ren ⛓️‍💥

hey, i’m ren! 

these are all of the works that i’ve posted, sorted by fandom (alphabetically). all my posts are x readers, for the most part without the use of ‘Y/N.’

requests are currently closed (i am so sorry i am SO slowly working through those that i have in my inbox) ! but dms are always open to chat <3

i've been seeing a lot of people do a 2025 wrapped and thought it was really cute, so here's mine :)

fics posted: 15 (might not seem like a lot, but this is my most ever completed in a year!)

total followers: 353 (tysm???)

total word count: 50,824 (not including wips)

top performing fics:

1. with a bow on top - azriel x reader (753 notes) 2. behind (un)locked doors - bodhi x tavis!reader (570 notes) 3. family line - garrick x riorson!reader (430 notes)

longest fics:

1. family line (8512 words) 2. home is where the heart is (7868 words) 3. with open arms (4999 words)

favourite fics:

ok lowkey i don't have a list because i've lost the ones i especially enjoyed but just know if i've ever interacted with your fic in any way i enjoyed it

goals for 2026:

1. write more consistently! i took a couple months off from writing to study and then to bedrot because i was so burnt out from academia, but hopefully in 2026 i can get back to regularly writing 2. make friends within my fandoms! i've always been too scared of messaging people i want to be friends with, so hoping i'll find the courage to do that this year (pls be friends with me im so scared of dming first) 3. write more original stuff! i've had some ideas i've wanted to write but always been too lazy for, so fingers crossed i can find time for that in 2026

i'm honestly quite proud of how much writing i was able to do this year all while completing my masters & being a TA & studying for/doing the exams for my professional designation. hopefully being done with all that means i'll be able to write more in 2026!

morning rituals ;

fen riorson & daughter!riorson & xaden riorson summary: mornings were like a ritual in the riorson home for fen and his daughter. when talia left, xaden joined them each morning. the two siblings were left to handle the morning rituals on their own when they were the last ones standing. ✧ : this one is based on smth i thought of (and briefly mentioned) when i wrote family line so i’m glad i could write it for day 2 of parents weekend on @empyreanevents! technically a standalone, though i wrote this as the same riorson!sister as that fic wc: 2.7k

Fen Riorson’s young daughter was never one to sleep in. While her older brother Xaden loved to get as much sleep as he could - he was a growing boy - she arose with the sun much like her father. Fen loved an early start to the day. While the world was peaceful in slumber and he didn’t have to wear the title of Duke like a badge, he sat in his office and enjoyed the brief period of calm that he was guaranteed each morning. It was his favourite part of the day. 

The morning ritual began shortly after his daughter turned three; one morning, she awoke before the sun. Usually, her mother Talia would fetch her shortly after waking and prepare her for the morning. On this day, she awoke and it was dark - she knew her mother wasn’t going to come until a long while later. 

Taking her morning into her own hands, the three-year-old girl slipped out of her bed, bare feet softly meeting the wooden floor. The door was shut, the doorknob just barely out of reach. She stared at it a moment, thinking, before pulling a child-sized chair from a corner of the room. Quickly making work of climbing it, the girl stood atop it, turned the handle and smiled proudly at her work as the door creaked open. She toddled back to her bed to grab her blanket, and made her escape into the hallway beyond her room. 

As she walked down the hallway, she peered at the other bedroom doors. Xaden’s was closed, meaning he was still asleep inside. Her parents’ room, however, was open just a crack - a telltale sign that her father was awake and her mother was still asleep inside. Fen was never in bed longer than Talia, and her mother always left the door open after waking up.

Despite her young age, the girl was intuitive. She knew that her father spent most of his day in his office, so she immediately took off to find him. The house was near-silent, the only sound the barely audible pitter-patter of her footsteps and the rustle of the blanket being dragged across the floor. Each step from the second to first floor was taken slowly, one small hand holding on desperately to the railing to prevent a fall. 

In the hallway outside Fen’s office, the mage lights from within spilled out, guiding his daughter to him. Her mission was complete when she noticed the door was wide open, her father sitting at his desk, looking over paperwork as he sipped his morning coffee.

Fen’s neck snapped up at the first flicker of movement in his doorway - he wasn’t expecting any guests until his first meeting two hours later. When he realized what was happening, he couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his mouth at the sight in his doorway; his three year old daughter, hair sticking up in all directions, eyes still bleary from sleep, pyjamas half rolled up, and a blanket dragging behind her as if she were on the run.

“Good morning sweet girl,” he said as she looked at him, her toothy smile sending a warm pang through his chest. 

“Hi Daddy,” she responded, walking across the office to get to him. Once his daughter reached where he sat, she lifted her arms up at her father, a wordless request to be picked up.

In one swift movement Fen picked the child up and placed her in his lap. Smoothing her hair down as she looked at all the papers on the table, he asked; “What are you doing awake so early?” 

She leaned her head back onto his chest and relaxed into him as she let out a big yawn. “I dunno.” 

He chuckled again, looking at the clock to decipher if he should make her breakfast this early. “Are you hungry?” 

The youngest Riorson shook her head. “No. I jus’wanna stay with you.”

Fen looked down at his daughter, admiration in his eyes. Mornings like this reminded him that he was more than just the Duke of Aretia - he was fortunate enough to have two children that he loved dearly. All of the work that he did in Tyrrendor was for them, and he didn’t regret any minute of it. He kissed the top of his daughter’s head, before looking back at the heaps of paperwork in front of him. “Do you want to help Daddy get some work done before Xaden wakes up?” 

She nodded excitedly at that, eager to be her father’s helper for the morning.

“Okay. We’ll practice your colours. If the emblem is red-” Fen gestured to some papers with red seals on them, “-you put them in this pile.” 

The girl nodded, as she hung on to Fen’s every word. 

“If the emblem is blue-” he gestured to the other papers with the corresponding colour, “-you put them in this one. Can you show me how you’ll sort them?”

The little girl smiled, picking up the paper Fen had just signed, with a red emblem on top and placed it in the correct pile. “This one’s red!” 

He gave her a thumbs up and a big smile, “Wonderful work.” 

The two worked in enthusiastic chatter for the next hour while waiting for the rest of the house to awaken. Their efforts were only disrupted when another flicker of movement alerted both of them. Standing in the doorway, Talia Riorson stood with her hand to her chest, a relieved look on her face at the sight inside the office. 

“I went to go get her from her room, and I nearly had a heart attack when I saw it was empty,” the woman breathed, leaning against the doorway. 

The girl, not understanding the severity of her mother’s worries, giggled. “I did lots of good work.” 

Fen lifted her off of his lap, placing her on the floor then patting her on the back to nudge her towards Talia. “You did. Now go with your mother to get ready for breakfast.”

“But I’m not hungry,” she whined, turning back towards her father. At that moment, her stomach growled, indicating her lies to both parents. 

Fen chuckled, nudging her once again. “You can help me again tomorrow. Go eat.” The girl pouted, but followed her mother out, obeying her father’s orders. 

However, the next morning, she was up early, standing in her father’s doorway ready to help. 

Thus began a new ritual. 

Every morning, the girl greeted her father in his office, spending an hour before sun-up with uninterrupted time together. When he didn’t have any tasks for her, she simply sat on his lap and the two of them talked while he worked, until Talia came to retrieve her for breakfast with her brother. When he was away on missions, his office was locked, so she sat by the window playing with her toys awaiting his return. 

As time passed and she grew too old to sit in his lap, she sat across from him at his desk. Head resting atop crossed arms, she watched as her father worked, learning of his tasks and responsibilities. He taught her, while making sure to keep the morning lighthearted and less duty focused - he simply enjoyed spending time with his daughter. 

When Xaden turned 10 years old and his daughter 8, Talia’s departure shook the family. His daughter couldn’t sleep, wondering if she would miss her mother’s return. She sat at the foot of her mother’s bed, silently hoping that she would be the first to catch her mother’s return. 

As Fen took to bed that night, he found his daughter curled up at the foot of his bed, blanket in hand and fast asleep. He quietly lifted her into his arms and tucked her into bed alongside him, knowing that she would need as much parental support as she could get. 

The next morning, she awoke at the sound of him getting out of bed, mistaking it for the alert of her mother coming home. 

“Dad?” she called after him, causing him to spin around, “When’s mom coming home?” 

The sadness in his daughter’s eyes sent a pang into his heart. With a pitiful gaze, he went and sat on the edge of the bed, placing a kiss to the top of her head. 

“I’m sorry darling, she’s not coming back,” he repeated to her, as he had unfortunately had to break to his children multiple times the day before, “Why don’t we go sit in my office for a bit? Get some work done to keep your mind off it, huh?” 

The girl sagged, a defeated look appearing on her face. “But… I want mom.” 

“I know you do,” he whispered, “But, we’re Riorsons. We’re strong and good at moving forward when things get us down, yeah?” He held his hand out as if offering for her to take it and join him for the morning. She was silent for a moment, and then nodded, taking her father’s hand as they walked to the office. 

They were in the office for no longer than 20 minutes, when they were disrupted by movement at the door. Xaden, having just woken up, stood there assessing. He was trying his best to take it all in stride despite being ten years old; he wanted his father to see that he was strong, unwavering. His younger sister saw it though, the way that he cried at night and the sadness that lingered in his eyes. Fen knew that Xaden really respected him, so he pretended not to see it. He treated his son as if he were handling it all extremely well, and it made Xaden hold his head up just the slightest bit higher. 

Xaden walked into the office and wordlessly sat down in the chair next to his sister. 

“Do you want work to do?” Fen asked the boy, trying to make things seem as normal as possible. 

The boy looked over at his sister, who was trifling through their father’s things to find a map for a task the man had made up, in order to make her feel as if she were doing important work. 

He nodded, and Fen handed him a task to complete. The three of them sat in silence, completing their work, knowing their mother was not going to come and get them for breakfast. 

Each day became more and more of the same thing; the three Riorsons had begun waking up before dawn, bringing their breakfast into Fen’s office to do some work before Fen’s daily meetings. They chatted while they worked, and soon they resumed life under their new normal. 

Fen didn’t say it often, but he admired the way his children took their mother’s departure in stride. There was a period of time where they were falling apart, yes, but he couldn’t be prouder of the way that they picked themselves back up. The man didn’t regret choosing a woman from the isles to be their mother because it gave him them, but he did always feel guilty for the fact that they didn’t have a mother figure in their lives for very long. 

So, he made up for it with time spent with them in the mornings. They laughed while they worked, he taught them all that he knew, and he watched with a sad smile as they grew up. However, he knew that time was limited given his position in the rebellion, and all good things come to an end. 

Their world was once again disrupted when Fen was killed in the rebellion. What had started as mornings filled with laughter and family bonding turned quickly to mornings jolting awake from nightmares. With both children being separated, their morning rituals fell apart. There was no office to convene in, no breakfast to be shared, no stories to be told, and most noticeably; no laughter. 

Mornings were instead spent scheming - surviving. Instead of taking the hour before sunset to slowly begin the day, they were spent in solitude, trying to figure out how to reclaim their lands. To save their people and fight for the cause their father died for. 

Mornings in the quadrant were spent on high alert, watching for those that despised the marked ones. They were finally spent together, but there was still no laughter, and they were missing the man that united them. They were missing the love of their father. 

On the first day that the Riders Quadrant took up residence in Aretia, the fortress was not silent before dawn. The sound of dragons’ wings carried through the air. The sound of cadets and soldiers talking bounced off the walls, their voices echoing loudly in the halls. 

Classes weren’t set to start for a few more hours, and the students were content sleeping as long as they possibly could. Xaden awoke from a nightmare while it was still dark out, and realized after an extended period of tossing and turning that he wasn’t going to be able to fall back asleep. He slipped out of bed, and went down to the kitchen to prepare himself some breakfast. Unwilling to run into anyone and be forced into conversation that early in the morning, he took his breakfast elsewhere in hopes he could eat uninterrupted. 

He opened the door to his father’s office - the location for upcoming history classes - and was surprised to see it already occupied. However, a grin appeared on his face as he realized who had already beaten him there. 

His younger sister sat at their father’s desk, already halfway through her own breakfast, a few piles of paper in front of her. She looked up at the sound of the door opening and met him with a matching grin. 

“Seems we both had the same idea,” she said, setting the papers down as she nudged the chair next to her out with her foot so that Xaden could join her. 

Xaden nodded, placing his food down on the table and looking over the paperwork. “Anything Dad would approve of?” 

She chuckled, moving the stacks closer to him so he could see. “He loved putting me on sorting duty. Of course I had to get back on it.” 

The nostalgia hit Xaden, and before he began eating, he looked around the room - at how much all of it had changed. “It doesn’t feel right that it’s just the two of us now.” 

His sister nodded her head in the direction of her father’s usual spot. A cup of coffee sat there on the table, now cold from going untouched. “It didn’t feel right being here without a cup of coffee where he’d sit.” 

Xaden studied his sister for a moment, admiring how much she’d grown up since the last time they were in here sharing breakfast with their father. The fact that he was the last family member there for her, and he was now venin-

“I don’t expect you to fill his shoes, Xaden,” she said, seeing where his thoughts were heading. “I’ve made it through almost everything you have. I just want you here as my brother.” 

“No one could fill his shoes,” he admitted, eyes trailing back to their father’s seat. Many mornings spent here - it was fitting for history classes to be taking place in that office, given how many memories the three of them had shared what felt like lifetimes before. 

“Do you think he’d be proud of us?” the youngest Riorson asked, eyes drifting back down to the paperwork before them. She was sure that their father would have never imagined them being in this situation when their morning routine began almost twenty years before. 

“Yes,” Xaden said, and he knew it with all of his heart. “I think he’d be proud of anything we did, but I think he’d be proud that we’ve stepped up to do the right thing.” 

The two sat in silence for a few moments, remembering their father and the love that lit up their chests at the memories. 

The older brother was the first to break, hands going to his own drink. He raised it in a toast, and she mirrored him, raising her own half-finished cup to clink against his. 

“To Dad,” he said, eyes nearly brimming with tears at the onslaught of emotion, knowing there might not be many more of these kinds of mornings with the chaos on the horizon. 

“To Dad,” she whispered back, “And to many more Riorson breakfasts.” 

the first solstice ;

azriel x reader summary: reader is spending solstice with the inner circle for the first time after becoming mated to azriel, and the court’s spymaster does his best to make sure that she’s comfortable around his family wc: 2.6k

At your age, you didn’t expect to be experiencing so many firsts. With 300 years of experiences under your belt, you thought you had become a creature of habit. Somehow, this year has proven you wrong. 

You met your mate, which led to you falling in love for the first time. You had your fair share of romances over the years, but none had you falling head-over-heels like your mate did. 

You met Azriel by a stroke of fate - he had been in the Summer Court on diplomatic business for his High Lord when you encountered him at a restaurant in Adriata. He had quickly caught your eye, partially because of how his Illyrian physique stood out in your court, and partially because of the way he radiated strength - no one could doubt that he was a warrior. You couldn’t let him pass you by, so the evening quickly turned to quiet conversation and coy smiles being shared; you were smitten. 

As dinner ended and you both began to part ways, you felt it then. The gold threads tying the two of you together pulled taut, as if forbidding you from saying goodbye. The bond burned strong between you, radiating throughout your whole body. You spun around to face each other, and the look in both of your eyes told you all that you needed to know - the Night Court’s spymaster was going to throw your entire world off-kilter. 

Azriel began visiting you in the Summer Court, and it didn’t take much for you to accept the mating bond. The man was charming, learned exactly how to make you laugh, and was downright beautiful to look at. Every single day with him was a new first, and you couldn’t be happier. 

The two of you had been dating for many months when an abundance of true firsts came around - your first winter solstice celebration at the Night Court, and your first time meeting his family. When Azriel proposed the idea of you finally meeting his family at the celebration, you had been on board; when better to meet his family than when they were too drunk to properly scrutinize you? 

Now, as you stand in your room waiting for Azriel to come pick you up, you can’t help but pace and wonder why you chose to do this to yourself. Being from the Summer Court, you very rarely celebrated the winter solstice. You acknowledged it every year, but you saved your festivities for the summer solstice instead. Are there any traditions you don’t know about? Should you drink less than everyone else so you don’t get drunk and say something crude, or is it impolite to turn down a drink from a High Lord? You’ve only heard terrible stories about the Night Court’s Inner Circle from others, and despite Azriel singing their praises, will they be awful to you because you’re not one of them? What if-

You’re jolted out of your fretting by a knock on the door. You take a few breaths to try and calm yourself before opening the door so that your mate won’t see the panic that was written on your face only a moment before. 

After a few heartbeats you open the door with a smile plastered on your face. Azriel stands in the doorway, and his eyes darken as soon as he sees you. His gaze rakes from your head to your toes before darting back up to your eyes. 

“You look absolutely gorgeous,” he says, placing a hand on the small of your back and pulling you flush against him for a kiss. 

When you both finally come up for a breath, you finally take a second to properly scan him. He always looks like a figure out of one of your dreams, but today he looks especially well-groomed, which has you tempted to pull him inside your home and bail on the night’s event. “You look incredibly handsome yourself.” 

Your hands grow clammy when you remember that you do in fact have to leave for the night. You subconsciously rub them against the side of your dress before reaching behind you to grab your bag. The first signs of panic emerged a week ago, when you had the Illyrian approve or veto each possible dress option to ensure that you weren’t over or underdressed for the event. In the end, you both settled on the one you’re wearing now, but you’re still anxious about it all the same. 

“I’m surprised you don’t have track marks on your floor from all the pacing,” Azriel hums as you double check the contents of your small bag to make sure that you have your keys and everything you need. 

“How did you know I was pacing?” 

“As soon as I arrived outside your door, I heard your footsteps. I thought it was kind of cute for the first few seconds, and then I realized you were actually panicking and decided to rescue you from your misery,” the male said, placing a kiss atop your head as you locked your door. 

As you turned to face him, you let out a long exhale. “What if they don’t like me, Az?” 

Azriel shook his head and took your hands in his. “There is nothing about you that they won’t love. My family is… okay yes, they’re loud. But they’re very nice people, and I’ll be there with you the whole night. You have nothing to worry about, okay?” 

You look into his eyes, which hold nothing but reassurance, and your heart calms enough for you to finally think a little clearer. “Okay. Let’s go.” 

Standing outside Rhys’ townhouse, Azriel gives you another second to collect yourself, reassuring you all the while. “If you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to. I don’t want to force you into it if you’re not ready.” 

You shake your head, “No. I’m going to have to meet them eventually.” You look towards the city of Velaris, and use the sight of the homes covered in snow to calm yourself. Azriel had brought you to the city before, but it had always lined up with the others being out of town. You mentally berated yourself, why didn’t you take those opportunities to meet them one by one? With one more deep breath, you take a step closer to the doorstep. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”

Azriel nods, and steps in front of you to open the front door. The warm interior is a welcome contrast to the freezing air you were standing in only seconds before. As you walk inside, Azriel takes your bag from you and sets it on a chair near the entrance, the sound of voices and laughter carrying over from the living room. 

The Illyrian holds his hand out, inviting you to take his hand and follow in behind him. You take it, and he presses a light kiss to your knuckles, before guiding you towards the living room. 

“Hey, Az is finally here,” a male voice rings out as you walk in. You don’t realize it, but you’re half-hiding behind your mate, not entirely painting the picture of confidence you wanted to present on your first meeting. 

“And the newest member of our family,” the other male voice says. It’s not hard to identify that it’s the High Lord, solely based on the amount of power radiating off of him. “It’s nice to finally meet you.” 

A shy smile lights up your features as you finally come out from behind your mate. Instantly, you feel only warmth from the fae in front of you - there’s no trace of the reputable iciness from the Night Court residents. “I’m glad to finally meet you as well. Az speaks really highly of you all.”

Azriel uses his free hand to point out each person in the home. “I’m sure you’ve probably worked it out by now, but this is Rhys, Cassian, Mor, and Amren.”

Mor stands up from where she and Amren shared a loveseat. She walks over to you, and Azriel slowly lets go of your hand. Mor takes his place, coming in for a polite hug in greeting. After the greeting, she links her arm through yours, a friendly smile on her face.“We were just waiting for you two to get started on dinner. Then, we open presents. Then - or during - whichever you fancy, we get super drunk.” 

Dinner is more pleasant than you expected. Mor sits to your right, while Azriel takes your left, his shadows idly tracing circles on your thigh while you eat. The female raises an eyebrow when she notices their movement, but doesn’t comment on it. As the dinner progresses, Azriel periodically checks in silently with a pointed look directed your way. Each time, you nod, ensuring him that you’re alright now - the panic has subsided. How could it not when his family has treated you with the utmost kindness?

“What’s Az like around you? And please spare no detail,” Cassian asks, lifting up a forkful of chicken to his mouth, “I’ve never seen him be such a mother hen. This is like… an entirely different Az than we know.”

Azriel, still trying to play it coy, raises an eyebrow. “I’m not acting like a mother hen.” 

“You are,” Mor finally pipes up, gesturing to the shadows still moving around your legs, “But it’s nice to see him so happy. We don’t usually get to see Azriel doing this much doting.” 

You smile at your mate, before turning your gaze back to the others at the table. “At first he just acted like a diplomat for the Night Court. I had to do some convincing to get him to realize that I didn’t have any intention of ignoring the mating bond.” You nudge the male next to you jokingly. “But he’s more than I could have ever asked for. You’d never expect him to be a cuddler, would you?” 

An amused grin lights up Rhys’ face at that. “A cuddler?” 

The corners of Amren’s mouth quirk up, and Cassian lets out a full laugh. “Az likes to cuddle? Oh, you’re never going to hear the end of that one.”

You look over at Azriel apologetically, noticing a hint of red starting to creep up his cheeks. However, he continues to hold his head up high, used to the teasing from his family. “Jealous you don’t have anyone to warm your bed?” He fires back at Cassian, which shuts the other Illyrian up. 

Rhys laughs at Azriel’s dig, and swirls his glass of wine around before taking a sip. “Got any other embarrassing stories that Az opted to keep from us?” 

You think about it for a moment, trying to come up with something that will lift the mood, but won’t embarrass the male too badly. You tug on your bond gently, as if asking for permission to share something else. He responds with an equally gentle tug and a warm feeling of support - his way of encouraging you, seeing that you’re making progress with his family. 

“He also talks in his sleep,” you finally decide on, thinking of something they might not know, “When he comes back from a mission he passes right out. When he’s done some work during the day but didn’t get proper sleep the night before, you can have a whole conversation with him in his sleep.” 

“Anything of substance?” Amren asks, evidently curious to hear if the male’s shared any secrets. 

“I once did an entire trade negotiation with him for fun,” you laugh, thinking back on it, “I got him to promise me half of the Night Court’s jewels in exchange for a mating ceremony on a made up isle off the coast of the Summer Court.” 

“In my defense, I think we had been doing some relocating that whole week,” Azriel piped up, recalling the event, “I don’t remember any of the conversation though.”

A chorus of laughs goes up from around the table. You visibly ease up at the positive responses you’ve been receiving and Azriel notices, reaching down to squeeze your knee in praise. 

“Rhys, you better watch for a raid on our troves when that mating ceremony happens,” Mor jokes, a pointed look at the High Lord. 

A twinkle in his eye, he smiles, looking between you and his brother. “Well, I can’t approve half of our jewels, but you’re definitely welcome to your pick of a few as a mating present from me,” he says, sincerity lacing his voice. “And, if your imaginary isle finds itself unfit for a wedding, the Night Court is eager to host.” 

You look towards your mate, love shining through both of your eyes at the realization that this is your new reality. You’re about to start a new chapter in your lives, and the people at this table will be there with you through it all. Azriel leans in to kiss your temple, as you smile back at Rhys, gratefulness written all over your face. 

“That would be wonderful. Thank you.” 

Cassian, who had been watching the interaction with admiration, chooses that moment to raise his glass of wine. “A toast,” he says, the rest of you lifting your own glasses in sync, “to our brother and our new sister. May the two of you find joy with each other, and to the first of many solstices together as a family.” 

“To family,” everyone repeats, taking a sip of their drinks, the joy in the room palpable. 

After dinner, you all continue the laughs throughout the opening of presents. You went shopping with Azriel to make sure you didn’t show up empty handed and had something to give to everyone in attendance. You and your mate had exchanged your gifts ahead of time, knowing that you’d want to keep them private for your first solstice together. To your surprise, the others also got you gifts, and you open them all with a smile brighter than any you’ve had in a while. 

The night ends with more drinks and a friendship formed with the others - everyone is drunk and stumbling into bed long past midnight, unable to make the trek back to the House of Wind.

You wake up in Azriel’s arms the next morning, his eyes already half lidded as you nestle your head into his shoulder, head pounding from the hangover. 

“Mornin’ love,” he mutters, voice gravelly from sleep. 

You let out a noise that’s akin to a grunt, which causes your mate to chuckle. He pulls you in closer to him, his hand going to rest on the small of your back. 

“I’ll take that as a sign you enjoyed solstice?” he asks into the top of your head. 

“Mhm,” you mutter again, desperately trying to fight the ache in your head, “It was really nice. I liked everyone.” 

“I’m glad,” he responds. The two of you lie there in silence for a short while, the only noise in the room the sound of your breaths as you take your time to fully wake up. 

“This was a really great first winter solstice,” you finally say when you’re awake enough to form proper thoughts, tilting your head up to look at your mate. Your heart is full - the night that you had expected to be full of judgemental stares was instead filled with inviting embraces and welcoming spirits. Not to mention, you got to have the male you love doting on you all evening. Everything was perfect. 

with a bow on top ;

azriel x reader summary: reader had been sent on a mission on the continent for weeks, and was going to miss this year’s solstice celebration. rhysand decided that the only way to cure a brooding azriel was a surprise visit home from his mate.  wc: 2.4k

The Inner Circle knew Azriel well enough to tell that he was brooding. On a regular day, most people mistook the spymaster's usual silence for agitation, but his family knew that he simply preferred to listen. His behaviour for the last six weeks however - this had become incessant brooding. 

The first two weeks you were gone, he was tolerable. Given your positions in the court, both of you were used to being sent away for brief trips that separated you. You had learned how to cope with small lengths of time away from each other. He had gone about his days as usual; training in the morning with Cassian, and checking in with his spies in the afternoon for any new information.

The next three weeks, he was on edge. It wasn’t uncommon for a mission to stretch on for a month, but the distance definitely wasn’t comfortable. By this point, Azriel had resorted to keeping himself occupied at any given moment - he stayed out all day, and drank at night to keep himself from dwelling on how much he missed having you by his side. It snowed plenty in those weeks, and he had to stop himself from scowling in your absence each time he remembered the way you would light up at the sight of the snow falling outside your window. 

By the sixth week, the Inner Circle knew to tread lightly around the male. Everyone around him was abuzz at the spirit of solstice, but the shadowsinger had no holiday spirit. You wouldn’t be returning until just before the new year, and he didn’t feel very festive without you. Mor would ask him what he wanted as a solstice gift, and he simply huffed in response. His brothers had endless smack talk, taunting each other over who would win this year’s snowball fight, but the male stayed silent - he didn’t care about the outcome because he wouldn’t have you there to celebrate his victory. 

Azriel did what he could to not put a damper on everyone else’s solstice spirit - he helped decorate the river house to make sure everything was orderly, he bought everyone gifts, and made sure to get Nyx a few noisy toys that would give Rhys a headache. On solstice morning, he got up with his brothers to participate in the annual snowball fight, and he put in as much effort as he could muster. He did enough to put a smile on his family’s faces, but he wasn’t fully present. He wouldn’t be, unless you were there with him. 

As evening arrived, the entire family gathered at the river house to eat dinner together, celebrate Feyre’s birthday, and open presents. The group had chosen to open presents first this year - Nyx couldn’t stay awake long enough, so they decided to get the gifts out of the way and enjoy an adult-only dinner when he had been put to bed. 

Everyone wanted to see Nyx’s reaction to his gifts, so he opened them first while the others watched. The toddler giggled at the sound of wrapping paper being opened, and Azriel couldn’t help the small smile that crept onto his face at the child’s glee. You might not have been there, but his heart still felt warm being with the rest of his family. The happiness in the room was contagious, and despite the shadows skittering restlessly around the room, he felt at peace with his family around him. 

Rhys shot Azriel an annoyed look as Nyx opened up his final gift; a child’s drum kit that the shadowsinger had purchased with the sole intention of pissing off his brother. Feyre also looked weary as she looked at her son, who was already causing a ruckus with his new toy. 

“And to think I got you the best gift you could have asked for, and you punish me with this,” Rhys joked, exasperation in his voice. 

Azriel raised an eyebrow. “You got me the best gift I could have asked for? That’s high praise.” 

Rhys looked at his brother, a smug smile on his face. “If you can seriously think of any gift you’d like more than what I brought you, I will personally wear a tutu and go out into the streets of Velaris.”

Cassian’s eyebrows shot up at that. “Did you buy him a palace or something, how are you this confident?”

Rhys simply shrugged, to which Azriel narrowed his eyes. “Well let’s see, if you’re so sure.”

Azriel couldn’t even begin to guess what Rhys had bought him. At their age, gift giving was hard - everyone already had every material item they needed, so the holidays were filled with gag gifts, or items that ended up in a drawer unused. The only thing he wanted for solstice was you, and the day had already proven to be lacking in that area. 

Rhys stood up and left the room with a mischievous smile on his face, everyone’s eyes trailing him. 

“What could he possibly have gotten?” Cassian asked no one in particular, trying to think of what his brother would have wanted as a gift. 

Nesta, who was pressed against Cassian’s side, looked to Feyre. “Are you in on this?” 

Feyre shook her head, equally as confused as everyone else in the room. “I have no idea what he got any of you.” 

Mor, on the other side of the room, crossed her arms. “Well whatever it is, he better have given this much consideration to all of our gifts, it’s no fair if Azriel gets something spectacular and the rest of us get mediocre gifts.” 

The High Lord reappeared in the doorway, a small box in his hands. Considering how much Rhys had been boasting about his present, everyone looked skeptically at the size of the box. 

“Are there keys to Azriel’s palace in that box?” Cassian muttered, though loud enough for everyone to hear. 

Rhys passed the box to Feyre, who handed it off to Azriel, the daemati’s eyes still twinkling with mischief. The box was small and surprisingly light, with a red ribbon tied around it for some festive flair. Azriel looked down at it, mildly afraid of whatever it contained. 

“Open it,” Rhys urged, leaning in the doorframe, everyone in the room watching expectantly. 

Azriel finally pried his eyes away from his brother, going to untie the ribbon. He took it off gently, and opened the lid of the box to find… 

“Gloves?” Mor asked, no doubt surprised that it was - frankly, a quite nice - pair of gloves inside the box. Azriel’s name was stitched into the material, but it was nowhere near the calibre of gift that everyone had begun expecting. 

Azriel furrowed his eyebrows together, thinking about how they’d all be seeing Rhys in a tutu very soon. He lifted his gaze to Rhys and started to make the retort when the words died on his tongue. 

While everyone had been focused on Azriel unboxing his new gloves, Rhys had moved out of the doorframe. The space where he had stood moments before was occupied by a new figure - one that had Azriel forgetting how to speak. You stood in the doorway, a big smile on your face. Your cheeks were flushed from the cold, and there was a long red ribbon tying your hair back, identical to the one that had been wrapped around his gloves. Rhys had gifted Azriel you, served to him with a bow on top.

It was as if the world outside of the two of you faded away. Azriel’s heart began racing in his chest as the two of you locked eyes and if possible, your smile grew even further. 

The Illyrian barely heard his brother say “Happy Solstice”, before he had shot out of his seat and crossed the room so quickly that the others might have thought he winnowed. Within a matter of seconds, he had picked you up in a hug, his face lit up in pure joy. His shadows, which had been moving restlessly around all night finally focused, rushing towards you as quickly as their master had.

“Happy Solstice my love,” you whispered into his ear as he spun you around, and you could feel both of your hearts beating wildly in your chests as your bodies pressed against each other. Your mate finally set you down, and took your head in his hands as he examined your face. He was beaming, and took in every one of your features as if he wanted to never forget any detail about you. 

“I’ve missed you more than you can even imagine,” he muttered, finally moving to place his lips on yours. The two of you kissed like two people starved, desperate to make up for time lost in the last six weeks. You had gotten so lost in your reunion that you had forgotten you were in a room filled with family until Amren cleared her throat from across the room. 

“So, the brooding’s finally over.” 

You peeled yourself away from Azriel, slightly embarrassed, though happier than ever to finally be with your mate once again. Surely enough, the male who usually wore a stoic face like a uniform couldn’t stop looking as if his whole world revolved around you. 

“I wasn’t brooding,” he tried to defend himself, though his words contradicted his actions, given that he couldn’t peel his gaze from your face. 

Nesta scoffed, “You definitely were.”

Rhys laughed. “Cut them some slack, we’d all be the same if separated from our mates.” 

You and Azriel couldn’t even be bothered to nod your agreement as he took your hand and guided you back to where he had been seated. You pressed up against his side, looking at the box of gloves that were now on the floor. 

“Nice gloves,” you commented, your head going to rest on Azriel’s shoulder as you took everyone in. 

“I can’t tell if this means we’ll still be seeing Rhys in a tutu,” Cassian commented, eyes drifting down to the gloves again. 

Your face scrunched up in confusion, having missed that earlier part of the conversation. “A tutu?” 

“The gift Rhys was talking about was his wife, not the gloves, idiot,” Mor quipped, “Unless Az really can think of anything he would have wanted more.”

Azriel couldn’t deny it - Rhys was spot on. He had gotten him the one thing he wanted and nothing would beat having the one he loved in his arms after being away for so long. Although… “I can think of one thing.” 

Rhys’ eyebrows shot up, and you looked towards your husband, mildly offended that he would suggest that there was something he wanted more than you. “You can?” 

“Well, for her to have not left in the first place.” 

You rolled your eyes, and Rhys scoffed, leaning back in his chair. 

“That’s a technicality and you know it. Given the situation you were in, I got you the best possible gift.” Rhys disputed, crossing his arms with an eye roll. 

Azriel smirked at his brother before placing a kiss to the top of your head. “Yeah. Unfortunately we’re getting no ballerina Rhys this year.” 

For the rest of the evening, you and Azriel were in pure bliss. As your family opened gifts, you and Azriel shared stolen kisses, your hearts alight with joy. Laughter rang out all night, as you indulged in the wine and cracked jokes with your loved ones.

During dinner you stuffed yourself with delicacies, reveling in the family mealtime that you had yearned for every night. You shared stories of what your life had been like on the Continent for the last month, and your family caught you up on all that you had missed. 

You and Azriel couldn’t keep your hands off of each other; the spymaster kept one hand on your thigh at all times, and your hand constantly rested on top of his. When either of you needed the spare hand to eat, Azriel’s shadows slithered around your ankles, unwilling to let you go. The others poked fun at it, but they saw how happy the both of you were, and were finally happy to see you back at home. 

“We finally conquered Az’s winning streak at the snowball fight this year,” Cassian announced to you as he took a bite of a Feyre's birthday cake, “I took home the victory at last.” 

Azriel shook his head as he took a sip of his wine. “I demand a rematch. You only won because I wasn’t in the right state of mind. Now I could kick your ass.” 

“So you admit, you were brooding?” Rhys piped up, a taunting gaze shot towards Azriel, which caused you to laugh. “I will admit, it didn’t feel like a fair competition. I’m up for a rematch tomorrow morning.” 

“And we’re just nullifying my win? How is that fair?” Cassian complained.

“If you really thought you could win, you should be able to do it even when Azriel isn’t at a disadvantage,” you teased, to which Azriel smiled proudly, bringing your hand to his mouth to place a kiss atop your knuckles. 

“Fine, I’ll show you that I can win tomorrow as well,” the general complied, turning his gaze to you, “But Azriel will be at a disadvantage tomorrow as well with how much you’ll wear him out tonight- ow!”

Before Cassian could finish his sentence, Azriel had dealt a swift kick to his brother’s shins under the table, earning small chuckles around the table.

“There’s no chance anyone’s beating me tomorrow. None.” Azriel stated, eyes staring into your own, blazing with a confidence you very rarely saw from the male.

Surely enough, as the snowball fight ended the next morning, the three brothers entered the cabin to greet the girls, who had opted to lounge there for the day. Rhys couldn’t hide the laughter on his face, while Cassian dragged his feet as he walked towards the birchin, pout clear for all to see. Azriel walked in last, a smug smile on his face.