✨ Marley ✨

Just out here scrambling to do my best… Melbourne - 26

[hellodarling1357]

ACOTAR Masterlist ✨

I'm taking requests for most characters but am in the middle of post-grad so no guarantee it will be written straight away 😘

Cassian x Reader:

Multi-Chapter Fics

Drunk Words, Sober Thoughts? (Finished - for now?)

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Flames and Embers (ongoing)

Part 1 Part 2

The Wrong Ones (on hold)

Part 1

Tiny Toes

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 3.5, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.1, Part 6.2, Part 6.3, Part 6.4, Part 7

The 1 (on hold)

Part 1

More Than A Moment

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

One Shots

I Can See You

Becoming Parents

A Plethora of Embraces

Battle Wounds

Friend and Foe

Modern!Cassian

Sick Days (request)

Battlefield Confessions

Inked (drabble)

Touched by an Angel

Forever Tied (request)

Frenzied Splashes (request)

Massages of Disappointment (request)

Coming Back To You (request)

[hellodarling1357]

Tiny Toes: Tiny Moments (1) - Cassian x Reader

Hello hello hello!

I've missed this little family so much but I'm still feeling the writers block and life stresses big time...

So I thought I would try to get back to them through a Tiny Moments series. These will just be short little snippets of day-to-day moments between Reader, Cassian and Ottie (and maybe a few guests along the way)

As always, I'm open to suggestions so let me know if there's any particular moments you would like to see.

Enjoy 🥰

You can read the previous part here

The quiet moments were your most cherished; they were the ones that you never thought would matter before finding yourself so wholly in love with the little family you had joined and could no longer imagine yourself without.

Those quiet moments around the breakfast table where you were all too tired to speak. The ones where Cassian would all but grunt in acknowledgement when handing you your coffee, eyes still half closed; or when Ottie would cover her mouth when yawning, toast still in hand, accidentally spearing raspberry jam across her face. These were the moments when you would sit next to Cassian, leaning against him and gratefully taking a bite of the perfectly buttered toast he would hold out for you.

Some mornings when the frost was crisp across the lawn and the touch of night still lingered across the sky, these quiet moments tended linger. The three of you would slowly wake up together, life and energy beginning to recirculate through the bump of a hip as you and Cassian brushed your teeth side-by-side, or through the soft giggles that echoed down the hallway as Ottie showed off the mismatched outfit she had picked out all by herself.

It was in these moments, when words weren’t needed and small glances were shared, that the house seemed full to the brim with love and fondness; like when your eyes met Cassian’s in the mirror as he braided Ottie’s hair, the ever-growing 4-year-old humming absentmindedly to herself as she swayed on the spot. Or when Cassian would glance back at the house before leaving for work, knowing you and Ottie would still be standing in the doorway waving him off.

Tomorrow it would be the same, the sleepy grunts, the jam-smeared cheeks, the warmth of Cassian’s shoulder against yours. Tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that. And in those quiet, simple, seemingly insignificant moments, you found everything you had ever wanted and more.

*****

Tag List: @mis-lil-red @sarawritestories @beardburnsupersoldiers @eve175 @blushingfawnsposts @turtleshavesoulmates @slytherinindisguise @sleepylunarwolf @starryhiraeth @tele86 @azrielsmate3 @anuttellaa @purple-haired-faerie @lilac-witch @cassianstannn32 @littlelunatica @nighttimemoonlover @jswizzlewrites @azrielsmate3 @fxckmiup @dream-alittlebiggerdarling @talesofadragon @natashachelsea @lilah-asteria @callsigns-haze @blackgirlmagicforever @crimsonwritings @mp-littlebit @inloveallthetime @koemi-kimo @readinggeeklmao @shizukestar @red-red-rogue @fanficscuziranout @twismare @abbychambers

Let me know if you want to be added! 🥰

[hellodarling1357]

more than a moment is my favourite thing ever 🩷🩵🫶🏻 thank you for giving it to us ~

👀 well lucky you because I'm about to write some more for it!!

[savetheladyofautumn]

someone is translating and posting SJM fics without permission. We gotta work with Wattpat customer support to take down the chapter(s). I'm tagging folks that got impacted. Happy to share the link in Dms, but I don't want to post the link here to encourage randos to go harass the person. 

Edit: they likely mean well, but need to be asking you all for permission. It should be your choice how your fic is shared with the world. <3

@inkedinshadows, @surielstea @littlest-w01f @thehighladywrites @quenntala (not sure if on tumblr ) @throneofsapphics @utterlyotterlyx @sarawritestories @daycourtofficial @readychilledwine @hellodarling1357 @danikamariewrites @daydreaming-nerd @saphirered @bubbles-for-all-of-us, @batboysanonymous, @azsazz @luxsky @flickering-chandelier @solbaby7 @themusingsofacurlyhairednerd @velarisdusk @speaknowgirl3184 @moonlistories @idkyetxoxo, @lipstickmarks @bluetimeombre @hierofshadowsingers @illyrianbitch @thisblogisaboutabook, @valentine-writes @mcuamerica @allhopesforlove @amaniansari @pellucid-constellations @manicmanuscription

[whisperingmidnights]

Translation Rules

I do not currently give any blanket permission for anyone to repost or translate my work here or on any other site. If you would like to translate any of my writing, you will need to reach out to me via DM for us to discuss the rules and guidelines for the translation.

Any approved translation will be linked in my masterlist. If it is not linked in my masterlist, it is not approved. I hate to be this person, but I will file complaints until the work is taken down. Please do not waste my time and yours doing this. If you come across my work translated or reposted in the wild, please send me the link so I can work on having it removed.

Thank you.

[hellodarling1357]

Cassian x reader where for whatever reason they are pretending to date (maybe to keep Mor from setting up reader or for court appearances idk) and then cassian realises his feelings.

Just Me and You… (Part 1) – Cassian x Reader

Hello hello! I've had this half finished and sitting in my drafts for months so thought I would just chuck it out there and break it into a few parts instead of one longer fic...

Enjoy 🥰

Word Count: 1.5k

It became a given - on nights out when all you wanted was to enjoy the company of your friends on the dance floor and not a stranger’s bed; when there had been unwanted propositions; even that one time a drunken lord from the Day Court had proposed to you after a single conversation - it had become a given that you and Cassian had each other’s back, steering the other away and acting as a shield from the unwanted attention of a lingering gaze or flirtatious remark. It became a given, but it also became somewhat of a game because, well, of course you had to keep the ruse up; what if the female from three weeks ago who you had saved Cassian from at Rita’s happened to see the two of you acting like just friends? What if that drunken Day Court Lord noticed you weren’t stuck to each other like glue, unwilling to be apart from the love you had convinced the poor male of as the ploy to escape his questioning gaze? Besides, it was, actually, so normal for friends to look out for each other, thank you very much. And it was fun; the two of you had fun coming up with elaborate stories of how you met, bouncing off of one another as you improvised, not having noticed the fae you were wanting to avoid had already lost interest and were weaving their way through the crowd and away from the two of you.

Your friends, however, didn’t find it as fun or entertaining. The shared looks and rolled eyes went unnoticed as you and Cassian slipped back into the booth at Rita’s, Cassian’s arm lingering around your waist and your hand placed blazingly on his chest as you leant against his side – What? We have to keep up the act, what if they see? 

So what if the added warmth of you pressed against him and the comforting weight of his arm around you sent tingles throughout your whole being? This was what friends did for each other… right?

It wasn’t until these actions started trickling into the privacy of your own home, at the House of Wind, at the River House, at Mor’s apartment, did your friends begin to make not-so-subtle comments outlining exactly what they thought about how the two of you behaved towards one another.

“I swear to the Mother…” Rhys started, fingers attempting to rub away at the tension building across his forehead as the meeting he was trying to hold was, once again, interrupted. “Can the two of you stop flirting for one hour? We have shit to do, and the constant giggling isn’t helping.”

“I’m not giggling.” Your voice was defiant but lacked any actual offence, either way you straightened up in your seat and pointedly turned your chair away from Cassian, showing Rhys he had your full attention.

“I wasn’t talking about you, love.” Rhys replied tiredly as he shot Cassian a pointed look. Cassian simply offered him an unbothered grin in return as he draped an arm over the back of your chair and gestured for Rhys to continue.

“So, if we want this to actually have any impact over the–”

“He’s just in a shitty mood because Feyre is still refusing sex after their bet the other week,” Cassian mused conspiratorially in your ear, his warm breath fanning across the exposed skin of your neck and leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. “I don’t giggle,” Cassian continued. “He’s just taking it out on me because I’m actually getting some…”

“Cassian. Enough. Do I really have to ask you to move to the other end of the table? Like we’re in fucking primary school?”

You laughed along with the others but somehow managed to miss Cassian’s retort, mind fixated on his words. Who had he been sleeping with? And how didn’t you know about this? And why did you even care?

Letting out a breath you shuffled your chair further away from Cassian and promptly fixed your full attention on Rhys, actively ignoring the male beside you and the murmured comments you knew were uttered purely to make you laugh, for the remainder of the meeting.

———

You weren’t actively avoiding Cassian.

No, your work had just been keeping you busy as you flittered around from Court to Court for Rhys. The fact that you didn’t see Cassian for two weeks was just an added bonus while you tried to figure out why the idea of him sleeping with someone suddenly bothered you so much. Eventually you landed on the reason simply being because he hadn’t told you. You were friends and he had kept something from you, obviously that would give cause for the unsettled pit in your stomach.

With that conclusion in mind, you walked into Rita’s feeling a bit more at ease, a grin spreading across your features as you spotted your friends in the usual corner booth.

“Rude, you all started without me.” You said, sliding in to sit beside Azriel as the others blinked at you in surprise.

“Y/N!” Mor’s excited exclamation had you laughing, clearly her current drink wasn’t the first of the night, “you’re here. You’ve returned to us at last!”

“We didn’t think you’d be back tonight.” Cassian explained, offering you a grin as he raised his glass in your direction.

You returned the gesture before turning to Rhys, “everything went well enough. I think Eris should be writing to you at some point to set up a time to discuss it all in more detail. But for now, things are keeping stable.”

“What’s this for?” Mor asked, glancing between the two of you with sharpened attention at the mention of Eris’ name.

“Beron, apparently, has decided that the ties between Night and Autumn need to be strengthened,” Rhys explained with a sigh, leaning heavily into Feyre’s touch, “which is difficult to navigate given our current… arrangement with Eris.”

“Oh, yes,” there was venom laced in Mor’s voice as her eyes trailed on the wine swirling around inside her glass, “the current arrangement in which we are to believe that Eris wants to become High Lord purely to do some good in the world. That this whole time, everything he has ever done was all part of some greater ploy and he’s not the arrogant, conniving asshole he’s proved himself to be over and over and over again.”

“Yes, that’s exactly right.” All heads turned to you at the equally cool tone of your voice.

“Y/N…” Cassian started, not one to willingly give Eris the benefit of the doubt.

“No, I’ve had enough of this. I’m the one whose been back and forth between the courts for Gods knows how long. I’m the one who sees what its like there, what all the Vanserra’s are like behind closed doors. Either you believe me when I say we can trust Eris or you don’t, in which case, Rhys, you need to seriously reconsider how you’ve structured your court. Because if you lot can’t trust me on this, and after the decades we’ve worked with one another, then what’s the point?”

Maybe it was the exhaustion creeping in after your time away, but the constant berating and going around and around in circles, replaying the same arguments with nothing new to add was beginning to wear you down. 

“We trust you, Y/N. Of course we do. But you can’t deny that Autumn, and Eris, have a reputation of being—”

“What? Like the act this court has been playing out for years on end? Rhys also has a reputation amongst the other courts, no offence Rhys,” you offered your friend an apologetic smile before fixing a glare back on Cassian, daring him to argue back.

“Y/N’s right but now is not the time or place for this conversation,” Rhys’ tone was casual but the glint in his eyes left no room for debate. “So, lets turn off work mode, please, and get back to trying to find someone for Az.”

The groups laughter at Azriel’s glare was abruptly halted by the scrape of a chair as Mor stood up. Without looking at any of you she downed her drink before saying, “I want to dance,” before storming away without a backward glance. You stared after your friend, torn between wanting to comfort her and wanting to smack her over the head for being so damn stubborn.

“She’s fine,” Rhys said, giving you a knowing look, knowing the guilt you felt from getting closer to the male who had caused her so much pain.

“I know,” turning to Azriel you let go of the tension of the past conversation as your face split into a mischievous grin, “so, what’s this about us trying to set you up? Finally decided your mysterious ways weren’t quite cutting it?”

“For fucks sake,” your friend muttered as he took a hefty sip of his drink before muttering something about getting another round and slipping off into the crowd.

[hellodarling1357]

Hello! Heard your requests are open so could I please request a cassian x f!reader fic where the reader is a babysitter for cassian's baby girl (maybe less than a year old). cassian is a single father so as time goes on and cassian sees reader bonding so well with his baby, he starts liking her more and more. eventually asks her out and they end up getting together and all❤️

Tiny Toes

Thank you so much for the request! I had the best time writing this, it honestly could’ve gone on forever

A/N: sorry for the slight Nesta slander, I really do love her as a character but needed to have her do this :(

Enjoy 🥰

Word Count: 6.6k

You didn’t think you would be babysitting at this stage in your life but with your boss firing you because you refused to sleep with him, and then refusing to put in a good word for you when potential employers contacted him for a reference, it seemed like the next best, and your only, option. If anything, it was a means to an end in terms of supporting yourself whilst you got back on your feet and sorted something else out; the fact that you absolutely adored babies and children was just a bonus perk of the job.

When your close friend Elain told you that she knew someone who would really appreciate your help, you jumped at the opportunity. However, what you weren’t expecting was to come face to face with the General of the Night Court’s armies, crying baby in his arms and a distressed expression of his face.

“Y/N?”

“Yes, hi…” You trailed off, unsure how to address the male in front of you. General? Lord? But he didn’t seem to notice your hesitancy as he gestured you inside.

“Hey, I’m Cassian. Seriously, thank you so much for agreeing to this. I know it’s last minute, but somethings come up and I just… Well, I really need the help, so thank you.”

You smiled at him, taking the time to look around the open layout of the house as he tried to settle his crying daughter. You couldn’t help but cringe a bit at the state of the place. There were baby clothes and toys everywhere, plates and dirty laundry piled up, not to mention the daggers and knives that seemed to be scattered throughout the place.

“This,” Cassian said as he walked back into the lounge room, the babe now happily looking around, “is Otilia, or Ottie. Ottie, this is Y/N, she’s going to be looking after you while Daddy is away. You’re going to be a good girl for Y/N?” Ottie just smiled up at him as though he were her favourite person in the world, making happy little noises as she kicked her feet and grasped at the front of his top.

The sight had your heart melting. If you didn’t already know who Cassian was, there was no way in a million years you would’ve guessed that the male in front of you was the infamous General, the Lord of Bloodshed.

With Ottie still is his arms, Cassian moved around the room, gathering items, and trying to clean up what he could before leaving.

“I’ve left a note in the kitchen, just with all the general things like nap times, where the baby food is, where the nappies are, what her favourite toy is. But she’s a pretty happy baby so hopefully she won’t be any trouble.”

“I’m sure she’ll be perfect, won’t you, sweetheart?” You cooed at the little girl as she watched you with wide eyes. “Here, do you want me to take her so she can get comfortable with me while you’re still here?” You offered, as she wrapped her small hand around your finger.

“If you don’t mind. Don’t be offended if she starts crying, she usually takes a few minutes to warm up to new people,” Cassian passed her over, helping her settle in your arms, a protective hand cupping her cheek as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Well, look at that, you’re clearly some sort of baby whisperer.”

Smiling down at her, you gently tickled her with your pointer finger, grinning as her feet started kicking, her sweet melodic laugh filling the room. Cassian hurriedly pulled the rest of his gear together, sending lingering looks over to the pair of you as he did so.

“Everything alright?” You asked as you sat on the green velvet couch, Ottie still in your arms. You knew how hard it could be for the parents, having a complete stranger looking after their children, so you tried to give Cassian the chance to ask any questions or dispel any concerns before he left.

“Yeah, yeah sorry of course. All fine.” He seemed to hesitate before leaning against the table as he watched Ottie, a loving smile gracing his features. “Sorry,” a sheepish expression replaced that smile as he met your eye, “it’s the first time I’m leaving her, and I can’t seem to make myself walk out the door.”

You softly laughed, trying to ease his tension as you said, “That’s completely normal. If it helps, is there a way I can get in touch with you while you’re out? That way you’ll know straight away if something happens?”

He gave you a grateful smile but shook his head, “No it’s nothing like that. After everything I’ve heard Elain say about you, I trust you with her completely. It’s more so that I just don’t want to be away from her, don’t want to miss anything, you know? Even if it’s just the same smile I’ve already seen a hundred times,” He chuckled as he got up to press a kiss to the top of her head, then her cheeks, then her tiny, clenched hands. “Trust me, I know how pathetic this sounds, I don’t even know why I’m telling you, but I just really love hanging out with her. It’s just been the two of us against the world, especially after everything that happened with…” He suddenly stopped, as if catching what he was about to say.

“Anyway, I should be off. I’m already half an hour late and have had Rhys mind yelling at me for the last 15 minutes. Thank you so much, Y/N. I should only be gone a few hours.” With a final kiss to Ottie’s cheeks, Cassian walked out the door.

"Well now, what are we going to do today, sweetheart?" You asked the small baby in your arms. She just fixed you with another smile and burst into giggles.

*****

You had spent the better part of an hour playing with Ottie, hoping to tire her out so that she would easily go down for her nap. You plan miraculously worked, after wrapping her up in a blanket and running a soothing hand over her stomach, she fell fast asleep without even the smallest fuss. Cassian was right, she was a happy baby.

You quietly closed the door behind you and headed down to the kitchen. With nothing else to do, you figured you would help by cleaning the place up. With the dishes washed and drying, the benches wiped, and rubbish taken out, you started on the piles of laundry, however, a small painting tucked behind a chair in the corner of the lounge room piked your interest.

You picked Cassian out of the painting immediately, the telltale red Siphons and overall uncanny accuracy making it an easy conclusion. You tensed upon looking at the female painted beside him. The similarities between her and your High Lady were all too familiar, this was clearly her sister, Nesta.

Quickly putting the painting back where it had been hidden you felt guilt course through you; you hadn't meant to snoop. You knew what had happened between Cassian and Nesta. Everyone knew what had happened. They had been mated for just five years before falling pregnant then two weeks after the baby, after Ottie, had been born Nesta had simply left. It was all the people of Velaris could talk about, wild rumours and stories spreading about what had happened. Eventually, the truth came out; she had left Cassian, left her baby, for Eris.

Elain had explained to you the pressure her sister had felt and had realised she was only with Cassian because everyone had said that was what the mating bond required. But she wasn't actually happy with him, and Cassian hadn't been happy with her either. Then there had been a visit to the Autumn Court, and something had sparked between Nesta and Eris. She had felt torn and confused but a baby was never something she wanted, and Eris was offering her a life where she could be her own person, not someone shadowed by her High Lady sister, according to Nesta.

Given all of this, you were surprised by how put together Cassian seemed. You couldn't imagine the conflicting emotions he would've felt with his mate leaving just days after they had had a baby. But he seemed to have picked up the pieces and, no doubt, had the support of his family during that time, but you supposed there did reach a point where his duties to the court had to be met again, and you were more than happy to step in and help where you could.

*****

Several hours later, you had just finished giving Ottie her lunch when a piece of paper appeared on the table in front of you:

Y/N, Cassian has asked that I let you know he is going to be later than anticipated and that he is very sorry for the inconvenience. However, if this doesn't work, let me know and I'll have someone over to watch Ottie as soon as possible - Rhys

You blinked.

Rhys? As in Rhysand, your High Lord? Just casually sending you a magically note? You blanched at the thought of him even knowing you existed, which, you supposed made sense, seeing that you were friends with his wife's sister.

You didn't mind staying longer to look after Ottie, but you had no way of conveying that to Rhysand or Cassian. As if your thoughts had been sent out into the abyss, a pen appeared atop the paper as if in answer to your question.

Hesitantly, you picked it up, unsure how to even start a note of this manner that would be read by your High Lord.

It's not a problem, High Lord. Please tell Cassian that I can stay as long as required - Y/N

You didn't have a chance to read over the message before it was whisked away by magic. But, shit. Cassian had introduced himself to you as Cassian, but should you have referred to him as General in your note? Had you been too informal or improper. Before you could mull over it any further, the piece of paper was back in front of you:

Lovely.

By the way, just Rhys is fine - Rhys

Well, that settled that matter.

*****

You had given Ottie her dinner and put her down for bed with little fuss. There had been a few tears once she sensed that Cassian wasn't there, but you had managed to coax her back to her happy little self by quietly singing and rubbing soothing circles across her dark mass of hair until she fell asleep.

Now you sat curled up on the couch with the makeshift dinner you had prepared and a book that had been on the bulking bookshelf that sat in the corner of the room. You were sure that Cassian wouldn't have minded your rummaging through the pantry but had made enough for him to eat once he came home just in case.

An hour or so later, you had been so engrossed in your book that you didn't hear the front door open or the heavy footsteps that padded down the hall.

"Hi," You looked up with a slight jump, having been startled by Cassian's sudden presence. He was leaning against the doorway and looked absolutely exhausted. "Y/N, I am so sorry. I was up at some of the Illyrian camps and, well, things were worse than I anticipated... I won't bore you with all that, but I am so sorry for keeping you here."

You brushed him off, noticing the tension somewhat leave his body upon realising you weren't bothered by it.

"It's fine, I promise. The High Lord... Rhys," Cassian grinned at your correction, clearly privy to the notes that had passed between the two of you, "said you were going to be late. If it wasn't going to work, I would have let him know."

Cassian offered you another grateful smile as he slumped into the armchair opposite the couch. "How was she? Not too difficult?"

"She was perfect. A few tears at bedtime but we managed to sort that out. I think she was just missing you." You could have sworn his eyes twinkled at your last comment.

"Before I head off, I cooked some dinner and left a bit to the side for you in case you were hungry when you got back. I hope you don't mind?"

"Mind? Y/N, you are honestly cauldron sent. You also cleaned? All whilst looking after Ottie. Thank you."

You felt your cheeks heat up and preyed he wouldn't notice your slight blush.

"It was nothing, seriously. I had nothing else to do while Ottie was sleeping so thought I would help out. Why don't you go up and see her? I'll get dinner heated for you."

Cassian sent another grateful smile your way before leaving the room, you laughed to yourself as you heard his steps pick up in pace as he bounded up the stairs towards his daughter's room.

*****

He came back 10 minutes later just as you were putting on your coat and collecting your belongings.

"I've left your dinner on the stove to stay warm." You said over your shoulder. He really did look exhausted.

"Thank you, you have no idea how much of a life saver you were today." You brushed off the compliment as he led you towards the front door. "Oh, before you go, we never spoke about payment? How much do I owe you?"

Honestly, you hadn't even thought about payment, it had completely slipped your mind.

"Right. Don't worry about that now–"

"Y/N, I'm not going to not pay you for today."

"No, I know. But you look like you're seconds away from passing out, no offence. So go back inside, finish your dinner then go to bed. We can sort the money part out later."

"Okay, only if you're sure? Thank you again, so much. Get home safe, alright?"

"I will. Night, Cassian."

You had barely made it to the front gate before the door was opening again.

"Y/N? Before you go, would you mind looking after Ottie again in a few days? Rhys is needing me to get back into my work, so I'll need to have someone watching her while I'm away. You're so good with her, so if you wouldn't mind..." He trailed off.

"Of course, she's an absolute angel. I would love to look after her again. Let me know when you need me."

"Okay, Goodnight. Thanks again."

*****

Over a year had passed since you first met Cassian and Ottie. After the first few weeks, Cassian had sat you down and asked if you would be happy looking after her on a more permanent basis, so you had decided on four days a week while Cassian was busy helping out Rhys and the Inner Circle. Sometimes you would stay until later into the evenings if Cassian came home with piles of paperwork, helping with Ottie's bedtime and cleaning up the house, despite Cassian's protests that it was his mess to deal with.

"Y/N?"

You had just finished feeding Ottie her dinner when Cassian appeared in the doorway. You looked up at him, waiting for him to continue as you wiped the food away from her chubby cheeks.

"Ottie is turning two on Saturday, and I was just wondering, if you weren't doing anything, if you wanted to come to her birthday party? It won't be a big thing, but she adores you and it would be nice to have you there," You smiled at him, delighted that he even considered you important enough to be there to celebrate, but before you could reply, Cassian hurriedly continued, "Of course, there's no pressure. You probably want a break from us, it is your day off after all…"

"Cass, I would love to be there." His face lit up as your response.

"Good. Okay. Great," He remained in the doorway, still softly smiling as he watched you pick up Ottie from her highchair, "Well I better... Still got some work to finish off, so..." He gestured back towards his office and then made his way out of the room.

You were caught off guard by the momentary awkwardness that seemed to radiate from him, not used to seeing him in any other way but the confident and playful General who was absolutely smitten with his little girl.

*****

Standing outside Cassian's house, you lingered on the doorstep as you hyped yourself up to knock on the door. It had only just dawned on you as you walked over that the guests at Ottie's birthday party, weren't going to be any old day-to-day fae. No, you were about to spend the afternoon with your High Lord and Lady, and their inner circle. Not a daunting prospect in the slightest.

As luck would have it, you weren't given a chance to psych yourself out before the door opened, revealing a grinning Cassian and Ottie who merrily clapped and said your name when she saw you, arms reaching out for you to hold her.

"Hello, Birthday Girl. Don't you look beautiful." She giggled as you cooed at her and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Hi, thanks for inviting me." You looked at Cassian now who was fondly watching the scene in front of him playout.

"Thanks for coming," Cassian opened the door wider for you to come inside, taking the pink gift bag you had brought with you that contained Ottie's birthday present. "Fair warning, everyone here has a bone to pick with you."

You froze, body tensing at his words.

"What?" You would have cringed at the stutter in your voice had you not been so worried. But Cassian just laughed and led you further into the house, a hand on the small of your back.

"Well, apparently since you've come along, Ottie doesn't have the time of day for anyone else. She was fussing all morning until she saw you walking up the road through the kitchen window. You seemed to have gotten lost somewhere between the gate to the door with how long you stood out there, so we thought we would see what you were doing, didn't we Ottie?" Cassian gave you a knowing smirk, clearly aware of your nerves towards who you would be spending the day with.

"Come on, I'm just joking. They're all dying to meet you."

Right on queue, a female, who you knew without needing to be told was Morrigan, jumped up from her seat as you walked into the room.

"Y/N," She squealed as she bounded over and pulled you into a tight hug, Cassian quickly grabbing Ottie out of your arms. "It's about time we all finally get to meet you. First Elain kept you all to herself, and now Cassian? If you had said no to coming today, I would have gone over to your house myself and forced you to be here."

"Mor..." Cassian's tone was laced in warning, but you immediately felt at ease in her presence.

"Come on, let's introduce you to the others."

*****

To your absolute delight, the rest of Cassian's family welcomed you into their group with open arms. Elain had jumped up and refused to leave your side once she noticed you had arrived. Having been away with Lucien for some time, it had been a while since the two of you had been able to catch up.

After the presents had been opened - Ottie had adored the fluffy bear you had gotten her - everyone was lounging outside, watching as little Nyx sat with his younger cousin in his lap, showing her all of the presents she had received and telling her the best way to play with them in order to have the most fun. Clearly the ever-destined High Lord in the making, you had grinned, already seeing the type of male he would become as Feyre and Rhys watched on sharing content smiles.

It was only then that you realised that Cassian was missing from the group. You excused yourself and headed back inside, searching the house until finally finding him in Ottie's bedroom.

"Hi," You voice was quiet as you made your presence known, unsure if he had just forgotten something up here or if he needed a moment to himself.

"Hey," He turned to face you, looking as though he had just been pulled out of some sort of trance. However, his lopsided smile was quick to return as he said, "sorry for leaving you out there with that lot."

Letting out a laugh you walked into the room, "They're really not that bad. Imagine what the other courts would think if they ever saw the High Lord of the Night Court dressed up in a pink tutu with a fluffy matching crown on his head."

Cassian laughed at that, smile widening as the voices and shrill giggles from outside echoed through the bedroom window, but that reserved expression was quick to reappear.

"You alright?" You quietly asked, already having a sense of what was eating him up.

"Yeah, fine." A glance at your unconvinced expression had Cassian letting out a low sigh before continuing. "I thought she would've at least shown up today. I know she wants no part in this, but it's still her daughter’s birthday. For Ottie's sake, I thought she would've shown. She needs her mum."

You let out a sigh of your own now, crossing the space between you and wrapping your arms around him in a tight hug.

Pulling away you said, "Cass, I get it. Believe me I do. But Ottie is doing just fine. You're absolutely amazing with her and it's so special watching the two of you together. And in terms of her needing her mum, look at all the amazing females Ottie has in her life: Mor, Feyre, Elain, Amren. There's no short supply of love for her, if anything, Nesta is the one missing out on this."

The words had rushed out of you without being able to truly process what you had said. You and Cassian had never directly spoken about Nesta, it had always been an unspoken awareness that you knew what had happened and that was enough. Looking at the ground, you could feel yourself tensing with worry at the thought of having overstepped.

"And she has you."

"What?"

"And Ottie has you. You were listing off the amazing females she has in her life but missed the one who she spends the most time with. The one who she loves the most."

There was no stopping the blush that crept over your face as you stared back at Cassian.

"Cass-"

But the sounds of hurried little footsteps running up the stairs interrupted whatever you had been about to say.

"Uncle Cass, Uncle Cass," Nyx burst into the room, dramatically taking in deep breathes as he waved up at you.

"What is it, bud?" Cassian shot you a bemused glance, still somewhat laced with the intensity from before, then knelt in front of Nyx who lifted his arms and placed his little hands on Cassian's shoulders.

"It's cake time. Come on." Then he was running out of the room again.

"You'd think it was the end of the world with the entrance he just made." You let out a laugh but before you could respond, Nyx was bursting back in.

"Come on." He yelled, grabbing you and Cassian by the hand, and forcing you down the stairs to where Elain had just finished lighting the candles on top of the cake.

*****

The rest of the afternoon raced by, so fast, in fact, that you didn't have time to process the moment you and Cassian had shared until you were home. The intensity in his expression as he stared at you and the implication of his words... Your heart was racing at the mere thought.

Letting out a groan you tossed and turned in your bed, unable to settle your racing thoughts at the realisation that you had, somehow, without even being aware of it starting, had begun to fall for Cassian. To make matters even worse, you had no idea where you truly stood with him. Despite the closeness and friendship that had formed, he was technically still your boss.

You had a whole day before you were due back to look after Ottie. A whole 24 hours to figure out how you wanted to move forward in the wake of this realisation.

*****

Monday morning arrived much too quickly for your liking. It wasn't until the door opened and Cassian greeted you on the other side of it that you decided you weren't going to do anything about your feelings. He had been emotional the other day, grieving what he thought was missing from his daughter's life and, honestly, you thought to yourself, he probably hadn't even intended it to come out the way you had perceived it. He wasn't wrong, you did spend a lot of time with her. But you were paid to do so, so did it really count?

"Morning, Y/N? Have a good rest of you weekend?" Oh, sure it had been fantastic. Just a nice dose of inner turmoil. But of course, you didn't say any of that.

"I did," You smiled at him, acting as though your insides weren't currently screaming out. "Did Ottie have a good birthday? It was so nice meeting everyone."

As Cassian got ready to leave, your usual chatter filled the space as you made yourself a coffee, but you couldn't help but notice that his usual, carefree smile didn't quite meet his eyes, and that he seemed to be watching you as though waiting or assessing something.

"Alright, well I might be home a bit later tonight, if that's alright?" You brushed him off, of course it was alright, it always was. You sat down next to Ottie as she continued to happily munch away on her breakfast. "Okay, bye Ottie, you'll be good for Y/N today?" He pressed a kiss to her cheek before turning back to you, "See you later, yeah?"

"Mhm," You replied, "have a good day."

"You too." Then he was leaning down and pressing a kiss to your cheek as well before standing up and leaving as though nothing had happened.

What. The. Fuck.

You stared at the empty door frame he had walked through, only half hearing the front door close as he took off.

Again.

What. The. Fuck.

You turned to look at Ottie, as though she would provide you with some sort of explanation as to what just happened, or to confirm that it had even happened in the first place, that it wasn't just something you had imagined.

But she provided you with no deeper insight as she sat in her seat, happily kicking her little feet and giggling to herself. Upon noticing you watching her, she gave you one of her big cheesy grins you had grown to love and offered you a piece of the fruit Cassian had cut up for her.

*****

What. The. Fuck.

Cassian's heart was racing as he flew up to the House of Wind. What had he done?

Clearly you were more than happy to ignore his complete lack of control from the other day, when he all but said you were basically like a mum to Ottie. He was surprised he hadn't scared you off, especially when all you had signed up for was to be her babysitter, which was a harsh truth in itself that Cassian found himself constantly having to remember whenever he watched you and his daughter interact and he felt his heart stammer in his chest.

And then to turn around and kiss you on the cheek before leaving for work - as you turned up for work, he had to remind himself, again - as though it was a normal morning, between a normal little family...

He felt sick.

He had really screwed up.

"What's wrong with you today?" Azriel asked as Cassian landed with an ungrateful grunt next to the training ring located on the roof.

"Nothing."

"You sure?" Rhys now asked, sensing Cassian's inner turmoil even through the steadfast mental shield he had up around his mind.

With a grumble, Cassian lowered said shield, giving Rhys a look at what had occurred that morning. Scowling even deeper when Rhys let out a bark of a laugh. The snicker that followed from Azriel as Rhys showed him what had happened sent Cassian marching into the training ring, readying himself to forget his stupidity as Azriel approached to spar with him.

*****

He hadn't even got half an hour into his training before pulling up short, his mind was too distracted.

"Should I have stayed?" He blurtedly asked.

"What?" Unbeknownst to Cassian, Rhys and Az had been having a silent conversation whilst he had been spaced out.

"This morning. With Y/N. Should I have stayed and, I don't know, talked about it?"

He missed the glance his brother's shared.

"Well," Rhys started. "What would you have talked about?"

"I don't know, what is there to talk about?" Cassian snapped back, frustration and worry getting the better of him the more he thought about what he might now lose.

"Would you have tried to pass it off as a joke, or explain it away?" Rhys cautiously asked, trying to judge which direction Cassian's mind was heading in.

"Or would you have stayed and finally admitted your feelings to her?” Azriel interjected.

"My feelings?"

"Yes, you idiot. And the fact that you're in love with her."

"I'm not in love with..." Cassian trailed off though. He was, he absolutely was, and there was no point in denying it.

Azriel scoffed, "Please, you're in love with her. We've never seen you like this before with anyone."

"Well, Nesta-" Cassian tried to counter but Rhys cut him off.

"Nesta wasn't love. That was the mating bond, you've said as much to us multiple times so don't try to deflect now."

Cassian let out a deep sigh, he wasn't expected home for a few hours and a plan was starting to form in his mind.

*****

You had been surprised, but pleased all the same, when Feyre turned up with Nyx.

"Y/N! Hi, how are you?" You still weren't quite used to the casualness that surrounded the rulers of your court but did your best to act as though being in their presence wasn't one of the most intimidating things you had ever experienced.

"I'm good. What are you doing here?"

"Well, it's such a lovely day, Nyx and I thought it would be nice to get you and Ottie over to ours for the afternoon."

"Oh, thank you. Are you sure though?"

"Of course, we can walk back now. Go along the Sidra if you'd like?

"Easy, let me just grab Ottie's things."

Feyre shut the door behind you, Nyx already running over to where Ottie sat with her toys and planting a big kiss to her cheek.

"There's no need to grab much. Cass bought double ups of basically everything and has them stored at ours for when we look after her. Just yourselves will do."

You smiled warmly at her before scooping Ottie up, "Do you want to go play at Auntie Feyre's with Nyx?

Her excited squeals were enough of an answer, still, she excitedly said "yes, yes, yes, yes, yes," as you headed out the door, watching as her and Nyx ran ahead of the two of you.

*****

The afternoon spent with Feyre was the perfect distraction from your racing thoughts after what had happened with Cassian that morning.

The two of you chatted outside until the sun started to set, watching Ottie and Nyx run around across the grass.

"Well, hello, Feyre, Y/N." Rhys greeted as he walked out to join you, still dressed in his leathers, clearly having just got home.

You said hi back, watching with a laugh as Ottie caught sight of who now stood with you.

"Uncle Rhysie." She yelled, her little feet pounding across the grass as she leapt into his arms.

"Hello, princess. How's my favourite girl?" Ottie giggled at the nickname and hugged into him even tighter, "What do you say to a sleepover tonight, Ots?"

Turning to you, Ottie still in his arms, Rhys said, "Cass is fine with it. I think he needed you to head back at some point before going home tonight though."

"Oh, alright. Well, I might head off now then. Bye Ottie." She looked around at you, eyes wide as she wriggled out of Rhys' hold and ran over to you.

"You're not staying?" Her lip started to quiver so you quickly wrapped her up into a hug before the tears started.

"Not tonight, sweetheart. But we can play all day tomorrow, yeah?" She seemed to contemplate this for a moment before deciding it was acceptable enough and planted a kiss on your cheek before running back over to Nyx.

Feyre and Rhys were both smiling at you, clearly watching, and overhearing the entire interaction.

"What?" You asked with a laugh.

"Nothing, you're just really good with her."

"Oh, well..." You trailed off, not sure what to say as Rhys' words from before struck. Cassian needed to talk to you about something and, well, shit, clearly you were about to get fired, or, more kindly, were about to be told your ‘services were no longer required’.

"I'll see you both later. Goodnight." You missed the conspiratorial grin they shared behind your back, Rhys letting his thoughts drift over to Cassian's mind to tell him you were on your way.

*****

The house was dark when you got back, the only form of light was coming from the study and, from the looks of it, the backyard.

"Cass?" You called out as you closed the door behind you.

Hurried movements sounded from his office, then Cassian was quickly walking towards you.

"Y/N. Hi."

"Hi."

You felt as though your entire body was on guard. You needed to explain that you could easily put your feelings aside, but losing the chance of being in Ottie and Cassian's lives was something that filled you with dread, you would be happy to stay on in whatever capacity you could.

"Do you... Do you want to talk?" Cassian's nervousness was unsettling, yet you followed as he led you towards the couch.

"What are you doing tonight?"

That wasn't the question you were expecting.

You hesitated before answering, "Just going home I guess."

He seemed to contemplate your answer, looking so much like Ottie did earlier when you were saying goodbye.

"Dinner?" His voice was strained, leaving you even more confused.

"Um, yeah I'll be having dinner."

"No... Ugh this isn't working." He leant his head against the back of the couch, running his hands over his face.

"Cassian, are you alright?"

"Yes. No. I don't know." You were stunned, maintaining your silence as Cassian continued. "This morning, Y/N, I'm sorry. I don't know what that was, it just happened without me thinking about what I was doing. And then everything I said at Ottie's birthday. And now, fucks sake..." He trailed off again, leaving you just as confused as he blurted out "I need to have dinner."

"Oh, sure," You felt as though you were waiting for the other shoe to drop, as if his bizarre behaviour was some sort of test. "Did you want me to heat something up? I think there's still some frozen pasta from the other night." You went to stand but Cassian placed a hand on your knee to stop you before quickly pulling it away.

"No, it's alright. I've got it sorted." Then he was standing, offering you his hand as he guided you towards the back door.

You froze at the sight before you. Candles flickered across the table and the deck, a table set for two, lined with trays of food and a bottle of wine which sat in the middle of it all.

"Cass?"

"Look, Y/N, I get it if this is completely out of line. If it is then I am so sorry. But I needed you to know that this, whatever this is between us, means something to me."

You couldn't move, you were stuck on the spot as Cassian continued, the flickering lights casting a shadow across his handsome features.

"It's not even because you're so good with Ottie. I mean, you are, you're amazing with her and she adores you, so, so much. But it's how you treat me. Even that first time you looked after her, I was so close to crumbling. I felt so torn, between staying home and looking after my baby girl, but also knowing I needed to step back into reality and my responsibilities. It wasn't fair on the others that they had to pick up my slack."

You tried to interject, to say something about how the others wouldn't have minded, not one bit, especially with everything Cassian had been going through at the time, but he was already moving on.

"Not going to lie, I was reluctant when Elain first told me about you. It was nothing to do with you," He quickly clarified, "But more so because you were a complete stranger to me, and as much as Elain vouched for you, I still felt wary."

"Then you walked in and that first time you held her; I swear my heart skipped a beat. Even with Elain and Feyre, it took them ages to be able to hold her without Ottie bursting into tears. But with you, it all just seemed to fall into place." His voice was beginning to shake, and you silently wiped the tears from your eyes as he kept talking.

"But if anything, Y/N, it's the way you make me feel. Before even knowing me, you had me convinced that I wasn't completely failing at being her dad, that even though everything was well and truly fucked up, she was doing just fine. You helped me realise that I was going to be fine as well."

Cassian approached you now, calloused hands reaching up to your cheeks as he wiped away the rest of your tears with his thumbs. "So, I guess what I'm trying to say, and what I'm not doing a very good job of getting across, is that I love you?"

A watery laugh left you at the overall Cassian-ness of the statement, the sound making him grin lovingly at you.

"I love you, Y/N. And I am so thankful for the day that you walked into our lives and changed them for the better. And, assuming I haven't completely misread the situation, and assuming that those are happy tears," He laughed, his own eyes beginning to well. "I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me?"

With his hands still on your cheeks, you brought your arms up around his neck and pulled him down so that his face was level with yours.

"I thought you were going to fire me." You whispered.

A cheeky smile passed over Cassian's face, "Well, technically, I suppose I am? I can't have my...whatever you are to me now, being paid to look after my kid now, can I?"

"How romantic. Being fired then called your 'whatever'."

"We'll figure that out later." Cassian murmured against your lips.

"Yes, I suppose we will." Then you were leaning forward, lips pressing to his, feeling as though you were finally home.

*****

Part 2

There are so many opportunities for bonus spin-offs that I’m excited to write but if you want to see any particular scenario, let me know 🥰

[hellodarling1357]

Damn, I can't believe Tiny Toes has over 1000 notes!!!!

Might have to write the next part soon, hey?

(sorry its been over a year, how tf did that happen...)

[intricatecakes]

if u are reading this i am pouring positive vibes on u from a lil watering can

[hellodarling1357]

ummm hello! Coming back to you is you coming back to us with a BANG!

honourable moments if you will

Cassian talking reader through her breathing (not the time but for sure there's other things he's talking her through

Their little Hl's once reader has calmed down

Cassian knowing her so well! "Nope, we're not doing that. I'm not letting you go back there"

Ummm hello excuse me "You were... wrapped up too tightly in that head of yours. I couldn't reach you" | COULDNT REACH YOU

MY POOR BABYS

just picturing cassian trying to reach her through the mating bond because he sees her begin to spiral

AND

CASSIAN

MY MAN

pouring his whole drink over himself to get everyone's attention off of her even

though there's literally millions of other things he could've done

ugh I'm so glad YOURE back

-🐛

Hahaha you’re the best! Absolutely love hearing your thoughts 🥰 Poor Cass was definitely standing there trying to remain calm when all he could think about was seeing reader begin to panic 🥺

The next request is almost finished btw so keep an eye out!

[hellodarling1357]

hello! i saw you are taking requests for cassian x reader, so i was wondering if you could do one where the reader is kinda shy with anxiety and like maybe about how he helps her in social situations to stay calm or he has to calm her down from anxiety attack? i hope you have a great day!!

Coming Back To You - Cassian x Reader

Hello!! I am so so so sorry this has taken me so long but I hope you enjoy 🥰

Word Count: 1.7k

Warnings: Anxiety, panic attacks, negative self talk

*Not edited*

The smile that had been plastered on your lips for the past two hours was beginning to shake, the muscles around your face tensing along with the rest of your body as you tried to maintain a calm presence alongside your mate’s side. As the cluster of voices and laughter and clinking of glasses began to swirl into an incomprehensible jumble of sounds, you suddenly became all too aware of your breathing, your heart rate, the shakiness of your hands, the tension of your back, the—

Stop

Stop

Stop

Giving yourself a little shake, you attempted a deep breath in the hopes of calming your racing thoughts as Cassian’s hand gently wrapped around your waist, grounding you back into the present moment. You looked up at him, and felt everything begin to even out as you marvelled at how at ease he seemed, how confident, and how at peace he was in a room full of people - some known, others not. Your lip quirked up into a small smile, heart fluttering, as you watched him throw his head back in a laugh. His happiness was contagious, a familiar comfort that had you easing back into the conversation.

“Well then… what do you think about that, Y/N?”

The sudden switch in the small group’s attention being placed directly on you had that fleeting ease shriveling up just as fast. You looked away from Cassian, eyes taking in the faces watching you expectantly, waiting for an answer to a question you hadn’t heard; the realisation that you didn’t even know what they had been talking about had your face reddening.

“I…I…sorry, what was that?” A friendly chortle echoed around you as the male smiled good naturedly and repeated the question. You could see his lips moving but all you could hear was the blood pumping past your ears, the tightening of your chest, the quick intakes of breath… Gods, why couldn’t you just act normal. Be normal. There were more than a few occasions when you mind was left to wander after similar situations, traitorously asking how and why someone like Cassian could end up with you. Someone so charismatic, likeable, sociable, could end up being mated to, stuck with your mind offered, someone who couldn’t get through a single conversation without making an embarrassing mess of themselves, someone who—

“Oh shit, how did that happen?” You were torn away from your thoughts as all eyes, including your own, turned away from you to Cassian, whose drink had somehow ended up all over him. “Y/N, can you help me clean this up…?” He trailed off, giving an apologetic smile to the group before grasping your hand and leading you through the crowd of people and out the door into the quiet, secluded corridor.

Your mind was still playing catch up as he turned to face you, a soft, somewhat concerned smile gracing his features as he took in your expression.

“Sweetheart, it’s alright. You’re alright. Breath, okay? Just how we spoke about.”

Your mind cleared a little as you focused on his face, the gentle squeeze of his hands as they held yours. Following his lead, you took in a deep breath, tensing at the jagged manner in which you released it, however, you easily relaxed at the small presence you were only just noticing. Cassian’s calming tug on the mating bond pulling you right back to him. The two of you stood there in silence, Cassian’s hands enveloping your own, offering soothing squeezes and soft caresses across your knuckles, as the warmth from the mating bond slowly filled and took over all that you were.

Squeezing your eyes shut and releasing a final deep breath, you let what remained of your anxiety ease away and allowed for the space it left to be filled with the feelings of care and comfort and overwhelming, undeniable love that never once faltered from the beautiful male standing in front of you.

“Hi,” Even his voice, lowered to a gentle whisper, soothed you.

“Hi,” You repeated, biting your lip as you looked around and your senses came back in full swing. The sounds from the party, the expectant looks as you fumbled over your words… Gods what must they all be thinking—

“Nope, we’re not doing that. I’m not letting you go back there. Y/N, you’re okay. You’re safe. I’ve got you, yeah?” The reassuring certainty and the squeeze of your hands grounded you once again. Your feet pulled you forward as you all but fell against Cassian. His arms immediately circled around you, holding you against his chest as he caught you. He had always and would always catch you.

The two of you stood in the empty corridor, ignoring the call of the party and the music, all you were focused on was the steady rhythm of Cassian’s beating heart and the warmth he enveloped you in, and the sticky feel of…

“Cass…,” you begin, pulling your head away from its place against his chest as you peered up to meet his gaze. “Did you pour your drink all over yourself?”

“Umm, yes? Yes I did.”

“What?” You couldn’t help but let out a laugh as Cassian pinched your sides. “Why would you do that?”

“I don’t know, I panicked…,” Cassian laughed with you, hands trailing up and down your spine as he felt his own tension ease away as he took in your laughter and smile. “You were…wrapped up too tightly in that head of yours. I couldn’t reach you.” His quiet admittance had a wave of feelings washing over you.

“Oh,” you pulled back a little, that uncertainty, those betraying thoughts peaking up once more, reminding you of what you constantly put Cassian through. “Sorry.”

An expression you couldn’t quite place crossed Cassian’s face but before you could begin to interpret it you were lifted off the ground and all but slung over Cassian’s shoulder.

“What! Cass, what…! What are you doing? Put me down.” Your exclamations, mixed in with unrestrained laughter fell on deaf ears. Instead, Cassian started tickling you, ignoring the way you swatted at his back and struggled to get out of his grasp, and didn’t stop until you were breathless with laughter, falling limp as he continued to hold you against him.

He gave you a moment of reprieve, fingers stilling until they lingered in small, soothing circles against your back. “Don’t do that, Y/N. You have nothing to apologise for…”

“Cass, I—“

“Nope, again, I’m not letting you do that. I am going to keep tickling you until you take back that sorry.”

“Cass, come on…”

“I’m really not joking about this, sweetheart.” And to prove his point his fingers found your sides again, the bond sending down a wave of amusement, adoration, love…

“Fine!” You exclaimed, fighting for breath. “Fine. Okay, I’m not sorry. In fact, I take back every sorry I’ve ever said to you. But… thank you, okay? I’m allowed to say thank you.”

Cassian placed you back on the ground, refusing to let go as his hands found there place on your hips.

“I think after I poured a perfectly good drink all over myself a thank you is definitely allowed. But thank you for taking back that sorry.”

You let out a sigh, features softening as you leant up on your toes and pulled him down to you. The feel of his lips gently moulding against yours was the final push you needed to fully fall back into yourself. Instead of being overcome by racing thoughts, you let Cassian overtake every part of you.

“Want to go home?” Cassian asked, lips trailing across your jaw.

“Shouldn’t we stay a little longer, appearances sake and all that.” You tried to counter but without even having to look at you, Cassian knew that was the last thing you wanted.

“Nah, we’ve shown our faces, made the rounds… I think we’ve played our part.”

You nodded, taking Cassian’s hand and letting him guide you towards the balcony. Just as he moved to pick you up, you stopped him.

“Cass, I just…” You looked up at him once more, melting into his touch as a calloused finger eased over the furrow of your brows. “Thank you. I know you don’t want me saying sorry for ruining the night and for always getting like that… but thank you for being the one to bring me back.”

Instead of answering straight away, Cassian let out a soft sigh before gently cupping your face as he placed a tender kiss to your lips.

“We, my love, are going to have a long, long conversation when we get home. I think you need to be reminded of the fact that you having these feelings and these thoughts is not a burden or an inconvenience or whatever else runs through that head of yours. You are my mate. I love you, words can’t express how much I love you. And there is not a single thing I would change about you, alright?” He kissed you once more, fingers softly wiping away the tears that trickled down your cheeks.

“You really wouldn’t change anything?” You hated yourself for asking. You knew, deep down you knew, that whatever your brain told you wasn’t actually true but you were still feeling vulnerable.

“Well… I don’t know, maybe the snoring, I would change the soothing, but other than that I wouldn’t change anything. Not. A. Single. Thing” He said between kisses, grinning against your lips as you gently hit his chest.

“I don’t snore. You snore.” You grumbled as Cassian pulled you into his arms. The feeling of complete and utter safety settled with you.

“Whatever you say, sweetheart.”

———————————

Requests are open! 💌

[hellodarling1357]

Can I just point out how attentive Cassian is? What an amazing *friend*! He knows/remembers when Y/N is sick, knows she likes a to do list and is just all around perfect! So torn between wanting this to be a slow burn and you deciding to prank us and say they’ve really been together all along

OMGGGG More Than a Moment!!! Damn I forgot about this fic, just opened my notes app and I’ve got so many ideas and half written bits and bobs saved away…

[hellodarling1357]

👻

👻 (is this bc I low key ghosted everyone)

[hellodarling1357]

Hi, we talked briefly a couple of weeks ago :D

I just wanted to let you know that I have tried to link you in my masterlist (my personal recs and faves on my acotar blog @illyriasswetheart ) but your link somehow doesnt work.

I hope that it's okay that I linked you, but i'll erase it if you prefer that.

Lovely regards, Cynthia <3

Hello!!!! Ahhh this is so lovely, sorry it’s taken me literally forever to get back to you but that is so fine!!! 🥰

[hellodarling1357]

While I get back into the swing of writing again (thank you for all the requests they’re fab!!) what’s everyone’s thoughts on me doing some more one-shot type pieces for Tiny Toes? I’m stuck on the plot and chronological part of it but love this little family so much and have a heap of little ideas in mind…

While we are at it, I know it’s been a minute (*cough*months*cough*) and I will go through my inbox, but what do you want to see in Tiny Toes?

Tiny Toes…

Stick to the plot and keep it chronological

Give us anything and everything

Voting ended onJun 26, 2025

[unfinishedmural]

Fanfiction is so silly. I am playing with my dolls and people are coming over to watch. Some of them even clap and give me compliments. And when I'm done playing, I can go and watch other people play with their dolls.

[hellodarling1357]

Send me some cassian/reader requests 😇

Can be whatever, one shots, AUs, related to previous writing bits and bobs, anything to keep this lil’ writing spark going now that’s I’ve got the urge again!

[aye-write]