#cassainxreader

[prythiansprincesss]

Let Me In

Cassian x FeyreSister!reader

Warnings: None(?)

Notes: First Fic Ever.

I got tired of not being able to read my man, so I decided to start writing. I haven’t ever done this before, so it probably sucks.

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Water surrounded me, filling up my lungs and nose. It burned, not in a hot fire way, but in a deep icy cold way. I thrashed in the water, trying to swim up for air, to escape the pain, before finally being flung out. My body slammed onto the cold floors, my head pressing against the cold tiles, eyes shut tightly, chest heaving up and down. Gasping in the air greedily. Grief and anger washed over me, tears brimming my eyeline, my body curling in on itself.

My simple white nightdress– wet and sticking to my skin– was seen through now due to the water. It outlined every private place on my body. Feyre's sobs and Nesta's yells reached my ears as I slowly looked up and over at my sisters, not daring to look back at the King. Nesta, yelling at an orange-haired man holding Elaine tightly.

Elain- oh sweet Elain. Her eyes were wide, hands shaking, a dark far-away look in her eyes. Like mine, Nesta's and Elain's gown, wet and see-through, sticking to their bodies. A jacket was draped over Elain's shoulders, hiding her chest partly.

I looked away from my eldest and youngest sister, whimpering as I locked eyes with my other older sister, Feyre, slowly moving onto my knees, crawling to her. Flushing at humiliation at the snickers behind me, already knowing my nightdress is not hiding anything. Feyre's hands grasped my arm once I reached her, gently pulling me up onto my own feet. My knees shaking and buckling under me slightly, before my knees could even think about going down, a more firm hand clasped my upper arm, Feyre's hand on my back as she guided me into the other person.

Male

Simply from the smell, I knew the person my sister handed me off to was male. I furrowed my brows at the thought, at the thought of suddenly being able to smell a man. Never once being able to smell them– other than their body odor– when I was back home in my and my sisters' village, but this smell was overwhelming, intoxicating, almost seeping into my skin. The smell of musk and mint flooded my senses.

Feyre's hand left my back as an arm wrapped around my shoulders, guiding me away carefully. I stared at the ground, my body shuddering, my mind still reeling to connect everything. Waiting to realize what happened. A jacket was draped over my shoulders, breaking me of my trance. I finally looked up, only to find brown eyes looking down at me already, a sudden pull in me snapped taut. Deep within, somewhere I did not even think existed, like a loose thread suddenly became very tight within me.

Something behind his eyes shifted, his hand on my shoulder gripping tighter for a split moment before dropping. Turning back towards the King of Hybern, standing beside my sister, my sister standing beside her…mate. I studied his back form, drawing out the sound of the King's horridious voice.

The male’s wings tucked in tightly against his back, his body clad in leathers, red jewels on his body– two on his knees and shoulders, one on each hand, and one in the middle of his chest. A deep red color, one that seemed to get darker the more time went on. His hair pulled back with a thin piece of twine, swirls of blue-black ink peeking out of the collar of his leathers, trailing up his neck slightly.

The rest of the words were a blur as my head started to spin, my eyes darting around; Everything becoming too much, the king, the cauldron I was shoved into and blasted from me moments ago, my sisters, this man in front of me that I suddenly felt so very drawn to. My legs buckled as I hit the floor, my eyes fluttering as I went down, a sickening crack and a bloom of pain in my skull. My vision blurred as a face knelt over me. That tan gorgeous face of a man from earlier. My name left his lips as my eyes shut, letting the darkness take over me.

____

When I finally woke up, I was in a spacious bed. The black silk sheets cooling against my hot, sticky, sweaty skin. The windows open, the air softly blowing in. The cast of the sun peeking over the mountains shining into the rooms.

Slowly sitting up, moving to the edge of the bed. Glancing around, surely the King of Hybern would not allow such comfort. I carefully placed my feet on the ground. The cold stone against my bare feet as I fully stood.

My once wet nightdress changed, in place, a long cotton white one, stopping at the middle of my calves. Simple and modest, my hair falling down my back. A flush made its way up my neck and onto my cheeks, a flush coming from the thought of someone changing me. Seeing me so, privately bare and vulnerable.

I swallowed my embarrassment, walking to the door, opening it and peeking my head out.

Voices, quiet and hushed ones, made their way to my ears as I opened the door. I slowly, and quietly, stepped out of the hall, beginning to walk down the hallway. Finding a staircase, hoping it leads to somewhere useful as I made my way down.

My hand gripped the rail as my foot hit each step softly, before reaching a long entryway, the dark pillars, painting of strong-jawed men; the familiar swirls I saw on that one male, also on these men in paintings, wings spread dominantly.

The voices continued to speak, getting louder as I passed each painting, getting closer to the cracked door. I stood a good few feet away from the door. Listening in slightly. Voices hushed, but each demanding respect. Male voices, female voices– my sister's voice. Feyre. Soft but demanding and cold–

“She does not need to know yet.”

I peeked into the crack, my sister standing behind a chair. Dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a sweater, her hair braided down her back. Like normal, like how we all usually wore it. Except, her ears. Pointy. Fae. I don’t think I will ever be able to get used to them. I snapped out of my thoughts at a deep voice, my eyes snapping to who's speaking next– holding back a gasp as I saw it was the male from before.

The one with the swirls, more now on view with the two buttons undone on his buttoned up shirt, the blue-black ink on his skin. Swirling around his chest and on his collarbones, fading up and off onto his neck, the one with brown eyes, the one who gave me his jacket during my vulnerable state. The one who caused something in me to be pulled together tightly.

“She deserves to know, you were pissed when Rhysand didn’t tell you. How is this any different?” The voice growled out. His hands fisted tightly together. His brows creased together in anger and desperation. Feyre only shook her head. “That's different and you know it, Cassian.”

Cassian

That’s his name then. Cassian. I gently whispered it in my mouth, sounding it out and trying it. Snapping my mouth shut as the male's head snapped to the door. His eyes locked on mine, swirlign with emotions deep within, before a cocky grin spreads across his face as he opens his mouth to speak

“Don’t you know it's rude to eavesdrop?”

_____

Okayyyyyy.

So how was it. I did amazing didn’t I (just nod)

I also don’t know what POV to write fics in, so I did First because that’s what the author did for her books too

[prythiansprincesss]

Let Me In

Part 2/?

Cassian x FeyreSister!Reader

Warnings: none

Word Count: 1.3k

Notes: this took longer than expected. I didn’t know if I should go different ways with it, until I finally just whatever came to mind. Kinda proof read.

Tag: @artemis2832 —> lowkey don’t know how to @ people 😬 hopefully i did it right

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“Don’t you know it's rude to eavesdrop?”

His voice is deep, his smell suddenly hitting me. Musk– animalistic. Is that even a thing? Mint, maybe his toothpaste? Fae brush their teeth right? My mind reels as I twist some of my nightdress in my hand, everyone elses eyes snap to me.

“I- I wasn’t ” My voice came out weakly, betraying me immediately. The door creaked open wider before I could decide whether to run or stay, I frowned slightly. As I didnt push it to open.

“Relax,” Cassian said, though his tone held a teasing edge. “You’re not in trouble.”

Feyre stood still, watching me carefully. Rhysand lingered beside her, his violet eyes unreadable, while the others, faces I didn’t know yet, shifted slightly, all attention turning toward me. It made my skin prickle. Goosebumps casting over my skin, my hands twist a side of my nightdress tighter.

“You’re awake,” Feyre said softly, stepping around the chair. Her voice had lost that cold edge from before, something gentler slipping in. Familiar. Almost comforting. Almost “You should be resting.”

“I…” I trail off, thinking of an excuse to cover up the fact that I was in fact easedropping. “I heard voices” I say finally. Feyre simply nods– glancing back at Cassian– a flicker of emotion passing in her eyes, before looking back at me. “Come in,” she said.

I pause, glancing around before walking into the threshold slowly, every movement careful, like the floor might give out beneath me. The room itself was massive, the high ceilings lined with dark beams, maps and papers scattered across the table at the center. It felt important, probably so because of the King.

I stop a few feet away from Feyre, my hands continue to twist my gown. Her eyes look over me, walking closer, her hands gently reaching out touching the side of my head gently “Do you hurt?” she asks softly. Her hand brushing some of my hair back, looking at the side of my head.

I shrug my shoulders, a soft smile coming to my lips “Only as much as one can be after being slammed onto tile floors”

My sister huffs, a small smirk twitching at the corners of her lips, her hands drop to her sides. Her eyes lock onto mine, then onto my ears. Any trace of a smile leaves as she looks them over, my hands gently reaching up to touch them. Feeling the pointy fae ears instead of the round human ears. I frown, dropping my hand again.

“What happened to us?” I asked, my voice steadier than I felt. “What did that… thing do?” The word ‘thing’ felt too small for it.

The Cauldron.

Even thinking about it made something twist deep inside me, like a memory I couldn’t fully reach but my body refused to forget.

Feyre’s expression tightened. Her hand found mine, interwinding them tightly.

“It changed you,” she said carefully. “All of you.”

“I can feel that. literally and metaphorically” I snapped before I could stop myself, my hands trembling slightly in her grasp. “That doesn’t explain what changed.”

A pause. Her eyes searched mine, trying to figure out how to put it gently I suppose. A voice speaks up behind her, speaking the words she cannot seem to get out.

“You’re Fae now.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and unreal. My eyes move past my sisters, locking onto the violet eyes that said the words. Rysand, her mate.

Mate.

Weird word, too possessive.

I look between him and Feyre, shaking my head and letting out a small, breathless laugh “No. That… that’s not… I’m human” But even as I said it, the memory of being flung onto the floor, out of the cauldron, suddenly sensing and feeling everything in the room. The smells. The sounds. The way the room felt too sharp, too loud, too alive. The way I had noticed Cassian before even being handed off to him.

“But…wha…no. no” I whispered, but it sounded weaker this time.

“It’s true,” Feyre said gently “Nesta and Elain too”

My eyes snapped to hers, searching. And there it was—those ears, that quiet power beneath her skin. Something not entirely human anymore. I knew something changed with her, when she came back those months ago. Asking my eldest sister, Nesta, of something to do with the house and other people. I was hardly ever home, always out at my studio.

The new funds my father had gotten, allowed me to open my own pottery shop. Starting up the hobby that I had before we went broke. I spent most days there, from morning to late night; if it was too late, I would simply just sleep at the studio on a couch. Which only ended in me never being home anymore. Missing the day Feyre stopped by and all the days that occurred after that. It was only when I returned home to drop off flower pots I had made for Elain that I stayed there. That one night I did end in me being torn from my bed and shoved in a pot in Hybern.

“And… that’s it. That's all that happened? I just am going to live forever now?” I asked finally, my voice small. “I’m just… like this now?”

“No,” Rhysand said smoothly from behind Feyre, his voice calm but firm. “That’s not all.” Feyre tenses slightly, her hands grip mine as she turns back to her mate.

Every instinct in me tensed. I turned slightly toward him, then Feyre; her eyes sharp on him. “Then what aren’t you telling me?” I ask. Feyre turns back to me, her lips in a thin line.

Cassian shifted beside me, just enough that I was suddenly aware of him again. Of his presence, steady and close, hovering.

Feyre opens her mouth then closes it again, hesitating, my chest tightened.

“What?” I demanded, sharper this time. “What is it?” Feyre opened her mouth to speak, but Cassian spoke first.

“It means something else changed too.”

I turned to him fully now, my breath catching at the intensity in his gaze. That same strange pull from before flickered again, tightening low in my chest, confusing and impossible to ignore. His jaw clenched slightly, like he wasn’t sure he should be the one saying it. I stare at him, waiting for him to continue.

“It means,” he said slowly, “you’re tied to this world now… in ways you weren’t before.”

That didn’t answer anything. I frown, my brows pulled together in anger and confusion

“If you’re going to say something,” I said, my voice coming out stern, but faltering for a momnet, sensing them beating around the bush, “just say it. Please”

Cassian held my gaze for a long moment, before he sighs. Pinching the bridge of his nose, “There are bonds you don’t understand yet.”

I raise my brow

“What kind of bonds?”

This time, no one answered right away. I think tthat scared me more than anything they could’ve said.

Then silence stretched, I looked between everyone. Rysand, Feyre, Cassian. Before looking at the other people in the room. A female– long blonde hair braided down her back as wel, brown eyes, and a male– wings spread behind him, golden-brown skin, black shadows swirling around him. Reaching out before being pulled back to his shoulders.

I look back at my sister “Feyre?” I whisper, my eyes full with curiosity. Staring at my older sister, begging her to tell me something, anything.

She frowns sadly, gently squeezing my hand “It doesn’t have to make sense right now-”

“But it should!” I yell, snapping, yanking my hand from hers. “It’s my life. I know the…cualdron changed me into fae, but what else. I can feel it, feel you guys hiding something from me!” I step back, looking from Feyre to Cassian. My eyes locked on his, pleading with him through my eyes.

Cassian glances at Feyre then me, sighing softly. “It’s a connection”

I stare at him nodding slightly, swallowing thickly “Okay..what kind of connection..A connection to the Gods?”

No one answered immediately.

Cassian’s jaw tightened again, his eyes locked on me like he was weighing something. Deciding. Finally, he opens his mouth again, “A mating bond”

——————-

A/N: this was originally 4.5k words: but I decided to spilt it down and post the rest as their own individual chapters

[prythiansprincesss]

Let Me In

3/?

Cassian x FeyreSister!reader

Warnings: None

Word Count: 2.1k NOT proofread!

Taglist: @spookypersondinosaur @livvyluv44 @artemis2832 @lucia-valentinaa @sparkles360 @breathingstarlight @louise3426

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Cassian's words didn’t register at first, just hanging in the air. My eyes glance over at Feyre and Rysand. Nesta had told me a little bit in the letters we would send back and forth, Feyre and her mate Rysand. A bond between them she tried to explain in writing; back then I didn’t understand it, not sure if I do now .

“A what?” I ask, more so for clarity. Cassian, to my surprise, didn’t look away. If anything, his gaze softened. Just barely. “A mating bond,” he repeated, slower. Like saying it more gently and slowly would somehow make it easier to understand.

No surprise it didn’t.

I let out a short disbelieving laugh, shaking my head as I took a step back. “No. No, that’s.. that’s not possible.” But I also thought turning Fae after being human my whole life was impossible. My hands came up, running through my hair, tugging slightly like I could pull myself back into reality. “You’re telling me I got turned into Fae against my will and now..what? I’m assigned to someone?”

“No one is assigned,” Rhysand cut in smoothly, though his tone held a warning edge. “It’s not ownership. It is an instinct, a bond between equals.”

“That sounds like the same thing as assigned. Instinct, an instinct I didn’t choose to have?” I responded sharply back to him.

Rysand’s eyes narrow.

“Yeah, that’s kinda what an instinct is defined as” he replies

Asshole.

I roll my eyes, looking back at the floor, gently biting on my lip, before looking back up at Cassian. My eyes met his and that feeling hit again, that pull that came from deep within my body. I try to pinpoint exactly where, maybe low in my chest? Warm, unfamiliar but not unwelcome.

Cassian noticed, of course he did. He is mated to me after all, his wings shifted slightly behind him, a subtle movement. “You can feel it,” he stated quietly. I hated that he was right, hated how he knows before I can tell him

“I don’t know what I’m feeling,” I snapped back, but there was no real heat behind it. Just panic. “Everything feels different right now.”

“That’s fair,” Feyre said softly, stepping in again, not too close this time. Giving me space. “The bond, it doesn’t force anything. It just exists, what you do with it is your choice. There have been cases where people did not follow the bond and chose someone else.”

“My choice,” I echoed, my voice hollow. My gaze flickering between them—Feyre, Rhysand, Cassian. Even the others in the room who were pretending not to listen but very clearly were.

My life had been simple before this. Clay. Wheels. Paint-stained hands. Long nights at the studio. Quiet. And now?

Fae. Magic. Cauldrons. Bonds. I let out a shaky breath, wrapping my arms around my middle like that might hold me together. “And what does that even mean?” I asked, looking back at Cassian despite myself. “This bond. What is it supposed to do?”

Cassian hesitated. “It means,” he said carefully, “we’re connected. Emotionally. Instinctively. Sometimes physically, you might feel emotions stronger than usual, emotions that might not be yours. It can grow over time.” Grow. The word made my stomach twist.

“And if I don’t want it to?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. That was my real question; not what the bond was, but whether I had any control over it at all.

Cassian’s expression shifted, something more serious settling in. “Then you don’t accept it,” he said simply. “The bond can be rejected.”

Relief hit me so fast it almost made me dizzy, but it didn’t fully settle. Because even as he said it the pull in my chest didn’t go away. I wonder if the people that rejected it and went on their own path felt that pull. If they still feel the pull even if they decided on their own course.

I clenched my jaw, frustrated, my eyes dropping to the floor before lifting back up to him again. “And you?” I asked. “What do you want?”

The room went still, Feyre didn’t move from beside me as all eyes turned to Cassian. Cassian didn’t answer right away. His gaze didn’t leave mine, though. Not for a second. And when he finally spoke, I think I made my choice deep down.

His voice was quieter than I’d heard it before, at least the short time I’ve heard him. “I want you to have a choice,” he said. That wasn’t what I asked, not technically, but it felt like the most honest answer he could give.

My chest tightened again, in a way I definitely wasn’t ready to confront. I exhaled slowly, shaking my head. “This is insane.” I huff out, rubbing my face tiredly.

A small huff of laughter came from the blonde female in the corner. “You’ll get used to it,” she said casually, leaning against the wall. I narrowed my eyes, my eyes snapping to hers “I don’t want to get used to it,” I shot back

“That part,” she shrugged, “you don’t get a say in.”

Rhysand smirked faintly, but Feyre shot him a look that wiped it away instantly. I rubbed my temples, closing my eyes for a second. “I need time,” I muttered. “I can’t just process all of this right now.”

“All we have is time.” Cassian speaks up, getting the attention off the blonde woman. I lowered my hands, glancing at Cassian, at the way he was still watching me like I might disappear if he blinked.

That pull flickered within again, I shoved it down. “I’m going back to my room,” I say, already stepping backward toward the door. “Don’t follow me. Anyone”

Cassian didn’t move, nor did Feyre, but I still felt it. Felt his emotions like I was feeling mine. The slight disappointment, but acknowledgment to my words.

“Alright” he said softly. That was worse than if he’d argued. I sigh as I slip out of the room, the door closing behind me with a quiet click.

—

The hallway felt too long, or maybe I just felt too aware. I pressed my palm flat against the wall as I walked, grounding myself in the cool stone, focusing on something real. Something that didn’t feel like it was inside my head.

My room wasn’t far. I knew that. I’d memorized the path earlier just to feel some kind of control in this place. I laugh under my breath, control. Gods, that felt like a joke now.

I pushed the door open harder than I meant to, letting it shut behind me with a dull thud. The silence hit immediately, thick and suffocating. No eyes watching. No careful voices. No him. I exhale sharply, dragging my hands down my face. Except he was still there.

Not physically. But that pull, it hadn’t stayed in that room. It came with me, following and clinging. Begging me to go back down to him; I moved to the window, needing air, needing space, even if it didn’t actually help. The sky outside had deepened into that soft blue-purple right after sunset, the first stars barely visible. Where the time went I don’t even know, the sun was just rising when I woke, I had not thought I spent that much time downstairs talking.

The sunset should’ve been calming, it wasn’t. It was stunning, breathtaking even. But not calming.

My arms wrapped around myself again, tighter this time, like I could squeeze the feeling out of my chest. But it only made me more aware of it, low and warm, steady, like a second heartbeat that didn’t belong to me.

“I have a choice,” I murmured, clinging to the words like they were something solid. Cassian had said it so simply, I let out a slow breath, leaning forward. Resting my arms on the metal railing of the balcony.

A quiet knock sounded at the door. I froze, turning my slightly to the door. “I said not to follow me,” I called out, sharper than I meant to. Silence answered me at first.

“It’s just me.”

Feyre.

I hesitated, jaw tightening. Of course it was, never taking no for an answer. Always intruding on personal space. Maybe that's what sisters are meant to do.

I glanced at the door, debating, before finally shaking my head in disbelief. “It’s unlocked.” I called out. The door opened slowly, carefully, like she didn’t want to startle me. She stepped inside but stayed near the entrance, just like before. Giving me space, by not giving me space “I won’t stay long,” she said gently.

I didn’t respond, just looked back down at my hands, for a moment, neither of us spoke.

“It’s overwhelming at first,” Feyre said quietly over the silence. “Even when you choose it, it still is.”

My fingers curled slightly, before turning. Walking back into the room “Did you feel it right away?”

“Yes..well kinda, but yes.” Her expression wasn’t pushy, or knowing in an annoying way. Simply honest.

“And you didn’t freak out?” I asked, raising a brow.

A small smile tugged at her lips. “Oh, I absolutely did.”

That caught me off guard. My brows furrow. Her and Rysand seemed so..put together and perfect. Maybe every relationship, even if fated by the cauldron or whatever it's fated by, has its problems. A short breath of something, almost like a laugh, escaped me before I could stop it. I sit down on the edge of my bed, staring at my hands.

Feyre’s gaze softened slightly, like she’d been waiting for that. “I’m not going to tell you what to do,” she continued. “And neither will he. Cassian meant what he said, he wouldn’t ever force you to accept the bond”

I looked away again, my chest tightening at his name.

“I can feel him,” I admitted quietly, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

Feyre didn’t look surprised.

“It’s faint,” I added quickly, defensive. “But it’s there.”

She nodded. “It will be, whether you accept it or not.”

I swallowed.

“Does it ever go away?” I asked.

Feyre didn’t answer, that told me everything. I leaned back slightly, staring at the ceiling now. “Great,” I muttered.Silence stretched again, but at least this time it wasn’t as suffocating.

“Get some rest,” Feyre said after a moment. “You don’t have to figure this out tonight.”

I huffed softly. “Good. Because I’m definitely not going to.”

That earned a smile from Feyre, as she clasps her hands together and gently sits down beside me instead of leaving, she gently pats my knee and I slowly sit up.

“When Rysand first told me about the bond” she begins “He didn’t exactly tell me, I learned it on my own, from whom does not matter.” She sighs, gently looking at me. “I need time as well, I left and went off to a cabin, stayed there and just painted the whole thing. Rysand eventually came and I forced him to explain everything to me. Turns out, he knew from the first moment he saw me- or suspected at least. He was having dreams of me”

I frown, thinking about the bits and pieces I’ve gotten told over letters and basic context clues of conversations. “So..” I start “He lied to you?”

Feyre shrugs “Technically not lied, but he didn’t tell me. But that's besides the point, there is so much that plays into mine and Rysand's story. The point I’m trying to make is that everyone needs time. Time to process and just think, but hiding away in this bedroom isn’t going to help you. Eventually Cassian will come up here to talk to you, and you're going to have to face the truth”

“He said I have time-”

Feyre huffs shaking her head “Cassian can’t even wait for everyone to be seated at dinner before he starts eating, he isn’t going to stay away from his possible mate for long. He’ll be respectful, but he won’t stay away for long”

I stare at her before laying my head on her shoulder, “I just don’t want to be owned.” She gently kisses the side of my head.

“You won’t be, especially not by Cassian. All you have to do is let him in, just let him see you and talk to you. Figure out who you are, and maybe you can also figure out who he is.” she responds lightly.

I take in her words, nodding gently. Just talk to him, let down my walls, maybe have some tea and talk about hobbies. Illyrians do have hobbies, no? I finally sigh “Okay. Does he like tea?”

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A/N: okay. It’s finally out. So much has happened, maybe the writing curse is real. I got pulled over, fell at work and dumped a whole tray of pop all over me, then today is payday. I wake up and check my bank account…tell me why my checking account isn’t even on there anymore. I think it may have gotten closed due to me having no money, but that’s because I had no money until today!

[prythiansprincesss]

Let Me In

4/4 Final Part!

Cassian x FeyreSister!Reader

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1.9k

NOT proofread. Also, this is copy and pasted from my google docs onto my Tumblr, because I write everything on my docs. So if the format is off I’m sorry

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The library was quieter than the rest of the House, warmer too, probably because of the fireplace. By the time I stepped inside the library the next evening, soft amber light glowing from scattered lamps and the massive fireplace along the far wall crackling gently. Towering shelves stretched impossibly high, the ceiling of the library enchanted to look like the nightsky, the shelves disappearing in them

The smell hit me first, old paper, cedarwood, ink and herbal tea. I paused near the doorway, fingers tightening slightly around the sleeves of the oversized sweater I’d borrowed from Feyre, along with the black leggings.

Cassian was already there, of course he was. He sat near one of the low tables by the fire, large wings tucked in tight behind him so they wouldn’t knock into the furniture, even if the chairs were made to fit around the wings. A steaming mug rested in his hand, though from the expression on his face, he looked deeply offended by it.

His hazel eyes lifted the second I entered, and there it was again. That pull, warm and immediate. Cassian straightened slightly, but he didn’t stand, didn’t rush over, didn’t overwhelm me. “Hey,” he said carefully.

“Hey.”

A beat of silence. Then his eyes dropped to the mug in his hand. “I should tell you now,” he said gravely, “this tea is terrible.”

I blinked. “What?”

“The House made it.” He looked genuinely serious. “I think it’s punishing me.”

Against my will, a small laugh escaped me. Cassian’s expression changed instantly at the sound, some tightness in his shoulders easing.

“That bad?” I asked.

“Horrific.” He slid the mug slightly across the table toward me. “Smell it.”

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously before walking closer. The bond buzzed faintly with every step, awareness curling low in my chest. I ignored it as best I could and leaned down carefully toward the cup. It smelled perfectly normal. Minty and herbal, I looked at him flatly. “This is just mint tea.”

Cassian looked deeply unimpressed. “Exactly.”

I stared at him another second before sitting across from him. “You’re dramatic.”

“I’ve been called worse.”

“I’m sure you have” I say, nodding in agreement.

The corner of his mouth twitched. The House must’ve sensed me settling in because another cup appeared a moment later beside me, steam curling softly into the air. Chamomile.

I looked at the cup cautiously. “Does the House spy on everyone?”

“Yes,” Cassian answered immediately.

“No,” a feminine voice corrected from somewhere deeper in the library.

I startled slightly before spotting the tiny figure tucked into one of the armchairs farther back, nearly hidden beneath blankets and books. The female lifted a hand lazily in greeting without looking up from her reading.

Cassian snorted. “That’s technically a lie, Gwyn.”

“I prefer selective observation.”

I blinked between them. Cassian gestured toward her. “Gwyneth Berdara. Librarian menace.” The red-haired female grinned. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too,” I replied slowly.

Gwyn looked me over once, eyes lingering briefly on Cassian before something knowing flickered across her face. Then she returned to her book. Leaving us alone again.

I wrapped my hands around the warm mug. “So,” I said after a moment, “you hate tea.”

Cassian leaned back slightly in his chair. “I don’t hate tea.”

“You just looked personally betrayed by it.”

“That’s different.”

Another laugh threatened to escape me and I quickly hid it behind the cup. Cassian noticed anyway, of course he did. His gaze softened slightly, watching me over the rim of his own mug. My cheeks turn a small hint of pink, even if we weren’t mated they probably would have. Cassian is a handsome man. Warmth spreads embarrassingly through my chest.

I cleared my throat. “Feyre said you don’t have hobbies.” Cassian looked offended. “I have hobbies.”

“Eating doesn’t count as a hobby.” I reply, taking a sip of my tea to hide my smile

“That’s incredibly judgmental of you.”

“Ok–” I say gently setting my mug down on the table “Name one”

He pointed at me slightly. “Training.”

“Training people is your job”

Cassian rolls his eyes slightly “Okay then, flying.”

“Biological advantage.” I say simply, shrugging my shoulders. Picking up my mug and sipping more of my tea to hide the smile threatening to mask my face

His eyes narrowed. “You’re determined to humble me tonight, huh?”

“I just like being correct, which I always am”

A low laugh rumbled out of him then, deep enough that I felt it through the bond before I fully heard it aloud. And gods help me, I liked that sound. A lot, more than I probably should have

The realization must’ve flashed across my face because Cassian’s amusement faded into something quieter. The room suddenly felt much warmer than before. I looked down at my tea immediately.

“You’re thinking too loudly again,” Cassian murmured.

My eyes snapped up, my brow raising slightly. “Excuse me?”

One side of his mouth lifted. “You get this look right here.” He gestured vaguely toward his own face. “Like you’re fighting with yourself.” Heat crept onto my cheeks.

“I am not.”

“You are.”

I go silent for a moment, before rolling my eyes “You’re annoying.” I mutter

“There she is,” he said softly, like that was somehow a victory.

I stared at him for a long moment. Then sighed “This is weird,” I admitted quietly.

Cassian’s expression softened instantly, a soft look I’m sure he wouldn’t wear around anyone else “Yeah,” he agreed. “It is.” The honesty in it caught me off guard more than his reassurance would’ve. I traced my thumb along the side of the mug. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with all of this.” I say after a moment, looking back up at him.

“You don’t have to do anything right now.” He says quickly, the truth in his words coming down the bond. I can feel it; feel his truth and reassurance settling into my body, as if it’s the instinct to try to calm me.

The fire crackled softly between us as silence stretched again, but this time it wasn’t awkward. It felt more careful than anything. Like standing at the edge of something neither of us fully understood yet, me more than him.

Cassian leaned forward slightly, tea mug now on the side table, more than half full. He rests his forearms on his knees. “Can I ask you something?”

I hesitated before nodding once.

“What was your studio like?” He asks gently, a hint of curiousness underneath his voice

I blinked, shocked. “How do you know about that?”

Cassian looks down at the ground before back up at me, a hint of guilt in his eyes “You were thinking about it last night. It went through the bond, your emotions were running high at the moment and they…went to me”

Oh. I nod “Right. Of course, sorry” He shrugs, waving the apology off, he stares at me waitingly. Waiting patiently for me to share. I shake my head, shrugging slightly and sighing, staring down into my tea before answering. “It was small,” I said quietly. “Crowded. I had clay dust everywhere all the time. Shelves full of unfinished projects, for some reason, I always had random ideas pop into my head. I would start them, but I never finished. Always moving onto the next idea that came into my head.”

Cassian listened carefully, like every word mattered.

“Smelled like paint thinner and coffee most days,” I continued. “And there was this huge window by my wheel that let in sunlight during the afternoons.” The pull in my chest softened strangely as he listened.

“What did you make?” he asked.

“Random stuff mostly. Bowls, mugs and vases,” I shrugged lightly. “Nothing important.”

Cassian’s brows pulled together immediately. “That sounds important.”

I looked up at him then, he meant it, even if I didn’t think it was important. I simply shrug “It’s not, but thank you anyways. It’s just random little things.”

Cassian held my gaze for a long moment, like he could see every doubt still fighting inside me. “I think creating something with your hands is important,” he said simply. “Especially in a world where most people only know how to destroy.”

The words settled somewhere deep in my chest. For once, I didn’t immediately brush off the compliment. Silence stretched between us again, softer this time. Comfortable. The fire crackled low beside us while somewhere else in the library Gwyn snorted quietly at something in her book.

I glanced down into my tea. “You really mean that?”

Cassian looked almost offended. “Why would I lie?”

I shrugged lightly. “People usually don’t care much about pottery, that's kinda why I took it on. I couldn’t find pottery stuff that I wanted”

“Well, those people are idiots.”

Another laugh escaped me before I could stop it, fuller this time. Cassian’s face changed instantly at the sound, something warm lighting behind his eyes. Gods, he

looked unfairly handsome when he smiled. The bond pulsed faintly between us. I swallowed, looking away before he could notice how flustered I suddenly felt.

“You know,” Cassian said casually, leaning back in his chair again, “there’s an empty room down the eastern hall.”

I blinked, my brows furrowing in confusion “Okay?”

“It gets good sunlight.”

Slowly, I looked back at him. Cassian tried, and failed, to look unaffected. “Could turn it into a studio.”

My breath caught, “You thought about that already?”

His shoulders lifted in a small shrug. “Maybe.”

The bond flickered warm with something almost shy underneath his confidence. It startled me enough that I stared at him openly now. Nobody had ever looked at my work like it mattered before.

“You barely know me,” I said quietly.

Cassian’s expression softened. “I know enough.”

The honesty in his voice made my chest ache. I looked down quickly, fingers tightening around my mug. The room suddenly felt too small, too warm. Because the terrifying part wasn’t the bond anymore. It was that I liked him, I liked the way he listened, I liked the way he made space for me instead of taking it away. The way he never once made me feel trapped, even with fate hanging between us.

“I’m scared,” I admitted before I could stop myself.

The words hung in the air quietly. Cassian didn’t tease me this time. Didn’t make a joke. e leaned forward slowly, forearms resting on his knees again. “I know, I can feel it”

My throat tightened unexpectedly, “I don’t even know who I am anymore,” I whispered. “Everything changed so fast.”

Cassian’s hazel eyes held mine steadily. “Then figure it out.”

I frowned slightly. Figure it out? How easy it is for him to think that.

“With me,” he added softly.

The bond thrummed so hard at those words I felt it all the way down to my fingertips. Emotion climbed into my throat too quickly, too suddenly. I looked away before he could see it fully, blinking hard.

“You make it sound easy,” I muttered.

A small smile tugged at his mouth. “No,” he said quietly. “I just think you’re stronger than you realize.”

The sincerity in his voice broke something open inside me. Just enough to let warmth in. I stared at the fire for a long moment before finally setting my tea down onto the table with shaky fingers. Then, before I could overthink it, before fear could talk me out of it, I stood and walked around the table.

Cassian immediately straightened, surprise flashing across his face. I stopped in front of him, staring before reaching down for a biscuit off the nice china. Handing it out to him.

He takes it, before opening his mouth, “You do know–”

“Yes” I say, cutting him off. “Feyre told me. Now eat”

A smile comes to his lips before he shoves the whole biscuit in his mouth.

____________________________________________

A/N: okay!! So how did we like it? I didn’t want a full story, but I also didn’t want a super short one(at least for my first story). Comments, likes, reposts, and asks are always welcomed. I love reading through them.

Also. Send me requests plssss. One other reason why I started this account is to allow other people, who may have ideas but don’t want to write them, can see their ideas come to life.

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