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happy-smiling-things · 2 years

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When the party’s over [6]

Nessian fanfiction, modern AU. Might involve mature content later.

Previous chapter

Summary: Since they met after Nesta’s return in Velaris, there’s always been this mysterious attraction between her and Cassian, but Nesta isn’t ready to accept it for multiple reasons. As time goes by, the attraction between them grows stronger, and it’s becoming harder and harder for Nesta to reject Cassian, even more when he’s being all she truly wants.

“But are you sure about that?” Cassian asked, walking through his flat with his phone In the hand.

“We can never be sure with Nesta, but it’s not like you had a lot of options.”

Sighing heavily, he stopped his walk and plopped on the couch.

“Alright, I’ll try that. Wish me luck Feyre.”

“Let me know how it went.”

“Can’t you ask Nesta? She’s your sister after all.”

“You know her, she won’t tell me a thing. I have to go, Rhys is waiting. Good luck!”

Before Cassian could say a thing, Feyre had hung up. Looking at the celling for a moment, he debated the idea.

A week had passed since the last time he had seen Nesta. After their fight, he had decided to give her some space, sensing that harassing her and asking her for explanations wouldn’t lead to anything good.

So he had managed to sneak in the library every morning without her seeing him, putting her usual coffee on her desk and disappearing to do is things. Emerie hadn’t said anything to him, barely acknowledging him when he entered or exited, which could be a good sign. Maybe she would have ripped his head off if Nesta had said anything about him to her friend…

He still had hope about the situation, although not much.

Things had always been difficult between them, but so natural at the same time. They were drown to each other, not matter what they tried, but every time things were starting to be serious, Nesta fled. She pushed him away, or panicked, yelled at him, and the end was always the same.

Today was the day to change this, Cassian had decided.

Getting up, he walked to the shower and dressed up, carefully choosing what to wear and making sure his messy bun looked good before going to the kitchen, preparing Nesta’s coffee as he always did since he’d first seen her there.

He had just finished to fill the cup when someone knocked on the door.

“Mor? What are you-”

“Surprise!” The woman said with a big smile, hugging him right away.

Cassian let out a small laugh as he hugged her back before letting her come in, following her in the living room as she made herself at ease, dropping on his couch.

“Long time no see.”

“I’ve been caught up in these stupid finals,” she complained, dropping her head backward, “but I figured I’d make some time for my dear friend.”

“Your dear friend?”

“Yes Cassian, my dear friend. I heard things were… complicated with Nesta these days.”

“Oh I see,” he began, “so you’re just here for the gossips. Should’ve guessed.”

“That’s not true!” Mor retaliated, straightening up to look at him with a frown, “I’m hear to make sure she’s not breaking your heart another time.”

Giving her his smirk, he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

“Breaking my heart? No one has ever done that to me.”

“Come on you know I don’t bite that, I’m not one of these girls you met at Rita’s.”

“That’s for sure, none of them know where I live.”

“Stop playing and come here,” she sighed, moving her hand on the sit next to her.

Cassian hesitated, but he knew she wouldn’t stop until she had what she wanted, so he walked to the couch, putting his forearms on his thighs once he was sat. Mor put her hand on his back, soothing him.

“Tell me what’s going on,” she said softly.

“I don’t know what’s going on, that’s the problem. Things are going well, until they aren’t. We talk, we laugh, we dance, and all of sudden she flees away, she ignores me, she becomes distant again. It’s always one step ahead and two steps backward.”

“What was that fight about?”

“I’m still trying to understand actually,” he admitted. “She thinks I’m playing with her, but I don’t know from where she got that impression.”

“Let’s be honest, you going out and flirting with every woman isn’t how you seduce the girl you want.”

“Come on, I’m not like that anymore!”

Mor laughed at his outraged face, and it took a moment for her to calm down, but she did, much to her friend’s relief.

“Want me to be honest?”

“You couldn’t lie even if your life depended on it,” huffed Cassian.

“You know I’ve never understood why you are so obsessed with that girl when you could have everyone else.” She began, holding a hand up as her friend opened his mouth, “I mean, I get that she looks good, and you’ve always liked a challenge, but-”

“Nesta’s not a challenge Mor, she’s not some girl I want to fuck then go chase for another woman.”

Silence fell between the two friends, Mor’s hand frozen on his back, her eyes locked on him, a slight frown on her face.

“You’re really in love with her…” She whispered.

“You’re saying it like it’s the biggest news of the year.”

“Well, I knew there was something different with Nesta, but you never said what you really feel for her.”

Cassian looked at his hands, thinking about his friend’s words. If Mor was that surprised, it was no surprise that Nesta was so wary about him and his intentions.

“Look, if you really want the girl, be patient with her. I don’t particularly like her, and I don’t appreciate how she treats you, but in some ways… I understand her. Just be yourself, but don’t push her too much.”

Looking up at the blonde girl who had stood up in his living room, he arched an eyebrow, his smirk coming back.

“Don’t worry, I can be gentle when needed,” he jocked.

Mor sighed and pushed him playfully as he came closer, putting an arm around her shoulders. She hugged him back nevertheless and smiled when he kissed her cheek before going back to his kitchen.

“Do you have any other advice for me?” He called from there, taking Nesta’s cup and his before moving back to the living room.

“You should probably put some deodorant before driving me to Az’s.”

“I took a shower less than an hour ago, I cannot smell that bad.”

“You’re reeking fear,” she joked.

Letting out a laugh as he grabbed his keys, Cassian pushed her outside, leading the way to his car.

“You didn’t tell me why you needed to go see Az,” he said once they were on the road.

“Well, you’re not the only one having some problem with romanticizing an Archeron, and since I’m the Archeron expert here...”

“No one’s ever called you that.”

“Rhys did one time.”

“But you were threatening him!”

“Do I need to remind you Feyre and Rhys are together because of my magic?” Asked Mor with an arched brow.

“Oh sorry, I thought it was because they were in love,” retaliated Cassian.

Mor just pushed his arm playfully, making him laugh with her outraged expression. Today was pretty warm, which was perfect for what Cassian had in mind, but he kept his mouth shut, knowing his friend wouldn’t let him alone if he told her about his plans.

“So, Az and Elain? Do you see it happening any time soon?”

“If I’m doing my job right, they’ll be together tonight,” stated Mor.

“Poor Az, he doesn’t know what’s coming for him,” he chuckled.

“He’s the one who asked for help, and for what I know he did just well on their first real date.”

“They had their first date already?”

“Who’s the one wanting to gossip now?”

Cassian rolled his eyes, but smiled anyway. Az was his brother, and Elain was the sweetest girl he’d ever met. They deserved some happiness.

Mor went on about that awesome plan of hers, telling him all the details, how she had picked up Az’s outfit for his date and everything, which made him laugh. That blondie had always been like that, finding her way and pushing her ideas into people’s mind.

“So? Still bringing her coffee to Nesta?” She smirked as Cassian parked on the side of the road.

He waved her off, but couldn’t hide his little smile, which made Mor huff.

“Good luck with the girl, and don’t forget to text me to tell me how it went,” she said before kissing his cheek quickly, walking with her chin high to Az’s flat.

Waving at her, he went back on the road and drove to the library. There was already a lot of people there, considering how many cars were parked on the parking lot, but he didn’t mind.

Putting his sunglasses on and checking himself one more time in the rear-view mirror, he took Nesta’s coffee and headed towards the library, his troublemaker smile on as he crossed the door. Things were pretty calm inside, even if a lot of students were there. Taking a few steps further, he saw Nesta working at her desk, her colleague doing the same on her right.

“Good morning,” he smiled, putting the coffee on the desk.

She didn’t respond, but took the coffee anyway, looking him over before putting the cup aside and going back to work without a word. Emerie’s eyes went between him and her friend, and she nudged her. Nesta just glared back, and the two women started a weird conversation with exchanged looks and facial expressions. Cassian tried to hide his amusement as much as he could, but it was something.

“How can I help you?” Nesta finally said.

“Just say yes.”

“No.”

“No is not yes Nesta, it’s quite the opposite actually,” he smirked.

“What do you want me to agree with?” She countered.

Cassian could see Emerie on the corner of his eyes, and even if she was trying her hardest not to look at them and work, he could tell she was listening to every word of their conversation.

“Go on a date with me.”

Nesta let out a dry laugh, her eyes still on him as she leaned against the back of her chair.

“What’s happening Cassian? Don’t have any girl available or some mysterious things to do here in my library?”

“I took the day off just for you sweetheart.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet of you,” she said with a fake smile, finishing her coffee before throwing the cup in the trash, “but sadly I have to decline this offer.”

“May I ask why?”

“Well, as you can see, I’m working. We’re pretty busy right now, so I don’t have time to go out with you.”

“You know you can take your day off,” commented Emerie, still typing something.

Nesta turned her head to her friend and glared at her, but the other woman just shrugged, though her smirk betrayed her.

“I can’t, there’s just too much to do here.”

“I can manage, it’s not a problem. Plus you’ve been having tough days this month by working alone when I was sick, you could use a day off.”

“I don’t see how spending time with him would relax me,” replied Nesta, crossing her arms.

“Oh, I promise you you’ll be relaxed by the end of the day.”

Nesta let out a loud sigh as she looked at him, her look hard. Cassian finally took off his sunglasses, and his flirty smile disappeared.

“Look, I know you wanted me to stay away, and I’ve tried for a moment, I did my best to stay out of your sight and let you breath, but I really wish you would give me a chance. It doesn’t even have to be called a date, let’s just hang out. I just want to get to know you, and I’d like for you to know the real me.”

The woman sitting in front of him didn’t say a word, but as always, he could see everything through her eyes. There was curiosity inside her look, but also suspicion. Nesta wasn’t a woman you could easily convince with words, and it was pretty hard to make her change her mind he had learned.

“It’s your choice, I won’t force you into anything. I’d love to spend the day with you, but if you don’t want to that’s okay, I won’t bother you.”

The woman stared at him, her lips forming a thin line as he waited in silence, fidgeting with his sunglasses, silently praying for her to give in.

Seconds seemed to be hours, and he didn’t dare to move until she turned to her computer without a word. She quickly typed something before closing what she was on, standing up with her purse, her eyes going back to Cassian.

“Alright, don’t make me regret this,” she said.

Nodding while trying his best to hide his smile, Cassian took a step aside to let her walk away from the desk. Nesta started to go toward the front door and he followed promptly, opening it for her, a quick glance on his back confirming what he had been sensing while walking, Emerie glaring at him with a silent warning in her eyes.

The sun was so bright he had to put his sunglasses back on to see Nesta in front of him without squinting his eyes, and he swiftly passed before her when they approached his car, opening the door for her.

“Well, it’s nice to see you still have some manners.”

“You’re welcome Nesta,” he smiled before getting in.

After those few words, they spent the ride silent, Nesta looking by the window while Cassian was trying his best to remain calm, his thoughts going all around. He had prepared everything and checked mentally every step of his plan as he had driven Mor in the morning to make sure nothing would ruin this date, maybe even tried a little prayer so the sun would shine all day.

Parking the car on the side of the road, he let Nesta get out and take in the view as he grabbed his backpack, taking a few step on the path, looking behind to make sure she’d follow.

“See? A public place, I’m not trying to trick you.”

She looked at him, nibbling at her lip for a second before she walked to his side, her eyes stuck on something far away in front of her. He wasn’t even sure she was looking at something in particular, but so far she hadn’t run away, so it was a victory.

“Shall we?” He proposed, taking another step ahead.

Nesta nodded, following on his heels, and they went on their walk, sinking into the park waiting for them.

“Why here?” She finally asked after a moment.

“I like it, it’s peaceful, and we couldn’t waste a day inside with such a beautiful day waiting for us.”

They continued their walk, Nesta looking around, taking in all sorts of flowers and trees, while Cassian was trying his best not to just stare at her, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. There was something so innocent in the way she was contemplating the colors around, as if she had never taken the time to do something as simple as walking in a park, something that warmed his chest. She hadn’t taken her guards down, in fact her walls were taller than he had ever seen them, and still, he could see her through the cracks.

“It must change you from your dusty books,” he joked.

“It must change you from your suffocating club.”

The words had escaped her mouth before she could think about it, he could guess it from the face she made before letting out a small sigh.

“Fair I guess, even if I spend far less time in there lately.”

“How is that so?” She asked, turning her head to him.

Smiling at her, he couldn’t resist the urge to wink at her, and couldn’t suppress the chuckle from his throat as she rolled her eyes at him. This, right here, it was more familiar and comfortable than the silence they had been staying in since the library.

“If I told you you wouldn’t believe it.”

“Why are you so sure about that?”

“Because, to you I’m just a womanizer who doesn’t do anything good of his time.”

Cassian had meant it to be a joke, but he realized by the way Nesta’s back stiffened she hadn’t taken it as it. Opening his mouth to apologize, he was stopped by the oldest Archeron.

“Well, maybe all hope isn’t lost with you,” she started.

“Oh, you think so?”

“You’re in charge of the reading program after all.”

“I knew reading for kids would get me some points.”

Nesta turned her head at that, her eyebrows high, and Cassian couldn’t help but laugh. It was so easy to tease her.

“Don’t worry, I’m not doing it just because I hoped it’d help me with you.”

“You never told me why you decided to do it actually,” she said.

“You never asked.”

The woman opened her mouth to argue, but she stopped and slowly closed it, turning her head to the side. Looking at her with a smile, Cassian then guided her on the grass, choosing a spot near the river before he installed a blanket, settling his bag on it before he offered his hand to help Nesta to sit down, a hand that she accepted.

Once they were all set, Cassian took a moment to just look at Nesta.

Her cheekbones were high, giving her face a fierce look that was common for the Archeron sisters, even if Elain had softer features. Her golden brown hair was styled in a bun and shining under the sunlight, and there were only a few things Cassian wanted more than undo it. It was a rare thing to see Nesta with her hair down, and a thing he liked a lot. She was sitting with her back straight and her head high, looking at the water running down gently, and it was giving him a full sight of her neck.

Her delicate, oh so soft neck.

“So?”

Blinking a few times and clearing his throat, Cassian tried to remember what they had talked about earlier, but his mind was empty.

“So what?” He ended up asking.

“Why did you choose to get in charge on this reading program?” She asked.

“Well, I’ve always liked to be with children.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely,” he said, “they’re really fun and bluntly honest, I like that.”

“I would have never guessed.”

“You’ve known me since high school,” protested Cassian.

“And I’ve only seen you being interested in girls, parties and sports.”

There wasn’t a lot to argue with here, and he perfectly knew it. He had always been that way since that time, but it was something that had changed, and he was determined to prove it to Nesta.

“I’m not like that anymore.”

“Right, now you also like stalking me,” she retaliated, “oh but wait, that was something you were already a fan of back in time.”

“I’m not a stalker!”

“You’ve been tracking my schedule just so you could bring me a coffee every morning!”

“It’s not stalking, it’s gifting,” tried to argue Cassian.

“Call it what you want, we both know what it is.”

“Exactly.”

That last word got a smile out of Nesta as she gently shook her head, and they both laughed before she turned her eyes to him.

“At least you’ve been providing a welcomed dose of courage to face all the students that are coming at the library these days.”

“You were one of them not so long ago,” he reminded her.

Nesta shrugged her shoulders, and something he didn’t really like shone in her eyes. Something far too close to what he had seen on Rhys face when he had bad memories coming back.

“I’m glad I’m not anymore,” she whispered, almost too quietly for Cassian to hear.

Almost.

“Why? You were so glad to get out of here when we graduated from high-school.”

The question had escaped from his mouth, and Cassian was half expecting her to ignore it, or to see her withdraw, but Nesta surprised him by staying calm and looking back at the river, pulling her legs up and crossing her arms on top of it.

“Well, college isn’t just about studying what you like, there are people.”

Something clicked inside his mind, and Cassian frowned at her, searching for any clue that would confirm what he was thinking.

“Did something happened while you were away?” He asked, his voice soft.

A dry laugh escaped Nesta, and he could see her jaw tense up, her eyes growing darker.

“A lot happened. My dad happened to be a pathetic coward leaving us to live alone. Someone I thought I could count on happened to be a douchebag. Men happened to be unsurprisingly deceiving. Bad things happened, life happened to be surprisingly harder thanks to him, but it’s nothing new for an Archeron I guess, we seem to be pretty terrible at choosing our partners.”

“Feyre got Rhys, and Elain is about to choose Az sooner or later,”objected Cassian, “There’s still hope for the Archeron sisters.”

“Yeah…”

There was something she wasn’t telling him, something he was a bit scared to ask about, unsure of how he would react. Maybe some things were better left unsaid.

But Cassian had never been a fan of unsaid stuff.

“Tell me about him. What did he do to you,” he asked, getting a little closer to Nesta without touching her.

She didn’t answer immediately, her eyes locked on the hand resting near hers on the blanket, and he didn’t push her, waiting patiently for her to say something he half expected, but also half feared.

The gentle breeze was more than welcomed, reminding him to breath, and Cassian did his best to calm his heart, focusing on the woman sitting next to him, careful not to move.

“Things he shouldn’t have I guess,” she finally let out.

“Did he…”

“No. He tried though, but I managed to get away.”

She was saying those words so easily that Cassian didn’t know how to react. His first instinct was to chase down the bastard who had dared to touch Nesta, that had hurt her so badly. But he knew this wasn’t the answer, this just wasn’t the solution to help her.

“I was naive,” continued Nesta, looking everywhere but at him, “I was finally out of this city, ready for a new chapter in my life. It was the first time I thought I’d be able to only work on my projects and what I wanted, and he appeared out of nowhere, being nice and polite and funny and everything. I let my guard down and things went down once we started dating.”

Cassian stayed absolutely silent, trying hard not to let his imagination get wild about how bad things had been during this time. He also didn’t want to say a thing or react too much about the words Nesta was saying, which could cause her to stop talking.

“There’s not a lot more to say, it was just a typical toxic relationship with a jerk.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” said Cassian.

This caught Nesta’s attention, getting her out of her thoughts as she looked up at him. Cassian waited for her next move, but she kept staring at him in silence as if she was analyzing him and every possible change on his face.

“I know,” she finally let out.

“Good.”

Something then happened, something only them could understand. It had happened a few times before, and Cassian had never really thought about it, living in the moment, but he was now starting to recognize that pattern between them. It usually led to Nesta either loosing it or getting away from him, fleeing as if he was a fire she needed to escape at all cost.

In those moments, time itself didn’t exist, it was only Nesta and him. There wasn’t any word, everything was felt in silent, and it was simultaneously too much and not enough, leaving Cassian frustrated.

“What about you?” She asked after that moment of silence.

“What about me?”

“What did you do while I was away?”

“Well,” smiled Cassian, “I tried uni, much to everyone’s surprise, and dropped out of it after a month. That part didn’t surprise anyone though.”

That comment made Nesta roll her eyes and sigh, which made his troublemaker smile widen on his face. She looked back at him slightly disapprovingly, but made no comment, which wasn’t really like her.

“What were you studying?”

“Business. I didn’t really know what to do, and Rhys seemed really happy about that, so I let myself go with him. Turns out it was a great idea for him, but not really for me.”

“What did you do after that?”

That genuine curiosity about him took him a bit out of guard, but he wouldn’t complain. If anything, having Nesta being interested in him was a nice change, and a chance to show her he was a good guy.

“A bit of everything,” he shrugged, “I’ve tried a lot of jobs to see what could fit me, you wouldn’t believe what I did.”

“Try me.”

There it was, that little sparkle in her eyes with that eyebrow raised, waiting for a challenge to come.

“Well, I tried to be a bartender, and I was pretty good at it as you can think, but they said I was serving too heavy drinks, so I applied to be a mechanic, but it turns out I’m only good at fixing my car. So, I tried to be a hairstylist.”

“No way.”

“Yes way, and I was doing awesome! If only I’d contented myself with cutting hair and hadn’t tried to color that client’s hair…”

“What did you do to them?”

“I may have accidentally colored a client’s hair green instead of blonde.”

“Cassian!”

“Hey, I didn’t know how all these products worked, it was bond to happen okay,” he tried to defend himself.

That shocked look on Nesta’s face was priceless, and he couldn’t contain his laugh longer. She slapped his arm for it, but the amused smirk she had betrayed her.

“I got fired as you can guess, and got hired as a physical trainer after that. It was nice, and I could’ve continued if Rhys hadn’t created his agency and proposed me to be head of security.”

Nesta nodded, her glance changing a little bit, becoming softer in some kind of way. There was no judgment here, just understanding.

“So that’s how you ended up walking around in black with a walkie-talkie and a constant scowl on your face?”

“Exactly, gotta look impressive and serious so no one will cause trouble,” he smiled.

“I bet no one’s ever tried.”

“Oh, you’d be surprised.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, we have some good stories at the security department.”

Nesta didn’t answer immediately after that, and he took the time to look at her in that peaceful silence. Those moments were rare, and he intended to savor each and every second given like that with her.

“Are you happy?” She finally asked.

It wasn’t a question he was waiting for, not from her. Elain could’ve asked that, had asked him a couple times when his smile wasn’t as wide as usual, or his laugh a bit forced.

“I know life wasn’t… easy for you, back in high-school. There were rumors, and…”

“Life wasn’t easy for you neither, Nesta,” interrupted Cassian.

“It wasn’t the question.”

“I know.”

“Are you happy?”

“Are you?”

Letting out a big sigh, Nesta threw her hands up, rolling her eyes at the same time.

There she was, the usual Nesta.

“Why do you do this?”

“Do what?” Retaliated Cassian.

“Shirking the question like that!”

“Why do you care anyway? One day I’m a jerk you want nothing to do with and the next one you want to know if I’m happy?”

And as always when they started to argue, words he intended to say in a calm conversation had slipped out of his mouth. It was something they were used to do, something he wanted to change, but still, something they always ended up falling for.

But, unlike what he was thinking, and unlike herself, Nesta froze and staid silent.

Running her tongue on her lip, she kept her eyes on him, and he could almost see her thoughts running through her mind. Staying calm, he didn’t move, looking right back at her, knowing that adding words wouldn’t do any good.

“I’m sorry, about that.”

The breeze around carried her words to his ears, and he didn’t register what she had just said for a few seconds.

“I know I can be a lot to handle. I’m harsh, I’m hard, I don’t trust anyone, I don’t open up, and I tend to lash out on you most of the time. I know it’s unfair, and I know I have to work on it. I just don’t know how to do it when I’m in the middle of a crisis.”

“Being aware of all of this, this is the biggest step.”

“You think so?” She chuckled, “Knowing how to get my shit together is way harder.”

Cursing wasn’t usual for Nesta, and it always surprised Cassian when she did it.

“Well, it’s also easier said than done I guess.”

“It most definitely is.”

“But you know what? It doesn’t matter.”

The older Archeron looked at him with an eyebrow high, her chin resting on her palm. It was a shame that she didn’t let herself just be like that more often, really.

“What doesn’t matter?”

“That you end up turning your anger on me.”

“It does.”

“Why? I can handle it.”

“You shouldn’t have to, and the fact that it doesn’t bother you should make you realize that I’m not the only one having issues.”

“Oh don’t worry Nesta, I’m perfectly aware of my issues,” he laughed, giving her a wink.

“Well, I guess we’ll have to work on ourselves then.”

“I guess so.”

Cassian took a moment for himself then, closing his eyes and letting his head fall gently until he was bathing in the sun, its warmth caressing his skin. It had been a long time since he had felt so peaceful.

Something warm on his forearm made him open his eyes, and he found Nesta’s hand resting there, those gray eyes on him.

“Are you happy Cassian?” She asked once again.

A smile grew on his face as he let himself think about it, even if his thoughts were all turned towards those fingers resting on his skin, almost burning him, but in a pleasant way.

“I’m on my way.”

She didn’t say a word, just nodding at him with what almost could’ve been called a smile, and her eyes fell on his bag. Unfocused at first, they grew the second she spotted the book he had put in there for her, and her hand left his forearm to grab it.

It felt abnormally cold for a second, but her expression warmed up his chest, and he couldn’t help but smile as she started to get her way through the book, laying on the blanket as if he wasn’t here, playing with the corner of the page she was holding and chewing her lower lip as her eyes were running through the lines, her mind eager. Letting her fall into her rhythm, Cassian laid on his side, playing with some flowers while his eyes were glued on the woman next to him, until he couldn’t help but threw the flower at her.

The scold he got for it made him fall on his back with a laugh, the seriousness of her expression completely ruined by the flower stuck in her hair.

“How do you dare interrupt my reading,” she fumed, making him laugh louder.

“I just had to make sure you hadn’t forgotten about me.”

“How could I?”

“True, I’m unforgettable,” he smirked.

And just like that, they were back in their old playful pattern, Cassian chasing Nesta, the woman pushing him away, but not so much.

Ignoring him, she turned back to her book, a frown on her face as she concentrated herself on the text instead of Cassian, a finger leading the way on the paper.

It could’ve been a minute, an hour, or even a decade, Cassian wouldn’t have known, wouldn’t have cared. As long as he was allowed by her side, everything would be okay.

“Alright, this one is spicy, you’ve got to stop reading in public now,” he said as she had stopped on a page.

“Absolutely not!”

“Of course Nesta, as if I couldn’t guess what this poem is about just by looking at you.”

“You can’t.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely,” she said, turning her head to him.

“Alright, let’s check then.”

Throwing himself, he snatched the book from her, getting back on a sitting position as Nesta argued and tried to get it back.

“I didn’t put a bookmark on it, you’re going to loose the page!” She complained.

“Don’t worry, I know exactly where you were at.”

Stretching his arm away from her as she tried once again to get the book, he waited until she stopped her attempts to get it back, then opened it at the page she had stopped and started reading, his smile growing with every word read.

“I was so right,” he chuckled.

“Prove it,” interjected Nesta, crossing her arms against her chest.

Clearing his throat, Cassian straightened his position, giving her one last look before he focused his attention on the book.

“For there is nothing warmer than your skin, and nothing sweeter than the taste you left on my chin, I must confess-”

“Okay, stop right now!” She almost yelled, covering his mouth with her hand, looking left and right to make sure no one had heard him.

Letting the book fall on the blanket, Cassian couldn’t help but let out another laugh, completely collapsing by the sight of Nesta’s embarrassment.

“It doesn’t prove a single thing,” she defended herself, getting back the book.

“Shall I continue my reading?” He asked, his brow high.

She put the book behind her back and scolded at him as if he was a child misbehaving, and it only pushed him to continue.

“It’s okay Nesta, just surrender, it’s no big deal.”

“You haven’t proven that you can read my expression, only that you can read, which shouldn’t be considered as an accomplishment at your age.”

“And how do you think I knew you were reading a spicy poem?”

“You just got lucky,” she answered quickly.

“Yeah sure, it was just luck, not your cheeks turning red, or you licking your lower lip while being super focused.”

Their banter could’ve lasted longer after that, but both their phones buzzed at the same time, and Feyre’s name appeared on the screens.

“So, sounds like there’s a party at your house,” said Cassian once he read the text.

“Yeah, sounds like I won’t be sleeping much.”

“Poor little grandma.”

Glaring at Cassian, Nesta quickly answered to her sister before letting out a sigh, having flashbacks from the last party they had hosted.

“I swear if I have to clean everything alone again, I’ll kill each and every person being there tonight.”

That threat sounded more like a plead to Cassian who tried his best not to laugh, in vain. It was a fair reaction though, since they had thrown a giant party without warning a few weeks ago, everyone ending up hammered after drinking for hours.

“I’ll help you,” he proposed.

“Will you?”

Those gray eyes could ask for anything, and he would comply without a second thought.

“Absolutely, like the gentleman I am.”

“We’ll see about that,” huffed Nesta, “and you better keep an eye on Azriel and Rhysand, I won’t explain to the neighbors why they were running around naked at two in the morning again.”

“I’ll do my best, but I don’t really want to know what Rhys is up to once he gets handsy with your sister.”

Nesta made a face at that, but didn’t say anything back, preferring to put her things away before getting up.

“Alright, I guess we should move then. I know how long it takes for you to get ready.”

“You said that now, but wait until the day you have to see how long it takes for Rhys to choose what to wear.”

“Not my boyfriend, not my problem.”

Cassian laughed at that one as he folded up the cover and put it back in his bag, starting to walk with Nesta by his sides. This day had passed quicker than he wanted it to, but it was a good sign. Things had gone so much better than he had hoped it would, and he was so glad he had had that with her. These moments would stay with him for a moment, and he hoped many more were to come, because being with Nesta was addictive.

They stepped out of the path to get back on the parking lot, and he caught her sighing as they approached his car.

“I know,” He smirked while opening the door for her, “it was a lovely day, and I wish it could’ve lasted a bit more too, but this party means we’ll see each other for a bit longer today.”

Cassian was waiting for her to roll her eyes or scoff at him, maybe push him playfully before getting in the car, but he was most certainly not waiting for the words she then pronounced.

“It was a nice day,” she nodded looking at his face, “thank you for this Cassian.”

It was the way she said his name, or maybe the way the gray of her eyes soften for a second, or maybe both that made his heart melt there and then. Taken aback by the softness of her voice, it took him a moment before he could move again, his smirk becoming a gentle smile.

“Maybe I’ll enjoy this party after all,” she added, staying near him for a bit more before getting on her seat.

Letting out his breath, Cassian swallowed and blinked a few times before closing the door, walking to his side of the car with his heart racing.

This day would haunt him for days and nights, he could already tell.

tag list: @illyrian-bookworm / @dreamerforever-5 / @my-fan-side / @tessas-herondales / @girlnovels / @to-the-stars-who-wish / @strangeenemy / @maastrash / @humanexile / @booklover41802 / @mis-lil-red / @actuallyacotartrash / @keshavomit / @fourshizzle149 / @amcarroll11

#nessian #cassian #nesta #acotar #acomaf #acowar #acofas #sjmaas #nesta archeron #nesta x cassian #feyre archeron #elain archeron #emerie #nessian fanfiction #i'm baaaaaaack #so sorry for the hiatus guys

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