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Photos are not mine. They are courtesy of Pinterest/Google

Pairing: Billy Russo x F! Reader

Warnings: None…well I shouldn’t say none, there are a couple of swear words in here but this is pure FLUFF! All the fluffy bunnies and unicorns and all the feels. So sweet it’s tooth rotting.

Word Count: 4.7k-ish

Summary: Billy and Reader have been best friends since childhood, they’re love of baseball and horror movies brought them together and they’ve stayed friends for many years. Will they stay just friends or could it be something more?

A/N: Based off an ask from my sweet sweet Lily @munsonownsmyass The prompt of watching a scary movie and “It’s getting late, I should go.” I really wanted to make this as fluffy as possible. And thank you Amanda @mattmurdocksscars for suggesting a certain type of candy that Billy might like. This is sorta Halloween but also not really if that makes any sense. Since Kinktober is almost over, maybe y’all are ready for some fluff? I dunno but I hope you like it!

As always, thank you for reading!  I appreciate it so much and comments, reblogs are welcome and encouraged. Don’t be shy to tell me your favorite part. 💕💕 💕

Every day you had to walk past the Ray of Hope group home going to and from school. The boys would be outside playing stickball in the street after school and you had always wanted to ask if you could play with them but you were painfully shy and it prevented you from asking so you just kept your head down and made your way home. So when the baseball rolled and hit your foot on your way home one day, you had the perfect opportunity to show them what you could do.

A tall, slender boy with eyes like pools of black ink and a mop of dark hair asked you for the ball back. You recognized him from school, Billy Russo. He was the boy all the others at the home looked up to. Even at a young age, he was a leader, the kids took his direction, they followed him.

You, on the other hand, didn’t really like being told what to do so instead of tossing the ball to Billy, you threw it to another boy who was about 30 feet behind him.

”Ouch!!” The boy cried out after catching the ball with his glove.

Billy turned from the boy who caught the ball, back to you and smiled. Even back then, his smile was perfect. “You wanna play?” He asked.

You nodded, shyly.

“What position do you play?” Billy asked.

“First base.” Your tiny voice cracked.

He pointed to himself. “Centerfield. I’m Billy by the way.”

“I know.” You said shyly. “I’ve seen you at school. I’m y/n.”

“I know.” He said. “I’ve seen you at school too. You gotta glove?” He asked.

You nodded again.

“Ok, we’ll see you here tomorrow after school.”

Excitedly, you bit back a smile. “See you tomorrow.”

As you walked away, you heard one of the boys say to Billy. “What are you doing, Russo? She’s a GIRL!”

Without missing a beat, you heard Billy tell him “She’s a girl who has a better arm than you do! I say she gets to play!”

And from that day on, you and Billy were inseparable, the other boys eventually warmed up to you but you and Billy formed a great friendship. The two of you hung out at school, after school, ate lunch together, sometimes you even brought him home to have dinner with you and your family.

It didn’t matter to you that he didn’t have expensive sneakers or that he had holes in his t-shirts, he was a great friend. He was your best friend.

The two of you played ball together every day after school until one cloudy afternoon you showed up to play and Billy wasn’t there. When you asked where he was, one of the other boys told you that Billy had an accident, he broke his arm.

Every day, without fail, you visited him until he was well enough to come back to school. You helped him carry his books, his homework, whatever he needed, you were there to help him.

He never wanted to talk about the accident, although one of the other boys let it slip that a man who visited them all the time was the one who broke Billy’s arm but that’s all he told you and you never pushed him to talk about it.

His arm wasn’t the same after his accident, and you knew that was just devastating to Billy because he loved to play baseball. He shut himself off from a lot of his friends after that but not from you which you were grateful for. You were the one person that knew him better than anyone and the one person he always wanted around.

The one positive thing that came out of Billy’s accident was you discovered that you both loved horror movies. While he was recovering from his accident, that’s what you did with your time together.

More than likely, you were too young to be watching some of the movies you watched but they didn’t pay much attention to him or what he was doing at the group home. And as you grew into your teens, you started a tradition of watching horror movies together every Halloween night.

“Ok y/n, what’s your favorite scary movie?” Billy asked.

You sat back against the couch and thought about it for a minute.

“Are you quoting Scream or are you actually asking me?” You joked.

He gave you the side eye and frowned a little. “I’m asking you. You’re such a smartass, ya know that?” He glared at you.

“Better than being a dumbass!” You said to him trying to control your laughter. “Ok, ok I’ll stop. Well, I love the original Halloween. It’s a classic. Oh! Remember two years ago, when we went to the drive-in and watched Scream for the first time? I had just gotten my license and after I dropped you off, I checked the back seat of the car because that movie scared me so much. Oh and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre is another favorite.”

Billy flashed that perfect smile at you and then started to laugh. “Y/N. That movie scared you SO much. I think I still have the claw marks in my arm, Wolverine.”

He was always cracking jokes about you being scared. You reminded him that he never made it through a scary movie without jumping at least once. “Wait a minute, Russo! It’s not like you never ever get scared either!”

He narrowed his eyes at you. “Ok, I wouldn’t go as far as saying I get ‘scared,’ y/n.” You watched him make air quotes with his fingers.

That made you laugh. Billy trying to explain that he doesn’t get “scared,” he just gets “caught off guard,” which is the same thing. “Ok Billy, whatever you say.” You winked at him and wondered internally if everyone had a friend like Billy, a friend that you could completely be yourself around. Life was better with a friend like him.

Instead of going to college, Billy joined the marines. You were very proud of him for serving his country but also a little scared because you knew he’d be deployed and there was always that possibility he wouldn’t come home. In passing, you had asked why he didn’t want to go to college. With Billy, it was best not to push too hard.

“You don’t want to go to college, Billy?” The tone of your voice was gentle but with concern.

“I’m not smart enough for college, y/n. You know that.” He tried to sound like it didn’t bother him, but you knew better, he couldn’t fool you, and he was smarter than he gave himself credit for.

“Billy, you know that’s not true.” You said.

“Ok fine, but it doesn’t mean I have the money to go though.” He stated.

“Well maybe you could get scholarships, a loan, or I could ask my parents to help. I could get a job and…”

He shook his head and cut you off. “Absolutely not, y/n!” He pointed his long slender finger at you. “I couldn’t even think about taking you or your parent’s hard earned money. I’m not your charity case.”

There’s nothing you wanted more than to help Billy set himself up to be successful in life and if you or your parents could help with loans or scholarships, you figured you had to try. “You know I’ve NEVER treated you that way, Billy. And my parents haven’t either, they care about you too!”

He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes in frustration. “I’m sorry, I know they do and I know you do but I’m going to do this on my own, ok?” He lowered his voice. “Ok?”

Your expression softened and you walked over to hug him. “If that’s what you want Billy, then that’s what I want. But you know if you ever change your mind…”

He cut you off. “I know, I know.” And he hugged you back, Billy gave the best hugs.

The two of you talked all the time after you went off to college and he went to basic training whether it was through e-mail or he’d call. Billy asked about school, and if you had watched any new movies without him.

“Well I’m bummed you won’t be around for our Halloween movie night.” There was a sad tone to your voice, you really did miss him.

“I know y/n, but we can do it when I get back, it doesn’t have to be a Halloween thing.” Billy said. He sounded like he missed you too.

It was hard to find time to see Billy even when he did come home, he had new marine buddies he hung out with a lot, you had new friends from school that you did things with. It seemed like the two of you could only manage a few hours together each time.

You each celebrated turning 21 without the other and it was so hard not having your best friend around for a huge milestone like that but you were very thankful the two of you never lost touch. Your other friends didn’t know you like Billy did and it was the same for him.

Billy managed to make it home for your college graduation. He barely made it but he made it. You had never been so happy to see him. He was the first person you saw after you received your degree, not your mom, or your dad…you only saw Billy.

When the two of you locked eyes on each other, you took off running full speed towards him, he caught you when you jumped into his arms and he gave you a quick kiss on the top of your head.

“I am SO proud of you, y/n!” Billy exclaimed, his dark brown eyes looking at every square inch of you, it had been awhile since he last saw you.

“I didn’t think you’d be able to come, Billy!” Your face hurt from smiling so much and it was all because of him.

“Well, I just knew I needed to be here for you.” He smiled warmly at you and handed you a gift bag.

“What is this?” You asked.

“Just open it.” Billy insisted.

You moved the tissue paper out of the way and pulled out the gift Billy gave you. It was a shadow box, on the glass the word “memories” was printed on it along with a picture of two tickets.

Inside the box were tickets from every single movie, baseball game, basketball game, and every horror convention you had ever been to since you were children. That was why Billy always asked for your ticket after you were done with it, he saved them all.

It was the most thoughtful gift anyone has ever given you. “Billy, this is…” you paused.

He interrupted you “You hate it, it’s lame isn’t it.” And he yanked the shadow box out of your hand.

“Billy Russo, you give me back my present right now! I do not hate it…I love it. You saved all of our tickets?”

Your dad was always getting free tickets to the Yankees or the Knicks so you’d always ask Billy to come along with you and your family. You two always went to the movies together from the time you were kids all the way up until you left for college and he left to join the marines, there were so many tickets inside of that box.

He shied away from you a little, ran his fingers through his hair, and bit down on his bottom lip. “Uh, yeah…I saved them because, well, obviously you know I didn’t have a lot growing up so I really loved having something tangible that I could look at and hold in my hands to remember how much fun we had together.”

You set the shadow box on the ground so you could hug him, he hugged you back and squeezed you tight.

When Billy hugged you back, you had a feeling in your stomach that was new to you, it had never happened any other time you were close to each other. Butterflies. But that couldn’t be. This was Billy Russo, he’s been your best friend since you were in grade school, you’ve known him your whole life, there was no way you were in love with him and certainly there was no way he was in love with you.

Or was he? This gift was very personal and thoughtful. Even though you quickly put that out of your mind, after that day it was hard to ignore the flutters in your stomach or the heat that sheathed your entire body any time he texted or called while he was away. You were just very thankful he wasn’t there to see you blush.

After three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, Billy was finally getting out of the service and starting his own private security company, Anvil. He had done it, he had worked hard and because of his hard work, it had paid off. His company was thriving and you were enormously proud of him. And since he was once again a civilian, he had more free time and you could pick up your traditions again.

It would be your first Halloween together in years. While you were apart, you’d still watch movies, you’d still have discussions about them but it wasn’t the same as it would be if you were in the same room together.

And ever since Billy gave you that shadow box, you were still trying to suppress your feelings for him. He clearly did not feel the same way you did, he never gave off a vibe like he was in love with you or even had those kind of feelings for you…but that gift told you otherwise, it gave you a feeling of “maybe?”

You snapped out of your daydream because Billy said he was coming over, bringing pizza and beer with him. He said he would take care of dinner if you would take care of popcorn and candy, the excitement in his voice was childlike, and he was genuinely excited to finally be able to spend a Halloween with you like you used to when you were kids.

You were excited also. Orange and purple lights were hung up everywhere around your apartment, dancing skeletons, spider webs, and bats were placed on every piece of empty wall space you could find, skulls and tapered candles decorated your coffee table, and you made sure you picked up all the candy that Billy loves, dark chocolate M&M’s, peanut butter cups, and salt water taffy.

There was one type of chocolate you remembered was Billy’s favorite, the only time he had them was when he came over to your house. They were just something your parents always had on hand, dark chocolate truffles.

He never had anything like that growing up in the group home, it was such a special treat for him and you’d always send him home with some no matter how many times he told you he didn’t want to take them.

A few quick raps on your door startled you, Billy was here. You quickly finished putting all the candy out on the coffee table and hurried to answer the door. Glancing through the peep hole to make sure it was actually Billy, he boomed from the other side of the door. “Come on y/n, open up, this thing is hot.”

After opening the door, he smiled at you and handed the beer over to you. He still had his suit on, he must have come straight from work. “Your weird neighbor from downstairs was giving me the glad eye again when I walked in.” He said.

Your come back was standard banter between the two of you. “Well maybe she likes you and thinks you’re pretty.” You started to giggle. “Oh, she also has five cats.”

Billy set the pizza on the dining room table, removed his suit jacket and started to roll up the sleeves of his dress shirt. “Five cats?! Yeah no thanks. Go get some plates, smartass. And don’t you dare…”

Before he could even finish his sentence, you had already said “Better than being a dumbass!”

He rolled his eyes and his shoulders dropped. “Aaaaaand you said it anyway!”

“You’re not the boss of me, Billy Russo. I do what I want.” You smiled at him while getting the plates out of the cabinet.

After Billy put the pizza down, he walked over to the antique desk you had on the other side of the room and picked up the shadow box he gave you. “You still have this, huh?” He let his fingers trace over the word “memories,” smiling while he did it.

“Why would I ever get rid of it?” You inquired.

He set it back down on top of the desk but still continued to stare at it. “I dunno, I just thought it was a silly little gift.”

“It’s not silly to me, Billy.” You said softly, his back was towards you, it was hard not to stare at him and you hoped he wouldn’t turn around to catch you staring at him and blushing.

You had always thought Billy was cute, but he had grown up to be incredibly handsome, and you watched beautiful women throw themselves at him all the time. He could have any woman he wanted and yet he never actually had a real relationship.

And your track record wasn’t any better either, it was just a string of bad relationships with men that treated you poorly and felt like you just couldn’t be yourself with any of them, it was just easy with Billy, he knew everything about you. Feeling like you had to change the subject or else he’d see right through that statement, you said “You must be hungry, are you ready to eat and watch something scary?”

“Absolutely.” He turned around and winked at you.

The first movie you watched was The Shining, it was a classic. A long time ago, the two of you talked about someday visiting the actual hotel that the book is based off of.

Next, was Scream for nostalgic purposes, talking about watching it at the drive-in was special to you which spiraled into the two of you reminiscing more than actually watching the movie which felt really nice.

You and Billy talking about old times at school, him rescuing you from your asshole prom date, the time you didn’t talk to him for a few days after he told you he was enlisting, and the day he caught a foul ball at Yankee Stadium. He tried to give it to you but you wanted him to keep it, the smile on his face after he caught it was burned into your memory, it was something you would never forget.

There were a lot of sentences that started with “Do you remember the time when…” It just felt really nice to have your best friend next to you on the couch again.

The last movie you decided to watch was one neither one of you had seen because you promised to watch it together, The Strangers.

“This is terrifying!” You screeched. “It’s terrifying because it could actually happen.”

Sitting next to him felt so natural, like you were meant to be there, your fingernails clawing into his skin and burying your face into his shoulder during the scary moments but Billy didn’t mind. He didn’t mind at all, he would steal glances here and there, just to see the expressions on your face, and he was careful to make sure you didn’t notice him staring at you.

The way you would firmly grip the blanket in between your fingers, the way your whole body tensed when you knew something was going to happen but you weren’t sure what it was, and the way you relaxed a little when he pulled part of the blanket onto his lap and inched closer to you so his knee was touching yours, letting you know that he was there and everything was ok.

About halfway through the movie, you hit pause and got up from the couch to get another beer and some popcorn. When you walked back into the living room, Billy was resting his elbows on his knees, carefully unwrapping one of the dark chocolate truffles, you noticed it was the same color as his eyes. You paused just for a second to look at him as the dark blue wrapping crumpled under his fingertips.

Right before he took a bite, he glanced over at you. “You remembered these are my favorite, huh.”

Making your way back to the couch, you said “Of course I did. Remember how I would send you home with a bag of them every time you left my house? I know how much you love them, Billy.” The butterflies were back.

Taking your seat next to him, you set the two beers and the bowl of popcorn on the table. Billy spoke again, his voice was low but it also sounded a little sad.

“Ya know, back when I was at the group home we were lucky if we got Halloween candy at all, let alone candy like this. I would always savor it, I’d let it melt, I didn’t want to finish it. I had the same feeling when we were done watching movies together at your house. I knew that I would eventually have to leave but all I wanted to do was stay.”

His words were shattering your heart into a million pieces, you could practically hear it breaking inside your chest. Billy never talked about his feelings, he always just pushed them deep down inside where no one could get to them, not even him.

“Being around you and your family was the only time where I was truly happy as a kid. All the stuff we did together when we were young was just” He paused. That’s why I gave you that shadow box. I guess it was my way of telling you that those memories are…special to me.”

You tried to stop the tears from forming in your eyes but it was too late. “They’re special to me too, Billy. That box is…” you paused for a second to try and conceal the hitch in your voice. “It’s the most thoughtful gift anyone has ever given me, I love it.”

He turned to finally look at you as he had been staring straight ahead while he was pouring his feelings out, he tucked a stray piece of hair behind your ear, and moved in closer, cupping your cheeks in between his strong hands.

You looked into his eyes, Billy had the most beautiful dark brown eyes you had ever seen, and he kept moving in closer, the gap between you getting smaller until you were both breathing the same air.

You could practically taste the dark chocolate on his lips he was so close, and your heart was racing. Your best friend, Billy Russo, was going to kiss you. Slowly, you closed your eyes in anticipation but he stopped short and quickly dropped his hands away from your face.

“It’s getting late, I—I should go.” He said quietly as he stood up, grabbed his jacket and started to head for the door.

You jumped off of the couch and chased after him but his long legs enabled him to walk across the room in just a few short strides. “Billy…wait…please…I don’t…” It was too late though, he pretty much closed the door in your face and still facing the door, with one hand on the door knob, you whispered “I don’t want you to go…” Resting your forehead against the door with your eyes closed, you softly said something you’ve wanted to say for a very long time even though he wasn’t there to hear you. “Because…I love you.”

A tear finally trickled down your cheek, you turned and started to walk away from the door when you heard three light knocks. Confused, you took two steps back towards the door and you could barely get the door open when Billy’s lips crashed onto yours, hands cupping your face once again and you could actually taste the slightly bitter chocolate now.

Your lips parted, his tongue intertwined with yours, and he pressed his kiss so firmly against your lips that it made it hard to catch your breath. You ran your fingers through his wild black hair and lightly scraped his scalp, still completely surprised by what was happening.

Billy pulled away and you were finally able to catch your breath. “I love you too, y/n. I love you too. My sweet girl. It’s always been you.”

Still breathing heavy, you asked him “I—wait, you do? But—but when Billy?”

He took your hands into his and pulled you into an embrace. “I guess in some way I always have but I really started to feel it when I was away from you on deployment. I knew I had to fight my hardest so I could come home to you—I needed to come home to you.”

The tightness in your shoulders eased as soon as he wrapped his arms around you. “When you hugged me at my graduation, after you gave me that gift, I felt…different, like I never wanted to let you go but how was I supposed to tell you that without messing up our friendship?”

“Well…you’re telling me now, right?” He responded with. “Our friendship is the only relationship I can’t stand to lose or mess up so I just kept my feelings to myself like I do with everything else. I guess we’re both a couple of dumbasses, aren’t we.”

Chuckling against his chest, you started to pull away from his warm embrace to look up at him. “I guess we are.” You said, brushing his beard with your thumbs. “Do you want to finish the movie?”

“Yes, but before we do, I’m going to kiss you again.” Billy said with a sly smile on his face. “And tell you that I love you…again.”

You couldn’t manage to say anything right away, your cheeks felt hot, and your legs were trembling. “I love you too, Billy.”

He swept his fingers across your cheeks to wipe the tears away, took your chin in between his forefinger and his thumb and leaned down to kiss you, delicately like you were made of glass and he didn’t want to break you.

When you touched his arm, it was warm but felt the goosebumps skirt across his skin, you were giving HIM goosebumps and the butterflies weren’t just in your stomach anymore, they were everywhere.

Billy tenderly placed kisses down your neck, back to your lips and up to your forehead, the lines around his eyes crinkling while smiling at you in between kisses. You’ve never seen him so happy.

He backed away a little and turned around to look over his shoulder at you. “You wanna ride, beautiful?” He asked with a playful look in his eyes.

You bit down on your bottom lip and jumped onto his back and clasped your hands around his neck, he held onto the back of your knees and started off towards the couch. Billy used to give you piggy back rides all the time when you were young, it felt just like old times.

His arm was draped over you as you rested your head against his chest with the blanket spread out across your legs. The bowl of popcorn on his lap, which you later spilled because you got scared, he laughed at you of course and after many stolen glances and kisses to your forehead, you finally finished the movie.

Outside, the howling wind lulled the two of you to sleep in each other’s arms, Billy held you close for the rest of the night and he planned to do so for the rest of his life. You were his definition of happiness and he finally had everything he had ever wanted. He was home.

Tag List: @mindidjarin @saintmurd0ck @wheresthesunshinesblog @rafaelakelley @idaoftheburningmind @snowkestrel @xdervyxccgh @mattmurdocksscars @fakehappy27 @munsonownsmyass

If you’d like to be added to (or removed from) my tag list for the ever so handsome Billy Russo, just let me know and thank you again for reading! 💕

This is so cute. There are very few Hobi fics and this is one of my most favorite.

Always

Hobi x Reader (COMPLETED)

Five years after Kim Taehyung broke her heart and left her for her ex best friend, Park Jimin, y/n gets roped back into their messy lives when they ask her to be in the wedding. The temptation to sabotage the impending nuptials and win Tae back is too hard to resist. Will the others go along with these shenanigans? Will y/n hurt herself all over again? And what if Hobi has a confession to make that might just change everything? (LOOSELY based on the movie My Best Friend’s Wedding.)

Updates every other day.

Keep reading

<Kim Taehyung x Female Reader>

After a prank goes wrong, Taehyung would do anything to make it up to you. Shame he keeps making things worse…

Warning: Swearing, mentions of sex, alcohol, mentions of violence towards the end

About ♥ Master list ♥ F.A.Q ♥

Part 0.1 - The First Time

Part 0.2 - Introductions

Part 1 - Have you met your brother?

Part 2 - Then perish

Part 3 - Nunna

Part 4 - Icantbreathe

Part 5 - It gets worse

Part 6 - It’s done

Part 7 - There’s a video?

Part 8 - Promise!

Part 9 - hell hath no fury

Part 10 - Should I do it?

Part 11 - My favourite dork

Part 12 - Mine

Part 13 - Marty I’m scared

Part 14 - Help me Obi Juan

Part 15 - WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO?

Part 16 - You don’t kiss your friends

Part 17 - Can we focus?

Part 18 - Things are complicated

Part 19 - Where are you?

Part 20 - I guess they’re cute

Part 21 - Serious question

Part 22 - Alright tiny tits

Part 23 - Did you use black magic?

Part 24 - Big booty bitch I need you

Part 25 - Should I do it?

Part 26 - Grow the fuck up

Part 27 - It’s done

Part 28 - Please talk to me

Part 29 - Code red

Part 30 - It’s been hours!!

Part 31 - Nothing else matters

Part 32 - I have dust in my eyes

I finally got time to catch up on all your works and I love the way you have written Azriel. It was so fluffy and cute 😍 ❤

My little ball of sunshine

Azriel Shadowsinger x reader

Summary: Y/n and her mate at a dinner with the IC

a/n: this is my first time writing for Azriel!!!!!! Please tell me how you like it :)

——————————————

Keep reading

This is so cute and Fluffy, I really needed this to feel better after the long day I had and I wish I had someone like Cassian take care of me.

Beautiful work. Lots of love Saph ❤❤

lavender | cassian

summary; cassian has had a tough day.

word count; 3033

notes; ki wanted cassian fluff and I do whatever it takes to make her happy so here’s something absolutely tooth-rotting. go easy on me I’m not used to writing for cassian and idk how i feel about this.

The second Cassian stepped through the door, you could practically feel the weight of his exhaustion weighing down onto you, heavy enough to press you into the plush carpet of your bedroom. He stood for a second, shoulders slumped, wings dropping, and the moonlight of the outside bounced off of his face, only illuminating the tiredness. Bags under his eyes, a frown that looked like it may never leave, a dullness to his eyes that made him seem centuries older. Even his siphons seemed like they were muted from their usual glow. 

“M’sorry I missed dinner.” He tapped twice at the siphon sitting in the centre of his chest, scales of protective black leather armour crawling back away, hiding within every siphon until only the glowing red remained and his sweaty underclothes clung to his body. “M’sorry I smell.”

He sighed, and you only shook your head, sock-clad feet silent as you paced toward him. He reached a hand behind his shoulders, one at a time pulling off the siphons that rested on each one, the clasps holding the rocks coming loose. Dropping them down onto the side table, he met you halfway, hands falling to your hips as he leaned down to press a swift peck to your lips. He was stiff under your palms as you smoothed your hands up over the tight shirt he wore to train. 

“I had a hard day.”

“I know, baby.” Your hand came down to rub over his chest, the same place within your own that always pulled, giving a gentle tug on that bond now. The edges of his lips barely flicked up, nostrils flaring somewhat as he sighed. He winced, one hand coming up to sit over yours on his chest. 

“I’m sorry that-”

“Stop apologising, Cass. Especially if you’re trying to apologise for the bond. I never, ever regret being tied to you, being yours, you being mine.” You shook your head, leaning up to press a kiss to each of his cheeks as his eyes slid shut, a real smile finally taking over his features, even if it was only a tiny one. “Besides, if I didn’t know how you were feeling, I couldn't know when to make you feel better.”

Taking one hand in your own, you tugged him along, stepping backwards toward the bathroom. As soon as the floral smells of your favourite bubble bath reached your nose, they hit his too, a groaning falling from him as you entered the heat of the room. 

Stopping him beside the tub, he reached one hand behind his head to tug at the material of his shirt, yanking on the neckline, and you chuckled, reaching behind him to unclasp the siphon around his chest, and the buttons under his wings. The second it came free, the shirt was eased up and over his head, barely even catching on the tight bun his hair was pulled into.

He dropped it to the ground, the harness in your hands following, and he unclipped the fastens around his hands. The ones over his knees were next, then his boots kicked off, pants and underwear following, until he was stretching tired in all of his golden-skinned naked glory, and stepping into the tub. 

Sinking into the water, his head rolled back, legs stretching out beneath the piles of bubbles and sweet-scented oils. Stooping down to pick up the scattered clothes and siphons, his arm shot up, head rolling tiredly to the side as he blinked up at you through the candlelight. 

“You’re not getting’ in with me?” 

With armfuls of clothes, you looked down at him, the vulnerability glittering in my eyes, a pang of longing coming down the bond to you. “Yeah, ‘course I am. Let me just go put these clothes away first.” He nodded, swallowing thickly and offering a smile, before letting you go and letting that hand slip back under the bubbly water. You made quick work of the siphons on the counter, the boots by the door and the clothes into the basket, before stripping off your pyjamas and robe, throwing your hair up out of your face into a knot and following the incessant pulling of the bond back to him. 

“You were takin’ too long.” His voice was deep and rumbly, and he tipped his face back toward you where it rested on the edge of the large tub. He let his gaze roam over you, from head to toe as you stared down at him, and he smiled. “If I wasn’t so tired right now, I’d be lovin’ you so good right now.”

“I’ll keep that in mind for tomorrow.” He leaned forwards, letting you settle in behind him, legs spreading on either side of his own, arms draping over his shoulder as he curled his wings out of the way, leaning back into you. Rough, leathery flesh pressed against you, his head falling back to rest on your shoulder, and you leaned to the side, pressing a kiss to his temple. 

“It would be so good.”

“Yeah, baby. It always is.” He only nodded, your hand rubbing bubbles into the coarse hair of his chest idly, and you felt him puff up happily under your palm. 

“You’d be screaming my name by now. Water all over the floor, then I’d take you to bed, do that thing you like with my fingers and my tongue, before getting to the good stuff.” He shuddered a little, wings twitching, and he sank a little further into the water. The water swished around his hips, before he was grunting unhappily. “Not even a twitch. I’m too tired to get hard.”

You could only laugh, mouth buried in his hair as amusement overtook you, feeling his own happiness and humour flood into your chest as your hands tightened around him. Reaching up, he smoothed one calloused hand over your forearm, waiting until the laughter died down. 

“Thanks for.. this.” His muscles were already loosening, his body letting go of the tension he was riddled with and the frown lines on his face were beginning to lessen. With one wet finger, you reached up, tracing over the frown around his mouth, the wrinkles by his eyes, the dips on his forehead. His head twisted, lips puckering as your touch ran over his lip, pressing a soft kiss there. Long lashes fluttered against his cheeks. “Will you.. wash me?”

“Any time, Cass. You know that. I’ve been cleaning you up when you’re bloody and dirty and sweaty for decades now.”

“Well, I never like to assume.” As he spoke, though, he leaned forwards, letting you rub your hands up along his back, massaging the thick muscle surrounding the bases of his wings, and working your way up to his shoulder. “Now, do you want the lavender body wash or the apple and cinnamon one?”

“Which one makes you want to tear my clothes off at the end of the day?” He had a smirk on his lips as he toyed with both bottles, passing the sponge over his shoulder to you, and he laughed in a sudden burst as you dipped it into the water, swatting at the side of his head with it for the comment and sending water droplets flying. “Hey! What was that for?”

“Just pick a soap!” He considered them both, before taking the cork out of the lavender one to you and passing it back to you. Adding a dollop onto the sponge and frothing it up as he re-corked it and put it back. Smoothing it over his shoulder and down the first arm, he lifted it in your hold, letting you clean right down to between his fingers. “For the record,” Your lips brushed his ear, and he stiffened a little, in an entirely different way as your breath brushed his skin, “it’s the smell of you when you’re all sweaty and adrenaline-filled that gets me going. I like it when you come home looking wild.”

He gave a shaky sigh, and you only moved to the other arm, cleaning along his skin. The quiet encased you both, your arms wrapped around him, cleaning over his chest, down to his arms, along strong thighs as far as you could reach until he took the sponge himself and cleaned down the rest of his body. “Now you?”

“I already had a bath.”

His head snapped to you, eyes softening at the smile you gave him, the water cooling around you both and the bubbles were beginning to deflate. “You had another bath with me?”

“And miss a chance to get wet and soapy with all this Illyrian beefcake?” You pinched at his side, and despite the smirk on his lips, there was nothing but love in his eyes. “I’d never pass that up.”

“Well, all this big Illyrian beefcake is utterly in love with you.” Leaning in, he cupped your cheeks, thumbs smoothing over your face as your lips melded together gently. He was intoxicating, even when he wasn’t trying o be. His mouth encased yours, a pouring of love and affection racing through your veins, like a feeling that never quite faded away. “Tell me you love me too.”

“I love you too, Cassian.” He smiled, sagging at the words and pulling away to step back and out of the tub. Water ran down his body, his hand coming out to offer you some help, holding you as you stepped out of the tub before pulling the cork to drain it. Towelling yourself down, he did the same, following you through to the bedroom and snatching up the plaid pyjama pants from their place sitting atop his pillow. “Come sit, let me take care of you.” 

Rubbing the little velvet seat before your dresser, he glanced between the stool and the bed, and back to the stool, all but dragging his feet across the floor to you once his pyjamas were sitting low on his hips. The strands of hair from his bun were falling around his face, and as soon as he was sat down, you reached out, tucking them behind rounded ears delicately. Sifting through the various tubs and jars on the counter, you leaned back against the table, unscrewing the cap on a small one and swiping out a small dollop of cream. 

Rubbing it between your thumbs, you swept each one underneath his eyes, rubbing the cream into the fragile skin tenderly, and his eyes fluttered shut. “What’s this one do?”

“Helps get rid of the dark circles and the wrinkles.”

“You sayin’ I’m getting old?” He chuffed, and you chuckled, all whispers falling quiet as the moment between you passed. 

He reached out, tugging you closer, until you weren’t just standing beside him but sitting straddled across his lap instead, the towel still secured around your body shifting to accommodate his large form. 

You picked up another, a serum that ran glittery droplets over his skin and smelt of summer, followed by a thick moisturiser that took several minutes to fully soak in. Shifting off of him, he let you go, albeit hesitantly, and you slipped around to his back. He already knew what was coming, head tipping forward to stretch out the skin of his neck, hanging there as you took a very particular and large tub. Scooping a handful out, you warmed it between your hands, rubbing slowly until it was loose and pliant. 

Rubbing in slow circles between his wingers, your fingers dug into his skin, soft pants and grunts leaving his lips as you massaged at the skin around his wings and his tight shoulders, skin growing oily and shiny with the treatment. All the way up his neck until you were brushing the tightly pulled hair, the tug on the strands making you frown. Running back down, your fingers moved over the base of his wings, where black leather melted into golden skin, and the nerves in his back twitched happily at the stimulation. 

When there was nothing left on your hands, and his forehead was resting on his crossed forearms on the edge of the desk, you pulled back. Your focus instead moved to his hair, undoing the ribbon holding it all up tightly, and locks of matted, knotty hair tumbled down around his face. He blew a strand away as it tickled his nose. 

You reached for the brush, beginning to untangle it, strand by strand. You tried not to pull, the occasional sigh falling from his lips as your fingers brushed over his scalp each time you sectioned off a new strand. He’d been so still by the end, you were sure he’d fallen asleep. The steady rise and fall of his chest, the way his wings were drooped so low they were half-rested on the carpet, the preternatural stillness of a body usually hopping with movement. 

You reached over, silently grabbing for the hair oil, citrus and mint filling your nostrils once it was uncapped. Pouring some into your palm ad distributing it between your fingers, you began to run it lightly through his hair, rubbing the tips and making sure the frizzy locks had been tamed and smooth once again. 

With a little more oil on your hands, your fingers slipped back into his hair, beginning to press at his scalp rubbing at the roots to ease the ache he no doubt felt. He’d left before you had even woken this morning, and the sun had long since set before he’d made it back to you. He always got headaches from tight buns, and you wanted to do anything you could to soothe that. You knew all the spots after all this time, the places that would make him sigh and shake and turn to jelly underneath you, and you targeted all of them. 

When you were finished, he was like melted chocolate on a summer day before you.

“Cass, baby..” A tentative whisper, and you rubbed his shoulder lightly. He hummed.

“‘M awake, sweetheart. Just very, very relaxed.” 

“Yeah? That was the point. Now we just need to get you all relaxed in bed.” He yawned, nodding his head, and sitting up slowly, no more stiffness and tension in his muscles, only placid relaxation. He stood, head rolling side to side, and he shook out his wings stretching them to full extension once before shuddering them back into a happy fold against his back. “Go get in bed.”

“S’your turn, first,” He reached for your shoulders, heavy hands pushing down toward the stool, warmed from his body as you collapsed down into it. 

“Cass.. you don’t have to. Go get in bed, I’ll be there in a minute.”

“I want to look after you. Sit down and let me.” He picked up the brush, tugging at the tie in your hair too, putting it back with his own and scooping up a handful of your hair. It wasn’t the first time he’d brushed your hair, far from it, and so as he started slowly at the tips, brushing each tangle out gently before moving up, you let your eyes slip closed. 

Your eyes stung with tears, the way they always did when he took such good care of you, such an intimate act, and your throat felt tight. Long ago, he’d confessed to you he felt the same, the feeling of your fingers rubbing over his body and scalp often made a well of emotion threaten to burst up and out of him. 

He repeated all of the same motions for you; brushing through your hair until it was not free, rubbing hair oil between his fingers, brushing it through your hair, massaging your scalp until your lips were parted, sucking in shallow breaths, eyes rolling behind closed eyes. He shifted, smoothing eye cream onto your skin, glittery droplets and moisturiser as you smiled, pecking your lips twice as he went. 

“All done.”

“Thanks, Cass.” Standing on shaky and weak legs, your body almost gave out, knees weak as they tried to hold you up. Wrapping your arms around his neck, he chuckled, guiding you back toward the edge of the bed. As you reached it, he tugged at the towel, removing it from your body and tossing it onto the stool the pair of you had vacated. Crawling across the bedding, you shuffled ungracefully into your pyjamas, flopping into the covers as Cassian tugged them out from under your body, and settled in beside you. 

The lights flickered out of their own accord, the house always knowing just what you needed, and he reached for you under the sheets. Tugging you closer, he twisted your body, until your hips were snug to his, back to his chest, one wing resting across your body as he all but smothered you. Just the way you liked it. His fingers wove with your own atop the mattress. 

“Do you want to talk about your day?”

“Not really.” His sigh was nothing short of utter fatigue, dipping to press a kiss between your shoulder and neck. “It wasn’t a bad day, per se, just a long day. Tiring. Everything seemed like it would go on forever. Everything that went wrong, did, and I was just tired of it all. I think I ran out of energy by about ten, and still had the whole rest of the day to go.”

“Oh, Cassian.” He only hummed, and you squeezed his arms tighter, shuffling back impossibly closer to him, and he shrugged limply. His body was heavy and hot against yours, his breathing slowing and shallowing, and you could feel the slip of his hold on the bond as he edged closer and closer to unconsciousness. “We can take the day off tomorrow, just me and you. Stay in bed all day.”

“We can fly out to the flower fields, have a picnic. I’ll nap in your lap, I’ll probably still be tired. I have a meeting with Rhys in the morning, but after that, I’m all yours.” The chuckle you gave was muffled as you kissed his knuckles at your joined hands. 

“You’re always all mine.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

I thought I was miserably single when I read the Cassian fic. This just took it to an all new level, but I am so happy and practically melting.

Lots of love, Saph ❤❤

by moonlight | azriel

summary; you come home after a long few days away.

word count; 3804

notes; I got suddenly inspired by last nights cass fic. what can I say? I’ve been wanting to write for two weeks with no energy or time, I’m so happy to finally be able to.

As the night swept away from around you, you turned, finding that Rhys was already gone as you twisted. A simple drop off, that had been it, and the dark and stars were swallowing him once again. You couldn't blame him, it was the middle of the night, and he was practically falling asleep at his desk when you’d found him. You were almost falling asleep where you stood.

Light still filled the rooms, spilling out into the inky darkness between pale pillars, and you followed the muffled voices through to the dining room. As you entered, two heads snapped up from the table, matching smiles painting across their faces as they took you in. Cassian and Nesta were sitting at the table, a half-eaten board of cheese and crackers, two empty wine bottles and a third broken into, cards scattered around them. 

“You’re home early!” Nesta perked up, and you shrugged, dropping your bag down from your shoulder to sit at your feet as you wandered over. Leaning your hip on the table, the yawn threatening to break free from you was hardly contained. 

“I worked hard to get it done quicker, you know how I hate going away for too long.” You truly did, the worst part about your job was the days away on end on missions, too silent and too lonely on missions as you spent time away from your family. 

“That’s how I trained ya’.” Cassian winked, your brows raising at him as you reached out to pluck a cracker and a slice of cheese from the platter, nibbling on the end of it. 

“How you trained me?” You flicked a loose piece of cracker at him, and it bounced off his forehead, crumbling into pieces that rained down onto his lap as his mate snickered. 

“Alright, how we trained each other.” His amendment was good enough, you were too tired to argue anything else, and he beamed at the nod you gave. Nesta chuckled again, smirking as she laid down another card on the set-up before you both. Cassian took it in, eyes widening a fraction, and then he let out a filthy curse under his breath. Nesta kicked his shin under the table, but the prideful expression only grew at his frustration. 

Swallowing down the snack, you leaned over his shoulder, examining his card through sleep-blurred eyes and an exhaustion-muddled mind. You pointed to the King of Hearts, and he was quick to lay it down. After a half-second, Nesta was letting out an equally terrible curse and Cassian kicked her ankle this time. She kicked back. 

“How are you still beating us at this game when you can barely stand up?” Your friend was not happy, her brows pulling tight as she concentrated harder on the strategy game before herself. 

“Nesta’s just mad because now in one move, I’m winning!” She stuck her tongue out at you and Cassian. “There’s some tea in the kitchen, go get a mug and go to bed. You look exhausted.”

“Just what every girl wants to hear. Always the charmer, Cass.” Despite it all, you leaned down, pressing a kiss to the top of his head as one arm wrapped around your waist to squeeze you to his side in a hug, eyes never leaving the cards. You shifted, kicking your bag to the other side of the table and pressing a matching kiss to the top of Nesta’s head. She puckered her lips and blew a kiss back, equally focused. Scooping up your bag and throwing it over one sore shoulder, you tried not to groan. 

“Goodnight, you two.”

“Night!” They sang in unison as you walked away, headed to the kitchen as a pot of hot tea called your name. “Y’know, for that comment before, you’ll never have enough moves to win later tonight, now.”

You smirked at their conversation as it faded into the background. The kitchen smelled like brewed herbs that made the cloudy tiredness of your head only thicken, your eyes feeling so heavy you could fall asleep where you stood. Grabbing two mugs from the top shelf, you poured hot tea into both, inhaling the streams of swirling steam and feeling a little tension melt from your body. 

A shower, that's what you needed before you could sleep. You were stiff and sore and achy, and a hot shower would release all of that before you could get a good night’s sleep. Maybe the whole day’s sleep as well. You’d need it.

Making your way back through the corridors, every step closer and closer to your mate made your heart swell, feeling as though it was going to burst right out of your heart. Though you’d never put your walls up against him, you both knew that the bond had to stay quiet and cold and borderline dead when you were on missions, and one of your favourite parts of coming home was getting to feel it come back to life, feeling your chest spark back to life and the warmth of his love lighting you up.

Currently, the feeling inside of your chest was utter content relaxation, steady and soft and barely there. Not the usual influx of emotions, passionate and strong and heady like usual, the kind you got when he was tired, asleep, or drunk. Your suspicions were only confirmed as you used your elbow to open the door quietly, the door scraping across soft carpet to reveal the large bedroom you shared. 

Laying on the huge Illyrian-accommodating bed, spread out across the mattress was your lover, wings folded away behind his back as he sat nestled among the piles of pillows. Plump lips parted, he was taking steady breaths, hair messy and glasses askew across his face. He was most definitely asleep, his shadows were practically motionless and they spread out across the carpet to all corners of the room, fading back to the places the candlelight didn’t reach as he had no use for them. He didn’t even flinch when the door clicked shut. 

Putting down your bag, it was abandoned to simply be sorted tomorrow instead, and the two mugs were left on the countertop by the door. Kneeling down, your knees ached as you undid the laces on your boots, taking off your boots one-by-one and flexing your toes, wiggling them now that they were free. Placing them by the much larger pair sitting by the door, the image made you smile. You hang your jacket on the coat rack next to his, and padded near-silently across the room with one hot-ceramic mug in hand to get your robe. 

Azriel didn’t stir, not as you got undressed, or put on your robe, not even as you brushed the hair away from his forehead as you leaned over him. The curl fell back down over the rim of his glasses, and you chuckled at the untameable hair. Lifting them off of his face gently, he let out a particularly rough sigh, nose scrunching as you took the glasses away, folding them up and putting them on the bedside table, atop the book he was currently working his way through. 

No shirt, only a pair of black boxers as he’d obviously fallen asleep halfway through his evening plans. Golden skin mottled with pink scars and tattoos and the occasional hidden mole. He was like artwork, a pretty mess all for you. Bed-rumpled hair, pouty lips and candlelight flickering through the room and making every hard line and dip of his body seem emphasised. 

Gods, he was a work of art. 

He was your work of art. Your love, your mess, your man to take care of.

Next, you gathered up the papers scattered around him and his pens, clearing everything from the covers to the messy surface of his desk, and making a note to get him to tidy it up tomorrow before he got stressed. The curl was back, and you brushed it away, leaving a kiss on his forehead before it fell right back. He was so beautiful, but without those stress lines marring his pretty smile and his brows pulled tight together, he was ethereal. Taking a moment to appreciate it, you ran your finger along one cheekbone, and down the bridge of his nose.

“I love you.”

He huffed a little in his sleep, like his soul had heard yours. Pulling the covers up from the other side of the bed, your side, you cleared them away, before scooping your arms up underneath his body. With a grunt and a strain that ricocheted through your entire body, you rolled him over, all six-foot-five of Illyrian goodness until he was flopping onto his stomach, cheek pressed into the new pillow and he shuffled to pull it closer to his chest subconsciously. 

He was tense, you could tell from the still-tight tuck of his wings to his back, crumpled from how he’d fallen asleep, and the taut muscles along his body. With a hand settling along mole-speckled skin between his shoulder blades, you rubbed lightly in circles, pressure building as you lowered along his spine. Like magic, as they always did, his wings drooped dramatically, spreading out along the bed and filling the space, his entire body all but melting into the bed, a trick spot on his body that always released everything he was holding onto. 

Such a burst of love exploded within your chest that your throat felt tight and your eyes almost watered, and you rubbed at your chest, trying to contain the feeling within you lest it wake him up. It would be something he’d never let you live down if you woke him up being too in love with him. Your cheeks ached from the smile on your face, but you could live with that.

You were tempted to say screw it all, to crawl into bed beside him, tuck yourself under one of those wings, under one of his arms, to kiss at his jaw and cheeks until he woke up and tugged you close. You could feel the warmth of his body, the way his legs would tangle with your own and the bump of his heart against his chest that would match your own beat for beat. You trembled a little, arms wrapping around yourself as you took a deep breath. 

No. If you didn’t have a hot shower now, you’d be locked up and tense all week, and you hated that feeling. If you weren’t going to stretch it all out, you at least had to shower. Plus, you were pretty sure there was still mud in your hair and sweat coating your body. Taking your mug of tea with you after tucking the blankets up and around his body, you made your way to the bathroom. 

It was too bright, even with only one faelight lit, and you bit back a groan at the glare of pearly white tiles and marble countertops. Stripping off the robe and leaving it on the hook on the back of the half-closed door, you turned on the shower, leaving it to heat up as steam began pouring out. Another swig of tea, and you were untangling your hair from the right braids you wore to keep it contained and out of your face while you worked. 

The rest of the bathroom felt cold as steam swirled out, surrounding you in delicate twists the way shadows normally would, affectionate and sweet and loving. The warmth they offered was much like that of Azriel’s touch. The sooner you were showered and clean, the sooner you were curling up beside him in bed. 

That was the only motivation you had for stepping under the stream of water, eyes closing as you let the warmth pour over you, soaking you from head to toe and washing away the awful grime and dirt that felt like it had been building on your skin for years. It eased a sigh from you, your body finally slumping from the tight lines it held, your arms feeling heavy as they scrubbed at your hair, washed off your body, conditioned and cleaned until you felt brand-new once again. 

As your face tipped back up into the water, heat beating down onto you, arms snaked around your waist. You jumped a little, and Azriel, silent as always, plastered himself to your back as he climbed into the shower with you. Your hands fell to muscle-bound forearms which were sealed around your waist, squeezing lightly as he pressed a kiss to the side of your head. 

Turning in his tight hold, his crossed arms fell to sit in the small of your back instead, your cheek pressing to his chest, arms wrapping around him equally as tightly as water now poured down your back instead. You didn’t need to speak, to say anything, the calming feel of one calloused hand running up and down your back was more than enough. His own cheek came down to rest on the top of your head, chest inflating with a deep breath underneath you, brushing the top of your head as he exhaled. 

Shaking out his wings, water droplets bounced off of them, flying out and spattering across the tiles, the mirror, and the floor, before they were curling protectively around you, blocking out some of the harsh light you were squinting against. You stroked the bond within your chest appreciatively, and he nudged his nose against your temple in return. Never one for many words, but he always managed to make you feel like the centre of his world. 

You lingered a while longer, it could have been minutes or hours, you lost track of time while clinging to him, before he reached out to switch off the shower behind your body. Retracting one wing at a time, he pulled back, stepping out of the cubicle and running a fluffy towel over his body, before turning to face you. Reaching out, he cleaned down one leg at a time, drying you off as you balanced on his shoulders, before he was drying his way up. Fluffy cotton that made you dream of your bed, and he wrapped it around your shoulders, guiding you to the sink. 

He tugged his boxers back on, pulling wet strands of hair over your shoulders and squeezing them dry with the towel as you began to slowly apply skincare. He reached out, picking up your abandoned mug and sniffling at the contents, humming appreciatively and taking a swig. His eyes were closer to shut than open, much like your own, night hanging outside and tempting you both back into bed. Even the sky was dark tonight, clouds hanging overhead, as though even the stars were sleeping tonight. 

Tugging at the damp strands and separating them out, he combed through, and rubbed oils and products through your hair as he went, until they were smooth and clean and you had one less job to do. As soon as he had finished, he was leaning in, pressing a kiss to your neck, face burying into the crook as you leaned back into him. 

“Shall we go to bed now?”

“Mhm.” Muffled by a yawn you tried to cover, the words broke off into a sharp giggle as Azriel leaned down to scoop you up under your legs, one hand supporting your back as he carried you back to the bedroom. The lights went out automatically behind you, and only the golden glow of a candle almost burned out was left flickering to light you both up. He was smirking tiredly, and he nuzzled at your cheek, pressing a kiss there as he walked. 

You almost made it, your arms looped around his neck to play with the curls at the base of his neck, when he stumbled. Tripping over his own feet as his feet fluttered, the two of you tumbled down onto the bed, your body splaying out across it before he landed on top of you, only his wings bracing his fall, and your laughter was mixed together as you tangled in the sheets.

“So elegant, spymaster.” He only huffed at your teasing, dragging himself up weakly and resting his cheek against your chest, the weight of him pressing you into the bed, a weight you’d missed so terribly while you were away. 

“You’re home early.”

“What can I say, I missed you.” He smiled against your skin, pressing a kiss to the spot above your heart. 

“You should have told me, sent a message, or something. I’d have stayed up for you.”

“I didn’t want you to stay up, I want you to rest. Gods know you need it, sometimes.” If there was one single flaw Azriel had, it was that he tended to push himself to the limits whenever constantly, with no concern for his health. You’d known him to go days without real sleep before almost collapsing, and maybe he was working on it now, but that didn’t mean he didn’t still have rough patches. Your fingers dragged through his hair again. “I’m sorry I woke you, I tried to be quiet.”

“You were.” Another kiss to your collarbone, and he reached up until his face was resting within your neck. “I woke up because I felt you. I always know when you're near me, my love. I missed you, too.”

Your cheeks warmed, and it never ceased to amaze you how he could always make you feel like those first few months of your relationship, no matter how many years passed. “What were you working on?”

He jolted slightly, as though he’d fallen asleep again during that lull in the conversation, and he sniffled as he rose back to consciousness. Your hands moved from his hair, rubbing along his shoulders and his arms where they wrapped around you, a silent apology. “Hm?”

“I just asked what you were working on, that’s all.” Your whisper dropped even lower, your nails running lightly along his skin and he shuddered happily at the feeling, delicate scratches making goosebumps rise. A bloom of bliss unfurled in your chest, his hand coming up to rub over the exact spot, like he knew just where his feelings settled in your heart. 

“Oh.. just some of your mission reports, so you don’t have to do as much paperwork.” His shoulders moved in what you could only assume was a shrugging motion, diluted drowsily. “I did what I could, but you still have to do all the brief ‘n’ stuff.”

Your smile was beyond your control, hidden in his hair as you pressed your face into the top of his head, sighing happily at him. As you kissed his hair, he yawned. 

“Gods, I hate being away from you.” The words were carried on the happiest of tones, a kind of honey-sweet voice he only ever brought out in moments like these. Laced with tenderness and vulnerability and love, it was the kind of drug you’d become addicted to from the very first time. 

“I’m home now.”

Azriel hummed, nodding. “Now stay forever.”

“What about your missions, huh? When you go again?” Azriel’s head shook this time, or as best it could with his face in your neck, and one scarred hand came out to adjust your grip on him, guiding one hand back up to his hair not-so-subtly. You did as asked, fingers tangling in messy onyx locks, rubbing at his scalp once again. 

“No. No more missions. We’ll just live in this bed forever.”

“Yeah? What about food and drink?” These were the moods you loved with your mate, when the last of his walls came down, when the silly side of himself, the childish side he’d never been able to indulge in came out. Playful and loving and needy, it was your favourite part of his soul to have unlocked. 

“We have that half-drunk tea in the bathroom. We’ll survive.”

You could only smile, eyes rolling fondly, and silence took over once again. Dragging himself up, he lay down by your side instead now, legs tangling with yours, a wing settling across your body as his fingers found your hips, settling over the bare skin and sliding around to sit at the top of your ass. His large hands stretched out, covering your lower back too, tugging you closer until your chests were pressed together. 

You tilted your head enough to blow out the candle beside the bed, two of his fingers quickly turning your face back to him, and he leaned in, a soft kiss pressed to your lips. It was the final piece, slotting back to you as you came home, to him, to love, your lips working slowly together in a kiss that said it all. 

Welcome home.

I missed you. 

I love you.

A whole conversation without words as your hand sat on his cheek, as his wing settling over your body just the way you’d wanted it, and you snuggled into the feeling of him. He pulled back, and you chased closer, catching his lips once again, his sigh spanning across your skin as his face twisted. His tongue smoothed slowly over your lower lip, begging for access, pleading for more, and you let him. 

Slow, sweet, sensual. Every part of your body touched some part of him outside, as his very presence filled you from your heart, inside to out. He grunted, your hand smoothing down his chest, muscles tensing under your fingers, until you were both panting, pulling away for desperate drags of breath into your lungs. 

Your thumb swept over his lips, wiping away the kiss as he smiled, nudging back in until you were nose to nose. 

Silence filled the room as soon as darkness did, only his steady deep breaths and the occasional rustle of his wings when he twitched to break the all-encompassing quiet.

It was you who flinched this time, when he spoke; “D’you see Cass and Nesta on your way in?”

“I did.” You couldn't help it, leaning in to place another kiss on his lips, another, starving for his love as he chuckled, squeezing your hip in warning. You were both tired, you were both almost falling asleep, and if you kept it up, neither of you would see a wink before the sun was rising. The second squeeze was a promise, a promise as his hand smoothed up your waist, thumb running under your bare breast without going further, a promise that tomorrow night you’d get everything and more. “They were playing cards.”

Your throat was raspy and cracked, and it only helped that his was equally affected - deep and rumbly - and he replied. “They’re practising for game night next week.”

“We’re still gonna’ kick their asses.”

“‘Course we are, love. We’re unstoppable.”