The Ones You Love the Most

It had been a very long week in the Illyrian moutains. Especially so, since Nesta had decided that she was not going to join him this time. It was her fathers birthday and she and her sisters had planned to take Nyx to the grave and spend the day together. She had insisted that Cassian tend to his duties. So despite every instinct in his body telling him to stay with her he had left after dinner that night.

He longed to see her and to sleep in their bed. But every other thought left his mind as he landed on the balcony.

He could sence she wasn't alone in the house. Az was here, which was not uncommon or overly problematic. However the tang of Nestas terror and fury that lingered around him, was. Something had happened to her. As he threw open their bedroom door he could feel her emotions as though they were a physical presence. But the room was empty, he headed down the hall. The tang of her fear coating his tongue making his heart hammer in his chest. The door of the small sitting room at the end of the hallway was ajar, soft fire light pouring out into the hallway as Cassian hurried toward it.
Pushing open the door open he paused at the threshold. Nesta was inside, but so was Azriel. They were on the couch, Azriel holding a book in one hand, a glass of wine in his other. His arm draped across the back of the couch. Nesta was asleep, under a heavy blanket her head resting on the back of the couch near Azriels shoulder. Her hand beside his leg, a tendril of shadow slowly drifting up and down her spine, as though Az was not even aware he was doing it.

Cassian took a deep breath waiting for the anger to take over, waiting for the territorial part of him to unleash itself. However no anger came. His blood should have been boiling at the intimacy of the scene before him but again no rage came. Az turned to look at him, his face unreadable, signaling him over with his chin.
Cassian took a seat in the chair across from the couch.

"You look cozy with my mate brother."

Azriel looked down at Nesta with a look of tenderness so rarely seen on the shadowsingers face.
"She woke screaming for you. I let her try and come out of it on her own for a bit but then the screaming got worse. So I went in and woke her."

"She hasn't had one in a while." Cassian's eyes moved up and down her sleeping form as if he were searching her for injuries.

"You haven't left her in a while."
Cassian nodded in agreement.

"How did you end up in here?"

"She said she wasn't going to be able to sleep. I told her this is where you and I always went when we couldn't sleep. She decided to join me. Asked me to share what I was reading with her." Azriel shrugged casually, showing him the book. It was a collection of stories of warriors throughout the ages. Cassian couldn't help smile at her for that.

"She's been asleep about an hour now."

"Thank you." Cassian looked him in the eye as he said it. Azriel simply nodded, and they sat in silence for a few moments before Cassian spoke again.

"Not just for tonight." His brows pinched together as he stared down at his sleeping mate cuddled up next to Az from his place behind the couch.
"You were understanding. You did not condemn her as the rest of them did. Like I did."
Azriel, lifted a shoulder.
"She never gave me reason to. She was struggling with herself. I know what it is like to believe yourself not worthy of those you care for."

Cassian gently pushed back a strand of hair from her face.
She nuzzled closer to Azriels shoulder. He tensed slightly as his eyes met Cassians before a soft moan left Nestas lips and her arm slowly slung itself over Azriels middle. Cassian thought to move her off of his brother, but something in him shifted at the sight of them. The one person he trusted more than any other comforting the one person he cared for more than anyone else.
Azriel made to push Nesta off, Cassian stopped him.