#cassian and nesta's wedding reception

[redheadspark]

Hiiii can I request an az x reader or cassian whichever u want, they have a baby like 5 months old baby and they live in a cabin in the mountains by the lake and one day as yn and the bby are outside in nature a threat appears and there is a bit angst but ends up happy??? Thank u so much❤️

A/N - I LOVE this for my Alec series! Sorry, it took some time to write, but I hope you like it :D. This is part of the Ocean Eyes Series

Split

Summary - Cassian stops a potential threat against Alec.

Warnings - Angst with a slight mixture of fluff

"I'll be right inside if something happens or if he needs anything or wants—"

"You go, babe.  Alec and I are fine.  Right, kid?"

Alec giggled as Cassian tickled his side, Nesta saw how comfortable Cassian was with Alec as they were perched on a large blanket right next to the lake.  With a kiss on Alec's head and a light kiss on her mate's lips, Nesta walked back to the cabin to get to work, leaving Cassian and Alec out by the lake to enjoy the sunshine.  

Although you were more than capable of having your son with you, you know Cassian wanted to give you and Azriel some time alone and a mini break.  Not that Alec was a time-consuming toddler, he was rather easy.  Rhysand has even joked with you and Azriel that Alec was easier to handle than Nyx was as a toddler, but he meant well.  

It was a warm day, quite warmer than usual in Velaris since the warm winds were now in Night Court.  Tension between Night and Autumn Court was only a pinch better.  Ever since Elaine and Lucien got married in a beautiful wedding in Night Court and held its reception in Autumn Court, both Rhysand and Beron were trying to make amends and head in the right direction. However, the main snag in that relationship was Eris, still in hot water since the comment about Azriel and his family.  His duties with his father and as the Prince of Autumn Court diminished as punishment, commanded to be in stone silence during Elaine and Lucien's Mating Ceremony reception.

You and Alec stayed in Night Court during the reception that was in Autumn Court, a compromise you and Azriel made together since Elaine and Lucien wished for your family to be at the Mating Ceremony.  Tension was still high for the Spymaster, and his son would not be caught in the crossfire when it came to Eris and his threats.  It was a good enough plan, both yourself and Azriel didn't wish to make waves or cause chaos showing up in another Court with Alec exposed to others.  When Azriel showed up to the Reception with Cassian and Nesta, Eris seemed rather peeved at the absence of yourself and your son.

Much to his dismay, but much to the amusement and satisfaction of Azriel.

Since then, you and Azriel made your lives normal for Alec.  He was talking wildly now, though it was a few words here and there but willing to learn more.  Cassian has offered to babysit him more and more since there was less of a need for him at the Illyrian camps.  His soldiers were getting along quite well and thriving without him, his captains were exceptional leaders and the arguments were now at a minimum.  It left Cassian to have more time with his family, particularly with his nephews Nyx and Alec.  Both boys loved and adored being with their Uncle Cassian, the fun and lively Uncle who would play with them for hours on end and never get tired.  It paired well with Aunt Nesta, who would read them bedtime stories and give them lots of snuggles when they were sad. 

Today was Cassian and Nesta's day to watch Alec.  Rhysand working at the River House with Azriel on spy information he received from Spring Court.  Feyre, with Nyx in tow, asked for your assistance at the Community Center back in Velaris since you loved working alongside the locals and the needy.  With Elaine and Lucien enjoying their newlywed life in their little cottage along the Night Court countryside, Cassian and Nesta were on babysitting duty.  

Neither Nesta nor Cassian said anything, but they looked forward to watching Alec, as they did with Nyx.  To them, it was almost a practice for them when they wished to expand their family.  Nesta was not ready for a babe just yet, but she told Cassian she was open to the possibility of the future, which made Cassian's heart soar. He would wait years, long years, however long it took for her to be ready for motherhood.  Even if maybe down the road she didn't want that life anymore, Cassian didn't mind at all.  Her happiness, for all she endured, was his priority now.

"Alright, you wanna watch your uncle organize his blades?" Cassian asked playfully, Alec grasping the stuffed owl that his Aunt Nesta gave him and watching Cassian with wide eyes while Cassian rolled out his blades carefully on the blanket, "Don't worry, kid. You'll hold one of these in no time, but maybe not for a hundred years or two if I know your dad,"

"Dada!" Alec shrieked at the mention of his father, and Cassian laughed.

"Never thought I would live to see the day that the Shadowsinger fathered a child…no offense," He said to Alec, who was snuggling with his owl and watching a bumble bee hover by on a massive flower, "You know I love your dad like a brother…well, he is my brother.  But he's still a mystery, even to your Uncle Cassian,"

He went to work on his blade, getting out each one to inspect them and see which one needed maintenance,  He could hear Netsa working inside the Cabin, looking over some ancient books that Rhysand gave her to other information to use for their security in Night Court.  Nesta and Rhysand's relationship was better than ever, both having respect for one another and love for one another as in-laws.  Rhysand enlists Nesta to help in research since she traded most of her powers to the Cauldron to save Feyre and Nyx from death.  Nesta admired Rhysand for being a great mate and father, no longer having that grudge or chip on her shoulder.  

Cassian could see and feel high hopes for his mate.

Minutes went by as Cassian was going over every weapon, seeing his nephew out of the corner of his eyes walking around on his wobbly legs and exploring the shore of the lake.  His wings were growing inch by inch,  still against his backside while his raven black hair was a bit longer with thick waves and half in his face to cover his bright blue eyes. Things felt calm in the area, almost a bit too calm. Although there was magic instilled around the cabin and the area, Cassian knew better than to not have his guard up.  No matter if there hasn't been a breach of security or a threat against Night Court, there could still be a looming threat that can start small and then explode.  

He heard Alec walking along the grass, pausing in his weaponry inspection to watch his young nephew tread his way over to the end of the grass that led to the tall trees and the dense forest behind them.  Cassian never once had to fear or worry over a certain area in Night Court, not even close to the Mountains and near the Illyrian Camp.

But something crawled under his skin, almost licking at his spine and sending almost a warning signal to him

He paused, placing his daggers on the quilt again as his eyes moved to Alec.  His nephew was babbling to himself, reaching out to grab tuffs of grass in his fingers as the wind was picking up.  He could pick up a few familiar scents: the crisp pines from the forest, the sweet grass, Alec's scent on the lotion Nesta put on his skin, and even Nesta's scent that was laced in pomegranate.  

But there was something else…something bitter and crisp.

A flicker of movement in front of Alec, almost too quick amongst the dark trees that were swaying in the wind.  Cassian's eyes saw it though, a snap of a twig and another flicker that was over to the left. It was no animal, not even deer were that fast or slick.  Cassian's intuition and his Commander side were activated now as he was still watching his nephew look at the grass between his finger and attempt to nibble at it.  But then the soft sound of something brushing a tree alerted Alec, making him stand up straight and look in that direction.  Cassian saw how alert he was, even as a babe he stood still like a grown Illyrian.

His wings, though tucked in tight, showed some flickerings of…..shadows.  Cassian then knew that Alec's own shadows he got from his father were alerting him.

Something's wrong

"Cass?  Babe, how's going out there?" Nesta asked as she was coming out from the cabin with a washcloth between her fingers.  But she saw her mate crouched down a bit, reaching for one of his daggers, and his eyes trained on the forest in front of Alec, who was whimpering a bit from his mini set of shadows that were now along his backside.  Her eyes were on alert now, staring still in worry as Cassian gripped a dagger tightly in his hold.

Don't move. Cassian said in the bond to Nesta, sensing her fear and concern as his eyes were on the forest again.  He was looking for the slightest movement amongst the dark branches and trees, knowing fully well that someone or something was there and so close to Alec, let alone the three of them in a secluded cabin.

When I tell you to, get Alec and get inside. Lock the door and do not open it unless it's me.  Cassian commanded Nesta in his mind as his dagger was gripped hard in his grip.  He was still searching, looking through every leaf and pine needle for a sign that his instincts were not wrong, that he was in fear of something that was indeed there and in front of his nephew in plain sight. 

He then heard it, a low growl of sorts that seemed animalistic.  Cassian threw the dagger instantly.  The dagger flew past Alec's head, not close to hitting him but enough to leave him shaken as it launched into the pit of the forest.  Cassian heard a yelp and a thud.  He hit the target.

"NOW!" He yelled, grabbed another dagger, and started running towards the threat.  He ran past Alec, who was whimpering in fear as Cassian knew Nesta was bolting towards Alec and scooping him up in her arms.  Cassian didn't even have to look to know that Nesta was sprinting to the cabin with her nephew tight against her chest and locking the door behind her as he made it into the forest.

He could smell the blood as soon as he went past the first line of trees, and then he saw a body hunched over in the dirt and gasping for air as the dagger he had thrown seconds beforehand was sticking out of his chest.  Cassian felt anger boil in him as he saw that this was no Night Court citizen, nor was it an Illryian Solider.  He could see light hair, dark clothing the fae was wearing, even the weaponry strapped to his hip as Cassian grabbed the back of his head.  He yanked his head back, eyes going wide in anger and rage seeing the auburn hair and the bright eyes.

Autumn Court.

"Where is he?"

"The master bedroom,"

Rhysand and Azriel entered the cabin in haste, Azriel leading the way as he was looking for his son with worry his shadows flicking in anger and Rhysand looking over at Cassian.  Cassian was remaining calm, sitting at the dining room table with his hands laced together and brows knitted together.  Nesta had Alec in the master bedroom, calming down with ease for the past few minutes while Cassian got in contact with Rhysand and Azriel about the close attack.  He knew Azriel was not going to be calm when it came to his child, let alone Rhysand.  Even Cassian was trying to calm himself down from going out to the fae who almost killed Alec and strangled him to death.

Instead, he tied him to a tree out near the lake, keeping the dagger in his chest for him to bleed out slowly.

A bundle was wrapped and in front of Cassian, his eyes drilled on the bundle while Rhysand walked over to him with his wing ready on high alert.  Cassian could hear Azriel cooing and calming his son down, he knew Azriel was going to think twice about doing something to the fae with Alec in his arms.  It was a safer bet for Azriel to hold his baby than to go out and kill the fae slowly and with pain.

"Rhys," Cassian said in a warning, Rhysand walking over to him and standing next to him in front of the table as Nesta walked out of the bedroom now, looking more somber and a bit relaxed now that her nephew had her father, "He had this,"

He gestured to the bundle, both Nesta and Rhysand looked in confusion as Cassian then reached for the top of the bundle to remove the fabric.  Once he did, Rhysand's eyes went wide, and almost looked disgusted as the sight of a dagger was seen.  Laced in orange and red gems along the hilt and handle, the steel did look rather too pristine and delicate.  Cassian's eyes looked over at his High Lord, his face filled with anger and rage as he spoke.  

"An Autumn Court Blade," Rhysand grimaced.  

"You smell it too don't you?" Cassian asked in a low tone, Rhysand bitterly nodding his head as Nesta looked at her mate in confusion.

"Smell what?" She asked, her voice low and almost quivering.  Rhysand and Cassian locked eyes, both of them remaining far too calm for the situation but they too were beyond angry.  

"It's poisoned," Rhysand hummed, Nesta gasping and covering her mouth in shock.  Cassian was shaking his head slowly, closing his eyes, and feeling bitterness deep inside of him that was also laced with guilt.

"I didn't know he was there, I didn't realize…" Cassian was muttering feeling like he was spiraling downwards since he was only thinking of how close Alec was to being hurt, let alone killed.  If he was a second late, or a pinch too slow…

"You saved your nephew," Rhysand said to him immediately, placing his hand on Cassian's shoulder as he gave him a hard look, "You saved his life and you went with your gut.  Alec is safe, you three are safe, and that's because of you, Cassian.  Don't you fucking dare think less than that, understand?"

Cassian looked up at Rhysand, knowing that he was telling him the truth.  Cassian always hated putting himself down and thinking he should have done better, he's done it in the past so many times.  He would hide it with his jokes and banter, but he wanted to be perfect at times and prove himself.  To hear from Rhysand that he succeeded, to know that he saved the life of his brother's son, was worthwhile.  

"What about his mother and Feyre?" Nesta asked the pair of them, to which the front door opened again.  You came running through, eyes wide and frantic as Feyre was right on your heels. You slid to a halt, seeing the scene in front of you: Rhysand, Cassian, and Nesta sporting looks that were mixed in shock and anger, a dagger sitting on top of a bundle of rags.  Your heart was beating rapidly and your mind was spinning over time.

"Where?!" You asked in a breath, Nesta knowing full well you were talking about Alec. She took your hand and led you to the bedroom, Feyre gliding over to her mate and Cassian as Rhysand took in a long breath to mostly control his own emotions.  

"High Lord Beron needs to know this," Rhysand said aloud in the room, though Cassian shot him a look, "Those daggers belong to his high fae security and high ranking personal.  It's not an Illyrian blade, and if he did this...."

"You think it was him…or a certain Prince with a Vendetta?" Cassian asked in a lower tone, Rhysand's let eyes darted to him immediately as Feryre looked worried.

"Eris wouldn't!  To kill a child, a baby?!  That's a death sentence, going against his father and this Court!  He would be a fool to be behind it—"  Feyre started to explain as Cassian gently interrupted her.

"Respectfully, Feyre, he's always been a fool.  And if it's him behind this after all…nothing is going to hold back Azriel from tearing him limb to limb, or his mother.  I won't hold either of them back, nor will your mate,"  Feyre's eyes shot to Rhysand, who was looking at the dagger again with a new heat of anger and rage in his eyes.  Rhysand knew Cassian was right in that statement.  If Eris was behind this attempt to harm or kill Alec, there was no force in Night Court, or beyond that, that would stop Azriel from killing Eris immediately.  

"There's something else too, with Alec," Cassian explained, gaining the attention of the High Lord and Lady, "I saw shadows on Alec, along his wings just like Azriel.  Small, but they were there.  He's a Shadowsinger, like his father,"

"That makes him a bigger target now," Rhysand said in a tremor, the mood once again looking and feeling a bit grim with this new information.  Azriel was the only Shadowwinger known, no other Court had one or knew of one except for him.  He was coveted by other Courts and their High Lords for centuries to work for them, yet he remained with Night Court and his family.  But now to know his son had his gift, it made his safety far more imperative.  

Once word got out, the Courts will come for him.

Azriel came out of the bedroom, Cassian shooting up from his spot in the dining room and looking rather concerned at Azriel as he was approached by the Spymaster.  Was Azriel going to hate him for almost having Alec in danger?  Would he be angry at Cassian for the close call?  How was he going to react as he stood in front of Cassian with a stone face?  Cassian was about to say something to him, almost trying to explain it himself what happened. 

But Azriel hugged him tightly, fiercely, as a brother would for another brother.

Cassian was in shock, but he hugged him back as Azriel was clinging to him and not letting him go for a long moment.  Azriel was never one to be a hugger unless he was deeply and intensely moved by something.  Cassian felt almost like collapsing, feeling that hug to his core as Azriel pulled away and stared at him with his hazel eyes. 

Cassian knew that look on him since he had seen it.  He saw it the first time they met as children and he took Azriel to meet Rhysand, he saw it when he taught Azriel how to fly to get strength in his wings.

A look of gratefulness and love.  

"You saved my son," Azriel said calmly, though there were tears in his eyes as he stared into Cassian's soul, "Cass…I can't thank you enough for saving my boy.  My world—"

"Hey, It's okay," Cassian urged him as he clasped Azriel on the back of his neck, feeling Azriel trembling as he gave him a nervous smile, "Az, I would do anything for him, for any of us.  You guys are my family, okay?"

Azriel nodded, and although he seemed calm in front of Cassian, he knew the wheels turning in Azriel's mind.  He remained calm in the moment, but deep down he was in a rage.  The kind of anger that seeps in the pours and is almost like a poison to snuff out.  Alec's life was almost taken in a split second, and there was no way and no force that was going to stop Azriel, or his mother for that matter, from inflicting harm on those who tried to take their son.  

Azriel moved away from Cassian, walking back to the master bedroom with Rhysand and Freyre in tow.  Cassie stayed behind, grasping the back of the chair and letting out a massive sigh of relief as Nesta left the room.  Cassian could hear the group chatting together about what happened as she closed the door and walked to Cassian with worry in her eyes at her mate and his condition.  Cassian's shoulders felt heavy and his mind felt like it was in a fog, all that adrenaline was gone and he could collapse at any moment.  

So Nesta hugged her mate tightly, Cassian digging his face in her hair to inhale her scent and be centered again.  There was peace again, his heart slowed down and his mind was back to being at ease with the calm words from Azriel and his mate holding him close.  In his mind, he was thinking of what he did wrong and how he should have stopped the threat sooner.  But to the others, he saved a little boy's life.  

His eyes looked back to the dagger that was still on the table, and he felt his heart falling to his stomach at the sight.

It was a sign of conflict that had just begun.

The End. 

Tagged - @valeridarkness @impossibelle @acourtofbatboydreams

#azriel shadowsinger #azriel x reader #azriel x you #Azriel #acotar fanfiction #acotar #a court of thorns and roses #a court of mist and fury #a court of silver flames #azriel spymaster #azriel x oc #azriel fanfic #azriel acotar #fanfiction #writing #daddyazriel #daddyazrielandalec #azriel x female reader #acomar #acowar

[xtaketwox]

Summary: Everyone is born with an arrow on their hand that points toward their soulmate on their eighteenth birthday. When Lucien comes to find Elain after the arrow on her hand led Graysen to dump her on her birthday, she tells him to leave and not contact her again. Nine years later, their paths cross once more and Lucien makes it his mission to woo Elain.

Fic Rating: Explicit

Warnings: None

Chapter Length: 4739 words

Masterlist; Read on AO3

Chapter 3

Lucien watched Elain drive away and loosed a breath, his shoulders relaxing as her taillights faded away.

He couldn’t believe he got her to agree to a coffee date. Elain had spent the entire wedding and reception avoiding him. He had been certain she would say no, and couldn’t help but wonder what had changed her mind. 

Maybe it wasn’t him specifically she didn’t want, as he assumed. Maybe she didn’t want anyone. Or perhaps it was an Archeron thing. Feyre had resisted Rhys when she first discovered they were soulmates, and Lucien had heard of Cassian’s own decade-long battle with Nesta. 

In hindsight, asking for a dance had been a terrible idea anyway, and he was relieved she had declined. As it was, he barely felt in control of himself around Elain, and she was clearly still uncomfortable with their soulmate bond.  Lucien opened the car door and sat without turning the car on, contemplating the enigma that was Elain and her hold on him even after a decade without contact. 

To put it simply, she took his breath away. Perhaps it was the soulmate bond, though he doubted it. She was beautiful—he’d have to be blind not to notice—but there was more to her beauty than just her physical appearance. It was as if her general aura heightened her already gorgeous features. 

It wasn’t as if he’d never been attracted to another woman, although it had been a decade now since he’d been interested in someone else. He had eyes, so he could appreciate a beautiful woman when he saw one, but it was a bit like observing art in a museum rather than attraction. He supposed the downside to having a soulmate bond was the way in which it robbed you of the desire to be with anyone else if your soulmate refused to be with you. Some people did date outside their soulmates, but it was incredibly rare. Most people simply had no attraction for anyone else, and he’d be lying if he said didn’t wish he could be one of the people who could. He didn’t enjoy the idea of being alone for the rest of his life.

Getting coffee with Elain on Monday felt like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it gave Lucien some hope, but on the other hand, that hope could just as easily turn to ash if Elain continued to reject him. He wondered idly if she had only agreed to coffee because she knew he’d be gone again in a few weeks.

He had to admit, his job taking him out of the country for most of the year had been one of the reasons he had sought the job in the first place. He was good with people, good with negotiations, so he was a good ambassador. One of the best, given he had obtained one of the highly sought after countries after only a few years. The job kept him busy, but most importantly kept him from seeking out Elain. 

He had agreed to give her her space until she came to him, had wanted to honor her request, but it hadn’t been easy. He wondered how Cassian had managed a decade of Nesta Archeron pushing him away. He didn’t know the specifics, but he wasn’t certain he could have done the same. He wasn’t that masochistic, nor did he desire to push himself on Elain. If she didn’t want to be with him, then he would respect that.

Lucien blew out a breath and started the car, pulling out and heading back to the Night mansion. Helion’s home was a short walk away, and Lucien had planned to stay there that evening before returning to his apartment the following day. 

After dropping the car off, he started walking, his hands stuffed in his pockets against the bite of chill in the air, replaying his conversations with Elain, his heart thumping oddly in his chest as he did so. He was surprised to find his mother still awake when he came through the door. She was holding a steaming cup of tea and sitting on a settee near the fireplace in the room off the entrance. Lucien walked over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. 

“How was the wedding?” she asked as he stood in front of the fireplace, warming his hands. 

“It was what you’d expect from Rhys and his father.” He looked back. “Small but expensive.”

His mother chuckled as she sipped her tea. “That sounds about right. Did you enjoy yourself?”

He nodded, taking a deep breath before adding, “Elain was there.”

There was a beat of silence before his mother asked, “Did you speak with her?”

He nodded, staring at the flames of the fireplace. “I drove her back to the chapel to get her car and we’re meeting for coffee on Monday.”

“That’s wonderful.” 

Lucien turned at the words, his mother’s tone betraying her worry, and sighed. “You don’t have to worry, mother. I’m not expecting anything to come of it. It’s just coffee.”

His mother set down her cup and stood, her ruby red hair—the hair he had inherited from her—glinting in the firelight as she crossed to him and put a hand on his cheek. “But you should expect something to come of it. She is your soulmate after all. It’s only natural to want her to return your affections.”

He frowned to cover the way her words pierced his heart. “I don’t have affections for her. I hardly know her. The only other time we’ve spoken has been that first day over nine years ago.”

His mother gave him a look that said she knew better and patted his cheek affectionately before picking up her teacup and heading to the door. “I’m just saying that it’s only natural for you to want to see your soulmate.” She paused, a hand on the doorframe and looked back. “Be careful, my love. I don’t want you to end up hurt.”

It was on the tip of Lucien’s tongue to deny the possibility, but he knew she would only give him another knowing look. He had been unable to hide his devastation from her at Elain’s first rejection. She had no reason to believe this time would be any different, and truth be told, he wasn’t sure it was any different.

He shook his head as she left. Leave it to his mother to make him feel like a teenager instead of a grown man. She had an uncanny way of doing that. He headed out the door and up the staircase to the room Helion had given him. Rooms, really. Beron had had six other sons, and regardless of the fact the house was still a mansion, by the time Lucien had arrived, all the best rooms had been taken. Helion had given him the biggest suite of rooms outside of the one he shared with Lucien’s mother. He had practically an entire wing to himself. 

The suite had a sitting room that was bigger than some apartments, two separate bedrooms on either side, each with their own ensuite bathroom, and even a powder room for guests, should he have them. He had told Helion it was too much, but Helion had insisted. He supposed Helion felt guilty for not being there for him when he was younger, so he had decided it wasn’t worth the argument, especially given he was hardly ever in the country anyway. 

Lucien walked into the bedroom to the right, the one he had decided would be his the first time he had stayed, and into the bathroom, shedding his clothes as he went. He preferred showering at night, to wash the day away. Helion had supplied Lucien with a full set of tailored clothes and a dresser full of pajamas, claiming it would be easier if Lucien didn’t have to lug clothes over every time he came to stay. Lucien hadn’t bothered to argue over that either, despite the whole thing making him uncomfortable.

It was clear Helion wished to make up for the years that he hadn’t been aware that Lucien was his son, no matter how many times Lucien told him it wasn’t necessary. Some part of Lucien lamented the fact that he had grown up with Beron’s abuse instead of Helion’s abundance, but he was also an adult and he didn’t really need a father at this point. He had learned to live without one a long time ago. 

Still, Lucien could understand why Helion went to such lengths and decided he would just let him. He could take the discomfort if only because Helion made his mother so happy. 

Once showered, his hair toweled dry, he dropped into bed, not bothering with clothes. He knew he’d be dealing with a rat’s nest in the morning sleeping on wet hair, but didn’t care. He’d just braid it. 

He turned onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. He was going to see Elain again. He took a deep breath and held it against the rising tide of anxiety and excitement. He reminded himself yet again that a coffee date didn’t mean anything. He couldn’t allow himself to hope that it would lead to anything more. He should be happy that she had agreed to coffee and leave it to that.

But Lucien couldn’t stop the hope that swelled in the dark. Maybe this time he should fight for her instead of letting her slip away from him. He wondered yet again why exactly she had avoided him for so long. Did she find him abhorrent? Confidence in his appearance wasn’t an issue, enough women gave him appreciative looks for him not to think Elain found him unattractive. Elain had given him an appreciative look at the wedding, though he wasn’t sure if she had realized the way she looked at him. 

Perhaps she didn’t want to be attached to anyone, not just him. The soulmate bond didn’t exactly care if you wanted a romantic partner. No one knew why the bonds happened, only that they did and that usually the couples were compatible. Perhaps Elain preferred to work in her flower shop and leave love to other people. 

Lucien threw an arm over his eyes. Sleep was going to be impossible when his thoughts were full of Elain. Had she even realized what she did to him this evening? Watching her dance with Azriel had been a special kind of torture, even though he himself had danced with Morrigan. Mor, however, had just about as much interest in him as he had in her, so it had been much like dancing with his own cousin. Azriel was hard to read, but how could he not have wanted Elain?

How could anyone not want Elain, especially in that dress, the way it had hugged her curves, the front dipping low enough to reveal the swell of her breasts. It hadn’t been skin tight the way Mor’s dress had been, but it had been tight enough to make him shift in his seat the moment he saw her. 

He rubbed his eyes, frustration like a stone on his chest. He needed to get a grip on himself before coffee with Elain or he might say or do something to scare her away. He was usually good at reading people; he had to be good at reading people to be good at his job. But Elain was difficult for him to read. He supposed it could be because he was too close to the situation, too emotionally involved in the outcome to assess things the way he might usually do. Or perhaps the Mother had chosen to give him a soulmate who would challenge him. 

He had to admit that not being able to easily read Elain did keep things interesting, if not equally frustrating. If he succeeded in getting her to agree to a relationship, he would certainly be counting it as a hard-won victory. 

Sighing again, he turned onto his side and shut off the bedside lamp, hoping he could get to sleep soon.

~~~~~~~~

Elain pulled down the mirror in her car to check her appearance again, stalling from having to get out of the car and walk into the coffee shop. She had typed out and then deleted a message canceling coffee more than once between Friday evening and today, but something always stopped her from pushing send. 

She glanced at the clock. She was already five minutes late and she hated not being punctual, so she flipped her mirror back up, pulled on her gloves, grabbed her purse, and exited her car. She could do this. It was just coffee. It’s not like they were going on an actual date. 

Elain pulled open the door to the coffee shop, her eyes drawn like a magnet to the flash of red hair. Her heart did a funny little skip as Lucien smiled at her and walked over. He looked relieved, and she wondered if he thought she wouldn’t show. She couldn’t help but notice how good he looked. His clothes looked tailored and expensive.

“Hello.”

“Hi.” Elain winced at how breathless she sounded and cleared her throat. She turned toward the line before she could see Lucien’s response to her breathless response, fiddling with the edge of her gloves as she tried to calm her racing heart. She hoped he didn’t read anything into it. 

After they procured their coffees in silence, Lucien led them over to a table set back in a quiet corner. It was by the window with a ficus next to it. She had never been to this particular place before and looked around as Lucien sat across from her. The space wasn’t very large, which she enjoyed as it meant it was quieter than other cafes she’d been to. The atmosphere was very calm and friendly, which she appreciated. She took a sip of her coffee and hummed in appreciation.

“This is delicious,” she said, peering into her mug—another thing she enjoyed, real mugs.

Lucien took a sip of his own coffee and nodded. “It’s one of my favorite places to get coffee when I’m in town.”

Elain took another sip and then made herself set her cup down. She didn’t want to finish the coffee too quickly. She needed it to help fill any awkward moments. “How did you find it?” she asked, glancing up from her mug. 

He shrugged. “I’ve been coming here for so long, I’m not even sure. The owners are great, if you ever have a chance to meet them. The very definition of Mom and Pop coffee shop owners.”

“Oh?” The conversation was hardly intriguing but at least they were conversing.

Lucien nodded, wrapping his hands around his mug. “Yeah. I met them several years back and now they make a point of saying hi anytime I come in when they’re here.”

Elain looked toward the counter. “Are they here today?”

Lucien shook his head. “I got here about fifteen minutes early and haven’t seen them.”

Elain bit her lip. “Sorry I was a little late.”

Lucien blinked. “Were you late?”

“I was about five minutes late.”

A corner of his mouth tipped up. “That’s hardly worth apologizing for.”

Elain straightened, raising her chin even as she felt her cheeks turning red. “Five minutes is still late.”

Lucien lifted his cup. “In that case, I accept your apology.”

“Good.”

They lapsed into silence and Elain looked down at her coffee, tapping her finger on the side of the cup as she tried to think of something, anything to talk about. She hated awkward silences and prided herself in being able to dispel them, but it was as if her mind had completely emptied of all thought around Lucien. 

“How was the flower shop this weekend?”

Elain exhaled, grateful that at least one of them had come up with something to say. “It was good.” She paused and then added, “I had a lot of orders so I was pretty busy.”

Lucien nodded and then took another sip of his coffee as they both lapsed back into silence. 

This was awful. Just awful. Why couldn’t she think of anything to say? Conversation was her specialty.

Lucien eyed her, then took a deep breath and said, “You wouldn’t happen to know why it’s so hard to hold a conversation would you?”

Elain laughed as relief flooded through her. “No, but this is horrible.”

Lucien’s eyes sparkled as he nodded, taking a sip from his mug. “The worst conversation I’ve had in a long time.”

“The very worst.” Elain straightened and then said primly, “It must be you. I am normally a wonderful conversationalist.”

Lucien’s mouth quirked up. “I don’t think so. I literally have conversations for a living, so clearly I’m an expert.”

Elain hummed. “I can’t believe you still have a job, because your conversation skills are sorely lacking. Clearly.”

Lucien’s eyebrows rose. “Yes, clearly I would be the one at fault here.”

“I’m glad we’re in agreement.”

Lucien snorted into his coffee, but his eyes were lit with amusement. “So tell me, wonderful conversationalist, what should we do to fix this problem?”

Elain chewed her lip as she thought. “Well, we could take turns stating facts about ourselves?”

“Like two truths and a lie?”

Elain rolled her eyes. “We’re not in high school.” Lucien chuckled at that. “Just a fact. If the other person has any followup questions, then we can answer those and keep the conversation rolling.”

Lucien nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Who wants to go first?”

Elain took a deep breath. “I can go.” 

He gestured for her to continue, and she chewed her lip as she tried to think of a fact to share. She had so few life experiences that seemed worth sharing, and as for sharing her feelings on things that really mattered, she wasn’t sure she was ready to do that. Eventually she went with, “Gardening is my favorite hobby.”

Lucien raised his eyebrows, but didn’t comment that her fact was something he likely already suspected, given she owned a flower shop. “What do you like about gardening?”

Elain took a sip of her coffee and stared at the ficus behind Lucien’s head as she thought. “I enjoy the sunshine, the way you can nurture a seed into something beautiful, like a flower, or into something you can use to feed your family. Sometimes I like to imagine how gratifying it would have been to be able to feed your entire family from the produce you grew yourself. Imagine never having a grocery store to go to, only relying on the gods favor with the weather and your own two hands. I can’t imagine living in that world, but when I have my hands in the dirt, when I pluck weeds, when I prune branches, I feel the most at home, the most like myself.”

She looked back to Lucien who was watching her with his lips parted. Her face heated as she realized she had been rambling. “Sorry. That was probably more than you were looking for.”

Lucien shook his head, looking slightly dazed. “No. That was exactly what I was looking for.” He dipped his head. “Thank you for telling me.”

Elain cleared her throat and nodded to him. “Your turn.”

Lucien looked to the ceiling for a moment before saying, “I’m still not used to being the sole heir for Helion and sometimes feel like I’m living someone else’s life.”

Elain blinked, surprised he had shared something so personal. “Why does it feel like someone else’s life?” she asked quietly. 

He lifted a shoulder, likely trying to look nonchalant, but only succeeding in looking vulnerable. “I was the youngest of seven children. I always got whatever was left after everyone else took. I had the smallest bedroom, I opened presents last on Solstice, you get the idea. I’m an adult, so it’s not like I need anything from Helion, but it is a lot to suddenly be getting first pick. My room at Helion’s mansion is an entire suite of rooms that are bigger than the average apartment.”

Elain’s heart hurt at the thought that Lucien had ever felt less than deserving, and felt something like shame wind its way through her mind at the realization that she had inadvertently done the same thing to him. “I’m sorry you ever felt that way.” She nearly apologized for what she had said nine years ago, but stopped herself before she could. She wasn’t sure that she was sorry and the last thing she wanted was for him to think she was only apologizing out of pity. 

Lucien shrugged again. “It’s ok. I’m just happy my mother’s happy.”

“Do you ever see your brothers?” Elain asked, hoping she wasn’t prying.

“Not often. They never really liked me when we were growing up, and now I know it’s because they were all aware I wasn’t Beron’s son. I was the last one to know.” He took a deep breath. “Eris has reached out a couple times, but he and I are too different to ever be close. As for the others, I think they’re just happy they won’t have to share the inheritance with me, although I doubt Beron ever planned to leave me anything anyway.” He cleared his throat. “I believe it’s your turn.”

Discussion closed. Elain nodded. “Um…” Perhaps since Lucien had given such personal details, she could reciprocate. Taking a deep breath she said, “My mother didn’t like me.”

Lucien blinked several times. “What do you mean?”

Elain gripped the coffee mug as the pain of what she had known since she was little waffled through her. “She never said it to my face, of course, but it was the little things. She used to say things like my beauty was my best feature, or that it was a good thing that I was pretty because I wasn’t smart.”

Lucien’s eyes widened, and then shock turned to burning anger. “That’s a horrible thing to say to anyone, let alone your own child.”

Elain nodded, but looked down at her coffee, unable to stop the embarrassment that came with admitting her mother thought she was just a pretty airhead. 

After several minutes of tense silence, during which she cursed herself for revealing something so personal, Lucien said, “For what it’s worth, Elain, I have always known you’re worth more than your looks.”

Elain’s head snapped up, finding Lucien gripping his mug in a white-knuckled grip as he stared fiercely at her. “You don’t know anything about me,” she countered.

He held her gaze and she felt ensnared by the rage in his eyes—rage on her behalf. “You were fierce the first time we met. I could see the fire in you, and listening to you just now describe why you like gardening, are you kidding me? You are more passionate, more thoughtful about gardening than most people are about anything, and that passion is worth something. If people want to boil you down to your looks, that’s their problem, but believe me when I say this Elain, while I would be a fool to claim that your beauty means nothing to me, it is the last on what is turning into a long list of reasons why I want to get to know you better.”

Elain knew her eyes were wide, her lips parted as she sucked in a shaky breath at Lucien’s heated proclamation. “I—”

She didn’t know what to say. Her heart was beating so fast that she was starting to feel faint and she couldn’t seem to get a grip on what emotions she was feeling. They were flying by too quickly for her to grasp on to any of them. Embarrassment, joy, and panic seemed to be the strongest out of all the emotions however.

Lucien reached forward like he wanted to grab her hand, but then pulled it back. “I’m sorry if I came on too strong. I just…I guess I’m a little sensitive when it comes to parents treating their children poorly.”

Elain swallowed, latching on to the lifeline Lucien was giving her. “Because of Beron?”

He nodded, his knuckles going white on his mug. “Because of Beron.”

She wanted to know more, but knew it would be rude to ask, so instead she said quietly, shoving down her emotions to be examined at a later time, “Your turn.”

Lucien nodded. “Ok. Let’s see.” 

Elain took the moment he was thinking to shove the last of her emotions down, to compose herself. 

“I just barely had a GPA high enough to graduate college.”

“How on earth? You seem intelligent.”

Lucien outright laughed and Elain bit her lip against her own smile at the amusement on his face. Lucien should laugh more often. 

“It wasn’t because I’m not intelligent, but it was because I am stupid. I spent too much of my time partying in the first couple semesters, happy to be out of Beron’s house I guess, and nearly flunked out. I think it might have been Beron’s donation money that kept them from kicking me, to be honest. After that, I stopped fucking around and picked a major. But it’s much more difficult to raise a GPA than it is to tank it.”

Elain sipped her coffee. “I’m surprised Beron did anything to help.”

Lucien snorted. “Believe me, it was only to save himself from embarrassment.”

“So you went from barely graduating to being an ambassador before you turned thirty?”

“I guess technically. I was twenty-nine, so that’s close enough to thirty right?”

Elain narrowed her eyes playfully. “Is nepotism to blame?”

Lucien frowned and Elain suspected she just hit a touchy subject. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—” she sighed. “I’m sorry.”

He looked away. “You’re not wrong, but it’s also not entirely accurate. By the time I graduated, Helion and my mother were already married. It was Helion that got me that first job, but I was the one who earned the position of ambassador by working my ass off.”

Elain took in his tight shoulders and white knuckles and felt an immediate swell of regret. “Of course you did. I’m sorry I implied otherwise.” She looked out the window. “I suppose I’m just not used to your world and made a tactless joke.”

Lucien was silent for several long moments before saying, “My world?”

Elain looked back at him to find his eyebrows raised. She gestured vaguely. “Yes well…You know. I didn’t grow up with wealth. I don’t really understand what it’s like, I suppose.”

Lucien considered her for another moment. “Does the fact that I grew up wealthy bother you?”

Elain blinked at him as she considered the question. She certainly had spent half her life struggling to make ends meet, had missed out on the usual things such as attending college, had only been able to own her business because her former bosses liked her and allowed her to pay them directly rather than go through a bank. Her business was a little bit like rent-to-own in that regard. Her mother had died when she was little, her father withered away to a shell of his former self and had died a scant two years prior, and she and Feyre had each been working since they were fourteen. Perhaps, she did have some resentment for people who didn’t have to struggle the way that she had struggled. 

She looked back at him. “I suppose it does, but I think I’ve earned the right.”

Lucien didn’t seem offended, which she supposed was a good thing, but then he frowned. “What do you mean, you’ve earned the right?”

Elain looked away. “I’d rather not get into the details, but while you were partying in college on Beron’s dime and good graces, I was going to high school and working as many hours as I legally could to make ends meet.”

They lapsed into silence, Lucien clearly at a loss for how to respond. Eventually, Elain drained the rest of her coffee and then stood, feeling a bit foolish and vulnerable for what she had shared.

“Thank you for the coffee, but I should get going.”

Lucien didn’t respond other than to nod at her before she turned and walked away.

#elucien #elain x lucien #elucien fanfiction #elucien fic #elucien fanfic #elain archeron #lucien vanserra

[maddithefangirl]

Needing a Date For a Wedding (Lucien x Reader)

Warnings: fluff, written like a part one oops

Prompt: "What are you doing?"//"...Holding your hand."

a/n: let me know if you want a part two because I kinda want to write one

 .⋆｡⋆☂˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆. .⋆｡⋆☂˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆. .⋆｡⋆☂˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆. .⋆｡⋆☂˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆.

It was one week before the wedding of your dearest friends, and you had still not managed to land a date. Just about everyone you knew was either mated or invested in someone. Everyone except your best friend, Lucien. 

You had had a crush on Lucien for as long as you can remember, and the best course of action you could come up with was to befriend him, which worked out until it didn’t. There wasn’t a day that went by that you didn’t fantasize about what life would be like with him as your partner. 

He was set to arrive from the human lands today, so you thought it as good as a time as ever to go for it and ask him to the wedding. 

It was tea time by the time you arrived in the House of Wind. 

You had been staying there for quite a while, enjoying the solitude but also the camaraderie that was in the house. Nesta had become a sister to you and Cassian, a long-lost big brother. It was perfect. Except for the fact that you knew it couldn’t last. As Nesta and Cassian grow to need space for themselves, they’re probably going to ask you to leave at some point. It was a sad thought but a necessary one. 

By the time you had gotten there, Lucien had already arrived. There he stood in all his glory. His orange-red hair was in a high bun atop his head which made you smile. You knew he only wore it that way on travel days when minimal amounts of people would see him. 

He wrapped you in a bone-crushing hug and placed a kiss upon the top of your head, which made your heart flutter. 

The wind blew throughout the house, touseling your hair, and as you began to put your hair back in place, he got there first and placed your hair behind your ear. When you looked into each other's eyes, your heart felt free.

“Hey, Loosh,” you said. 

“Hey princess, how are you doing?” he said back while lightly grabbing the side of your arm. 

“Oh. I’m doing better now that you’re here,” you smiled.

Your talks were always flirty like this, and you couldn’t help but enjoy the fantasy that it made you live in. 

You sighed, “Hey, I’ve got a question… Feel free to say no, but I have to know…” 

Lucien cut you off, “Hey now, what do you need?”

“Okay, okay. I have a wedding to go to, and I have to bring someone, but you’re the only one that I feel comfortable with, and everyone else is taken, and I may have said that I’d bring a date–”

“Of course, I’ll go with you! I love weddings!”

“Wow, that was a lot easier than I expected it to be,” you said, relieved. 

… At the wedding …

You walked into the wedding hall together arm in arm. Together you made a handsome couple, but you didn’t recognize that part. You were wearing a dark silver dress with tons of sparkles, and it complimented Lucien’s green tunic and vest. You didn’t mean to match so well but it just happened. 

“So why really did you need a date?” Lucien asked. 

“Oh, well, I may have told the bride that I’d bring a date,” you blushed, “I was being optimistic at the time… shows me how wrong I was to do that.”

“It’s not wrong of you. It’s sweet, princess.”

As you waited around during the reception, eyes were on you. Or at least that’s what it felt like. You kept going through what everyone could be looking at, you realized that Lucien had put his hand in yours. 

“...What are you doing?” you asked abruptly. 

“Holding your hand,” he responded plainly. 

You were astounded by that. A deep blush crept upon your cheeks. 

“You said you had a date. Let’s give them a show.”

#lucien x reader #lucien vanserra x reader #lucien vanserra #acotar x reader #acotar fanfiction #acotar

[acourtofcouture]

A Court of Thorns and Roses Weddings- Cassian + Nesta Archeron: Wedding Reception, which is decidedly not a massive event with hundred of people, but rather a small, intimate family meal where only the ones they love the most in the world are in attendance, 1/?

#a court of thorns and roses #a court of mist and fury #a court of wings and ruin #a court of frost and starlight #a court of thorns and roses weddings #cassian and nesta #cassian and nesta's wedding reception #cassian x nesta #nesta x cassian #nesta archeron #nesta #archeron #cassian #commander of the night court armies #illyrian #the illyrian warriors #the night court #night court #the court of dreams #court of dreams #acotar #prythian #sarah j maas

[casuallivi]

The Things You Like, The Ones You Don’t

Set: post ACOSF, during Nessian’s Wedding. 

Words: 2305

Sneak a peak

Part 1: The Things You Like

The wedding ceremony was intimate per Nesta’s request.

Her family, her Valkyrie friends, some of Cassian’s closest friends, the inner circle, Varian. And that’s about it.

The reception was a different story.

The first time she saw the ballroom in the river house, Elain thought Rhys had gone mad. There was no occasion to require such large space, no party that could possible receive so many guests. Elain was wrong. The place was crowed, barely any space left with all the guests and servants circulating. Apparently, the whole Velaris decided to pay respect and wish good fortune to their favorite cheerful General and his not so jolly bride.

Rhys promised Nesta the greatest party of the century, and Elain did not doubt he was holding up his end of the bargain.

The ballroom had been decorated with shades of silver and red. Big chandeliers with diamonds cascading down. Lavish centerpieces filled with red roses sitting on top of dozens of tables, a mix of round and square ones. All scattered around the perimeter creating an inviting dance floor in the center. On the back, a temporary platform was built, big enough to fit a full-scale orchestra.

Nesta cried when she first saw them.

It was his especial gift for her. A hundred musicians, dressed in elegant black, that played everything. From intricated waltz to bawdy ballads, from drinking songs to romantic hymn, making the dance floor permanently occupied, like a happy void trapping drunk dancer. Not even Elain could escape from it.

The second Mor spotted her chatting with Mr. Thomas, she cried her name with joy, smacking Elain on both cheeks and smearing her with dark lipstick. Mor had forgone her usual red for an off-shoulder blue dress, the bodice peppered with small sapphires, the sheer fabric hugging her body like a second skin, her golden hair styled with two braids morphing in a low ponytail.

“All my partners had two left feet. Come dance with me.”

She glanced the dancers diving in groups of six as a new song began to play.

“I don’t know this one.” Elain admitted sipping her wine.

“I can teach you!

She slipped her arm under Elain's and hauled her forward.

They joined in the second chorus, the melody cheerful and rhythmic. The dance consisting in a pattern of handclaps, twirls and steps strong enough to shake the wooden floor. Mor helped her to find the right pace before spinning her to the male beside her. She changed partners four times and returned Mor, who dipped her in a cheesy maneuver. Elain laughed so hard her ribs hurt.

Once on the dance floor it was hard to leave. Not only Mor was feeling extra energetic, but dance requests never stop coming. Every time she tried to take a break, another fae appeared from thin air. She danced with all the males and females she recognized, mostly neighborhood friends, politely declining some eager young males.

By the time she succeed in returning to the safety of her table, Elain's legs felt like jelly. She massaged her aching calves searching for Nesta on the crowd. She would dance one more time with her sister and be done for the night. Elain located the happy couple on the other side of the parlor. Dozens of guests surrounding them.

She munched on a juicy lamb dish, watching the exchanges, Cassian grinning and howling, Nesta joined in conversation from time to time. To her sister credit, she didn’t roll her eyes once, well, except at Cassian. She even smiled here and there receiving hugs from elderly that showered Cassian with love. But even Nesta’s good sense appeared to have a limit. After an hour of cozy greetings, she spotted Elain. Nesta waved at her frenetically, her eyes glowing with a new hope as mouthed; “Save me.”

Oblivious to his wife’s wishes to run away, Cassian turned around, grabbing a passing Azriel by the sleeve, dragging him to his side, before returning to chat with a male she didn’t know. Azriel was deadly handsome in a tux.

Elain spied him in a trance.

He wore a white boutonniere on his navy jacket. The buttons undone to reveal a grey waistcoat and white shirt, the attire completed by a merlot tie and merlot pocket square. Your lips taste like merlot too? She mused with interest. Probably not. So far, he had drunk bourbon, cognac, whiskey, more bourbon. All neat. No wine.

His aloof mask did little to hide mood. He had that I-am-bored-to-death look on. She would have laugh if he didn't look so sexy with his hair swept back. Azriel cracked his neck, his patience worning out. Whoever that male was, he was clearly absurd, because Azriel forehead creased, his mouth curled in distaste, shadows fidgeting from his torso to his wings. His eyes darted around, calculating the right time to slip into the night.

The most boring man alive slapped Cassian’s shoulder, and Azriel almost scoffed. Almost. This time she did laugh. The whole thing was just too funny to hold back. Cassian in his own world while his wife and brother died on the inside. She was impressed they lasted so long. Her laugh was cut short when churning hazel eyes found their way to her.

The rest of the room blurred.

There was only him

His steady heartbeat.

His unwavering attention.

And that look.

She stopped breathing because she knew that look too. The same one that made her think he wanted to kiss her on solstice. His gaze so intense, the hairs in her arms stood up. Teeth sinking into her lip. Azriel scanned her unhurried, quietly drowning the rest of the amber liquid in his glass. Eyes lingering on her exposed collarbone. Her neck. Her lips.

She saw the image clear as day. His precise fingers unlacing the straps in her shoulder, his tongue tracing the path beneath, wet lip closing over her heated skin, rough finger pads sliding against her jaw, releasing her trapped lip, his teeth replacing hers.

Elain crossed her legs. Her throat dry. She couldn't remember the last time he looked at her like that. Completely unabashed. Her Azriel did it all the time, shameless. Teasing her to acknowledge it, daring her to say something about it. The new Azriel didn’t share his passions. He had only one agenda when it came to Elain, and that was Avoiding her.

Her heart galloped.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

This was not the new, distant, Azriel. No. This was his old self slipping to the surface. Shattering the cold façade he had put on for months. He placed the empty glass in a passing servant' tray, running his thumb across his lips. Inviting. A shiver ran down her spine.

Elain tried to remember that he rejected her, that he wanted nothing to do with her. She really did. But that was a hard thing to do with him burning a hole in her face. His desire bleeding all over her. Had he changed his mind? Was she pathetic for hoping the answer was “yes”? A movement caught her attention.

Elain peeked down, watching the table-cloth shadow move. The skittish thing snaking over her heel, unnoticeable on the black sandal. Sliding under the straps, caressing the arch of her foot, curling around her ankle amorously. Tugging. Calling.

Come.

Come with me.

Her skin prickled.  

She fidgeted.

Maybe she should go. Maybe she should go over there and help her poor sister. Not because Azriel was there. Because Nesta needed her. Yes. She would go there and help Nesta. After that she might linger around. In case someone else wanted to escape with her. Someone who was beguiling her for several minutes now. Begging her to come closer.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Elain smoothed the fabric of her dress, fixing some loose curls back in place.

His eyes following her every move.

Encouraging her.

His mouth shaped into the tinniest smile of world.

Her insides quivered with expectation.

She pushed her chair back. Soundless. Confidence.

‘Elain.’

The world unblurred.

Everything came rushing back.

Hundreds of people buzzing, thousands of sounds returning in a crushing wave. Voices, laughter, cheers, music, choices. So many people. So many fates. Live and death and rebirth. Lovers, enemies, warriors, cowards. Overwhelming. The tides tried to pulled her in. Images flashing like a thunderstorm, too fast to follow. 

She gripped her chair. The skittish anklet a comfortable anchor to the present. Breath. Oh, this is a strong one. Elain breathed in and out, shutting the sounds, blinking the unwanted visions away, naming the things around, tying herself in the present.

Not a beach. Not a prison. Not a battlefield. Simple Nesta’s wedding. Breath, breath, breath. Think of the ballroom. And Az. The hard chair. And Az. The crystal chandeliers. And Az. The red roses and silver table cloth. And Az. Az is here. It’s fine. I’m fine.

‘Elain?’

Elain looked at her brother-in-law, having forgot he was there. Sitting beside her. Honestly, she had forgot he existed all together, forgot where she was. Ease prey to her power. Her mistake. The visions weren’t so unruled as long as she anchored herself in the present, as long as she let them pass by without dwelling. If her mind dispersed for too long, others fates flooded her endlessly.

Rhys intrusive insistent inner voice had startled her, almost tossing her in a loop. Almost.

‘Yes?’

‘Can you watch Nyx for a minute? I want to dance your sister.’

‘Actually, I was going–’

‘I’ll be quick! One dance and I come back for him. This song is her favorite.’

Rhys pleaded, cradling a fully awake Nyx with one arm, his free hand holding Feyre’s feet on his lap. She looked back at Nesta. Her sister now alone with her husband. No guests. No Azriel. Her cue, gone. She offered Rhys a yellow smile.

‘Take as long as you need.’

Elain bent, Nyx squealing, more than happy to jump into his aunt’s open arms. Beside him, Feyre eyed the interaction with suspicion.

“Where are you going?”

He placed the flats back on her feet, setting them on the floor.

“We are going to dance,” he corrected.

Rhys throw his jacket on the back of the chair, rolling his sleeves, her sister practically drooling in her sit. Elain covered Nyx eyes. Disgusting. He bowed dramatically, waiting for Feyre to accept his hand.

Elain smiled. Feyre rolled her eyes. Nyx sucked his finger watching his dad.

“I’m tired Rhys. I’ll end up stepping on your feet.”

“Then it will not be different from all of our previous dances, will it Feyre darling.” He said with a smug.

Feyre punched his gut, cursing as he lifted her from the chair, caring her away. Elain waited for him to set her down. He didn’t. Rhys danced with Feyre in his arms, not caring for decorum or etiquette, their foreheads resting together, equal smiles plastered on their faces. She swallowed her jealousy, turning to her nephew.

“This close, Nyx,” she joined her index and thumb, “this close”

“Just you and me now,” she cooed, “I would ask you for a dance but I need to get out for a bit. Care to join me in a stroll, my little lord?

Elain secured the baby in her arms, sneaking between the mass of bodies to the safety of the empty hallway leading to the west wing. The one with big glass windows pointing to the backyard. The voices died down, replaced by the gentle sound of nature, her mind calming. She hugged Nyx tighter, admiring the starlight sky, searching for the moon.

“It’s a new moon night, Nyx. Intended for reflection and new beginnings. This is the perfect time to plant good seed for the future, a good omen for aunt Nest and her married life, but” she smiled down at Nyx, “I think Nesta would rather shove the seed down Cassian’s throat than plant them.”

Nyx giggled, flapping his arms with gusto as Elain kept talking. She talked about nothing in particular, her soothing tone being interrupted by his blabbers and hair tugs from time to time, his only form of participating in conversation.

“…ten months. I was shocked too. Mother only carried me for seven…Ouch, don’t put your hand in my mouth. I do know so, aunt Nesta told me…Yes, it is why aunt Nesta worries for me so much. You are so clever, that’s why you are my favorite nephew…What? You’re the only one? Hmmm, knowing you parents I don’t think that will stand true for much longer.”

Elain’s poor ears were testimony for their attempt to bridge the only child gap. Although, she doubted that a child was the only intuit of their favorite recreational activity. Her cheeks heated. She had chosen the farther room possible, in the opposite wing of the master’s, and some days the distance still wasn’t enough. Are married couples all like this? She missed the quietude of the town house. Lately she thought about the same thing over and over. Moving out. Nyx was bigger now, almost 8 full months, and Feyre was nursed back to health for good, no more sudden weaknesses and bedridden days.

Nyx whimpered grabbing her face, little mouth quaking, a cry ready to burst.

“No, no, no. Don’t cry my handsome boy.” She kissed his head, “I’ll come visit.”

She lifted her head and her body froze. Nyx fist curling around her hair, tugging hard. Elain didn’t move. Taking in his wrinkled cloths, red hair spilled over his shoulder, hands in his pockets, his attention on his muddied boot tapping on the marble floor. The last person she expected to see in a party for Nesta.

Her stare lured him to turn around, his shoulders tensing.

Lucien’s eyes widened at the sight of her.

.........

Rated: 🐥blocking

your girl love to chat, so you can beam me up anytime😺😸👻👻

#elriel fanfic #elain fanfic #elriel #elain archeron #azriel #elain x azriel #ish #the things you like the ones you don't #part 1: the things you like #TTYLTOYD #my writing #acosf #a wild cat marrying a golden retriever? yep that’s nessian #someone save me from myself #and my never ending additions #we all know he is going to 🐥block #and we all act surprised when reading it #lol

[shedoessoshedoes]

Flowers on a Dark Day

a/n: I had a dream that I did this to someone and it sparked an idea so here have some Elain clinging on to her husband for comfort :)) It's short and fluffy (my favorite things) thank u @justheretoreadsposts for reading for me!!

wc: 1,898

Too much of Azriel’s life had been spent giving Rhys reports. 

Reports just like he was giving right now, in the middle of a bloody war-camp, the sun slowly giving way to night. He’d just gotten back from another mission, this one gathering intel on the location of Koschei’s lake and where they believed his last ties to life to be hidden. To make matters worse, while he’d been gone, Beron’s forces had launched a surprise attack on some of the Illyrian legions keeping watch, and only Cassian’s military genius, combined with the Valkyrie’s help had prevented a slaughter. The wounded had poured in in droves. Elain was helping in the medical tents, her newfound healing powers bringing those worst off back from the brink of death. 

Elain. Az missed her, though it could only have been a few hours since he’d seen her last. His wife. Azriel still couldn’t believe it. Of course, the marriage was still relatively new, only a few weeks old. They’d been married quickly after they’d confessed their feelings for eachother, in a small ceremony with just their family in attendance and enough flowers to make the air smell sweet. His rose gold wedding ring still felt unfamiliar on his finger, symbolizing a love he’d never thought he’d find. 

But he stood, filling his brother in, telling him everything; describing the details of the meadows surrounding the lake, the estimated depths of the water itself. He’d brought back flowers from the meadow near the lake, telling himself they were to show Rhys, so they could try and glean something from the foliage that grew there, some piece of evidence of the magic that bound Koschei to the land itself. 

They were really just for Elain. He couldn’t very well buy her flowers here, in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of a war. But he’d wanted to give her something, so he’d picked her some. 

And there she was. Hair half tied back, arms at her sides, walking with Nesta, their heads bent towards each other as they walked through the camp. His mouth raised in a half smile before he turned back to Rhys. He’d say hello to her later. If he didn’t finish giving this report before he saw her, he’d never give it at all. 

The next thing he knew he was on his back, in the dirt, his wife’s arms banded around him like a vice. His flowers were crushed. “El? Are you okay?”

She seemed to be shaking. Azriel’s arms found their way around her, too, holding her to him, cradling her head. She buried her face in his neck, and he turned his nose to her hair, breathing in the smell of jasmine that seemed to follow her everywhere. What a sight they must make: death and his lovely fawn, the unshakable spymaster brought to the ground by the girl who loved flowers. 

“El?” All the words Azriel needed. She’d read the rest of it in his tone, in the way he held her tighter, in the way he tried to pull back and find her eyes. Are you okay? What’s wrong? I won’t say no to a reception like this, but it isn’t a normal one. 

“I didn’t know where you were,” Elain breathes into his neck. Azriel goes still, and immediately understands. Understands the fear that she felt, with her husband gone, and injured soldiers pouring in from all sides.  

“A mission.” he says quietly, words meant only for her. “ With shadows to protect me, and enough safety to pick you flowers. They might be trampled now, but they’re here, somewhere.” 

A wet laugh escapes her at his attempt at humor, and words spill out of her, as fast as her sobs will allow. “And I knew that. I knew you were going, I said goodbye to you this morning, but I didn’t know where exactly you were, and people were dying, and–and there were so many wounded and I didn’t know where you were, and it wasn’t like I could just leave the dying, so I was just sitting there panicking and trying to help, but I didn’t know where you were–” 

“I know. I know. I know.” His fingers tangle in her hair, bring her head back gently, so that he can look at her while he speaks. Her brown eyes meet his hazel ones. They’re still on the ground. “I know, El. I’m so sorry that you felt that, but I’m so proud of you, because if it was you gone and soldiers starting coming back dead and injured, I would be no help. I would be yelling at everyone, tearing myself to pieces wondering where you were. But you, love, you helped. Rhys says that without you a hundred more soldiers would have died. So we’re going to focus on being here, right now, together, okay? Because we’re going to have more times that I’m gone or you’re gone and we’re going to be scared–we’re going to be fucking terrified–for each other, and we’re going to get through it anyway. Okay?” 

“I love you too much not to be scared anytime I can’t see you,” she whispers. A confession. “I don’t think that’s normal. I don’t think that’s how any human feels when their spouse leaves.” 

“Well,” Az starts, male satisfaction lacing every word. “It’s a good thing that you’re married to a fae then.” 

“Don’t start,” Elain warns, a smile starting to make it’s way back onto her face. She buries her head back into his neck. “I missed you.” 

“I missed you, too,” he kisses the side of her head. “I love you,” he whispers. As is still working on believing that it’s okay to say things like that when it’s not just the two of them. He can feel Rhys and Nesta looking down at them. “C’mon.” 

Slowly, they get up, and Elain does not let him go. He laces their fingers together, her wedding ring pressing against his hand, and she holds onto his arm as Azriel looks at Rhys again, questioning if Rhys needs anything else before Az leaves.  

Rhys laughs, a polar opposite from his stony expression just minutes before, waving a hand. “Get your newlywed shit out of here before the army loses all respect for us. You gave me more than enough information already.” 

Az glares. “I’m sure the sounds coming out of your and Feyre’s tent every night have nothing to do with their supposed waning respect?” Rhys just rolls his eyes at the mention of his mate’s nightly activities and walks off, presumably to find Feyre herself. 

 Nesta simply looks happy for them, happy for her best friend and her sister, happy that they both found what they needed in this life. She pulls first Elain and then Azriel into a hug. This is new for her, too. New to show the people she loves she loves them so openly. Az has Cassian to thank for that, he supposes, and Emerie and Gwyn as well. They’d done well in helping to show Nesta the way back to the light, even though Nesta had done all the work herself. 

He pulls back, reaching out to Elain, who grabs his arm again. He picks his flowers up from off the ground. They aren’t as squished as he thought, so he offers them to her.  Elain offers him a small smile and takes them, even as her hand remains in his and her arm wrapped around his. Her hand traces small circles over his scars, and he shivers at the casual intimacy of the gesture. 

Their arms remain locked as they go to find dinner. The army surrounding them gives them a few doubt takes, but most of them remember their first months with their wives or mates, and leave the couple be in their display of intimacy. Az makes a plate for them both and then leads them back to their tent, closing the flaps behind them.  

Elain pulls him to the bed instead of to the table. He sets the plate on the floor near them before she pushes him so he’s sitting on the edge, and then straddles his lap, pressing her forehead to his. “Are–are you okay with that? With me holding onto you like that with people around? I know this is all still relatively new and usually I would hate being that affectionate in public so please don’t think I’m going to do that much all the time, but I couldn’t really stop the hug earlier, and then I just needed the reassurance that you were here.” 

He considers, reaching down to the plate and picking up a piece of bread, feeding her a piece before taking a bite himself. “You’re different. I would agree that we don’t need to be anywhere close to Rhys-and-Feyre levels of public displays of affection, but I also don’t want you to never touch me, either. I’m not always good at physical contact–you know that.” And she did, knew his insecurities around his hands like no one else, and understood his need for physical space at times. But she also knew that sometimes he craved it, needed a hug or a kiss or to hold her hand and fiddle with her ring to remind himself she was really there. “But I like being able to hold your hand when we’re with our family. I like being able to kiss you goodbye before I leave a room. I like the moments we have that are just for us, even if there are other people around, even if I’m still uncomfortable with the world seeing that affection sometimes.”

He reaches for another piece of bread. “How do you feel about it?” 

Elain’s hands come up to cradle his face. His fingers come up to trace her wedding ring, a delicate band of gold that looks like vines. “I like the world knowing that you’re mine and I’m yours. I like seeing my ring on your hand, and seeing yours on mine. I like that I’m the only one allowed to calm you down when you get worked up in a meeting, I like that I can hold your hand even when the world seems to be falling apart around us. But it’s also just…I would only feel comfortable doing any of it with you. I never touched Greysen in public–” Az snarls slightly at the sound of her ex-fiancé’s name and she swats at his arm. “Shut up, you possessive bat,” 

“You love it,” he grins back, and she sighs, because she does. 

 “I never touched Greysen in public, and I never had any desire to touch Lucien beyond being polite. With you, I can, and I want to. Not always. Not usually like I did today. But sometimes. When I need reassurance that you’re here. That you’ll always come back.” 

Azriel nods slightly. “So there, wife. We hold hands, I put a hand at the small of your back to steady you, and when we’re worried about each other, grander scales of affection are encouraged.” 

She smiles up at him. “Because I’m your wife,” she said, with no small amount of pride. “So I get to hold onto you if I want to.”

He chuckles and kisses her quickly. “And I’m your husband,” he responded. “So that means that I come back.”

Yay!! thank you so much for reading! Likes, reblogs, and comments and constrictive criticism is always welcome. My asks are open: let me know what you want me to write!!

#elriel #acotar #elriel fic #elain #shadow bat and flower girl #azriel #pro elriel #acotar 5 #nor writes #acotar fic

[typicalmidnightsoul]

Soulmates

Chapter 1 - Loved by her

Nesta loved Gwyn the way Gwyn wanted to be loved by a man. Modern AU

[Chapter 2] [chapter 3] [Chapter 4]

(A/N:) THIS IS A NEW FIC BY MOI ! it’s a series exploring the idea of soulmates/friendship set in a modern au, mostly valkyrie trio, nessian, gwynriel centric. I also really wanted to explore Catrin’s character and the grief connected to it and how it affected Gwyn.

She was drenched in rain. Sitting outside Helion’s house on the curb. She curled her knees into her even more. A car pulled up in front of her but she didn’t have the energy to look up. So what if she got kidnapped. It wouldn’t be the worst thing that happened to her. How the hell would she face Azriel after what happened in there. 

Heels clicked to a stop in front of her and then the rain stopped. Well it didn’t stop falling around her. But her head was no longer assaulted by the vicious rain drops. She looked up, silver eyes glared into hers, a transparent umbrella covering them both as her ex-best friend said,

“Get up Gwyn.”

She didn’t say anything else. Neither did Gwyn. 

She just got up and got into the passenger seat of Nesta’s white Bentley convertible. Nesta dropped a coat she was wearing onto Gwyn’s lap before putting on her seatbelt and dropping into the drivers side.

Neither of them said anything as Nesta silently drove the familiar route to the house Nesta was gifted by Cassian as an engagement present. The shiny ring glistened on Nesta’s ring finger now as she drove. Gwyn was there when Cassian proposed, before she messed up her friendship with everyone. Nesta saw her eyeing her ring and cleared her throat,

“You’re staying with me until you manage to pull yourself together. That’s non-negotiable.” and then in a lower voice she muttered more to herself, “Catrin would kill me if she saw how far I’d let you stray.”

Gwyn physically hurt at the mention of Catrin. Before Catrin passed away Gwyn was living life as the happiest she could be. It was Emerie, Gwyn, Catrin and Nesta against the world. Until Catrin got caught at the wrong place and the wrong time. It was when they were seniors in high school, Catrin had gone to a different one to Gwyn, had insisted so she could be with her middle school friends, and Gwyn could still remember to this day the stench in her biology class as they were dissecting frogs when she got a voicemail from Catrin-

She would’ve opened the voicemail later if she hadn’t gotten the notification from her news app saying there was a school shooting. At Catrin’s school. 

Gwyn opened the voicemail,

“Gwynnie- Gwynnie I love you, more than anything in this whole world just know that if anything happens to me I don’t want you to be sad. I love you.”

A few hours after hoping her sister was okay Gwyn found out she had been shot in the head trying to protect the freshmen. The CCTV showed her covering them with her arms begging ,

“Please! PLEASE! They’re just kids!”

She was shot twice. No chance of survival. After that Gwyn had done into a spiral. One so bad that she blamed her friends for living happy lives when her Catrin was dead,

“DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU DESERVE THIS NESTA? Catrin is dead and you have the nerve to party about finding the perfect wedding dress. God you spoilt stuck up barbie. At least now I know you never really cared about Cat.”

All those words came rushing back to her as she stared at Nesta in the drivers seat. Nesta had cancelled her wedding after Gwyn’s drunken outburst. Gwyn heard from rumours that they had apparently got their marriage registered but didn’t hold any reception.

Gwyn hated herself for that. A future with Cassian was the hope that got Nesta out of the depths of the grief left behind after her father’s death. They dated for less than a year before Cassian was proposing and Nesta... she was happier than ever. But then Gwyn ruined. In that bout of self-hate Gwyn went and dated the worst possible guy she could find and moved in with him to get out of that wretched house Gwyn used to share with Catrin. Emerie tried to confront her after she found out but Gwyn lashed out at Emerie too. She’d called Emerie an emotional mess that deserved everything that her dad said to her.

As they pulled up to the black gates of Nesta’s house Gwyn glanced at the placard, 

Casa del Viento

She wondered what it meant. While Nesta was parking her car, Gwyn noticed something. Nesta’s car was the white Bentley and she had the red chevy corvette gifted by her mum for her 18th. Cassian had his Royce and BMW. but then who’s were the two other cars?

Nesta got out of the car and came up behind.

“Those are Emerie and Azriel’s cars. Emerie got hers a few months back.”

They stay with Nesta and Cassian? She thought.

Nesta, it seemed, could still read Gwyn just by looking at her.

“Yeah, they live here. We figured it would bring us closer. Make sure that no one would break off and suddenly leave that way. Made me feel less lonely.”

Ok, Gwyn admitted she deserved that jab from Nesta. But Nesta’s life was perfect before Gwyn came along. Yes she went through her years of poverty but then Nesta’s mum got out of her coma and pulled her family back together. Nesta was the richest senior in their high school and she had one of the sons of the affluent Nazari household as her boyfriend. She didn’t need Gwyn.

She wondered if Nesta had really meant what she said as she followed her through the doors of the house. Did the Nesta Adelina Archeron really feel that lonely after Gwyn unceremoniously stomped on her heart and left?

Gwyn followed her through the oak doors of the house. Gwyn took off her shoes in the entryway and put on-

Oh. Gwyn’s sandals were still here on the rack. She put those on and followed Nesta through the entry hall way. Nesta went straight into Cassian’s arms who was sitting at the breakfast bar bouncing his knee. He relaxed as soon as Nesta came in and wrapped her arms around him.

He pulled back to look at her, an unspoken conversation happening with their faces. Gwyn looked away. 

“Hello Gwyn.” She turned her attention back to Cassian’s voice, he gave her a genuine smile, “How have you been?”

She merely nodded her head once and looked away again. Nesta and Cassian exchanged a look. Emerie came bounding down the stairs,

“Cassian I’ve changed the bedsheets upstairs and-” She stopped in front of the archway leading to the open plan kitchen-living. She stared at Gwyn for a good minute before she said,

“Hello.” She looked at the dress Gwyn was wearing and Nesta’s big overcoat that lay on Gwyn’s shoulders. The one Gwyn kept clutched to herself.

“You should get out of those wet clothes before you catch a cold.”

Nesta nodded walking up to them. She hovered a hand over Gwyn’s back leading her towards the stairs,

“Come on, lets get you settled,” she turned around to Cassian, “Cass, could you call Az he said he’d be back by dinner but he’s not here yet. His car’s still in the garage too.”

Gwyn froze. Az was with her, saving her-

He was at that party. But if he hadn’t called Nesta then-

“Why did you get me from that party? How did you know I was there?”

Nesta looked a bit taken aback by her question but recovered quickly,

“There are multiple group chats who’ve been saying that Luke Hybern broke up with you and then pictures of you crying were sent out. I saw them and went to go get you before things got worse.”

They didn’t know. Azriel hadn’t told them. Nesta just knew some twisted spun up version of what happened. Gwyn knew that if Nesta knew what really happened then Nesta would probably murder Luke.

“I should probably go.” 

Emerie’s eyes widened behind Nesta. Nesta raised a brow,

“Go where Gwyn?” Nesta asked, her voice getting increasingly louder, “Luke has kicked you out of his house, you can’t step into your old house without having a panic attack and the only thing you have on you right now is your phone. So do yourself a favour, do me a favour and follow me upstairs to your room.” 

Nesta spun on her heel and walked to the stairs waiting at the foot of them. Nesta was right, she had nowhere else to go. Gwyn followed Nesta upstairs.

-------------------

While Gwyn was taking a shower she heard Nesta on the phone outside the ensuite,

“Hi Helion, yeah great party, I heard,” she was talking softly, “are you busy? oh cleaning up? yeah that’s actually ideal, I needed to ask a favour. Could you look for Gwyn’s purse as you clean up? It’s a leather crossover bag with a ‘G’ keychain and there’s probably Gwyn’s ID inside... yeah...yeah... thank you. If you can't find it can you check your camera’s and let me know? Thank you so much you can purge my library and take all my books....yeah Gwyn’s fine. Thank you. I’ll let her know. Bye.”

Gwyn groaned internally. In her rush to get out of the house she forgot her purse and Nesta probably knew which purse she took out from the pictures getting passed around. She got out of the shower, slipping into the nightgown Nesta gave her and went out.

Nesta looked up from where she was sitting on one of the arm chairs. 

They stared at each other for a while. Nesta spoke up first. 

“I know you don’t like using the hair dryer so do you want me to dry your hair.”

Gwyn nodded and sat down next to but with her back facing Nesta. Nesta took a towel and stood behind Gwyn, rubbing her hair with a towel.

Tears started streaming down of their own accord. Gwyn couldn’t remember the last time someone had done something like this for her. In her 8 month ‘relationship’ with Luke where they were more roomies than dating they had not shared one tender moment. 

Nesta’s phone pinged with a notification,

“Oh! Helion has found your purse and is sending it over with...huh. odd. Azriel’s bringing it. I didn’t know he went to Helion’s party. Did you see him there?” The last bit was directed at Gwyn, who being to caught up in emotion hadn’t heard her. Nesta leaned over to look at her, “Gwyn? Oh Lord! Gwyn?! Are you Ok?”

She sat in front of Gwyn after seeing her tears, and cradled both her hands,

“What’s wrong Gwyn? Is-”

“Did you and Cassian really not get married?” She asked through her sobs.

Nesta looked startled, “I-um. Sorry?”

“Is it because of what I said- did-did you two never-nev- did you not wear that dress?” Gwyn’s whole form was shaking with sobs.

Nesta pulled her close, “Oh Gwyn, how could I hold you accountable for what you said, you were hurting, I remember what it was like losing my father so I could never hold you at fault for that night. I was just upset that you left. You are my soulmate, before Cassian was there, before Em was there, You were there. Cassian and I got married. But it wouldn’t feel right if you weren’t there so I never held a reception.” Gwyn pulled away to look into Nesta’s eyes and found silver eyes gleaming with tears and... contentment, she wasn’t sad about her lost wedding, “we postponed it till you came back.”

“you knew I’d come back?” she whispered.

Nesta shrugged as if it were obvious, “Of course I did.”

Gwyn hugged Nesta again, “Nes I am so so sor-”

“No Gwyn, I’m not accepting any apologies that aren’t needed. You were grieving your sister and you spiralled. You never apologise for that. Just tell us how we can help you.”

They stayed like that for a long time, Nesta’s hands smoothing Gwyn’s wet hair, Gwyn sobbing quietly into her shoulder. A knock sounded on the door and Cassian asked,

“Babe? Dinners ready.”

“We’ll be down in a sec Cass.”

-------------------

When they came down the stairs Emerie was waiting at the bottom of them. Emerie held out a hand for Gwyn as they got nearer. Nesta nodded gently at them and watched as Emerie guided Gwyn to the solarium for another much needed conversation on forgiveness.

Nesta went into the kitchen island and threw herself over the counter in exhaustion. Cassian chuckled and pulled her to him. Her arms wrapped around his waist. 

“Since apologies seem to be the theme of the night I’d like to say sorry too” he muttered into her hair.

she looked up at him in confusion, “what for?”

He rubbed a thumb over the wedding ring on her finger, 

“For getting so mad at you for cancelling our reception. Even though I still don’t get why you cancelled our reception for her-”

She pushed off him, harshly replying, “Cassian not this again, can’t you just get over it?”

Hurt flashed through hazel eyes but was quickly replaced with anger.

He was just about to respond when the key turned and the front door opened. Nesta looked at Cassian,

“Az,” she practically ran to the door, Cassian following behind. 

Azriel had taken off his coat and shoes. Nesta gasped when she saw his blood knuckles. She went up to him taking Gwyn’s bag out of his hands and examined his knuckles. Cassian stood behind her,

“Az, what the hell man were you in a fight?”

Azriel didn’t answer his brother. Just stared in the general direction of where Gwyn’s voice was coming from.

“You brought her home.” Azriel looked down at Nesta.

But Nesta was calculating. Azriel being at Helion’s party the same time as Gwyn, his bloody hands, him finding Gwyn’s purse...

“What happened at Helion’s party Az.”

She gripped his hand, a look of pure dominance and determination crossing her face. he smiled softly brushing his free hand through Nesta’s hair, 

“I’m sorry Nes but that’s not for me to tell you. Look after Gwyn, she needs you more than ever now.”

He gave her a gentle squeeze, before trudging up the stairs.

“Az aren’t you going to eat?”

Az shook his head but Nesta intervened, “It’s ok, I’ll take up Azriel’s dinner for him later.” Azriel gave Nesta a smile and nodded. 

----------------------

After Dinner Nesta got busy on preparing Azriel’s plate. Gwyn came up to her, 

“Who’s that for?”

Nesta stilled in front of a cabinet her back to Gwyn debating on whether she should tell her or not. 

“It’s for Az. He came a while back....He left your purse on the table in the entryway if you wanted to get it?”

she turned to watch Gwyn’s reaction. Gwyn looked down at the table as if deep in thought. Nesta reached over the breakfast bar and squeezed Gwyn’s hand,

“It’s been a long night. You should get some sleep.”

Gwyn looked up, “Has Azriel told you anything?” 

Nesta shook her head immediately, “And you don’t have to either. not until you’re ready.”

Gwyn nodded as Emerie came into the kitchen and loaded up the dishwasher. After She was done Nesta asked Emerie to take Gwyn up to bed.

“I’ll see you two at breakfast. Goodnight.”

------------------

When Nesta knocked on Azriel’s room she didn’t expect Cassian to be there too. She avoided eye contact with him and his smile as he was talking to Az also dropped from his face. Az of course noticed this and from where he was leaning on his head board and gave her a sly smile. She rolled her eyes then looked down at his hands. She huffed in irritation and then glared at Cassian.

“You couldn’t bandage him up?”

A genuine look of guilt passed through his eyes, “I forgot. This bastard didn’t say anything either.”

“Why would he need to say anything? He’s hurt you saw him as you came through the door.”

She grabbed the first aid box in Az’s desk and brought it to the bed, 

“Nesta I forgot. And you were going to come up and do it anyway so what’s the issue?” 

She cursed under her breath as she not-so-gently dabbed antiseptic on Azriel's knuckles, “It’s not that hard to apply antiseptic Cassian when you supposedly care about someone.”

Cassian stood from where he was sitting on the foot of the bed,

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!”

Nesta unknowingly applied even more pressure to Azriel’s with the antiseptic as she glared at Cassian,

“Maybe Cassian if you used your brain instead of-”

Azriel was doubling over in pain, “Nesta could you be a bit more gentle?”

Nesta hurriedly looked back at him and started apologising profusely. Cassian stalked out of the room saying goodnight to Az. 

Azriel looked at Nesta who was now bandaging up his arm,

“What was that about?”

She shook her head, eyes getting misty,

“He just ignored me all throughout dinner and then when I went to hug him he walked away. I just don’t get what I did.”

“You should talk to him. like now.”

“He’s probably showering now. I’ll feed you then go.”

He laughed for the first time that night, “Go to bed you mother hen I’m fine. Seriously Nesta I haven’t broken my hand, I can eat.” 

Nesta bit her lip, “Are you sure? I won’t take long.”

Az shook his head, “If you stay with me longer he’ll just get angrier.”

Nesta sighed, “So what?”

Azriel chuckled and started shoving her, “Can you just leave and go to your husband?”

She held up her hands in surrender, “Alright, alright I’m going. Goodnight Az.”

“Night.”

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Next Chapter:

“Cassian could you please, please just tell me what I did?”

He refused to look at her as he said, “Will that make you pay attention to me if I do?”

“what?”

“It’s always been your choice Nesta with no say of what I have to think. I try and give you everything and when it comes to me wanting a big wedding reception you just shut me down.”

Tears were now falling of their own accord but he couldn’t see them,

“You think I don’t want a reception too?”

“No I don’t.” The words were like a knife being twisted slowly into her heart. He might as well have gone and said that she didn’t want this marriage at all.

“How could you say that?” Her voice broke then causing him to turn around and take note of her tears. 

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Tags: @idc-camille  @wannawriteyouabook @skychild29 @aesthetics-11 @perseusannabeth 

#Nessian fanfic #Gwynriel fanfic #Valkyrie trio #gwyneth berdara #emerie #NESTA X GWYN X EMERIE #Neris #Azriel #Helion #Thesan

[snelbz]

Life As We Know It {Chapter One}

Summary: After the sudden deaths of Nesta’s sister and Cassian’s best friend, they gain guardianship of their nephew, Nyx.

Based on Life As We Know It (2010) and a prompt sent in by anonymous for our Nessian fanfic contest. This is a modern au.

Instead of doing a tag list for this story, we have decided to have a set posting schedule. Chapters will be posted weekly on Mondays and Thursdays. Chapters will be posted on both my and Tara's blogs! >> @tacmc.

Life As We Know It Masterlist

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5 years later….

Nyx looked at his birthday cake and the lone candle that was lit atop the icing before looking up at Feyre with a confused expression on his beautiful, little face.

His mother laughed, quietly, before leaning forward and taking out the candle. She had just blown out the flame when Rhys barely pushed the cake closer to Nyx, who put his chubby, little hands smack-dab in the middle of the icing and dug in.

Everyone had come to celebrate, and even Nesta couldn’t stop her smile from showing. At least, she let it show when she was on the opposite end of the house from the one and only, and massively self-centered, Cassian Nazari.

Of course, he would be at Nyx’s first birthday party. He was Nyx’s uncle - maybe not by blood, not that blood mattered when it came to Cassian, Rhysand, and their other lifelong friend, Azriel.

He, too, stood across the kitchen, watching as Elain snapped picture after picture of the jubilant baby, the mess atop his high chair the largest Nesta had ever seen. She knew Elain was taking notes for their own daughter’s birthday party, though she was barely three months old.

Rhysand’s smile was as big as Feyre’s as they watched their son, listening as his giggles filled the kitchen. Nyx realized quickly that the cake was for him alone and after smashing it for a few moments, he lifted a large handful to his chubby face and took a bite. His eyes lit up and that started the giggling anew.

Nesta loved her nephew and niece, had loved him since the day they were born, but she didn’t envy her sisters and their happy families. Unlike them, she had remained perfectly content on her own, especially after the endless string of disaster dates she had been forced to sit through throughout the years.

And children? It wasn’t that Nesta disliked kids. Not all kids, at least. She loved her nephew and niece, anyway. Having one of her own, though? Having to be around one every day? Every night? Having to constantly try and make a tiny person content?

No, thank you. That was a challenge she had little interest in.

A deep rumbling laugh came from across the house and Nesta looked up to find Cassian entering the kitchen, still chuckling at something Mor had said.

As hard as she tried, she couldn’t keep her lip from curling slightly as she looked at him. It only infuriated her more when he caught sight of her as he raised his beer to his lips and winked.

He was absolutely insufferable.

After their catastrophe of a date years ago, which Nesta had made Feyre promise was a stunt she’d never pull again, she had only been forced to be around Cassian Nazari a handful of times.

One of which was during Feyre and Rhysand’s wedding, only months after their date.

“You only have to walk with him for thirty seconds,” Feyre had sighed, while Mor continued to pin and curl her hair into place. “You don’t have to be happy about it.”

“Good,” Nesta said, draining the glass of champagne in her hand. “Because I’m not.”

As Feyre’s maid-of-honor, it was customary that she was supposed to walk out of the wedding arm in arm with Rhysand’s best man. She wished that he’d picked Azriel, but since it seemed the Cauldron hated her, it had to be Cassian.

Elain, who was harboring the world’s most obvious crush on Azriel at the time, was thrilled with how they’d be exiting the wedding. Nevertheless, she said to Nesta, “I think you two got off on the wrong foot. He’s a really good guy, Nes.”

Nesta shot her youngest sister a look of pure annoyance through the mirror’s reflection. “Have any of you ever been on a date with the guy? And not only a date, but the worst date of your life?”

Feyre snorted, fully aware of where this conversation was headed. “No.”

“Then you have no room to talk,” Nesta snapped, admiring herself in the mirror. “Mother’s tits, Feyre, he wore jeans to the nicest restaurant in Velaris!”

“At least he didn’t wear his boots,” Mor muttered, then she caught Nesta’s glare in the mirror. “Really? He wore his boots?”

“He was dressed for an all-night, summer bonfire,” Nesta said, shaking her head. “And he’s completely full of himself. And, he forgot his wallet!”

“Not like you can’t afford dinner,” Feyre said, and Nesta’s lips snapped shut. She was fully aware that the conversation had somehow become a let’s-pick-on-Nesta session.

Feyre added, “You have to walk back down the aisle with him, share an entire table during dinner, and that’s it. No one is asking you to dance with him, but be nice.” Nesta met Feyre’s eyes, her jaw set. Feyre sighed, “Fine, be civil.”

She scoffed, but nodded. “Fine.”

The ceremony itself went off without a hitch. It was beautiful and elegant and the perfect wedding Rhys and Feyre had always wanted.

She ignored Cassian’s unending looks the whole night, managed to give her maid-of-honor speech without snarling at him, and after that, took advantage of the open bar her sister and new brother had so kindly provided.

She was coming out of the bathroom, a glass of wine still clutched in her hand, doing her best not to trip over her own feet when she walked into a wall.

A wall of solid muscle that turned out to be Cassian’s back.

When he turned around and she looked up at him, his eyes were nearly as glazed as hers.

“Hello, Nes,” he said, smirking down at her.

She bit out, “Don’t call me that.”

“That was a pretty, little speech you gave,” he said, leaning against the wall. “I know true love exists cause I’ve seen it first hand. Poetic.”

Nesta scoffed, brushing off the skirt of her dress as if he had tainted it. “Don’t flatter yourself. I wasn’t referring to you. I was talking about Feyre and Rhys, in case you thought otherwise.”

“Oh, I didn’t,” he promised. “Honestly, I didn’t think you were talking about anyone. Just some fluffy shit that sounded sweet. Unless it’s that guy that showed up at the restaurant and ruined our date. Oh, wait,” he began, tapping his chin as if in deep thought, “You dumped him though, right? Poor bastard.”

“You’re a prick,” Nesta bit out. She refrained from saying that Tomas hadn’t ruined their date. It was sad that seeing her ex was one the bright points of her night, rather than seeing the Greek god standing before her. The pretentious, cocky asshole of a Greek god.

He only grinned. “But am I a liar?”

Nesta’s jaw locked. She eyed his tux. “I’m just glad you decided to clean up for your own brother’s wedding. No jeans?”

He scoffed. “Is that the worst you’ve got?”

“Do you prefer me to give you my worst?” she asked, brows furrowing. “If so, you may want to be careful what you wish for.”

Cassian said nothing, just lifted the beer she hadn’t noticed in his hands to his lips.

Nesta rolled her eyes, brushing past him, and made a move to head back into the reception.

His voice called out behind her, “You don’t have to be such a miserable bitch, you know?”

She froze, looking back at him. He was no longer smirking at her. Instead, his eyes were intense. “Excuse you?”

“You’re so miserable that you won’t allow anyone else to have any fun, won’t allow yourself to either,” he said, still leaning against that damn wall. He crossed his arms over his muscular chest, his dress shirt tight and loose in all the right places. “You want everyone else to suffer, just because you’re forcing yourself to, for whatever reason.”

“You don’t know a damn thing about me,” she bit out, stalking back over to him. She was so close she had to look up into his face.

“I don’t,” he said, words clipped. “I tried, but you didn’t seem very inclined to let me get to know you during our date. You were more concerned with my attire and your ex than you were with me. You thought all I wanted to do was fuck you.” His eyes, still glassy and glazed, dragged down her body and back up again. “Besides, you’ve got that damn stick shoved so far up your ass, there wouldn’t have been room for my cock even if I’d really even tried.”

A blink was Nesta’s only reaction. Then her hand was moving of its own accord, splashing her full glass of wine directly in his face and all over that pretty, white shirt.

“Go fuck yourself,” was all she’d said before she walked back into the ceremony, leaving him there to drip on the venue’s fancy carpet.

“Nesta!”

She blinked, Feyre’s voice drawing Nesta out of her memories, looking over at her sister. She stood next to Rhys and Elain, who had her camera in her hands, and Cassian stood behind Nyx’s high chair.

“I want a picture of him with his godparents, come here,” she beamed and Nesta tried not to cringe.

She had been so proud, her heart feeling like it would burst when Feyre and Rhys had asked her to be Nyx’s godmother. There was no hesitation when she said yes, tears lining her eyes as she’d hugged both her sister and brother-in-law.

She tried not to think about the fact that when they’d told her Cassian was his godfather, she nearly asked them to give the distinction to Elain.

But she hadn’t, wouldn’t. Despite what others, especially Cassian, thought of her… Nesta loved her nephew.

She loved her family.

With a sigh, Nesta meandered over to Nyx’s high chair. “Alright.”

“Closer,” Feyre ordered, gesturing Nesta to move in closer beside Cassian behind the high chair.

Nesta’s lips pursed but she took another step toward the boys for her sister’s sake.

“I’m not poisonous, Nesta,” Cassian muttered, smiling at the camera as he spoke. “You won’t burst into flames if we brush arms.”

“You’d be so lucky to brush arms with me,” she muttered back, hoping the smile she was giving her sister was convincing - and knowing full well that it wasn’t.

Without another word, Cassian tossed his arm around Nesta and said, “Cheeeeese!”

Nyx was giggling, looking up at his godparents behind him. There was so much joy and adoration in those big, beautiful eyes that Nesta didn’t have the heart to storm off, leaving Cassian in her dust, no matter how much she wanted to.

The camera’s flash went off and Nesta pushed Cassian’s arm off her shoulder.

The rest of the party was perfect. Feyre took Nyx up to the bathroom to clean him off, while Rhysand, Azriel, and Cassian hauled his many gifts out into the living room. Feyre opened them one by one, despite everyone knowing Nyx had no clue what was going on, though he did clap his chubby little hands and giggle at a few particular items. Nesta stood off to the side with Elain, holding a milk-drunk, sleepy Seph in her arms.

Azriel and Elain’s little girl had been a surprise, neither of them planning on Elain getting pregnant so soon after they got married. They both fell into the role of parents so seamlessly though, that Nesta knew another baby would be in their near future. They adored the baby girl, and she was the most perfect baby Nesta had ever seen.

Persephone hardly cried, only doing so when she was hungry or needed to be changed, and once whatever wrong was taken care of, she became a happy, smiley baby again.

Nyx, on the other hand, had been a hellion as a baby.

Which was to be expected, considering who his father was. Although responsible when necessary, Rhysand was just as much of a madman as Cassian...especially when infused with alcohol.

“You look good with a baby,” Elain crooned from beside her sister.

Nesta rolled her eyes. “You can keep trying to push me down the marriage-baby road, but I just won’t take it. Wasting your time.”

Elain sighed, dramatically, with that little grin remaining on her soft pink lips. “As long as you stay such a good auntie, I suppose I can’t complain.”

Nesta looked down at the sweet, sleeping infant in her arms. She didn’t mind those little snuggles.

She did mind the diaper blowouts, constant spit-ups, and loud crying, though. That’s usually when she gave Seph back to her parents and blissfully enjoyed her independent life.

Feyre gasped and Nesta looked up. She was holding a little guitar that had Nyx’s name and the night sky engraved into the dark-stained wood.

Nesta’s eyes snapped to Cassian.

Cassian smiled, fondly, at Feyre. “I know he won’t be able to start messing with it for another few years, but I couldn't help myself.”

“He made that himself, you know.” Nesta’s eyes shot to Elain, who was watching the scene before them. She whispered again, “He doesn’t do it for a living, of course, but it’s a hobby of his, making guitars. He’s really good.”

She blinked, the information catching her off guard for whatever reason. But all she said was, “That’s nice.”

She spent the rest of the afternoon, ignoring the man as much as she could, as she always did. But as the guests began to dwindle, as Nyx and Seph went down for their naps, the three sisters gathered in the living room, while Rhys, Azriel, and Cassian went out back to inspect the small jungle gym Rhys was building for Nyx. Again, he was too young to use most of it, but the tiny swing and slide would be hours of fun for the little man.

Feyre brought two cups of coffee out to her sisters before collapsing next to Elain on the couch. “That could not have gone better if we tried.”

Nesta leveled her a look and raised an eyebrow.. “If we tried? You had a minute-by-minute itinerary for a one-year-old’s birthday.”

“Everything was perfect,” Elain smiled, cutting off Nesta, blowing on her coffee gently. “Nyx had a good time, neither he nor Seph had a blow-up, Cassian and Nesta managed to be in the same room without stabbing each other. All in all, a good day.”

Nesta rolled her eyes before throwing a vulgar gesture towards her sisters, who were both laughing.

“Fine, new subject,” Feyre grinned. “Oh! Before I forget, Rhys and I are going out of town for our anniversary in a few weeks. I was hoping you could watch Nyx for a few days.”

It took Nesta a moment to realize that Feyre was talking to her. She froze, having been blowing on her own hot coffee. “I’m sorry, what?”

Feyre laughed, quietly. “I was hoping that you could watch Nyx while Rhys and I go away for a long weekend. We’re going to the mountains for our anniversary. To his family’s cabin.”

“Oh, that sounds nice,” Elain said, looking at Nesta.

Who blinked, having only unfrozen to set her coffee down on the table between them. “You want me…to watch Nyx…for the weekend? Alone? By myself? Just me and him?”

“That’s what I was hoping for, yeah,” Feyre said, nodding as she sipped from her cup. “You can come here, where all of his stuff is in one place, and make yourself at home.” She shrugged. “I’ll leave money for takeout and the key to the wine cabinet.”

Nesta hesitated. “I’ve only babysat Nyx a couple of times…all for, like, an hour each.”

“It will be fine,” she said, a genuine smile on her face. “It will only be three nights, really. We’ll leave after work on Thursday and be home Sunday evening.”

Nesta stammered and shook her head. “I have to work on Friday, the restaurant-.”

“I’ll keep him during the day on Friday,” Elain offered. “I don’t have any shoots that day, so he can spend the day with me and Seph.”

“You could keep him the whole weekend,” Nesta tried, looking at her younger sister hopefully.

“Seph is enough of a handful,” she chuckled, glancing at Feyre, who was nodding as well. “I don’t think I can handle two at once for an entire weekend.”

“Please, Nes,” Feyre said, drawing her eldest sister’s eyes to her. “I know you can do it and it would be nice for you to spend some time together, just you two.”

“And you can call me, if you need anything,” Elain added.

Nesta looked from Feyre to Elain. “You two already planned this.” They at least had the wherewithal to look guilty. She sighed, closing her eyes and shaking her head. “Fine. But I’ll probably end up calling both of you every thirty seconds.”

“I can work with that,” Feyre said, just as Elain said, “Then it’s settled!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Nesta snorted, shaking her head. “But, I hope you know that I wouldn’t do this for anybody else.”

“Oh, I know,” Feyre grinned, “which is what makes you such a wonderful, wonderful big sister.”

“I am pretty damn wonderful,” Nesta agreed, grinning as she sipped from her mug.

As she drank, she peeked out the window, where the boys were putting together the playset. Once she did, only one thing caught her eye.

Cassian was already watching her.

And when he caught her gaze, that stupid little, cocky-ass grin appeared.

She hated that grin, hated it with every ounce of her being.

And she wouldn’t feel bad for it, no matter how much her sisters adored the guy.

She hated him, hated Cassian Nazari.

And she always would.

#life as we know it #snacmc lawki #shara #snacmc #nessian #nesta archeron #cassian #acotar #acomaf #acowar #acofas #acosf

[musicallibrarian93]

Nesta and Cassian’s mating ceremony

Cassian wants to mix in some traditional human marriage customs so that it feels nostalgic/ special for Nesta.

Nesta was not joking she wanted an over the top ceremony. She pulls out all the stops. 

They have the ceremony in the temple in the library so her fellow Valkyries can attend. 

Afterwards they have a small but elaborate party planned with their closer cohort of friends.

The ceremony is lavish interspersed with readings and talks by the Valkyries and inner circle. Gwyn sings a song for them. Azriel is seen wiping a tear from his eyes. 

Nesta asks Rhysand about lots of things Cassian might enjoy, from different types of foods he loved as a child and songs that he wants played at the reception afterwards. 

Cassian also does the same with Elain and asks about some of the music  Nesta would want played. 

Actually, Cassian asks if he can be in charge of all the music. Nesta is very sceptical but ultimately agrees with a few suggestions. 

Cassian hires the best musicians from the Dawn court to play at their wedding. 

He also asks Helion about the best composers in his court and has a few commissions to get an original piece composed for the two of them. Their own original song.

Nesta asks Azriel to walk her down the aisle as he’s the person who has always looked out for her. 

In between the ceremony and the reception, Nesta and Cassian aren’t seen for an hour, everyone else just eats and pretends they don’t notice they’re gone. 

They come back and Nesta hair is unbound. 

Nesta and Cassian ploy to make Azriel his best man and Gwyn maid of honour so the two would have to spend lots of time together. 

Rhysand is basically their wedding planner, on the day he’s the one running around making sure everything is running smoothly. He also has Nyx strapped to his back in a baby harness so that Feyre can enjoy the day with her sister. 

Emerie works with Elain on decorations and food. 

Nesta also allocates Mor to decorations and food ;) 

Mor is one of Cassian’s best men and wears a gorgeous jumpsuit that shows up every male in attendance. 

Nesta and Cassian both get wine tipsy and spend all evening giggling with each other. They don’t go five minutes without kissing one another. 

At the end of the night, the pair walk along the Sidra together. They go to all the spots that are memorable to them, where they argued about being mates in the middle of the street. Where Nesta met Emerie and Gwyn after the blood rite was over. 

Cassian still semi tipsy takes her to all the places him, Rhys and Az mucked around. 

They make it to a bridge over the river and they quietly repeat their vows to one another.

Soon they make their way home, they leave for the day court in the morning, where they’ll honeymoon. Cassian arranged for the pegasus’ to fly them there and Helion is very excited to host them. 

That evening Cassian spends hours worshipping his mate. It is the most tender love making they have ever had, and he promises her that while they're away he’ll take on every surface in the day court palace. 

She falls asleep in his arms and he holds her tight. He kisses her on the head one last time, the sun is beginning to rise. 

“I love you.” He whispers, and she snuggles even further into his arms. 

#nessian #Nesta Archeron #Cassian archeron #acotar #acomaf #acowar #acofas #acosf #sjm #sarahjmaas #matingceremony

[lemonade-coolattas]

here comes the bride

bat boys/nessian oneshot. modern au. literally just pure fluff. it’s sickening.

a/n: technically a follow up to the best flower bros oneshot, so it might be helpful to read that, but totally not necessary!

wordcount: ~2.8k

tw: language

Cassian is a man living on the edge. 

He wishes he could say that it’s only because he’s marrying the love of his life today and he needs the day to go off without a hitch, but it has more to do with the permanent smirks gracing his brothers’—his best mens’—faces. At this point, he’s not sure if Rhysand is actually planning something to get back at him for the little stunt he had pulled at his brother’s wedding, or if the whole day the bastard has been toying with him—making Cassian think he’s planning something, the psychological warfare the sweetest revenge in itself, the anticipation for whatever his brothers are plotting making Cassian’s brain go haywire. Every time Rhys so much as breathes too loudly, Cassian flinches, not even sure what to expect, just knowing it can’t be good. 

It had come to a head in the room of the farmhouse where they had been getting ready, Helion shoving a drink in Cassian’s hand that was just good enough to distract him from his two brothers slipping out of the room and returning a few minutes later with a smugness on their faces that had every warning bell in Cassian’s brain clanging. He had immediately shooed out the rest of the party to square off against his two brothers, arms crossed across his chest. 

Az had rolled his eyes at the posturing, while Rhys innocently cocked his head and clapped a hand on his shoulder, telling him to relax, with that damning twinkle in his eye that caused him to tense even more. 

He had never regretted the prank he had pulled at Rhys’s wedding more than that moment. 

He wanted to grab them by the shoulders and scream that it wasn’t just their balls on the line if something went wrong, but his own, too. He loved the hell out of his future wife, but Nesta could still scare the shit out of him while somehow turning him on at the same time, which just made her all the more terrifying.

He knows, really, that the anxiety coursing through his veins doesn’t just have to do with getting pranked, knows that it’s the wedding itself that’s causing his heart to crawl into his throat, but he’d much rather dwell on his brothers’ potential shenanigans than be turned into a sniveling, fidgeting mess. 

Not that he’s nervous about marrying Nesta. Gods, that had been the easiest decision of his life. 

But old habits die hard, and sometimes old fears rear their ugly heads, making Cassian doubt he’ll ever be good enough for her, ever worth it—

So it’s easier to focus on his pain-in-the-ass brothers, instead. 

But now, minutes before the ceremony, he thinks he might finally be in the clear. At least until the reception. 

He had made Rhys and Az swear not to pull anything during the ceremony on Nesta’s behalf, who had demanded no pranks to potentially ruin photos of the ceremony.

When they agreed all too easily, Cassian, knowing his brother’s words were worth shit, had gone to Nesta and made her threaten them. And, for extra measure, he had asked (begged) Feyre for a favor, and she had sighed, but told Rhys that she wouldn’t have sex with him for a week if he pulled any funny business while Cassian and Nesta got married. 

So the ceremony, beginning in fifteen minutes, after the private “first-look” photos, is off limits.

Meaning he’s safe. 

For now.

And since he’s safe, the anxiety that clutches his chest like a vise morphs into a different type of anticipation, excitement and nerves thrumming through his body like a live wire. 

Because Nesta is about to be his wife.

Azriel stands beside him where he faces the rolling gardens that stretch from the porch to the edge of the property line of the venue they had rented for the wedding and reception. The aisle and altar stand in a shaded grove on the other side of the property, beyond the towering farmhouse from which Nesta will emerge.

When she had suggested doing a first-look photo shoot, revealing her in her dress to just him and a photographer to capture the moment without any prying eyes, he hadn’t hesitated to agree. 

I don’t need you bawling like a baby as I walk down the aisle, she had teased. Which he definitely would be. He started choking up during the rehearsal dinner last night, and she was only in a pale gray gown that fell to her knees. She had kept her wedding dress tightly locked away, so he has no idea what she’ll look like, but he’ll be a blubbering mess the first time he sees her regardless. Because no matter the dress, it’ll be her. His Nesta. His wife. And that’s what matters, all that matters.

Cassian feels tears begin to prick his eyes and wipes at them before they can fall and Az can tease him. He feels his brother’s burning gaze on him anyway, but luckily, the other man only murmurs that the photographer is here, meaning Nesta should be emerging any second. Rhys, unable to go a few hours without trailing after his wife—the sap—had gone to visit Feyre under the guise of retrieving Nesta and bringing her to the porch of the farmhouse where Cassian waits. 

“This is really happening, huh?” he mutters to his brother, drumming his fingers on his thighs, fidgeting with his cufflinks, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Az places a hand between his shoulder blades to steady him, and Cassian tries to take a deep breath. 

“I’m happy for you, brother,” Azriel murmurs, then tosses a glance over his shoulder, his dark eyes brightening with something a lot like glee. The wooden slats creak under the weight of someone standing behind him, on the other end of the porch, and Cassian isn’t all that surprised to find his hands shaking already.

Azriel turns back to him and fucking beams. “She’s here.” With one last squeeze of his shoulder, he backs away, and Cassian strains his ears, hearing Az pause where Nesta must be waiting. “I’m happy for you, too.” There’s a teasing note in his voice, and then more creaking as he pads down the wooden steps of the porch to stand in the garden, content to watch from a distance with Rhys, leaving him and his future wife alone on the porch. The faint clicking of the photographer’s camera coming from somewhere around the corner is nearly muffled by the roaring in his ears. 

Nesta shifts behind him, closing the distance until he can feel the heat of her at his back, and he releases a shaky exhale.

A hand squeezes his ass, and he jumps a little before huffing out a breathy laugh. “Easy, sweetheart,” he murmurs, closing his eyes. “We have company.”

Instead of responding, a warm hand falls on his shoulder and squeezes, and he guesses that’s his invitation to finally turn around. 

He takes a deep breath, tears already pricking the corner of his eyes, then turns.

And stumbles back a step, bumping into the wall of the house, speechless. 

Because, in front of him stands not his fiancée, not Nesta, but Rhys, his brother wearing a white, sleeveless gown that’s too tight across his broad shoulders and flares out to a tutu that hits about mid-thigh. A flower crown weaves through his inky black hair, a veil fluttering in the breeze behind him.

Cassian can only stare as his brother holds his arms in front of him, and says, in a high falsetto voice, “Honey, I’m here!”

He blinks once. Twice.

And then Cassian doubles over and—loses it. 

He falls further back against the wall, one arm splayed to keep him semi-upright, gut-wrenching laughs being pulled out of him, slapping at his chest. When he manages to crack open his eyes, seeing Rhys with his arms still outstretched, a false pout on his lips, his knees nearly come out from underneath him with the force of his guffaws.

“Sweetheart.” Rhys stomps his foot, his skirts flouncing at the motion, still using that ridiculously high voice, and Cassian thinks he might die of laughter, really. “It isn’t very polite of you, laughing at your fiancée like this.”

Cassian finally manages to straighten, catching a glimpse of Azriel over Rhys’s shoulder, his other brother’s shoulders shaking with restrained hoots of laughter, a phone in hand as he records the whole thing. Grin stretching so wide it hurts his cheeks, Cassian eyes Rhys up and down, taking in the whole get-up. It’s nothing more than a Halloween costume, really, but it’s about three sizes too small and nearly busting at the seams. He had even smeared some red lipstick across his lips. Still, his brother is rocking the ensemble, and the sight is almost enough to make Cassian lose it again.

Almost.

And Rhys must see the gleam in his eyes, because his own widen for a beat in panic, before he schools his face back into the pouting, if slightly more wary, mask.

“My apologies, sweetheart. I’d love to make it up to you.”

And before Rhys can even think to move, Cassian darts forward and pulls Rhys up and into his arms, cradling him bridal-style, no easy feat considering his brother is his height and nearly as broad and squirming.

The facade drops like a hat. “Cassian, as your boss, I’m demanding you to put me down this instant, or I swear to the Mother—”

“Now, now, is that any way to talk to your future husband?” Cassian tightens his grip as Rhys continues to buck around, trying to get free, and Cassian is honestly surprised Azriel hasn’t dropped the phone yet considering how hard he’s howling. Cassian leans forward, puckering his lips, and—

“How romantic. Should I let the officiant know that there seems to be a change of plans?”

Cassian drops Rhys, the other man barely getting his legs down in time to catch him and grunting at the impact, and whirls to the sound of her voice. 

“Babe, it’s not what it looks like.”

Nesta stands beside Azriel—who’s still grinning like a madman—her hands propped on her hips and an eyebrow raised. “Oh really,” she purrs. “Because it looks like my fiancé and brother-in-law are about to elope.” There’s a teasing glint in her eye as she and Azriel climb the stairs to stand across from them on the porch. “Whatever will I do with all the negligees I have packed for our honeymoon?”

It’s then Cassian takes her in. 

She’s not yet in her wedding dress, but her makeup is striking, her hair is done in a lose crown braid, soft tendrils loose and curling to frame her face. And she’s wearing a slip of a white robe with her initials monogrammed over her heart, the silk doing nothing to hide her curves, and—

Gods, the breath is punched right out of his lungs. 

He is definitely going to cry when she walks down the aisle, whether he’s seen her in the dress beforehand or not. 

Hell, he’s about to cry now. 

With a clap of his hand on Cassian’s shoulder, Rhys brushes past him to stand on Nesta’s other side. He slings a casual arm over his shoulder.

And Nesta doesn’t shake him off in disgust.

If anything, her grin widens at Cassian’s slack jaw, and she cocks her head to the side, raising her other eyebrow. “Yes, dear?”

Cassian’s pretty sure he’s died. 

“You… you two planned this? Together?”

“I planned it,” Nesta retorts, and Rhys shrugs in assent. Azriel nods. “They were only too willing to play a part.”

Cassian still can’t wrap his mind around them working together.

He pointed between Rhys and Nesta. “You’re telling me you two actually agreed on something?”

“In this particular instance, our interests were aligned.”

Rhys nods again. “Payback’s a bitch, brother.”

Nesta pulls out from under Rhys’s arm, and finally scans him head to toe. Rhys crosses his arms across his chest, challenge in his eyes. A smirk slashes across her face, and Cassian knows in his soul that their truce is over. “And to think Feyre said you couldn’t pull it off.”

Rhys’s jaw drops, and he spins around, like he’s going to find his very pregnant wife squatting behind a bush. “She did not.”

Nesta wiggles her eyebrows in Cassian’s direction behind his back, and he chuckles, closing the distance between them so he can reach out and snatch her wrist, pulling her close. 

“Gods, you’re sexy when you’re scheming.”

“Even when it’s at your expense?”

He winks. “Especially when it’s at my expense.”

Her eyes practically glow. “Good.”

He’s just bending to close the distance between their lips when he’s suddenly being yanked back by the collar of his tux. 

“None of that. I did not just spend an hour on her makeup for you to ruin it.”

He spins to find Elain behind him, chiffon skirts fluttering and camera dangling from her hand and fire in her eyes. “Cauldron, woman, where did you even come from?”

She jerks her head to the side, and then Feyre emerges not from the bushes but from around the other corner of the house, waddling a little, one hand on her rounded stomach, just visible under the flowing skirts of her dress. She stops dead in her tracks and claps the other hand over her mouth at the sight of her husband, who has rushed forward to greet her, his own skirts trailing behind him. “Darling.” He plants a kiss on her cheek, then bends further to plant one on her stomach. “Aren’t I stunning?”

Feyre manages to remove her hand from her mouth, keeping a straight face through whatever iron strength she possesses. “Absolutely radiant, my love. I think you should wear this when we renew our vows.”

Nesta rolls her eyes, even as the corner of her lips tug upward. 

Feyre looks at Rhys, then to Cassian, then back to Rhys, mischievous grin crossing her face. “You got him good, didn’t you?” She raises her hand for a high-five, and Rhys obliges. Azriel groans. 

“Alright, enough of that,” Elain tuts. “We’re running behind schedule, and we need to get someone into her dress and,” a glance at Rhys, who’s made his way back up onto the porch with his wife on his arm, “someone else out of his.”

Cassian shakes his head, meeting his fiancée’s eyes. “So was all that bullshit about not interrupting the ceremony just a way to keep my attention elsewhere? Get me so worried about that, that I’d let my guard down for this?”

Nesta’s gaze darkens even as a smile pulls at her lips, and she turns to face his two brothers, who go rigid under her glare, her voice deadly soft. “Oh no, that threat was very real. If you two idiots even think of pulling something during the ceremony, I will cut off your favorite body part and enjoy every second of it.

Rhys has the good sense to look down at Feyre, who nods gravely. Cassian swears Azriel swallows.

Before Cassian can pull her back to him and try his hardest to ruin Elain’s hard work, the other two Archeron sisters are tugging the bride off the steps and back around the corner to the bridal suite within the farmhouse. 

“Wait,” Cassian calls. “I thought the point of this was so I don’t ruin any ceremony photos with my ‘blubbering’ when I see your dress?”

Nesta turns slightly to throw a wink at him, the shoulder of the robe slipping down to reveal bare skin, and damn if his pants don’t start to feel a little tight in the crotch. “Fuck the photos. All I want is to marry you.”

And then she disappears around the corner, leaving the three brothers alone on the porch again.

He expects the nerves to rush back in now that she’s gone, the realization that he’s about to get married to scare him shitless, but—

Nothing.

All that anxiety—gone.

And as Rhys—the faux diamonds on the bodice sparkling in the afternoon light, steps to Cassian’s side—Cassian realizes that’s the gift that his brothers decided to give him, not really a prank at all. 

Paying back the favor, indeed. 

This time when he lunges to pull his brother into a hug, Rhys doesn’t resist, and pats him on the back, Azriel watching with a fond expression. 

Cassian takes their closeness as an opportunity to whisper low in Rhys’s ear. “You think Az knows that when he finally gets hitched, we’re coming for him next?”

He can feel Rhys’s laugh, and even though they’re out of hearing distance from their other brother, Azriel raises his eyebrows. 

Cassian can feel Rhys’s smirk. “Oh, I think he’s counting on it.”

a/n: this was alternatively titled Rhys’s Revenge. like the the best flower bros, this was loosely based off a tiktok (found here), bc i am nothing if not weak for wedding shenanigan tiktoks. 

general acotar tag list (if i’m missing you or you would like to be tagged/taken off, please let me know!!):

@live-the-fangirl-life​

@themoonthestarsthesuriel​

#listen LISTEN my number one dream for acotar book 5 is that now rhys and nesta are kinda getting along they just team up on everyone #and start like 8 different prankwars #and put their absolutely unmatched energy together to just fucking dominate #please sjm make it happen #nessian fic #nessian ff #nessian #a smidge of #feysand #really just #bat boys #fluff #acotar fanfic #cassian #azriel #rhys #rhysand #nesta archeron #feyre archeron #elain archeron #sjm #night court #acotar #a court of thorns and roses #nessian fanfic #acotar fic #acotar au #my writing

[featherymalignancy]

So, idk why I’ve had this thought about IVV. Bear with me!

I always picture a scene where Nesta and Cash go to an event of some sort (a friend’s wedding, Solstice party for Nesta’s firm, etc). Of course Cash is always a wonderful, charming guest and people enjoy talking to him. He makes them comfortable, and they seem at ease around him.

Over time, they broach the subject of wine— something he’s carefully avoided, especially when the wine provided is not something he would have necessarily recommend— and he’s doing the polite thing by sipping the “meh” wine and saying diplomatic things to be polite.

But there’s usually someone who considers themselves quite the expert, and they challenge him on most things he says. And they’re outright wrong. So he keeps gripping the back of Nesta’s dress and sending her pleading looks when they aren’t looking so that maybe she’ll save him. Because he’s capable of a lot of things— of being polite and reserving his own opinions— until someone is not only dead wrong but rude on top of it.

Eventually they develop a system of sorts where on the way to these events, Nesta helps mentally prepare him and his wine snobbery for some of the repeat offenders. He’s receptive, but he always makes her promise to bail him out when they start to approach his breaking point or one of his top 3 pet peeves. Otherwise, she’s allowed to find a little amusement in his light suffering.

Idk if this is something you would agree with my any means, but the scene insists on itself in my brain 😅

OMG I love it SO much, Cassian just tugging urgently on Nesta’s skirt in child-like panic as she casually bats him away because yes, she heard Karl from M&A insist that rosé is made by blending white and red grapes,  but she’s also in the middle of a conversation, and Cassian is just going to have to wait! 😂 

When I first started reading your headcanon, I also imagined it going something like this:

Nesta has—from Cash’s perspective—been seemingly avoiding bringing him to any of her work functions, which he of course internalizes as her thinking he will be bad for her carefully-crafted professional reputation.

Luckily, Nesta and Cash’s relationship is in a really healthy, communicative place, and instead of letting this unsubstantiated fear fester in his mind, Cash casually asks Nesta about it.

Nesta is equal parts amused and vexed by this question.

This isn’t about Cash not being well-recieved, she assures him. In fact, she’s confident he would be almost annoyingly popular, and that she’d never hear the end of it. 

She hasn’t invited Cash because as delighted as most of her colleagues would likely be by Cash’s dazzling smile and quick wit, she doesn’t think he’d find them nearly as charming. Lawyers can be pedantic at the best of times and egomaniacal at worst, which can make for dreadful cocktail conversation if one wasn’t careful. If Cash doesn’t believe her, he’s welcome to come along to the next party and see for himself.

Mostly satisfied with this answer but still eager to prove to Nesta that he belongs in her well-heeled, erudite world, Cash goes HARD in the paint at the first firm event he attends. Chatting to everyone, making all the right jokes and generally just working the shit out of the room. When Nesta tries to stay close—claiming that she just wants to be on hand in case Cash needs rescuing—Cash eventually convinces her that he doesn’t need hand-holding and that she should work the room...

....and that’s when he gets stuck talking to Todd, a hopelessly long-winded Electronic Discovery Consultant that everyone—save poor Cash—knows to avoid at functions like this.

Doubly unfortunate is that Todd has recently taken an interest in wine, and now considers himself something of an “amateur professional” on the subject (who is going to tell this poor sap that one cannot, by definition, be both an ‘amateur’ and a ‘professional’ in the same area??)

However, Cash doesn’t really have a rude bone in his body, and he’s still stubbornly trying to prove his adeptness at navigating this type of socio-political environment, so he’s just sorta—stuck listening to Todd incorrectly mansplain wine. The time for politely interjecting that Cash is a sommelier himself has long since come and gone, so Cash just has to nod along and  pretend everything Todd’s saying isn’t wrong.

Just went he’s starting to panic that he might literally have to fake a stroke to get out of this convo, Cash feels Nesta’s hand at his elbow. Before Todd can attempt to restart his educational monologue for Nesta’s sake, she cuts him off.

“Todd, my boyfriend may be too polite to tell you that he’s a Master Sommelier and knows more about wine than any of the rest of us could hope to learn in a lifetime, but thankfully I’m not.”

Having done the seemingly impossible of stunning Todd into silence, Nesta flashes him a quick smile and just says, “Will you excuse us?” Before steering Cash away.

Cash only has time for a sheepish wave before Nesta drags him to safety behind a pillar, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

Cash can only really roll his eyes.

“Go ahead, say it.”

“I told you,” Nesta says, voice a little sing-song. “Now, are you going to be honest with the next arrogant ignoramoose who tries to tell you about your own job, or am I going to have to get you one of those ‘Ask Me About Wine. I’m an Expert!’ Buttons they wear under their nametags at Whole Foods?”

#Feathery writes #In Vino Headcanon #Nessian Modern AU #Sommelier!Cash #Lawyer!Nesta

[empire-of-wildfire]

HOLIDAY SURPRISE

A @starseternalnighttriumphant X @empire-of-wildfire CHRISTMAS MINI-FIC COLLABORATION

a/n: here’s the last part guys!! We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this as much as we loved writing it! Super sorry about the posting schedule change, but sometimes life gets in the way and it just didn’t work out like we planned.

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3|| Part 4

Cassian woke up in his hotel room on New Years’ Day and wondered how much shit he’d be in if he just skipped his brother’s wedding. 

No one would admit it, but they’d heard his argument with Nesta on the front porch Christmas morning, knew that Nesta was doing everything in her power to avoid him and make sure he didn’t see Amina. He’d only been allowed five minutes with his daughter the past couple of days, and that was because Azriel had “accidentally” let it slip that Elain was watching the little girl. She giggled and let him show her the proper footing for sword play before the front door opened and Nesta was standing there ready to spit fire at him. 

Since then, he’d been helping get everything ready for the wedding, setting up tables and chairs and  light fixtures. Feyre kept him busy, giving him sympathetic glances every so often. She’d tried to talk to him about it, but he shut it down every time. Nesta had made it quite clear how she felt about everything. And once that woman made her mind up, it took nothing less than a miracle to change it.

Sighing heavily, he tossed back the covers and threw his legs over the edge of the bed, rubbing his face roughly. He stared at the suit hung up on the hotel room mirror, the fabric a deep navy with a white undershirt and matching navy tie. A memory tugged at the edge of his mind. 

“What kind of wedding do you want? Tell me and I’ll make it happen.”

Nesta propped herself up on her hand, looking down at him with a soft smile. “You’re being very bold.”

“I’m going to marry you one day, Nesta Archeron,” he drawled, running a finger over her bare shoulder. “And I want it to be everything you’ve dreamed of.”

“It doesn’t matter,” she breathed. “As long as you’re the one I see at the end of the aisle, I don’t care what the wedding looks like.”

His heart stuttered at her words, but he played it off with his signature smirk, grabbing her up and rolling on top of her as she laughed. He kissed her deeply and then pulled back, grinning. “Don’t tempt me, I’ll be waiting for you in a gold suit.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” she laughed and he decided he wanted to hear that noise for the rest of his life.

His phone buzzing yanked him out of the past, and a sharp pang pulsed in his chest as he recalled it. Frowning, he picked up the phone, a long list of things to do already waiting for him from Rhys. Sighing, he gathered his things and headed to the small convention center where the wedding and reception would be. 

The grand ballroom was mostly finished, needing just a few more last-minute things before the wedding in a few hours. Rhys was rushing around and barking orders, none of the women to be seen. He knew they’d be upstairs getting themselves and Feyre ready, and his heart stuttered slightly when he thought about the other Archeron sister that held his heart. 

“Rhys,” Cassian stopped him after half an hour. “Everything is fine. Let the rest of the staff finish the last details. We should be getting ready too.”

His brother’s shoulders were tense under her hands, and his eyes were slightly wild with what Cassian expected was pre-wedding anxiety. “I just want to make sure everything is perfect.”

Cassian’s mouth twisted into a grin and he looped his arm around Rhys’s neck, dragging him towards the staircase that led to conference rooms upstairs. “Feyre couldn’t care less about what everything looks like. She’s marrying you, not the ballroom.”

Rhys gave him a long suffering sigh, but allowed his brother to lead him to the room where all the groomsmen would be getting ready. Azriel was there pouring whiskey into glasses, Varian and Tarquin arguing over which shoes would look best with their suits. 

“Get dressed and do all your pretty man things, and then we’ll drink until it’s time,” Azriel drawled to Rhys, a slight smirk on his face. 

Once everyone was dressed and ready to go, they took turns passing stories around, drinking whiskey until they felt warm and loose. Cassian stopped the pouring, not wanting Rhys to be drunk on his wedding day. An alarm went off, signaling it was time for Rhys to head down. Cassian clapped him on the shoulder and poured one more round after he left.

Minutes later, Cassian turned the corner to where the bridesmaids were already waiting, and his breath caught in his throat. Nesta was first in line, an icy blue dress clinging to her figure. It was sleeveless, and billowed at her feet, the bodice looking like ice crystalized over her abdomen and up her chest. Her hair was down and lazily curled, falling around her. She had a bouquet of flowers in all hues of blue in one hand, the other fixing a loose curl on the dark head of the small child before her. 

He wondered if he was about to pass out from lack of oxygen as he took in his daughter, dressed in the same navy color as his suit, the dress puffing out in a tutu fashion, white tights on her legs. There was a flower crown on her black locks, the same flowers in the bridesmaids’ bouquets. She had a basket in her hand, and as he stood there and watched Nesta and Amina smile at each other, he realized how much of a godsdamn idiot he’d been. 

When he’d woken up on Christmas morning to an empty bed, he knew something wasn’t right. When he’d found his phone next to him, open on his text thread with Emerie, inappropriate photos glaring right in front of his face, he knew he was in deep shit. Of course Nesta had assumed the worst. He would’ve done the same. He had immediately deleted the messages, sick to his stomach as he realized Nesta had seen them and left him there. But she’d had to know that Emerie meant nothing to him. In fact, the moment he’d landed in Velaris he hadn’t thought of the woman once. He hadn’t even thought to tell her he was staying in Velaris longer, that’s how little he’d thought of her since he’d been here.

And then Christmas morning had been so thick with tension, and the fight they’d had on the front porch had struck him deep in his heart. The way she’d looked at him, with heartbreak in her eyes, had been worse than the first time he’d seen it four years ago when he’d told her that he was leaving for Illyria. 

Now he was standing here looking at the woman he’d loved for a near decade, the woman who was it for him, it was going to be Nesta or no one else. The mother of his daughter, who was looking up at her mother with an adoring look. All he wanted, all he needed was standing here in this convention center and he couldn’t believe it had taken him this long to figure it out.  

He walked up to her, trying his best to stay relaxed as he watched her shoulders tense up. She didn’t look at him but she knew he was there, straightening up and pretending to pick at a loose string in her dress. He just stared at her until she let out a disgusted noise and looked up at him, that steely fire in her eyes. “Can I help you?”

“You look beautiful,” Cassian murmured, his face open and soft. 

That fire guttered and she swallowed hard before looking back to the doors to the ballroom where Rhys had just slipped through. He looked over everyone and then gave Cassian a nervous smile. 

“The music is going to start in a minute, and the attendants will open the doors,” he explained, even though they’d already gone over this many times. “Once the doors open Amina will go down and you just follow her.”

“Yes brother,” Cassian huffed, giving him a playful shove. “Now please get back in there and wait.”

Rhysand let out a deep breath and disappeared back into the ballroom. Cassian just shook his head and smirked, watching as everyone started to fall in line. He looked back to Nesta and was surprised to find her already looking at him. She said nothing as she held out her arm, and Cassian wrapped it around his, resting her hand on his forearm. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but the music started and the doors opened. 

His eyes were on Amina as she smiled at everyone and threw flower petals all over the floor. She was a shining star, and his heart melted as he watched her. He wondered how that smile would mature, if it would turn subdued like her mother’s or wild and wicked like his. He knew he couldn’t wait to find out. 

He reluctantly let Nesta go as they headed to their respective sides of the aisle, Cassian standing between his brothers as they all turned their attention back towards the doors. A moment later, Feyre came into view, and a grin crept across his face. 

She was absolutely beautiful. Her dress was a soft white, that ice-like beading matching the bridesmaids’ dresses. A crown sat on her head, the same bridal crown that Rhys’s mom had worn during her wedding. A soft smile sat on her face, her eyes locked on only one person in the entire room. 

Rhys had a hand on his mouth, eyes shining as his gaze stayed on his soon-to-be wife. As she neared, he dropped his hand to reveal a devastatingly handsome smile, reaching out his hand to take hers. 

Cassian’s eyes drifted to where Nesta stood off to Feyre’s side as the couple went through their vows. The words hit home with every syllable, and when her eyes connected with his, he knew this was where he was meant to be. He hoped his own eyes reflected the romantic words Feyre and Rhys were exchanging, hoped she could see the decision he’d made the moment he saw her standing there in that dress. 

Her blue-gray eyes never left his, even when the minister announced the couple to kiss and everyone clapped and shouted. They didn’t leave his when Feyre and Rhys walked back down the aisle, and didn’t leave his when he reached for her to follow them. He only looked away when he felt a tug at his pants, saw his daughter looking at him with a bright smile. That smile took his breath away, and he grinned back, grabbing her up in his arms. She fit just right in one arm, his other hand reaching to grab Nesta’s. She surprisingly allowed it, and he could see that she was fighting a smile. 

They made their way to the reception area, finding themselves at the same table with Feyre, Rhys, Azriel and Elain. Nesta took Amina from him and they sat on the opposite side of the table, and Cassian tried not to let it sting. He wrapped himself up in conversation with Azriel, finally getting to catch up with him. 

Then it was time for dancing. He watched Feyre and Rhys dance together, smiling slightly the whole time. He knew his brother would be happy for the rest of his life, as long as he had her. When everyone else began to join, he suddenly felt nervous, as if he was going to prom for the first time all over again. As his eyes landed on the woman opposite, he figured it was kind of similar. He’d asked Nesta to prom, fully expecting her to laugh in his face. She had surprised him by saying yes, and when she’d said yes again to a date with him when he’d dropped her off at home, he knew she would change his life forever. 

He stood and came around the table, holding out his hand. Nesta looked to his hand and then up at him, her eyes guarded. 

“May I please have this dance?” he breathed, holding her gaze.

It seemed like he waited a lifetime before she nodded and put her hand in his, letting him pull her out of her chair. He guided her to the dance floor, placing one hand on her hip and clasping one of her hands in the other. Her free hand came up to his shoulder, her body slightly stiff as if she didn’t know if she wanted to touch him. 

“Relax,” Cassian drawled, pulling her closer. “Pretend we’re juniors at prom again.”

She rolled her eyes but he felt her body slowly start to loosen under his hands. They swayed to the soft music of the song playing, her body warm against his. Her hand felt right in his, and he wished he could bottle up this feeling and get drunk on it for the rest of his life. 

“I need to tell you something,” he said, sighing when she tensed again. “And I need you to listen to every word of it.”

Nesta looked up into his eyes, seeing the seriousness there, the pleading. She exhaled a deep breath. “Okay.”

“When I left after college, I thought I was making the right choice,” he began, not looking away from her intense gaze. “To get a job with a high-end law firm… I never thought that would happen for someone like me. And being young, unemployed, and not sure where I was going in life, it was like a miracle handed to me. 

“I thought you would follow me. I was so… I was so set on this job, I thought you would see how much I wanted it and would just… upend your life for me.” He shook his head. “I should’ve realized that would’ve been a shitty thing to ask of you. And I should’ve realized it was a mistake to take the job.”

Nesta’s full mouth fell open slightly, eyebrows narrowing in surprise at his words. 

“I meant what I said on Christmas Eve,” he breathed, hand releasing her own to come up and stroke her cheek. “I can practice law anywhere. I don’t…” he shut his eyes briefly before opening them again. “I don’t need the job in Illyria. I don’t need the law firm, I don’t need Emerie, I don’t need the recognition it gave me.”

He cupped her face between his hands, staring into the hazy blue gaze. “I need you. I need you, our daughter, this life. I want to wake up to you every day, I want to hear our daughter’s laugh, I want to watch her grow up and I want to keep falling in love with you.” He released a shaky breath. “I have never stopped loving you, Nesta Archeron. And I’m so fucking sorry. I am so sorry that it took me this long to figure it out. I’m sorry that I missed so much of your life, of Amina’s life. And you don’t have to forgive me, but I will spend every day of the rest of my life proving to you that the only things that matter to me are you and our daughter.”

They stood still on the dance floor, couples still dancing around them, but all Cassian could focus on was the woman looking up at him with wide eyes, her face completely open, every emotion he was feeling flickering across her features. He said nothing more, thumbs stroking her strong cheekbones. Her eyes roved over his face almost wildly, and then her mouth parted again, her breath shaking. 

“I…” her voice was hoarse. “For the past four years, Cassian, that’s all I wanted to hear.”

His knees threatened to buckle at the relief that flooded through him. He pulled her even closer, forehead resting against hers, noses brushing. “I will say it every day until you believe it. I’m not going anywhere. My home is here. You are here, Amina is here. I’m not going to make that mistake again.”

Tears dropped down Nesta’s cheeks, and he wiped them away, his thumb brushing across her bottom lip. 

“I don’t know if I can forgive you, but I want to try,” Nesta whispered, her voice thick with emotion. 

Cassian couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his lips. “Good enough for me.”

And when he leaned down to kiss her, when she didn’t hesitate to kiss him back, he knew that this was his forever. 

—

THREE YEARS LATER

Nesta Archeron-Laskaris often thought about what a whirlwind the last seven years of her life had been. From losing Cassian when he went to Illyria, to finding out she was pregnant, to then trying to deal with a newborn baby that grew into a stubborn, headstrong little girl, her first years out of college were a constant juggling act. But over time, and with help from her family, she went from feeling like she was drowning in a sea of uncertainty and self doubt, to being able to tread water most days. Then Cassian came back for the wedding, and flipped her world around again so she didn’t know which way was up. 

A small smile crept onto her lips at the thought of Cassian. Her husband. He’d spent every day of the last three years making up for the time he lost with her, and with Amina. He’d moved back to Velaris permanently about six months after Feyre and Rhys’s wedding and had moved in with her and Amina. They’d had a lot of time to work on their relationship, rebuilding the trust they’d lost when he left. Cassian had started his own law firm in Velaris, and was doing extremely well for himself.

Once they finally felt like they were in a good place, that they’d been able to work through everything that had happened while they’d been apart, he’d gotten down on one knee and asked the question they both knew he’d been waiting to ask for more than a decade. Cassian had made everything perfect, taking her back to their lake spot where they’d made so many memories when they were kids. After he’d proposed he’d laid Nesta down and made love to her under the Velaris starlight, worshipping her body and whispering promises of his commitment and love for her into her skin.

They had a short engagement, wanting to be tied together as soon as humanly possible. The wedding had been about a year ago.

The autumn leaves created the perfect backdrop of red, orange and gold behind the archway Cassian was standing under. Nesta had always wanted a fall wedding, but after Cassian left she never thought she’d get to this point. It shouldn’t have surprised her that Cassian still managed to make every single dream of hers and every promise he’d ever made to her come true.

It was a perfect day for a wedding, not cold enough that the guests would freeze but the air still carried the scent of crisp leaves and fires that Nesta always associated with the season. She watched Amina walk down the aisle, just as she’d done for Feyre and Rhys’s wedding a few years ago, spreading flower petals and smiling at everyone. She’d grown so much in the last few years, and she amazed Nesta and Cassian every day with her intellect and her bright, bubbly personality.

Feyre and Elain followed after Amina, and then suddenly it was Nesta’s turn and all she could see was Cassian. The moment he saw her tears sprang to his eyes, and Nesta could see every single ounce of love and adoration shining in those hazel eyes she loved so much. A single tear slipped down his cheek as Nesta reached him, and she quickly brushed it away before they turned towards the minister.

The ceremony was simple, but neither of them heard a word the minister said. Their eyes were locked on each other, not looking away for a single second until it was time to exchange rings and vows.

As always, Nesta went first.

“Cassian. Our life together hasn’t always been the easiest, but there are very few things I regret because it’s led us here, and given us a beautiful little girl and a wonderful life together. I’ve loved you every single day for twelve years, and I’ll love you every single day of the rest of my life. You’re an amazing father to Amina, you love me more than I deserve, and I thank the gods every day for giving me you. Every day is a new adventure with you, and I can’t wait to see what our future holds.”

Then it was Cassian’s turn. He was visibly emotional, as was Nesta, and he swallowed past the tightness in his throat before speaking.

“I told you a couple years ago that there was nowhere else I’d rather be than by your side. That you were my home. And while I meant it with every fiber of my being then, that had absolutely nothing on how I feel about you now. Everyday I’ve fallen more in love with you, with what an amazing mother, sister, and friend you are, and I know I’m going to keep falling harder for you every day for the rest of my life. I knew at sixteen that you were it for me. My only regret is the time we lost, but I can make peace with that knowing that we’ll be together for the rest of our lives and even beyond that. Because I belong with you, Nesta Archeron, in every single life. Not just this one.”

Then the minister pronounced them husband and wife, and Nesta thought that when Cassian kissed her, she was going to combust right then and there from sheer joy.

Nesta looked out their dining room window, thinking about that day. She’d been doing that a lot in the last week, the news she’d gotten from her doctor making her more nostalgic than normal. She’d told Cassian she couldn’t wait for what their future together held, knowing it would be full of surprises. She just hadn’t anticipated the surprises starting so soon. Although, with Cassian as her husband and her daughter being the spitting image of him, she supposed she should be thankful they didn’t start sooner.

At that moment, she heard the front door open, and Cassian and Amina burst in the kitchen after Cassian went to pick her up from her sleepover at Elain’s. Amina ran over to her mother, throwing herself into Nesta’s lap. 

“Hi Mommy!” Amina grinned up at her.

Nesta laughed lightly, pushing Amina’s hair out of her face. “Hi baby. Did you have fun at Aunt Elain’s?”

Amina nodded vehemently. “We had pancakes for breakfast! Uncle Az even let me put whipped cream on them!”

Nesta smiled at her, deciding to ignore the fact that her daughter had eaten that much sugar so early in the day. “I’m glad you had fun. Go put your bag upstairs, okay?”

“Okay!” With that, Amina bolted up the stairs, leaving Cassian and Nesta alone in the kitchen. 

Nesta stood up, walking over to Cassian and folding herself into his chest. He immediately wrapped his arms around her, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

“You okay?” He asked, mild concern lacing his tone.

“I’m fine, just missed you,” she replied softly, looking up into his hazel eyes. She gave him a quick kiss then turned to grab a drink out of the fridge. “Hey, while I have you here, will you look at the papers on the table? We both need to sign them but I need you to look them over first,” she said as nonchalantly as she could.

She heard more than saw Cassian make his way over to sit down at the dining room table. “Sure, what are the papers for?”

Nesta deflected quickly, not wanting to give it away. “You’ll know as soon as you read them.”

Cassian shuffled through the papers, and she saw his brows knit together in confusion. “You got the paperwork to change Amina’s last name? I didn’t think we were doing that yet. I know we talked about it, but—” He broke off suddenly, finally noticing what was under the paperwork that he’d just picked up. “Nes, why is there a sonogram picture on the table?”

Nesta let out a soft sob, smiling through her tears as she walked over and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “The sonogram is mine. I had an appointment two days ago. I just got the paperwork in the mail this morning, but I figured we should probably do it now, since Amina will probably want to have the same last name as her little brother or sister.”

Nesta had hardly finished her sentence before Cassian had launched himself out of the chair, grabbing Nesta around the waist and spinning her in a circle as they both laughed. He set her down and rested his forehead against hers, tears already running down his face. “You’re pregnant? Seriously?”

Nesta nodded quickly, wiping her eyes. “Seven weeks yesterday.”

“We’re having a baby,” Cassian whispered, eyes alight with wonder and love.

“We’re having a baby,” Nesta echoed.

Cassian kissed her, pouring all his love for her into the kiss. When he finally pulled back, breathing heavily, he looked into the steely, gray-blue eyes of the love of his life, the mother of his children, and said “I love you, Nesta.”

Nesta brushed his lips with hers and whispered back, “I love you too.”

-

@werewolffprince​ @schmlip-scribble​ @justgiu12​ @westofmoon​ @legallyhermione​ @love-is-a-contradiction @shyvioletcat​ @oversizedbats​ @superspiritfestival​ @ladywitchling​ @disgreisful @empress-ofbloodshed​ @lovemollywho​ @highqueenofelfhame​ @rocky99​ @sayosdreams​ @mynewdreamwasyou​ @whydoineedtowriteanamehere​ @charincharge​ @sjm-things​ @cookiemonsterwholovesbooks @queenestarcheron​ @julemmaes​ @littlehoneyybee @throne-of-crescent-roses​ @sleeping-and-books​ @agentsofsheilds​ @that-golden-lyre​ @swankii-art-teacher​ @nessiantho​ @soveydaaaaaa​ @mythicaitt

#holiday surprise #holiday surprise 5 #hs5 #nessian #starseternalnighttriumphant x empire-of-wildfire

[bookofmirth]

#5 for mor/cassian lol

5) which character ends up getting drunk at their wedding reception and kisses the best man/woman?

Oh. My. God.

I had to do some math to figure this one out. First off, who are they marrying? And who would be their best people?

Let's begin with Cassian.

Cassian is marrying Nesta, meaning her best woman/maid of honor is probably... Gwyn? No, he's not kissing her. However, Cassian's best man will be Azriel. So yes, he would get drunk and kiss Azriel, and then he'd see the way that Nesta watches them together and probably have to dip out of there a bit early. At this point she tells him about her fantasy and he tells her about his past with Azriel and...

Now Mor, and I have to preface this with the facts that Mor has a lot of friends and is very affectionate.

Mor is going to marry Emerie. Emerie's maid of honor will be Nesta, and while Mor and Nesta will have grown closer by then, Nesta is still like a gift with purchase. Mor loves Emerie, and Emerie loves Nesta, so Mor and Nesta make nice. They've developed a good understanding, and while they no longer see each other as threats, they still aren't going to go so far as to show affection.

Mor has multiple best people, however. She kisses them all. First off is Cassian. "I knew my best friend would be the best kisser," and she winks at Nesta and says she caught a good one. Nesta just rolls her eyes because at this point she knows there was never really anything between them and Mor happened to have caught them coming out of the coat room readjusting their clothes. And Mor will definitely kiss Feyre, and it's not like a sexy thing really, she just loves her friends a lot. Feyre does not see it coming, but she also doesn't really object. Mor also finds Gwyn at some point, twirls a lock of hair around her finger and just gives her a peck on the cheek after saying how pretty she is. Once she's made the rounds, she declares to the whole room that she is a married woman, and her lips are closed for business.

#acotar #acotar headcanons #ask #ask meme #morrigan #cassian #cassian & mor #anon

[bookstantrash]

A/N: Shoutout for @perseusannabeth for requesting a wedding prompt regarding my Queen inspired fic “Somebody to Love” (you can check here Part one and Part two)

I was very inspired, so I hope it reached your expectations!! I also started to draft the next chapter for In which She Makes a Friend, so we may be getting Part Five before the year is over.

And I wish a happy belated Christmas/Holiday/Friday to y’all ❤️

Prompt: Elain and Azriel come clean about their plotting during the wedding day speech

Stupid Cupids

Everything was perfect.

The ceremony had been a private thing — Nesta was known for being a reserved person, even more now that her book was on New York’s Best Selling List for three months since its release, and Cassian preferred to leave the extravagance to the reception, which was being held at one of Rhysand’s hotels, a wedding gift from both him and Feyre.

Cassian was not going to lie, he had been tempted to thrown everything to the wind and just run away to Vegas to marry Nesta and be done with it. He had half jokingly told her that, only to receive a murderous glare from the three Archeron sisters plus Emerie, all who had been planning the wedding non stop since his proposal at the karaoke bar. He was smart to not bring it up again, even as a joke.

Then, after one year being engaged, Cassian was now Cassian Archeron, married to the one and only Nesta Archeron herself, all of their family and friends there to testify it.

The Archerons and Emerie had been Nesta’s maids of honour, while Rhysand and Azriel were Cassian’s best men. The Archerons’ father had passed away years ago, so Nesta had asked Lucien to walk her down the aisle. They had met at therapy group shortly after the Archeron patriarch had died, and had bonded over their shared messed up life — Lucien was trying to come around the fact that his father was not the man his mother had been married to, which she had finally divorced after years of abuse, having remarried with Lucien’s biological father.

They had all gone to Rhysand’s hotel for the party and by now, all were a little bit tipsy. Cassian and his brothers had done a Dancing Queen number— Cassian declaring that ABBA would have been proud of their moves — while Nesta and the girls had danced to Beyoncé’s Run the World (Girls) — which had been just as memorable.

And now it was time for the speeches. Emerie had been the first, being surprisingly followed by Azriel, who, although quite shy, had overcome it for Cassian.

“Well, here we are. Who would have thought that Nesta would finally take pity on Cassian and accept his proposal?” Azriel said with a grin.

That earned laughs from the guests and a ‘Fuck you!’ from Cassian, who was seated by Nesta’s side, his tie and blazer long discarded.

“Honestly, if I had to describe their relationship, it would be that of an enemies to lovers book plot worthy of the bride’s writing” that made Nesta laugh and blow Azriel a kiss “They had their share of hardships along the way, that’s for sure. But you won’t find a couple as in love with each other as Cassian and Nesta are”.

“Did you hear that Rhysand? ‘No couple as in love with each other as us’!” Cassian teased, making Nesta roll her eyes.

“There’s still time to annul the wedding sister- in-law!” Rhysand said back.

“However, we wouldn’t be standing here were it not for an intervention from fate. Cauldron knows how headstrong those two are” Azriel smirked “So, I would like to ask for Elain Archeron to come here and help me tell the tale of how Cassian’s proposal came to be”

The crowd murmured in confusion, the newlyweds just as lost as them.

Elain rose from her sit, and made her way to the small stage where Azriel was making his speech, receiving another microphone from the staff.

“ Thank you Azriel, for sharing the stage with me” Elain was Azriel’s counterpart in every way, all bright smiles and easiness to talk, with a pale pink dress and hair lovingly arranged with flowers, while Azriel stood by her side in all black except for his dark blue cuff links and dress shirt “Cassian is hardworking, kind, loyal, deeply generous and an excellent cook. I could not hope for a more perfect husband for my dear older sister”

Nesta smiled sweetly at her said husband, interlacing their fingers. Yes, he was everything she could have hoped for and more.

“But, he sure is as stubborn as my sister too, as Azriel has already said” Elain’s light brown eyes sparkled with mischief “Those two fools would never have talked properly after their latest quarrel had it not been for indeed Fate’s intervention, with Fate having two people working for him: me and Azriel”

“Feyre, we would like to apologise for having you take the blame and Nesta’ scolding, but it was actually Elain who told me where you girls were headed that day” Azriel said, bowing his head in apology.

“Betrayed by my own sister” Feyre sighed, trying to appear angry but failing miserably.

“I messaged Azriel to ask if he knew the reason for why my sister looked as if she wanted to commit murder,” Nesta groaned and hid her face in Cassian’ shoulder in embarrassment “ but he knew as little as me.”

“We got to the conclusion that it would be impossible to get anything out of those two buttheads, and decided to take matters in our own hands” Azriel grabbed a remote control from inside his pocket and pointed it at the projector behind him “We wanted to force those two to have a talk like grown ups, but ended up with something even better: Cassian’s own public declaration of love to Nesta”

“Oh no, you didn’t!” Cassian exclaimed, watching as the big screen showed his little singing act to Nesta at the karaoke bar.

“This video is courtesy of Rhysand” Azriel explained, failing to hide his smile.

The screen proceeded to show Cassian singing — “Why didn’t you do something like that when you proposed?” Viviane Neige said to her husband, Kalias, gazing at the screen in awe at Cassian’s romantic act — and his declaration of love, which raised ‘oohs’ and ‘awwws’ from the female guests.

“In conclusion, we would like to say that it’s thanks to no other than us that we could all be here today and enjoy such good food. A toast to the groom and to the bride!” Azriel declared, raising his glass.

“To their ever lasting happiness!!” Elain added.

All the guests joined the toast and drank their glasses, clapping loudly at Azriel’s and Elain’s speech.

“You are not mad, are you?” Cassian whispered in Nesta’s ear, afraid she’d feel betrayed due to having been made a fool.

“I got you in the end, didn’t I?” she replied, kissing their interlaced fingers “Besides, I had a proposal worthy of a Hollywood cliché”

“Oh, the things I do for love” Cassian murmured, kissing his wife “Do remind me to thank those stupid cupids later”

“As you wish husband” Nesta whispered.

After that revelation, both cupids received a very generous ‘Thank you’ basket from the newlyweds, becoming famous matchmakers among their friends.

•

Tags: @sayosdreams @thewayshedreamed @sjm-things @perseusannabeth @arin1030 @caotica-e-quieta @vidalinav @swankii-art-teacher @ireallyshouldsleeprn @duskandstarlight @greerlunna @thegoddessaltenia @dayanna-hatter @verypaleninja @awesomelena555 @courtofjurdan @allilal @sensitiveillyrian @moe8 @illyrianwitchling13

{Please let me know if you’d like to be added to my tag list}

#sarah j maas #sjmaas #sjm books #sjm fanfic #nessian #cassian x nesta #nesta archeron #cassian

[8emmy]

(Not So) Sweet Home Velaris

Sweet Home Alabama AU AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19891252

The Illyrian Valley was vast and heavily wooded. The mountains that surrounded the valley were known for being the largest in the country. Millions of nature enthusiasts and outdoor lovers visit the national parks and mountain resorts yet no one knew that there was a small town nestled in the center. Nesta’s rental car passes the welcome sign of her hometown, Velaris population 1,035. Nesta felt her nerves running high. She hasn’t been here since she was twenty-three leaving for law school. Nesta’s hands tighten on the steering wheel.

She knew that if she pulled over and called Mr. Suriel and explained the seriousness of getting the paperwork finalized that he, being a professional, would get it done. But she also couldn’t risk another setback. It was already two years of back and forth frustration, and she now had a deadline that was coming too close to the end.

If that good for nothing two brain celled bastard actually signed the papers like he should have done two years ago… Even the thought of going through this mess for two years gave her a stress headache. It should have been easy, Mr. Suriel was the one giving the papers. He was basically a family friend. He knew Cassian and Nesta since they were toddlers. It was supposed to be simple. She wasn’t trying to get money out of him as if he had any or property. His house from her suppressed memory was a glorified trailer in the woods near Starfall lake with outdated appliances and doors that were falling off their rusted hinges. It was a bachelor shack.

She only wanted a clean slate. Tomas needed a clean slate.

She glanced quickly at her diamond engagement ring. It was a decently sized diamond large enough to stand out but not so large that she looked like she had an unnecessary boulder taped to her finger. Tomas still didn’t know. He doesn’t even know that Nesta was from a tiny town in the north of Prythian. All he thought he knew about her was that she was a Corporate lawyer (true) that was born and raised in Orilon (lie). Absently she rubbed at her ring as she drove her eyes still trained on the road in front of her. She’ll need to slip it off before confronting Cassian. Cauldron forbid that the sight of it will cause Cassian to double down on being spiteful over the thought of Nesta being happy.

She rolls down Main Street. It was quiet for a Tuesday afternoon. There were a few people out and about slipping into the post office or walking out with their groceries from Vin’s General Store. She parks her rental car in front of a blue building in the window a sign reads:

“Suriel LLP For All Your Legal Needs”

She rubs at her ring, debating if she should take it off before heading in. The town lived off of gossip. Even the sight of her being seen could reach Cassian’s ear by the local grapevine before she gets to his door. She leans into her back seat, searching for her overly broad sun hat. In her glove compartment, she finds a pair of large sunglasses. She slips on her poor disguise before leaving her car.

Suriel LLP looked like it did when she was 23 when she was just Mr. Suriel’s Legal Assistant/Receptionist waiting for her letter from Orilon University Law to arrive. Reception was unsurprisingly empty. The waiting room sofa was the same brown tweed with the same coffee stains on the cushions, and she swears that the same magazines sat on the coffee table untouched. Old landscape sketches hung on the wall showing the Illyrian Steeps, the mountain range that surrounded the valley she was currently in. She walks up to the reception and dings the bell. She calls out, “Excuse me. I am here to see Mr. Suriel; I am his 1:30 appointment.”

No answer. Nesta crosses her arms over her stomach, tapping her heeled foot impatiently. Who takes lunch at this hour? Did she forget small town hours? How her lunches used to run an hour over sitting in Rita’s with Mr. Suriel pouring over legal books to study for her LSAT? When Cassian would surprise visit her at work to take her home for lunch? Her scowl deepens. Back home, Orilon is home now; she would go out to lunch maybe three times a month. Tomas was busy running his family’s small real estate empire and would try to schedule lunch dates into his overly stuffed schedule. They would go to a fabulous sushi restaurant that must have been the best restaurant in all of Prythian. Sometimes if Tomas were romantic, he would take her out to the boardwalk to eat by the sea and talk, mostly about the appending wedding and what was still needing to be discussed with the wedding planner.

She really wished she was back home.

The bell from the door rings. “Sorry ma’am I was at a business lunch, and it ran overtime.” Mr. Suriel’s voice came up behind Nesta. She turns to face him. “Nesta, your early.”

She faces the skinny old man that was being swallowed in his tweed suit that matched the sofa. Mr. Suriel’s cheeks were hollow and his lips thin. His thinning grey hair was combed over, giving him a deep part. Mr. Suriel was in his early seventies but looked like he was pushing into his nineties. “Yes, the traffic wasn’t too bad, leaving the city.”

“I didn’t expect you to be here till 1:30. Claire doesn’t come back from her lunch for five minutes.” Mr. Suriel looks up at Nesta, eyeing her large hat skeptically. “Fashion choice or trying to hide incognito till you see Cassian?”

Nesta twists her engagement ring. Mr. Suriel’s eyes are drawn to the sparkling ring a tight smile forms. “Congratulations are in order as well. Have you taken back Cassian?” Nesta’s eyes narrow. “No. It looks like you met someone new. How… Charming. All the same, congratulations on your up and coming nuptials. I am guessing your visit is more business than casual.” Mr. Suriel moves over to the hallway to the left of the reception desk. “Please follow me to my office. I have to print out the papers still. Would you like anything to drink? The breakroom is… well, you know where the breakroom is. We have a new coffee machine, the one that takes the pods. Claire claims that it saves us from throwing out so many pots of wasted coffee. I swear that it doesn’t. Her husband is selling them at Vin’s. I think he conspires with her to push sales, but you didn’t hear it from me.”

Nesta follows Mr. Suriel to his office. His office was neatly organized; all his paperwork was left in neatly labeled file folders left on his long row of filing cabinets. “It looks like you haven’t switched your files to electronic,” Nesta comments taking a seat in an old worn-out leather chair. Mr. Suriel places his briefcase upon his desk beside a similarly old bulky computer monitor circa 2002. “Do you still use WordPerfect?”

Mr. Suriel opens his briefcase taking out a pair of thick-lensed glasses. “Claire switched me over to Microsoft Word 2013… I’m still getting used to the… layout.” He logins into his computer his glasses reflecting the strobing lights of the desktop and his eyes looked double in size. “We’re still not up to the times like your firm must be. I must say well done on your career so far, Nesta. I knew you would make a great lawyer; at this rate, you’ll be a partner soon.” Mr. Suriel’s eyes flicker over to her before going back to his screen. Nesta could see the shortcuts reflecting off his glasses as he searched out her divorce papers.

“I don’t think so. I’m only a junior associate; it’s going to take a couple more years even to be recognized.” Nesta takes her hat off to run her hand over the brim absentmindedly.

“My office is always looking for new talent. If you ever find yourself coming back –”

Nesta cuts in, “I don’t think that will ever happen.”

Mr. Suriel looks at her with the same tight-lipped smile and all-knowing magnified eyes. “May that be the case or not my door is always open, and I’ll be thrilled to have you back as an associate. Ah, here it is.”

Nesta sucks on her cheek. Her living here, again? Working in a tiny firm, again, dealing with small claim cases and drunk and disorderly? Ha, he must be going senile too at his age. She watches him as he clicks open the document and slowly presses print. The sound of the printer in the breakroom begins.

“Would you like me to come with you?” Mr. Suriel asks; his hands are clasped on the desk his attention solely on her; his large magnified eyes were watching Nesta like prey. How easy has she forgotten the uneasy nature Mr. Suriel has. How he lived for small-town drama and what a drama would it be to see Nesta and Cassian see each other again. An eruption of bruised prides and anger would surely rock Velaris to the core like an earthquake.

“No,” she shifts in her seat, straightening her posture. “I can handle this on my own. I am sure he’ll sign if I’m present.”

Mr. Suriel’s eyes narrow. “I don’t know. He was quite… set in his way when I last was over. He actually tore up the divorce papers.”

“You said in your email that he said that he would only sign if I was there.”

“He also said, mind you, that over his dead body would he sign anything without his lawyer present.”

“Good thing I’m a lawyer.”

Mr. Suriel’s eyes sparkle. “I think you misunderstood. His lawyer is Varian; he is out of town presently but…”

“I know that there have not been any changes since they were first sent to Varian’s office for his review. I don’t think his presence is needed to sign two-year-old papers.”

Claire comes in with a large stack of papers. “Mr. Suriel, I believe that these are yours. Nesta! How lovely to see you,” Claire Beddor was heavily pregnant. That was the first thing that Nesta saw, Claire’s large stomach and then the graphic tee showing an ultrasound of a baby holding an eviction letter with what she presumed to be Claire’s due date bolded. Nesta smiles a similarly tight-lipped one that mirrored her old boss’s. “Wow, you look so… fancy,” Claire eyes Nesta up and down.

Nesta thought what she wore was, to her, casual. She wore her signature navy blue office dress with ruffled three-quarter sleeves with a pair of understated Jimmy Choo’s. She defiantly looked more dressed up than Claire Beddor’s jeans and pregnancy tee-shirt. It was surprising to see the most popular girl in her high school look so ordinary. “Are those Jimmy Choo’s?” Claire asks taking the seat next to Nesta, forgetting about the stack of papers she held.

“Yes,” Nesta replies, watching as Claire rubs her stomach with her empty hand. “Congratulations on the baby.”

“Hmm,” Claire replies absently still looking at Nesta’s shoes and over to her Hermès Birkin, all gifts from Tomas to mark their second-year anniversary. “My third. I really wished that Isaac could afford a purse like that.” She sighs.

“Claire, can you please pass over the papers to me?” Mr. Suriel’s hand reaches over the desk. His limbs were long and bony. Claire looks over to him her material daze broken by her boss’s voice. She smiles brightly and passes the papers over to him before turning back to Nesta.

“How is Orilon, I heard it’s the city that doesn’t sleep. How fabulous.” Claire sighs.

“It’s like any city really. It’s busy, loud, and overly crowded.” Nesta says, placing her hat over her purse.

“It must be like living in a fairy tale. I could never picture myself living there myself. I have my world here. Mom and dad are growing old, and the girls have started school. It must have been so scary to move from our quaint town to the city all by yourself all alone.” Claire made it sound like it was far worse than it was. Sure, it was scary, but so is every choice an adult makes. Including starting a family which to Nesta was far more terrifying than moving cross country. “But now you’re some big shot lawyer.”

Nesta tight-lipped smile hurt her cheeks as she watched Claire rub her stomach. Would that have been her if she didn’t leave for law school? Pregnant and regretting her life choices?

Mr. Suriel interrupts. “Nesta, here you go. Everything has been flagged that requires Cassian’s signature. Please bring back the lawyer copy to me once everything is signed.”

Claire moans, “Ohhhh,” Nesta back goes rigged. Please not this, please cauldron anything but this. “Your still not divorce?”

“That’s why I’m here. You know Cassian, stubborn as a mule.” Nesta says, taking the papers into her hands. She reaches down to her purse, and a shocked sound was made from Claire. Nesta’s hand was yanked towards Claire’s face. The young woman lifts Nesta’s hand, eyeing the sparkling diamond on her finger.

“That’s a rock!” She exclaims. “No wonder you’re here. I would want to show off that sparkler to my ex too.” Her smile is wicked as she catches Nesta’s gaze. “Looks like you caught a rich one.”

Nesta pulled her hand back from Claire’s grasp. She grabs her purse and stuffs the divorce papers into it. “I would rather not discuss my personal life.”

Claire puffs her cheeks, “I’m not sure why you wouldn’t want to talk about marriage. It wasn’t like your first one was any good. The groom didn’t even show up to the reception.” Nesta presses her eyes closed tightly and breathes in and out. Count to five. Remain cold and distant. She’s just upset that you left and had a life while she stayed and made hers miserable with the additional three she made.

“I rather keep my engagement under wraps. I still need to get my divorce finalized.” She finally says, standing up. Mr. Suriel gets up as well. He moves around the desk and moves over to the door opening it for Nesta to walk out. He stops her and says, “Remember what I said. My door is always open.”

She thanks him and walks out back onto Main Street with her hat and sunglasses on.

It wasn’t like Claire was wrong. Her first marriage wasn’t great; there was a reason that she fled so far away to attend law school. Cassian was her first boyfriend. The first boy she let herself bring her walls down. He was handsome and cocky, and he knew how to spar with her. They were shockingly, friends before lovers. In her teenage heart and in her diaries, she thought that he was it. He was the one. They would be like Claire and Isaac married with three kids living in a small shack by the lake with Cassian working at the mechanics’ shop and her working at Suriel LLP as a Legal Assistant/Receptionist. But no that was not how her marriage with Cassian was.

She was a fool that got pregnant after a football game when Cassian scored the winning touchdown. They made love under the stars in the back of his pickup listening to the radio. Their marriage was the right thing to do. A respectable young lady needed to be married before she started popping out babies. It was rushed and horrible, and Nesta wished she never agreed to the whole thing. The church service was awful with Cassian running late from his long night bachelor party drinking with his brothers and turning up still drunk. She didn’t understand why he needed to be drunk to marry her. Was this not what he wanted? He always said he wanted to marry her.

Nesta shakes her head. Back to the present Archeron, there is no time to fall back to bad memories. She gripped her steering wheel tight driving towards Cassian’s home.

It was like how she remembered it but also not. The one-story home was painted pale yellow sidings with ivy growing up the sides of it. The front yard was patchy and unkempt. Even the small garden Elain started was more weeds than vegetables. The porch ran in front of the house with the best view of the lake. Two rocking chairs sat under the kitchen window the screen door was still closed, but the front door was open. She could smell biscuits baking. She closed her car door with a clang slipping her engagement ring in her purse as she walked up to the steps from the porch past the rocking chairs to the screen door. She not so polity knocked on the door.

“I’m coming; I’m coming. Hold your fucking horses, Rhys.” Cassian voice rose from the depth of the house. Nesta back straightens. He sounded like he just woke up. Great, Cassian half-awake is the worse Cassian. “Tell Feyre to calm down. I made the fucking biscuits as I told her I would.” She caught sight of him; he wore a tight-fitting tee-shirt and dark joggers. His hands were in his long hair pulling it up into a ponytail. He had yet noticed that Nesta was not Rhys. He groggily moved to where Nesta thought could be the kitchen table picking up a plate of biscuits. “I don’t understand why she still thinks I’ll flake and not make –” He noticed her his shock expression was not lost to her nor how he dragged his eyes up and down her form as if trying to make sure she was, in fact, real and not imaginary.

He walks up to the screen door. His arm rests above his head as he leaned on the door frame. He has his signature smirk on his face, and his eyes looked like they were sparkling. Nesta scowled. “As I live and breathe, my wife has returned. What can I do for you?” He looked so full of himself. So proud of himself. He smelled like Irish Spring and coconut. Nesta tries her best not to close her eyes as she breathes him in. After six almost seven years of not seeing him, he’s acting as if she was gone on vacation and was back home from finding herself. His smile was lovely and warm and so not worth the pain that she was about to give him again. But then again, she didn’t love him. He didn’t love her.

“For starters, I need you to stop being a stubborn mule and sign the divorce papers.” She wills her eyes back to ice. She takes out the divorce papers from her bag and places them in Cassian’s viewpoint against the screen door. Cassian lifts his hand to rub at his jaw his smirk no longer there, and his eyes looked heavy.

“I already told your lawyer that I ain’t signing shit till Varian looks over the paperwork.” He says, looking over the paper to Nesta.

“Varian has seen the paperwork the first time. Nothing has changed.” Nesta pushes the paper harder against the screen door.

“And how do I know that if Varian hasn’t reviewed it. I don’t want to find out that you took all my money and my home from right underneath my nose in the fine print.” Cassian gaze never flickered back to paper. He was only looking at her.

“Cassian -” Nesta begins before Cassian straightens his back. Nesta drops her hand, holding the divorce papers.

“Do your sisters know that you’re in town?” Nesta looks past his shoulder. “Of course not. Why would you want your only family to know that you came to town to harass me about divorce?”

“I have a plane to catch. Can you sign the damn papers?”

“Is Varian here?” Cassian crosses his arms over his chest as if waiting for an answer. “No? Well, I guess there’s your answer. Go see Feyre and Elain. They would like to see their runaway sister.”

“That is none of your concern. What my relationship is with my sisters is for me to decide, not yours. We have been separated for seven years, Cassian. We’re not husband and wife. Just sign the papers.”

“You know what I changed my mind. I won’t speak to you until you talk to your sisters. Varian also must be present, but I want you to talk to your sisters.” Cassian moves closing the front door and locks it.

“For fucksake!” Nesta screams at the door. She pounds and pounds at the door. “Open the fucking door Cassian! Stop being a child!”

She continues to pound as Cassian blasts music. She stops and remembers that Cassian probably still didn’t know where the spare key to the house was. Cassian was not the type to change the locks to his glorified shack residency, and he probably forgot that there was a spare hiding somewhere on the grounds of his home. Nesta ran her hand up the kitchen window. The curtains were drawn, and it looked like Cassian wasn’t in the kitchen. She ran her hand up to the top of the window frame feeling for the – “Ah-Ha!” Nesta proclaims getting her fingers around the key and pulling it down.

She unlocks the door and steps in. The house was neat. Not surprising from Cassian’s strict childhood. The kitchen was clean with old tiled countertops and 50s appliances. His fridge was covered in magnets holding pieces of paper and photographs. She places her purse on the small four-seat table set in the middle of the kitchen and walks over to the fridge seeing a photo of herself and Cassian smiling taken in tenth grade. And there was another of her and Cassian, and another and another with their friends and family and on the side of the fridge next to the oven hidden, but not well enough was the photo. The photo of the ultrasound.

Nesta turns and goes back to her purse for the divorce papers. She hears him humming, happily thinking that she gave up. She moves so she can see the tiny living room. He’s sitting on the couch flicking through channels on his tv. His plate of biscuits sat cellophaned on the coffee table next to his feet. She moves with purpose in one hand the divorce papers in the other the spare key. She moves to the stereo and slowly turns down the music. Cassian turns.

“I am calling the cops your breaking and entering on private property.” Cassian hands go for his cell phone that too was on the coffee table charging.

“It’s not breaking and entering when I know where you keep the spare key,” She waves the key in front of his face, “and also, as I am still married to you this is our property. I dare you to call the cops I’m doing nothing wrong.”

“Nesta, I swear to the Cauldron that if you don’t leave my house this instant, I will drag you out.”

“Is that a threat?” Nesta moves further into the living room. Cassian had his phone unlocked in his hand.

“Maybe, would you want to test it?” Cassian opens up his contact list going through it till he reaches Rhys’s name.

There was a knock at the door. Cassian and Nesta looked at each other. “Cas! Hey, sleepyhead! Feyre is worried that you forgot her biscuits! Cas! Wake up, dude! If you don’t get over here in like five seconds, I am coming in!” Rhys’ voice yelled from the door.

“Fuck…” Cassian rolls his head back. He snaps back, staring down and Nesta, “You stay there.” He gets up, picking up his plate of biscuits and walks out to the front door.

“There you are sleeping beauty. Come on we got to get those to Feyre.” The screen door squeaks open.

“Hey dude, I’ve got to do some stuff before I head over.”

Nesta not taking Cassian’s command began to creep over to the archway separating the living room to the kitchen. She peeps her head around the corner spotting Rhysand wearing a sheriff uniform. His dark hair that was once almost as long and shaggy as Cassian was cropped short showing off his slightly irregular pointed ears. He had the same dashing smirk and childish spark in his eyes.

“Work on a Friday? I thought you said that you would never work weekends?” Rhys said his hands on his waist.

“Yeah… I got some paperwork that needs to be done today. Why don’t you take this,” Cassian passes his plate of biscuits to Rhys.

“That’s not enough; the whole gang is over. This will not last a second.” Rhys takes the plate.

“I don’t really have the time currently to bake three hundred and fifty biscuits for your fiancé to stuff down her throat.”

Nesta’s eyes widen. Rhys was engaged? Not with Feyre, surely not. Feyre would have told her so.

“Hey, it would be Mor too, they share.”

“Yeah, whatever. I’ll be over in like an hour tops.”

Nesta, not wanting to miss her chance, walked into the kitchen. “Rhys,” Nesta greets walking fully into the kitchen.

“Work my ass, Cas. Think of the devil, and she appears. Nesta, what hole have you crawled out of this time.” Rhysand replies. Cassian glares at Nesta moving to the right to let Rhysand into the house.

“Not the one you were hoping of. I am here actually to –”

Cassian cuts in, “to help me review contracts. You know as she is a corporate lawyer, she has a better understanding of… contracts.” Rhysand gives him a skeptical look.

“I am not here to look over contracts if I was; he could hardly afford it.” She looks at him pointily. “I am here to get him to sign this.” She extends the divorce papers toward Rhysand who whistles.

“I thought you dealt with this already,” Rhysand looks at Cassian who was leaning against the tiled kitchen cabinet.

“I thought I did,” Cassian replies.

“Tearing it apart is not dealing with it.” She deadpans. “Can you please force him to sign the damn thing! It costs me a small fortune.”

“As much as I would love to use my badge over my brother that’s an abuse of power that might force me out of office.”

“Can you at least talk some sense into this idiot?” She asks.

“That I could try… But not today.”

“I need this signed today. I don’t have time to play this game anymore.” Nesta huffs.

“I am sure another week won’t hurt you,” Cassian replies. “Varian will be back and will look over the papers then I will sign.”

Nesta goes to her bag on the kitchen table and begins a search for her ring. She puts it on and flings it in front of Cassian. “I don’t have a month for this Cassian. I am getting married in four weeks, and I still have things to plan.” Cassian’s eyes go wide. Rhysand gasps.

“I am guessing your sisters don’t know,” Cassian replies, still looking at the diamond with a stet jaw. She really didn’t want to show the ring, but it was the only card she had left.

“Please sign the papers.” Nesta drops her hand, pushing the papers towards Cassian on the table. He sits down the vinyl chair squeaks at his weight and finally looks at the paper. Rhysand stands back at the door his eyes still looking at the sparkling diamond on her hand. No one knew. She wanted to leave her old life behind. She wanted to start her life new with Thomas with nothing holding her back. She always thought of herself a loner with no family. She pulls out a pen with her firm’s name on it and places it next to the paper for Cassian to reach.

He looks at it then looks over to Rhysand.

#nessian #acotar fanfiction #sweet home alabama