When you want to show an emotion instead of naming it
When dialogue alone feels flat
When you need subtext (what they won’t say out loud)
When two characters feel differently than the words they’re speaking
When you want to make a scene more sensory and grounded
Are they really calm, or is their foot tapping like a warning signal?
Are they truly angry, or is it just the way their jaw tightens when they’re hurt?
Are they saying “I’m fine,” but refusing to meet anyone’s eyes?
Body language adds layers. It tells the truth when your characters won’t. It can add to the rage bubbling on their lips, letting the reader know when they're just about to blow up.
Use it intentionally, and your scenes will read less like conversations on a stage and more like real people breathing on the page.
Hey sweetheart, is everything alright? I miss seeing you being active on tumblr🫶🏻
Hey, thank you so much for asking ❤️. I’ve had a lot going on between work, family, personal etc. my goal was to finish writing ACODAD and have all parts posted by May, but it seems that life has gotten in the way of that a bit.
I really really appreciate you reaching out to check on me. You’re super sweet for thinking of me. ☺️❤️
A Court of Dawn & Dusk - Azriel x Reader (Part 10)
Summary: 49 years have passed, and both Azriel and Y/N struggle with their new realities.
A/N: sorry this took so long to get out, I was struggling pretty bad the last few months! It'll probably take a while longer between postings, but I'm hoping to get the rest of these out as quickly as I can. I hope you guys enjoy
Warnings: mentions of blood and violence. Cursing. I think that’s it.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9
*****
Forty nine years had passed. Forty nine, but it felt as if I had been stuck down here for most of my life. My arms were chafed from the shackles, my mind foggy from lack of sleep and even less food.
I tried not to let myself dwell on the things that I could have done differently, the biggest being that I could have listened to my mate. I could have stayed home and maybe I would still be with him… Maybe I wouldn’t be this shell of a person that I had become.
Rhysand sat at the edge of my collapsing cot, healing one of my wounds that the Attor had given me today. He said nothing, but I could feel the anger and concern like a palpable thing as he ran a shaking hand over my arm.
It embarrassed me to have him here, even if we both knew that the circumstances weren’t my fault. The mattress was flat and uncomfortable, I could feel the metal bars underneath every single time I laid down, but it was better than the stone floor… Or so I told myself to try to hold onto some tether of humanity. But seeing Rhys flinch as he shifted made my heart drop to my stomach nonetheless.
When he was finished, he gently sat my arm back in my lap and scooted back to give me space to breathe. He knew I hated being crowded now, usually hated being touched.
“Thank you,” I muttered, rotating my wrist a few times to test it out.
The ache was still there, but it had lessened enough that I no longer winced when I moved it.
We sat in silence for a few moments before he loosened a heavy sigh and met my gaze.
“You gonna tell me what’s got your wings in a twist, or am I going to have to guess?” I asked.
He chucked to himself, shaking his head slightly. “I went to see Tamlin today.”
I blinked at him, confused and a little surprised at how much this was affecting him.
“Okay…” I cocked my head to the side. “Why is this any different than the time you left a head on that fountain?”
“I was there to speak to them this time.” He glanced over his shoulders, dropping his voice to a whisper. “There was a human girl there.”
“A human?” My brow furrowed. I knew of the curse just as well as any other person, but so close to the end… It surprised me.
“Yes, a human.” He shook his head, his eyes growing sad. “She gave me a fake name, and when I returned… Amarantha forced me to tell her what I had found.”
I clenched my teeth at the sound of her name. Amarantha had done her best to leash Rhys and then keep him as close to her as she possibly could in the time since we had been trapped.
“I gave her the fake name thinking that it couldn’t possibly be a real person… A real family.” He shuddered. “Claire Beddor is two cells down from you, awaiting Amarantha’s summons to be tortured to death in front of the court.”
I gaped at him, my heart clenching at the guilt that must be gnawing at his own.
“You know… You know that isn’t your fault, right?” I reached out and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. “You are not to blame.”
“That’s not what Tamlin’s human will think.” He whispered.
“Who cares what Tamlin’s human believes? We know the truth.”
“I do.” He shrugged, seeming to mull something over before he met my eyes. “For some reason, I care what the human thinks. I care that she finds me to be despicable… A monster.”
I wasn’t sure why he felt that way… And he didn’t elaborate… Just in case. I had been telling him not to, for fear that it would be ripped out of me when the Attor had his blade cutting through my body.
I hadn’t cracked so far, but it was easier not to know.
Rhys leaned back against the wall, letting another small sigh out. I followed suit, our shoulders touching in a quiet reminder that neither of us was alone.
“I should head back up.” He stated, but made no move to leave.
“Stay as long as you need to.” I took his hand, squeezing his fingers in mine.
*****
Azriel sat at the dining table and watched Cassian pace as he had most days in the last forty nine years.
“What if we bring the Illyrian army and break them out?” Cassian asked, stopping for only a moment to look between Azriel and Amren.
“We’ve discussed this a dozen times.” Amren said. “That’s not a viable option. Rhys was clear in his instructions. We cannot leave. The wards that protect Velaris are tied to us being here.”
Cassian huffed, pausing in his pacing only long enough to give Amren a long, angry look. “Well, what about-”
“That won’t work either.” Amren spat.
“How do you know?”
“Because, boy, she has absorbed a fraction of every single high lord's magic.” Amren seethed. “She’s too powerful.”
Azriel nodded his agreement.
Mor breezed into the room, her arms full of swords that needed sharpened and cleaned.
“What’re we fighting about today?” She asked, taking a seat at the end of the table and letting the weapons clang together against the wood.
“Cassian’s coming up with more hairbrained schemes to get Rhys and Y/N back.” Amren ground out.
“Thought we talked about that already?” Mor glanced quickly at everyone before turning her attention back to the blades in front of her.
“We have.” Azriel growled. “Too many times to count.”
“We can’t just leave them down there forever.” Cassian snarled.
Tempers had been rising steadily for a while, and Azriel was sure there was soon to be a fight. A real fight, not with words and insults, but fists and blades.
“I know that.” Pinching the bridge of his nose to fight off the headache, Azriel leaned back in his chair.
He hated doing nothing just as much, if not more, than everyone else. His mate was down there, suffering.
It was faint, but he could feel her pain down the bond, as if… as if she were consistently being sliced open.
He resented Rhys a bit for letting it happen, even if he knew there was probably no stopping it. He resented her a bit, too, for going when he had told her he had a bad feeling about it all and asked her not to...
But he resented himself most of all for not fighting her harder, not holding her closer. Gods, he fucking missed her. He missed her so bad that it physically hurt him.
Every single night when he would go to bed without her, he felt his heart fracture just a bit more. And every morning when he woke up, he reached for her, hoping that she would have magically appeared overnight. He had been disappointed every single time he woke up. It was getting harder and harder to pull himself out of bed. Velaris wasn’t the same without her. And without her in it wasn’t a place he wanted to be.
“We’ll come up with something.” Mor said offhandedly.
Azriel hoped they would, but he knew better than to expect it.
*****
I awoke to the sound of the door to my cell flying open and slamming against the wall. It was too early for them to be coming to get me, so I clamped my eyes closed and evened my breathing.
“Here you are.” The Attor said, followed by a thump that could only be a body hitting the ground. “You’ll have a roommate. How fun for you.”
When I heard the door clang shut, I let my eyes open completely and took in the sight in front of me.
There was a human girl in my cell. She was bloodied and bruised, testing her face for wounds. A flinch wracked her body as she touched her nose, but she didn’t cry. I could tell she wanted to, but she refused to cry.
“What’d they throw a human in here for?” I finally asked.
She whipped her head around, her golden brown hair flying over her shoulder before her eyes met mine.
“Sorry… I didn’t know you were awake.” She ground out.
I shrugged, taking her in. This must be the human that Rhys had mentioned.
“Nothing to be sorry for.” I shrugged. “I cried my entire first week after they threw me down here, you know. It’s okay.”
She nodded, but didn’t so much as sniffle as she seemed to mull that over.
“What’d you do?”
“I came after my… I’m trying to break a curse.” She mumbled. “What did you do?”
“I killed a dozen of her men a very long time ago… Turns out she holds a bit of a grudge.” I propped my head up on my hand. “That, and she thinks I have information that I do not.”
“You killed a dozen people?” She asked.
I only hummed in response. She looked harmless, but it was possible that she was a different tactic to get me to spill my secrets. I would need to be careful. She seemed to be sizing me up, as well.
“I’m Feyre.” She said after a moment of tense silence.
“Y/N.” I gave her my best smile. “Nice to meet you.”
*****
Feyre had come back utterly torn apart and covered in shit and mud after her first trial. I gagged on the stale bread they had brought me as she fell into a heap on the floor. One of her arms looked to have a piece of bone protruding from it, and I cursed under my breath as I scrambled to her side.
Fuck, this was bad. Her human body couldn’t heal itself, and she still had two more trials left before this was all over. I wished for Rhys to come. Now would be the perfect time for him to step out of the shadows.
“Let me get a look at that.” I whispered.
Rhys hadn’t been down here since I had been given a cell mate. I wasn’t sure if it was the girl keeping him away or if Amarantha had learned of his trips down here. Either way, I would have to do this myself until I could get a healer to take pity on us and help her.
She held it out to me, and I cursed again. We had no fresh water in the cell, and with my power gone, even the small kernel of my father's magic that I had been given at birth had dwindled down to nothing.
“Bad news is, without fresh water, we really can’t clean it, but I can wrap it in bits of the blanket.” I glanced at the bed and winced. Even the blankets were filthy. “We’ll wait for tomorrow's water and use half of it to clean you up…”
“What's the good news?” She asked through clenched teeth as I got to work.
“What?”
“Bad news is usually followed by good news.” She met my eyes. “What’s the good news?”
“I’ll bet Lucien can heal this. We just need to get word to him somehow.”
She nodded, but didn’t offer any ideas. I sent another silent plea out to Rhys.
*****
Cassian grunted as Azriel’s fist connected with his chin.
Tensions were peaking. Time was up, and yet Rhys and Y/N hadn’t come home. All Azriel could think of was whether she was okay. It had been weeks since he had felt anything down the bond. And while everything had been faint up to this point, it was still there.
Cassian swung, and Azriel dodged. It was the same dance every single day. Neither of them could get rid of the bad mood that seemed to follow them around like a rain cloud, and there was really no other way to work through the energy.
“Maybe we could go to Rita’s. Drink a little bit.” Cassian said, grunting as Azriel landed another punch.
“I would rather light myself on fire.” Azriel spat.
Cassian flinched, his eyes flicking down to Azriel’s scarred hands.
“Okay… Then maybe we could take a fucking cooking class.”
“A cooking class?” Azriel wanted to laugh at that. Wanted to find humor in something, anything. He wanted a reason to smile again. But without her, it was like every bit of happiness had been removed from the world.
He couldn’t think about that, or he would start to think about the bond. Maybe she had just put a wall up? Maybe now that time was out, she was trying to keep the worst parts away from him?
Gods, he really hoped she was okay.
“Well, I’ve got to get you out of your head somehow, and this,” Cassian gestured between the two of them, “doesn’t seem to be working like it did in the beginning.”
He was right. Fighting was a distraction, but the twitchy energy was still there once they had finished.
“What we need is for the curse to be broken so they can come home…” Azriel huffed, storming over to the water station.
Cassian moved silently behind him, leaning against a training dummy. His eyes shone with concern, but he didn’t press.
“I need her back, Cass.” Azriel said, his voice so quiet, Cassian wasn’t sure that he had even really heard him.
“I know. You’ll get her back even if I have to go under that damned mountain myself.”
Azriel finally met Cassian’s eyes. “It feels like she’s gone… The bond has been quiet for weeks… It was weak before, anyway, what with her being so far away and magic being dwindled to nothing… What if she’s-”
“She’s alive.” Cassian growled. ‘They both are. They have to be.”
Azriel only nodded before downing a cup of water and gesturing to Cassian to follow him back to the sparring area.
*****
Mor sat in the shadows of the living room, staring into the flames as they flickered in the hearth.
“What do you propose we do, Cassian?” Amren asked, her voice quiet.
“We have to do something… We’re losing him.” Cassian replied.
“We have to break the rules to get them back. But we can’t just… march in there.” Mor said, louder than intended. She cleared her throat and continued, quieter than before. “We need to find a loophole.”
Cassian grinned then. “Finally. I’ve only been saying that for fifty years.”
*****
“Go to hell.” Feyre growled, her words colder than I had ever heard.
“Rhys, what the hell are you doing here?” I asked over my shoulder as I attempted to wipe the gunk out of her wound.
“Heard you call for help. Figured I would comply.” He shrugged, picking a piece of lint off of his perfectly pressed jacket.
“I called for help days ago.” It was my turn to growl. “Took you long enough.”
Rhys ignored me, looking to Feyre instead. She was watching him through heavy lids. I hadn’t been able to get the wound to stop bleeding, and I could smell the first signs of infection in her blood.
“What would Tamlin say if he knew his beloved was rotting away down here?” Rhys asked, his voice dark and elegant.
Feyre bared her teeth, trying her best to look scary. It reminded me of a small child. Rhys could filet her alive if he so chose.
“Rhys, stop taunting her.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” He cocked his head to the side as he studied Feyre.
The look in his eyes reminded me so much of Azriel. The cool calculation mixed with something warm and familiar. It nearly knocked me to the floor.
I had closed my end of the bond so that I could focus on keeping the human alive. She was our only hope at this moment. Our only hope of finally, finally, getting out of here and going home. Gods, I missed my mate and my bed. And my tub… I couldn’t wait to take a real bath again.
But those emotions, those feelings did nothing to help us in our current situation, so I shut them down, refused to think about him, refused to let myself feel things that I knew would only make this harder.
Feyre was our only hope to get out of here, and right now she was dying.
“If you’re not going to help her, you need to leave.” I growled. “Send Lucien or even my father in your stead, but leave.”
“I’ll help her.”
“What are your demands?” Feyre rasped, finally finding her voice again.
I bit my lip as I watched Rhys kneel in front of the cot that she was occupying.
They seemed to stare at each other for a long moment, and I thought that I could hear Rhys’ heartbeat pick up.
“So… You have learned something about our ways, then.” He grinned.
“Your terms.” She repeated.
“Two weeks, every month, with me in the Night Court.” He stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
My brow furrowed. Why would he want to bring her to the Night Court?
Feyre was fighting an internal battle. I could tell she didn’t like Rhys, but she seemed to also be coming to terms with the fact that this was probably her only choice.
“Go to hell.” She growled.
“Feyre…” I whispered. “Take the bargain. You need help.”
“Not from him.” She spat.
Brave girl, spitting at the most powerful High Lord in Prythian.
“This is the last time I will extend my assistance.” Rhys purred. “Either take the deal or don’t.”
He stood, making his way towards me and the shadows that I had backed myself into.
I stared at him with horror in my eyes. Was he seriously about to let her die over something like this? He refused to look at me, and I could tell that he was nervous to see how I would react.
You’re my best friend. He spoke, and it took me a moment to realize that he hadn’t said the words aloud. Don’t let this sway your opinion of me.
I gave a nod, and he seemed to visibly relax. There wasn’t much that he could do to make me think less of him.
He took his time melting into the shadows, his edges beginning to blur before he became less and less solid. Before he could disappear completely, Feyre managed to choke out a sound.
“Wait.” She said, “just two weeks?”
“Yes.”
“And what are the terms of this deal?” She was sweating. A fever was a terrible sign. I looked at Rhys, but he only smirked at her.
“Telling you would ruin my fun.” He said, his voice like honey. “And I simply will not allow that to happen.”
She stared at him for a long moment, her eyes more alive than they had been in almost a day.
After a little back and forth, they settled on a week, and Rhys was healing her arm and her blood from the infection, leaving behind a black tattoo of swirls. He had even removed the mess from her skin, leaving her looking as though she had just bathed. Even the vomit in the corner was gone.
A laugh escaped me as I watched her stare down at her new tattoo in horror.
“A bargain mark.” My gaze landed on a smug Rhysand. “You marked her.”
“What have you done?” She growled. “Get this thing off of me.”
“No.” He grinned. “I’ll be excited to see your beloved's reaction to this when he sees you again.”
She spat at him once more, and I choked on another laugh. She was feeling better, that much was obvious.
*****
“There’s no way to remove the mark, Feyre.” I said as I watched her rub at the skin.
She sighed, sitting back on the cot.
“So…” She started after a few beats of silence. “Tell me a story.”
“A story?”
“Yes. Something about you. To take my mind off of this…” she held her arm up to me.
She wanted a story… about me? “What kind of story?”
“How do you and Rhysand know each other?” She asked, meeting my eyes.
“He… he saved me.” I shook my head as my own gaze fell to my lap. “I know you don’t like him, Feyre. But he hasn’t always been so… bad.”
She only snorted, and I didn’t blame her for not believing me. Especially not after he had almost let her die.
“I don’t expect you to speak ill of your High Lord.” She said after a moment of silence.
“He technically isn’t my High Lord.”
She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. I could tell she was trying to figure me out, and I couldn’t blame her for that, either.
“My father is Thesan. High Lord of the Dawn Court.” I let myself smile a bit at the thought of my wonderful father. “That’s where I was born, where I grew up. But, before all of this, I spent a great deal of time in the Night Court.”
I watched her for a moment before deciding that I could trust her with more than just this.
“My mate is there.”
“Mate?” She grinned. “You have a mate?”
“I do. He’s… he’s waiting for me to come home to him.”
“Tell me about him?” She asked, propping herself up on her elbow.
“He’s quiet and brooding most of the time, but when I have him to myself he’s charming and funny and he’s so painfully handsome it physically hurts.” I sighed, “I miss him terribly.”
She opened her mouth to ask more questions, but the cell door flew open, creaking and scraping against the stone floor.
“Y/N.” The attor growled. “You’re being moved to a room.”
“A room?'' I asked, sitting up and staring wide eyed at the creature in the doorway. His tail swished over the stone floor and I swore I would have nightmares about the sound for the rest of my life.
“The human is to be by herself. Come along before I come in there and drag you out by your hair.”
I flinched, and Feyre touched my arm. I wanted to weep for her, for the fact that she was going to be down here alone, for the fact that one of my only true allies in this hell was being taken from me.
“Go.” She said, bravely. “Go, I will be fine.”
“I… I'm sorry…” I said, standing.
The Attor growled again. I was obviously taking too long.
When I made it to the door, a hand grabbed my arm so hard I could feel the bruise forming already.
“Pity.” The Attor growled. “I am going to miss our time together.”
I flinched as his breath fanned over me.
With one last look at a wide-eyed Feyre, I left her behind.
I have been alright! I’ve been focusing on my mental and physical health for the last few months because I was struggling, but I am starting to feel much better. Thank you so much for asking, darling! ❤️
I have been struggling with my mental health/physical health the past couple of weeks/the last month, and needed to take a bit of a break from writing to try to get it under control.
I have officially started on the next part of a court of dawn and dusk, and it should be ready to post soon! I have seen the requests to be added to the tag list, sorry if I haven’t responded to them. I will get you all added to the next chapter!
I’ve also received quite a few requests that I will start working on as soon as the next chapter of a court of dawn and dusk has been posted.
It may be longer between postings, but I promise I’m not abandoning the story.
Sure thing! I looove Dorian. It's kinda short, but I hope you like it! ❤️
Warnings: sexual themes, but that’s it I think.
Early Morning - Dorian x reader
Early mornings were easily your favorite time of day. Dorian always awoke early, all soft touches and small smiles. But today, it seemed, he was struggling to wipe the sleep out of his eyes.
You let him pull you to his chest in a protective, possessive grip with a smile on your face. He always wanted to be close to you, to be able to breathe in your scent and hold you. He told you that it drove the nightmares away. You told him just as often that having him close soothed your own particular set of anxieties.
He kissed your spine before you wiggled in his grasp to face him fully.
He pulled the sheet over the two of you, but not before you caught the way that the sun filtered through the curtains, illuminating him in brilliant gold. Even now, he looked as though he had bathed in sunlight.
You ran your fingers through his tousled hair, grinning as he pressed another kiss to your shoulder.
“You’re late, your highness.” You whispered.
He groaned, his grip tightening. “A king is never late.”
You wrapped a leg around him, pulling him impossibly closer to your body.
“You will be if you stay here any longer.” You pressed a kiss to his lips.
When you pulled away, his lips chased yours before he had the sense to bring his hand that had been tracing idle shapes along your outer thigh to the side of your face to hold you in place.
You giggled into his lips and he couldn’t help his own grin as he rolled on top of you.
“You’re just as much to blame.” He countered, his dark hair tickling you as he moved to press kisses to your neck.
“How do you figure?” You tried to sound outraged, but the feel of his lips on your body always had the opposite effect.
“Because you’re here. Utterly indecent.” He tugged at the crimson nightgown you wore. It had ridden up to show off a pair of black lace panties, his favorite pair that you owned. He groaned again at the sight. “Distracting me, keeping from my duties.”
“I’ll have you know that I did not do anything to distract you. You’ve done that all on your own.”
“The only way you could look any more delicious is if you were naked.” He pulled away, propping himself up on his arms to really admire you. “A problem that is easily remedied.”
“And just how,” you stated, slipping the straps down your shoulders. “Do you plan on remedying this truly tragic situation you’ve found yourself in?”
He bit his lip, his blue eyes roving over you body, leaving a tingling sensation in their wake.
When his eyes met yours again, he winked. Without moving, he let his power, the invisible hands, pull the nightgown down your shoulders even further, exposing your breasts to him.
“Absolutely breathtaking.”
“I wish that they were your hands.” You whispered, not trusting your voice.
“They are.” He nipped at your bottom lip.
You whimpered as the phantom touch continued to ghost over your exposed flesh.
“Stop teasing.” You frowned.
“But you look so cute when you’re frustrated.”
Just as he was leaning down to kiss you again, there was a sharp knock on the door.
"Dorian, we need to go." Chaol shouted from the other side of the door. "I'd like to get back before nightfall."
You giggled, pressing a kiss to his shoudler before pushing him off of you. "Told you."
"I'll be back for you later, my love." He grinned, springing up from the bed, the evidence of just how little he wanted to leave evident in his pants.
Summary: A fight caused by alcohol and untrue words drives you and Gavriel apart, and a misunderstanding brings you back together.
Request: Hi💓 can I request gavriel x reader? Where they have a fight and then reader sees him with another female and thinks the worst and it hurts her so she doesn't talk to gavriel ever and he thinks he's doing the right thing by giving her space? Angst ending in fluff please 🙏💕💕💕
Warnings: Violence, cursing, angst... I think that's all.
*****
Gavriel couldn’t remember what he had said to you last night, but whatever it was had royally pissed you off. The two of you never fought, but something about the drinks, and the noise in the tavern, or maybe just the stresses of war, had the two of you at each other’s throats the second the first drinks were gone.
You hadn’t come back to the room. You hadn’t been with Aelin or Lysandra. He had given up after he checked every corner of the tavern. You couldn’t have gone far, and you always came back to him… At least, that’s how he assumed this would go.
He would give you space if you wanted it. Even if it felt like you had taken his heart with you.
Two days later, when they were moving on from the little town your party had stopped in, he finally saw you again. You were walking arm in arm with Aelin, chatting about flowers, of all things.
If Gavriel hadn’t been so worried about pissing you off again, he would have joked about it. He would have asked you when you had started to care about flowers? But the look you shot him over your shoulder, full of ice and hurt, had him biting his tongue and stopping in his tracks.
You had never looked at him like that before. And he wasn’t the only one to notice.
“Gods, what in the hell did you do to her to make her look at you like that?” Fenrys asked, letting out a low whistle.
Gavriel shook his head, both in disbelief and in response to Fenrys’s question.
When your group finally stopped to set up camp, he braved approaching you, thinking that he had given you enough time to think… That he had given you enough space to sort through your feelings, but when he stopped to gather his thoughts outside of your tent, he heard your hushed whispers.
“I just… I need space for a few days…” You said, your voice nearly bringing him to his knees.
He hadn’t realized how much he had missed the sound of it.
“What did he do?” Lysandra asked.
“He just… He said some things.” He didn’t need to see you to know you were shaking your head. He had your mannerisms memorized.
“Like what?” This time it was Aelin who asked.
There was a long beat of silence, some rustling. He thought he heard a sniffle.
“He told me that he didn’t believe my presence made a difference to our team… That my ‘particular set of skills’ weren’t useful to you.” You answered. “When I gave him the chance to take it back, he told me to get over it.”
He didn’t remember saying any of that. Didn’t even know why he had said it, because he sure as hell didn’t mean any of it. You were a talented warrior. Your skillset was useful to any battle… To any ruler. It was why Maeve had sought you out to join the cadre in the first place.
For him to make you feel useless…
It was no wonder you hadn’t approached him to talk it through yet… Why you hadn’t slept in the same bed as him since that night.
“Well…” Lysandra started, but she had no idea how to comfort you…
No one did. No one other than the male you were doing your damndest to avoid like the plague.
*****
You awoke the next day, your head pounding from the silent tears that you had let fall as everyone else in the camp had slept. You missed Gavriel. Missed wrapping your arms around him while you slept, missed talking about nothing with him… But you were still angry, and he had made no move to approach you, to apologize, so you hadn’t either.
Aelin poked her head into your tent, offering you a small smile as her eyes met yours.
“We’re packing up and heading into town. If you get your things, the guys will pack up the tent and we can be off.”
“Of course.” You pushed to your feet and rolled your shoulders before slipping your leather armor back on and stuffing your belongings into the bag that you’d been carrying with you.
Another town… Another night that you would sleep without the love of your life beside you.
*****
You knew that you were overreacting, but as you watched Gavriel laugh with the pretty bar keep, it took everything in you not to lash out, not to stalk over to the bar and rip out her throat. Especially when she was giggling and eyeing him the way she was. Especially when she reached out a hand and ran it over his chest.
“Y/N?” Elide asked, waving a hand in front of your face before she followed your gaze and cursed under her breath.
“I thought males were the territorial ones.” Lorcan jabbed, and was met with two slaps. One from Elide and one from Fenrys. Lorcan grumbled, taking his seat.
You didn’t bother to reply, the scowl that had twisted your face only deepening as he reached out his hand and touched her shoulder.
The action looked more like he was talking to a sister than flirting, but you saw red nonetheless.
Rowan stepped up to the table, Aelin following close behind him. One look at your face, and the Queen of Terrasen was making her way to the bar, toward Gavriel and his new… friend.
You couldn’t make out what was said over the noise, but you saw both of their smiles drop as Gavriel turned to you. When his eyes met yours, you had to suppress the urge to look away, to keep the deadly look on your face.
The woman seemed to suddenly be preoccupied wiping a glass down as you stared at Gavriel. He let his gaze drift to Rowan, a question lingering there.
Rowan shook his head, as if to say now isn’t the time.
With a slight nod, Gavriel made his way to the table. You sprung to your feet, the sudden movement startling a few other patrons, and made your way to the door and into the fresh, night air that awaited on the other side of it. Aelin was hot on your heels.
When you had made it out into the street, Aelin let out a low chuckle.
“Why’re you leaving?”
“We’re fighting and he was flirting with that woman.” You glanced at her out of the corner of your eye. “Right in front of me.”
“Would it help you if I told you he was telling her he was spoken for when I went over?” She asked.
It did help, but you couldn’t tell her that. Not when it still felt like your chest was cleaving itself in two.
“You should go back, get some dinner. I just need to take a bit of a walk… Clear my head a little.”
She stopped you with a hand on your arm. “Come find me later if you need someone to talk to.”
You only nodded, offering her a small smile that didn’t reach your eyes.
“If you’re not back in an hour, I’m sending the cadre to come save you.” Aelin winked, before she made her way back to the bar.
*****
Aelin plopped down between Fenrys and Rowan with a sigh. Gavriel kept his eyes on the door, waiting for you to reenter.
“She’s going for a walk.” Aelin said, sparing him a glance before she returned to examining her nails.
“What’s going on between the two of you?” Lorcan asked.
Elide rolled her eyes, “Nice one, by the way.”
“What?” He asked indignantly.
“Learn to read the room, Lorcan.” Fenrys growled.
Gavriel shook his head, “We got into an argument the other night, and we haven’t really spoken since.”
“What about?” Elide asked.
“Honestly, I don’t really remember what started the argument. Something about a task that Aelin wanted her to do.” He pondered. “Before we could work through things, she stormed out.”
“She stayed with me the night you guys fought.” Fenrys offered up.
Gavriel, the territorial side of him clawing its way to the surface, shot him a look and Fenrys held his hands up in surrender.
“Relax, Gav.” Rowan said.
“She just needed a safe place to sleep.” Fenrys said, his voice low. “That’s all that happened. I slept on the floor.”
“You shouldn’t even need to be told that nothing would happen.” Aelin said. “Especially since she almost committed a murder just watching you touch another woman.”
Gavriel sucked in a breath at that. “How upset was she?”
“Well…” Elide started, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.
“Fucking furious.” Fenrys deadpanned.
Gavriel only sighed. “I thought I was doing the right thing by giving her space.”
“The first day or so, sure.” Aelin stated. “But we’re going on almost an entire week. You need to go find her and talk.”
*****
The bridge you had found was peaceful. You weren’t sure how long you had stood there, staring at the reflection of the moon on the water as it raged past.
You heard him before you saw him. He was making noise on purpose, giving you a chance to leave if you so wished.
You appreciated the option, but kept your feet firmly planted to the ground. You had had enough of the fighting and the running, and even though it had only been a few days, you missed him.
“Hey.” He muttered, taking his place next to you, leaning against the railing to try and get a better look at your face.
You leaned forward more, letting your hair create a curtain to shield you from him.
“Can we talk?” He asked, his voice small, tentative.
“We don’t have anything to talk about.” You muttered, unable to stop the words from flowing from your lips.
“You know that isn’t true.” He touched your shoulder.
When you didn’t flinch away from him, he rubbed his hand down the length of your spine.
“Please look at me.”
You did as he asked, turning your face so that you could meet his eyes.
“I’m sorry.” He said, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.
“For what?” You asked.
“For everything.” He sighed. “I never should have made you feel like you weren’t as capable as me, or anyone else for that matter. You’re the most capable person I know.”
You opened your mouth to reply, but closed it again, waiting for whatever else he had on the tip of his tongue.
“I love you. And I’ve missed you.” He shrugged. “I thought I was doing the right thing by giving you space.”
You couldn’t stop the tears. Gods, you had missed him, too. You had barely slept a wink since you had walked away from him. And you knew that he hadn’t either by the bags under his beautiful eyes.
“I love you, too.” You whispered, not trusting yourself to talk too loud.
He reached forward and wiped the tears away from your cheeks like he always did any time you were upset.
“Are we… Are you okay?” He asked, pressing a kiss to your forehead.
“Yeah, I’m okay.” You nodded, holding his gaze. “We’re okay.”
He pulled you into a tight hug, squeezing you so tightly you almost couldn’t breathe.
“If I ever see another woman touching you like that again, though, I’ll rip out her throat.”
He pulled away to look into your eyes again, and the look on your face had him letting out a bark of laughter.
“S’not funny, Gavriel.” You grumbled.
“I know, baby. But you should know that I only have eyes for you.”
A small smile pulled at the corners of your lips. “I know.”
He tucked a strand of hair behind your ear and leaned forward, waiting for your consent before he pressed his lips to yours in a kiss.
“Does this mean that you’re going to sleep in the same bed as me again?” He asked, cradling your face in his hands.
“I don’t know, Fenrys told me I could stay with him again…” You pretended to think, a finger on your chin.
The look he gave you had you laughing, then. At the sound of it, his scowl turned into a brilliant smile.
“You’re beautiful.” He said, throwing an arm around you.
You rested your head on his shoulder, watching the river for a while longer before heading back to the tavern, your heart and steps lighter now that you had the love of your life back beside you.
Hi💓 can I request gavriel x reader? Where they have a fight and then reader sees him with another female and thinks the worst and it hurts her so she doesn't talk to gavriel ever and he thinks he's doing the right thing by giving her space? Angst ending in fluff please 🙏💕💕💕
Hi! I will be posting this tonight after I read through for any errors. I hope it’s what you were looking for. Thank you the request ☺️❤️
Summary: A game of truth or dare leads you to an awkward situation with Rafe. Fluff.
Request: Could I get a Rafe x reader where they kiss on a dare? Something fluffy?? I love your writing
This isn’t exactly what you asked for, but the concept is similar. I hope you like it ❤️
Warnings: nothing really. Maybe a bit of cussing?
*****
“Come on, Y/N.” Kie laughed, taking another swig of beer. “You have to tell us. You chose truth.”
“If I tell you, I’ll have to kill you. What’s my punishment?”
Sarah leaned over to her, giggling as she fell over and struggled to prop herself up on her arms. When she finally managed to, she whispered something into Kie’s ear.
Kiara’s eyes widened as her face broke out into a mischievous grin. “Okay! Your punishment is…” she hit her lap to mimic a drumroll. “Sneak into Rafe’s room and steal his favorite watch.”
“He’s probably worn the damn thing to bed.” You said, your eyes wide.
You’d had a crush on Rafe for years. Something about him drew you in, but you knew that if you let yourself get too close, he’d chew you up and spit you out.
“Do it.” Sarah said, resting her head on Kiara’s shoulder. “If he’s wearing it, you’ll just have to come up with a really convincing reason for him to let you have it.”
You shook your head before standing on shaky legs and stumbling to the door.
The two of them broke out into a fit of giggles that was only slightly muffled by the closing of the bedroom door.
You snuck to Rafe’s room on what you thought were silent feet, careful to stop every couple of steps to listen intently to the sounds of the house. The last thing you needed was for Ward to catch you sneaking into or out of his sons bedroom.
As you reached his door, you could feel the sweat lining your shaking hands.
God he would kill you if he caught you outside his room like this. He would kill you again if he caught you inside his room. He’d probably kill you a third time for taking his watch. But in truth or dare, a punishment was a punishment… and you weren’t a pussy.
Taking a deep breath to steel your nerves, you shoved the door open. To your excitement, it was silent and the lights were on, making it easier to find what you were looking for. To your disappointment, Rafe was still awake. He was sitting up in bed, scrolling through his phone.
As he spotted the movement at his door, his eyes shifted to you, and a furrow appeared between his brows.
“What d’ya want Y/L/N?” He said, his voice the type of gravelly that sent shivers down your spine.
“Oh, I… I didn’t think you’d be in here on a Friday night.” You took a step forward as his brow furrowed even deeper.
“You’re in my bedroom.”
“Yeah, I suppose I am.” You smiled, the alcohol making you brave.
“Okay… get out?” He said, but it came out more like a question.
“I would, but I’m kind of on a mission right now.” Your eyes scanned the room again, landing on his wrist.
There was the watch, sitting pretty and expensive.
You crossed the room to him before you could rethink your decision and grabbed his hand, fiddling with the clasp on the watch.
“What the hell are you doing?” He snapped but he didn’t pull out of your touch.
“I just need to borrow this for a bit.” Finally wiggling the clasp loose, you pulled the watch from his arm. He just stared at you, confusion evident on his face.
“You’re drunk.”
“Yep.” You said, popping the ‘p’.
“You gonna pawn it?” He sat up more, leaning closer to you. “If you need money, just ask.”
“No, Rafe.” You rolled your eyes. “I’m not gonna pawn it. You’ll have it back tomorrow… Probably.”
He scoffed. “What do you need it for?”
“You let me worry about that, handsome.” You hiccuped and patted his cheek with one of your hands.
“Handsome?” His frown spread into a grin. “Since when do you think I’m handsome?”
“I’ve always… always found you handsome.” You swayed a bit on your feet.
“Okay, you must be farther gone than I gave you credit for.” He gripped your shoulders. “Sit for a minute.”
You gave a half hearted protest, but let him sit you down.
“So…” he started, slowly removing his hands. “You think I’m handsome?”
You hummed, feeling the blush creep across your already red face.
“Well, I’ll be damned.” He sat back, crossing his arms over his chest.
“But I never told you. Mostly cause I didn’t think it’d matter since… you’re… you know… you.” You gestured at him.
“And why would me being me make your feelings not matter?” His frown was back, and you wanted to kiss it away.
“I’ve been friends with Sarah for years.” You flopped back on the mattress, the watch still clasped tightly in your fingers. “You’ve never really given me more than a couple words here and there.”
“You’re always surrounded by guys.” He shrugged.
“Just JJ and Pope, maybe John B.” You shrugged. “They’re hardly guys.”
Rafe snorted. You cursed yourself for giving him the ammo, but you were too drunk to attempt to backpedal.
“God, you know…” you propped yourself up and met his eyes. “You’re just like… you’ve always been so attractive. I really started to notice in, like, 5th grade.”
“You’ve felt like this since 5th grade?”
“Yeah, course I have.” You rolled your eyes before your face split into a beautiful smile.
You didn’t notice the way his breath caught in his throat.
“Well, I’ve always found you, um… beautiful.” He shrugged. “You just seemed off limits, what with the pogues and Sarah.”
“Since when have you cared if something was off limits?”
He grinned. “Fair point.”
“So.” You nodded, sitting up farther. “You find me beautiful, and I find you handsome.”
He nodded, suddenly wary of the faraway look on your face.
“And yet, we’ve never done anything about it.”
His mouth went dry. It wasn’t that he hadn’t wanted to. Hell, he had thought about you more than he thought appropriate. Late at night, right when he woke up, when he was working, golfing, drinking. There wasn’t really a waking moment where thoughts of you didn’t plague his mind.
“No, we haven’t.” He gulped, hoping you missed the way his voice shook. He wiped his sweaty hands on his pajama pants.
“I think it’s time we rectify that, don’t you?” You leaned closer to him.
Rafe knew he should pull away… knew he needed to tell you to go, but he found himself leaning closer, his lips only inches from yours.
“You gonna let me kiss you, Rafe?” You murmured, your voice felt like a soft caress down his spine.
He didn’t answer, just closed the distance and pressed his lips to yours. You were soft and you tasted like beer and vanilla, and he was sure that he could spend forever in this moment and never have any regrets. But, too quickly you were pulling away, your eyes still closed as your breathed. He watched the way your chest rose and fell before you shot him another of your dazzling smiles. .
“Better than I imagined.” You whispered, finally opening your eyes to meet his burning gaze.
You shook yourself to snap out of the moment and put more distance between you. Rafe resisted the urge to pull you closer, to capture your lips with his, to pull you on top of him and further that kiss into something more.
“I should get back.” You spoke again, your voice still full of heat.
Before he could pull you back, you had crossed the room and let yourself into the hallway. He groaned, letting his head fall into his hands. This would really not help his small obsession with you.
When looked back up, the glint of something shiny caught his eye.
His watch.
You must have dropped it during the kiss, or maybe during your escape.
Before he could talk himself out of it, he launched himself out of bed, scooping the watch up, and forced himself to walk, not run, to the door. When he opened it, you were nowhere to be found, but the laughter from Sarah’s room drew him in.
Knocking on the door, he waited for a moment before Sarah giggled. “Come in.”
He pushed the door open, and his gaze settled on you.
“You forgot something.” He said, crossing the room in two small strides.
“Oh yeah?” You grinned up at him.
“Yeah.”
Falling to his knees in front of you, he gently grabbed the back of your neck with one hand and crashed his lips to yours.
After a surprised squeak, you kissed him back.
Where the first kiss had been warm and slow, this one was hot and fast, almost as if you couldn’t get enough of each other.
“I think I’m gonna be sick.” Sarah stated, fake gagging.
You pulled away, giggling, your breath fanning over his face.
He let go of you and got back to his feet before dangling the watch in front of your face.
Sarah and Kie gasped.
You turned to Sarah as you said, “I win.”
He wasn’t sure what you were talking about or what game you were playing, but Rafe couldn’t help thinking, as he grinned down at you, that he was the one who had won.
I would write for either of them! I have a Gavriel fic in the works, but I don’t know for sure when I’ll have time to finish and post it yet. Feel free to send in a request.
