Brooding And Bakeries

Just as you were exiting the small bakery you ran, getting ready to close up shop for the day, you spotted a tall brooding male sitting near outside of your shop. You very vaguely recognized him from somewhere, but brushed that off and approached him. 

Upon getting closer you realised that this was Azriel, one of your High Lord's closest friends. You tapped him on the shoulder and offered him a warm smile. "It's cold out here," you hummed as the dark haired male looked over at you. It was indeed very cold, the middle of winter. As you two breathed, your breath came out in little white puffs.

"I don't mind," he replied simply, staring at you - into you - as if trying to figure out your motive behind approaching him.

"Come inside the shop! This is no weather to be out and brooding in," you continued, gesturing towards the small bakery behind you.

The male looked you over once. Twice. Before shaking his head. "I don't mind the cold," he said simply, a polite decline to your offer.

You puffed your cheeks out at this and grabbed onto the male's arm, feeling him tense beneath your grip as if preparing to fight you. "Oh none of that! Inside before you catch a cold!" You insist, dragging him out of the chair and into your bakery. He could've easily stayed put, but whether it was out of curiosity or to just be polite, Azriel followed you inside of the shop. 

You set him down at a table inside and hopped over the counter. "Stay put!" You said firmly before rushing into the back to start something up on the stove. It was a warm drink that smelled of chestnut, a very popular drink at your bakery. Moving away from the stove, you looked for some of the sweets you hadn't yet put away. There were a few cakes and cookies in the back, on the opposite side of the kitchen. You snatched up a few of the cookies and headed out of the kitchen checking briefly on the not yet ready drink.

Hopping over the counter, you returned to the shadowsinger. You offered him a cookie, setting it gently on the table in front of him. You sat in the chair in front of him and grinned. "So, what's got you so grumpy?"

Azriel looked a bit shocked - or annoyed - at the attempt at conversation. He took the cookie from the table and nibbled on it, staring at you as he ate. "I'm not grumpy," he muttered. You raised a brow at him in a way of silently saying you didn't believe him. "Do you make these yourself?" He asked, changing the topic of conversation.

"Yep! I make em all as soon as I get here before the sun comes up! I can't sell stale or cold goods," you said proudly, nodding to yourself.

"But can't you just reheat them?"

You gasped, startling the male in front of you. "Of course I could! But it wouldn't be as good! They have to be fresh or it just won't be the same!" You said, over exaggerating your sentences as a child would. You got up from the table. "Be right back!"

Heading back to the counter, you jumped over and headed into the kitchen to check on the chestnut drink you'd throw onto the stove  previously. It was ready to be put into cups and served. Taking it off of the stove, you searched your cabinets for a couple of clean mugs to pour the drink into. Finding some, you set them on the counter to start pouring the drink out. You come out of the kitchen, bumping the small door to behind the counter open with your hip, making sure not to spill any drink on yourself. The small bakery was quickly filled with the scent of chestnuts as you set the mugs down in front of you and the shadowsinger, settling yourself back into the chair across from him. You observed the male as he looked into the mug at the liquid inside.

"It's not poisoned, no need to worry about that," you joked, taking a sip from your own mug. Azriel simply nodded and took a sip from his own, holding it in his hands which were no doubt cold from sitting outside for who knows how long.

The two of you sat in silence, each silently sipping from your mug, each staring at and observing the other, him stealing occasional glances at you as he looked around the shop from his seat, you staring at the male, assessing him, trying to get a read on the mystery male in front of you. "You can get up and walk around, ya dork. You're not confined to just that one spot, y'know," you told him, sipping more from your mug. Azriel looked at you and stood from his chair, walking around the small space, looking at pictures on the walls and analyzing them. Looking at the menu up behind the counter that you had painted by hand. Looking at the drawings and paintings you'd hung around the place, some made by you and others made by a few regulars. All the while you watched him, sitting with your knees up to your chest in the seat. You held the warm mug in your hands, your mouth just resting at the edge of the cup. He stopped at the bookshelf beside the counter, picking up a couple that seemed to interest him and flipped through them. You took silent note of which books he'd stopped to look at, making a mental note to maybe get a few more like them next time you go book shopping.

Azriel turned to you, his mug now empty. "I have to go, my friends are waiting."

"Oh! I'll wrap some treats up for you and your friends before you go!" You say, clapping your hands together.

"I don't-"

"Huh?! I can't hear you sorry! You said you definitely wanted me to wrap up the rest of the goods in the back for you and your friends to share?" You hummed, already heading into the back.

"No, I don't need-"

"Oh! You want me to give you them for sure cause you and your friends are very hungry? Gotcha!" You say, your slight chuckle sneaking its way into your voice. 

You hear Azriel sigh and the scrape of the chair against the floor. You smile to yourself as you find a box to place the goods in. You were happy to know that you wouldn't have to throw anything out tonight, though you probably would've given them out to whoever wanted them on your walk home. You found a bag stashed away and gently placed the box of baked goods in it. After filling the bag, you headed out and handed the bag to Azriel. "Buh bye! Don't be a stranger and stop by sometime!" You hummed.

You followed Azriel out to the door. "You better not waste any of that or I'll have your head, Mr. Shadowboy!" You huffed, crossing your arms. As he took off into the sky, you swore you should see a slight smile tug up at his mouth as he flew off. Smiling to yourself, you were able to close shop knowing you had satisfied another tough costumer.

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Azriel landed on the roof of the town house, making his way inside. He held the bag from the bakery under his arm, intending to set it down in the kitchen before anyone caught him with it. As he descended the stairs down inside, a very bored Cassian waited at the bottom, looking at Azriel as he came down. He raised his eyebrow at the bag Azriel held under his arm. "Whatcha got there?"

"A baker in town caught me and gave me some of their left overs," Azriel shrugged.

"Shit, Az, I'm hungry, hurry up the others are waiting!" Cassian whined, grabbing Azriel by the arm and dragging him along. As they made their way into the dining area of the town house, the others looked at the two. "Az made a friend in town and they gave us shit!"

Rhys cocked his head to the side as Azriel opened the bag and slid its contents out on the table. Along with the box of goods were the books he picked up and skimmed through at the bakery, a note sitting on top of the stack. Rhys had snatched it up, reading it over with a smirk. Before the High Lord of the night court had taken the note, Azriel had glimpsed what it said. 

"You better bring these back spy boy or I'll personally hunt you down!"

A ghost of a smile touched Azriel's lips, Cassian smirking at his brother. Azriel jabbed his elbow into the male's side before taking the note away from Rhysand and shoving it into his pocket, holding the books under his arm as the others opened the box to start eating the baked goods and discussing what Azriel had found on his last outing.

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I have done God's work. If any of you want another part written I'd be happy to make one because I have a great title idea!