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#Elias Thompson
samthetrekkie · 2 months
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I watched seasons 1-3 of boardwalk empire at such a pace that I was somehow unable to make notes for tumblr. this is always a good sign since it means I loved it, but I also usually want to comment on it. I'm definitely planning on doing that with season 4.
generally speaking though, I went on an emotional rollercoaster with this show. it feels like a less artsy (but still well made), less depressing (at least season 1) and a little more action fueled version of peaky blinders. even though boardwalk empire was first of course. I'm always surprised at how much I like gangster tv shows though?
character-wise I weirdly liked nucky the most at first bc he seemed like a decent guy who is just protecting those around him through some illegal schemes, but now… he got a lot more violent in season 3 and he acts like an asshole 90% of the time. I also loved his and margaret's (for some reason the name doesn't fit her at all imo, I've never felt that about a character before) romance at the beginning, even though the power dynamic was a little problematic from the get go. but I think after this season they make a better, bc more equal, match than earlier when they were still nice to one another bc they are both resentful and somewhat power hungry (even if margaret does it on a much smaller scale). maybe they'll find back together?
but my favorite character for sure is richard harrow. at first I thought he was too much of a sidekick, but then he finally got more depth. and even though he is literally a killer, he is probably the most decent person in this show. and we love to see him happy :)
I also started to like eli and van alden (!) this season. (maybe also bc van alden is very autistic coded.) rothstein and meyer lansky I kind of liked from the start. oh and a.r. and lucky luciano are lovers, you can't tell me otherwise.
ok that's it for now. I'm pretty excited about what's to come, even though some of the plot choices were a bit questionable (end of season 2 especially) and per usual, I spoilered myself a lot, so I already know which of my favorites will die…
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Warmth of the sun and the man beside me
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Eli Thompson x Fem reader
Warnings: Fluff, Smut! mention of injuries.
A/n: 18+ NSFW! If you don't like the warnings please don't read! I love Eli, he's an amazing character. My favorite quote from him has to be "What is he? King fuckin Neptune?"
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"How is she doc?" Eli asked.
"She'll make a full recovery, but be patient with her. That bullet wound needs time, she will be in quite a bit of pain."
With that, the doctor grabbed his shit and left the house. Eli walked over to Y/n's bed side and pulled up a chair. He leaned forward resting his left arm on her pillow above her head, while he gently ran his right hand through her hair.
"Wake up, honey." He whispered.
Y/n opened her eyes and smiled. Leaning in Eli pressed his lips to hers, he rested his forehead against hers and just took in her scent.
"I thought I was gonna loose you, Nucky wasn't gonna do a damn thing and I-"
"Shh, it's okay." Y/n cut him off with a hushed tone.
He smiled and brushed her hair back kissing her forehead.
"I just love you so much, all I heard was a gun shot and you....you were laying on the floor. I didn't know what to do....I thought he killed you."
"Elias, I'm okay. I'm not gonna die."
All Eli could think was that he nearly lost the woman he cared most about. There was a sudden hunger in his eyes, the thought of this being the last time he could touch her feeding his arousal. Eli crashed his lips to hers and slipped his hand under the blankets.
"I need you, Honey." He whispered.
Y/n let out a quiet gasp and arched her back when she felt Eli slip his fingers inside her. He groaned at how wet she was, he attacked her neck, biting and sucking. Pumping his fingers in and out of her while rubbing her clit with his thumb.
"You like that huh? You crave my fingers inside you?"
He smiled at the sound of her moans, watching her squirm under his larger form.
"I-Im gonna cum." She choked out.
"Cum for me baby, just let go."
He felt her hot liquid pour over his fingers, she let out a whimper making him smirk.
"Good girl." He got up and headed for the door.
"You're not leaving are you?" She then heard the click of the door locking.
He turned back to her. "No, we're not done yet."
THE END ❤️
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remarcely · 9 months
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In Elias Hodge's mind, his attention (Anastasia Tension) is wasted on menial mundane tasks he doesn't care about, their potential wasted, while his impulses (Imelda Pulse) guides his hand for better or worse.
His curiosity (Hunch Curio) is stuck on the small things in life, craving money and questions. His conscience (Conrad Shintz) is considered childish, every other part of him trying to squash it down, framed as an inconvenience.
His hyperfixations (The Fix) keep straying to everything he abandoned in his childhood (the Orphanage), which he hates and refuses to treat those memories with any sort of kindness- bar one part of his mind which longs for kidness on the child he used to be.
His lust (Daniel Fucks) and pleasures are supressed, believing himself unworthy, and every time he is close to gratification he self destructs, punishing himself for not being enough.
Now there are little thoughts, tiny intrusions, that used to be quiet growing louder. He doesn't want to do bad, not really, but what does it matter anymore? If he can't let himself be happy, why not be malicious? He's not listening to his conscious anymore, his impulses and... something else has a control over him. His 'mental switchboard' is broken, so to speak, and certain parts of his brain are no longer able to communicate.
There is no predicting what that man, that horrifically smart man, might do.
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spiralsublime · 8 months
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imelda was from the get go supposed to be the femme fatale but that makes her quick marriage to lance even more important to me
the femme fatale is often characterized as a someone that draws the detective into a mess of shit that usually gives “self destructive”, and originally this is set up to be hunch as her connecting detective but LANCE MAKES SO MUCH MORE SENSE
hunch has his own arc, the detective taking himself more seriously, a detective who makes himself known and finally gets proper recognition. meeting imelda didn’t ruin his life, nor does he revolve around her storywise.
so imelda hits all other femme fatale beats and doesnt Need a male counterpart but we also get TROPES!! she, a wanted woman who is known to the police as a mad-woman who turned from an honest life to crime, meets a police captain (basically stand in chief of police currently) and immediately smooth talks circles around him. lance questions his boss, his job, and his life to chase after this sudden Excitement that he hadn’t allowed himself. literally, brennan says that lance has never felt so Alive.
imelda, the true version of femme fatale, finds her cynical and disillusioned “right side of the law” man, lance, and immediately they run together. then we learn that lance’s concerns is the reason that copper is so easily found in mentopolis doubling down on the “morally ambiguous” trope. she doesnt look at lance and go, actually dont be so wary of everyone, she (because she is impulse and because of how aware she is of the situation they are in) connects to him on his need to just Act.
imelda pulse is such a good femme fatale character and her moment with lance has lived in my head all this week. i cant wait to see how fast this marriage falls out once elias is no longer in that all or nothing space, though trauma, maybe they will stick together for a little longer than any of us are ready for.
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katoninefandoms · 8 months
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I couldn't stop thinking about it because it almost rhymes and this is where I learned what the word means
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@dimension20official
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jarvesque · 8 months
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I haven't been active for a while (cough cough baldur's gate 3 cough cough) but I really wanted to draw this loser scientist who might still have some fight left in him
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colorwheelofterror · 8 months
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Just finished the most recent episode of dimension20 Mentopolis and I Have To Ask This Question because it's a debate I've been having for a while now.
I know my vote but I'd be interested to see what other people think about it.
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pansyman · 8 months
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Elias Hodge has a praise kink.
I do not care.
To me and my heart this is cannon.
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hamable · 8 months
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I didn’t realize how deep the itch was until now, but Mentopolis is scratching a narrative/meta narrative itch that’s one of my favorite things as a reader and writer. Like they all have roles in the human body and in the brain and everything they do in their little body society correlates in real time to Elias Hodge’s body and getting to decipher what each relationship and interaction means both for the characters and for the mentality of Elias is mmmmm scrumptious delicious I love it I eat it up
More thoughts in notes
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sugarplumdone · 4 months
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behoright · 1 year
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All Stars on the ice and also …*checks notes* mowing the grass?
@bauerhockey on Instagram
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sarana174 · 1 year
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I’d pay good money for a Magnus Archive and Inside Job crossover. Like imagine the absolute chaos emit from it
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aria-ashryver · 3 months
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Choices Book Tracker / MC Masterlist
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I decided to make a list to keep track of what books I've read and my MCs! (Because I keep forgetting half their names lol). Yes, this took ages to edit, but I had a lot of fun lol 😊
I have used pride flag icons in the edits, but there is a text version at the end too. Will likely update in chronological order of book release instead of alphabetical as new books come out.
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Luxe Ellara - she her lesbian
Imogen Wu - she/her bisexual
Olivia Valentine - she/her asexual
Hannah Sullivan - she/her bisexual transgender
Dorian Silvertongue - he/him bisexual demiromantic
Honor of Riverbend - she/her bisexual
Ekaterina Łukasiewicz-Rose - she/her agender demiromantic demisexual
Queen Kenna Rys - she/her bisexual
Zya of Gaul - she/her
Melody - she/her biromantic demisexual
Paloma Beaufort - she/her
Hao Fanxing - he/him gay
Estrella Cruz - she/her
Bethany Somerset - she/her
Tamsyn Kostopoulou - she/her pansexual transgender
Alana Taylor - she/her bisexual
Mia Charoensuk - she/they bisexual nonbinary
Sierra Thompson - she/her lesbian gray asexual
Guinevere - she/her bisexual
Quinn Vanderwall - she/he/they pansexual nonbinary
Ngaire Morrison - she/her bisexual
Luca O'Rinn - he/they gay/queer nonbinary
Pax Ortega - she/he/they pansexual genderqueer
Briar Windhollow - she/her lesbian
Jade Zhao - he/him lesbian
Carmen Castillo Vega - she/her bisexual aromantic
Tara Day - she/her bisexual
Kiera Pierce - he/she bisexual genderfluid
Valentine Rowan Stone - they/them biromantic grey asexual agender
Jupiter - he/him gay transgender
Hannah Sullivan - she/her bisexual transgender
Kade Nakamoto - he/him gay
Cadence Dorian - she/her bisexual nonbinary
Sorscha Hawthorne - she/her asexual
Princess Imogen Julivert - she/her lesbian
Lyra Hughes - she/her bisexual
Ellie Wheeler - she/her
Emma St James - she/her grey asexual
Madeleine Darling - she/her
Rose - she/her
Kahurangi Ngata - she/her pansexual nonbinary
Rasheed Hassan - he/him bisexual demisexual
Paris Adeoye Oluwale - she/her bisexual
Sivani Vishwakarma - she/her demiromantic
Elias Delgado - he/him gay demiboy
Cole Douglas - he/him pansexual demisexual
Naya Galanis - they/them pansexual agender
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dmercer91 · 9 months
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nhlers as ultra specific things
this is basically a list of nd lore as nhler hcs
cause it makes them feel more human and i feel like that’s a good thing
pls add on or feel free to challenge my choice of player <3
michael bunting bites his nails
matthew tkachuk messes with his eyebrows and eyelashes
luke hughes picks at scabs and acne
dawson mercer pokes his tongue out when he’s focused
nico hischier picks at his nails
trevor zegras plays with a rubber band when he’s unsure
mitch marner tells stories and forgets the point
mark estapa chews on his hoodie strings
rutger mcgroarty zones out so hard he doesn’t catch what people say to him
freddie andersen cracks his knuckles when he’s uncomfortable
william nylander picks at / messes with the cuffs on his long sleeve shirts
john gibson doesn’t like eye contact but makes a point of doing it in case he seems rude 
seamus casey says ‘huh?’ only to properly answer a question without it being repeated
jamie drysdale doesn’t like it when his food touches
elias pettersson shuts down when he’s overwhelmed
jack hughes scrolls on his phone with his mouth over the caps of his water bottles
andrei svechnikov jumbles english and russian when he’s flustered
pyotr kochetkov gets migraines
auston matthews hates his laugh
john marino thinks he’s the king of sarcasm but misses most sarcastic comments
cole caufield has a hard time reading when it’s his turn to speak and often cuts people off or misses his window
tage thompson responds to compliments with an extremely awkward grin and an enthusiastic thumbs up
owen power pushes up his glasses only to find out they’re not even on his face
ryan graves has a good singing voice but his voice will absolutely never see the light of day
sidney crosby smiles and nods when he could not have less of a clue what’s going on
rasmus sandin consistently trips over his own feet
dougie hamilton often says ‘thanks, you too’ when a non hockey player tells him he played well
ethan edwards wanders off mid conversation if he hasn’t spoken in a while without even realizing
arber xhekaj complains consistently about one thing and when he’s given a completely reasonable solution he refuses the advice
kent johnson draws on his arms
gavin brindley has a really niche/uncommon skill and is completely baffled when others are impressed
alex turcotte struggles doing groceries cause he’ll only buy what he’s currently craving
timothy liljegren has a good memory but only because he can associate things he needs to remember to the absolute most random third party aspect ever
connor mcdavid will enter a room with a task to complete and stand in the doorway buffering cause he can’t remember what it was
leon draisaitls hands are always cold
logan cooleys room is really messy but he can remember that he has a pack of gum in his black sweatpants that are on the far left corner of his floor under the red shirt. if the gum is moved to an appropriate place for gum it will never be touched again
connor bedard laughs at really bad jokes out of pity (or cause he doesn’t get it and he feels like he should)
quinn hughes has no social battery unless he’s with his person - in which case he is on crack
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tswaney17 · 1 year
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I Do Bad Things with You - Part 38
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As promised, we're celebrating my 30th birthday with a little update. 🎂🎁 This is definitely a filler chapter, and one that I fought with a lot. I'm not entirely happy with it, but we're going to move on. I have so many exciting things coming for this AU that I can't wait to share with you. Thank you all for reading! 💙💜💚
My fanfic account: @tswaney17fics​​​
My ao3 account: tswaney17
Please let me know what you think about this update. I love getting your feedback. Constructive criticism is always welcome. 💕
Catch up here.
Credit to @featherymalignancy for Cassian’s nickname, Cash. 😘
Trigger warnings: violence, sexual assault , language, NSFW (kinda)
Word Count: 5,461
It had been three months since Feyre’s gallery showing and Elain and Azriel were living in utter bliss. Though the quietness from Elias and Azriel’s brothers kept him on edge, he didn’t let that affect them. Even agreeing to let up on her security protocols for getting dropped off at work—seeing as she was late twice. Granted, she had to sway him a bit, which meant she ended up kneeling on the couch and then bent over the armrest.
Not that she minded one bit.
Since she’d broken through that last barrier of her trauma, Elain felt like a new woman. One who was fully confident sexually and able to give Azriel more of herself.
He took full advantage of it too. Just last night, they were going at it doggy-style, but rather than maintaining an upright position like her ex would, Azriel leaned over her and held her against his chest so she slid up and down his body, their skin maintaining contact.
Holding them both up with one arm, he wrapped the other one around her, securing her to him. Elain had never thought doggy-style could hold any kind of intimacy—any sort of romance—but like always, Az surprised her with how he pleasured her. He liked the feeling of her against him when they fucked and, well, she loved it too.
Elain smiled to herself as she made her way to the private wing of the emergency room where high-valued patients were kept. Viviane had paged her, telling her someone requested her specifically for a consultation. “Hi Viv,” she called when the bleach blonde appeared in her line of sight.
“Ellie,” she smiled. “Thank you for coming down. I tried to persuade him to have a regular check-up before going straight to a surgical consultation, but he was insistent,” Viv explained handing over the iPad with the patient’s medical chart on it.
Glancing through the notes, nothing stood out to her.
“Do you recognize the name?”
She shook her head. “I don’t. I’ve never heard of this man before.” Her brows furrowed as she tapped the screen, digging further. “There’s not much here. What is he in for?”
“Appendicitis. Said you took out a friend’s and they recommended you.”
Elain looked up at her friend and caught the caution in her eyes. “You don’t believe him.” It wasn’t a question.
Viviane shrugged a shoulder. “If he has appendicitis, then he’s got a very high threshold for pain tolerance.”
“Do you think he’s lying to hide what’s really wrong?”
“Possibly. Though I’m not sure what it could be that he couldn’t tell me but will tell you.”
Hugging the iPad to her chest, Elain said, “Well, there’s only one way to find out.” Striding to the closed door of a private room, she knocked and entered. “Hello, Mr. Thompson. I’m Doctor Ar—”
She froze three steps into the room.
Because the man that turned around on the other side of the exam table was none other than Elias Hewn himself.
He smiled sinisterly at her. “Hello, Elain Archeron,” he cooed.
Like a doe, she turned to bolt from the room but found the door being slammed shut and blocked by another man, larger in stature than Elias. A guard of some sort, she assumed. The size of him, the way his biceps bulged when he crossed his arms indicated she was likely correct in that assumption.
Trapped.
She was trapped.
Her heart skipped in her chest as fear settled in. Whirling around to face Elias, Elain lifted her chin and told him, “You’ve got a lot of fucking nerve to come here.”
The man chuckled, slowly walking around the table and towards her. “You should consider yourself lucky I merely came here and didn’t take you while you were leaving.” His head cocked to the side. “Though, correct me if I’m wrong, that’s already happened to you, has it not?” he taunted.
How he knew about her kidnapping was beyond her, but then again, he played in a world she wasn’t completely privy to. News about Azriel’s girl getting kidnapped by Hybern and his killing them probably spread like wildfire in the underworld.
His lips curved up even more. “I’ll take your silence as confirmation.” He moved closer to her, stepping into her personal space and letting his eyes flick over her face. “I can see why Azriel is so taken with you. You really are gorgeous.”
“Azriel,” she snapped, “is taken by more than just my looks. I don’t think I could say the same for you.” Elain folded her arms across her chest, careful with the iPad still clutched in her hand. “What the fuck do you want?”
Elias tugged on a lock of hair, letting the curl wrap around his finger before thumbing one of the earrings that her boyfriend gave to her for her birthday.
They were gorgeous halo studs, sapphires in the center, and surrounded by diamonds. He had been insistent that she keep them when she tried to tell him they were too much and took to using his mouth into persuading her.
His lips curled up. “Azriel has good taste in jewelry.” His knuckle ran over the curve of her cheek. “Is that how he keeps your legs spread?”
Elain’s face heated at the words, at the implication. But she bit her tongue, letting him think he was luring her in.
He leaned forward until his lips touched the shell of her ear. “I could show you things he never could.” He said it in a daze, almost trance-like. His body shifted closer until any large breath would have his chest brushing hers.
Her blood raced as he encroached in on her, dominating her person with his presence. And just when she knew he thought he had her, Elain brought her arm back and cracked it across his face, hard enough to send his head snapping to the side. “Do not touch me,” she snarled, stepping back to add space between them.
His fingers touched his cheek, mouth parting in what she could only describe as shock.
Before he could say anything, she snarled, “How dare you come in here, posing as a patient, and lay your hand on me.” Her heart was beating faster than a hummingbird’s wings. Like a symphony of an enemy’s drum as it approached.
Faster than she could detect, his hand snapped forward, gripping her by the throat and pinning her against the door. Her back smacked the wood, knocking the breath from her lungs. “Do you have any idea what you two have done to me? To my company?” he hissed in her face. The rage that lined his features reminded her so much of that night with her ex-fiancé. She knew what happened when men lost their temper; remembered seeing that same viciousness in his eyes that she saw in Graysen’s.
But Elain wasn’t the same woman she was when he tried to assault her. No, she was the girlfriend of a mobster. Despite the fear racing through her veins, it was time the world recognized and respected her power for who she was. She wasn’t going to let her terror make her cower to this man.
Throwing on her best sneer, ignoring how hard her chest was beating, she told him, “That sounds like more of your poor planning than our problem. And you need to leave. Now.”
Elias’s dark eyes narrowed, fingers tightening around her throat, restricting her airway that much more, as he looked at her. Really looked at her. Assessed her in a way that told her he was trying to determine how much of a fight she’d put up. He released her neck, shoving his hands into the pockets of his dress pants like he was restraining himself from grabbing her again. “You and I are connected, Elain. I felt it the first moment we met.”
She nearly got whiplash from the change in direction, gulping down quiet breaths now that his hand was removed from her throat, but she focused on his words.
The night of the fundraiser, when he sniffed the skin of her inner wrist and grabbed her when she denied him what he wanted. “There is no connection between us, Elias. You need to get that through your skull.”
“Then how do you explain you sensing my presence at the club?” he asked, cocking his head to the side once more, dark hair sliding across his brow. “I know you felt me watching you—saw you looking around for me.”
“I didn’t know it was you.” A lie. She and Azriel both were convinced it was Elias at the club even though Az never found footage of him. He had to have come in some sort of disguise.
A smile curled up the side of his mouth. “Liar. You knew it was me.”
She stayed quiet.
Elias shook his head, laughing to himself in a way that had her blood going cold. “Believe what you want, pet, but we both know the truth—”
Elain had had enough of his games. Pushing off the door and forcing him to take a startled step back, she demanded, “What do you want, Elias? I won’t ask again.”
He shifted on his feet. “I just want you both to know how easy it is to get to you. That no matter how much security he has in place, I can still find you.” He stepped closer, leaning in until his mouth grazed her cheek in a featherlight kiss.
Her body locked up, but she refused to show him just how much his closeness affected her.
“I will exact my revenge on you both. You won’t know when, or where, but one day I’m coming for you for what you did. And when I do, we will have so much fun.”
Anxiety gripped her chest at his words. At the underlying threat in his tone. She knew he wasn’t lying; that one day, he would take what he believed he was owed. But the worst fear was that she didn’t know how he would try and take his revenge.
“Have a good day, Doctor Archeron,” he murmured, reaching out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Oh, and tell Azriel good luck getting to me.” Shooting her a wink, he and the other male strode from the room, the door clicking shut behind him and his guard.
Elain gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth as a sob tore out of her throat. She dropped the iPad to the ground and pulled out her phone with shaky fingers. Clicking on Azriel’s name, she put the phone to her ear.
He answered before the second ring. “Hello, love.”
A strangled sound escaped her that had him instantly on alert.
“Elain,” he said her name urgently. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
She sniffed, hating the tears that built in her throat and were threatening to flow down her cheeks. Pathetic—it was absolutely pathetic how much he affected her, but she couldn’t stop the droplets from rolling down her cheeks. “He was here,” she said so quietly, Elain wasn’t even sure Az could hear her.
“Who, Elain?”
Swallowing the painful lump, she breathed, “Elias.”
The line went silent for half a second. And then she heard him moving. “Did he touch you?” The wrath in his voice had some dark piece of her soul stirring.
She debated on telling him or not, knowing it would anger him further, but eventually decided to go with the truth. “He…he grabbed my neck,” she told him, fingers grazing the skin of her throat where she was concerned bruises might form. “Az—he was at the club that night. He told me.”
Her boyfriend swore low and filthily. “I should’ve put a fucking bullet in him when I had the chance.”
The words didn’t bring her any comfort, something he must’ve sensed because he added a bit more softly, “El, the Moonbeam twins are in the lobby waiting for you. I’m on my way. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
Elain tried to take a steadying breath. “I’m okay, Az.”
“I’d like to see that for myself.”
She didn’t get the chance to argue further before the door of the exam room swung open revealing Connall and Fenrys, along with a very concerned-looking Viviane.
Finding her kneeling on the floor—when had she gotten down here?—the golden blond twin was instantly moving to her side, lying a comforting palm on her back.
“How the fuck did he get in here?” he snarled at the nurse.
Viviane blanched at the tone. “He came in by ambulance.” Hence why neither of the twins saw him enter the building.
“And you just let him in here with her alone?”
Those crystal blue eyes turned to ice. “How was I supposed to know he was a threat to her? He used a different name and it’s not like you’re out here waving around pictures and names of people who are a threat to her for me to review. Of course, I wouldn’t have let him near her if I had any inkling that he was dangerous.”
Azriel’s midnight voice cut through the arguing, having heard the exchange. “Love, can you pass me off to Fenrys, please?”
Elain tapped his shoulder to get his attention before offering up her phone. She kept her gaze on her lap, trying to work through the anxiety in her mind until her breathing slowed, going through the motions she established with her therapist.
“Mr. Knight, I—” he was interrupted by Azriel.
And although she couldn’t hear the conversation, she had a vague idea of what he was saying. That Viviane was her friend and she’d never let any harm come to her knowingly.
“Yes,” Fenrys said. “By ambulance.” From the corner of her eye, she caught him nodding his head along to whatever was being spoken to him on the other line. “No, of course. I will…sure.” The twin passed her back the phone.
Her boyfriend’s voice was a welcome balm to her worries. “Elain, would you like to take the rest of the day off and go home, or do you want to work until the end of your shift?”
She was surprised by his offer, having figured he’d want her to go home immediately. “You don’t want me to come home?”
He paused, likely debating her question and how to answer it. “The decision is not mine. It’s yours. Now that Elias has approached you, I don’t believe he’ll do it again at the moment. However, if you do choose to stay and work, I would like the twins inside the lobby to monitor who comes and goes.”
Elain didn’t want to let Elias’s sudden presence affect her. She refused to give that to him. If she was going to be Az’s partner in life, she couldn’t let events like this control her from doing her job; from living how she wanted to. Taking a deep breath, she told Azriel, “I want to stay.”
“My strong girl,” he murmured sweetly and she could hear the pride in his voice. “Okay, let them know you’re staying. I’ll swing by shortly just to check in—”
“No.” Elain was surprised at how sturdy her voice came out. “He wants to get a rise out of me, out of you. He likely anticipates you flying over here to check up on me and take me home, and is sitting out in the parking lot somewhere to watch. I don’t want to give him that satisfaction. Let’s make it seem like his threat isn’t worth our time. That will show him.”
She didn’t need to see his face to know it had taken on a deadly grin. “Spoken like a true queen of the underworld. I concur. Keep your eyes open for anything else and stay safe, El. Let the twins know what the plan is. I’ll see you tonight.”
After bidding him goodbye, Elain rose to her feet with a set determination she hadn’t felt in a long time. “All right…here’s what we’re going to do.”
~~~
A week after Elias’s surprise visit and Elain was starting to feel it. Three nights she’d woken up from nightmares, Azriel hovering over her as he attempted to pull her from her dreams. Despite her desire to not let him affect her, her dreams wouldn’t give her a reprieve.
Just last night she had shaken herself awake, breaths coming out in shallow gasps. 
But Azriel was already pulling her into his chest, letting the sound of his heartbeat soothe her racing one, to calm her heavy breathing. He’d run his beautifully scarred hands over her back; stroked through her damp air.
She’d take a few minutes to collect herself. Just allowing his presence, his scent to comfort her. Some nights he’d try to ask her about the dreams, but last night he just held her until she fell back asleep. Elain appreciated that he never pushed her into talking about her nightmares.
But after just three episodes, she was bound and determined to shake them.
That was how she found herself standing in Az’s—well, their—home gym, eying all the different equipment. He was currently in his office down the hallway, working, so she figured she could take advantage of his busy state.
Looking at all the weights and the bench, Elain felt herself feeling a bit intimidated, so she started on the treadmill to work up her courage. After two miles—huffing and puffing because fuck, she hated running—she hopped off and stretched out her muscles.
Glancing at the weight bench, Elain plucked her bravery from deep in her gut, slipped on a ten-pound weight on either side of the bar, and laid down. Twenty pounds wasn’t too heavy. She could do that.
Taking a deep breath, she slid the bar off the little hooks when it dropped on her chest. The wind was knocked from her lungs as she desperately tried to push the weighted bar off her, but it was no use. Her panic about being pinned down crept on the edge of her mind. Wheezing as she tried to catch her breath, Elain managed to get out a desperate, “Azriel!”
Quick footsteps sounded down the hallway and then he appeared in the doorway. A filthy curse word left his lips as he rushed over to her, gripping the bar with one hand and effortlessly lifting it off her chest and back onto the hooks. “Elain, hey. Are you all right?” he murmured, coming round to kneel beside her.
Panting, she went limp on the bench, eyes closing as she tried to level her breathing out.
He waited patiently for her to calm down, fingers squeezing her thigh and letting his thumb swoop across the fabric of her leggings. Once she was back to normal, Elain opened her eyes and found Azriel staring down at her.
“El, sweetheart…do you want to tell me what you were doing?”
Sitting up, she flipped her leg over the bench to face him fully. “I don’t want to feel weak again.” She cast her eyes down towards her lap. “Elias showing up at the hospital has put me on edge—”
“I know. It has for me too,” he told her, taking her hands in one of his.
She looked back up at his face. “I thought that maybe if I started using some of your weights, I’d feel safer. Like I could protect myself.” She eyed the weights next to her with disdain. “I must be weaker than I thought because I only stuck twenty pounds on it.”
Azriel’s lips curled up. “Elain, love, the bar itself weighs around forty pounds alone. You were trying to lift sixty.”
“Oh…” Well, that explained why she couldn’t lift it and made her feel less incompetent.
“And without a spotter.”
Golden-brown eyes met his hazel ones. “You don’t use a spotter.”
“I’m also well-versed in lifting weights. And I know my limits. I don’t go above them when I’m working out alone.” He lifted his palm to cup her cheek, letting his thumb swoop over the apple of it. “But you’re right. I don’t use a spotter and I should.”
He brushed his finger over her skin again. “Do you want to try again? With me here. And no weights—just the bar this time.”
Elain glanced at the weight bench and then back at him. “Not today. I think I’m done trying to lift weights for now. Can we go again in a couple of days?”
“Of course.” Az leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. “And you’re not weak, Elain. I’ve seen the things you can do…what Cash has taught you.” He reached up to stroke the delicate skin of her throat where she knew the finger-shaped bruises were starting to fade. “You are far from weak, my love.”
She felt those words brand themselves on her soul. He was right—of course, he was right. She was the girlfriend of a mob leader…she would never be weak again. Rising from the bench, she headed for the door but stopped at the threshold to look over her shoulder at him. “I’m going to shower. Care to join me?”
Heat flared in his eyes as he quickly followed behind her. “Like you have to ask.” Azriel swooped down to throw her over his shoulder, making her laugh.
“Az, I’m all sweaty. Put me down.”
He popped her on the ass. “You act like that’s going to stop me from ravishing you in the shower.”
And ravish her he did.
~~~~~
It had been a month since Elias had surprised Elain at the hospital and they had yet to hear another peep from him. Azriel had Ruhn searching for him, but even he had been unable to locate the fucker.
It infuriated him to no end, especially since he made the comment to Elain about “good luck finding me,” and directed it towards Az himself. Not being able to find him now was just a nail in the coffin of his rage.
Ruhn believed the bastard had gotten in with the Illyrian Mob, and he had to agree. Nobody else would be able to hide from him or his crew for this long without the help and resources of the rival gang. He also said that there was still no word on what they planned to do with the information about his relationship with Elain.
Just the two unknowns combined made him antsy for the other shoe to drop. However, he didn’t let that take away from his time with Elain.
“Still nothing on him. No phone records, no credit card purchases. He’s simply fallen off the face of the earth,” Ruhn growled through the phone, equally as pissed about being unable to locate the bastard.
Az sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Frankie has him hidden and protected. He would’ve had to if he planned to utilize him after what he did to Elain.”
The man on the other line paused before quietly asking, “How is she?”
“The bruises that fucker left on her neck are finally gone,” he snarled, rage building in his gut as he remembered seeing those finger-shaped purple marks dotting her immaculate pale flesh.
“We’ll find him, Azriel. I give you my word I’ll bring him to you for revenge.”
He let out a breath, knowing that Ruhn would do everything in his power to capture that fucker for him. Because Elias signed his death warrant when he laid his hands on Elain. “Thanks, Ruhn. Call me with any updates.” He ended the call, dropping his phone onto his desk and letting out a loud groan, rubbing the heels of his palms into his eyes until he saw spots.
It had been rough for his girl since he showed up at the hospital, though things had calmed down since then.
After about two weeks, her nightmares seemed to lessen and now she was rarely having any, thank fuck. He hated waking up in the middle of the night to her whimpered cries, body shaking from her terrors. Ached to take away her pain. To do anything other than just hold her after an attack. But that seemed to be all he could do for her at the moment. He just hoped it was enough for her.
His intercom on his phone buzzed and Nuala’s voice filtered through the line. “Mr. Knight: Feyre and Rhysand Archeron are here to see you.”
Fuck, he was not in the mood for company, knowing any little thing would set off his anger. He clicked the button to respond. “Thanks, Nuala. Send them in.”
Rising from his seat, Az buttoned his suit jacket just as his door swung open to reveal his siblings. Feyre leading, and Rhys carrying a large, flat object wrapped in paper. “Good morning, Feyre. Rhys. Is that my art piece?” he asked, nodding toward the hidden item.
“Indeed it is,” his sister chirped. “Where’s it going? The front wall?”
“Yes, right there,” he pointed towards the wall directly in front of his desk. Helping Rhys move the painting over, he ripped off the wrapping and stood back to admire the piece. “Fey, this is gorgeous. One of your best works. Thank you, for this.”
The artist beamed at the compliment. “It was truly a pleasure to paint this. And I’m happy you out of everyone connected with it.”
He knew what she was referring to, the fact that it was of an Illyrian from the history of his heritage, one he adamantly vocalized being against. It was a surprise for everyone when he requested that specific piece. But perhaps it was time to recognize the flaws and move past them.
“Do you want us to hang it?” Rhys asked, watching his brother closely. As a half-Illyrian—one who recognized and sympathized with him and his issues—he was the most curious about Az’s sudden change of heart.
And Cash, of course.
“No, it’s fine. I’ll email our maintenance team to come to hang it sometime this week.” He studied the art piece leaning against the wall. “But thanks for the offer.” Azriel walked back around his desk and sat down.
Feyre perched herself in one of the leather chairs, craning her neck around to brush a fingertip over the hole in the back. “Az, what happened here?”
He met her gaze and debated if he should tell them the truth or not. Opting for the former, he told them, “I threw my letter opener at Elias after he made some nasty comment about Elain. It embedded there in the leather.”
Their eyes went as large as saucers but it was Rhys who asked, “Does threatening everybody who comments about her seem like the wisest decision?”
“It makes me feel better,” he said petulantly, eyes flashing dangerously as if daring his brother to make another comment like that.
“I think what Rhys is getting at,” Feyre interjected to stop the brewing storm forming between the brothers, “is that will those threats come at a cost? Will it put Elain in more danger?”
Azriel sighed, rubbing at his brows. This was not a conversation he needed to be having with his siblings. But like normal, they were sticking their noses in a place where they didn’t belong. “Elain is in danger just by being with me. Since we’ve established that there is no going back on that, I will do everything in my power to make sure she’s safe. That she remains safe. And if that means threatening and putting myself between her and anyone who dares speak her name, then so be it. It is a price I am willing to pay.”
“Is she?” Rhys challenged.
“Come again?”
“Is she willing to let you put yourself in that position?” his brother clarified. At his silence, Rhys powered on. “Every threat you make, every enemy that comes forth puts her in danger, Az. It’s not just you anymore. You have to think of her—”
“I am thinking of her!” he snarled. “You don’t live in my world, Rhysand. You don’t understand the consequences of looking weak. I can’t just walk away. If I tried, they would come for me. And for her. I will not let that happen.”
His brother just looked at him; those violet eyes assessing his words. His anger. Finally, he leaned back in his seat, steepling his fingers together. “I only want to keep her safe, Az. She is more like a sister to me than an in-law. I will always look out for her well-being. Even if it’s against you.”
The words were like a blow. How far he had fallen with his siblings to see him as only endangering their family. His love. Perhaps, in their own way, they were right. Ever since he came back into Elain’s life, he had thoroughly derailed it. She’d been kidnapped, used as leverage, stalked, threatened…the list goes on.
But she had brought so much good to his life. Joy, happiness, a sense of purpose. He wanted to build a life with her. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he couldn’t have that and balance his more deadly self.
Feyre cleared her throat, recapturing his attention. “Elain told Nesta and me a little bit about what was going on when we went dress shopping.” She paused, chewing on her bottom lip. It was a nervous tick he picked up on—something she did when she was trying to figure out how to say something. “Is there still a threat going on?”
He and Elain had spoken about how much information they told their siblings. They had agreed on a “needs to know” basis, and well, this felt like it was needed to know. So, he told them everything. About Elias’s initial threat, his stalking at the club. Him seeking her out at the hospital. Azriel laid everything into the open for them.
His sister’s brows had gone straight to her hairline, her hand partially covering her mouth in shock. “That is…terrifying. How is Elain managing it?”
“Comes and goes. She had some nightmares after Elias sought her out at the hospital, but we’ve managed to get those under control. I’m trying not to be overbearing with her protection detail, but want to make sure she’s covered should anything happen. The Moonbeam brothers are staking out in the hospital lobby now.”
Rhys leaned forward to rest his elbows on the tops of his knees. “Maybe you guys should take some time. Get out of Velaris for a bit and let things calm down.”
He sighed, the breath whooshing from his chest. “I’d love to, but I don’t know if Elain has any vacation time built up.”
Feyre snorted. “Please. Elain hasn’t taken a vacation day since she was hired at the hospital for her residency two years ago. She’s got like two and a half weeks built up. And when her residency completes in a few months and they hire her as the attending, she’ll accrue like fifteen additional days a year.”
An idea took root as his sister-in-law spoke. “She told me that she wanted to go on a vacation. To the beach. I think a surprise trip is exactly what the doctor ordered.”
Rhys snickered at the pun.
“I’ll need to give her boss a few weeks’ notice. Maybe the middle of next month?” he said more to himself than anyone else.
“I think that sounds perfect. Get her out of the city. Honestly, I think the last time Elain did any sort of traveling was right before she started college. Since then, she’s been buckling down on her studies. It would be well-deserved. And a long-time coming,” Rhys told him.
He nodded in agreement. “Wait, we have Nesta and Cassian’s baby shower next month.”
“We can move it,” his sister said. “Nesta will only be seven months along next month. We can move it to the following one. No invitations have been sent out anyways.”
“I don’t want to inconvenience them.”
Feyre waved him off. “Please. I think Nesta would be happy to know that you took Elain somewhere safe.”
He supposed that was true. “I think I will. Thanks, guys.”
Feyre and Rhys rose from their respective chairs, each offering him an encouraging smile. “Well, we should be off. We have a few other deliveries today from the gallery show.”
They were almost to the door before he called out, “Oh, Feyre.” He waited until she turned to look at him.
A secretive smile overtook his face. “What’s Elain’s ring size?”
~~~~~
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Random, but if you have any, what are your favorite m/f ships?
I have some, though they are sort of scattered about lol. I love Mercy and Adam from the Mercy Thompson series. And Charles and Anna from the spinoff Alpha and Omega (not that kind) series. I also love Yona and Hak from Yona of the Dawn, they're adorable 😍. I like Elias and Chise from Ancient Magus Bride, though I don't think of their relationship as a typical romantic bond (because it's not, they're so weird).
And recently I've started shipping Penelope and Callisto from the web comic Villains Are Destined to Die. The story isn't finished yet, but it's pretty clear that these two are the endgame couple, and I'm thrilled for them.
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