In One Piece
Rowan hates hospitals. He hasn’t always.
Before last year, he really hadn’t spent any time thinking about them, more than it was where Finn went when Finn wasn’t at home with Rowan.
A place that made his mate happy, even if he smelled weird when he came home, like chemicals or sadness or even contentment.
But since last fall, Nix had cracked open that enigma alpha place in his soul, catapulting his Wolf into the forefront of Rowan’s life, making it possible for all the good things in Rowan’s life to finally feel like he was on track to being who he was supposed to be.
Well, it turns out who Rowan is supposed to be is a fuck-up.
Yep. It comes as a surprise to Rowan, too.
Who would have thought? He’s lived a charmed life.
Loved by his mom, and despite his father having never been in the picture, Rowan hasn’t needed one.
His mom has always done double duty in making sure Rowan had everything he needed—and wanted—in life.
She had raised him to be honorable and respectful and to work hard.
Raised him to know he always had a safe place with her for the big and the small things.
So yeah, no one’s mom is as amazing as Rowan’s.
And when she had done her best, she’d led him to Jay, Luca, and Leo, who had only molded him even further.
As examples of what good people can do to love each other.
Lift each other up while holding them steady.
To share themselves and hold him together through the hardest parts of presenting late and feeling like he was growing out of his skin.
Finding Finn and Grayson helped soften the edges of the waiting, too—beautiful and intelligent, and filling even more places he hadn’t known existed until they were filled with determination and grace.
It all came together. All he’d had to do was wait.
And then there was Gideon. They’d found him in Quest the Christmas before he’d presented, and Rowan had been in awe. Confident, gorgeous, and everything Rowan aspired to be. Gideon showed him what self-control really looked like and how to be a man he could be proud of.
But somehow. Right here, lying with his eyes closed in what is surely a hospital room, Rowan remembers that, once again, he’s fucked up.
Memories of screwing up at the cliffs with Withers and being rescued by Grayson, poor Luca’s fiery, inflamed hole, and now this.
Shame fills him. He’s ruined the NYC trip, and by the scent of it, Grayson is sitting beside his bed, home early from his baby-moon with Nix.
He tries to pretend he’s still asleep from what had to be a general anesthetic, but his runny nose from the not-so-subtle tears is a sure giveaway.
“Ro,” Grayson whispers, slipping his hot fingers into Rowan’s palm.
“I’m still asleep. Go away.” He tightens his hand around Grayson’s to prevent him from going, just in case he takes him at his word.
Grayson huffs, and there’s a press of those perfect lips against the back of Rowan’s hand. “In case you’re wondering, your dick is as perfect as ever.”
His dick! Holy shit. He’d been so worried about the consequences of being a fuck up that he’d forgotten the all-too-unpleasant physical consequences of his stupidity.
His eyes fly open, and he pulls up the hospital sheet to look down his body at the limp, but no less impressive cock lying accusingly on his abdomen, none the worse for wear.
Sighing, he squeezes his eyes shut again, letting the relieved tears continue unchecked. “Fuck. Thank you, Goddess,” he prays, before scrubbing at his cheeks. “Why am I still here, then? Is it the anesthetic?
Grayson nods, and for the first time since he opened his eyes, Rowan can tell Grayson looks tired.
“Hey, are you okay? Where’s Nix? You didn’t leave him there, did you? And teleport all the way here?”
Laughing, Grayson shakes his head. “Fuck no. Can’t be that far from him. He’s gone with Luca to wrangle some ice cream from Leo. Gideon and Jay are with Finn and the contingent from the Guild.”
Guild? Contingent? Shit.
“Here? That sounds bad.”
Grayson runs a hand down his face with a sigh. “Not all bad. Nix and I came here when Luca called.” He holds up a hand when Rowan starts to apologize for interrupting their time away. The guilt burns uncomfortably in his belly with all the other failures he’s adding up of late.
“No, Ro. Look, you didn’t do that on purpose. No matter how much shit you give me about stuff, not even you would risk your dick to get us to come home.”
Fucking right. No one loves Rowan’s dick more than Rowan. “I am sorry, though. I wouldn’t really do anything to ruin your time. I feel really bad about it.”
Tilting his head to the side, Grayson meets his eyes. He must see Rowan’s abject sincerity because he nods and pats Rowan’s thigh. “I believe you. And while I know you don’t like to talk about this shit, I have to say it.”
“No–”
“Ro, yes. Look, since we found out about the babies, we’ve sort of been at each other’s throats, no? And it’s not just you. I’ve done my share of stupid shit to egg you on and if I’m honest, I like it.”
“You do?” Rowan isn’t sure how he feels about that. The Wolf sure isn’t in it for fun, but Rowan guesses that’s maybe why the Wolf isn’t in charge. Rowan is. Rowan is in charge. Huh.
“Hell yeah. My wolf likes it a lot. It’s fucking hot to go up against you and fucking win, more often than not. So, while this wasn’t what I had planned for me and Nix, I know you didn’t do it on purpose. I’m only glad we made it in time.”
Rowan is still processing that Grayson has just given him the go-ahead to be even more of a little shit when his last words sink in. “What?! In time for what?”
The door to the private room opens, and Finn enters with Jay and Gideon close behind.
While Finn has a scent patch on, the others do not, and they arrive in what smells like a forest fire set alight by a bolt of lightning.
Whoever they’d sent from the magic school had pissed them off, and he still doesn’t know why or how he has ended up as if it hadn’t happened.
Grayson’s on his feet in an instant, uncharacteristically wringing his hands like a Victorian maiden, his own burned basil-patchouli incense on fire. “Well?”
Jay clenches his jaw before growling, “Pompous sons-of-bitches.”
Finn moves out of the line of fire and circles the bed to run a hand over Rowan’s head, and then lifts the edge of the blanket to look at Rowan’s cock.
With a nod, he falls into the chair beside the bed, yanking his surgical cap off his head and closing his eyes.
What time is it anyway? Did he miss the flight to Cleveland? Shit.
“They were happy to help with our ‘unfortunate’ situation, but would prefer Grayson stay at the Guild under supervision as soon as possible,” Gideon mutters snidely before taking the other chair Grayson had vacated.
He hauls Grayson back into his lap and presses his nose into the back of his t-shirt.
“Hey, Ro. Feeling a bit lighter?” There’s an imperceptible chuckle from behind Grayson’s back, but his bright brown eyes twinkle with mischief from behind Grayson’s arm.
“Fucking assholes,” Finn growls. “They don’t know who they’re dealing with.”
“I can’t stay at the Guild. What about Nix? The babies? The BBS? I won’t do it.” Tiny sparks of fire flare around Grayson’s fingertips at the thought.
“Gideon and Jay covered all of that and more, and I thought I was going to have to clean up that guy’s pee off the hallway floor by the time they were done with them,” Finn says with a weary sigh.
Jay bares his still-partially-descended fangs. “You are my mate. Mine. You’re not spending one minute locked behind the walls of that school while I’m still living.”
“And then they’ll have to come through me,” Rowan growls. The mere idea that they could keep Grayson from them is ludicrous. “Why were they here in the first place?”
Jay stands from his position leaning against the wall near the door, and gives him a small smile. “Well, they put you under, remember? And they couldn’t get the cement off.”
“But I’m okay now?” Rowan resists lifting the edge of the blanket to check on his dick one more time. Barely.
Finn nods. “You’re as good as new. But they’d decided to try that sandblaster, and there was talk about you taking some permanent damage.”
“Holy shit,” Rowan whispers. “I could have died.”
“Well, you’d have wanted to, I’m sure. We’d had you under for a few hours, and your body was burning through the anesthetic at a high rate. I think the Wolf was really fighting it.”
“Get to the parts where someone saved my dick, please.”
“Grayson arrived with Nix, and he suggested his Earth Master could maybe take the mixture down to their base elements magically. They had to call in a Water Master, too, given the ingredients.”
“And the only Water Master at the Nashville Guild is the headmaster,” Grayson shivers, dislike for the officious man evident in Grayson’s pinched look. “He does not like me at all.”
“You are very likable, Pretty, but he is a power-hungry megalomaniac, and he thinks you are gunning for his job.” Jay’s grin fades, only to be replaced by a frown.
Rowan flinches at the thought that there could be another Withers lusting for Grayson’s power.
“He can see you have more power in your little finger than he has after decades of practice.” Gideon squeezes Grayson’s shoulder comfortingly. “You won’t spend one more minute there than necessary—over my dead body.”
“No one is dying. Fuck. I hate hospitals,” Jay groans.
“Right now, I can’t blame you,” Finn agrees.
“Wait, so you called in the magical guns to get the cement off as…what, a personal favor?” That seems unlikely, given how difficult they’d been as of late.
Grayson clenches his jaw and shakes his head.
There’s a crushing sense of doom, and Rowan looks from face to face around the room. “What?” It dawns on him then. Grayson has traded something for their help. “What did you do?”