Nightfall {An Azriel (ACOTAR) FanFic}

Chapter 6

Azriel didn't see Heart for three days unfortunately as he was busy running back and forth between The Court Of Nightmares and his spies. However, he had noticed a new routine where Pippor would go to see Nyx as soon as he woke up and watch the baby in wonder as he slept, after which he would watch Cassian, Mor and Rhys train and had started learning how to throw a mean punch from Mor who encouraged him to practice it on Cassian.

At the end of their practice, he would return to his mother and read picture books all day. What his mother did all day was as much of a mystery to him as it was to everyone else. Rhysand and her had soon found a common interest in space and she had taken to sometimes explain some technical aspects to the High Lord. Cassian was barred from her study after he unknowingly broke a delicate measuring tool and almost poked his eye out.

Feyre and Heart also seemed to have started getting along. Azriel had almost spat water onto Cassian's face when he learnt that even Nesta and Elaine had visited her once and stayed for almost an hour. It was safe to say that Heart had started to form a bond with her sisters that were almost strangers to her about a week ago. He couldn't say that it was any surprise. Heart had shown herself to be a reserved but moderately friendly person who wasn't difficult to get along with. Except her cool and detached  mannerism, which Azriel assumed was because of her being a teacher, she had given the impression of being perfectly friendly.

Pip had, obviously, already made a trip with Mor to the rainbow and acquired himself a position on the dining table in her lap. On the third day, Azriel had returned when he heard from Rhysand that Pip had been asking about the man whom his mum was constantly mean to. Figuring it could be nobody but him, he had waltzed in with the shit-eating grin and resigned himself onto the chair opposite to Heart in her study.

She looked at him and sighed softly but didn't stop working. He put his feet up on the table and it seemed to work. Heart looked at him with death in her stunning eyes before stabbing his leg with  her pen. He instinctively grabbed his ankle where drops of blood were rolling down.

"What are you doing?" He yelled and rubbed his wound. "That hurts."

"You've been stabbed before." She dismissed him and return to her book.

"The bad thing about it is that you don't grow immunity to stab wounds." He jabbed back.

She leaned forward, "Then you should not walk around getting stabbed maybe."

"What do you want me to do?" He snapped. "Stop walking around with a body?"

"Maybe." She shrugged. "I can help with that."

"No, thank you." He begrudgingly said at the borderline death threat. "What are you reading about?" He asked instead but just then, Pip rushed in with something in his palms.

Azriel watched him run over to his mother and carefully reveal to her what he had caught. A fragile little butterfly slowly flapped it's brightly coloured wings between his palms.

"Where did you find that?" Heart beamed at him and let him open his palm so all three of them could see the beautiful wings spread completely.

"Aunty Feyre gave it to me. She found it outside her window and called me in. Isn't it pretty?" Pip excitedly said. "Can I keep it, mum?" He almost begged.

"You will have to keep it in a box so it doesn't fly away." Heart explained.

"But I want it to fly." Pip pouted while complaining. "It has pretty wings."

"Well, then you will have to let it go. There are plenty of butterflies out there that you can see." Heart nudged Pippor who seemed glum at the prospect of letting the butterfly go.

"It's so pretty." He mumbled but raised his hand so as to let the butterfly go. It spent another second on his palm before gently taking off. They all silently waited for it to disappear out of the window and at last Pip dragged his feet across the floor to where his picture books were waiting for him. He paused in his tracts and frowned at Azriel. "If you had pretty wings, I'd keep you in a box. How awful." Shaking his little head at that, he picked up a green book and Azriel watched him with his mouth hanging open.

"My wings are beautiful, thank you very much." He scoffed and glared at Heart when she snorted from behind her book. He could still see her shoulder shaking but at least she wasn't outright laughing at him.

The sun was setting quickly and Heart left him there to put Pip to sleep and Azriel let his eyes wander over the several sheets of papers filled with symbols he could make no sense of. The chalkboard was completely covered in equations and there was a new board that was taller and bigger than the one he had bought and there was actually a stool by it's side to make it easier for heart to use it. Several small pieces of chalk were scattered on a floor and had been stepped on.

He had almost learnt the difference between the enthalpy of chemisorption and physisorption when Heart's footsteps returned and he was pleasantly surprised to see her in something other than the pale blue dresses she never seemed to let go of. Clad in a beige sweater and black leggings, she curled up in her chair and picked up her book but didn't open it.

She bit her lower lip before asking, "Where is the kitchen?"

"Are you hungry?" Azriel asked but she shook her head.

"I ate with Pip but I want some coffee." She said that almost sheepishly and Azriel knew exactly why. The last time he had seen her have coffee was just an hour ago.

He rolled his eyes but stood up, "I'll tell someone to make you a cup. You're addicted." He shook his head but kept walking nonetheless.

His ankle was healed by then and he almost considered taking away all the pencils and pens from Heart's study but decided that his nephew's well-being was more important.

Having acquired a hot cup of coffee, he ventured back into the study only to find Heart pouting at the chalkboard with a chalk between her upper lip and nose. When he nudged her shoulder, she dropped it immediately before realising it was him. The poor chalk broke upon the floor and was swept away as Heart fumbled with the hot cup. Azriel waited for her to notice it but eventually had to intervene himself when she started taking her first sip. The chalk had left a white moustache-like line above her lips and she completely disregarded that.

Seeing him stopping her from drinking her coffee, she frowned, "Uh.......thank you. I can take it from here." She said but froze when he raised his hand to her face.

His thumb brushed over her upper lip once, twice- before his eyes met hers and the room suddenly had too little air. The chalk line gone, his eyes lingered between her eyes and her lips while the pad of his thumb was pressed against her soft lips. He might as well have been touching feathers. Her warm breath on his palms was almost enough for him to never move and stay that way until him limbs turned to stone. One of his scars brushed over her mouth but she made no movement to indicate anything.  The lushness of her lips almost made him forget that she had been and was probably still in love with the father of her child.

The last thought made him retract his hand immediately. "I should...." His voice was rougher than he meant it to be. "I should go and sleep."

"Right." She said hurriedly all while avoiding eye contact and searching for a new chalk and pulling on the already oversized sweater that engulfed her petite frame.

As soon as he was in the privacy of his room, Azriel heaved a sigh, collapsed into a chair  and unscrewed a bottle of liquor.