Let You Down |Azriel|

.15.

I stood in the dining room of the House of Wind the next morning, still trying to clear my mental fog. I tried to think of anything that would bring me some clarity. Sometimes it took weeks to get out of the fog. I didn't want to wait that long. I needed something, anything, to break me out. My toast wasn't helping me, that's for sure.

I walked out to the veranda clad in shorts and a small t-shirt. My hair tossed in the wind and my tongue tasted the sea salt that hung in the mid-summer air. A small light bulb went off in my brain and I whipped around to see if anyone was standing in the common area. My eyes landed on Az, perfect. He walked out to join me and I leant my back against the railing.

"Can you catch me?" I questioned, putting just a bit more weight on my arms.

His brows came together and he turned his head to the side, "of course. Always."

"Perfect," I smiled once more before jumping up on the railing and leaning back.

I could see Az lurch toward me as I tumbled down and curled before pointing my hands down toward the water as if I were going to dive. The wind ripped at my hair and curled around my arms and face. My heart pounded with exhilaration and a smile as wide as ever spread across my face. I let out a giggle and then a yell of joy as I approached the water's surface quickly. Azriel's reflection very close behind me. He closed his arms around me and glided just above the surface. Dropping my arm allowed my fingers to rip through the smooth fluid and I laughed some more before relaxing in his embrace.

"You," he breathed as he flew higher and back toward the House of Wind, "you're going to make my heart stop one of these days."

When he touched back down on the veranda I turned so that we were facing. My arms snaked around his waist and I laid my head against his chest and smiled. "I think you're the reason my heart still beats."

His grasp around me went tighter, one hand on the small of my back and one weaving through my hair. "What did that do for you?"

I sighed, "Something weird happened yesterday. I've been in a fog ever since. I wanted to try to break free of it and doing that worked."

"Does that happen often?"

"The fog? It's really random but sometimes it feels like I'm in it more than I'm clear. I didn't used to have much of anything to get me out of it. It would just come and go as it pleased. It's happening less now, I think adrenaline helps, in all honesty."

"Does it have to be that kind of adrenaline provoking activity?"

"What do you mean?" I looked up at him with a brow raised.

His eyes flashed to the open door that led into the common room before returning to me. He leant down and pressed a kiss to the bridge of my nose before swooping me up and walking into the house. We ventured down the hall and through the cracked door that led to his room. His balcony was open to the elements but also hidden from the view of the city. He set me down next to the railing and traced my cheekbones with his thumbs.

His hands went to my waist and he lifted me up on the railing, we were at the same level after that. My heart pounded away in my chest and my hands gripped the metal under my ass. His eyes were somehow soft and wild at the same time. He kissed me and traced patterns on my back with a light touch of his finger. I could have died and gone to heaven. His lips traveled down my jaw and to my neck.

"What about this?" He grazed his teeth on the spot between my neck and shoulder, "does this work?"

"Shit," I dropped my head back and melted into his touch.

He peppered my collarbone with light kisses and ran his finger under my bra line, "how about this?"

All I could produce was a light moan in response. I could feel the his grin spread across my skin. His hands came back to my sides and he picked me up once more. He sat in a chair on the balcony and brought me down on his lap, his teeth back on my neck within a second.

His teeth clamped down at the base of my throat, "Gods, Az." My fingers shot through his hair, I would find any way to pull him closer.

He moved us one last time to his bed. My heart beat faster. He traced my sides while dragging his tongue alone my bottom lip. I parted my lips to give him access. He bit my lip ever so lightly and the action caused my back to arch. Az seemed to grin every time he elicited a reaction from me.

A knock at the door caused him to freeze, sit up, and adjust his clothing. I pouted and grasped for his shirt. He smiled at me and kissed my forehead. "Later, love. Later."

My breath caught in my throat but I managed to nod anyway. Some whispering was exchanged at the door before he stepped out and closed it behind him. My heart thrummed along as I tried to wrap my head around it all, not wanting to move from my spot for a long while.