Summary: Anon Request: az sending his shadows to check up on you during long missions!!!!!!!!!!!
Warnings: None.
Word Count: 775
Notes: Okay, this one just HAD to involve the babies. 💙
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The babe on your hip squeals in your arms as shadows swirl around the both of you in an excited frenzy. You laugh, ducking to narrowly avoid missing one as it skitters out of the way of Baz’s grabby hands. They lift your hair off of your shoulders as they wind around the both of you, and you watch admiringly as your first born, Wren, stumbles into the room in a fit of laughter, shadows at his heels.
“Daddy,” Wren squawks, beelining straight for your legs. He wraps himself around you, tiny wings fluttering at his back, swatting at the tendrils as he hugs you tightly, the shadows tickling over his soft skin. “Please!”
Azriel often liked to send his shadows to check in on you and your sons while he was away. In the three years that you had had Wren and Baz, with a baby girl on the way, he’d requested to stay within the Night Court as much as he could. Rhysand understood, of course he did, and while Azriel’s spies were just as trustworthy as the spymaster himself, this mission could not be had without him.
He must be up at the safehouse, nestled in the thicket of trees between the Spring Court and the Human Lands. It was the only way he’d send the darkness to check in on the four of you, half of the flock of shadows missing, begrudgingly on scout for their master instead of here, playing with you and the babes.
You suck in a breath as the barrier separating your bond from reaching out to his slides open, flooding you with longing and warmth from what the shadows darting in and out the doors carry on the whispers of night.
Sending a wave of love right back to your mate, you smile as one of the shadows circles around your middle, a gentle caress to his daughter. The smaller tether slips up your arm and brushes against your cheek, a kiss all its own.
Your heart pangs in your chest. You miss him, and while Cassian is more than helpful watching your two rowdy sons so you can get off of your feet, it isn’t the same as having Azriel around. Your mate loves his children with every morsel of his soul. He’d never had that, a real family, just the one he’d chosen for himself, and he wanted nothing more than for all of his children to grow and love each other. He’d been a nervous wreck when you found out you were pregnant with Wren, didn’t think he’d be a good enough father, but he’d been the most helpful partner throughout your pregnancy and when your oldest was finally born, you could see it from the very first time that Azriel laid eyes on him that he’d be the best father a tiny babe could ask for.
Soon, the shadows seem to say, a stroke across your knuckles, threading through your fingers. Wren screeches, batting the shadows off with a spoon he’d snagged from the countertop where you’d been preparing a sweet treat for your boys before a cozy night in with their mommy. You let them sleep in your and Azriel’s room with you last night and they will again tonight, what Azriel didn’t know won’t kill him. He is a sucker for most things when it comes to the children, but allowing them to sleep in your room too often wasn’t one of them. Azriel likes to have his alone time with you, worshiping your body like he’s done since you’d first met. Hel, it’s exactly the reason you’re pregnant with babe number three right now, the tiny being kicking out as if she senses her father’s presence nearby.
Little Baz squirms in your arms. He’s caught one of the shadows, gripping it tightly between chubby fingers and he giggles while it struggles. You know it’s just your mate playing with the toddler, the shadow isn’t a tangible thing, and it will escape your second born's clutches when Azriel calls them back to him so you can help the babes wind down.
You set Baz down to play with his brother who has gotten bored of fighting nearly imaginary beings with his spoon. He’s abandoned the shadows riling him up in favor of whining to you about how he would like his treat now, cheeks red and sweat lining his forehead from exertion. You puff a breath of laughter at the disheveled sight of him and a prideful feeling thrums down the bond from your mate, squeezing your insides in the best way.
One cat never stays one cat~ I wonder how the reader will react when Az gets one more cat home 🥺
okay but what if its not a kitten, but something else...😂😏
"Daddy! Mommy! Look," Zuzu squeals excitedly, running up to the house.
She and her brothers had been playing in the large backyard while you and Az prepped food for their dinners, watching them through the kitchen window. The creamy skies are a plethora of oranges and pinks, the sun dipping slowly behind the red mountains lining your backyard.
The location of your home was important to both you and Azriel when selecting to build your dream home, and having a spacious backyard overlooking the mountains for your children to run around and for your family to have the privacy you needed was one of your top wants when looking for land.
You look up from the sandwich you're currently cutting the crusts off of, and your mate pauses, halting his action of spreading jam on bread.
Zuzu's hair is plastered to her head with sweat, cheeks flushed and her wings fluttering behind her excitedly. Her violet dress is rumpled and smudged with dirt and her knees are red from where she's fallen on your walk in town yesterday, too eager to get her favorite ice cream from town.
"What is it, Zuz?" Azriel asks, putting down the knife and bread. He rounds the corner, moving towards his daughter with a soft smile and brushing the sweaty hair from her eyes.
Your children often brought you rocks and things from the backyard to show off, sometimes the odd toy Azriel or their uncles liked to stop by and hide for them to find.
Zuzu beams up at her father, dark eyes sparkling, grin wide. It makes your heart flutter, the love that they have for each other, your mate and his daughter.
"We found another kitty!" She exclaims, and your brow furrows. You knew that Zuzu was a bit disappointed that her new kitten, Elixir, had taken a liking to Jax and Azriel more than her, and it seemed like she brought it upon herself to find another pet to bring into the family. You however, aren't so sure about this.
Six children and one cat are already a handful, you're not entirely sure you can handle another. And if Zuzu has claimed two pets, it will only be a matter of time until Wren asks for a fish or Baz finds a Naga-hound to befriend. Maybe they've found another kitten in the barn and it can live out there but they can still visit it.
You share a look with your mate and pull away from the counter to move closer. Your stomach is already knots, the 'no, you can't keep him' on the tip of your tongue, when she calls for her brothers.
Baz stumbles through the back door and into the kitchen. He's struggling with the lump of black in his arms, huffing and puffing as Wren leads the way, holding the door open for him.
Your heart stops in your chest with such a force your knees nearly give out when the light catches on Baz's arms. It looks like one of Jax's stuffed animals come to life. It's nearly as big as him, its silky black coat shining in the light. It's whiskers are long and twitching, and it licks its lips, revealing sharp teeth.
"Oh my Gods," you exclaim, scooping up Zuzu into your arms as Azriel launches himself towards the animal in Baz's arms, gripping it by the scruff and hauling it from his grasp.
It's a wildcat.
"Dad," Baz pouts, reaching up for the animal. He wants to hold it, he found it, and it's his, not Zuzu's. "He's mine!"
"No, he's not," Azriel responds, holding the baby wild creature away from his sons. He doesn't even know how they found something like this, but he has an inkling the shadows creeping slowly out of the room have had a hand in this. "You can't keep this!"
"Please?" Wren begs, eyes round as saucers. He's pulled Baz to his chest and they both blink up at you and then Az, pleading. "He's so cute!"
And...you'll give them that. The thing is only a baby, chewing on his paw and blinking around the room with gold eyes, all but purring in Azriel's grasp. It doesn't look bothered in the slightest, nor aware of the tension in the room.
"He might be cute now, but when he's fully grown and bigger than all of us, you won't think so."
"You don't know that," Baz crosses his arms over his chest, looking like you and Azriel have utterly betrayed him. It makes your heart ache but you cannot allow them to keep this creature. "Shadow is a nice kitty."
"He's not a kitty—you named him already?" Azriel asks, exasperated. Leave it to his children to capture and bring home the beasts of Prythian. "I'm sorry, but we cannot keep this one, Baz."
"Fine," he huffs, turning his chin down, "We don't have to keep Shadow, if we can get another kitten."
Your mouth parts in shock, looking between your three eldest and this ruse they've come up with to try and blackmail both you and your mate into getting another kitten.
You share a look with Azriel, a knowing one. He doesn't like this as much as you don't, and you set Zuzu down next to her brothers and stand by Azriel's side, staring down at your intelligent children.
"Go wash up for dinner, now, while I bring Shadow home."
i just saw a video of a raccoon nibbling on someones arm and then i was like baz could totally have a pet raccoon it would be so sweet but in reality i think it'd just be
