The Whispers of Shadows - A&A One Shots

a quaint life - azriel's pov

Purple tones settled upon the horizon as twilight came upon the starry city. Azriel was sat in the nook beneath the window, wings pinned against the pillow and wall beside him as a whetstone slid along the blade in his lap. He watched firelight fill the windows that lined the street, the stars begin to make their show above the mountains. As he once thought of himself as a creature who craved bloodshed and the screams of his victims, he was now simply a male who craved silence and the beauty of a simple life. He did not hate his job. In ways, he still enjoyed the feeling of his blade cutting through muscle and bone. But now, in his small home with his mate downstairs, he preferred the times he came home.

"Azriel?" Aurora's voice floated from the main floor of the townhouse. With a grunt at tight muscles, Azriel laid his dagger and whetstone on the bench in front of him and stood. He left the room and descended the stairs, the scent of dinner and his mate leading him. Aurora was in a nightgown, hair falling down her back as she laid out a variety of vegetables and meat on platters. The fire lit stove still heated the skillet with oils and the fat of the steak she had cooked.

"This looks wonderful," Azriel praised, stepping behind her and grabbing a chopped piece of carrot from the plate and slipped it into his mouth. He hummed at the herbs and oils that flavored it, pressing a kiss to Aurora's cheek before turning to fill wine glasses. He grinned as her giggle sounded and he was sure she had wiped the oils that his lips had left off of her cheek.

"Tomorrow, you're cooking. And, I'd prefer if you do it after you clean the gore of your victims off of you." Her words were accompanied by a cringe and her tongue poking from her lips in a grimace. Azriel chuckled as he carried the wine glasses to the table.

"I will gladly cook you a meal, free of any fae blood or entrails." Aurora shot him an amused look as she sat the plates and platters down onto the table. Azriel watched with a grin as she uncorked the wine and began pouring the liquid into the glasses. When she sat down the bottle, Azriel caught her by the waist and tugged her onto his lap. Her laugh sent a rush of joy through him, his own smile widening.

"Am I supposed to eat my meal whilst perched on your legs?" She asked as she looked over her shoulder at him. Azriel hummed and leaned forward, one hand on her hip and the other stretching across the table to drag her plate over. Aurora laughed again and leaned forward to begin piling food onto both plates. Silence, interrupted by the occasional giggle, overtook as they both began to enjoy the food.

Azriel groaned as the steak hit his tongue, flavors exploding across. Aurora agreed, wiggling on his thigh as she closed her eyes and chewed. It was something he noticed about her after she had begun to be able to enjoy full meals when her body recovered from centuries of starving. Aurora always enjoyed her foods, eating slowly and savoring every taste. It was as if each vegetable or fruit was a delicacy that she'd never taste again.

"Do you like it?" She asked with a mouthful of steak and carrots. Azriel chuckled and took another bite, imitating her voice.

"It's fantastic. I think this could be a profession for you." Aurora laughed, glaring at him playfully over her shoulder before taking more bites. He sat back, watching the back of her head as she tasted each mouthful. He had already finished half his meal, yet she was only a quarter of the way done.

"Do you want some wine?" Aurora asked as she grabbed the glass and shifted her body to hand it to him. Azriel grinned and took it from her, kissing her knuckles before she could turn away. Azriel finished his wine and cleaned his plate, eyes closing in satisfaction as Aurora continued to wriggle and hum at her food. He heard the silverware hit the plate and her wine glass being sat down before he opened his eyes to see her gathering the plates.

"No, that's my duty. Go grab a book and lay on the couch," Azriel instructed, catching her wrist and snatching the plate from her hands. Aurora sighed and pressed a sloppy kiss to his jaw before climbing from his lap and skipping up the stairs. Azriel watched her with a shake of his head and gathered the dishes. He placed them in the sink and collected the leftover food to place in the cool ice box.