𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 | azriel

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐞

The very next morning, Flavia slipped out of her apartment early, leaving a note for Azriel about her whereabouts. She wouldn't say she was avoiding him, though she didn't want to have the inevitable conversation they were going to have just as the sun rose in the sky.

As Flavia walked the familiar route to the music shop, she couldn't stop thinking back to the previous night. The way, without hesitation, Azriel had offered to help with her small problem, the way he lovingly touched her body as if he was mapping it out. The way he made her feel with just one touch. Flavia was sure that she never had that reaction to anyone before.

When she neared the store, she tried to shake her mind of all thoughts of the shadowsinger, who was sleeping so peacefully as she left the note on the coffee table. Before she left, Flavia refrained from brushing away the hair that fell across his forehead during the night. She had always thought Azriel was attractive. Yes he was handsome, but she couldn't help but think that that wasn't the word to describe him. Beautiful was a more accurate word.

The smooth golden skin, littered with small white scars only noticeable when he turned a specific way. The black of his hair that held warm undertones of brown when it caught in the sun. The pools of green and light brown that were framed with dark lashes, Flavia swore she had gotten lost in his eyes one one too many occasions. The familiar scent of him that brought her comfort whenever she needed it. Whenever she smelt it she thought of her home. His hands and how warm they were when she held them. Despite Azriel first flinching away when she first brushed his scarred skin, he would now seek out her hand whenever the opportunity arose.

She wondered what he would be doing now. Would he be awake? Has he read the note yet? Was he thinking about what happened the previous night? If so, what exactly was he thinking?

Flavia groaned. She shouldn't be imagining what Azriel's responses to those questions were. They were friends. Friends do not– should not think of each other that way. Although...

"Flavia!" Eowyn, the elderly music shop owner, called to her. She was sweeping the ground outside of the shop as she waved at Flavia. "You didn't need to come in today."

Flavia shrugged as she approached Eowyn. "I felt guilty about not working for a few weeks. I left you all on your own."

Eowyn waved her hand dismissively. "Nonsense. There wasn't much to do, you know how it can be during the weeks during solstice and after."

"Well I thought I could help around today," Flavia said. "Stack shelves. Dust off the older instruments."

Eowyn continued to sweep. "Be my guest."

Flavia smiled as she entered the shop. It was small and the entire building was slightly slanted, but Flavia loved that. It gave the building character. She placed her back down behind the counter as she got to work.

***

There was barely anything to do around the shop as Flavia sat behind the counter mindlessly tapping on the countertop.

"Flavia," Eowyn said, coming out of the back room. "You can go home. I am sure you'd rather be with this mystery male you are not telling me about."

Flavia stilled. "What?"

Eowyn sat down on the other chair behind the counter. "There is a scent that lingers on you that has been there ever since Solstice."

Flavia frowned. She had made sure to wash herself thoroughly that morning. Of course she wasn't ashamed of what her and Azriel did at all, considering it was all she could think about. But she did not know how he felt about the whole ordeal. Washing away any evidence of what they did was most likely for the best. But Azriel was always at her apartment and his scent lingered on all of her things, so it was hard to avoid a place in her apartment where his scent didn't linger.