seen from China
seen from United States
seen from Poland
seen from Italy
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Poland
seen from Poland
seen from Colombia
seen from Italy
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Germany
seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from Singapore
seen from United States
seen from United States
I couldn't resist reposting this drabble @moonfalles and I wrote with the art I commissioned to go along with it.
Moondraw_s created such a lovely, ethereal piece of Elain waiting for her Shadowsinger while he's away on a mission 💕 Read to see what happens when he finally comes home 👀
Art by: @moondraw_s
Commissioned by: me, @lunaatthezoo
Writing by: @lunaatthezoo and @moonfalles
Please do not repost 💖
@elriel-month
Night Daisies & Other Excuses - A drabble
A/N: just a silly drabble because a friend gave me this idea and I just had to write something. | divider by @strangergraphics-archive
Azriel hears a twig snap, followed by a sweet, lovely gasp falling from Elain’s lush lips. Her arms tighten around his arm - where they’ve been wrapped around for at least twenty minutes now – and she presses her body further against his side in an attempt to keep still.
Not that he’s complaining. Every whiff of her scent - heady jasmine and sweet honey – nearly brings him to his knees and he has to keep reminding himself that he should be helping her, showing her what he had promised her.
“Do you think it’s close by?” She asks, eyes wide as they stare between the trees, the shadows of night concealing nearly everything.
But not the Cervus Nox – never the Night Court’s native deer.
“There it is.” He murmurs, not able to hide the wonder in his voice. He watches as the deer’s eyes pin him down as it tries to assess a threat. Azriel keeps still, refusing to scare it off before Elain gets a good look at it.
Elain inhales deeply, body nearly shaking with excitement (and he’d know since he can feel it trembling against his side) and he can’t blame her. The deer’s coat is a translucent white, as if painted to reflect moonlight itself; its antlers are wide and tall, onyx so dark they nearly blend into the night. Its eyes sparkle in the night, and Azriel is oddly reminded of his High Lord.
“It’s beautiful.” Elain whispers in awe, squeezing his arm in thanks as she beams up at him. Before he can dismiss her thanks – really, he was delighted to be the one showing her everything the Night Court had to offer – Elain was rising to the tips of her toes and pressing a kiss to his cheek.
Azriel goes still, his brain scrambling to find something, anything to say. He clears his throat, aware that Elain is watching him carefully.
“Have you ever heard about the Night Daisies? They grow on a valley just south of the Illyrian Mountains." He has never felt as thankful for the wildlife of the Night Court as he is tonight. "Perhaps we could try and go see them tomorrow night.” Azriel suggested, pretending the whole time he didn’t just want an excuse to spend more time near her.
Elain smiled softly, the majestic deer all but forgotten as she stared at Azriel instead. “I would love to.” She agreed promptly - pretending the whole time she didn’t have any Night Daises in her garden.
Happy birthday to my angel @tswaney17 💕
I’m sorry I haven’t had time to write you a full birthday fic with all the EM prep, but here’s a little drabble just for you. Love you endlessly 🤍
***
“I’m thirty Azriel. Thirty!”
Elain was sat up in bed, the covers pooled around her waist and hair adorably disheveled.
Azriel just gave her a flat look from the mattress besides her. Rolling onto his side, he crooked a muscled arm to rest his head in his hand.
“So you’ve been saying. And this is a problem, why?”
“Because it’s old!”
He chuckled. “If you think thirty is old, what does that make me?”
“That’s unfair. Men don’t age, they just get hotter,” she grumbled petulantly.
“From where I’m sitting, you’re still pretty fucking hot, Elain.”
Her chocolate brown eyes leveled him with a flat stare. “Not the point.”
She groaned, dramatically flopping back onto the mattress and pulling the quilt with her, burying her head beneath the covers.
Azriel laughed before diving under there with her, pulling the doona over their heads and turning in the sheets to face her. The sunshine from her bedroom window filtered through the covers, cocooning them in a fort awash with soft golden light. He brushed a strand of brown hair out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ear.
“What’s really bothering you?” He prompted gently.
He knew Elain wasn’t vain, she wouldn’t be bothered simply because of aging. Something else had to be troubling her.
“I just don’t feel like I’ve really…lived. Fine, I have a decent job, and good friends, and you. But- what have I actually done?”
She felt…unaccomplished? Had she bought into the bullshit idea of needing to have your life together by now? Did she believe the lie that society had dictated thirty was the end of the line?
Thirty was just the beginning. You’ve somewhat found your place in the world and the true friends that will ride out life with you. You finally make enough money to do the things you love and still have the energy to do it. And you finally stop giving a fuck.
If only she knew how good it was about to fucking get.
“How can you say you’ve done nothing?” he replied gently, treading with care. Because although he knew those pressures were some grade A bullshit, he also knew women felt them more acutely than men.
“Look at all the people you make happy every single day just by existing. Look at all the lives you’ve touched simply by making it to thirty. You certainly can’t say that for everybody.”
Elain looked at him skeptically, but her face had softened, her expression turning contemplative.
He’ll let her mull on it for a while. He knew she needed to come to her own conclusions about things.
Azriel just ran a hand down her arm, reaching her fingers and tangling them with his own. He fiddled with a ring she wore on her index finger, tracing the small blue stone that sat embedded within the delicate golden threads of its design.
“Happy birthday, Elain.” It was a hushed murmur over the rumpled sheets between them.
Snuggling herself into his embrace, she pressed her face to his chest.
“Thanks, Az.”
Of Rainy Nights (Elriel Fluff)
This was inspired by three things: a wonderful sentence prompt from @watermilanfish and this prompt/this post from the always lovely @julesherondalex. Just a fluffy little piece involving an inn and a bed ;)
“Put me down,” Elain demanded, her heart fluttering nervously in her chest. She didn’t fight against the grip around her though, didn’t even try. Partly because she didn’t want to fall back onto the rough forest ground… and partly because she quite liked being cradled close against her best friend’s chest.
Azriel sighed and gave her the same answer he’d given the last two times she’d asked him. “No, Elain,” he said, his voice gentle but firm.
“I can walk. Put me down,” she repeated.
He came to a stop, ignoring the rain getting in his eyes as he gave her a pointed look. “You can walk in pain. You’re injured, Elain.”
“It’s a sprained ankle, Az, it’s not going to kill me,” she replied, somewhat petulantly, ignoring the sharp ache in her ankle. Her cheeks still felt hot from embarrassment; she couldn’t believe she’d tripped over a rock of all things… only to stumble down a hill full of them. In front of Azriel. Mother above, she was mortified. And it was somehow made even worse when he hadn’t just laughed it off, when he’d instead dived after her, immediately fussing over her in that unfailingly kind way of his.
They were supposed to be on their way to a diplomatic mission in the human realms, for Cauldron’s sake, not stumbling about in a forest because of Elain’s clumsiness. She couldn't believe she’d allowed this to happen after all the effort it took to get here in the first place, after all the precautions they’d taken in an attempt to keep the tentative peace with the humans. They’d only walked at all at Elain’s insistence; she’d told Azriel it was best not to suddenly land in their territory with his wings out, glorious yes, but terrifying to the human eye. So she’d made him land a few hours from the border instead, adamant they made the rest of the journey on foot.
It should have been a relatively short trek. Were it not for the rocks. And the rain. And Elain being stupid and tripping.
The journey was likely to take twice as long now.
(She supposed she wasn’t making it any easier by not letting Azriel help her, but she couldn’t help it. She felt so useless. So utterly dumb.)
“Your legs are also full of cuts, lest we forget,” Azriel reminded her gently, dragging her of her thoughts. “I’d say that and the ankle is more than enough reason not to get back on your feet.”
“It was just a fall,” Elain grumbled, though her voice lost some of its vehemence.
“Yes, it was. But it was a hard fall. And that was before the rain,” he replied, still looking her in the eye as the rain around them continued to soak them. “Just let me carry you? Please? At least until we find somewhere to bed down for the night.”
I suppose we won’t be able to reach the border with this weather anyways, Elain thought. So she finally conceded, uncrossing her arms from her chest and instead wrapping them around Azriel’s neck, letting his warmth seep into her.
“Fine,” she said, rather curtly. “But know that I am not happy about this.”
“Noted,” he replied, voice full of laughter. His arms we steel bands underneath her knees and back, cradling her with utter gentleness as he started the trek again.
They were quiet for a long while, locked in an intimate embrace that made nerves churn in Elain’s stomach. Azriel held her with ease through it all, striding over the unsteady forest path without a single stumble, not once complaining.
“Thank you,” Elain eventually murmured, when the embarrassment of it all had finally faded and left only gratitude.
Azriel looked down at her quizzically, raindrops falling over the handsome planes of his face. (Sweet Azriel, with his infinite patience.)
“For taking care of me,” she clarified. “I know I can be stubborn sometimes… and I know it can come out at the worst of times.”
“Elain, I’ve known you for nearly a decade now,” Azriel replied, smiling that little smile of his. She tried her best not to squirm in his arms. “This is hardly something you have to thank me for. Besides, I know all about your stubbornness.”
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, instead giving him a look that told him to tread carefully. “Yes, yes, I know.”
“Don’t worry. I quite like it actually. It’s a part of you are,” he said, as if it was that simple, as if that was enough of a reason for him. Before she could even remotely think of what to say to that, quiet mischief lit his eyes. “I also like the look on others’ faces when quiet Elain Archeron out-stubborns them.”
Elain felt her cheeks color again, was sure they went a bright, unmistakable red. But she supposed she shouldn’t be too preoccupied by it; as Azriel had said, he’d known her long enough to really know her… and to know that she was a quick blusher.
(Especially around him. But that was neither here nor there.)
“There’s a village up ahead,” Azriel told her after a few more minutes of steady walking. “Let’s see if we can find an inn there.”
Elain just nodded, heart fluttering oddly, words stuck in her throat. That had been happening more and more frequently lately, and she had no idea what to do with it. Azriel was one of her closest friends, after all. In fact, his steadfast friendship had been one of the main things that had helped her recover after the traumas of Hybern… that had helped her accept and even thrive in her new life. She was eternally grateful for it, for him.
So, this new feeling that had been creeping up on her the past year or so… it scared her. She didn’t want to ruin one of the few trusted and treasured relationships she had outside her family. Cauldron, if she lost Azriel… Elain wasn’t sure she would survive it. Not after Graysen. Not after Lucien, who she’d had to let go some years back when even their mating bond wasn’t enough to keep them together.
Really, it was better to keep quiet, to hold onto all the parts of Azriel she did get. Like his mother-blessed patience or that quiet sense of humor that never failed to make her laugh. Or that beautiful smile of his. Or the way he always, always made time for her, no matter how small the problem.
Elain sighed a little as Azriel continued to walk to the village, found herself leaning her head onto his shoulder, tightening her arms around his neck. She could do this, couldn’t she? She could embrace him, take some comfort in him… right?
Either way, Azriel himself didn’t seem to mind, only shifting her slightly so he she could lay more comfortably against him.
“Almost there,” he whispered in her ear. “Try not to fall asleep just yet.”
Elain poked his leather-covered chest, smiling a little. “I’ll have you know I’m wide awake.”
Azriel chuckled. “Well in that case…” he trailed off, slowing down despite the rain falling more harshly. But it was a warm summer rain and actually rather pleasant, Elain was finding, especially now that Azriel had slowed into a stroll… especially now that he was holding her as close as possible.
She still lifted her head enough so she could give him a questioning look, asking why he’d slowed down so much. But Azriel just shook his head, wearing that small smile of his; the very same she often dreamt of. So Elain let herself sink into his embrace, the rain a warm blanket around them.
They didn’t speak any more after that. Didn’t need to fill the peaceful bubble around them with words, not after the many years of friendship they’d shared. It was like they were both savoring this moment, suspended in time together.
Getting into the village was like waking from a dream, a wonderful dream that Elain hadn’t wanted to end. But it was sadly a necessary waking, with the wind now picking up in an almost dangerous way. Azriel sped up again, wary of the darker clouds on the horizon. Elain didn’t need foresight to recognize a coming storm, so she made sure to keep her grip tight as her friend strode through the town square and tried not to linger on that peaceful bubble they’d lost.
They quickly found the only inn, stepping through into a blissfully warm and dry interior. The innkeeper was an elegant lesser faerie with midnight blue skin. She was apologetic when she informed them she only had one room left in a small cabin at the back; something about the rain bringing many unexpected visitors. Neither Elain nor Azriel were about to argue about that, the both of them just grateful to have a room at all. They took the key and braved the rain once more to get to the little cabin the innkeeper indicated, Elain firmly in Azriel’s arms the entire time.
Somehow Azriel managed to unlock their door and maneuver his way through the narrow threshold, all without relinquishing his grip on her. He only put her down when they were firmly inside, placing her gently on the edge of the small bed pushed against the wall.
The only bed. Elain blanched at the sight.
Oh.
Oh no.
Azriel didn’t make any mention of the bed, either not noticing their current dilemma or not caring about it… and Elain wasn’t sure which option she preferred. Regardless, he seemed to be ignoring it for the moment, instead kneeling before her, gazing up at her with worried hazel eyes. “How’s the ankle?”
Elain had to force her thoughts away from their sleeping arrangements. “It’s fine. I promise.”
Azriel shook his head a little, pointing to her right leg. “Let me see?”
He waited until he had her hesitant consent before carefully taking her food in hand, removing her soaked shoe so he could better examine it. Elain shivered a little when he shifted the hem of her dress out of the way, exposing the bare skin of her calf. She’d never felt so bare in front of him before, but he didn’t seem to mind it, running scarred fingertips over her swollen ankle, glancing over all the little cuts on her legs. He was very cautious when he tested the joint, stopping immediately when she hissed in pain, murmuring an apology under his breath.
“It’s quite a bad sprain,” he told her, warm hands still on her bare leg. “I’ll have to wrap it so you recover faster. But first we should get you dry. I’ll be right back; don’t put any weight on it,” he finished, giving her leg a gentle squeeze before standing and making his exit.
Elain took the momentary silence to gather herself and her racing heart. There was no reason to make this whole situation into something it wasn’t. Azriel was her friend, and he was taking care of her as a friend. It shouldn’t matter to her that he had just had his hands all over her legs. And it certainly shouldn’t matter that they were sharing a room with only one bed. She’d slept beside friends before. Surely this was no different than sharing a bed with her sisters? Or with Morrigan?
(But it’s Azriel, a quiet voice inside her whispered. It’s Azriel. Of course it’s different.)
(Elain quickly quashed those thoughts… though the doubt lingered.)
The door banged open again some minutes later, Azriel coming through with a bag full of supplies.
“I’ve got some dry things for you to put on,” he told her, seeing as the only dress she brought was the one she was wearing… and the one that was currently leaving a wet patch on the bedspread. He handed her a white slip of a thing – clearly an old sleep shirt, but that smelled clean and was as dry as he claimed – as well as a towel.
Elain shifted forward and was contemplating the best way to stand when Azriel’s arm surrounded her waist, supporting her until she stood balanced on one foot. She gave him a grateful glance, before grabbing one of the bedposts to steady herself.
“Do you– Do you mind?” she asked him, gesturing shyly at the shirt she was holding.
“Of course not.” Azriel immediately backed away and turned around so his back was to her. “Let me know if you need any help?”
“I’ll be fine,” Elain replied, voice suspiciously high-pitched. (Cauldron, she wasn’t sure she would be able to handle his hands on any more of her skin to tonight. She could barely even handle him in the room when she was changing.)
“Stubbornness again, Elain?” Azriel replied, clearly amused.
“I thought you liked that about me,” she said smartly, careful as she shucked her dress off and pulled on the shirt. Thankfully, it was long enough to cover her to her knees, the linen of it cool against her heated skin.
A small laugh. “You’re right. I do.”
Adjusting the shirt so it covered her as much as possible, Elain had to tell herself her bare legs were nothing special. She wouldn’t be this shy with any of the other members of the Inner Circle, so it should hardly matter with her best friend. She gave one last useless tug before sighing. “Alright, I’m done.”
Azriel turned back to her, having shed most of his Illyrian leathers, leaving him in his undershirt and briefs. Elain felt over-heated but kept her eyes firmly on his face, not the dark swirls of tattoos she could see through his open collar or the thick muscle of his own bare legs, studiously focusing on towel-drying her hair instead. Still, she couldn’t help but notice how Azriel’s gaze examined her unashamedly from head-to-toe; her heart beat faster at it, racing wildly.
Azriel suddenly snapped his eyes back to hers, his gaze darker than it had been before. But he said nothing of it, only gesturing back to her ankle. “Let’s get that wrapped.”
Elain kept as still as possible as he helped her settle back on the edge of the bed, the towel covering the earlier wet patch her soaked dress had left there. She practically held her breath when he kneeled again, when he once again touched her bare ankle. He wrapped her ankle with practiced efficiency, but treated her with such gentleness that it made her chest ache something fierce. Finally, when he was done, he stood, putting enough space between them that Elain could exhale.
The silence between them was taught, tension-filled when it usually never was. The room felt suddenly too small and yet too big, the space between her and Azriel a sweet relief and yet begging to be closed.
“Are you hungry?” he suddenly asked, as if searching for something to say.
But Elain shook her head; the nerves in her stomach made it impossible to even think of eating. She kept her eyes on him, felt like something between them would disappear if she looked away.
“Me neither,” Azriel replied, his expression inscrutable, hazel gaze still dark in a way that made her want to shiver. “Perhaps we should rest then.”
She hesitated. “There’s… There’s only one bed. It’s… small.”
That small, amused smile again. “I noticed.”
“I can take the chair?” she offered abruptly, cheeks flushing.
Azriel shook his head firmly, approaching so he stood right next to her… so he could reach out to chuck her gently under the chin; a soft reprimand. “Elain you’re the one who’s injured. I’m hardly letting you take the chair.”
She had to push through the nervous lump in her throat. “Well, you carried me all the way here. It isn’t fair for you to take the chair either.” (Besides, the thing was far too small and rickety to support the sheer size of him.)
He grinned almost wolfishly at that, leaning against the bedpost as he stared down at her. He crossed his impressive arms over his chest, wet hair curling into his eyes in a way that distracted Elain utterly.
“Then it seems we are at an impasse,” Azriel finally said. “What do you suggest?”
She looked behind her, it was small… but. “We could… share? The bed, I mean.”
He similarly examined it. “It’ll be a tight fit,” he offered cautiously.
“I know.”
“Are you sure?” Azriel asked her, uncharacteristically hesitant.
It was that that made her certain. So she nodded, lips pulling up into a smile. “I’m sure. I’d feel too guilty to sleep if you weren’t comfortable too.”
Azriel let out a loud laugh, eyes full of undeniable fondness. “Elain, has anyone ever told you there might be such a thing as too much kindness?”
“Has anyone ever told you that?” she returned.
Azriel’s eyes widened slightly with surprise when the implication sank in, before he ducked his head almost shyly. It made Elain sad that he should be surprised that she thought him kind. It made her so incredibly sad. But there was nothing to be done for it, other than to remind him as much as she was able.
He cleared his throat suddenly, clearly uncomfortable. “Come on, let’s figure this out. We’ll need to be well-rested for tomorrow.”
After some discussion, they soon realized the only way they would both fit was if Azriel climbed in first and lay on his back with Elain practically on top of him. Mother, but her cheeks felt like they were on fire.
Still, she wasn’t about to turn back on her word, so she waited patiently as Azriel sat on the bed first, waited as he shifted back until he could lie down, wings at his side, tucked in as much as they were able with him on his back. Stars, to see him like this… Elain was sure her heart was going to beat right out of her chest. The reality was so much more intimidating than her imagination could have predicted. Still, she steeled herself, forced herself to act like this was all completely normal.
He’s your friend, she told herself. Azriel’s your friend. It’ll be fine. Just don't make this into something it’s not.
Careful of her ankle, she crawled into the bed beside Azriel. He helped her maneuver comfortably, hands steady around her waist until she was finally in place, lying against his side with her head over his heart, her injured food on top of his leg so it wasn’t squashed against the bed. They were tangled together, limbs against limbs, chest-to-chest.
Elain hadn’t been this close to male since Graysen. Elain hadn’t really been this close to any male.
He’s your friend, she reminded herself again. Your friend. Nothing else.
Azriel was tense under her, though his heart remained a steady beat under her ear. She shifted a little bit more, trying to get comfortable until she found that the best way to lie down – lie on him – was by practically hugging his muscled chest. Elain would still have changed from that position, regardless of comfort, were it not for Azriel suddenly relaxing beneath her… for his own arms coming up to surround her completely.
Elain melted into him then, into the comfort of his presence, of the hand that ran gently through her hair.
“Goodnight, Elain,” he told her, turning his head and giving her a sweet kiss to the temple. (He’s your friend. He’s your friend.)
Elain smiled, pleased. “Goodnight, Azriel.”
Yet even with her drowsiness, even with the delicious coziness of her position, she found she couldn’t fall asleep. It eluded her, her entire body suddenly filled with anxious energy – like she was waiting for something to happen.
Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime but was likely closer to fifteen minutes, Azriel spoke again. “Can’t sleep?”
She shook her head slightly.
Azriel made a humming sound, his fingers still running softly through her loose hair. “Tell me what you’re thinking?”
Elain shifted so she could look up at him, could meet his eyes, barely visible in their moonlit room. “You first,” she said.
He seemed to consider, hand moving away from her hair to cup her face, long fingers splayed over the soft skin of her cheek. Elain shivered a little under his touch; this simple touch that really shouldn’t be affecting her the way it was considering the way they were lying together. But still it did. And that said something she’d been trying to ignore.
“I’m thinking…” he started, voice deep, “I’m thinking that I’ve wanted to see you like this for a long, long time.”
Her brow furrowed. “Like what?”
He traced her face again, like he was memorizing the lines of it with his fingers. “Like this. Here. With me.”
Oh. Oh.
“You… you did?” Elain found herself asking, taken by utter surprise. But Azriel is just my friend… isn’t he?
Azriel shook his head with disbelief, that small smile of his back as he stared at her with wonder. “Of course I did, Elain. Of course I do.”
“But why did you say anything?” Why didn't you tell me there was a possibility between us all along?
“I suppose I was scared of losing what we already had. I just… I want you in my life in whatever you’ll allow me, Elain Archeron.”
With that, Elain finally knew what to do with that feeling in her chest. With his words – his beautiful, spellbinding words – she finally understood. Because here was Azriel. Her best friend… and the male she loved.
“Azriel?” Elain asked, heart practically exploding with happiness.
“Yes?”
She smiled so wide her cheeks hurt. “Ask me again. Ask me what I’m thinking.”
He seemed hopeful. So, so hopeful. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking I was scared too,” she told him, thumb tracing his strong jawline once. “But I’m not anymore.”
And then she kissed him. She kissed him with everything she had, with every feeling she had for him. It was a beautiful thing, soft yet passionate. Sweet yet full of undeniable fire. Not just a friend, Elain thought suddenly, triumphant. But that thought, and so many of her others, were quickly chased away by Azriel’s tongue, by his ever-moving hands, which seemed starved to touch her.
She would have continued to kiss him, would have continued to touch him the way she’d wanted to for so long, were it not for sudden pain in her ankle reminding her that probably shouldn’t overdo it.
Stupid ankle. Stupid, stupid ankle.
So she pulled away, apologies ready to fall from her lips, but Azriel quickly waved them away.
“There’s never a need to apologize for that, Elain,” Azriel told her, voice full of serious sincerity. “We will only ever go as far as we both want to.”
She smiled. Cauldron, she was so incredibly lucky to have this male in her life, this beautiful, kind male. She pressed a kiss to his cloth-covered chest, right over his heart. Thank you, that kiss said. Thank you.
Azriel seemed too overcome to reply to that, instead just pressing another kiss to the side of her head. And then another and another, giving his own thanks.
Cauldron, she was lucky. So mother-blessed lucky.
They still didn’t fall asleep for a long time after that, instead just murmuring softly to each other, talking about everything and nothing. Even their lapses of silence were filled with nothing but comfort, simply basking in each other’s company while they lay tangled together.
It was in one of those lapses that they finally fell into slumber, the both of them feeling warm and peaceful. And loved. That too. Though neither was ready to admit that yet.
But that day would come. And it would come soon. Elain only had to wait… and she was sure that Azriel would be by her side the entire time.
Hey here's an idea for a drabble how about the whole gang goes out to Rita's or something and Elain gets super drunk and Az has to take care of her?
[This is probably not what you had in mind. LOL. I apologize for nothing.]
Elain Archeron is a light weight. If you looked up the definition in the dictionary, you’d find her picture. One beer and she is toasty and warm and giggling.
She’s sitting between Feyre and Azriel in a booth at Rita’s, telling them about the birds and the bees. The literal birds and bees in her garden. Then she starts talking about Graysen. She’s long been over him, but since they’re talking about the garden…
“He touched me in the garden once,” she says. Feyre’s eyes go wide (she’s got a healthy buzz) and her jaw drops. Azriel sits straight as a board and stares very hard at his drink.
“Shut. Up.” Feyre says.
Waiting for Azriel ♡
A little drabble written back and forth through messages between me and @moonfalles 🫶
Azriel walks through the door in the early hours of dawn to see Elain leaned against the wall, waiting for his return, wearing nothing but a whisper of silk, the straps already off her shoulders and hanging from her breasts.
"You're home late."
She allows her arms to drop to her sides, letting the top half of her dress fall and expose her perfect, soft breasts, as she approaches Azriel.
“Are you hungry? I can heat up some of the breakfast I prepared.”
He slowly chews his lip as he approaches her, his eyes roaming her supple body. "That's not what I'm hungry for."
Elain pretends not to catch his insinuation. She hums and tries to walk past him to the kitchen. “Then I’ll prepare some tea for you.”
She doesn't miss where Azriel’s eyes are glued.
He prowls after her and grips her by the hips, stopping her, lowering his mouth to the crook of her neck.
“My love, would you not hold me after my absence?” Azriel steps closer, until his chest is pressed up to her back. “I rushed home from my mission as fast as I could.”
Elain answers with a cheeky tone, teasing him. "Did you expect me to sit around waiting and pining after you all night?"
He raises his head and an eyebrow at her barely-there ensemble. "It seems you have been doing at least some waiting and pining."
Elain hums as she feels Azriel’s hands brush up her sides, towards the underside of her breasts.
“I couldn’t sleep nor eat. I missed you far too much,” Azriel confesses, finally cupping her heavy breasts in his palms.
"Azriel," she chides through a sigh as he again presses tender kisses to her neck. "You must eat and sleep. I can't have you withering away."
“I will. After,” he promises with a heated gaze and knowing smirk, as he easily scoops her up bridal style, carrying her into their bedroom.
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
A Chosen Path (Elriel Fluff)
Inspired by a prompt from the lovely @rosehallshadowsinger, who wanted to see elriel as mates. Post-ACOFAS AU with a healthy coating of fluff.
It wasn’t heard of. It wasn’t. No one male or female should have two bonds attached to two other souls. But it was as the Cauldron willed it. Or so Azriel thought. Because when Elain was Made, Lucien wasn’t the only one to feel the sudden call of mate, mate, mate.
It was a painful thing, to have that sudden snap in his soul as it was attached to another, a string, a path between them as strong and undeniable as fate. But Azriel couldn’t even act on it, didn’t have the time, before he heard Lucien Vanserra – a male Azriel cared little for – whisper the very thing that was singing in Azriel’s blood.
“You’re my mate.”
And just like that, it was over. Everything came crashing down in him, all the hopes, the possibilities. Azriel had never thought that he’d craved something as archaic as a mating bond until the moment it was ripped away from him. It left him bereft, empty. Here he was, his soul singing for its twin, its mate, only to find the other end of the bond already reaching to a different male altogether.
(Azriel hadn’t even considered that his mate might choose him, not at that moment, with an ash bolt through his chest and the pain of loss setting fire in his heart. He’d never believed himself worthy of such a pure, wondrous thing. Perhaps that’s why he’d followed after Mor for so long and with such devotion; how, after all, could you attain the unattainable?)
He managed to tamp down every latent instinct in him that roared at him to tear Lucien’s damned head off, managed to block off every facet of his fledgling bond and focus only on the more serious matter at hand; staying alive. It was humiliating, that he could do nothing but suffer in silence as his friends, his family, fought against the onslaught that was the King of Hybern and his Cauldron-damned allies. But there was that bolt – that blasted bolt – lodged in his chest, and there was poison ready to surge through his blood and end him.
Useless, his mind whispered. Utterly useless. What was the point of all his power, of his shadows, if he could do nothing with it when it was most needed? What was the point of it all? (What was the point of it, if he hadn’t even been able to save his mate from a fate she was likely terrified of? Sweet, human Elain, who had never wanted this life, but still treated him – the most terrifying of his kind – with nothing but kindness and respect. It was more than even his own people had ever afforded him.)
Only after it all, after their miraculous escape thanks to their very clever, very reckless High Lady (and Mother above, Azriel would never forgive himself for letting her take the fall for them), did Azriel let himself examine this new bond in his soul. It was not yet made fully, but also not broken. No, it was lying in wait, dormant until two souls were brought together or torn apart forever.
But Azriel knew, he knew, that this bond would never truly be his, that it would never sing between his and Elain’s minds. Why should she choose him when she had another male already vying for her hand? A male who, by all accounts, seemed more suited to her.
And besides, as the weeks and months passed, he saw just how damaged Elain had become in her new body, how she shied away from all contact with her supposed mate. No, Azriel wouldn’t add to her burden. He couldn’t.
He had no expectations of her, would never force her into anything she didn’t want. Like his High Lord, he was no traditionalist, who treated the females of their kind like mere commodities, bartered and bought and owned. (He knew that his own mother, a servant too beautiful for her own good, had suffered immensely by the hands of such males. He would never do the same. Never.)
So he kept it a secret. From everyone. He used all the power in him to shut off his bond, though it was agony. Thankfully, lying was as easy as breathing in Azriel’s world – his greatest achievement and greatest flaw. It’s what made him Prythian’s greatest spy… but also left him alone, even among friends. There were very few beings that knew anything about who Azriel was, about his past. Fewer still, who knew any sort of details.
But even with it being a secret, Azriel couldn’t stay away, often drifting into Elain’s orbit. Would it be so bad if they became friends? Wouldn’t that ease his pain?
At least, that’s what Azriel told himself every time he went to see her. Besides, it seemed Elain could use all the friendship she was offered.
Elain. By the Cauldron, Elain. His thoughts were so constantly filled with her these days, even with thousands of things he had to do, even with a war looming. But he couldn’t stop himself. She was a rare kindness in their world, unfettered even by the traumas she’d been through. Yes, the others seemed to think she was broken by it all. But Azriel… Azriel saw her for what she was.
A seer, learning to use her gifts. A fae, unused to power and immortality and animal instinct. A female, who loved the simplicity and satisfaction of gardening and other household tasks, but who yearned for the complexity of love and family.
A human woman, stuck in a body she did not want and mourning for the life she’d lost.
So Azriel could give her patience and silent companionship. Could give her friendship and understanding. He even found peace in it, sitting by her side in her garden. Enjoyed speaking softly with her when she felt like it, even if it was about the flowers she was planning on adding to her garden, the new recipes she was learning with Nuala and Cerridwen. Especially then. After all, Azriel rarely heard of anything other than bloodshed and death and betrayal. Elain and her flowers were a comfort. A wonderful comfort.
And, Mother above, she was just so beautiful. Everything about her. She practically shone with it. Azriel ached at seeing it. He was used to the dark, had lived his first years in it, so how could he ever think he deserved this? How could he dare consider tainting her by forcing a bond with a monster on her?
He couldn’t. He couldn't.
It was around this time that he realized the feelings in him were love. A love vastly different from the one he’d harbored for Mor for so long. Real love. He was in love with Elain. Cauldron damn him.
(He knew what a bad idea it was. Knew how horribly this could end and yet still his heart betrayed him.)
Even still, Azriel said nothing, didn’t even dare hint at his true feelings. No, Azriel waited and waited and waited for the day Elain would finally accept Lucien.
Part of him, the worst part of him, couldn’t help but be glad that she seemed to shun Lucien in the months after the war. It gave him longer to enjoy this tentative friendship between them without worry. He was sure that the moment their bond was secure, Azriel would no longer have a place here.
It was only after the Solstice that Azriel started to hope. He was a fool, really, to think that a bottle of tonic was some sort of sign. But no one could claim that the heart was logical.
When winter was finally letting up for the year and he and Elain began to enjoy the sunshine together again, she told him something that changed his entire worldview.
“I’ve told Lucien I wouldn’t be accepting the bond,” Elain said, voice soft and sweet, as she washed her hands in the kitchen sink, covered in dirt from the garden. Azriel dreamt of that voice, of those hands. It was one of the few good things his dreams brought him, the image of this lovely female.
He felt himself still where he stood beside her, washing his own hands; Elain had roped him into helping her with a single pleading look and shy smile. (If only his enemies could see him now, utterly in the thrall of this female with azaleas woven in her hair and stars in her eyes.)
“Well, it’s only understandable that you should want more time to adjust,” Azriel hedged, voice equally soft. He resumed washing his hands, carefully, carefully. He couldn’t let himself hope.
Elain reached over then, put her unblemished hand over his scarred one, stilling him. She tangled their wet fingers together, as if needing the strength. “No, I told him that I would never accept it. It didn’t seen right, to let him hope like that. Not when I already knew my decision.”
Azriel swallowed harshly, forced himself to look up and meet her eyes, found her already staring at back him nervously. “Then I feel I should congratulate you, it’s no easy feat to make a decision like that. Did he take it well?”
“As well as he was able. Although I don’t think he’ll make his way here again for a long time,” she admitted, playing idly with his fingers, still slightly soapy. She reached over to grab a hand towel, drying his hands with all gentleness, tracing his scars.
Azriel’s ancient heart thumped wildly in his chest, but he tried not to look too much into her actions. She’d started doing that lately, taking his hands in hers tentatively whenever a vision suddenly hit her or she craved closeness with another living being. Sometimes she leaned the slightest bit into his side, as much as propriety allowed her. Azriel was downright charmed by it, this need of hers to hold onto her human politeness even when sliding closer to him.
“That’s not your fault, Elain,” Azriel said now, giving her hands a gentle squeeze. “You owed him nothing and yet you still took your time to consider it, consider him. All you can do now is let him have his distance.”
She nodded, before cocking her head slightly, giving him a considering look. For a second Azriel thought maybe a vision was coming on but then her gaze turned nervous again rather than distant.
“There’s another reason I told him now, something I realized.”
“Oh?”
She hesitated, still staring up at him, brown eyes filled with trepidation. A part of Azriel knew that if she didn’t say whatever was bothering her now, it wouldn’t ever come out. So he gave her an encouraging smile.
“What did you realize?” he asked, voice a mere whisper. He knew how to cajole people into telling him whatever he wanted to hear, but he didn’t resort to that now, with her. He just waited. Patient. Almost light-headed with it.
And then, so suddenly Azriel barely realized it happened, Elain rose to her tiptoes and placed the quickest of pecks to his lips.
Azriel stood, stunned, as Elain pulled away, her cheeks bright pink. She looked at him for a long time, looked at his stone-still expression, before her own face shuttered, whatever hope that was there fading. It was only when she started to pull away from him completely that Azriel snapped out of his frozen state. He grabbed her wrist, gentle despite its strength, and pulled her back into his chest, crushing his lips to hers.
Elain made a brief noise of surprise, before she melted into him, her fingers tangling in the fine material of jacket. Azriel cupped the side of her lovely face, encouraged her closer as their lips moved against each other’s. His other arm wrapped around her waist, holding her steady.
Mother, to have this. Azriel couldn’t quite believe it. Maybe this was another dream. Well, if that was the case, Azriel didn’t want to wake, like he had the hundreds of times before that he’d dreamt this very thing.
But this wasn’t his wistful unconscious showing him what he most desired. This was real and that made it all the more beautiful. Perfect in its imperfections, because their teeth clacked together at first, making them both laugh, until Azriel corrected the angle with sure experience and oh, that was it. The kiss was relatively chaste, as kisses went, but it set his entire body on fire in a way he’d never felt before.
(So this is what it could be like to be with someone you love, he thought.)
After an eternity that was far too short, Azriel pulled his lips away from Elain, only to rest his forehead against hers. Her eyes were shining as they looked up at him, her cheeks a charming pink. He gave into the temptation that had been with him for so long and traced the line of cheekbone. She leaned into it, pressing a quick kiss to his wrist. His heart beat all the faster for it.
“So what was it you realized?” Azriel asked again, teasing.
Elain laughed, shaking her head at him fondly. She reached up to trace his strong jaw. “I realized that I didn’t need a mating bond with Lucien,” she told him, steadfast. “I already have you.”
In any other circumstance, those words would have made him the happiest male alive, but as it was, they stopped him short – they felt like ice-water down his spine. Because she spoke of the mating bond. And she… she didn’t know everything. Didn’t know that there was another bond in play here.
How could her decision ever be true if she didn’t know all the details? Maybe it was this bond between them that pulled her to him unconsciously, and not her true feelings.
(Cauldron, he did it again. Let his heart run away from him.)
So he extricated himself from her… because he had to. He couldn’t allow this to continue under false pretenses.
“Azriel?” Elain asked worriedly, reaching for him.
He let her grab his hand, focusing on the sight of their linked hands. (He was sure he wouldn’t be seeing this again anytime soon.) “I… I’m afraid I haven’t been entirely honest with you Elain.”
She made a concerned noise. “How do you mean?”
Mother above, this was hard. “You’ve made your decision without all of the information. I’m sorry about that,” Azriel managed to say, forcing the words out of his tight throat. He laughed bitterly. “I suppose it’s in my nature to lie and deceive. I am the Court’s spymaster.”
Elain took his other hand in hers, giving both a gentle squeeze. “Azriel, it’s all right. I know.”
It was rare that anyone took Azriel by surprise. But here he was, well and truly surprised. “You– You do?”
“Yes. You might be the spymaster, but I’m a seer. It took me a while, but I found the other bond in me, the potential for it, months ago,” she paused, eyes distant as she smiled softly. “There was a vision, just a small one. It was of the two of us, but the bond was there and it sang.” She met his eyes then, and he could see the truth in them, the undeniable truth.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Azriel found himself saying, even knowing the hypocrisy of it.
But Elain just looked at him knowingly. “For the same reason you didn’t. I was… I was scared. I didn’t know what it all meant. And I kept thinking that I’d wake up one day and this, all of this, this new life of mine, was just a dream.”
“But it wasn’t.”
“No, it wasn’t. I know that now. And I wouldn’t change it, not anymore,” she said, smiling up at him. And, stars, if that wasn’t something – to see her, smiling, as she spoke of her new immortal life. Perhaps her mourning period was finally over. Azriel couldn’t be happier for her; he knew all too well what it was like to hate the very body you lived in.
“Why… why me?” He couldn’t help but ask.
Elain took his face in her hands, her eyes alight with fierce protection. “Why not you? You expected nothing of me, Azriel. You pushed nothing. You were my friend when I most needed one. You never ridiculed me for my simplicity,” he made a noise at that – because she might like the simple things, but she was never herself simple, and Azriel hated that people thought so little of her because she was different from most of her kind – but she shushed gently him with a hand, stopping him in his tracks. “Please, let me finish,” she said, smiling fondly. “You’re also unfailingly kind, yet you don’t seem to realize it. You’re beautiful, Azriel. So beautiful. In and out.” That smile again, this time wider. “How could I not be in love with you?”
“Elain.”
Her fingers were soft against his cheeks. “The Cauldron gave me two possibilities, two fates. I choose this one, with you… That is, if you’ll have me.”
Azriel’s heart beat faster than it ever had in battle. He could hardly believe his luck that Elain – wonderful, irresistible Elain Archeron – was giving him this, was baring her soul to him. His entire body ached with love for her, full to the brim and ready to burst.
Please, let this be real.
He pressed their foreheads together again. “Of course, I will. Of course. There’s nothing I want more.” He turned to kiss her temples, her cheeks, the corner of her mouth, everywhere he could reach. Elain melted against him once more, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.
“Do you know,” Azriel began, smiling so hard it hurt, “I think I was lost before you came along. I suppose there’s just something about you, Elain Archeron, that makes me want to be worthy. I would have you for all of eternity.”
He finally leaned down to kiss her berry-red lips again, and this time not so chastely, their tongues chasing each other. When they separated, breathless, he ducked his head into the crook of her neck, breathing in her intoxicating scent.
“Mate,” he whispered. Mate, mate, my mate. My Elain.
Elain froze under his hands for the briefest of moments, before she let out a long gasp. She gripped him by the roots of his hair, pulling his head up so she could search for his eyes, almost anxious.
“My mate,” she returned. “My mate. Can we–?”
Azriel knew immediately what she spoke of, that bond that still wasn’t complete. “Yes,” he told her, kissing her once, twice. “Yes.”
He stilled them then, keeping Elain locked in his embrace, faces so close their breath mingled. And he closed his eyes and let go of his iron grip on the string, the path that connected them. Let it roar to life.
And then finally, finally, it snapped in place. Their elusive bond. And by the Mother and the Cauldron and every other holy thing, it was beautiful. Indescribable, this unbreakable link between them. Azriel felt Elain all around, felt her soul, full of brightness even with its dark patches. His own rose to meet it, followed the path to her until every bit of them was intertwined.
Azriel had never felt anything like it, would never feel anything like it, as he dove deeper and deeper until he didn’t know where he ended and she began.
He felt Elain’s happiness as if it was his own, understood her hopes and dreams and fears. Even felt her love for him, and, Cauldron, if that wasn’t enough to nearly knock him of his worldly feet.
Elain’s laughter was like bells, her joy like the sun.
Oh, Azriel, her voice – the voice he’d dreamt of a hundred times – floated to him.
Elain, his mind whispered back, sweet, lovely Elain.
They floated there for a while, in this beautiful space they now shared, full of light and dark, and happiness and sadness, all mingled together. It was strength, this bond, their strength. It was them.
And then Azriel whispered three words to her – words he hadn’t yet told her, despite all that had happened to them in this moment. This moment, that should have been an ordinary one, just another morning spent cleaning up in the kitchen, but had turned out extraordinary.
I love you, he said, letting the words and the truth of them ring out between them.
I know, she replied, and I love you.
And their bond sang.
As it would for the rest of their eternity.
Anyone have any elriel prompts they desperately want written? Been wanting to write another short fic but can’t think of anything 😢
