#cassian x female reader

[m4tthewmurd0ck]

Strawberry Sweet

── Azriel x Fem!Witch/Fae Hybrid Reader

also featuring platonic best friend! cassian x reader, and platonic best friend! rhysand x reader

I ~ INTRODUCTIONS ── PART TWO ── TABLE OF CONTENTS

based on [THESE] lyrics

obviously not book canon. references to battles that didn’t happen in the books, ooc inner circle, etc… 🤷🏻‍♀️ no use of y/n but i do use she / her. no descriptions other than reader being shorter than all 3 bat boys. reader is also able to winnow.

When you first met Azriel, you were sure he hated you.

With the rest of the inner circle, it had been easy. You met the High Lord first after saving his life, and you remembered the day like it happened yesterday.

Rhysand had taken to the skies one night, flying over Velaris and looking down at everything below. An ambush on Day Court had all the high lords on edge, with the message that the attackers weren’t finished being loud and clear. He knew it was bad when Helion reached out personally.

When he was attacked, it was 5 against 1. He ended up plummeting nearly 1,000 feet. As luck would have it, you were just returning home from a very late night trip to the markets.

Ever the quick thinker, you snapped your fingers, and all of your purchased goods floated into your home and all put themselves in their proper place. Then you turned your attention to the man falling from the sky. You held out a hand, and a blue light so dark that they almost resembled shadows, flowed from your palm and slowed the man’s descent just before he hit the ground.

You used your other hand to turn you both invisible until you were able to get him into your home.

To keep a long story short, because that was a tale for another time, it took a lot longer to heal him than you thought. You don’t know how much time passed, all you know is that it was completely dark outside when he fell but when you finished, you could see the sun was about to rise.

Rhysand woke up not long after you finished healing his wings.

You anticipated the first question he asked, so you beat him to it. Giving him a brief version, you explained that you were half witch, half fae. You didn’t explain your family history, or how you came to live alone. There was a sense of relief when he didn’t ask more questions, though you could tell by the look on his face that he wanted to.

“Not that I don’t love hosting you, but shouldn’t you be going? I’d imagine a lot of people are worried about you.”

You felt him trying to get into your mind, and wished you could’ve taken a picture of his face when you told him that wouldn’t be possible unless you allowed it. Centuries of practice ensured that even the strongest mind reader wouldn’t be able to access your thoughts so easily.

When he finally felt strong enough to stand, you followed closely behind him as he headed to the door.

“I’m not officially a healer, obviously, but if you ever need help, you may return. I only ask that you don’t tell anyone that I’m here. If word gets to the wrong person—”

“I won’t tell a soul, you have my word. You’ve saved my life, and I owe you a debt far greater than anything I could pay you.”

You shook your head and insisted you didn’t need, or want, money.

“Well if there’s ever anything you need, no matter how big the request, please come find me.”

“Thank you, High Lord. I will keep that in mind.”

He managed a small smile. “You used magic to stitch part of my wings back together, please, at least call me Rhys. Or Rhysand if it makes you more comfortable.”

You nodded and after he thanked you again for saving his life, and after you said you did it because you wanted to help and not because you wanted something, he took to the skies. You wondered if you’d ever see him again.

But there was still a war going on, and you shouldn’t have been that surprised when he returned a few weeks later. What did surprise you, and even made you a little angry, was that he had not 1, but 2 people with him. Not living under a rock, you recognized them right away. And this was how you ended up meeting Cassian and Nesta.

That anger disappeared when you saw just how injured Cassian was. He could barely stand, even Nesta was having to help keep him upright.

Turning around, you went back into your home and snapped your fingers. Seconds later, everything on your dining table lay in neat piles on the floor. You were thankful that you’d opted for a larger table, and don’t think he would’ve fit on your bed.

You got to work healing him the moment Rhys set him down on the table. Although you worked fast in an attempt to ease his pain, it was clear he was still in a lot of it.

“I need to put him to sleep. He has broken bones and I promise none of you want him awake when I put them back in place.” You looked up at Nesta then, and for the first time since entering your home, her gaze left her mates, and she looked at you.

Unable to speak, she only nodded, silently giving you permission. He was out not long after that, and you worked for another 2 hours until you were satisfied that he’d be alright.

Nesta finally spoke up then, asking if you were going to wake him up. You explained that while putting him to sleep was fairly easy, you didn’t think it was the best idea to wake him up. That required going deep into his mind and wandering around until you found the part of it where he was waiting. That act in itself would give you access to every thought and memory that Cassian has ever had, and you didn’t like to do that to anyone without their explicit permission.

After explaining that it wouldn’t be long before he woke up on his own, as you redid one of Cassian’s bandages, you noticed Nesta give Rhys a look. He only shook his head and whispered that he trusted you.

You were right as you knew you would be, and it was just 10 minutes later that the general of the Night Court was opening his eyes and sitting up.

“Why… am I on a table??”

Nesta hated showing any sign of being vulnerable, so none were more shocked than Rhys and Cassian when she walked over to you and pulled you in for a hug.

“Thank you,” she spoke softly. “I don’t know how we can repay you.”

You smiled when the 2 of you stepped apart. “No payment is needed, or wanted. I promise—” It felt like all the air left your body when Cassian took his turn with a hug, only he lifted you off of the ground and seemed to be trying to squeeze the life out of you.

“Cass, I happen to like her and would appreciate you not killing her.”

“Sorry! Just, you know, thanks for saving my life.“

After they left , all repeatedly thanking you on their way out, you wondered if what just happened was some sort of fever dream.

Over the next few months, the 3 would occasionally pop in, but all for different reasons. Rhys was still fascinated by you being half witch, half fae. All he wanted to do was sit and ask questions, and he’d hang on to every word you spoke as you answered. Cassian, who insisted you call him Cass, did come to you for healing. But for ‘injuries’ he very much could’ve handled on his own. He healed faster than a normal human, but you lost count of the amount of times you opened your door, or he opened it and barged in, telling you about a paper cut or the smallest bruise.

The first time Nesta came to visit, and you greeted her with “Lady Nesta”, you almost laughed at the daggers she sent your way. You quickly learned it was just Nesta, or Nes. During her second visit, the subject of fighting somehow came up. You mentioned your basic knowledge of hand-to-hand combat, but that you wished you were more advanced, or at least knew how to fight with a weapon. Ever since then, she’d come to visit at least once a week to try and convince you to join her on training with the Valkyries.

“I don’t know that I’d actually be any good,” you admitted, adding on that you were so used to fighting with your powers that you genuinely couldn’t remember what it was like to do so without them.

A month of pestering persuading had you finally agreeing to sit in on a training session with the Valkyries. And that was how you came to meet Azriel.

The following day, Nesta showed up at your front door bright and early. Well not bright, since the sun had yet to even rise, but with how you felt as you slowly got dressed, you knew it was definitely early. She assured you that Valkyries didn’t always train so early, but she wanted to get some one-on-one training with you.

After a brief discussion in which she promises you’ll end up having fun, you ask if all of her family will be training. She says no, with the Valkyries it’s usually only her and Cass. Rhys occasionally pops his head in to observe, but has been busy with everything going on so not so much lately.

“Oh I forgot you haven’t met everyone yet. Feyre, my sister and Rhys’ mate, prefers to train solo so you probably won’t see her today. Then there’s Azriel, he used to train with us a lot, well help train the women, but Rhys has been sending him out a lot lately. What with everyone being on edge from the attacks, we’re all eager to find out who’s behind it all.”

She explains where to go and you take her hand, winnowing you both to the training grounds.

“There she is!” You jump a little at Cass’ voice. He’s all the way on the other side of the room, but so loud that it’s as if he’s right next to you. He puts down a stack of papers and quickly makes his way over to you and Nesta. “You’re just in time, look.” He holds up his hand, showing you the tiniest of paper cuts on his left index finger.

You can’t help but laugh as you take his hand in yours and use your powers to close the cut.

Nesta shakes her head. “For a warrior, you sure are a big baby.” She turns to you, “you can just tell him to suck it up next time.”

Cass gasps, putting his hands on his face. “She’d never do that! At least she cares about me.”

“Do I really though?” You tilt you head.

“Hey! Just for that I’m not going easy on you today.”

“Wait you’re training me?”

“I’m going to take that as wait really! Wow I’m so lucky Cassian the general of the Night Court is training me. Now chop chop, let’s go!” He gently pushes you towards one of the larger mats on the ground.

You turn back to Nesta, who only shrugs and mouths good luck, before joining the other women.

Much like when you were focused on healing Rhys and Cass, time goes by in a blur. Before you know it, you’ve managed to knock Cass onto his back for the third time. You look at a clock nearby and find that nearly 2 hours have gone by.

“Woo!” The 2 of you stop and turn towards the door and see Feyre leaning against the door frame, clapping as she calls out your name and shouts his congratulations.

Cass rolls his eyes, but smiles when you hold out a hand to help him to his feet. “You kicked my ass today, I’d be a little upset if I wasn’t so impressed.”

When you use your powers to immediately dry all of your sweat, you’re happy you get to use your powers for more mundane things like this.

“Ahem!”

Now it’s you turn to roll your eyes. Still, you face one of your hands towards Cass, and he’s also dry just a few seconds later.

“Thank you,” he gives a dramatic bow before telling you all he’s going to go shower.

Before you can ask why he made you do that if he was just planning to shower anyway, Feyre finally approaches you and Nesta. You become aware of how affectionate the inner circle can be, when Feyre pulls you in for a hug, not saying anything for a moment.

“You saved Rhys, I owe you everything. Thank you,” she whispers.

“I promise, you don’t owe me a thing,” you shake your head. “I’m just happy he ended up falling outside of my home. If it had been anywhere else I wouldn’t have seen it, or I wouldn’t have been able to slow his fall.”

Cass pops his head back in the room. “Anyone know if Az is coming by to train later? I couldn’t get a hold of him earlier.”

Feyre nods, “he got back less than an hour ago, I think he told Rhys he’d be by here at some point. Oh, never mind.”

The last part of her sentence comes when she looks toward the door, this time towards the ground. You watch as what looks like a series of small clouds slowly makes their way towards you. Upon closer inspection, you realize they’re shadows.

“Azriel is a shadowsinger, right?” When Nesta nods, you continue. “Do they often travel like this without him?”

“No,” Feyre watches them get closer. “I mean they can if he sends them somewhere but I don’t see why he’d send them here when he knows it’s only us…”

When the shadows finally reach you, they move faster as if they’re excited. One makes its way to the top of your head, swirling around your face. It’s a cool, almost ticklish sensation. Another weaves its way around your legs, while the last one circles your hands, as if it can sense the power you hold.

Healer.

“No,” you shake your head. “I mean I guess technically yes, among other things. But I’m still working on my healing abilities so—” You look up to find Nesta, Feyre, and Cass all staring at you. “What?”

Cass just stares at you, now with his mouth open in shock.

“We didn’t say anything…”

“Wait did — were you talking to the shadows??”

Now you were confused. “Yes… it asked, well it said I was a healer and I was just explaining—”

“You can understand them?!”

“I… they don’t speak to all of you?” You watched in amazement as the shadows continued to explore you.

Cass finally breaks his silence. “No. We’ve never heard them say anything. How the hell…”

Magic. Friend.

You smile. Holding your hands out and palms facing up, you produce 2 dark blue clouds a lot similar in appearance to the shadows. They swarm your clouds, but return to you once they realize that they’re not real shadows.

Feyre observes this, a small smile on her face. “Interesting.”

All at once, 2 of the 3 shadows stop their movements, then quickly make their way back out of the room. A minute later, the shadowsinger himself enters the room.

“Dude!” Cass began to make his way towards his brother, but Nesta elbows him in the ribs as she grabs his arm to keep him in place.

When Azriel looks at you, he freezes. He can only stand and watch as the shadow that remained in the room continues to move between your hands and your head. But when you look up at him, your first thought is that you’ve somehow offended him with your actions, so you drop your hands and step back, closer to Nesta.

The lone shadow finally returns to Azriel, hovering around his right ear. You wish you could hear what it’s telling him.

You’re further embarrassed when all Azriel does is quickly look away from you before he asks Cass to speak to him.

Once the 2 men are out of the room, you voice your concerns out loud. “I should apologize when Azriel comes back in.”

Nesta looks at you, clearly confused. “What, why would you apologize? You haven’t done anything.”

“I just… I don’t think he liked that his shadows were paying so much attention to me. I don’t know if he heard me speaking to one but I don’t want to offend him or cause any trouble.”

Feyre’s expression softened. She replaced Nesta at your side, and placed a gentle hand on your shoulder. “That’s just Azriel, at least with someone he isn’t familiar with yet. It’s not often we bring anyone new around. He just needs time.”

You didn’t stay much longer after that, chatting to the 2 Archeron sisters for only a few more minutes before making an excuse to leave. It was obvious why you were in such a rush, but you were grateful that neither woman tried to persuade you to stay.

When you finally winnowed back to your home, you forced yourself to take a shower before collapsing onto your bed. Maybe a nap was what you needed.

You couldn’t help but think about Azriel. Everyone else was quick to warm up to you, and you still thought that you offended him by how you interacted with his shadows.

As you lay there and waited for sleep to pull you under, you wondered if he’d end up hating you.

what a shitty place to end it hahdjdnsdkc BUT part 2 picks up right where this leaves off! if i kept going we’d end the chapter at like 6k which is too long for my liking.

TAGLIST ── FULL! If you want to be notified when I post for this story, follow my backup which i’ll tag in a comment, and make sure you turn notifications on.

@kathren1sky-blog | @starlightshowdown | @blackgirlmagicforever | @scatteredstardustt | @kazbrkker | @adventure-awaits13 | @fuckingsimp4azriel | @lilbxtchsyndrome | @chillymountsjess | @chewbaccaversusmemories | @ashduv | @cleverzonkwombatsludge | @lemon-sage17 | @riley13 | @honethatty12 | @firefly-forest | @joosyjumpers | @bigplantdaddy | @writtenbypavani | @minjix | @saturnalya | @seasonallyapril | @the-onlyy-angie | @d3ad-ins1d3 | @waggel36 | @scarsandallaz | @gr3enb3an | @thegreyjoyed | @cottage-worm | @sweet-pea-channie | @quiet-because-it-is-a-secret | @atluky | @groovbyscooby | @k-homosapien | @maryssong23 | @donnadiddadog | @hoeforthefictional | @bsenpai | @moondustxy | @stoner-swiftie420 | @secretlyhers | @fanficscuziranout | @be-your-coffee-pot | @pinksmellslikelove | @starriestarlight | @kbear8863 | @ok-denice | @awtchofverylittlebrain | @messageforthesmallestman | @its-reira

[thehighladywrites]

The Airhead chronicles

…and the run-in.

-> Pairing: Cassian x bimbo/ditzy reader

-> Summary: suggestive themes, cassian getting bricked up bc reader is super cute, reader being an absolute sweetheart, daddy cassian radiating big dick energy. cassian runs into you while he runs errands, peaking his curiosity. he’s determined to find out more about his mysterious mate. what were you doing in velaris and how the hell did she have a house in the most fancy and exclusive neighborhood? cassian himself had been on the waiting list for over 60 years… he asks her out on a date to find out more.

-> Author’s note: This one is my favorite so far, I’m trying to build a mysterious air around reader bc she might not be bright but best believe she’s a baddie. Also if you see any typos, no you didn’t

Part one Part three Part four Part five

Cassian was going insane.

He only knew your name and where you lived and it wasn’t enough. He wanted to know everything about you. What made you smile, cry, laugh, pissed off. What kind of food you like, your favorite color - He wanted to know you inside and out.

Your little kiss had left him with a thundering heart and a hard cock. It was a wonder that he didn’t break down your door and storm in just to be in your presence for a few seconds.

He almost felt embarrassed as he stood behind a building, watching you enter the coffee shop across Feyre’s art studio. Cassian wasn’t stalking you or anything, he genuinely happened to spot you strolling through the streets while he was running errands. Panic took over and his first insight was to hide.

The streets of Velaris echoed with the enchanting click of your 5-inch, black platform heels, announcing your arrival. You had such a light around you, smiling at strangers and kids. Your outfit, showcasing a black, sexy yet sophisticated skirt paired with a white top, black sheer tights, and a maroon bag thrown over your shoulder, exuded a captivating sense of style. The only reminiscent element of your previous style Cassian saw that night, was the attention-grabbing almost stripper heels.

Your unconventional fashion choice, though beautiful, set you apart from the usual attire of Night Court women, revealing that you were not a native of this place. What brought you to Velaris? Cassian pondered if your stylish yet professional outfit hinted at a specific job or occupation.

Decided that he wanted some answers, he made his way to the coffee shop. His ears picked up on your sweet voice as it was heard throughout the shop.

“Hi, how are you? Can i please have a caramel latte with extra caramel and whipped cream on top? Okay, thank you!!” You had your hands behind your arms as you hummed a little song. The ring of the door bell caught your attention as you whipped your head to the door, your freshly styled hair swaying. Your heart started beating faster as you saw who walked through the door. Letting out a shriek, you threw yourself in Cassians arms as you felt his chest rumble with a chuckle. “ Hi Cassie!! Whatcha doin here?” His hands tightened around your waist as he smelled your intoxicating perfume when you pressed your soft body against his hard one.

“ Hi there, darling. I was just walking around town and decided to stop for some coffee. What are you doing?” He flipped the question, praying that you wouldn’t sense his lie. Curiously, Cassian also wondered about your destination as you appeared business-ready and on the move. The barista called your name and you skipped over to get your sweet drink. It was honestly a wonder your teeth hadn’t rotted away, you loved eating sweet things. “ I’m just getting a little something to drink. Um, actually, can you hold my drink, I just need to get my money out.” Your painted lips had a cute pout as your brows furrowed in concentration, pulling out your money. “Nonsense, I’ll pay for your drink, since I owe you one, remember.” You looked up at him with big eyes. “ Thanks Cassie, you’re such a nice guy!” He merely laughed, “Paying for a lady’s drink is a standard courtesy, sweetheart.” You smiled and sipped on your drink, blushing furiously.

Oh, he looked so good today. Perhaps because it was night, you didn’t see his face clearly, because he was looking a million times hotter than he did thst night. So ruggedly handsome and manly, ugh you were totally turning into mush…

After paying for your drinks and ordering his own, he opened the door for you and offered you his elbow but you opted to grip his bicep instead. Your stomach flipped as you felt the hard muscle ripple with each step. Wow, he must work out like everyday to look like this. “ Wanna taste my drink, Cassie?” you offered as you pushed the hot drink in his face.

He didn’t have it in him to tell you that he absolutely didn’t drink sweet drinks, in fact he hated them. It was too much sugar and he always stuck to his strict routine and food habits, and you had ordered not only a caramel latte, it was also one with extra caramel and whipped cream on top. Basically death in a cup, a stark contrast from his black coffee.

But Cassian took one look at you and folded. Your eyes had hope in them and he’d rather have his wings shredded than kill that shine. “ Sure, I’ll have some, pretty. “

It was an effort not to make a face as the sickly sweet drink hit his tongue but you seemed so happy and he’d drink the whole thing with no complaints if you’d ask him. Your giggles brought him back from his thoughts as he looked at you curiously.

“Whatcha laughing at? Something on my face?”

You flashed him an adorable smile and said,

” You got some of my lipgloss on your lips, just give me ooooone second. There we go! You looked so silly!” He froze when you took your thumb and wiped away the gloss on his soft lips. His legs felt like jelly when you just grabbed his bicep and dragged him along, telling him about your plans for the day.

Man, you were going to be the death of him.

“You have everything? Or is there something else you need, sweetheart?” Gods, you wanted to plant a fat kiss right ln his lips. Would that be wrong? No, of course not!! Hmm… Maybe at the end of the shopping spree? “ Mhm, I have everything, Cassie,” you coo’d gently, watching as his arms bulged from carrying so many bags.

He had spent the entire day with you, bouncing from store to store. He absolutely didn’t let you pay, insisting that you’d never pay for a single thing in his presence. Carrying your bags was out of the question aswell, he told you to just look pretty and grab his arm, which you didn’t say no to. Finally he escorted you home again, and this time he truly payed attention to where you lived. You lived in a massive townhouse in the nicest neighborhood of Velaris, he was curious on how you managed to snag something like this. These neighborhoods had been incredibly difficult to find houses in, let alone such a fine house such as your own. It made him wonder what you worked with or if you had inherited it somehow.

There was a mysterious air surrounding you that he was just dying to find out about. In his eyes, you were something of a puzzle that needed solving. He recognized the hypocrisy of his statement as he also hadn’t told you much about himself, but he could feel it in his bones that there was more to you.

No, he couldn’t let this be, Cassian wanted to get to know his mate, so he asked you out.

“ Go on a date with me, Y/n. Does tomorrow work for you?” You tilted your head and meekly told him something that made him smile.

”Yay, that sounds so much fun, I’ll be wearing something pink. Hmm, or maybe green… No, no definitely pink! What heels should I wear though?… “ Cassian felt his heart beating faster as his cheeks heated. You stood infront of your stairs as you pondered over what hairstyle you were going to pick.

He stepped closer, towering over you as you felt his heat radiating from his chest. “I’ll pick you up at 8, be ready by then sweetheart.” Cassian was hit by deja vu as you once again stood on your tippy toes and gave his cheek a kiss, leaving a lipstain print on his cheek. “ Can’t wait, Cassie!! See you tomorrow.”

He gave your forehead a kiss, right by your hairline as he got a wiff of your shampoo. You smelt heavenly and he didn’t want to let you go. But it was only until tomorrow evening and if he didn’t have the power to wait until then, then he had some serious issues. “ It’s a date then, pretty girl.” He watched as you smiled at him before skipping inside and locking your door.

Cassian felt your excitement through the bond, and felt happier than he had in a long time. He simply couldn’t wait for tomorrow.

[bldhrry]

The Brute and The Scholar

Cassian x Fem!Reader {Ongoing} Summary: Graduating at the top of your class from Velaris University with a degree in Diplomacy, you land a job at the Night Court dealing with the aftermath of the Second Hybern War. Tasked with assisting in the rebuilding of the Autumn and Spring Court alongside Cassian, a newly promoted Emissary who is horrible at his job, you and Cassian must handle political rivalries and tensions while also navigating your own strikingly different personalities and work ethic.

warnings: ptsd, cursing, blood, violence, smut (18+ minors dni), alcohol, the rest TBD

Everything Has Changed

State of Grace

Untouchable

I Wish You Would

Treacherous

Sparks Fly

Delicate

You Are In Love

Midnight Rain

The Story of Us

imgonnagetyouback

Untouchable

[dumb-ster-fire]

Azriel x fem!reader - Just a dress

Summary: While shopping with Mor, Y/N is asked to model a beautiful wedding dress for a bridal shop in need of a last-minute replacement. She agrees, enjoying the fun of it—until Azriel, her mate, sees her. His shadows tighten, his gaze dark and intense. It’s just a dress… so why does it feel like something deeper?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Y/N glanced at Mor, who was already grinning like she had won the lottery. “Oh, you have to do it,” Mor urged, practically bouncing on her heels.

The shop attendant clasped her hands together. “It’s a simple favor—just try on the dress, walk around a little, and in return, we’ll compensate you.” Her gaze swept over Y/N’s tall, elegant frame. “You’re perfect for it.”

Y/N tilted her head, considering. It did sound fun. And it wasn’t every day she got to play dress-up in a gown fit for royalty.

“Alright,” she said with a smirk. “Let’s do it.”

The attendant beamed and led them inside, where Y/N was soon whisked into a dressing room. The gown was decadent—intricate embroidery shimmering in the light, a full, sweeping skirt, and delicate lace detailing. When they placed the diadem on her head and finished her makeup, she barely recognized herself in the mirror. She looked… ethereal. Regal.

Mor’s gasp as she stepped out confirmed it. “Holy shit, Y/N.” Her eyes widened with something between awe and mischief. “Azriel is going to pass out when he sees you.”

Y/N rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress the little flutter in her stomach at the thought.

She had agreed to walk around the boutique and outside for a bit, letting potential customers see the dress in motion. And of course, Mor was already plotting.

Y/N smirked. “Just don’t let Az see it.”

Mor’s wicked grin only widened. “Oh, no promises.”

Y/N gracefully walked alongside the shop representative as they guided her to the designated path where she’d be showcasing the dress. The streets of Velaris, always lively, now had curious onlookers pausing in their steps as she passed. Some whispered, some openly admired, and more than a few stopped in their tracks entirely.

Mor strolled beside her, looking far too pleased with herself, hands clasped behind her back like she was completely innocent.

Unbeknownst to Y/N, she had already reached out to Rhys through their mind link.

You need to get your asses down here. Now.

Rhys’s response was immediate. What did you do?

Mor barely contained her excitement as she side-eyed Y/N, who was completely unaware of the unfolding scheme. Not what I did. What Y/N did. She’s walking through Velaris in a wedding dress.

There was a moment of stunned silence before multiple voices chimed in at once.

Cassian: YOU’RE JOKING. WE’RE ON OUR WAY.

Rhysand: This I have to see.

Amren: Hah. Poor Azriel.

Azriel: …What?

Mor grinned but kept her expression neutral as she turned to Y/N, who was still elegantly making her way through the street, oblivious to the storm about to descend.

Oh, this was going to be fun.

Y/N, completely unaware of the chaos she’d just unleashed, continued walking with effortless grace, the luxurious wedding gown flowing around her like stardust. The diadem atop her head caught the light, making her look every bit the ethereal, untouchable bride. People on the street kept stopping to watch, whispering amongst themselves. Some even clapped in admiration.

Mor, biting her lip to keep from outright laughing, linked arms with her as they neared the end of the walk. “You know, you look obscenely good in that dress.”

Y/N smirked. “Of course I do.” Then, with mock seriousness, “It’s a shame no one I know is here to see it.”

Mor nearly snorted. If only Y/N knew.

Because right at that moment, Cassian, Rhys, Amren, and—most importantly—Azriel appeared at the edge of the street, blending into the crowd.

Rhys, hands in his pockets, took one look at Y/N and let out a low whistle. Damn.

Cassian, on the other hand, was losing his mind. “OH. MY. GODS.” He practically bounced on his feet. “I knew this was gonna be good, but this—this is better than I ever could have imagined.”

Amren crossed her arms, eyes flicking between Azriel and Y/N with amusement. “He’s going to combust.”

And Azriel—Azriel was frozen.

The moment his eyes landed on Y/N, everything else blurred into insignificance. The gown, the diadem, the way she moved with such natural confidence—it was lethal. She was breathtaking on any given day, but like this? Like this?

It took everything in him to school his expression, to keep himself from storming over, yanking her against him, and demanding when exactly she was planning to tell him she looked like that in a wedding dress.

Mor, watching all of this unfold, casually said through the mind link, Enjoying the view, Az?

His shadows curled tighter around him. You knew about this.

Obviously.

Cassian, watching Azriel’s battle for control, leaned over and whispered, “So, when’s the wedding?”

Azriel shot him a look so sharp it could have gutted a man. Cassian only grinned wider.

And then��Y/N finally noticed them.

Y/N, still blissfully unaware, turned her head slightly, about to make some offhand comment to Mor—when she spotted them.

Her steps faltered for a split second as her pale green eyes locked onto the group of familiar faces. And then—she saw him.

Azriel stood slightly apart from the others, his wings half-flared, shadows coiling around him in a way that told her everything. His expression was unreadable, but the intensity in his hazel eyes burned hotter than the sun.

“Oh, fuck,” Y/N muttered under her breath.

Mor cackled.

Cassian was barely holding in his laughter, whispering something to Rhys, who was just standing there, smug as all hell. Amren, as usual, looked more entertained than anything.

And Azriel?

He stalked toward her.

Y/N straightened automatically, an instinctive reaction to the sheer force of his gaze. As he closed the distance, she could practically feel the possessiveness rolling off him in waves, feel the weight of it in the way his jaw clenched, in the way his shadows swirled around his boots like they, too, were ready to drag her close and never let go.

She tilted her head, offering a smirk despite the sudden racing of her heart. “Well, hello there, shadowsinger.”

Azriel stopped right in front of her, his gaze sweeping over everything—the gown, the diadem, the way the silk hugged her curves just right.

“You didn’t think to mention this?” His voice was low, edged with something dark, something claiming.

Y/N’s smirk widened. “I didn’t think I needed to.”

Azriel let out a slow breath, his wings twitching slightly before he reached out, fingers brushing along the delicate embroidery on her sleeve. His touch was light, reverent—dangerous.

“This,” he murmured, eyes flicking up to hers, “is unfair.”

Y/N hummed, enjoying the heat in his gaze far too much. “Oh? Why’s that?”

Azriel’s lips parted like he was about to answer, but Cassian—because of course he did—ruined the moment.

“So,” the general called, grinning like a madman, “should we just start planning the wedding now or—”

Y/N turned sharply. “Cassian.”

Cassian held up his hands. “I’m just saying! You’re already in the dress—”

“I will fight you.”

“I’d like to see you try in that gown.”

Y/N’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, you absolute menace—”

But before she could launch herself at him—before she could even move—Azriel’s hand curled around her wrist, tugging her back toward him, his chest brushing against hers.

“You do look stunning,” he murmured, quiet enough that only she could hear.

Y/N blinked up at him, momentarily thrown off by the softness in his voice, by the intensity in his eyes.

Her breath hitched.

For once, she didn’t have a clever response.

Azriel’s fingers skimmed up her arm, a featherlight touch that sent a shiver through her. His eyes were still locked onto hers, intense, unreadable, drinking her in like she was something rare, something his.

Y/N swallowed. “You—” She cleared her throat, grasping for something smug to say, something to lighten the heat pooling in her stomach. “You keep looking at me like that, and I might think you’re planning something.”

Azriel’s lips barely twitched, his only response a slow, deliberate glance down the length of her. “I’m definitely planning something.”

Mother above.

Mor, meanwhile, was enjoying this way too much. “I have never seen you look so—” she wiggled her fingers dramatically in Azriel’s direction “—feral.”

Azriel didn’t even acknowledge her.

Rhys was still grinning, arms crossed, looking like he was storing this entire moment away for blackmail later. “I have to say, I didn’t expect this today.”

Y/N scoffed. “Neither did I, to be fair.” She gestured to the decadent gown. “It was supposed to be fun, not—” She flicked her eyes back to Azriel, whose expression hadn’t softened in the slightest. “—whatever this is.”

“This,” Azriel echoed, voice quieter now, though no less intense.

Y/N arched a brow. “You don’t like it?”

Azriel huffed a breath, stepping even closer, until she could feel his warmth, until his wings partially wrapped behind her like he was shielding her from everyone. His fingers skimmed the side of her waist, grazing the delicate fabric.

“I love it,” he admitted, so quiet only she could hear. “And I hate that everyone else can see you in it.”

Oh.

Y/N’s breath caught.

Azriel’s lips tilted up slightly. “You knew this would drive me insane.”

She grinned, regaining some of her composure. “Did I?”

His fingers flexed on her waist. “You did.”

Cassian clapped his hands. “Alright, lovebirds, before you two start making out in the middle of the street—”

Y/N threw him a glare, but he only smirked.

Amren, ever the voice of reason, just sighed. “Can we go now?”

Y/N huffed, shooting one last glance at Azriel before stepping back. He let her go—reluctantly—but his shadows still curled around her ankle as if refusing to let her slip too far away.

She smirked. “If you behave, shadowsinger, maybe I’ll wear this just for you later.”

Azriel’s jaw tightened.

Cassian whistled.

Mor lost it.

And as Y/N strode past them, chin held high, she could feel Azriel’s eyes still burning into her, still tracking her every movement, still plotting ways to make her pay for this little tease.

Maybe I should keep the dress.

Y/N felt the weight of Azriel’s gaze long after she had passed him, heat crawling up her spine as she tried—tried—to keep her composure. The gown, the diadem, the makeup… it was all just supposed to be fun, something ridiculous and lighthearted. But now?

Now she was very aware of the fact that she had just paraded down the street looking like a bride, while her mate—her dangerously possessive mate—stood there looking like he was barely restraining himself from throwing her over his shoulder and flying them straight home.

Mor, still at her side, was cackling. “You’re evil for that.”

Y/N grinned. “I know.”

Cassian strolled up beside them, shaking his head. “You do realize you just gave him about a hundred new fantasies, right?”

Y/N snorted. “As if he didn’t already have them.”

Mor hummed. “True, but now? Now it’s personal.”

A shiver trailed down her spine, but before she could hink too much about it, the bridal shop representative rushed over, delighted by all the attention Y/N had drawn. “Oh, this was perfect!” The woman beamed. “You looked exquisite—so poised, so regal. And your mate—Mother above, his reaction was exactly the kind of passion we want associated with our dresses.”

Y/N barely held in a laugh. If only they knew.

The woman clapped her hands. “Would you consider modeling for us again in the future?”

Mor lost it, clutching her stomach as she doubled over in laughter.

Y/N smirked. “I’ll… think about it.”

She could feel Azriel’s shadows still lingering near her, like they refused to let her out of their sight. Good. Let him suffer a bit.

Still, as she walked back to the shop to change, she sent a whisper through the bond.

Did you enjoy the show, shadowsinger?

A pause. Then, a voice like a dark promise.

You’ll pay for that, starlight.

Y/N’s stomach flipped.

Maybe she would keep the dress.

Y/N grinned wickedly as she stepped back into the bridal shop, Mor still laughing beside her. The moment the door shut behind them, she pressed a hand to her chest, her heart hammering as Azriel’s words lingered in her mind. You’ll pay for that, starlight.

Oh, she knew that tone.

And she absolutely planned to drag it out for as long as possible.

“Did you see his face?” Mor wheezed, wiping at her eyes. “Y/N, I swear to the Mother, I have never seen him like that before. He looked like he was this close to starting a public riot.”

Y/N smirked. “I was hoping for a reaction.” She turned, admiring herself in the massive mirror. “Didn’t expect to look this good, though.”

The gown was decadent—pure white with intricate silver embroidery that shimmered under the light. It clung to her curves, cascading in elegant folds, and the diadem in her long hair only added to the illusion of royalty. She looked like she belonged in an ancient, otherworldly court, a queen stepping out of legend.

And Azriel had seen it.

Y/N felt the heat of his gaze even now, the intensity that had burned through the crowd. Her smirk deepened.

Mor nudged her. “You have to keep this dress. I mean, come on. You look like some celestial queen.”

Y/N hummed. “You just want to see Azriel suffer more.”

“Absolutely.” Mor grinned. “And so do you.”

She didn’t even bother denying it.

After a few more minutes, Y/N reluctantly stepped back into the dressing room to change. The moment she pulled the heavy gown off, she exhaled, shaking her head at herself. She had just been playing along with the whole thing, but now, a deeper thought crept in.

Marriage.

She and Azriel hadn’t talked about it, not really. But standing out there, with the entire Inner Circle watching, with him watching, the thought had settled in a way it hadn’t before.

Would she marry him?

The answer struck her as effortlessly as breathing. Of course. She was his, just as he was hers. There was no question about it.

But still, the idea of it—the reality of a ceremony, of wearing a dress like this with intention—sent an unfamiliar feeling curling in her chest.

Excitement.

A little bit of fear.

And a lot of amusement, because she knew Azriel was still reeling.

By the time she stepped out in her normal clothes again, Mor had already sent another message through the bond link. Y/N raised a brow.

Mor just winked. “You’ll see.”

Y/N rolled her eyes, but when they finally stepped out of the shop, she did see.

Or rather—she felt it.

Azriel.

Leaning against the wall just outside, shadows curling around his frame, golden skin taut with restrained tension. His hazel eyes—burning—traced over her, head to toe, like he was still seeing her in that gown.

Y/N’s breath caught, but she smirked. “Came to pick me up, shadowsinger?”

His voice was dark silk. “Had to make sure you weren’t planning to run off and get married without me.”

Y/N let out a soft laugh, stepping close, just enough to taunt him with her presence. “Now, where’s the fun in that?”

Azriel’s eyes flickered with something dangerous. He leaned in, his breath warm against her ear as he murmured,

“You will pay for that, starlight.”

Y/N’s stomach flipped. Again.

Mor stifled a laugh behind them.

Y/N just tilted her chin up, meeting his smoldering gaze with a challenge. “Looking forward to it.”

[bluetimeombre]

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ And I wouldn't marry me, either.

You were Azriel's mate, but it took losing you three times for him to realise.

[this is long. i'm talking 5k words long so i've split it into two parts. anyway, azriel is the best bat boy and no i won't hear anyone out. i'm so excited to write for him and hope you enjoy. it's very angsty but that's what i love. i hope i can write more for him and maybe other characters if you like. it's been a while since i've actually read the series so if any information is wrong, do let me know. also it was my first time using the term y/n and yes, i cringed NOT PROOF READ... enjoy]

warnings: references to sexual assault and references to suicide. nothing explicit but please don't read if this is sensitive to you.

Part 2 soon…

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

The first, was the worst...

You were Rhys's half sister, the bastard daughter of his father. But when your mother had died giving birth to you, Rhysand's mother took you in and raised you with your brother and sister. You were so little and adorable that your sister loved you at once. Rhys did to, at some point of your life, you were sure he actually cared about you.

But when his mother and sister had died, his eyes shifted, he started to look at you with contempt. After all, you were only his half-sister. The worst half. He only kept you around because it's what his mother would have wanted.

And because there was no way Cassian and Azriel would ever let anything happen to you.

Besides, Rhysand knew when to use you.

Although Azriel was his spymaster, you were pretty good at staying swift-footed too. And you were frankly, very terrifying when you wanted to be.

You tread with power through the war camps, all of them looking at you as you went. All of their gazes wrecked with a predatory gaze. They either wanted to have their way with you, or kill you. Or both.

Rhys had said you could handle it, it was only supposed to be a check in. Cassian hadn't liked it, neither had Mor but it was Azriel who had almost- and for the first time- disobeyed his high lord to accompany you. But no, your brother wanted you to do this alone, so alone you would.

Just to show him you could.

'I can come with you,' Azriel had said, standing in your room as you tied your boots up. 'I won't even have to be seen.' At that, his shadows wrapped up your calf.

You smiled at them, as if they were his own pet. 'I'll manage just fine. Besides, i'm sure that's what Rhys wants, me needing a man.'

It had done nothing to calm your friend. The worry was still stuck between his brows, marring his handsome features. You'd held his cheeks, your wings hiding the two of you. His large ones (enough to swallow the both of you) over-lapped yours.

It was the last time you'd feel your wings.

The war camp wasn't as easy as you'd hoped. It was terror and horror in a place. You'd been to the court of nightmares, you'd gone to the slaughter of the spring court after they killed your family. But this, this was hell of another kind.

You had no idea how many days you'd been locked up, wrists bound in chains and hanging from the cell roof above you. Blood rolled down your arms from the force you'd tried to use to get them out. Your eye was swollen shut and your body trembled in pain.

All because they wanted to know your brothers secrets, and you wouldn't budge.

Your check was only supposed to be a day, but you were sure it had been longer. Days of endless pain and torture. Your uniform hung in rags of stripped material, your hair matted with blood and hiding your face.

You'd used the last of your energy to keep your walls up. You weren't anyone's mate, you didn't have anyone on the other end trying to feel what you felt. But should Rhys come looking (though you doubted it) you didn't want him to feel it. You didn't want anyone in your mind.

The gates opened with a sickening clash.

One of the Illyrian's knelt in front of you, his wings hiding those coming in behind you. 'Listen sweetheart. I don't want to make this any harder than it's about to get. All you have to do is tell us your brother's hide outs.'

You grit your teeth, staring down at the ground.

'So loyal, to a man who doesn't care if you live or die.'

Suddenly, your wings twitched as hands grasped them. Brute hands, the sort you wouldn't want touching any part of you.

Fear spiked in you, horror twisting your gut. 'What are you doing?'

'I told you I didn't want to get things messier, darling.'

You whipped your head from side to side, trying and failing to get a look at the assailants behind you. Your wings were being held apart, no matter how hard you tried to bat them away. You knew the sort of people they were, and what they did to girls like you.

That's when the begging started. 'No, no please. Anything. I'll do anything! Beat me, kill me, rape me, not my wings, please!'

'Anything?' the bastard asked, tongue poking out from his lips. 'Then tell me where your lord's hideouts are?'

You should betray him, you thought. He would never lose his wings for you. Perhaps it was stubbornness that kept you from, or maybe you were clinging to the last bit of love you want from him.

The bastard scoffed, 'anything, she says. Your brother has his own bitch wrapped around his finger.'

That's when they started hacking at your wings.

Your screams tore through your throat, blood spitting and dripping down your chin. Tears soon joined when they hacked away at the bone, the membrane, the flesh of it all. The three of them worked through your screams and your tears and your pain, tearing and cutting at it like it was nothing more than paper.

Not your whole life.

Let them hear you. You hoped your brother heard you, you hoped all and every court heard the pain.

Eventually, even you couldn't keep screaming. The only sound was the hacking away at your wings and the drops of blood.

'Now look at these beauties. I've got a perfect spot on my wall for these.'

They left you after that. There wasn't much more damage they could do. It already felt like they'd destroyed your life. You had never really thought about your wings, they were just part of you, as much as your wit or hair was. But they'd took it and now, you felt empty. Never would you fly with Azriel again, or use your wings to smack Cassian over the head.

Rhys, your dear brother, had took that from you.

The days blended in together after that. You were pooled in your own tears and blood, vomiting up anything they forced down your throat. No, they'd made it very clear they didn't want you dead. They just took pride in making it feel like you were.

At some point, you'd stopped reacting to the gate opening. You let them do whatever they wanted with you. Your wrists were still chained, arms still hanging up, your clothes hanging on your thin body in strips of dirt.

'No...' you heard a mumble. 'What have they done to you?'

Suddenly, the chains gave way and you lurched forward, with no strength to catch you. Luckily, you didn't have to, as strong and warm arms pulled you into his chest.

'Hey, wake up, look at me, dammit.'

Azriel.

You'd know the voice in the darkest days, in the pit of your worst nightmare you'd know.

You try to speak but your head's heavy, your lips are stone and your arms can't lift to hold onto him. You're exhausted, you're dying. The only thing you could do use all your strength to try to open your eyes.

'Please, please, look at me. You have to look at me,'

You were trying, you wanted to tell hm, snap at him, but you couldn't.

You felt Azriel shake, or maybe you were. Then, there was wet drops landing on your cheeks- you flinched.

'I'm sorry, i'm sorry. Rhys! Rhys! hurry up, please!' he was screaming. You'd never heard him scream before.

You heard the rush of feet at the cell doors, you knew it was your brother. You knew it from the presence of him, from the shuffling of feet and chocked sob. Your brother didn't cry, least of all for you.

'Her wings, oh mother, her wings,' said Azriel, his voice barley above that of a whisper.

Your wings. You didn't need reminding. They were gone, long and far gone. You were without a part of you, the very part of your soul that loved to be free. Never would you watch the stars up close or fly over everyone. Never race Cassian or make jokes with Az.

No, this would destroy you.

'y/n,' your half-brother called. 'No, y/n. Can you hear me?'

Your lips parted, mumbling. 'Hurts.'

Azriel's grip on you tightened. 'I know, we're gonna get you out of here, just hold on for me.'

You wanted to tell him you would hold on, you'd always need to hold on to him. That, no matter what he asks, you'd do it. To kill, to live, to breathe, to die.

And that's when it clicked. Amongst all the pain and the doubt. In your blood soaked clothes. In the fear you wouldn't make it, there was a tug. Weak and one-sided, but there. You knew you'd be safe with Azriel, knew you would always be with him.

Mate.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

The pain subsided to a dull ache, there and beating but not excruciating. You were warm and covered in a soft material. Nothing like the cell you'd been kept in. Your fingertips sunk into something soft- a bed. Your bed. It was familiar in its lavender scent to you and the silk wrapped around you gave you some semblance of warmth.

Your wings.

Even coming to consciousness was difficult. You were exhausted but light, without the weight of wings holding you down. You'd never realised how much you needed to feel that weight, to feel pulled down in order to be free.

Gone, all gone.

Your hand twitches around something cold, a shadow holding your hand, creeping up your side.

'You're awake, thank the couldron.'

It wasn't Azriel, master of the shadows. It wasn't your mate. Mate. The word replayed like a terrible song in your mind.

How dare the mother do this to Az. How dare he- nothing but loyal and kind- get stuck with a person made in darkness, who bled shadows, who's heart was so full of hate there wasn't room for love. They'd cursed Az, with you.

But luckily it wasn't him, it was Rhysand.

'It really happened,' you whispered, voice hurting from the screams.

He sighed. 'I'm sorry, i'm so sorry. We-we thought you weren't going to make it, you'd lost so much blood.'

In spite of the pain in your shoulders, you made a shift, turning from him as he ranted on about your condition.

'y/n... sister, please,' he said. He'd never called you sister before. He'd always been content to treat you just like you worked for him.

'Leave me alone.' you couldn't bare to look at him, couldn't bare to face him. The shadows at your hand grew heavier, as if more were piling on. You stretched your fingers away from them, trying to get them off you.

'Are you in any pain?' asked Rhys.

'Get out,' you mumbled.

The end of your bed dipped where Rhys settled, hand splayed on the covers, begging for your hand. 'y/n.'

'Get out!' you snapped, body tense and straining. You felt your wounds open up, blood wetting the bandage around you. But you didn't care. You'd happily bleed if you couldn't fly. A part of you, sick part of you wanted to be left there. It would be better than false sympathy.

Be better than your mate being disgusted.

'Get out!' you yelled again, voice tearing through an aching throat.

'I just want to help you! please, let me help you!' said Rhys, standing from your bed and walking around, trying to face you.

'I don't want your help!' you screamed. You reached for the closest thing you could, a jug of water and chucked it toward him. You aim was terrible, marred with pain and exhaustion. 'Get out!'

Though hesitant, Rhysand slowly started walking back to your door. He did it all looking at you, his hands out to show he wasn't gonna hurt you, but you didn't care. You went for the glasses next and chucked them but they landed against the door which he disappeared through.

Before it slid close you caught sight of Cassian , Mor and Azriel. All crowded, all waiting to see you.

You'd be happy if you never let them see you again.

'Can we see her?' you hear Mor ask.

'Give her time,' said Rhys.

The shadows at your hand grew heavier, darker, tighter.

'Go away!' you yelled at them. To anyone else, you probably looked crazy, screaming to darkness. But the shadows understood. They departed, slithering away and under the crack of your door where you could see the shadows of feet.

Tumbling from bed, you stumbled over and locked the door, leaning on it to and catching your breath. Your nightgown was starting to get sticky with blood all over again. When you closed your eyes, you pictured the cell, the rough hands holding you down, the chain keeping you up.

And the pain, it all washed over you. The hacking at your back, the sting of a slap. It hit you like a tone of bricks as you slid to the floor.

There was a knock, rattling the door.

'y/n,' Cassian. 'Please let us in.'

Us. You felt him on the other side. Your mate, his presence lingering. His shadows under the door, wanting to come in but keeping their distance.

He didn't know. It hadn't snapped for him, you could tell. It was one tug on your end, a chord in your heart. At least he couldn't feel what you did. At least you could shoulder it alone.

'Please.' his voice was almost your un-doing. He sounded so sad, so desperate. It hurt you just to think you were hurting him.

Tears streamed down your face as your curled your fingers into a tight fist. You assumed Mor had left with Rhys, leaving you there with the males.

Cass was always like a brother to you. Granted- a brother you had slept with once or twice- but he was your best friend. You'd always been close to him. But you'd always been good, a happy person.

You couldn't be that for them now, perhaps ever again.

It lasted like that for hours. Cassian and Az begging to come in, you curling into a ball with tears down your cheeks and blood down your back.

Eventually, they gave up. You couldn't hear them anymore and the shadows of their boots had disappeared.

Except Azriel's shadows that still lingered under your door. Maybe he'd ordered them to be there while they left you.

Eventually, you managed to find your footing on shaking legs. Your room was large, one of the largest. It was just as much a mess as it was when you'd left for you mission, clothes thrown over the place, books propped open on the pages you'd left them on. Everything was the same but could never be again.

It took you longer than you'd care to admit to get to your windows and throw the curtains close. Candles light at your request, the house looking after you as it had since you were a child.

You caught sight of yourself in the full length mirror. It seemed smaller, everything in the room felt too large and you too small, as if you were being swallowed by the expanse of it.

Your frame was small in the mirror, your hair disarrayed. Your eyes were red and shutting of their own accord from the tears that had drained you. The starving in the cells had made you look weak, made you feel weak.

And your back. There was no more looming black figures there, no more fluttering. There was just nothing. In spite of the ache as you lifted your arm, you felt around your back, feeling the hitch there, the lump from where they'd been torn from you.

You cry. You sob. You scream.

The scars were long and the nightdress was sticking to you by the blood you'd shed. All you could do, was hold yourself up as your body wracked with tears.

A breeze came from your windows, shadows tugging at the curtains.

You felt him before you saw him. You wanted to tell him to leave you but you couldn't talk without chocking. Without feeling like you couldn't breath.

Azriel had you in your arms before your knees could hit the ground. He fell with you, softening your body on the floor. His arms held you into his chest, his legs caging you into his body. His head rested on yours as he held you. He didn't try to talk, he didn't try to help. It was just him, you and his shadows.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Azriel remembered dozing off with you, his head on yours. His arms holding you into him, as if it was up to him to keep the sadness away and take it for you.

Afterall, you were his best friend. He should have been there for you, and he'd failed terribly by letting you get hurt and your wings stolen from you. He could hate himself every day for it, for letting you down. But it would never amount to what you felt for yourself and that killed him.

He could see it in the way you cried, in the way you were already keeping everyone out. He'd rather die than let you go through all the pain alone.

When his hands had been scarred by his brothers, you'd help heal him, tell him about everything he still was and all the power he still held in his hands. In the worst days, when he didn't let anyone touch him, he let you.

It was always you.

Azriel wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep, or how deep. He was sure he was still with you, still in your bed.

His shadows crept up on him, engulfing him slowly and whispering to him. Your name, just your name on repeat. It was enough to lull him back into sleep, to keep him calm.

Gone. Missing. y'n. Roof.

He shot up and ran fastest than he ever had in his life. It was as if he'd never been asleep but had been fighting a battle with the way he raced over.

He burst through the doors, the cold hight air hitting him.

You stood facing the stars, your bloody back to him. It wasn't as much blood as when he'd found you, but it was still enough to put a lump in his throat.

Immediately his shadows fell to you, cascading down your body and wrapping around your waist. There was a breeze in the air, pushing your hair back and exposing more signs of the pain and torture you must have gone through.

'I'm not gonna jump, if that's what you're thinking,' you said. You didn't even have to turn to him. The shadows probably told you enough.

'Why are you up here?' he asked, walking to you slowly and with careful steps. As if every step closer could you push you away from him.

'I'll never feel the win properly again,' you answered.

Azriel gulped down his own pain. You’d never sounded so small. ‘Can you get away from the ledge?’

'I'm not on the ledge.'

'You're too close for my liking.'

'Leave if you don't like it.'

'Don't do this,' he said.

'Do what?' you asked, folding your arms over your chest. You were cold, out in the hight but you wanted to see the stars. Needed to see them.

'Make me leave. Make everyone leave you. I know that's what you're doing. It's what you do every time,' you could feel him dawning closer. His shadows were all around you, almost drowning you.

‘Every time,’ you scoff, stepping down and turning on him. ‘It’s not every day you lose your wings Azriel! But don’t let me stop you from leaving, flap them and go!’ You yelled, unable to stop yourself, no matter how hard you tried. You didn’t want to hurt him, you just wanted to be alone.

Mate. Mate. Mate.

'You jump and I’ll catch you,' he said. He was a step away, he could just reach out and touch, just a gentle caress. 'I swear it, whatever you do, I’ll follow. I’m not letting you get away.’

He watched your back shudder as he reached out, brushing knuckles against your shoulder blade. He heard your sharp inhale follow.

'Don’t think I won’t follow, y/n.'

Finally, you turned around in his shadows. You couldn’t meet his eyes but at least you could face his chest.

His hands were gentle on your shoulder as he rubbed it gently. 'Can I get Madja to clean you up?' He asked.

You nodded as he led you away. You truly did not deserve your mate.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Fifty-two years later...

When Amarantha had trapped the high lords of Prythian under the mountain, it hadn't be a conscious choice to follow your half-brother down. How Amarantha had allowed it, you weren't sure, but perhaps she wanted to use you just like her brother, or she thought it would bring more pain for him to see you suffer under there too.

You and Rhysand had barley spoke the last two years.

It had took you almost two months to heal fully enough to leave your room, another few months to face your family again. But even then, everyone knew something had changed in you. You didn't laugh as loud or smile as wide.

Rhysand was careful to ever let you out on a mission. Mor tried to take you out every night. Cassian spent all day every day with you and Azriel- he'd healed you better than any nurse.

Still, you had not told him he was your mate.

Still, you thought he wouldn't want it.

Still, you cared for your brother enough to not want him to go alone.

But being under the mountain, you could avoid your mate. At a painful price.

Until her. Rhys's mate. He hadn't shut up about her since he first met her, much to your dismay as you had to sit around and listen- having absolutely nothing better to do. And it only got worse when she turned up under the mountain. She was declaring her love for Tamlin- again, annoying your brother, and throwing Lucien into danger- which rather angered you. You had nothing against the ginger.

Rhysand had once sent you to find the girl to summon her as part of a bargain he'd made. He didn't want to go, he didn't want to look too forceful. You'd been lucky enough to find the two tangled up in each other against a cold wall, clothes ripped and hips moving together.

'Well, well well,' you'd intterupted.

Tamlin all but growled at you, but feyre was looking over you- evidently confused. She had no idea who you were. You, in your skimpy outfit that Amarantha kept you in (they all dipped low at your back, showing off your scars) and your eyes that were like a night sky.

'Amarantha's looking for her pet and Rhysand is looking for his. Honestly, i'd be a bit more worried if I were you. You know, considering Lucien still has an eye to lose.'

The two parted with your words as you sent Tamlin back to his master, the high lord glaring at you as you went. While Feyre tried to fix herself.

'Rhysand is over there, better not keep him waiting.' That was the first time you met her, having no idea how much trouble she'd be worth. The family that she'd become.

But Rhysand made sure you knew it all. From when the bond snapped in him and he'd stumbled. He ranted and ranted as they climbed out.

If only you were so talkative about Azriel. If only you could talk about him with your brother. But you'd tried not to painfully think about him. Climbing out of the mountain. It was all you could think of.

Maybe he'd have forgotten you? it had been fifty years. He'd probably realised how happy he could be without having to take care of you.

Rhys was allowed out of the mountain, he'd felt the breeze in his hair but you hadn't in fifty long years. You stood there a moment, bathing in the warmth as everyone left, as everyone ran off for their families and courts and the war that was inevitable. Eventually, Rhys offered you his arm. 'Shall we go home?'

He winnowed you there, on the balcony of your home. In a cloud of black smoke, the two of you appeared.

He went first, slipping through the doors slowly- like it could all be taken from them any minute.

You were hesitant, taking a moment to glance at the landscape behind you. It hadn't changed, not at all. The mountains were still there, everyone was still alive. Your home. In the last years it hadn't felt like home, but how could anywhere ever feel so close in your heart.

When you could find your feat again, you managed to slip through the doors. You were suddenly aware of how little clothing you were wearing, just enough to cover your chest and run down your legs. A chill settled down your back, your scars would be on show. What a way to great them all after fifty years.

Mor had her arms around Rhys's shoulders, crying into his shoulder.

Behind them you caught Amren, with something like tears in her eyes. You were just about to tease her before a body barrelled into yours in a blur of red syphons and your feet were lifted from the ground.

'Cassian.'

His arms tightened around you. You shoulder started to dampen with tears, his tears. The last time you'd seen him cry around you was when he'd seen a dog with only three legs. 'I'm keeping you on a leash from now on, stupid idiot.'

Your arms wrap around his shoulders, a smile gracing your lips. 'Is that a promise?'

He held you longer, tighter, not daring to let you go but at least settling you on the ground. He sighed against your head, controlling himself. 'He's missed you, you know,' he said. He was the only one you'd told, about your mate. 'Now that you're back, tell him. He deserves to know.'

Cassian slowly pulled away, holding you at arms length and smiling at you. He kissed your cheeks and then your forehead before parting to Rhysand.

Mor approached you next, slapping you in the arm.

'Ow!'

'Why would you follow him?' she snapped.

You blinked at her before she took you by the arm she'd slapped and embraced you, like a sister would. You dared not looking over her shoulder to find the one who hadn't come to you. Maybe Cass had got it wrong...

Mor pulled away, wiping at her eyes.

Azriel was as beautiful as the day you left him. His hair was the same length, he was the same height. He was just as you left him. It was hard to tell fifty years had passed on him.

And inside of you, tugging in your soul and heart you felt the familiar string of gold throbbing. But you still didn't feel that tug. You'd hoped it would have faded from you after half a year separated. Or at least have snapped for him. But no such relief.

He approached you, slowly. As if he was scared of scaring you away. But you just stood there.

His arms were delicate and soft around you as he brought you into his chest. He still smelled the same, cedar wood and shadows. Shadows that wrapped around you, shielding you from the rest of the room. They caressed you, head to two.

You held onto each other for what could have been another fifty years, but this time, it wasn't so painful.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Although nobody wanted to part after yours and Rhysand's return, you were exhausted. A trip to Rita's could wait another night or two. The only thing you wanted to do was hide in your room.

Strangely, your room looked lived in. As if somebody had moved in since you'd left. A moment of anger replaced grief. Had they brought someone else and given them your room? but then you smelt it, Az.

Lying in bed that night, exhausted, you couldn't find sleep. You closed your eyes and pictured Amarantha. You'd never been afraid of her, you weren't afraid of anything. But you re-played the horrors. Watching servants beat Feyre, watching Amarantha use your brother and on the occasion, even you. How she flaunted. How the most powerful lords were weak.

Under your door, shadows seeped in, rushing across the room to you. You smiled, watching your hand disappear in their darkness.

'Azriel?' you called.

There was shifting on the other side of the door before he slipped in, clicking it shut behind him.

You sat up in bed, shadows moving with you. 'Couldn't sleep?'

He wondered in, looking around your room. 'Sleeping's been... hard.'

You rolled over, opening the blanket and nodding your head. You couldn't think about the bond, not yet. Not while he looked so.... ruined. Beautiful- the most beautiful person in the world, but sad. As he climbed in next to you, you could see the dark circles under his eyes, his shoulders slumped and his wings too.

His eyes scanned over you. You were in a thin and silk night dress that only brushed your knees, but the way he looked at you, mother you could've been naked. 'Fifty years,' his voice sounded barley controlled. 'Fifty years. You followed your brother down for fifty years? Why would you do that?'

You gulp. 'I would've done it for any of you. Except maybe Amren, she'd probably enjoy the peace for fifty years.'

You go to brush your hair back but Azriel seizes your wrist. He was angry. That's why his voice was rough and his chest rising and falling with barley controlled emotions. Could he feel it? your nerves, your lying?

'You left. You should've stayed, y/n, you know Rhysand didn't want you under there with him,' he said. 'For fifty years I haven't been able to sleep through a night thinking about the pain you must have been going through. After I swore to keep you safe, after I promised to catch you every time!'

'You couldn't have stopped me. You didn't promise, Az.'

His grip grew tighter. 'It went without saying.'

You looked around his eyes, seeing the pain and grief there also. Slowly, you brought your other hand up. He flinched as you took his cheek but eventually settled as your thumb ran over his cheekbone. 'I won't leave again, ok? I promise.'

He gulped, letting go of your wrist and looking down. 'I slept here,' he mumbled, but just loud enough to hear you. 'I couldn't sleep in my room. This was the only place I could rest.'

Your heart stuttered. Your hand dropped from his cheek. This man was your mate. Your mate. Your only love, whether or not the cauldron deemed it.

Azriel took your hesitation. 'I-i'm sorry, you probably didn't want to hear that. I've probably ruined your one place of peace-'

'Stay,' you said, before you could think of what you were asking. 'Sleeping wasn't exactly easy under the mountain either. I just trust I won't have to put a wall of cushions between us.' as if you wanted that. As if you haven't thought about his calloused hands all over you.

Azriel smiled and stayed the night.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

The third time he almost lost you, broke him...

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

[batboysanonymous]

More Than This

Cassian x Reader

Summary: Y/N had always been Cassian’s best friend, but when stolen glances linger too long and casual touches leave fire in their wake, the unspoken tension between them becomes impossible to ignore. Neither of them dares to believe it could be more—until fate proves otherwise.

The first time Cassian realized something had shifted, he was draping his jacket over Y/N’s shoulders.

It wasn’t the first time he’d done it—she had an uncanny ability to leave her cloak behind whenever they went out together, and Cassian had long since fallen into the habit of keeping an extra layer just for her.

But this time… this time felt different.

The thick, worn leather settled over her frame, far too big for her, practically swallowing her whole. Cassian had barely pulled his hands away when she let out a soft, content sigh, her fingers curling into the lapels.

And then she looked up at him.

Not just looked.

Glanced at him through her lashes, her lips curving into the kind of smile that made his stomach flip, the kind that felt too easy, too familiar.

Something tightened in his chest.

A feeling he couldn’t name, didn’t want to name.

His hands lingered a second too long—just barely brushing her shoulders—before he forced himself to step back, clearing his throat.

“You need to start remembering your own jacket, sweetheart.”

Y/N grinned, tugging the collar up around her face. The tip of her nose was still pink from the cold, and fuck, she was cute.

“Why would I, when I can steal yours?”

Cassian exhaled sharply, shaking his head, but there was no real bite to it.

“Because one day, you’ll push your luck, and I won’t give it up.”

She snorted. “You would literally freeze before letting me get cold.”

Cassian sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes. “I’m too nice.”

Y/N beamed, looking far too pleased with herself, and then—

She curled into his jacket, her arms wrapping around herself like she belonged there. Like it was hers.

Like she’d been wearing it her whole life.

And something inside him—something vital—gave out.

Cassian swallowed hard, a slow, creeping realization settling over him.

He didn’t mind.

Not even a little.

Actually, he liked it.

Liked seeing her wrapped up in his things.

Liked knowing that when she smelled the leather, she was smelling him.

Liked that it was his jacket she reached for—not anyone else’s.

His pulse thundered in his ears.

Shit.

His friends had teased him for years—for the way he always lingered a little too close, for the way he gravitated toward her in a room, for the way he’d drop anything the second she called his name.

He’d denied it, every single time.

Because it was just Y/N.

His best friend.

Right?

But standing there, watching her disappear into the warmth of his jacket, looking so effortlessly his—

Cassian realized, with sudden, irrevocable clarity—

They had never just been friends.

And maybe, just maybe—

He didn’t want to be.

───────────────────────────────

Somewhere along the way, their hangouts had started to feel more like dates.

Cassian didn’t know when it happened. Maybe it was the nights spent lingering just a little too long outside her door, the way their conversations stretched until dawn, the way he always wanted to be near her.

Like now—sitting across from each other in a quiet little café, the candlelight flickering between them, bathing her in soft golden hues.

Cassian leaned back in his chair, his eyes tracing the delicate way Y/N stirred honey into her tea, slow and unhurried.

She always did this—added the perfect amount, stirred just so, then took a sip like it was a ritual. He’d seen her do it a hundred times before, but tonight… tonight, it felt different.

Maybe because he was watching too closely.

Maybe because he couldn’t stop.

“You’re staring.”

Cassian blinked.

“Am I?”

Y/N arched a brow, the candlelight making her eyes shine.

“Yes.”

She was so fucking pretty.

Cassian grinned, leaning forward, resting his forearms on the table. He wanted to be closer, needed to be.

“Maybe I just like looking at you.”

It wasn’t supposed to sound that genuine. That raw. But the truth slipped out before he could catch it.

Y/N scoffed, rolling her eyes. But—

She didn’t look away.

Didn’t brush it off like she normally would.

Didn’t deny it.

“Please.” She stirred her tea again, but her fingers weren’t as steady. “You like looking at everyone.”

Cassian smirked, because yeah—he was a flirt. A shameless one. But—

“Not like I look at you.”

The words left his mouth before he could stop them. Before he could think.

And just like that—

Her fingers stilled against her cup.

Silence stretched between them, thick and weighted.

Something unsaid—but not unnoticed.

Cassian felt it in his chest, in the air between them, in the way Y/N’s throat bobbed as she slowly, carefully, took a sip of her tea.

Something had changed.

He shouldn’t have said that.

He should’ve laughed it off, made a joke, turned it into something light and meaningless.

But it wasn’t meaningless.

And that was the problem.

Because sitting here, across from her in the dim light of their definitely-not-a-date dinner, watching the way she tried so hard to pretend his words didn’t affect her…

Cassian knew.

He felt it in his bones.

That maybe—just maybe—his friends were right.

That maybe, he wasn’t just her friend.

That maybe, he didn’t want to be.

His pulse thundered in his ears, his mind revolting against the thought.

He couldn’t be in love with her.

He would have noticed.

Right?

But then Y/N cleared her throat and muttered, “You’re impossible.”

Cassian tried to smirk.

Tried to pretend like his heart wasn’t threatening to crack his ribs.

But he knew.

Something had changed.

───────────────────────────────

Sharing a bed wasn’t new.

After long nights spent drinking or training, it was easier to crash together than be alone. They never questioned it—never overthought it. Just two friends who happened to end up in the same bed more often than not.

That was all.

But waking up tangled in each other?

That was new.

Cassian’s first thought upon waking was that he’d never been this warm in his life. The heat was all-consuming, wrapping around him like a second skin, and he almost groaned at how good it felt.

His second thought—the one that sent a sharp jolt through his system—was that the warmth came from her.

From Y/N.

From the woman curled against his chest, her face tucked into the crook of his neck, her breath fanning across his skin in soft, even exhales.

His arms were locked around her waist. Their legs were tangled. Their bodies were pressed together in a way that was decidedly not friendly.

Cassian barely dared to breathe.

His mind rebelled.

This isn’t anything. It’s just how you woke up. You’ve always been tactile with her. This doesn’t mean—

Y/N shifted, pressing closer, her fingers flexing slightly against his bare chest.

Cassian’s heart nearly stopped.

A slow, sleepy sigh left her lips. Then—soft as a whisper—she nuzzled into him.

His entire body went rigid.

Fuck. Fuck.

This wasn’t just friendly.

Friendly was sleeping side by side. Friendly was a casual arm slung over a shoulder, a teasing shove, an occasional hug.

This?

This was something else.

Cassian squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself to be rational.

Except rational didn’t exist when Y/N was tucked into his arms, when her scent was filling every inhale, when the first thing he had felt upon waking was her warmth, her touch, her fucking everything.

Shit.

Then—

“Cass?”

Her voice was soft, thick with sleep, and it sent an unholy shiver down his spine.

Cassian swallowed hard. “…Yeah?”

Y/N blinked up at him, her lashes still heavy.

A pause.

“…Are we cuddling?”

Cassian’s throat locked.

Lie. Say something sarcastic. Make a joke. Don’t let her realize—

“…I think so.”

The words came out unbidden, his voice hoarse.

A beat of silence.

Y/N groaned and buried her face in his chest.

Cassian stopped breathing.

Because she didn’t pull away.

Didn’t shove him off.

Didn’t recoil.

She stayed.

Cassian’s mind raced, his heart hammering so hard it was a miracle she couldn’t hear it.

This means nothing. It’s fine. You’re fine.

Except his body was betraying him—his arms refusing to let go, his fingers twitching with the urge to trace over the delicate curve of her spine, his head tilting slightly as if it belonged there, right against hers.

This is normal. This is—

He was in so much fucking trouble.

Because if he moved—if he so much as breathed wrong—he might do something reckless.

Like tell her he loved her.

Like admit that maybe he had been lying to himself this entire time.

Like pull her even closer and never let go.

But he didn’t move.

Because neither did she.

───────────────────────────────

Their friends had had enough.

It started with a sigh. Not just any sigh—Mor’s sigh.

It was long, dramatic, and laced with the kind of exasperation that came from watching two people be so willfully blind that it physically hurt her. She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms and swirling the wine in her glass before pointing an accusatory finger at Cassian and Y/N, who were seated—as always—side by side.

“You two are so in love it’s disgusting.”

Y/N, mid-sip of her own drink, choked, coughing into her sleeve. Cassian reached out instinctively, rubbing her back, his touch warm and soothing.

“We are not,” Y/N finally gasped, thumping her chest.

Azriel, who had been watching the interaction with the kind of quiet amusement only he could pull off, arched a brow. “You’re wearing his jacket right now.”

Y/N blinked. Then, as if just realizing, looked down at herself. Cassian’s well-worn leathers were draped over her shoulders, the scent of pine, cedar, and him embedded in the fabric. The sleeves practically swallowed her hands.

“…So?” she muttered, shrugging deeper into it like that would somehow make her point more convincing.

Nesta rolled her eyes, sipping her own wine. “So, everyone knows you’re together except you two.”

Cassian let out an exaggerated groan, throwing his head back against his chair. “For the love of the Mother, we’re not together.”

Rhys leaned forward, a slow, amused smirk curling his lips. His violet eyes gleamed with trouble. “Funny, because if I asked Y/N on a date right now, you’d rip my throat out.”

Cassian’s body went still.

The flicker of irritation was there—subtle, but there. His jaw tensed, his easy-going demeanor slipping just enough for anyone paying attention to see the territorial glint in his hazel eyes.

“Try it,” Cassian said, voice low. “See what happens.”

Y/N glared at Rhysand, unimpressed. “You’re mated, you ass.”

Rhys grinned, unfazed. “That’s beside the point.”

Mor groaned loudly, slamming her glass onto the table. “It’s actually exactly the point! Cass, you’re literally ready to fight Rhys over a hypothetical date! If that’s not proof that you’re in love with her, I don’t know what is.”

Cassian scoffed. “That doesn’t mean anything. He’s just being an ass for sport.”

Rhys spread his hands innocently. “I do enjoy a bit of chaos.”

Y/N crossed her arms. “And just because Cassian doesn’t want me dating you doesn’t mean he’s in love with me.”

A collective groan swept across the table.

Nesta pinched the bridge of her nose. “Mother above, I cannot handle this level of stupidity.”

“It’s truly painful,” Amren murmured, still reading but clearly listening.

Mor pointed at Y/N this time. “Okay, fine. Then explain this. Why do you always wear his clothes? Why does he always bring you an extra meal when we go out? Why does he always find a way to be touching you? And why, for the love of all things holy, do you both look at each other like you personally strung the stars in the sky?”

Y/N sputtered. “I—That’s just how we are! We’ve always been like this!”

Cassian nodded in agreement, throwing an arm over Y/N’s chair in an instinctive, familiar motion. “Exactly! This is just us. We’re comfortable around each other.”

Rhys snorted. “Yeah, too comfortable. So comfortable it’s actually uncomfortable for the rest of us.”

Azriel smirked. “You do realize, don’t you, that half the people in Velaris already think you’re together?”

Y/N’s mouth dropped open. “What?!”

Cassian frowned. “That’s ridiculous.”

Mor laughed, shaking her head. “Oh, please. Do you know how many people have asked me how long you two have been dating? You should hear the rumors.”

Y/N turned to Cassian, utterly baffled. “Did you know about this?”

Cassian shrugged. “I mean... yeah? But I just correct them.”

Y/N blinked. “And how exactly do you ‘correct’ them?”

Cassian smirked. “By telling them you’re still single.”

Mor gasped, scandalized. “You ass! You say it like you’re keeping your options open! No wonder no one else has ever tried asking Y/N out!”

Cassian had the audacity to look pleased with himself. “Well, it’s true. She’s single.”

Rhys’ brows lifted. “And you don’t like that, do you?”

Cassian went completely still.

Y/N, who had been flustered beyond belief, also hesitated, turning to look at Cassian more closely.

A muscle feathered in his jaw.

Nesta was smirking. Amren smirked. Rhys, Mor, and Az were grinning wildly.

Y/N’s heart started to hammer.

“…Cass?” she asked quietly.

His hazel eyes darted to hers. They were unreadable—guarded.

Then he gave an easy, lazy grin. “What? I just think anyone who wants to date you should be able to beat me in a fight first.”

Y/N gaped at him. “That’s the most ridiculous—”

“That’s the most Cassian thing I’ve ever heard,” Azriel muttered under his breath.

Nesta groaned, slamming her palm on the table. “That’s it. I’m done. I’m done.”

Rhys just grinned, stretching out comfortably in his chair. “You two are exhausting. Just thought you should know.”

Silence settled between them.

Y/N turned to Cassian. Cassian turned to Y/N.

Neither of them spoke.

For the first time, they didn’t have an argument.

For the first time, doubt—or something suspiciously close to realization—crept into their eyes.

Their friends had had enough.

And, maybe, it was time they finally figured out why.

───────────────────────────────

Cassian hated seeing Y/N with other males.

It was irrational. Utterly fucking irrational.

He had no claim on her. Had no right to feel this way. But that didn’t stop the ugly, clawing jealousy from curling in his chest whenever some charming bastard thought they had a chance with her.

Like now.

The air inside Rita’s was thick with the scent of sweat and perfume, the bass thrumming through the floorboards. Laughter rang across the room, glasses clinked, and—

Cassian’s grip on his drink tightened.

Some Illyrian asshole was standing too close to Y/N.

He didn’t even know his name. Didn’t care to. All he knew was that the male had spent the last fifteen minutes trailing after her like a lost, love-struck puppy, smiling a little too wide, talking a little too much, and now—

Now, the fucker was leaning in.

Cassian could hear the conversation even over the music.

The male’s voice was smooth, laced with something smug, like he truly believed she’d be honored to entertain him.

Cassian’s jaw locked.

Y/N, to her credit, didn’t encourage him. She was polite—offering that diplomatic smile of hers—but she wasn’t leaning back in. Wasn’t laughing. If anything, she looked vaguely bored.

Didn’t matter. Cassian still wanted to punch him in the fucking throat.

It’s not your business.

That’s what he told himself. He had no right to feel this possessive, no reason to care so much. They were just friends.

Even if he thought about her at night. Even if he felt better when she was around. Even if she was the first person he sought in any room, the first one he wanted to tell things to. Even if—

No. No, it wasn’t like that.

You’re not in love with her. You’re just—

The male reached for her hand.

Something inside Cassian snapped.

His drink was abandoned before he even registered moving. His wings flared slightly as he crossed the room in a single breath, shoving his way between them.

His voice was low, lethal. “She’s taken.”

The male blinked, startled. His gaze flickered between Cassian and Y/N, confusion evident.

“By who?”

Cassian bared his teeth in something almost resembling a grin. “By me.”

Silence.

The words had come so easily. Like they were truth.

The male stiffened, eyes narrowing slightly. “I didn’t realize—”

“You do now.”

Cassian’s tone left no room for argument.

The Illyrian took a step back, lifting his hands in mock surrender. “No offense meant, Commander.”

Cassian didn’t blink, didn’t move until the male was gone—until he had slunk off to some other corner of the club, wisely deciding that Y/N was off limits.

Then, and only then, did Cassian turn to face her.

Y/N was watching him with something unreadable in her gaze.

Not annoyance. Not frustration.

Something… else.

And then—

A slow, knowing smile curled her lips.

Cassian’s heart stumbled.

Y/N stepped closer, deliberately closing the distance between them. Her fingers trailed over the edge of his armor, slow and teasing. Testing.

“Guess that’s true.”

Cassian swallowed hard. His pulse was thunderous.

It wasn’t the first time she had touched him—not by a long shot. But this? This was different.

His world shifted on its axis, the air between them turning thick and charged.

And then—

The pull.

An invisible thread wove through the air, wrapping around his ribs, his heart, her heart—

Cassian sucked in a sharp breath.

It was like the entire club had vanished. Like the music, the laughter, the people didn’t exist.

Just her. Just them.

Y/N’s fingers curled into his tunic. Her breath hitched.

“…Do you feel that?”

His hands found her waist, gripping tight. He couldn’t let go. Didn’t want to.

His voice was hoarse. “The bond.”

Y/N exhaled shakily. “We’re mates.”

Cassian’s world tilted.

His mind reeled, a thousand thoughts colliding all at once—

No. No fucking way. This isn’t—

Except it was.

It had always been.

He thought of Mor’s exasperated sighs, of Nesta’s unimpressed glares. Of Rhys’s teasing smirk, the way Azriel only ever raised a brow when he protested that they were just friends.

“You two are so in love it’s disgusting.”

“So everyone knows you’re together except you.”

Cassian had scoffed. Had brushed them off, had rolled his eyes.

But they had been right.

Every second of his existence had been leading to this moment. To her.

To the realization that he was irrevocably, obsessively, helplessly in love.

And he had been blind to it.

His throat was tight, his chest burning with something too big, too much—

“Y/N—”

But she was already moving, already rising on her toes, already pressing her lips against his.

Cassian broke.

A growl rumbled low in his chest as he crashed into the kiss, gripping her as if she might disappear if he let go. His hand tangled in her hair, the other fisting the fabric of her dress at her lower back, yanking her closer.

Y/N melted into him, her fingers digging into his shoulders. Her lips parted on a soft gasp, and Cassian swallowed the sound, deepening the kiss until he felt dizzy.

It was raw. Desperate.

It tasted like every moment they had spent in denial. Every time he had swallowed down his feelings. Every second he had convinced himself that she wasn’t his to have.

But she was.

She always had been.

The bond thrummed, golden and right.

Y/N pulled back just slightly, breathless, dazed. Her forehead rested against his, her fingers still gripping his tunic like she needed something to hold onto.

Cassian cupped her face, his thumb stroking along her cheek.

And for the first time, he let himself admit it.

“I’ve loved you for a long time.”

Y/N’s eyes softened. Her lips parted.

“…Good.”

Cassian blinked.

Then, she grinned.

“Because I’ve loved you for just as long.”

And Cassian—Cassian—

He kissed her again.

Because, maybe, just maybe, he had been waiting his whole life.

And he wasn’t waiting another damn second.

Want to join my tag list? Drop a comment or check out this link to submit a specific series you would like tagged in! (Or if you just don't want to comment, that's okay too)

[enchanted-by-fae]

I Love You (and That’s All I Really Know) - Azriel x Reader

Pairing: Knight!Azriel x Princess!Reader

Summary: You were his princess, and he was just a knight. Azriel was ready to prove he's worthy of your love.

4.2k words

Warnings: Jousting (nothing graphic), fluff, slight forbidden romance, angst kinda, author knows nothing about swordplay or jousting, Az doesn’t have his shadows, Eris is a bad guy in this, low key this is just adorable.

A/N: This is my first one-shot so hopefully you guys like it! The title and the story itself were influenced by Love Story by Taylor Swift. I was also kind of inspired by the first episode of House of the Dragon and the movie A Knights Tale

Azriel knew it was wrong. You were his princess and he was just a knight. The grand tourney would be held on the morrow and Azriel was ready to win. Not just the tourney but your affections as well. He needed to prove that he was worthy of loving you. 

The knight had been in love with you for years. He was best friends with your brother, Rhysand. They grew close as brothers, training together to one day become the greatest heroes your world has seen. Alongside their other best friend, Cassian, the three were inseparable. 

Azriel still remembers the day he first met you. He was still just a squire and didn’t even know who you were at first when he saw you. All he had seen was a girl chasing a rabbit on the grounds and he couldn’t help but be curious as to what you were up to. He saw you run into the forest after it, leaving him to chase after you. He would’ve felt responsible if something had happened when he could’ve prevented it.

“Hello?” he called out, not wanting to admit he actually was quite afraid to enter the forest alone. He had rumors as a child that sprites and faeries occupied this land and he wasn’t ready to learn the truth just yet. Azriel waited at the edge of the forest for your response but he never heard one. 

“Okay Az, man up,” he spoke aloud to himself. He took the first steps into the forest, looking for a sign as to where you could've run off to. “Sprites, if you live here then I beg you to please leave me alone,” he rambled. Azriel was able to find his bravery the further into the forest he ventured. He was going to be the world's greatest knight after all. After searching for a while Azriel began to question if you even ran in this direction. “Miss? Are you there?” he called again. 

He stopped for a moment to take in the surroundings, “where did you go?”, he pondered. Most people thought Azriel hated talking, in reality he just didn’t like people brushing him off. He found that the less you talk the more people pay attention when you actually have something to say. Of course, he never was like that with Rhys or Cass. His best friends were the only people he could truly be himself around. Another time he loved talking? When he was alone. He loved talking to himself. Who better to listen to him than- well, him.

“Okay,” he sighed out, “this better not be some game. I’m starting to get freaked out.”

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” a soft voice said behind him. Azriels eyes practically sprung out of his head as he completely stilled, scared to death at the mystery voice.

“Oh, sorry. Did I scare you again?” a girl. It was a girl speaking. Az let out a massive sigh of relief, finally being able to breath again, and turned to face the person he’s been searching for. You were the princess. He hadn’t recognized you as such when he saw you run off.

“You’re highness,” he immediately bowed. You just stood there, giggling. Azriel couldn’t help but be annoyed at that. “I came looking for you, not wanting to see you in trouble,” he explained. 

“Trouble? What kind of trouble?” you questioned.

Az thought that surely you couldn’t be serious, “well the forest is a dangerous place. It’s rumored that sprites and faeries live here.”

“Oh, well I haven’t seen any sprites. And I don’t think I’ve seen any faeries either,” you beamed. “I just came to help a rabbit friend,” Azriel thought at that moment you must be insane.

He looked at you quizzically, “a rabbit friend?”

You nodded your head, “yes- well, I mean that we’re friends now. He had a thorn stuck in his paw and the poor thing was in pain. We get along quite well now!” Azriels brows furrowed and you just giggled at him. “You think I’m crazy, don’t you?” you laughed. He had never heard such a lovely sound before. If he could, Azriel would only listen to your laugh forever.

“I’ve just never heard of someone having a rabbit friend before,” he reasoned. 

You just gave him a small shrug before starting the walk back to the palace. “I’m not crazy, just so you know,” you told him. Azriel just looked at you, in hopes of an explanation. “I just think that animals deserve the same respect and love as people. We did invade their homes after all.”

Azriel had never thought of it like that before but he supposed you were right. There’s something so beautiful about nature but then people came along and built palaces and villages. Taking over the land. He admired the way your brain works.

“Hey, you’re my brother's friend aren’t you?” you inquired. 

“Yeah, Rhysand and I are pretty close,” he answered. 

You looked at him with a smile, “he has good taste in friends then. Thank you for coming after me,” you gracefully inclined your head in gratitude.

Azriel offered a smile in return, “of course, princess.”

“Please, call me Y/N,” you asked him.

“Of course, Y/N,” he corrected. Just then he remembered he hadn’t told you his name, “you can call me Azriel.”

“Azriel,” you tried it out. “I like it!” you proclaimed. Now Azriel was offering you a chuckle of his own. He couldn’t remember the last time someone who wasn't Rhys or Cass got him to laugh. In fact, he couldn’t remember when someone who wasn’t his friends got him to talk this much. 

The two of you made your way back to the palace, chatting the entire way back. 

“Well, Azriel, I should get back to my lessons. I’m sure my tutor is having a fit,” you explained. “Thanks again for the escort,” you then started the journey to your study and Azriel just stood there watching you walk away.

“My pleasure, Y/N,” he whispered to himself. 

—

The two of you maintained a steady friendship throughout the years. You grew into a lovely young woman. Always compassionate towards your people, and you still cared a great deal for animals. You also were pretty brilliant. Azriel found himself amazed at some of the things you came up with. Your mind was one of the things he loved most about you. 

As you and he got older, he found himself falling more and more in love with you. He almost confessed it to you just a few months ago at your nameday celebration, but he chickened out at the last moment. He was just a knight. They typically didn’t marry princesses, especially bastards like him.

He did have a plan, however, to make his love for you known. The king was throwing an upcoming tourney to celebrate Rhysands marriage to Lady Feyre. The champion prize was having a wish granted by the king. He planned to ask you for a token of luck before he was to joust and when he won, that will be when he asks for your hand.

—

“Princess Y/N,” Azriel greeted as he found you roaming the gardens, guards lingering behind.

A graceful smile bloomed across your face, “Az, please just call me Y/N,”

Azriel shook his head, a smile of his own appearing, “I just like to tease you.”

“Well don't! It’s not nice to treat your princess that way,” you justified.

“You just said to not call you princess!” he exclaimed. He loved it when the two of you had these playful arguments. They made something in his stomach pleasantly twist.

You were trying to remain serious but couldn’t help the laugh that escaped, “you should still treat me as a princess.”

If things went his way tomorrow, he would treat you as a princess everyday for the rest of his life. He just slightly bowed his head towards you, “of course prin- Y/N.”

You gave him a playful head shake at his correction. “Are you ready for the tourney tomorrow,” you changed the subject. 

Azriel tries not to give away his plans for tomorrow regarding you. He wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise. “Of course I am,” he shrugs nonchalantly.

You turn towards Azriel, who's now walking beside you in the garden. He watches as you study his face slowly, looking for any signs of deception. Azriel has known you for a long time but you've known him for a long time too. You know all of his tells just as well as he knows yours. Yes, you were definitely onto him.

“That's great Az,” you say finally. He lets out a silent breath of relief.  “I’m sure you’ll win, the only other real competition is Cass,” you add.

Az paused, he completely forgot Cassian was jousting too. He should tell Cass of his plan to propose to you. His friend was enough of a romantic that Azriel was sure that he could get him to throw the competition. 

Cassian married Lady Nesta just a few months ago and they were disgustingly adorable. Lady Nesta was the eldest sister of Rhysands new wife, Feyre. He thought it was nice how his brothers found sisters to wed. He was even happier to have you all to himself now that Cass was out of the way. There were a few years where all Cassian could do was flirt with you. Azriel had never been more jealous in his life. He eventually snapped and let his brother in on his affections for you. His friend backed off after that.

“Oh, I’m not worried about “The Lord of Bloodshed”, or whatever he wants to call himself,” Azriel teased. Cass had started to call himself that after the first battle the three of them fought together. Az had never seen anything like it, he was almost demon-like out there. It was strange as Cassian was much different when he was with his friends.

You just giggled at Azriels teasing, “You’re not worried about perhaps the greatest knight this kingdom has ever seen, Sir Azriel?” Az couldn’t help the fluttering of his heart as you used his proper title. 

“Trust me, sweetheart, if anyone here is the greatest then it's me,” he confidently replied. Azriel didn’t miss the flush of your cheeks at the term of endearment used. 

“Then I wish you luck,” you curtseyed, “I shall see you on the morrow then?” 

Az gave you a bow and took your hand in his, placing a delicate kiss to your knuckles, “you shall.” Your face flushed to deep crimson before pulling your hand back and stalking off back towards the palace

—

Azriel found Cassian in the training yard, and he wasn’t alone. He found his two best friends in an intense sword fight. Both of them were very good. Az found peace in knowing Rhysand wouldn’t be competing tomorrow, as the tourney was to celebrate his marriage. That just left him to deal with Cassian, who at that moment knocked his opponent on his ass, leaving Rhysand as the loser. 

“Well, well, well, look who decided to show his face at training,” Cassian called out to Azriel, helping pull Rhys back to his feet.

“Nice fight,” Azriel turned towards Rhysand, “sorry you had your ass handed to you.”

Cassian let out a chuckle, “he sure as hell did.” Rhysand was not amused, scowling at them both. “Oh wipe that face off, Rhys. You’re probably just tired,” Cass smirked, “Feyre wearing you out?”

Rhysand just looked at Cassian with a devilish grin, “something like that.” 

Azriel just stood there, laughing at his friends. “Cassian, could I speak with you about something?” he asked. Cassian just looked at him with a quizzical brow.

“Why do you just need to speak to Cass?” Rhysand questioned, “I am your prince, after all.” Azriel was starting to ponder if pulling rank was a family trait. 

Azriel never actually told Rhysand about his love for you. He didn’t want to make him uncomfortable but he supposed it would be nice to have both his best friends backing him up tomorrow. 

Azriel took a deep inhale before speaking, “I’m going to wish for Y/N’s hand in marriage when I win tomorrow.”

Rhysand and Cassian dropped their swords simultaneously, staring at Azriel.

“You- wait my sister?”

“Finally!” The two exclaimed at once. Cassian wrapped his arms around Azriel, “you have my congratulations, brother,” he beamed.

“You knew about this?” Rhysand questioned Cass. 

Cassian let out a sigh as he backed away from embracing Azriel. “yes, Rhys. I knew,” his response laced with guilt.

Rhysands confusion grew deeper and deeper. The only thing holding Azriel together was that he didn’t seem angry. “How- how long have you been in love with my sister?” Rhys asked.

Azriel shit his eyes, breathed, and reopened them, “since the day I met her.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Rhysand seemed more hurt than the fact his best friend was in love with his sister. 

Azriel felt guilt coursing through him, “I didn’t know how you’d react. I thought you’d be angry,” he confessed.

Rhysand just blew out a sigh, “Why would I be angry?” It was now Azriels turn for confusion. “I honestly couldn’t think of a man more deserving than you to marry her,” Rhys informed.

“You truly mean that?” Az couldn’t contain the small grin he had.

Rhysand nodded, “of course,” he walked over and clapped Azriel on the shoulder, “she’d be lucky to have you. And you’d be lucky to have her.”

“Does this mean I have your blessing then?” Azriel queried.

Rhysand gave him a wide grin, “of course, although it’s not mine you need. How do you plan to convince the king?”

“I have a plan,” Azriel told his brothers before bringing his attention back to Cassian, “I need a favor.”

“Anything,” Cassian responded. Azriel informed his brothers of just how he’ll gain your fathers approval.

—

Azriel was set to fight his first match against a knight he had never heard of until before today, he was good. Not as good as Azriel, however. Azriel beat opponent after opponent, the crowd cheering his name. He loved the rush of the sport but if he was being honest with himself, he only cared if you were cheering his name. Which you were.

Azriel picked out your voice instantly, as it was the loudest. He looked at the royal box where you were seated on the left of your father, Nesta on your other side. When you weren’t cheering for Az, you were conversing with the lady. Azriel thought it was sweet how well you got along with her and Feyre. The latter of whom was seated next to Rhysand, on the opposite side of your father.

Soon Azriel found himself going against Cassian. During the conversation they had the day prior, his friend had agreed to lose. He felt bad asking it of Cass, but Azriel needed to win. 

Azriel saddled himself on his horse once more and did a quick canter around the arena. He stopped just below the royal box.

“Princess Y/N” he called, using your formal title considering how public you currently were. His heart skipped a beat as you appeared before him.

“Yes, Sir Azriel?” you questioned, a mischievous smile gracing your face.

“Might I have a token? For luck,” he raised his lance high enough for you to bestow your favor. You nodded your head before you darted off to your seat to grab your gift.

“For you, good sir,” you came back with an intricately weaved wreath of flowers, placing it down on his lance. You leaned over the balcony just enough for Az to hear, “Win my heart, Sir Azriel.” You smiled at his dazed expression before returning to your spot besides the king. 

Azriel just sat there on his horse, amazed at what you had just said. He finally snapped back into reality and rode back to his starting position. He was ready to win your heart. 

—

Azriel was at his end of the fence, waiting for the signal to face off against Cassian. You were so close. Finally, Cassian emerged from his end of the barrier. Azriel looked towards his friend and noticed that he was riding a different horse. Then he noticed that the suit of armor was not the one Cass wore. And the killing blow was when the knight took off his helmet and revealed the face of Sir Eris.

Azriel called for a time out before the joust could begin, needing to check what happened with Cassian. He took off on his horse towards the opposite end in search of answers.

He arrived towards his new opponent, “Sir Eris, what has happened to Cassian?”

Eris let out a scoff, “you mean that idiot?”

Azriel glared at him, “yes, him.”

“Oh, well you see,” Eris began, “he lost.”

That wasn’t right. Cassian doesn’t lose. Especially to fools like Eris. Azriel never liked him. He was always full of himself. Thinking he was better all because he was to be the king of his own kingdom someday. Rhysand was in line for his own throne, and his friend still maintained humility.

“I doubt that is the truth of the matter,” Azriel defended. He hadn’t seen every tournament today, he was busy competing on his own as there were multiple tournaments being held. It was all meant to lead up to this, the grand finale. Azriel hoped that Eris was just making a show of himself, rather than telling the truth.

“Oh but it is,” Eris smirked, “I knocked him down myself. See for yourself.” Azriel followed to where Eris’ line of sight went, the royal box. 

There he sat, next to his wife. Cassian was hanging his head in his hands, upset by the defeat and that he wouldn’t be able to help his brother any longer. Nesta rubbed comforting circles on his back and you moved to sit at his feet in hopes of cheering him. 

“I wish you luck, Sir Azriel,” Eris mockingly bowed his head before placing his helmet back on.

Azriel galloped back to his end of the arena. He took a few deep breaths, thinking everything through. He knew he could take down Eris, but it would’ve been helpful if he had the guaranteed win he had with Cassian. If he lost, he’d never be able to marry you. He had to clear all the negativity from his mind. He would win. He could do this. Azriel would do as you told him and win your heart. 

The signal went off for the grand finale to begin. Eris galloped down first, charging with might. Azriel followed almost instantly, securing his helmet. Focus. He needed to focus. Azriel, with direct precision, aimed for Eris’s shoulder. It would earn him a few points if the blow landed. 

It didn’t. The blow just missed Eris and instead one landed on Azrael's shoulder. One point for Eris.

Their squires handed each of them a new lance, set to begin round two. They began their gallops down again. Eris landed another blow on Az on his shoulder. Eris now had two points on Azriel.

The third round would be the last if Eris landed another blow. The first to three points wins so that meant Azriel had to get at least one point, in hopes of continuing longer with a chance of a comeback. He had another option as well. If he knocked Eris from his horse then he would automatically be declared as the winner. 

Az blew out a breath, “okay, I can do this. Just knock Eris on his ass,” Azriel rambled to himself. He never could break the habit. “Easy enough,” he confidently whispered.

Azriels squire handed him his final lance, desperate to get this over with and to make you his at last. The two nights began their descents towards each other, lances ready to deliver their final blows. 

This time Azriel aimed further in, closer to Eris’ chest. He galloped and galloped. He had something to fight for. Someone to fight for. You. All he could think of was just how lovely you are and how he so desperately wanted to you to be in his arms.

Azriel landed his blow. Eris missed. He missed and was immediately knocked off his horse. He had done it. Azriel won. He removed his helmet and let out a laugh. Not because it was funny, but because he gets his wish and Eris gets nothing.

Azriel trotted over towards the royal box, ready to face your father. He got off his horse smoothly and there you were, looking at him in a way he had always hoped you would.

“Sir Azriel,” the king started, rising from his seat, “it seems as though congratulations are in order.”

Azriel kneeled before his king, “thank you, your majesty. The honor was mine.”

“You do understand what you receive for your victory, yes?” the king asked. 

“Yes, one wish granted,” Azriel nodded breathlessly. He could hardly contain his nervous excitement. 

The king took a moment, “that is correct.” The king began walking towards Azriel until there wasn’t much space left between them. “Stand,” he ordered. Azriel did as he said, rising to meet his king's eyes. “What is it you would wish for?” he asked.

“I would like to ask for the hand of Princess Y/N,” he nervously asked. Azriel took a fleeting glance towards you, making eye contact. He wanted to spend forever looking into your eyes. Azriel lost his nerves completely, knowing you were looking at him with such admiration. 

“I wish to make her my bride. I wish to make her happy for the rest of her life. I wish to love her, and to hold her. I wish for Y/N, my king” Azriel requested in his most authoritative voice. 

The king's face was one of indifference, “are you not a bastard?”

Azriel won the tourney. His birth status should not matter anymore. He was tired of the obstacles in his way. He felt his temper bubble to the surface. That was when Az felt a gentle hand place itself on his forearm. He looked to his side, and there you were.

“Father, the rules stated the winner would have any wish granted to them,” you came to his defense. 

“Yes but, Y/N, he’s a bastard,” the king justified.

“I love him, as he loves me,” you proclaimed. Azriel had no idea that you truly returned his feelings. Of course he suspected, that was why he had done all of this after all. Hearing it from you made his chest thunder with excitement. You loved him. 

The king looked between the two of you, “you truly love him?” he asked his daughter.

“Yes father, I do. Please grant him this wish,” you began to plead. 

Your father looked towards Azriel now, “you truly love her?” he asked Azriel, repeating the same question he had for you.

“I do,” Azriel said without a second thought. “I love her and wish to make her my wife,” he continued, looking down towards you. 

You felt his gaze upon you and turned to make eye contact with him, giving him a smile he had never seen you wear before but he somehow loved this one the most. “Please, father” you begged once more.

The king examined Azriel once more, then brought his gaze to you. “Very well, the two of you shall be married,” he declared loud enough for most of the arena to hear. Soon enough applause and cheers filled the open space, the crowd rejoicing in the news. 

With that the tourney came to a close, the king and his royal guard taking their leave. Azriel spared a quick glance to his friends as they left with Feyre and Nesta, presumably to give him a moment alone with his fiancée. He loved that he could call you that now. And soon, you'd be his wife.

When everyone in the royal box left and the two of you were as close to being alone as possible, he went to gently take your face into his hands. “Why didn’t you tell me you love me?” he asked you.

“Well, why didn’t you tell me you love me?” you retorted. 

Azriel let out a chuckle, “you have me there, princess.”

“I’m sorry I never told you. Truthfully,” you removed his hands from your face, pulling them close to your chest, “I’ve loved you since the day we met.”

Azriels eyes bulged, “you- you have?” You just gave him a shy nod in response. “In the name of honesty,” he breathed out a laugh. He couldn’t believe you loved him just as long as he did you. “I’ve loved you since that very day as well,” he confessed.

You giggled, “we’ve both been rather foolish, haven’t we?”

“Yes, my love, I’m afraid we have,” he giggled with you. Azriel wasn’t planning on wasting one more second. He removed one hand from yours, taking it to place back on your cheek. His thumb softly stroked the skin there. He leaned down, hovering just above your lips. “I love you, Y/N,” he breathed out.

“I love you, Az,” you whispered back just before he closed the distance. Finally, after years of waiting, he sealed your lips with a kiss. He had won your heart just as you had won his.

—

A/N: I've had this idea in my head for a little while now so I'm very happy I finally got around to writing it! You are all so amazing, I really appreciate all of your support 🥰❤️

[utterlyotterlyx]

Starstruck

Azriel x Fem!Reader

Summary - Azriel had never wished upon a star, and after finding you, he wished he had done it sooner.

Warnings - FLUFFFFFFF, a touch of angst and sadness

There were thirteen stars that streaked across the skies during Starfall, Azriel had resound himself to noting each one as they made their journey across the same canvas each year, watching how they danced between one another and entranced the city with their show.

He sometimes wondered just how perfect someone had to be in order to be one of them, to shine so brightly and to be so adored that a whole city would wait an entire year to watch them for just a fleeting moment.

After watching for so long, Azriel knew each of them in his own special way, but he had always been particularly drawn to the singular star that always drifted to the back of the colony, like it was trying to stay for just a moment longer, and he could have sworn that he felt it watching him on more than one occasion, even when it twinkled idly in the sky and pulsed with pearlescent light.

One particular Starfall, Azriel gave in to his infantile wonder that perhaps wishing on a star would make all of his dreams come true, dreams that he had never spoken of to anyone. As silly as it felt, Azriel forced himself to close his eyes just as the stars began their dance; he inhaled deeply and wished, what for he'd never tell, but he did it.

In the days that followed, Azriel felt that tiny spark of hope evaporate within him, such showed in his tendrils of shadow who were feeling a little heavier than usual, less mischievous too. Cassian had noticed it, it was only small really and he was surprised that it was him who had caught it, but he knew Azriel better than anyone, he'd notice any slight change.

"What's wrong?" Azriel's chest was glistening in the last dwindling glance of sunlight, rising and falling rapidly as he worked to slow his breathing from his latest training session with Cassian.

Azriel spared Cassian a side-long glance and moved to unwrap his knuckles, the bandages winding onto the ground, "Nothing," he cast his eyes down to his knuckles, bruised and bloody and also throbbing from the impact of Cassian's abdomen, the feeling didn't do much to tempt his thoughts.

"Bullshit," Cassian cursed softly, "You're you but not. Tell me what's going on Az."

Sighing, slightly agitated, Azriel turned to his brother, noticing the stars leaking in from the distance, "I want my mate. I want what you and Nesta have, and Feyre and Rhys. I thought that maybe it was my turn next," his heart stung with the knowing of Lucien and Elain's accepted mating bond, he glanced behind Cassian, seeking comfort in something other-worldly, "I wished it."

Azriel hadn't meant to make Cassian feel guilty, he was glad that Cassian had found his mate, someone to love for the rest of his days., but it didn't stop him from feeling more alone than he had ever felt in his life.

The raw emotion in his voice caused Cassian to stand speechless before him, "I'm going to go for a walk, clear my head."

Without another word, Azriel shrugged his shirt over his head and took off into the skies, unable to look back at the pained expression on Cassian's face. Part of him was ashamed for his feelings, he was Spymaster of the Night Court, anyone who loved him would be in constant danger, perhaps that was why he hadn't been gifted with a soul-bound other.

Landing on the cobbled streets of Velaris, Azriel began trapsing through the city with his head hung low, not particularly paying attention to anything until his shadows coiled around his arms and tugged at him. The Shadowsinger scoffed, pushing himself onward and choosing to ignore his companions, only barking at them when they swam over his face and restricted his vision; Azriel swatted at them, "What?"

One particular shadow, the one most prone to dancing and becoming lost in someone's hair, hovered before his eyes, waltzing into the night-kissed air and forcing Azriel to focus. He hadn't realised how far he'd walked until he took a moment to scan the area, he had wandered all the way down to the Sidra, so much being clear from the bubbling drifting from the riverbank as the water sang over the rocks.

Then he heard something that made his heart skip, a soft hum, no louder than a hummingbird, winding down the cobbled path to meet his ears. It was sweet and calm, full of life and serenity, and he couldn't stop himself from following it.

His shadows shivered with each step, each one becoming more active with every metre forward they were carried until they saw you, you were kneeling in the water that perfectly reflected the sky, fingers dipping beneath the surface whilst it swam by you. Your hair was unbound and kissing the surface in a way that sent small ripples through it whenever they would collide.

Azriel stood on the bank and watched you, not being able to place you in his mind, he listened to your song, unwilling to stop his shadows from drawing themselves toward it. Only when those tendrils of darkness grazed against your skin did the song halt, it was replaced by a soft giggle, one that could have made the darkness part to allow in the sun if it wished it.

"Can I help you?" The shadows shuddered at your question, convicted to dancing to the sound of your melodic tone, coiling around the finger you had raised to your eyes to inspect them closer, "How peculiar."

The drenched skirt of your pale blue dress pooled at your feet when you stood, but you didn't take your eyes off of the shadows. And, as if realising how potentially rude they were being, Azriel moved to intervene, to beckon them back to his side, "I'm sorry, they don't seem to want to listen to me today."

Turning to face him, Azriel lost every thought in his mind, the only one lingering in his consciousness being that you were easily the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, "It's alright, I don't mind," you told him with a smile as wide as the Sidra. His shadows continued to dance around you, slithering into every gap possible to just be as close as they could, "Who are you?"

Azriel was slightly taken back by the question, everyone knew who he was, and he didn't mean to feel egotistical when he thought that, most people were afraid of him, and everyone in the city certainly knew who he was. "I'm Azriel," he attempted to call back his shadows but they refused to leave you, he had half a mind to waltz right up to you and pluck them from your skin, but he stayed put, "Who are you?"

"Y/N." Beautiful.

"I haven't seen you here before."

The moon reflected off the surface of the Sidra,

Humming softly, you glanced about with a furrowed brow, like you were trying to find something familiar until your eyes dragged upward and settled on the sky, "And where is here?"

"Velaris. The City of Starlight."

"Starlight," your voice drifted, eyes unwavering in their upward gaze, "How pretty."

Perhaps Azriel should have been cautious of you, the beautiful thing with the long hair and voice as tempting as a siren's, but he wasn't, not even a little bit. If anything, Azriel had found a comfort within you despite only being in your presence for a mere few moments.

After a few moments, your wandering eyes returned to earth and you moved past him, up toward the cobbled path he had strayed from to find you, "Can I walk you home?"

Turning on the balls of your feet, you grinned at him and continued backward, "I'll be fine."

Azriel took a single step forward, "Will I see you again?"

"If you wish it," you told him with a knowing smirk, one that he didn't recognise, before turning from him and disappearing into the night, leaving Azriel wondering just exactly who you were to be able to cause his shadows continue to whisper your name into the darkness.

The next time Azriel saw you was in the Palace of Threads and Jewels, he had only caught a glimpse of you, but your scent of jasmine and pine lingered where you once stood. Azriel excused himself away from Nesta and Feyre, both of who glanced to his hurried form as he retreated from them.

Rounding a corner, he found you inspecting a bouquet of night lilies, your fingers gliding across the velvety petals with a genteel smile on your lips, one that widened when his shadows curled around your ankles, "Hello again," you called to them endearingly, beckoning them up to your fingers where they happily rested whilst you brushed the tip of your nose again them.

Azriel felt his heart clench at the action, and he only pulled himself from his entranced state when you graced him with your attention, "Hello to you too, Azriel," your hands were folded neatly behind your back, his shadows now resting on your shoulders.

"Hello," he took a step forward, and then he noticed just how small you were in comparison to him by the way you craned your neck up to look at him, "I knew I'd see you again."

A grin formed on your lips, "Did you wish it?"

"Perhaps,” Azriel folded his arms across his chest and drank you in, the pinned back hair and the baby whips that floated over your forehead, the white dress that hugged you in all of the perfect ways, and those bright doe eyes tinged with a touch of mischief.

"Then consider your wish granted,” the heel of your shoe clicked against the floor, the aroma of fresh roses and foliage filling the air, and you cocked your head at him slightly as if appreciating his beauty, “How have you been?”

In all honesty, Azriel had been feeling much better since that night he left Cassian after training, and that was because of you. Azriel couldn’t stop thinking about you, how lost you seemed but also not afraid, how gentle you seemed, and your voice, he couldn’t get it out of his head. Without wanting to admit it, Azriel had been looking for you, lazily, but with a hope he thought he had lost. And now there you stood, as pretty at the petals that drifted along the floor.

“I’ve been alright,” he leaned against the pillar of the stop, angling his body into you. It had been an age since someone had asked how he was, especially in the way that you asked, with genuine intrigue and care. “How have you been?”

Smiling, you answered, “I’ve been good,” you tucked a strand of hair behind your ear and giggled softly as a shadow flowed through your hair.

“I’d like to get to know you,” he said with gentle conviction and you couldn’t help but blush, enjoying the sight of those soft eyes and rough exterior clad in black pants and a matching long sleeved cotton shirt.. “If you’d let me?”

“I wouldn’t say no,” you shrugged and took a step forward, close enough to scent the cedar on his clothes, “What are you doing right now?”

“Nothing,” Azriel internally cursed himself for responding so fast, showing his eagerness to spent more than a moment under the moon with you.

With a knowing smirk you huffed out a laugh, “Well, walk with me? I want to explore a little.”

Not needing another word, Azriel pushed himself from the beam and stepped aside for you to slip past him, slowly meandering through the market and observing everything that you could.

“Where is it that you live?” Azriel asked, happy to simply watch you scan the shelves and touch anything that looked soft.

Without looking back, you answered his question with a voice as warm as summer rain, “A little cabin by the streams,” the cotton of your bag brushed against your skirt as you swayed from side to side, craning your head and standing on your tiptoes to glance at the top shelves.

Azriel knew the place, he had always been drawn to it, the white window frames that turned yellow in the golden light that poured from insane, the thatched roof that was almost plaited in the finest of knots, and the tiny garden erected toward the back facing the forest where an array of flowers of all breeds bloomed and basked.

“And you? Where do you live?”

You led Azriel down the cobbled streets, picking up trinkets and admiring their beauty before placing them back on the shelves, “I live in the House of Wind,” from your furrowed brow, he knew that you didn’t know of it; Azriel placed his hands on your shoulders and turned you gently, reaching beneath your chin to angle your head upward, “Up there.”

“It looks beautiful,” you hummed, “You’re very lucky.”

“Yes, I am,” you missed how he looked to you when he spoke, captured by a gleaming stone resting on a plush cushion.

Closing the gap, you took the stone in your hand, resting it in your palm and letting the chain sway against your wrist, “It’s so beautiful,” you spoke in a tone a hush above a whisper, the rustle of a curtain begged your focus and you glanced up to see an elderly woman approaching you.

“A beautiful stone for a beautiful lady,” her voice rasped, but her kind eyes were fixated upon you, smiling in their own way.

“How much?” Azriel asked, appearing behind you with a twinkle in his eye.

“Azriel, no. It’s too much,” you protested, it was an ornately beautiful jewel, a white stone that reflected against the cloth of the ceiling that billowed in the breeze, “I can’t.”

Azriel, nodding his silent message to the shopkeeper, took the chain in his marred fingers and draped it around your neck, clasping it at the back and watching as your fingers reached to brush against it, “It was made for you.”

“Thank you,” you turned around to face him, and it took every ounce of willpower to not brush his fingers against your cheek.

The dropping sun cast its glow over your face, and Azriel gasped slightly, the sun turning your eyes molten and pristine, and felt the golden thread within him thrum into place. For a moment, the world seemed clearer, his senses heightened and your scent seeped into the foundations of his being.

From the look on your face, you had also felt it, your lips had parted slightly and your eyes were wide and glistening, “It’s you,” he was in disbelief, but his heart sang when you rested a hand over his heart, “You’re my mate.”

A gentle nod confirmed it, and Azriel couldn’t stop his hand this time from brushing against your cheek, his thumb dragging over your skin, “Yes.”

“I didn’t think I’d ever find you,” he whispered, “You’re real?”

“I’m real,” you entwined your fingers with his and brought them to your lips, kissing the marred flesh of his knuckles, “I’m here.”

Azriel struggled accepting that someone as perfect as you had been chosen to be his.

He didn’t want to rush you into anything, he wanted you to be comfortable, but he’d be lying if he said that every single part of him wasn’t irrevocably obsessed with you.

But when you met his family for the first time, and held Nyx and rocked him to sleep, did Azriel know that there was no one more made for him than you. Nesta and Feyre adored you from the moment they laid eyes on your sweet smile and large eyes, they had practically whisked you away to a separate sofa to probe and gossip with you. After you had spoken to Cassian and Rhys, his brothers moved to him with wide smiles, telling him that you were perfect.

Then there was Nyx who cried every time someone tried to take him from you, his nuzzled into your side, resting his head against your chest as he slept.

In the months that followed, his adoration for you only grew, and the night you had accepted the bond had been the most magical moment of his life. And not long after, he made you his wife in the most ornately warm ceremony the city had ever seen.

Each day was full of love and laughter, he moved into the cabin with you, and enjoyed every single moment of his life knowing that you were the one waiting for him at the end of the day.

Starfall had rolled around again, reminding Azriel that it was the same night a year ago that caused him to wish for you. He stood with you on that balcony, a stones throw away from the rest of his, and now your, family as the skies opened and the stars began their descent.

“I’ve never seen it like this before,” you uttered, hands resting on his forearms that were wrapped around your waist.

The stars soared, but their usual course was disrupted by their decision to fly toward the balcony. They hovered before you and Azriel and he felt your body leave his embrace, your fingers outstretched to float between the stars that waltzed around your body, “I’ve missed you too,” you told them, skin glittering with their kiss.

Bewildered, Azriel watched you have a conversation with the stars that painted the sky each night. Frowning, he counted the stars, noticing each one as the ones he knew and named, the same ones he created stories and lives for, to only find that one was missing, the last one who always lingered. Then his eyes moved to you and he wondered how he hadn’t realised it before.

The last star was you.

It made sense, you had always shone so brightly in comparison to others. Everyone had always felt settled around you, and Azriel had just thought that it was your serenity that caused it, but no, it was because you were a star.

“You’re a star,” that’s why you didn’t know where you were that night he had found you, it’s because you had fallen from the sky and landed his city, his home.

Smirking slightly, you walked into his open arms, sighing as the stars moved around you, “I prefer to say a wish come true.”

Azriel, chuckling at your words, hooked a finger beneath your chin and pulled your eyes upward, his breath fanned over your face. “If I’d have known then I would have wished for you a lot sooner.”

Authors Note

Just a little one from me 😚

[m4tthewmurd0ck]

THE SHADOWSINGER

WIP’S —

Strawberry Sweet (series)

Steal the Stars (series)

COMPLETED —

mirthroot + texting… (texting au featuring bff cassian)

THE GENERAL

WIP’S—

coming soon!

THE HIGH LORD

WIP’S —

coming soon!

TAG LISTS — since spots fill up so fast, i no longer do tag lists for specific characters! keep an eye out for when i post previews to be added to the tag lists. OR follow my back @kemp-steve and have notifications on, and you’ll be notified when i post for all characters!

[thehighladywrites]

Disciplinarian

pairing: bodyguard!azriel x spoiled, rich, partygirl!reader

summary: You have never been disciplined a day in your life; your parents are too kind and overlooking, so you get away with everything. When your parents have to leave for a year on business, you're assigned a bodyguard to look after you. What do you do when it is someone you can't stand?

warnings: 18+, smut, reader is kinda stuck up and spoiled, brat taming, enemies to lovers-ish, forced proximity, drug use, alcohol, questionable substances, grinding on random men in clubs, intoxication, azriel acts like he'd never touch you but he will, best believe

amara’s note: alright gang, let’s try this one more time. and tumblr pls don’t delete this🫶🏽

Azriel can't fucking stand spoiled, rich, entitled girls like you. Seriously, you have it all – jewels, status, servants at your beck and call, enough money to buy a country, and a family name that practically scream elite and untouchable. Your parents never say no to you, and they make sure you know it.

You adore your parents and they love you, and in a court where genuine love is rare, you hit the jackpot. Their approach to discipline is nonexistent, which means you practically have a free pass to everything you do. You might here the occasional sigh but never any real repercussions.

All that, and you still manage to fuck it up and waste your fortune and good luck on trashy things.

You fucking love your life and live to the fullest, diving headfirst into hookups, trying questionable substances, sipping drinks, fucking everyone with a pulse, flaunting your body in slutty clothes, dancing and splurging on shopping sprees until your arms can’t carry more bags.

To Azriel, you are like a walking, talking embodiment of everything he despise about the privileged members of Hewn City. You live in a bubble of luxury, completely disconnected from the real world. It drives him up the wall to see someone who has never faced a single challenge or hardship, someone who probably can't even spell "struggle" if their life depends on it, act so mindlessly stupid and oblivious.

You can't fucking stand Azriel either. He is an annoying, obnoxious, attention-grabbing loser with a mouth that could make a sailor blush, and manners that were more suited in a battlefield than in a refined courtroom. The way he acts all mysterious and unbothered, pretending not to notice his effect on people grinds your gears. He is nosy, annoying, and you are pretty sure he thinks personal space is just a suggestion, like ew.

And your dislike doesn’t lessen when your parents ask Rhysand for someone to guard you while they are away on business. And of course, Rhys can’t say no because your father practically funds Hewn City with his money.

—

“Rhysand, we need to discuss my daughter's safety while we're away on business. Could you arrange for someone to guard her at all times? We will be away for a while and we wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t necessary.”

Rhysand nods, knowing he can’t refuse. Your family weren’t the typical mean and evil family in Hewn City. Your family had been wealthy for generations, a family from a long line of very influential faes.

“I understand your concern. But may I ask why the sudden need for extra security? Is there something wrong with her current guards?”

“Well, as you might now, our daughter is somewhat of a wild card. She is just going through a phase but she is still my babygirl and I need someone to look after her so she doesn’t get hurt while we’re gone. Sure, her current guards are fine but I need someone who keeps her in line.”

Rhysand supresses his smile and clears his throat. Wild card was certainly an understatement and he was pretty sure that not even The Mother could keep you in line. “I see. I'll make the necessary arrangements.”

After your parents leave, Rhysand shakes his head, knowing the challenges that lie ahead. He asks Azriel to meet him at his office, reluctantly asking him to take on the role of your bodyguard.

“Azriel, I need you to do me a favor. I have someone in my court that has requested extra security for his daughter while they're away, and I can't refuse. I need you to guard her.”

Azriel narrows his eyes at him, skeptical at the sudden request. “Guard duty? Really, Rhys? You know i have more important things to do than babysit some rich kid.”

Rhys sighs and grips Azriel's shoulder firmly. “I wouldn't ask if it weren't important, Az. Her safety is at stake, and her parents trust us to protect her.”

Azriel's suspicion is evident. Rhysand would never ask so nicely and calmly. “Who am I guarding?”

Rhys bites the inside of his cheek to suppress a laugh, knowing Azriel , he’d refuse if he sensed any hint of amusement. “It’s Y/N. I know you two don’t get along, but it’s very important. Her parents are very worried she’ll do something to herself.”

Azriel frowns and grits out. This was the absolute last thing he wanted to do ever. Like literally the last thing. “Fine. But you owe me big time for this, Rhys. And best believe, I will cash in.”

With a heavy sigh, Azriel walks out, mentally calculating the headaches and eye rolls that await him.

—

So he becomes your personal bodyguard, having to follow you around everywhere, and he certainly doesn’t make an effort to hide his dissatisfaction with his High Lord’s decision. He’s always so fucking close.

The other day you had brunch with your friends and had to cut it short since he was scaring them with his presence.

Of course you don’t make it easy for him either. Sneaking out and meeting people for secret hook ups while he looks all over Velaris for you. But he always manages to find you before anything real starts.

Tonight, feeling rebellious, you made the daring decision to sneak out while Azriel was tied up in a meeting with Rhysand and Cassian. Clad in a barely-there black minidress and your nicest heels, you snuck out to hit the club with your friends.

As the pulsating music enveloped the club, the beat flowed through your veins, heightened by the drugs coursing through your system. You found yourself surrounded by a group of men, their hungry eyes glued to you as you grinded in one of their laps. With the hem of your dress pushed up to reveal your black thong, you felt a rush of exhilaration as their hands roamed freely, exploring every curve and contour of your body. Their touch sent shivers down your spine as you gave in to the euphoria.

Suddenly, one of them pulled out cash, showering you with bills. They fluttered around you, each one a temptation. More men joined in, adding to the pile of crumpled notes at your feet.

As the money rained down, adrenaline surged through you. With each bill, you felt their attention, relishing the power it gave you.

You had no need for the money, you simply enjoyed the sensation of it raining over your body. Basking in the attention the men gave you, you felt invincible, loving every moment.

But perhaps it was the drugs whispering in your ear, distorting reality. Lines of white powder adorned the fancy oak tables, drinks on every surface and questionable pills lay everywhere. Yet no one dared to utter a word or report your group of high-spenders; after all, you practically funded the club with your outings. And if worst comes to worst, you can always sweet-talk Cassian who handles all arrests and oversees the city’s safety.

Azriel seethed with annoyance as he discovered once again that you had slipped away while he was preoccupied. Fuming with frustration, he used his shadows to locate you. Determined to bring you back safely, Az brought Rhys and Cassian with him to retrive you.

Following Rhysand’s lead, the trio made their way to the filthy club famous for its debauchery and depravity. With every step, Azriel's fury just became stronger, fueled by the fear of what dangers you might encounter in such a place. If you were dead, it would be such an inconvenience.

Azriel's shadows sensed you up on a table, stripping your dress off little by little, like it was nobody's business. They clocked you right away, noticing how you moved all smooth and slippery, and how your eyes darted around like you were up to no good. Your pupils were wide as saucers, and your gaze was vacant. You were swaying on your feet, barely holding it together, like you were one step away from crashing down.

With a frustrated huff, Azriel closed the distance and hoisted you over his shoulder in one swift motion, your limp form draped over him like a sack of potatoes before you could strip completely. Meanwhile, Cassian and Rhys stood nearby, barely containing their amusement, a smirk playing at the corners of their lips as they watched the show unfold.

Furious, you pounded your fists against Azriel's back, demanding to be released.

“Put m’down, you stupid fucking bastard! What the fuck, get your hands off me! How dare you put your lowly hands on me!” you shouted, your voice laced with anger and defiance. Despite your protests, Azriel held firm, his grip unwavering as he carried you away from the chaos of the club.

Spotting Rhysand’s handsome self, you suddenly shifted gears, your influenced state blurring the lines between defiance and flirtation. “Heyyy, Rhysie!” you slurred, flashing him a lopsided grin and throwing him a kiss.

“Long time, no see. You... you lookin' really fucking fine tonight, wanna cme home with me? I can p-promis’ ya a really fun nigh’.” you slurred, your words dripping with exaggerated seduction as you glanced down at him from Azriel’s shoulder, your attempts at seduction hindered by his fast pace.

Rhys couldn't help but grin at your intoxicated attempts at flirtation, amusement dancing in his eyes. “If you want to have fun with me, you need to sober up, darling,” he replied with a chuckle, his grin widening as he played along with your intoxicated antics, though his gaze held concern beneath the amusement.

Although you were high as fuck you weren’t stupid. You had grown up with Rhys as children of the most powerful people of Prythian. Rhys was an absolute catch and you heard the High Lord had a wicked side to him, but he was someone you hadn’t dared to try.

Yet.

You bit your lips at the idea of him on top of you. Surely he’d be a fun little distraction while your parents were away. Well, anything to get you away from Azriel. He was a real party pooper and you’d speak your mind if he just put you down.

“Wher' ya takin' me? I demand ya put me down, I wasn't finished dancing! Oh, I hate you s’much, just wait ‘til I tell my daddy!”

Azriel snorted at the weak threat,

“Your daddy gave me full permission to keep your ass in line.”

Rhysand winnows everyone to just outside The House of Wind before you can scream. Azriel, with wings spread wide, prepares to fly you up, the movements almost making you vomit. Rhysand and Cassian shout words of luck before flying off to their respective homes.

Azriel dumps your body onto the couch with a bit more force than necessary, his arms folded across his chest as he glares down at you, his expression a mix of concern and frustration.

“What did you take?” he demands, his deep, comanding voice edged with worry.

You shoot him an annoyed glare, irritated by tonight’s potential cockblocking, and decide to play with him a bit.

“Oh, you know. Just the usual. Coke, heroin, meth, xanax, percs, ecstasy, ketamine, acid and molly,” you respond cheerfully, your words slurring together as you exaggerate the list of substances.

He narrows his eyes, clearly not amused by your attempt at humor, and waits for a more coherent answer.

Rolling your eyes at him, you marvel at how someone can be so uptight.

“Oh, please, take the stick out of your ass and relax,” you retort, your words tinged with sarcasm. “I did shots and smoked mirthroot. And maybe I also took some weird pill, so what?”

You shoot him a challenging look, daring him to continue interrogating you.

“The next time you try to sneak out or do something like this under my watch, I’ll chain you to your fucking bed.” he says coldly.

You shoot him a daring look, refusing to be intimidated. “Chain me up? Careful, Shadowsinger. I might just like that,” you tease, a mischievous glint in your eye.

As Azriel’s jaw clench, he grabs your arms and leads you to your temporary bedroom. Struggling to keep up with his hurried pace, you nearly trip over your own feet, prompting him to scoop you up in his arms.

As Azriel pulls back the covers on your bed and drops you onto the mattress, you shoot him an irritated look before launching into a fit about the poor quality of the bed.

“Seriously?” you complain, gesturing to the flimsy mattress beneath you. “What is this, a-a fucking joke or somethin? I can't sleep on this... thing! I know for a fact that Rhysand doesn’t sleep on this so-called bed. Give me a good room or take me home and guard me there instead. I refuse to spend the night in this offensive excuse for a bed.”

Your frustration is palpable as you express your disdain for the accommodations, unimpressed by the sleeping arrangements.

Azriel's lips quirk into an amused smile as he listens to your out of touch complaints.

“You’ll live,” he taunted, a hint of amusement in his voice.

His tone shifted, becoming more wickedly excited. “And you're going to have to lose that nasty little attitude of yours,” he continued, his voice firm. “I know you haven’t been properly disciplined, like ever, but don’t worry. I’m here to keep your ass in line,” Azriel says with a promising voice.

With a swift motion, Azriel reaches into his shadows and retrieves a bright orange vial containing a mysterious and glowing liquid. Without hesitation, he brings it to your lips, forcing you to drink the bitter concoction.

As you swallow, a worried expression crosses your face, but Azriel sighs and reassures you. He explains that the drink is meant to reverse your intoxication, soothing your concerns. You might have some slight memory loss but you’ll be fine.

“Girl, please. You're not dying on my watch,” Azriel reassures you bluntly before rolling his eyes. “Gods know my reputation would be completely destroyed if people found out I couldn't keep a mouthy little diva alive.”

Before you can retort, he turns on his heel and exits the room. As the door clicks shut, exhaustion washes over you, and you realize just how tired you are. Your head sinks into the disgustingly flat pillow, and the thought of discussing the cheap bed with Rhys can wait until tomorrow.

Right now, all you want to do is sleep.

—

The harsh rays of the sun rudely awaken you, and immediately your mood sours. A throbbing headache accompanies your groggy state as you toss and turn on the stale bed. Confusion washes over you as you take in the unfamiliar smell of the room, the questionable quality of the sheets, and the height of the bed.

This wasn't your bedroom. Where the hell were you?

Sitting up, you curl into a ball, forehead resting on your knees. Your throat is like sandpaper, swallowing feels impossible. The details of last night blur in your mind; right now, all you can focus on is the need for water. Ignoring the mystery of where you are, you struggle to summon the strength to stand.

You grab the edge of the bedpost and wobble before landing backwards on the flat mattress. Without being too sad about not being able to stand up on your own, you just slip back under the covers. You’d just sleep for a few more hours.

“Pathetic.”

A deep, disgusted voice echoes through the room as a dark figure emerges from the shadows. Azriel looks so buff, dressed in a sinfully tight shirt, his wings hanging proudly behind him as he looks down at you with his arms across his chest, dark tattoos decorating rippling muscles.

“How dare you speak to me like that?! Do you know who I am? I should have you punished for this, just wait until my father comes back, you kidnapping son of a bitch.”

“Absolutely pathetic. It’s almost 4 in the afternoon and you’re still in bed?” he scoffs, totally ignoring you.

Irritation fills you as you start to remember yesterday. He had practically kidnapped you from the club to bring you to this dinky place. This was so fucking beneath you and Gods know someone will hear your complaints.

“Stop fucking talking to me. I’m still tired, and your annoying voice isn’t helping,” you retort sharply, your annoyance evident in your tone as you push back against him.

“Sucks to be you, now get up. Your father expects a healthy, happy, safe daughter, and that's what you'll be,” Azriel commands.

You raise your eyebrow challengingly, meeting his gaze head-on. “You really think you're gonna controll me? Daddy said you’re here to guard me not boss over me.”

“I'm not as lenient as your daddy, so yes, I do. As long as you’re under my care, i’m in charge,” he retorts firmly, ripping the comforter off you, leaving you exposed to the chilly air. He then leans down and pick up your curled body up, walking over to the bathroom before he very rudely puts you down.

“Get yourself ready. I’m coming back in exactly 10 minutes,” Azriel states blankly before leaving, leaving you simmering with annoyance.

Despite your irritation, you realize you need a shower and something to eat. To make Azriel's life more difficult, you decide to winnow outside instead of waiting for him after finishing a much needed shower. Why would you need his permission to walk around your own city? If you wanted breakfast, you’d go out and get some before he most likely forced you to drink eggs or whatever he called breakfast.

The sun shines beautifully, birds sing, and everything feels serene as you head back to your own house. This is exactly what you need, just a sunny morning and beautiful day. But suddenly, the clouds darken, the birds go silent, and the air turns chilly. Of course, Azriel stands right in front of you, blocking your path.

“Are you annoying on purpose, or are you actually just stupid? Was I not perfectly clear when I told you to stay put?” Azriel pulls you to the side of the road as he glares. Wow, he really can’t stand you.

“Am I a dog? So what if you did? Listen, I’m going home because I have something called free will and working legs, so excuse you,” you retort, pushing past him defiantly.

He grabs your arm, his grip firm and unyielding. “You’re not going anywhere without me, so I suggest listening.”

“What, you’ll force me to stay? What could you possibly do to make me listen?”

His eyes travel over you, lingering on your chest for a moment. All of a sudden, you were glad you weren’t wearing a bra. “Don’t push me. I have my ways.” he says, his voice low and rough before commanding you to walk infront of him.

As you walk back to your house, you can’t stop thinking about the way he looked at you. His words echo in your mind, making you truly wonder: what would he do if you misbehaved?

—

Out of sheer curiosity and perhaps a bit of horniness, you started to annoy Azriel throughout the weeks. Casually picking on him, rolling your eyes, ignoring him. You desperately wanted to know what would happen if you reached his limit. Would he yell, murder or fuck you?

Azriel’s freaky bedroom activities were no secret to anyone in Velaris. You knew his dick made people go insane. It was not strange to hear people who had been pleasured by him go on and on about him.

“He actually tied me up and fucked me. It was the most exciting thing I had ever done!”

“I got bent over and spanked until I couldn’t walk for days!”

“His dick is so big, I thought I was going to choke to death…”

—

Azriel was sitting at your kitchen table, sharpening his knife. The rhythmic sound of metal against stone filled the room as you strolled toward him, dressed in a little black nightgown, hoping to catch his attention.

“Hey, Az,” you purred, trying to sound casual. “What do you think of my outfit?”

He glanced up briefly, his eyes lingering for just a moment before returning to his knife. “It's fine,” he said flatly, not giving much away.

Your eye twitched in annoyance before you leaned against the table. “Just fine? I was hoping for a bit more enthusiasm.”

It was a very, very slutty little gown you had on. Like, if anyone in court found out you were parading around in scraps of fabric that made your tits almost spill over infront of the bastard-born Shadowsinger, there would be extreme consequences.

Yeah. That’s how whoreish you looked.

He sighed, finally setting the knife down. Gods, he was at his limit. Day in and day out, you were doing something new. “It's not my job to comment on your fashion choices. My job is to keep you safe.”

You rolled your eyes, taking a step closer. “But can't you do both? I’m sure a smart, handsome guy like you have room for compliments.” Your tits brushed against his bicep as your nails found his arm.

He narrowed his eyes at the way you stroke his arm with a manicured hand, tilting his head slightly. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Nothing. I'm simply bored. Entertain me,” you commanded, hiding your smirk as you stepped back, hands on your hips. Surely, he'd get angry at you ordering him around and finally snap.

Azriel's gaze darkened, but instead of snapping, he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “You think ordering me around will get you what you want?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

You tilted your head, maintaining eye contact. “Maybe. Or maybe I just like seeing how far I can push you. Will you punish me, Azriel?”

He stood up slowly, closing the distance between you. “Don’t push your luck.”

Your heart skipped a beat, but you held your ground, chin lifting defiantly. Just one last push. “I'm not afraid of you, Shadowsinger,” you spat, eyes narrowing. “You’re just hired muscle, here for my protection. There’s nothing you can do to me,” you added, your voice dripping with faux disgust as you look him up and down.

Azriel didn’t flinch, didn’t rise to your bait. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, his lips twitching into the faintest hint of a smirk. The calm confidence in his expression only made your blood boil more.

“I understand it now,” he said, his voice low and amused, his tone casual like he had you all figured out. “You want some dick. And since you’re not allowed outside without me, you're not getting any, are you?” His eyes gleamed with mocking amusement, like he was enjoying watching you squirm.

You hated how your pulse quickened, despising even more that his words hit far too close to the truth. “Then let me go outside and fix my problem,” you snapped, lifting your chin in defiance.

Azriel raised a brow, pretending to think it over before shaking his head with a smug grin. “Don’t think so. Who knows what kind of riff-raff you’d drag in here?”

Well, there’s no use hiding it anymore. You huffed, crossing your arms. “Well, if I can’t go out, then you should help me. It’s the least you can do.”

“Is it?” he asked, arms folded, eyebrow arched, fully aware he was in control here.

“Yeah, I’m a woman who has needs.” you said, narrowing your eyes.

Azriel’s smirk deepened, eyes flashing with amusement. “If you want it, you’ll have to beg. And make it real pretty. Let’s see how bad you need it.”

Your anger flared. Who the hell did he think he was talking to? “I’m not begging you for anything,” you snapped, voice sharp.

He shrugged, turning on his heel. “Your problem, not mine. Guess you’ll just have to pleasure yourself. And I know it’s nowhere as nice as just laying down and taking it like a good slut.”

Your eyes widened in lust, hating how much you needed this, hating even more that you had to ask him for it. “Fine! Okay, just-Azriel, please,” you grumbled.

He cupped a hand to his ear, faking confusion. “What? Didn’t quite catch that.”

Your jaw tightened as your thighs rub together. This was really fucking humiliating but you were only a woman and he was a hot man who you wanted to fuck real bad. It was a waste of time trying to play hard to get or act like you didn’t want to get bent over. “I said, Azriel, please fuck me.”

He finally turned around, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips as he took a step closer. “That wasn't so hard, was it?”

—

His dick is life-altering.

He actually managed to dumb you down, leaving you a drooling, mumbling mess. Your little brain was all mush, all scrambled. You couldn’t formulate anything. All you knew was how good you were feeling.

God, he was really mean but his strokes were even meaner. They were carnal, desperately deep ones. The kind of ones that forces your whole spoiled princess act into the back of your mind.

Wads of milky white was oozing out of your swollen cunt as Azriel took his time appreciating the way you were tightening around nothing, just throbbing for more of him.

“C’mon, p-please don’t stop.” You manage to whine out for him, pushing your hips back to him in an attempt to get him back in.

Azriel’s cock is disciplinarian. It’s fat and veiny and slides right back into your needy cunt. He bottoms out with a grunt as hot cum drips down your weak legs.

For what seemed like forever, he was breaking down you walls of defiance and turning you into this obedient and submissive thing.

He leaves you cross-eyed as he starts to drag his thick cock against your sensitive walls, deliciously fucking you. “remind me again, what do you not do?,” he asks in a husky voice.

The slight curve of his dick hits your g-spot deliciously, it makes your arms give out so your whole chest is scraping against your pricey cotton sheets, pebbled nipples getting a real nice stimulation.

“oh my godd, fuuuuck, right there, r- right thereeee, Az.”

You couldn’t have answered him if someone had hold a gun to your head, there was too much pleasure, too much of his big dick just filling you out so fucking good.

“aht, aht. we’re not doing that. don’t go all dumb on me now, I want answers.” He jackhammers into you, sneaking a hand down your pants as he rubs circles on your clit as the other hand grabs your throat and pulls your back flush against his chest.

“u-um, i’m—” your eyes are rolling into the back of your head. this new position is too deep, your cervix feels every jab of his cock, every intentional stroke.

“That’s not really an answer, dummy. I’ll ask you one last time, or I’m leaving you like this,” he warns, voice low and dangerously firm as he slaps your sensitive pussy once, twice even three times until you’re not as hazy. “What do you not do around me?

Your breath catches, frustration mingling with need as your head turns to look at him. “N-No! Don’t leave—fuck,” you stammer, heat flooding your face. “Um, no attitude. A-and I listen to you! I swear I will—just let me cum again, please.” The words come out so desperate, trembling on your lips. Any sort of self-respect just flew out of the window.

Azriel’s lips curl into a slow, wicked smile, dark amusement flickering in his gaze. “sweetheart,” he drawls, his voice smooth as silk, “you say that now. But I’ve seen that mouth of yours. a sharp little thing, always pushing your luck. How do i know you’ll be a good girl?”

You shake your head quickly, eyes wide, feeling utterly undone. “I’ll be good, s-so fuckin’ good for you Azriel,” you whisper, breath hitching. “I promise. I’m never gonna disobey you, just p-please,” your eyes wide with submission, with a promise you’re willing to let go for him.

Azriel’s breath stutters, his heart thudding harder in his chest. He was only supposed to put you in your place, nothing more but the way you instantly gave in, soft and eager, promising to be good for him, made his control slip.

His jaw clenches as something twists deep in his stomach, hot and restless. What the hell was this? Just one look into your fucked out eyes and he wanted to keep you as his forever.

“Careful,” he mutters, voice rough and strained. “You keep looking at me like that, and I’m not sure I’ll stop there.”

Before you can say anything he flips you around so you fall onto your back before putting you into the meanest mating press, your knees are pushed back, legs dangling over his shoulders and all you can do is hold onto his tattooed biceps.

Your whiney moans filled the room as his weight pressed into you, thrusting in and out in a fast pace. Azriel’s view is unbeatable. You’re on display — hair messed up, heated cheeks, teary eyes rolling back and a pink tongue damn near lolling out in pleasure.

He is fucking you so stupid.

he’s holding you in place and using you as he pleases, spreading your legs so that his long, thick cock reaches so deep inside you. you’re so helplessly on edge under him and so fucking happy.

“gonna cum pretty for me, yeah? gonna give me what I want? gonna let me cum in that tight, pretty pussy?” you don’t answer them because you will- and he’ll make sure that you do.

“Yes, i will! P-please… t’s too much! I can’t, ahhh—” you tighten around his cock before your whole body shakes as that tight coil finally snaps and you go limp.

Azriel’s hips don’t slow down at all, his groans and crude words filling the room as static noise plays in your ears.

“Cum inside, please. Need it inside.”

Your mindless babble, erotic, fucked out voice and nails digging into his biceps is enough to make him shoot ropes of cum inside, his weight settling over you.

You can’t even catch your breath before he flips you over and let’s you know you’ve barely started the night.

—

“Honey, we’re home!”

Your mother’s voice barely registers — not when Azriel’s lips are moving against yours, slow and commanding. His warm hand traces down your back while the other grips your hair, anchoring you firmly against him. Everything else fades away; it’s just his touch, his presence, and the heat spreading through you.

Maybe you should’ve gone down to greet your parents after their long trip but right now you couldn’t care less. You were sooo into making out with Azriel that everything else became background noise.

Azriel pulls back first, and you let out a frustrated little whine.

“No, no, nooo—why are you pulling away?? Keep going, kiss me again,” you pout, trying to close the space between you again. But all he does is stick two fingers in your mouth.

He tilts his head, a smug smile tugging at his lips before he presses a loving kiss to your forehead instead. Thst was something he started doing a fee months ago, forehead kisses. and you loved the way it made you feel like a princess.

“No whining, baby. You know better by now. We’re going down to your parents because they’re back and you’ll behave, yes?” His fingers slip out after he explains and you nod. Sometimes you needed a physical gag instead of just shutting up and it was a comfort knowing the way you ran your mouth.

Your lips part, but no sass slips out, just a breathy little exhale as his words settle over you. He’s right. He always is, and you hate how much that makes your stomach twist with heat. Damn it, you were down bad for him.

Azriel had spoiled you rotten in some ways but stripped away your brattiness and horrible attitude in others. You never ever speak to him like you used to. The man had you under his control. It didn’t take much — just a firm hand and that piercing gaze when you got out of line. Just one look and you usually stopped whatever you were doing.

Still, he indulged you more often than not. And gods, you lived for the praise when you behaved. Azriel loved it when you listened to him, when that submissive side came out and you completely gave yourself up to him.

It was wild how, in just a year, the bitter tension between you had melted into something far more dangerous — a possessive, all-consuming love that neither of you planned on letting go of anytime soon.

“Okay, fine. Let’s go downstairs then. But don’t touch me, my parents don’t know. Or should i tell them?”

Azriel arches a brow, amusement flickering in his eyes. “Tell them, huh?” His voice dips, teasing. “Go ahead, princess. Let them know exactly who keeps you in line.”

Your face flushes hot. “Shut up,” you grumble, swatting at his chest. “I'm serious. No touching, or l'Il-”

“You'll what?” he cuts in smoothly, leaning down just enough to make your breath hitch. “Whine about it later when you're begging for me to touch you again?”

Your glare falters, and Azriel's smirk only grows before he kisses your plush, swollen lips again.

“Thought so,” he murmurs, brushing past you toward the stairs. “Come on, baby. Let's play nice for mommy and daddy, hmm?”

You walk after him, muttering under your breath, “You're the worst.” Words that earns you a slap to your ass.

—

“So, babygirl, how have you been? I assume The Shadowsinger treated you well?” your dad pulls you into a warm hug, his tone light but curious.

You glance at Azriel, who stands tall and composed, though his sharp gaze flickers to yours. Now, you could either lie or tell the boring truth.

“Sure,” you say with a playful smirk, “he was a real pain in the ass at first—an overbearing shadow who insisted on following my every damn move. But… he took care of me nonetheless.”

Your dad chuckles. “That right, Shadowsinger? Well, you do seem calmer. Did the Shadowsinger set you straight, honey?” His eyes gleam with curiosity. The wild daughter had finally calmed down? The day no one thought would come was here at last.

Azriel’s lips curl into a small, knowing smile. “Yes, Lord L/N. Though,” his gaze shifts to you, dark and heavy with unspoken promises, “it seems I may not have set her completely straight just yet.”

Your father laughs, oblivious to the double meaning, but your heart races. That subtle edge in Azriel’s voice, the warning gleam in his eyes—you were so going to pay for that later.

And gods, it would be worth every second.

[bldhrry]

The Brute and The Scholar

Chapter Nine | Midnight Rain Cassian x Fem!Reader Previous Chapter | Next Chapter Series Masterlist | General Masterlist

word count: 5.5k

warnings: smut (18+, minors dni), cursing

author's note: lmk what you think besties! so excited for the bs i'm gonna put these two through

You squeezed Cassian’s hand as you leaned into him, sighing into the kiss.  It was much different this time.  It was tender and slow and his lips felt so right against yours.

Cassian removed his hand from yours to cup your face, imprinting your cheek with the spirit’s bright matter and his touch ignited something within you.  It was primal and consumed you entirely.  It sparked something deep inside you and the fire you felt the night you had first kissed him was reignited.  But instead of feeling it on your skin, it burned you from the inside.  It started in the pit of your stomach and traveled through your veins until it engulfed you entirely making your skin glow with its warmth.

You snaked your hand up from the exposed skin of his chest to his neck and tangled your fingers in his hair leaving a trail of gold and giving him golden highlights in his hair.  Cassian sighed into your mouth at the contact and he felt goosebumps rise as your hand slowly made its way up to his hair.  The weight of your fingers at the back of his head was exhilarating.  He didn’t need to hear your moans to know you wanted this.  Your physical touch was enough because it was clear you were keeping him as close to you as possible.

The kiss didn’t break as he walked you backwards until your back hit the railing and he gripped your waist and jerked you towards him, pressing you into him even more if it was even possible given that you two were nearly enmeshed into each other’s bodies.

He kissed you harder now, seeking entrance into your mouth and you eagerly obliged as you parted your lips and felt his tongue slide inside.  Your tongues danced together in a familiar rhythm and you moaned, the sound guttural and low.  You were growing needy and you pushed his head down so you could feel him more and Cassian wrapped his arm around your waist.  He had no intention of letting you go.

You broke away, catching your breath.  You were panting and you could feel your chest heaving up and down and a thrilling sense of desire spread in your chest.  You couldn’t breathe; this was so much and yet you couldn’t get enough.  You needed to feel his lips again so you could memorize the way they moved and tasted.

Cassian brushed his nose with yours and you tilted your face and your lips brushed against each other.  He gripped the back of your neck and craned his neck down and started kissing your cheek and then your neck until he found the spot that made you cry out the other day.  This time you moaned and the sound was loud and full and you whined as he nipped and sucked at it slightly eliciting more noises of pleasure as your head rolled back and you started breathing heavier than before.

Almost as if on instinct, you trailed your leg up the back of his, wrapping your leg around his until you reached his waist and settled yourself there.  Your dress had a split down the side that Cassian hadn’t noticed before and now it parted on each side of your thigh, exposing the skin to the night air.  Goosebumps illuminated in the moonlight and he traced his tongue down your neck and he watched as you squeezed his side with your leg in approval.

You cursed when Cassian removed his arm from your waist and grabbed the side of your thigh, helping to keep it suspended.  He palmed your skin slightly, feeling its smooth skin press into his palm and fingertips.  He felt you buck your hips and he welcomed the friction it brought and he heard you gasp at the contact.  He was straining against the front of his pants and it threatened to rip at the seams.  It was otherworldly what you did to him and without meaning to and the reactions you elicited from him.  He’d never been so quick to be aroused and the evidence of it was embarrassing.  Cassian wanted to be more composed but he simply couldn’t help it; sometimes the twinkle in your eye made him stiffen and shift in his seat.  It was preposterous.

His hand was firm as he moved up your thigh and grabbed your hips tightly and you whined, extending your leg forward to bring him in and with how close he was you were able to wrap your leg around his waist essentially trapping him against you.

He kissed you again and played with the hem of your underwear with the tips of his fingers.  The top was lace and he bit your lip at the realization letting out a groan and you grinned and rolled your hips against him.  The movement made his hand shift until it was gripping your backside and he squeezed it, making you gasp and he took the opportunity of your parted lips to kiss you hard, much harder than before but you didn’t shy away from it instead you matched the way his mouth worked feverishly against yours.  Cupping his face you pulled him in closer and you couldn’t stop the moans from rising in your throat.  

The way he touched you was unlike anything you’d experienced before and it was intoxicating.  He was intoxicating, filling your senses and taking root in your bones making it their home and you welcomed it, encouraged it even.

You started to quiver beneath his embrace as he moved his hand to the inside of your thigh and trailed one finger side to side in the space between your thigh and pelvis.  Your eyes shot open at the sensation and you broke the kiss but you didn’t pull away, rather the only movement you made was shifting your leg so he had more access to the area.

Cassian’s eyes opened slowly and his pupils were blown, overtaken the mixture of green, brown, and gold that made up his irises and you shuddered and let out a heavy breath.  He looked almost crazed but calm and secure at the same time.  He never stopped the back and forth motion of his finger and you nearly fell to your knees when he just barely placed his finger beneath your underwear.

Your body felt electrified at the feeling and the endless possibilities.  The heat between your thighs was excruciating at this point and you needed a release.

“Yes,” you cried softly.

Cassian didn’t need to be told twice.

You were so warm and so wet and Cassian gritted his teeth as he groaned.

You’d wrapped your arms around his neck and buried your face into his shoulder, muffling the proof of the pleasure he was providing.

Cassian’s finger was slow and methodical as he made circles on your circle.  You grinded against his hand trying to get more contact and urging him to go faster but he didn’t.  He kept the pace agonizingly slow but it was so good that you couldn’t complain or demand for more.  

Cassian relished in the way you felt beneath him, inside and out, and the noises you made against him.  Quiet enough that nobody but him could hear but loud enough that reassured him he was doing it right.  Your arousal was growing, coating his fingers and the fabric of your underwear and he panted into your ear, clutching the back of your neck.

“Y/N.”  He breathed into your ear and the sound came out strangled and weak.  His own arousal was killing him and he knew he’d already spilled a small amount into his boxers.

You fisted his hair in your heads and squeezed your eyes shut.  Your breathing was growing more ragged and you could feel your climax approaching.  It felt like a wave, growing bigger and bigger and it was so close to crashing into you and knocking you off your feet.

Sliding his finger down he teased your entrance and you grounded out a ‘yes’ and he slid his finger inside.

You were tight and warm and it was absolutely exquisite.  Your braid came loose as he threaded his fingers into the hair at the nape of your neck.  He pulled your neck back so you could look at him and you opened your eyes and almost immediately closed them again.

Looking at him only increased your pleasure.  He was gorgeous.  His hair was falling into his face and the moon had moved behind him, casting its light and it made him look like he was from another planet, so ethereal and frankly unreal.  You could not believe he was in front of you, kissing and touching you in places you never thought someone, especially him, would be doing.  But he was and he was in need of you as much as you were in need of him and this you knew from his heavy, audible breathing and the hardness in his pants pressing against your naval.  

You couldn’t look away.  He had captivated you with whatever spell he had conjured and you fell into it deeper and deeper with every second that passed, with every pump of his finger and your breathing increased, growing higher in pitch with each movement of his hand and surprisingly his gaze.  It was intense and encouragement flashed through them as he increased his speed and when your head fell backwards and your eyes rolled into the back of your head he grinned.

“You are so fucking beautiful.”  He whispered in your ear, letting his lips graze it and you let out a pitiful whine.

“Cass,” you cried and your mouth fell open.  

A breeze passed around you and the scent of your arousal wafted towards him and he groaned and pressed an open kiss on your neck and you cursed, your hips jerking to the side.

Close, you were so close and Cassian knew it by the way your moans kept falling from your lips in a never ending cascade and the way you tightened around him.  He loved it all and treasured every moment.  You kept calling out his name and it was the best sound he had ever heard.  You were reminding him with every utterance of his name that he was the one doing this and that he was the one you were allowing to bring you to the edge and over it.  You were his in this moment and he showed his appreciation by curling his finger and hitting a spot that made you gasp and grab onto him like your life depended on it.

You were shaking, your legs even more so as you fisted his hair in your hand again and raised yourself on your toes and pressed your face into his neck.

The air around you seemed to vibrate and you heard nothing but a buzzing in your ear and Cassian’s lips on your neck.  Cassian couldn’t hear anything but your moans and drawn out curses.  He could feel the vibration in the air too and the way it passed through and around him, encircling you both and keeping you in a shared bubble meant only for you, created only for you.  It was keeping you together and Cassian could’ve sworn that a thought was given to him that it was doing this to keep you together forever.

Neither of you heard the approaching footsteps or voices until Rhysand and Azriel rounded the corner leading to the balcony.

“Hey Cass-” Rhysand stopped suddenly and Azriel bumped into him.

“Oh my gods!”  You screamed and pulled away from Cassian and bumped into the railing, covering your face.

Cassian immediately spread his wings to cover you and turned his head to look at his brothers.

His eyes were dark and threatening and he bared his teeth slightly, ready to snarl and protect what was his.  Possession surged through him and the two males in the doorway took a step back.

Rhysand recognized the look.  He’d seen it in the mirror, on his own face, plenty of times.  He knew what this was.  So he raised his hands slightly and shook his head.

I didn’t see a thing.  He passed the thought to Cassian and Cassian gave him a curt nod and glanced at Azriel who gave him a nod and the two left just as quickly as they’d come.

You were horrified.  There was no other word to describe the embarrassment and fear that replaced your arousal.  

You readjusted your dress and slid away from Cassian, tears started to fall down your cheeks smearing the glow that Cassian had left.

“I’m sorry,” you choked out.  “I’m sorry.  This was a mistake.”  You shook your head, covering your mouth and shaking your head.  This was a mistake; this was one of the biggest mistakes you’d ever made.

Cassian turned to you, shock spread across his features.  “What?”

“This was wrong.  We shouldn’t have done that.  I’m sorry.”  You turned to leave and Cassian grabbed your wrist and you whirled around to face.

“You cannot keep denying me Y/N.”  He hissed.  “You know what this is.  You admitted it.”

You had, just the night before.  But that didn’t matter anymore, especially now that you had defiled yourself publicly.  You were utterly ashamed of yourself and you looked at Cassian with wide eyes that express exactly that.

“This is a mistake.  We can’t do this again.”  You turned to leave but his grip only tightened and you gave him a pleading look.

“I love you.  I am in love with you.  Y/N please.”  His voice cracked as he pleaded with you to stay.

Terror washed over you and you looked at him in disbelief.  

“No,” you cried.  “Don’t do this to me.”

Impossible.  It was impossible for you to be loved, not by him or anyone for that matter.  This could not be.  You didn’t want it and you willed away the glow that erupted in your chest at his proclamation.  You pushed aside the feelings of reciprocation and the way that every instinct within you urged you to accept it.

You shook your head again and wiped your face and taking a steady breath you stood straighter and looked him in the eyes.  You balled your hands into fists, the spirit being squished at the movement and it started to drip onto the floor, a metaphorical representation of your refusal.  You were letting it go, letting his claim on you go, and letting something that fate had decided slip through your fingers no matter how much you wanted to hold on to it and keep it close.

“I’m so sorry, Cassian.”  You bit your lip to suppress another cry and Cassian’s face fell even more and he clutched his chest and he took a step towards you, his mouth opening to say something but you took a step back and shook your head slightly as you turned away from him.

“I can’t.” You whispered.

Cassian followed you with a determined stride.  He refused to let you do this to him and most importantly to yourself.  You were denying yourself the pleasure of being loved because of some sick notion you had tricked yourself into believing.  He didn’t know why you were doing this.  He knew you felt the same and whether it was love or not he didn’t care because it didn’t matter because you felt something and that was enough for him to fight for you.

He had already accepted it and he could feel it thudding in his chest, giving him life.  He was alive before, sure, but this was a new sensation, one that had transformed him to be perfectly made for you.

“Y/N!”  He bellowed behind you but you kept walking, your pace fast and brisk.

You could feel him.  You could feel the way he was hurting and how angry he was and the emotions swirled around in your gut, making you dizzy and nauseous.  You could see his thoughts too and you gritted your teeth as you headed towards the West wing of the house where the bedrooms were at.  They were swarming you and cutting you like knives, embedding themselves in your body reminding you of the gravity of the situation.

She can’t do this to me, it whispered.  I love her, it persisted.  

You shoved it out of your mind with so much force that you stumbled slightly and Cassian gained on you quickly but you recovered and steered yourself towards Nesta’s bedroom.

“Y/N.”  He growled and it sounded and felt like a warning, like a threat but you paid him no mind as you waved your hand behind you, dismissing him.

Leave me alone, please.  You begged it but it didn’t move.  It hounded you like a starved beast.

You flung open the door and immediately went to close it but Cassian stopped it with his foot and shoved his way in and you foundered backwards.

“Get out.”  You demanded but Cassian just shook his head.

“Do not do this.”  It was his turn to make a demand.

“You,” you took a step towards him and pointed at him.  Your throat was thick and felt like it was closing.  You felt so trapped and weirdly enough so alone.  “You don’t get to do this to me.  You do not get to-”

“Love you?”  He let out a dry laugh and ran his fingers through his hair.  “You are ridiculous.  You know it’s there because I can fucking feel it, Y/N.  I can feel you, I always have!”  His voice grew louder and he threw his hands in the air.  “You mean to tell me that you don’t?  That all this time we’ve been playing cat and mouse you never felt me too?”

You had and you still did, now even more.  Wherever he was you knew about it and you followed that knowledge to find him.  It was a sacred feeling that you held onto because it let you know he was near and safe.  You were drawn to him from the beginning even through the apprehension and fear.  You caved to his requests and his presence even when you shouldn’t have.  You should not have let him be so close because it made you look like a fool, so pathetic to the charisma he possessed.

“Stop it.”  You begged.  “Please stop it.  I cannot do this.  I-”  Your voice failed you and you looked to the ceiling, hoping the Mother could help you.  “I can’t do this.  You have to leave.  I shouldn’t have done it and I’m sorry.  I made a mistake and I’m sorry for hurting you and doing this.  I shouldn’t have.  Please, Cassian, I am so sorry.”  You were full on crying now, tears blurring your vision and yet you could see him so clearly.

“It is not a mistake.  This was not a mistake, it never was.”  He grounded out the words and you whimpered.  “I love you!”  He took a step towards you and you braced yourself, placing a hand at the base of your throat.

“You need to stop Cassian.”  You warned but he kept moving towards you.

His eyes were so soft and inviting, welcoming you to join him and be with him and to let him be yours.  And gods you wanted him more than anything you’d wanted in your life and it was amazing that this level of need existed.  He was everything to you but you were not worthy of the unconditional love he was offering you or the life that fate was trying to promise you.

“I can’t do this.  You know I can’t.  I don’t want this.”

“You’re lying.”

“I’m not.”  He reached out to grab you and you screamed.  

“Stop!  Please,” you sobbed.  “I don’t want it.  I don’t want you.  I can’t have you.”

Cassian didn’t even register the obvious deceit you were forcing on to him.  He could feel your confliction and he could see it in the way that you braced yourself on the bed but yet leaned towards him.

“You can have me,” he said softly.  “I want you to have me.  I want you.  I love you.”

“Stop saying that!”  You covered your ears and shut your eyes tightly.  “Stop saying it.  I don’t want it!”

I can't have it, I can’t have it, I can't have it.  You repeated the mantra in your head.

“What’s going on?”  Nesta appeared in the doorway.  She had come for a shawl when she heard yelling.

You opened your eyes and Cassian turned around and Nesta’s eyes flickered between you both and her nostrils flared.  But despite it she noted the tears that adorned your face and the trembling of your body.  She noted Cassian’s defensive stance and the fierce look in his eyes.  But she didn’t back down.  She raised her head and gracefully entered the room, her stare matching his own intense one.

“Get out, Cassian,” she said simply, her voice cool, and a muscle in Cassian’s jaw twitched.  The feeling of possession flooded him again.  “I said,” she approached him and lifted her head higher.  He saw the silver that was overtaking the blue and the flames that flickered within.  “Get out.”

Cassian swayed, debating whether he was willing to challenge her authority but you whimpered beside him and a silent sob rocked through you.  He inched his hand towards you in an invitation but you leaned away from him.

Please don’t, you implored and you ached at the devastation that embellished his face and at the way it wafted towards you, settling in your gut.

Without a word Cassian left the room, leaving his mate behind.

Nesta didn’t ask any questions and you didn’t provide any answers.  She silently moved through the room grabbing you night clothes.  

You hadn’t moved from the foot of the bed.  Your body felt heavy and you felt sick.  You were reeling from it all, from the emotions that filled your body to the realization that Cassian’s affections were real.  You were not equipped to handle so much at once, especially something of this magnitude.  You were made for a simple life that was occupied by your studies and work, not occupied by a soul crushing devotion that was destined to exist for your entire life.

Nesta urged you to bathe and attempt to relax and you gave her a look of appreciation.

“Thank you.  I’m sorry.”  You were embarrassed of being so emotional and causing a scene but she gave you a soft and warm smile.

“It’ll be okay.”

Your face faltered and your bottom lip quivered but you just nodded and slipped into the bathroom.  You stepped into the tub and slid down until the water reached your neck and you sighed as the warmth enveloped your body.

Closing your eyes was a mistake because you saw Cassian’s lustful gaze that quickly morphed into the look he had given you before he left.  It hurt beyond words and you knew that separation from a mate was disastrous but you had no choice.  You would have to endure the rejection for everybody’s sake.  He wouldn’t want you anyway after he learned of what you’d done.  So, to avoid the inevitable you left first.  It would save him the heartbreak later anyway.  You would both suffer for now but soon it would pass and you’d move on.  He would find someone worthy of his time and loyalty and he would be happy and forget about you, this you were sure of.

Nesta left you to your devices and returned to the party and when she was asked where you were she stated that you felt sick and were laying down.  Cassian didn’t return and the rest of the group snickered, assuming you two were together doing gods know what so the bets were set and once they got confirmation, the winner would be paid out.

Nesta hung back from the group, observing the remnants of Starfall when Rhysand approached and stood beside her, hands in his pockets.

“How is she?”  He didn’t look at her and kept his gaze trained at the sky.

“Who?”  She asked, feigning ignorance.

“I know, Nesta.”  He clicked his tongue.  “Azriel and I, uh-”  He rubbed the back of his neck and his cheeks flushed with heat.  “We walked in on them.”

“Hm,” was all she responded with.  After a few moments of silence she crossed her arms and leaned forward onto the railing.  “She’s rejected him.”

Rhysand jumped at the news and turned to her, his eyes wide.  “Are you sure?”

“They argued about it and she told him to leave.”  Her expression was unreadable, but inside she was simmering with rage at the way you were so hurt and at Cassian’s persistence.

“Fucking hell,” he sighed.  

He had not anticipated that in the slightest and assumed the couple would rejoice.  It had been months of the back and forth and it was evident that their feelings were growing for each other.  He hadn’t suspected the mating bond.  Sure Cassian was obsessed with you but he was a romantic so Rhysand wouldn’t put it past Cassian to be so head over heels for you.  But this was next level; this was the Mother, the Cauldron, hell it was even fate.

“You should check on him.”  Nesta said after a few minutes.  “He tried talking her into it but she wasn't having it.  I think she’s in shock but she seemed adamant.  He was,” Nesta breathed in deeply, “agitated to say the least.  Desperate even; it was kind of gross.”

Rhysand rolled his eyes.  “The mating bond is something else.”  It makes you irrational.  It’s like a switch and you’re a completely different person.  If she truly rejected the bond, then he is legitimately suffering.”

Nesta didn’t respond.  She knew he was right but the terror on your face was something she’d never seen before and she didn’t think convincing you to accept it would fix how you truly felt about it.

When Starfall and the party ended you were already asleep, so Nesta silently got ready for bed and slid in beside you.  You were tucked into yourself and by the way your face was still puffy and you were breathing through your mouth it was clear you had cried more since she had left.  Nesta scooted behind you and wrapped her arms around you in an embrace.

Cassian was suffering.  Rage and grief consumed his body and mind and all he could think about was the way you had screamed when you announced that you did not want the bond, but what struck him the most was your insistence that you could not have it.  He couldn’t make sense of that and why you felt that way.  You could’ve just outright rejected him but instead you seemed to be rejecting yourself.

He was nursing his fifth glass of liquor when Azriel and Rhysand appeared in the living room.  Cassian didn’t have it in him to be too far from you so he was just down at the end of the hall, periodically checking to see if Nesta’s door would open and you would emerge.  But you never did and you had closed yourself off so he couldn’t feel anything on the other side of the bond much less make any attempt to reach out.

“We heard,” was all Azriel said when he took his seat on the opposing loveseat and crossed his ankle over his knee.  

Rhysand quietly took his own seat on the couch, looking at Cassian intently.

Cassian said nothing while he stared into the flames burning in the fireplace.  There was nothing to say.  He chugged the rest of his drink and reached for the bottle on the side table and poured himself another glass.

“I think,” Rhysand started.  “You should give her some time.  I’m sure she’s just overwhelmed.  Feyre almost took my head when she found out.”  He attempted a chuckle but it came out awkwardly.

Cassian glared at his brother and scoffed quietly.  He sucked at his teeth and set his sights back at the fire.

“You can’t force her.”  Azriel said after a couple of minutes.  He’d pursued Elain and it seemed to only push her away and towards the one person he did not want her to go to.  Elain was not his mate but he cared for her, loved her even, and the rejection had shattered him.  He knew how Cassian felt and he knew the feelings were amplified because of the bond.

“She’s lying to herself.  For no fucking reason.”  Scoffing through his nose he took a sip.

“Let her realize that.”  Azriel’s tone was patient and he looked at Rhysand for backup and his brother nodded.

“She won’t.  She does this shit on purpose.”  He flexed his jaw and closed his eyes, fighting back a cry that was sneaking up his throat.  “Every single time we move forward she goes and acts like nothing happened.”  He looked at Rhysand and Azriel and there were tears in his eyes.  “Every single fucking time.”  His voice cracked and he ran his tongue along his teeth.  “It makes no sense.  Kept saying she couldn’t, that she can’t have it.  Why not?”  With a shaky hand he brought the glass to his lips and took a longer sip than before.

“She needs space to work through it.  I’ve seen her with you and it’s obvious it’s there for her too, but you know how she is.  Y/N is,” Rhysand waved his hand trying to find the words.  “She’s private, non expressive.  I’m sure this is her worst nightmare.”

Cassian snorted.  “Am I that bad?”

Rhysand sighed.  “Cass, you know that’s not what I meant.  She’s just different.  She won’t process this like everybody else so you need to let her deal with it in her own way.”

“By ignoring it?”  Cassian snapped and narrowed his eyes on Rhysand.  “We work well together and she knows it.  She,” he trailed off and gritted his teeth.

He wanted to say that you wanted him and that he was confident that you did but he realized how arrogant that sounded,  He couldn’t claim you as his and demand that it be that way.  He had no right to do that but Cassian simply couldn’t fathom not having you and not being with you.  He knew you so well.  He knew your quirks and triggers, he knew what you liked and didn’t, he knew what made you laugh and what made you wrinkle your nose.  He knew everything and yet you surprised him all the time with your smart remarks and plethora of attitudes and moods.  He knew every moment that he felt that spark in his chest and every moment he fell more in love with you.  He’d mentally documented the times you looked at him like you adored him and how sometimes your hand would graze his like you were contemplating holding on to it.  He knew you expected him to keep up your routine so when he’d pretend to not walk you home he’d notice how you lingered at the door and peek at him over your shoulder and your cue for him to give up the facade was to ask if he had plans; he jumped up from his desk with a grin and deny having plans and admit he was waiting to see if you wanted him which made you scowl and muttered that you were just asking to be nice but then he’d note how you walked closer to him than the other times you’d walk to your house together.

And he knew that you knew him too.  You knew when to chastise him and when to support him.  You knew when he was stressed by the way he wouldn’t stop messing with his hair.  When he was anxious he refused to sit and opted to stand or pace.  You knew the moments that he needed you near and when you needed to allow him to express his affection.  He knew you knew this because he noticed you all the time.  And those moments where you expressed yourself in a way that only he understood fueled his hope that you loved him too.

Nobody else spoke for the rest of the time that they sat around the fire.  There was nothing that could be said that would reassure him of his future with you, his mate.  So they let Cassian simmer and watched as he racked his brain for ways to win you over.  You’d confessed and you couldn’t take that back.  You’d kissed him twice and you couldn’t take that back.  But it was clear you would and were determined to do so.  He just wished you wouldn’t.

You hid in Nesta’s room the next day and when the coast was clear Azriel took you home.  He gave you an awkward pat on the back and an even awkward smile as he bid you goodbye and when you walked into the house your mother knew something had happened.  It was written on your face and the sadness that surrounded you was heavy and palpable.

“What happened?”  She approached you with her arms outstretched and you accepted her embrace and began to sob loudly into her shoulder.  She rubbed your back and rocked you back and forth.

“He’s my mate,” you cried out, finally admitting it to yourself.

taglist: @thecraziestcrayon | @rcarbo1 | @azrielsshadows42 | @faridathefairy

[dumb-ster-fire]

Inner Circle Banter x fem! reader - Part 2

Azriel x mate!reader

a/n: I saw how people loved the first one so I made another.Here is more unhinged Y/N 🫶🏻

warnings: NSFW language

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Inner Circle was a mess. A hilarious, drunken mess.

Y/N lounged on the couch, her head thrown back in laughter as Cassian dramatically slurred his way through a story that had long since lost any coherent plot. Mor was draped over Amren—who, despite being the smallest among them, was somehow holding her liquor the best—while Rhys was slumped back in his chair, lazily swirling the wine in his glass as if he were still trying to uphold some dignity. Feyre was giggling into her own drink, her cheeks flushed, while Nesta sat beside her, eyes glassy but still managing to look unimpressed.

Azriel? Oh, Azriel was leaning against Y/N, his usually composed self utterly gone as he pressed his face into her shoulder, murmuring something unintelligible. His shadows were sluggish, barely responding to him, as if even they were drunk.

“I love you,” he mumbled against her skin, voice thick with alcohol.

Y/N grinned, poking his cheek. “I know, Az. You told me five times already. And then you tried to fight Cassian because he ‘breathed too close to me.’”

Cassian, still dramatically sprawled over the arm of the couch, scoffed. “I was breathing! What was I supposed to do? Stop??”

Azriel lifted his head slightly, his hazel eyes narrowing. “Maybe.”

Y/N bit her lip to keep from laughing, her fingers brushing through his hair as he huffed and nuzzled closer again, clearly deciding he was too drunk to keep arguing.

Rhys, ever the instigator, lazily gestured between them. “You two are disgustingly cute. It’s offensive.”

“Bold words from a man who practically worships the ground Feyre walks on,” Y/N shot back, smirking.

Feyre laughed, elbowing her mate. “She’s got you there.”

Meanwhile, Mor had somehow convinced Amren to take another shot, which resulted in Amren standing on the table, proclaiming in her small but fierce voice, “I was a GOD before any of you existed!” before promptly sitting back down like nothing happened.

Nesta, watching all of this unfold, slowly took another sip of her drink. “I hate all of you.”

Cassian slung an arm around her shoulders, grinning sloppily. “You love us.”

Y/N, still cuddling a very tipsy Azriel, raised her glass. “To being an absolute disaster!”

The Inner Circle cheered—or, in Azriel’s case, just hummed sleepily against her shoulder—as they all drank, fully embracing the chaos of the night.

Mor, absolutely hammered, slumped against the couch with a lazy smirk as she eyed Y/N and Azriel. “So, Y/N,” she slurred, twirling the last bit of wine in her glass, “is Azriel your type?”

Y/N, equally drunk but ever the menace, grinned wickedly, barely missing a beat. “Ah, yes,” she said dramatically, lifting her hands like she was painting a masterpiece. “Gentle and loving but also will choke and spit on me… chef’s kiss.”

Silence. Then absolute chaos.

Cassian howled with laughter, nearly falling off the couch, pounding his fist against the armrest. Rhysand actually choked on his drink, eyes wide in stunned amusement. Feyre’s face turned a deep shade of red, trying so hard not to spit out her wine. Even Nesta looked momentarily stunned before she smirked behind her glass.

Mor gasped, covering her mouth before dissolving into uncontrollable giggles. “Oh my gods, I love you,” she wheezed, slapping Y/N’s thigh.

Azriel? Poor, poor Azriel.

The male had been lazily leaning against Y/N, all content and warm in his drunken haze—until that. His entire body tensed, and his head snapped toward her, his hazel eyes wide as if she had just announced their sex life to the entire continent.

“Y/N,” he groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose, his ears tinged red.

“What?” she giggled, batting her lashes at him. “It’s true.”

Cassian, still cackling, wiped a tear from his eye. “Brother, you are so screwed.”

“Literally,” Mor added between snickers.

Rhys, who had finally recovered, grinned like a cat who had just been given the juiciest piece of gossip. “So, Az, anything you’d like to confirm or deny?”

Azriel glared daggers at him, but before he could even attempt to salvage his dignity, Y/N leaned in, her drunk mischief on full display, whispering against his ear, “Don’t worry, babe, I didn’t tell them about the rope this time.”

Azriel let out a long sigh, leaning fully back against the couch, clearly accepting his fate.

Meanwhile, Mor lifted her glass. “To Azriel being the perfect balance of soft and filthy!”

The Inner Circle cheered, and Y/N—still smug and delightfully tipsy—leaned back against her mate, smirking like the absolute menace she was.

Azriel was suffering.

Not in the way he had suffered on battlefields, or through centuries of pain and shadowy burdens. No, this was an entirely new kind of torture—one that involved his mate being an absolute menace, his so-called family reveling in his humiliation, and him being too drunk to properly shut any of it down.

Y/N, meanwhile, was thriving.

She was still perched in his lap, looking far too pleased with herself, while the Inner Circle continued their drunken revelry. Cassian, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, still wasn’t over it. “Choke and spit on me,” he wheezed, practically collapsing into Nesta, who rolled her eyes but was biting back a smirk. “That was legendary.”

“I mean, it’s good to know he meets expectations,” Mor teased, swirling her drink.

Rhys, ever the opportunist, lounged back with a smirk that screamed trouble. “You know, I always suspected Az had a secret wild side. But this?” He exhaled, shaking his head. “This is delightful confirmation.”

Azriel groaned, dropping his head against the back of the couch. He’d faced wars with more dignity than this.

Y/N, full of unholy glee, kissed his cheek again. “You love me,” she sing-songed, absolutely insufferable.

Azriel lifted his head, fixing her with a look that was equal parts fond and exasperated. “…I do.”

Cassian let out a dramatic gasp. “Oh shit, he admitted it. In front of witnesses. It’s over for him.”

Feyre, shaking with silent laughter, raised a brow at Az. “Honestly, I didn’t expect this side of you.”

“I hate this side of me,” Azriel muttered, reaching for his drink as if that would somehow erase the conversation.

Y/N, with the biggest shit-eating grin, leaned in again, whispering just for him, “Liar. You love that I’m saying this in front of them.”

Azriel, deadpan, took a very long sip of his drink.

Mor smirked at Y/N. “So, when are you teaching me how to get a mate to be the perfect mix of sweet and depraved?”

Y/N, without hesitation, threw an arm around Azriel’s shoulders, smirking. “Step one: Find a stoic, broody male with a secret filthy side. Step two: Break him.”

Cassian actually howled at that, nearly falling off the couch. Rhys was howling too, wiping at his eyes. “Oh fuck, she got you so good, brother.”

Azriel just sat there, silently suffering, as Y/N nuzzled into him, smug and victorious.

And, gods help him—he did love her for it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The night only spiraled further into chaos.

Cassian, still wheezing from laughter, slammed a hand down on the table. “Alright, alright—we have to make this official.”

Y/N perked up in Azriel’s lap. “Make what official?”

“The breaking of Azriel,” Cassian declared grandly, gesturing wildly with his half-empty glass of whiskey. “For centuries, he was the untouchable, brooding mystery. Silent, deadly, repressed.” He pointed at Y/N with the authority of a drunk philosopher. “And then you showed up and turned him into a man who admits his feelings, growls at people who look at you too long, and—” He paused dramatically. “—is apparently a choking enthusiast.”

Azriel groaned and buried his face in Y/N’s shoulder, while Mor cackled, Nesta snorted into her wine, and Rhysand grinned like the bastard he was.

“You make it sound like I did witchcraft on him,” Y/N teased, idly playing with Azriel’s hair.

Cassian pointed again. “I knew there was something supernatural about you.” He turned to Feyre, suddenly serious. “Feyre, paint a picture of Az’s descent into sin.”

“Please don’t,” Azriel muttered into Y/N’s shoulder.

Feyre, biting back a smirk, tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I could capture his internal struggle—the battle between his old, broody self and the broken man who now worships at the altar of his mate’s chaos.”

Rhys beamed. “That’s art.”

Azriel groaned louder.

Y/N, full of mischief and absolutely loving this, turned and whispered against his ear, “You do worship at my altar, don’t you?”

Azriel lifted his head just enough to give her a look—one that promised payback. But she only grinned wider, completely unrepentant.

“Alright, final proof that Az has been fully corrupted,” Mor said, raising her glass. “Y/N, what’s the filthiest thing he’s ever said to you?”

Azriel straightened immediately. “Nope.”

Y/N tapped a finger against her lips, pretending to think. “Hmm… Oh! There was that one time—”

“Y/N,” Az warned, voice low and dark.

Y/N, completely ignoring the danger, continued, “—where he told me exactly how he planned to—”

Azriel moved.

One second, Y/N was sitting in his lap, the next, he had her thrown over his shoulder like she weighed nothing. She let out a surprised yelp, then laughed, pounding a playful fist against his back. “Az! Put me down!”

“Nope,” he said simply, standing up. “Goodnight, everyone.”

“BOOOOOO,” Cassian and Mor jeered in unison.

“Coward!” Rhys added.

“At least let her finish the story!” Nesta called after them.

But Azriel was already carrying Y/N out of the room, ignoring every taunt, Y/N still giggling and squirming in his hold.

“Azriel, you love me!” she sing-songed again, clinging onto him as he walked.

He gave her a firm smack on the ass, making her yelp. “Oh, I know.”

And then, to the Inner Circle’s absolute delight, Y/N’s laughter echoed down the hall.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Azriel had barely taken three steps down the hall, Y/N still slung over his shoulder, when she purred, "You know I love it when you spank me."

He froze.

The Inner Circle-who had definitely not left yet

-erupted.

Cassian nearly fell out of his chair. "OH MY GODS!"

Mor howled. "| KNEW IT!"

Rhysand, the absolute bastard, actually clapped.

"Confirmed!"

Nesta just rolled her eyes, sipping her wine. "Of course she does."

Azriel, who had thought he was saving himself from further embarrassment, had severely underestimated Y/N.

Y/N, still hanging over his shoulder, giggled and wiggled her hips just to tease him. "Mmm, and you do it so well, Shadowsinger."

Azriel gripped her thighs harder, his shadows curling around them in warning. "Y/N," he growled lowly.

But she just smirked. "Are you blushing, love?"

Cassian lost it. "OH MY GODS, HE TOTALLY IS!"

Azriel let out a slow breath, then, very calmly— very deliberately-adjusted his grip and smacked Y/N's ass again.

The sharp gasp she let out made the room go dead silent.

Then she let out a little pleased hum, wiggling again. "See? Told you I loved it."

Azriel vanished them in shadows before anyone could scream again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[bluetimeombre]

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ And I wouldn't marry me, either part 2

You were Azriel's mate, but it took losing you three times for him to realise.

[thank you for the love on part one, I’m so happy Azriel is getting the love he deserves!!!! This is another long one, another 6k. But I’ve learnt a new love for writing about him and i have so many ideas. This is a continuation and final part, part one here. Enjoy]

warnings: references to sexual assault and references to suicide. nothing explicit but please don't read if this is sensitive to you.

The third time Azriel almost lost you, he was pretty sure he lost a part of himself.

They'd all gone into battle, knowing that Hybern had the numbers to match and the advantage. But they'd all gone to fight in spite of that.

It had took some time for you to get the boys to agree to let you fight- you'd trained and grew up with all three of them but this was fighting on another scale. Although, if they were going, there really wasn't much they could say to get you to stay.

You were clad in Illyrian leathers just like them, armed with weapons and power.

The first battle was over quicker than you'd anticipated. Hybern soldiers surrendered, Tarquin drowned them on land. You'd suffered little, only falling on bed exhausted by the end of the day. Sadly, you were sharing a tent with Cassian and Azriel. It was like you were young again, all sleeping in the same room. It was a habit you'd done when you were young- all looking out and protecting each other.

The only difference was that Cassian snored as he got older.

But the next battle was worse.

It was bigger than last. Hybern's forces had doubled, seemingly at of nowhere, cutting their forces apart.

It was chaos, everywhere. Every corner there was fighting and bleeding and dying. There was pain all around you. Pain you felt like it was your own.

You used all your power, as much as you could to kill and protect. From the corner of your eyes you could see Azriel fight. Your Azriel, weaving in and out of people. Your mate. He was alive. And that was all you cared about.

But you didn't realise how much you'd been pushing herself and draining your power. Every time you stopped, you swayed on your feet, stumbling.

One of Hyberns men came for you as you were crouched and you barley blocked with your sword, rolling onto your back and slashing his arm off.

Not before he landed a sword in your thigh.

It had been deep burning and you yelled, yanking it out. Even with the wound, you kept fighting and fighting your way through until you saw a blaze of red and a familiar cry.

Cassian.

He'd been run through.

It was easy to push past exhaustion and winnow to his side, killing the man who'd been near him and any others that had been close enough. You fall to your knees next to him. 'Cassian, you prick.'

'You kiss your mate with that mouth,' he gasped. He was the only one who knew about Az and the bond. The only one you'd allow to make jokes.

You look down to his wound and gaged. Mother above, his guts were hanging out. 'No, no, no, come on, big guy, you have to stand.'

He groaned. 'Yea, don't think I can do that, sweetheart,' his eyes, lulled back.

You slap him in the face. Perhaps you wouldn't have felt guilt if it weren't for the way his eyes widened. 'You know I hate being called that.'

He laughed as his stomach and all its contents heaved out. Ignoring the pain in you, you hold his stomach, keeping him together. 'I promised Nesta i'd look after her,' he said. 'Please look after her.'

'Do it yourself,' you groaned.

Finally, Azriel came to your side and picked Cassian up like it was nothing, flying him to the tents. If only you still had your wings, you could have done it, saved him quicker.

Then, you were thrown back into the battle. Covered in his blood and yours, you fought through them all, slashing and killing like it was nothing. Like you had no reason to bat an eyelash at anything happening.

Eventually, it ended, but you couldn't even concentrate on who won or how much you'd lost. Your head ached, your leg was tied up in a bloody bandage ripped from your clothes. But none of that mattered.

Cassian was in bed, healing slowly. But he would live, everyone could tell. Especially with the way he picked fights. He argued with Rhys about throwing himself into danger, him and Nesta appeared to be having words with their eyes. Even Mor and Feyre argued. You were the only one silent with Azriel in the back. Too exhausted to even open your mouth.

That night, you tied up your wounds and fell asleep without changing.

It only got worse.

Elain- Feyre's sister and the most precious- was stolen from Hybern. You had only agreed to go and save her with a few selected others because your mate was in that few selective others.

It hadn't escaped your notice how he looked at her, was watchful over her like he once was with you. You saw the tick in his jaw at the news she was gone. You knew that this was the reason you hadn't told him. Knowing that he deserved someone like her, better than you. Kind and hopeful. You weren't. So the only thing you could do was watch your mate find love in someone else.

And you'd do it grudgingly but happy for him.

Azriel had took of with her. You and your high lady fought, fought through ash arrows and everything.

'You should get out of her, y/n,' said Feyre.

You groaned as an arrow skimmed your shoulder. Another had already got your hip. 'If you try to order me out of here, i'll be really pissed off at you.'

'I don't care if it gets you out!' she snapped, arguing like a real sister would.

'Yea, well- I was never one to listen to Rhys either.'

And Azriel was gone. Everything was fine.

You and Feyre ran, ran even as Tamlin defended you, ran until-

An arrow hit you in the back, straight to one of your old wing scars.

You tumbled, rolling on the ground as it broke and imbedded in your back. You screamed, in spite of yourself.

'You have to fly,' someone was telling you. Or saying it in general, frankly you had no idea what was going on. 'You have to take her.'

You rolled onto your stomach, groaning and trying to get yourself up. There was blood running down your arm, how did that get there?

'Y'n.'

You groaned, 'Azriel. I can't fly.'

'I know, I know- i've got you.' He picked you up, arm under your legs and around your shoulders.

'Elian, Azriel-'

'Feyre has her,' he told you. He sounded angry. Or afraid. Somehow his emotions were very easy to mix up.

'Feyre isn't strong enough.'

'She'll have to be.'

'You should take them, Elian-'

'I don't give a fuck about Elian right now, y'n.'

Just like that, he took off with you in his arms and your blood raining down on the camp of Hybern. You could barley hear anything over the wind... but you could feel it.

Something had tugged painfully at the bond, throwing you into a scream. Something had happened to Azriel. You twisted in his arms, finding gashing claw marks in his back from one of the hounds that had chased them down. His face was bleached white in pain, his hold on you tight.

Glancing around, you could just see Feyre in a blur of people.

'Azriel-' you gasped. He was in pain, so much pain.

He didn't say anything, just squeezed you tighter and looking ahead, barking orders as Feyre flew for the first time in need, in desperation. You remembered what that was like, trusting your life in them. But Azriel's wings, they were bleeding out. You remembered the pain. You'd go through it every day to spare him a minute of it.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

You and Azriel landed back in the camp in a blur of pain.

Even with him leaving a trail of blood, he managed to set you down like you were porcelain. You didn't cry out. You didn't yell for help. You threw his arm over your shoulder and supported him.

Nesta and Rhys rushed to Feyre.

You hated your brother for a long moment.

Elain wondered over, chained but whole.

Azriel moved from you, checking on Elian. You only managed to watch them as she kissed his cheek.

The pain came to you then. Your head, shoulder, back. You turned from the crowd of family. Elain moved to hug her sister, Rhys stayed at Feyre's side.

Thesan, someone you barley knew as more than a healer, came to you first but you pushed him away, pushed him to Azriel. 'His wings. Heal him, or i'll rip you to pieces.'

He didn't have to be told twice.

You stumbled your way to camp, to your little tent. You didn't share it with Cassian anymore as he was still healing and Azriel would be a while- needing healing of your own.

You collapsed on the bed, promising to look after yourself- just after your nap.

You were so fast asleep you didn’t even hear Azriel come in and sigh at the sight of you…

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Azriel was fighting when it happened. Specifically, when it snapped.

Mate. Mate. Mate.

No, he wasn't completely healed. But he had to fight. He wouldn't push himself, he knew that would be stupid. But he wouldn't watch as everyone fought. As you fought. He'd hardly seen you. He knew your back would be in pain. He knew you'd be in pain and you were still fighting, so far from him and out of reach.

He was thinking of you when it snapped.

Mate. Mate. Mate.

His soul sang it, his heart rose with it.

His shadows whispered it.

Mate. Mate. Mate.

y/n.

And the first thing he felt over the bond wasn't happiness or love. It was pain. It was death.

Mate. Mate. Mate.

In spite of the pain in his wings, how he'd been told not to fly, he did. He jumped into the skies, soaring over armies and dead to find you. He followed that pain, he followed the bond until he found you.

You, lying in your own blood. Again.

He fell next to you, his power eradicating anywhere near you. They dissovled, the ground cracked under him and his syphons shone in raw power.

'y/n?' he held your body, shaking you. Blood, so much. A sword had torn through your gut. 'Don't do this to me.'

Mate. Mate. Mate.

You cough, a thin stream of blood rolling from your lips. 'Azriel?'

'You're mine,' it was the first thing he could bring himself to say. 'You're my mate. Y/n. You have to hold on, ok? I'm gonna-gonna get you to safety.'

Something like a laugh escaped you, your body wracking with it. 'Of course, finally snaps for you as i'm dying.'

Snaps for you. Mate. Mate.

She knows, his shadows sung. She's known.

Azriel called out to Rhys in every way he could. 'We're gonna be fine. We're gonna be mates, y/n. You have to live, you understand?'

'Not really.' your eyes flutter shut.

'No!' he yelled, shaking you again.

'What's happened?' Rhysand landed next to him, blanking when he saw you in Azriel's arms, bleeding to death. How many times did this have to happen? How many times would you throw yourself into danger?

'She's my mate,' Azriel repeated. He tested it out loud, speaking it to the mother. How cruel was she? to give him this then try to take her away. Well, the mother wouldn't get that chance. Azriel would fight her if she tried to lay a hand on your life.

'What?' said Rhys.

'My mate,' he all but growled as Rhys got closer.

He put a hand on the back of Azriels neck, a hand on your head. 'We have to save her, Az.' he knew all about mating of course, knew that Azriel wanted nobody around her. But this was too save her. 'She's my sister too, the last sister I have. I care about her to.'

Azriel wanted to throw a thousand insults his way but refrained. If not because he was high lord, but also because you were dying.

They got you to safety, Azriel carrying you through to a tent.

'Y/n?!' Cassian rushed over, seeing you in his brothers arms, bleeding out and unresponsive.

Azriel pushed past him, setting you down on the bed. 'Get everyone, every healer now.' He had no idea who he was trying to demand, but he couldn’t watch this, couldn’t see you in.

You were still in your bed. Behind him, Feyre rushed to her mate, wrapping her arms around his torso as your brother stared at you in muted horror.

Azriel was leaning over you, sitting on the edge of the bed. ‘She’s my mate.'

'What?' Said Cassian, ‘She told you?'

Azriel felt the world stop around him. Not did you know about the bond and hadn’t told him, you’d told someone else? Cassian? His hand stilled in brushing your hair back, his shadows coaxing you instead.

Rhysand spoke what Azriel wanted to scream. 'You knew?'

'She-She told me,'

Azriel had always had an iron fist control on his emotions, as relied on to be spy master, he had to. But his patience was hanging on by a thread. You were still bleeding out and nobody had come and Cassian knew. Cassian knew about his mate before he did.

His shadows caressed you and, leaving you in the coolness of their touch, he leapt up, marching around the bed toward him.

Rhys was quicker, a hand on Azriels chest to stop him. 'Calm, brother.'

'Calm?' He seethed. 'When-how long have you known?' He shouted.

Cassian breathed out, pushing his hair back . His wings were tucked in behind him. 'She told me, before she went under the mountain.'

Even Rhysand let him go, blowing out air and throwing his arms over his head as Feyre gasped.

Azriel stumbled, a hand to his chest. His shadows were divided between him and caring for you. 'Fifty years,' he gasped.

You’d known for fifty years- possibly longer and hadn’t said a word.

He was panicking, his breath escaping him. His shadows settled uneasy around him. And the only person who was capable of calming him was laying unconscious.

Thesan burst in, knowing the injured already and working on you quickly.

Azriel almost launched at him, just for touching you. The reasonable part of him knew he needed to touch to heal, but the part that was your mate wanted him dead.

Cassian held him back, physically.

Azriel glowered at him. 'I wouldn’t touch me if i were you, brother,' he practically spat the words.

Rhysand left Feyre with a kiss on her cheek, coming to Azriel who was looking over you on the other side. 'Az, you need to rest-you’re hurt, too, remember?'

He shook his head, staring down at you. Mother above you were pale, so pale. 'I-I can’t feel anything Rhys, I can’t feel her through the bond.'

'My sister is a fighter, she’ll make it through.'

Azriel scoffed. His shadows were caressing up and down your arm. ‘Don’t pretend you’ve ever cared about her like a brother.'

Rhysand inhaled sharply. This was just fear, he told himself. 'Azriel.'

'No,' he said, his finger brushing back your hair. 'You only care about her when she’s dying and all y/n does is worship you- ever since you were children.'

Cassian tried to advance, 'Azriel, you wouldn’t be saying any of this if y/n wasn’t hurt.'

He laughed, bitterly. 'No, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t have to. I’d bite my tongue. But your sister is dying and the last time you cared was the last time she almost died- it killed her to lose her wings and you were never there! And you teach your mate to fly right in front of her!'

Rhys growled. ‘Don’t bring my mate into this!'

‘You’ve brought mine into this!' He yelled. 'Everything she does is for you. Working for you. My mate followed you down to the mountain even when you didn’t care.'

'Of course I cared.'

'Then why did she feel so alone down there!'

‘How would you know, Azriel? You weren’t there!'

'Because I know her, bond or not. And you’ve been otherwise occupied.'

Cassian moved between the two, holding them apart. 'None of this matters to y/n does it.'

Azriel blankes them all, settling next to you. He vaguely heard Cassian send Rhysand and Feyre away. He felt him longer before he felt him leave.

And then all Azriel could feel, was you.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

You felt pain first. The steady thumping of it through your body. It started in your leg, numbing it. Then, her back ached- a familiar pain you'd felt before. It sent panic through you before you realised they can't take your wings twice.

Then, it was in your gut, stinging. Just the thought of moving was hurting- aching.

There was a coldness around you, draped over like shadows. Shadows...

That's when you felt the tug that you'd neglected to feel for more than half a century.

The bond. There was finally something tied to the other end.

The shadows around you must've known you were awake as they grew frantic around you.

You opened your eyes, slowly, afraid to what you may see. Afraid to the eyes you'll have to meet.

Azriel was sat on a chair next to you, bare chested with only bandages around him. Immediately, you were at a disadvantage. He was looking at you, dark eyes pouring into yours as his hands curled around shadows.

'What happened?' you asked.

'You were run through,' he said, voice wavering.

'Oh.'

'You're my mate.'

Your eyes flickered away, staring at your tent. 'Oh.'

'That's it?' he whispered. There was some heart-break tainting his voice. 'You're not gonna say something?'

You pulled the blanket over you, daring to move to sit up. He shifted, but his shadows helped you. 'What do you want me to say, Az?'

'Why did you tell Cassian and not me?' he asked. 'Why didn't you tell me, for fifty years?'

'It's-it's not a big deal.'

'Not a big deal?' he all but seethed. 'I'd say finding your mate is a pretty big thing, y/n. It's the person to spend the rest of your life with.'

'Can we not, do this now?' you winced, as the words left your mouth.

'You're right, maybe we should wait another fifty years to bring it up when you're dying.' you've never heard him be so cruel, you'd never even argued with him before this.

'I wasn't dying,' you mumbled.

He scoffed. 'You had an infected wound in your leg that you didn't tell anyone about. An ash arrow was imbedded in your back. Imbedded! You didn't see anyone about it and then- you run into battle and get yourself stabbed.'

'I didn't get myself stabbed!' you argued, your temper rising above all other judgment. 'I didn't rush out in there, wanting to die!'

'I held you as you bled out!' he yelled, standing up from his seat. You were swinging your legs over the bed, ignoring every twinge in your body. 'Do you have any idea what that's like? Not even to hold you as you die in my arms the first time but the second. And to know this time, I was holding my mate?'

You bit down on your lip. He had to use the word with such care and love even when angry. You could feel it. For once, guessing his emotions wasn't needed as you felt it all. The taunt anger in him, the pull of anxiety and above all else, the weight of his love.

Azriel walked around you. 'Please, you have to tell me. Why didn't you say something to me? Why wouldn't you tell me you're my mate? Am I that repulsive to you?'

'What?'

He gulped.

You shook your head as he knelt in front of you, shadows pooled around the two of you, as if they were trying to hold the two of you together. You took his hands, holding them and let something like love flow down the bond. 'You are the most beautiful thing in this world. Something better than me. I wouldn't burden you with that.'

He rose his gaze to you. 'Burden me?'

'Do you think i've enjoyed lying to you?' you ask, finally finding your words. 'Do you think I've liked being your mate and never being with you? That I left you for fifty years and thought of you every moment of every day, all day long. That when I come back I wonder if you or Mor had grown closer? Or if Elian would finally tell you how much she loves you? It's been eating me alive. But it's a small price to pay.'

Azriel grasped at his words, chocking on them. 'Elian is nothing to me, nothing.'

You pushed yourself up, using his shoulder to steady yourself before you move around him. 'Why? Have you only just decided that because I’m your mate? That’s not how it should go, Azriel.'

He was following you around your tent as you slipped on armour and leathers over your night dress. ‘I want you, only you.'

'Because of the bond?'

'Because I’ve always only wanted you!'

You laugh. 'No, you haven’t.'

'If we’d talked about this maybe fifty years ago you’d know that!'

You shook your head. Perhaps a part of you didn't want to believe him and all those wasted years at your fault, but you didn't want to believe his words either. Because what did that mean? That he loved you and wanted you. But that seemed just as impossible to you. How could he want someone so wrecked who'd done nothing but run away from her feelings and does nothing to make anyone happy?

'I don't want you to feel like that,' said Azriel, approaching her. She thought she'd spoken aloud before she realised he could feel everything that was hers. She'd only ever had to shield her thoughts from her brother- and he rarely sort her thoughts. 'Please, please-' he took your shoulders, turning you around and gently resting his head on yours.

You could feel his warm breath over your lips. You almost lost all resolve, with him that close. You'd never been so close to him, close enough to touch. To kiss. To know finally what it mean to have that deep connection that everyone was meant for.

One person in the whole world to belong to.

And he was stuck with her.

'Azriel-'

'Whatever you're thinking about yourself, i've thought about me a thousand times. And ever since we were kids you've always stopped me from thinking that. You've always told me what I was worth,' he whispered. His hands were wondering down your arms, sending shivers down you. He could've been doing it on purpose, distracting you. 'Why won't you accept it for yourself?'

You gulped down every uneasy thought. 'Because you're good, Az and i'm-'

'You're everything.'

'I'm not,' you look up at him, his own face blurry from your tears unwilling to fall. 'I'm not a fighter, i'm afraid of pain. And I could never be a leader, because i'm scared of losing people. I'm terrified about it half the time. Why do you think I followed Rhys down to that stupid party that I knew I wouldn't come back from? Because he'd do the same for me? We both know he wouldn't. But what would losing him mean for you? or Cass, or Mor? I was a coward and I wanted to hide from all the pain his leaving would have caused.'

Azriel shook his head, words sinking in. You were comparing yourself, to warriors like him and Cass, to the high lord- your own brother. 'It was unbearable without you. Maybe if it was just Rhysand i'd have still been able to be spymaster, because that's what he needed. But when I realised you'd gone to, it ruined me,' he admitted. 'I didn't care what you would've wanted, because you weren't here to tell me.'

You rub at your forehead, the tension creating a pain in your already aching body.

'And to anyone who made you feel inferior or worthless, i'll kill them,' he said. It was a shine of the real Azriel. The one who made a promise and never broke it.

You smirk. 'Can't kill the high lord.'

'No,' huffed Azriel, like it was a mild inconvenience. 'But I sure can punch him in the face.'

You laughed at that and Azriel smiled. He'd cracked you.

But your amusement dropped quickly, he felt it like a penny dropping. He let go of you as you turned away, wiping at your eyes. He didn't want to see you cry, didn't want to be the one to make you upset. He only wanted to make you feel loved.

'This isn't how I wanted this to go.'

Azriel suddenly felt conscious of himself. Maybe this wasn't so much about what you felt, maybe it was more about what you felt toward him. 'You really hate the mating bond that much?'

You look over to him. 'Being your mate is my greatest honour. But I don't want you to love me just because you have to.'

'It's not that-'

'And I know you're gonna keep saying that.'

'Until you believe me,' he assured her. 'Even if I have to tell you every day until I die.'

'I can't ask you to do that.'

He smiled at you, a heart-breaking smile of love. 'You haven't.'

You open your mouth to say something, but you're interrupted by Cassain poking his head through the tent flaps. The rest of his whole body was hidden, only showing his bronze face and hair framing him. There was a sheepish smile on his lips.

Azriel huffed. 'Cassian.'

'What? It didn't sound like much love making going on.'

'Mother above,' you sighed.

'What?' whined Cassian. 'I'm just saying, didn't sound like I was interrupting anything.'

'Personally I didn't know he was capable of saying that many words,' said another voice, familiar and dull. Nesta.

You frown. 'I'm sorry, is the whole camp out there.' You storm out, without Azriel to stop you.

He let you get away, again, and now there was no way he'd get you to accept the bond until the battle was done.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

The next time you and Azriel spoke, the war was over.

Elian had stabbed Hybern, Nesta had delivered the killing blow, to the head. And your brother had died.

For those few minutes of his death you wanted Feyre weep for him as you stood paralyzed, unable to move. This was the brother you worshiped, the one you’d follow to the end of the world. Did he know that when he went where you could not follow?

Feyre had done everything she could, she begged for his life back. And when her wish was granted, you were collapsing on his other side. Tears of joy in your eyes that Rhys wiped away.

Your family, safe.

Everyone seemed happy to return to Velaris. Home. Scars were left over everyone, fears and pains. Some wore them better than others.

You'd thrown yourself into life. And avoiding Azriel. Suddenly there were many friends you'd neglected that you needed to take dinner with, or so many spontaneous Rita nights with Nesta.

And none of it escaped his notice. The steady thump of the bond still thrived inside of you, his shadows followed everywhere you went, even loitering in your room.

If he was doing it in an attempt to annoy you, then you weren't gonna break first.

After a particularly harrowing Rita's night, the only thing you wanted to do was sleep in for the rest of the day, hide away from everyone and everything. Call it your coping mechanism.

Alas, there was no peace as your curtains were thrown open, light spilling in and burning through your eyelids.

'Knock it off!' the shadows had never bothered with waking you up before- it seemed they'd picked the worst time to start.

'We need to talk,' said a voice that certainly wasn't a shadow.

Rhysand.

You groan, rolling over. 'Can't you talk to me when i'm not hungover.'

'And when would that be, sister? you're getting as bad as Nesta.'

You throw your pillow off and at him, but he dodged it easily and with a smug smile. 'I hate it when you call me that.'

'What? When I compare you to Nesta? Clean up your act then.' He stood over your bed, his arms folded over his chest.

You glare at him. 'I meant sister.' You shuffled up, brushing your hair back.

Rhysand frowned and perched himself on the edge of your bed. There was something he wasn't saying, and you watched it weight heavy on his shoulders. 'You know the last time I was in your room you were throwing glasses at me and yelling at me to get out.'

'Well, don't give me ideas.'

His lips curled into a smile of amusement before he turned solemn again. 'Do you love me, y/n?'

You hadn't expected that. Your hangover could only get worse, your head swimming with possibilities as to why he was asking. And nervous, you were nervous. Maybe you'd never said you loved him out loud but surely your actions were enough of a tell. 'You're my high lord and my brother, of course.' you shrug it off, as if it was nothing.

The shadows trailed up the bed, as if sensing your anxiety.

Rhysand glanced over at you. 'Do you think I don't love you?'

You hesitate, chewing at the skin of your gum.

'Because I do. I do love you. You're my little sister, how can I not?' he muttered. 'And I didn't know you felt like that.'

'It was just sort of... obvious,' you said. 'I was never your sister, not really. I always knew that. You'd never see me like that so, I gave up thinking you would. But you're the only family I have.'

'No, I'm not,' he denied. 'Y/n, everyone in this house loves you. They're your family. And i'm sorry- i'm so sorry if my actions have ever made you think different.'

'Why now?' you ask, eyes screwed up looking at him. 'Why are you saying all this now, what's changed?'

He shook his head, strands of his hair- the same as yours- falling over his eyes. 'You almost died, died on that battlefield and I-I wasn't the first one there. Granted, it was your mate that reached you first but I, I wasn't there quick enough.'

You meet his gaze, his purple eyes sad in a way you'd only ever seen under the mountain. 'You died.'

'And as I was dying one of my deepest regrets was not calling you sister enough,' he shifted closer, taking your head in his hands as if you were a little kid. 'You are my sister. Full flesh and blood. Full love of mine. You are my family. After everything you've done for me. You were right, I needed you under there, when there was nothing good to keep me grounded, but you. My little sister.'

You were sure you were tearing up in front of him.

'You'll always be my sister.'

You laugh. 'Maybe I should get stabbed more often.'

'No,' he said seriously. 'I don't think Azriel would like that very much.'

The mention of him changed the tone in conversation, changed the very beating of your heart.

'What's going on with you two?'

'Oh, I see,' you tease, 'talk to me above sister and brotherly relations just to get in my love life. Not a good look on you high lord.'

He laughed. 'No, it's not that. I just care about the two of you, a lot. And you both deserve to be happy. And I think you'd be happiest with each other.'

You look down, twirling the rings on your fingers.

'Would it be so bad to try to love him?'

You shake your head, smiling as a tear rolls down your cheek. 'I don't even have to try. Feels like i've loved him forever.' his shadows climbed up your arm, leaving Rhysand to smile at the affection.

'You'll work it out,' said Rhys, leaning over and kissing the crown of your head.

Your door was thrown open, startling the two of you.

Azriel stood there. For his entrance, he didn't at all seem that confident when he stood in front of the two of you. His hands didn't know how to hold themselves in front of him.

Your brows rose. 'Were you listening at the door?'

'Azriel,' scolded Rhysand with a stupid grin.

'Get dressed,' he said simply to you. 'There's something you need to see.'

Without much room for argument, you kicked them both out and dressed.

You'd grudgingly let Azriel hold your hand as he led you through the woods. You'd winnowed in at an illyrian camp before he took you through it and into the woods close by.

It was the same camp you'd first met Azriel in. The oldest where you'd all become friends. You'd asked what you were doing there, but he was quiet as he led you through, helping you over roots or breaking twigs from the trees so they didn't hit you.

'Azriel, to any other girl, you leading her silently through a woods without saying anything would be a bit suspicious,' you tell him. His shadows trailed behind the two of you and his hand was secure in yours. You knew not to be scared, but you were still cautious.

'I wouldn't show any girl this,' he said.

After another half hour of walking, the two of you stumbled across a small hut. It was a tiny thing really, made out of twigs and sticks, hay and mud. It looked like something a child was capable of making.

Azriel paused in front of it. He let go of you hand and reached for the door. He was as tall as it and his wings had to tuck in tightly behind him.

Hesitantly, you followed in.

It was just as small as it looked and dirty, like it hadn't been touched in years. Cobwebs hung low (his shadows quickly tried to bat them all away for you) there was dirt and hay all over the floor. Glasses were dust filled and left around with a hundred other things. Some looked new, others old.

And yet, strangely familiar.

'I made this place,' said Azriel.

You looked back at him. He was hunched over a large box that was overflowing with things. 'You?'

'The first time my brothers picked on me, I came to these woods, working on this for days. Every time things got too much back then, i'd come here. I've been coming back for years.' he glanced at you, a sheepish look on his face. 'I've never showed anyone this before.'

You look around the place in new perspectives. The shadows settled around the place. You pictured a little Az, running here and hiding from his brothers. Did he feel alone? Did he feel un-loved? You were so enamoured by it you didn't realise he'd settled on the ground, pulling out things from his box.

'This is your glove, the one's you were wearing when we first met. You took them off to beat up some kid who was being mean to me. You didn't go back for them, you didn't even care.'

He said, pulling out a pair of red wool gloves. In spite of the hut, they were in perfect condition. Pristine. You remembered first meeting him, remembered the little soldier who'd been horrible. Those gloves wouldn't go anywhere near your hand now.

Azriel went in again. 'This is the empty glass jar of the cream you used to help my burns. Here's a book you read to me when I couldn't flip the pages myself. The notes you'd leave when you had to go back to camp. The flowers you picked for me and gave me for my birthday. Dried and stamped from every time you gave them to me.'

You stood, in shock as he kept taking things out.

'A terrible drawing I did of you when I was young. A locket of yours that broke and you never wore again. Stamps from our first theatre trip. Empty bottles from our first night together in Rita's- and Cassian's too. A letter you wrote to me when I was on a mission. A black ribbon from your hair, you used to always wear it with these things. Honestly, the amount I have in here,' and he pulled out several, of varying shades. Black, white, grey, red, dark green. All yours.

Azriel wasn't done. 'A page of annotations you did in one of Rhysand's books. A copy of your favourite poems. A coaster from the first time just you and I went to dinner. Here's some stones from when I first taught you to skim them. A quill that I used to use to write you letters. An old ring of yours is here too. Here's the first dagger you got me. It's too precious to me to be used to kill.'

Tears were falling down your cheeks as you watched him pull them all out and explain them in depth. There was more but the sight of it all was becoming blurred through your tears. The bond felt heavy and beautiful in you.

Azriel finally put the box down and fell to his knees in front of you. His hands came around the back of your thighs, holding you there as his eyes looked up into yours. 'Don't you ever think I don't love you, when I have loved you since we were eleven years old.'

You stutter on you breath. 'H-how?'

He rests his head on your stomach, looking utterly at your will and completely in love. 'How could I not?'

Slowly, as you could not move too fast, you settled down on your knees across from him. His hands moved up to your arms as yours went to his cheeks, brushing back his hair.

'It was always going to be you, wasn't it?' you mumbled. 'How could it be anyone else?'

Azriel kissed you then, finally. His lips were as soft as they'd looked, as you'd always imagined. His hands drifted to your waist, finger tips digging into to hold you close. His hands were strong, but his lips were gentle. He pulled away, only to groan in need before reaching for your lips again, harder, desperate.

His teeth bit down on your bottom lip, tongue sliding in to feel every corner of your mouth as his hands wondered around you, trying to grip onto any bit of you he could. Your arms wrapped around his neck, bringing him closer. Close enough to consume, to breath in.

You pulled back enough to catch your breath, arms still around his shoulders. 'Mother above, am I gonna make you the best meal of your life.'

But that could wait. For now, you'd settle for a dusty floor in the little house in the woods.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Taglist: @tothestarsandwhateverend @darlingbravebelle @lil-lupa @haileycannotcometothephantom @fairywriter-oracle @isa1b2h3 @tele86 @thebeautifulmysteriesoflife @unleashthelion @naturakaashi @aurora1115 @sirens-and-moonflowers @azriels-shadowsinger @willowpains @crazylokonugget @abysshaven @anuttellaa @wishfulwithwine @one-big-fangirl @harrystylesfan2686 @charlotteintumbleland @mellowarcadefun @starseedsamurai

[randomgurl2326]

Next To My Wife

Pairing: Azriel x reader

Summary: The one time Azriel let his two worlds collide…ALSO…Based off of this quote from EPIC The Musical: After everything you’ve done, how will you sleep at night/Next to my wife

Warnings: Blood, Torture

The dungeon is cold. Second only to the Winter Court. The sounds of a male’s cries and screams are music to the spymaster’s ears.

The cobalt siphons on the Illyrian warrior’s leathers shine bright down here. Like they knew what he’s doing and that he takes pleasure in it.

The male doesn’t let the guilt creep in. Not yet. Guilt is for the conscience. Conscience is for home. He can’t afford conscience at work. That’s a luxury only innocence can have…. His sweet girl, innocent—

No, he can’t think of her now. Never let the two worlds touch, is what he tells himself. Keep the innocent innocent. Keep the bloody bloody.

Never let them touch.

Azriel’s shadows envelop the faerie. The whisps talk animatedly as they watch their master work. Suggestions ring through his ears from the tiny shadows.

The whip, master, the whip.

No! No! Truth Teller, Master. Surely that will get the job done.

The shadowsinger grits his teeth and lets out a grainy, “Quiet.”

The shadows whispers lessen to a dull roar. Azriel’s shoulder’s tense as he speaks, “Tell me what you know about Beron Vanserra’s dealings with Hybern.”

The faerie hesitates for only a second before hardening his gaze and answering, “Fuck. You.”

The spymaster breaks two of the male’s fingers as a result of his defiance. Azriel tightens his grip on the faerie, “Wrong answer. Tell me before I rip out your fucking veins one by one.”

The faerie male cries out in pain. Finally submitting to the spymaster, “Alright! Alright! I’ll tell you!” The next one quieter, “I’ll tell you.”

Azriel presses down on the other male’s jugular, “I’m listening.”

“T-the High Lord wanted a deal,” the Illyrian senses the quiver in the faerie’s voice, “A-a protection deal o-or something, I don’t fuckin’ know.”

The dark whisps of shadows stir again, sensing a lull.

He’s lying, master.

He knows but doesn’t want to tell master.

If pretty girl were here she’d be able to—

Azriel squeezes his eyes shut at the mention of his girl. Don’t let the two worlds touch, he says to himself, leave the conscience at home. The spymaster’s eyes open once again, reminding him of where he is. What he’s doing.

Scarred hands press down harder on the male’s protruding neck, “Enough of the bullshit. Tell me what you know.”

The faerie winces, “S-security! Security… he wanted to trade Night Court secrets in exchange for security with Hybern. Beron wanted stability. He senses a war. I-I don’t know what secrets he was gonna share. I just know that they were heavy.”

The Illyrian’s shadows exert approval of the truth. Azriel grunts and twists the male’s arm backwards, pushing his leather boot clad foot down on his back and forcing his head down.

The shadowsinger smirks and leans down to the faerie’s ear, with a dark voice he says, “Thank you… But you’re no longer needed.”

He unsheathes Truth Teller and stabs it in the male’s shoulder blade. He waits a beat before slowly pulling it out. The agonizing cries of the faerie bounce through the otherwise quiet halls of the dungeon. His whimpers bring a twisted delight to the spymaster.

Once the dagger is fully removed, Azriel stands and gives one last stomp on the faerie’s foot for good measure.

“Someone will be here in the morning to either clean your remains or your wounds. Make sure not to bleed too much. I do like this dungeon.”

Azriel walks off and cleans Truth Teller with a rag nearby. Just as the Illyrian is about to exit, he hears the faerie’s pain-stricken voice, “After everything you’ve done, how will you sleep at night?”

Azriel stops at the exit and smirks. He doesn’t dignify the faerie with a glance as he says in his gruff baritone, “Next to my wife.”

[batboysanonymous]

To Break a Warrior

Cassian x Reader

Summary: When Y/n is sent to the Spring Court on a mission that leaves her shattered in body and spirit, Cassian must prove that loving a warrior means fighting beside her, even when the battle is within her own heart.

*Some of this is made up for the storyline*

Rhys didn’t look at you when he gave the order. That should have been your first warning.

“Tamlin’s been quiet too long,” the High Lord said from where he stood at the windows of the River House, hands clasped behind his back, violet gaze fixed on the sea of stars above Velaris. “Feyre and I both agree someone needs to check on him.”

Your fingers curled into the hem of your tunic to hide the tremor. “Send Azriel.”

It wasn’t a request. It was common sense. Az knew how to slip in and out of courts unseen. He wouldn’t be provoked the way you would.

Rhys’s smile was thin, sharp enough to cut. “Tamlin doesn’t hate Azriel the way he hates you.”

Because you were Night Court through and through. Because you had stood beside Feyre during the war, had smiled that wicked smile only a Night Court female could conjure when you watched Hybern burn. Because you were nothing Tamlin could stomach—and everything Rhys wanted to rub in his face.

You swallowed down the knot in your throat. “He’ll attack me.”

“Then defend yourself.” Rhys’s voice was velvet over steel. “You are a warrior of this court, Y/n. If you cannot handle a visit to a washed-up High Lord, perhaps you shouldn’t be sitting at this table at all.”

The blow landed—clean and brutal. Your teeth clamped down on the words you wanted to throw back. You didn’t dare glance at Cassian, though you felt the weight of his stare from across the room.

He hadn’t spoken since Rhys gave the order. Hadn’t fought for you.

That, somehow, hurt more.

──

The Spring Court felt like it was rotting from the inside out.

The once-lush fields were strangled with overgrown vines, the grass scorched in patches like Tamlin had burned it in a fit of rage. Even the air tasted wrong—thick, humid, the faint scent of spoiled flowers making your stomach churn.

You shouldn’t have come alone. You knew it the second your boots crossed the border, the shield Rhys had laced around you flickering faintly in the golden light. It felt too thin. Insufficient. Like even Rhys hadn’t expected you to make it out.

You’re capable, you told yourself, trying to drown out the doubt thrumming in your chest. Rhys wouldn’t have sent you if you weren’t.

Except…he would.

Your heart hammered harder with every step up the cracked marble stairs leading to Tamlin’s front door. The place looked abandoned—windows broken, the once-beautiful façade covered in dirt and dead vines. But the moment you touched the heavy brass handle, you knew you weren’t alone.

The door swung open before you could knock.

Tamlin stood there, barefoot and rumpled, like he hadn’t slept in days. His golden hair was tangled, his green eyes sunken and wild, bright with something you couldn’t name. But it was the smile that made your stomach curdle—the slow, curving thing that had no warmth at all.

“Back so soon?” His voice was smoke and glass shards, scraping at your ears.

You forced your chin higher, though your pulse thudded so loudly you could barely hear yourself speak. “I’m here on behalf of the Night Court.” You hated how rehearsed the words sounded. Like you were a child parroting a script. “Rhysand requests an update on—”

He laughed. Low and sharp and utterly humorless.

“Rhysand sends a messenger girl to check on me?” Tamlin’s fingers curled around the doorframe, claws slipping free in tiny, almost lazy flickers. “How pathetic. Does he not even bother sending his shadows anymore?”

You tried to hold your ground. “I’m not a messenger girl.”

“Aren’t you?” He leaned closer, and though the scent of him was the same—fresh-cut grass and sun-warmed earth—it was tinged now with something rotting. Like that poison had bled into his very skin.

You opened your mouth—to argue, to defend yourself, you weren’t sure. But his hand shot out faster than you could track, wrapping around your wrist.

“Let me go.” Your voice was sharp. Too sharp. It gave away the sliver of fear crawling beneath your skin.

Tamlin’s smile didn’t waver. “You took everything from me.”

Your throat went tight. “I didn’t take anything.”

“You stood beside her.” His grip tightened, claws pricking through the leather of your sleeve, just enough for a bead of blood to well. “You laughed while my court crumbled. You and your filthy Court of Nightmares.”

You wrenched back, free hand reaching for the dagger at your hip—but vines shot from the floor, wrapping around your ankles before you could even unsheath it.

“Don’t.” Tamlin’s voice was soft. Soft in the way a predator coaxes prey into stillness. “Don’t pretend you’re a warrior, little girl.”

Anger flared beneath the fear. “You want me to beg? To apologize? I won’t.”

His hand shot out again, this time slamming into your chest with a blast of magic so forceful you flew back, spine colliding with the opposite wall hard enough to crack the plaster. Pain burst through your ribs like fire.

You hit the floor coughing, gasping for breath—but there was no time to recover. The vines snaked tighter, dragging you forward across the marble, over broken glass and debris until they coiled around your arms, holding you spread-eagle like some grotesque marionette.

Tamlin stalked toward you, each step measured. Controlled.

“You think you’re one of them,” he murmured, eyes flicking up and down your trembling body. “But you’re not. You’re just their pawn. A disposable little soldier they’ll burn through and forget.”

You gritted your teeth against the pain. “I’m not afraid of you.”

“Liar.”

His magic yanked your arm at a brutal angle, dislocating your shoulder with a sickening pop. You screamed before you could stop yourself, the sound echoing off the empty walls.

Tears blurred your vision, but you swallowed the sob threatening to break free. You wouldn’t give him that.

“You’re not even worth killing.” Tamlin’s voice was bored now, dismissive. “Go home to your High Lord. Crawl back to your precious General. Let them see what their little pet looks like when the mask comes off.”

He dropped you.

Just like that, the vines loosened, and you crumpled to the floor in a heap, cheek pressing into the cold marble. You could feel the blood seeping through your torn leathers, the grinding ache in your ribs with every breath.

“Get out of my court,” Tamlin said quietly. “Before I change my mind.”

It took everything in you to push to your hands and knees, every muscle trembling with the effort. Your fingers slipped in your own blood. But you crawled—each inch toward the door a battle.

You didn’t look back.

Even when you felt his eyes on your spine, even when your broken shoulder screamed with agony, even when you felt the whisper of his power trailing after you like a ghost.

──

The air felt too thick in your lungs.

Each breath tasted like dirt and blood and shattered pride, your cheek pressed into the cold ground outside Tamlin’s manor. You had crawled this far—through the broken doorway, across those steps, through the weeds and rot choking the garden path. Your body screamed at you to stop.

You didn’t.

Your dislocated arm hung useless at your side, every tiny jostle sending molten agony lancing through your shoulder. Blood streaked your hands, slick with grime, glass and thorns embedded in your palms. You could barely see—one eye swelling shut, the other blurred with tears you couldn’t hold back.

But the bond—gods, the bond.

It was a thin, silver cord in your chest, a lifeline you hadn’t wanted to rely on. You had fought so hard to stand on your own, to prove you were more than Cassian’s mate, more than the weakest link in the Inner Circle. But now…

Cassian.

You whispered it into the bond, voice so faint you weren’t sure it would reach him. It was barely a thought, a trembling plea wrapped in agony and shame.

But Cassian heard.

The response was instant—like a crack of thunder, that golden warmth roaring to life across the tether between you, flooding your senses. His fear slammed into you so hard you gasped, your battered lungs failing to catch enough air.

Y/n? Y/N.

It wasn’t a question. It was panic sharpened to a blade, his voice raw with terror.

You could feel the sky shift. His wings slicing through clouds as he launched from wherever he was—felt the storm of his rage boiling up like magma beneath his skin. But it was the fear that broke you.

You’d never felt him afraid like this. Not in the war. Not in any battle.

But your pain—your weakness—was a dagger straight into his heart.

“Please,” you whispered aloud, voice rasping into the dirt.

You didn’t know if you said it for him—or for yourself.

The world started to tilt, dark edges closing in. You couldn’t feel your legs anymore. Couldn’t even hold yourself up. You were collapsing into the earth, breath hitching, pain blooming like a thousand flowers beneath your skin.

But you clung to the bond.

Even as everything else slipped from your fingers—your pride, your strength, your sense of self—you held onto him.

I’m coming.

The bond shuddered with the force of those words, like he was pouring every bit of himself down that invisible thread. You could feel his wings beating furiously against the wind, his heart pounding just as hard as yours.

You closed your eyes.

He would come.

Even if Rhys never believed in you. Even if the whole court thought you were a mistake.

Cassian would come.

You didn’t remember the moment he landed. Didn’t hear the rush of wind, the crack of his boots on soil. You only felt—

Scarred hands, gentle despite their strength, cupping your face. His fingers trembling against your bloodstained skin, voice cracking as he said your name, over and over, like a prayer.

“Y/n.”

You tried to smile, but it felt broken too. “Took you long enough.”

His laugh was half-sob, half-roar, torn from somewhere deep inside his chest. “You scared the shit out of me.”

You didn’t answer, couldn’t, because he was gathering you into his arms, careful but desperate, cradling you like you were something precious—something he was terrified might slip away if he wasn’t careful enough.

His wings wrapped around you, shielding you from the world, his scent of cedar and smoke cocooning you safe in the storm of his fury and fear.

“Who did this to you?” he asked, voice low and lethal.

You didn’t answer. Not yet. Not when it took all your strength just to breathe.

Cassian’s hand slid down your back, fingers mapping each bruise, each broken place, memorizing the evidence of your suffering like he might etch it into his bones and never forget.

When his fingers brushed your dislocated shoulder, you whimpered before you could stop yourself.

Cassian swore—ugly and guttural—and held you closer.

“I’ve got you,” he murmured into your hair, voice softer now. “I’ve got you, sweetheart. Just hold on.”

You clung to the front of his leathers, tears hot against your raw skin, and let yourself believe him.

Even if you didn’t deserve to.

─────────────

Through the bond, he could feel everything.

The pain. The sharp, ragged edges of her pride torn to shreds. The humiliation curdling in her gut. And beneath it all—the small, flickering ember of her belief that none of them had ever truly wanted her.

That she had been sent to fail.

Cassian’s heart nearly stopped.

He had to grit his teeth so hard his jaw ached just to keep from flying straight to the River House and demanding answers from Rhys right now.

But Y/n came first.

Always.

Her breathing hitched against his chest, and Cassian laid his hand over her ribcage, fingers splayed to feel the fragile rise and fall of her breath. Each time her ribs moved, he whispered down the bond, a stream of words and feelings and warmth, steadying her even as his own rage threatened to drown him.

You’re safe now. I have you. I’m here. I’m here. I’m here.

And through the crack in her defenses, through her pain and shame and silence, came the smallest response.

I’m sorry.

It broke him.

Don’t you dare apologize. Don’t you dare.

But she was already drifting, consciousness slipping. Cassian held her tighter, his heartbeat thundering for both of them.

“You’ll be okay,” he whispered aloud, into her hair. “I’ll get you home. I’ll fix this. I swear to the Mother, I will fix this.”

And the sky itself trembled beneath the weight of his vow.

────

Rhys was waiting when Cassian landed.

Y/n was cradled against his chest, her face slack with exhaustion, body battered and limp in his arms. Cassian barely had enough restraint to keep from shaking her awake every two minutes, just to make sure she was still breathing. Every uneven beat of her heart thrummed down the bond, and with each one, Cassian’s temper frayed further and further.

Rhys stood at the edge of the River House steps, hands clasped behind his back. Feyre beside him, worry etched deep between her brows. The High Lady took a step forward, but Cassian’s wings flared, cutting her off.

“Don’t,” Cassian snarled.

The sound of his voice was pure violence. Feyre froze, mouth parting in shock.

“She needs a healer,” Rhys said, his voice calm. Careful.

“She needed backup.” Cassian’s voice cracked like a whip. “She needed protection. She needed someone to actually believe in her.”

He stalked past them, his steps heavy enough to make the ground tremble beneath his boots. The healer was already inside—thank the Mother someone had at least prepared for that—but Cassian wasn’t done.

He laid Y/n down gently, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead, then rounded on Rhys with all the fury of a storm.

“Why her?” Cassian’s wings snapped open, his voice low and dark. “Why send her to Tamlin alone? You know what he’s like. You knew.”

Rhys didn’t flinch. “Tamlin would’ve smelled my magic on anyone else. He had to believe it was a gesture of good faith. If I’d sent Amren, or Az, or even Feyre, it would have been war all over again.”

“So you sent her.” Cassian’s chest heaved. “You sent her to prove a point? To test her?”

Feyre’s voice was soft. “Rhys didn’t mean for her to get hurt—”

Cassian’s laugh was jagged. “He didn’t care if she did.”

That silence said enough.

Cassian’s hands curled into fists, shaking at his sides. “I thought we were past this.” His voice was quieter now, almost hoarse. “I thought you were done using people as pawns.”

Rhys’s jaw tightened. “This court’s survival requires sacrifices. You know that.”

“She’s not a sacrifice.” Cassian’s voice broke at the edges. “She’s my mate.”

Feyre sucked in a sharp breath, her hand flying to her mouth. Rhys’s expression flickered for the briefest second—but Cassian didn’t care.

“She’s my mate,” Cassian said again, softer this time. “And you nearly got her killed.”

Rhys held his gaze. “And if you let that blind you, you’ll get her killed yourself.”

Cassian’s vision went red, but the healer called from inside, voice urgent.

He turned without another word, wings tucking tight against his back. He’d deal with Rhys later. Right now, Y/n was the only thing that mattered.

──────

Y/n was asleep in their room when Cassian stormed into the River House again, wings flared so wide they nearly knocked a vase off the entry table. He hadn’t even bothered with his leathers—just an old shirt thrown on over his bandaged knuckles, his hair still damp from washing off Y/n’s blood.

Rhys was in the study, leaning against the desk with a glass of wine in hand, his jaw tight like he’d been waiting for this.

“Explain,” Cassian said, voice low and dangerous.

“She’s fine now,” Rhys said, tone careful but not remorseful enough for Cassian’s liking. “She’s alive.”

“Don’t.” Cassian’s hand slammed onto the desk so hard the wood groaned. “Don’t you fucking downplay this.”

Rhys’s nostrils flared. “I did what I had to—”

“She is my mate.” Cassian’s voice shook the walls, his wings trembling with restraint. “You sent her there like she was nothing—like she was expendable—and you knew. You knew Tamlin would rip her apart if she so much as looked at him wrong.”

“She needed to prove—”

“To who?” Cassian’s voice cracked. “To you? To this fucking court?”

“She needed to prove it to herself.”

Cassian went still.

Rhys’s gaze was like steel. “Do you think I don’t see what eats at her? Every time she stands in a room with us, do you think I don’t feel how small she thinks she is? How much she believes you’re the only reason she’s still standing here?”

Cassian’s teeth bared. “That wasn’t your call to make.”

The study door swung open hard enough to bang against the wall.

“You’re right,” Feyre said, voice sharp and cold. “It wasn’t.”

Rhys’s head whipped around. “Feyre darling—”

“No.” Her hands shook at her sides, knuckles white. “Don’t darling me right now.”

Cassian’s chest heaved, his anger a living, breathing thing beside him. But for once, it wasn’t just his fury filling the room.

“You could’ve gotten her killed,” Feyre said, voice low but vibrating with anger. “For what? Some twisted test? You used her, Rhys.”

“It was calculated,” Rhys said, but the words rang hollow even in his own mouth. “Tamlin wouldn’t hurt someone who wasn’t a threat.”

Feyre laughed—a sharp, humorless thing. “You mean like he didn’t hurt me?”

The silence after that was deafening.

Cassian’s fists clenched again, the memories of Feyre’s bruises—the hollow look in her eyes when she’d first come to Velaris—still sharp in his mind.

“You of all people,” Feyre said, her voice cracking, “should have known better.”

Rhys’s throat bobbed. “I—”

“She is our family.” Feyre’s voice shook now. “Whether you like her or not. Whether you think she’s good enough or not. She is ours. And you let her bleed for your pride.”

Cassian had to look away—because if he met Rhys’s eyes, he wasn’t sure he could stop himself from putting his fist straight through his brother’s jaw.

Rhys closed his eyes for a long moment, and when he opened them, the weight of it all settled there—the guilt, the fear he hadn’t admitted, the quiet, ugly truth that he hadn’t expected Y/n to come back in one piece.

“Do you even see her?” Cassian asked, voice quieter now, but no less lethal. “Or is she just a liability you tolerate because I love her?”

Rhys didn’t answer.

That silence told Cassian everything.

“Fix it,” Cassian said, turning toward the door. “Because if you ever use her like that again, I don’t give a shit that you’re my High Lord. I will rip you apart.”

Rhys didn’t argue.

And when Cassian left, it wasn’t just the tension that hung heavy in the air.

It was the fracture between brothers. A wound that might never fully heal.

────

The first thing Y/n registered when she woke was the ache in her shoulder—followed closely by the too-warm weight of a calloused hand clasped gently around her own.

Cassian.

Her eyes cracked open, the soft candlelight catching on the gold in his brown eyes. His head was bowed, his thumb stroking the back of her hand in a slow, mindless rhythm.

“You’re awake,” he rasped.

Y/n swallowed, throat raw. “Unfortunately.”

Cassian’s lips quirked, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Don’t say that.”

Silence stretched between them.

He wasn’t touching the bond. Neither was she. Both too afraid to open that door—to face everything unsaid inside it.

“You shouldn’t have come,” Y/n whispered.

Cassian’s head snapped up. “What?”

“I could’ve handled it.” Her voice was bitter. “Or I should have.”

Cassian’s chair scraped against the floor as he stood, pacing like a caged beast. “Handle it? You almost died.”

Y/n stared at her hands. The bandages. The bruises already darkening her skin.

“I’m not like Feyre,” she said quietly. “I’m not powerful, or clever, or—”

“Stop.”

“I’m not like Nesta,” she went on, voice cracking. “I’m not a warrior. I’m not—”

“Stop.”

Cassian’s voice was low and fierce, but Y/n couldn’t stop the flood now that it had started.

“I’m just the girl Rhys tolerates because you want me here. That’s all I’ve ever been.”

Cassian knelt beside her, gripping the arms of her chair, his face so close she could feel his breath. “That’s not true.”

“Isn’t it?” Her voice broke entirely. “If I was worth anything to this court, he wouldn’t have sent me alone.”

Cassian’s hands slid into her hair, his forehead pressing against hers. “You are worth everything.”

Y/n’s breath shuddered out, her fingers tangling in his shirt. “Then why does it feel like I’m not?”

Cassian had no answer. So he just held her.

────

It was three days before Y/n could stand without wincing. Five before she could move through the halls without Cassian hovering like a storm cloud at her shoulder.

But even then, her steps were careful, measured, as if each one might shatter the fragile illusion that she belonged here at all.

Cassian saw it in the way she avoided the training ring, the way her eyes slid off the others whenever they spoke of strategy or battle. Saw the doubt sinking deeper and deeper into her skin.

He found her on the cliffs, sitting with her knees pulled to her chest, watching the sunset.

She didn’t turn when he landed beside her, though his wings stirred the grass.

“I’m not fragile, you know,” she said, voice soft but not unkind.

“No,” Cassian agreed. “But you are bleeding inside, and I can’t stand watching you pretend you’re not.”

Her fingers curled into the fabric of her pants, knuckles tight. “I’m not like you. Or Feyre. Or even Nesta. I don’t have power. I don’t have—”

“You have courage.”

She laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Courage doesn’t mean shit when you’re face-down in the dirt.”

Cassian crouched beside her, resting his forearms on his knees. “Then let’s make sure you never end up there again.”

Y/n’s brow furrowed. “What?”

“I’m going to train you,” Cassian said, as if it were the simplest truth in the world. “Properly. Not just enough to get by. Enough to make you dangerous.”

Y/n turned to him, eyes wide with uncertainty. “You don’t have to—”

“I want to.” His voice was low, rough with something too tender to name. “Because this is what you don’t see—you belong here. Not because of me. Not because you’re my mate. But because you are strong, and clever, and you deserve to take up space in this court. And if Rhys or anyone else has made you feel otherwise, fuck them.”

Her throat worked as she swallowed, emotion flashing in her eyes. “You really believe that?”

Cassian’s fingers traced her jaw, tilting her face toward his. “I believe in you more than I believe in anything.”

Y/n’s breath caught.

She nodded once, almost shyly, and Cassian stood, holding out a hand.

“Come on,” he said, smiling softly. “Let’s teach you how to break my nose.”

Training was brutal, but not in the way she expected.

Cassian didn’t just drill her in forms and technique—he made her unlearn every quiet apology her body had ever made. Every flinch, every inch she gave up to the world to make herself smaller.

“Stop retreating,” he barked as they circled each other, wooden swords in hand. “You’re not a rabbit.”

“I’m tired, Cass.”

“I don’t care.” His wings flared wide. “The next time someone comes for you, they won’t stop because you’re tired. So fight tired. Fight scared. Fight broken. But fight.”

Y/n’s jaw clenched.

And when she lunged, it wasn’t graceful or pretty—but it was fierce.

Cassian grinned through the sting of her wooden sword cracking against his ribs. “Good.”

Again. And again. And again, until her muscles shook, her heart pounded, and every doubt she carried began to bleed out into the dirt.

By the end, she was breathless, sweat-drenched, and smiling.

Cassian’s grin matched hers. “That’s my girl.”

────

That night, Cassian found her sitting at the edge of their bed, staring at her hands.

“Can’t sleep?” he asked softly, closing the door behind him.

She shook her head. “My body feels like it’s been put through a meat grinder.”

Cassian chuckled, moving toward her. “That’s how you know you did it right.”

But when he knelt between her knees, hands settling on her thighs, his smile faded.

“Talk to me,” he said softly.

Y/n exhaled shakily. “I hate that I needed you to save me.”

Cassian’s thumb brushed the inside of her knee, tracing small, soothing circles. “That’s not weakness.”

“It feels like it.”

“Sweetheart.” His voice was a rasp, his hands sliding up to her waist, so gentle despite the strength in them. “Do you think I never needed Rhys? Or Az? Do you think needing help makes me less a warrior?”

She didn’t answer.

Cassian leaned closer, his forehead brushing hers. “Strength isn’t about never falling. It’s about getting back up. And sometimes, the only reason we can is because someone pulls us to our feet.”

Her eyes burned, tears pricking the corners. “I’m tired of needing to be saved.”

“Then let me stand beside you instead.”

His hands cupped her face, his thumbs brushing away the first stray tears. “You are my equal, Y/n. My mate. My heart. But even the strongest hearts need somewhere soft to rest.”

Y/n’s breath caught, and when Cassian kissed her, it was slow—softer than she expected. Not hunger, but reverence. A kiss that said you are precious.

She melted into him, hands curling into his hair, pulling him closer. And when they tumbled back onto the bed, it wasn’t frantic or desperate. It was worship.

Cassian’s lips traced the line of her throat, her collarbone, the curve of her shoulder. Every scar, every bruise, he kissed as if he could erase them with his mouth alone.

“You scared me,” he whispered, voice cracking. “When I felt you through the bond, I—”

His hands trembled where they held her waist, his forehead pressing to her sternum. “I can’t lose you.”

Y/n curled around him, pulling him up to meet her gaze. “I’m here.”

Cassian kissed her again, deeper now, need threading through the softness. And when his clothes joined hers on the floor, when their bodies tangled together in the sheets, it wasn’t just desire.

It was coming home.

Every touch was a vow. Every breath a promise.

You are enough.

You are mine.

We will fight for each other.

When they finally lay sated in the dark, her head tucked beneath his chin, Cassian traced idle patterns on her back, wings spread protectively over both of them.

“I’ll teach you everything I know,” he murmured into her hair. “And one day, you’ll scare the shit out of anyone who thinks you’re just a pretty face.”

Y/n smiled sleepily, fingers tracing the scar over his heart. “Even you?”

“Especially me.”

He kissed her temple, arms tightening around her. “Now sleep, my love. Tomorrow, we fight again.”

────

The training ring was full when Y/n stepped inside.

Azriel was sparring with Nesta, Mor was leaning against the railings, and Cassian—Cassian was waiting for her, twin blades in hand.

“Alright, sweetheart,” he said, tossing her one. “Show me what you’ve got.”

She caught it easily, sliding into a stance so confident even Az paused to watch.

Cassian came at her fast — no holding back, no mercy. And she met him step for step.

The crack of steel on steel rang through the air, and when Y/n spun low, sweeping his leg out from under him, the collective gasp from the others was delicious.

Cassian hit the dirt, and she planted a boot on his chest, blade pointed at his throat.

His grin was feral. Proud. A little bit in love with how terrifying she looked standing over him.

Mor whistled. Nesta arched a brow. Azriel’s smile was the rarest thing of all — pure, quiet pride.

Y/n offered Cassian her hand, and when he took it, she hauled him up hard enough to make him stumble.

“She’s a menace,” Cassian grinned, slinging an arm around her shoulders.

Y/n only smiled sweetly. “You made me this way.”

And the Inner Circle finally saw — not Cassian’s mate. Not a liability.

But a weapon in her own right.

────

They made it back to their room just before sunset.

Cassian sprawled across the bed, shirtless and still slightly breathless from their sparring. Y/n stood at the window, watching the horizon glow gold and violet.

“You scared them today,” Cassian said, voice warm with pride.

Y/n’s smile was small, but real. “Good.”

He reached for her, and she went willingly, climbing onto the bed beside him. His fingers traced lazy patterns on her back, the comfort of his touch sinking deep into her skin.

“I meant what I said,” he murmured, voice husky. “You’re not just my mate. You’re you. And I love you for every reckless, stubborn, brilliant piece of that.”

Y/n’s heart squeezed tight.

She traced her fingers along his jaw, her touch reverent. “And I love you for seeing me even when I couldn’t.”

Cassian kissed her then — soft, unhurried, the kind of kiss that wasn’t about need or urgency. It was about knowing. About the quiet certainty that whatever storm came next, they would face it together.

When she pulled back, breathless, Cassian grinned up at her.

“So,” he said, wicked and sweet all at once. “Want to practice breaking my nose again?”

Y/n laughed, and for the first time in weeks, it was free and light.

“Tomorrow,” she promised, curling against his chest. “Tonight, just hold me.”

And he did.

Because love wasn’t just about battles fought side by side — it was about the quiet moments after, when two hearts beat as one, and the world felt a little less terrifying.

And in the safety of his arms, Y/n finally knew.

She was home.

Taglist:@willowpains, @fanficscuziranout, @pham-tastical,  @lilah-asteria, @lreadsstuff, @shylahstarzz, @flintthegoodboyo, @saltedcoffeescotch, @okaytrashpanda, @mariaxliliana, @marina468

Want to join my tag list? Drop a comment or check out this link to submit a specific series you would like tagged in! (Or if you just don't want to comment, that's okay too)

[surielstea]

Wedding Crasher

Based on this request.

Paring: Azriel x Fem!Reader (mates)

Summary: Reader is forced into an arranged marriage, and when the day of union comes it is interrupted by two familiar Illyrian warriors.

Warnings: Toxic relationship with parents | forced marriage | Azriel threatens a life | but pretty much all fluff <33

2.4k words.

My white dress hung heavy on my shoulders, my corset too tight, my heels already making my feet ache.

The plastered smile on my face hurt my cheeks, and the thorns in my bouquet prickled my sweaty palms. I released a shaky breath as the music of the string quartet began to play, an unmistakable tune meant for happy brides ready to walk down the aisle.

Which is what I was supposed to be, happy, ready. Heads turned in my direction and my back straightened, my brows creasing the slightest fraction.

My husband-to-be waited at the end of the walkway, his smile broad and malicious. My stomach churned.

I didn't want to be here, here on this beach getting married to some guy twenty years older all for an alliance my parents forced me into. My self-sovereignty for what? For a few pieces of gold and a minor title?

I took a steadying breath and began walking forward, keeping in rhythm to the strum of the music. The groom reached his hand out towards me, my own shook as I took it and he pulled me the rest of the way to the altar.

The officiant began the reading from his script, and with it, my ears began to ring, I tuned the priest out and my eyes fluttered closed. My fiancé's hands squeezed mine, not in a comforting manner, but a warning. I snapped my head up and looked at the officiant, I blinked at him with creased brows.

"Do you, take Rhen Talor to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish till death do you part?" He repeated each word adding another pound of weight to my shoulders.

"I—" I look between the oblivious officiant and the groom, Rhen, to my parents who were watching with narrowed eyes. "I..." I wanted to say yes, I was going to say yes, but the pounding in my heart could be heard in my ears and I got the sneaking suspicion that I was about to vomit all over my white gown.

An unnatural wind blew my hair back as if nature itself was beckoning me to step away, to run.

I looked in the direction of the wind, my hands slipping from Rhen's as I spotted two towering, familiar winged figures in the distance and I realized the pounding in my ears was the beat of their wings.

The crowd murmurs at the intrusion as the two Illyrians casually stroll towards us, arrogance and power in each step.

"Excuse me for a moment," I say, gathering my skirts in my hands and rushing over to the two males as fast as I can in my heels that seemed determined to get stuck in the sand.

"What in the seven hells are you two doing here?" I seethe, looking at the fae warriors who were smiling at me with wicked amusement. Some part of me relaxed to feel anything besides fear and nausea, even if it was anger taking over.

"We're here to save you, what else?" The shadow singer arches a brow, dark shadows swirling up the pure white of my dress.

"I don't need anyone's saving, especially not two Carynthian warriors," I argue and Cassian snorts, taking in my appearance.

"I only came along because Az promised there'd be a buffet," The lord of bloodshed shrugged.

"Not for— this is wildly inappropriate, even for the two of you." I groaned but Cassian only continued walking, towards the guests that were scrambling away from the sight of his seven siphons. Leaving me and Azriel, our words drowned out by the crashing of the waves.

"You're too late. I already said I do," I cross my arms over my chest.

"Liar," He narrows his hazel eyes on me. "You know better than to try and fool me, Love, I could feel you tugging at the bond, you were in distress," Azriel took a dangerous step forward and I sucked in a sharp breath at the mention of the bond, not accepted but not rejected either. A bridge between us that I both refused to sever and to walk across.

H grabbed my hand that was prickled with the thorns of my bouquet, shadows soothed over my palm, relieving the sting of my minor wounds. "You shouldn't be here," I frowned but his smile remained.

"No, probably not, but I can't let you marry him," He said, his voice brooking no room for argument, ever the cool and collected male.

“Go home, Azriel,” I speak quietly, but not weakly.

“Come with me.” He matches my tone, his scarred fingers intertwining with my manicured ones and the sensation was so different than the feeling of Rhen’s grip. "Why did your parents arrange this? What are they gaining from this union?" He asked, voice slightly stiff at the idea of selling me off for their own personal achievement.

"Money, the Talor's have a small title and crop of land, it'd be enough to last us a few centuries,” I shrug. I loved my parents, despite their twisted and corrupt ways, I loved them because they fed and raised me, I loved them because they put clothes on my back and told me bedtime stories. I never assumed I’d have to pay them back, not this way, at least.

"I'll give you every cent to my name if that's the price of my mate's freedom, if money is what they want, they can take mine." The shadow singer stated, his words certain that it made me realize that I’ve never been as sure about anything as he was about this.

"I can't ask you to do that." I shake my head, slipping my fingers from his, knowing the lingering guests were watching.

"You don't have to, I want you to be happy, let me buy you then set you free." He implored, allowing my hand to fall to my side only because he moved to cup my cheek. "And if I'm lucky you'll fall in love with me along the way." He shrugged with a smirk of pure fae male arrogance.

"Az," I deadpan, the words half a growl.

"I'm not asking you to marry me, I'm asking you not to marry him." His eyes flick back to the male watching with furious eyes from the archway. "If you tell me to I’ll leave, and you can walk down that aisle again— but let's not kid ourselves, you never wanted this, never wanted him,” His hand on my face made me melt slightly, and he was right, despite wanting to pay my mother and father back, this is nowhere near anything I wanted.

I swallowed thickly, weighing the options. If I married Rhen my parents would be happy and this would all be water under the bridge— but I’d suffer a life of being both a housewife and broodmare with a male who did not truly love me.

If I went with Azriel my parents would likely attempt to cleave us, unless Azriel paid them as he said he would, as long as gold was placed in their hands I doubted they’d have much argument— and I could be free to choose what I wanted with my life, I could accept my mating bond.

"But where will I go? What will I do?" I ask, my mind filled with questions that could only be answered by my future self.

"It's entirely up to you, you can live with me, or you can move to another court, whatever you choose. You'd be free." He stresses and my mouth gapes open, then closes. I look to the waves crashing against the shore only a few yards away, shouting at me to flee, to go with him.

All of it was too good to be true, Azriel coming to be my savior with this plan. It couldn’t be real and I needed him to punch me so I could wake up from this dream.

"Though I'd prefer if you stayed close, it's painful having you so far even right now— and you're only a city away, I can’t imagine a whole court,” He added and I looked back to him, a small smile pulling at the corners of my lips.

"I haven't even accepted the bond yet and you're already desperate." I tease.

"Yet?" He arched a scarred brow.

I flush a soft hue and avert my eyes again, this time settling them on the approaching figure that formed a knot of anxiety in my stomach.

"You're out of line, get your hands off my bride you bastard." Rhen spat and I flinched at the way he cursed the word, Azriel didn’t so much as shift, in fact, I could’ve sworn there was a flicker of amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Out of line? No, I'm exactly where I should be, you're the one that's in my way." The shadow singer smoothly replied, Rhen snarled at his retort and grabbed me just above my elbow, his grip as tight and immovable as iron.

"Don't touch me." I gritted out, tugging at my arm but he didn’t budge and simply pulled me back towards where the officiant stood, uneasy on his feet.

"Come on, be a good little wife, and finish the damned ceremony," Rhen growled, and before I could take even another step towards the archway my fiancé halted, freezing in his footsteps as shadows wrapped around his limbs, his neck, encasing his body and shoving into his open mouth, restricting him of oxygen.

"She told you not to touch her Talor, so I'd highly suggest you let go or you won't have a hand anymore." The Spy Master’s voice was death incarnate, I had never heard anything so paralyzing in all my immortal life. It chilled me down to my very bone, and I thought that I might be carrion if I was ever on the receiving end of my mate's deathly stare.

Rhen’s hand releases me if only to grasp at his own throat, silently pleading with his eyes to have mercy.

The shadows released him and Rhen was sent running, sprinting as fast as he could away from the male that stood before me, now looking at me with an incredulous grin. Insane, he must’ve been insane— and I must’ve been too, to be so in love with that smile and the dimples that came along with it.

"You were seriously going to marry him?” He scoffed, hand coming to my arm and inspecting the area Rhen held me for any injury.

"Well, it wasn't really my choice," I grumble under my breath as Azriel lets go of my arm with a gentleness that rivaled his vicious exterior that occurred only moments ago.

Azriel’s eyes flicked over to the few remaining guests and I turned in the direction he stared, at my parents who were staring with both helplessness and fury in their eyes.

"Me and Cass will deal with them later, let's get you out of here, alright?" He tugged at the tether between us and my head whips back to him.

“Okay,” I nod and reach out, my hand finding his. His eyes soften as he pulls me into him, wrapping a wing around me and cocooning us in darkness before he utilizes his shadows to pull us into another realm entirely, it was only a brief moment of darkness and an empty void before my heels were on a hardwood floor and the sweet citrusy smell of Velaris flowed through my nose.

"We left Cass," I say, glancing around to find the second Illyrian nowhere to be found.

"He was in the midst of stuffing his face with bread rolls, I think he'll be just fine." Azriel half scoffed, half chuckled. He pulled away but before he could completely slip from my grasp my hand tightened on his and his brows lifted a fraction, eyes lighting with intrigue.

"Thank you." Is all I can manage to say.

"Don't thank me." He shakes his head. "I should have gotten you out of there far sooner." He spoke as if he was more dissatisfied with himself than anyone else.

"But still, when it mattered you came for me," I utter, taking a cautious step forward.

"You're my mate, even if you haven't accepted the bond, it's my duty to keep you safe— you shouldn't have even been out of my sights," He says, his voice soft as he looks down at me, hand squeezing mine.

"I wasn't, not really." I hum, gesturing down to the shadow that swirled around my ankle, the one that would always remain there.

He smiles at the thought, then says, "You look beautiful, by the way." His eyes flick down to my white gown and I follow his gaze, smiling softly at the dress, it had been the only thing that was my decision in this entire endeavor.

"I only wish that it was your choice to put that dress on, this morning," He added, as if reading my mind, and for a moment I wondered if the mating bond allowed him to see how I felt.

"It will be, one day," I nod confidently and his brows raise with insinuation. A gentle smile blooms across my lips and I cup his sharp jaw. “But for now, baby steps,” I suggest rising up onto my toes, leaning closer, placing a kiss on his adjacent cheek.

When I pulled back he was beet red and I giggled at the sight, it was a wonder that this male, who flushed at a chaste peck on the cheek, was also one of the most feared in Prythian.

“Right,” he swallowed down the lump in his throat, his hand only a phantom at my waist, hovering. "I'll have money sent to your parents by Dawn." He says, then quickly adds, “Even if they don’t deserve it.”

I smile brightly and pull away. “Thank you, Az,” I murmur.

“Anything, for you.” He confessed, and I knew he meant it. I smiled, thinking that in the morning I might reward him with some breakfast, in turn, accepted that golden tether between us and finally allowed myself to be happy, with a mate.

Comment a “💙” to be added to the general taglist!

Comment a “🖤” to be added to the Azriel taglist!

General Taglist: @fxckmiup @olive-main @iluvyewman-blog @gaymistakeboi @glitterypirateduck @amara-moonlight @impossibelle @fauxdette @going-through-shit @glam-targaryen @hufflepuff-pa55 @sarawritestories @tele86 @rogerbarnesxx @azriels-shadowsinger @stinkinstuffie @sandramalikstyles-blog @sassyangel16 @lilah-asteria @starsinyourseyes @inloveallthetime @melsunshine @nighttimemoonlover @cookiemonsterwholovesbooks @cumuluscranium @adharanotfound @azrielsmate3 @aelincaddel @hiddlestonspassionsackx @dee-writes-smut @cynthiesjmxazrielslover @pit-and-the-pen @mybestfriendmademe @starswholistenanddreamsanswered @circe143 @bubybubsters @joshysloshy @username199945 @ivy-34 @notsarareallynot @vixenshiftsvrs @aurorab99 @pey2618 @loving-and-dreaming @mmg777 @andreperez11 @thatacotargirl @123345566 @one-big-fangirl @moonslitluna @imyherondale @salvawhxres @bookishbabyyyy @anuttellaa @breadsticks2004 @azriels-human @mamita-vera @demetercabingreen-thumb