, , ? ? . .

𝑰 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒂𝒑, 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒌 𝒂𝒔 𝑰 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅, “𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒆? 𝑶𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆—𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕?” 𝑹𝒉𝒚𝒔 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆. “𝑨𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔.”

A Court Of Wings And Ruins - Chapter 82

Happy Valentine's Day ❤!

~

Characters belong to Sarah J. Maas

PLEASE DO NOT REPOST!

Interrupted

masterlist

summary: Nesta and Gwyn don’t realise that they’re interrupting something when they go to help out in Emerie’s shop

tw: none

My addition for @sjmromanceweek 2023 day 7 free day. I wanted to write about a couple I haven’t written much for before, but also to write about platonic love and the Valkyries’ chosen sisterhood as a kind of valentines too. Galentines ftw :)

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"Em?" Nesta called out, setting a fresh set of spices and hot chocolate powder on the countertop of Emerie's small Windhaven shop. She knew her friend would never outright ask for them - Nesta had taken up the habit of snooping in Emerie's cupboards whenever she came to help out in the shop to check when she needed more. She told herself that it hardly counted as snooping when Emerie would never ask for herself, but she couldn't deny that she may have been nosing a little more often after she had started noticing things here and there - a second wine glass out, someone else's jacket hanging on the door…Nesta knew that Emerie would tell her and Gwyn everything in time, knew that she would just have to be patient for whenever Emerie decided that it was time to fill them in, but Nesta was not known for her patience.

Gwyn set down a romance she had promised Emerie beside the spices, looking around the shop with her wide, teal eyes. She still rarely strayed from the library, and even then it was only ever usually to the safety of Velaris streets. Like the first time she had been here, the priestess looked mildly like she might vomit out of panic, but she smiled at Nesta's reassuring glance. She could hardly blame her for her nervousness - the last time all three of them had been staying at Emerie's together, they had all been kidnapped and taken into the blood rite. Thankfully Rhysand had heavily warded and protected the shop since then.

Even so, Emerie should be up by now. She was almost never late opening the shop, and even though it wasn't set to open for another half hour or so she was usually already pottering around whenever Nesta came in to help out for the day.

It was hardly like she needed the help, to be fair, but they both enjoyed the company and Cassian was more than willing to drop her off on his way to working in the Illyrian camps. Scaring off any asshole customers that were hassling Emerie with her supposed 'witch powers' came as an added bonus.

"Emerie! I know you can hear me, I brought that fancy hot chocolate!" Nesta called again, huffing to herself as she crossed her arms. Gwyn's worried glance had her shaking her head once more. "She must have overslept. Come on" she reassured quickly, stepping behind the till to the small staircase. Emerie's rooms sat above the shop.

Nesta paused halfway up the stairs, Gwyn frozen behind her as Emerie's door slammed loudly behind her. The Illyrian surveyed her friends with wide, surprised eyes. Her dark hair was in an unruly tangle, her shirt only half-buttoned, and if Nesta looked closely enough…yes, her pants were on inside out too.

"Rough night?" Nesta asked with a wicked grin, cocking one eyebrow as Gwyn rose on her tiptoes to peer over her shoulder at their friend. Nesta felt Gwyn's chest shake with barely contained giggles as Emerie blushed, rolling her eyes at the pair of them.

"I was just getting ready, thank you for coming to help with the shop, I'll be down in ten minutes or so? Just let me-"

"Babe, do we have any-" Mor cut herself off as she stepped out of the bedroom seeing the two Valkyries staring in disbelief at the pair of them. She was still in her characteristic scarlet, but this time as a barely-there nightgown scandalous enough that it instantly had Gwyn's pale cheeks flaming. Her lips still held the faint smudges of her lipstick, the same colour barely visible on Emerie too. The four of them stood there for a moment, Gwyn and Nesta meeting the Morrigan's carefully tailored unfased stare as Emerie clearly silently begged for the ground to swallow her up then and there.

"Didn't realise that we were interrupting. We'll be downstairs while you put some clothes on!" Nesta said fair too chipperly as she turned on her heels, shooing Gwyn down the stairs as the redhead teasingly waved goodbye to Mor and Emerie.

It was a few minutes before Emerie reappeared downstairs, Mor presumably having winnowed off to attend to her duties as third in command of the Night Court. Emerie's stare practically dared either of her chosen sisters to say anything.

Nesta and Gwyn took one look at each other before immediately bursting into raucous laughter. Emerie huffed, sitting beside them and stealing a spare mug of hot chocolate, hiding her own smile in the marshmallows.

It was Gwyn, stealing breaths between giggles, who finally managed to say "No wonder you've been so happy at training recently!"

Emerie couldn't hold back her own laughter any longer at that comment, grinning to herself as she shook her head.

"Go on, Em. Tell us everything" Nesta murmred, the three Valkyries leaning in closer to discuss the new gossip over the hot chocolate.

Elain & Azriel

Sunlight and shadows

All Of Me Changed Like Midnight- NSFW

When Elain Archeron has one disastrous night with Azriel as a teenager, the long-standing crush she'd been harboring vanishes.

Five years later, Azriel is back, and he wants to redeem that night

We Don't Have To Dance- NSFW

Following the near kiss on Solstice, all Elain wants is to make Azriel a little jealous.

Putting the Shadowsinger on his knees proves far more dangerous than Elain ever intended.

The Enemy- NSFW, 0/5

Girls Like Girls (like boys do)

Summary: Emerie volunteers for shelving duty so that she can sneak peeks at the pretty blonde. Mor frequently studies at the library to sneak peeks at the pretty brunette. A modern AU oneshot.

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Emerie noticed her the moment she entered the library. In fact, she noticed her on her very first day after moving from Windhaven. The way she walked down the hallway with her friends, gorgeous face lit with laughter. With a brightness that took Emerie's breath away.

Morrigan Keirson.

Captain and reigning champion of the fencing team. Daughter of the mayor of Hewn City and the niece of the Governor of Velaris. Rumoured to be engaged with the Vanserra heir. Yet, Emerie could not stay away even if her life depended on it. Could not fend off the infatuation which grows with each small interaction every time Mor comes to the library.

"I'm going to go shelf the books." She abruptly informed Nesta.

"Uh-huh." Nesta hummed knowingly, looking up from the latest Sellyn Drake novel to give Emerie a knowing stare. "You should just ask her out already. Instead of pining from a distance."

"Morrigan's here?" Gwyn, the other librarian, chimed in. Nesta's lips curled upwards into a teasing smirk. Emerie blushed and scowled. "Have I been that obvious?"

"Painfully." Nesta drawled. "You head straight for the shelves the moment she arrives and disappears for an hour." Emerie felt her ears warmed.

"She watches you too, y'know? When she thinks you're not looking." Gwyn added. "Winter break starts tomorrow. Perfect to share some hot chocolate and cuddle over a roaring fire." She wagged her eyebrows. Emerie flipped her off in response and walked towards the tray full of books to be shelved.

==========

"Are you heading to the library again?" Cassian asked in disbelief, "Today is the last day of the school term."

Mor swallowed. Deciding to go for a half truth, she answered, "My father expects me back in Hewn City for winter break. I need to get ahead of my assignments." Cassian does not need to know about the pretty brunette who works in the library.

Emerie Quintana.

The brunette who caught Mor's attention the first day she moved here from Illyria. Spotted her a mile away sprinting on the track with the speed and grace of an Illyrian angel. The Illyrians were renowned for their athletic prowess but Emerie seemed to do it with such effortless grace. It was breathtaking. When she realised the Illyrian worked part-time at the public library, she could not stay away.

And that was how Mor found herself sitting alone in a secluded corner of the library on the last day of the school term. Having given up on getting any further work done on her holiday assignments, Mor switched her screen from Microsoft Word to Netflix.

"Studying hard?" A lilting voice teased, startling Mor who promptly yanked the earbuds off. Emerie gave a playful smile, arm full of books. She ignored the butterflies in her belly and replied in what she hoped was a confident and flirty tone, "School's out."

"Indeed it is." Emerie grinned. "So why are you at the library alone watching the L word instead of out having fun?"

Mor's face flushed and replied sheepishly, "It's my favourite show." To her surprise, Emerie's grin widened as she gushed softly, "Mine too."

Mor felt her heartbeat quickened. Of course, liking the L word did not mean one was into girls but there was definitely a correlation, right?

"What are you doing later? Do you wanna grab dinner?" Emerie asked, her tone deceptively light but Mor swore she saw some nervousness in her eyes.

"I would love to."

Emerie's answering smile could have lit up the deepest corners of the Mariana trench.

=========

Emerie rushed back to the staff room of the library as quickly as she could. Once in the room, she snapped the door shut and punched a victory fist into the air and squealed. The room door immediately opened and Gwyn poked her head in.

"Good news?"

"She agreed to dinner later."

The trio spent the remainder of her shift helping Emerie plan the dinner. By the end of the shift, she had her evening planned out. She waved bye to her best friends (who waved back with the most infuriating smirks on their faces) and checked her phone one last time to confirm the route to the eatery before meeting Mor outside the library.

"Shall we?"

Mor smiles, "We shall."

The two walked in a slightly awkward silence when Emerie felt an arm thread around hers. She looked at Mor in surprise and found her facing forward stiffly with a resolute look. Emerie bent her elbow to curl her arm and gripped back Mor's arm. Immediately, Mor's stance relaxed.

"Where are we going?"

"Have you been to Rita's?"

"Shut up. Really?" Mor gripped her arm tighter and gave her an incredulous look, "I love Rita's" Emerie internally sighed in relief and made a mental note to treat Nesta to coffee to thank her for the recommendation.

"I'm glad! I've never been but my friend said the place has great live music and food is really good too."

"The other two girls who work at the library with you?" Mor questioned. Emerie nodded in response, "Gwyn and Nesta. We share an apartment, they were the first friends I made when I moved to the city. I would have never been able to adjust so quickly otherwise."

Mor smiled gently, "They sound nice."

"Well, they could be right bitches when they want to be." Emerie laughed.

"I would love to meet them properly next time."

"I'll introduce you." Emerie's chest warmed at the implication. The two soon found themselves at the restaurant and were shown to their seats, a table by the window overlooking the Sidra river. Emerie made a second mental note to upgrade Nesta's treat to a lunch for securing the great table.

"So what are you doing over the break?" She asked casually while they were waiting for their food to arrive.

"I'm returning to Hewn City." Mor replied quietly, voice pained. Emerie didn't miss the way her hand closed tightly into a fist, knuckles turning white, and her heart ached in understanding. Before she could second guess herself, she wrapped her hands around Mor's. Looking into the blonde's eyes, Emerie realised no words needed to be spoken. She gets it.

The moment was over when Mor's gaze was torn away and focused on another person walking into the restaurant. Emerie followed her gaze. Eris Vanserra. His eyes locked on to their table.

Almost instantly, Mor wrenched her hand out of Emerie's. She tried not to let the gesture get to her but the hurt in her chest told her otherwise. She watched as the redhead gave Mor a curt nod before turning around to leave. Her date gave an imperceptible sigh of relief.

"Are the rumours true?" She asked quietly.

Mor took a breath and swallowed thickly, "Yes and no." She paused, face scrunched up into a frown which Emerie thought had no reason to look as adorable as it did. "My father did try to set something up but I said no. The conversation between us didn't go so well and I moved here the following week."

"My father is the reason I moved here as well."

There was no pity in Mor's gaze, just one of mutual pain and understanding. Just like that, it was like the Vanserra never walked into the restaurant. Just two kindred souls sharing a moment.

The pair was walking along the rainbow bridge by the Sidra after dinner, arms still intertwined with the other. Mor stopped abruptly, surprising Emerie.

"I don't want the evening to end just yet, " She explained sheepishly and turned to face the river, body leaning forward to rest against the railing. A heat filled Emerie's chest. She took Mor's hand in hers, "The evening ends only when we want it to."

Mor turned to face Emerie, her face impossibly close. Emerie felt her heart stutter. "Tell me that you feel it too." She breathed. Mor answered by leaning in to close the gap, lips slanting over hers.

It was electrifying. The blonde's lips were soft and warm. Emerie deepened the kiss and was rewarded with one hand coming up to close around the back of her neck and the other circling around her waist to pull her in closer. Her tongue brushed against the Illyrian's lower lip and was granted entrance instantly. Time stood still and the world dissolved around them.

The pair broke the kiss to come up for air, both flushed. Mor smiled cheekily, "I definitely felt that." Emerie laughed and pulled her in for another kiss and another and another.

For the ask game, main character energy immediately caught my eyes. Can you please tell me a little bit about it? And if you feel like it, a snippet certainly would not go amiss.

Main Character Energy, like Camelot, is a very silly place. I was taking a break from it, but @ablogofbipanic got me back into it again a week or so ago.

The idea: I think someone in book club made an offhand comment of oh, lol, what if Varian has been a spy this whole time. And my brain immediately fixated on “spy, but make it unspeakably silly” and MCE was born.  

Like, imagine you are Tarquin, you are the youngest High Lord, you are idealistic, and you want to see the best in people, but also you aren’t stupid. Your cousin is sleeping with a member of the inner circle. Of course, you want to use this to your advantage. 

What if when you start to hear all the things that are going on, you also think to yourself, surely this can’t be correct? Surely Rhysand has figured this out and is having my cousin feed me bullshit to throw me off. But it’s all 100% true. 

The snippet is very much in the first draft phase, but for you, my love, anything: 

Tarquin was the youngest High Lord, but that didn’t mean that he was completely clueless on taking full advantage of a situation when it wrapped its legs around his cousin dropped in his lap. 

And what a situation it was. Varian had returned from his first tryst with Amren and reported that Amren, walking nightmare and subject of multiple Prythian horror stories, was a prolific pillow talker. All it took was a few orgasms and the ancient being shared all the Night Court secrets. 

Varian was convinced it meant she truly loved him. Tarquin suspected it was far more likely that Amren needed to tell someone and she was convinced Varian was too terrified to repeat anything she told him, lest he found himself missing his favorite parts.

Tarquin, to this day, still hadn’t managed to ever look Amren fully in the eyes—he knew a predator when he saw one. If he were the one warming Amren’s bed, anything she told him would have been in one pointed ear and out the other. Tarquin didn’t have a death wish. Clearly, Varian was made of tougher (or dimmer-witted) stuff than the rest of them. 

Feyre x Lucien ft. Confused Tamlin

We all thought about it, don’t lie.

Another piece in my crackship series — the NSFW version is also up on my Patreon 🥰