family skate
December 7, 2022
Maleah kneeled down in front of her son as she slipped on his shoes, smiling at his adorable outift, cargo sweatpants, white sweater, black puffer jacket and an orange beanie that is covering his beautiful blonde curls.
“Is Uncle JoJo coming?” Malakai looked at his mother in question as he played with his green dinosaur that is his absolute favorite stuff animal ever.
“He is, he will be here any minute and you guys will have a fun time.” Maleah brushed her hand against his cheek pressing a kiss to his forehead before standing up and picking Malakai up and resting him on his hip.
“Are you sure you can’t come Mama?” Malakai softly asked playing with the ends of his mother’s hair.
“You know i wish i could! But you’ll have lots of fun with Uncle Jojo.” She smiled down at her favorite person feeling terrible she couldn’t make the Devils family skate with John and Malakai, especially since Malakai and her have went to all the other family skate when John played at the Penguins but she had a fashion show at the exact time as the family skate and she has to be there.
Maleah had been so busy the fast few months that Malakai and her haven’t had the chance to meet John’s team yet, especially since Malakai doesn’t love a lot of people and going to games gets quite overwhelming and they tend to watch the games at home. Also the last five or so months the two have done a lot more traveling and just haven’t been home often.
Maleah heard the knock on the front door and walked over to the door with her son in her arms, she opened the door and smiled at her best friend, “Jo!” She smiled watching John smile widely at the two and pull them into a hug.
“Hi Mal and Little Mal!” John grinned kissing Malakai’s cheek, Malakai giggled at his godfather.
“Alright you guys better get going,” Maleah reminded John, “I love you Kai, you be good okay.” She looked down at her son pressing a kiss to his forehead.
“I love you too Mama!” Malakai frowned slightly never liking leaving his mother.
“Come on my little buddy.” John brightly grinned taking Malakai into his arm and picking up his little hand waving at Maleah, “Say bye Mama!”
“Bye Bye.” Maleah fondly waved back at the two watching them head down the hallway and into the elevator.
John walked them into the parking garage and heading to his car, he opened the passenger seat and set Malakai into his car seat that is always in John’s car, John buckled the seat belt and handed Malakai his green dinosaur before closing the door and heading into the drivers seat.
John drove to the Devils Arena and parked his car in the parking spot, he hopped out of the car and opened the passenger door and took his godson out of the car seat.
“You wanna walk or be held?” John asked Malakai, Malakai made a thinking face before holding on to John’s hand meaning he wants to walk, “Alright. We do have to leave Mr.Dino in the car, he might be cold at the rink.” Malakai made a sad face but reached up and set his stuff animal in the car.
John made sure to walk slowly with Malakai holding his hand, they walked through the hallway to the locker room seeing a lot of the players with their friends and family.
John having been traded to the Devils the beginning of the season and this would be his first family skate with the Devils, his parents couldn’t make it and Maleah tried but she had to be at her show.
Nico Hischer looked over from where he was talking with his parents and sister and saw John standing with a young boy. Nico smiled and excused himself and walked over to John and he kneeled down in front of the young boy, “Hi, I’m Nico, what’s your name?” Nico held out his hand towards the young kid and smiled comforting at the kid.
Malakai looked up at his godfather for permission, John smiled and nodded. Malakai shyly shook Nico’s hand, “I’m Malakai.”
“That’s a very cool name Malakai!” Nico smiled at the boy.
“Thank you.” Malakai smiled slightly at Nico.
“Who’s this adorable little guy!” Jack Hughes smiled walking over seeing John with a little boy.
“This is Malakai he’s my godson.” John fondly smiled as he looked down at Malakai ruffling his hair.
“I’m Jack!” Jack smiled widely at the young boy and pulled a funny face making Malakai giggle slightly.
John felt himself relax slightly seeing his teammates being so kind to Malakai, He scooped up his godson, “Alright let’s get your skates on.” He spun them around making Malakai laugh.
John walked them over to his stall and set Malakai down on the stall, pulling out the small ice skates he brought the other day that he has for Malakai, he kneeled down in front of his godson and slipped off his shoes and slipped his tiny feet into the skates and started lanching them up. John stood up and sat down next to Malakai quickly putting on his win skates.
“Ready to go?” John held out a hand for Malakai, The boy nodded and hopped up grabbing his godfathers hands, while John grabbed his stick and Malakai’s very tiny stick and small helmet.
John slipped on the helmet onto Malakai’s head and clicked it on, before they started walking out of the locker room and headed down to the rink.
Malakai quickly got onto the ice extremely smoothly having been on the ice since before he could walk.
John was skating right behind Malakai knocking some pucks onto the ice letting Malakai grab on with his hockey stick.
“Oh, you better move!” John teased gently hitting his stick in front of Malakai trying to take the puck away, Malakai giggled but kept the puck to his stick and hit into the goal.
“Ohhhhh and Malakai scoresss!” John cheered putting his arms around his waist and spinning Malakai around.
“Uncle JoJo!” Malakai giggled throwing his little head back as his godfather spun him around like crazy.
“Who is this adorable little dude?” Alex Holtz skated next to John, holding his hand out for fist bump.
“This is Malakai! He’s my godson.” John proudly introduced him to Alex, Malakai hit his fist to Alex’s.
“He’s so cute!” Dawson Mercer smiled as he skated on the other side of John waving at Malakai.
“Thank you.” Malakai shyly whispered.
John and Malakai said bye to Dawson and Alex and they continued skating when one of the Media people asked to take a picture of them.
Malakai rested his head against John’s leg smiling, John rested his head on the back of Malakai’s helmet.
The media person said bye and skated away.
“Can we take a picture for Mama?” Malakai asked excitedly knowing his mother loves getting pictures when he is away.
“Course buddy.” John pulled out his phone and kneeled down next to him and held up his phone as the two smiled at the camera, John quickly sent the photo it Maleah before putting her phone away.
Nico saw the media team asking John to do an interview and saw Malakai with John, Nico skated over and rested a reassuring hand on John’s shoulder, “I can watch him?” Nico asked if John would be comfortable with that.
“Okay thank you.” John smiled, he looked down at Malakai, “Be good?” John not to worried about letting Malakai go with Nico because they are only gonna be on the ice.
“Okay.” Malakai smiled and looked over at Nico, “Do you have your stick?”
“I do it’s by the bench.” Nico smiled and slowly skated with Malakai following him to the bench. Nico grabbed his stick and saw Malakai having a puck against his stick.
Nico smiled seeing Malakai already so comfortable skating around and him being so young and already so impressive with a stick and puck.
“How long have you been skating?” Nico questioned as they passed the puck back and forth.
“Mama says she brought me on the ice since i could stand,” Malakai responded and Nico saw how much the little boys face lite up talking about his mother, “Mama use to play when she younger, Uncle Jojo, Uncle Matty and Uncle Anty all play in the NHL.”
Nico face turned in thought, “What teams do they play on?”
“Uncle Jojo plays with you, Uncle Maty plays at the Islanders and Uncle Anty plays for the Canucks.”
Nico slowly nodded trying to figure out the players real names, “Anty is Anthony Beauvillier?” Malakai hummed and nodded, “And Matty is Matthew Barzal?”
“Yeah he’s my Mama’s brother!” Malakai proudly told Nico.
Nico’s eyes widen realizing exactly who his mother is, Maleah Barzal. Nico having saw her for the first time in 2017 at a game and he was awestruck and he’s never seen her again at any games but he follows her on Instagram and saw her posting her son but she never showed her son’s face so Nico didn’t realize until now.
“Do you go and see them play?” Nico curiously asked as he hit the puck back to him.
“Sometimes, i get um Mama says the world is owhelming.” Malakai stuttered over his word not remembering the word his Mama said.
“Overwhelming?” Nico guessed.
Malakai nodded, “Yeah that one, there’s a lot of people at games so we watch at home alot.”
“It does get a lot sometimes.” Nico sympathized remembering the first time he ever went to a hockey game when he was young and how overwhelmed he was.
“I like going.” Malakai has felt bad when he got so anxious and Maleah and him started going less because he knows his mom misses going.
Nico hummed an idea coming to mind, something he would talk to John about.
Nico and Malakai set the sticks back on the bench choosing to skate around and Malakai slowly reached up and held onto Nico’s hand, Nico looked down and couldn’t help this heart from squeezing in fondness for Malakai.
John ended up taking a little while longer than he thought and when he skated back he saw a sight that he couldn’t help but smile at. Nico looking down softly at Malakai as he held onto his little hand as they skated together.
John skated around to the other side of Malakai and held onto his other hand.
Malakai and John skated with Nico for the rest of the family skate before the got off the ice with the rest of the players and families.
John kneeled down in front of Malakai untying his little skates noticing Malakai’s little yawns and the way his little eyes were starting to drop.
John picked Malakai up and set him on his hip, Malakai rested his head on John’s shoulder and slowly could feel his eyes starting to drop.
John waved to his teammates noticing Malakai fast asleep in his arms and quietly and quickly headed out to his car. John gently set him into his car seat and hoped into the drivers seat heading back to Maleah’s penthouse.
John pulled into the parking garage shutting off the car, he hopped out of his seat and opened the door getting a still sleeping Malakai out of his car seat.
John walked through the apartment building up to the penthouse floor and knocked at the door.
Maleah quickly opened the door and smiled seeing them she gently took Malakai into her arms and sighed in relief holding her baby again.
She moved over letting John walk in and take his shoes off, “Let me put him to bed and you get changed there is dinner on the counter.” Maleah having only just gotten back a few minutes ago and brought dinner home for them.
Maleah turned around and headed into the hallway and down to Malakai’s room, she walked in pulling back his blankets and gently set him down on the bed. She slipped off his jacket, beanie and shoes not even making him stir and left him in his sweatpants and sweater.
Malakai was cuddling his dinosaur tightly between his little arms. “Goodnight i love you.” Maleha leaned down pressing a kiss to his forehead as she covered him up with blankets.
She stood up and walked over to the window closing the blinds all the way and turned on his sound machine before quietly walking out of the room leaving the door cracked open.
Maleha walked into the living room seeing John already poured them wine and was putting the food on his plate.
“This is why you’re my best friend.” Maleah spoke as she sat on the couch next to him picking up her glass of wine.
John laughed as he turned on the TV putting on the show they have been watching.
Maleah and John stayed on the couch for the next few hours watching their show and drinking wine.
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A Match Baked In Heaven
fun fact about this chapter: I had no plans to write this fanfic at all. It wasn't something that I had thought about or nurtured. All I wanted was to write a scene where Azriel baked Elain an ugly birthday cake that collapsed in the middle. That's it. That was the scene that I really needed to get out. Somehow, and I am still unsure how, this whole fic was born kind of around this one simple scene. Well, here it is. The scene that started it all. Hope you enjoy it.
Chapter XIII
I’ll Be Your Man
Elain’s birthday was on a cold, blustery day, as it happened to be most years. At least Feyre’s birthday was on the Winter Solstice, so there was something special about the day. The longest night of the year. It was mystical and mysterious. There were Druids and Stonehenge rituals.
Elain’s birthday was uninteresting. No one cared about December 23rd.
No one, not one person, especially when everyone was reeling from Feyre and Rhysand surprise wedding, cared about Elain’s 28th birthday. Piglet might have cared, if he knew about it. But he didn’t, so that left the one and only person who gave a shit–Azriel.
Azriel was secretive, but adamant. He told her that they would be celebrating and that she was to come to his flat. Finally! Took long enough. He virtually moved in with her, and yet here she was, going to his place for the very first time. She was curious about how and where he lived. Canary Wharf wasn’t a place that she went to frequently–it was beautiful, spotless and soulless. Like the most perfect version of NYC. There were shiny skyscrapers, brilliantly green lawns, vividly blue water, a glittery mall, and none of it was Elain’s cuppa, because while there, you wouldn’t even know you were still in London. But it seemed like the perfect spot for a wealthy bachelor who spent a lot of time on the road and had more money than he had sense.
Elain dressed warmly and without fanfare because Azriel didn’t tell her to bring anything special and besides, she was feeling…out of sorts. She was restless, which was another word for ‘envious’. But she wasn’t envious! Of course not. She wasn’t envious of Feyre, who was MARRIED!!!! To Rhysand. It was something that Elain still couldn’t wrap her mind around. Feyre. Married. After 16 hours of knowing her now husband. Elain wasn’t envious. She wasn’t like Feyre, and she wouldn’t be able to take such a drastic step anyway. Not after 16 hours. Probably not even now. Though, she had to admit, when Azriel dropped to his knee before her, she felt…joy. Terror. But also joy. Mostly disbelief and happiness. But it was just a little game. Nothing more. That’s what people did with her–they played games.
She put a puffer coat and a bear hat on Piglet and off they went to the Tube station. He didn’t like the cold and attempted to turn back, but she tugged on his lead, making him walk.
“Don’t even start with me today!” she warned and he pouted, but ended up walking.
She was kind of in a bad mood, she supposed.
She was forgettable: the little, pretty, but pointless Elain. Her father rang her, and she received the usual £50. He wished her a happy birthday and told her to ‘make the right decisions’--whatever that meant. Nesta rang as well and informed her that she was going out on a date with Cassian. That was a surprise. Nesta tried to play it off, but Elain could feel that her sister was excited. Nothing from Eris. What a douche. She couldn’t believe that he wouldn’t even text her. They never even broke up officially. For all he knew, she was still his girlfriend. And yet, he didn’t even bother calling her on her birthday. Boorish oaf. Maybe she should just sleep with Azriel? She’s been putting it all off, the whole sexual part of the relationship, because of Eris. Because of her misguided sense of loyalty to him. But after Azriel’s kiss, she wasn’t sure if she could continue denying herself the pleasure that she’s been craving and also withhold affection from Azriel. It wasn’t fair to either of them and especially not because of Eris.
They got on the train and Piglet sat on Elain’s lap. Some people did a double take, thinking he was an ugly baby, but of course once they realised that he was a dog in a hat, riders started taking photos of him. Sometimes, having a celebrity dog was a pain in the arse. Then some girl told Elain that Piglet was ‘cute in an ugly way’ to which Elain snapped ‘well, I think he is cute in a cute kind of way’. The girl made a face and moved away. Good.
It took a while to get to Canary Wharf and by the time Elain and Piglet got off the train, it was just them and it was pristine and desolate here. She’d have to find how to get to Azriel’s building, and she wondered if she’d have to get an Uber. She had no idea where the hell she was and it was cold, and she was in a shitty mood. She was 28 years old. It all came down to that. She was 28 and except for her business, she had nothing to show for it. Well, that, and rescuing Piglet. There wasn’t a whole lot else to brag about. A failed engagement and a semi-ex-boyfriend who didn’t bother to wish her a happy birthday and from whom she’s not heard in ages. She was feeling so salty about it, so angry, she was surprising herself. She didn’t think of herself as such a bitter person, but she absolutely resented Eris lately.
-
She stood on the platform, figuring out where to go, when Piglet began to bark and pulled on the lead hard enough for her to let go. Before she could yell at him, she turned and saw Azriel Night standing by the doors, smiling. He held a huge bouquet–a stunning selection of pale pastel flowers which probably cost 500 quid.
Elain's birthday bouquet
“There is my beautiful birthday girl!” he greeted her.
And just like that, Elain’s unhappiness dissipated. Because there he was, the one who never abandoned her, the one who caught her every time even when she thought that she was falling, the one who never forgot about her.
“I am going to be like Feyre and say ‘give me hugs!’” Azriel joked, while receiving some serious side eye from Piglet. Chuckling, he added, ‘lil lad, we’ll discuss your hat later. You sure are ready for that snowstorm. But first, let me give my girl hugs!”
It wasn’t a hug that Elain received the moment she stepped into Azriel’s arms. He cupped her jaw in his cold hand and pressed his lips to hers, not allowing her even a moment to reconsider. It was an ‘Azriel kiss’--heavy and dirty, possessive and domineering. He didn’t do anything other than mould her lips with his, and rather gently pry her teeth apart, allowing his tongue full access and swiping in boldly, but as soon as those warm full lips of the slightly cruel mouth enveloped hers, Elain’s legs refused to cooperate. The gorgeous bouquet got half smashed in the crook of her elbow, as she clung to Azriel’s shoulders, holding on to him for support. His arm landed on the small of her back, pressing her tightly to himself, and the other squeezed the back of her neck, while he kissed her hotly, his mouth firm, taking from her, while filling her lungs with his breath.
She pulled back a bit and moaned, “Az,” but he shook his head stubbornly and reminded her,
“You said I can kiss you any time, anywhere. This is it. I am kissing you when I want to.”
“Okay,” she nodded frantically and he returned to her lips, kissing her with needy urgency, like she was the finest thing he’d ever tasted.
Piglet meandered in between their legs, bored, and kept giving them judgy looks. But not as judgy as some old woman who walked past them and hissed, “there is a time and a place for these things!”
That pulled Elain back and Azriel glowered at the woman in a manner that had her skittering away in a speedy manner.
“Let’s go, birthday girl,” Azriel draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. “Let’s go lumberjack pug,” he whistled to Piglet, who trotted happily next to him, eager for less kissing but more adventures.
“So, what are we doing?” Elain asked, as she dared to wrap her arm around his waist. Azriel chuckled and said, “I am not telling you all my secrets, pretty girl. There will be surprises,” he promised.
Elain winced and he laughed at her reaction.
“Have I ever disappointed you?” he inquired.
Elain thought about it. Actually thought about it for a moment, before realising that he never, in fact, disappointed her at all. He was impossible, hair-raising, incorrigible at times–more times than she cared to admit, but he was also never disappointing. He loved Piglet. He was good with her sisters. He was good around the house. He cooked well. He had a hilarious sense of humour. So basically, he was great and she loved him.
“No,” was all she answered.
Azriel hummed, like he suspected that there was more to her laconic answer than met the eye, but didn’t push.
They walked through what looked like an office building lobby–this place made no sense to Elain!--and then outside. Azriel pressed a key fob and a Range Rover came to life across the street.
“No Dev?”
“Nah, it’s just you and I today, sweetness,” he promised and for some reason that made Elain blush a bit.
He always managed to make the most innocent comments sound titillating.
“Are you excited to be all mine for the day?” he asked, opening the car door for her.
“And what are you planning to do to me all day long?” she quipped, while he cupped her bottom in his hands, completely unnecessarily, and helped her up.
“You know, I can do it myself!”
“I am a gentleman after all,” he winked at her. “And it’s your birthday. If you need help with anything, you just let me know! I am excellent at assisting with bathing for example. Dressing, oh, and undressing. Tucking in. Tucking out.”
“Oh lord, this is going to be a long day,” she moaned, while Piglet struggled to get up into the large vehicle, and was getting more and more agitated by the moment. Azriel was laughing softly, watching him struggle.
When Piglet was about to ram the car with his head, like an angry bull, Azriel swiftly grabbed him and said, “Calm down. You think you are one of the Avengers because you go to the park, bark at big dogs and small childs, but you are just Pinky the Pug.”
Elain snickered, but then gasped, when Azriel placed Piglet in the back seat, into a new, lavish doggy car seat.
“Is that for him?” she exclaimed, wide-eyed. Azriel deposited Piglet into the seat, attached his harness and pushed him closer to the window, so he could look outside.
“Well, it’s not for Cassian,” he shrugged, “so I suppose it’s for him.”
Azriel rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, suddenly embarrassed of the praise and Elain’s excited reaction.
“You love him,” she murmured.
“Who, Cassian?” he tried to deflect with a joke. “Yeah, he is my brother.”
She didn’t respond but only watched him get into his seat and start the car.
“You are a good man, Azriel Night,” she said quietly, as they pulled into the thin traffic. There were hoards of people going into the mall, and Azriel drove away as quickly as he could.
“Yeah, well…” he shrugged, “only for you, I think.”
“I don’t think so,” she argued absently, looking at the shiny skyscrapers outside. “I think you are very nice. To everyone.”
“Ha! Not true, but I’m enjoying this rosy image of me that you’d painted in your head.”
She looked at him, but didn’t say anything. Because she knew what she knew, and this was a remarkable man and no one was going to change her mind about that.
Azriel drove away from the river, ably navigating between cars and holiday shoppers, and getting away from the modernity of the towering buildings and into more industrial and residential areas.
“So, what are we doing?” she asked eagerly.
“Not gonna tell you.”
“It’s my birthday! You have to,” Elain complained. “Are we going to go to dinner?”
“No, that’s predictable. And it’s not even noon yet. What dinner?”
“No dinner?”
“No dinner,” he confirmed.
“Am I going to get presents?”
He bubbled his lips, but then said, “yes. You will get one gift.”
“That’s it?”
“What if it’s a diamond ring?” he mused.
“Eh, it’s not! You aren’t Rhys, who is out of his mind.”
“I am not sure it’s a compliment,” he glared at the road ahead, miffed by her comment. “You make it sound like I don’t have the bollocks to propose to you?”
“Oh I think you have all the bollocks,” she assured him.
“I am wondering if you have the bollocks to say ‘yes’.”
Elain bit her lip and didn’t answer.
But for Azriel, it was answer enough.
He drove in silence–the atmosphere a bit tense between them. Piglet was panting in the back, obviously enjoying himself tremendously in his new seat, feeling like he was part of the gang.
“You can have two gifts,” Azriel suddenly said, interrupting the silence. It was as if he’s been thinking about this second gift for a while.
Elain turned to him, and smiled happily, “yeah?”
He shrugged,
“Yeah, I suppose, since it’s your birthday. You can have two presents.”
“Oh, very generous of you,” she joked and then added, “I like it here,” her head swivelling this way and that way, as she beheld the older buildings, the rougher, less modernised and glitzy part of the Wharf. Azriel already knew this about her–Elain loved London. Loved it. She knew it extraordinarily well, always peppering their walks with fun facts about various odd buildings. She loved old London especially, and he recalled how on the way to Camden the other night, she kept pointing out things that none of them knew anything about. It fascinated him–how knowledgeable she was, and how much she appreciated and loved this town. For someone who didn’t drive, she sure navigated the place with ease. She also knew all the old timey places to eat, old pubs, pie shops, obscure stores and places where they still required a smoking jacket, and where they made bespoke items. Of course after meeting her father, it wasn’t terribly surprising. The man wore a dinner jacket even if he dined alone.
They stopped at a red light.
“Az?” Elain said softly.
He turned to her, “yeah, baby?”
Without warning, Elain reached over the console and cupped his jaw in her hand. She leaned deeper into him and pulled his face close, her chocolate brown eyes skimming over his features with quiet, genuine admiration. And then she pressed those sweet, pillowy lips to his. The honeyed taste of her, with a hint of vanilla hit him hard. Because she kissed him like she couldn’t wait anymore. As if every moment that they’ve been driving, she just waited to kiss him, to taste him, to be as close to him as possible. As if he was a compulsion that she needed to satisfy. Her palm held his face tightly, steadily, the thumb stroking his cheek with possessive gentleness, but also urgency. Azriel fell into the kiss like he was a teen tasting his first woman–wholly and without hesitation, in an uncontrolled, wild way that Elain always made him feel. He didn’t want to sound crazy, but he literally felt their souls click together every time the two of them kissed. They fitted together like a key and a keyhole.
An irritated honking pulled them apart. Azriel was panting a bit, his eyes darker than their normal greenish-hazelnut colour, his gaze unfocused.
Elain licked her lips, blinking rapidly. She looked like she just woke up.
The light had long turned green.
“I couldn’t wait,” she confessed breathlessly.
He looked at her, not making any effort to actually start driving.
“I couldn’t wait,” she repeated, while he cupped her face in his big, gnarled hand. Rubbing his thumb over her lips, he murmured, “for what?”
“For us. To kiss you.”
A soft, pleased smirk touched his lips.
“You kissed me at a red light,”
“I suppose I did, didn’t I?”
“Do it again!” he ordered.
Elain laughed.
“The people behind will beat you up!”
“I don’t care. We have a vicious dog in the back,” he turned around and looked at Piglet, who blinked his big buggy eyes at him.
“Or not,” he concluded and then sped up down the street.
-
In about five minutes Azriel pulled to the curb and parked. Elain looked around, noticing some kind of Christmas market.
“Are we going to have hot cocoa?” she asked immediately and Azriel smiled at her. She really was a big baby sometimes.
“We can have hot cocoa,” he nodded, getting the dog from the back seat. Piglet snorted with displeasure, especially when he felt the cool nip of December on him and Azriel told him,
“You can stay here, if you’d like.”
To which Piglet immediately jumped out of the car. The enticing smells of fried foods, and the scent of a whole pork roast didn’t hurt either.
Azriel pulled his flat cap lower on his forehead, hoping that no one recognised him. Elain threaded her arm through the crook of his elbow and he took Piglet’s lead, and smiled to himself.
His little family.
He felt proper and genteel with Elain next to him. For someone like him, who wasn’t used to dating proper ladies and usually stuck with football groupies, walking around with Elain–his actual girlfriend–was a bit of a mindfuck. How did he even get Elain? That was still mind boggling to him. Whatever good he’d done in his life, which he felt wasn’t even very much, somehow got him rewarded with Elain. And he wasn’t going to question it or think too hard about his luck.
They queued in line for hot cocoa, which Elain had located incredibly fast and when it was their turn, Azriel ordered her the most elaborate concoction that he could find.
“Baby, don't fall into a diabetic coma,” he warned, handing her the drink. Her eyes lit up with excitement, and she absolutely disregarded his cautionary reminder. For Piglet, he got a pup cup, because god forbid they’d be enjoying something and their chunky pug was left without a treat.
“So, why are we here?” Elain asked, though she insisted on stopping at every stall. In less than fifteen minutes, they already had a box of creme brulee doughnuts ‘for breakfast’--Azriel was doubting that the doughnuts would make it to tomorrow’s breakfast, but sure, hope springs eternal and all. They bought seven varieties of cheese–for some mysterious charcuterie board that Elain was planning on making. Azriel suspected that they’d eat the cheese between the two of them, with Piglet’s help, and without any board. She stopped by the oyster shucker and watched him with sadness in her eyes, because raw oysters and hot cocoa with whipped cream and caramel…well, even Elain couldn’t pull that off.
“Well, if you would stop pausing at every food place, we might actually get to our destination,” Azriel told her, before artfully sidling to her and licking a bit of whipped cream off her lip.
“Ugh,” was all she managed to huff before Azriel wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply. Elain was…effervescent today. Bubbly and happy and full of excitement and Azriel was feeling quite proud of himself. Granted, it didn’t take a lot to get Elain happy and smiling, but she truly came alive when they were together.
“My sweet girl,” he groaned against her warm, chocolate-scented lips. She was holding onto his neck, her grip tight and secure, because she wasn’t going to let him go.
“You kiss…” he mused, rubbing his nose against hers.
“What?!” she gasped. “It’s bad? I don’t kiss well?”
“No. You kiss wonderfully. Best kisses,”
“You lie!” she complained, but he shut her up pretty quickly with another kiss. Cradling her head in his palm, he moaned, a quiet and masculine groan escaping his lips as he guided Elain’s mouth with his own. He devoured her as he tended to do, hungry and intimately, knowing that he would probably never get enough of her deliciousness.
“You kiss with a desperation of love,” he told her simply.
Elain looked up at him, her hands wrapped around his neck.
“See, like this,” and he ran his fingers over her upper arm. “It’s genuine. It’s real. You are the most real person I’ve ever met, Elain.”
“I,” she began but he interrupted her.
“You are the only one who’d never needed anything from me, except for me. Don’t want my money. Don’t need my fame. Not even sure if you remember that I am a footballer,” he chuckled at that.
“I remember,” she pushed his shoulder playfully. “But it’s a job. It’s not who you are,”
“And for some unfathomable reason, you like who I am,” he told her.
“Why unfathomable?” she wondered, stroking the back of his neck gently. “Maybe you are just the one for me. My one and only. The one who was made for me, for whatever reason,”
“For whatever reason,” he echoed her, looking down at the lovely face, and then long locks under her knit hat, where fat snowflakes landed and disappeared just as quickly. “And you believe this? That I, a bastard born nobody, was made for you?”
“Is that what worries you?”
He shrugged, and said quietly, “Maybe.”
“You are a made man. That’s what matters to me. You achieved your own success and carved your own path due to your talent and your tenacity. Not inherited money. And believe me, we’ve had some bastards in the family as well,” she winked at him. “Ask me to tell you about my great-great-grandmother Miss Elain Archeron and the Duke of Velaris.”
“Oh yeah, the Banging Granny Elain!” Azriel laughed. “I do want to hear more,”
Elain cocked her brow at him, “Is that what we are calling her?”
He gave her a peck on the lips and said, “Seems fitting. Come on!” he pulled her alongside him and in the next moment, Elain ended up standing in front of rows of Christmas trees.
“No!” she gasped.
“Yes,” he grinned. “I told you that you will be getting a tree this year. So, let’s go and choose one and then we are going home to decorate.”
-
Piglet felt that dad’s flat was pretty nice.
Piglet offered his opinions on which tree to get, which were unequivocal, especially because his Elain couldn’t even make a decision! She walked from tree to tree, touched them all, tried to reach the top, and did all kinds of other silly things. If he was going to be honest, Piglet felt that his Elain was spending way too much time next to every tree, and even more time kissing dad. Frankly, now that they started kissing, they just did it too much and wouldn’t stop. It’s like they’d rather kiss than do anything fun, or play with him. Which obviously made little sense, because why would you even need this many kisses and any normal human would rather spend time with him, or any dog, than kissing. Clearly, they also needed help choosing a tree, so Piglet did his due diligence–unlike them–and after an unnecessary long time spent in the cold, they finally packed the tree, wrapped it and then dad and his Elain took the tree back to the car.
Doing the Lord's work. Piglet choosing a Christmas tree.
Piglet had no choice but to walk in front, dodging endless admirers, who wanted to take a photo of him, and lead the way back to the car. This market was nice, he had no complaints, but it was cold and he was ready for some snacks and a snooze.
Watching the two humans wrangle with the tree once they got to the car made Piglet think that in fact, they weren’t very smart at all. Dad was holding the trunk, hauling it up to the roof, almost succeeding, until the tree slipped from his grasp and almost clunked dad on the head. Then Piglet, being a good boy and sitting quietly and calmly on the cold ground, watched his Elain climb on top of the front of the car, almost falling off, because it was slippery, but then grabbing the top of the tree, while dad picked it from the bottom yet again. Piglet was a two year old dog, and even he knew that his Elain was bound to slip and fall on top of the car’s hood, since she wore booties with heels. You didn’t need to be human or smart, to know that. But these humans weren’t very smart. Humans also didn’t care that the tree branches cut them and slapped them in the face–apparently, they were having so much fun, that his Elain almost fell off the car again, though dad was there to catch her this time. She fell into his arms, laughing uproariously and then there was even more kissing. Dad pressed her into the side of the car and his hands slid under her jacket and he definitely squeezed her titties, while he kissed her, but…she seemed to like it and didn’t protest at all. After what seemed like an eternity of kissing and sucking on each other’s necks (about four minutes), Piglet had no choice but to bark politely, reminding them of his existence. Also, he had balls, and they were about to freeze to the ground, which he wasn’t too excited about. At last, they wrapped the tree with ropes, and Piglet was able to finally, finally get back into the warm and comfortable seat in the car.
-
“This is impressive,” Elain marvelled, once they stepped into the glitzy lobby of the skyscraper which Azriel called home. There was something to be said about living in a place like this, with all the amenities and a concierge downstairs, who attempted to make a face at Piglet’s presence, but seeing Azriel, thought better of it.
“Mr. Night, good evening. Pets aren’t allow-,” the man began, but Azriel waved him off and said, “he is her emotional support dog.”
That made Elain sound a bit nuts, like she couldn’t step away from her dog, but if that allowed Piglet to get into the building without much trouble, then so be it.
The two of them were dragging their tree between them, which caused the poor, snooty man to wrinkle his nose at the mess of pine needles that they were leaving behind.
“Mr. Night, we can have maintenance personnel bring the tree up to your flat,” the concierge offered weakly, watching with alarm how the shiny floor was now stained with their footprints, Piglet’s little paw prints and pine sap and needles.
“No need,” Azriel told the man, his tone blase.
“Can you at least take the maintenance lifts?”
Azriel paused and then slowly veered away from the lobby lifts.
At that, Elain dug in her heels and stopped.
“Pardon me,” she asked dryly of the man, “isn’t Mr. Night a resident here?”
“He is, Miss…”
“I am Lady Elain Archeron,” she said imperiously. “And I believe that if Mr. Night is a resident, who owns his flat in the building and probably pays a considerable amount in monthly fees, he shouldn’t be directed to a maintenance lift, as if he were a cleaner or hired help?”
“Miss, I did not,” the man stumbled, but Elain interrupted him,
“It’s Lady Elain. And I think that you did mean it. You didn’t want to clean up a few pine needles, so you thought that it would be appropriate to direct a resident to some shitty, as Americans call it, elevator!”
Azriel gawked at her and her indignation. Piglet stood there, head raised up, looking pretty proud of his Elain.
The thing was that no one, except for Cassian, really ever stood up for Azriel. Azriel had been severely abused as a child, the burning of his hands not even the worst–though the most visible–reminder of his awful upbringing. Not until Lord Darling stepped in to adopt his wife’s blood nephews that anyone gave two shits about Azriel.
But his girl–she gave a shit. She cared. Azriel began moving where he was told to go out of habit. He hated that about himself, but it was ingrained in him–to be treated as someone lesser, as someone insignificant and unworthy of respect or attention. But Elain grabbed his hand and pulled him along.
“Of course, Miss…Lady,” the concierge was flustered. “I apologise. Happy Christmas. I hope not hard feelings,”
“That’s up to Mr. Night,” she cut him off.
Azriel finally took pity on the bloke and said, ‘no hard feelings’.
They dragged the tree to the lift, and Piglet parted ways with the concierge by letting out a loud fart.
“Wow,” Azriel laughed, shaking his head, once the doors closed, “that was cold, Pink. Real cold.”
Then, he cupped Elain’s face in his hands and asked, “are you my girl?”
Elain gave him a quizzical look and said, “I suppose I am.”
“Because I think that you are. And I think that you are fucking amazing, matchy. Also, when you started dropping ‘I am a Lady’ down there, I got hard.”
“Oh my god. You are a psycho.”
“A hard psycho,” he agreed.
They carried the tree out to the hallway and Azriel stopped by the door and said,
“Well, home sweet home, babygirl.”
He swiped a fob and the door opened for him. Elain almost made a step, but he caught her around the waist and said, “nope!”
Piglet had no such qualms and ran inside the flat, while Azriel lifted Elain in his arms, surprising her and then carrying her over the threshold. She felt like a soft, pale, golden mass in her arms, and her golden-brown hair resembled golden threads against the blackness of his coat. He kissed her gently, before setting her down.
“It’s almost like I am your bride,” she said shyly, holding onto his hand.
“You are my bride. You just don’t know it yet,” he said firmly and kissed her again.
Piglet was zooming around the massive open space that was the penthouse. Because that’s where they’d arrived, into a dimly, but artfully lit penthouse on the 37th floor. There was almost a 365 degree view and floor to ceiling windows. Elain let go of his hand, mesmerised by the stunning views of London outside. She dropped her bouquet on the chair and rushed to the windows. It wasn’t a beautiful day–the skies were the colour of wet cement, thick clouds hung so low, the top of the Shard was completely hidden, as was the magnificent dome of St. Paul’s.
“I cannot believe this!” she cried out, running from window to window, while Azriel dragged the tree into the house. “Look, look! You can see Tower Bridge! You can see the Gherkin! You can see Greenwich!”
Azriel smiled at her wild enthusiasm, which only rivalled Piglet’s, who already got himself acquainted, sniffed everything, easily found the kitchen and took a stroll there, examining whether it had fun and tasty things in it.
“Pinky, come here,” Azriel called, while removing his coat. “Let me undress you.”
The moment Piglet’s hat and coat were off, he made his way to the dog bed by the window, climbed into it and curled comfortably inside, looking like he wasn’t about to leave any time soon.
“Sweetness, may I take your coat?” Azriel laughed, because Elain paid him no attention, as she kept poking her finger at the glass.
“Yeah, yeah,” she said absently, and Azriel actually had to come and pull the coat off her, because she was not interested in disrobing.
“Well, whenever you are ready to turn around, I am here,” he called out and went to unload all their food stuffs from the fair. He already had a stand for the tree, which he prepared in advance, and now he placed the trunk inside, securing it well, because somehow, he suspected that Piglet would try something stupid–like topple the tree for fun.
At last, once everything was in its place, he took out a bottle of Bollinger from the fridge and set two crystal coupes on the counter. Elain migrated to yet another window, unable to tear her eyes away from the view, as if he was charging her by the minute to look outside.
Azriel wiped his hands on his trousers and exhaled quietly.
He was a little nervous.
Okay. He was quite nervous.
It was Elain’s birthday and he wanted everything to be perfect.
He knew that Rhys’s and Feyre’s marriage rocked both sisters to their very core, and truth be told, both he and Cassian were also completely shocked. But he sensed that somehow, it was harder for Elain to accept. Elain, the romantic, the matchmaker, who sought love in all things and who thought that with love, all things were possible. He knew that she was happy for Feyre, but unsurprisingly, there was a kernel of envy in there too. He was a bit envious too–or rather, he was miffed–that Rhys beat him to it. He’s been with Elain for months now, and he should’ve been the one to pop the question first and to marry first. Now, that first was stolen from him, and it annoyed him.
But, whatever was done, was done, and he couldn’t worry about it. Rhys’s story was his own. Azriel had his own story to live and Elain was his priority, And he didn’t want to mess anything up, especially not today. Elain wasn’t expecting anything from anyone, having told him before that her birthdays were always low-key, half-forgotten affairs. Add to it her sister’s surprise nuptials, and…well, he felt that Elain needed to be loved today. Cared for more than any other day. And therefore, he was nervous.
He turned on some music–Dave Brubeck’s Take Five–and then popped the champagne, quietly, but still startling Piglet out of his blissed out state. The pug jumped up and barked at Azriel angrily.
“Sorry matey. Go back to sleep. This is for our girl,” Azriel told him, while Elain finally turned away from the window and looked at him. But Piglet let out another bark, and Azriel told him sternly,
“If you are going to bark, you will be evicted from here. Do you understand? We already smuggled you into the building because you are a contraband pug. If you want to go and sleep in the car in the garage, then please continue barking. Be my guest.”
Piglet gave a disbelieving huff of indignation at Azriel’s threats and the prospect of sleeping in the garage and burrowed deeper into his new soft bed, turning away very demonstratively.
Azriel smiled at the ridiculous pug and then turned his attention to Elain.
“Hey beautiful,” he smiled at her, walking with two champagne glasses. “Happy birthday.”
But instead of taking the coupe from him, Elain basically rammed into him, almost forcing him back a step and wrapped her arms around his waist, hiding her face in his chest. He stood there awkwardly holding two glasses, careful not to spill champagne all over her.
“Hey, hey,” he called out gently. “What’s the matter?”
“It’s amazing,” she sobbed into his chest. “Everything is. Everything is brilliant and perfect!”
“Well, that’s good innit? Better than everything going to shite?”
“Yes, but it’s the best day!”
“We didn’t even do half of the things I had planned,” he reminded her, while kissing the top of her head.
“I don’t care!!!” she cried. “It’s already the best birthday I’ve ever had!”
“Well, then that’s exactly what I wanted. Now, wipe your snotty nose and drink some champagne,”
“You are so rude!” she complained, while pulling away from his chest at last and wiping her nose with her fist.
“Oh you know I am!” he handed her the glass. “To the best birthday girl in the whole wide world!”
He clinked his glass to hers and they drank the cold, sharply tangy champagne.
“So…” Azriel asked like he was contemplating various options, “do you wanna make out? Or do you want to decorate the tree? Or do you want your birthday present?”
“Hmmm,” she thought and looked around.
Azriel’s place was predictably massive. It was all one enormous open floor plan, decorated in beiges, blues and greys. The colours of a modern bachelor who had a lot of money. He made the place his own with the addition of books, some photographs–mostly of him and his brothers–but it was definitely a place that was decorated for him, and not by him.
New money. Not the lived-in, comfortable, comforting luxury of Elain’s townhome. However, to her personal secret relief, Elain noticed that there were definitely no traces of any ‘woman’s touch’ in this place. She was sure that it was cleaned by a professional crew, but nothing that said that there was a female frequenting Azriel’s penthouse.
“Did you buy this for him?” she asked quietly, seeing not one, not two, but three dog beds all positioned in different corners of the flat. Each one had a different pile of toys around it. In the kitchen, there was a pair of dog bowls sitting inside a cleverly designed lower cupboard.
“Yeah,” Azriel followed her gaze, and pointed to a lever on the floor. “He just has to press it and it will pop out. Neat, huh?”
“No, you got all of this for him?” she insisted, looking up at him and forcing him to look back at her.
“Well, yeah…”
She didn’t say anything, but looked back expectantly, waiting for more.
“He is part of the family. He gotta be comfy too.”
“Thank you,” Elain took his hand and pressed it to her lips, causing him to shudder…because, well it was his hand, and she was kissing it like it didn’t matter that it was all covered in scars and burn marks. And it didn’t. Azriel knew with utmost certainty that to Elain, it didn’t matter. “Thank you for everything,” she added.
“It’s no bother,” he insisted stiffly. “Now then, what’s your decision, birthday girl?”
“I want my present,” she decided, “and then we are going to decorate the tree, and all of that while making out!”
Azriel grinned.
“Smart girl, matchy. Smart girl.”
She flipped her hair and nodded in agreement.
“Go sit down and close your eyes,” Azriel instructed, pointing to the sofa.
Elain skipped across the floor, making him chortle, and then plopped down on the sofa and closed her eyes.
“Is it a good present?” she asked.
“I hope so!”
Elain listened to Azriel shuffle something around and then the sofa dipped under his weight. He placed something on her lap. A box.
“Can I open?”
“Go ahead and open!”
It was a medium sized box, entirely too big for a ring. Though, maybe Azriel decided to go the Rhysand route and just get her a tiara. But, unless it was the crown jewels, the box was too heavy for a tiara. It was pink, beautifully, professionally wrapped with a huge bow.
There was a card stuck beneath the ribbon and Elain opened it first.
Hey my matchy,
You are my sunshine. You make everything better. You gild the world with joy. Never change. I only ask for you to love me.
Have a wonderful birthday and thank you for allowing me to be part of it.
Irreversibly yours,
Your footballer
And then Elain drowned in a flood of tears.
“Oh yeah, that worked!” Azriel snickered, as he began kissing her with a near abusive passion, ignoring the salt of her tears, his mouth indulgent and almost perverse on her swollen lips, which puffed up so very sexually from all the attention that he’s given them today.
“What worked?” she breathed, while he pulled her lower lip between his teeth, licking on it softly.
“The fancy words, of course,” he explained lightly, cupping her breast in his hand and squeezing tightly, making her whimper. “I know what works on you, pretty girl.”
“Asshole,” she hissed.
Azriel exploded in laughter and pulled away from her mouth, though his hand migrated under her jumper and he found the thin lace of her bra with his fingers, as he lightly caressed the warm skin of the top of her breast.
She didn’t tell him to stop, but only moved a bit closer, and then began to unwrap the box.
Hearing the ripping paper and seeing the ribbon woke Piglet up from his rest and he ran over, to see what was happening.
Once the box was open, Elain took out a beautiful cup. Not a mug. But a large round teacup, with a saucer, the rim gilded with gold. It was hand-made, she could see that, and if she had any doubts, the writing made it quite clear.
It said Elain on one side. Other other side, it said Fucking Lovely as Fuck.
All written in a beautiful cursive.
“Ahh-hh,” she stuttered, looking at the cup.
Azriel was grinning joyfully.
“You like?”
“Hmm. Yes?” she stated politely.
He laughed. Then he leaned and kissed her cheek, nosing into her soft skin.
“I love making my little princess uncomfortable!”
“That’s mean!”
“I am a mean bloke, what can I say?!” he shrugged. “But we’ll keep this mug our little secret. It will be your mug here. We won’t show it to anyone.”
She wrapped her fingers around it and asked, “Did you make it for me?”
“Obviously,” he chuckled.
“Okay. Well, I love it then.”
Only he. Only Azriel Night could make the most inappropriate gift somehow romantic and beautiful. And Elain loved him for it.
Azriel had seven boxes of Christmas tree decorations.
That’s more than Elain had. This was a Windsor Castle-level of the number of baubles, balls and figurines that the boxes contained. They were stunning too–expensive and gorgeously painted and decorated, some artisan, some antique, some clearly from other countries.
“I love Christmas,” he confessed, as they opened the boxes, looking a little bashful about it. “It’s the only bit of happy memories that I have from my childhood…Opening up the boxes once a year, and seeing the old ornaments–they were like family. They were my mum’s mostly…”
His voice trailed off and Elain did not press him for more information.
From what she could gather, his mother came from a good family, and had a sister, who ended up marrying Lord Darling, who apparently saved her from an attempted rape. Azriel’s mother’s fate was not as happy. She’d met his father, who was wildly possessive and abusive to her. Azriel was born soon after their meeting, and was used as a pawn in their tug of war. To keep being in Azriel’s life, his mother agreed to stay with her nightmarish partner. Cassian was the result of marital rape, and was born a year and a half later.
Today wasn’t the time for those memories.
Azriel had another bottle of Bollinger chilling in an ice bucket by the tree, and they cut up all the cheese that they bought at the fair, though Elain insisted that it had to be placed on a board. Azriel didn’t make cheese plates, because he was a MAN, but he did have a wooden cutting board, and that would have to do. So while he opened all the boxes, she busied herself with arranging the cheese, along with grapes–grapes? Azriel didn’t even know he had grapes!--and bread.
Piglet was partying so hard, chasing wrapping paper, diving in and out of boxes, going wild over tinsel, that at one point, he ran into a wall and knocked himself out for a moment. He stood there, dazed, for a few seconds and then collapsed on his side. Azriel had to go and pick him up and shake him until he came to. Then Aziel put him in time out, which Piglet didn’t particularly like, being cordoned off in the corner of the room.
“You need to cool off and think about your life choices,” Azriel told him.
Piglet didn’t want to think about his life choice at all. He ran in angry circles, until he exhausted himself and plopped down on the floor. Then Azriel brought him an amazing treat of banana and peanut butter, a ball and a chewy, and Piglet fell in love with time out. It was the best. All in all, as he considered his life choices, Piglet concluded that being wild is a good choice, since it resulted in banana and peanut butter treats.
Darkness was falling behind the windows by the time the tree was finally decorated. It was a gorgeous and gaudy monstrosity that Elain absolutely adored. She loved decorating the tree, loved the scent of fresh pine, loved stabbing her fingers with pine needles, and loved being next to Azriel the entire time.
Azriel, who was currently standing behind her, lightly rolling her thick, now-aching nipple between his thumb and forefinger, her breast nestled in his palm. He bit her ear, making her yelp, laughing low and hoarse against her neck, as he slid his cheek against hers, scraping her skin with his stubble before resting his chin on top of her head.
His other hand palmed her second breast, but this one was even bolder, as he slipped it under the jumper and beneath her bra. Those skilled fingers flicked her nipple, teasing it until she moaned so loudly that Piglet turned his head towards him.
“You like that, beautiful?” he asked.
“Yee-es,” was all she managed.
“It is a nice tree, innit?” he joked, squeezing her nipple mercilessly in his fingers.
“Oh my god,”
“Yes, Ellie. Your wish will be granted. What shall your god give you today?” he inquired.
“Oh shut up!” she tried to elbow him, but he easily twisted away, and then pinched her breast in punishment.
“If you are going to be mouthy like that,” he warned, his voice gliding over her skin like melted butter, “I will put you on your knees and will shut that smart mouth with a generous dose of my dick.”
Elain, unaccustomed to such talk–as if Eris would ever speak to her like that!--and loving it nevertheless, still gasped in shock.
“I…what? You can’t!”
“I can’t?” he challenged, squeezing the globe of her breast ever harder, smashing her soft flesh in his palm.
“You wouldn’t!” she tried again.
“Sweetness,” he dipped his face to her ear, and whispered warmly, “you will be sucking that cock like it’s your full time job. Those little knees will be bruised. You’ll be drinking milkshakes for a week once I am done with you. Choking and gagging and crying,”
She swayed against him and he caught her, banding his arm over her stomach and then declared,
“But first, I think we ought to have some birthday cake!”
Piglet was seething quietly.
How was it fair that he wasn’t allowed to bring one little stick into the house, but dad and his Elain brought a whole tree!!! And then they took out boxes of awesome shiny balls and wouldn’t even let him play with them. Not only that, they, for some stupid reason, put the shiny balls that he was supposed to play with all over the tree. How was he going to reach them now? He couldn’t climb a tree! He was a dog. Sizing it up, he figured that maybe he could knock it down, though that was kind of doubtful too. This whole situation was unacceptable. He wanted, no, he needed to destroy the balls! He wanted to run with them and then destroy them all. Like he did with balloons. Which he hated more than anything. Balloons and vacuums were the devils, the bane of his existence. Now, he had a whole tree of shiny balls to dismantle and he began plotting.
“Okay, don’t laugh,” Azriel warned.
Elain was still trembling, waves of arousal and desire sweeping over her entire body. Between her legs, she was sticky wet, hot and needy, and her nipples felt like they were as big as cherries, swollen and achy, poking at her sweater with pornographic obviousness. There was a decorative mirror tucked into a corner, and when she glanced at her reflection, she saw just how wantonly aroused she looked. There was no mistaking what was on her mind. And yes, her breasts looked bigger than normal, her nipples tauntingly obvious.
And Azriel, damn him, noticed it all. Oh yes he did. The insufferable smirk on his sensual mouth was all the evidence that Elain needed.
She squirmed in her seat, trying to adjust and crossed her legs tightly, in a vain effort to alleviate some of the pressure in her throbbing pussy.
“Something the matter, sweetness?” he asked casually. “You look a tad tense.”
“I am fine,” she snapped at him.
“Oh yeah? That’s good. Very good. But if you are, I can relieve some of the tension, should you ask me,”
“Nope. Nothing to ask. I am perfectly fine,” she assured him, her voice sounding a bit strangled. “Now, why shouldn't I laugh?”
He turned to her, and scrubbed at his chin, before explaining sheepishly,
“I baked.”
“You baked?”
“Yes. I thought it would be a good idea to bake…you a cake.”
“A birthday cake?” she guessed, falling in love with him all over again, even harder than before. He baked her a cake.
“Problem is, I am not much of a baker,” he admitted.
“I would’ve guessed.”
“The result is kind of,” he grimaced, “questionable. I realised too late that I don't know how to bake, that it’s harder than I assumed it would be, and that I am baking for a baker. So, if you don’t want it,”
“I want it!” she cried immediately. “I want it. Az, I want it more than anything!”
He gave her a doubtful look, but then nodded.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
He took the cake out of the fridge–that’s what was under the cover–and shielding it with his body, he fussed with it a little, before announcing,
“Ready?!!”
“Ready!” she nodded excitedly.
He turned around, holding the platter in his hands, and began singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to her. The cake had a few lit candles in it.
He placed the cake in front of her and said, “make a wish!”
You.
Only you.
Only ever you.
Elain’s wish was simple. Him. She then closed her eyes and blew out the candles.
The cake was…fugly.
That was the kindest way to describe it. Chocolate, by the looks of it. It collapsed in the middle, had weird bulges and prolapses everywhere. Maybe he stepped in it at some point? That could explain its appearance.
“Sorry it’s so ugly,” Azriel considered the cake seriously.
“Don’t be silly. It’s fine!”
“You think it’s edible?”
“Only one way to find out,” she said enthusiastically. “But I am sure it will be great.”
‘Great’ was a strong term.
But it was edible.
At least around the edges.
That’s how they ate the cake. Azriel forgone plates and just gave her a spoon, while taking one for himself, a can of whipped cream, and they dug in, eating around the underbaked middle.
It actually tasted pretty good.
Maybe their match was indeed baked in heaven?
Because for a novice, he did very well on the taste. The chocolate was fudgey, pronounced, and he clearly dumped a healthy amount of rum into the cake, because it was boozy as fuck. But Elain loved it. They ate and ate, until there was nothing left but a congealed puddle of unbaked batter.
Leaning back in his chair, Azriel said, “happy birthday, Elain. I hope it was a good one for you. I tried.”
The tree sparkled and shone with hundreds of lights, mirroring the city outside. Snowflakes swirled behind the windows, falling into the darkness.
“It really was actually perfect,” Elain admitted.
He drummed his fingers on the table and pushed his tongue into his cheek.
“That’s good. There is one more gift I’d like to give you.”
“Oh yes!” she remembered. “The unplanned second gift. What is it?”
“I’d like to make you come,” he said simply.
Elain stared at him and then laughed softly,
“I mean, you don’t have to make me come. I can just come with you! It’s not a big deal.”
His eyes glittered with mirth.
She was something else.
“So, where are we going?” she asked again. “Are we taking Piglet?”
“Nah, sweetness. Piglet stays here.”
Azriel rose to his feet and extended his hand to her.
“Come with me, beautiful. I’ll take you to a place where you’ve never been before.”
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4 Roadside Rhapsody
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SEA MASTER LIST OR #LYONSEA
DIVIDERS
CW: explicit language, controlling behavior, descriptions of stripping, dirty smut wut can i say, unprotected intercourse, p in v, slight jealousy towards the end. 2.1K words.
Into mid-November and immediately after his performances Rocco began growing in popularity throughout the Lilac Gorge. There was a lot of talk about his music, there was a lot of attention on him from locals and visitors when he entered the club.
When he’d enter, Angel would be under his arm, always in a short dress and her puffer jackets.
Her hair had gotten cut now and was at her shoulders, but the whole point was for her face to be accentuated by her short hair, and her body to be highlighted by the dresses and jewelry Rocco draped her in.
She was happy in a weird way, but found herself resenting all the attention. She was ecstatic for him to have the attention, yet she was jealous. Angel desired his attention, his brown eyes on hers.
He was so good at giving her validation. He treated her like his partner, like a final decisions manager, and he always looked off during his performances. During these trail offs, he’d meet her green eyes and sing just to her.
Her heart raced, feeling as if in those moments they shared some spatial connection that no one else would get to have. That made her less jealous.
Front row, every show like a hype man. Sing along word for word watching my bae.
Angel always had a spot near the stage, and she loved listening to him. Most of the time the clubs paid him to sing radio classics, but when he’d sing songs he was writing, Angel felt so special.
She sang quietly to those with him, her eyes so excited as she watched him move along the stage. She never made a sound, she was too shy for that, but she loved watching him perform. He was in his element.
Whether the crowd knew the song or not, everyone always loved Rocco. He was just so pleasantly show stealing without being overwhelming, and he was crazy charming.
She watched him wondering why she always found herself so enthralled with these types of men. The types to gather attention to him like a light to moths. They were always beyond human, they were God like and powerful.
She couldn’t figure it out, but Rocco made eye contact with her from the stage, and her mind dissolved as she listened to his singing and faded into the background.
You and I, so who do we trust? You and I, until the day we die. Groupie love.
When the show ended, everyone disappeared from the stage, with Rocco and Angel disappearing into the changing room they had for talent.
It was a decently nice room with a comfortable sofa, an area for clothes, and a mirror. The lights in the room were identical to the lights in the club, so you’d do your make up to look good in the dark.
Angel followed him into the room. The tall, dark man had shades on in the bright hallways. Maybe he’d look ridiculous with the shades, if it wasn’t him. He just exuded charm, so he was easy to forgive for anything.
He wore a light weight button down in a lilac color, and she was wearing a dress that matched. The dress was as short as he liked it.
Soon as they entered the changing room, Rocco began to kiss Angel, “fuck, Star… this dress looks amazing on you, you looked perfect sitting in the crowd.”
“Was I your favorite girl to look at?” Angel asked him, teasing him and returning his kiss with her open mouth.
“I haven’t been looking at any other girls since I met you,” Rocco promised, lifting her dress to feel her bare ass, “I was thinking about you, and this… the whole damn time.”
“How’d you not get hard?” Angel again poked him.
Rocco laughed and then pulled away, noticing he was still wearing his shades. He took them off and set them on the vanity, taking Angel’s hand and kissing it, “I didn’t get hard because I couldn’t disrespect you like that.”
Angel laughed, pulling her hand away and walking away from him, ��sit on the chair.”
He did as she asked, and she came around him. She started by rubbing his shoulders in the dark room, humming a song that he had been singing. The massage caused Rocco to groan happily, leaning his head back.
She loved that she got to experience being a stripper. Everything about Angel was sex appeal. She was beautiful, hard to ignore, but besides the physical — her personality and eyes always drew people near her.
Her green eyes were sweet, and didn’t carve into your soul. Her touch was electric to anyone that got near her.
Satisfied, Angel moved around to the front of his body, touching him with a finger as she moved. Once in front of him, she sat her ass down on his lap, beginning to grind and dance on it.
She was singing a song in her head, humming it aloud for Rocco to hear, but he was just mesmerized. Her hips moved so hotly, and sure he’d noticed that during sex… But, they’d never really danced together until that moment.
Rocco sighed, touching along the back of her dress, “you look so good.”
As she moved her body along his growing bulge, she began to shed her dress, slipping out of it sexily. His hands went to her waist, but she grabbed his hand and removed it, “no, no…”
“Why not?” Rocco asked, rubbing his crotch against her grinding, covered pussy.
“I can touch you, you can’t touch me. Don’t just forget the rules,” Angel spoke firmly, and continued her seduction of Rocco.
It only intensified as she got on her knees, and began to pull his pants off. His bulge only got scarier without his pants, his underwear holding on tightly to the fighting cock.
She moved up, pulling his boxers down and inviting his cock out to play. Her breasts, out of her dress, pressed to his cock. She spit on her tits and rubbed her nipples into the saliva, spreading it over his tip with her tits.
He groaned, and went to touch her, but stopped himself, “fuck, Star… fuck, that’s a really bad girl, not letting me touch you.”
“Promise, I’m not,” She told him, standing up and pulling her panties down in front of him. She was bent over, showing him her wet pussy. He wanted to eat her, taste her, suck on her clit, but he wasn’t allowed to touch. He watched with anger increasing.
She lowered her pussy down onto his cock, not on his tip, but along his shaft, rubbing her ass up and down as she moved. She kept humming that song, her tits moved freely. Rocco couldn’t help himself, and started grinding back, guiding his cock into a moaning Angel.
“Mmm, Rocco…” She gasped and looked back at him dramatically, knowing this had been her plan along.
He started by making sure he was all the way in, and then he told her, “keep moving that ass like you were just a second ago. You were being all sexy and stuff, keep it going then!”
So she did, moaning timidly, but moving her hips expertly along his cock. He bit his lip watching it happen, “fuck, Star… that’s my Star…”
Her hips shook, dropping her fat ass down while her pussy swallowed up his cock. She was hot and wet, and he was rubbing her clit without permission while her moans got louder.
He felt himself on the verge, his thrusts starting to slow as he attempted to temper himself, “I’m going to cum very soon, I need you to suck my cock.”
This time, though, she didn’t jump off. Instead, she increased her speed, and looked back at him, her lips trembling, “what if I let you cum in my pussy?”
Rocco’s breath hitched, “you sure about that?”
“Fill me up, Rocco,” Angel encouraged him, dropping her hips along his shaft. She wanted to take every inch of his cock, she wanted him to feel this good.
He continues thrusting along with her, his mind lost at what must have changed her mind. He doesn’t care though, given the opportunity to cum in her? To fill her up? That wasn’t worth questioning.
He finished with a groan, bursting all the way into her. She felt her pussy tighten to try and take all his cum in, then felt the excess begin to leak out. She lowered her hips, trying to collect everything that fell out.
Too sensitive to keep fucking her in the same position, Rocco lifted her off of him and took her to the sofa in the room, laying her down.
“That was so amazing,” he leaned forward to kiss her, squeezing her breasts in his hands.
Angel smiled and kissed him back, “I wanted to feel you, Rocco. Did you like it?”
“It was the best I’ve ever had,” Rocco promised her, kissing her again on the mouth and groaning, “fuck, we can’t stay here… Come on, get dressed… We’ll finish at the van.”
Angel at first lazily hesitated, but after a sexual choking from Rocco and a couple more deep strokes in her pussy, she got up happily after Rocco.
She put herself back together, and they exited the building. The little town audience had gathered outside waiting for Rocco, and countless people asked for autographs.
Rocco signed away, a quiet Angel holding onto his coat while he met so many different people. There was last a woman, about Rocco’s age and older than Angel, with straight blonde hair and blue eyes. She was pretty and Angel immediately didn’t like her.
When she spoke to Rocco, she told him, “my name’s Grace, I’m actually a drummer with my own set. If you ever need someone to play percussion for you… I’m your girl.”
Angel watched Grace. The woman looked at the smaller girl, smiling at her and then turning her attention back to Rocco, “here’s my card.”
She handed Rocco a card with her name and number on it, and then asked for an autograph on her arm. Rocco gave her the signature, placing her info card in his coat pocket, “I’ll be sure to reach out then if I see myself needing drums.”
Grace smiled at him and walked away. Angel counted in her head, trying to stay calm and not freak out unnecessarily.
Rocco led her to the van, and soon the two were inside, having sex again. Angel couldn’t shake the thoughts of the woman, though, and she spoke, “if you hire Grace, she’ll try to sleep with you.”
Rocco was in the middle of plowing into Angel from behind, “what? She didn’t give off the vibe at all.”
He didn’t slow down, mostly because the conversation just wasn’t important to him — he had no interest in Grace and wouldn’t sleep with her even if she was being presented to him on a silver platter. He had Angel and he couldn’t get enough of her.
Still, Angel was nervous as she spoke, “do you want to sleep with another woman?”
Rocco stopped, “No! I’m happy with you, just you, since I met you. I don’t want anyone else. How could I? You give me so much and I’m constantly hungry for you.”
Angel seemed satisfied for now, kissing Rocco and pulling away. She asked him to lay down and she got on top of him, dropping her fat ass down along his thick cock.
She moaned with every thrust that ripped her pussy open, his hands hungrily and greedily littered bites and kisses along her breasts and neck.
Her voice peaked as she felt him begin to fill her again. He’s erupting into her pussy with just as much cum as he had earlier. Her pussy is soaking wet from his semen.
They kiss tongue to tongue, holding each other before pulling away.
“Hot,” Angel commented, fanning herself with her hand, “sometimes you fuck me too good.” She slipped her panties on to capture the cream leaking out of her, and then moved to the passenger seat.
She was naked except for her panties, luckily there was a sun vizor covering each window, but she blasted the AC to get some relief from the heat of sex.
Rocco laughed, but he was drenched in sweat so he joined her the moment he’d cleaned off his cock.
Rocco's storyline is... not gonna lie here... probably my least favorite to write. Which, knowing what's coming? I feel like that's saying a lot!
Another pretty short one, but I feel like this story is going to wrap pretty nicely and I think I'm going to enjoy finishing the last post for everyone.
Stick around cuties pies ;) <3 Songs below
SONG REFERENCES
Groupie Love by Lana del Rey featuring A$AP Rocky
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