𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 | azriel

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐨

The morning after Azriel left Flavia's apartment, he left with a wide smile on his face. It felt nice to have a conversation with someone that wasn't constantly surrounded by their mate or have a child run up to them halfway through the conversation and completely take their attention away. For the first time in a while, Azriel was fully relaxed while having a conversation. Even as he made his way to Rhys's office, he still held that relaxation within his body. Even if he had fallen asleep on her sofa with his wings tucked tightly to his body, the shadowsinger had never slept so soundly. The only thing that awoke him was the tap of Rhys against his mental shields demanding his attention.

Azriel knocked on the door to Rhys's office and faintly heard him calling him in. Azriel stepped inside and found Rhys sitting at his desk looking exhausted. Usually Rhys took pride in his appearance but as he sat behind his desk still in his satin pyjamas, Azriel couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh.

"Long night?" Aziel commented, sitting in the chair opposite.

"Like you wouldn't believe," Rhys answered.

Normally Azriel would ask him what kept him up all night but this time he didn't, only knowing that it would be one of two answers. Feyre or Nyx. Deciding not to ask, Azriel instead asked a different question. "Why did you ask me to come here?"

Why did you pull me away from the one place I could truly be relaxed? That was the question Azriel really wanted to ask.

"Ah, that," Rhys said. "Well we were all worried about you last night."

"Oh," Azriel said, deflating a little in his chair.

"You were there one moment and when Elain turned around to ask if you wanted to hold Hycinth again, you were gone," Rhys said.

The suspicions Azriel had about no one noticing he left were confirmed. Azriel could always escape somewhere undetected but late night he made sure that his footsteps were heard. He made sure he opened the front door a little louder than normal. And he made sure to close it with more force than necessary. If anyone was paying any attention they would have easily heard that he had left. Clearly no one was paying any attention to him at all.

"I just wanted to go home," Azriel answered. "Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves."

"Weren't you enjoying yourself?" Rhys countered.

There was a brief moment of hesitation from Azriel before he answered. "I was, I was just tired. I hadn't had much sleep the night before." It was a bad lie and Azriel knew it. Rhys could immediately see through the lie too, but to save Azriel from explaining himself further, Rhys didn't question him on it.

"Was that all you needed?" Azriel asked.

"No," Rhys said and threw a file across the desk to Azriel.

"What is this? Another mission," Azriel asked, picking it up.

"Of sorts," Rhys said.

Azriel opened the file and stared at it, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "'Have a beach day?', 'Feed the ducks?', 'Go to the theatre?'. What is this, Rhys?"

"These are personal missions for you," Rhys answered. "Myself, as well as Cassian and the others have all noticed how absent you have been recently–"

"I have been on missions–"

"Not physically," Rhys said. "Mentally. You barely talk to anyone unless you are spoken to. You don't tease Cassian for a stupid comment he makes. You don't even play with Nyx as much as you used to. Last night he asked why you don't take him to the park anymore."