby.”

She gaped, but still sat by his side. “Take it back!”

“Absolutely not! Do you think Rowan just…” Fenrys flailed his arms around, looking for an example. “He doesn’t goes around massaging everyone’s feet, Aelin. I’m pretty sure you’re the only person he does that for.”

She crossed her arms, chin up. “He does it for me, but not because of me. I just happen to be carrying his baby.”

“The baby is inside the belly, not the feet.”

She sighed, forcing her voice into a lower, calmer tone. “Look, you weren’t there, but he clearly wasn’t interested. He only changed because of the baby. And I’m not complaining about it, I had fun, I’m just saying that if he wanted non-platonic stuff with me, he would tell me.”

Fenrys looked her dead in the eye. “You had a boyfriend.”

“And that never stopped him from fucking me senseless. Wouldn’t stop him from seeing me outside the base if he wanted to.”

It was true, and it was also killing her. Every time Rowan ran to a store to buy something she was craving or massaged her swollen feet, Aelin had the painful reminder that, when it was just her, all she got was cock and a couch inside his office. Rowan just learned very early on that happy mom means happy baby, and she was trying to be okay with it.

They were just having casual sex at first, and now he seemed okay with keeping things platonic for their kid. There was no use in reading between the lines.

After that, Aelin decided to go find Rowan at her house. Fenrys was nice enough to be silent when Dorian was there, but his bed still got squeaky sometimes.

She hired a company to paint her house, since she couldn’t smell paint because of the baby, nor could she let Rowan paint the entire four-bedroom house the Air Force provided her. He protested her decision, but he was already doing too much for her.

Aelin had a feeling that, if she asked him to build a house from scratch for this baby, he’d do it alone without thinking twice.

She had already grown familiar with the path between her house and Rowan’s. The sound of the leaves when the wind got a little stronger never failed to soothe her, and Aelin was excited to co-parent a kid with such close proximity.

Which could be even closer, if her new idea worked out.

When Aelin stepped into her house, the first thing she noticed was the faint sound of Syd Barrett spilling his guts, and she looked for the source until she found Rowan lying on the nursery’s floor.

He didn’t seem surprised when she walked in, though. He probably listened to her footsteps all the way to the baby’s room.

“I didn’t know you were into junkies from the 60’s.”

Rowan got up to get another pillow and help ease her onto the floor. “You listen to them all the time.”

Aelin closed her eyes, feeling the muscles on her back relax now that she was lying too. “My parents were fans.”

Rowan’s hand found her scalp, and Aelin almost purred. God, she was too weak for those.

“You think about them a lot?” He asked.

“More often now that I’m pregnant. And with insomnia.”

Pregnancy just made her think of them more often now, but it wasn’t the crushing type of grief she felt during her late childhood and early teen years. It was bittersweet.

Rowan hummed, never ceasing to caress her hair. “Did you try eating an apple before bed? It helps to induce sleep.”

“No, I haven’t.” Aelin hid her face on his side, trying her best not to laugh.

Apples before bed did absolutely nothing for people with sleep disorders. Rowan didn’t know that her pregnancy was just making a deeper problem worse, though. Aelin couldn’t take any kind of sleeping pills with a baby on the way, and telling him this problem with no solution was just going to make the Buzzard worry to death.

Aelin had been off her antidepressants for almost two years, so this new development made her ghost her psychiatrist and decide to go back once she stopped breastfeeding. She had plenty of time to tell Rowan about that.

Aelin closed her eyes and grinned. “This song is so silly. I love how he laughs halfway into it.”

It was a good song, but he just repeated the name Maisie over and over most of the time.

“It isn’t silly,” Rowan protested. “He’s stoned out of his mind, and the only thing he feels like doing is repeating that girl’s name over and over. It’s kinda relatable”

“Rowan Whitethorn.” Her voice was low as she looked at him with widened, surprised eyes. “Are you coming out as a stoner?”

Chuckling, he playfully pinched her upper arm and turned sideways to face her while lying. “The name is really cute.”

“Maisie?”

“Yeah.”

She chewed her bottom lip, thinking this over. The name was adorable. “But we’re not naming our daughter after a junkie’s song, right?”

“No.” He shook his head, as if erasing the idea. “Of course not.”

They just stayed there, letting the album play as Aelin took in the baby’s room. It was so cute she felt like her chest could burst any minute.

She made Rowan and Aedion put a baby blue wallpaper, even if the Air Force’s regiment said every wall should be plain white. The furniture was in white wood, except for the little dresser in the corner.

It was wooden as well, but every drawer was a different shade of blue, getting darker at the bottom. The knobs were sea life themed, and it took Aelin a lifetime to decide which animal went with what drawer.

It was the cutest, babiest little thing. She woke Rowan up at 1 am to show this finding when she saw it online. It was her favorite part of the nursery.

Aelin felt her heart bang again when she met Rowan’s deep, inquisitive eyes.

“What’s on your mind?”

She placed her pillow closer to Rowan and hugged him. “Thank you.”

He had been pulling Aelin’s house together day and night, completely ignoring her protests about not letting her do much.

Rowan didn’t say anything, just caressed her head in that way that made her melt.

“I’ve been thinking about something,” she continued.

He hummed.

“Your house doesn’t have much of the baby vibe. With the parade of one-night stands and all.”

Rowan sighed. “I know I need to have this talk with—“

She shushed him. The house was Fenrys’ as well, and she didn’t want a surprise baby to disrupt his lifestyle.

“I thought of something. It’s not a permanent solution, but I won’t put an expiration date on it either.”

Rowan leaned closer, watching her intently.

“When I move into this house, you could come with me—“

He engulfed her in a hug, burying his face in the crook of her neck. “Yes.”

“You can pick any room you’d—“

“Yes.”

“So neither of us will be alone with a newborn—“

“Yes.”

Aelin laughed, feeling her chest tremble against his own. Alright, he didn’t need a lot of explanations. She got that.

They just stared at each other for a moment. Aelin felt her heart knock on her throat and do fuzzy little flips as she watched how Rowan’s smile made his eyes light up.

For the first time, she could put a name on the jolt of electricity he made her feel.

She was falling, and bracing herself for the bone crush.

It was funny how everyone from this soccer moms’ night out was telling her to stop being shy and sing with Lysandra. Aelin wasn’t a shy person at all, she was just someone who knew her strengths. Singing wasn’t one of them.

There was no amount of fancy drinks that could make her go up on that stage, but now that Lys made the crowd ask no nicely…

Dorian was trying to save Aedion’s love life in a bar two blocks away. If this became a huge embarrassment, she could just leave, pretend this never happened and join them there. Aelin got up and took the second mic, not missing the cheery crowd—and especially her table—stirring things up.

“What are you two singing?” The employee with the computer asked.

“Lana?” Aelin suggested, but her friend had a vacant stare on the crowd.

She poked Lys on the ribs. “What are we singing?”

“Oh.” She jerked Aelin’s way, blinking, but then her disoriented face turned into a roguish grin. “Peppers.”

Not a question, but Lys and the employee still sought Aelin’s confirmation before starting.

Aelin was just singing at first. She wasn’t stiff, but there was nothing much to her moves. However, when the pre-chorus was reaching its end, Lysandra placed one hand on hand on Aelin’s hips in an attempt to loosen it, and that’s when she understood.

Lys didn’t want to sing a song. She wanted them to give a full show. And now that Aelin understood, she wouldn’t settle for less.

She was rolling her hips, swaying her whole body and toying with her hair as the lyrics suggested. Aelin had no idea if the tables were stirring them in because they were actually good or just two excited drunks, but she was eating it up.

“Put your hands on my knees, baby!” Someone screamed, referencing the song lyric.

Aelin had a snarky remark ready, but kept to herself when she realized it came from a woman, not a creepy dude. Instead, she swayed her hips harder and went down so she could put her hands on her knees in a little provocative manner. The lesbian roared, making her cackle mid-chorus.

And you know what? Tonight was about girls. Aelin came with her soccer mom friends to talk about girl things and sip girly drinks. If she was doing sexy dances tonight, it was for the lesbians. And bisexual girls. Non-binary too—

Lys tapped her shoulder when she stopped singing, too distracted counting all the letters from the acronym to check if she wasn’t forgetting anything. Fuck. She blamed it on the tequila.

Aelin smiled at the crowd when the song ended, taking the applause and fame in. Maybe she should quit orthopedics to perform for a living. Maybe that was her true calling.

All of those thoughts came to a halt when she paused to carefully study the room, though. Her heart stopped just to go back at the highest speed.

Rowan. By the side of a hot redhead.

He was staring at her, and there was no way to decipher that intense look in his eyes. His lips were pursed, but even if Rowan looked pissed, he never took his eyes off her. Not while she was on stage, not when Lys dragged her by the arm to the ladies’ room.

The redhead was looking between them the whole time, probably figuring something out already.

Aelin didn’t do anything when she got to the bathroom, though. Just stood there, staring at a blank spot in the wall. She was so shocked she barely noticed the distinctive reek of a bar’s bathroom. Lys was watching her the whole time, forehead wrinkled and hands on her hips.

This silence was too much, especially since Lys knew most of whatever went down with Rowan.

Well, that didn’t matter now. If the last weeks gave her any doubt about how she should proceed now that they were in a better situation, this just gave her rational side more certainty. He had moved on already, and so should she.

Aelin decided to reapply her lipstick just to do something with her hands.

“I’m assuming you saw Rowan with that woman.”

Yes, and not with any woman. It was the kind of woman who made single moms question their sexuality.

“A redhead?” Aelin’s voice came out slightly high-pitched as she stopped reapplying her lipstick to protest, searching for Lys’ concerned gaze through the bathroom mirror. “I thought he liked blondes. When did blondes stop being the hottest option?”

“You’d still be hotter than her if she were blonde. Or if you were a redhead.”

“This is not about me.” Aelin closed her lipstick, rolling her eyes. “I’m talking about men’s choices in general. It’s an anthropological observation.”

Lies, lies, lies. But Aelin didn’t even tell her therapist about old feelings resurfacing, she wasn’t about to pour her heart out to her newest friend while drunk at a club. Especially not while Rowan was having a hot date.

She raised her eyebrows, looking as if she was tired of explaining something obvious. “Even though he was ogling you like a dog staring at meat through a butcher’s shop window?”

Aelin put away her lipstick and gave Lys a pointed look. “He was not.”

“I was there. I remember it all too well.”

Aelin’s eyes widened. “We could sing that.”

“We can, because you’re not crashing Rowan’s date tonight.”

Aelin was carefully silent. She’d be lying if she said that idea didn’t cross her mind.

“You’re not.” Lysandra’s tone was firm, and she placed both hands on her friend’s shoulders. “You’re going to repeat after me: I’m Aelin Galathynius.”

Aelin giggled. “You’re not Aelin Galathynius.”

Lys squeezed her friend’s shoulders harder than necessary. “Say it.”

She straightened her posture. “I’m Aelin Galathynius.”

“And I’m too mature to crash Rowan’s date.”

“And I’m too mature to crash Rowan’s date,” she lied.

“Great.” Lys took a deep breath and pointed to the door. “Let’s get back to our table.”

Aelin went from the restroom’s door straight to Rowan.

“Good to see you got out of your house for once.”

Rowan slowly assessed her outfit with that judgy gaze of his, making her skin burn. ”Good to see you singing something that isn’t a nursery rhyme.”

Aelin crossed her arms. “I thought you were seeing a guy tonight.”

Rowan mirrored her expression. “So did I.”

Wait, he thought who would be seeing a guy?

His date extended a hand. “Hi. I’m Ansel.”

She begrudgingly shook it. “Aelin.”

God, this was awkward. She should’ve listened to Lysandra and stayed at her table. But when she saw Rowan there on a date with this gorgeous homewrecker with incredibly shiny hair… Aelin felt like she was burning from the inside out, and not in a good way.

Something about her face must’ve showed, because Ansel pointed between her and Rowan and said, “This is totally platonic. Fenrys thought Rowan could have a night out, so he stayed with the kid and set this up.”

“This is…” Rowan tilted his head, frowning at the redhead. “Exactly and not exactly what happened at the same time.”

Ansel elbowed him, making him straighten his posture.

“This is exactly what happened,” Rowan amended.

“Rowan?” Ansel put a hand on his shoulder to grab his attention, and Aelin almost singed it off with her eyes. “Can we talk for a second?”

They excused themselves and got just far enough so they’d be out of earshot. It looked like they we bickering. Ansel pointed at Aelin with her head. Rowan’s body stiffened. She pointed at the door. He pulled at his shirt cuffs and nodded. Aelin would kill to hear whatever that exchange was, especially because when Rowan approached her, Ansel was… smirking? As weird at this sounds, it looked a lot like a smirk.

“Hey.” Rowan didn’t sit again, just got close enough so she’d hear him over the terrible performance of an 80’s song. “I’m going to call an uber. Can you stay here?”

Aelin felt her heart sink. “You’re leaving with her?”

“What? No!” His eyebrows shot up as if the idea was absurd. “I’m calling Ansel’s uber. I was asking if you can wait for me here. Or at the tables outside, anywhere but the club part.”

Aelin nodded, chuckling. The loud, buzzing dance floor by the entrance must’ve been a terrifying sight for Rowan.

She found the soccer moms and quickly explained she’d be with Rowan in the other room. They seemed to understand the situation, which was good. Aelin was friendly with everyone there, but the only person she was close with was Lys. That one would be blasting their DM tomorrow morning, there was no doubt.

Rowan came back just a few minutes after she found them a table at a calmer area outside.

The breeze hitting her shoulders was gentle, but still stronger than her thin, backless shirt. Still, Aelin held her head high, refusing to feel bad for crashing and ruining his date.

“How many beers did you pay her?”

Rowan leaned back on his chair, a playful glint in his eye. “Three, why?”

“You’re paying me four.” He opened his mouth, but she raised a finger and beat him to it. “No questions asked.”

Rowan chugged his beer after their first round came. “I don’t know why you’re being like this. Aren’t you dating other people too?”

“What?” Aelin slightly shook her head, mouth ajar. “Where is this coming from?”

He tilted his head. “You were very clear about wanting more kids.”

“And then you made an assumption about my dating life.”

Rowan didn’t answer, unwavering.

Aelin held a finger up. “First, I told you I haven’t figured that out yet.” Another finger up. “Second, I wasn’t in a relationship the first time, I don’t need one to have kids again.” She shrugged. “For all you know, I could be talking about adoption or fertilization.”

Rowan had his arms crossed, eyes squinted at her. “Why would you pay to have kids if we did that for free the last time?”

The mix of what he’d just said and his displeased face made her cackle. Hard. Her head was tilted back, her body trembling as she tried to regain composure and feel less breathless.

“Why is this funny?” He protested, trying and failing to hide a silly smile. “I’m just saying that if you don’t have another person you’d like to… share genes with, the reasonable thing to do would be make the other children genetically compatible with Maisie.” He sipped his beer, looking nonchalant. “In case one of them needs a kidney or a bone marrow transplant.”

“Alright.” She chugged the rest of her beer down. “Let’s suppose I decide to do that. Would you donate your sperm and sign off parental rights?”

“Absolutely not!” He blurted, clutching his beer for dear life as if it’d protect his imaginary kids from Aelin’s modern ideas. “I’d make and raise them the old-fashioned way.”

Aelin leaned towards Rowan, her pulse skyrocketing as her breath fanned against the shell of his ear. “I bet you’d love that, wouldn’t you?”

There was no mistaking the way he trembled under her whisper. Rowan found the exposed curve of her waist with his hands like a magnet, the tips of his fingers pressing against her skin.

Rowan’s pupils were dilated, his forest-green irises looked on fire. “Stop teasing me. We’re drunk.”

Aelin leaned back on her seat and sipped her drink, chest filled with satisfaction even after being rejected. It was really hard to feel defeated now, since Rowan was too intoxicated to take his eyes off her golden top.

“You were a lot more fun six years ago.”

Rowan chuckled and finished his bottle. “Next round?”

Aelin confirmed at the same time her phone started ringing.

“Dor? Is everything okay—“

“I can’t stand your cousin anymore, Aelin! I’m dumping him in the sewers!”

She chuckled, not missing Rowan’s curious gaze. “Did Aed drink too much?”

“That too! He went straight to a woman and slurred: ‘you’re the prettiest girl I’ve seen this week.’ I can’t do this, Aelin. He’s unsalvageable.”

Aelin snorted. “Alright, give me five minutes and I’ll text you.”

“Too long!”

She finished the call before Dorian could protest further. Rowan had his head tilted, waiting for an explanation.

“Dorian’s bored, so he decided to be Aedion’s wingman tonight. They’re at a bar close by, so we agreed to uber back together.”

“Uber together where? Dorian lives in the opposite side of town.”

She shrugged. “Who knows? You know how Dorian is.”

That explanation seemed enough for Rowan. It didn’t take long for them to decide it was way past their bedtime already, so they decided to head out as well.

They needed to have their wristbands scanned at the cashier near the exit, and she took a step back when Rowan mentioned for her arm as well.

Aelin shook her head. “I spent a small fortune in frilly cocktails.”

He didn’t say a thing, just gently took her wrist and showed it to the cashier.

The outside of the club looked the same it did hours ago, except the line to enter was longer, making the street too loud for it to be the middle of the night.

“Heeeey.” Aelin made a twist to look him in the eye, but stumbled on her heels. Rowan tried to catch her from falling, but she beat him to it. She was just that kind of independent drunk. “Your mom invited me to your trip with Maisie the last time she was in town.”

Rowan snorted. “Sounds like her.”

Every year, Rowan and Maisie visited the southeastern beach house his parents retired in. Inviting Aelin to her ex’s trip without letting him know was something only Rory Whitethorn could pull off. She was a… peculiar person, to say the least. Aelin loved her to death.

“What did you tell her?” He asked.

Aelin tried to look nonchalant, thankful he couldn’t tell the tingling in her limbs. “What was I supposed to tell her? I already crashed your date, I won’t crash your trip too.”

To be fair, Aelin didn’t say anything because she would not, under any circumstance, invite herself to Rowan’s trip. And by under any circumstance, she meant only if she was drunk.

He shrugged. “Maisie would love it if you went.”

She gave him a pointed look. “Of course Maisie would want me to go. I’m talking about you. Would you feel comfortable with me there?”

Rowan’s shoulders dropped, and something in his eyes melted. “Of course I would. Do you want to come with me next month?”

Aelin flipped her hair, not looking him in the eye. “Well, since you asked so nicely.”

He snorted and placed a hand on the back of her shoulder, gently stroking that patch of skin with his thumb until their uber arrived.

Rowan opened the backseat door for her, but a very drunk Aedion called his name from the inside.

She leaned closer to Rowan and whispered, “I think he wants you to go in the middle.”

He sighed, but complied.

The moment they got inside and closed the door, Aedion laid down on the backseat, resting his head on Rowan’s lap and hugging his middle. “I love you, man.”

Rowan petted his head the same way he’d do to a dog. “You’re okay.”

“Aw,” Dorian cooed from the passenger seat. “He got so happy when he saw you outside.”

“Are you staying with Aedion?” Rowan asked, since the driver was getting them farther from Dorian’s apartment each minute.

“No, I’m staying with you. You stole my boyfriend, remember?”

Rowan’s face was flat when he replied, “Thanks for letting me know.”

Grinning at the bickering, Aelin rested her head on Rowan’s shoulders and nearly purred when his hand met her scalp. He chuckled. She lightly elbowed his ribs.

“You know damn well I’m weak for those,” she mumbled, eyes blissfully closed.

“I do.”

Aelin almost fell asleep right there, all because of Rowan’s skilled hands. She would’ve, if it wasn’t for the seat bumping as the driver sped, and the annoying air freshener in the car.

When they arrived, Rowan decided to drop Aelin off while Dorian did the same to a nearly dead drunk Aedion, and they’d meet later. Or Dorian could just break into the house through Fenrys’ window like he used to, that part wasn’t clear.

“There’s this thing nagging me,” Rowan said as they walked through her front garden.

“Spill.”

“Dorian seemed to know you were with the soccer moms all the time, but Fenrys seemed so clueless about this earlier today.”

“Oh.” Aelin leaned against a pillar, scrambling for a nice way to explain this. “Dorian doesn’t tell much about me to Fenrys, since it’d be the same as telling you. I never asked him to do this, but he’s just that loyal.”

Rowan’s expression seemed downcast for a beat, then he concealed it with a grin. “Keeping secrets, Lieutenant?”

Aelin crouched to get the keys from under the front mat, trying to downplay how much that harmless question made her heart twist. Something about her demeanor must’ve given it away, since he changed the subject.

“You know it’s not safe to leave your keys there, right? Why didn’t you take them with you?”

Aelin got up again and sighed, already knowing it was too much for his male brain to understand. “My purse is small, and the keys would scratch my lipstick tube.”

Rowan shook his head, but a small smile betrayed his disapproving face. “So between your lipstick and your house keys, you’d rather keep the lipstick?”

“Absolutely. I need to keep my priorities straight.”

He chuckled, eyes soft as their corners crinkled. “Good night, Aelin.”

Rowan held her upper arm for a beat, caressing it with his thumb, and then let her go.

You can get notifications when I update by either following me on @backtobl4ck-fics or entering my (sometimes glitchy) tag list!!

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manonlochan05

3 years ago

This is important hello (x)

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manonlochan05

4 years ago

I feel like I need to say this, as I've seen some concerning fandom purity bullshit crossing my dash.

This blog is unapologetically pro AO3.

I support them and all they do, may they continue to do it for decades to come.

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manonlochan05

4 years ago

I Don’t Want To Wait, twenty-seven

rowaelin high school bff au masterlist

Based on the prompts:

Casual kisses like walking up behind the other and kissing where their neck meets the shoulder or behind the ear, or the wrist and hand or ankle

“Do I get a kiss at midnight?” “Depends.” “On what?!” “If I’m awake. And sober.”

“You don’t like babe? Would you rather daddy or something?”

“I love you more than you could even wrap your head around.”

“That sure as hell did not look like ‘best friends’ to me.”

Jealous!Rowan

Aelin watched as her father paced circles in the living room rug, his finger accentuating each point toward her face. Each day leading up to the new year Rhoe had become exceedingly more and more tense. She didn’t know why he was so stressed – she’d been celebrating New Year’s Eve at Lysandra’s house since middle school.

Okay, that wasn’t exactly the truth. Aelin knew his grumpy demeanor might have something to do with the “drives” she and Rowan had started going on every day, and her return to their house, cheeks flushed and smile wide. Or the way Aelin couldn’t stop listening to her playlist, hips swaying as she belted out the lyrics to the heart wrenching love songs. Or the way every time Aelin’s phone buzzed with a text from Rowan, she couldn’t help the soft pink hue that would appear on her cheeks. She was just… really happy. And she knew it hadn’t escaped her dad’s notice. But still, he hadn’t pressed her on it.

If he wanted to live in denial, then Aelin felt perfectly fine with that. It gave her a perfect excuse not to let Rhoe know about her and Rowan’s sleeping arrangement for this evening.

Keep reading

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manonlochan05

4 years ago

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manonlochan05

4 years ago

i just discovered this wilkinson sword ad, and it is basically #myaesthetic 😘

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manonlochan05

4 years ago

*I’ve revamped my Masterlist as it was getting a little lengthy lol. I now have created Sublists instead. Just simply click on the fandom of your choosing and all of my fics will be there. Happy reading!

Holidrabbles

Throne of Glass

A Court of Thorns and Roses

The Folk of the Air

Misc. Fandoms

If you would like to send in a prompt or be on my taglist for any future fics. Please let me know. I will accept prompts for the any of the fandoms on my masterlist. I am also including Crescent City, Serpent & Dove, Red,White and Royal Blue, to my list of fandoms I’ll write for.

You may also find all of my works, including Got and hp fics on my ao3.

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