Elriel One-shots

Stormy Nights & Doubt

Thunder boomed and Elain couldn't help but be a bit anxious as lightning split the sky. She was cuddled up on the couch by the fire with a good book and a mug of tea. She wasn't afraid of the storm, she was worried about Azriel flying in those conditions.
Despite the large blanket and heat radiating from the mantle she felt cold without her beloved shadowsinger's hard body against her.
She sipped her tea, turning another page. Elain frowned as her lips met the dregs of the empty mug.
She folded the corner of her book and scurried towards the kitchen to heat the kettle once more. It bubbled and steamed on the stove, she refilled her cup and filled a separate mug as well.
It splashed burning her finger, she dropped the kettle and sucked on the pain. She cursed, and put the kettle back stirring both mugs more carefully than usual.
She heard the door chime and the sounds of wings rustling. Her heart seemed to smile in response.
She practically jumped into his arms quickly nestling her head in the crook of his neck breathing him in. He smelled like night-chilled mist and cedar, the scent of sweat was amplified by the rain sticking to his leathers, he was mostly dry, only his hair and some parts of his collar were wet.
Elain kissed his neck up to his jaw allowing her lips to linger. She placed two more on the corner of his lips before pulling away. He tightened his grip in protest but she untangled herself, "Go bathe."
He seemed inclined to protest but she narrowed her eyes leaving no room for argument.

A little while later he came out in a loose t-shirt and pajama pants. She was waiting for him on the couch, two mugs were filled with steamy tea.
He wrapped his arms around her from behind, nipping at her ear before taking a seat next to her. Her golden-brown hair shimmered as lightning illuminated her delicate features.
Even before Elain was turned she was painstakingly beautiful. He still expected to be awoken from this dream, shook back into reality. But it never happened, she was real, they were real.
She inquired on his mission and he told her the minor inconveniences at the Illyrian camp. She crawled onto his lap and began running her hands through his still wet hair.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and cocooned them within his wings. It was barely illuminated by the fire and the lightning outside. She ran a hand along the surface of those membranous wings. Azriel shuddered, wings twitching slightly.
She gave him a sweet smile and he loosened his grip around her as she bent to pick up the two mugs. They sat there- sipping tea and watching the raindrops streak down the window. She shifted in his lap and rested her head against his chest, Azriel placed his chin on top of her hair.
They were like this most nights, tangled in each other's arms sitting in a comfortable silence. This was his favorite part of the day, being able to come home and finally have some peace and quiet. That was why he never told the Inner Circle of the apartment he had bought in Velaris.
It was usually empty, but ever since Elain had moved in she turned his cold getaway into a home. That was one of the many things he loved about her, she was able to change the ambiance of the room with her smile.
Much like she was right now, smiling up at him. He could feel her heart beating against him, a slow rhythmic pattern that was synced with his own.
Those golden brown eyes seeing straight into his soul. The iced fury that she had melted, the scarred hands that people usually feared or pitied were now wrapped around this life giving flower-grower.
Surprisingly, she had never balked or flinched when his shadows did arise (although that was very rarely when he was around her), Elain had seemed faintly amused by the tendrils of darkness.
Her lips turned downwards,
"Stop doing that."
"Doing what?"
"Looking at me like I'm a fallen angel or something, I'm not gonna die you know?"
Indeed, immortality meant they could spend the rest of eternity together, yet he couldn't help but feel like at any moment she could walk away, change her mind, realize she couldn't love someone with such a bloodied past. He stopped having nightmares but the anxiety lingered nonetheless.
"What happened?" She asked, hooking a short strand behind his ear. Elain cupped his face in her hands and brought them nose to nose. Lightning illuminated her worried features.
"Nothing- I just,"
Elain tilted her head, open- allowing him to take his time. It was always like that between them, neither one pushed or pried for information, they gave each other space to work it out.
"It's okay, you don't have to tell me," She gave him an understanding smile, "Just know I'm here if need be."
He tightened his grip around her, reminding himself what she said was true. "I guess it's just hard to believe sometimes."
She arched a brow, "What do you mean?"
"I'm-" he paused for a moment, her eyes shone with the same loving compassion that had melted his icy rage not too long ago. He allowed himself to put down the walls. Something he'd never done before, not even for his brothers- not entirely at least.
"I'm...scared that I'll wake up and realize it was all just a dream."
She gazed towards the storm just outside, contemplating, "I think I feel the same sometimes."
Her eyes shone with a loving empathy, "If you wanna take things slow, we can."
"N-no, that's not what I mean."
She was still staring out towards the raging winds, "I'm scared too." He watched her look away, attempting to hide her expression. He placed a reassuring hand on her back and she turned towards him once more.
"I never thought I'd go through any of this,"
The memory of the cauldron replayed in his mind, it was his fault they couldn't save her, he was the reason she met this fate. This was his fault, she's here now because of him. A pang of overwhelming guilt threatened to overtake him.
"I have little regrets." She added. He hadn't realized he'd let go of her, or that he was looking away. She took a scarred hand and urged him to face her. He wished she had punched him instead as she said, "Except this."
Something within him shattered and the wave of guilt began pouring in.
"I regret not seeing this sooner." He was waiting for her to let go, for her to walk out and say it all was a mistake.
But her hands remained tight around his, and she cupped his face in her soft palms.
"I regret not being with you all those centuries ago, not being there for you when you needed it most." He finally turned towards her, she had placed his hand on top of her heart. "But I'm here now, and I will stay until this rhythm gives out." Her heartbeat challenged the thunder from the clouds overhead. "For now and forever." "W-what?" Elain squeezed his hand, "I promise." Everything faded into a distant hum, those words echoed in his head. He closed his eyes for a moment, willing himself back to reality. If this is a dream, wake me now.
But he did not wake, his hands trembled slightly in her palms, "Is this real?"
Her eyes looked tawny in the firelight, she pinched his shoulder and pecked his cheek.
"Did you feel that?"
She pinched him again and did the same to the other side, "How about now?" She poked and pinched until he raised a hand to stop her, "I'm sorry." She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed tightly, "Please don't apologize, you did nothing wrong," She broke away to look into his eyes,
"I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."
He sighed, "I really don't deserve you."
She shook her head, placing a tender kiss on his forehead, "Quite the opposite, I don't deserve you."
She glanced down at his scarred hands, "You're perfect Azriel, scars and all,"
His heart bloomed, those knowing eyes seemed to see right to his soul. Despite his centuries of bloodshed and pain, the shadowsinger finally found the light in his world of darkness.
His lips met hers and their kiss was soft but passionate, arms tightening around one another.
"I love you Elain Archeron." He murmured between kisses, "I love you more than words can describe."
She stopped, lips lingering- still sharing the same breath, but now tears were streaming down her face.
He gently wiped them, she grabbed his hand before it pulled away and leaned into the open palm.
"I love you too." Her voice was barely a whisper under the reverberating thunder, but the sincerity in her gaze made his doubts fade away- the final chain broken,
He was finally free.