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dottielovegood · 1 year

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Anything. Everything.

@elriel-month : Happy Solstice

This fic is based on the following prompt from @freepandahugs:

elriel with secret messages, where elain keeps sending little dirty messages to azriel while he is away in the cabin for the snowball fight 🤭 bonus points if smut ensues once azriel gets back

(I obviously went for the bonus points) Warnings: Explicit. NSFW. See tags on AO3 Word count: 6738

Azriel

When Rhys told Azriel to stay away from Elain, he really did try to follow the order. He didn’t do so gladly, but he did it nonetheless. He might have filled a few snowballs with rocks during their annual snowball fight, but if Rhys understood why he did that, he didn’t let it show. And later that same day, he gave away the necklace he had bought for Elain, even though he regretted doing so just moments later. He just couldn’t keep it. He just couldn’t have one more thing reminding him of her. The vial of headache powder on his bedside table was enough of a reminder of what, and who, he so desperately wanted.

It took him one week to grow resentful and one more week to question why Elain couldn’t choose her own fate. He didn’t really care much about himself – he never had, but Elain deserved better. She deserved a choice. It took a few more weeks to gather the courage he needed to talk to her about that night. He had behaved like an idiot and was fully expecting Elain to tell him so, but she didn’t. Of course, she didn’t. Because she knew. She had seen it. She had seen that he would come back to her.

“I see many things, Azriel,” she had told him when he came to her room that night. “I just never know exactly when they will happen, so I’ve been waiting.”

“Waiting for me to beg your forgiveness?”

“There is nothing to forgive. Even though I am angry at Rhys for taking away my voice, I do understand him. He is afraid, and he needs to know that we will be here if anything were to happen to him. I don’t know Lucien very well, but I do not think that he would ever do anything to harm me or anyone in this court because of tradition, especially not an Autumn Court tradition. But if it will lessen the burden that Rhys has to carry at this moment, I am fine with keeping us a secret. For now.”

“You are a much kinder soul than I will ever be,” Azriel had murmured as he took her face in his scarred hands. “I might have filled my snowballs with rocks during our Solstice snowball fight.”

Elain rolled her eyes and placed a hand over his heart. “Now I understand why Feyre calls you Illyrian babies.”

Ever since that night, they had spent as much time together as possible. It wasn’t easy, seeing that they had to hide their relationship. After a few months, Elain moved into the Town House under the disguise of wanting more independence. In reality, it was the only way they could see each other without risking anyone finding out about them.

It was now one year later. One year, and no one knew about them. Well, the twins knew, and Azriel was quite certain that Cassian was getting suspicious, but apart from them, they had managed to keep their relationship hidden.

This Solstice, they hadn’t been able to spend the night together either. Everyone had stayed at the River House and they had been forced to resort to stolen glances and careful touches all night, something so familiar yet foreign to them now. Azriel couldn’t wait to have Elain in his arms again. He had been away on a mission and had arrived home in Velaris just in time for Solstice dinner and even though it had only been little over a week since they last spent a night together, it felt like a small lifetime. Every single moment without Elain felt like an eternity. His life was better, brighter, with her in his life. So yes, he was aching to go to her, but first, he had a snowball fight to win.

Azriel hadn’t thought much about that first message.

When he woke up in the guest room in the River House, he found a small handwritten note on his bedside table. It smelled like jasmine and honey and he was quite impressed that she had managed to get it into his room without him noticing. During the last couple of months, she had been training with him and the twins and she often joked that she would steal the title of spymaster from him soon. Azriel had never felt more proud.

I can’t wait for you to come home to me. My bed feels so cold when you’re not there. I miss you.

He smiled at the note. Home. She was his home now and there was no place he’d rather be than with her. His entire soul was begging him to go to her room and take her away so they could be together. If it had been any other day, he would have done just that. It might seem silly that a Snowball fight was one of the most important days to three Illyrian males, but it wasn’t just a snowball fight. It was tradition. It was family. When Rhys had gone under the mountain all those years ago, Azriel and Cassian hadn’t been able to keep the tradition alive. They had gone to the cabin once, but it had felt all wrong without Rhys there. Everything had felt wrong when their brother had sacrificed himself for his court. Azriel and Cassian had left the cabin after just a few minutes and promised each other that they would stay away until Rhys came back, and that’s what they did. For almost fifty years, they waited for him to return, and when he did, Azriel promised himself to never miss a single snowball fight ever. What had once started as a silly game between friends, had now become one of his most cherished traditions. Even when Rhys pulled rank and meddled in other people’s lives, Azriel still showed up, and this year would not be different. Yes, he wanted to spend time with Elain and yes, he was aching to feel her soft body against his, but he also wanted to spend time with his brothers.

And, in all honesty, he wanted to win. No, he needed to win.

He couldn’t imagine a greater feeling than returning home to Elain after winning the game.

It should be easy to win, Azriel thought. Rhys has a small baby and Cassian can’t spend more than ten minutes away from Nesta. Part of Azriel’s strategy this year was to play to their weaknesses - they would surely be tired and distracted.

However, Azriel hadn’t accounted for Elain and how distracting she could be, even when she wasn’t there.

The second message was not as subtle.

Somehow, Elain had managed to put a small package in his bag that contained a cinnamon roll (his favorite) and another note. Luckily, he found it when he was alone in his room.

I hope this tastes as sweet as I do.

There he stood, next to the bed he had slept in so many times over the centuries, holding a cinnamon roll, thinking about the taste of Elain. He wanted to send her a message back telling her that nothing could ever come close to being as sweet as her. As so many times before, he wished that he had daemati powers, even though he probably wouldn’t be able to reach her when she was so far away. And once again, he hoped that the day would go by quickly. He was already planning on tasting her thoroughly once he made it back home.

The third message wasn’t really a message, unless you knew what to look for.

Elain had been given a book on the language of flowers for her birthday that year and, after reading it, she’d decided to teach him about how people used to send secret messages through flowers once upon a time. It had started out as a sweet way for them to send each other secret messages - a pink camellia to express longing when they hadn’t been able to see each other for a while, a white tulip to ask forgiveness when he had done something stupid, a bouquet of yellow flowers to show how happy he was that she was in his life. It was sweet and innocent most of the time.

This flower was not innocent though.

As he crouched down behind the wall of snow he had built to cover himself, a small, white flower fell out from somewhere in his clothes. He had no idea where it came from, but there was no question about whom it came from.

Jasmine. The scent of her. The scent of home.

In the snow, the small flower was almost impossible to see, but Azriel saw. He noticed. He knew. Not only was Jasmine the one flower that reminded him of Elain - of home. It was also the flower that represented love and desire. It was the flower Elain would give him when she wanted him to take her to bed.

The small flower made him lose his concentration for just a moment, but a moment was all it took for Cassian to sneak up and hit him square in the face with a massive snowball. Roaring with laughter, he ran away just as Azriel bent down and crushed the flower into a giant snowball of his own. It was only fitting to aim for Rhys.

–-

Azriel lost the snowball fight. He hadn’t been able to get Elain out of his mind. He really should have insisted on them spending the previous night together because now he was not only aching for her, but he was also in a pretty bad mood since Cassian had won the snowball fight twice in a row now. Last year, he only had himself to blame but this time, Elain was definitely to blame. At least a little.

He couldn’t wait to get home and take his frustrations out on her.

Only a few more hours, he thought to himself as he undressed and reached for a towel.

Once again, he was very happy that he had decided to go to his room before joining the others in the birchin. Cassian had shouted something about being a sore loser and licking his wounds, but in all honesty, Azriel just needed a moment to himself in order to try to get Elain out of his thoughts. He couldn’t very well sit in the birchin while thinking about the fact that Elain desired him and wanted him to come home and taste her. He couldn’t sit there, naked, while imagining how he would get down on his knees and worship her body for hours as soon as he got the chance.

The fourth message, if one could even call it a message, was everything but subtle.

When Azriel unfolded his towel and a small piece of lilac fabric fell to the floor, he knew that he wasn’t joining his brothers anytime soon. He bent down to pick up the lacy underwear Elain had somehow managed to sneak into his bag. It was the underwear he had bought her a few weeks ago on a trip to the continent. The underwear she had worn for approximately five minutes before he ripped them off her body and fucked her on the bedroom dresser. And against the wall. And on the bed.

It had been a great night.

Azriel curled his hand into a fist around the lace. “That little tease,” he muttered under his breath as he promptly started to dress again. Elain had him wrapped around her finger, and even though Azriel would never admit it, he loved it.

She had sent him a very clear message, and Azriel was not going to make her wait for a response. So without saying goodbye, he stepped into a shadow and winnowed back to Velaris. Back to Elain. Back to his heart. Back to his home.

Elain

Elain was curled up in her green velvet armchair in what had once been her bedroom at the Town House. She now shared this room with Azriel, even though no one knew about it. They usually kept to this room, just to make sure that his scent didn’t linger if someone came to visit. She was reading one of Nesta’s books - the ones no one thought a good girl like her would ever enjoy. Except for Azriel, that is. He knew what she liked. He might have even known her preferences better than she did. Ever since that night when he had come to her to beg her forgiveness, he had shown her that she had no idea how good she could feel. Had shown her just how attuned to him her body was. Just thinking back on that night had her toes curling.

She missed him. She hadn’t spent a night with him in far too long and her body was aching for him. She missed his touch, his tongue, and all the wicked things he did to her. She missed the way he could make her forget about all her troubles and the way he took care of her - not only sexually. When he was gone, she felt like a piece of her was missing. She knew that he felt the same, which is why she had left a few messages for him to find. Just the thought of him finding all of her little notes and gifts had her grinning to herself. Gods, she couldn’t wait for him to get home.

Little did she know that she was about to him sooner than she thought.

She felt him before she saw him. There was something tickling her foot and when she looked down, a single shadow had curled itself around her ankle. She smiled at the unmistakable proof that he was nearby, though she didn’t move. She didn’t greet him. No, she only continued reading. Or she tried to, at least. It was a bit difficult to concentrate on the words when her entire body was suddenly more awake than it had been in days. She had to resist the urge to drop the book and look to the balcony where she was certain she would find him watching her.

She could almost feel his eyes on her and when he sent another shadow to caress her hand, she couldn’t hide her smile any longer. “You’re home,” she said without lowering the book. She knew that he could tell that she wasn’t reading. She hadn’t turned the page since the first shadow had curled itself around her. Elain heard him come into her room, but he stayed by the balcony door. When she finally lifted her gaze to meet his, he was leaning against the door frame, his eyes set intently on her. She tried to ignore the fact that a lacy piece of fabric hung from his fingers.

“I just came to return these,” he purred and lifted his hand. Elain had to bite back a grin.

She eyed the underwear that she had put in his bag a few hours earlier. “I’m glad you received my messages,” she said sweetly.

His eyes were burning into her and she could almost feel the heat as he dragged his eyes over her body. “And what message was it you were trying to send?”

“I thought it was obvious.” She tried to play it cool, even though she felt everything but. Her entire body screamed at her to go to him. To press herself against his body and beg him to touch her. She needed his hands on her more than she needed oxygen.

“Was it now?” he asked, his voice dangerously low. “I would say that the messages were somewhat conflicting. So please, indulge me.”

“I just wanted you to know that I missed you.” It was the truth, even though she had wanted to tell him so much more.

“Uh, huh.” His shadows seemed to vibrate around him. He closed his hand into a fist around her panties.

Elain swallowed, “And that I was waiting for you to come back,” she continued.

“And?” Azriel took one step toward her and sent another shadow to slide along her body until it came to rest around her neck. Suddenly, she forgot how to breathe. She had to press her thighs together to relieve the ache building there.

“And that I wasn’t wearing any underwear.” She smiled at him, but he didn’t smile back. He held her gaze as he stalked over to her. She had to crane her neck to look at him when he stopped in front of her.

“Did you win the snowball fight?” she asked with feigned innocence.

He regarded her for a moment, his arms crossed over his chest. When he spoke, his voice carried a tone of warning. “I did not.” Elain could feel her smile waver. “In fact,” Azriel continued, “I received one of your messages during the fight.”

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. That hadn’t been her plan. “Oh?”

“Don’t act all innocent.” Azriel bent down and put one hand on the armrest. His face was so close to hers she could taste his breath. “You made me lose the fight, Elain,” he whispered and Elain could feel a shiver run down her spine.

She had no idea why he cared so much about a snowball fight. Where she came from, only children played in the snow. But she knew that he was competitive, almost to the point of obsession. No matter the game - Azriel needed to win. He needed to be in control. Elain hadn’t imagined him losing the fight. When she prepared her gifts for him, she had counted on him winning. She was so certain that he was going to win, and that he would want to celebrate his victory with her. In bed. She had imagined that he would find her messages sweet, if maybe a bit cheeky. But if she had made him lose the fight - she was quite certain that he didn’t find them endearing.

“And these,” Azriel continued and held up her panties in front of her. “They made it quite impossible for me to join the others in the birchin.” For just a second, Elain let her gaze drop. In the darkness, she couldn’t see if he was hard, but she knew that he had been. That just the thought of her had made him leave his brothers and come back to her hours earlier than planned. She had made him lose control.

Azriel didn’t like it when things didn’t go according to plan. Suddenly, Elain didn’t feel as confident. She had known exactly how this would play out if he won – but now, when she knew that he lost because of her – all bets were off. She felt nervous, although part of her felt excited. There was a thrill in not knowing what Azriel would do with her. To her.

Azriel had never been a gentle lover. Ever since their first time together, it had been obvious that he needed to be in control even in the bedroom. Elain didn’t mind. Gentleness was not something she needed. People had always been gentle with her; her sisters, her parents, Graysen – they had all treated her like a flower made of glass. Too delicate, too fragile – that’s all she was to them. Azriel was the first to truly see her. He was the only one who understood her needs, even before she understood them herself. She had come to crave his control – his darkness. The way he would devour her with his eyes and then worship her body until she was begging him for more or mercy – it was better than anything she could have asked for. Outside the bedroom, Azriel was a gentleman. The same could not be said when they closed that bedroom door though.

“My eyes are up here, angel,” he mused and Elain felt herself blush. He put a finger under her chin and forced her to look at him again. “Always so desperate for me to touch you. Couldn’t even wait until tomorrow.” His lips ghosted over hers. “Do you think you deserve to be touched? You did make me lose the snowball fight, after all.”

Elain wanted to roll her eyes, but she also wanted to come tonight. Sometimes, when Azriel had his wicked way with her, he could keep her on edge for hours and she definitely wasn’t in the mood for that tonight. Instead, she decided to play along.

“Are you going to punish me because you lost a snowball fight?” she tried to make her voice a bit breathy – hoping to sound innocent.

There was a hint of a smirk playing on Azriel’s lips. He knew what she was doing. “Do you think you should be punished?” he asked, his lips just out of reach. She wanted him to kiss her. She needed him to devour every part of her.

“If that’s what it takes to get you to touch me.”

When she finally felt his lips against hers she wanted to sigh in relief. She wanted to throw her arms around his neck and pull him down to her. She could feel him smile and she parted her lips for him, but he never kissed her. He just kept his lips on hers, barely even touching. It was maddening.

“Please,” she breathed. She didn’t know what she was asking for, she just knew that she might die if he didn’t kiss her.

“Please what?” he teased. He always did this. Always made her use her words to ask for what she wanted.

“Please, anything just– I’ve missed you. I need you.”

“Need me to do what?”

Frustrated, she put her hand over his heart and fisted the black fabric of his shirt. “Anything. Everything.”

Azriel chuckled and grabbed her wrist. “Dangerous words, love.”

“Please,” she begged again. She licked his lower lip, hoping to finally get a reaction from him.

“So desperate for me,” Azriel teased. With a firm grip on her wrist, he loosened her hold on his shirt. “Always begging for more.”

Elain just nodded. Yes, she wanted more. So much more. She was going crazy. How could he be so calm when she was burning up?

“Go stand by the bed.”

Before the words even had a chance to register, he had pushed himself off the chair and was once again standing over her, his arms crossed and his expression serious. She knew that they were playing - that this was part of the game. Yet, when he looked at her like that, she wanted nothing more than to please him. When he looked at her like that, she would do anything just to try to get him to lose control. Anything. Everything.

Elain stood up on shaky legs and walked over to the bed. When she turned around, she found Azriel leaning against the wall again. He still had her panties in his hand.

“What now?” she asked.

“Strip.”

Elain started sliding the straps of her nightgown down her arms. Slowly, enticingly. Her eyes never leaving his. When she let the fabric fall to the floor, Azriel lost his control for just a split second. His nostrils flared as he took in the scent of her and his eyes burned a path down her naked body.

“Well, you weren’t lying,” he murmured, his eyes focused between her legs. Elain fought the instinct to wrap her arms around her body.

“Get on the bed.”

Elain quickly did as she was told. She lay down on top of the covers and kept her eyes on him the entire time. She felt exposed. She needed him to cover her. “And now?”

A smirk played on Azriel’s lips as he watched her. Her heart was beating fast and the anticipation of what was to come made her even more desperate. She kept her legs pressed together and her arms lay stiff at her sides. She expected him to come to her now, but he stayed exactly where he was. He did nothing, said nothing. Elain could do nothing but wait.

Azriel’s was covered in shadows and Elain could see a dark tendril slithering over the floor. She shivered when it reached the bed and started to make its way up her body. The feeling of his shadows on her skin was foreign yet familiar at the same time. They were neither warm nor cold, neither smoke nor solid. Yet she could feel them twist and curl around her legs, her arms. Her neck. One shadow came to rest around her neck and Elain arched into the feeling, letting her head fall back into the soft pillow. Azriel had always loved her neck. Always made sure to give it extra attention whenever they were together. On more than one occasion had she been forced to wear a scarf to hide the marks he so lovingly left on her skin.

Elain tore her eyes away from Azriel for just a moment and looked down at her body. She was covered in shadows. When she tried to move her arm, she was surprised to find that she couldn’t. “Azriel,” she gasped when she realized that the shadows were pinning her to the bed.

“You look beautiful like this,” he said, his voice low and full of wicked promises. “Covered in my darkness.”

Elain whimpered when she felt one of his shadows move up her inner thigh. She had no idea what his shadows were made of, but they seemed to be vibrating against her already sensitive skin. They had never done this before. His shadows were usually nowhere to be seen when they were together like this. She didn’t know what to make of it, she just knew that her body was begging for more.

“Please,” she breathed, her eyes pleading with him. This was the sweetest form of torture.

Azriel’s eyes darkened and she could see him reach for something on her dresser. “Already begging?”

“Yes.” If it pleased him, she would get down on her knees to beg him to touch her. She would do anything if he just made her feel good. Azriel walked over to the bed and Elain breathed a sigh of relief. He was finally giving in. Finally giving her what she needed.

“Open your mouth,” he ordered. She turned her head to the side and opened her mouth, expecting him to unfasten his trousers and put his cock between her lips. She held his gaze as he stroked a finger over her jaw and caressed her lower lip with his thumb. “So eager,” he murmured. “So beautiful.”

A shadow slipped over her eyes just as Azriel’s fingers left her skin. She didn’t have time to feel surprised before something was pushed into her mouth. It was soft. Some sort of fabric. Maybe…

Elain could feel herself blush when she realized what Azriel had done.

Her panties. He had put her panties in her mouth. She couldn’t speak. He had gagged her with her own underwear. If she hadn’t been so turned on, it would have been humiliating.

At the same moment, he put something cold in her hand. She wasn’t sure, but she thought that it felt like her hairbrush. “If it’s too much and you can’t speak, just let go of the brush and we’ll stop.”

Azriel removed the shadow over her eyes and Elain found comfort in the warm brown eyes looking down at her. “Nod if you understand.”

Elain nodded and hummed.

“Do you want to stop?”

She shook her head.

“Good girl,” he purred, and Elain almost moaned at the praise. If someone would have told her a year ago that Azriel had the dirtiest mouth in Velaris, she wouldn’t have believed them. Nor would she have believed that she would melt like butter every time he praised her.

Azriel took a step back again, his eyes ravenous as they took in the way his shadows slithered over her body. When his eyes found hers again, he smiled at her. It was a wicked smile and Elain loved the promise behind those dark eyes of his. He was giving her exactly what she asked for.

The shadow between her legs started to move again and Elain pressed her head back into the pillow and closed her eyes, trying to savor the sensation.

“Eyes on me,” Azriel commanded. “I want to see what I do to you.”

Elain whimpered as she met his gaze again. “Don’t forget, drop the brush if you want to stop.”

That was all the warning she got before she felt another shadow at her entrance. She was so wet, so needy. When the shadow pushed inside of her, Elain gasped in surprise. She had no idea how this was happening. She didn’t understand. All she knew was that she was covered in Azriel’s darkness and that she was, quite literally, fucking a shadow. The shadow filled her slowly and the sensation of being so full while the other shadows caressed her body had her moaning. She couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, couldn’t think. All she could was feel. She felt the shadow move inside her while another shadow tightened its grip around her throat. The sensations were both too much and not enough. She wanted to beg again but she had no words. He had taken her words and her body and all that was left was him. His shadows. His darkness. His eyes staring right into her very soul.

She had no idea how much time had passed when Azriel finally spoke again. It could have been minutes or hours - she didn’t know. Didn’t care.

“Do you enjoy getting fucked by my darkness?” his voice was dark, almost sinister.

She nodded and tried to answer but all she could manage was a muffled sound.

He chuckled and reached into the shadows. She felt his fingertips on her knee. It almost burned her skin. “I was going to come to you tomorrow,” he said and moved his finger slowly up her thigh. “I was going to bring you breakfast in bed and fuck you slowly for hours.”

Elain moaned again when she felt his fingers tease between her folds. “But you couldn’t wait, could you?” Azriel stroked her clit with two fingers. “You had to send me that flower.” His fingers traveled lower. “You just had to put your panties in my bag.” She tensed when his fingers circled her entrance. “Were you trying to get me to come home early?”

Again, Elain tried to answer but the words never made it out of her mouth.

Agonizingly slowly, Azriel pushed one finger inside. The shadow that had filled her disappeared and she whimpered at the loss and the new sensation. The shadows spread her legs to give him more access and Elain wanted nothing more than to move into his touch.

Azriel’s finger stilled and he slid one knee between her thighs. His other other hand came to rest beside her head and Elain reveled in feeling his weight on her. She breathed in his scent of night-chilled mist and cedar. He smelled like home. Azriel dipped his head and she could feel his breath on her ear. “Message received,” he whispered just as he pressed another finger into her aching core. She moaned around the lace. The way he curled his fingers just right had her seeing stars. Azriel groaned and lifted his head again. His hazel eyes focused on her for just a moment before he leaned in and took the lacy fabric that hung out of her mouth between his own teeth. He held her gaze as he slowly pulled them out of her mouth. He dropped them beside her head and Elain managed to take one single breath before his mouth was on hers. She could feel him growl as he deepened the kiss and started fucking her with his fingers. She moaned into his mouth and felt herself clench around him. She wanted more. Wanted all of him.

“Please,” she begged breathlessly against his lips. “Please, I want all of you.”

“You have all of me. Always,” Azriel murmured against her lips. He teased her lower lip with his tongue and she parted her lips to let him in. She melted into his kiss – into his touch. Azriel’s fingers brought her to the edge over and over, but every time she was close, he slowed his movements or changed the angle. She knew he was doing it on purpose. Elain let out a frustrated growl and fisted her hands in the fabric of his shirt. She didn’t even realize that she had moved until she heard the brush she had been holding fall to the floor.

The shadows disappeared and Azriel stopped his movements immediately. He withdrew his fingers from her, which was the opposite of what she wanted. She hadn’t meant to drop the brush, it had just been too much and not enough and she needed him closer.

“Are you okay, Elain?” He asked, concern painted all over his beautiful face. “Do you want to stop?”

Shaking her head, Elain pulled him down until she could whisper in his ear. “I don’t want to stop. I want more.” Her voice was low and full of desperation. She was quite certain that she would go mad if he didn’t let her come soon. “Please, Azriel. Make me feel good.”

With a growl, Azriel crashed his lips to hers again and moved his body over hers. He was still fully clothed but she could feel just how much she wanted her. Elain reached down and palmed his cock over the leather. Azriel grabbed her wrist and pulled away from her. When their eyes met, she could see both fire and shadows in his. She loved everything about Azriel, but there was something so wonderfully forbidden when he was like this. Here he was, the spymaster, the male who never showed his emotions, burning for her. She had never felt so powerful before.

“Get on your hands and knees.”

Azriel stood up next to the bed and Elain let out a shaky breath before pushing herself up to a sitting position. She watched as he reached behind him and unfastened the clasps on his shirt. He let the dark fabric fall to the floor and now it was Elain’s turn to devour him with her eyes. Gods, he was gorgeous. She couldn’t believe he was hers.

“Angel, don’t make me wait,” Azriel said and reached for the fastenings on his trousers. “I really don’t like waiting.”

“Or losing,” Elain muttered under her breath and turned around. She placed her knees on the edge of the bed and leaned forward, balancing herself on her hands. She tried to ignore the fact that Azriel could see everything from his position behind her. She held her breath in anticipation as she waited for him to touch her.

“Az–” she began, but his name died on her tongue when she felt a sharp pain on her left buttock. She gasped in surprise. He spanked her. He actually spanked her.

He had never done that before. Elain had no idea why her body seemed to sing from the pain. She couldn’t understand how the feeling was so similar to pleasure. Azriel had always said that there was a fine line between pain and pleasure, but Elain had never experienced that for herself. Now though, she was beginning to understand what he meant.

“That’s for being a brat,” Azriel said. When his hand came down on her ass a second time, Elain closed her eyes and let herself really feel the sensation of it all. She didn’t dislike it as much as she thought she would.

In fact, she didn’t dislike it at all.

“And that’s for making me lose the snowball fight.”

Should she ask for forgiveness? Should she tell him that she was sorry?She had no idea. She just knew that she didn’t want him to stop.

He spanked her one more time and Elain couldn’t help the moan that left her lips. “And that’s for making it impossible to join my friends in the birchin.”

Elain smiled but kept quiet.

His hand came down a fourth time and Elain could feel herself get wetter. Gods, she was really disturbed, wasn’t she? Who enjoyed getting spanked?

As if he could read her mind, Azriel stroked his hand lovingly over her ass. “And that one was just because you seemed to enjoy that.” Elain could hear the smile in his voice. She turned her head so she could look at him over her shoulder.

“What does that say about me?” She worried her lip between her teeth.

“That you’re perfect for me.”

Azriel moved his hand over her back until it rested between her shoulder blades. He pushed her down until her breasts were pressed against the bed. She heard him shift behind her and she resisted the urge to look back again. She felt something warm between her legs and Azriel’s hand was once again grabbing her ass, holding her open for him. He stroked his cock between her folds. “So fucking pretty for me,” he said as the head of his cock pushed inside her. With his other hand, he grabbed her hip and without warning, he drove his hard cock into her warmth. She fisted the sheets and moaned as he started to fuck her. Hard. Azriel was not holding back as he drove into her again and again.

“Such a good girl. Taking everything I give you,” he all but growled. “I’ve missed you so fucking much.”

“I missed you too,” she managed to gasp between moans. She met his thrusts, her body begging her to take him deeper. She felt something wet between her cheeks and then Azriel’s thumb was there, massaging her asshole. She was too lost in pleasure to care about the fact that she should feel mortified. “Tell me if you want me to stop,” Azriel said, his breathing ragged and his voice dripping with lust.

“Don’t you dare stop.”

Elain moaned when his thumb pushed inside. She had never been this full before. They had spent so many nights together, but it had never been like this. Never this intense, this raw.

“You like being filled like this, don’t you?”

Once again, Elain moaned into the sheets and pushed her body back against his, making his thumb slip in further. “Oh, gods,” she whimpered. “Azriel– oh, fuck…”

“You’re doing so well, Elain.”

She felt a familiar sensation as he sent one of his shadows to massage her clit again. She had to bite the sheets to keep herself from screaming. “Don’t,” Azriel grunted. “Let me hear how good I make you feel.”

And Elain did. She had no control of her body and Azriel didn’t let up. He kept fucking her. Filling her. Using her. He gave her everything and she gladly took it all.

“Az, I’m gonna– Oh, gods, I–”

“Come for me, sweetheart. Go on, come on my cock.”

She felt herself clench around his cock and his thumb. Her legs started to shake and she was glad Azriel was holding her up because she was falling. She came with a scream and she could feel Azriel fill her just seconds later. He fucked her through her pleasure. “Fuck,” he grunted as he pushed himself into her once last time before he stilled.

They were both trying to catch their breaths. Azriel pulled out of her and covered her body with his. She could feel his seed run down her thighs. He kissed her shoulders, her neck. Licked that sensitive spot just below her ear. She barely even registered that they had moved until her head was resting on Azriel’s chest, her fingers following the path of his tattoos. Elain had done this so many times, she was certain that she would be able to trace the swirls of his tattoos in her sleep. She had spent every moment they had together memorizing his body and he had done the same with hers.

“Can we stay like this forever?” She asked and kissed him over his heart.

Azriel tightened his grip on her and kissed the top of her head. “Anything you want. You are my everything, Elain.”

“Anything and everything,” Elain said. “Dangerous words.”

#elriel #elriel fanfic #elriel fanfiction #elain archeron #elain x azriel #elrielmonth23

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elriel-month · 1 year

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Hi everyone!

Welcome to the third ever ELRIEL MONTH, where we hope to foster a positive space for Elain and Azriel shippers. We will have two prompts per week that centers on different aspects and scenarios of their potential relationship.

Tumblr ✷ Twitter ✷ Instagram ✷ TikTok

Rules and bi-weekly prompts under the break!

RULES:

✷ Participation of each day/prompt is optional!

✷ Ideally, post your art/work on the week of the prompt. However, if you cannot post on time, post whenever you can.

✷ Elriel month will be across Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

✷ If you want to be featured on this blog please tag @elriel-month in your posts so we can reblog them

✷ On Tumblr while posting your piece of work please use the following hashtags: #elrielmonth, #elrielmonth23

✷ No hate or slander towards other characters!

✷ Your submission can be a fanart, oneshot, edits, gifset, moodboard, playlist - anything you deem acceptable.

✷ The final prompt is free choice - you can indulge your own prompt or elriel fantasy!

✷ Be respectful of other people’s work. Do not repost without permission and credit.

Shy Glances & Restricted Touches

April 30, 2023

They’d exchanged looks, the occasional brush of fingers, but never this. Never blatant, unrestricted touching.

We kick off Elriel Month with forbidden romance. It’s been eluded that Elain and Azriel have had some significant yet private moments, perhaps some secret encounters, clandestine meetings? We know they’re both well equipped at keeping secrets, what have they been up to?

Language of Love

May 3, 2023

Azriel smiled faintly. "Would you like me to show you the garden?" ...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 as she breathed, "Beautiful."

What do you think Elain and Azriel’s love languages are? Gift giving? Quality time? Physical touch? Acts of service? The next few days and the best opportunity to explore these ideas with your headcanons, art, examples from canon, or theories!

Happy Solstice

May 7, 2023

Elain turned from the snow falling in the darkness beyond and smiled slightly. “I’ve never participated in one of these.”

Iconic Solstice moments and Elriel are synonymous. From dishes of potatoes and joyous laughter, to interrupted romantic moments, these two have had more than a few epic solstice moments.

Peace & Quiet

May 10, 2023

“And I think Elain—Elain would like it, too. Though she’d probably cling to Azriel, just to have some peace and quiet.” I smiled at the thought—at how handsome they would be together.

These two are the perfect embodiment of domestic bliss! From lounging quietly in the garden together to baking up a storm in the kitchen. What do you think these two would get up to if allowed to do so? Perhaps they’d make the Townhouse their own. Or whip up new recipes together.

Darkness Lets the Light Shine

May 14, 2023

I saw the painting in my mind: the lovely fawn, blooming spring vibrant behind her. Standing before Death, shadows and terrors lurking over his shoulder. Light and dark, the space between their bodies a blend of the two. The only bridge of connection… that knife.

The next few days we explore Elain and Azriel’s light & dark aesthetics! The Shadowsinger & the Seer. Azriel’s shadows and Elain’s light. But who’s to say they don’t embody both? Elain has shown a little darkness and Azriel taught Rhys to hope… Share your art, edits, mood boards, and fics!

Words Unspoken

May 17, 2023

He didn’t need the shadows to read her tone. The slight tightening of her face.

Sarah has shown us numerous times how our Seer and Shadowsinger are able to communicate without saying a word. Both being observant as they are, they are able to read one another easily and wordlessly.

A Bridge Between Souls

May 21, 2023

What if the Cauldron was wrong?

Let’s explore the idea of bonds between Elain and Azriel. Do you think they’re true mates? Soul mates? Carranam? Or simply the threads of fate have woven to join them together for some other higher meaning? Share your theories, writing, and art today!

Veil

May 24, 2023

Nothing. Absolutely nothing on that face, on his scent. The shadows, whatever the hell they were, hid too well. Too much.

It’s well known that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to both Azriel and Elain. One hides behind a cold mask, the other under pretty dresses and pleasant smiles. But what fanged beasts may we find beneath those pretty exteriors?

What If?

May 28, 2023

“What if”—I jerked my chin toward the window, to my sister and the shadowsinger in the garden—“that is what she needs”

Free week! Got an artwork or fic you didn’t get to share during the month? A favorite AU you’d like to explore? Or perhaps a crack theory you’ve been waiting to share. The next few days are the chance to go wild with different ideas and explore anything Azriel and Elain!

#elrielmonth #elrielmonth23 #elain archeron #azriel shadowsinger #elriel month 2023 #elriel #pro elriel #elain x azriel #azriel x elain #pro elain #pro elain archeron #pro azriel #azriel #sarahjmaas #SJM

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lesolehabitantdelalune · 11 months

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“𝘐𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦, 𝘐 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘈𝘻𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 … 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘴 𝘩𝘦, 𝘵𝘰𝘰, 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘌𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥.”

— A Court of Wings and Ruin by @sjmaas

🌹･ . ⋆ ･ . 🦇

- art by @agusney_draw

- commissioned by me

- @elriel-month : 𝐴 𝐵𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝐵𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑆𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑠 ✨

🌹･ . ⋆ ･ . 🦇

𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐃𝐎��’𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆.

Likes and shares are appreciated 💖

#elriel #elain archeron #acotar #azriel #pro elain #pro elriel #elain #elain x azriel #elriel fanart #acowar #acofas #acosf #elrielmonth #elrielmonth23 #elriel month 2023 #elriel art #fanart #acotar fanart

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art-esp · 1 year

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Shy glances and restricted touches

@elriel-month

#elriel #elriel month #elrielmonth23 #art #artwork

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nikethestatue · 1 year

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I love that canon Elriel scenes are so ICONIC.

You don't even need to expand or explain.

When you mentioned:

Potatoes

Truth Teller

Offer and Permission

Headache powder

Hybern Rescue

Azriel laughed

Azriel spouting poetry 'We are born hearing the song of the wind'

Peackocking

'Beautiful'

'You came for me'

'Hold tight and don't make a sound'

You know exactly what is being discussed.

Sexy, emotional, gentle, domestic, mysterious, inexplicable, funny.

Elriel moments, ladies and gents.

#elriel #elriel month #pro elriel #elain and azriel #elrielmonth23

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withclawandvine · 1 year

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‘tis the damn season my friends. and what do you know, i actually have something to share this year, it’s a christmas elriel month miracle! so without further ado, allow me to present—

elriel month, week 1: shy glances & restricted touches

summary: elain and azriel share a dance at nesta and cassian’s mating ceremony

tags: post-acosf, established relationship (they worked things out ok), forbidden love, meddling sisters, feyre being a busybody and rhys being a pill wc: 2.1k

read on ao3 here!

While decorated every bit as ostentatiously as Nesta had promised, the ceremony itself had been small and intimate. The same was true for the celebration that came after. The structure at the heart of Rhysand’s gardens shone like a beacon against the darkening sky. To call it a tent would be doing it a disservice. Although the walls were made of sheer, breezy fabric, the space was as grand as any ballroom. The cobblestone paths were lined with faelights, all winding their way through flora and statues, leading up to the large fountain at its center. The water itself seemed to glow, the streams reflecting the light of the candles floating in the water. Faelights and flowers hung above, moving with the waves of fabric high above everyone’s heads.

Despite knowing mostly everyone, Azriel was standing alone, quietly uncomfortable. He sipped his sparkling wine out of a gilded flute, as close to the corner of the space as he could get without getting his wings tangled up in the gossamer panels.

And he was watching Elain.

He watched her through windows and over dining tables. Across ballrooms. The place didn’t matter. Azriel’s eyes could pick Elain out of any crowd, bring her to the foreground of any landscape. She was hardly more than a blur of lilac chiffon and bronze curls as Cassian whipped her around and around and around. Petals fell out of the laurel around her head, getting whisked around her by the moving air, as if they were dancing with her. Elain’s laugh was breathless and manic—Azriel shouldn’t have been able to hear it over the music and the conversation. But he could.

When the music slowed to a stop, Elain stumbled out of Cassian’s grasp and into a wobbly curtsy. She wasn’t looking at Azriel when that grin stretched across her face, but he felt his own lips twitch in response. A near smile, small and involuntary.

A shadow curled around his ear, whispering. Azriel schooled his expression back into neutrality, but it was too late, because when he looked to where the shadow had indicated, Feyre was already looking from him to the dancefloor. Her brows flicked up at him as she took another sip of wine. Azriel looked away. Busybody.

But his shadows restlessly tugged at him, urging his attention back to Feyre. Azriel’s stomach dropped at the sight of his High Lady weaving through the small crowd toward him. Azriel debated melting into his shadows, and as if reading the decision on his face, Feyre disappeared. Within a blink, she was standing right beside him. Her posture deceptively casual, arms crossed and a hip popped.

She angled her chin to look up at him, eyes dancing. “I’m sure she’d say yes if you asked.”

As if asking was even an option.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Azriel said, not looking at Feyre, but rather at Rhys’s approaching figure. There was no doubt the bastard had been poking around in Feyre’s mind. She tended to let her guard down when spirits were involved.

Feyre rose a brow. “You’d think that half a millenia of experience would make you a better liar, Az.”

Rhys stopped behind Feyre, encircling her in his arms. They both relaxed into one another, making it impossible to tell who was supporting who. Rhys playfully chided, “Leave the poor man be, Feyre darling.”

“Why? So he can brood alone in the corner?”

Azriel wished it had merely been a joke at his expense. He looked to Rhys, all but pleading with him to pretend it had been. But the High Lord had straightened, and was regarding Feyre with a slight frown when he answered her question, as if it had been in earnest, “Need I remind you that Lucien—Elain’s mate—is here?”

Azriel felt himself flinch at the word, but Feyre was utterly unmoved. She rolled her eyes, turning to face her mate. “She’s already danced with Cassian.”

“That’s different,” Rhys said stiffly. “We’re at his wedding.”

Feyre took a step closer to her mate. Her voice was low and serious, “They haven’t spoken all night. All year, even.”

Rhys looked ready to argue, but Azriel cleared his throat. “Do I need to be a part of this conversation, or may I find another corner to brood alone in?”

Feyre at least had the decency to blush, but it didn’t stop her from answering him, “No, you may not. It’s my sister’s wedding and as your High Lady, I order you to at least act like you’re having a good time.”

Azriel was tiring of being ordered to do things.

“I am having a good time.”

Feyre rolled her eyes at his flat tone, but instead of calling him out on another lie, she grabbed him by the elbow, and grinned up at him, “Then let’s make it a great time.”

She started walking without any agreement from Azriel, and before Rhys could make another argument. Although he did have enough time to level a warning glare over Feyre’s head. Azriel met it blankly, and allowed himself to be escorted—or rather, dragged—across the floor.

Elain was still breathing heavily and fanning herself when they approached her at the refreshment table. Her eyes widened when she noticed them, darting between Feyre and Azriel a few times before she seemed to remember the drink she was pouring. Another second and the glass would have overflowed.

“Feyre!” She greeted her sister cheerily, before turning to him, as if he were an afterthought, “Azriel.”

Feeling Feyre’s keen eyes on him, Azriel kept his response equally bland, dipping his chin in a polite nod.

“Azriel was just telling me how much he wanted to dance.” Feyre lied, about as convincingly as he had to her. He resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose and sigh.

“Is that where you’re headed?” Elain asked. She was much better at this than Azriel. “Try not to step on his toes too much.”

Feyre graced her sister with an obscene gesture, but was smiling when she continued, “He won’t have to worry about me or his feet, because I told him you’d be happy to accompany him.”

“Did you see the way Cassian was spinning me? I might lose my meal if I go for another so soon,” Elain deflected, polite as anything.

“Azriel is a gentleman,” Feyre said, simultaneously reassuring and dismissive, as she took her sister by the wrist.

He barely had time to wince apologetically behind Feyre as she all but tossed Elain into him. And as they took to the floor, Azriel saw Feyre out of the corner of his eye, looking like the cat who got the cream, before she winked out of existence. Azriel did a double-take, looking again to to spot she’d disappeared from.

A shadow nudged his attention to the string quartet, and Feyre, talking to the violinist. He watched the musician nod with a smile before signaling to her band. The strings sighed through the room, a slow, tender melody.

Azriel couldn’t decide if Feyre was trying to help him or punish him.

Elain’s face was still flushed from her wild dance with Cassian, and the front pieces of her hair had come loose. All he wanted was to tuck it behind her ear and let his fingers linger. Instead, he reached for her hand. The other hovered over her waist, touching only the fabric of her skirts that fluttered with each step. The music flowed, but they were a branch caught in an eddy—stiffly spinning, every step jerking and awkward and so unlike the easy, fluid movements of the other couples around them. Nothing about this was easy.

Azriel struggled to look at Elain while she was regarding him with carefully polite indifference, and with imitating the expression himself. Especially as her hand gradually traveled from his shoulder to the back of his neck, drawing herself infinitesimally closer. Her thumb gently stroked the sliver of exposed skin just above his collar. The gesture—undetectable through the shadows that clung to him like smoke—was small, but it sent a shiver down his spine. His eyes fell closed, indulging in it.

With everything else blocked out, it was tempting to pretend it was just the two of them. That they were swaying to a music box's tune in low lamplight, no steps to count or guests to sidestep. No High Lord, who would almost certainly be suspicious Azriel was using his shadows to obscure something forbidden. Coming back to himself, Azriel banished the shadows and took half a step back, nearly out of her range. Cool air replaced her touch on his neck as her hand slipped to his bicep.

The lovely veneer of Elain’s face—her mask—fell. Azriel could read the anger and frustration in the twitch of her jaw, and the resigned understanding in her eyes. Those eyes, impossibly expressive and rich as freshly-tilled earth. Sometimes, looking into them felt like being buried alive.

He managed to break her gaze, only to find himself looking instead at Feyre, engaged in conversation with Lucien Vanserra. Azriel almost had to admire the craftiness of his High Lady, even if he knew it was in vain.

This waltz would lead nowhere, and Vanserra was far from distracted. Azriel didn't want to look at him, either—he was all too familiar with the shadow looming in the Autumn prince's remaining eye. He too knew the ache of longing; it crept up in him even now.

His hand was on the small of her back, but in the way that mattered, Elain was out of his reach. Less distance, more time—there was always something to long for, some part of her he couldn’t have. Even the warm pressure of her hand in his was dulled by his damaged nerves. Her voice was distant, too, as they talked about the food and how much Cassian cried during his vows. Dull, safe topics that could be overheard by anyone. Until there was nothing left to comment idly on, and silence stretched between them, tight as a bowstring. Azriel’s eyes drifted up to the heavens for help. Or at least some inspiration. He marveled at how he could have everything and nothing to say, all at once. The stars were hidden by gauzy panels of fabric, swooping overhead, decorated with the elaborate floral garlands Elain had spent the last few days constructing.

“The flowers are beautiful.” He’d already said as much, while he watched her work on them late into the night. But she still beamed at him.

“I should hope so, after all that work,” she said. “I don't think I'll ever get the smell of gardenias off my hands.”

Azriel lifted a brow, painting an expression of skepticism as he drew their joined hands in. Adjusting his grip so her hand covered his, he pressed his nose gently to her knuckles, his lips brushing her skin as he inhaled. Elain smiled. Her fingers unfurled, smoothing over his cheek and until his face was cradled in her open palm. Azriel leaned into it, kissing the delicate skin of the inside of her wrist. She was warm and soft and definitely smelled faintly of gardenias. His hand covered hers, holding it against his cheek.

The hair on the back of his neck prickled with the chill of his shadows coming back to him, unbidden, as they did when there was danger. He’s coming. In the same breath, Elain went completely still, except for her heart. Azriel felt her pulse quicken against his bottom lip right before she snatched her hand away. With a vise-like grip on his hand, Elain hauled them back into a proper waltz for all of six counts before Rhysand tapped him on the shoulder.

His drawl was charming as ever, but his eyes were cold as he said, “Mind if I cut in?”

It wasn’t really a question, so Azriel didn’t answer. He merely stepped away, ducking into a cursory bow. Elain’s curtsy was smooth and elegant, but her eyes were on Rhys. He was smiling at her, all of his fury banished from his countenance. “After seeing you with my brothers, I must confess I’m starting to feel a little left out.”

Elain’s returning smile was so lovely, it was almost impossible to tell that it didn’t reach her eyes. “Well, we can’t have that, can we?”

Rhys offered his elbow, and Elain's fingers had barely brushed his sleeve before he was whisking her away, further into the crowd of revelers. She knew better than to look back, but Azriel’s eyes followed her until he was left staring blankly at gap the High Lord of the Night Court had left in their wake.

#elrielmonth #elrielmonth23 #elriel #elriel fanfiction #otp: you came for me #my writing: acotar

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tswaney17 · 11 months

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I Do Bad Things with You - Part 39

Happy @elriel-month fam!! Of course, we're going to celebrate the "What If" prompt with an IDBTWY update. 😏 I'm very excited to share this piece with you and cannot wait for the following two parts (which may be my two favorites of the series). While this is my official last fic of Elriel Month, I will be sharing something tomorrow about an upcoming project, so be on the lookout for that. Grab a snack, this is a long one. Much love to you all! 💙💜💚

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: 9,655

He had everything planned. Called Elain’s boss and got her approved time off. Packed their bags and hid them in the closet until their flight. Now they were in the entryway of the apartment.

His plane was currently sitting on the runway, waiting for them.

The only thing left to do was to tell her.

Azriel was waiting at home for Elain to get off work. She was scheduled a half day—per his request—and would be home any minute.

As if waiting for her queue, the elevator doors pinged open and she stepped out, startled at the sight of him standing there in a pair of dark jeans, a black t-shirt, and sneakers. “Oh!” she breathed, moving further into the foyer. “This is a surprise…what are you doing here?” Her honey-brown eyes darted to the two suitcases and back to his. Brows furrowing, she asked him, “Are you going somewhere?”

A half smile curled up the corner of his lips. “No,” he said, letting her confusion grow just a hair more. “We’re going somewhere. A little trip for a few days.”

That had her eyes widening and she crossed her arms, propping a hip on the foyer table. “Az, babe.” Fuck he loved when she called him that. “I’m not sure if you’ve forgotten this but I can’t exactly work remotely for my job.” The teasing tone of voice had him chuckling.

“I’m very well aware of that, my sweet. We’re each taking the next four days off.”

“I have to request time off, Azriel—”

“You did. Or I did, I should say. I called your boss last month to ask if you could take these four days off for a surprise trip I was planning for you.” Her brows shot into her hairline. “He readily agreed, saying that you never take time off and it was well-earned.”

Her arms went slack at her sides. “You called my boss to request time off for me?”

He nodded. Fuck, Az hoped he didn’t overstep.

“And you planned a whole trip?”

“I did.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Is this the reason we moved Nesta and Cassian’s baby shower to next month, closer to her due date?”

He flashed a cheeky smile. “Perhaps…”

“And it’s just us?” she asked.

“Just us,” he confirmed. He didn’t feel it was necessary to bring the whole protection detail with them. It was a last-minute, short trip. And they would be together the whole time. He wanted to give Elain this sense of normalcy. The privacy of just spending time alone together.

Elain was silent as she stared at him. Emotions flickered across her face, the most prominent of them: shock. “Nobody has ever done anything like this for me,” she whispered, eyes glistening.

Relief washed over him at her words—the disbelief that someone took the time to plan something just for her. “We need to get a move on; why don’t you go change so we can head out in say,” he glanced at his watch, “a half hour?”

An airy giggle escaped her. “Can I shower first? I still feel like I have the hospital on me. And I need to pack.”

“I’ve packed for you.”

At that, she laughed. “Now that makes me nervous.” Shaking her head. “I need more than lingerie, Az.”

A deep, rumbling chuckle burst out of him. “Not that I wouldn’t mind you parading around in lingerie—or nothing for that matter—for the entire duration of our trip, I promise you I packed you real clothing.” And he had; grabbed some of her things and bought a few new pieces, such as the silk robe and a swimsuit.

Elain pursed her lips to keep herself from smiling as she moved closer to him, stepping into his arms and kissing him. “All right. Let me freshen up and then we’ll leave. Where are we headed?”

Azriel dropped his lips to her pert nose, loving the way she scrunched it up. “It’s a surprise, my lady. Now, go get ready so we can leave.” He gently pushed her towards the stairs and then swatted her behind, making her yelp.

“And wear something comfortable!” he called up to her.

“Okay, Dad!”

Oh, she was definitely going to get it for that comment. In the front pocket of his suitcase was the little toy he bought her. And, boy, did he have plans to use it.

~~~

Within half an hour, Elain was downstairs, dressed in leggings and an oversized sweater, and sneakers. She looked positively adorable. “Is this okay for travel?”

In truth, she might be a little warm when they got to their destination, but he had a car lined up and could kick the AC up if she needed it. “It’s perfect. Let’s go.” Az shrugged on his sweatshirt hanging off one of the barstools since it was still winter in Velaris. Grabbing both of their luggage, he escorted Elain down to the garage.

“You’re still not going to tell me where we’re headed?”

He shot her a wink, pressed the button to close the hatch of their car, and went to open her door for her. “Nope,” he stated, popping the p sound.

Elain huffed exasperated, climbing into the passenger seat.

He held her hand the entire drive, every once in a while, bringing her knuckles to his lips to brush a kiss to them. But when he pulled up at the airstrip where his jet was housed on the backside of the airport, he turned to look at her and found both surprise and a hint of fear shining in her eyes.

It was not what he was expecting. Cutting the engine, Az twisted in his seat to face her more fully. “El, love. Talk to me.” He kept his voice quiet, not wanting to startle her but begging her to speak her mind.

Elain let out a weighted breath. “The plane…I—,” she hesitated looking for the right words. “It reminds me of that day.”

Fuck, he’d been so stupid not to think about how her kidnapping might have instilled a phobia of flying. Azriel took note that Gavriel and Dorian were still standing at the top of the stairs to his jet, waiting for their queue to approach. “Elain, I am so sorry. I didn’t even think that you might have an issue with planes after that incident.”

“How could you have known? I didn’t even know until seeing it.”

He squeezed her fingers in reassurance, brushing his thumb across the backside of her palm. “If you want to turn around and go home, we can, but I want you to know that this is my jet and those two pilots up there,” he watched her eyes glance at the two males. “I trust them with my life. They will get us to our destination safely, I promise you that. But the choice is yours.”

She sat quietly, looking at the plane until finally, a small smile crept onto her lips. “I supposed I shouldn’t be shocked that you have your own jet.”

Azriel tipped his head back and laughed, exposing the strong column of his throat. “No, you really shouldn’t.”

“It’s why you said the plane wouldn’t leave without you for your last business trip, right?”

He grinned. “Indeed it was.”

“I would’ve looked completely idiotic showing up at the airport for you and you never showed.”

“Cerridwen would’ve taken you to the airstrip, not the airport.”

She looked at him then, golden-brown locks sliding off her shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell me you had this?”

Az shrugged. “I thought I could use it to my advantage one day.”

“Ah, yes. Well, you succeeded.”

He stroked the backside of her hand again. “So, love, what will it be? Home or away?”

Elain looked between him and the plane. Leaning across the center console, she kissed him, fingers skimming delicately across his jaw. “Let’s go on an adventure,” she breathed against his lips.

Smiling, Azriel cupped the backside of her head, pulling her in for another slow kiss. His tongue traced the seam of her mouth, begging for entry and when she granted him access, he took full advantage. Popping the trunk, he jumped out of the car and made his way to her side, helping her out.

Both men had reached them, collecting their bags from the back, and met them at the stairs.

The older one, with hair golden like the sun and tawny eyes, spoke first. “Mr. Knight, it’s good to see you.” Releasing Azriel’s hand, he focused on her. “You must be Doctor Archeron? It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

She took his hand, shaking it. “Just Elain, please.”

“Elain,” he said, tasting her name on his tongue. “My name is Gavriel and this is my copilot, Dorian.”

The dark-haired man shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, Elain.”

“It’s great to meet you both. How long have you been working for Azriel?”

Az slid a scarred palm to settle on her lower back.

“I’ve been under Mr. Knight’s employment for about five years now,” Gavriel explained. “Dorian got his pilot’s license in the Airforce and is new to flying private jets. He’s been with us for just over a year now.”

“Gavriel is Aelin’s uncle, Elain. And Dorian a friend of hers since school,” Azriel told her.

She looked at him standing next to her. “Ah, so she took advantage of her position with you,” she joked.

All three men burst out laughing.

“Something like that,” Dorian said, grinning.

Gavriel waved a hand in the direction of the stairs. “Your chariot awaits, my lady. We’ll do final checks once inside and get cleared for takeoff.”

Nudging her up the stairs, Az watched as Elain took in her surroundings, her eyes darting around the cabin of the plane before settling on him. He could read the slight nervousness she was trying to hide but was pushing through. “Where would you like to sit?”

She looked at the couch, then the table. “Where do you recommend?”

He thought about it. “The table allows you to sit facing forward, which is preferable if you get motion sickness. The couch is more comfortable.”

“I don’t think I get sick, so let’s try the couch.”

Guiding her there, Azriel sat her down and reached into the seats to buckle her in.

A small smile played on her lips. “Why do I get the feeling you like strapping me down?”

Dorian choked, nearly dropping the suitcase he was storing in the upper cabinets.

Elain’s face went scarlet at realizing she was overheard and buried it into his neck.

He laughed, putting his arms around her as the young pilot scampered into the cockpit and shut the door. “While tying you up has its appeal, let’s save that for when we don’t have two others present.”

She groaned into his throat. “I did not mean to say that out loud. Or at least in the presence of others.”

Az pushed her back to kiss her cheek. “Fret not, my love. Dorian’s got a bit of a reputation as a ladies’ man. It’s likely nothing he’s never explored.”

“Fine, but that doesn’t mean he needs to know what we do in private.”

He brushed a rogue curl behind her ear. “All of my close employees sign an NDA. He won’t speak a word. I promise you he’s probably heard worse. Nuala has a mouth on her, especially when she talks about her fiancée.”

Elain shuddered. “Remind me not to ask about said fiancée.”

“Noted,” he chuckled, leaning in to kiss the tip of her nose. Sitting down next to her, he fastened his seatbelt and settled his large hand on her thigh.

The engines roared to life and Az felt Elain tense next to him. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he tucked her close to him, pressing his lips to the side of her head. “We’re okay,” he murmured into her hair.

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. This is your captain speaking. Please fasten your seatbelts as we have been cleared for takeoff. We will be cruising at ten thousand feet today. Please sit back, relax, and enjoy your flight.

Hoping to ease Elain’s discomfort as they took off, Az focused on peppering kisses along her cheek, and her neck, tugging the collar of her sweater away to grant himself access to her shoulder.

It worked. Elain started giggling during the ascent. “Are you trying to seduce me?” she sighed, head tilting to the side and offering more of her skin for him to taste.

He smiled into her throat. “Depends. Is it working?” His tongue lapped at the soft skin behind her ear, teeth nipping until he knew she’d have a bruise there.

She hummed in contentment. “Perhaps.”

Once the plane leveled out and Gavriel gave them the all-clear to move about the cabin, Azriel unbuckled his seatbelt and went to the bar, pouring each of them a glass of champagne.

“Thank you.” She smiled sweetly up at him, taking the glass from his outstretched hand.

He plopped back down next to her, clinking their glasses together. “Just a few hours until our destination.”

Elain took a sip, contemplating the information. “Still not going to tell me where you’re taking me?”

“Nope. It’ll ruin the surprise.”

She chuckled, leaning into his frame. “Well, I suppose we should just relax then since you aren’t being helpful.”

He kissed her forehead, and then her lips, savoring the sweetness of the champagne on them. “I suppose we will.”

~~~~~

When Elain looked out the window and saw the ocean, she finally figured out where he was taking her. “We’re going to the Summer District.”

“Well, technically we’re in it already,” Az grinned.

She leaned an elbow on the window ledge, staring out at the blue water. “Is this another business trip?” She wouldn’t be upset if he was utilizing this opportunity to do business and as a vacation.

He reached forward, gripping her chin to force her gaze to his. “You said you wanted to go somewhere with a beach.” She had—when he asked her where she wanted to vacation during their video call. “No side work. Nothing is pulling me away from you for these next four days.” His thumb swept under her bottom lip. “Just us.”

Smiling, Elain nipped the pad of his thumb.

Thankfully, the descent didn’t make her as nervous as the ascent. She didn’t think her fear of planes was completely conquered, but it was a good step in the right direction. And as long as she had Azriel by her side, it wasn’t something she couldn’t work through.

A car was waiting for them when they landed. Back in the passenger seat, Elain took in everything around her. They were in the city of Adriata. A beautiful, bustling, glistening city with towering buildings, amazing architecture, markets on nearly every corner, and everything else you could imagine in a coastal town.

They drove in companionable silence until Azriel continued past the city’s edge. “Where are we going?” she finally asked him as houses became few and far between.

A curve of his lips. “To where we’re staying at.”

She looked at him then. “We’re not staying in a hotel in the city?”

“If I don’t stay in a hotel for business trips, did you think I was going to subject you to it for a vacation?”

Elain huffed a laugh. “You’re an overspender, you know that?”

Azriel quickly looked at her, his face giving nothing away, and then back at the road. “Baby, you have no idea.”

Well, she got the idea when he pulled into the driveway of a large home with an unattached guest house, and…Jesus fuck, was that a sale pending sign in the front lawn? Her golden-brown eyes widened. “Azriel, where are we?”

A boyish grin took over his face. Clicking the button to pop the trunk, he told her, “Come on.”

Grabbing their bags from the back, Azriel met her at the front door, unlocking it and letting her inside. He put their suitcases down in the foyer and shut the door behind them.

Elain took hesitant steps into the house. It was beyond gorgeous. The open floor plan allowed for easy access from the kitchen area, divided off by a built-in bar, to the living and dining room. The color scheme was a combination of white with blue-gray and wooden accents. Large bay windows encased the entire side of the house that faced a beautiful pool, a private beach, and the open ocean. Sitting on the back porch was a full patio set with an L-shaped couch and two chairs.

She stood frozen in the center of the living room, in awe of the entire home.

“Azriel,” she started, “did you buy this?”

A large hand came down onto her shoulder, fingers squeezing. “Technically, we bought this.”

Elain whipped around.

“Well, technically we’re in closing dependent on you.”

“On me?” She blinked. “What are you going on about?”

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his forehead to hers. “I wanted to purchase this house together. With both our names on the deed. The application is basically done—they just need your approval to add you to the mortgage and then we’ll sign.”

“You want to move?”

Azriel laughed, pulling back to look down at her face. “No, love. Not move. But we could use a summer home.”

She gaped. “You want a what now?”

“A summer home,” he repeated. “A place that is ours where we can come vacation at when we need to get away from everything and everyone.”

Elain’s eyes darted between his, hearing him but still not quite understanding. “I—why?”

His brow furrowed in confusion. “Because I want to. Because you mentioned you wanted to go to someplace with a beach and this area has some of the best ones in the country. Because I fell in love with the house when I was last here and could picture us vacationing here. I could see you here, sitting out on the beach or by the pool. I imagined you actually relaxing for once. You don’t do it nearly enough.”

Listening to him, Elain realized that he knew this place better than he was letting on. “This is the house you rented for your business trip, isn’t it?”

A ghost of a smile touched his lips. “It is. The owner had said I was his last rental before he sold it—with all the furnishings, I might add. He was in the process of putting it up on the market. I simply told him not to bother. That I would purchase it under the assumption that you agreed.”

“It’s not my money, Az.”

He frowned. “Elain, what I have is also yours. And if you decide you don’t want this house, then I’ll pull it. But if you do, this will be our home here.”

She hesitated, glancing around the room. Gods, it really was a beautiful house.

“Before you make a decision,” he interrupted her train of thoughts, “at least let me take you on a tour to help you decide.”

Taking her hand, Azriel led her through the kitchens, showing her the pristine countertops, state-of-the-art appliances, and cozy knickknacks that were sporadically placed all over. Elain could picture the two of them making breakfast together, her sitting on the counter providing unnecessary instructions while Az laughed at her antics, refilling her mimosa or cup of coffee and kissing her.

Tugging her through the house, he took her to the living area, upstairs into the bedrooms—there were five in this house alone and apparently two more with a full bathroom, kitchen, and living room in the guest house. There was enough room for their entire family, and then some.

They traveled back down the stairs to a small library-like office with a nook facing the ocean. It was a quaint room, filled with dark furniture that reminded her of a castle library.

And then he pulled her to the final room, a game room of the sorts with a dart board, a foosball table, and a pool table.

Elain ran her fingertips over the wood of the table; brushed them along the velvet grass.

Azriel wrapped his arms around her waist. “Do you play?”

She shrugged. “I know the basic idea. You use the sticks to pop balls into pockets, right?”

His chest rumbled with the force of his laughter. “I mean, that’s the gist of it. You use the cue stick to push the white ball into your designated solids or stripes. The first one to sink their balls and then the eight ball wins.”

“Sounds fascinating.”

Scarred fingers slipped under the hem of her sweater, rubbing at the skin of her hipbones. “Do you want to play?” he murmured, lips pressed onto her cheek.

Her lips curved up. “Why don’t we make it interesting?”

A light kiss on her jaw. “Hmm? What did you have in mind?”

Elain tipped her head to the side. “Winner gets to pick the next activity.”

Azriel’s mouth brushed the shell of her ear. “That seems like an unfair advantage for me.” The ghost of a whisper sent shivers running down her spine.

Her toes curled in her sneakers. “Then I suppose you should think about what it is you want to do next.” Twisting her head, she told him, “Rack them up.”

After giving her a final kiss, Az did as he was told, prepping the balls and then handing her one of the cue sticks. “Do you want to break?”

She shook her head. “No, you go ahead.”

Azriel leaning over the table to line up his shot had heat pooling between her legs. His trim waist, broad shoulders, and the delicious curve of his ass were all on display for her. The balls clanked together, sending a colored one into the corner pocket. He grinned at her. “I’m solids.”

He worked his way around the table, sinking two more balls before his third shot went wide. Lips pursed, he muttered a foul curse.

Elain just smiled sweetly at him. “So, I just hold it like this?” she asked, purposely pulling her elbow wide.

“Ah, so this is why you wanted to play,” he smirked, leaning over her and adjusting her hold. The cradle of his hips pressed into her ass, fitting her perfectly.

“Something like that,” she told him as he helped her shoot and sank her first stripped ball. Leaning up, she pulled his cheek forward to kiss. “I think I got it now.”

Truth be told, Elain was good at pool. Like really good. Competition-worthy. But, he didn’t need to know that yet. She grabbed another easy shot in the side pocket. But for her third, she lined up for an off-the-side wall, opposite corner pocket. With a steady breath, she sank her third stripe.

Looking up at him, she grinned at his wary face. He wasn’t quite there, but she knew he was close to catching on. Sidling between him and the table, she murmured an “Excuse me,” giving him a slight poke in the stomach with the end of her cue stick as she bent over the table and rubbed her ass against his crotch.

He hissed, shuffling to the side slightly, and laid his large palm over the small of her back.

Ignoring how his touch lit an inferno inside of her, Elain shot the next ball across the table, between two of his solids, and right into the corner pocket.

“Why do I get the feeling you’ve played this before?” Az asked, eyes narrowing at her.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Her fourth shot ran down the side of the table and into the bottom corner pocket, but her fifth just barely missed the side hole. She made an indignant noise, leaning back up off the table.

Using the same move as she did, Azriel slipped between her and the table, pressing his body against hers. He sank the first shot by using his ball and tapping it into another. Then pocketed the fifth ball right behind it. But his sixth missed giving her a perfect spot for her final three shots.

“Eight ball, right corner pocket,” she called, indicating with her cue stick. Elain shot, bouncing the black ball off the side and sending it hurtling into its correct pocket.

Azriel stood there, leaning on his cue stick in complete disbelief. “You hustled me!”

The corner of her mouth curled up into a devious little smirk as she snickered. “Perhaps,” she answered cheekily.

“You little minx,” he growled, dropping his stick to the floor and sweeping her up into his arms. Their mouths crashed together for a heated, passionate kiss.

Legs wrapping around his waist, Elain dropped her cue, letting her fingers slide into his hair and tugging it at the root.

He groaned, pulling back far enough to rest his forehead on hers. Breathing harshly, he asked her, “So, since you hustled me for the win, what are we doing next?”

Catching her breath, Elain gave him her answer. “I think we should christen the house, starting with this table.”

That had Azriel shifting back to look at her face. He slowly cupped the side of her cheek. “Christen it as in we’re buying it?”

The sweet hope in his voice had her heart melting. She nodded. “Yes, I want to buy this house, Az. I want this to be our summer home. One where we can have our family come to enjoy and take vacations.” She kissed his lips softly before adding, “I want this home with you.”

Making a choking sound, Azriel surged forward and kissed her greedily. His tongue slipped between her lips, stroking hers until she was moaning. Needing to feel her skin, he yanked her sweater over her head, leaving her in her bra, leggings, and sneakers. Guiding her to lie back on the table, he removed one shoe, kissed her ankle, and then repeated the motion with her other.

Elain grabbed the hem of his shirt, having discarded his sweatshirt earlier, and tugged it over his head. His black locks went wild in disarray but it somehow made him even sexier. Her fingers went to his belt, deftly undoing it and the button of his jeans.

He tore her leggings off to reveal the scrap of lace she wore. Azriel’s eyes went wide as he took in the matching set. Lightly brushing the pads of his fingers over her cup, he asked her, “Did you wear this for me, love?”

She smiled bashfully at him. “I did. Do you like it?”

Blown-out eyes, framed by a ring of hazel glanced up at her. “Fuck yeah, I do. It’s taking every ounce of my self-control not to rip them right off you.”

“No need to be an animal, Azriel,” she teased, flashing him a sultry smile.

He swept his hands down her body, savoring the feeling of her delicate skin beneath his palms. “Baby, you have no idea.” Sucking on her neck, he slipped his hands beneath her to unhook her bra, pulling it off her and dropping it unceremoniously on the ground at his feet.

His mouth traveled down her chest, pulling her nipple into his mouth and grazing it with his teeth.

Elain arched off the table, moaning at the sensation that tugged at her core.

Fingers slipping between her legs, he stroked her over the fabric, feeling the dampness that had formed. “Fuck, you’re so wet already,” he swore, sliding the garment to the side and pushing his finger inside of her with no resistance.

She cried out, hips undulating towards his hand. Pleasure coursed through her body when he brought his thumb down to circle her clit. “Stop playing,” Elain growled, using her feet to push his pants and boxers down his thighs.

A wicked little smirk formed on his lips. “And what if I want to taste?” he demanded, pumping into her with a second finger.

“Suck your fingers. I just need your cock. Now.”

Surprise lit his face. Elain was never particularly vocal, nor demanding in bed. She’d sometimes tell him what she wanted from him, but it was typically out of desperation. Not as a command.

Azriel pulled his fingers from her and placed them against her mouth. “Taste yourself.” His voice brooked no room for argument and Elain wrapped her lips around his digits, drawing them further into her oral cavity until the tips touched the back of her throat.

Breathing steadily through her nose, she sucked his fingers like it was his cock, lapping her tongue around each to clean the slick of her off.

Pumping his hand into her mouth, Az rubbed himself against her, coating his cock in her juices and providing just the right amount of pressure to her clit.

She moaned around his fingers as he thrust into her in one movement, burying himself to the hilt. Elain clawed at his back while he readjusted her legs around his hips, locking him to her.

Azriel set a brutal pace, using the leverage from her jaw to snap into her.

Elain having been on the precipice of an orgasm, crested just after a few strokes of his cock. Her body shook as he fucked her through it, pulling his fingers from her mouth and replacing them with his lips.

A string of spit followed his fingers, but he didn’t care as he crashed their lips and teeth and tongues together in a bruising kiss.

Yanking himself out of her, he grabbed her off the table and set her back on her feet. Twisting her around, he bent her back over, raising her hips.

Elain felt her release drip down her thighs, and then Az’s fingers stroked through her still-spasming entrance, collecting the slickness and bringing it up to her back hole. She moaned as he fingered her rosebud, head bowing. “Are you going to fuck me there?” she asked, shaky from the intensity of her last orgasm.

“Do you want me to fuck you here, love?” he inquired, voice guttural.

She moaned as one of his fingers slipped inside, gently thrusting in and out of her ass. “Yes.” The word was purely a whine.

Azriel made some deep, throaty sound, leaning over her body to kiss her shoulder. “Such a good girl for me. Letting me do the most sinful things to you.” He bit the junction of her neck, sucking a mark into her skin that had her sighing at the tingling feeling. “One day, I will claim your ass, Elain Archeron,” he all but growled. “But not today. I don’t have the proper equipment with me at the moment for your first time.”

Elain flipped her hair over her shoulder to look at him. “Promise?” she cooed.

A groan rumbled from his chest. “Fuck me, Elain. You will be the death of me someday,” he snarled. “I promise to fuck your ass until you’re limp with pleasure.” Without waiting for a response, he sheathed himself back inside of her, hips snapping into hers until the room echoed their skin slapping skin and heavy breathing.

Her fingers dug into the velvet grass of the table, and when he wrapped her hair around his other wrist, tugging it until she was arched, Elain couldn’t stop the pathetic whimper from escaping her.

“You have the tightest fucking cunt, baby,” he moaned. “Fucking you is like a dream every time.”

She couldn’t even form words to respond; only able to clench around him until he swore.

Picking up his pace, he brushed his lips to the shell of her ear, commanding her to let go.

And let go she did. Screaming, Elain ripped into her pleasure from both his cock and his fingers. Some slur came out of her, though she couldn’t tell if it was his name or just a bunch of sounds jumbled together. It may have been both for all she knew.

Azriel’s thrust became sloppy as he chased his own high. Slamming into her a final time, he came, teeth clamping onto her shoulder over the mark he already made and intensifying it.

They both collapsed onto the table, Az’s weight adding to the table edge that dug into her hips, but she was too far gone into her hazy pleasure to care.

He gave her one more gentle stroke, causing her to whimper before he tugged himself out.

The loss of him had her clenching around nothing, but she felt their combined releases dripping from her convulsing pussy,

His fingers made quick work, swiping the mess up and shoving it back inside of her. “Hold that in for me,” he growled.

She was barely coherent enough to process his words, but she managed to do as he ordered.

“Hang tight,” he murmured, dropping a kiss to her sweat-soaked back.

Truth be told, Elain wasn’t able to move an inch. She was too tired, too sated to even think about getting up off the table. She heard fabric sliding down his legs as he shucked off the rest of his clothing, and then she was being gathered up into his arms and carried up the stairs to the master bathroom.

Azriel gently set her on the counter, making her hiss from the cold porcelain as it touched her heated skin before he set about starting the bath. They stayed in the tub far too long as they slowly made love again in the warm water, Elain riding him and christening yet another room in their new home.

~~~

She woke the following morning before sunrise, internal clock off from the two-hour time difference compared to Velaris. Carefully, Elain slipped from Azriel’s arms, smiling at the grunt of protest he let out. His hands reached out searching for her body. Tugging the sheets up to his shoulder, she went to the dresser and pulled out undergarments to put on.

Grabbing the silk robe he surprised her with, Elain slipped it on, tying it at the waist before quietly closing the bedroom door behind her and making her way downstairs.

She put the coffeepot on, poured herself a mug, and added her creamer that was somehow, already in the fridge. Azriel must’ve had someone come in and stock the fridge with necessities. They had ordered a pizza to be delivered last night, neither having the energy nor desire to go out for dinner after their multiple rounds. They managed to christen the game room, their master bathroom and bedroom, their private balcony under the stars, and the kitchen/dining areas after eating some much-needed food.

Elain perched herself on the couch facing the ocean, tucking her feet under her, as she watched the sunrise in glorious shades of orange, pink, and gold. It was much warmer here than in Velaris at this time. She was perfectly comfortable in her bra, underwear, and silky robe. Elain basked in the warmth and beautiful sights for a good hour before she heard movement upstairs.

Soon enough, Azriel was coming down the stairs bare from the waist up. His grey sweatpants hung deliciously off his cut hips giving her a perfect view of his Adonis belt, defined abdomen, and beautifully swirling ink over his muscled chest and shoulders.

He leaned down and kissed her softly. “You weren’t in bed when I woke. I had plans to give you the proper wake-up call this morning.” His voice was still heavy with sleep, taking on a rasp that had her toes curling beneath her.

“Sorry, my love. My clock is still on Velaris time. Plus, I wanted to watch the sunrise.”

“Why didn’t you wake me?” he asked her curiously.

“Because you don’t get enough sleep as it is. And you looked too peaceful to wake.”

Azriel’s eyes traveled down her form, taking in the robe she wore; how it split at the top revealing much of her chest. He reached down and slipped his fingers into the fabric, parting it even more to see what, exactly, she had on underneath. Those deft fingers gripped the tie and pulled, opening it up for him to see her in another matching lace set. He groaned, head tipping back towards the heavens. “You’re going to kill me in this outfit, El.”

Her nipples hardened at his words and a smirk tugged at her lips. “Perhaps you should take it off, then.”

He sank to his knees in front of her, large, warm hands, gripping her thighs and untangling her legs from underneath her. “Two rounds this morning. I have a lot planned for us and we need to get an early start.”

Surprise lit her face, not having realized he planned a whole day for them. Though, she shouldn’t have been shocked seeing as this entire trip was completely his doing. “What are we doing today?” she asked, sucking in a breath at the heated look in those amber eyes.

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” he murmured before ripping her panties down her legs and settling between her thighs. “But first, breakfast.” Throwing her knees onto his shoulders, Azriel feasted on her until she was coming on his tongue.

Two hours later, they were dressed, fed—properly this time—and stood outside on the driveway arguing.

“Azriel, I’m not getting on that deathtrap,” Elain said, arms crossed over her chest.

His first surprise of the day was a motorcycle. A fucking motorcycle. She stared at him in disbelief as he tried to coax her onto the back of it.

“El, love, my sweet,” he tried, using nearly every pet name he had for her, “this is the best way to view the city.”

She rolled her eyes at the attempt but didn’t budge. “Do you know how many people show up in the emergency room from a motorcycle accident? How many die from it?”

He sighed. “Those people likely don’t give the vehicle the respect it needs to be ridden—”

“And what about the other people on the road who don’t respect them?” Elain interrupted.

“Do you think I would do anything to put you in danger, Elain? I promise you that you’ll be safe with me on this. Please, just give it a try. I know you’ll love it.”

She hesitated, arms dropping uselessly to their sides. “I’m in a skirt, Az.”

“So? You’ll be pressed into me. Nobody will see a thing.”

After a few moments of them staring at each other, he finally snapped, “For god’s sake, Elain. Get that cute butt on the damn bike so we can get to our next stop on time.”

She narrowed her eyes at him for the words, but it was exactly what she needed to take a hesitant step forward. Then another until she was standing right in front of him and letting him put a helmet on her, snapping the clip under her jaw.

Azriel flicked the visor down over her eyes and guided her onto the bike behind him. “Hold on tight,” he told her, starting the engine.

It roared to life and she wrapped her arms around him, grabbing ahold of his belt and the waistband of his jeans as he gently kicked off the ground and slowly drove out of the driveway and onto the street. Elain squealed, tightening her hold on him as he sped up.

They drove through the city, taking in the sights and all its offerings. She hated to admit it, but he was right. Viewing the city from the back of the bike was incredible. The feeling of the salt air as it whipped at her skin, the glistening ocean to her side, were balms to her soul. She felt free as they rode through the bustling city.

He pulled onto the pier, parked, and shut off the engine before helping her off the bike. Unclipping his helmet, he hung it on the handlebars, then moved to remove hers. A dazzling smile took over his face at the sparkle she knew was shining in her eyes. “How was that?”

Rolling her eyes despite the stupid grin, she lied, “It was awful. I hated it.”

Azriel laughed. “Your face says otherwise, love.”

She giggled, feeling young and carefree. “Fine. It was fun. Exhilarating, even. You were right about it being the best way to take in the city.”

A self-satisfied smirk pulled up the corner of his lips. “I’m thrilled you enjoyed it.” He kissed her, tugging her close to his body. “Come on,” he murmured, grabbing her hand in his. They walked down the pier taking in the sights and sounds of the carnival located at the end.

They shared a cookies and cream milkshake, though Az only had like four sips of it and left the rest for her. Finally, they reached the end of the pier where a giant, modernized Ferris wheel stood.

Elain planted her feet when Azriel tried to tug her forward. “A Ferris wheel? You know I’m terrified of heights.”

That damn smirk appeared on his lips again. “You were also afraid to get on the plane and the motorcycle, but you did. And did you not tell me it was fun just an hour ago?”

“But that was different!” she spluttered.

He crossed his arms, raising a brow into his dark hair. “How?”

She stared at him like a petulant child, but she knew he was right. There wasn’t a difference between her facing those fears and this one.

“I promise you’ll love this. That Ferris wheel gives you the best view of the city. And the ocean. It’s beautiful. Plus, you’re completely enclosed in the glass container, so you have nothing to fear.”

Elain grumbled a “fine,” letting herself get pulled into the line. The pods could hold up to twenty people each, so it took no time in reaching the front.

Handing a wad of cash to the person working, Az told him, “We want this pod to ourselves. That should cover the fee of a full group, plus pay for the twenty people behind us.

The worker and Elain both gaped at him, but it was the kid who was handed the cash that stuttered, “Y—yes, of course, Sir.”

He escorted her into the glass enclosure, letting the doors snick shut behind them. Guiding her to the other side that faced the ocean, Azriel sat her down and took a spot next to her.

It was completely private, not able to see into the one above them or below. And with the bottom half of the glass frosted, they were nearly hidden from anyone at ground level.

Twisting her head, she looked up at the male next to her. “Why did you do that?” Elain took his hand in hers as the wheel started to spin, sending them to the next spot while the pod below them was cleared out and re-loaded.

“Hmm?” he asked, glancing down at her.

“Why did you pay off the kid to give us this entire pod? What was the purpose?”

He leaned over, kissing her cheek. “Because I wanted to experience this moment privately with you. Is that such a bad thing?”

She shook her head, golden-brown hair swishing with the movement. “No, I suppose it’s not. It does make us look like rich assholes, though.”

Azriel tipped his head back and laughed, exposing the strong column of his throat. The ink tattooed upon the base of it. The sunshine enhanced the golden hue of his skin. He looked stunning in the light.

When the ride lurched again, she gripped his hand tighter.

“I also requested it so I could help you through your fear.” He placed his scarred palm on the upper part of her thigh, fingers dangerously close to her center.

“Azriel,” she hissed, trying to close her legs, but was unable to with his grip. “We are in public.”

“Technically,” he started, sliding his hand further between her legs, “we’re in a private pod that nobody can see into.” Gripping her knee, Az hooked her leg over his, spreading her for him.

The next movement had Elain sucking in a breath, releasing his hand, and grabbing at his forearm. Her nails dug into his skin, not that he seemed to mind.

He stroked her over the fabric covering her, doing a 1-2 swoop with two of his fingers. “Relax,” he whispered. The touch had her legs spreading apart, giving him ample room to work. “Close your eyes.”

Her head fell to his shoulder as her body shuddered. A small whimper passed through her parted lips as she did what he said, eyes shutting.

Azriel kept touching her until her underwear was damp and then slid them to the side to plunge his middle finger inside of her. Twisting his body, he threw his arm behind her shoulders, pulling her snuggly against his chest as he worked her, murmuring words of praise into her ear.

“You’re such a good girl, Elain. Look at you, facing your fears with my hand between your thighs.” His lips pressed into her hair, just above her ear. “Fuck my fingers, baby.”

And she did, withering against his hand, desperately looking for the high he was drawing from her. Her hips thrust forward, searching for the friction on her clit. “Az,” she mewled.

His thumb gently pressed down on where she needed it, but he didn’t give her what her body so desperately craved. “Easy, baby. Take it slow.” He drew small, tight circles on her clit, sending bolts of pleasure cascading through her.

She felt it in her fingers, her toes, running up and down her spine.

Lost in her thoughts, in the pleasure she was receiving, Elain stopped thinking about the movement of the Ferris wheel until Azriel breathed, “Open your eyes.”

Somehow, she cracked open one eye and then the other and looked out at the expansive, glittering, blue ocean. Her breath came out in short pants, but she couldn’t deny the beauty of the sight before her.

“Look at you, at the top without a care in the world.” Azriel peppered kisses to her head, and her cheek, twisting her face to meet her lips with his. “My beautiful, strong, sexy girl.”

Her head tipped back against the crook of his elbow. “Az, please.”

He hushed her, curling the finger inside of her. “Soon, baby.” He waited until they started to move again before he really started working her, stroking her so deep that his ridged fingertip grazed the smooth patch of skin that had her moaning. His thumb focused on grazing her clit, adding a delicious amount of friction that finally sent her hurtling over the edge.

Fusing their mouths, Azriel swallowed her cries, helping to cover up the fact that she was orgasming in public and making it seem like they were just making out.

Elain was panting when they reached the bottom and blinked dazed eyes open just as he pulled his finger from her twitching pussy, using his hand to clean her up as best as he could, and then proceeded to suck his digits clean.

“You are filthy, sir,” she managed to get out.

He just smiled greedily down at her. “It’s not my fault I crave you every goddamn minute of the day.” He nodded his head towards the ocean in front of them. “And look. You’re riding now without a hint of fear.”

It was true, she realized, as the Ferris wheel made its second trip around. She had no qualms about looking out or being high in the air. “Sneaky trick,” Elain muttered, pulling her leg from off his lap. “But I am going to need to find a bathroom when we’re finished to clean up.”

A heated look glazed over his darkened eyes. “I could get down on my knees and clean you up with my tongue if you want me to.”

It wasn’t a question and fuck her if she wasn’t tempted to say yes. But they were already at the top and coming back down and knew they wouldn’t have the time. Plus, his head between her legs was more obvious than his hand. “Down, boy. You’re going to get us caught.”

The expression on his face told her he didn’t give a shit about getting caught. Azriel thought she would be the death of him, but boy was he wrong. He would one day kill her with those heated looks and sinful smiles.

“Give me your panties.”

Her face heated. “What?” she squeaked.

He raised a brow imploring her to listen to him.

The fact that she couldn’t say no to him should’ve concerned her, but it only made her ache for him even more. Shakily, she grabbed the hem of her underwear and tugged them off, handing them to him.

Azriel balled the fabric, working quickly to wipe at her center, cleaning her up, and stuffed the garment into his pocket.

She stared at him. “You expect me to go commando?”

He shrugged. “Looks like you have no choice at this point.”

“My skirt is flowy!” she hissed. “Any gust of wind and I will flash everybody!”

“Guess you shouldn’t have worn a skirt—”

“You picked this outfit out…” Realization dawned on her. “You fucker, you planned this!”

“Such language,” he mused. “I should put you over my knee for that.”

Heat rushed between her thighs at the thought and Elain crossed her legs.

That wicked grin spread onto his lips, noticing how his words affected her. “Interesting…”

The look on his face promised sinful delight, something they could not explore with their current predicament. “Let’s get lunch after this,” she said instead, deterring the subject to somewhere safe lest she let him do something incredibly reckless. Moreso than what he just did to her.

He definitely saw the change of direction and let her have it. For the most part. “Perfect,” he purred sounding more like his brother than himself. “I just had the most delicious appetizer.”

Blood rushed to her cheeks, but she couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up from her chest. “You’re truly wicked, you know that?”

“Very much so, baby,” he grinned.

Oh boy, was she in a lot of trouble with this one.

They were sitting at a café along the edge of the ocean. Getting off the pier had been challenging as the wind whipped around them. Elain ended up gripping her skirt in two handfuls and pinning it against her legs. Azriel, the bastard, smirked the whole way back to the motorcycle but took pity on her when she awkwardly tried to climb onto the back of the bike, helping her tuck her skirts under her legs so it wouldn’t blow. Despite how much he was clearly enjoying this, she knew that Az was very territorial when it came to her and would absolutely not be okay with anyone seeing her naked.

They gorged themselves on seafood, Elain ordering a shrimp scampi and Azriel a seafood medley. They were each nursing a glass of white wine when they heard his name being called.

“Azriel!”

Twisting around, they saw a couple walking towards them. Both the man and woman were stunning, with rich skin tones and strong builds. But what was most striking was their bleached hair color that looked too natural to be dyed. She assumed it was a genetic thing that they both must’ve shared, meaning they likely were related.

Upon closer inspection, Elain noticed that they had similar features that confirmed there was some distant family resemblance. The man, however, had startling turquoise eyes while she had deep brown ones.

“Tarquin,” Azriel greeted, rising out of his seat to shake hands with the man. “Cresseida, it’s nice to see you again.”

Tarquin…the name was familiar… And then it hit her. This was the man whom Azriel had spoken so fondly of. Whom he partnered with for his business.

Her boyfriend indicated to her. “Please let me introduce you to my girlfriend, Doctor Elain Archeron.” She reined in her smile at the whole doctor thing. He really was insatiable. “Elain, this is Tarquin, the owner of Summer Systems, and his cousin who does all the actual work at the company, Cresseida.”

Ah, so she had been right about the family resemblance then.

Tarquin seemed to catch his astonishment at the girlfriend introduction, schooling his features to shake her outstretched hand. “It’s lovely to meet you,” she said. “I’ve heard a lot about you and your company.”

“Funny,” Cresseida said, her tone of voice a bit sharp. “We had no idea that Azriel had a girlfriend. Or that he was even in a relationship.”

Elain saw it for what it was. A test to see how well she could handle the hostility and function in a role at Azriel’s side. “Yes, well he’s very private. And not one to gloat.”

A snort cut through the tension and her eyes shifted to the man in question, seeing the utter delight in her hazel irises.

“I like her,” Cresseida announced, surprising even her.

Tarquin shook his head at his cousin’s antics. “Since you’re in town, you two should come to the company party tonight. We’re doing a celebration over our partnership. Something I wanted to give the employees for their hard work in getting everything finalized.”

She saw the refute on Azriel’s face, knowing he had told her this was a vacation and not for work.

“I appreciate the offer,” he began, but Elain interrupted him.

“We’ll consider it.”

All three of them looked at her, surprise clear in the raise of Az’s eyebrows.

“Well,” Tarquin began, amused by her outspokenness. “I hope to see you both there. Azriel, I’ll forward you the invite so you have the details.” Clasping hands with her boyfriend, the cousins bid them goodbye.

Once they were alone, Azriel asked her, “I thought we said no work on this trip?”

She shrugged a single shoulder, taking a sip of her wine. “We did, but I thought maybe it could be fun.”

His phone dinged with an incoming message. Glancing down at it, he read the text out loud. “It’s semi-formal.” Meeting her gaze, he smiled. “Looks like we need to go shopping.”

~~~~~

Azriel was pinning his cuff links when Elain stepped out of the closet in the most alluring dress he had ever seen her wear. It wasn’t just the sexy cuts exposing the middle of her torso from the crisscross front, nor the open back and the high slit hitting just below her hipbone. It was the various shades of blue, the most prominent of them being cobalt, his absolute favorite color, despite being partial to wearing black.

She gave him a shy smile. “Can you zip me up?”

The crossed straps zipped between her shoulder blades, and then a second zipper ran from below her ass to just past the swell. The cuts of the dress allowed the cute dimple of her back to show.

Gripping one zipper, he tugged it up and then the second. “You look stunning,” he murmured, kissing the backside of her head.

“Thank you, handsome,” she answered cheekily.

Gods he wanted nothing more than to slowly peel her out of that dress, but he loved seeing her in it too. Shrugging on his suit jacket, he took Elain’s hand, and out they went.

The party was gorgeous, hosted at a restaurant with a large patio area that had been rented for the evening. Twinkly lights were strung across, giving a romantic glow to the air. Dinner consisted of three types of fish, potatoes, and a green salad. It was one of the best dishes he had ever tasted.

Now, he and Elain were slow dancing with a few other couples, her hand in his, head tucked into his chest.

Her fingers stroked the hair at his nape.

“I love you, Azriel,” she whispered, almost as if she was afraid to break the trance that fell over them.

He looked down at her, surprised by the sudden declaration. “I love you too, Elain.” Unable to help himself, he leaned his head down to kiss the top of her head. Even with the heels, she was still several inches shorter than him, the top of her head only coming up to his jaw.

She hummed in contentment, melting further into his embrace.

They danced for a while longer before he asked her if she was ready to leave. He could see the exhaustion that lined her eyes, even if she tried to hide it from him. They made their way over to Tarquin to bid him goodbye.

“I’m glad you two could come. You’re more than welcome to join us or visit anytime.”

Azriel smiled, glancing down at the woman tucked under his arm. “Well, you might just see us more. We’re buying a house here. A summer home for us to vacation at. And to stay when I’m on business.”

Pure delight lit those bright, turquoise eyes. “That’s fantastic! Congratulations to you both. It’s been a pleasure to welcome you into our partnership and get to know you. Both of you.”

“It was great to meet you, as well, Tarquin,” Elain murmured from her sleepy state.

The other man gave him a knowing look. “I’ll let you go so you can get her home. Let me know the next time you visit. I’ll host something at my house.”

“Thanks, Tarquin,” Azriel answered, shaking the man’s hand.

He managed to get Elain into the car, but as soon as it started moving, her eyes drifted shut and she slept the whole way home. Az looked at her peaceful, sleeping form, and thought that he couldn’t wait to ask her to be his wife.

~~~~~

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impossiblescissorspeachpaper · 1 year

Text

there’s nothing like doing nothing, with you

elriel month prompt four: peace & quiet

Emerging from the pantry, her arms laden with ingredients, Elain breezed around the Townhouse kitchen as she prepared a simple lunch.

Measuring out two cups of flour, she added a dash of salt and a teaspoon of sugar to her large mixing bowl.

It was late on a Tuesday morning, just before midday, which meant that right at this very given moment, Azriel would be in the training ring atop the House of Wind. He’d be running the priestesses through the last of their drills, that stoic look on his face exuding nothing but pure professionalism.

Removing a stick of butter from the cooling box, Elain cut it up into small cubes and added it into her flour mixture, working it in quickly with her fingers.

Internally, Azriel would be brimming with pride, of course. Proud that those females living within the shelter of the library Rhys had built for them centuries ago had come so far. Proud that not only had they been working consistently to develop their physical strength, but strengthening their minds as well.

He’d be prompting them to give him one more, knees up, shoulders back! Elain had watched them from the sidelines enough times to know how it goes, feigning one excuse or another to be up at the House some mornings so she could watch Nesta and her friend’s train, and get a glimpse of Azriel in action.

She smiled at the thought, at how far Nesta had come. Eyeing her flour mixture, Elain added a splash of lemon juice to a quarter cup of water. A dash of lemon juice; it was her secret ingredient to a perfect, flaky pie crust. It worked every time.

Azriel would then wrap up his training session, keeping a respectful distance as the priestesses stretched out their weary muscles. He would remind them to eat something nourishing and drink plenty of water throughout the day. He’d silently pack up the equipment used, his beautiful face still giving nothing away that anything may be afoot.

Adding the water slowly to the flour and butter mixture, Elain gradually formed a smooth dough. Turning the ball of pastry out on her bench, she sprinkled flour across its smooth surface.

Cassian would be asking him if he was up for a sparring session, the General attempting to rile him into submission by implying he had gotten out of shape. It would be complete rubbish of course, Azriel always ensured his body remained honed to perfection. But Cassian would shoot him a cocky grin, trying to get the Spymaster to concede. Azriel would tell him he had to be somewhere, tell him there was intelligence he had to gather, that one of his spies had new intel to hand over to him. Cassian would believe him; he’d have no reason not to.

With a large knife, Elain sliced the ball of dough in two, placing one half aside and stretching out the other on the floured bench, her rolling pin running across its surface creating a thin even sheet.

Launching straight off the edge of the training ring, Azriel’s mighty wings would unfurl, and he’d shoot up into the sky, high above Velaris. He’d fly toward the city proper, aiming for the heart of the glittering metropolis. He’d circle around a few laps, shaking off any unwelcome eyes that may be following his path, and land several blocks away from the Townhouse, down an empty alleyway just past the Rainbow. He’d loiter, just a little while, pretending to await one the charges within his network, looking bored as he absent-mindedly twirled Truth Teller in his palm.

Coiling the first rolled out sheet of pastry around her rolling pin loosely, Elain carefully unfurled it into an empty pie dish, pressing the dough lightly into the corners and up the edges. When she was satisfied, she started on rolling out the second half of pastry.

After a few moments, Azriel would once again sheath Truth Teller into its scabbard. When his shadows had assured him that his actions were indeed not being watched, Azriel would only then step into the darkness. His shadows would know exactly where his intended destination would be. They’d know where he wanted to go. He’d swoop and twine through that void between realms until he materialised on the roof of the Townhouse.

Just as she was finishing rolling out her second disc of pastry, Elain heard a light thump, and then the crunching of boots from above. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she heard his heavy boots come down the spiral staircase and into the house. Right on time.

Before Elain could dust her hands off on her apron, Azriel had appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. His hair was adorably windswept, his leathers already unclasped and loosened at his collar. Scarred fingers made nimble work of unbuckling the remainder of the stays and straps of his leathers, finally relieving himself of the few weapons he wore buckled to his thigh and waist.

Placing the daggers on a small side table, he entered, looking more relaxed, more approachable, than she knew he would have appeared moments ago.

She smiled. She couldn’t help it, she always smiled when he walked into the room. How absurd that his title deemed him a Shadowsinger, when he was sunshine of her life. Whilst others saw the icy demeanour, the chiselled brittleness of his cool exterior, Elain had been intimately acquainted with his gentle warmth. His mere presence was soothing to her. She often found herself longing to simply bask in his glow, wanting nothing more than to stretch out like a cat would be inclined to do in a patch of warm sun.

“What am I playing for today?” she asked him as a way of greeting.

He smiled at her question, his hand diving into his pocket and pulling out a small, ornate metal box. It was gold, adorned with a smattering of teal, lavender and rose-coloured gems. It was so intricately designed, the colours of the small jewels set in a pattern to resemble small blooms, but the entire thing fit in the palm of his hand. It was beautiful.

“An antique pill box, from the Dawn Court. I thought you’d like the colours of this one.”

Elain simply hummed in response, schooling her face into one of mild indifference, not wanting the Spymaster to know just how much she wished to win today. He was terribly competitive and if he knew just how much she coveted this latest acquisition, he’d make it near impossible for her to have it.

The little pill box would look lovely with her collection, as it wasn’t the first one he’d found for her on his travels across Prythian. She often used them to keep her earrings and hair pins safe, she even had a couple that she used to store the seeds and bulbs of rare flowers and herbs inside.

Elain tore her eyes from the pillbox in Azriel’s palm, her gaze landing on his handsome face where a glimmer of a knowing smirk lifted the corner of his lips.

She nodded just once. “We’ll start after lunch. Help me finish this pie?”

Tucking the pillbox back into his pocket with a cunning grin, Azriel rolled up his sleeves and pulled up a stool to the edge of the workbench.

“Prepare the filling again?” Azriel asked, already dragging a punnet of fat strawberries toward him.

“That’s right,” Elain supplied with a smile.

It was always this way; it had become their little ritual. Elain would have spent the morning preparing a roast, a tray of lamb and rosemary potatoes already turning golden in the oven, when Azriel would come home just in time to help finish the pie they’d then eat throughout the afternoon.

They would work in companiable silence, Elain rolling out the pie crust and Azriel preparing the filling under her careful watch until their roast came out of the oven. They’d have lunch right there at the kitchen bench as the pie baked, chattering about their weeks; about Elain’s work in the various gardens across Velaris, Azriel about the places he’d travelled to whilst on his missions.

Once lunch was cleared and the pie was golden and crusty, Azriel would serve two fat slices and carry them out onto the garden patio where their chessboard waited, steam wafting over his shoulders like his shadows.

They played every week for as long as they could, stealing that precious time together until they were called back to their various responsibilities. Azriel would have some new trinket or knickknack he would have found whilst on his missions across Prythian as a wager. It was usually something that he knew Elain would enjoy; bulbs of rare flowers to plant in her gardens, fabric dyes in a vibrant azure or deep magenta, jewelled hair pins, exotic herbs and spices, peculiar books.

He’d set the object on the little table beside the chessboard as a constant reminder, and they’d play, eating slice after slice of pie.

Often, their games would go over several weeks, the Seer and Spymaster both divulging their competitive sides and neither wanting to concede to their defeat. The chessboard would await their return in a state of quiet suspense, the Queen standing guard to defend her King until the following Tuesday when they would once again pick up where they left off, continuing their game.

The sun was warming the grey stones of the small courtyard as they sat across from each other, the ancient chessboard between them, ebony and ivory pieces scattered across the worn squares.

Azriel’s brilliant eyes were darting across its chequered face, diligently calculating every possible move and those that may follow it.

After making his move, he reclined in his chair again, stretching his wings behind him to catch the sun. A sure sign of confidence and ease from the Shadowsinger.

“En passant,” Elain murmured, before sliding her piece across the chessboard and capturing one of Azriel’s white pawns.

Azriel glared at her, but she remained unruffled under his gaze, simply giving him a small shrug of her slender shoulder. Scooping a celebratory bite of the strawberry pie on her spoon, she gave him a smug look across the small wrought iron table, struggling to hide her wide smile behind the large mouthful of dessert.

“Hmm. Many players often forget that move.”

There was a sparkle in his eyes that told her he liked the challenge, welcomed it even.

Good. She wasn’t going to let him off easy.

“Rules are rules,” she teased, before indicating for him to make his countermove.

Azriel leant forward, settling his forearms on his knees, a determined gleam in his hazel eyes winking in the afternoon sun. Oh, he meant business now. But she remained poised in her seat; unperturbed, calm.

She was playing to win today. And she really wanted that pillbox.

*******

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#elriel month 2023 #t writes #elriel #elriel fic #acotar #elain x azriel #elriel month #acotar fanfiction #elain archeron #azriel #elrielmonth23 #prompt four: peace and quiet #elriel fluff

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casuallivi · 1 year

Text

it’s a beautiful thing, being able to be someone's safety zone.

For Elriel Month 2023. Prompt 5: Darkness Lets the Light Shine @elriel-month

Set: the events vary from post ACOMAF to post ACOWAR.

Faint feminine crying ignites his conscious back to life.

The pain is excruciating. Everything hurts, every muscle and tendon in his body burning as if he had been bathed in corrosive acid, his magic struggling to purge the poison and power from the king of Hybern. A swarm of angry shadows stop anyone from approaching. The healers gather in a corner, not knowing what to do.

“Help! Help!... Father!... Nesta!... Help me!”

In his mind, Azriel is sure he’s moving, broken ribs and cracked bones protesting as he fights to sit up, determined to aid her.

“No! Stop, stop it! Please, stop.”

In reality he doesn't move, can't move, prone in a stretcher, the only proof to his distress being the frenetic movement happening behind his closed eyelids, the smallest tightening of his knuckles in the former white sheets now smeared with blood. His blood.

She’s crying now. Choked whimpers evolving to full on sobbing. It's agony, this suffering, piercing his ears so loudly not even his shadows’ whispers can cut through her pleas. Her pain. His pain. He doesn't know what hurts more. Can't tell the difference anymore. Pleas for help merge with a strangled scream, then everything goes silent. His breath catches. His heart stops.

What happened?

Where is she?

The room trembles, chunks of stone dropping from the walls. Screams come from the medical bay now, healers running out of the way from his shadows, darkness engulfing everything. Azriel can't calm them down; they mistake the agony as his own. He urges his shadows to go to her, but they refuse to leave him, high on alert, too worried about their master, set on protecting him now that he lays vulnerable.

It feels wrong, this silence. Unnatural.

Help, he remembers. He can help.

He’s a Shadowsinger, a spymaster, a powerful Illyrian warrior turned Carynthian from effort born from blood, sweat and tear. His brother’s blood as well.

Go, he pleads. Go, now. It’s no use.

He can't help. He wants to. He can't.

Seconds. His moments of lucidity last for seconds.

Azriel passes out again.

~~~

In and out of conscious he goes.

Distorted images flash behind his eyelids. His father’s cell. His hateful siblings’ cruel laugh. The earth-shattering shriek from his mother. Fire blazes and burns and scars. He doesn’t cry. He never cries.

The shadows are his only friends, his everlasting companions. Illyrian cockpits are always covered with fallen children, bruised and broken –but not beyond repair, at least not until the rite. In his High Lord’s office, bookshelves are overturned in a raging fit, paranoid about his child growing night-kissed power. Screams of terror fill the dungeons nestled deep down the Court of Nightmares, a predatory smile stretched in his face, the blood of others dripping down his mask.

Wherever he goes, havoc follows. Destruction. Despair. Not a single face is welcoming at the sight of him unless he’s disguised. His brother fears him sometimes. He understands him, truly. Most nights he fears himself. Scared that, even for a millisecond, he might come to lose control of the darkness brewing in his soul. Might let free the shadow-being that can shapeshift into him; the being that lives for ruination and mayhem.

What is time, if not the meaning you attach to the memories you make?

Memories are his own personal Hel.

Azriel would rather forget them all.

~~~

A dark shape comes closer, withered bony hands probing and prying

Tension radiates from his head to his toes.

‘Madja.’

His quiet sight of sigh of relief is missed by the female.

‘Healer.’

The weary low whisper of his shadows are a balm to his ears.

If can hear them again, he's getting better.

Azriel will heal.

He'll survive.

~~~

Her silence is deafening.

He can’t take it no longer.

Azriel pries one eye open.

Brightness is blinding.

Closed it is.

His voice is rough from disuse, painful to push out.

"You wail like an old lady.”

It’s the wrong thing to do; announce he is conscious, able to speak, to an over emotional Cassian. His brother takes his jab as an invite, jumping on top of him, nearing crushing his half-healed body in a bear hug. Coughing hurts. Cassian helps him to sit up.

Exhaustion is hard to combat.

~~~

Once awake he leaves the healing bay under hard protest from the elderly female. His shadows know where to go even if he doesn't. It's not hard to find her. He does let himself be seen by others.

She lays in bed all day.

He can see Nesta constantly tries do feed her, but for the looks of it, her efforts are not fruitful.

Her light is dimmed, hollowed, wrong. There's no smile to rival the sun now. Silent tears fall down her face, their scent filling the bedroom with salt. It’s a horrible sensation to feel powerless again after so long. For a moment he’s nothing but a boy, alone in the dark. Azriel hates it. He needs the sun to live.

‘There’s no one here,’ his shadows sing. ‘Far away. Gone.’

The statement leaves him puzzled. She is right in front of him, yet they speak as if she left the place, only traces of her sadness lingering behind.

Rhysand doesn't voice his intent, but Azriel knows all the same. The shadows are quick to inform his brother wants to meddle in her mind, nudge her out of bed, oblige her to eat. Azriel’s hand flies to his chest by pure instinct, fingers curling over his shirt.

“Don't."

"This little girl has not eaten a single morsel since she got here."

He knows. But they have all been there before. Struggling with the harsh reality of life. All immortals do.

"Give her time."

“How do you expect me to explain to Feyre her sister died from starvation? She will eat.” Not his brother anymore, not now.

The male in front of him is every inch of a High Lord, the imperative tone leaving no place to question whether this is a request or an order. Azriel doesn’t care. He stands taller. Wings flaring behind his back.

“She will. When she’s ready.” He doesn’t want his brother in her mind. Wandering, prying, exerting influence.

Azriel knows Rhysand well; knows his habit of acting “in favor” of the ones he cares for. A beautiful disguise to cover his own selfish agenda. To protect them, he says, to protect you. Azriel knows better. Knows the seeds he can plant in one’s mind, knows the gates are left wide open for him to return whenever he seems fit, do whatever he judges necessary.

“Let her be.”

“I do not understand you.” Cunning violet eyes set on the shadows gathering over him. “Is this girl a problem to my court? Is that why you are set on killing her?”

Hazel eyes gleam with violence. No one’s dying on his watch. Not her. Never her. Still, the mention of death sends his siphons flaring to life, a cobalt haze engulfing the corridor, Rhysand’s own night power rises in alert, his wings snapping into existence, expanded to their full length. Azriel's are bigger, they both know it. Smirking, Rhysand myst his away, feigning not to notice he came up short.

“Calm down.” His High Lord demands. “What is wrong with you?”

Illyrian pride, Azriel feels no pleasure in recognizing, burns in veins as he tucks his wings.

“Nothing.” He wouldn’t understand. None of them do. “Nothing at all.”

Azriel turns back to her bedroom door, warding her with the most reliable weapon he has; his shadowsinger magic. Ancient, powerful, inconspicuous. He trusts no one. Never has. Is how he survived for so long.

Azriel watches his brother’s every move, makes sure he’s not crossing lines meant to be respected.

Rhysand stays out of Elain’s head.

As long as Azriel stays near to guard her.

~~~

Elain finds her way to the library.

The windows are closed, heavy rain tapping against the glass where her palm is pressed, forehead glued to the surface, peering down at the fat dark clouds, the city far underneath. She's finer, brittle. Shadows slithering into the room, hiding between the crevices of the hardwood floor, mingling with the shades cast by the faelights.

‘She’s back."

"She’s here.’

The message is delivery to his ears alone, yet, Elain moves as soon as they speak, head snapping to her left. Toward the shadow who ventured closer to her, curling under the armchair leg.

“I want to go home.”

A heavy weight settles on his chest. How could he tell her that there was no home left to return to? Now that she was made into High Fae, there would be no warm welcoming for her in the human lands ever again.

Her lips tremble. “You don’t know that.”

Her forehead returns to the cold glass. “He is waiting for me.”

Is not wishfulness he hears when she speaks. Is assurance. Unbreakable trust. Blind faith. Elain is sure her fiancé is worried about her. Waiting for her to return. Azriel clasps his hands behind his back to hide the shaking.

The scent of the older Archeron burns his nostrils as she barrels in the library, gasping at the sight of her sister; out of bed, bathed, dressed in fresh cloths. Speaking. Nesta has not heard Elain’s voice in weeks.

“You are up.” She marvels. “How are you feeling?”

Azriel can hear the quake in her voice. He knows she’d never cry in front of one of them. Nesta’s tears are reserved for the privacy of her own room, in the dead of night, when she thinks all of them have gone to bed.

“I want to go home.” Elain repeats, not looking at them. “I want to go home.”

It’s too much for him to bear.

Azriel leaves the House of Wind.

He doesn’t fly far, doesn’t land anywhere.

It’s not long before he’s back. Alert and vigilant.

Azriel has many eyes and ears spread along the realm, fae eager to please him and prove their value, even if through the menial task of watching a female who spent most of her days in a catatonic state.

Azriel doesn't delegate.

None of them are trust worthy.

None of them are good enough.

None of them is sharper than the spymaster.

~~~

Her lower lip is trapped between her teeth, face lost in concentration. With a sigh, Elain pushes the board game away from her.

“I give up.” She looks over her shoulder, eyes fixed on the empty sofa. “I cannot figure how to play this.”

One blink and Azriel materializes from the shadows, elbow perched on the arm rest, chin in hand.

“It’s a game for two.”

Elain stands, rounding the table to pull the other chair with a flourishing gesture. A silent invitation. It never occurred to Azriel how difficult it is to hide a smile. He doesn’t have the habit of doing so.

His steps are calm and assured, Azriel going to the opposite side of the table, pulling her chair. Elain quirks one brow up, nodding at the chair she has classified as his. He never sits with his back to the doors or windows, so the chair whose back remain to the stone wall are, by default, his.

“I believe I was sitting you.”

“Ladies first.” A human custom. One to be mocked, and frowned upon, by those brought up by a race where females are downgraded. He's made sure to learn them all.

There's no price to the glow in her eyes.

He pushes her chair back in.

Azriel wears no armor today –haven’t for a couple of days now. His gloves come off like a second nature, carelessly shoved in the pocket of his pants, a single siphon dangling in a chain under his black shirt, shifted into a necklace. At least one has to remain. It's safer this way.

Elain interlace her fingers beneath her chin, watching him settle each piece in its correspondent place, long scarred fingers organizing the thirty-two ivory miniatures with careful precision. Dragon and horse-rider are put side by side, but all the goblins stay in the front, like a protective wall. Elain cocks her head to the side, the pattern turning recognizable.

“Is it… fae chess?”

She sounds “fae” like a curse. A forbidden word that should not be said by well-bread ladies. The sharpness of her mind is always a thing of wonder for him.

“Similar.”

“Are you good at it?” Elan asks softly, as if she’s afraid of disrupting his concentration, or being responsible for him misplacing a knight.

“I'm adequate.”

“You are good at it.” She declares.

Her innate confidence in him has his wings jerking behind his back, a quick sharp flare he's even quicker to tame. Shadows skitter in delight. What’s wrong with you. Behave.

"I haven't play it in roughly a hundred years."

"A hundred years!” A small laugh escapes her. “So dramatic."

“Am I?”

Elain lifts her eyes from the board, ready to shower him with reasons for judging him so, when they catch on his wings. Two large membranous appendages shaped like the ones of a bat, thick veins running under the leathery skin which expand and contract, before comfortably fitting between the slits in the chair.

Wings.

Because he is not human.

Neither is she.

The room spins, walls closing in on her. The gurgling of water is deafening, black dots edging her vision, ghost hands tugging her legs. Oh no. Azriel’s lips are moving, but she can’t hear a word he’s saying. She can’t hear anything but that heinous cackling laugh, mocking her, the same way it did when she drowned. Elain hyperventilates.

Her hands fly over the boardgame, meeting his halfway, colorful ivory pieces falling down with a loud thump. She grabs onto him, short nails digging on the bump curves of his scars. His scars are real. Azriel is real. He’s not speaking anymore, just breathing, deeply, the painful squeeze of her hand instigating her to follow. She does.

Azriel is aware Elain is remembering she’s no longer human, knows unwanted memories are striking her the same way they do to him in the dead of night. He knew she was about to be triggered the moment her gaze locked in his wings, eyes widening together with the quickening in her breath, confusing swiping her features. They are more infrequent now, her panic attacks, but every once in a while, he witnesses them. Feels her despair as if it was his own, even if he’s not around to help her ride the wave.

It’s a painfully long process to help her calm down. Time matters not to him. Azriel has only Elain in his mind.

Slowly – so, so, slowly – Elain feels the walls retroceding to their original place, the ceiling high and above, not even close from crushing her skull. Her suffering sigh of relief breaks the tense silence, vexed shadows quieting at the feet of their master but refusing to vanish, the everlasting eyeless watch following her with keen attention.

One of his hands start to leave hers.

"Don't let me go!" Elain yelps helplessly.

"I won't." The hand doesn't go far, cradling her face, his thumb swiping the solitary tear running down her cheek. "I won’t."

He stays with her.

Azriel stays with Elain and does not let go.

~~~

“You are letting me win.” Elain sulks. "Stop that."

Azriel finds her complain endearing, but then again, many things she does can be classified that way.

"I'm teaching you. Enjoy while it last."

"You have the power to destroy me."

“Where’s the fun in that?” Elain moves her remaining dragon to eminent extermination. He holds her hand before the piece can touch the board – losing the right be moved– guiding her to place it two squares below the one she aimed for. "I can teach you better tactics," he wiggles his brows, "war strategies."

“No, thank you. I want to bargain.”

Hazel eyes find her so fast Elain feels a little dizzy. He tends to do that to her, steal her breath.

"Bargains are more than an agreement between the fae." He begins carefully.

"I know." Elain says calmly.

"They cannot be broken."

"I know."

"We'll be bound by magic."

"I'm aware."

"And you still want to bargain?"

"Yes."

"With me?"

"Yes."

"Over a match you'll certainly loose?"

"I will not lose." Elain scoff with confidence. Azriel places a hand in front of his mouth. She slaps it away. "Do not laugh, I will not lose."

He shouldn't do it. Azriel knows he should not do it.

"Name it."

He never had a chance. Azriel is a slave to competition.

“We’ll have another match. If I win, I want you to teach me how to winnow.”

“We don’t need a bargain for that. I can teach you regardless.”

“No,” Elain shakes her head, declining politely. “I want to earn it. I win, you teach me. And if you win,”

“When I win,” he corrects her, relaxing on his chair. Elain rolls her eyes.

“If you win,” she begins again with annoyance. “I’ll grant you a wish.”

“The conditions?”

“None.” She states with a little shrug. Azriel sits properly, the devil in him giving her his full attention. “I’ll grant you a wish of your choosing. Any wish.”

“Any wish?” He asks, not believing his ears.

“Any wish.” She confirms.

The Shadowsinger rattles his cage, anticipation filling him with energy.

“You should really stipulate more rules.”

“I don’t need to.”

“It’s dangerous to make such a loose bargain.”

“I trust you.”

Well, fuck him.

Elain shouldn’t trust him so easily. Elain shouldn't trust him at all. At this point, Azriel has nothing but bad intent in mind. He tries to scold his features. Is impossible. His lazy smile soon turns into a grin from ear to ear, eyes going wholly black. Azriel rolls his shoulders in a dramatic maneuver, feigning to stretch his muscles, before extending a hand towards Elain.

“My lady.”

“My lord.” Her smirk is supposed to be threatening. She could not be cuter if she tried. “May the best one win.”

“That one happened to be me.”

They shake on it. Magic instantly zaps between them, rising up his arm. Their hairs stood up a little. They move at the same time, Azriel returning her curls back in place as Elain flattens his. They smile at each other.

“Best be ready to lose.” She sings excitedly, smoothing his ears after she's done with his hair. Contouring the round shape of it. “I have a secret up my sleeve.”

She doesn’t.

Azriel wins

~~~

It isn’t until much later that he realizes she lost on purpose.

Because Azriel learns from Cerridwen that Elain has known how to winnow since Fall.

~~~

The pungent stench of burnt food brings her back to reality, where she stands frozen in the middle of the kitchen, dark smoke rising from the oven. Elain knows is useless, but she still rushes to save her pie. In her hurry, she forgets to put the gloves, burning her hands in the hot pan, which she hastily drops in the counter.

“Shit!” the hushed curse is inevitable.

People curse so much in this household, is beginning to rub on her.

Elain holds her injured hand to her chest, breathing heavily as the images of her vision flash one last time before her eyes, the details fogged, hazy. What was it that she saw? It has vanished now, she cannot remember.

On her peripheral view, Elain can see a body emerging from thin air, a silver fork shining in a scarred hand as he nicks a piece of the pie.

“Wait!” She gasps.

Her warning comes too late. He’s eating it already.

Elain covers her mouth in horror, watching him chew a generous piece of the burned pastry, eyes trained on the movement off his strong jaw, the elegant bob of his adam’s apple as he swallows the lumpy mix. Her mouth feels dry.

She licks her lips, feeling unsettled for an entirely different reason. “I don’t think that’s edible…”

“Uncooked and burned at the same time,” Azriel comments, staking the fork in the middle of the pie. “That’s some skills you have there.”

“Just spit it out.” She asks with shame, looking around the messy kitchen, mentally moping about all the cleaning she has to do before remaking the desert.

He’s behind the counter now, the beautiful cobalt stone on top of his fingerless gauntlet flickering quietly as he asked for her hand, the pale skin of her palm turned to a raw pink. She hisses as he touches the edges, their eyes meeting briefly.

‘Does it hurt much?’ His say.

‘I’ll live.’ Hers answer.

Azriel turns the faucet on, briefly testing the temperature.

The back of her hand rests on his open palm as cold water cools the wound. They stand close, the hard muscles of his torso pressed to her side, brushing against her with every rise and fall of his chest.

“It’s superficial,” he tranquilizes her, “give it an hour and you’ll be good as new.”

An hour. A wound that before would have peeled her skin, blistered and swollen, before probably leaving a scar would now heal within the hour. A shiver runs down her spine.

Azriel notices her tension right away; the scrunch of her nose, the downward tug of her lips, the twitch of the fingers on his hand. He makes not comment, doesn’t chastise or console her either, letting her process her emotions at her own time and pace. He knows Elain struggles with her new body, but it is not his place to comment when he cannot stand his own Illyrian features from time to time –the facial structure that resembles his father.

Her eyes fall closed, ears twitching at the array of sounds. His controlled breathing, rhythmic heartbeat, nose buried in her hair, the subtle inhale of her scent, his lips pressing ever so slightly on the top of her head. Elain is getting used to dampening her super hearing, but sometimes... Sometimes she let her abilities unchecked.

The faucet is turned off.

Elain opens her eyes, silently watching as he calls a shadow, a small metallic container appearing on his previously empty hand. Azriel unscrews the lid, applying a generous coat of a greenish ointment on her skin, soothing the burn. A moan of relief escape from her lips. He smiles.

“You are quite vocal.” Azriel comments.

“You make me feel good.” She sighs contently.

Azriel pauses, and so does Elain, gauging his reaction. It’s a genuine confession, not one stirred from the act of care he’s demonstrating right now, but one born from the combination of all the ones done before that.

“Azriel."

He doesn't trust his voice to answer.

"Mmh?"

"You make me feel good.” Elain repeats. Feelings she’s been trying to tame bleed out from her heart. Pouring like a torrent.

He drowns in it.

Gladly.

One kiss to her palm, then he is pressing it to his heart.

“You make me feel good too, sweetheart."

And she does.

Azriel feels like he has it now.

Light.

Not to purge the darkness.

But to shine the brightest where his darkness is.

#elrielmonth23 #elriel #elriel month 2023 #prompt 5: darkness lets the light shine #this is kind of a mixed with prompt 4: peace and quiet #because I felt like it #:D #elriel fanfiction #elriel fanfic #elain archeron #azriel shadowsinger #elain #azriel #my writing #happy elriel month #lividoesem23 #i feel weird #this might suck #sorry

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