#acotar spin the bottle

[illyrian-dreamer]

Spin the bottle

Jealous Azriel x Reader. Angst/fluff (the usuaaallll)

Summary: A drunken game of spin the bottle with the rest of the IC makes Azriel a grumpy boy. (But it’s actually pretty romantic).

Word count: 2.1k

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This was stupid. Stupid stupid stupid.

You looked up from where the bottle had finally stopped spinning. Flecks of red wine having splattered on the floorboards from what little remained in the deep green bottle, it’s long neck now pointed directly at your High Lord.

It was the eighth bottle of the night, or perhaps the ninth? It hardly mattered, you and your friends were stupidly drunk, so much so that when Cassian had suggested a childish game of spin the bottle with a wiggle of his eyebrows, you had snorted and excitedly agreed.

It had taken a variation of tactics to get the rest of the Inner Circle to play along.

Feyre had giggled, whispering something to her mate who merely winked back at her as they both took a place by the fire.

Mor had clapped in delight, poking fun at Amren who clung to Varian, but when her partner agreed, so had she.

Nesta rolled her eyes at Cassian, but a smirk was set at her lips as he hauled her over his shoulder to the circle that was beginning to form. Even Elain hadn’t given much fight, blushing as she shrugged “If it’s only a kiss.” You had pecked her hands and gave a squeal of delight, pulling her to sit by your side.

That only left the amused, yet still brooding Shadowsinger.

Azriel kept his arms crossed, shaking his head with a stubborn smirk as each of you tried your own way to convince him to play, Some begged, some insulted, and some bargained with unfulfillable promise – all of which rendered useless against the Spymaster.

He leaned against the arm of the chase, dark hair falling in front of his honey-brown eyes. Despite his stubborn front, his wings were slouched and relaxed, Azriel’s tell-sign he was just as tipsy as the rest of you.

“C’mon Az,” you drawled, uncaring that you spoke with a slight slur. “You’ll be the only one not playing.” Dark shadows began to curl in your lap.

Azriel smiled tightly. “You’re all drunk.”

“Oh, and you’re not?”

Calling the shadows back from the distance they had gained towards you, Azriel’s eyes narrowed on you playfully. His smile grew, yet he remained unmoved.

“Leave him be,” Cassian spoke, a hand covering one side of his mouth as if to tell you a secret, but with a volume high enough to ensure everyone would hear. “He’s just brooding because he lost the snowball fight yesterday.”

Azriel stiffened immediately, and spoke with lethal cool. “I did not lose.”

Rhysand grinned, chiming in. “You certainly did.”

“I only lost to a pair of cheats. You’re not supposed to work as a team.”

“Why not give me a big smooch and prove you’re not a loser at this game too, then?” Cassian boasted, arms wide and beckoning, his lips comically puckered.

The rest of you howled in unison, tears forming in your own eyes as you wiped them away. Azriel finally took a place in between you and Feyre, and as far away from Cassian as he could get.

The rules were simple – spin the bottle and kiss whoever it pointed at. If the bottle was to land on a relative, it would automatically direct to the first on their right.

And so the game began. Cassian declared the first round his, the bottle landing swiftly on Varian who merely chuckled. Cassian had grabbed both sides of his face, planting an enthusiastic kiss on his mouth that sounded with a smack of his lips.

“Mmm, tastes like blood,” he teased at Amren, who merely scowled back. The rest of you were in hysterics, and you had to clutch at your stomach to stop it from hurting.

Mor was up next, the bottle reeling to a quick stop on Elain. The kiss was swift, but gentle, and had Elain thanking her with an shy giggle. Mor winked back at the blushing Archeron before returning to her spot.

Feyre had spun the bottle enthusiastically, and tipped her head back and laughed when it landed directly on her mate.

“C’mere darling,” he said smoothly, moving to dip her head back and plant a sensual kiss on her neck before slipping his tongue into her mouth. The group whooped and cheered, before Nesta declared she was to be sick and the couple finally broke their kiss.

Azriel was up next, and Cassian had roared with a cheer as the bottle landed in his direction. ‘Come here big guy!” Azriel had let him kiss him for all of two seconds, and kept a firm hand planted on his brother’s chest to ensure some distance was kept. You were sure you had never laughed harder in your life.

And so it was your turn. You were yet to be kissed, and felt a silly flutter of nerves as you crawled towards the bottle. It slowed to a stop. It’s long neck pointed directly at your High Lord.

“Well well,” Rhys mused, his violet eyes sparkling as a feline grin grew. “Try not to be too jealous, Feyre darling,” he winked at his mate. Feyre laughed, raising her hands in surrender. “I’m only glad it’s not Cassian,” she joked, earning a shove from the General.

Rhys was crouched in front of you now, his face relaxed yet playful. There was no denying his handsomeness – you certainly weren’t unhappy to be kissing him.

Rhys reached to cup your face, and as his long fingers found where your jaw meets your neck, you heard a sharp breath being sucked in from beside you.

Flicking your eyes over to Azriel, you saw his brow pulled in fury, his body completely stiffened and shadows nowhere to be seen. You hadn’t a second to process before Rhys’s lips found yours in a gentle kiss.

A kiss that lasted a mere second, before a cold, harsh voice spoke.

“Stop that.”

You and Rhys both broke away from the kiss. His hands were still on your face as you looked up at Azriel who now stood towering over the two of you, wings spread and chest fuming.

You couldn’t help but gawk at his erratic behaviour. “Azriel, what–?”

“Let go of her.” Azriel was practically growling at his High Lord.

Rhysand didn’t question him, instead he dropped his hands from your face immediately. “I’m sorry,” he said with a hushed voice. “I had no idea.”

The rest of the circle fell silent, each of you stunned by the Shadowinger’s outburst.

With a final fume from his chest and flare of his nostrils, Azriel folded to a winnow, vanishing from the room entirely.

“Well that was unexpected,” Mor spoke with a pull of her brow.

“I’ll say,” Feyre added.

Bringing a hand to your lips, the sensation of Rhys’s lips on yours lingered, and twinge of guilt cast through your stomach.

“Any idea of where he went?” you asked quietly, no longer amused with the game’s antics.

“The Sidra,” Rhys answered shortly, offering you a sorry smile before casting a long look at his mate, an obvious sign of their mind-to-mind exchange.

————

Velaris was freezing this time of year, and even your layers of wool, scarves and a heavy coat couldn’t protect you from the icy bite that blew from over the cold of the river. You found Azriel at a docking pier, solemnly leaning against the railing as the water sloshed below the planks.

There was no sneaking up on the Spymaster, yet he continued to ignore you as you approached.

“Care to explain yourself?” you spoke from some distance, making your way closer to him. His wings twitched at your words and knuckles whitened at their clutch on the railing, but Azriel kept his gaze on the night’s horizon.

You folded his coat over the railing, a small sign for a truce you were unsure was needed. When Azriel left it untouched, you sighed, folding your arms. “Put the coat on, Az.”

Without turning his head, Azriel cast a sideways glance before pulling the large black coat over his arms and wings. He was already a large and broad male, but the coat refined him further. It was quite a handsome look on the Shadowsinger.

“What happened back there?” you poached again.

There was a moment of silence before he spoke. “You wanted him to kiss you.”

Frowning, you were quick to defend yourself. “Not necessarily.”

“You did. I heard your heart fasten. I scented your excitement.”

“It was a game Azriel, one we all agreed to play.”

“I didn’t want to.”

You rolled your eyes then. “Alright Az, I’m sorry we forced you–”

“I didn’t want to play because I can’t stand the thought of anyone else kissing you.”

You gawked at your friend. “Excuse me?”

Azriel had finally turned to face you, his eyes wild and swirling with gold, his frown deep and chest moving fast. You could hear his own heart then, beating far too fast.

“When Rhys looked at you like that, and touched you, and then h-he kissed you… Gods Y/N. You don't understand. It took everything I had to rip him off of you.”

You blinked at Azriel – never had he shown such vulnerability. “Is this an Illyrian thing?”

Azriel shook his head tightly, wild eyes still fixed on you, nostrils flaring yet again.

“Are you jealous?” you collected.

Azriel ignored your statement. “I ache to be the one to kiss you like that, Y/N.”

Your heart skipped a beat then, and you were forced to take a gulp of quick air. “Do you desire me, Azriel?” Something in your core throbbed at the thought.

“Tonight I realised it’s more than that. You have a certain…pull on me,” he said, moving to step closer. “Every time you’re in a room, I feel the need to be near you. And when you leave, something beyond my will begs for me to follow. I feel anxious when you’re away, and unfulfilled if I haven’t seen you or even scented you in hours.”

Your were deadly still, eyes wide as Azriel continued to move closer, drawing a breath through his nose, claiming the smell of you he so desperately needed. A deep hum sounded from him, before scarred hands moved to grasp either side of your arms.

“You have no idea how much control you have over me. You rule me Y/N, dictate my every move, just by simply existing.”

Guilt, confusion, passion and a small glint of hope overwhelmed you as his words sunk in. Could it be? Something so rare sparked by a ridiculous exchange of puppy-love? Your hands moved on their own accord, seeking his to hold. And when your cold fingers slid over his scarred ones, Azriel’s touch ignited a current of warmth through your veins, heating you from the inside out. Your own eyes widened to find his softened, earnest and pleading.

“I never meant to hurt you by kissing Rhys.” Your voice was a whisper.

“I know. Gods, of course I know that. I’m acting rash, I’m aware.” Azriel kept your hands in his, but looked down now, shaking his head. “Mother above, this is insanity!”

“It’s not insanity,” you said softly, stepping closer and bringing a hand to cup his chiselled cheek. “It’s the mating bond.”

Azriel froze then, his eyes locked on yours. “You feel it too?”

“I do now,” you said with a faint smile.  

Azriel brow pulled in painful relief. “I heard it snap the moment Rhys’s lips found yours,” he admitted.

You cringed at the thought. “Gods, what an awful way to find out.” You pulled him closer to you, instincts igniting as your body begged to be closer to him, pressed against him bare if you could. “I’m sorry.”

Azriel was silent as he moved to entwine himself with you, strong arms encompassing you, protecting you. For a moment you held each other, savouring the feel of a perfect fit, two pieces of a puzzle having finally interlocked. Your kept your check pressed to his chest, listening to his heartbeat that was now a melody to your ears.

Looking up, you trembled in awe of his beauty, gingerly stroking his cheek before rubbing your thumb gently over his bottom lip. A deep sound left his chest then, and it thrilled you – you were tuning him with your touch.

“Be mine?” he asked, biting back his own urges as you leaned on your toes, reaching closer to his face.

“Only yours,” you whispered before pressing your lips against his, indulging in the euphoric sensation of the eternal tether binding you to your mate.

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A/N: Look, I truly believe not all fics have to end with a mating bond. But this one does, ok? Hope you enjoyed, thank you to @aroseinvelaris for the request!! 

Also did you spot the slightest Mor x Elain crackship?? If you blink you might have missed it.... but I got excited lol. 

Thanks always for reading! MWA

[dawneternal]

✨ A Court of Mischief and Matchmaking ✨

Summary: Feyre, the meddling matchmaker, devises a plan to speed up the numerous budding romances in the Night Court. A mischievous human game called 'spin the bottle'

Meant to be silly and fun. Includes a few crack ships.

Post Azriel bonus chapter. Pro-gwyriel and pro-lucien undertones. And pro-the-batboys-have-kissed-at-least-once-before

Rating: Just kissing

Word Count: 4k

Ao3 link

Feyre, ever the observant busybody, had been watching the interactions at family dinners with extra care for a while now. She had noticed a great many things while doing so. She also knew that Rhys, who rarely turned off the spying instincts in his brain, had noticed these things as well. But he did nothing but store them away in case they became important later.

Feyre was not as content to stay idle. Her observations stirred a restlessness within her, a desire to stick her hands into the situation and help. Not necessarily to interfere, but to grant momentum to anything that was already in motion.

Elain, who had once been growing bolder in her interactions with Azriel, had abruptly become quiet in his presence. She still conversed with everyone else, but carefully kept her gaze away from his. Gwyn, however, snuck small glances at the shadowsinger quite frequently, growing in number with every family dinner she attended.

Emerie looked for Mor at every chance, though she hid her disappointment well when the blonde was absent. But Feyre still noticed the slight droop to her wings and the dampened glimmer in her eyes.

The longing in Lucien's own eyes had never ceased, though he had learned that giving Elain any focused attention would only lead to rejection and embarrassment. Feyre could almost see the wilting bond between them, and the golden possibility of happiness if it was allowed to bloom.

Rhysand noticed his mate's expression as she watched it all. The determination, glints of sadness and hope. He smiled to himself, wondering when she would present a plan to him.

And sure enough, after dinner one night, she crawled into his lap as he sat at work in his study, looping her arms around his neck.

"I have a bit of a plan," She said, watching his face while he read the paper in his hand.

"What is that, my love?" He asked, running his fingers over her back with his free hand.

"I want to nudge fate a little bit. Just push it along if I can."

"Is that so?"

"I know you know what I'm talking about," she grumbled, grasping his chin and turning his gaze toward her. He relented, smiling down at her with happy violet eyes.

"Tell me your plan, matchmaker." He hummed, resting his forehead against hers.

"I want to play spin the bottle," She said firmly. Rhys's eyebrows shot upwards as he pulled back to look at her.

"And risk having to kiss any of the others?"

"It's a risk I'm willing to take," Feyre laughed, "imagine the mischief and tell me it doesn't sound fun."

He had, already. And he agreed with her. But that would not stop his desire to tease.

"Wouldn't it trigger your territorial tendencies to watch me kiss someone else?" He asked her with a sly smile.

"You're the possessive one," Feyre scoffed, "I'm wondering if you can handle it."

"As long as you make it up to me," Rhys whispered, caressing the bridge of his nose along her cheekbone.

Feyre knew this was his permission and agreement to play along. The matchmaker inside her glowed and began plotting with new fervor.

***

"We're going to play a game tonight," Feyre announced to the group, "One that I remembered from the human lands."

It was a rare night when the entire family was all together. Mor had returned from the continent, Lucien had returned to check in, and all three Valkyries had managed to attend. Feyre had waited for a night like this patiently. Nyx laid down after dinner with no fuss, as if he knew his mother's intentions.

Then they had all settled in the living room, a fire in the hearth and various drinks in their hands. Feyre had drawn the furniture in a little closer together, forming a misshapen oval. If anyone had noticed, they hadn't said a thing.

"What game?" Nesta asked, suspiciously, squinting at her sister.

"Spin the bottle," Feyre crossed her arms and looked back at her sister in challenge. She was met with a few laughs throughout the room.

"Oh, we have spin the bottle here, too," Mor snorted, holding her stomach as she laughed.

"But no bottle," Lucien noted, hoping this may deter the shenanigans.

Mor only held up a finger, then grabbed her wine bottle and held it to her lips, downing it in a most unladylike fashion. She set it on the floor in the middle of their circle and slumped back in her chair, wiping the wine from her lip with one hand and pointing at Feyre with the other.

"High Lady goes first," Mor grinned.

"Everyone has to agree first," Rhys said, chuckling at his cousin's eagerness. "Though I'm not above using a High Lord's command. We all know how I enjoy giving Feyre what she wants."

He looked around the room, met with a chorus of reluctant and eager agreements. Cassian and Mor seemed to be the most enthusiastic, as was typical for most proposed games and festivities. Even Gwyn nodded, though she blushed bright pink and fidgeted in her chair. Azriel, though, said nothing. He sat back in his chair with his arms crossed, absolutely glowering at his brother.

"What's the matter, Az?" Rhysand grinned at this brother, "A bit out of practice?"

Feyre cringed, but Rhysand had struck the right cord. Something flashed in Azriel's eyes and he gritted out a "fine."

Amren, however, grabbed her wine glass and retreated to the bay window.

"I'm not playing," she scowled, curling up against a pile of plush pillows. There were a few sad sounds, but no one pushed her. Her Summer Court lover was not here, tonight, and she would have nothing to do with the rest of them. A High Lord's command only seemed to work on her about half the time anyways.

"Alright then," Feyre grinned and leaned down to spin the empty wine bottle, "let the game begin."

They all watched in silence as the bottle spun around and around, rattling against the floorboards, and slowed to a stop, pointing at Lucien.

Feyre and Lucien looked at each other, something akin to displeasure mirrored on their faces. This, of course, was noted with guffaws and cheers from their audience. Feyre did not look at Rhys, knowing exactly what he would say into her mind if she did. Her own words, mimicked back to her; 'It's a risk I'm willing to take.'

So Feyre swallowed her pride and met Lucien in the middle of the circle. Lucien wasted no time, bringing his hand to her cheek and meeting her lips to get it over with. Not much longer than a peck, there was no semblance of spark passed between them. At one point, human Feyre may have jumped at the chance to kiss him. But now that he was involved with her sister, all of that desire had died.

They pulled apart, looking at each other for a moment before both shrugged and returned to their seats. Cassian and Nesta cheered and Mor was laughing again. Rhys's eyes twinkled at her as she turned to sit back down, clearly amused. She snuck a quick glance at her sister and found Elain's face flushed, but her expression was unreadable.

"Your turn," she flashed Rhys a smug grin as she returned to her spot curled up beside him.

Rhysand sighed and spun the bottle. Feyre noted Gwyn's pale face and wondered if she would refuse to kiss the High Lord if it landed on her. To Gwyn's apparent relief, the bottle pointed at Cassian.

Cassian grinned, pulling his arm from around Nesta's shoulder to beckon him. Rhys swaggered across to Cassian with a matching smirk. He stood to the side of the loveseat so as not to block Feyre's view. Hands tangling in Cassian's hair, he leaned in and kissed him. It was certainly not as shy as Feyre and Lucien's had been, quite the opposite. Passionate and almost sloppy, deepening with every second they pulled each other closer. And Cassian's hand slid over Rhys's jaw with an ease and familiarity that made Feyre wonder how often this had happened in the past 500 years.

Very aware of the reactions that had spread throughout the room, they grinned after pulling away. Like the show-offs they were. Rhysand cleared his throat and straightened his shirt, and Cassian merely slid his arm back around his mate's shoulder, meeting her bewildered look with a smug smile.

Feyre wrinkled her nose as she noted the gleam in her sister's smouldering eyes that hinted at her arousal. Amren snorted at the scene from her corner. Feyre's eyebrows raised as her mate turned back toward her, and he flashed her a look that said I'll explain later.

"Gwyn," Rhys gestured to her as he took his seat, arm draping over Feyre's legs.

Gwyn paled again, but swallowed hard and spun the bottle, albeit a bit feebly. Feyre thought she saw the quickest of glances towards Azriel as she did so. Feyre eyed the shadowsinger from her peripheral. He was stoic as always, though one shadow near his ankle was trying to tug away from him, toward the priestess. As if he could barely keep it contained. Interesting.

Gwyn's spin landed on Nesta, and Mor gave a particularly loud cheer. Gwyn's giggling smile was infectious, her bubbling laughter pulling smiles from the whole group's faces, even Amren.

Nesta grinned back at her and crossed the circle before Gwyn could move. She grasped Gwyn's face in both hands and gave her a short but loving kiss, adding a peck to the tip of her nose and forehead. Feyre's heart warmed at the affection they held for each other, deepened by their experiences in the Blood Rite. Nesta's friends were the best thing to come out of her move to the house of wind, and Feyre took no credit for it. Nesta had done it all on her own. Emerie and Gwyn exchanged giggling looks and elbowed each other as Nesta sauntered away.

Emerie was next and she quickly sobered upon realizing. She reached for the bottle and spun, sighing as she waited for it to reveal her fate. The bottle stopped, pointing at Mor, and half the room held their breath.

Mor, slightly tipsy from finishing the bottle, smiled at Emerie with wine-red lips and went to meet her in the middle. It was the most nervous the other Valkyries had ever seen Emerie. She was notoriously unshakable. Her only weakness, apparently, was pretty blondes in low cut dresses.

Mor slid one hand into Emerie's curls and met her lips. It was shy to start, but quickly grew heated as they pulled each other closer, heads tilting to deepen the kiss. Mor grasped Emerie's waist as Emerie's own hand settled on Mor's neck, thumb sweeping across her jaw. Cassian whistled, but they didn't seem to hear it. As their kiss-turned-make-out began to go on just a bit too long, Mor's hand starting to reach below Emerie's waist, Rhysand cleared his throat loudly.

They jumped apart, breathing heavy, looking at each other with glazed eyes. Mor broke into a smile and Emerie laughed as they reluctantly let each other go. Gwyn's eyebrows waggled back and forth as Emerie returned to her seat. Rhys flashed Feyre a look, and in her mind asked is this what you were hoping for? She ignored him, tossing her hair over her shoulder. But she was smiling, too.

They all glanced at Nesta, who looked as if she had hoped no one would realize it was her turn. She scoffed and rolled her eyes, uncrossing her arms to reach for the bottle. Feyre knew better, of course. Her sister enjoyed this sort of game. She saw it as a challenge.

Feyre saw it in her eyes, that glimmer of determination as the bottle landed on Rhys. Rhys blinked, lifting his gaze to Nesta to see what she would do. She gave him a sly smile, the challenger showing through. So, Rhys gathered his own resolve and rose to meet her.

Feyre had gone through the game in her mind earlier that day, knowing who she hoped would be paired, and who she hoped would manage to stay away from each other. Somehow, she had not considered this possibility. Either her sister would devour her mate whole (and not in a good way), or the other way around and there would be no Nesta left at the end. This may not end well.

What Feyre had not expected, was for Rhysand to grab Nesta's face gently in his hands and press a soft, deep kiss to her mouth. But she knew right away why he had done it. Nesta was not expecting the tender, coaxing kiss that he gave her. She had expected him to fight, had grabbed the collar of his shirt in her fists in anticipation of something cruel and bruising.

So when his lips met hers so gently, dragging her into the depths of his night-kissed affection, she lost herself for a moment. Just a moment. The room was full of wide eyes and baited breaths as the pair pulled apart, waiting to see what the fallout would be.

Nesta stared at him through her lashes in a way that revealed the girl in her, slowly unravelling her fingers from the fabric of his shirt. Rhysand smiled back at her, real kindness in it as if to bring her back to herself gradually. It spread into a sly grin, and Nesta blushed, finally realizing that Rhys had won.

She tossed her head in response, not noticing the jealousy that took over her mate's face. Cassian was not very jealous as a general rule. But apparently Rhysand, who Cassian looked up to so much, was one of the few that posed a true threat in the warrior's mind.

"I suppose I can see it," She said, her voice a little unsteady as she waved a dismissive hand toward Feyre.

Of course, Rhysand was absolutely delighted with himself. This was a boost to his ego that he certainly had not needed. When the others were sure that a brawl had been avoided, they burst into howling laughter. Nesta was above it all, looking down her nose at the rabble with her arms crossed once again. Cassian tucked her closer into his side, eyes ablaze.

Then he realized that it was his turn, and he could seize the opportunity to make Nesta jealous in turn. He all but jumped to give the bottle a spin.

The bottle, ironically, pointed to Nesta. Feyre, who had felt Rhys power flicker, looked up at him. He gave her the tiniest of smiles back.

The group let out a collective groan, having been subjected to the couple's displays countless times. Gwyn raised her hand in a preemptive measure, shielding herself from any obscene thing about to happen.

Nesta gave him a warning look, but Cassian did not hesitate to pounce on her, wrapping his arms around Nesta and devouring her with the same fervor he applied to battle. For all Nesta's airs of irritation and impatience, she smiled against his lips as she kissed him back. When they pulled apart, unprompted for once, she was flushed and beaming. No one could hold a candle to her warrior, after all. All of Cassian's jealousy seemed to have washed away.

Next in rotation was Mor, who grinned and stretched her arms above her head, as if to prepare. She spun the bottle with a flick of her wrist, eyes never moving as it whirled around.

And landed on Azriel.

Her eyes snapped up to his, hints of anxiety on both of their features. And of course, the anxiety of the group rippled back toward them, nearly palpable. It annoyed Azriel as hit him like a wave. Like they all thought he would fall apart the second she touched him. Mor looked at him like she was contemplating whether to turn him down. But she saw the twitch of his jaw and understood.

Mor stood and made her way to him, dropping down on his lap as he looked up at her. His hand wrapped around her waist as if on instinct, as if he had thought about what to do in this moment countless times. As usual, his shadows hurried away to hide from Mor's glowing aura. Inside, Azriel was bracing to laugh it off as the others had. Make it a joke, something lighthearted.

But the way she looked at him, eyes glimmering as if she were holding back tears, stirred the deep well of emotions in his chest. She threaded her fingers through his curls, brushing her thumb over his temple as she kissed him. Tenderly, he pulled her in tighter. But there was no longing in their kiss, as the others may have expected. There was an undertone of sadness.

Mor pulled away, resting her forehead against his as her hand slid down to hold his face. Then they locked eyes, something invisible passing between them as they held each other. Feyre blushed a little, feeling like she was peering in on something she shouldn't be. It seemed to be a shared sentiment, everyone but shamless Amren averting their gaze. Feyre did notice that Elain had been looking anywhere else since the moment Mor had stood up. And Gwyn looked as though she was holding her breath. Nothing like jealousy or animosity anywhere on her face, she was only waiting to see what would happen.

When Mor finally untangled herself from him and Feyre could read his face, she found...gratitude? Then she understood, something twisting in her heart at the bittersweetness of it. Mor had been saying goodbye. To whatever had been growing and wilting between them in a perpetual cycle for centuries now. She felt her mate squeeze her hand and she looked at him to see the gleam of a single tear at the corner of his eye.

The tension lifted as Mor returned to her chair and they all realized Elain was next. Elain was sometimes a wild card to Feyre, who had not known if Elain would love or hate this game. But she hadn't turned it down, despite her apparent discomfort when Azriel had chosen the chair next to hers before the game had been proposed.

But right now, Elain had a bit of mischief hiding behind her smile. She gave the bottle a spin and sat back, waiting.

The room was in uproar when it came to a stop on Cassian.

"Did he put a magnet in that thing or something?" Lucien muttered, earning another wave of laughter.

But Elain took the challenge. And it was not the shadowsinger she looked at before making her way to Cassian, nor her mate who was expertly masking any emotion he felt. It was Nesta she glanced at, something haughty in it that insinuated revenge.

Cassian did not have time to react before Elain grabbed the collar of his shirt and hauled him toward her. Her usual temperament was nowhere to be seen, some sly vixen replacing the proper lady. Elain kissed him hard, so hard it pushed him backwards, her lips working against his feverishly. Cassian tried to meet her pace but she had taken him off guard.

She finished her display by pulling his bottom lip between her teeth and releasing his shirt to let him slump back on the couch. Nesta looked at her sister incredulously, too surprised to show any anger. Whatever it was that existed between Elain and Nesta had been leveled, that was certain. Nesta saw her sisters demand for what it was. Don't underestimate me again.

Cassian was still silent with bewilderment, his eyes a little glazed over. Her kiss may have held a message for Nesta, but Elain also reveled in the chance to shake Cassian up a little bit. Rhys broke the stunned silence, howling in laughter at his brother's surprise. It was not very often that Cassian was bested in such a way. He had not expected anything like it from demure Elain. Especially not in front of her mate and the shadowsinger. Which Rhys figured was likely why she'd agreed to play the game in the first place.

Feyre whipped her head toward them, remembering that they existed. Azriel showed nothing, but Feyre figured he may still be sorting through anything that Mor's gesture had brought up inside him. But Lucien...Lucien kept his expression neutral but she could tell he was positively boiling under the surface.  She could sense the power coursing through his blood as he tried to keep it in check. Cassian was too distracted to consider Lucien, the typically cordial redhead currently plotting his violent demise.

"Spy master," Rhysand said, easing the attention away from Elain and her mate, "your turn."

Azriel sighed, but did as he was told. He seemed as eager to get this over with as Lucien had been. The room stilled for a moment as the bottle landed between Lucien and Feyre's chairs, pointing straight at Amren on the window seat, half-asleep with an empty wine glass in hand. She realized they all stared at her and shook herself awake.

"I'm not playing," She snapped, curling into herself further.

"Come on, Amren," Rhys goaded. Someone began a chant of her name and soon they were all cheering and coaxing.

Azriel stood in the center, grinning at her, holding out a hand. Perhaps he should have been scared, but there was not anyone else he particularly wanted to kiss. Certainly not during a game in front of a jeering audience. This, at least, could be entertaining.

Amren flipped them off, but set her wineglass on the floor and stepped inside the circle of chairs and sofas. As soon as she was within distance, Azriel snatched her around the waist and dipped her low, pressing his lips to hers in an admittedly very romantic and passionate kiss. It lingered for the perfect amount of time. Long enough for her to process the gesture but not long enough to elicit a punishment from her. He pulled her upright again and let her go, grinning in anticipation of her response.

"Very well, shadowsinger," Amren sniffed and smoothed her dress.

The cheers, laughter, and whistling erupted again, the loudest of the night. Spin the bottle was not typically a game with a winner, but somehow Azriel had bested them all. Despite the dramatic displays of Rhysand and Elain, the spark between Mor and Emerie, the emotion of Mor's goodbye, Azriel had undoubtedly received the highest praise of anyone. Not only had Amren refrained from ripping him to shreds, but gave him a near-compliment and looked a bit dizzy. Of course, that would be going straight to Azriel's head.

Feyre peeked at Gwyn once more. She and Emerie were laughing heartily, but Gwyn's face was flushed, eyes glittering in such a way that the matchmaker wondered if Gwyn would be picturing herself in Amren's place.

There was one more turn to anticipate, tonight. Though everyone knew, including Lucien, that nothing would top Azriel's turn. Azriel wooing Amren would go down in history, now a part of the lore of the inner circle.

Lucien gave the bottle it's last spin, looking a little tired as he waited for it to stop. And then-

"No, absolutely not." Lucien held up his hand as the bottle pointed toward Cassian. Mor was doubled over with laughter and Nesta had to wipe tears from her eyes. Cassian tried to look offended, but was not even effectively holding back his own giggles.

"Game over," Lucien declared as he caught Elain stifling a laugh. He picked up the bottle and tossed it in the trash. The raucous laughter continued, Gwyn and Emerie clutching each other for support. Even Azriel laughed with the rest of them, the tips of his ears turning pink with mirth.

Feyre, quite pleased with herself and the results of her plan, did not argue Lucien. Several courses had been set as a result of her meddling. And she was already planning the next step.

[peotego]

Azriel the Shadowsinger fics recommedation

To all the authors I've included: thank you for writing awesome fics, I admire your work with all my heart ❤️

⋙ All of @tadpolesonalgae works - masterlist

⋙ Never been good enough Part 2 Part 3 by @lure-of-writing

⋙ All of @bubbles-for-all-of-us works - masterlist

⋙ Confessions by @azriels-shadowsinger

⋙ Closure Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 by @jeannineee

⋙ Spin the bottle by @illyrian-dreamer

⋙ Walk away Part 2 by @azsazz

⋙ be yours by @writingsbychlo

⋙ Salvation by @azrielhours

⋙ Lease of life series by @lucysstoryworld

⋙ Lips of an angel Part 2 Part 3 by @azsazz

⋙ Confessions at starfall by @illyrian-dreamer

⋙ Fractured friends by @acotar-writing

⋙ Confessions by @azriels-shadowsinger

⋙ All of @bubbles-for-all-of-us works - masterlist

⋙ Untouchable by @serpentandlily

⋙ Mystique by @serpentandlily

⋙ Arcane by @serpentandlily

⋙ Inadvertently Yours series by @leafsandstarlight

⋙ Forced Revelations by @leafsandstarlight

⋙ Love You in the dark by @acourtofmenandthirst

⋙ A field of dandelions by @prythianpages

⋙ The Quiet Ones by @writingcroissant

⋙ Daughter of Autumn by @writingcroissant

[chairofchaos]

30, 52, or 58

Nyxlin because my gods that first part has me full sold on them

Please!

The Wine Cellar

Pairing: Nyx Archeron x Tamlin Summary: In which Nyxlin get stuck in a wine cellar. Rating: Teen Word Count: 2.4k Warnings: There's drinking. Because wine cellar. Nothing else that I can think of! A/N: Shoutout to @thrumbolt who enthusiastically informed me the proper ship name is NYXLIN. Also, this was supposed to be a drabble, but it turned into 2.4k so fast. It is connected to the Nyxlin drabble "Banned from Bed" if you're interested! Linked in my masterlist under ACOTAR>Drabbles! <3 Prompt 58: being locked in a small space

As soon as Tamlin stepped to the second step, the heavy door slammed behind him. “No, no, no, no.”

“Lord Tamlin?”

The voice came from total darkness. Tamlin shifted his eyes quickly into the eyes of an owl so that he could see down the stairs more clearly.

Nyx. He was locked in a wine cellar with Nyx Archeron. To Nyx’s credit, he looked absolutely petrified to be facing his mother’s ex-lover in Thesan’s wine cellar. 

"Nyx?"

“Um. Yes. Hello,” the male said. He was almost 300 years old, wasn’t he? Not the smooth salesman his father had been at that age, then.

“You wouldn’t happen to have a key, or a way out, would you?” Tamlin asked cooly. Nyx fidgeted, his hands fidgeting at his sides as he looked in Tamlin’s general direction.

“No. You don’t, either?”

Tamlin shook his head until he saw Nyx pause quizzically, awaiting an answer. Right. Total darkness. He may be the Darling of the Night Court, but Nyx couldn’t see anything here. “No, I don’t.”

Nyx spun on his heel and began to pace. The room wasn’t very large. It was Thesan’s private wine cellar, and Elain Archeron had sent him (by request of Thesan) to retrieve a bottle of wine he wanted for dinner. 

“Could you break us out?” Nyx asked. He paused his pacing, looking rather peevish as he looked up. 

“I wish,” Tamlin admitted, sitting on the stairs. “Thesan has intense spellwork on this cellar.”

Nyx nodded shakily. “I know. Aunt Elain had to talk me through how to get into them. And they’re so strong, I couldn’t even make a faelight.”

He returned to his pacing, his hands fidgeting away at his sides. It was on his sixty fourth trip across the room that Tamlin smelled blood. Not a lot, but in a small room like this, it only took a drop. Nyx was facing the far wall, and wouldn’t turn around for another second or two.

“Are you alright?” Tamlin asked. He immediately regretted it. What did he care for the life of the child of his ex-lover and the male she had left him for? But he had asked, anyway. 

Nyx froze mid-spin. “I- What?”

Tamlin sniffed. Definitely blood. “You’re bleeding.”

Nyx started, so Tamlin added, “I can smell it.”

That didn’t seem to put the lord at any ease. “Okay.”

“Are you alright?”

“Yes,” Nyx wavered as he resumed his pacing, his eyes darting between Tamlin’s form and the floor. He still couldn’t see Tamlin, because he never came close to making eye contact. “I just bit my lip.”

“Are you certain?”

Nyx stopped entirely and frowned, a hint of anger flashing in his eyes. He has Feyre’s eyes, Tamlin realized. No wonder he thought they were pretty.

“I’m fine,” Nyx snapped. And there is Rhysand.

“Alright,” Tamlin said.

But Nyx wasn’t done, and he started pacing again, hands waving emphatically. “I just don’t like being trapped. And this room is only ten feet by eight feet, and the shelves take up all but the three foot walkway between them, so I am feeling very, very trapped. I do not like this. I couldn’t even fit my wings properly if I–”

Nyx froze, completely froze this time, as he turned back to face Tamlin. “I’m sorry.”

Well. That was unexpected, coming from an Archeron. “Sorry for what?”

“Rambling. To you.”

Tamlin shrugged, leaning back on the staircase to prop himself up on his elbows. “You wouldn’t be the first to do it. Lucien’s much worse than you are.”

Nyx snorted. “He’s so put together. Uncle Lucien doesn’t ramble.”

Tamlin laughed at that, and Nyx looked so curious that he couldn’t help but add, “Oh yes, he does, if you give him the right amount of liquor. Or if you ask him about Elain when he’s tired. He’ll talk for hours about the curl of her hair, the pretty color of her new dress. Try it sometime.”

Nyx laughed. “I’ll do that.”

“What do you say we crack open one of these expensive bottles of wine to pass the time?” Tamlin offered. 

Nyx shook his head. “I can’t. Lord Thesan would kill me.”

“I outrank you,” Tamlin shrugged, standing up. “Blame it on me like the rest of your family.”

Nyx paled and said nothing. 

Tamlin chuckled, stepping down the stairs to reach for an 800 year old bottle of Autumn merlot. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing new.”

Nyx shuffled back until his back hit the wall. “I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t have to. I can see you.”

If it was at all possible for a fae to turn green without literally turning green, Nyx Archeron was making his best attempt. “What?”

“I can see you.”

“Mothers’ tits,” Nyx swore, crossing his arms. “You shifted your eyes.”

“Yes,” Tamlin said, grinning. “And it’s been very informative.”

Nyx frowned, then seemed to think better of it, and schooled his face to something more neutral. “How so?”

Tamlin shrugged out of habit, scoring the wax seal on the wine bottle with a taloned finger. “It isn’t every day you learn an heir to the Night Court is afraid of the dark.”

“I’m not afraid of the dark!” Nyx threw his hands up in the air. Tamlin began to sink a falcon’s talon into the cork to try to pull it off. “I said I’m afraid of small spaces!”

Tamlin froze at the same time as Nyx, the wine bottle in his hands forgotten for the confession the male had made.

Nyx swore again. “Please, don’t mention it. Ever.”

“No,” Tamlin shook his head. “I won’t. But, are you alright?” He took a swig of the wine straight from the bottle. 

“No!” Nyx shouted. He tugged at his black curls (oh, why was that attractive?) before waving his hands in the air as if gesturing at the room. “I am not.”

“Is there…” Tamlin sighed, setting the wine back on the shelf. “Can I help?”

Nyx rolled his eyes, crossing his arms again. He had as much attitude as his parents, the brat. “No.”

“I will, if I can.” 

“I don’t want your help.”

“So I could help, you just don’t want it?” Tamlin teased. It was like he had forgotten, in the absurdity of the position they were in, just who this male was.

Nyx bit his bottom lip and scuffed his toe against the ground. It didn’t seem to matter if he knew Tamlin could see him. That, or in his anxiety, he had forgotten he could be seen at all. “No.”

“Great. Now that we’ve established you don’t want my help, what can I do?”

Nyx sighed. “Hug me.”

“Excuse me?”

“You could hug me. It’s easier to pretend I’m somewhere else if I have physical contact.”

It was Tamlin’s turn to freeze. Well, this was ending up one of the weirder days in Tamlin’s life. “Alright,” he shrugged as nonchalantly as possible. He had said he would help. Of course, that meant he actually had to do it. He wouldn’t be made a liar by Feyre’s son, of all fae.

Nyx rubbed his arm, shifting his weight awkwardly. Tamlin strode to him, then murmured, “Any particular… request?”

Nyx shook his head. Standing close to him, Tamlin could see the blood crusting on his lower lip and the panicked glaze in his eyes. “Alright.”

When his arm went around the male’s back, Tamlin was surprised to find how easily Nyx folded into his arms. One of his hands hovered for a second above Tamlin’s heart before fisting into the fabric of his shirt. Nyx smelled like ink and a piney soap he couldn’t quite place. It was distracting enough that it took Tamlin a few seconds to realize how tightly Nyx was gripping his shirt. In the same moment, he realized he didn’t care if the fabric was wrinkled. 

Mother save me, Tamlin thought as Nyx buried his face in his shoulder.

“Thank you,” Nyx whispered. Lost for words, Tamlin simply stroked the male’s back and nodded.

Nyx’s breaths slowed, and after a few moments, his grip on Tamlin’s shirt loosened. He was muscular, more so than his thin frame would suggest. Still, his shoulders were much more tense than the rest of his body, as though he carried the weight of the world in the muscles which lay there. 

“You’re so tense,” Tamlin murmured. Nyx huffed, picking his head up and leaning back. “What?”

Cauldron boil and fry me. “Your shoulders. You’re tense.”

“I am stuck in a wine cellar,” Nyx returned, sounding every bit as though he’d rather be discussing anything else.

“This didn’t happen in the last hour,” Tamlin countered, his hand drifting up to squeeze Nyx’s shoulder as if to confirm. Nyx rolled his eyes, shifting his weight to step back, but Tamlin was quicker, and tightened the arm around the male’s waist. “Nyx.”

Nyx stiffened, eyes widening as he looked at Tamlin. His jaw dropped slightly, a huff of air leaving his lips. Tamlin raised an eyebrow. “You’re a beast,” Nyx snarled suddenly with flashing eyes. 

Tamlin would have responded in kind had it not been the snarl of a cornered animal. “Nyx.”

Nyx pinched his bicep. “Let me go.” 

“Fine,” Tamlin returned, raising his hands in mock surrender. He had pinched him. Brat. “As you wish.”

Nyx retreated to the far wall, breathing heavily before resuming his pacing. Tamlin grabbed the bottle of wine, reclaiming his perch on the stairs as Nyx turned angrily on his heel. “You’re going to wear a path in the floor.”

“I don’t care,” Nyx snapped. 

“Why so hostile all of a sudden? You were the one who asked me for help.”

Nyx said nothing, so Tamlin took another swig of wine. Mother help him. Somebody needed to find them, and soon. 

Ten minutes later, Tamlin heard the creaking of the hinges above him. Light which was way too bright filtered into the room, and he blinked as he looked up, shifting his eyes back quickly.

“Nyx?” Lucien said. Then, as though surprised, he added, “Tamlin? What are you doing here?”

“Don’t let the door shut!” Nyx said quickly.

Lucien eyed his nephew and his friend with concern, but took a step back, holding the door open. Nyx bolted up the stairs as quickly as he could, his legs brushing Tamlin’s shoulder as he did so. Pine. The scent of his soap was so strong.

“I’ll grab the wine,” Tamlin said dully, standing to walk down the stairs and into the gloomy cellar. He had drunk half of the bottle of wine he was already holding. What was another?

He grabbed a bottle, and found himself questioning why Elain Archeron would send him to get a bottle of wine. Surely a servant could have been spared for this errand?

Nyx and Lucien spoke in low voices at the top of the stairs, but when Tamlin began climbing the stairs, they stopped quickly, Nyx stepping further out of the doorway to let Tamlin through. 

Lucien was examining his nephew the way he assessed prey, and when his eyes, one russet, one golden, slid to Tamlin’s approaching form, he blinked quickly as if to clear his vision of some obstruction.

Tamlin ignored his oldest friend, pressing the sealed bottle of wine into his hands. “I’m not coming to dinner. Please give Thesan my compliments and let him know I’ve gone to bed.”

“Why?” Nyx’s head shot up at that, looking concerned. Tamlin ground his teeth together, swirling the remaining wine in the bottle he still held. 

“I’m tired.”

Lucien nodded. “We’ll tell him.”

“Do you need anything?” Nyx’s heedless words clearly surprised him as much as Lucien and Tamlin. The tips of his ears flushed as Lucien arched an eyebrow at the young male while Tamlin looked at him one last time. Last, because whatever pine scent was addling his brain could not find him again.

“No,” Tamlin shook his head, not unkindly. 

“Alright. Thank you for your help.” Nyx turned and walked away, his steps quick. 

Lucien’s hand shot out to still Tamlin before he could turn in the other direction. 

“What is he thanking you for?”

Tamlin felt his cheeks heat. Fuck. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it, Lucien.”

Lucien tilted his head. “He’s my nephew.”

“I know.”

“Rhysand’s son.”

“I know.”

“Did you,” Lucien waved a hand in the air, grimacing. “Did something happen with him?”

Tamlin ground out, “No.” 

Lucien raised an accusatory eyebrow.

“I didn’t do anything,” Tamlin growled.

Lucien sighed. “If you insist.”

Tamlin bit his tongue, barely refraining from asking why Lucien might have thought that they would have been together in the first place.

“Goodnight, Tamlin.”

Tamlin nodded, finally stepping away from the redhead who saw far too much. “Goodnight, Lucien.”

Mother help anyone who tried to get something past Lucien and his mate. Elain could see far more than she let on. It was no doubt she– Elain, Tamlin realized suddenly. Hadn’t Nyx said Elain had sent him there as well? Tamlin swore under his breath, turning to call down the hall. 

“Lucien!”

Lucien turned to face him. 

“Tell your wife I need to talk to her tomorrow, please.”

Lucien sighed. “I’ll ask her.”

“No,” Tamlin shook his head. “Tell her. It’s essential.”

“I will ask her,” Lucien repeated firmly. “She isn’t yours to order any more than she is mine.”

Tamlin swallowed at the hard set of Lucien’s face. His role as the heir of Day had changed things between them, but never before had Lucien leveled such a look in his direction. “Very well.”

Lucien smiled faintly in acknowledgement, then raised a hand in a parting before resuming his walk towards the dining room. 

Lucien be damned. Tamlin swore he could still smell the scent of pine, his chest tightening with something akin to longing as he thought of the hand which had fisted in his shirt, the blood on Nyx’s lip. Fuck. It lingered, no matter where he tried to drive his thoughts. Tamlin swore as he opened the door to his rooms, then shut it behind him once again.

They had only just met, but somehow, Tamlin knew: Nyx Archeron would be the death of him.

Taglist: @ninthcircleofprythian @dusk-muse @c-starstuff-man0 @dusk-muse

[crazy-ache]

Was there anything that inspired you to write Animal Instincts? 👀 aka one of my favorite Elucien fanfics ever?

Oh hey!! 🐈 So I was inspired to write Animal Instincts when I was reflecting on the kinds of fanfiction I read over ten years ago in previous fandoms. There's a lot of tropes/styles that you don't see very often anymore and I was like *sigh* we really need to bring that back to the ACOTAR fandom. I think ACOTAR/Elucien fandom in general has a lot of newer fans (meaning this is their first fandom ever) so I understand why these tropes don't naturally come up, but man we really should pay our respects to our roots! I think people tend to cling to modern tropes found in romantasy/dark romance, but there's some really great classics out there.

Some of the ones I was thinking about were: Cat/Animal transformation fics, 3 times they didn't/1 time they did, writing one-sentence stories for every single letter of the alphabet (this was my JAM), song/lyric fics, text thread fics, genderbending, spin the bottle, amnesia, body swapping, getting trapped in very tight, enclosed spaces (the ultimate forced proximity trope - like a closet or air duct haha), love spells/sex pollen, fake dating, etc. All great ones! I love coming across these tropes in fandom :)

Also does anyone remember when authors would include interviews with the characters in their author's notes? LOL I miss those days.

Body swap is coming soon for sure. It's next after my current fic.

As soon as I reflected about cat transformation, I knew Elain was destined to be a cat. And then the story just wrote itself!

[sjmvillainweek]

Six...

Six more days until SJM Villain Week officially begins, everyday a new random headcanon for a random villain is being posted to count us down. Reblog with your own headcanons for any of the villains, or to randomly choose a villain, you can use the Spin The Wheels we have linked at the bottom of the post! Tag anyone who would like to share their headcanons!

Day 10 Headcanon

Day 9 Headcanon

Day 8 Headcanon

Day 7 Headcanon

SJM Villain Headcanon: Beron Vanserra (ACOTAR)-

Beron has a very very strict routine, he schedules his day down to the minute, everything is incredibly precise and calculated with zero room for error. If someone makes a mistake that results in the push back of his schedule it's coming out of their paycheck, or their broken bones.

The only time you would ever, ever catch Beron in an unorganized state would be when he's drunk.

Beron is the worst drunk, because he shifts violently from the composed, cruel and calculating High lord, to a self-proclaimed wanderer of the world.

Beron half a bottle of whiskey in is promptly heading out the door thinking "It's time for a walk in the woods."

The servants have to be on high alert because at any moment they could turn their heads and suddenly their High lord, who was earlier berating them for their incompetence, is in a tree somewhere and unable to get down.

Spin The Wheel Links

ACOTAR Villains

TOG Villains

CC Villains

[hb-writes]

Omg omg omg I love when you do these ones!!

“I'd rather have some fun than ask for permission ”

Maybe for ACOTAR?

“I'd rather have some fun than ask for permission.”

Sera delivered the words with a shrug while sipping from her drink, entirely unaware of the fact that her friends had eased away from the table, leaving her alone with Cassian, the whole room seeming to go quiet as he slid onto the empty stool across from her.

"Well, I certainly hope you've enjoyed yourself then," Rhys said as he took the stool beside her, reaching out and replacing the drink in her hand with a cool glass of water.

Concern would have been an appropriate response—it was the reason why most of the tavern had cleared out, the reason why Sera's friends swiftly left her to deal with the High Lord and the General on her own, but Sera wasn't afraid of their titles or of them, really—especially not with all alcohol running through her bloodstream.

"You didn't bring Az along this time?" she asked. "Thought you three went everywhere together. Which is real fair considering I'm 'not allowed'" —Sera used air quotes for emphasis— "to even visit my friends here."

The Shadowslinger appeared just behind Sera then, causing her to jump even though his presence wasn't sudden—he had been there all along hidden by his shadows.

"It's not safe," Rhys said.

"Windhaven seems plenty safe to me. And what's not safe about a camp full of warriors?" she asked. "If I'm not safe here, someone here at this table isn't doing a very good job leading their silly little army..."

Cassian's gaze hardened, but Sera didn't notice.

That's enough. We're leaving. Now. Sera heard Rhys's words in her mind and she groaned, knowing she was far too drunk to shut him out.

"No!" she shouted, pushing Rhys's shoulder as she twisted on her stool and stood, intending to head for the bar for another drink, unaware that it was no longer being tended and she would no longer be served. "I'm staying here. I'm—"

The room spun as Sera took her first step and even if the room hadn't been spinning, she would not have been sure which way was up as Azirel lifted her from her feet and transported them across the camp to the little house where the boys had grown up, to the room Sera had long ago chosen as her own to stay in when Cassian and Azriel brought her along for training.

"Go to bed, Sera," he said. "She needs to sleep it off," Azriel added to Rhys as winnowed in, appearing suddenly in the room. "No sense in having this conversation when she's like this."

Rhys nodded—after all, he'd had to practically swim through the sludge in her mind right now so he knew Azriel was right.

"Good night, Serenyth," Rhys said as he and Azriel left the room, closing her door and heading down stairs to meet Cassian who had just arrived after flying over from the tavern. Already, Cassian had pulled out a bottle from the cabinet and poured out three glasses.

"She's reckless," Rhys muttered as he took a drink.

“She’s a good kid when it matters,” Cassian offered. “No worse than any of us were at her age.”

Rhys snorted. "My poor mother..." he mused thinking on all the trouble they had gotten up to in their youth.

[heart-defendor]

City of Nightmares Part 4

Shes back baby!

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Warnings: Typical Acotar stuff, MDI

 Lounging on a chaise in her brother's chambers and watching as her brother Orian argued with one of their cousins about some inane topic. Drinking in one of the comfy salons of the family estate was a typical night for them, the arguing was typical too.She drew her legs up tucking them under her knees, enjoying the heat that came from the large silver and black marble fireplace.The chatter faded into the background. 

A week and a half had passed since she had last seen Azriel, that had been the night where he’d saved her .When in her drunken state awkwardly proposed he come again. She cringed internally. Y/n had even suggested he fly up and meet her on her balcony, which was totally unnecessary given he was just walking her home.  ANd he had stayed entertaining her drunken ramblings. 

She wasn’t even sure she wanted to see him again. The odds were so stacked against them, it would be smarter to avoid the heartbreak all together. 

Suddenly,she felt it, like a flower blooming within her chest. 

He’s here.

 The bond had come alive.  As strong as when it had first snapped, Azriel was close and had left his side of the bond wide open. 

She felt a gentle tug, he was calling to her. Yn sits up quickly, her heart beats wildly in her chest and all doubts are quickly forgotten. Fortunately the others are still too busy to notice the change. She steadies herself, doing her best to appear calm; she bids them goodnight before swiftly returning to her own chambers where she is sure she will find him. 

Mate, Mate 

She stops in front of her large oak door, he's on the other side she knows it. But Yn is rooted to the ground, her urgency is doused by waves of anxiety. She feels it pulling in her chest and all too soon realizes this isn't her fear, it's Azriels. He's worried about meeting her. Scared of how she will respond to him. It's the push she needs, her hand closes on the brass door knob and she steps into the room. 

The room is dark, but she finds him easily enough. Azriel is leaning threshold to her balcony, backlit from Hewns lights, his shadows swirl along the floor. He's trying to appear nonchalant but the bond betrays his nerves. 

Does he know I can feel him?

Yn gives him a small smile, and flicks her wrists illuminating the room in a soft glow. He gives her a small smile in return but does not move from his place against the door frame. 

"You don't have to be nervous, ill be nice I swear"

Immediately the anxiety in her chest vanishes as Azriel clamps down their connection. Azriel gives a soft grunt and looks to the floor, Yn can't help but find the gesture cute and lets out a giggle. She walks over to a small glass and metal cart against the wall that houses her favorite liquor, a whiskey from the Winter Court, along with an assortment of mixers. She can feel his golden eyes following her.

Picking up the bottle by the neck in one dainty manicured hand, she spins towards him and gives the bottle a small shake. 

"Is the sick up your ass still there or are you going to join me for a drink?"

Azriel snorts, but his posture loses its rigidity and his wings open slightly. This is what he must look like when actually relaxed, she thinks while unscrewing the cap. 

"I thought you said you were going to be nice”

"I am being nice," she grins while plopping down in her plush crimson armchair now with drink in hand. She snuggles into it with her knees crossed. "Besides it's only the truth, you and that general are always so rigid, standing about glaring at everyone. Do you two ever have fun? Perhaps it’s an Illyrian thing?”

Azriel shugs, finally leaving the threshold to grab the drink she prepared for him,“It’s our job to keep the High Lord and Lady safe”. He doesn't sit in the adjacent chair, instead making his way over to the foot of her bed. For his wings she realizes as he sits down and they spread out on either side of him. They are so large the ends hang off the sides. Powerful too, she remembered how they had launched him into the air with her in his arms. 

Her attention snaps back to his face. “As for Cassian, be thankful he isn't down here making a fool of himself. Did you know he destroyed an entire building in the Summer Court? If left unsupervised he’d probably bring down this whole damn mountain.”

Y/n chuckled, “Sounds like you are more of a babysitter for the High Lord and the general than you are a spymaster.”

Azriel smirked back at her, “some days it certainly feels like it.” 

The two talked late into the night. About Azriels family and the mischief they had gotten into over the years and all the places he had traveled as a part of his court duties. He told her about how the Inner Circle were his family, that Ryhsand and Cassian had become brothers. She learnt that her High Lord went by Rhys, and preferred to live in a townhouse for Cauldron's sake over the Moonstone Palace. He skirted around the topic of his birth family, when she asked. His eyes downcast and his gloved hands were tightened on his glass only mentioning that his father had left him at an Illyrian training camp at a young age.

The focus had quickly shifted to her own family. How her cousin Cole couldn’t flirt to save his life, of her friends that she frequently partied with. Though he already knew of him, Y/n had boasted about Orian who had climbed the Darkbringer ranks, working closely with her uncle. Azriel had shown surprise when she talked about her own training, how it was not uncommon for females in the Court of Nightmares to know how to defend themselves. “Although I am useless with a sword, I have never had use for one.” She had said, her voice filled with pride as she talked about the Umbra family’s strong Night Court magic.   

They had then discussed books and card games and all matters of random things that made them who they are. Conversation flowed like water between them. When the world fell away and it was just the two of them, safe in her chambers, it was to forget all the reasons they shouldn’t be together. The cord in her ribs grew stronger as her perceptions of him fell apart to see the sweet and kind soul underneath. 

At some point she joined him on the bed snuggling into the comforter, Azriel remained above the sheets but had settled beside her leaning against the headboard. Now she watched as Azriel’s wing that had been spread behind her tentatively curled around her body. Y/n watched the way the muscles and fibers moved beneath the membrane. She had thought them a deep gray but now she could tell they had a purplish tinge to them. They looked soft yet strong, she wondered what they would feel like beneath her fingers. Without thinking she reach out running her hand along the inside of a bone. They are soft.

Y/n heard a sharp intake of breath. Her eyes flicked over to Azriel, he was staring back, honey eyes now wide and dark, his cheeks dusted with a faint pink. 

“Do they please you?” 

Immediate denial of her fascination was on the tip of her tongue when something stopped her, Azriel was being vulnerable. She could be honest. Besides this was her mate, she was allowed to like him.

“They are beautiful," she admitted. He searched her face for something when appeased his own face broke out into a grin.  

“You should, know Illyrian wings are sensitive, don't start something you aren't ready to finish." His voice held both promise and challenge.

She wanted to rise to it, she meant to. Instead she yawned and Azriel laughed. Suddenly she was aware of how tired she was, her eyelids grew heavy.

"Perhaps next time princess, get some sleep its late."

She tried to protest but another yawn interrupted her. .Azriel smoothed her hair back and kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes and felt the bed shift as he got up.

As she drifted off surrounded by the sent of cedar and cool night air, she let herself be content. If only for the time being.

Tag list: @issybee0611 @emturtles @valeridarkness @marina468 @hollyismentallyillhelp @dumbbitchitis69

[crimsonizedangel]

Sparks Fly

Pairing: Will Halstead x oc

Rating: nsfw

Summary: oc invites Will to be her plus one at a wedding where they share a heated kiss that leads to them going back to oc’s apartment together.

Warning: lots of dirty talk, oral, p in v, voyeurism (sex against a window), light chocking

AN: I hope you enjoy the story. If you would like a fic about a favorite character in either the one Chicago or Acotar universe you can send me a message.

"Hey Lexi are you ready to go?" I hear Will Halstead ask from my bedroom as I finish up getting my earrings in at the mirror in my bathroom. I had gotten invited to the wedding of a couple friends from college and was so desperate for someone to go with that I ended up asking Will. My friend and colleague at Chicago medical center. But now here we are with my attending standing in my bedroom looking like a snack in the black dress pants and dress shirt that he picked out. At least it goes with the black dress I picked out for myself.

"Yeah, just need to spritz some perfume and I'll be ready to go." I tell him as I make eye contact with him in the mirror before grabbing the bottle of Burberry perfume from the counter and giving it a couple spritzes.

"I should have known you'd still be getting ready. You're still the same as you were in med school when I went out to clubs with you." He comments making me roll my eyes. Yes he's my attending and we were in med school at the same time only because he's a couple years older. However he was my friend before we ended up working at the same hospital and since I am not doing the greatest in the whole love department area I was lucky that Will agreed to attend this wedding with me.

"Let's go." I tell him as I grab his arm to escort him towards the door where I grab my clutch and the card. Once in his car it doesn't take long to get to the venue. The ceremony was short and sweet with what seemed to be only close friends and family in attendance.

"Congrats you two. It was a beautiful wedding." I tell my friend Emma as I greet her with a big smile and a hug. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you. And thank you for coming." She smiles back. The exchange ends up being quick but sweet as I didn't want to keep her from her other guests. I find Will waiting not far away with two glasses of Riesling in his hands.

"You still remember my favorite wine?" I ask him as we walk over to one of the high top tables being used for cocktail hour. He hands me one of the glasses as I sit on a stool.

"Of course I still remember. How could I possibly forget when you had me stop and get a bottle before one of our study sessions." He laughs as he casually leans against the table turning his body towards me and leaving very little space between us.

"That was one time." I huff out. "And you have to admit it helped both of us focus better and make learning about cells a lot more interesting."

Will chuckles "yeah I do have to agree with that."

———

We continued to chat as we were told to take our seats for dinner followed by the couples first dance. The second that everyone was allowed on the dance floor I dragged Will out to the dance floor. The song that had come on was a fast Shakira song and I had no faith that Will knew how to salsa but I wasn't about to dance by myself. However he surprised me by placing a hand on my hip and clasping my hand in his other and moving his feet and hips to the beat.

"You surprise me Halstead. I didn't take you for someone who even knew how to dance." I tell him in awe as I start moving my own hips and feet following his lead.

On beat with the end of the song he gave me a spin and pulled me in close so my back was flush with his chest. "Well Lex I guess you don't know everything about me." His voice rough as he speaks into my ear making my heart race.

"Yeah I guess not." Is all I can reply as the song switches to a slow romantic song. "Dance with me." I say as I spin back around and wrap my arms around his neck. His own arms slipped around my waist holding me close to him as we start to sway to the music. "What else don't I know about you Halstead besides you being a good dancer?" I ask him.

I keep my eyes on his as I watch him contemplate what he wants to say next. Or I should say what he wanted to do next. He keeps his eyes locked on mine as he brings a hand up to cup my cheek before lowering his gaze to my mouth. Like magnets being drawn together our lips connect in a kiss like no other. It started slow like we were both testing the waters before heating up. Wills tongue ran over my lips briefly before I opened my mouth letting him in. The kiss probably only lasted a few minutes but it felt like longer when we finally pulled away from each other.

"You kissed me." The words barely above a whisper and almost breathless.

"I did and you kissed me back." His words just as breathless but with a little chuckle behind them.

It takes me a moment to realize that it isn't just the two of us and we are still at a wedding before I speak again. "I did kiss you back. Do you want to get out of here?" I ask him. He only nods before he's leading me out of the ballroom and towards the parking lot.

Once we get into his car I turn to him and ask "why did you kiss me? We've known each other for years so what made you finally do it?"

"I'm not sure why I finally did it. I just felt like I needed to because I didn't know if I would get presented with another opportunity to." He tells me as he turns his head to look at me. "Look Lexi I've had a crush on you since we were just study buddies and I've wanted to say something back then but it seemed one of us was always in a relationship and the timing wasn't right. Tonight however we're both single which is why I knew I just needed to either say or do something to show you how I felt."

When he finally got what he needed to off his chest my eyes met his and I knew he meant every word. "Will I had a crush on you back then too. When you kissed me tonight I knew those feelings hadn't gone away." And instead of trying to figure out the words needed to describe what I felt I grabbed the collar of his shirt and brought him closer to me so I could kiss him again. It was almost instant that he started kissing me back and we stayed that way for awhile. As soon as my hands started undoing the buttons on his shirt he pulled away resting his forehead against mine and was breathing hard. He clasped my hands in his to stop them from the task they were doing.

"Lex as much as I would love for you to continue with undressing me and all that I'm not having sex with you for the first time in the parking lot of a ballroom like we're some kids at our high school prom." Once he catches his breath he leans back in his seat before starting his car and driving us back to my apartment.

As soon as we're parked he moves rather quickly to cut off the engine and get out so he could open my door for me and help me out. I fish my keys out of my clutch as he wraps an arm around my shoulders to lead me to my building and towards the elevator. Once we are safely inside the elevator his lips are back on mine and as I'm working on unbuttoning his shirt again he starts kissing my jaw and neck. We only pull away when we hear the ding indicating we have reached my floor and I practically drag him down the hall to my apartment door where once inside my clutch and keys are quickly discarded on the table.

When our lips finally meet again it's a bit of madness as our hands start roaming over each other and clothes are getting discarded left and right as he keeps backing me up until my back hits the giant window wall in my living room. Here we are naked, in my living room, up against a giant window, and with a trail of clothes from my front door as evidence.

He starts kissing down my body stopping to pay attention to my tits. Taking one nipple in his mouth as he plays with the other and then switching to suck on the other as he plays with the one that was just in his mouth. When it seemed that he was satisfied with how much attention he had given both of my nipples he continued kissing down my body until he was kneeling in front of me. Instead of putting his mouth on me he slid a finger between my folds first.

"Fuck you're so wet already." Will mutters "are you sure this is what you want? We can stop if you don't want to do this."

He's looking up at me from his knees and seeing him like that plus him asking for consent turns me on even more than I already was. "Will I'm positive that I want to do this now do something. I don't care if it's your fingers, mouth, cock, I don't care but touch me. Fuck me." I plead. God I sound so needy.

"Good to know." He says as he kisses my thigh as he puts it over his shoulder. His mouth descends on me as he takes my clit into his mouth sucking on it. As he goes between moving his tongue up and down my folds and sucking on my clit I start to let out moans. My hands drop to his head. My fingers get tangled in his red hair holding him to me as I arch my back against the window and move my hips on his face. I feel his hands move to grab my ass and feel the vibrations from his own moans.

"Will." I moan out his name. "Will I'm going to come." I warn him as he continues his ministrations not even letting up for air until I'm coming over his face.

I watch as he lowers my leg and move his face away until I am able to see it glisten with my come. Will stands up and cups my face in his hand "Lexi you taste so good. I could stay between those legs all day. Have you ever tasted yourself before?" He asks and when I shake my head he lowers his mouth and speaks against my lips "have a taste." He tells me right before he closes the gap and I'm able to taste my come on his lips and tongue. The kiss doesn't last long but from how he pushed into me I could feel his erection on my hip.

"Turn around and place your hands on the window. I need to find my pants and grab a condom. Don't move." He commands and for some reason I do as he says. I turn around and place my hands on the glass as I hear him opening up a condom wrapper. “Stick your ass out more.” His voice still commanding and his hands coming to guide my hips to where he wants me. He rubs the tip of his now condom covered cock through my slick folds a couple of times before he lines himself up and starts to sink into me. “Fuck your tight.” He groans as he stills his hips behind me for a moment before sinking in the rest of the way. When he’s all the way in and doesn’t move his hips I decide to take matters into my own hands- or rather hips- and move myself up and down on his cock.

“Oh fuck. Yes baby girl. Go ahead and fuck yourself on my cock.” He groans from behind me. It seems he lets me have control for a moment letting me move my hips and use his cock for my own pleasure. That is until he grabs my hips tight to hold them still so he can regain control and thrust his hips into mine.

Theres a few ways I thought this night would end but being fucked from behind up against my window where anyone could look up and see was not one of them. Especially being fucked by Will Halstead but here we are and I’m loving every moment of it. As he starts to thrust into me harder I become a moaning mess. He wraps an arm around my chest to pull me up to his chest and uses the other hand to wrap around my throat before pushing me forward so my breasts are pressed up against the glass. Will must notice how I became wetter from those movements and the thought of anyone looking up and being able to see everything that we’re doing.

“You just got tighter and wetter. Does it turn you on being fucked up against the window?” He breathes into my ear.

“Yes.” I moan back in response letting my head fall back onto his shoulder.

“Who would have thought that this is something that you’re into.” He moans into my neck before resuming to his quick, deep thrusts and kissing and sucking marks into my neck and shoulder.

“Will.” I moan out. “I-Im going to come.” I warn as I feel the pressure building in my abdomen.

“Be a good girl and come on my cock.” Will commands and tightens his hold on my neck a little causing me to fall apart and squirt all over him. My eyes roll back right before I feel his pace stutter.

“Fuck Lex I can barely move. You’re like a vice around my cock.” He moans into my neck and I feel his hips still as he comes into the condom.

We’re both breathing hard as he has his arms wrapped around me holding me in a tight embrace. As he pulls out of me he helps me over to my couch as my legs wobble. I watch through half lidded eyes as he takes off the condom and disposes of it and comes back with two glasses of water.

“You look like you’re about to fall asleep on me. Do you want to stay out here or do you want me to carry you to your bed?” He asks as he hands me a glass.

“I think the bed would be better for both of us.” I tell him after taking a few gulps of the water.

“Sounds good.” He smiles at me and after drinking some of his own water he pulls me into his arms and carries me down the hall to my bedroom. It surprises me how gentle he is as he lays me down and pulls the blankets over me before crawling into the bed behind me. It’s almost comforting having his arms around me, his chest pressed against my back, and the kisses he gently places on my shoulder and up to my cheek.

“Goodnight Lex.” He murmurs.

“Goodnight Will.”

[azsazz]

Starfall

Azriel x Reader

Summary: Anonymous request: omg can i just say i love your blog sm!! you are carrying the acotar fandom in this app 😭😭 i wanted to request a fic where az and reader are having like a romantic moment where they are dancing in their kitchen and maybe the inner circle sees them and they’re just so happy for them.

Warnings: None.

Word Count: 612

_________________________________________

“What are you doing all alone in here?” a voice startles you. Spinning around on your heel, your face softens when you see your mate standing in the doorway. It was one of the best nights of the year. Rhysand always threw the most beautiful parties for Starfall, great food, expensive wine, and the most talented musicians playing at the House of Wind for all of his friends and family. 

You left your mate on the dancefloor with Cassian and Mor, reassuring him that you’d be back in no time, you just wanted to cool down for a moment and refill your drink. Azriel looked reluctant to let you leave and you thought he might follow you inside the house, but you assured him you would be back in no time. 

Walking into the house with a loving grin, thinking about how lucky you are to have found your mate. He was so considerate, passionate, and loving. He really was your everything. You hadn’t even known what your life had been missing until the night the bond made itself known. 

You couldn’t imagine your life without him.

Sipping from your newly refilled glass, you leaned against the counter, reflecting on your life with your mate. His friends had welcomed you with open arms and wide grins, so excited that the Shadowsinger had finally found his other half. 

You seemed to fit right into the group like a piece to their evergrowing puzzle of family. You and Cassian were thick of thieves since the first night he’d brought you home, the Warlord pulling you aside to tell you everything about Az. He highlighted the Spymaster’s entire life, his likes, dislikes, embarrassing moments, he even told you his tells when fighting, where to strike if you wanted a training session to end early. Azriel had watched you with a fond look in his eyes. 

“Just thinking,” you respond softly, setting your glass down on the counter and opening your arms for him. He wraps his arms around your waist and yours clasp around his neck as you stare lovingly into those glowing hazel eyes. 

“About what?” he murmurs, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear and stroking his thumb soothingly across your soft cheek. 

You shrug, smiling from cheek to cheek, “You.”

“Yeah?” his brows quirk.

You hum in confirmation, closing your eyes as he rests his forehead against yours. 

“All good, I hope.”

You release a breathy laugh as he starts to sway the two of you slowly. “All amazing, as are you.”

He pecks you on the nose, sweeping you under his arm, twirling you around abruptly and then back into his chest. He surprises you with a kiss on the nose, continuing your dance around the kitchen. “Ah, that’s you, my love.” 

The both of you are unaware of the audience you have. Mor had gone in to snag a new bottle of wine and had seen the two of you in a loving embrace. She was a bit nosy at the worst of times, but seeing her friend for so long so in love, it made her heart swell. Somehow, without even the Spymaster knowing, she had gathered the rest of the Inner Circle, squealing about how cute the two of you were being in the kitchen. 

Azriel was distracted by your beauty, the love of his life looking back at him like he was her universe. Those pesky shadows were nowhere to be seen. He wanted, just for a minute, to be alone with his thoughts, with you, and he was completely unaware that his family were watching with wide smiles and misty eyes.

Yeah, everything was perfect.

[illyrian-dreamer]

ACOTAR Masterlist

GIF by kennedy1917sworld

*(Indicates smut)

Azriel:

Changing Shadows (complete series):

Summary: You have a new role in the Inner Circle — Heard Guard of Velaris. And as Rhys’s younger sister, you feel you have a lot to prove. 

You and the Shadowsinger are also growing closer, and tension builds as your relationship changes from friendship to something else...

How will you juggle your feelings for Azriel and the dangers that come with your new role, without disappointing the rest of the Inner Circle and the Night Court?

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5* | Part 6* | Part 7* | Part 8 | Part 9* | Part 10 | Part 11* | Part 12* | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15* | Part 16* | Part 17* | Part 18* | Part 19* | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23* | Part 24 - Finale

Overwritten (complete series)

Summary: After months as his prisoner, Hybern has hijacked your mind, turning you into an enemy of your home, your family, and your mate, Azriel. 

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5* | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 - Finale

And Then There Were None

Summary: In the lead up to the war, Hybern releases a catastrophic spell that wipes out all humans, sparing just one.

Abandoned in the desolate human lands, you scavenge to survive long enough to find your family.

Reluctantly, you are found by the Shadowsinger as fate intervenes to guide you under his watchful eye.

Part 1 | Part 2

One shots:

A Shadowsinger’s intuition

Feel too much

Confessions at Starfall

Stay with me

Spin the bottle

In the arms of understanding*

Drabble:

Salad (fluff)

Cassian:

One shots:

Tides and turmoil

With benefits*

Remnants of a star

Azriel and Cassian:

Our Girl (series)

Summary: Deeming you unfit for a mission, the Inner Circle have betrayed your trust and shattered your life’s mission to avenge you sister. And the two males you love most were at the centre of it all.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4* | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9

Rhys:

Series

Dance with the devil

Summary: You attempt to rob the High Lord of the Night Court.

Part 1 |

One shots:

Two lessons in one*

Make a bargain with me

Bat boys:

Drabble:

Bat boys react to being called ‘bro’*

Brat taming bat boys *

Lucien: 

Frozen Flames (series)

Summary: After fifty years trapped Under the Mountain, you struggle to adjust to your new found freedom as Kallias’s third-in-charge to the Winter Court.

In an unlikely circumstance, you meet Lucien Vanserra.

As you and Lucien grow closer, dealing with the loss of your mother and trauma from Amarantha’s reign proves harder than you thought. How will you start to trust and love again?

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5* | Part 6* | Part 7 | Part 8

Eris

One shots:

Conditions of entry*

Comment to join the tag list :)

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sarah J Maas, not my own.

[hogwartsmarvelmommy]

Requests: closed for now

Send me an ask 😊

Who I write for?

Harry Holland

Harrison Osterfeild

Tom Holland

Holland and co.

Acotar (maybe?)

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Harry Holland 💛

Blurbs-

Kissing in the street 7.29.22 | 810 words.

One shots-

Best friend H.H 🔥(smut) 18+ |6.9.21| 2.3kwords |Friends to lovers (HarryHollandxReader) your best friend shows up and has a hard time hiding the way he feels about you in THAT outfit.

Burnt to a crisp H.H 🔥(Smut) 18+ |6.8.21| 1.4kwords |friends to lovers (HarryHollandxReader) a boating trip with some friends leaves your skin feeling crisp, asking Harry for relief, but you find it in other ways.

Its been you H.H❤️ (Fluff) |6.12.21| 2.5kwords |idiots to lovers (HarryHollandxReader) you though it was just casual for him, when the whole time he was thinking the same for you.

Next door neighbor H.H 🔥 (smut) 18+ |6.18.21| 2.4kwords | neighbor Harry (HarryHollandxReader) you invite your neighbor over to talk about his problems, when the conversation gets veered in a different direction and things get heated.

First H.H ❤️ (Fluff) |6.24.21| 1kwords |boyfriend Harry (HarryHollandxReader) after a long day with your boyfriend's family your ready to relax, but you think you hear something that has your heart fluttering out of your chest.

Dreams H.H 🔥(Smut) 18+ |6.30.21| 4kwords |ex's to lovers (HarryHollandxReader) you think you must be dreaming when you see his face like all the times before, but with the ding of your phone and the message you see you know it's real.

Never have i ever H.H💛 (Suggestive, but floof) |7.2.21| 1.8kwords | best friends brother (HarryHollandxReader) A simple game has your feelings revealed as your two idiot best friends push you to admit them.

Spin the bottle H.H 💛 (Suggestive, but floof)7.8.21| 1.2kwords | friends to lovers (HarryHollandxReader) youve dreamt of the oprotuity, but the real thing is even better.

To The Ends Of The Earth ❤️ (Fluff) |7.10.21| 1.5kwords | friends to lovers (HarryHollandxReader) leaving your best friend who your in love with behind is hard, so you do the logical thing. Kiss him and leave him stunned.

Sleep talk 🔥(Smut) 18+ |7.13.21| 4kwords | friends to lovers (HarryHollandxReader) a road trip, falling asleep, and a wet dream, what could be worse... Or better?

Feelings Untold 🔥 (Smut) 18+ |7.23.21| 1.5kwords |friends to lovers (HarryHollandxReader) she gave him an ultimatum and he chose you, because it'll always be you.

Birthday 🎉(fluff) 8.11.21| 2.7kwords | friends to lovers (HarryHollandxReader) you share a birthday with your best friend, and at 23 feeling are finally revealed after years.

Prove it 🔥 (smut) 18+ |8.12.21| 3.4kwords | friends to lovers (HarryHollandxReader) a simple conversation leads to your fantasy being fulfilled.

The lighthouse that guided me 🔥 (smut) 18+ |8.22.21| 9.9kwords | best friends brother (HarryHollandxReader) Sam knew you and Harry were going to hit it off, so he mad you promise you wouldnt fall for the curly haired twin.. easier said than done.

Fallout of the century *re-edited version* 🔥 (angst, smut, fluf) 18+ |8.29.21 | 18.5K words| Ex’s to Lovers (HarryHollandxReader) After your world falls apart, will you be able to pick up the pieces, or will you be left crumbling like the walls around you?

Anger Issues 🔥 (smut) 18+ |9.10.21 | 2.6k | secret lovers (HarryHollandxReader) pushing Harry's buttons is your favorite game.

In it for you ❤️ (fluff) |9.15.21|1.8k| idiots to lovers (HarryHollandxReader) tom can't keep his mouth shut and blabs your secret to the one person who wasn't supposed to know... Harry.

Home for the holidays 🔥 (smut/fluff) 18+ |10.16.2021| 3k | friends to lovers (HarryHollandxReader) you left for school, and the reality of yours and Harry's unspoken feelings caught up with you.

After the fall 🔥 (smut) 18+ |10.22.2021| 4.7k | apocalyptic fic (HarryHollandxReader) months after the start of the end of the world you give into the feelings you have towards the stranger turned friend who saved you.

Table 3 🔥(smut) 18+| 12.10.21 | 3.4k | ex's to lovers (HarryHollandxReader) Sam's fiance likes to meddle and she doesn't think you and Harry should have broken up.

Just get naked 🔥 (smut) 18+| 1.28.22 | 3k | friends to lovers (HarryHollandXReader) a trip to a "big" cabin has you and Harry stuffed in a room together.

Two shot-

pinky promise 💕🔥 (Angst, fluff, smut) 18+ |8.3.21| 10kwords |Dad!harry (HarryHollandxReader) nearly ten years has past since the last time you saw Harry and you have been hiding a secret... Or two.

Everything and more (pt 2 to Pinky promise) 💕 (Angst, fluff) 8.27.21 | 3.8K words | Dad!Harry (HarryHollandxReader) Complications lead to panic.

Series -

Fallout of the century. 18+ (completed)

Broken hearts, second chances, and falling apart. Can you forgive and forget? Or do you just need to move on?

Part 1🥜 6.10.21

Part 2🥜  6.15.21

Part 3 🥜 6.22.21

Part 4🥜 6.29.21

Part 5🥜  7.6.21

In this together 18+

(on hiatus)

A broken heart. A newfound hope. A drunk night. And a bright pink plus sign.

Series Masterlist

Blackout 18+

A crush on the curly haired boy that goes to the laundromat the same time as you, a storm that cuts off the power and leads you to spend the next few days together. Then radio silence. Untill your ex Harrison shows up and beggs you to be his plus one to a destination wedding. Little did you know the groom. The curly haired boys twin.

Series Masterlist

The Bet (mini series) 18+

(on hiatus)

Series Masterlist

➿➿➿➿➿➿➿➿➿➿➿➿

Blurbs-

Drunk blurb 18+ 9.4.21

Sick days 10.12.21

Harry X Harrison

Our secret 🔥 (smut) |18+| word count 6.4k | (1.7.21) (HarrisonOsterfeildXHarryHollandXReader) pure filth threesome fic... That's it.

Harrison Osterfeild 💛

One shots-

Empty Mugs and Unexpected Hugs 🔥(Smut) 18+ |7.26.21| 3.3kwords | enemies to lovers (harrisonOsterfeildxReader) Harrison can't get anymore annoying, untill he goes and pulls on your heart sting's

Should be me ❤️ (fluff) |8.14.21| 1.3k words | jealous Harrison (harrisonOsterfeildxReader) Harrison won't admit his feelings so you do it first.

Why not have the real thing? 🔥 (Smut) 18+ |9.2.21| 2.6kwords| roommate Harrison (harrisonOsterfeildxReader) reading about your roommate while getting off? Recipe for disaster... Or maybe not?

Fuck the rules 🔥 (smut) 18+ |12.23.21| 2kwords| FWB Harrison (HarrisonOsterfeildXReader) a friendly agreement of sex turns to more.

Tom Holland 💛

One shots-

I’ll be here to fix you ⛈️ (Angst to fluff) 7.31.21| 1.8kwords | friends to lovers (TomHollandxReader) a fight, a night in jail, and a confession.

Second chances and Unspoken promises 🔥 (Smut) 18+ |9.26.21 | 7.2k words| ex’s to lovers (TomHollandxReader) three years after the fall of your secret relationship, and a journey back to where it all started, you could be leaving even more broken hearted, or maybe the stars will align and it will be your time.

Blurbs-

Kissing scene 💕 (Fluff) 7.27.21

Bad for business ❌ (Angst) 8.5.21

Sex on the front door 🔥 (smut) 18+ 8.31.21

Holland and co 💛

Series-

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Teaser 🏠 7.11.21

part 1 🧡 7.17.21

[aelin-and-feyre]

Spin the Bottle

Requested by @rowanismybae 99: “I don’t think I’ve ever played spin the bottle.” 

Elriel - modern au

High school basement parties. 'How disgusting,' Azriel thinks, glancing around at the throng of teenagers grinding and singing at the top of their lungs by the shitty stereo, the half dozen people making out on various couches, and the messy floor with beer bottles and various stains now scattered across it. Absolutely disgusting.

He's gonna yell at Cassian for dragging him here under the pretense of being his wingman. He didn't do anything but apparently his job is done because Nesta is now sitting atop Cassian's lap, making out with him in the corner. Azriel wrinkles his nose at the sight.

Az nurses his own drink silently in the corner, brooding. Elain sings with Feyre in the middle of the mess of people and Az has to restrain himself from seeking her out with his eyes every few seconds. A couple songs pass and he watches as a group breaks off from the dancing, rushing to the box of beer and cheering as one of the guys chugs a bottle.

When it's empty, they all sit down on the ground in a circle and Azriel thinks that a seance is about to take place. He isn't too far off when Elain, who is part of the group, calls over to him. "Hey, Az! Come play spin the bottle with us!" She giggles and hiccups, going so far as to stand up and walk over to his corner. She grabs his hand and tries to pull him up. A couple of his other friends try to wave him over as well.

Azriel knows that he'll just end up getting embarrassed if he plays the game, and he would really not like to watch his classmates make out anymore than he already has. "I don't think I've ever played spin the bottle." He tries. "I think I would probably break the rules somehow."

Elain laughs, making goosebumps rise on Azriel's arm. "Oh, it's easy, you just kiss the person who the bottle is pointing at after you spin." She gives his arm another tug.

Azriel pretends to think about it for a few seconds, then shakes his head. "No, thanks, Elain." Her face falls. "Maybe later." He adds just to make her sad expression disappear.

Elain nods, let's go of his hand, and walks back over to the circle, plopping down next to Feyre. Azriel succeeds in not watching the game go on for a while thankfully, playing games on his phone and focusing on other things. It's only when he hears Nesta exclaim, "Oooh, Elain!" that he looks over.

Turns out, Graysen had spun the bottle so that it was now pointing squarely at Elain. Azriel is unable to look away as Graysen smirks, getting up on his knees and leaning over the circle to place a sweet kiss on Elain's lips. Azriel feels his blood positively boil as they draw apart and Graysen smirks at her. Elain's responding blush just makes it worse.

Without really thinking it through first, Azriel stands up and walks over to the circle, sitting down next to Elain and causing all the eyes of the participants to turn to him. "I'm playing now." He states, looking everyone in the eye as if daring them to object.

Cassian and Rhys' eyes sparkle with mischief but Elain practically beams. "Fantastic, it's my turn, just so you know." She says and he simply nods, prompting her to go.

Biting her lip, Elain leans forward, firmly grasps the bottle, and spins it fiercely. After years of playing this game, Cassian and Rhys are pretty good at manipulating the odds and so at just the right time, Cassian's foot juts out and stops the bottle right as it point to Azriel. Guess he was the wingman after all.

A couple people gasp around the circle and look accusingly at Cassian who just shrugs. "Sorry, my foot slipped."

Before Elain can even consider spinning again though, Feyre speaks. "Azriel, you kiss Elain now." She gently reminds, nudging him in the side.

Azriel turns to Elain, a burst of confidence coursing through him. "Oh, well look at that."

"Look at that." Elain echoes, wide eyes locked with his.

Not wanting to lose his nerve, Azriel leans forward, cupping her cheek with the palm of his hand and kisses her soundly. Elain melts into the kiss and they don't break away for a good few seconds. The circle whoops and laughs but Azriel is still just staring at her, stunned into silence.

Elain smiles shyly, her entire face bright red. "Um, it's your turn, Az." She whispers. Without looking away from her, Azriel removes his hand from her face, going to the bottle, and turns it an inch so that it lands on her. "Th-that's agains the rules."

Azriel smirks as he leans in again. "I told you that I would break them somehow." When his lips meet hers again, Elain's hands come up to grip his shoulders. She gains confidence and starts moving her lips against his, deepening the kiss and causing the teenagers around them to go out of their minds. Azriel's hands land on her hips somehow and squeeze slightly, causing her to gasp and break away, breathing heavily.

"Get a room already!" Rhys yells, making a couple others groan in agreement.

Azriel's thumb lightly traces Elain's swollen lower lip and he winks. "Maybe later."

Maybe Az doesn't hate high school basement parties so much after all.

Send me a number and a ship!

Masterlist

[cinaja]

Before the Wall part 16

A canon-compliant fanfic that takes place during the time of the War. For the summary and the entire fic, click here.

Disclaimer: The world and characters of acotar belong to sjm.

----

Miryam wants to disappear. She wishes she could winnow. Or maybe just turn into nothing at all.

She is sitting at the table in the Alliance council`s meeting room, staring at her hands. She tried to wash them, but there are still remains of the girl`s blood all over her. Around her, everyone is yelling. Most of them at her.

Her allies, it seems, are not overly pleased with her. So many of them are yelling that Miryam has trouble making out individual words, but the message is clear enough. What was she thinking, ending the meeting like this, provoking Ravenia. How dare she not have told them that she has a ´personal connection` - Miryam snorts at the word - to Ravenia. And, most of all, they are furious that Miryam is a witch. Or maybe furious that she didn`t tell them about it. Miryam isn`t sure what angers them more. 

She doesn`t bother to defend herself. She doubts she would even be heard over the general screaming.

“This“, the High Lord of the Night Court snaps, “is why I didn‘t want a child to represent us. I said from the very beginning that this would end badly.“

Queen Nakia says, “I think it`s clear that you‘re off the council. A witch!“ She shakes her head and makes a sign against evil. “How could we ever trust someone like you?“

Miryam presses her lips together. She almost waits for the first person to demand they not only kick her off the council, but kill her right away. Indeed, the royal who lost her soldiers to the Black Land‘s army and Artax is looking at her like she`s close to demanding her head.

„Stop it!“, Andromache yells, her voice rising over the general noise. 

Everyone stops speaking - out of sheer surprise, Miryam is sure. The queen turns around to glower at all of them.

“Are you all out of you mind?“, she asks sharply, “What reason do you have to demand her removal of the council?“ She turns to glare at the High Lord of the Night Court. „This war is about freeing the slaves - and you‘re telling her she failed because she said that there would be no peace if they didn‘t? What are you here for if you don‘t care about human lives?“

The High Lord looks inclined to object, but Andromache doesn‘t give him a chance.

„And the rest of you are just as bad!“ She shakes her head. „Do you honestly think that the person who created this Alliance cannot be trusted? That a personal who was a personal slave to Ravenia of the Black Land would betray us?“

A few of the assembled leaders look somewhat ashamed. But there are others who are still glaring.

„But she‘s a witch“, one of the royals snaps.

„So what?“ Andromache curls her hands to a fist like she is contemplating punching him. „Your kind has enslaved and slaughtered us humans for millennia and you dare to give another person shit for what she was born as? You hypocrites!“

For a moment, there is silence. People exchange looks, a few already look guilty. Suddenly, hardly anyone seems to want to look at Miryam anymore.

„Let‘s have a vote, then“, Nakia says.

“Should I wait outside?”, Miryam asks softly. 

She knows she should say something to defend herself, but she doesn`t find the words. Besides, it is not something she can really defend herself against. After all, how is she supposed to argue against something that she is?

“Yes”, Nakia says at the same time that Andromache says, “No.” The two queens glower at each other.

“If anyone wants Miryam off the council”, Helion says, “ that person could at least have the courage to say it to her face.” 

That quite efficiently shuts down any further discussion. Just when Nakia is about to call for a vote, the door to the meeting room opens and Jurian enters.

“What did I miss?”, he asks.

“Nothing much”, Helion says drily, “We were just discussing if Miryam should keep her seat on the council.”

“What?” The confusion on Jurian`s face quickly turns to anger. “I`m going to kill-”

“Jur”, Miryam cuts in before he can dig them both an even deeper grave. Death threats (at least open ones) are generally frowned upon in Continental politics.

“Right”, Nakia says, “Those in favour of excluding that female from the council?” She raises her own hand with a very pointed look in Miryam`s direction.

A few others follow. Jurian glares at each of them and Miryam sees two of them hastily lower their hands again. But those who raise their hands are not the majority and by far not enough to actually have Miryam kicked out. Nakia looks like she has a bitter taste in her mouth.

“Well”, Jurian drawls, “That is settled. If you don`t have any other ridiculous demands, we will return to our camp.”

He takes Miryam by the arm and pulls her to her feet. Then, he leads her out of the room.

As soon as they are outside, Jurian asks, “Is everything alright?”

“No.”

Jurian hesitates at that. Obviously, he hadn`t expected her to be honest. It seems like he didn`t really think of a response to a honest answer. (In all fairness, Miryam isn`t exactly known for being open about such things.)

Jurian avoids the rest of the conversation by looking around. “Where are those damned Fae when you need them?” He stalks further along the corridor and catches a Fae guard by the arm. “Can you winnow us back to our camp?”

The guard looks slightly intimidated, but nods. He winnows them back to the camps and vanishes again as soon as their feet touch the ground. They make it only a few steps until the camp's border before Mor comes running towards them, her golden hair waving behind her. Her eyes go straight to the blood on Miryam's dress.

"It isn't mine", Miryam says softly before Mor can ask.

"What happened?", Mor asks, looking between Miryam and Jurian. Likely taking in the tired looks in their eyes. "Did it go alright?"

"Yes", Jurian says, "Miryam scared the shit out of everyone and I think that no one will leave the alliance, so I suppose that counts as alright?"

Mor arches an eyebrow at Miryam. "Typical", she mutters, "something interesting happens and I'm not there."

Miryam doesn't feel like laughing. She doesn`t feel like anything at all, really.

Jurian shoots her a worried look. "Maybe we should go to my tent", he says carefully.

Miryam nods. She does her best to ignore the looks and whispers that follow her on the way to Jurian's tent. All she wants is to be on her own. Inside, however, the Illyrian commander is waiting. Already glaring at her.

There is a bloody knife in his hands. Jurian tenses, but the male just throws it to the ground at Miryam`s feet, hissing words in a language.

“I don`t understand you”, Miryam says. She tries to sound pleasant, but she can`t quite keep the strain out of her voice. 

“He`s dead”, the male says.

“Who?”

“The warrior whose soul you stole, aje.”

Even without understanding the last word, Miryam flinches back. “I didn`t...”, she stammers, “I would never... I helped him!”

“You touched him. To be touched by something like you is to lose your soul.” He spits on the ground between them. “He begged me to end his life once he heard what happened.”

Mor understands the implication a second before she does and gasps. Miryam catches on a heartbeat later.

“You... You killed him?” She can`t quite grasp what he is saying. That male... she saved his live. She didn`t...

Miryam takes a step forward. She clenches her hand to a fist. She doesn`t know what she plans to do - punch him, maybe. But the male already flinches back.

“I did nothing!”, Miryam hisses. All the pressure of the day comes crashing down and wakes her magic. This time, it doesn`t rise with a whisper, but crashes into her with the force of a full-blown hurricane.

“It takes more than a simple touch to steal his soul, you bastard!”, she shouts, “You killed that male for nothing!”

“Miryam...”, Jurian whispers and reaches out for her. She steps out of his reach.

Around the Illyrian, his magical aura begins to glow brighter. Before he can so much as say a word, Miryam reaches out and clenches down on his power. The Illyrian`s eyes go wide. Then, his three red syphons splinter into a million pieces. The male screams.

Miryam lets go. “Never cross me again”, she hisses. Then, she spins around and stalks out of the tent. 

She can only just hear Mor whisper behind her, “Now I get what you meant.”

Miryam manages to keep up a collected front until she reaches her tent. But as soon as the entrance is safely closed behind her, she can`t keep the tears in anymore. She lets herself fall onto her bed and presses her face into the pillow.

She still hasn`t managed to stop crying by the time the flap of the tent opens.

“You know”, Mor says lightly, “crying into your pillow is perhaps the most nineteen-year-old like I`ve ever seen you act. Almost makes you seem normal.”

It only makes her cry harder.

“Hey, come on. That was a joke.” She can feel the bed move as Mor sits down next to her. Lightly, she puts a hand on her shoulder. “When I was your age and crying”, Mor continues, “Rhys always snuck into my room with booze. But I`m not sure if you`re a drink-your-sorrows-away kind of person, so I also brought cake.”

Carefully, Miryam lifts her head from the pillow. Mor holds a bottle of red wine in one hand, a huge chocolate cake in the other. Miryam sniffs and rubs a hand over her face.

“Cake or wine?”, Mor asks.

“Cake”, Miryam whispers.

Mor grins and passes her a piece of chocolate cake. Then, she takes a swig straight out of the wine bottle. Carefully, Miryam takes a bite of the cake and almost groans in pleasure.

“Oh Cauldron, where did you get this?”

“A city in the Night Court.” Mor grins. “I winnowed there to buy it.”

Miryam smiles, but sobers up almost immediately. “This is very nice, Mor”, she says softly, “But with everything... I don`t know if we should...”

“Hey.” Mor takes her arm lightly. “The world isn`t going to fall into chaos because you take a few hours off for once in your life. Let`s just forget about everything for a bit - pretend there isn`t a war going on, that you aren`t a commander in this.”

Miryam hesitates and Mor gives her a gentle shove. “Come on! Don`t you want to know what it`s like? Just this once?”

“Alright”, Miryam says. The offer, really, is too good to resist. “So, what do you do as a normal person?” She takes another bite of the cake and does her best to forget about everything else.

“Whatever you want, really.” Mor grins. “We could talk about boys. Like this: Have you and Jurian already... you know?”

Miryam feels herself blush. “Not yet.”

They have come close a couple of times, but never actually gone through with it. Jurian hasn`t pushed - he is waiting for her, just like on everything else. And for the past months, Miryam has been trying to gather up the courage to say yes. 

Mor grins. “So you have never...”

“That`s not what I said.” Suddenly, it`s hard to breathe properly.

“Oh”, Mor whispers, “Oh Mother, I`m so sorry. I`m really horrible at this, it...”

“Let`s just drop it”, Miryam says and forces a smile.  “Normal night, remember?” To distract herself, she takes a bite of the cake. “Actually, if that`s supposed to work, perhaps you should do the talking. So: Have you ever... you know?”

“Oh yes”, Mor says and grins. She takes another swig out of her bottle and starts talking.

----  

Rhys should have seen it coming. From the moment they found out that Miryam is a witch, he should have known that there is no way he is going to remain in the camp. Illyrians and witches just don't mix well and Rhys doesn't have enough control over his soldiers to get them to behave themselves.

Still, it stings when Jurian calls him to his tent and cordially informs him that he is expected to leave the camp within the span of a day. Rhys supposes he can still count himself lucky - he knows of a few commanders who might have reacted differently. So he takes the news with all the grace he can muster, nods to Jurian and tells his soldiers.

Early in the next morning, a knock sounds at his door. He expects Mor, but instead, Miryam is standing in front of him.

“Lady.” Rhys inclines his head. (He knows Mor loves the female like a sister, but he also heard what happened in the past days. It is enough for him to really, really not want to make an enemy out of her.) “I was going to seek you out anyways. I wanted to apologize for my solders` behaviour.”

“There`s no need. It`s me who should...” Miryam shakes her head. “That soldier who died - I`m sorry about that. And I`m the only reason you`re being sent away.”

“I`d say I`m being sent away because I can`t control my soldiers. So really, I`m the one who`s at fault here.”

“No, I-” Miryam stops herself and grins. “Look at us. Both determined to take the blame on ourselves.”

Rhys bursts out laughing. “Now I understand why Mor likes you so much.”

“The feeling`s mutual”, Miryam says, “But that`s actually not what I wanted to tell you.”

“Well, then, I`m all ears”, Rhys says.

“You`re being sent to assist the army of Sangravah.” Miryam runs a hand through her hair. “The Grand Duke is a friend of mine. I sent him a letter telling him about your arrival. I told him that your soldiers are difficult, but you are a good male.”

“Thank you”, Rhys says. He can`t quite understand why she does it – after all, they don`t really know each other – but he knows what she did for him. “Truly. I`m in your debt.”

Miryam waves him off . “There is something else”, she says, “But you have to swear to keep this between us.”

Rhys frowns at her, but he nods. “Sure. My lips are sealed.”

Still, Miryam looks hesitant. “So, I didn`t know this until a few days ago when Mor told me what it was like in your last camp, but... I made a few inquiries and found out that your father basically gave people leave to do whatever they wanted with you.”

Rhys sighs in relief. For a moment, he thought that the news would be something bad. “Thank you for telling me, but I already knew”, he says, “My father told me that I would be here as a normal commander, not as his heir, before he sent me to the Continent.”

“But that`s different”, Miryam argues, “You see, even the normal commanders are protected because everyone knows that if you treat them too badly, they will complain to their superiors and you`ll be in trouble. No matter the rank of the soldier who gets harmed - there is always someone higher up who can make sure that you`ll be fine. It`s a simple way to keep everyone in line - the only way, really, to make this whole system with the mixed armies work out.” Miryam bites her lip. “But your father made it known that he doesn`t care about what happens to you. Not one bit. So you have no protection whatsoever.”

Rhys takes a deep breath. He hadn`t thought his father would go this far. It shouldn`t sting as much as it does.

“Okay”, he says softly, proud of how unbothered his voice sounds, “So I`m done for.”

“No, I...” Miryam smiles slightly. “I may have made it clear that you are under my protection. That`s what I wanted to tell you. So if there is trouble, you know... who you can turn to.”

Rhys gapes at her. He can`t quite process what she did. It`s stupid, reckless and probably makes her one of the most selfless people he knows. Still, he shakes his head.

“My father will be furious”, he says, “When he finds out - and he will - he will take it out on you.”

“The thing is, though”, Miryam replies, “that I`m not scared of your father. And if he thinks he can take it up with me, he`ll be sorely disappointed.” For a moment, something dangerous glitters in her eyes. But then, it is gone and she is smiling again. “Don`t worry, though. Your father may be angry if he finds out, but he won`t be stupid enough to do anything about it.”

“Well, now I really am in your debt”, Rhys says.

Miryam wrinkles her nose and looks like she`s just about to object when Mor rushes into his tent behind her.

“Rhys!” She jumps into his arms. “I just heard - I can`t believe you`re leaving already!”

“It`s alright”, Rhys whispers to her, “You needn`t worry.”

She shakes her head wildly. “I already tried to talk to Jurian, but he wouldn`t reconsider.”

“Mor.” Rhys lets go of her and takes a step back. “With the way my soldiers acted, I can`t stay here. One male died already. And Jurian was most kind - I know more than a few people who would have reacted differently.”

Which reminds Rhys of the conversation he was just in the middle of when Mor turned up. But Miryam, it seems, used the distraction to vanish. Rhys laughs and shakes his head.

“What?”, Mor asks.

“She`s an extremely dangerous female, that friend of yours.”

“Oh, I know.” Mor grins. “But honestly, after that meeting, everyone does.”

Rhys smiles back at her, but quickly sobers up. “I have to get going”, he says.

Mor wraps her arms around him again. “Be careful. Promise it.”

“I will.”

Mor nods. “I have a patrol to lead in a few minutes. So I`ll have to go now.”

Rhys smiles softly. “Look at that. My little cousin, leading her own patrols.”

Mor swats at his arm. Then, she turns around. Neither of them says goodbye - it would feel far too final for either of their liking. Still, Rhys wonders if he imagines the tears shining in Mor`s eyes as she turns around to look at him one last time.

The effort to get his army ready is enough to distract Rhys from the forced goodbye. Two hours later, they are airborne, heading south. It's a flight of three days to the new camp. He always thought Prythian was huge, but the Continent is a different matter entirely.

On the first evening, when they run into another army camp. Much to Rhys‘ relief, they are flying Alliance colours. Still, Rhys orders his soldiers to land a mile away. After all, anyone can put up an Alliance flag. Besides, few commanders take kindly to having a foreign army of five hundred land in their camp.

So he finds an Alliance flag of his own among their things, leaves his soldiers behind with strict orders not to move and walks towards the camp. It belongs to another aerial army, but their wings are white and feathered. The guards standing around outside are already at attention. It seems they are as unsure about Rhys' intentions as he is about theirs.

"I come in peace!", he calls to the guards.

"Stand down", one of the soldiers orders. The others lower their weapons and the male steps towards Rhys. "It's alright", he says, "we already met Illyrians at the Callian pass. I assume you're Rhysand."

"Rhys", he corrects automatically. "How do you know me?"

"Oh, you're kind of the reason we're here. We were actually supposed to be the ones to work together with Sangravah, but the orders changed." He smiles at Rhys and holds out a hand. "I'm Prince Drakon of Erithia. Nice to meet you."

Rhys takes the offered hand and tries to bow at the same time. After all, the male before him is on the Alliance council and rules over a territory about twice as big as the Night Court. In situations like this, it's generally better to be polite.

"I apologize for the inconvenience, Your Highness", Rhys says.

"It's no issue. If you want to, you and our soldiers are welcome to join our camp."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Prince Drakon nods. "I'm not sure if you‘re aware", he says, "but in our army, females fight aloneside males. Our general is female. So in their own interest, your soldiers should show them respect."

"Of course, Your Highness." He wonders if he imagines the Prince rolling his eyes.

In the next few hours, Rhys does his best to get his soldiers settled into the camp without causing any fights. All while being watched by the sharp-eyed Seraphim general, who seems to be waiting for him to mess up. By the time everyone is settled, Rhys is done with the day.

He is just about to vanish into his newly-erected tent when gets a message from Prince Drakon, inviting him to dinner. Rhys sighs. There`s about a million things he`d rather do, but there is no polite way to turn down the invitation.

He finds the Prince in a tent in the camp`s centre. Dinner is already set out on a table that, from its look, is usually used for strategy meetings. Rhys thanks Drakon for the invitation and sits down.

They manage fifteen minutes of meaningless small-talk, before Prince Drakon forcefully sets down his fork. “Alright. I give up”, he says, “I have no idea what you`re playing at. And at this point, the entire Cauldron-damned Continent knows that I`m bad at politics, so I don`t know what you`re trying to do, but it`s not very nice.”

For a moment, Rhys just stares at him. Then, he bursts out laughing. The utterly wrong reaction, from the way Drakon looks at him. Offended, but mostly hurt.

It is enough to make Rhys sober up. “I`m sorry”, he says, “I shouldn`t have laughed, it`s just...” He shakes his head. “I`m from Prythian, you see. We don`t do that whole Continental politics business and I never learned it. So, whatever you think I was implying wasn`t my intention.”

Prince Drakon seems to contemplate his words for a few seconds before he shakes his head and laughs. “Well, now it`s me who ought to apologize”, he says, “It seems I don`t even need someone well-versed in Continental politics to make a fool of myself. I`m sorry. I`m a little sensitive about these things.”

Rhys can`t say she blames him for it. In the past months, he heard more than enough cruel jokes and rumours about the Prince to understand why he would be easily annoyed at these things.

“How about we just set politics aside for the evening?”, he suggests, “I mean, it`s not like we`re that far apart by way of age, so it`s a bit ridiculous anyways.”

Drakon raises an eyebrow. “Really? How old are you, then?”

“Thirty-five.”

“Not far apart? Are you kidding?” Prince Drakon grins. “You`re ancient!”

“Funny”, Rhys says, but he can`t help a grin. And just like that, the tension is gone. “So, you were at the Callian pass, correct? Where are you going now?”

“I`m supposed to take over the camp from a commander named Pelior. Apparently, he didn`t really do well with running his camp.”

“That`s an understatement”, Rhys mutters. He makes a mental note to send Miryam a thank you note as soon as he arrives in his new camp. 

“And you`re coming from Jurian`s camp?”, the Prince asks, leaning forward in his chair, “There are lots of interesting stories going around about him and Lady Miryam. I´d love to meet them both some time.”

“Oh, they are certainly fascinating people.” Rhys laughs softly. “Miryam especially, from what I have seen.”

“Is it true that she`s a witch? I only heard rumours.”

“In this case, they are true.” Rhys reaches for the wine and refills first Drakon`s glass, then his own. They clink their glasses together.

----

Three days after the meeting, things have calmed down a little for everyone. Most of the soldiers, it seems, have gotten over their initial mistrust and now see the advantages of having a witch in their midst. Which, in turn, means that Jurian has to spend significantly less time dealing out punishments.

Jurian is sitting in his tent and dealing with his least favourite part of his job: Paperwork. Most of it ends up on Miryam`s desk, but some of his things, Jurian has to deal with himself.

Groaning, he shifts through his paperwork. On top of the stack is a letter he doesn`t recognize. Frowning, Jurian rips it open and scans the content, his eyebrows rising further with each word.

My dearest General,

Ever since the meeting, I haven`t been able to think of anyone but you. You`re all I see, both waking and sleeping. I told you that our futures are intertwined and each of my visions has only reaffirmed that.

If you feel only a hint of the connection I know is between us, then I am begging you to give me a sign.

With love,

Clythia

Jurian blinks a few times. Then, he goes looking for Miryam. He finds her sitting around a table, talking to a few soldiers. When she sees the look on his face, she frowns up at him.

“Would you come for a walk?”, Jurian asks.

“Yes, of course.” Smiling, Miryam excuses herself and walks away from the group with Jurian. “What`s wrong?”, she asks as soon as they are out of hearing range.

Wordlessly, Jurian hands her the letter. Miryam´s face remains calm as she reads it. Finally, she looks up, but still doesn`t say anything. For a moment, they just stare at each other.

It is Miryam who breaks the silence in the end. “Say it, then. But don`t force me to.”

Jurian takes a deep breath. “It could be an invaluable opportunity”, he says, “If I play it correctly, I could gain an inside source in Hybern`s army.” 

He watches Miryam carefully. But still, there is no sign of what she`s thinking. She can be so damn hard to read sometimes.

“And are you asking me this”, Miryam asks, “as your lover, or as a member of the Alliance council?”

“Both.”

“As a member of the Alliance council, I agree with you. The information could be invaluable.” Miryam wraps her arms around herself, the only sign of her distress. “As your lover...” She shakes her head. “But I think you know me well enough to know which comes first. So if this is what you want...” She doesn`t finish the sentence.

Everything in Jurian screams at him to not do this. To throw that damned letter into the fire and never, ever think of it again. If only to make sure Miryam never looks at him like that again. But same as her, he knows what comes first.

“Then I`ll write her back”, he says. The words taste bitter.

“No, I...” Miryam winces and manages a smile. “Fae courtship is... I`ll have the letter ready by tomorrow.”

“Miryam.” Jurian reaches out for her and gently takes her by the arm. “Please. Please, I love you. This”, he waves at the letter, “this changes nothing.”

“I know, Jur”, she says softly, “It`s alright. If you can do this, then I can, too.” She gently takes his hand. “We`ll be fine. We`re stronger than this.”

Jurian nods. He is just about to reply when the alarm starts ringing.

Miryam and Jurian both dart around, jumping into action with practiced ease. Before they so much as make it to the camp`s centre, Tia comes running towards them.

“What`s going on?”, Jurian asks.

“There`s an army. About one hour away.”

Miryam frowns. “One hour? How did we spot it this soon?”

“Well, it`s a pretty big army.” Tia winces. “And they aren`t trying really hard to hide their approach. I think they want us to know.”

“How many?”, Jurian asks.

“Five thousand. At least.”

Jurian curses. He exchanges a quick glance with Miryam, who is biting her lip.

“I can send out letters”, she says, “But no other camp is close enough. Besides...” She frowns at Tia. “You said they aren`t trying to hide their approach. What if it`s a trap.”

“No, they...” This time, Tia seems uncharacteristically lost for words. “I think they want to send a message.”

Jurian doesn`t have patience for talking around a problem on a good day. And if there`s an army of five thousand soldiers marching towards them, it`s double true.

“Spit it out”, he snaps.

But Tia just looks at Miryam. “They`re from the Black Land”, she says softly, “I think...”

She doesn`t need to finish the sentence. It is clear enough without it.

Miryam challenged Ravenia during the meeting. And the Queen of the Black Land sent five thousand soldiers to deal with the threat.

----

A/N: So, a minor cliffhanger. Sorry. But guess what's finally going to happen in the next chapter!

As always, I'd love to hear what you think!

Tags: @sjm-things

[bookofmirth]

4, 5, 20, 22, 24 for the Valentine's asks please! Sorry, I'm a nosy idiot.

HA I wouldn’t post them if I didn’t want people to ask!!! *mwah* 

4) what was your first kiss like? It was super awkward, 12 years old playing spin the bottle with a guy I then “went out with” for like a week.

5) what was your last kiss like? Probably super boring? After being with someone for a long time, they blend together. And I am currently very okay with having no romance or sex in my life. (ironic I’d reblog a V-Day ask meme, oh well)

20) sweetest romantic memory? Probably when my ex surprised me with a new bookshelf one day after a long day of work. Very in character for me, I know. When we were long-distance he also surprised me with a visit on Valentine’s once. But tbh? The first thing I thought of was memories of my friends doing super nice things, like one time they hand crafted a birthday card, or just how they are there for me when things go south.

22) fictional crushes? Morrigan (acotar), Mia Corvere (Nevernight), Theo Craine (from the show Haunting of Hill House)

24) what makes you blush? Literally any compliment, I am so easy. They always catch me off-guard and I don’t know how to respond.

[ao3feed-acotar]

Spin the Bottle ft. the Inner Circle

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3hL71B7

by adventurerofthewrittenworld

The Inner Circle plays spin the bottle, and some jealousy and tension ensues.

Words: 1168, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Feyre Archeron/Rhysand, Nesta Archeron/Cassian, Elain Archeron/Azriel, Cassian/Morrigan (ACoTaR)

Additional Tags: Mostly Fluff, inner circle sans amren, Silly, Banter

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3hL71B7