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justheretoreadsposts · 7 months

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11. bright

The night is cold, dark, and full of terrors but the stars shine brightly up above with the crescent moon.

“Hey.”

The curled figure sitting on the precipice of the bridge wall looks over with the slow movement of someone dragging a weight from their chest and then just as slowly, looks away again to the vast dark alley beneath them. Usually, the depths are a beautiful site to behold in the day, or when the moon is brighter than this, but tonight there is nothing to behold but the call it eerily echoes.

Elain’s shoes quietly tap their way over. Her fingers latch onto smooth cold stone that haul her weight up the bridge. She sits next to him, gingerly in this space of dark silence, hesitantly drawing her robes tight around her and tucking her hands in the crevices of her arms and elbows.

“Hi,” he replies curtly, his voice hoarse.

“When did you get back?” she gently asks.

“Couple hours ago,” comes the answer through barely moving lips pressed against each other by a knee upholding his jaw. Azriel’s arms are wrapped around his propped-up leg, the other dangling in the free air below. He’s still dressed in wizards’ generic muggle clothing; the black jacket covering a blue sweater and jeans and his scarf unwrapped around his neck. Elain can make out his hair standing up in the breeze, teased by the wind. Another time, she would have pestered him into better shielding himself against the elements. Now, she doesn’t have any words to say.

Back when her mother died, Elain was confused and did not know what to say either nor does she recall ever expecting any words to be said to her. It was a loss, detrimental and colossal, and as such no words by the human tongue could manage anything to patch it up.

“How was it?”

She watches his lids flutter, a malfunction of a blink and a shrug and the bezoar-like lump in one’s throat that losses such as this left. His lips tighten.

“Rhys’s parents were there,” he manages to say, as if he’s swallowing a sour lemon. “She, uh…I buried her in her hometown. The-the locals remembered her. Priest said some nice words.”

Elain’s hand twitches. She supposes this is a good moment for a hand squeeze. She stays put.

“That’s good,” she softly utters.

Azriel’s shoulders twitch.

And then she asks: “How are you feeling?”

He doesn’t reply. Elain didn’t expect him to, truthfully.

“I’m glad you went, and saw her,” she scooches closer.

“Hmm.”

“She’s surely at peace now.”

He blinks repeatedly. “Better than what shit she was living.”

“Yeah.”

Silence. Elain worries her lip between her teeth and picks at the skin around her nails.

“You don’t have to stay, Elain.”

She nods. “I know. I want to. Someone has to keep you warm.”

His face contorts, all of a sudden, and the darkness around him multiplies and he squeezes his eyes shut, tight enough that tears trickle out. The lights shimmer brightly, in Elain’s wobbly vision.

“Az,” she barely manages to say without her voice cracking. “Can I hug you?”

A sob breaks from his lips and Elain’s arms unfold, spread wide and wholesome, envelop his curled figure and latches on. She is a warm body, spreading out and reaching, covering the expanse of this colossal gaping hole. It is not permanent, it is not a substantial replacement. But it is a shelter, even for one brief moment, from the cold.

The night is cold, dark and full of terrors. But the stars are bright, and the crescent moon glowing.

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justheretoreadsposts · 7 months

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yes but with a happy ending. please.

when i say i want elriel to have forbidden love i mean shit like anidala had. the yearning and the secret kisses and the secret wedding. i need to see the cost of secrecy on them. i need people to be sort of aware but never voicing it out. I NEED THAT KIND OF SHIT

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justheretoreadsposts · 8 months

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Rex won't stand by that bs

Consider joining Patreon for extra content!

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justheretoreadsposts · 1 year

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If you care about human rights, if you want to learn the Palestinian perspective. This is a must watch.

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justheretoreadsposts · 1 year

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They give such Elriel energy 😫😌

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justheretoreadsposts · 2 years

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obsessed with the idea that even after elriel ends up together and even rhys is happy for them, he can’t help but be eternally, as a joke ofc, petty towards elriel like he’s elain’s overbearing older brother. part of it is just to annoy azriel because they become children when it comes to teasing each other, but partly because elain always laughs at the jokes. it’s never actually serious and 10 out of 10 times the comments are comically childish

rhysand: why is their door closed?

feyre: theyre married

rhysand: cant they be married with the door open

–

azriel: [says something]

elain: [throws her head back laughing]

rhysand: [from the other side of the room] HES NOT EVEN THAT FUNNY

–

elriel: [holds hands]

rhysand: [lets out the dirtiest string of curse words while holding nyx] do you two MIND i mean there are CHILDREN HERE

–

rhysand: [walking elain down the aisle] have u given any thoughts to divorce

–

rhysand: elain told me shes unhappy with her life with you

azriel: [stares blankly at him while elain reads a magazine while sitting on his lap]

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justheretoreadsposts · 2 years

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ELRIEL AND GARDENS: 🌸

There’s just something so soft and tender and domestic about Elriel being in the garden together. And I can just imagine all the quiet yearning between them. I can’t wait until he takes Elain to Rosehall.

Azriel arrived first, no shadows to be seen, my sister a pale, golden mass in his arms. He, too, wore his Illyrian armor, Elain’s golden- brown hair snagging in some of the black scales across his chest and shoulders. He set her down gently on the foyer carpet, having carried her in through the front door.

Elain peered up at his patient, solemn face. Azriel smiled faintly. “Would you like me to show you the garden?” She seemed so small before him, so fragile compared to the scales of his fighting leathers, the breadth of his shoulders. The wings peeking over them. But Elain did not balk from him, did not shy away as she nodded—just once.

Azriel, graceful as any courtier, offered her an arm. I couldn’t tell if she was looking at his blue Siphon or at his scarred skin beneath as she breathed, “Beautiful.” Color bloomed high on Azriel’s golden-brown cheeks, but he inclined his head in thanks and led my sister toward the back doors into the garden, sunlight bathing them.

Azriel strode to the lone window at the end of the room and peered into the garden below. “I’ve never stayed in this room.” His midnight voice filled the space.

“Can I set you up in the garden? The herbs you planted are coming in nicely.”

“I can help her,” said Azriel, stepping to the table as Elain silently rose.

Elain sat silently at one of the wrought-iron tables, a cup of tea before her. Azriel was sprawled on the chaise longue across the gray stones, sunning his wings and reading what looked to be a stack of reports—likely information on the Autumn Court that he planned to present to Rhys once he’d sorted through it all. Already dressed for the Hewn City—the brutal, beautiful armor so at odds with the lovely garden. And my sister sitting within it.

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justheretoreadsposts · 2 years

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hopping from taylor swift to sjm is so exhausting, if my ancestors could see how these blonde white women are brutalizing me…

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justheretoreadsposts · 2 years

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I know none of the men in the ACOTAR series would be defined as unattractive but I literally cannot see Lucien in any other way but this. Whenever I see fan art I’m like oh yeah he’s supposed to be hot. Meanwhile I see this pining after Elain and I’m like no wonder she’s a little timid around him.

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justheretoreadsposts · 2 years

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Once Upon A Rose ~ Chapter Two

ELRIEL MONTH WEEK THREE: THE GARDEN

Genre: Modern AU

Relationships: Garden Shop Owner!Elain Archeron x DILF!Azriel

Word Count: 1.6K

Warnings: Fluff, probably light angst, age gap (15 years), swearing, and possible smut in future chapters, This will likely be an 18+ story and I've rated it Mature on AO3

Description: Single father Azriel and his daughter Rose always visit the garden shop Once Upon a Rose every Friday after school. Rose goes because she loves gardening but more importantly she loves the owner, Elain Archeron. And can Azriel tell you a secret? He's pretty sure he's in love with her too.

The phone dinged letting Elain know she had a notification. It had been a few hours since she had been on the dating app and hadn’t thought much else of it as she moved around her house. Thinking that one of her sisters had messaged her. When she picked up her phone she saw the notification from Velaris Singles that said “It’s a match! Come say hi to Azriel”. Elain nearly fell out of her chair when she read the notification.

“Oh my God!” She yelled, her hands grew clammy and she started sweating. “He swiped, he swiped, what do I do?!”

If Feyre had been there she would have been shouting at Elain to respond. So she opened it up and typed a response.

Elain: So Professor Pierce, you’re the last person I expected to see on here.

Azriel: To be honest this was a last ditch effort to get my brothers off my back and prevent any more disastrous blind dates.

Elain: How many dates have you gone on from here?

Azriel: Two…

Elain: Not gonna lie I was expecting more lol

Azriel: Not many people wanted to date someone with a child.

She hadn’t thought about that before.

Elain: Well it’s their loss that they won’t get to know how sweet of a little girl Rose is.

Azriel felt warmth spreading through him. He knew that she liked Rose, and cared for her as much as a stranger could, but to hear her say that it was a loss on the people who decided not to pursue a relationship with him because of his daughter made something ease inside him.

Azriel: She adores you, you know? Wouldn’t shut up after we left about you, though I didn’t mind.

Elain was pacing back and forth as she typed her messages to Azriel and was grinning like an idiot as she did so. She couldn’t believe that she had actually matched with him and felt as though she were floating on air at the moment.

Elain: Fridays are my favorite day and not because it means the weekend is here, I don’t get much time off since I’m the only worker currently at my shop. But because it means I’ll get to see my little blossom.

Azriel: You work Saturdays? I didn’t know that.

Elain: Yeah, it’s not ideal, but I can’t afford to hire any help at the moment. I do well enough to survive on my own and keep the business afloat, but not well enough to take breaks.

He hated hearing that because he knew how draining work could be, and he at least had a TA to help take some of the stress off of him.

Azriel: When was the last time you had a vacation?

Elain: Four years ago when I was still working at a bakery downtown and my friends and I all chipped in, it was the only way any of us could afford to go.

Four years and no break, she was a trooper.

Azriel: You, my dear, need a vacation and soon.

Elain: Well sir, when I can afford the time off I will.

Azriel: One weekend, you could go anywhere. I recommend Adriata, lie on the beach and sip a fruity cocktail.

Elain: What I would give to lay on the beach, maybe have some company there with me…

Elain could already picture lying on the pristine beaches of Adriata with Azriel beside her. Maybe Rose wouldn’t be with them this time, it would be a getaway just for them. Elain in her favorite floral printed bikini and Azriel in just a pair of swim trunks. She stopped that train of thought before she let her mind wander any further than that.

Azriel: There is a lot to do there that would be perfect for a romantic getaway. You’d want to go with someone who has been there before that way you don’t miss the hidden gems and avoid the tourist traps.

Elain: That would be ideal. I think I’ll see what I can do.

She glanced at the clock and saw what time it was and cursed when she read nearly one A.M..

Elain: I hate to cut this short, but I need to head to bed. I’m glad we got to talk! We’ll need to do it again.

Azriel: Sweet dreams, Elain.

Elain: You too, Azriel.

She closed out of the app and went to get ready for bed.

Azriel had dropped Rose off at Mor’s an hour ago. He got one day off from being a dad and that was Saturday. He would be picking Rose up from Mor in the morning and he planned to do some grocery shopping and grading papers when he didn’t have his little one bugging him every five minutes. He didn’t mind Rose or her constant stream of questions and inability to be quiet for long stretches unless she had something to occupy her mind.

But the first stop of the day was a place Rose could never know he went without her. Coffee cup in hand he pushed the door open to Once Upon a Rose and saw Elain half asleep and leaning against the counter. She perked up when she saw Azriel coming her way. “Good morning,” he told her passing the coffee cup to her. “I hope you don’t mind but I felt bad about keeping you up when you had to be up for work. So I thought I’d bring a pick me up.”

“Where’s Rosie?” She asked before taking a long sip from the to-go cup and sighing after the first sip.

“She’s with her aunt Mor, I have a day off from being a dad on Saturdays so I can try and get some work done. I came out to do some errands before heading home to grade whatever it is that needs grading,” he explained.

“Mmm,” she hummed as she took another sip of the coffee he had brought her. “Well it was certainly a nice surprise seeing you. But I wouldn’t tell Rose you were here, she’d probably get upset with you.”

He chuckled, “That she would, especially since she was pouting the entire way home yesterday.”

Elain gave him a small smile and set her cup down beside the cash register. “I hope she didn’t give you any problems.”

“Oh no, she calmed down after a while, I think it was just because she didn’t get to spend as much time here as she would have liked is all. I didn’t want to interrupt your day since you had a customer other than Rose.”

“Oh you don’t have to do that,” Elain waved a hand dismissively. “I don’t mind one bit, especially if it’s only one person.”

Azriel wasn’t sure if she was just saying that or if she actually meant it. “Well I guess we’ll just see how that plays out next time a customer comes in and Rose is here.” He looked at his watch and silently cursed, “I need to get going if I have any hope of doing what I need to do before picking Rose up tomorrow. Can I text you tonight?”

“Of course!” She grabbed a business card and scribbled her number on it, “Text me here instead of on the app, it’s easier that way.”

He didn’t miss the light pink blush on her cheeks and he carefully took the card from her, feeling his heart beat speed up slightly when their fingers brushed. “I will. Have a good rest of your day, Elain.”

“You too, Azriel,” she called after him as he went to leave.

He had failed in his task of not contacting Elain until he had finished grading papers. He had called her because he couldn’t keep picking up his phone to respond to a text every time it buzzed, he’d never get these damn things done if he did that. She was crocheting on the other end, a hobby she did in her free time, selling them at the shop and using the money to donate to the local children’s hospital.

“How many do you have left now?” She asked when she finished the head of a cute little deer she had been working on.

Azriel tossed his pen down and scrubbed his face with his hands. “Too many,” he responded.

Her soft chuckle floated through the speaker and he couldn’t resist glancing at his phone. He couldn’t see her but he wished he could. “You need a reward for finishing them tonight,” she said. “How about this? If you can finish grading all those papers by midnight I will take you out for lunch one day this week.”

“Miss Archeron, are you asking me out on a date?” One side of his mouth lifted in a half smile, and he leaned closer to the phone.

“I don’t know, Professor Pierce, am I?” He could practically see her grinning at her phone and he groaned.

“You drive a hard bargain, but it’s a deal. But you know if I want to finish these I can’t have any kind of distractions, we’ll have to stop talking.” He hated saying it, but it was the truth. If he wanted to get this done then he needed to get off the phone with her. “Or I could just give them all A’s and call it a night.”

She chuckled and said, “No, you need to focus and I’m pretty sure my sister is going to call soon. She’s on a trip and the time zones are really messing with us. I want updates, sir. I need to know you’re not cheating so you can get a lunch out of this.”

“I am nothing if not honorable, Miss Archeron. I will let you know when I finish.”

They said their goodbyes and Azriel set to work on finishing the tests.

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justheretoreadsposts · 2 years

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Once Upon A Rose ~ Chapter One

ELRIEL MONTH WEEK THREE: THE GARDEN

Genre: Modern AU

Relationships: Garden Shop Owner!Elain Archeron x DILF!Azriel

Word Count: 1.6K

Warnings: Fluff, probably light angst, age gap (15 years), swearing, and possible smut in future chapters, This will likely be an 18+ story and I've rated it Mature on AO3

A/N: This actually wasn't even in the plans for Elriel month, but some friends of mine helped give me the idea so you have them to thank for DILF!Az. I hope y'all enjoy this, I don't know how long this series will be but I have the first two chapters completed and I'm almost done with three now. I'll be posting them hopefully in between my regularly scheduled Elriel Month fics.

It was Friday, Elain’s favorite day of the week. Not because tomorrow was Saturday and that meant the weekend was here. She didn’t really get weekends. No, it was her favorite day because her favorite customer was due to walk through the doors at any minute. She was restocking some seeds when the bell on the door chimed and she heard the familiar voice go, “ELLIE!” Then a tiny pair of arms tried going around her waist.

“Hello Rose,” Elain said with a large grin. “Where’s your father? You didn’t escape him again did you?”

“He’s right here,” the deep voice made her heart flutter, and her breath catch. Looking up she saw Azriel standing in the doorway with a small smile on his face as he watched Elain and his daughter. “Rosie didn’t escape me this time.”

“He told me that if I did then I wouldn’t be able to come here for two weeks!” She pouted.

Elain looked from Rose to Azriel, “Nope, I forbid it because then that would be a punishment for me too. I can’t take two weeks of not seeing my little blossom.”

She hoisted Rose into her arms and the two of them stared Azriel down until he sighed. “Fine, but some form of punishment, Rose, I mean it. I need you in my sights at all times.”

“Okay Dad,” she said before turning back to Elain. “Do you have anything new?!”

The little girl’s enthusiasm made Elain brighten and the two of them began heading for the back of the shop. Azriel watched them go and wondered what it would be like if Elain were a part of their family. Rose had been an unexpected surprise nearly ten years prior when a former one nightstand dropped her off at his door and was never seen again. Those first few months had been rough with only him and his brothers looking after her. Thank God for Mor, now he was an old pro at raising his daughter.

Azriel had just turned forty-two only a few weeks prior and he had never really given much thought to his age until he and Rose had happened upon Once Upon a Rose nearly two years ago when his daughter announced she wanted to start her own garden at their home. He hadn’t been opposed and thought that their backyard could use the sprucing up. Stepping into Once Upon a Rose they had instantly been transported into some otherworldly type of place instead of regular old Velaris.

Then there had been Elain with her brightness and warmth. It wasn’t hard to understand why Rose had fallen in love with the woman and why Azriel felt drawn to her. She was a balm for his restless soul and he wasn’t the only one that looked forward to these weekly Friday visits. To be honest, if he had to punish Rose from coming here then it would be a punishment for him as well.

Azriel heard two familiar giggles and followed the sound to the back room where customers usually weren’t allowed but Rose was an exception to this. Well, Rose and Azriel.

“But who came up with the meanings for flowers?” He heard his daughter ask.

“Charlotte de la Tour around 1819 wrote a book called Le langage des fleurs and it in she gave meanings for flowers and their uses in bouquets,” Elain told her. “I’ll get a copy for you so that you can learn all about the language of flowers.”

Azriel leaned against the door jamb and watched them as Elain told her what she was currently growing in her back room and when they should be ready. She pulled a pot off the shelf and handed it to his daughter. “What is this?”

“It’s going to grow into a cosmos flower,” Elain said. “It’s your birth month flower. I want you to have it for your garden.”

The way Rose beamed at Elain made Azriel’s heart melt. Especially when the two of them leaned forward and Elain brushed her nose against Rose’s. He was going to say something when the bell on the door rang and Elain and Rose stepped out so she could greet her customer. Azriel trailed behind them and the little old woman greeted Elain.

“Oh is this your daughter?” She asked with a pleasant smile.

Elain didn’t look disgusted or insulted by the question and said, “Oh no, Rose here is just one of my favorite customers. This is her father Azriel.”

Azriel smiled politely and looked back to Elain, “We should get out of your way. What do I owe you for the flower?”

“It’s a gift,” Elain told him as she passed a now cranky Rose off to her father. “I’ll see you next week, Rose.”

She waved sadly and then they were out the door and Elain felt her smile drop slightly but she managed to keep it together for her customer.

As Azriel and Rose headed down the street where his car was. Rose was clutching the pot in her hands and she said, “Daddy, why can’t Elain be my mom?”

He faltered but managed to regain his composure, “Well that’s a complicated question, darling. Elain, no matter how nice she is to us, is still a stranger. It’s very complicated and not as simple as you might make it seem.” He had known this day was coming but he still wasn’t ready for it.

On the way home, Rose was still quiet and Azriel wondered what he should do.

Elain collapsed onto her couch and groaned with relief. It had been a long day and she was happy to be home. She debated calling her sister and seeing where Feyre currently was in the world with the new boyfriend she hadn’t told them about yet. She knew Nesta was with her book club and Nuala and Cerridwen were away on business. She was alone for the first time in a long time.

Picking up her phone she opened the dating app that was supposed to be for people looking for serious relationships but she had found a few creeps. She began swiping and paused when she saw a familiar face.

Azriel, 42, He/Him, Single dad, Professor of English

I have an almost ten year old daughter who is my world and I love dearly. I’ve been on my own for a while and am looking for someone to spend the rest of my life with. If you’re okay with me being a single father and would like to chat then I’ll be waiting.

Elain stared at the photo of Azriel not fully smiling but had a half grin on his face. She wondered who had taken the photo and where he was. The next one was of Rose in her garden that he had helped her plant. Then the third and final photo was of him reading a book, she was pretty sure it was a candid photo because he looked too relaxed and at ease to know that someone had a camera pointed at him.

Biting her lip she wondered if she should swipe right on him. Ever since he had stepped into her shop she had found him handsome and downright sexy with that streak of grey in his hair like Richard Madden. He looked distinguished in his button-up and trousers. He looked a little disheveled as the eight year old pulled him through the door saying she needed seeds. Their eyes had locked and Elain had been a goner.

Before she could overthink it she swiped right and waited to see if he would swipe right on her as well.

It was a little after ten when Azriel managed to get Rose into bed for the evening. Thankfully after watching Encanto she had been pretty tired and hadn’t put up a fight when he told her to get ready. He headed into the kitchen grabbed the one beer he allowed himself on Friday evening and sat down on the couch turning on the baseball game as background noise before he got on his phone.

He opened the dating app and began swiping. He mostly went left, Mor would say he was being too picky with the women on there, but part of him said he would know when he came across the right person. He paused when he saw Elain’s picture pop up.

Elain, 27, She/Her, Owner of Once Upon a Rose

I’m looking for love and my happily ever after. No hookups. I love quiet evenings at home reading or spending time in my garden. I don’t mind going out and having a few drinks on occasion, but I’m not usually into the party scene. Let’s chat and get to know one another better if you share any similar interests!

Azriel swallowed thickly and took another swig of his beer. Should he do this? She probably hadn’t come across his profile and if she had she probably would have swiped left. But what if she had and she hadn’t swiped left?

He and Elain could potentially match. The woman he had been harboring a small crush on for almost two years could actually agree to go on a date with him. What if it didn’t work out though? What if they got involved and then it ended? Would he be able to face her again, and what would it do to Rose? He couldn’t hurt his daughter like that.

But he needed to have a leap of faith and trust that maybe it would. He already knew Elain loved his daughter and that she in turn loved Elain. Taking the chance he swiped right and held his breath. That’s when he saw those three words in all caps:

IT’S A MATCH!

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justheretoreadsposts · 2 years

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This is too cute, I may have began giggling and grinning while I was reading. May is the keyword here but let’s hope we get all fluff and happy moments ONLY in the upcoming chapters

A busy sunday on Winn's company

I’m Still Here

(Thought I’d Elrielmonth this shit up cause there’s gardens and stuff so enjoy 💞)

Ft. Softies in love, Winnie with an occasional lisp, Azriel being the neighborhood’s handyman cause the nerd loves Legos and building stuff, and Elain pondering the everlasting question why her kids cannot spell ‘photosynthesis’. I wanted to write something sweet, this is part of the apaixonar universe but totally stand-alone and maybe unrelated to the events of the actual, y’know, fic.

Word count: 2,190

“Tweetheart, tweetheart nou make my heart so sthweeeeth! Tweetheart—“

“Swee, sssswe, Bunny. Sweetheart.”

“Shweetheart shweethat—“

“Fine we’ll make do with that.”

Elain had quickly learned a little early on that whatever Azriel and her daughter would get up to together would always be something along the lines of: puzzling but oddly adorable, sweet and definitely safe. So there was never really much cause to anticipate or wonder what they were doing to pass the time—Elain could always count on her daughter being content, amused and safe and that was all she really ever wanted out of anyone looking after her. Walking into her kitchen for a refill of her water bottle, Elain paused in the doorway to take in the multiple factors to be noted.

First, the smells: the sweet aroma of something warm finding its baked completion in an oven. The temperature: warm, a breeze drifting through the windows tossed open.

And then the sights: tall, broad shouldered Azriel standing at the stove with his white apron wrapped around his waist over a dark pair of skinny jeans and noisily whisking up what Elain assumes is buttercream—Swiss meringue if the bowl on top of the boiling water pot says anything—and her songbird of a daughter sat on the floor close by, obsessively monitoring the lit oven as she serenades whatever is in it, wearing her own purple apron and smudges of chocolate batter on the top of her cheek. She munches on a stick of bright orange carrot, contently humming as she sways from side to side. Rebel is standing by her watching whatever is in the oven as well, before she saunters away and twists her way around Elain’s feet in passing.

“Azeel, they done yet?”

“Nope,” comes the calm answer, the whisk scratching hurriedly at the bowl. Elain makes note to utilize that upper arm strength for particular goods that needed elbow work though she doesn’t think that when he goes to the gym and lets Cassian beat him into shape that he had ‘being able to mix the toughest food like a hand mixer like it’s clouds’ on his mind. Doesn’t matter, she thinks with a wry grin.

“Now?”

“Nope.”

“You didn’t check,” Winnie points out. Azriel gives a laugh—Elain likes that his laughs have been getting louder, firmer and more spontaneous like he’s not thinking about making himself be happy anymore, that it has just become a state of being for him: it makes her own heart feel more comfortable—checks the buttercream temperature before taking off the bowl and whips the mixture faster. He turns to her baby as he does, smile easy, forehead lined with the kind of folds that only come with fondness that bleeds into the curve of his brows over bright eyes.

“Are you hungry?” He asks. “Do you want more carrots?”

Winnie shakes her head, eyes glued to the oven door. “Uhu. Don’t wanna carrot.”

“Well what does Bunny want if not a carrot? How can a Bunny not want a carrot?” He teases, then notices Elain and a new smile forms over the previous one, his cheeks shape differently and a little jump to his brow are all minuscule changes that Elain’s come to memorize would always appear whenever he sees her. She likes that he has special details attrition to those he loves, that the adoring fondness in his gaze for her baby is different than the doting he looks at her with. Slightly different but pure love all the same.

“Hey, Mama,” his voice smooths over. “Finish marking those exams?”

“Almost,” she pushes herself off the doorway to make her way to the fridge and fill up her bottle. “What’re you making?”

“Thecret,” Winnie says flatly.

Azriel’s lips curve just a little higher. “Thecret, ‘Lain. You just focus on putting away the tests.”

“Thought you were going to make dinner?”

“Eyh, Mama!” Winnie protests. “You ruinin’ the thecret!”

“Secret from who?”

“You!”

“The thecret, Elain. Come on.”

“One day you’ll get a lisp yourself if you keep teasing her,” she warns. Azriel’s eyes scrunch at the corners with well-welcomed crows feet and he mouths thhhhecret at her.

“Thecret,” Winnie reminds them, as Azriel ducks his head and checks the buttercream which now stands at firm peaks. He sets it aside to cool, crouches next to Winnie with an “all right, let’s see” as he slides on an oven mitt and retrieves a toothpick from the counter.

Cupcakes. They’re making cupcakes.

If her daughter gets diabetes she knows exactly who to blame.

---

The skies are clear blue in her garden that afternoon, the air pleasantly chilly for late May and the grass brightly green. Elain’s thinking about her students’ repeated misspelling of photosynthesis while nibbling on her plastic straw to an empty cup of lemonade while Winnie chases after Rebel in circles around them and Azriel’s spread on his back on the picnic blanket, hair flopped and eyes closed and arm behind his head. Their surprise had been a little picnic in the garden Elain’s been tending to for the past year and resurrecting greenery where empty hard soil was; so many changes had been made in the backyard and one of them was a swingset Azriel found at a yard sale which he had taken apart, sanded and repainted and put back together one day while Winnie was at preschool. It had been a little surprise in a mundane day, just one of the many twinkles he liked to make in their boring days.

He’d been getting very into making things with his hands; using them thoroughly and consciously that he says makes him feel like he’s waking up a dormant part of his brain and silencing the loud unwelcome ones. The reluctance to use kitchen appliances like mixers; fixing the sink himself instead of calling someone; fiddling with wenches and screwdrivers that fit snugly in the palm of his hand; baking bread; cleaning—he’s really gotten into cleaning, having lived as a reluctant bachelor there wasn’t much to clean up in his apartment but with a child and a cat and three people living in a house there was always something to clean and fix and assemble. He loved that. Loved when Winnie would break a mug handle and he’d get to glue it back together like a puzzle.

He says that the ache he gets in his hands then feel excusable and earned, satisfying instead of an inescapable ache of scar tissue and phantom pain along sore tendons.

Speaking of, she reaches for the arm flopped out on his side close by and picks his hand up. A little smile curves his lips when she runs her thumbs from the ball of his thumb up the palm lines, pressing firmly between tendons in a familiar routine she’s memorized. She’d go fetch a lotion or hand cream but she’s too snug to be leaving, so she figures this’ll do.

“Thanks.”

“Mhm,” her head bowed over, Elain finds sore knots and works her best Definitely Not A Massage Therapist degree on him. “Can’t have you with aching hands.”

His head turns, eyes slid open just a little attractive slit of dark thick lashes that wont let her see his eyes but only catch a glimpse of reflected light and his smile stretches lazily. There’s something to be read on his face, he’s definitely got his Declaring Something In My Head look that Elain knows so well. She’s had to learn that though it had only been declaring awful incorrect things to him for a long while, it’s been saying sensible truthful things now.

“What?” She smiles.

Nose scrunches in a flash with a shake of his head. “Nothin’.”

“You’re thinking something.”

“Fuck is it so hard to believe there’s intelligent life up here?”

Elain can’t help the laugh that escapes her. She likes the way they come out now; lighter, longer, and definitely more real like they’re coming directly from her heart and her lungs. Maybe her soul. She definitely feels happier. Marrying a funny man had to be the best thing she’s ever done, one who doesn’t take himself or life too seriously (anymore, at least) but holds her and Winnie in high regards to never be dismissive of them but with enough humor to go around and make everyone in the community feel different.

He wryly grins and pulls his hands from hers as he sits up. “Wow. Not a no. Okay, Archeron. These’ll show you there actually is. Hey, Bunny?”

Winnie halts, and looks over from the end of the garden between bushes of roses. “Uhu, Dada?”

Azriel’s grin reaches his eyes as his forearms rest on his knees. His head tilts to the side. “Wanna show Mama your thecret?”

Winnie’s eyes widen, and her hopping in the grass all the way over to them is one of the reasons said nickname has been earned. Ever since she’d learned to walk, the girl couldn’t stay on the ground long enough when excited—it’s endearing and adorable and entirely her. “Yesyesyesyesyesyes!”

They disappear into the kitchen and come out with the aforementioned cupcakes, decorated and topped and smelling entirely delightful. Fancy carrot cupcakes with pecans and orange colored decorations.

“What’s the special occasion?” Elain grins as Winnie dutifully hands her one following a focused determined selection.

Azriel shrugs, rubs his palms on his thighs. “It’s boring Sunday. Bunny was hungry. We had carrots. Sun’s in the sky. I love you. Choose one.”

Elain bites the insides of her lips as she looks down at the buttercream. All of the above, she decides quietly.

“What the fuck-?!” He yelps as he was about to take a bite, and Winnie freezes midbite into her cupcake, nose in the frosting and crumbs on her overalls. Elain looks up, blinking and he’s staring at her—well, the cupcake in her hands mostly.

“What. The. Unholy. Satan. Was that?”

She looks down. Then smiles, looks up and brings the cupcake now turned cucpake-sandwich to her lips. Shrugs.

��What-they teach you that in Royalty etiquette lessons, Your Grace?” He demands. “How the fuck do you—“

“You just grab it from the top,” she reaches for his own to demonstrate. “Split it in half and flip it, frosting face down and et voila! Now you don’t get frosting all over your face.”

Even Winnie stares blankly. Azriel stares at the cupcake she hands back. Rebel couldn’t care less because she only ever cared about the frosting plated for her.

“Really married a fucking princess,” he mutters, hushed. “Sorry, Your Grace, but us commoners don’t enjoy cupcakes unless it’s smeared right up our nasal cavities. You gotta get it in your lashes too, as part of the experience.”

Winnie hums in agreement, her own round face a delighted mess of it. Elain shrugs again and her giggles are high pitched when he reaches over to smack a purposeful frosted-smeared kiss along her cheek.

---

“I’m really fucking glad we have thirty six stuffed animals and the unforgettable Detective Fluffy Ears for her to cuddle and she sleeps with the fucking jar of pecans.”

Elain laughs from the kitchen, coming in to see Winnie knocked out on the couch as Azriel drapes her blanket over her, holds up said rabbit stuffed animal and then the jar of pecans he’s extracted from her hands.

“And it’s not like she isn’t obsessively aware of each and everyone of her troops too. The other I forgot Binky in the washer and the fucking temper tantrum lasted all day till she exhausted herself to sleep at night.”

Elain shrugs, reaching up for her earrings. “She’s possessive of her things.”

Azriel looks back at the sleeping child. “The other day she introduced me as ‘My Azeel’ to her teacher.”

Elain smiles faintly. “Like I said.”

Said girl whines in her sleep and her small arms reach out, scoping the empty expanse around her searching for her sleep companion and her eyes crack open with a cranky whine when she doesn’t find the irreplaceable jar of pecans.

“Here,” Azriel settles Detective Fluffy Ears against her chest and chuckles softly when she smacks it away angrily, and reaches for him instead. “Okay, okay,” he murmurs, sliding his hands below her and pulling her up into him. An answering crooning hum escapes her when she settles and fists her hands in his t-shirt.

Elain comes close, presses her lips to Winnie’s head and then his forehead before grabbing the remote to the tv and promptly curls next to them on the couch, David Attenborough’s documentary filling their house with the kind of love it’s been filled with all day, but offering a different tune from a familiar angle. Azriel’s arm around Elain’s shoulders is evermore familiar, her head on his chest, Winnie cradled like a baby in the comfort of arms he really only is concerned with muscling up for their benefit: to make their lives easier and more satisfying however he can.

His lips against Elain’s hairline is an I love you in different signs, ones he’s particularly concerned with learning how to say just to let her know, for the rest of their lives. I love you.

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justheretoreadsposts · 2 years

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“how do i attain this aesthetic” do ya’ll not know how to be yourselves like wtf lol

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justheretoreadsposts · 2 years

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I’ve never smiled and giggled so much while reading 😍

Us Against the World

hi hi hi!!! guess who's back back again with her first ever PART TWO of a fic! Part one (Behind their Backs) can be found here :) I tried so very hard to make this fit the Elriel month prompts so um, I was able to throw in the word 'knife' once! but that's okay because i am very happy with how this fluffy piece came out, and I hope you like it, too. Let me know what you think!!

wc: 2,830

tw: tiny tiny bit of nsfw, FLUFF, language

tagging: @justheretoreadsposts @danydragons21 @fawnandshadows

It was Tuesday, and Elain was regretting saying yes to Feyre’s dinner invitation.

It had been three days since Azriel had asked her to marry him, and the weekend (and Monday and Tuesday since they’d called in sick to work) had been nothing short of domestic bliss. They’d gone out for breakfast on Sunday, and then come home and lazed around for the next 72 hours, ordering takeout, watching Schitt’s Creek, talking about their new wedding plans, and, if she was being honest, having lots of sex.

So. No complaints there.

But an hour ago, Az had pulled her out of bed and into the shower, claiming that they had told Feyre and Rhys they’d be at their house for dinner at 7, so now Elain was standing in front of her mirror, getting ready.

She’d pulled on a flowy cobalt colored dress, and was watching Az in the mirror as he pulled on a pair of black pants and a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and fuck if he didn’t look good.

He looks up to meet her heated gaze in the reflection and laughs. “What, El, you see something you like?”

“I mean, I did agree to marry you, so I would think you know I think you’re attractive at this point,” she shoots back.

Az smiles again, looking down. “I’m so excited to be married to you.”

Elain smiles over her shoulder at him. “I know. I am, too.” She twists back towards the mirror, pulling her hair over one shoulder as she reaches towards the dresser for a necklace. “But first, we do have to tell everyone that we’ve been dating for two years without them knowing.”

Azriel raises his eyebrows in agreement, taking the necklace off the jewelry stand before she can and moving to stand behind her. “This one?” he asks, holding it up in the mirror.

She nods. “Put it on me?”

He takes a damn long time fastening the clasp, and then wraps his arms around her waist. “I’m wondering how they’re all going to react. If any of them has guessed, it’s Nesta, because she can read us both so well. I can’t imagine Cass is paying attention to anyone but her while we’re together, so he’ll be shocked.”

Elain laughs, wrapping her arms over his, her ring on full display. “Rhys will be pissed, Amren will say ‘Good for you,’ and move on, Mor will freak out, and Feyre will just give everyone so many hugs.”

“And then we’ll tell her Rhys is the reason why we haven’t told anyone we were dating and she’ll yell at him.”

“We know them well. Bet you ten bucks Rhys calls her ‘Feyre darling’ while he’s trying to explain.”

He buries his head in her neck and smiles. They both had always hated that nickname, and made fun of Rhys in private whenever he used it in attempts to make Feyre go molten for him in public, especially when he was trying to apologize for something. “Deal.” Az kisses Elain’s neck once, twice, and then pulls her by the hand away from the mirror and out the door.

They turn on music in the car and Elain laughs when “For the Longest Time” comes on and proceeds to sing the entire song to him. Azriel keeps his hand in hers and kisses her ring when they come around the last turn to Feyre and Rhys’s house.

“Ready?” he asks.

“Yep. I’m not saying anything about my ring. I’m waiting for them to see it.”

He laughs. “I can’t believe you think they aren’t going to notice it right when we walk in. You’re sure you want me to act like we’re engaged until they notice? Because I would really like to just walk in and kiss you and see what they do.”

“No. We’re waiting. We’ve waited for two years; you can wait another hour to kiss me in front of them.”

He groans but gets out of the car. As they’re walking towards the door, he whispers, “I love you,” so quietly she barely hears it.

They go up to knock on the door, and just before they do, Elain twists towards him and says, “I, for one, am very excited to get home after this. We didn’t get to do everything I wanted this weekend,” brushing a hand over him before pivoting back towards the door and knocking.

Azriel groans again. “You’re actually going to kill me, fianceé.”

Elain grins as Feyre opens the door. “Hello!”

They both come inside as Feyre goes to hug Elain, and Elain winks at Az over Feyre’s shoulder. So far, no notice. Cassian’s coming up the driveway, so Feyre’s distracted as Az and Elain go towards the living room. He gives her a heated glance before going over to sit by Rhys as Elain moves to sit on the other side of the room in between Nesta and Mor.

Mor comments on how cute it is that they’re such good friends that they come together to dinners like these, and Elain has to hold in a laugh. Rhys gets them both drinks, and even though Elain reaches for hers with her left hand, no one seems to notice the sparkling ring sitting there.

Azriel gets pulled into a conversation about soccer with his brothers, and Elain flits over to the kitchen to help finish dinner. She makes the plate of rosemary potatoes, and when she goes to move them over to the table, Azriel is suddenly there, holding his hands out. “I got it,” he tells her, taking the dish from her as Feyre gives them both a strange look at the charged glance that seems to connect them.

He places it on the table, and she’s so caught off guard by the interaction that she runs back to the kitchen. There’s a breathless smile on her face, and she buries her face in her hands. After tonight, if her oblivious family will ever notice her ring, he can do things like that for her all the time. He can hold her hand in front of everyone, and kiss her, and she can call him fiancé, and they can tell Rhys to go fuck himself for trying to tell them to stay away from each other. She’s so, so happy. Every pain that came with keeping this secret has been worth it if she feels this happy now.

From the other room, she hears Azriel telling everyone to wait for her before they eat, and another breathless laugh escapes her. He’s telling them to wait. He’s telling them to wait because his fianceé hasn’t sat down yet, and he’s going to wait for her. He’s actually perfect. Fuck, she loves him.

She moves back to the dining room quickly, taking her seat next to Az. “You didn’t have to wait, I’m fine,” she tells them, reaching for the plate of food in front of her as everyone else starts to eat. Az puts a hand on her knee under the table and squeezes.

Cassian’s sitting across from her, and as she reaches out to pick up the plate, he seems to notice her ring. “Elain, that’s pretty,” he tells her, gesturing to her hand. “Is it new?”

Elain laughs, a joyful, grateful sound. “Yeah, it is, actually. I got it this weekend. I didn’t think you of all people would notice!”

Mor leans over to see, and Elain gives her her hand to examine. El sees the moment of realization and Mor looks back up at her. “Elain, you know–this is on your ring finger?”

Feyre almost spits out her wine. “On your left hand?”

Nesta’s trying to see from across the table. Amren’s still eating. Rhys looks utterly confused, and Cassian doesn’t seem to know what his comment has started. Az has a small smile on his face, a thing of secret, lovely, beauty.

“Elain, you didn’t get engaged without telling us you were dating anyone, did you?” Rhys asks slowly.

Amren snorts into her wine. “Good for you, girl.”

Nesta whips her head to Azriel, seeing his smile and immediately knowing what it means. “I knew it.”

“Knew what, Nes?” Cassian.

“Knew that he loved her! Come on, you ignorant brute, you’ve never seen him looking at her?”

Elain props her head up on one hand, her fingers covering her growing smile as she steals a look at Az. He’s looking at her too, stretched back in his chair, one arm reaching behind his head.

“Oh, shut up, shut up, shut all the way up,” Feyre doesn’t look like she believes what’s going on. “You’re engaged to–to her?”

“I feel like I should take offense to your complete doubt in me, Feyre,” Az drawls, tossing an arm casually over Elain’s shoulder as she leans back into him, drawing a round of shrieks from their family members.

“I thought you liked her,” Nesta starts, “but–engaged? Have you even dated?”

Elain laughs lightly. “Yeah. We’ve been dating for two years, actually,” she says, twisting her head up to look at Az.

The entire table flips out again, everyone yelling over one another in an effort to get their words out. Cassian’s standing up now, coming over to tackle Az in a hug, and Mor’s asking Elain for details, Feyre asking how they got together in the first place, and Nesta’s giving Elain a hug, whispering “I knew he liked you,” into her ear, and Elain’s close to crying she’s so happy. Rhys looks stunned. Amren’s continuing to eat her dinner.

Az pulls forcibly away from Cassian’s hug to grab Elain and kiss her. Hard. One arm around her waist and another at the back of her head, he dips her as he does, and her arms come up to hang around his neck. Yet another round of cheers come up, and continue even after they break apart. Az presses his forehead to Elain’s, and whispers “I love you,” to her once again.

“Wait, wait, wait, Elain, show us your ring!” Feyre’s request cuts through the noise, and Az wraps an arm around her as she shows it off. A round of gasps comes up from the girls, and Cassian slaps Az on the back.

When the cheers finally calm down enough, Nesta finally cuts in with the question Elain was waiting for. “Hang on, if you’ve been dating for two years, how come you never told any of us? I get wanting to keep it a secret right at the beginning, but two years–you have to be close to living together at this point.”

Az and Elain share a look, and Az is the one to speak. “When Rhys started dating Feyre, he–” Az breaks off, looking down at Elain for reassurance. She nods, and he takes a deep breath. “He told Cassian and I we couldn’t date Elain or Nesta because he didn’t want any relationship drama or awkwardness if anything happened to…not work out.”

Feyre and Mor are gaping. Rhys, at least has the gall to look embarrassed. Nesta has turned towards Cassian and is backing him towards the wall. “You never asked me out because of that?” she questions, lowly, slowly. “You knew I would say yes, even though I’m a bitch to you, but you didn’t because your stupid brother? How much of an idiot–” Cassian grabs her and cuts her off with a kiss.

“I’m sorry, Nesta. I’m so, so sorry. Go out with me. Please, Nes, go out with me, let me make it up to you.” Nesta rolls her eyes at his desperation, but kisses him again, and the rest of the group cheers again, even as Feyre turns on Rhys.

“You–” she runs her hands over her face. “Rhys, what gave you the right to tell them who they could and couldn’t date? In what world is that okay? To take that choice away from them? I love you, I’m so happy to be with you, but what gives you the right to take that chance at happiness away from them?”

He sighs. “I don’t–I just didn’t want anyone to ruin what we had, Feyre darling,” Elain elbows Az while keeping a straight face and he stifles a laugh. “I saw that Cass and Az seemed to like Nesta and Elain, and I didn’t want anyone feeling uncomfortable if it was just a sex thing, or if it didn’t work out…” Feyre continues to glare and Rhys turns to Az and Elain, Cassian and Nesta (who are still kissing), and says, sincerely, “I’m sorry.”

Elain nods, and tucks herself further into Azriel’s side. He pulls her close, and kisses the top of her head. Cassian has stopped kissing Nesta and is beginning telling everyone that they need to head out. Elain smiles, glad that her sister will be able to share in the happiness that comes with being with someone she loves.

Feyre says, slowly, as though containing her anger: “I think maybe it would be best if you all went home for right now. Elain, Az, I’m sure you want to get home to celebrate–” Elain tries to cut in to remind her sister that they did get engaged three days ago, but Feyre keeps talking. “And Cassian and Nesta are already gone, and Mor, you said you have to be up early tomorrow, and Amren you should bring her home, I don’t know how much she’s had to drink.”

They all nod, choosing not to comment on Feyre’s obvious excuses, and go quickly to gather their things, leaving Feyre and Rhys to hash out what’s bound to be an argument alone. Elain gives Feyre a hug and her sister whispers an apology in her ear. Elain shakes her head. “We got to where we are now even with him telling Az that. It wasn’t right, but we’re all okay.” Feyre nods, tears in her eyes, and lets Elain go.

As they make their way back out to the car, Azriel wraps an arm around Elain and kisses her cheek. “All things considered, I think that went well.”

She laughs. “And I don’t think we’ll see Cassian or Nesta for at least a week, so at least that finally happened.”

Az opens her door for her, and she slides in, plugging in her phone to her playlist as he comes around the other side of the car. Elain turns on the song she wants and rests her head on the back of the seat. Azriel pulls out of the driveway and onto the road, one hand resting on her thigh.

The music drifts through the car, and just as they’re pulling into Az’s apartment complex (they’ve decided that’s where they’re going to live), the song switches over to Coldplay’s “Us Against the World.”

“I was thinking,” Elain says as he pulls into a parking spot, “this could be a good wedding song. It seems to fit us, you know? ‘Through chaos as it swirls, it’s us against the world.’”

He considers, listening, and a small smile grows as the song reaches its chorus. “Yeah. Yes. I like it. It’s right. Like we said, it’s just us.”

Elain offers him a soft smile before kissing him on the cheek and opening her car door to get out. “Well, if we’re going to use this song, we should practice dancing. To get ready.”

Azriel follows her to the stairs opening the door for her. “If we’re practicing dancing to get ready for our wedding night, I can think of a few other things we should practice, too.”

Elain swats at his arm before starting up the stairs to his apartment, hiding the grin on her face. They make their way into the apartment together, and it suddenly hits her that this place is theirs, that next month she’ll give up her lease, and that now she finally gets to build a complete life with this man that she loves so much. She turns suddenly, and backs him up against the door, kissing him hard. “Thank you,” she says. “Again. For choosing me.”

He kisses her neck softly before grabbing her hand and leading her to their bedroom. “Oh, El. There was never any competition. It was always going to be you, from the moment we met and you were so nervous you were clutching your fork and knife like they were weapons.”

She giggles and pulls him down onto the bed. Kissing him again and again and again. This time, as they come together, they don’t need any words. It’s slow, and sweet, and full of this love between them, this love that keeps growing with every day they have together. He pulls her onto his chest afterwards, kissing her head, and Elain sighs happily. “Forever, Az. We get to do this forever.”

She looks up to see him smile, his eyes closed, even as he pulls her closer. “Forever, El,” he says back. “Forever.”

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Yay!! thank you so much for reading! Likes, reblogs, and comments and constrictive criticism is always welcome. My asks are open: let me know what you want me to write!!

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