Happiest of birthdays to the wonderful human that you are, @lizzytish25! To celebrate, @primulagoldworthy and I teamed up to bring you this Elucien fic but alas AO3 is not cooperating with us by being down (rude!). So instead, for now, you get a little snippet below the cut.
Edit: AO3 is back, read here!
You are always the biggest cheerleader in the comments section of our respective fics and it is an honour to a) co-write with another of your favourite writers and b) have you in our lives. Hope you are having the best day ever! 🥰
Banner by @themadmorrigan with help from @limeandorange 🙌
Summary: When Lucien arrives in Velaris to discuss a seemingly routine mission to the Winter Court, Elain does what she does best and avoids him. Until, that is, a distressing vision of her mate's impending death shakes her resolve.
So Elain does the only thing she can think of to keep him from leaving. Now Lucien is very much alive, very much furious, and very much locked inside a warded townhouse with the female who just saved his life. As visions of death give way to something far more incendiary, Elain and Lucien are forced to confront the bond they’ve both been avoiding and the desire neither of them can outrun.
And all at once, you are the one I have been waiting for - king of my heart, body, and soul.
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Elain wiped her hands on her apron, her palms uncomfortably clammy. That could only mean one thing: he was on his way here. It was a sense of awareness mixed with foreboding, the anticipation of awkward, tension-filled hours she would have to endure in his suffocating presence. It filled every last corner of her thoughts with intoxicating, unmentionable things.
The kitchen counter was cluttered with two dozen uncooked vanilla blueberry muffins, ready to be put into the oven. Elain hesitated, knowing that the smell of freshly baked treats would draw everyone into the living room. Now that she was aware of the prickling sensation growing stronger within her, she hesitated, silently debating her next move. If she remained in the kitchen, baking and pretending to be busy, she could hide away and hope that no one would come looking for her.
The only people she could deceive were her family, but even with them, Elain was sure that Rhys knew more than he ever let on. He, on the other hand, would know. Without needing to use her foresight, she could already taste the bitterness of his disappointment in the back of her throat, alongside the persistent ache in her chest that echoed through their strange connection.
It was for the best. After the war, Elain had tried to be friendly and act normally around him, hoping to form a casual acquaintance. After all, it wasn’t her fault that he was so difficult to be around. Within just a couple of days, she realised that being near him stirred feelings she had never experienced before. It wasn’t merely the awkwardness of their situation, nor was it just excitement. It was a mind-blowing, overwhelming fluttering in her stomach, a sensation that threatened to dissolve all her carefully trained composure and elegance, as if those traits weren’t even meant to be a part of her. This was definitely not who Elain was; she was supposed to be the perfect picture of a well-bred lady.
Elain would not make a fool of herself by giving in to those baser instincts now. Being the wretch that her sisters believed her to be, she made sure to close the door to the kitchen. The twins were busy with the groceries that morning, but they would eventually join her to prepare dinner. Biting her lip in contemplation, Elain's eyes darted to the uncooked tray of muffins. If she was lucky, he’d be gone by lunchtime. Worst case, he’d stay until dinner—and stay through dinner.
Perhaps it was indeed wiser to remain hidden in the city until he left the Night Court for the distant corner of Prythian that required his intoxicating presence. After all, Elain had no interest in visiting the Spring Court. Ever. She wasn't intrigued by the rolling green hills she had read about. Or the endless seas of flowers she had only seen in drawings. Her interest was non-existent.
Impulsively, and unable to bear the thought of seeing the disappointment in those sad, mismatched eyes of his, Elain bolted out of the kitchen. She managed to reach the corridor when she sensed his presence arriving in Velaris, stopping just outside Feyre’s property. With no chance to leave unnoticed, Elain hurried back into the kitchen.
She made her way to the counter, intent on doing anything to get her mind off Lucien’s impending arrival, and picked up one of the trays of muffins to bake. She had been about to put it in the oven when a familiar pressure began to creep in at the base of her skull. No. No, no, no, not now of all times. The tell-tale warning signs of an imminent vision began in earnest as her ears were ringing and she started to feel dizzy. Seconds later, the first tray slipped from her weak grip and fell to the floor in a loud clang. Maybe she could fight it off this time, if she could only just focus on the here and now.
Her eyes remained fixed on the floor as she braced herself against the counter, desperately clinging for any kind of purchase that might keep her tethered here. As her vision began to blur around the edges, she realised that the attempt had been in vain.
The floorboards vanished, replaced by the cold bite and crunching sounds of frozen snow, along with the metallic tang of blood that mingled in the crisp, fresh air. She stood on the outskirts of a small, snow-covered village with thick, moss-covered rooftops, an architectural style she intuitively knew belonged to the Winter Court. Her body was tucked into thick bushes, surrounded by dense conifers. Elain noticed the cold; she felt it in her body, but those sensations were drowned out by the sheer horror she experienced at the sight that unfolded before her mind’s eye. Her lungs felt as if they were filled with slicing shards of ice. Her heart began to stutter in a weak rhythm that wasn’t hers. There amid the white snow, lay a battered, scorched figure, the body barely recognisable as the last breath left its lungs. Elain was running now, racing toward her dying mate—toward her dead mate.
Given the absolute gorgeousness of the other contributions to @elainarcheronweek's cookie exchange, I feel a bit ashamed sharing this recipe. I've been putting it off for a couple of weeks, 'cause let's face it: they are neither pretty nor decadent, nor do they require much skill.
Please remember that these cookies are intended for little palates who are not used to a lot of sugar; I usually make them without the chocolate chips, so they're more appropriate for a regular snack/energy bomb for kids who love to run themselves ragged. But 'tis the season, so the chocolate chips went in this time.
I think Elain would agree.
Nyx certainly would!
I like that these contain the veggie form of omega 3 in the chia seeds and LSA, and you can swap out the nut butter you're using to maintain regular allergen exposure to different nuts. They are also vegan, which means your kitchen pixie is unlikely to give themself salmonella when they shove their hands in the bowl to "help" and taste. Side note: if you have any tips to get a toddler to actually roll the dough into a ball instead of straight up eating it I'm all ears!
If you are my irl friend, and you happened across this post and think it looks just like the recipe I shared with you for your kid... no it doesn't. You didn't see anything here. What is a fandom anyway? I wouldn't know.
But I digress! I think this would be the perfect recipe for Elain to make with Nyx, as it's both super easy and forgiving, and - so far - the kids all love them.
Banana, Oat 'n Nut Cookies
Makes approx. 20 without the choc chips, a few more with them.
Ingredients
3x overripe bananas, mashed
½ cup pitted dates, minced OR 2 tsp sugar
1 pinch salt (optional)
2 heaped dessert spoons of nut butter (PB, almond, a mix like ABC etc)
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ cup chia seeds
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup desiccated coconut
½ cup LSA (linseed, sunflower, almond meal mix)
100g chocolate chips (optional - I used vegan, you can use whatever you prefer, or not at all)
Plain/all purpose flour as required (at least 1 cup)
Method
Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F, I like fan forced.
Mash the bananas and mince the dates if using them; add both together (or the sugar instead) and stir in the salt, nut butter, vanilla and cinnamon.
Add chia seeds, LSA, oats and desiccated coconut, then let the mix sit for 15 mins to absorb some moisture.
Gradually add in plain flour as required, mixing until you can form firm but tacky balls. Flatten them a little on the lined baking tray if you prefer the shape.
Bake at 180C/350F for 10-12 mins, until cookies are lightly golden brown but still soft-ish to touch.
Enjoy! Or let cool and then freeze, they defrost quite quickly at room temp and don't turn awful in the process.
I am not a food blogger, so please excuse my very sad attempt at food photography. 🫣
Summary: The same thing happened every time she was baking. No matter who she was with, someone always tried to eat the cookie dough before she could put it in the oven. Even the wraith’s try their luck when baking together. She had caught Nuala and Cerridwen’s fingers in the dough more than once during the quiet afternoons' hat they used to bake.
But the worst culprit was definitely Azriel.
Or
Elain bakes and Azriel is a thief.
Pairing: Elain/Azriel
Notes: Thank you @amusedowl for reading this through! Also, look out for another fic next Saturday!
Word Count: 679
Read here on AO3
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The same thing happened every time she was baking.
No matter who she was with, someone always tried to eat the cookie dough before she could put it in the oven. Even the wraith’s try their luck when baking together. She had caught Nuala and Cerridwen’s fingers in the dough more than once during the quiet afternoons' hat they used to bake.
But the worst culprit was definitely Azriel.
One of the things that Elain enjoyed most was baking on a cold winters day. The enjoyment had only increased when she moved in with Azriel. She would spend the morning attempting to teach Azriel the art of making cookies and the rest of the afternoon remaking them after Az’s attempt had gone very wrong.
She slipped the tray into the oven and set the timer. She turned back to find the bowl of dough gone, no thief in sight. The only trace was a single shadow weaving its way through through the ingredients before vanishing into thin air; She let out a huff, picked up the timer and slipped it into her apron pocket.
“Azriel?” She called as she wandered down the hall.
“Yes, love?”
Azriel appeared behind her, hugging her from behind.
“Have you seen the cookie dough? I could have sworn that I left it on the counter.”
“I can’t say that I have, I’ve been reading my reports in the living room.”
She spun in his arms and narrowed her eyes at him.
“Are you sure that you haven’t left the living room recently?”
“Not that I’m aware of.” He smirked, “why?”
She sent him a pointed glare. He gasped and laid a hand on his chest dramatically.
“You think I took it? My dearest Elain, how could you think so little of me?”
Elain just crossed her arms and stomped off, back into the kitchen. She took the timer out of her apron pocket. 10 minutes until the first batch of biscuits were finished and the next batch had to go in. But in order for that to happen, she needs the dough.
10 minutes remaining.
She closed her eyes, trying to recall the training that she had had and hoped to summon a vision.
9 minutes remaining.
A vision descended upon her, like a warm blanket being wrapped around her mind and muffling reality. She saw Azriel sitting on top of the roof, a blue bowl beside him. He gazed out over Velaris and every so often he would dip his finger into the bowl and eat its contents.
Elain returned to reality and checked the timer.
5 minutes remaining.
She ran into the living room. Azriel was not there. His reports were scattered around the room and the window was open There was no time to make the climb onto the roof. It was always time-consuming to unlock the attic window and manoeuvre herself along the ledge before she could scramble onto the roof.
4 minutes remaining.
Elain closed her eyes and recalled what Rhysand had said about winnowing. She closed her eyes, slowed her breathing and pictured her destination and…
She felt the cool sensation of winnowing before feeling the cold night air hit her shoulders. She had appeared behind Azriel, startling him.
“Elain!”
“Aha! I knew it! I knew you took the dough!”
He gaped at her, before saying, “You winnowed.”
She smiled smugly.
“And I caught you in the act.”
Indeed, the bowl of mixture sat on his lap, a piece of dough grasped between his fingers. The timer went off in Elain’s pocket, startling Azriel out of his stupor.
“I guess you’re going to be needing this.”
He picked up the bowl and handed it to her. Once again, Elain closed her eyes and pictured the kitchen, willing herself to winnow.
Nothing happened. She would have to work on that in the future.
“Come on, love.”
Azriel wrapped his arms around her for the second time that night. The night’s shadows wrapped around them and he winnowed them into the kitchen. The smell of burned cookies greeted them.
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Tagging: @amusedowl
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