#elriel fanfic

[duskandcobalt]

Everywhere, Everything: Chapter Four

Chapter Summary: Azriel meets Elain’s new boyfriend at Nyx’s birthday party. Graysen has some questions about Elain’s “friend.”

Word Count: 4.4K

Missed the first three chapters? You can find the Masterlist for this fic here 🥰

A/N: chapter four already!! Thank you to everyone that’s read this fic and commented or interacted in anyway! I’ve had the loveliest messages come through and it’s been such a joy to chat with you guys about this. I’m a little extra nervous to post this chapter, please keep in mind that this is a bit of a slow burn and we must suffer a little before we get our reward. Alternate title is “Graysen Slander (Azriel’s version)”

ENJOY XX

Read on AO3

Flying back home to Velaris had caused Elain a level of anxiety that had previously been unknown to her.

There used to be a time where she enjoyed seeing her city from the birds-eye-view of an airplane window. She loved to look down and admire the twinkling lights on either side of the sprawling river that split her hometown in half. She liked to scan the buildings as they came into view and point out each place that held a space of her heart because of the special memories attached.

There was her elementary school, the movie theater parking lot where she had her first kiss, and her favourite library. There was the ice-cream shop located a few blocks from their childhood home that she and her sisters would sneak out to at all hours of the night for their cookie dough fix, not bothering to change out of their robes and slippers. She’d look out for the small park where she and Nesta spent their Saturday’s sprawled in the grass, reading books and gossiping. Her heart ached as she spotted the rose and sculpture garden she and Azriel liked to stroll through early on Sunday mornings, hot cups of coffee warming their hands as they walked and talked, Azriel leaning in close to tell Elain that the roses there had nothing on the ones that she grew in her garden.

She hadn’t bothered to point any of those places out to Graysen as their flight had made its descent. Hadn't really felt the need or desire to share those parts of herself with him. She’d just sat quietly, staring straight at her own reflection in the little screen in front of her as she took deep breaths to try and ease the rapid beating of her heart.

Her anxiety had calmed a little once they’d landed and disembarked, emerging from their gate to Nyx’s loud squeal of her name which brought her back to reality just in time for her to drop her bags and catch his tiny body as he ran towards her at full speed and flung himself into her outstretched arms. 

“Hi, baby!” She’d hugged him tight, overwhelmed by just how much she’d missed him.

“Hi, Lain!” Nyx giggled, his little face tucked tight against her neck.

She hadn’t questioned the nickname, one her nephew had never called her before, because she had been too distracted breathing in the scent of his hair - the scent of the same watermelon shampoo that her mother had used during bath time when she and her sisters were kids. It was comforting and familiar and exactly what she needed to push past the worry that had rendered her useless for the past few hours.. 

The initial introductions had gone as well as she could’ve hoped.

Graysen had defaulted back to the easy charm that he’d used back in the day to talk Elain into a drink and it seemed to work on Feyre and Rhys well enough that the drive back to their house and the late dinner that followed were easy and painless. The only hiccup was that Nyx refused to even greet Graysen and had thrown him the most menacing looks he could muster up each time Graysen so much as attempted to hold Elain’s hand. 

“He’s jealous,” Feyre had laughed nervously, embarrassed by her son’s behavior after he’d insisted on sitting next to Elain at dinner. “He’s always been a little territorial when it comes to her and since he hasn’t seen her in a few months…” 

Graysen had laughed it off but Elain had caught the annoyance in his demeanor at the idea of having to share her. Even if the person he was sharing her with was just her soon-to-be five year old nephew. 

Elain’s anxiety returned in full force the next afternoon when guests began to arrive for Nyx’s party. No amount of rearranging balloons or organising the treat station could keep her attention off the front door each and every time it opened. It was only a matter of time before he showed up and the wait was torture. In the years she’d known Azriel, he’d never once missed an important event when it came to his friends and there was no way he’d start now. 

“So…” Nesta appeared next to her suddenly, head cocked to the side as she leant against the table and watched in amusement as Elain straightened the goodie bags for the seventh or eighth time that hour. “Graysen seems nice.” 

“Yeah,” Elain nodded, not bothering to look up from the little cellophane bags full of treats that she’d been busying herself with for the last ten minutes. She didn’t need to look at Nesta to know her true feelings. She could hear it in her voice. “He’s great.” 

“He’s very… passionate.” Her sister studied her nails as she fought to hold back the teasing smile that played on her lips.  “About work. And golf. And work. And his car… Did I mention his work? Because he certainly did.” 

“Okay, okay.” Elain groaned, casting a fleeting glance across the room where Graysen was still chatting to Rhysand. 

She sent a thank you to the universe that Feyre had married a man that had the talent and patience to talk to absolutely anyone. She couldn’t say the same for Cassian, who had quickly maneuvered out of that conversation and over to the backyard to terrorize the kids, instead. 

“He just loves his job,” Elain shrugged, finally turning to face her sister. 

Nesta raised a perfectly manicured brow, fixing Elain with a pointed look. “You mean he loves money.” 

There was a reason Elain had never introduced a boy to her family and the reason was standing directly in front of her, all perfectly coiffed hair and dangerous eyes. Feyre could find a way to see the good in anyone and the boys would say they were okay with whoever Elain dated as long as she was happy. But Nesta - Nesta had always had a knack for seeing straight through any of Elain’s lies and she’d never been afraid to call her out when necessary. It was a quality Elain had come to appreciate from time to time but she didn’t appreciate it today.

“I mean… he does work in finance.” 

“Elain.” Another pointed look was thrown in her direction.

“Nesta.” 

“He looks like he pays more for a haircut than I do.” 

“Nesta!” Elain hit her sister on the arm, unable to stifle the laugh that bubbled to the surface. She knew exactly how much Graysen paid for his hair cuts and Nesta was right. “He’s nice.”

“You know who’s nicer...” Nesta said it under her breath but Elain heard her loud and clear. 

“Stop,” Elain lowered her voice. “Please. You promised.”

“I promised I wouldn’t tell the boys and I haven’t,” she replied without missing a beat. “I never promised we wouldn’t talk about it at all.” 

“Nesta, please. I can’t talk about this now.”

What Elain really wanted to say was that she couldn’t talk about this ever, but she knew that would only result in more back and forth and right now all she wanted was for this conversation to be over.

“He’s miserable, El.” Nesta lowered her voice to match Elain’s. “He’s very good at acting like he’s fine but he’s not. You just left and I know you’ve cut him off completely since and -”

“I haven’t spoken to anyone, really. It’s not like I’ve only stopped talking to hi-” Elain abruptly stopped speaking, standing up straight and plastering a smile on her face just as she spotted Graysen beginning to make his way towards them.

He didn’t have a chance to say anything, had only just managed to sling an arm around Elain’s waist when the front door swung open and Shadow came flying through. She was nothing but a black blur, ducking and dodging around furniture as she ran straight through to the kitchen. She paused in front of Rhys for a quick hello before she made a beeline towards where Elain stood with Nesta and Graysen by the dining room table. 

Her long tail wagged furiously, whipping against the wooden leg of the table. Shadow was seemingly unbothered, too busy flailing around happily between Nesta’s legs before she finally came to a stop in front of Elain. Her long snout nuzzled into Elain’s open palm and her lean body leant heavily against her thighs.

Much like Nyx, Shadow paid Graysen little to no attention other than to sniff  in his direction just once which Elain thought quite strange given that Shadow loved meeting new people and she’d famously always favored the company of men. 

“Hi, Shadow girl!” Elain cooed, crouching down to properly greet the dog that had come to feel like her own over the years. She’d gone with Azriel the day he’d picked her up and brought her home, had even helped name her. “Look how gray you’ve gotten!”

“She’ll be nine next week.”

The timber of his voice hit her at the exact same time as the familiar scent of his cedar cologne and Elain was suddenly grateful that she was already on the ground because if she’d been standing, she was sure her knees would’ve given out completely.

Elain swallowed her nerves, raising her eyes from Shadow’s sweet salt and pepper face to look up at Azriel only to find that every bit of his attention was focused solely on her.

“Hi, Lain.”

There were a couple beats of silence before Elain got a hold of herself and stood up. She stepped forward and before she could stop herself, she raised onto the very tips of her toes and wound her arms around his neck. Azriel’s arms wrapped around her waist in turn, tentatively at first before she felt his fingers flex against the middle of her back as he relaxed, readjusting his grip to pull her tight against his chest as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Probably because it had been at one point in time.

“Hi, Az.” She whispered into his neck, breathing in the divine scent of him. The scent of home.

“Hey, Azriel!” Nesta said loudly from behind them, effectively breaking the trance that Elain had unwittingly found herself in. 

She let go of Azriel quickly and took a large step back, bumping into the dining table, as Nesta took her place in his arms. 

She was only just aware of Graysen staring at her in her peripheral, his hand once again heavy against her hip.

“Were you planning on introducing me?” He asked her as Azriel and Nesta separated and Azriel turned to face them again. Elain hadn’t noticed that she’d been staring dumbly straight ahead - directly at Azriel’s chest. 

He was wearing an oatmeal coloured fisherman’s sweater that she’d told him she loved on him more than a few times and a small, stupid part of her wondered if she crossed his mind when he slipped it on this morning.

“Oh, yes!” She shook her head, laughing nervously. “Um, Az… this is Graysen, my uh…”

“Boyfriend.” Graysen finished the sentence for her, extending his hand towards Azriel. “And you are…”

“This is Azriel. My…. Azriel.” Elain stuttered as she watched the two men shake hands.

She allowed herself the tiniest shake of her head to ease the frustration she felt towards herself. She sounded like an absolute idiot.

“I think I’ve missed something,” Graysen looked between Elain and Azriel, eyebrows lifting slightly. “How do you know each other?

“We’re good friends.” Azriel answered at the same time Elain said “He’s Rhys’ best friend.”

Jesus. Fucking. Christ. 

She couldn’t possibly have handled that any worse.

“So you’re Rhys’ friend or Elain’s friend?” Graysen asked, the slightest hint of a frown forming on his lips. 

Any hope that Elain had of him dropping this topic evaporated in front of her eyes.

“We’re all friends. We met through Rhys when he started dating Feyre and we all spent basically all our time together.” She answered quickly, briefly meeting Azriel’s eyes.

Another mistake. 

All she saw was hurt. No one else would’ve noticed because the emotion was there and gone in a flash but Elain saw past the mask. She saw the hurt she’d caused him. Hurt at being reduced to a friend of a friend, as if he wasn’t so much more to her. As if they hadn’t spent years of their lives seeing each other almost every day. Trading secrets. Letting each other see parts of themselves they’d never allowed anyone else to see.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Azriel smiled politely, redirecting his attention to Graysen. “I’m gonna go find the birthday boy but I’ll talk to you guys later, I’m sure.”

He didn’t look at her again before he walked away, Shadow obediently following right behind him. Even Nesta quickly excused herself so she didn’t have to be around to witness the uncomfortable tension that had settled heavily between Elain and Graysen..

She had absolutely no idea what had come over her. She thought she’d been somewhat prepared to see him again but nothing could’ve prepared her for the reality of him standing in front of her. Smiling at her. The feel of his arms around her - strong and sure and familiar. Nothing could have prepared her for seeing him walk away from her, disappointment lingering behind his eyes. She’d done that to him and she hated herself for it.

She silently cursed herself for ever thinking that bringing Graysen back here would be a good idea. Mere minutes had passed and she’d already fucked up. She had no idea how the hell she was supposed to make it through this day, let alone survive an entire weekend of this.

“What the hell was that?” Graysen muttered as Elain turned in his arms, once again plastering on a smile in a last ditch effort to rectify the mess she’d just made of that introduction.

“Nothing,” She shook her head, leaning in to kiss his cheek. “That was nothing.”

… 

When Azriel walked into Rhys and Feyre’s house earlier and caught a glimpse of Elain for the first time in four months, she was wearing another one of those dresses that threatened to send him to his knees. 

He loved each and every one of her dresses but the one she wore today was a pale blue with delicate straps that tied at her shoulders and draped elegantly over her frame in a way that just about teased at each dip and curve concealed by the lightweight, silky material. It was perfectly demure for a children’s birthday party but something about that dress on her was downright sinful. 

Maybe if the circumstances were different, he’d be able to steal a glance every now and then and attempt to carry on with his life, but the circumstances were not different and Azriel was cursed to get through this afternoon looking at Elain in that dress with some other guy’s arm around her waist. 

He hadn’t been able to get her out of his head. Even if he had no right to think of her in that way. Not when she’d made it abundantly clear not once but twice now, that she didn’t want him like that. Still, he couldn’t help that the memory of her kneeling on his bed and tracing a path across his hips with that pretty mouth of hers came rushing back to the forefront of his mind in the ten or so seconds that she’d been on her knees in front of him, patting his dog and looking up at him with those big, brown eyes. 

Any satisfaction that he’d gotten from that memory or simply from seeing her and having her in his arms again, disappeared the second she stepped back and he’d been introduced to her boyfriend.

He knew there was something off with the way they interacted within the first few minutes of watching them together that afternoon. Azriel knew that the smiles she gave him weren’t genuine because they never quite reached her eyes. Elain evaded Graysen’s touch, swiveling out of his grasp each and every time he went to put his hand on her hip, ducking her head so the kiss he intended to give her landed on her forehead instead of her lips. 

He wondered how no one else seemed to notice it when he could see it so clearly. He was in tune with her every emotion, knew her better than he knew the back of his own hand. He’d had time to hone that skill and right now, the piece of his brain that was dedicated solely to her was screaming that something wasn’t right. 

Azriel hated the way she acted around him. Hated the way Graysen acted towards her. Actually, Azriel just outright despised Graysen.

He’d come into this day wanting the best. He genuinely wanted to see Elain happy even if the notion of her being with anyone else made his chest constrict in a way that couldn’t possibly be healthy. But he knew she wasn’t happy and one handshake was all it took for Azriel to know exactly what kind of guy Graysen was.

His grip had been firm but his hands bore no evidence of ever doing anything more difficult than swinging a heavy golf club. Graysen had a smile befitting of a politician’s son - charming but edged with insincerity, like he’d do or say whatever was necessary to get what he wanted. He carried himself with the ease of someone that had had things handed to him on a silver platter for his whole life and there was a certain arrogance to him that had Azriel wondering what Elain could possibly see in him. He knew her well enough to know that it wouldn’t have been the expensive clothing or the twenty thousand dollar watch on his wrist that had piqued her interest just like he knew that the glittering diamond tennis bracelet circling her wrist was for Graysen’s benefit and not hers.

He’d endeavored to try and find out if the guy had any redeeming qualities at all to help Azriel come to terms with them being together but he’d been stopped every time he’d tried to approach Graysen.

Azriel almost found it amusing the way Elain had been running what could be considered award winning interference between himself and her boyfriend all day, somehow managing to keep them well away from each other in and amongst entertaining her nephew and his flock of tiny friends. But now that all Nyx’s friends and their parents had gone home and the sun was beginning to set, there was very little Elain could do to keep them from speaking. 

Graysen had started the conversation as they sat on the couch next to each other, just behind where Elain was sitting on the floor helping Nyx unwrap the copious amounts of presents he’d received today. Graysen asked Azriel about how he had met Rhys and Azriel explained that they’d met when they were kids and Rhys’ family had all but adopted him as one of their own. The topic had turned to Velaris and Azriel had sat through mind-numbing comments about how the river looked nicer in pictures, how things closed too early, and how there was no real potential for growth. 

He’d just nodded and shrugged wherever he thought appropriate and he’d failed to get more than a sentence in but then Cassian had asked if Azriel was still planning on staying at their place after dinner with everyone the next night and when Azriel had answered that he would as long as he managed to finish the ring he’d been working on, Graysen had suddenly had a lot of questions. 

“So you set up a little stall at what? … Weekend farmers markets? Sell jewelry to old ladies and teenage girls?”  Graysen asked after Azriel patiently explained exactly why he was making jewelry. “And you make money from that?”

Azriel noticed the way Elain stiffened at the condescending tone of Graysen’s voice. The snide way he laughed as he reduced Azriel’s work to the equivalent of a children’s roadside lemonade stand. She set down the toy she’d been unboxing for Nyx and swiveled around to face them.

“He’s not making jewelry with dollar store plastic beads, Gray.” It was maybe the most fed up Azriel had ever heard her sound. He’d always known her to stay quiet and avoid confrontation. He didn’t even need one hand to count all the times he’d seen her snap and each of those times had been at Feyre or Nesta so he didn’t really count them. “It’s his business and he’s done really well.”

“It’s fine, Lain.” Azriel said softly, his heart swelling in his chest at the way she defended him even if he was unbothered by Graysen’s comments. It was nothing he hadn’t heard before from his own father or brothers. He continued to speak, confidently taking Graysen’s questions in stride in a way that Elain hadn’t quite been able to.“I actually work in data security but I make jewelry in my spare time and sell custom pieces online. Although, I did have some pretty successful mornings at farmer’s markets when I was just starting out and -”

“I thought you didn’t like being called that.” Graysen interrupted him, calculating eyes shifting from Azriel to Elain.

“What?” Elain asked, eyebrows furrowed in a way that Azriel would’ve found endearing in any other circumstance.

“He calls you ‘Lain.’” Graysen replied. “You told me you hated when I called you that.”

“I just prefer ‘El,’” She shrugged, picking at the sleeve of the cream cardigan she’d thrown on over her dress. “And he isn’t the only one. Nyx has called me that all day today, as well.” 

Azriel stayed silent. He knew exactly where Nyx had picked that nickname up from but he wasn’t about to expose himself for cornering his friend’s kid into multiple conversations with the secret agenda of trying to siphon information about what Nyx’s Auntie was up to these days. 

Graysen huffed, crossing his arms like an overgrown child as he sat back. He’d dropped his line of inquisition for now but Azriel had a feeling that wasn’t the last Elain would hear of this topic and the thought made him sick.

He’d been carefully watching all afternoon - noticing the way Graysen spoke about Elain and the possessive way he touched her as if she was something to have or to own. It had turned his stomach, memories of the way he’d seen his father treat his mother seeping into his mind despite his best efforts to keep them at bay.

Azriel paid extra attention to him now, picking up the way Graysen acted towards Elain as he continued to answer questions about his jewelry. He cringed at the scowl that found a home on Graysen’s lips each time her attention was pulled away from him and the way that scowl only deepened at each passing remark that hinted that maybe Azriel and Elain had, in fact, been closer than what she might’ve alluded to earlier. 

He wasn’t sure exactly what she’d told Graysen about him. He had a feeling she hadn’t told him much at all. But he saw the wheels turning in Graysen’s head when Azriel’s craft came up again and Azriel explained exactly what type of jewelry he made and Graysen’s eyes had drifted to the chain that had faithfully stayed clasped around Elain’s neck year after year. 

His suspicions were confirmed an hour or so later when Azriel rounded a corner, making his way towards the powder room at the foot of the stairs only to stop halfway there when he was distracted by a pair of low voices coming from Rhysand’s office across the hallway. 

It was just a simple hushed whisper but his ears perked up at the voice he’d come to find grating over this very long, very tortuous day. 

He could hear his mother’s voice in his head telling him that it wasn’t polite to eavesdrop, that nothing good every came from it, but he couldn’t help himself as he stood there - still as night, locking in on the hushed conversation and blocking out the raucous laughter coming from the kitchen. 

“You know what I find most interesting about all of this?” Azriel heard Graysen ask. “In four months, I’ve heard about your sisters and their husbands but you haven’t even mentioned his name once.”

“He’s just a friend,” Elain answered quietly. “I swear.”

“Right,” Graysen scoffed. “And I suppose he’s the friend that gave you that necklace?”

Azriel swallowed,  his eyes pinching closed at the animosity - the clear jealousy - that laced Graysen’s question. He could hear the malice in the way he spat out the word ‘friend’. He could only imagine the way he’d be glaring at the little gold oval that Azriel knew Elain would be clutching in between her thumb and index finger.

Graysen had asked her about the necklace, that thin gold chain Azriel had gifted her all those years ago that sat faithfully around her neck every day since. It was his only sign, as delusional as it might’ve made him, that she still thought of him. After everything that had happened the year prior, Elain still wore that small, handmade pendant and even if they didn’t speak, even if his messages had gone unanswered… Maybe her continuing to wear that necklace meant that she didn’t completely despise him. 

Azriel kept moving, not allowing himself to so much as breathe until he was safely behind the closed door of the powder room. He had wanted to keep listening but he knew he shouldn’t. He didn’t think he could stand to hear her answers to Graysen’s questions. Didn’t want to know if she’d attempt to explain to Graysen whatever this thing was between them or if she’d continue to insist that he was nothing more than a friend. 

But Azriel wanted an answer. He deserved an answer. He just didn’t want to get it by eavesdropping on a conversation he wasn’t a part of. He needed to hear it directly from her. He needed to talk to her.

#elriel fic #everywhere everything #my writing #elain x azriel #elain archeron #elriel #modern au #acotar fanfiction #elriel fanfiction #elriel fanfic #posting this and going tf to bed bc im NERVOUS #why is posting updates the scariest thing in the world

[violetasteracademic]

Golden Doe in a Valley of Shadow: Chapter Twelve (Ao3 Azriel x Elain Fanfic)

Three days in a row of GDiaVoS!? That's a yes!

If you haven't yet, you can check out the bonus chapter I shared yesterday with amazing art from @rae2velaris by clicking here.

Otherwise, peep a peek of our sneak preview! Link to new chapter will be at the bottom of this post.

Enjoy!

Preview:

Azriel

Rhysand's eyes were lit with a rage unlike anything he had ever seen before. Azriel felt something stir deep within him at the threat.

“What are you doing here,” Azriel asked coldly. His voice hardly sounded like his own. He felt Elain tense next to him.

Azriel… she said into his mind. Gentle and soothing. But it was drowned out by a loud, uncontrollable buzz.

“What am I doing here?” Rhys bit out, his violet eyes beginning to crackle. The smell of violence leaked into the air. “I am here because a rumble of power that no one recognized just ran through all of Prythian. Whatever the hell you just did here, it sent itself out into the world like a goddamn beacon.” Rhys’s tone turned venomous. “Imagine my surprise, arriving just in time to find you about to fuck my mate’s sister into the ground after I explicitly told you to stay away from her.” Rhys snarled.

“You— you what?” Elain paled. Azriel stepped in closer to Elain, shadows swarming as he shifted into a fighting stance.

Rhysand narrowed his eyes at Azriel, then slid his gaze towards Elain. Not a hint of warmth or softness in them. The buzzing grew louder. “You are a mated female. We do not have time to talk about this. The other High Lords can’t be far behind me. So, unless you want to explain to the leaders of all seven courts what you two just did here, we need to go. Now.”

Rhysand reached for Elain to winnow her away, and something wild and vicious inside Azriel snapped. He sent a blast of power at Rhysand, slamming him back. He had never, never attacked his High Lord before. Not like this. Not like he would actually harm Rhysand if he tried to take another step towards Elain. But he didn’t care. He couldn’t stop. The buzz grew unbearable, a howling thrum inside his mind, rattling deep into his bones. A command to protect Elain. To eliminate any threat.

“She may be mated to Lucien,” Azriel snarled. “But she is bonded to me. And if you lay a finger on her without her consent, I will kill you where you stand.”

Confusion flecked across Rhys’s eyes as they darted back and forth between Azriel and Elain. His nostrils flared slightly, as if trying to scent what had occurred between them. His skin went ghostly pale.

“What have you done?”

In the trees to the left of them, there was a rustle and crunch of twigs.

Everything went still inside Azriel. His mind was deathly quiet now, too quiet— assessing the threat. His shadows began to swarm, the edges sharpening into blades.

“Get her out of here, Azriel,” Rhysand commanded. “Right fucking now.”

Read the rest on Ao3!

#elriel #elriel fanfic #spicy elriel fanfic #elriel supremacy #elain x azriel #azriel x elain #pro elriel

[raesploveart]

Day 7 of sketching Elain Archeron everyday until her book has a release date. This one physically hurt me. Also, this is the exact moment where I was like “well I guess I’m all in for Elriel” no matter what form that might take. Friends? One night stand? Secret lovers? Endgame? Ghosted? I just want to read about them okay. I don’t care what happens.

It feels good to be getting back to this sketchy deviant art circa 2007 style I drew and posted in as a teenager. I missed it a lot.

#elriel #elriel fanart #elriel fanfic #acowar #acotar #acosf #azriel #azriel shadowsinger #Shadowsinger #bat boys #elain archeron #archeron sisters

[elriel-month]

Elriel Month Prompts 2024!

Hi everyone!

We are so excited to present the official prompt descriptions for the fourth-ever ELRIEL MONTH!! Like last year, we will have two prompts per week that center on different aspects and scenarios of the relationship between Elain and Azriel. We aim to foster a positive space for us to celebrate our favorite Seer and Shadowsinger. Head to our Instagram for Spanish and French translations of the prompts! We cannot wait to celebrate with you! 🦇🌸💙🗡🌹

Follow us on:

Tumblr ✷ Twitter ✷ Instagram ✷ TikTok

🎨 Artist and comm. credits are listed on all of the artwork. 💕

Rules and bi-weekly prompts under the break!

RULES:

✷ Participation of each day/prompt is optional!

✷ Ideally, post your art/work on the week of the prompt. However, if you cannot post on time, post whenever you can.

✷ Elriel month will be across Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

✷ If you want to be featured on this blog please tag @elriel-month in your posts so we can reblog them

✷ On Tumblr while posting your piece of work please use the following hashtags:  #elrielmonth #elrielmonth24 #elrielmonth2024

✷ No hate or slander towards other characters!

✷ Your submission can be a fanart, fanfics/oneshots, edits, gifset, moodboard, playlist - anything you deem acceptable.

✷ The final prompt is free choice - you can indulge your own prompt or Elriel fantasy!

✷ Be respectful of other people’s work. Do not repost without permission and credit.

#elriel #elrielmonth #elriel month #elrielmonth2024 #elriel month 2024 #elrielmonth24 #elain archeron #elain #azriel #azriel shadowsinger #elain x azriel #azriel x elain #elain x az #azriel and elain #elain and azriel #elriel art #elriel fanfic #elriel headcanon #elriel aesthetic #pro elriel

[lesolehabitantdelalune]

“ʀʜʏs sᴀɪᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴢʀɪᴇʟ, “ɪғ ɪ ʜᴀᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴍᴇᴛ ᴀ sʜᴀᴅᴏᴡsɪɴɢᴇʀ, ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ ɪs ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ, ɴᴏᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ʙᴏʀɴ ɪɴᴛᴏ, ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴇʀs. ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ ɪs ᴛᴏ ᴛʀᴜʟʏ ʜᴏᴘᴇ, ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴛᴇʟʟs ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇsᴘᴀɪʀ.”✨

- A Court of Wings and Ruin by @sjmaas

🎨 Art by @/gh0oul_tan (insta)

🌹･ . ⋆ ･ . ⋆ ･ .🦇

💭 I commissioned this artwork inspired by an amazing fanfic by @tswaney17 . Little Kaden just captured my heart. And reminded me of my little cousin, that family is, above all things, a choice. As Sarah J. Maas once wrote: "𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬."

#elriel #elain archeron #acotar #azriel #pro elain #pro elriel #elain #elain x azriel #elriel fanart #acowar #little kaden #elriel fanfic #fanfic art #sarah j maas #tswaney17 #tswaney17fics

[tswaney17]

Obessesion

Azriel loved everything about Elain.

He loved her smile.

He loved the brightness of her eyes.

He loved how she had such a warm and caring heart.

But he was obsessed with her neck.

He thought it might be that deep Illyrian instinct inside of him that came roaring to the surface whenever she bared the pale skin of her neck for him. A desire to lap at the delicate flesh with his tongue after he brutally bit it until a bruise blossomed from his machinations.

Azriel loved to mark her body with his bites. Loved how beneath the modest gowns she donned, she wore his claims like brands on her skin.

Boldly.

Proudly.

She loved being ravished by his mouth. Could settle on his lap or beneath him for hours as he let his teeth and tongue taste every inch of her body.

Nobody knew that under her clothes she was always peppered by a garden of black and blue and purple from him. Flowers upon her skin, some freshly bloomed while others had slowly begun to wilt away.

He smiled every time she undressed in front of him as he counted the bruises still visible upon her flesh.

Tonight was no different.

They were sequestered at the Townhouse, riding out a bad snow storm. Azriel had barely been able to arrive before the worst of it hit, kicking the front steps to dust snow off his boots before entering the warmth of the house.

Elain, as usual, was found in the kitchen, a spread of baked goods surrounding her on the marble counters. She smiled at him, a slash of brilliant white between pink lips. “You made it. I was afraid the storm might have kept you away,” she said, pulling a loaf of fresh baked bread from the oven.

Az leaned a hip on the doorway, brushing loose snowflakes from his thick hair. “Nothing could keep me away from here, beautiful. But it does look like we’ll be stuck here for a few days.”

A pretty blush dusted her cheeks at the endearment. “How awful,” she muttered, lips turning up at the corners. “Whatever will we do to pass the time?” Those dark eyes went molten under his heated stare.

He beckoned her with a crook of his finger, taking her hand when she approached and guiding them to the sitting room, Elain perching on his lap.

“I say,” he began, running his hands up and down her body, feeling the cotton fabric beneath his scarred fingers. “We take all the time in the world to enjoy the company of your bed.”

Elain’s body shuddered in response and she leaned forward slightly, providing him prime access to that perfect neck. “Why don’t you give me a little preview of what to anticipate?” she murmured, voice husky with need.

Twisting her hair around his fist for leverage, he brought his mouth to her skin. Felt her pulse flutter beneath his lips.

A soft kiss. One to just tease her a bit. Then another, this one more insistent. And another, until his teeth scraped over neck, sucking the flesh between them and biting.

Elain moaned, hands bracing themselves on his strong shoulders. Her hips wiggled on his lap, grazing his growing erection.

Fuck, she always felt so good. Tasted so sweet.

He released her neck, licking the hurt away before drawing the same spot back into his mouth. He’d work the same area over and over again into the night. Until he was sure it’d take at least a week for it to even begin fading.

Because Elain wearing his marks on her skin, on her neck…yeah, that was his obsession.

~~~~~

I finally wrote something. 😭 This was just a quick phone fic, but I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I’ve actually written something. Please lord, let this be my comeback. 🛐🙏

#post creative drought #phone fic #elriel #elriel fic #elriel fanfic #elriel fanfiction #elain archeron #azriel #elain #azriel shadowsinger #tswaney17 #tswaney17fics #tay writes #my writing #elain x azriel #Elain x az #azriel x elain #elain and azriel #azriel and elain #pro elriel

[slytherhys]

Wedding Season - Coming Soon!

Hi guys! Just wanted to share a moodboard I made for a new project I'm working on. I'm so excited to share it with you and I really hope it's something everyone will enjoy. 😊

Synopsis: If there's one thing Elain Archeron knows about weddings - despite her lack of experience and overall fear of commitment - is that attending one alone at the ripe age of 24 is something akin to torture. Let alone 3 weddings. Let alone when your ex is attending. With his own date.

So Elain does what Elain does best: she fakes it until she makes it.

And if her plan includes a broody - and single - Azriel Rosehall who barely tolerates her presence, has a clear distante for big events, and is probably - most likely - still pinning for one of the brides... Well, then I guess Wedding Season is open.

A few ao3 tags:

❣️ fake dating (kinda)

❣️ idiots in love

❣️ azriel might have a high heels kink

❣️ slow dancing

Number of Chapters: around 10 (short fic)

When am I posting it: I'm currently working on both this fic and on my Elriel Month prompts but I'm going to try and post the first chapter before April ends! 😊

#my writing #i just wanted to share because im excited #elriel #elriel fic #elriel fanfiction #elain archeron #pro elriel #azriel #azriel shadowsinger #acotar #pro elain archeron #elain x azriel #acotar fic #acotar fics #acotar fanfiction #elriel fanfic #wedding season

[lunaduskxo]

Azriel: You’re staring.

Elain: I’m gazing.

Azriel: It’s creepy. [soft smile]

Elain: It’s romantic. [leans in for a kiss]

(Vampire Diaries scene but making it Elriel) 😉

#elriel #queue #elain x azriel #pro elain #pro elriel #elriel forever #elain archeron #acotar #elain and azriel #azriel #elriel fanfic #elriel supremacy #elriel content #elriel aesthetic #elain supremacy #elain content #elain kingslayer #elain acheron #azriel and elain #elriel headcanon #headcanon #sjm #sjm universe

[fawnandshadows]

How You Get The Girl

Chapter 24

Ao3 ~ Masterlist

Word Count: 2.2k

Warnings: Smut, Language

Elain was an expert in quick changes, but slipping into the lacy lingerie that she had bought specifically for Azriel was by far the most important of them all. She was just browsing online when she saw the dusty lilac babydoll. As soon as she laid eyes on it she wanted to see Azriel’s reaction to her wearing it. It was feminine and romantic and she just knew he’d like it. 

Her suitcase was unzipped and her clothes were falling out of it and moved into the far corner of the room, hastily shoved to the side, and her travel clothes were on the floor next to it. Hopefully Azriel would be too focused on her to notice the mess she made. 

She heard his footsteps in the hall and her heart jumped into her throat. His footsteps were quiet, so quiet that everyone else thought he was silent, but she was so deeply in tune with him that she heard him no matter what.

The doorknob to her room turned, and Elain found herself falling back onto one elbow and she positioned her legs in a way that she knew was sultry and showed off her full hips. 

Damn, she silently cursed herself, she should have packed heels. 

Elain watched as Azriel walked into the room and stop in his tracks when he saw her splayed out on the bed. Her golden curls tossed behind her shoulders. He looked like he was hit by an invisible truck, his body completely stopping short. 

“Hi.” Elain breathed, smiling at him. She had planned to stay sultry and seductive, but his reaction caused the biggest smile to overtake her face. 

“Fuck.” 

She couldn’t help but throw her head back and laugh as he dropped his suitcase on the floor. And not even a sexy laugh, but one that was full-bodied and had her gasping for air. 

“I’m supposed to be seducing you.” Elain said through her laughter, which caused her body to shake. His hazel eyes slid along the curve of her body before latching onto her heavy breasts. 

“It’s fucking working.” Azriel growled and started towards bed. 

“Uh-uh-uh!” Elain stopped him with a pointed finger and extended a leg towards him. “Condom.” 

Azriel cursed under his breath and riffled through his suitcase for his box of condoms, and when he found them he tossed the package onto the bed next to her. 

He pulled off his shirt and let it drop to the floor, and Elain felt her pussy clench at the sight of his muscled torso. His brown skin beautiful, tattooed, and scarred. Her hands balled into fists to stop herself from reaching for him. She wanted those hard muscles under the pads of her fingers. Wanted to feel his body react to her touch. 

“I can’t believe this is happening.” Elain said, staring up at him and he unbuckled his belt. 

Her toes curled at the sound of his zipper coming undone. 

 Azriel was silent as he shucked off his jeans, taking his briefs with him, and then he was naked standing before her. 

Her chest rose and fell as she took heavy breathes. 

She squirmed as he walked closer to her, and as soon as he was close enough Elain placed her hands on his bare hips. Her thumbs grazing the sharp edges of his hip bones before moving her hands up and over his abs. 

“I’ve wanted to do this for a while.” Elain admitted, and before Azriel could question her she moved forward and ran her tongue up along the ridges of his six-pack. His muscles quaking underneath her. 

“Fuck,” Azriel groaned, his hands digging into her hair. “How long, exactly, have you wanted to lick my abs?” 

“Too long.” Elain said and pressed a kiss into his navel, her humid breath ghosting over his skin. 

Azriel let out a pained groan as Elain slid from his grasp and fell to her back. 

“This,” His hand landed flat on her stomach, and her muscles clenched under his touch. “This is beautiful, Elain,” His fingers worked the silky fabric. “And one day I’ll fuck you while you wear it, but not today.” 

Azriel lifted the scrap of fabric over her head and threw it over his shoulder, and then he slowly pulled the matching panties down her legs. 

“Fuck, you’re beautiful,” Azriel said, pressing kisses into her soft belly. He brought one hand between her thighs and groaned into her skin. “And wet.” 

“It’s the anticipation.” Elain said, sighing as Azriel clasped one of her nipples between his teeth. Gently teasing the hardened bud. 

His fingers started working between her legs, brushing over her clit before plunging one finger inside of her warmth. And then another. Thrusting in and out while his thumb pressed on her swollen bud. 

“Azriel.” Elain gasped, arching as she clenched around his fingers. 

He propped himself onto his elbow and stared down at her, taking in the way her eyes screwed shut and the way her mouth hung open in pleasure. 

“More,” Elain whispered, opening her eyes slightly to look at him. “Please.” 

Azriel didn’t say anything. He slowly retracted his hand and then reached across the bed to grab one of the condoms that had fallen out of the box. 

The tearing of foil sounded through the room. 

Elain watched as he slid the condom over his cock and bit down on her bottom lip as her stomach tumbled with excitement. She pushed herself to her elbows, her hair falling messily behind her, and looked as Azriel positioned himself at her entrance. 

With one hand on her hip, Azriel sank into her. Slow and steady and one of Elain’s hands came up to grip Azriel’s bicep, her nails sinking into his muscle. 

“Fuck,” Azriel said, dropping down onto one hand next to her. His black hair falling into his face. “You’re so tight. And so fucking wet. You feel like a fucking dream.” 

Elain took deep breaths, getting used to the size and feel of him. How he stretched her so deliciously to the point of almost pain. 

It had been so long since Elain last had sex that it felt like the first time all over again. Well, not exactly. There was no awkward fumbling. No discomfort. Just pleasure. 

“You,” Elain gasped as Azriel sank in another inch. “Feel even bigger than you look.” 

Slowly, Azriel pushed forward into her until Elain was completely full. 

Elain gasped as she felt the press of his piercing deep inside of her, in a place that no one had ever reached before. 

By pure reflex, one of Elain’s hands reached for his tight ass cheek, her nails digging into his flesh. 

Her hips shifted up as his pelvis ground against her clit, and the walls of sex clenched around him, causing Azriel’s breath to turn jagged. 

“I pictured fucking you for hours and hours the first time,” Azriel said heavily, his breath against his damp breath gasping against her neck. “Until we were both seeing stars, but fuck you feel better than I imagined.” 

“We can,” Elain’s breath jolted as he pulled out, his piercing pressing against her clit before thrusting back into her, her wetness sounding through the room. “Still do that.” 

Azriel started to move his hips faster, more erratic as his control started slipping further and further away from him. 

The sound of his pounding into her filled the room, causing Elain to buck her hips. 

“Fuck.” Azriel breathed, thrusting harder. 

Hot pleasure was mounting within Elain, and with one last push Elain hit her breaking point. The walls of her cunt clenching his dick as her orgasm cratered through her. 

Azriel grabbed her hips, making sure he was as deep seated as possible, before coming inside of her. 

“That was…” Elain drifted off breathlessly, loving the feel of his muscle-hardened, sweaty body against hers. 

“I agree.” Azriel said, breathing heavily through his nose before pulling her in for a sloppy kiss. 

Elain reached down to pull off the used condom, and she tossed it on the floor without a second thought. 

“Thank you.” Elain said as Azriel dropped next to her. She wasted no time before snuggling into his side, wanting every inch of their skin to touch. 

“For what?” Azriel asked, his breath slowly turning back to normal. His hands felt her entire body. Running up the length of her back and lush bottom. 

“It was perfect.” Elain sighed, kissing his strong neck. 

Azriel held her closer. 

— —

When Azriel woke, it was slowly. 

This wasn’t the first time that Elain had recognized it, but it was different. Maybe it was because she still felt sore from their day (and night) together, but the way Azriel was clinging to her and burrowing his face into her neck made it seem as if there was nowhere else he wanted to be. 

“Good morning,” Elain said, turning and wrapping her arms around his neck. Their lips came together in a leisurely kiss. “Would you like to explain to me why I smell coffee?” Elain asked against his lips. 

“I set it up last night when I got us dinner,” Azriel said in a sleep ridden voice. One that made Elain’s bones melt. He cracked open one hazel eye. “I figured we’d be a bit busy last night and wouldn’t want to get up and brew it this morning.”

“You think of everything,” Elain sighed and pressed a kiss into his hard peck. “I love that about you.” 

Azriel placed a kiss on top of her head. 

Elain moved to get out of bed and right when she was about to plant her feet on the wooden floor, she squealed and jerked back. Almost tumbling into Azriel. 

“What the fuck?” Azriel asked, worry pulling at his brows, and his hands grabbing Elain to pull her away from the edge of the bed. “Is there a mouse?” 

“No,” Elain shook her head and looked at him with wide eyes. “How many times did we do it last night?” 

She blinked at him, her face flushing. 

Azriel tried to stop the smile from forming fully on his lips. 

“Quite a few.” Azriel responded. 

Elain jerked her head, urging Azriel to peek over the edge of the bed. 

“Did we go through the entire box?” Elain whisper-yelled, and then fought the embarrassment that rose within her. There was nobody here to hear her. And she certainly wasn’t whispering last night. 

Azriel rubbed his lips with his finger as he looked at the used condoms they had discarded on the floor. 

It was a bit of a concerning sight to see first thing in the morning. 

Elain crawled across the bed, her bum in the air, and reached for the box at the foot of the bed.

“That is a much better sight.” Azriel said, tilting his head to take in Elain’s rounded bottom. 

She looked over her shoulder at him, her cheeks still pink, and shook the empty box at him. 

“We should make a run to the store,” Elain said, watching as Azriel moved towards her, and not stopping him as he grasped her hips to twist her so that she laid on her back. “To get some more.” 

Azriel nodded in agreement and pressed his morning erection into her wet, swollen pussy. 

Elain moaned and moved against him. 

“I’m going on the pill, or something. Whatever the doctor recommends.” Elain gasped as his piercing flicked over her clit. 

Azriel stilled above her. 

“You don’t have to.” Azriel said, pulling back. 

“I want to feel you inside me… with no barriers. And I trust you.” 

Azriel placed one large hand on her neck and pulled her in for a passionately slow kiss. Their hips still moving against each other. 

If Elain was with anybody else, then she might have been embarrassed by her body’s reaction to him. How wet she got just from his kiss and the feel of his cock moving against her sex — but she felt too good, and Azriel was just as turned on by her body as she was by his. 

He moved again, pressing her deeper into the mattress. 

Elain’s body pulsed as an orgasm rushed through her, and she felt Azriel coming all over her pussy and stomach. The warm liquid landing on her sensitive skin. 

“That was,” Elain took a deep breath. “Hot.” 

“The things I want to do to you, Elain.” Azriel groaned against her lips. A sinful promise in his voice.

Elain swallowed. 

“We’ll go to the store after breakfast?” Elain asked and Azriel nodded in agreement. 

Before anything else could happen, Elain crawled out of bed and grabbed the tshirt Azriel had discarded on the floor. 

“Maybe we should have coffee in the kitchen,” Elain said, biting her lip as a naked Azriel lounged in twisted sheets. Sheets that they had twisted the night before. And that morning. “That way we might behave?”  Elain ignored the condom graveyard that littered on the floor. 

“I don’t think location matters for us, beautiful.” Azriel said, his eyes warm as they looked at his girlfriend. 

Elain nodded. 

“But,” He continued. “I’ll clean up our mess and meet you in the kitchen. The sooner we leave, the sooner I can fuck you again.” 

A blush coated Elain’s cheeks and she looked at the mess they had made on her and said, “I need a washcloth first.”

-------

tagging: @123moiaussi @fuckmelifesucks @thefangirlofhp @sakurakittypeach @nikethestatue @tswaney17 @impossiblescissorspeachpaper @feyredarlinq @duskwhisperer @nyxreads @rinadragomir @secretpuppyflower @captainbrucebanner @ultadverb @irisesforelain @shedoessoshedoes  @magnolia-blossom87 @sheenabeene @nivem565  @casuallivi @rhysiedarling @elain99-blog @athena-85 @swankii-art-teacher @reverie-tales @jujugirlfrombookstore @shadowflorecita @shy-violet-soul @thisloveseternal

#elriel #elain x azriel #elain archeron #pro elriel #azriel #elriel fanfiction #elriel fanfic #fawnandshadows writing #how you get the girl #how you get the girl chapter 24

[greenleaf777]

Elriels picture this!

Az & elain are still avoiding each other, & Azriel finds her sleeping on the couch so he pulls a blanket over her, tucks her in & whispers “I Love You” cause thats the only time he can.

BUT Elain is just pretending to sleep like a good spy, so she hears him. She whispers “I Love You too.” After he walks away.

Someone write me fanfic thanks

#elriel #acotar #a court of thorns and roses #azriel shadowsinger #elain x azriel #azriel acotar #azriel #elain archeron #elriel fanfiction #elriel fanfic #sjm #sarah j maas

[nikethestatue]

Happy birthday to my bestie, my mate, my Elriel sister @tswaney17

I wouldn't have joined this fandom without her. So if anything, blame her! Jokes aside, I hope you have a marvelous year and meet your own stranger in the night. Please enjoy!

One shot

Summary: Elain Archeron is celebrating her birthday and happens to meet an enigmatic and mysterious stranger who upends her world

She smoothed her black bodysuit over her hips, though it wasn’t wrinkled and then tousled her hair, in what she hoped, was sexy, beachy curls.  

Anyone else would’ve told her that she looked great—well put together, elegant, and not trying too hard. But to her self-critical eye, she saw a slew of imperfections. Hips too wide, breasts too large, stumpy fingers...She could stand here all night and critique herself, but what would be the point? It was what it was, right? Some part of her though, liked what stared back. The black bodysuit hugged her in all the right places, and paired with strappy golden heels and some delicate gold jewelry, she looked...nice. Not quite her 31 years old. Her friends always said that she was a ‘young 30’. She looked about 24. But inside, there were days when she felt 78.  

Oh well. Time to go. That’s not to say that she didn’t want to back out of her solo restaurant trip about 25 times today. Internally, she’s been telling herself that she is too busy, too tired, too poor, and that staying in with a bottle of wine and pizza would be just fine. Another part of her wanted to get out. Even if she looked like a loser, dining alone. At least it was a Wednesday night—not the weekend—so she could theoretically make up a story of being on a business trip. Not that anyone’s going to ask. But she needed that security blanket for herself: “I am eating alone, because I am here on business’. Yeah, that sounded legit. She was a successful, professional woman, determined and confident, and she was on business in Chicago.  

She grabbed her clutch and headed out.  

It was a warm evening by Chicago standards. The middle of April could be blustery or it could be blistering. You never knew. Tonight was lovely, actually. Trees were in full bloom—white, pink, yellow, assertive red, purple, even blue—bursting in flowers of every shape and size along the streets of her neighbourhood.  

Beatrice was a quint restaurant in Fulton Market. Or as ‘quaint’ as a restaurant could be in the bustling, hipster corner of the city. She only knew it because she’d come here before with her stylish, popular co-worker, Morrigan. She recalled how Mor wore a pristine baby blue bodysuit, sky-high heels, and a sparkling silver belt studded with glittery gemstones. Mor’s hair was a waterfall of golden blonde, which cascaded sensually down her back. Her skin was flawless. Her makeup was perfection, and her nails the right shade of pearl. When they were seated, all the girls in the party immediately rattled off a list of things they didn’t eat, were allergic to, and ‘avoided’. Mor announced that she was ‘celiac’ in a tone that implied that obviously she was celiac! And then proceeded to order bread. When the waiter told her that bread has gluten, Mor said that ‘she was allowed to today’.  

Back then, she’d ordered something called the Straight ‘A’ Salad, not wanting to tuck into something juicy and fatty in front of everyone. It ended up being empty and unsatisfying. But she still wanted to go back there, because the other items on the menu looked good, the vibe was nice and not overwhelming, and the drinks were inventive. If nothing else, she’d get her full in alcohol. 

“Follow me, Miss,” the hostess beckoned her and she scurried quickly between tables, wanting to be seated as soon as possible. 

It was nice. The table was by the wall, and she could see inside the restaurant and out the window. She laid her clutch on the table and exhaled. She was here. She was in her place, in her chair.  

She made it. 

“Are we celebrating anything tonight, Miss?” the waiter asked, when he approached with the menu. 

“Oh no,” she laughed, “I am on a business trip.” 

“And do you have any allergies?” 

“No!” she stated decisively. No. She is going to eat what she wanted. No faux allergies for her. 

The drinks menu looked a bit intimidating. Lots of things with Mezcal and Elderflower and words like ‘smoked’ and ‘hibiscus ginger kombucha’. After discreetly googling what kombucha was, she gagged and decided on a Lemond Drop. Safe and sound. 

The waiter wasn’t exactly impressed by her choice, but she didn’t care. Instead, she ordered Cheddar Popovers with bacon butter, and green chili queso for appetizers. It harkened back to her California upbringing, where things were less formal, the food less complicated, and the loneliness less acute. She suddenly and desperately missed her sisters, who lived back home. She missed the sun, tacos, trips to Sacramento and the simpler life she had back home.  

Sighing, she sipped her cocktail and looked around. It was fairly bustling, couples and friends chatting animatedly, drinking their complicated drinks and laughing. But...she felt okay. Not amazing, but okay. It was peaceful.  

It felt peaceful until her eyes fell on a singular, solitaire figure of a man, who sat at the bar, with a drink in front of him. The reason she even paid attention to him was because he was literally breathtakingly beautiful. So handsome, her breath stalled in her chest. Big. So goddamn big, it felt like he was sucking the air into the vortex of a black hole that he’d created just by simply...being. He sat, unmoving, in a sharply cut suit and a white shirt, unbuttoned at his neck. The other reason why she looked at him was because he was staring back at her. Big, bold, unflinching stare. Those incredible, luminescent eyes almost glared at her, and she wished she’d know what colour they were. The man’s face remained impassive, but he continued staring, even once she’s averted her eyes and squirmed in her seat. And now, all she could feel was his stare, following her every move. It was suddenly hot, and she felt her nipples pop like tiny Whack-A-Moles beneath her bodysuit. Served her right for not wearing a bra! Jesus Mary and Joseph. Well, her evening was ruined just like that. Instead of being at peace with her lemon drop and her popovers, she was not being scorched by the gaze of this absurdly handsome man, and all she wanted to do was look his way and see if he was still looking at her. While she didn’t want him to be looking at her. But she wanted to make sure that he was. Oh, god. What. The. Hell. 

She was on the verge of fanning herself, before realising that she’d be looking like she was having hot flashes, and it was too early for that. Her nipples were hard as bullets and she was forced to cover her breasts with her folded arms, just to maintain some sense of decorum. As she ‘busied’ herself with her drink, she snuck a momentary glance at the man. He was still there, but no longer looking at her. Instead, he was on his phone, and a deep sense of regret and longing washed over her at once. 

He was interested in her for 23 seconds.  

That was it. 

But she supposed that for the most handsome man in the world to take notice of her for 23 seconds was sufficient enough. 

“Miss, your popovers,” the waiter stepped up to the table, placing one plate down in front of her, and then the other, “and queso. Please be careful, it’s hot.” 

The food looked fine, but somehow, she no longer felt particularly hungry. She wasn’t sure if it was because the man was no longer looking at her, or because he was looking at her before. Did she want him to look at her? No. No, she didn’t. He was entirely outside her comfort zone, with his piercing gaze and his unnaturally good looks and he was definitely a player, so there was no need for all of this.  

On her birthday, all she wanted was peace and quiet. She didn’t need smouldering men giving her the death stare. Instead, she forced herself to concentrate on her food. The popovers were light and fluffy and crispy on the outside, and the bacon butter was to die for. Sinful, but so, so good. 

She sunk into her seat, enjoying her cocktail and alternating between the popovers and then the rich, spicy queso. She was still deciding on the main course—penne with spicy vodka sauce? Slow cooked short rib?  

“Miss,” 

Her contemplation was interrupted by the waiter, who was holding a drink. 

“From the gentleman at the bar,” he said and placed the drink in front of her. 

Her mouth fell open. Whaaat... 

Timidly, she allowed her eyes to travel to the bar and sure enough, there he was. Staring. A small, secret smile touched his beautiful mouth and he inclined his head just a bit. She didn’t exactly know how to act in these situations. Was she supposed to drink the drink that he sent? Invite him over? Go over there herself? Ignore him like a total douche? 

Okay, first things first. She raised the pretty coupe glass to her lips and tentatively sipped the drink. Sour and smokey, with a touch of sweetness and heavy on lemon flavour, this was definitely a whiskey drink. And she didn’t like whiskey. But for some reason, she really liked this. She took another sip, a bolder one, and then glanced at the man. He was smiling, as he watched her drink, and when she swallowed, he winked at her. Approving? Enjoying watching her? Smug? Pleased? She wasn’t sure. But she... 

“Ready to order, Miss?” the waiter was back, and she absently said ‘fish tacos’ which isn’t what she even wanted, but she was too scrambled to come up with a better idea. “Very good,” the waiter chirped, and before he disappeared, she said, “can you ask the gentleman who bought the drink to join me?” 

Her throat was dry. Her underarms were sweaty. 

WHAT was she doing?? 

She never did anything like this before? Inviting strange men to eat with her? Never! 

“If he wants to,” she added quickly and the waiter nodded.  

God, please say no. Please. Please god, let him say no. I don’t want it. I don’t. 

There he was. Moving through the restaurant like the Angel of Death. Dark and tall and slim and muscular. Jesus. He was actually coming over! Oh. No. Nononononono. 

And then he was standing at her table, how own drink in hand. 

“I wasn’t sure if Whiskey Sour was the way to go,” he said—his deep, dark, raspy voice matching his appearance to a tee. "But it looks like I did well.” 

She swallowed hard and then muttered, “Is that what it is?” 

Yep, it sounded lame even to her own ears. 

“Indeed,” he confirmed. “First time?” 

Somehow, this made her blush. A simple question, and a correct assumption, but for some reason, it was laced with innuendo. 

Their eyes finally locked.  

Hazel. His eyes are a gorgeous greenish amber colour, spectacular like the rest of him. 

He took a sip of his drink and slowly dragged the tip of his tongue over his lower lip, swiping the droplet and that made her even sweatier than she was before. Soon she was going to be sweating like a sumo wrestler—which of course is the most enticing look a woman could sport.  

“No, I’ve had it before,” she finally managed to answer. 

He smirked a knowing smile. 

“Have you?”  

As he was looming over her and attracting way too much attention from the females of the species, and even some males, she all but ordered him, “you can sit down!” 

He smiled again, that smooth, secret smile, saying, “I thought you’d never ask”. 

She didn’t know what to say to that, so she just watched him in silence as he slid onto a chair across from her.  

“Thanks for the drink,” feeling awfully uncomfortable, knowing she was not great at small talk, and completely out of depth with this man, she thought that this was all a pretty bad idea. What was supposed to have been a quiet and nice evening alone, was turning into...well, she wasn’t sure what it was turning into, but it was something.  

“You aren’t waiting for anyone, are you?” he asked, sounding curious. “I wouldn’t need to fight a boyfriend or something...I mean, I’ll win, but,” 

She huffed, and snorted a laugh. 

“So confident?” 

He shrugged, “pretty confident”. After a pause, he pressed, “so?” 

“No,” she blushed despite her best efforts to appear cool. “I am here alone. On a business trip,” she lied smoothly, grateful for having this little nugget in her pocket.  

He crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair, lounging comfortably. Suddenly, he said,  

“Nope. Try again.” 

Startled, she glowered at him, not knowing what he meant. All the while, as she squirmed in confusion, he casually drank his whiskey, watching her closely. 

“What,” she brought her glass to her lips and took a generous swig of the drink, “what do you mean?” 

“Only that you are not being exactly truthful,” he shrugged, and then grabbed a popover and swallowed the whole thing easily. “You aren’t here on any business trip.” 

“What?!” she exclaimed with indignation. “Excuse me! How do you know? What do you mean?” 

His eyes slowly slid over her bare arms, her chest, her neck, and again, she blushed like a fool, but there was no stopping her body’s reaction to this strange man. 

He was...enigmatic.  

“A beautiful woman like you, wearing something so elegant and understated,” 

Understated? Did he mean boring? 

“is not in Chicago on any business trip. So, that makes me think—if you aren’t waiting for anyone, and you are dressed up, then you must be,” he cocked his head, considering, “celebrating something? A new job? A birthday?” 

Most of his words rolled right over her head, because all she heard was ‘a beautiful woman like you’. He thought that she was beautiful? He? HE thought that?  

“What?” she asked dumbly. 

He chuckled, amused. “You are a little naughty liar, is what I am saying,” 

“You can’t call me that!” 

“Then don’t lie to me.” 

She bubbled her lips and finished her drink. Finished already? Shit. 

He noticed it too and motioned for the waiter.  

“Another drink for the lady,” he ordered. “And I’ll take another whiskey. And,” he thought for a moment and added, “bring us a bottle of champagne.” He looked at her and asked, “what are you eating?” 

“I think I ordered fish tacos,” she recalled, watching him in confusion.  

“Want to eat them?” 

“I dunno.” 

“Mind if I cancel them and order us steaks?” 

“Uhh...okay?” 

He did just that, telling the waiter that he’d pay for the tacos as well.  

Who the hell was this guy? He flicked his fingers and just got whatever he wanted. The waiter didn’t even question him! ‘Of course, sir’ ‘Whatever you want, sit’ ‘Right away, sir’.  

“So, is it your birthday?” he asked once the waiter ran to fetch the drinks. Literally, ran.  

“No.” 

His brows knitted together and he pursed his lips. 

Something about him and his look made goose bumps rise on her skin and she shifted under the table, crossing her legs. This guy and his unbelievable dominating bossiness were both scary, but also highly sexual. She knew that she was a bit of a submissive at heart, but that was mostly because she read way too many omegaverse books. But now, she was faced with a true Alpha. When they spoke of an Alpha Male, she suddenly became aware that she was in the presence of one. He wasn’t just tall, dark and handsome—even if he was a walking cliche with all of these attributes. But it was his undeniable, almost God-given natural dominance and superiority that she found so fascinating. And yes, so appealing as well.  

“It’s not your birthday?” he repeated. 

“N-no,” she bleated pathetically. 

He didn’t respond immediately, but only drummed his fingers on the table, and she noticed that his hands were scarred. Rather extensively. Burns, from what she could tell. Jesus. How did he get these? And both hands, too.  

“Lie to me again, and I will take you over my knees and spank that perfect bottom until you beg for mercy,” he warned, his voice impassive, his face unchanged.  

Her mouth dropped open and she thought that she was going to slide under the table and dissolve into a puddle. 

Was she supposed to cause a scene and slap him? Was she supposed to storm out of the restaurant? How does one reacted to being threatened by a spanking by a complete stranger? 

Also, he thought that her ass was ‘perfect’? 

“Let’s start anew, beautiful girl,” he proposed then, while she made silent gasping noises like a dying fish. 

The waiter arrived just then, and only that prevented her from fainting or screaming out loud. He popped the champagne bottle with flourish and poured both of them a measure, while also setting their cocktails down before them. 

“Don’t come back until the food is ready,” the stranger warned the waiter and the man nodded and left without saying a word. 

“What is your name?” 

She swallowed, but remembering his warning, she decided to go with the truth this time. 

“Elain.” 

“Gorgeous name,” he approved. “It suits you. I am Azriel.” 

“Azriel,” an exotic name for an exotic man. “Nice to meet you. I think?” she ventured and extended her hand to him. 

“Pleasure is certainly all mine,” he said, squeezing her hand in his huge, warm, powerful palm, watching her with strange, almost palatable hunger. “Whether you’ll receive pleasure from me or not remains to be seen,” he decided vaguely and she bit her lip, sensing that innuendo again and not knowing how to deal with it. 

The one time a guy was instantly interested in her, and he is a dangerous weirdo. Figures. Just her luck. 

He raised his glass and said, “Happy birthday, Elain! I hope it’s wonderful to you.” 

“Thank you. That remains to be seen, I think,” she said softly and they touched their glasses. She sucked the champagne quickly, and with a sense of foreboding and some kind of desperation. She had no idea where this was going, or what he wanted from her. But she wanted it to continue. At least for the duration of this dinner. 

“What do you do?” he inquired, dipping a chip into the queso, but instead of eating it, he held it out to her. She looked around, in some kind of futile hope that someone would save her from this, but there was no one. Only this stunning, somewhat insane man, who was feeding her chips and dip. 

“Come on, beautiful Elain. Open up,” he urged soft, his voice smooth and husky and so tempting.  

Numb, and only driven by the sound of that sensual voice, she opened her mouth and he gently pushed the chip inside. As she pulled it between her teeth, he brushed his finger over her lower lip and then brought it to his mouth and sucked. 

“More?” he whispered and then concluded, “more.” 

He dipped another chip and fed it to her again. 

“So?” 

“I am in marketing,” she answered, knowing in advance that hers was the most uninspiring answer in history. But she was more preoccupied by the fact that she was being fed chips by a strange man in the middle of a restaurant. 

“And you live in the city?” he asked further. “Please don’t even start with the whole ‘I am here on business’.” 

She sighed and admitted, “Fine, I am from the suburbs. But I work in the city. What do you do?” 

He didn’t seem too thrilled about her question and took his time eating the last of the popovers. 

“Do you really want to know?” he asked finally. 

“Yes, of course. Why not?” 

“You might not like it.” 

“Why wouldn’t I? What do you do? Kill people?” she joked. 

He smiled at her, but the smile was less of a smile, and more just a stretch of his lips. The smile didn’t reach his eyes 

“And if I am?” he wondered at last. 

She frowned and then it dawned on her and she laughed, “what? You kill people?” 

“Maybe.” 

A shiver ran down her spine and she gawked at him in shock. Until she dissolved in a flurry of laughs. 

“You had me there for a sec!” she wiggled her finger at him. “A+ for a perfect deadpan delivery! I am impressed.” 

He didn’t seem to be laughing, but he added, “but they were all bad”. 

She stopped laughing and nervously shifted in her seat. 

“Wait. What?” 

“You wanted to know what I did for a living,” he reminded her. 

As she processed his words, he just sat there, watching her intently. 

“Oh my god,” she exclaimed at last, realisation dawning on her, “it’s a scam, right?! You are one of those guys who pretends to be an assassin, or a millionaire, or in the CIA and then I fall for it, and in two months you’ll start asking me for money and I blow all my savings on you and then never hear from you again.” 

Shaking her head in disbelief she grabbed her napkin and then said, “thank you for the drink, Mr. Azriel. But I am not stupid. I appreciate the gesture—the razzle dazzle—but let’s part ways right here so that no one leaves here too traumatised.” 

He listened to her impassively and in the next moment, the waiter arrived with their steaks.  

She was hungry and upset, but she knew that she couldn’t stay here any longer and remain in his company. The whole thing was too bizarre and she didn’t want to get in trouble. And this man was clearly trouble. Or maybe troubled. Or both. 

“Azriel, I am,” 

“Sit,” he ordered, though his tone was soft. “You are safe with me. Don’t worry. But you did ask me what I did for a living,” he insisted again. 

“Well, when I did ask you, I didn’t expect for you to tell me that you are some kind of a killer!” she snapped, her voice rising. 

“I’d rather you didn’t yell,” he requested. “However, I wanted to tell you,” 

“Why?!” she exclaimed. “Don’t killers usually try and keep their profession,” she made a quotation mark sign with her fingers, “a secret?” 

“Normally, yes,” he agreed. “But, I want you to trust me and I felt that being honest is the best way to earn that trust.” 

“Trust me? Why? And,” 

“Because I want you,” he interrupted her and his tone was blunt, but calm. 

“Wha,” 

“I want you,” he repeated. “I saw you and you...well, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. And now, I am obsessed with the idea of learning what you’d look like when I enter you. What sounds you’d make when you come on my tongue.” 

At that, the big steak knife fell out of her trembling fingers and she wondered if she was having some kind of out of body experience. An ‘episode’? She wasn’t prone to episodes, but hell, there was a first time for everything, right? 

He shrugged, and continued like this was a perfectly sane conversation they were having, “Sorry if this is a bit unorthodox,” 

An understatement of the century! 

“However, I am not one to mince words,” 

Another understatement of the century. 

“And when I want something, I go after it. And right now, I want you.” 

She made a gurgling sound, but he ignored it, then cut into his steak, and chewed slowly.  

“However, you don’t strike me as someone who sleeps around or who is used to the type of man I am,” 

Was any woman? 

“Therefore, I wanted to build a baseline of trust between us. Like I said, you have nothing to fear from me. I am simply a man, interested in a woman.” 

He was anything but, but okay. 

“So,” she finally found her voice which was lost somewhere in the bottom of her stomach, “telling me you are an assassin is your way of establishing a baseline of trust?” 

He looked at her hand, which was clutching a butter knife, her knuckles white, and smiled faintly. 

“I suppose so.” 

She reached for the bottle of champagne, but her hands were shaking so badly, she could barely grasp it. Smoothly, he took the bottle and topped off her glass. This was probably the worst idea—to continue drinking—but she couldn't think of anything else. 

“Why don’t you relax and eat,” he suggested. “The steak is cooked perfectly.” 

“I don’t think I am hungry.” 

“Nonsense. Lay down your weapon of choice, dig into your dish and relax a bit. Have fun. It's your birthday!” 

He then raised his glass and mused, ‘what should we toast to?” 

“Me remaining sane after this dinner,” she muttered under her breath. 

He laughed.  

“How about ‘to the future’? Because tomorrow with you is worth every yesterday I spent without you,” he said and she almost choked.  

He couldn’t be for real.  

No man talked like that. Ever. 

“Listen, I know I could a little blunt, but in my line of work, I have to move quickly and I typically don’t get many second chances. And I don’t want to miss my chance with you,” he drank his champagne and watched her attempt to concentrate on her steak. “And when I said that you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, I am being honest. I saw you across the restaurant and you kind of blew my mind. It happens, you know,” 

“No, it doesn’t,” she argued. “Only in romance novels.” 

“Okay,” he shrugged, “so we have a romance novel beginning, so what?” 

“It’s not real,” she insisted.  

“Well, while you think on that, tell me when I can kiss you, because I’d really, really would like to kiss you right now,” 

“Never!” she shrieked. “Stop talking like that!” 

She desperately needed him to stop talking. Stop using that sensual, deep baritone to say deliciously sinful things to her. Because if he continued, she wasn’t sure what she’d do. She kept trying to shield her breasts from him, since her nipples were achingly sharp, threatening to poke through the top of her body suit. And between her legs—disaster. She was flooded. Every glance at his strong, powerful hands made her wonder what they’d feel like between her thighs. What his soft lips would taste like if he did get that kiss from her. And every word he said just made her wetter and wetter. She feared she’d have a stain on her clothes once she got up from her seat, and the thought alone was mortifying.  

“I think you should let me kiss you,” he insisted, watching her intently. 

“No, I am not kissing you!” 

God, this steak was good!  

“How about this then,” he proposed slowly, “I scoot closer to you, and you let me play with your clit, while you eat, and then you come all over my hand. I pay the bill and we go to my place and I’ll continue making you come. Because all I want to do right now is kiss every inch of your porcelain skin, and fuck your soft, lovely mouth and watch my dick disappear between those rosy lips. And then you’ll come on my dick in your perfect pussy and ask for more, while screaming my name. And if you let me, I’ll fuck that gorgeous ass as well and will make you come from that as well. And then you’ll sleep in my arms and in the morning, we’ll go get breakfast.” 

She watched him in dull astonishment, her brain failing to work properly as she attempted to process his words.  

This really couldn’t be real. At all. No man, in the history of mankind, ever said words like these to a woman.  

Yes, he just sat there, with her perfect face and his perfect body, and waited. 

“And then you’ll go and kill some people at work?” was all she managed to say to his explicit monologue.  

She’s never been fucked anywhere, let alone her ass. So yeah. 

“Well, not at work. For work,” he corrected. 

“Uh uh,” she sighed. “And you are okay with me knowing about that then?” 

“Like I told you, I want you to trust me.” 

“Uh uh,” she sighed again. Then she set her napkin aside and told him calmly, 

“Azriel, it certainly has been an interesting evening. I thank you. I am not sure I’ll ever forget it, or you, but...I don’t think that I am the girl you need,” 

“All me to decide that,” he argued sharply. 

She chewed the inside of her cheek, before clarifying, “I suppose I choose not to be that girl for you.” 

“Why?” 

“I like my boring little life. It suits me. And you...you don’t suit me or my life.” 

She couldn’t even believe her own assertiveness. She was rarely like this.  

“It’s unfortunate,” he said sadly. “Forgive me if I offended you,” 

“Astonished, more like,” 

“Better than offended.” 

She got up from her chair and her knees felt soft and shaky, and for the first time she understood what ‘jelly legs’ were. She had jelly legs because of him.  

“Thank you for dinner. I better be going.” 

“I’d like to walk you to your car,” he offered. 

“I think it’s a bad idea. Besides, I am getting an Uber. I drank too much. Goodbye, Azriel.” 

She rushed out of the restaurant and onto the bustling Fulton Market, where there were hundreds of people milling around. Her fingers trembling, she got her phone out of her clutch and pressed the Uber button on the verge of hysteria now. She didn’t know where she was going even, so she pressed ‘home’ even though she knew this Uber would host like $60 at least. But she needed to get away. Away from here, away from him, away from making a bad decision. Very bad, terrible decision that she was yearning to make right now. 

3 minutes. 

3 minutes. 

Okay, she just needed to make it for 3 minutes out here, until the car came. 

She glanced at the phone frantically, over and over again, watching the little car move along the street diagram. 

Suddenly, a familiar scarred hand reached over her shoulder and grabbed her phone.  

“Wait! Give it back!” she demanded desperately. 

Azriel smiled at her and then typed something in her phone.  

“Now you have my number.” 

A text chimed, and he added, “and I have yours”. 

“We’ll never see each other again,” she promised. 

“We’ll see,” he said simply. 

Finally, Honda Civic! Blue! There she was!  

She bounced on her heels impatiently, hoping he wouldn’t do anything, and yet hoping that he would at the same time. 

Ugh. 

“Goodbye, Azriel,” she said again. 

He opened the door for her politely and before she folded herself into the car, he pressed his lips to the top of her head. 

“Happy birthday, beautiful. I’ll see you later.” 

-

Azriel ‘The Shadow’ Night had two problems on his hands. 

As he watched the Honda weave in and out of busy traffic, he lit a cigarette—an occasional bad habit of his—and inhaled deeply. 

Nothing that he told her was a lie. 

He did find her to be incredibly beautiful. And his attraction to her was instant and hit him like an avalanche. He’d never felt anything remotely like this before. He wanted her with every fiber of his being and know, innately, that their paths were crossed forever and for a reason. 

The only omission in his tale was that their meeting was not accidental. And that she was the target, who was his current assignment.  

Now, he needed to figure out how to murder her, while keeping her alive. 

#elriel #elriel fanfic #my fanfiction #my writing #elain archeron #azriel #azriel and elain #pro elriel #elain x azriel #elain #acotar fanfiction #Modern AU

[duskandcobalt]

stargirl

Elain and Azriel are spending a bit of time together when she has a vision, a vision of her nails in the kitchen...

surprise! I wrote this little quickie on a complete whim over the last couple of days because I think Elain deserves to have a sexy little vision that isn't about cassian dying

1.7k words ft implied sex via prophetic visions

Read on AO3

inspired by....

It’s a crisp Autumn morning in Velaris but the River House kitchen is toasty, the fire from the brick oven warming the space. The sun is only just beginning to rise, vibrant colours seeping into the otherwise dark sky outside the large picture window that overlooks the garden.

Most of the house is still asleep but Elain is already hard at work, the sleeves of her pale yellow dress are pushed up to her elbows as she puts her heart and soul into rolling out dough for the cinnamon rolls that she’d woken up extra early to make… all because a certain someone had mentioned in passing that he had a particular penchant for them a few days ago. 

That certain someone in question is the only other person awake. He’s perched on a stool across the counter, nursing a steaming cup of black coffee as he watches her work with eyes that are still bleary with sleep. His dark hair is messy - strands going in every direction. He’s in a white t-shirt, a few tiny holes around the neckline indicate that perhaps it’s his preferred sleep shirt. A pair of heather grey sleep pants are slung entirely too low on his waist. 

Not that Elain had noticed. 

He’d come downstairs half an hour after she’d started puttering around the kitchen, quietly mumbling a ‘good morning’ before he made them both coffees and began his “interrogations” as Elain had lovingly come to call this ruse of his. A routine he’d developed where he’d find an excuse to be wherever she was and ask questions about whatever task she was working on that particular day.  

She’d held back a smile when he’d asked her what her preferred type of flour was this morning. Knew that this was his way of finding reasons to talk to her, to spend time with her - just the two of them and these quiet moments before anyone else had woken up or long after everyone had gone to bed.

Elain didn’t mind. Quite the opposite actually, she’d be lying to herself if she didn’t admit to the warmth that built in her chest and low in her stomach whenever he approached her. She always answered his questions, asked him a few of her own just to keep him around longer. 

Afterwards, when time caught up with them and they were forced to go about their days or nights separately, she’d think of his small smiles, the way he blushed each time she looked at him a little too long. And sometimes, more often than she’d ever admit, she allowed herself to think of the smattering of dark hair under his belly button that travelled down under the waistband of his pants, visible only when his shirt would rise as he reached for the mugs that she kept unreasonably high in the cupboard for this very reason. 

…

Elain is explaining the merits of grinding her own cinnamon to Azriel when it happens, that familiar haziness clouding her eyesight as everything fades and she’s whisked into some sort of alternate space.

The vision comes in stages, as it always does. 

The sight in front of her is the first to transform.

The dough she’d been rolling out is gone - the counter clear except for the rag that she uses to wipe it down. Azriel isn’t sitting in front of her anymore and the rising sun is nowhere to be seen. A sliver of moonlight and a few flickering candles are the only things illuminating the otherwise dark kitchen. 

Her yellow dress and apron have been replaced by a thin cotton nightgown that’s currently bunched up around her waist, one strap hangs off her shoulder. Her hands are splayed out on the counter, fingertips spread wide as her nails desperately scratch at the surface for leverage. 

She glimpses the golden arms on either side of her body, the dark swirling tattoos. Recognises the pair of obscenely large hands braced on the countertop directly next to her own, notices the distinct scars that cover them.

Before she can wrap her head around what she’s seeing, she begins to feel it. 

She feels the strain on her calves from being raised up on the very tips of her toes. The cold granite of the benchtop is agonising against her peaked nipples as her breasts brush roughly over the surface. She’s conscious of the heavy weight of his strong body over hers, the glide of his bare chest against her arched back - the friction eased by the thin sheen of sweat covering their bodies. 

The last thing she feels before the sound fades in is the delicious burn in between her legs, the blissful stretch of her body around him as he sinks deep into her.

She’s just caught on to exactly what this is when she hears it all - the unmistakable sound of skin meeting skin at a punishing pace, the rumble of his low voice in her ear saying things that are so unbelievably filthy she’d never dream of ever repeating them out loud. She hears her own voice but the rasp in it is unlike she’s ever heard it before as she screams. Actually screams . 

It’s Azriel’s name she’s crying out, over and over. It’s his name that echoes through the kitchen, punctuated only by the primal moans escaping her lips as she pleads for more. Begs him to go harder, faster. 

His name is halfway out of her mouth again, a wave of unfathomable pleasure just beginning to crest within her, when the haze lifts and it all changes back as quickly as the vision came.

The rolling pin has dropped from her hands and is laying at her feet. Her fingers are wrapped around the edge of the countertop, knuckles white with the force of her grip. The morning sun is shining bright through the kitchen window, the soft golden light matching the colour of her dress. 

Elain’s chest heaves as she tries to catch her breath. The only thing that lingers from her vision is the desperate ache between her thighs. When she dares to look up, Azriel is staring at her - hazel eyes wide with shock. She wonders if maybe she’d said his name out loud. Prays that the way she’d been screaming it had occurred solely in her vision.

She looks away from his gaze quickly, her face heating as she glances at his hands only to remember how they’d been positioned on either side of her body. Flashes of what the two of them had been doing play on repeat in her mind.

It was only a few months ago that he’d noticed that she was a Seer and since then she’s had a number of visions. But none like this, none directly about herself . And certainly none like this - so visceral and explicit that there were no hidden meanings to be found, no need to decipher what she had just seen. 

Never in her life had she felt like that before, not that she had much experience. She just never fathomed that it could be that good. All she could think of was the feeling of him inside her coupled with the glorious weight of his body pressing hers into the benchtop. All she could think of was how much she wanted that vision to come to life, how much she wanted to hear him whisper all those filthy things again.

“Elain?” Azriel’s voice cuts through her racing thoughts. Had he been saying something to her this entire time? 

She lifts her eyes back to his, watches as his eyes scan her face… her throat. Watches the way they drift down and linger on the rise and fall of her breasts as she attempts to slow her racing heart. 

“Are you alright? Did you see … something?” He enquires, voice gentle although she doesn’t miss the heat in it. She doesn’t miss the shift in his scent either, the heady musk of it intermingling with the sweet scent of her own arousal.

Elain nods slowly, searching for anything to say. Any lingering hope that he hadn’t picked up on exactly what type of vision she just had is immediately dashed when his eyes lock on hers again and she sees the way they’ve darkened - sees the desire in them that she’s sure matches the desire in hers. 

She thanks the gods above when they both hear the sound of creaking floorboards at the top of the stairs. Azriel’s shadows come out from wherever they’ve been hiding, whisking away the scent of arousal in the air, just as Cassian appears at the bottom of the stairs. 

“Morning Elain, Az.” Cassian greets them as he saunters into the kitchen. “How are we ruining my diet today, El?”

“Cinnamon rolls…” Elain’s voice is traitorously breathy. She turns to face him, releases a deep sigh and attempts to plaster a smile on her face as she runs her sweaty palms over the front of her apron. She’s still flustered even with the distraction of a third party. “I just forgot I needed to do… something. Do you think you could finish grinding this cinnamon for me while I run upstairs?”

“I’ll do it.” Azriel speaks up before Cassian has a chance to reply. She doesn’t even look back at him before she nods and practically flies out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

Elain curses under her breath as she quickly shuts the door to her bedroom and collapses on her bed. She tries to ignore the relentless need coursing through her body as she stares up at the ceiling and contemplates how months of this unspoken slow growing tension between them has suddenly culminated into something so tangible.

She wonders how she’ll be able to ever look him in the eye without thinking of him inside of her. Wonders how she’s supposed to continue with life as normal while knowing that this vision would stay embedded in the forefront of her mind until it came to fruition. 

After all this time spent fighting thinking of Azriel in this way, now that she’d gotten a glimpse of what could be, Elain thinks she may just go insane waiting.

#elriel #azriel x elain fanfiction #azriel x elain #elain x azriel #my writing #mine #fanfiction #elriel fanfiction #elriel fanfic #acotar fanfiction #elain archeron #azriel #elriel smut #Spotify

[violetasteracademic]

Golden Doe in a Valley of Shadow **SPECIAL BONUS!!**

You guys. I am so excited to share that the amazing @rae2velaris has been working on INCREDIBLE art for my Azriel and Elain fic. There are some slight spoilers ahead, so if you haven't caught up yet or read Chapter Ten (the namesake chapter, Golden Doe in a Valley of Shadow) feel free to head straight to Ao3 by clicking here or head to the master list to find your chapter by clicking here.

There is so much more to come from Rae. She is going to give us Az and Elain in the valley, Elain's Ascalaphus feather suit, as well as fan favorite Argus and the Golden Doe!

Here is Az with his HEART MELTING SMILE when Elain turns his shadows golden through their carranam bond:

A note from the artist- this Azriel is unfinished but I already think it is so amazing that she let me share anyway. She will be adding his wings and details to his armor, but is he not already stunning?! I think so.

Elain's Tree of Life:

Azriel's Scythe of Death:

If you have been supporting this fic, *please* consider supporting Rae and her incredible art! I have added this as a bonus chapter on Ao3 if you would like to leave some kind words for Rae over there! Click here.

They are stunning. I can't get over it.

#elriel #elain x azriel #pro elriel #elriel fanfic #spicy elriel fanfic #elriel endgame #elriel supremacy

[persefoneofsaturn]

cassian: azriel will never agree to help us

elain: sure he will

rhys: he already refused thrice

elain: alright, let me try

elain, touch azriel's shoulder: az, can you—

azriel: yes.

#azriel x elain #azriel #elain x azriel #elriel #pro elriel #rhysand #acotar #acosf #rhys acotar #pro elain archeron #elriel fanfic #elain and azriel #azriel shadowsinger #azriel acotar #acotar fanfic #acotar fanfiction #incorrect acotar quotes #incorect quote #incorrect quotes #the inner circle #elain acotar #elain archeron #a court of thorns and roses

[elriel-month]

Elriel Month 2024

New year, same undying love for these two. 💕

We are ecstatic to share another year with you all and celebrate our love for Elain and Azriel!

Stay tuned for the official Elriel Month and prompts announcements coming soon!!

🎨 Art Credits (all IG accounts):

Top left: art by ruisfree, commissioned by darksidepuff & stephdaydreams

Bottom left: art by lulybot, commissioned by neur0toxin

Top right: art by jae.sketch, commissioned by pandoras_book

Bottom right: art by lulybot, commissioned by pandoras_book

#elriel #elriel month #elriel month 2024 #elrielmonth #elrielmonth2024 #elrielmonth24 #elain archeron #azriel shadowsinger #azriel #elain #elriel art #elriel fanfic #elriel aesthetic #elriel meme

[fauxdette]

Belong to You - Elain x Azriel

Part 1 • Part 2 🔥

Summary: Azriel says goodbye to Elain before leaving for some spyin’. She asks him about rejecting the mating bond.

Word count: 600

Warnings: None

Elain yelped, whipping her hand back and soothing the hurt between her lips.

“Yooouuu…” she scowled, shaking her shears at the rose that pricked her thumb; a small droplet of blood pooling on the already healed pad.

“Ahem.”

She pivoted toward the sound, surprised to find the shadowsinger shaded under a nearby tree; a playful smile on his usually unreadable face.

“Sorry to interrupt.”

“Oh, you weren’t—“ she shook her head sheepishly. “I don’t usually talk to flowers.”

“Just the ones that wound you?”

“That one had it coming.”

Azriel laughed, joyous and full. Elain grinned at the sound of it.

“Have you come to help?” She asked, gesturing to the blooming flowerbed before her.

Half had already been weeded and pruned but she estimated there was still an hour or two of work ahead of her.

Azriel shook his head. “I’ve just come to say I’m leaving tomorrow. Rhys has asked me to keep an eye on the human queens, see if I can find any stirring of what they might be up to.”

Elain noted he’d slipped that cool mask of indifference over his features again.

“How long will you be gone for?”

“Hard to say,” he looked toward the Sidra glittering in the distance. “I’ll be lodging with Jurian and Lucien while I’m there.”

Lucien. Something made her back stiffen, whether it was the name itself or the way Azriel said it, Elain wasn’t sure. There was an undertone there; an aftertaste. Some secret meaning she couldn’t decipher.

The Illyrian shifted on his feet a little, let the silence stretch before them before he added, “if there’s anything you needed me to pass on for you…”

Ah. Understanding settled on her like a wet blanket; heavy and uncomfortable. He wasn’t coming to say goodbye due to any measure of affection but to ask if she wanted to speak to Lucien; the High Lords son, the human emissary, her mate.

“No,” she replied sharply. “So, I suppose we’re done here. Travel safe, I— I’ll see you when you get back,” she turned back toward the garden, waiting for him to winnow away.

Instead she felt him fall in line next to her, his leather-clad arm brushing her bare skin.

“I’m sorry.”

“I don’t even know him,” it was all she could think to say.

Azriel merely nodded.

She studied his face then. With the distance closed between them every elegant angle was visible; the fullness of his lips, the way his hair— longer than she’d seen it before— fell, almost touching the long curve of his dark eyelashes.

“If you found your mate in someone you had no… desire for. What would you do?”

Those hazel eyes were churning, thinking.

“I see my brothers, what they have, and I wonder if anything other than the bond can live up to that,” he said eventually, offering every word slowly. “But. I know plenty of matches where that hasn’t been the case. And I hope an individuals heart would steer them more true than some magical pot; as ancient and powerful as it is.”

It was a kindness he imparted to her with those words; recognition towards how she felt. Maybe it was that kindness that made her ask, “If you were Lucien and I rejected our bond, could you let me go? Allow me to follow my own heart?”

She heard him suck in a breath as he tore his eyes away from the horizon to look at her.

“If I had a mate that didn’t want me, I hope that I cared enough to let her have agency over her own life. Regardless of my part in it.”

Elain nodded, feeling herself relax.

A pause, “But if you were my mate, Elain,” She looked up at him, into those cryptic eyes. “I don’t think I could ever let it go— I think my heart would belong to you forever.”

#elriel #azriel x elain #elriel fanfic #elain x azriel