#elain appreciation week 2023

[tswaney17]

I Do Bad Things with You - Part 42

Happy @elainappreciationweek! 🌸 My contribution for the Lovers Day prompt is an update to this beast. Hope you enjoy! 💕

My fanfic account: @tswaney17fics​​​

My ao3 account: tswaney17

Please let me know what you think about this update. I love getting your feedback. Constructive criticism is always welcome. 💕

Catch up here.

Credit to @featherymalignancy for Cassian’s nickname, Cash. 😘

Trigger warnings: violence, sexual assault , language, NSFW

Word Count: 7,229

Azriel was dreading going back to work tomorrow. Frankly, the time he had off, spending his honeymoon with his wife, was the best three and a half weeks he’d ever experienced.

The places they saw, the food they ate. It was all indescribable.

Not to mention he got to fuck her all over the world until she was a limp, sated mess. His favorite escapade was when Elain rode him under the northern lights, her golden-brown hair alight with colors. Her pale skin shimmered in blues and greens and purples.

She only allowed herself to ride him once while they stayed in the Winter District. Their dome-like cabin retained the cold and it turned out that Elain was always freezing. Even while they had sex, she could only remain above the sheets for about ten minutes before she started to shiver.

He didn’t mind, spending a great deal of time covering her body with his own, keeping her warm as best as he could, though he’d be lying if her blue lips didn’t cause him to worry. They never seemed to regain the pink color until they were in the Spring District to visit their massive gardens.

Now all he wanted to do was spend every waking moment with her.

“What’s got your face all frowny?” Elain asked, leaning a hip on the door frame of his office. “Don’t tell me you’re working already. You still have,” she glanced at her watch, diamond rings catching the sunshine from his floor-to-ceiling windows, “another seventeen hours before we’re back on the clock.” Her lips pulled up into a teasing smile.

“Not working. Just catching up on a few of the other things. I didn’t touch any of the messages I was sent during our honeymoon and there’s quite a few to go over and respond to.” Meaning, he didn’t look at anything regarding his half-brother’s movements or the details Ruhn had pulled for him. He’d been content to just enjoy the time they had together and didn’t want to let anything take away from that.

She seemed to understand his underlying meaning, stepping further into the room. “Anything I should be made aware of?”

He shook his head. “Nothing that stands out, but I’m going to catch up with Ruhn in an hour to go over some details.”

Elain closed the distance between them, coming to perch on his lap. She ran her fingers through the hair at his nape, scratching the back of his scalp with her nails.

Az slung his arm around her waist, holding her close. “Why don’t we go to dinner tonight? I’ll make us a reservation at one of the nice restaurants in the downtown area. Let’s celebrate the last night of our honeymoon before we go back to our normal routines.”

She leaned in, kissing him softly. “I’d like that. I’m going to miss having you like this. Seeing you at every moment of the day.” Elain nuzzled into his neck, breathing in his chilled mist and cedar scent. “Thank you for taking me on the most epic honeymoon, Az. I love you so much.”

His large hand cradled the back of her head, tucking her under his chin. “We will have many more adventures, love. But I’m happy you enjoyed our honeymoon. I wanted to do everything your heart desired.”

“Well, you succeeded. Even if I did almost lose my toes,” she laughed, voice twinkling.

He pressed his chuckle into the side of her head, kissing her temple. Gods, he loved his wife.

An hour later, Azriel was sitting at the bar of his club, waiting for Ruhn. It wasn’t open yet, so he decided to just meet him there. Lorcan was standing outside waiting for his guest while Elide was behind the counter, prepping for the evening.

He felt his presence join him without even having to turn his head. “Drink?” Azriel asked him.

“Sure. Whatever you’re having,” Ruhn said, sliding onto the barstool.

“Elide,” Az waved down his employee. “Same for him,” he indicated with a raise of his glass.

She was quick to move, pouring a knuckle’s worth of whiskey into a glass and sliding it on the counter. “I’ll be in the back if you need me,” she said, stepping through the door to offer them privacy.

Ruhn picked up the glass and clinked it on his. “Congratulations, man. Happy for you and Elain.”

Azriel dipped his head in thanks. “What’s the entail?”

The other man took a sip of his drink. “Frankie told Elias to stand down.”

Hazel eyes widened in shock. “He what?”

“You heard me. He told Elias to stand down and not make a move against you or Elain.”

His heart pounded in his chest. This—it wasn’t right. Frankie had leverage against him. His brother had been looking for a way past his defenses and when he finally had it, he was just going to let it go. It didn’t make sense. “Why?”

Ruhn shrugged. “If there’s any reason, they’re keeping it tight-lipped. I would say nobody other than Nick would have any idea why Frankie isn’t pursuing this.”

Azriel took a swig of his whiskey, letting the burn coat his throat. He needed to feel something other than the anxiety rolling in his gut. “And what about Elias? How’s he taking the order?”

His informant snorted into his glass, swallowing the golden liquid. “As well as you’d expect. He’s furious. Was shoved down the ranks and now even Nick won’t speak with him. Word on the street is that he’s been trying to rally some low-level kids out of Frankie’s mob.”

He stared at Ruhn dumbfounded. “He really thinks he’ll be able to pull from Frankie? Frankie? The guy is even more ruthless than I am.” It took an effort not to glance down at the scars that adorned his hands. “Any kid that steps out is as good as dead.” Once you were in his brother’s clutches, the only way out was by death.

Az never collected kids. Refused to let any of his associates broach them. But Frankie had boys as young as twelve doing low-level work. Running drugs and cash. Making drop-offs on their bikes. If they were good at what they did, they’d be smuggling guns at fourteen. Sixteen the latest.

And if they weren’t good at it, well, let’s just say the Sidra River was notorious for being a good body disposal method. Most of the time, when somebody was dumped, they weren’t found, but every once in a while, he’d hear about a fifteen-year-old turning up dead in the river.

“Let’s hope that those kids know it,” Ruhn murmured, slinging back the rest of his drink. “I’ll keep my ears down for anything else.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin, wrapped box, sliding it across the bar over to him. “For you and the Misses.”

Azriel blinked at the black-wrapped package. “What is it?”

The other man just grinned. “Matching pocket daggers. I had your names engraved on them. I thought that with everything going on, it might be wise for Elain to have something on her for protection.”

His lips quirked up in the corner. “That was very thoughtful of you. Thank you, Ruhn.”

Ruhn nodded, sliding off the barstool and making his way out of the club.

Az thumbed the black package, grinning to himself at the idea of handing Elain the present to carry around in her purse. He was already mentally preparing himself for her hesitation with the weapon.

He was pulling out his wallet when Elide slipped in from the back.

“Everything okay, sir?”

“Yeah, we’re good, thanks Elide,” he said, dropping a large bill on the counter.

Her dark brows furrowed. “You know you own this place, right? You don’t actually have to pay for your drinks.”

He chuckled, returning his wallet to his pocket. “It’s not for the drinks. It’s for you. For being on top of serving us and giving us space. I appreciate having good employees.”

“Azriel…” she started, but he held up a hand.

“Just take it, Elide. You deserve it.” He headed toward the door, calling, “I’ll send Lorcan back in. Have a good night.”

Tugging his phone out of his pocket, he dialed Velaris au Château—the French restaurant Az wanted to take Elain to that night. “Pierre, it’s Azriel Knight.”

“Mr. Knight,” the man on the other line said, his French accent heavy. “What can I do for you?”

“I need a table for my wife and me tonight. Is your private room available?” he asked, climbing into the car.

~~~

Azriel was tying his midnight tie when Elain slipped out of their closet in a blush-colored chiffon gown. It framed her slightly tanned skin perfectly, matching the color that he loved to see on her cheeks. His fingers paused on the fabric, looking her up and down. He breathed heavily. “El, my stunning wife. You look gorgeous.”

That pretty blush crept along the high arches of her cheeks as she smiled up at him. “Thank you, husband.” She crossed the room, taking the tie from his hands. “Let me.” Quick as a flash, she had it knotted and was securing it up to his neck. “Perfect. You look very handsome, Az.”

He dropped a kiss to the tip of her nose, making her scrunch it up in the cute way she always did. “I have something for you,” he told her, pulling the wrapped box from his pocket. Az handed her the present from Ruhn.

Elain’s brows raised. “What’s this for?” she asked, carefully unwrapping it.

“It’s from my informant, Ruhn.” She glanced up at him then, confusion etched into her face. “It’s a wedding gift.”

“Oh,” she said surprised, looking back down at the box. Elain flipped the lid, a small gasp escaping her parted lips. “Oh, wow.” Her finger skimmed the smooth handle. “They’re beautiful.”

Az gently plucked the one with her name engraved on it from the box and held it between them. “He thought that you should have something on you for protection.” Flicking open the blade, Azriel showed her how to maneuver the small weapon.

Her dainty fingers closed around the knife handle. “Please tell him thank you for this the next time you see him.”

Now it was his turn to raise a brow. “You’re not hesitant about carrying this?”

She shook her head, golden brown hair swishing over her shoulders. “No, I’m not actually. I think it’s a good thing to have on me. Just in case.”

Cupping the side of her face, Azriel brought her in for a slow, sweet kiss. “I love you, my sweet.”

Elain sighed into his mouth, melting into his embrace.

Taking his knife from the box, he slid it into his pocket before reaching for her hand to lace their fingers together. “Come on. We’ll be late for dinner.”

The couple arrived at the restaurant and got seated in the private room that had a large window overlooking the glittering Sidra River. Azriel ordered a bottle of champagne and translated the menu for Elain.

“I didn’t know you could speak and read French,” she murmured after their orders were taken.

He took a sip from his flute of champagne, smiling behind the glass. “I speak a lot of languages.”

Her lips curved up at the corner. “Perhaps you should take advantage of that later tonight.”

Az chuckled, leaning back in his seat. “Are you looking forward to tomorrow? Being back at work?”

Elain breathed in deeply, considering her words. “Yes…and no. Am I looking forward to getting back into my routine, checking in with patients, and performing surgeries? Yes, of course. I love my job, and I love the people I work with too.” She reached across the table to take his hand. “But I’m going to miss this. All this time together we’ve shared, just the two of us. I loved spending every waking moment with you for the last three weeks.”

He tightened his grip on her fingers. “I did too. Frankly, I don’t want it to end.”

She smiled at him, the one she reserved only for him. It was this soft, upturn of her lips, brown eyes sparkling. He loved that smile.

Elain took a swig of her champagne. “Do you feel different?”

Azriel cocked his head to the side. “Different how?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, just different. Like something’s changed, I suppose.”

“Well, something did change,” he grinned, making her laugh.

“I know that. I’m talking about something else.” She shifted back in her seat. “I can’t explain it—I can feel it in my gut that something has changed. I just don’t know what.”

He was going to ask her to elaborate, but the door opened, revealing their waitress with their dinner. Az watched her eyes widen at the gorgeous dish set in front of her, and then in front of him.

She pointed to her plate, glancing up at their waitress. “Is the flower edible?”

He chuckled. “Everything on your plate is edible, love.”

“What he said,” the woman grinned. “Anything else I can get for you?”

Azriel shook his head. “No, we’re good, thank you.”

The woman dipped her head, excusing herself and leaving them to their meal. He watched his wife cut into her plate, forking the beef.

“Wow,” Elain moaned after her first bite. “This is delicious.”

“Yeah?” Az smiled. “Are we going to have to make this one a regular, too?”

She laughed, sipping her drink. “Most likely. How many other restaurants do you have up your sleeve?”

He winked at her, tilting his glass in her direction. “A few.”

Elain popped another bite into her mouth, humming in contemplation. “We may have to visit those other places, just to see how they compare.”

“Noted,” he teased, cutting into his food.

They chatted about anything and everything while they ate. Their favorite places they visited, what they were looking forward to and were dreading the most in their return to normalcy.

Sipping on the last of their champagne as they waited for her dessert—crème brûlée. It was one of Elain’s favorites and he would stop at nothing to give her all of her heart’s desires.

When the door opened and it wasn’t their waitress who stepped in with their dessert, Azriel went rigid—his heart thumping with fear.

Because that was Nicklaus, setting the plate with the ceramic bowl in front of his wife.

Elain immediately noted his tension, her dark eyes flicking between the man who had entered and himself. She had never met or seen his biological brothers before. Wouldn’t know who exactly had joined them.

“Aren’t you going to try it?” his brother grinned down at her. “It’s specially made by the chef just for you.”

She didn’t touch the spoon, instead pushing the plate away from her. “I’m actually not hungry anymore.”

Good girl.

He knew she had no idea what was going on, but he was eternally grateful that Elain could read the room.

Nick’s mouth turned up at the corner. “Azriel, aren’t you going to introduce me?” he asked, not bothering to look in his direction. No, his eyes remained on his wife and Az did not like her receiving that attention at all. Not when it came from someone as deadly as Nicklaus.

She met his gaze and read the minuscule change in his expression telling her to move. Elain slipped from her seat, using the table to provide a barrier between her and Nick, and perched herself onto his lap, an arm wrapping around his neck.

His brother never lost that self-satisfied smirk, simply claiming Elain’s now vacated seat.

“What do you want, Nicklaus?” he all but growled.

Elain tensed on his lap, finally putting a name to a face.

Nick leaned sideways, pulling a gun from the back of his pants, and placed it on the table, facing them.

His wife went rigid, breathing harshly through her parted lips. He could sense her fear, practically taste it on his tongue. Azriel slid his large, scarred palm up her body until it lay directly on her chest, over her heart.

Not a second later, he felt Elain’s hand cover his own.

He casually gripped her hand in his other one, bringing it up to kiss her knuckles, and replaced it on her lap.

She turned her face a fraction, shooting him a questioning look.

Az would sacrifice his life for her if it came down to it. Any twitch from his brother and he’d cover her, his hand his last resort to protecting her most vital organ. But like fuck was he going to let a bullet ruin her career by shattering her hand. He couldn’t explain it to her, not right then so he subtly shook his head instead, urging her to listen to him.  

Nick reached forward, sliding Elain’s crème brûlée toward him. He cracked the sugar-crusted top with a spoon, taking a mouthful. “This place makes the best dessert.” He winked at them, at her. “Shame you’re too full to enjoy this.” 

“Nick,” Azriel snapped. “What the fuck do you want?”

He picked up Elain’s napkin, wiping the corner of his mouth. “Do you know how difficult it is to see you, to meet with you?”

“You could make an appointment like everyone else,” Elain muttered.

Az gripped her hip.

But Nick’s smile grew, looking closely at his wife.

Too closely for his taste. Azriel ran a possessive hand over her curves, lips descending upon the exposed skin of her neck. He never took his eyes off his brother, not even as he kissed her.

“Pardon me, sweetheart. But men are talking.”

Elain’s head cocked to the side at the tone—the dismissal. There wasn’t anything Azriel could do to stop her from lurching out of his lap, snatching his steak knife from the table, and slamming it between Nick’s spread fingers.

Az grabbed her around the waist, hauling her back onto his lap as she snarled, “Pardon me, but his wife doesn’t take well to being talked down to.”

His brother was quick to mask his stunned expression, though he didn’t reach for the gun still sitting on the table. A low chuckle escaped Nick’s chest, plucking the knife from the table. “Well, I have to admit it Azriel, you didn’t pick a meek one like I thought you might. One who kept quiet and hid when things got rough.” He twirled the blade in his fingers before setting it back on the table.

“Frankly,” he started, “I really just wanted to see what all the fuss was about.” Nick sipped from Elain’s flute of champagne. “You’ve caused quite a stir, Elain. Everyone is talking about the Velaris Mob’s new queen. We even had someone approach us with information about you two—”

“Yes, we know all about Elias Hewn’s movements,” Az snipped.

His brother chuckled. “He was rather thirsty for vengeance, brother. You managed to piss off your only ally. Rather poor decisions if you ask me.”

“Elias was a useless ally; something I think you’re well aware of or you wouldn’t have sent him to your lower ranks.” At Nick’s surprised face, he smirked. “Yes, you’re not the only one who knows things, brother.”

Nicklaus’s jaw feathered. “Careful, Azriel, in how you speak to me when I’m holding the gun.”

“I think it is you, who should be careful, Nicklaus. You come in here, interrupt my dinner with my wife, speak to her in such a manner, and think you can threaten me?” He moved so quickly, that Elain barely jostled on his lap, slamming his weapon on the table. “You and I both know who will get the draw first.” His scarred fingers laid on top of the grip, the metal singing under his touch to be used. To kill his horrid brother now.

But Azriel also knew that by doing so, he’d start a bloody war with Frankie. No matter that both of them deserved to be dropped to the bottom of the Sidra, he had to think about the safety of the woman still sitting on his lap. Because the last thing he wanted was to drag Elain into the middle of fucking bloodbath.

He watched Nick take in his words; knew he was correct in his assumption about who’d get the first shot off. Azriel’s reputation was built on the fact that he never missed his mark. And like hell would he miss when it came to his brothers.

Elain didn’t dare move, her body tensed and primed under his grip.

Nick looked between them. “It appears we have nothing left to discuss.”

Azriel didn’t bother to deign him with a response.

Sensing the conversation was over, Nick rose from his chair, grabbed his gun, and slipped it back into his waistband. Az didn’t dare remove his finger from his trigger.

He stopped halfway to the door, turning to look back at them. “I’ll give Frankie your greetings.”

“Tell Frankie,” Az growled, “that if either you or he come waving your guns around my wife again, your life is forfeited.” He watched the warning take in the twitch of Nick’s brow; the slight curl of his lip. But he left without another word and Azriel wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not.

~~~~~

Elain hadn’t felt fear like that since she was kidnapped by Hybern. The icy dread that had swept over her body left her skin cold and her heart racing. She knew when Nicklaus had entered, they were in some sort of trouble—Azriel’s rigidness told her that whoever had joined them was a threat to him. To her.

And then she found out it was his biological brother. The one who watched as Alec and Francisco burned his hands.

His beautiful, perfect, strong hands.

She wanted to kill him. Elain wanted Azriel to put a bullet in him.

But she also knew that doing so would open up a brutal and deadly war between the Velaris Mob and the Illyrian one. So, she took the knife from the table and stabbed it between his fingers. Both for speaking to her in such a manner and for the abuse he inflicted and allowed her husband to endure as a child. She had never felt vengeance like what she wanted to unleash on the man sitting across the table from her, eating her crème brûlée…drinking her champagne.

The audacity.

When he left, she released a breath she wasn’t even aware she had been holding, sucking in air as if she had been drowning. Her emotions took over: tears running like rivers down her face, body shaking. Elain buried her face into Azriel’s neck, taking his rich chilled mist and cedar scent deep into her lungs.

Or what she could get during her gasps.

His arms slid around her form, holding her close to him, but not close enough.

No, she needed to feel him. Needed to make sure he was here with her; that they were safe. “Az,” she cried out, fingers moving down his broad torso to fumble with his belt buckle. “I need you. Please, I need you.”

Those golden eyes churned with fear and comfort and wrath, the green fissures swirling in the warm depths. It was such a mix of emotions she read there. But he seemed to grasp what she needed from him.

Elain saw that same need reciprocated by him.

“I’m here, love,” he murmured into her hair, lips pressing to her skull. “I’m here.” Hefting her off his lap, he set her on the edge of the table, rising from his seat to stand between her spread thighs.

There would be no foreplay in this. Not at this time. The desire to be as close as their bodies allowed was too great to tease and touch. This would be raw, animalistic fucking.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, gently pushing her down to lie on her back, legs dangling off the edge.

Elain’s arms went wild, searching for something to grab, and in their haste, sent dishes and drinkware flying.

The shattering glass didn’t stop Azriel from sucking a mark into the smooth, creamy skin of her neck. A purple bruise blossomed under his machinations. His large palms slid her dress skirts up her thighs to her waist, revealing the white lace.

A few quick moves had her bare, her panties tucked into the pocket of his dress pants. His belt buckle clinking made her body shudder in anticipation.

“Hard and fast, baby,” he muttered into her throat before sheathing himself to the hilt.

Elain threw her head back, fingers grasping the cloth and edge of the table. “Fuck,” she moaned.

Azriel didn’t give her a second to adjust, pulling his hips out and slamming back in. He set a vicious pace, balls slapping against her.

Her legs wrapped around his trim waist, urging to fuck into her deeper. She let go of the table, clutching him at his shoulder and around the back of his neck. It forced more of his weight on top of her, but that’s exactly what she needed.

He pressed into her harder like he couldn’t bear any part of them not touching.

She needed everything from him. Everything he gave her and more. Elain felt her toes curl in anticipation of that glorious, blissful drop into her pleasure. “I’m so close,” she cried out.

Az’s mouth traveled down her body, sliding fabric out of the way to suck a pert nipple between his lips.

Up, up, up, she climbed, delirious in the friction of his strong body against her clit, the relentless pounding into her.

Trapped in their bubble, neither of them heard the door open until Ruhn voiced an “Oh.”

Azriel released her breast, twisting his head to snarl at the intruder. “Get out!” The door clicked shut softly as he looked back down at her, took in her little gasping breaths, the way her chest heaved, and said, “My neck, Elain,” he groaned. “Bite my neck. Mark me as you come.”

She surged up, ripping his tie loose. Shoving the collar of his shirt aside, she clamped her teeth at the junction where his neck and shoulder, and came hard. Her moans were muffled against his skin, body spasming around his cock.

He grunted, thrusting into her to ride out her orgasm as he chased his own. A hard suck from her lips had him cresting, strokes becoming sloppy until he slammed home one last time and stilled, spilling himself inside of her.

His pants fanned over the skin of her neck, lips pressing light kisses to the underneath side of her jaw.

Elain released him from her teeth, carding her fingers through his damp hair. “Ruhn saw us fucking,” she murmured, humor dancing in her tone.

He huffed out a laugh. “Better him than traumatizing our poor waitress.”

She had to agree, even though they were caught at all. Holy fucking shit! She just had sex with Azriel in a public space where anyone could’ve walked in on them. The door wasn’t even locked, for fucks sake! They had had sex in some pretty open places before, but Az had always made sure they had their privacy either by a locked door or enclosed in their own space.

The thrill from the risk of being caught just added to the fire burning inside of her.

Az kissed the corner of her mouth, her cheek, her forehead, anywhere he could as he pulled out of her. “Hang tight,” he whispered, tucking himself back into his pants.

To be honest, Elain was too exhausted to move. The adrenaline from their earlier visitor had faded. She lay, sprawled out on the table, still trying to catch her breath. What she didn’t expect was for Azriel’s tongue to delve between her thighs. “Azriel!” she squealed, lurching up into a sitting position to glare at him. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Those amber eyes glowed with mischief. “Cleaning you up, now relax.”

She mumbled something about how that did the opposite of cleaning her up, but after a few more swipes with his tongue, he placed a kiss on her clit and rose back to his feet.

His glistening mouth had her muttering, “Insatiable,” under her breath.

“Always for you,” he grinned, dropping a kiss on her plump lips before helping her off the table and fixing her dress.

“Azriel,” she chastised.

“Elain,” he shot back.

She rolled her eyes. “Azriel, my underwear. It’s still stuffed in your pocket.”

“Your point?”

Oh, this wicked man. “You expect me to go commando,” she demanded incredulously.

Az opened his wallet and dropped what looked like eight, hundred-dollar bills onto the table. “It wouldn’t be the first time,” he said, shoving the leather into his back pocket with a little smirk.

He kissed her cheek, took her hand, and tugged her to the door.

She grumbled the whole way there but stopped when she saw Ruhn leaning against the wall opposite of them, a smirk toying on his lips. Her entire face lit up like a flame, a red color splotching her chest.

“Good evening, Sir,” Ruhn said, then nodded at her, “Mrs. Archeron-Knight.”

Elain acknowledged him with a dip of her chin, before stepping slightly behind Azriel in embarrassment.

“To what do we owe the pleasure?” her husband asked, voice carefully neutral.

It didn’t escape her that Az bypassed stating his name out loud completely.

“I received notice that you were going to be receiving a visitor tonight and I wanted to check in when you didn’t answer my call.”

“I keep my phone on silent when I’m with my wife. But, yes, we got an unexpected visitor tonight.”

Ruhn pushed himself off the wall, stepping closer to them. “What did he want?”

Azriel shrugged. “To make a statement, I suppose. He didn’t really tell me anything I didn’t already know. I think he just wanted to try and get a rise out of me. And get close to Elain.” He tugged her hand, bringing her to his side, and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Where were you?”

The other man slid his hands into his pockets. “I was following Elias. He had a few of the lower ranks with him.”

She didn’t like the way Az’s brows furrowed.

“What’s he up to?”

Ruhn shrugged. “I can’t figure it out. But I doubt it’s any good. I’m just waiting for word to get up there that he’s snagged a few younglings.”  

“How young are they?” Elain asked before she could think better of it.

Those dark blue eyes looked at her. “Early twenties, thankfully. I was concerned he’d go after the teens.”

Her brows raised. “He has teens in his crew?” she questioned, keeping her voice low.

Azriel’s thumb swiped over her knuckles. “Unfortunately. I’ve refused them that young but my brother thinks kids are expendable.”

Elain couldn’t stop the shiver, feeling her stomach churn with nausea. She had always sought the good in people; believed people could be redeemed with the right motivation. But she was beginning to think that neither Frankie nor Nicklaus had any redemption qualities in their souls.

“We’ll figure it out,” Az said, though she wasn’t sure if it was more for himself than the rest of them.

And that was concerning for her.

~~~

It had been just over two weeks since she returned from her honeymoon and she was going through the motions.

As the resident attending, she had quite a bit to take care of upon her return, and she had been on top of it. But now…she felt like she was underwater and couldn’t focus.

Which was not a good thing considering she was assisting Thesan with a complicated surgery, giving the new residents the ins and outs. It was a long procedure, having spent nine hours in the operating room already.

Elain’s head was dizzy, vision blackening at the edges. She knew she should’ve taken a break when Thesan asked her—he must’ve been able to see the exhaustion on her face. But she wouldn’t let herself be coddled, even if nobody knew the reason why she was so tired.

However, when her eyes fogged over completely, Elain knew she had fucked up in not taking advantage of the break she was offered. “Take the forceps,” she told the resident working across from her.

Stunned, the young female did what she said, just before Elain’s eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed onto the floor of the operating room.

~~~

When consciousness tugged at her mind, the first thing Elain realized was that everything ached. Her head, her hips, her legs. Her body felt unnaturally weak, and she knew it was because she hadn’t eaten enough that day. Fuck, she was so damn tired. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the harsh, fluorescent lighting.

“Elain,” came a relieved voice.

She twisted her head to the other side, finding Viviane sitting on the edge of her hospital bed. Too many emotions flashed across her friend’s face to be able to decipher, though worry was at the forefront of the list.

“Oh, thank god,” she breathed, placing her pale hand on Elain’s covered thigh. “You’ve been out for almost half an hour.”

Groaning, she sat up in bed. “What happened?” she asked, wincing as her head spun dizzyingly.

Viviane stood up, arms crossing in a way that told her she was about to get a scolding.

Oh, shit…

“You collapsed, Elain. In the middle of surgery! You’re very lucky one of your residents was standing behind you and caught you before your head hit the ground.” Briefly, she wondered which resident it was, but saved that question for later. Not when she saw the nurse’s face soften, knowingly. “Ellie,” she started in a hushed whisper, “did you know you were pregnant?”

For a moment, it seemed like the world paused as it waited for her answer; as Viv waited. Yes—yes, she knew she was pregnant. Had known since Monday and was still trying to wrap her head around it. Finally, she sighed, unable to meet her friend’s gaze, and looked down at her tangled fingers in her lap. “I know,” she whispered.

It was the first time she had admitted it to herself out loud and she felt the weight of that secret lift off her chest.

There was a pregnant pause before Viviane asked, “Does Azriel know?”

They’d only been married for almost two months and Elain had already fucked up. How she managed to not realize her birth control shot that was scheduled the week of her wedding was already the last week in the timeline she had to get it was beyond her. So, when she came in for her postponed appointment on Monday, having rescheduled it a second time like an idiot and realizing how late she was in getting the dosage, she had to get a pregnancy test.

The shock she felt that day still hadn’t completely worn off.

She shook her head, finally answering her friend. “No, I haven’t told him yet.” Truthfully, she was scared to. Not because she thought he’d react badly, but because they’d never even remotely toed the line about whether they wanted to have kids, and frankly, she was concerned he didn’t.

Elain whipped her head to look back up at the head nurse, eyes wide with fear. “Viv, I need you to keep this between us. I’m not ready for everyone to know yet and I still haven’t even talked to Az about it yet.”

Her friend pursed her lips. “Well, you might want to figure out how to tell him soon.”

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You didn’t call him, did you?” At Viv’s silence, she pushed, “Viviane, please tell me you did not call my husband.”

“What did you want me to do, Elain?” she snapped. “You collapsed in surgery! Thesan was worried sick! Of course, we’re going to call your hus—”

“Where is my wife?” came that deep, panicked voice that Elain knew all too well.

“In—in there, sir.”

Footsteps sounded and then he appeared, all six-foot-four, still stressed to the nines of him. The worry on his face made her chest ache. “Elain,” he breathed, rushing around Viv who stepped out of his way and to her side. He cupped her face between his palms, kissing her gently on the forehead before taking a seat on her bed. “Love,” he murmured in such a heartbreaking manner that she nearly burst into tears. “Are you okay? What happened?”

“I’ll, uh, I’ll give you two a minute,” Viviane said quietly, closing the door behind her as she left.

Azriel let his thumb skim across her cheek. “What’s going on?”

She tugged her head from her hands, feeling like she couldn’t bear to let him touch her while she harbored this secret from him. Even though she knew it was time, her gut churned with anxiety. “I’m fine. They really shouldn’t have called you.”

His brow furrowed in confusion and hurt at her distancing herself. “Elain, you collapsed in surgery. And you’ve been acting odd for the last few days.” He paused, looking at her closing. His gaze felt like a brand on her skin. “I was hoping you would talk to me without me having to ask, but now I’m asking.”

The pain in his voice nearly made her flinch. She looked down at her hands, taking a slow, steady breath. “I’m pregnant,” she whispered so lowly, that Elain wasn’t even sure he could hear it. They sat in the silence of her confession until she finally dared to look at his face.

His eyes were searching her, mouth slightly parted in what she could only describe as shock.

“Say something, please.”

He swallowed, throat working with the movement. “I’m trying to determine if you’re happy about this or not…” the uncertainty clear in his voice. “Elain, do you want to have a baby?”

Her throat ached and there was nothing she could do to stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks. “Do you?” she asked pathetically as she sniffed.

Az gapped at her. “Is that what this is about? You think I don’t want to have this baby?”

She wiped under her nose with the back of her hand. “I know it’s early for us; I mean, we’ve only been married for a month and a half…And I know you didn’t have the best childhood. I just—” she sniffed again. “I just wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want to have kids.”

Azriel moved then, sitting further up on her bed so he could pull her into his chest. His large hand threaded through her hair to cradle the back of her head and tipped it up towards him. He pressed his lips against her forehead. “I’ll admit the timing could be better, that I wanted to share a bit more with you before we had a family. But I would be honored if you had my children, Elain.” His hands slid to cup her face again, thumbs brushing away her tears.

“You’ve never mentioned kids before,” she said, needing to understand why they had never had this conversation until now.

He smiled sheepishly. “To be honest, I was waiting for you to bring it up. I didn’t want you to feel pressured into having kids. I know how hard you’ve worked for your career, El, and I’m so proud of you…I didn’t want you to think I was asking you to stop.”

Elain huffed an exasperated laugh, feeling utterly ridiculous about the whole situation. Having a family had seemed like a distant dream after what Gray—her ex had done to her. “I feel really silly for not bringing this up before we got married,” she said, earning a small chuckle from him. “You really want to have a baby?”

His lips curled up in the corner. “Elain, I don’t think you can comprehend the gravity of my desire to get you pregnant. To have you carry my child. To see you waddling around like a cute duck—”

“I don’t waddle,” she huffed.

Azriel’s smile was like a bright, shining beacon of hope and beauty. “You will.” He paused, seeming to collect his thoughts. “That is if you want to have this baby too. I will support any decision you make; you know that.”

She let out a breath of relief because the truth of the matter was that she did want this baby. Elain wanted nothing more than to have his child. “I’m scared,” she admitted. It wasn’t a lie. Though she was excited for this next chapter with him, there were a few things that worried her, as many expecting mothers go through.

He kissed her sweetly as if he thought she might break beneath his fingertips. “I am too,” he told her. “But we’ll figure it out. Like we always do.”

Her arms went around his neck as she clung to him. When she pulled away, his hand drifted down to her still-flat belly. There was an awe in his eyes that made her chest ache with love.

“Hi baby,” he whispered, leaning down towards her stomach. “I’m your daddy.” His soft kiss on her tummy had her damn hormones in overdrive.

She let out a strangled sound that had Azriel looking back at her face with worry. But Elain just tugged him into her arms and let his embrace soothe her. “Sorry—I just wasn’t expecting that,” she offered as an explanation.

His fingers brushed stray tears from her cheeks. “You don’t need to apologize, love. I know this is going to be an adjustment, but I don’t have a single doubt in my mind that we can do this…If you want to, that is.”

Elain realized she hadn’t answered his question before, and he needed to hear her say the words. Though it was clear he wanted this baby, he was still letting her make the decision. And for that, she somehow managed to fall in love with him even more. “I want to be a family,” she said, watching the way the hope in his amber eyes shone like golden rays of sunshine. “You, me,” she told him, bringing her hand up to cradle her stomach. “And this baby.”

The relief she read on his face made every doubt, every fear evaporate. Because he was right, there wasn’t anything they couldn’t do together.

He kissed her again, once, twice, three times. “We’re going to have a baby,” he whispered against her lips.

Elain let out an airy giggle. “I’m so happy, Azriel. You have made me so happy.”

His fingers stroked her cheek; brushed her loose hair behind her ear. “You’ve made me happier than I could ever dream of. I am so incredibly lucky to call you my wife and the mother of my children.”

“I love you, my husband,” she breathed, lips closing the distance between them.

“I love you more, my wife,” he said back, the words tattooing on the very essence of her soul as they embarked on a new path in their lives together.

~~~~~

Remember, sharing is caring! Please reblog if you liked the fic. It helps spread my work and I truly appreciate it. 💕

While I have moved these fics to AO3 only, I am still going to utilize a tag list here on Tumblr. This as a permanent solution and may change in the future. For notifications, you can follow and subscribe to my fanfic account where I will be reblogging updates and snippets only. You can also find me on ao3. If you would like to be added to my tag list, please leave a comment on this post.

My fanfic account: @tswaney17fics​

My ao3 account: tswaney17

Taglist: 

@nikethestatue

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@123moiaussi

@duskwhisperer

@zdenkah

@nyxreads

@shedoessoshedoes

@athena-85

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@nightcourtseer

@nivem565

@debramclaren

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@secretpuppyflower

@justreallybored

@ultadverb

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@roseandshadows

@tcursebreaker

@kingravinger

@mis-lil-red

@eloeloeheheh

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@impossiblescissorspeachpaper

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@lesolehabitantdelalune

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@curiositywoman

@karsyn-b2

@elainsweetcobalt

@emilyondemand

Some tags seem to not want to link, which could be related to your visibility settings. Sorry about that!

[greenleaf777]

New Elriel sketch for yall

Love how this one turned out but damn the human form is a struggle for me lol

Let me know how it looks! Especially how the proportions look to you.

[essenceofelegance]

Ratatouille (Azriel x f!reader)

pt. 2

m.list

ʚɞ = angst

Summary: You want to go out to dinner with Az, but Elaine gets in the way.

Warnings: Established relationship, not proof read

“Hey, Az?”

He did not respond.

Azriel was focused on his mission reports. Too busy to give his mate his attention.

His mate turned away, headed toward to door. Not even bothering to be disappointed in Azriel.

⋆ ★

It had been a tradition for the pair to go out for dinner together on Thursday nights for 200 years, even before they were mated. Never once had either of them missed their weekly dinner.

"I found a nice place in Day since you've never had ratatouille before. I figured you would like to try it, though ratatouille would be better homemade. Would you rather eat at the House instead? I could-"

Azriel let out a frustrated sigh and turned his gaze to his mate.

"Gods, Y/N, can you stop rambling? I'm trying to finish my mission reports."

As if realizing the damage he had done, he stalked over to his mate, putting his scarred hands on her shoulder. "Look, I can't make it to dinner this week. I promised Elaine to take her to the city. She wanted to spend time with me, and I already promised her I would take her to dinner. Being outside will be good for her."

She tried to force a smile. "But can't Nesta or Feyre take her? I'm glad Elaine's recovery is going well and that she is finding comfort in you, but I need to spend time with you too. This has been our tradition for centuries."

Azriel ran his hand through his hair. "Elaine needs me. She has gone through immeasurable trauma. This little tradition is in no way more important than her."

She tried to stay calm. "Little tradition? Az, I need you. You've barely been spending time with me, you come home late and leave early, I barely see you anymore. I need you too. I'm your mate, for God's sake!"

He let out a sigh of disbelief. "Maybe the Cauldron made a mistake," the words slipped out of his mouth. "Love, I didn't mean to-" She let out a weak laugh. Azriel tried to calm her by putting his hands on her forearms; she slipped away. "Oh, but you did." Tears welled up in her eyes. "You come back smelling like her every night. Her scent lingers on your leathers and your clothes. I tried to ignore it, I tried reassuring myself that - that you were a faithful male, but I guess I was wrong." She tried to salvage this relationship, she really did.

pt. 2

A/N: this is such a disaster lmfao, haven’t posted in a month or two, if you’re using light mode you won’t be able to see the dividers 💀 i could make a part two if anyone actually reads this. lmk if you want one. also this name is so unfitting for this fic 💀 it sounds so fun but it’s so sad

Copyright © 2023 Emory Belrose. All rights reserved. 

⋆

Translation of my work of any kind is not allowed and will not be appreciated unless consented to.

Please do not re-upload my work on any platforms without permission.

Any reblogs, comments, likes, shares, and follows are appreciated.

[emilyondemand]

Why are there 2 Elain weeks? I'm not upset with celebrating more Elain! But I'm confused. Did the hosts lose the login info?

So the very first Elain Archeron week was hosted back in 2021, that torch was passed onto the current hosts who have been running the appreciation week since September of 2022. The current hosts were harassed by Eluciens and Gwynriels who were trying to claim their own Elain week in 2023 which they held in March or April (?) and it flopped, so they abandoned it. They have always been welcome to celebrate in our long running Elain week, but if they do, they typically only contribute to the Romance prompt.

When Elain week posted their rules this year (which have been exactly the same for the past 3 years), antis decided to use it as a chance to bash the event and create drama over… males. Thus elaingate was born by people who were never going to, nor had any intention of actually participating in Elain week to begin with.

Our current hosts are very familiar with harassment surrounding the week, unfortunately, and just held their boundaries. Antis didn’t like that the hosts didn’t give into their tantrums, so they took the more manipulative approach of playing victim, and acted as though they didn’t feel welcomed to participate because the week is hosted by Elriels. Despite the fact that Elriels were by far and large interacting with, liking, and sharing ALL of the content posted. (From what I saw anyway, I can’t speak for what may have been happening on Twitter and I apologize if any Eluciens were being unfairly attacked on that platform. From what I’ve heard it’s unhinged in those parts, so I avoid)

A lot of them pretended to be nice to our faces on IG, while coming onto Tumblr to whine and complain about how many Elriels were participating, any nods to Azriel in any form in any piece was criticized, they tried to start drama over an artist who theorized Elain having shapeshifting abilities and gave her wings, one of the captions on one of my own commissions was mocked and made fun of in the pro Elain tags, and many of us were blocked, unblocked, and reblocked- it was just bizarre tantrum throwing behavior and a poor show of trying to play the victim while simultaneously manufacturing all of the drama.

So now, someone has taken over the reins of the random one time elucien led elain week and has decided to host it again, I’m assuming they will be resuming in March of 2025. The sad thing though is that it isn’t being held because of actual love for Elain’s character, but because they want to be spiteful and ugly over not being the first ones to host and control the real Elain week. And that is what it really comes down to- pettiness, unfortunately.

[letthefairyinyoufly]

A FAVE CREATORS ART CHALLENGE! started by @withered-rose-with-thorns

OR MORE LIKE MY FAVORITE CREATIONS AND THEIR CREATORS (because I prefer shortcuts)

PART 2 / PART 1

GIFS

THE HUNGER GAMES APPRECIATION WEEK by @abigaillazaar

Love Between Fairy and Devil by @xiaolanhua

loss by @cuddlybitch

IN BLOSSOM @spellfuls

Penelope @spellfuls

BRIDGERTON by @spellfuls

DAILYBORGIA 1K CELEBRATION by @denvilleneuve

INTERSTELLAR by @sheryl-lee

DAENERYS by @sugurugetos

VISERYS I | Viserys III by @sugurugetos

SUNFYRE the Golden by @sugurugetos

NEW MOON by @userhalsey

THE DARK KNIGHT by @buchanans

TOM HARDY as BANE by @justiceleague

silver by @rhera

Galadriel and Sauron by @galadrielslight

LOTR by @arwen-evenstar

Amon Hen @lady-arryn

Lucrezia Borgia by by @lady-arryn

Alicent by @h-f-k

↳ 2. Barbie (2023) by @djarin

1899 by @alexstewart

—will you be mine? by @henwilsons

WITCHER’S BESTIARY vol. 1 by @ughmerlin

Every flight begins with a fall. by @chalamet

So he’s a ghost story. by @buchanans

THE GREEN KNIGHT by @winterswake

MOVE TO HEAVEN (2021) by @mostlyfate

↳ Day 02: Role Reversal by @hunterschafer

–The Darkling, Shadow and Bone by @anyataylorjoys

Loving Vincent (2017) by @spokenworded

 Outlander (2014-) by @danieljradcliffe

ONE YEAR OF THE WITCHER by @anya-chalotra

EDIT:

DONGFANG QINGCANG by @xiaolanhua

Jon Snow & Daenerys Targaryen by @yocalio

all eyes will be on you by @seraphicmaze

“Maybe I’m waiting for Destiny…” by @gusucloud

ART:

River of Stardust by @clj-art-blog

Drowning in her eyes by @clj-art-blog

DFQC and XLH by @clj-art-blog

Elain + Lucien by @artcraawl

HO HO HO by @laxibbeb

Elucien by @lib-arts

𝓔𝓵𝓪𝓲𝓷 & 𝓛𝓾𝓬𝓲𝓮𝓷 by @jjflorentina

Feyre & Lucien by @patchesdraws

Elucien Week, Day 7: AU by @witchlingsandwyverns

𝙻𝚞𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚗 & 𝙴𝚕𝚊𝚒𝚗 🌷🌷 by @thesleepingfoxy

the lord of the bows and his lady gal by @chrollc

[elainarcheronweek-main]

Elain Archeron Week 2023

Calling all Elain fans: we’re about to enter our Elain Appreciation Era!

🌸 We will be back to celebrate our favourite doe-eyed seer the first week in September. 

🌸 Join us for a week of art, fics, theories and headcanons about the silent dreamer who loves to bake and garden, but will go down swinging to defend her family. 

🌸 Tag @elainarcheronweek and #elainarcheronweek2023 so we can see and share your posts. 

🌸 Prompts found here. 

🌸 If you prefer, find us on: 

Instagram 

Tiktok 

Twitter 

[oristian]

Hi quick Q why are you bothering running Elain week when you clearly don’t like Elain

1. I was invited to help with Elain Week; I am not the one solely running it. The actual event was created in 2023, a whole year before I even joined the fandom. I was invited by others who already established a team. I only help with the Instagram and graphics.

2. The tag I use most heavily on my page is the Elain Archeron tag. She is the character I defend the most consistently on my page. I have created full commission agendas for her, written the most headcanons and theories about her, and have multiple commissions planned for just her this year. Why would I waste my time and money over a character I do not like?

3. Elucien is my top ACOTAR ship; why would I ship a character I hate with a character I love? That makes no sense whatsoever. I know it may be shocking to some people, but Elucien shippers adore Elain. My biggest pet peeve are people who do not like both characters (doesn’t have to be equally) in a ship.

4. Nesta being my favorite character is not mutually exclusive with hating Elain. Seeing as this anon came right after my Nesta post, that seems to be the line of thinking.

5. I am allowed to appreciate Elain in any way that I see fit because everyone resonates with characters differently. The way that I appreciate her will look different based on how someone else does—that does not mean that I hate her. I relate pretty heavily to Elain; I am just private.

My suggestions would be to, instead of obsessing over my commissions and posts and attempting to start petty drama because you’re bored, focus on enjoying your ship and being with your friends. I do not understand stalking my pages if my content is obviously a trigger for some people—that is not my fault and I am not responsible for others being upset over what I post and create.

Happy (hopeful) book announcement year!

[duskandcobalt]

MASTERLIST

Hi! I'm a Virgo so organisation is the name of the game - here's all my writing in one place <3

This is all currently Elriel based but I may branch out in the future ;)

You can also find me on AO3

**contains smut

One-Shots

Ice Cream **- Modern AU, Note - No actual smut, just very sexual in nature

Azriel takes Elain to a movie and gets a bit of a show.

For His Eyes Only ** - Modern AU

Azriel takes up photography and has an impromptu photoshoot with a certain Archeron Sister.

Bloodlust** - Modern AU

Azriel is covered in blood and Elain has an awakening of sorts.

Comfort Crowd - Azriel Appreciation Week 2023, Day 1: The Family You Make

Nesta talks to Azriel about her fears surrounding motherhood.

Spa Day - Azriel Appreciate Week 2023, Day 4: Domestic Life

Elain discovers the secret behind Azriel's perfect skin.

Strawberry Kisses - Note: this is an accompanying bonus chapter to Echoes in the Hallway but it can be read as a stand alone.

While searching the River House for her sisters, Nesta accidentally stumbles upon Elain sharing an intimate moment in the garden with a certain Spymaster.

Under the Weeping Willow**

Emboldened by the light of a full moon, Elain lures Azriel out to the garden for a late night rendezvous.

Multi-Chapter Fics

Echoes in the Hallway ** - Canon compliant-ish, completed.

Part II**

Part III **

Azriel plays chaperone but this time for the girl he's been avoiding for months. Post-solstice angst.

Everywhere, Everything** - A Friends to Lovers modern AU. In progress.

After a decade of friendship, Azriel and Elain cross a line into unexplored territory.

Inspired by Music Series

Lover, Please Stay

Elain cares for a very weary Azriel. Hurt/Comfort.

Dress **

Elain buys a dress, Azriel takes it off.

Stargirl **

Elain has a vision featuring a certain Shadowsinger.

Stargirl: Part Two **

Elain's vision from Stargirl comes to life.

Stargirl: Part Three **

Elain has another vision, this time it involves a black ribbon and a slice of cake.

Stargirl: Part Four **

Following her last vision, Elain and Azriel navigate the surprise revelation and the frenzy that comes along with it.

Time Will Be Frozen for Us

Azriel acquires a cabin where he and Elain enjoy the quiet domesticities of life.

[nestaarcheronweek]

♕ Announcing Nesta Archeron Appreciation Week 2023 ♕

Join us in celebrating Nesta Archeron from April 23 through April 29, 2023!

Welcome back to Nesta Week 2023! We decided to move the event up sooner in the year in honor of Nesta being born sometime in the spring, so we hope you're ready to celebrate our queen a little sooner than expected! Feel free to participate in any way you can, from headcanons, fanart, moodboards, fics, drabbles…. no matter how big or small, anything celebrating Nesta is welcome!

Please tag @nestaarcheronweek and use the tag #NestaWeek2023 so we can see all your lovely posts!

This year’s prompts are as follows:

Day One: Sister ♕ Nesta has a unique bond with her sisters, whether that's with Feyre and Elain or Emerie and Gwyn. How do you see her interacting with them?

Day Two: Sharp ♕ Nesta's wit — and her love of pointy objects — has been well-documented across the series. What's your take on how this word applies to her?

Day Three: Valkyrie ♕ Nesta trained hard to earn the title of Valkyie in A Court of Silver Flames. How do you see her embodying the title of Valkyrie?

Day Four: Lover ♕ Nesta has had many opportunities for love across Prythain — who do you ship her with? Cassian? Emerie? Eris? Gwyn? Azriel? Cresseida? Any and all ships are welcome!

Day Five: Birthday Girl ♕ While Nesta doesn't have a specified birthday in canon, that doesn't mean we can't celebrate our favorite character turning a year older! How do you think Nesta and the people who love her would celebrate her special day?

Day Six: Lady Death ♕ After surviving the Cauldron, Nesta became one of the most powerful characters in Prythian. What do you think Lady Death's magic looks like?

Day Seven: Free Day ♕ Any topic of your choosing!

A huge shoutout to @dustjacketmusings, @c-e-d-dreamer, @talkfantasytome, @isterofimias, and many others for helping to plan this event!

Please contact @moodymelanist with any questions about the event. We can't wait to see what you all create!

[tswaney17]

Little Heir

@duskwhisperer and I are so excited to share “Little Heir” with you for @azrielappreciationweek day one, the family you make.

Thank you, @ruisfree for collaborating with us and bringing this piece to life. Still smiling and kicking our feet over all the creative details you added. We loved working with you! 💕

This commission and fic were inspired by the adorable idea of Azriel catching Nyx sneaking Aunt Elain’s cookies late at night. 🍪 We wanted to capture Azriel trying not to smile while Nyx guiltily looked up at him. With the scene set in Elain and Azriel’s kitchen, we thought it would be perfect to show Nyx’s artwork on display. And of course, we couldn’t resist showing our appreciation for a shirtless Az. 😏 We truly hope you adore this piece as much as we do.

Do Not Repost

🎨 @ruisfree | Comm by: @duskwhisperer & @tswaney17

Characters belong to Sarah J. Maas

~~~~~

My fanfic account: @tswaney17fics​​​

My ao3 account: tswaney17

Please let me know what you think about this update. I love getting your feedback. Constructive criticism is always welcome. 💕

Catch up here.

Trigger warnings: mild NSFW language, tooth-rotting fluff

Word Count: 1,177

This fic will be posted on AO3 only. Read here.

Azriel felt the pull even in his deep sleep. That urgent tug that something was amiss. He knew the feeling of his shadows trying to drag him from his slumber. Had experienced it for years.

He very nearly growled at the disruption, until a single shadow curled around his ear, whispering their secrets.

The heir is awake. He wanders the house.

That had his attention, his eyes blinking open and seeing the sky outside their bedroom window still stained deep blue and purple, the sun not yet basking over the eastern mountains to grace them with its presence. The moon’s glow across the floor indicated it was still very late at night or in the wee hours of the morning. Far too early for the nearly five-year-old to be out of bed.

Why Nyx was awake, he didn’t know, but he’d soon find out. Azriel carefully detached himself from Elain’s warm body. Her brows furrowed in protest, a wordless sound passing through her parted lips as he slowly slipped away.

Read More

~~~~~

Remember, sharing is caring! Please reblog if you liked the fic. It helps spread my work and I truly appreciate it. 💕

While I have moved these fics to AO3 only, I am still going to utilize a tag list here on Tumblr. This as a permanent solution and may change in the future. For notifications, you can follow and subscribe to my fanfic account where I will be reblogging updates and snippets only. You can also find me on ao3. If you would like to be added to my tag list, please leave a comment on this post.

My fanfic account: @tswaney17fics​

My ao3 account: tswaney17

Taglist: 

@nikethestatue

@reverie-tales

@123moiaussi

@duskwhisperer

@zdenkah

@nyxreads

@shedoessoshedoes

@athena-85

@jasmineandshadows

@nightcourtseer

@nivem565

@debramclaren

@illyrianvalkyriecarynthian

@secretpuppyflower

@justreallybored

@ultadverb

@the-regal-warrior

@roseandshadows

@tcursebreaker

@kingravinger

@mis-lil-red

@eloeloeheheh

@fawnandshadows

@swankii-art-teacher

@miss-bee-cat

@bookhhrelaz

@impossiblescissorspeachpaper

@elrielbaby

@lesolehabitantdelalune

@thoughtsaboutshows

@britishwings

@aelin21galathynius

@saz-griffin

@azrielslight

@bookstaninthesoul

@curiositywoman

@karsyn-b2

@elainsweetcobalt

@emilyondemand

Some tags seem to not want to link, which could be related to your visibility settings. Sorry about that!

[dailyelriel]

Elain Archeron Appreciation Week 2023 - Day 4: Dreamer

[zenkindoflove]

The fandom is so lucky to have you! We appreciate having you here and all that you contribute to it ❤️❤️

1. What brought you into the fandom?

2. What character(s) do you feel the most connected to and why?

3. Out of all of SJM’s books, which one means the most to you and why?

4. Out of all of the SJM couples (fanon, canon, endgame, etc) which one means the most to you and why?

Keep doing you ❤️

Well isn't this kind and lovely! Thank you anon!

1. What brought you into the fandom?

Around September 2023 I was like - hmmm I should give that ACOTAR series everyone keeps talking about a try. And then I read the series in a week, read Elucien fanfic for the following week, and then started writing my own Elucien fanfic the week after. I probably started getting active on Tumblr around the end of December 2023/beginning of January 2024 and the rest is history. Elucien is what brought me here and why I stay. That's my OTP and I'm ride or die.

2. What character(s) do you feel the most connected to and why?

I definitely feel the most connected to Elain and Lucien as they are the ones I care about the most. Lucien was the first character I clung to. I really admire how SJM has written him so far, and all the details we have given of him show he is a kind and brave soul that walks his own path in life. And I'm a sucker for a hot sassy man with a tragic past.

For Elain, we have less of her but what we do have I've clung too and I would say I defend her as fiercely as Lucien. I think because of how much the fandom judges her harshly, it makes me more protective. I love female heroines that lead with kind hearts and soft touches. The ones who are smart socially and not always brash (I love those characters too but I am not as protective because most people tend to like them). I also relate to Elain being the peace maker in her family. Making herself small so that others have room for the attention they need. I probably project a lot into her but hey, that is natural to do with fictional characters.

I would also say in the last several months I've really connected to Eris' character too. Like Elain, we only know what we see on a surface level with him, but exploring him in my own fanfics has really made me latch onto him in a way that is more extreme than when I first read. I was always intrigued by him and the way he is presented as more grey and hints at some of the innate goodness he's hiding. But now I feel like I know him (or really the version of him I've created in my head).

3. Out of all of SJM's books, which one means the most to you and why?

Probably ACOWAR because it has the most Elucien development and we get some really good early insights into Eris' character. ❤️

4. Out of all of SJM's couples (fanon, canon, endgame, etc), which one means the most to you and why?

Elucien of course. They are my ACOTAR OTP. I will be truly upset if they aren't endgame in the same way I was upset when That 70s Show broke up Jackie/Hyde and I spent 3 years writing fix it fics. To me, they have so much potential to be the best couple in the series with the most compelling and heart felt story. I'm strapped in.

I will say too that my own personal fanon ship of Eris and my OC Alexius has really taken over my brain in a way that I didn't expect. Alexius isn't real in the same way canon characters are but he's very real to me at this point. Idk what that means for my future with reading Eris' story in canon because I'm such a loyalist to couples I ship (multishipping is not in my bones). But we will see. Basically I love playing in that world and I'm not going to stop for a long, long time.

[maased-out]

2023 EVENTS

February

SJM Romance Week (February 8th–February 14th)

Gwynriel Weeks (February 26th–March 11th)

March

Elain Archeron Week (March 19th–March 25th)

April

Throne of Glass Read Along (April 1st–April 10th)

Crown of Midnight Read Along (April 11th–18th)

Heir of Fire Read Along (April 19th–April 28th)

Nesta Archeron Week (April 23rd–April 29th)

The Assassin's Blade Read Along (April 29th–May 5th)

May

Elriel Month (April 30th–May 31st)

Aelin Week (May 1st–May 7th)

Queen of Shadows Read Along (May 6th–May 18th)

Empire of Storms Read Along (May 19th–May 30th)

June

Tower of Dawn Read Along (May 31st–June 10th)

Azris Week (June 4th–June 10th)

Gwyn Appreciation Week (June 11th–June 17th)

Kingdom of Ash Read Along (June 11th–June 25th)

Tamlin Appreciation Week (June 18th–June 24th)

Sun and Flame Week (June 25th–July 2nd)

July

Elucien Week (July 9th–July 15th)

Archeron Sisters Week (July 16th–July 22nd)

Elorcan Week (July 23rd–July 29th)

Cassian Appreciation Week (July 30th–August 5th)

August

Mor Week (August 6th–August 12th)

Valkyrie Week (August 14th–August 23rd)

Feysand Week (August 21st–August 27th)

Neris Week (August 26th–September 1st)

September

Rowaelin Month (September 1st–September 30th)

Aedion Ashryver Week (September 3rd–September 9th)

Elain Archeron Week (September 3rd–September 9th)

Nessian Week (September 10th–September 16th)

Eris Vanserra Week (September 17th–September 23rd)

Rhysand Appreciation Week (September 24th–September 30th)

October

Lucien Vanserra Appreciation Week (October 8th–October 14th)

November

Crescent City Week (November 5th–November 11th)

Emerie Appreciation Week (November 12th–November 18th)

December

ACOTAR Gift Exchange (December 16th–December 23rd)

[goddess-in-heaven-and-hell]

Gwynriel Week 2023 - Day 1: Series of Firsts

Look who crawled out of their cave and into the sunlight for the first time in months. Seriously, I thought I had forgotten how to form sentences and string them together, but here we are. I just can’t let Gwynriel week pass without doing something. 

So here is an angsty, fluff and slightly smutty one-shot for our favourites. (I feel like I’ve changed my usual writing style for this, but I hope you don’t mind too much.)

@gwynrielweeksoffical

Word count: around 2500 

Warnings: non-explicit smut (?) 

The first time they held hands, Azriel found truth.

It was after a particularly grueling training session. Rain came pouring from the sky cold and heavy, making his leathers stick uncomfortably to every inch of skin. His wings got heavier by the minute too and he had to remind himself time and time again to not let them drop and slouch all over the floor. But even if the sun had shone and Cassian would have started to dance the gavotte in a tutu, his mood wouldn’t have been any better.

He probably was too caught up in his head over the mission. He probably gave out commands a little too harshly, let the females run a little too many rounds. It didn’t help as well that his shadows were constantly commenting Gwyn’s improvement instead of figuring out a plan like he ordered them too. He never snapped at his Shadows, but that day, he came close to it.

When training ended Azriel made his way across the ring in record time, wanting to sort out his thoughts without any company. But he didn’t get very far at all.

“Hey, Shadowsinger!”

Closing his eyes in a desperate attempt to gain patience, Azriel came to a halt. A beaming priestess caught up to him in no time, neither the cold nor the rain seemed to bother her.

Right in front of him, she held out her hand expectantly. “I would appreciate it very much if that little deal of ours was fulfilled immediately. I kicked ass today, the combination included.”

Azriel signed, his breath a white cloud in front of his face. “You did?”

Gwyn nodded solemnly. “Indeed. And I am sure you saw, or at least your Shadows did. So, hand me the treats I was promised.”

“You know that I have better things to do than to monitor you constantly?”, Azriel bit out. He regretted the words the second they left his tongue – not only because they weren’t true, but also because they were the reason that beautiful smile on her face began to dim.

“Well, yes.”, she lowered the hand that was previously outstretched and cradled it to her stomach, “I just figured you’d might-“

“Gwyn.”, he cut her off, “can we talk about this some other day?”

His Shadows immediately started to scold him. Now he had definitely driven her away, he had been unnecessarily cold and made her so uncomfortable that she’d surely end this conversation.

But instead of retreating, Gwyn drew together her brows, little pearls of rain cascading down her nose in the process. “Are you okay, Az?”

She asked the question like no one had ever done before. Rhys usually asked with the tone of the High Lord, wanting to know if his mental state is good enough to lead the spy network. Nesta asked sarcastically over a shared dinner. Elain asked timidly, like the answer might scare her and she’d rather not know.

Gwyn’s question had been genuine, laced with the concern of a close friend and the fearlessness of something more. Her softly spoken words were music to his ears, a symphony he wanted to replay in his mind over and over again.

So, instead of just sidestepping the truth or lie, he confessed. “I’m not.”

Gwyn gave him a sad smile, her curious gaze searching his face for answers, silently encouraging him to go on. “I think I haven’t been okay for a long time.”

It was then, when it happened. Gwyn slowly reached out her hand and intertwined her dainty fingers with his. Squeezing lightly, she told him, “Well, if you are in need of a patient listener, you know where to find me.”

Azriel bit his lip, nodding. He was suddenly too shy to even look at her, so instead his eyes wandered to the ground and then to their hands. He couldn’t find words to describe how much that little sentence meant to him. Because he knew – with Gwyn, he wouldn’t have to hold back, he could be brutally honest and yet wouldn’t face judgement.

The silences stretched on while they stood in the empty training ring, connected by their hands, until Gwyn broke it. “I could also tell you that I’m a good advice giver, but that would be a stretch.”

The Shadowsinger cracked his first smile of the week, which in turn caused Gwyn to smile as well. The night, he indeed sought her out, cutting his heart out for her to see and inspect.

He had hoped she would find it worthy.

She had never seen something so beautiful.

---

The first time they kissed, Azriel found hope.

He planned every little detail about the date with unwavering precision. He knew the exact minute more people than usual crowded the center of Velaris, knew when the musicians start to play, what to wear, which flowers to present her with… but he forgot to set his own head straight.

He stumbled over his words the second he saw her descend the stairs in a beautiful green dress. What was meant to be a compliment came out in a jumbled sentence, causing Gwyn to suppress a smile. That smile didn’t help his nerves either.

During their dinner, overlooking the lit-up streets of Velaris, Gwyn chattered away freely while Azriel pondered over every word, every sentiment he wanted to share with her. Conversation was usually easy with Gwyn, but the weight of calling this their official ‘date’ threw all comfort he felt with her overboard.

He kept checking if she was comfortable, if she wanted more food or drink, if she was too warm or too cold, if the amount of people surrounding them bothered her.

When they made their way home, arms interlinked and strolling through the cobblestone streets, Azriel was certain he fucked up for good, and that he didn’t deserve to exchange another word with her.

“You’re brooding.”

His head snapped to the side, facing a wide-smiling Gwyn.

“I was fairly certain my company would keep you from overthinking your work, but it appears I overestimated my dazzling personality.”, she drew her voice out teasingly, baiting him to answer.

Azriel signed, stopped in his tracks and turned Gwyn to face him. He might as well use this opportunity to explain himself to her, that’s what she deserved.

“I’m incredibly sorry, Gwyn. I know this wasn’t the date you expected. I just couldn’t help my nerves.”, he confessed, his voice low and audible just for Gwyn. “Thank you anyways for agreeing to this. I hope it wasn’t a complete waste of time.”

Being done with the best explanation he could muster, he searched Gwyn’s features for any sign of annoyance or sadness. To his surprise, he only found confusion.

“Wait a second.”, Gwyn crossed her arms in front of her chest, “Do you mean to tell me that you barely spoke on this date because you were nervous?”

Now it was his turn to furrow his brows in confusion. “Yes?”

Gwyn burst out into giggles. “I can’t believe it. The infamous Shadowsinger, who fought in more wars than I can even name, who has years and years of dating experience, was nervous to take out a little priestess from the library?”

She didn’t get it, still smiling at the apparent silliness of his nerves. Because she didn’t know that he had been envisioning this date from the moment she first talked to him in training. That he looked at his brothers and their mates and wished with all of his heart that he could have what they had with her. That he would protect her with his life if he needed to.

“Gwyn, do you even know how big of a deal this is for me?”, he asked, his voice quivering just slightly with all the pent up emotions now bubbling to the surface. Gwyn’s smile froze. “You aren’t just another date to me. If I messed this up, then we wouldn’t just lose the opportunity of being together, but maybe our friendship too. And that’s something I can’t live without.”

He looked to the ground, suddenly unable to face the female he fell hopelessly in love with. “But it appears that I have to now.”

Suddenly, he felt a warm hand gently cupping his cheek, lifting his head. “Az.”

He covered her hand with his, desperately trying to memorize her touch, but still not meeting her eyes.

“Azriel, please look at me.”, Gwyn’s voice held nothing of her previous lightness, “Who ever said that you messed this up?”

The Shadowsinger found the courage to look at her now, if only to find out if she was joking or not. But Gwyn just looked sad, like she accidentally stepped on a puppy’s tail.

“This was the best date I’ve ever been on. I’ve gotten the most beautiful flowers, a flight over Velaris, a romantic dinner, and a male that clearly went out of his way to make this a memorable day for me.”, she swallowed, her eyes turning a bit glassy, “I genuinely thought something was bothering you, that you changed your mind about us being together, but were too polite to say something. Never in a million years would I have guessed that you were nervous.”

It was like the weight of a whole mountain fell from his chest at her words. He couldn’t even reply.

Gwyn smiled lightly, taking another step in his direction so that they stood chest to chest. “Az, may I kiss you?”

He only mustered a nod, completely overwhelmed by this sudden change of direction. And then, there was only the feeling of her lips on his. Gwyn kissed him gently but firmly, and he all but melted into her. Thankfully, he had enough presence of mind to engulf her into his arms as she sank into his body. This was more than he ever expected, more than he deserved, but he drank up every ounce of attention she gave him, every brush of her lips to his, every inch of her body pressed to him.

After the kiss ended, they still held each other close, foreheads touching.

“Don’t ever feel like you need to impress me in order for me to like you. You are all I’ve ever wanted.”, Gwyn whispered, and Azriel would be damned if her words didn’t break his heart and mend it all at the same time.

---

The first time they slept together, Azriel found religion.

They had been moving slowly, Gwyn’s reactions dictating every move, touch and inch of skin revealed to each other. It was a process of up and down. On some nights, Gwyn would be too insecure, too shy to even share a deep kiss, so they would end up cuddling on the sofa in front of the fireplace, with Azriel stroking her hair softly and whispering to each other. Other nights were a blur of passion, with clothing almost ripped off and carefree smiles of encouragement.

He knew what a big deal it was for Gwyn to show him her body completely. The first time she let her gown slide from her shoulders and onto a forgotten pile on the floor, Azriel couldn’t find the strength to take his eyes off her for one second. Her lithe body was toned with ropes of hard-earned muscle, skin so flawless he itched to reach out and feel its perfection under his fingertips. She let him do exactly that for the entirety of the night, quivering in his arms from his skilled fingers and coming back again and again for more.

Azriel would spend hours with his mouth between her legs, making her find release over and over again and getting drunk on the taste of her. He never felt more cocky then when he saw Gwyn’s thighs shake from the intensity of her orgasm, hearing her call his name like a prayer. Azriel knew that he’d never want another female in his bed, or by his side, ever again.

If he felt elated when he got to please her, he was positively ecstatic when she started to explore his body on her own accord. Her fingertips traced over every dip and curve of muscle and the ridges of his scars, coaxing out moans and sounds from his lips that he didn’t even know he could produce. He wasn’t above pleading, not with her, and it gave Gwyn the extra push she needed to take him into her hands.

Months had passed from the moment they started to explore the sexual side of their relationship, to when she finally slid onto him. Both of their bodies were already covered with a fine sheen of sweat, chests heaving and eyes lit-up. Azriel held her close on his lap, not leaving an inch between them as he guided her onto his hardness, pausing here and there to let her adjust. He littered kisses on her face, her neck and her collarbones in silent encouragement. But Gwyn didn’t need to be encouraged, an expression of pure bliss on her face as she sank onto him completely.

Azriel bit back his groan and the urge to move immediately, letting her decide how she wanted to go about this. Gwyn paused, seeking his gaze and then breaking out into the biggest smile he’d ever seen her wear. He couldn’t help his answering grin, thrusting up lightly and making her screech out a laugh. When she started moving on him however, all laughter was fast forgotten and replaced by need.

Azriel had his faire share of sex, but never was it like this. Never did it feel like his soul was searching for another, never did he want to please so badly. With Gwyn, every single thing felt ten times more intense, more purposeful.

He was sure he found his purpose in life when falling in love with her. And he was going to make sure she knew every second for the rest of her life.

[coffygifs]

COFFY APPRECIATION WEEK 2023

day 6: pining — "no one has taken anything away" - marina tsvetaeva, tr. elaine feinstein

[corcracrow]

Elain Archeron 💐

A quick sketch of Elain for the final day of Elain Week 2023! I think baking (and gardening, hence the roses) is Elain’s comfort space. She may be using it as escapism right now but I can’t wait to see her truly happy and thriving.

One of my favorite headcanons for her is freckles and curly/wavy hair. I hope that, if we get her book, we get freckled Elain from her time in the sun ;)

Reblogs appreciated, please don’t repost without permission!

@elainweekofficial (thanks for your incredible organization work this week!)