to the stars

@goldenadidas made a graphic for @feysandstarfall

@kay-emm-gee wrote love and joy, come to you for @rhysand 

@tragically-broken wrote I’m Coming With You for @faeriedustgirl

@rhysand created a graphic for @aelin

@pterodactylichexameter wrote Color Coded Speak for @feysand17

@alfrette made these three edits for @fankidstupadinator

@highfaelucien wrote I Am Lost And Led Only By The Stars for @tragically-broken

@feysandstarfall drew a fanart for @salvaterre

@contraryrhythm‘s fic drive went to @goldenadidas

@feysanded made an icon pack for @ideaofanidentity

@a-court-of-fanfiction-and-fandom wrote Secret Santa for @acourtoffeyshand

@asteriin created a graphic per @feysanded‘s wishes 

@cass-ian wrote Never Again for @lynyrdwrites

@neady02 made an edit for @illyriantremors

@acourtoffeyshand wrote Santa Claus is Coming To Town for @contraryrhythm

@bestmelle wrote Shared memories for @kitashiwrites

@maevethedarkqueen drew a fanart for @a-court-of-fanfiction-and-fandom

@salvaterre wrote Dream Come True for @highfaelucien

@aelin created two graphics for @kay-emm-gee

@ideaofanidentity wrote A Starry Night’s Dream for @pterodactylichexameter

@fankidstupadinator drew a fanart for @maevethedarkqueen

@illyriantremors wrote to call thee mine for @kindclaws

@wildlibra put together a playlist for @asteriin

@kindclaws wrote a way to capture this for @cass-ian

@lynyrdwrites wrote Painting for @bestmelle

@faeriedustgirl made a moodboard for @wildlibra

@kitashiwrites wrote Dancing in the Rain for @neady02

@feysand17 wrote Life Afterwards for @alfrette

and @ahmren created a graphic for @salvaterre

This is all of it! Happy holidays and winter breaks, have a wonderful new year and maybe we’ll see you again next winter! 

xoxo, the feyrhyssecretsanta mods

Vivian saw Feyre and beamed and ran her into her arms. Vivian’s wings were glamoured as she just learned to control that part of her magic. Feyre picked up her daughter, hugging her tightly, kissing her rosy cheeks.

“How’s my baby girl today,” Feyre asked, kissing Vivian’s forehead.

Vivian kissed her mother’s cheek and chirped, “I was having a tea party with daddy. You’re also invited.”

Feyre set Vivian down, smiled and answered, ”I would love to join you and daddy.”

Vivian pulled Feyre and made her sit beside Rhys, he winked at her making Feyre lightly slap his shoulder. Vivian poured Feyre a cup of tea (actually water). Viv also gave Feyre a tiara to wear.

“You know what is today, darling?” Questioned Rhys through the bond.

He felt confusion through the bond but she asked, ”What day is it?”

“The day you told me that you were pregnant with our little bundle of joy,” he whispered in her ear.

Feyre looked into Rhys’s eyes smiling chuckling, ”You remember.”

“It isn’t worth forgetting and you also know what happened this day…but I thought we could out to Rita’s to celebrate,” Rhys asked.

Feyre nodded in approval. Vivian cleared her throat and pouted saying, ”Mommy you haven’t touched your tea, it’ll get cold.”

“She is just like you, she uses the pout when she needs attention, like you.” Feyre retorted.

Rhys laughed, kissing Feyre’s cheek. Feyre drank the water in one breath. Vivian smiled and offered Feyre a cookie and she took one happily.

“Vivi, sweetie, get dressed we’re going out to Rita’s tonight,” Feyre said.

Vivian grinned and nodded. Feyre and Rhys walked to their bedroom letting Vivian clean up and get dressed. On closing the door to their bedroom, Feyre wrapped her arms around Rhys’s neck and his hands snaked around her waist, pulling her close. Rhys kissed her softly.

“She’ll come in here any minute, Rhys,” gasped Feyre as he nibbled her earlobe.

Pouting, Rhys let her go to get a change of clothes. Feyre trailed in after him also to get a change of clothes. Vivian came in while Rhys was tying his shoes.

“Daddy, help me tie my laces,” Vivi said, lifting up her right foot.

Rhys shook his head smiling, chuckling, ”I taught you that yesterday, Princess.”

Rhys picked her up set her on the bed.

“Watch carefully, now first tie a knot, then make two bun…uh bat ears then cross them with each other and bring one ear in this gap and tie it tightly,“ he explained.

Vivian smiled, nodding trying to tie the knot on the other. Feyre came out of the closet wearing a simple tunic. Feyre brushed her hair while looking at Vivian who had successes fully tied a shoe lace. Feyre then proceeded to brush Vivian’s hair.

After all of them got ready, they winnowed to Rita’s where the owner recognized them instantly and seated them. Rhys seated both Feyre and Vivian on their chairs and pushing the chairs in. Vivian as always wanted fries. Feyre ordered pasta and Rhys ordering a steak. After forcefully paying the bill, Rhys took his girls out for ice cream and both of them ending up with chocolate, with three scoops with chocolate sauce, chocolate chips and more chocolate sauce. ’Cauldron knows how they could eat that much chocolate’, Rhys thought.

They also went to the Velaris playground so that Vivian could play a little. Her favourite was the swing because her daddy always made her fly without wings.

After they reached home, they made Vivian take a bath and got her into her pajamas and tucked her into bed.

“Why did we go out and eat today,” Vivian inquired.

Feyre answered, ”We just thought it might be fun.” Not telling her the real reason why they went out because that was a conversation for when she was older.

“So, which bed time story do you want this time,” Rhys questioned picking up her favourite book.

Vivian pondered on that and giggled, ”I want the story of how you met mommy.”

Feyre and Rhys looked at each other but decided that they censor out some details.

Rhys cleared his throat and starting telling the story, ”Long ago, when your mommy darling was human, she wondered out on a really evil and bad festival against everyone’s wishes. Your mommy wanted to see this celebration but as she was travelling three bad man stopped her.”

Vivian gasped, ”What happened next!”

Feyre continued it, ”Yes, they stopped me but luckily your father swooped in and saved me. Now, as you know everyone was or rather still are scared of your father. What was it that you said to me?”

Rhys smiled and said, ”There you are. I’ve been looking for you.”

“What did you say mommy?” Vivian asked excitedly.

Rhys told her, ”Your mommy didn’t say anything but she thought that I was the most handsome and beautiful man she had ever seen.”

Feyre gave him a light punch and said, ”And that’s how I met your father.”

Vivian laughed and yawned indicating her tiredness.

“We just came from Rita’s,” I pointed out. The mere thought of doing anything else tonight did not seem appealing.

“All the more reason. Besides,” he gestured back towards The Rainbow, “they are playing our song.” Indeed, I could hear the sounds of the sweet melody of the song Rhys had sent me Under the Mountain, the song that kept me from breaking floating through the air. Before I could protest further, he plucked my shoes out of my hand and set them aside, leading me into the middle of the square. He bowed and looked up at me, eyes shining in the moonlight and a slight smile. “Humor me.”

“Rhys—” I complained halfheartedly, but that didn’t stop me from taking his offered hand almost automatically—muscle memory, really. I placed a hand on his shoulder as he gripped my waist, and before I could say anything else, he swept me away, my feet feeling like they were barely touching the ground. It was like we hadn’t just spent the entire night dancing already—there was something far more charged and elegant about this dance than the raucous partying of Rita’s. I could hear the music more clearly as Rhys hummed the song, sending the sweet melody over our bond, the sound giving me a burst of energy and the tiredness I’d felt fading away. I felt content to be waltzed around the square for as long as we could stand, and maybe a little longer.

Rhys dipped me down, his trademark smirk spread across his face. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but a frown suddenly crossed his face. He looked up at the sky, searching.

As I opened my mouth to ask him what was wrong, I felt a drop of water on my cheek. And then another. Rhys quickly hauled me into a standing position and turned back to look up at the sky, which had grown cloudier.

“We should—” Before he could finish his sentence, a few more droplets fell from the sky.

“This way.” Rhys pulled me quickly toward a building on the other side of the square, trying to find some kind of shelter as the rain began to fall faster. There wasn’t much room under the small ledge over the door as we huddled as close to the wall as we could, and despite the little cover it gave, the water that dropped down still was getting us almost as wet as standing out in the middle of the square.

The water now poured from the sky in sheets, and didn’t seem like it was going to stop anytime soon. I could feel my teeth chattering as my now wet dress stuck to my skin uncomfortably, chilling me to the bone. I shivered a little as more droplets fell onto my arm, dripping from the brick above me.

Suddenly, Rhys tugged me out into the rain again. Despite already being wet, the shock of the sudden water was startling.

“Rhys, what are you—” He pulled me flush against his chest. He felt blessedly warm, despite being just as soaked as I was. I felt something wrap around me, the water pouring around me. I looked up to see a red-gold filter over my head—Rhys’s wing. He held one partially over my head, keeping me from getting further drenched by the rain, the other settling over his shoulder.

Before I could ask what he was doing, I suddenly felt his lips on mine. Despite the initial shock, my eyes fluttered shut as I let it consume me. It was unhurried—gentle—but I could feel a wave of love behind it across our bond threatening to crash over me, held back only by Rhys’s tight control. The world around us narrowed just to us, the sound of the rain merely background noise, the feeling of it an afterthought. Nothing else existed, and nothing else mattered—only him and me.

When we finally broke apart, I didn’t want to open my eyes—I was still riding the high that his kiss had risen me to, and I didn’t want to come down. As I tried to catch my breath, I felt him run his thumb over my bottom lip and I cracked my eyes open. I was met by the sight of Rhys’s heartbreaking smile, looking at me with such love that I wondered how I had gotten so lucky to have such a man as my mate.

“You’re getting soaked,” I said hoarsely, watching his hair plaster itself against his scalp, rivulets running down his face, and I couldn’t help but notice his clothes sticking rather flatteringly to his skin. “Why not just winnow us home?” It occurred to me suddenly that we could have done this all along, and avoided getting drenched in the first place.

It’s constructed much the same way her Starfall dress was. Slim fitting through the bust and waist before gently floating away from Feyre’s body so that all her curves are seen even if the long sleeves add a modest touch. And it drips in celestial shades of black and grey, sapphire and diamond, little hints of deepest purple fading in and out of the fabric until Feyre looks like the stars glimmering across the night sky as she walks, the dress turning her into the night itself.

This is the High Lady of the Night Court, they think as they look at her and Nesta hands her the silver crown to wear that will match Rhys’s and Elain presents her stunning bouquet and Morrigan pretends not to get weepy in the corner.

The temple is lit with vibrant torches and pits of warm fire that cast a soft glow over the room. The way the light plays out on Feyre’s dress as she turns is hard not to stare at. But then Rhys is there, brothers not far behind, and he doesn’t quite… know how to… handle her.

Across the room, the Inner Circle shares little looks as Rhys and Feyre stare at each other because they know. They know what this night means.

Rhys puts his hands in his pockets like he always does when he’s nervous. If he moves, he will cease to exist because one step closer to her and he’ll burn himself alive with the magic threatening to pour out of him just from the way her scent catches and lingers on his skin.

He thought finding her on Fire Night had been a gift from the Cauldron. He thought saving her in Amarantha’s despised court had been a blessing. He thought the day she claimed the Night Court as her home and him as her mate had been nothing short of a miracle.

But now? Now he understands that this woman is life incarnate, his perfect counter. This moment - it is destiny crafted from the heavens itself. It has to be. Because he’s looking at her like he can see every drop of blood she shed for him and she’s looking at him like she can feel every horror he endured and none of it matters because right now she is beautiful and he is her glory in darkness and there is no going back from this point. There is only them.

Only his violet eyes and her deep blonde hair and the flowers blooming in her hand that only reveal themselves under a dark, piercing night sky like the one the temple opens up to above them. Only the love that called to them both and never stopped working until they found their way to each other.

Mates.

And Rhys has never been more proud of Feyre and how far she has come.

Cassian smirks.

Morrigan beams.

Nesta stands tall and proud.

Elain folds herself into Lucien’s shoulder with the lightest sniffle that he tucks away for her.

And Azriel’s shadows sing the music of this night, dancing off into shadows to reach the furthest corners of the earth where Amren might hear it and whisper Good for you, boy.

The ceremony is kept simple. Traditional even. Rhys asked if it could be that way. There is enough of the Night Court’s pomp and circumstance and fae rituals to shroud them eternally between all of the details crowding around them within the temple’s circular walls.

He wanted to give Feyre a chance to have it her way, to honor the piece of her that remained human, the heart he heard beating in the forest while he was buried under a mountain of dirt and ash a million miles away.

And she agreed to it gladly. In some ways, mate was more than enough and never enough at all. Was it possible to ever have enough of him she wondered most often. As she steps towards him, takes in his tall, lean form clothed in darkness, his wings spread in a glorious ache that she longs to touch and fly and caress, she realizes that - no. She will never have enough of him. If the Cauldron granted her her mate in all his forms, her hunger would never abate, would never satiate and give way to a fullness her life has been void of for far too long. Just when Feyre thinks she has enough of him, he opens a new window into his soul for her to climb through and she sees more, more, more of this imperfect man who saved her.

And she wants to consume him all.

So in the temple, they join hands. They offer every little piece of themselves they have already given: enemies, partners, friends, lovers, mates and now, slipping the rings onto one another’s hands and saying the vows they’ve longed to make, the ones that kept them alive in the middle of death and bloodshed, they add a new depth to the bond - man and wife.

With each exchange, the fires burn a little brighter. The temple feels a little warmer. The smiles stretch a little wider. Velaris hums a little stronger.

And then he is kissing her, his wings sliding around her in slow motion so that all may see, but none may truly know what this is except him and her. And that bond between them - that wicked, sharp, sensuous thing - threatens to knock them all on their feet. Every last one of them feels the power flooding off of it in droves as Feyre pulls Rhys deeper into the kiss. They could drag the heavens through hell and out the other side without getting so much as one single dark blemish on its divinity with that kiss as Feyre takes him deeply.

Mate. My mate.

My friend.

Rhysand.

My husband.

Mine.

M - m - m - m…

Endless. It is endless between them.

The House of Wind above is silent, but the city knows. The city knows what their High Lord and Lady have done. And they celebrate it with wild enthusiasm.

Feyre hears it first. She would recognize that melody the city sends anywhere. How it sweeps through her, soaks into her skin like a kiss you can’t give back. How it soars to take the pains away and replace it with jubilant triumph.

Her hand flies to Rhys’s sitting at the table next to her and her fork drops. He hears it too. Feels it. Between them, a rush of memory flows down the bond like honey. What once was a nightmare of darkness in a prison cell is now Feyre’s first taste of freedom. The first night she felt connected to her mate even if she didn’t quite know it yet.

She will never forget that music. It has been a ghost haunting her for ages and she will never wish it away. That music saved her. The music bound her. That music brought her up, up, up to the rich splendor of night where Rhysand called home and it is hers now.

Tenderness. A soothing caress. And unyielding love. The bond thrums with it as Rhys pulls Feyre up from the table, no questions asked, and pulls her into a dance. Piece by piece, the rest of the world melts away.

Rhys holds Feyre’s hand against his chest while they slowly turn and from the table, Morrigan sits with that devilish gleam in her eye remembering how her cousin first toppled into her room in a broken mess proclaiming her his mate and wondering by the Mother how she could ever understand the depth of his love for her - for this woman cradled against him now more precious than the rubies of the earth or the life waters of the sea - and now look at him. Morrigan wants the whole world to look at him and his mate and know as she does what this moment is.

Her magic unravels the sleeves. They don’t see it. Not at first. Their eyes are either shut entirely as they lose sense of the world or they’re too glued on each other while Rhys counts his mate’s freckles and Feyre focuses on the citrus rolling off his chest, inhaling deeply into his tunic. One stitch at a time, her sleeves disappear until her arms are bare save for those magnificent, inky blue tattoos swirling over her skin that name her his equal. The ink glides down to her fingertips to connect with Rhys and at his kiss, the bond connecting them travels across her hand to his and his tunic too is rolled back so that his tattoos are exposed, a perfect match.

Morrigan sighs happily, relaxing into her chair. She could watch them for a very long time she decides.

Cassian quips that if she isn’t careful, her face will soon be fixed in a permanently dopey gesture and then no one will want to dance with her at Rita’s anymore. A shower of spiced rice cascades over his face and by the time Nesta has wiped it off of him, neither is sure if it is Morrigan’s magic or Azriel’s shadows that moved faster. Elain’s endearing snort is a sound that has them all loosening into peals of laughter as she snuggles into Lucien. She may as well have not taken her own chair at this dinner table.

A pleasant chatter consumes the evening and they all pretend not to notice the moment Rhys and Feyre disappear off the balcony and out of sight altogether, two stars dancing on air through the clouds and mist of darkness they bring together towards home.

Towards each other.

The group merrily bickered back and forth as we drove closer to the state park where we would set up camp to watch the meteor show. I didn’t mind them arguing over me, I just sat back and listened to them, happy to feel like I was a part of the group. It was not too long of a drive before we reached the park and Cas slowed down as we drove through the trees to get to the campground.

After paying the park ranger, we drove the rest of the way to where we would be spending the night. Rhys had booked this cabin months in advance and everyone had been looking forward to this get away from campus. It was my first meteor shower with the club, but everyone else had been coming to this same cabin year after year. Not once did I feel like an outsider, though. The astronomy club felt more like my family than my actual family did sometimes.

Cas parked the car in the parking spot by the cabin and said, “Alright now, everyone get out and unpack. I put dibs on lighting the fire.”

Amren rolled her eyes as she was getting out of the car. “You always light the fire. It’s practically tradition at this point.”

Cas made his comeback as I followed Rhys out of the car and around to the trunk. He grabbed his bags out of the back. Leaning against the back of the car, I asked Rhys, “So this is the cabin you guys have been talking about?”

“Yeah, it’s our home away from home,” he answered. The sun was starting to make its descent to below the treeline and Rhys’s eyes seemed to be glowing a soft royal purple color in the light of the early sunset. He looked at the cabin and the surrounding clearing fondly. Az and Mor were jokingly fighting as the carried their bags into the cabin, Az with Cas’s in tow as well. Over in the middle of the clearing, Cas was bent over the firepit setting the logs up in a large square formation and dousing a hefty portion of gasoline onto the stack. Amren had walked out of the cabin to the fire pit and was setting up a folding chair while watching Cas’s progress, most likely making a snide comment or two knowing her. “It feels good to be back here,” Rhys said, “Makes life seem normal.”

“I’m thankful I can be a part of this,” I told him.

Rhys turned back to the trunk of the car and,  before I had a chance to grab my own bags, grabbed them for me. “Let me get those for you, darling,” he said.

I tried not to blush but I doubt I was successful. “Prick,” I muttered at him under my breath.

“Maybe I am,” he reported with a sly grin, “But I know you wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Night had fallen around us as we all sat in a circle around the campfire. The sky had turned to multiple shades of dark blue and purple which reminded me of Rhys and made him seem even more gorgeous than he had in the daylight. I tried not to stare at him for too long, but there were several times where he caught my eye and grinned. It was fairly clear to me that he enjoyed the attention I was giving him, and he held himself like he knew exactly why I was staring at him. What an arrogant prick, I thought to myself as I tried to break my gaze away from him.

Turning my attention back to the conversation the others were having, I found that Az and Mor were once again in their own little world. Amren was staring up at the stars with a lost look in her eyes while Cas was deeply staring into the fire. I shuffled my feet against the ground, not sure if I should say something or not. Glancing up into the sky, I tried to see if there were any meteors or not yet but it was probably still too early.

“Well now, what a rousing conversation we are all having here,” Rhys said loudly to the group, drawing everyone’s attention. “How about we get a little bit of background music?”

He strolled over to the car and brought back with him a clunky and retro looking boombox that he placed on the ground a few feet away from our circle of chairs. Rhys turned on the radio and an upbeat pop song came on.

“Oh hey!” Mor exclaimed, looking away from Az seated next to her, “I love this song!” She stood up and moved away from the fire and the chairs and started dancing along, moving and twirling in circles as she went. “Come on Az!” she laughed.

Begrudgingly Az stood up and followed her out into the clearing. Mor grabbed his hands and spun him in a circle, throwing her head back and laughing with her hair trailing out behind her. The two looked beautiful and happy together. I wish I was as brave as she was: I would love to dance with Rhys but I felt like I would just embarrass myself. Cas joined them in the clearing and was doing a funky dance by himself and soon after that Amren joined the dance group. She was a bit more reserved than Mor but still looked like she was having fun.

I was still seated by the fire, fidgeting back and forth. I knew they all didn’t think of me as an outsider, but I didn’t want to intrude or seem like a fool. Turning my head away from all of them, I stared up into the stars. I thought I saw a meteor fly by, but it could have just been my eyes playing tricks on me. I could still hear the song in the background, but I was lost in my own thoughts.

“Having a conversation with the stars?” I heard Rhys’s voice near me and I was jolted back to earth. “I find they are quite good listeners,” Rhys said while resting a hand on my chair and leaning in closer to me.

I turned my gaze to focus on him and my breath froze in my lungs as I realized how close he was standing to me. There was nothing I wanted more right then than to reach and feel his body against mine, but I was far too terrified to make a move. He made it seem as though he liked me how I liked him, but that could have just been his natural personality.

I sighed. “Maybe they will answer my dreams,” I replied to him.

“Perhaps I can take a shot at that,” Rhys said as he extended a hand towards me. I stared at his hand, not sure what to do with it. I looked back up at him and immediately got lost in his eyes as he asked, “Care to have a dance with me?”

I slowly reached out a hand to grasp his, but I wasn’t sure what to do in this situation. I must have seemed like I was uncomfortable with him because he added, “Unless you don’t want to, of course.”

“No, no,” I stammered awkwardly, “I would love to, I mean, yeah dancing sounds fun. I just haven’t really, you know, danced before.” Inwardly I groaned at myself. I sounded like a complete fool.

Rhys smiled and chuckled, “Then come along, darling. Only the stars are watching us. Well, and the rest of the astronomy club I guess. No pressure.”

As I grabbed his hand and let him help me up, I muttered, “Prick,” at him. Rhys only winked at me and I tried not to outwardly show how flustered I was.

He pulled me away from the fire and into the clearing. The song that had been playing before faded out and was replaced by a slower song with a romantic melody.

Rhys spun me around and I tried not to trip over my own feet as we began to dance together. I was glad he was leading because I had no clue what I was doing. His face was closer to mine than it had ever been before and I could feel his warm breath against my cheek. I glanced down at his lips but didn’t let my eyes linger. It felt like a fairy tale to have his hands holding mine and feeling how strong he was as we danced around the clearing. I forgot to worry about everyone else’s reactions. I forgot about all of the stresses from school that I had brought with me. I even forgot about the meteor shower before I heard Cas shout.

“Hey, look guys! The asteroid shower is starting!”

I saw Rhys roll his eyes at Cas’s obstinance and I laughed, causing Rhys to join me. He was so beautiful in the low light of the stars and I didn’t want to stop studying his eyes or the lines of his face for a single moment. When he turned to look up at the stars, I joined him since I figured the meteor shower was a rarer event than getting to see Rhys. I was disappointed that he pulled away from me, but I felt a little smug when I noticed he was still holding one of my hands.

I was still watching the flashes of light dance across the night sky as I heard Rhys say softly to me, “Here, Feyre, follow me.” I glanced around to see what everyone else was doing before I let Rhys lead me away from the group. Mor and Az had moved back over towards the fire that Cas had begun to throw more logs onto. Amren sat down in the middle of the clearing, her legs crossed and head craned up to watch the show in the sky. Looking back to Rhys, I found that he had been staring at me. We made brief eye contact before he averted his gaze, a soft blush momentarily appearing on his tanned cheeks.

“Are we going somewhere or not?” I teased him, curious as to what he had in mind.

He grinned and replied, “Alright, come on then.” He started walking, his hand still wrapped around mind. We headed away from the fire and the cabin towards the tree line. With anyone else I would have been nervous, but with Rhys I felt a different kind of nervousness, more of butterflies in my stomach than fear. Glancing back to the group, I tried to see if any of them noticed us leaving but it didn’t look like they did.

We past a couple of trees and Rhys slowed his strides. Looking into my eyes, he scratched at his dark hair abashedly and kicked a twig on the ground.

I looked at him expectantly, waiting for an explanation as to why he brought me out here.

“I guess this, uh, seems a little strange,” he said, seeming more flustered than his usual show of confidence.

“No stranger than you always are,” I joked, squeezing his hand a little bit.

“I really just wanted to get some time alone with you,” Rhys looked down at the ground and I took a step closer to him, feeling a pull between us.

“I don’t mind that,” I replied.

He looked back up at me, “I didn’t think you would,” he said with a sly confident grin returning to his face. Rhys stepped closer to me and I had to take a step backwards to keep my balance. Turning me to the side, I felt a tree trunk behind my back. My breath was shaking and I could feel my cheeks warm. I bit my lip as I brought my gaze down to his lips before looking up at his eyes again.

I tried to think of something clever to retort to him, but I lost any semblance of a train of thought as he took another step closer to me and I could feel the warmth of his chest against mine. Rhys took the hand that wasn’t holding mind and placed it on the tree above my shoulder and leaned his face in closer to mine, our foreheads nearly touching.

“Something to say, darling?” He teased as he looked between my lips and my eyes.

I lifted my chin up so my face was parallel to his. “You prick,” I murmured as I pressed my body in closer to his.

Rhys took his hand away from mine and used it to draw my chin closer to him. Without thinking about it, I wrapped both of my arms around his lower back to draw him in closer to me. My back arched slightly off the trunk and I closed my eyes, drawing in the scent and warmth of him.

“I know it drives you wild,” Rhys said coyly as he traced a finger along my lower lip. “And I could see how you couldn’t take your eyes off of me.”

“You seemed pretty fond of staring at me too,” I stammered, barely being able to get a full sentence out. Rhys wasn’t wrong in the slightest: he was driving me wild.

“How could I not?” he asked and I could feel his lips move less than an inch away from mine. “But, you know, I feel like we could use a little less talking and a little more kissing.”

“How was your day?” Rhysand asked casually, walking over to her and giving her a hug. She buried her face in his chest, wrapping her own arms around him. Feyre must admit, she would never get use to his hugs. They made her feel something different, something she had never felt before.

Even with a boyfriend in the real world, Feyre didn’t feel guilty about being so close to Rhysand. By far, his hugs were far better than the hugs her boyfriend, Tamlin, gave her; and they had been together for almost two years now.

“Feyre?”

“It was alright.” Feyre quickly muttered as the memories of Tamlin yelling at her for leaving the house came back. She had only left to go have dinner with her sisters that she hadn’t seen for the longest time. It was such a ridiculous argument. But it wasn’t the first time he did so. Tamlin only seemed to want her at home waiting for him as if she was a puppy waiting for her owner.

Only in his wildest dreams would she ever conform to that wish.

“You’re lying.”

“And how would you know that?”

“Because you look away when you’re lying. Or you hide your face.”

Feyre cursed silently under her breath for Rhys’s attentive nature. When she first met him in her dreams, she had never thought that he would mean more to her than simple acquaintances. In the years before her nineteenth birthday, Rhysand never appeared in her dreams, nor anyone else for that matter.

“My day was fine, Rhys. How was yours? Considering I still don’t know whether you’re real or a figment of my imagination.”

He rolled his eyes, “I live in Velaris, Feyre. Just like you.”

She shrugged, “I still have my doubts. I mean, it isn’t everyday you meet another person in your dreams every single night. Let alone becoming close friends with this person.”

“Stop trying to change the subject, darling. What happened?”

Feyre sighed as she tried to think of another excuse. She didn’t want to tell Rhys about Tamlin, she wanted to try and resolve this herself. She also didn’t think it was right to just drop her life problems at him all at once, even if they had been friends for a year.

“C’mon, Feyre. I’m here to help. You know that right?”

“I kno-“

Feyre’s eyes snapped open as she her body was shaken by two large hands on her arms. Hands that were so familiar yet foreign to her.

“Feyre. Wake up.”

“Tamlin?” she grumbled, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands.

“Who else? I just have to tell you that I’m going out now.”

Feyre glanced at the digital clock on her nightstand, taking a few seconds as her eyes adjust to the bright red numbers against the darkness.

3:43 A.M.

“Tamlin. It’s almost four in the morning. Where could you possibly be going?”

“Somewhere. It doesn’t matter. I’ll be home soon, you just stay here.”

“Why can’t you tell me where you’re going when you expect me to tell you everywhere I go?” Feyre argued as the sleepy haze she was in disappeared while an enraged feeling bubbled up within her body.

“Because I can’t tell you. But it’s important. I’ll be home soon.”

Feyre glared at Tamlin as he patted his clothes down. He was dressed casually in a white polo and jeans, so Feyre couldn’t really decipher where he was going off to at almost four A.M. in the morning.

He leaned in, attempting to kiss Feyre’s cheek only for her to back away.

“This is ridiculous, Tamlin. If you can go out this late then I can at least go out with my sisters in the day. I’m not some sort of prisoner.”

“I’m not saying that you are Feyre,” Tamlin sighed, as if he were arguing with a child, “Look. I just- I feel better when you’re home because I know you’re fine and not in danger.”

“I can protect myself you know.”

“I kno-,” Tamlin sighed once more, although more frustrated this time as he ran his hands through his long, blonde hair, “Look, okay, we’ll talk about this tomorrow. I’ll be home soon. Goodnight.”

Before Feyre could retaliate, he walked out of the room with the doors slamming shut behind him.

“How are you tonight, Feyre?”

Feyre leaned her head against Rhysand’s shoulder as they sat on her living room couch with her feet rested atop the glass coffee table just like Rhys’s. It was a position they were both familiar with and, although Feyre thought she should feel guilty, she felt nothing but comfort and contentedness.

It was the night after Tamlin woke her up at the crack of dawn. She never did manage to fall back asleep thinking of where in the world Tamlin had to run off to at almost four in the morning.

“Feyre?”

“Yeah? Sorry, what was it?” Feyre asked as her mind quickly returned to the present.

“Are you alright?” Rhys asked gently, tilting her head up with his finger as if she was going to break apart at any second.

“Somewhat.”

“You know you can tell me anything, right?”

“I know,” Feyre sighed, shifting her head to the side and burying her face against Rhys’s shoulder blade, “Why do you think we are able to meet each other in our dreams, Rhys?”

Rhys knew that this wasn’t what she was pondering over since she first arrived in the dream, but he would never force her to speak of a subject that she did not want to. So, he gladly accepted the subject change for the beautiful girl nestled beside him.

“I’m not sure myself, Feyre. All I know is that I’m lucky enough to meet you every night. Even if it’s only for a few hours sometimes.”

Feyre felt a smile grow on her face from his words. Truth be told, she had no idea what they are. They were definitely more than friends but also not a couple. She couldn’t be a couple with him. She had Tamlin to wake up to. Although, recently, her feelings for him had almost disappeared entirely. She felt trapped with Tamlin, like she was some sort of caged animal that he wanted to contain all for himself.

“Feyre? You’re staring into space again there, darling.”

“Sorry,” Feyre apologised softly, “There has just been- A lot of thoughts going through my head.”

“Did something happen, you know, in the real world? Outside our dreams.”

Feyre could only nod as she realised the extent she had been hiding the fact that she had a boyfriend from Rhys. Guilt slowly set in as she thought of their current position. She didn’t want to hurt him. To lead him on when she knew that they might never be anything. Feyre knew something was changing between them, especially recently. She also knew that she would never be unfaithful to someone that she’s in a relationship with. As much as her feelings for them were fading away.

“Rhysand,” she paused, pushing herself off his chest and sitting up to face him, “There’s something I need to tell you that I happen to just- forget?” Feyre finished the sentence in doubt.

Rhys chuckled softly, crossing his arms as he angled himself a little bit to face her more, “What is it?”

“I just-I have-,” Feyre closed her eyes, trying to think of a way to tell him without hurting him - or herself for that matter from how much she had grown to care for Rhys. She wouldn’t be afraid at this point to say that she cared for Rhys far more than Tamlin.

“Feyre?”

“I have a boyfriend, Rhys. His name is Tamlin and we’ve been dating for almost two years.”

Rhys stayed silent. Not a single word left his mouth as he stared at Feyre. His mind was reeling from the information as everything he ever expected between him and Feyre turned into dust. It was impossible. It would never happen. She was with someone else.

“Rhysand? Please say something.”

“W-Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

“Because I know you would’ve left. And I know it was selfish of me not to tell you. I’m so sorry. I’d understand if you were to never show up again.”

Rhys quickly composed his thoughts as he thought the words that left her mouth were the most ridiculous things in the world.

“Feyre. I would’ve stayed even if you had a boyfriend. I’m always here for you. You know that.” Rhys said softly, even though he felt like his insides were being ripped apart over and over again.

Rhys had high hopes for their relationship. He was hoping that he could maybe ask her to meet him in the real world. Outside their dreams. As absurd as their meetings already were being in a world that may or may not be real, Rhys had hope. And now that he found out Feyre had someone else, he felt his hopes crushed into a million pieces. But that didn’t mean he was going to leave her because of it. He cares for her, more than she knows and if she were to ask him to do something completely ridiculous, he would.

“I just- I’m so sorry, Rhys. That I didn’t tell you earlier. I was so comfortable with you that I forgot he existed sometimes. I just-“

“Feyre,” Rhys paused, “It’s alright, I understand. Is this why you’ve been dazing off sometimes?”

“Yes.”

Feyre didn’t want to tell him about her problems with him yet. She felt as if just this information was enough of a burden to Rhysand. Especially since they’ve been so close that she knew something was going to happen between them.

“Did something happen with him? Something bad or…good?”

“It’s just-“

“Feyre!”

Feyre sat upright in bed, clutching her chest as her heart raced.

“What? Did you have to yell at me?”

“You weren’t waking up before. It took too long.”

Feyre sighed at his monotone voice. She wondered where the guy she first met two years ago went.

“Why did you wake me up?”

“You went out again today.”

“Yes I did.”

“Why didn’t you tell me.”

“Tamlin,” Feyre sighed, “I can handle myself. It’s not like I’m going out there doing illegal things. I was simply meeting my sisters, the two people I’m related with.” Feyre told Tamlin as if she were talking with a child.

“But you could have been hurt. Or kidnapped.”

“Tamlin! I’m twenty years old. Twenty. I am not a child and I can fight for myself, Tamlin. Why are you treating me like this anyways? Since when was I unable to protect myself?”

“I just- I’m worried. I want you to stay safe. Next time you go out, you tell me.”

Just as Feyre was about to reply, the bright red light of the digital clock beside her bed caught her eyes.

4:13 A.M.

Why did he only realize now?

“Did you just get home?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Why are you home at four in the morning? Or leaving at four in the morning? For the past few days now.”

“It’s none of your business.”

“Tamlin! You can’t just make me tell you everything I do but not tell me what you do!”

“I can’t tell you! Just know it’s for the good.”

“What is that suppose to mean?!”

“It’s just-,” Tamlin groaned, rubbing his face with the palms of his hands.

For the second night in a row, Tamlin got up and left the bedroom with no explanation.

“Rhysand.”

“Hm.” He hummed softly, a small smile on his face as they sat side by side with Feyre’s head on his shoulder. Even with the newfound information of Feyre’s boyfriend, they still couldn’t help finding comfort in each other.

“Is it bad that I may be feeling something more for you than I do my boyfriend.” Feyre whispered, closing her eyes as she realised that she just voiced her thoughts completely.

Rhys was stunned silent. He thought it was an unrequited feeling that he had. He never expected Feyre to like him back.

“Rhys?”

“I think-” Rhys paused, shifting himself so one of his arms was resting over her shoulders. He softly brushed his fingers through her silky hair, “I think that something must be happening with your boyfriend if you’ve lost feelings for him this way.”

“You could say something is in fact happening.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No,” Feyre sighed, “I don’t want to talk about him during our times together.”

“Whatever you say, darling.” Rhys obliged, burying his face in her hair as they remained in their peaceful silence once more.

That was the last time Feyre had managed to spend some proper time with Rhys for more than a few hours. For a week now Feyre had been struggling to sleep as Tamlin kept waking her up. She barely had the time to meet Rhys at that point, sometimes not meeting him at all.

Although, the times that they do meet, they have been growing closer and closer. They both knew where the line was but, slowly, Feyre felt her love for Tamlin slowly shift to the violet eyed man in her dreams.

“Are you cheating on me, Feyre?” Tamlin’s sentence brought her out of her thoughts.

Feyre coughed at the bite of food she just took into her mouth. The words that left his mouth were the most ridiculous things she had heard from him in their entire relationship. Although she may be feeling something more for someone else other than Tamlin, she drew a boundary with that man for him. She quickly drank some water before staring at Tamlin incredulously.

“Tamlin. I’ve been staying at home for the past week like some sort of dog to ease your worries and you think I am the one cheating? You’ve been leaving or coming home at four in the morning everyday. It should be me asking you whether you’ve been cheating on me!”

Feyre had had enough. She had put up with Tamlin for a week as she stayed inside the house like some lost dog that needed her owner.

“You know what, Tamlin? You need to tell me what’s wrong right now. I’m a human being that is capable of watching over myself. If I didn’t want to be with you then I wouldn’t. I would never cheat on you like you think I am. Rather you seem to look like you’re cheating on me leaving and coming back at dawn for reasons that are so vague. Are we even dating anymore? We barely spend time together and when we do you leave moments after.”

Tamlin stood up abruptly from his dining room chair as it fell back and hit the ground hard. He slammed the palms of his hands against the wood of the dining table as he pushed himself closer to Feyre’s face from across the dining table.

“I told you. It was for a good reason. Now, stop questioning me.” He enunciated each word clearly.

“What is this reason? I’m pretty sure you can tell me something. Anything. I’m your girlfriend for almost two years. You make me tell you everything I do yet you can’t even tell me one thing.”

“It’s for your protection. That’s all you need to know.”

“Protection? My protection? How are you protecting me by leaving at dawn every single day?” Feyre’s voice started to rise as she stood up herself, levelling her glare to his angry eyes.

“Why don’t you trust me, Feyre?!” Tamlin yelled, pushing his face closer to Feyre’s across the table.

“What would you think of me leaving and coming back home at four in the morning?! Every. Single. Day?!”

“You know what? This is a ridiculous conversation. We’ll talk about this tomorrow.” Tamlin moved away as he started walking towards the front door.

“Don’t. You. Dare. You’ve walked out on me twice now without us finishing a single conversation.”

“You’re clearly angry and I need you in the right mind to hear this.”

“You think I’m not in the right mind? You’re the one asking me if I’m cheating on you when all I’ve done is stay at home.”

“We’ll talk about this tomorrow.”

“Tamlin, I dare yo-“

He slammed the front door shut before she could finish the sentence. Moments later, the sound of the car engine revving outside resonated through the air as he drove quickly out of the driveway.

Feyre screamed to herself in the empty house that was once so lovely to her.

Now it was just a trap.

I can’t do this anymore. I can’t do this anymore.

Without a second thought, Feyre rushed to her bedroom. Never had she grabbed her suitcase so fast and stuffed all her belongings inside. She would go find another house to live in. Maybe somewhere closer to her sisters or maybe stay with her sisters for a few days.

All she knew was that she could no longer stay in a house where she felt like she was a prisoner stuck in their jail cell. She didn’t care what Tamlin’s excuse was. For her protection or not, she was capable of protecting herself. If she needed help, then she would ask him and she was sure that measures this drastic did not have to be taken. He should have at least talked to her about whatever was bugging him.

Within an hour or so, Feyre was done as she quickly zipped her suitcase, getting up and pulling it behind her. She turned around the room, glancing at all the places her things would have been.

Maybe you should wait for him, Feyre. Just one night. Tell him you’re breaking up with him. Her conscious seemed to tell her over and over again. You’ve been together with him for almost two years. At least tell him that it’s over.

Feyre sighed, throwing herself down onto the bed before laying back and staring at the beige ceiling of the bedroom. Was he worth waiting for? Was he worth waiting one more night to tell him it was over?

You said yourself you are your own person. Then tell him it’s over instead of running away.

She decided then that she would tell him.

“Feyre, what’s wrong?”

Feyre turned at the voice of Rhysand, a smile unconsciously growing on her face.

“Rhysand.” She breathed out, running towards him and throwing her arms around his neck and wrapping her legs around his waist.

Rhys laughed, wrapping his own arms around her body. He buried his face in her hair, revelling at the feeling that he might never be able to experience again.

“What got you this excited?”

“I have to tell you something.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve been unhappy with my boyfriend for months now. He-He’s been-He’s been keeping me inside the house, well trying to keep me inside the house for no valid reason. He said that it’s for my own good and for my protection. I haven’t had the space to breathe or-or do anything for myself. I can’t handle it anymore. I’m- I’m leaving him tomorrow.”

Rhys felt his heart beat faster than ever. He thought it was going to fall out of his chest at this point.

“Feyre, are you serious?” Rhys laughed, spinning her around in his arms. He had a chance. He had a chance.

“Wait, Rhys,” he gently set her down on the ground as she cupped his face in her small hands, “Rhys. Are you real? We’ve-We’ve been meeting here for a year and you’ve told me you live in the same city as me but…are you real?” Feyre couldn’t help but voice her doubts.

Rhys leaned his forehead against hers softly, a small smile on his face. He was, in fact, real. Just like the first ten times he’s told her. But he wouldn’t ever get tired of telling her.

Rhys bravely leaned forward, kissing her nose softly, “I’m real, Feyre. I’ve told you so before. Please, come meet me tomorrow.”

Feyre felt her heart swelling as she hugged Rhys tightly. She buried her face in his collarbone before nodding as Rhys laughed. She couldn’t contain herself as she muttered her address against the cotton of his shirt. Only moments later did Rhys realize that they were closer to each other than they thought. They both knew they lived in the same city, but they didn’t know they lives so near.

“Feyre,” Rhys chuckled, “I’m only half an hour away from you. Why have we not told each other before?”

“I guess I was scared.” Feyre muttered.

“And why’s that?”

“Because of,” Feyre paused, “Because of him.”

“You’re your own person, Feyre. You decide what you want for yourself, alright? Promise me that.”

Feyre smiled, “I promise.”

A peaceful silence set between them as Rhys held tight to the girl in his arms. He felt something more for her than for anyone he has ever been with before.

“What do you think this means, Feyre?”

“What ‘this’?”

“Meeting in each other in our dreams. What do you think it means.”

Feyre looked up at him, a small smile on her face as she rested her chin on his chest.

“Would you believe me if I said that we’re soulmates?”

“Soulmates?”

“I think the only reason we’re able to meet each other in our dreams is because we’re soulmates. I’ve never been able to meet anyone else in my dreams before. Someone out there wanted us to meet, maybe to…be together,” Feyre muttered the end in doubt, afraid of Rhys’s reaction, “And since the chances of us meeting in person was slim, they made us able to visit each other in our dreams.”

Rhys smiled, tucking a piece of Feyre’s hair behind her ear, “I think I’d believe you, darling.”

“Truly?”

“I think I’d believe anything that comes out of your pretty mouth.”

“You’re such a-“

Before she could finish her sentence, a soft scream left her mouth as she was woken up with two aggressive hands shaking her. Much more aggressive than the usual wake ups she had been receiving.

“Feyre!”

Feyre sat up in bed, gasping for breathe from the shock of Tamlin’s wake up. She pushed him off immediately, staring at him with wide eyes.

“What?” She asked as she tried to regain her breathing and slow down her heart beat.

“Why is your suitcase packed?”

Feyre sighed as she pushed herself out of bed, standing up and crossing her arms.

“I’m leaving, Tamlin. We’re done. I can’t do this anymore. You won’t tell me anything and you lock me up in the house. I’m not some sort of animal that you can keep to yourself. You’re not even home most of the times. I barely have time these days to meet my friends or my sisters, Tamlin.”

“No. You can’t.”

“What do you mean ‘I can’t.’ Tamlin, that’s my decision and it’s final.”

“No. I’m not letting you. You’re staying here with me.”

“No, I’m not! Tamlin, we’re over! No more! I’m tired of this!” Feyre yelled at him, trying to drill the fact that their relationship is over into his head. She made her way to her suitcase, pulling out the handle and dragging it towards the bedroom door.

“NO! You can’t leave! We’re not over!”

“Tamlin. I’ve decided this. It’s over. I don’t want to be with you anymore. I just-I can’t handle it.”

“It’s for your own good.”

“I decide what’s for my own good! I am not a child! I am a grown woman and I can make my own decisions, Tamlin!”

“It can’t be over! All I’ve done is what’s best for you!”

Feyre sighed exasperatedly as Tamlin refused to listen to her. She decided that it wasn’t worth her time trying to drill this into his head. She’d just leave.

Feyre pushed through him and out of the bedroom with her suitcase in tow. She was hoping to leave in the morning but, now, she couldn’t wait to just leave the place. She faintly heard a car pull up outside, but she doubted it was anyone she knew.

“Feyre! You can’t leave!”

“And why can’t I?” Feyre turned to face Tamlin, “Tell me, then, where you’ve been at four in the morning. Tell me why you’re locking me up in the house like I’m your prisoner!”

“I-I can’t.”

“First, you leave all the time with no explanation. Second, you lock me inside this blasted house. Third, you make me tell you everywhere I go. I can’t handle this, Tamlin! Is this some sort of joke you’re pulling? You’re not the same person I met anymore.”

Feyre turned back towards the front door as she rushed towards there before he could stop her. She was thankful that she fell asleep in the clothes she’d been wearing earlier today and not her pyjamas.

Before Feyre could register anything, she felt her arm being pulled back. She screamed from the contact as her back hit the living room wall hard. Her head started to spin from the impact as everything became blurry.

“You. Can’t. Leave. You have to stay.” Tamlin said desperately as he held Feyre’s arms against the wall.

“Let go of me, Tamlin. This is getting ridiculous.” Feyre slurred out as she tried to regain her composure.

“You have to stay!” He yelled over and over again as it got louder and louder each time.

“Let. Go. Of. Me!”

Just as she was about to yell out for help, she felt Tamlin’s weight being pulled off her and a loud crash across the living room. Feyre slid down the wall as she looked up to see Rhysand, in the flesh,  pushing Tamlin away from her.

“You touch her and you’ll lose both your arms.” Rhys growled, his eyes blazing.

“Who are you? You don’t have the rights to be here!”

“Actually, I do have the rights to be here since someone is being assaulted.”

“I wasn’t assaulting her!” Tamlin argued back, although it was weak.

Rhys ignored him as he helped Feyre up gently. Feyre leaned against him as her head was still spinning from the slam against the wall. She faintly remembered Rhys grabbing her suitcase and both of them walking out of the house towards his car with Tamlin staring at their backs. The moment she was settled into the passenger seat of Rhys’s car, she passed out.

Feyre woke up to a comfortable couch in a living room she was unfamiliar with. She was still dressed in the same clothes with a dark purple blanket laid over her.

“You’re awake.”

Feyre turned her head towards the sound of Rhysand’s voice. She watched as he walked in with a glass of water, setting it down on the coffee table in front of her.

“Drink. You’ve been asleep for quite awhile.”

Feyre drank the water thankfully, however her eyes never left Rhys’s figure as he walked around the living room.

“Thank you.” Feyre muttered after she downed the whole glass of water.

Rhys sat beside Feyre as silence set upon them. It didn’t take long for Feyre to lean forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his collarbone. She suddenly felt the tears she’d been holding in leave her eyes from the overwhelming events that had occurred the past few hours.

“Hey, it’s okay. Don’t cry.” Rhys muttered against her hair, rubbing her back softly.

“H-How did you know?”

“You were screaming right before you left the dream, Feyre darling. I knew something was wrong then. Especially with what you told me about your boyfriend.”

Feyre could only nod as she felt more tears leave her eyes. She couldn’t process the fact that Rhysand was here. With her. And had just saved her life.

“I’m here. You can stay here as long as you like. Or do you have someone you want to call?”

“I-I have my sisters but I-I-“

“You want to stay?” Rhys asked teasingly, trying to ease the tension around them.

Feyre laughed softly through her tears, nodding her head against him.

“Is it bad that I’m staying at a guy’s house right after breaking up with my boyfriend?”

“Not if you don’t want it to be. People just make up that idea, Feyre. It’s your perception that matters,” Rhys paused for a moment, “And I highly doubt a guy like that would be considered a proper boyfriend.”

Feyre sighed, nodding her head as her tears ceased slightly. Rhys’s hand rubbed her back softly, telling her that he was there for her. A moment later, she bravely leaned up and kissed his cheek.

“Thank you, Rhysand. For-For saving me.”

He smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear, “I’d say the same right back.”

“What do you mean?”

“A year ago I wasn’t in the very best state. Then-Then I started to meet you every night and, I guess,  you were the one thing keeping me going from there.”

“Rhysand.” Feyre breathed out. She leaned back, cupping his face softly as she used her right thumb to stroke one of his cheeks.

“W-Why didn’t you tell me? I spilled most of my life and you and you never said a thing.” Feyre whispered, feeling her guilt sink in.

“I didn’t want to burden you.”

“You would never be a burden to me. You’re-You’re my soulmate, Rhys. I know it.”

He smiled, “You think so?”

“Would you believe me if I said I know so?” Feyre smiled at him.

“I’d believe you.” Rhys muttered, leaning his forehead against hers.

“But Rhys, I need some time to just-to just get through what happened. Would you-Would you be willing to give me some tim-“

“Feyre,” it was his turn this time to cup her cheeks as he hands fells slowly to rest on her lap, “You don’t ever, ever, have to ask that. You need some time? Then I’ll gladly be your friend for now, Feyre. You never have to ask that. You understand?” Rhys told her gently.

Feyre nodded as she hugged Rhys once more. She couldn’t believe she’d manage to meet a person like him.

“You just take this one step at a time, Feyre darling. I’ll be here the whole way.”

“Thank you, Rhys.”

“Always, darling.”

Tamlin never did bother Feyre again. Must be from the fact that Rhys scared him off completely that nice.

After that night, it didn’t take long for Feyre to open up to Rhys. And it didn’t take long for him to open up to her either.