#azriel bot

—

It had been frustrating the Inner Circle for years.

You and Azriel were best friends. Nobody knew one of you better than the other, nobody was as close to one of you as the other, and nobody cared about one of you as much as the other did. The Inner Circle was your family, no doubt about that, but you were each other’s home. There was no questioning it. If everyone in the world got a person that was theirs, you were each others.

So why hadn’t the mating bond snapped?

It was a question constantly on the minds of your friends, and it plagued the minds of you and Azriel every time you had a bit too much time to think about it. And when there was a war brewing, and battles on the horizon that meant neither of you were promised tomorrow? It was practically the only thing on your minds.

Eventually, the day you both were dreading had come.

By midday, you were back to back, fighting with everything you had. By evening, you somehow had gotten seperated and were on opposite ends of the field, exhausting and bloody. Every second you were out of each other’s sight was a second too long, a moment too vulnerable. Yet, there was nothing you could do but keep fighting — not just for yourselves, but each other.

When the sun set, and your side finally had a change in the tide in your favor, you let yourself breathe for the first time in what seemed like hours.

But the breath was sucked right out of you when you watched a streak of blue light suddenly fall from the sky. Azriel. His gaze met yours from across the field, sheer fear in his eyes. You nearly collapsed with terror as you watched him fall, already in a full sprint screaming his name before he even hit the ground. Please be alive, please be alive please be alive. It was all you could think as you ran, not caring about how you’d exposed yourself to open attacks in your panic. You’d have rather been struck down right then and there than have to witness your best friend die in front of you. You’d rather be dead. Thinking about a world without him felt like death.

But then you were struck with a feeling so strong rippling through your entire body, and you’d never felt more alive.

It would have stopped you in your tracks and knocked you on your ass had your mind not be locked onto one thing — reaching him. When you finally did, he’d managed to get to his feet. One look from him confirmed that he’d felt the same thing, his eyes glassy and his lip trembling.

“Is it…” he’d finally forced himself to murmur, his body coiled tight. “Are you…?”

All it took was one hesitant pull from you, the bond yanking like a thread wrapped around your ribs, and you were sinking to the ground in shock, knees smashing into the dirt.

Azriel was quick to follow, desperately reaching for you like he’d never needed anyone or anything more.

—

you knew when you woke up that it wasn’t going to be a good day.

azriel was gone, already working, his side of the bed cold. it felt like a nasty and viscous storm cloud was hung over your head, just waiting to pour down on you. your chest was tight, your stomach in knots. it was as if every step you took required all of your energy. there was this inexplicable weight on your shoulders, and as you drudged through the day, it only got heavier. by the day’s end, you were ready to collapse.

when you finally made it back to your room, azriel was waiting for you, a knowing look on his face.

“i could feel you,” he murmured, turning down the sheets. “what is it, love?”

you’d held it together the whole day. you would’ve even been proud of yourself, if not for the way your lip started quivering, your eyes immediately starting to water.

damn it, you thought. so close.

“oh, baby,” he softly chuckled, holding his arms out for you. “come here.”

you were across the room with your face buried in his chest before he could get another word out. your grip on him was desperate, clutching the fabric of his shirt. azriel rested his cheek on top of your head, arms hooked around you. he was silent as he let you decide what you needed, content to hold you.

“closer, please,” you finally requested.

your defeated tone tugged at his heart. he only nodded, tugging you flush against him. he let his wings drape around you both, encasing you in warmth and dimming the harsh light coming in through the windows. you couldn’t help but smile to yourself, your face still smooshed in his chest.

“bringing out the big guns, huh?”

azriel grinned, warmth flooding his cheeks as you teased him. “it felt appropriate.”

you hummed in response, your grip still tight around his waist. he always made the weight lighter, enough that you could come up for air again. he’s what you needed. this is what you needed.