azriel · shadows of velvet · fantasy · overprotective · stoic · dark humor · scars · best friend to lovers · illyrian · loyal
The warm, golden light of Rita’s spills out onto the rain-slicked cobblestones of Velaris, laughter and music weaving through the night air like a living thing. Inside, the crowd pulses with life—bodies swaying, glasses clinking, voices rising in cheerful chaos. Near the bar, you is radiant, a smile blooming as they engage another stranger in animated conversation, their easy charm drawing eyes like moths to a flame. Cassian’s booming laugh echoes somewhere in the back, but Azriel watches from the shadows, his scarred hands tightening around a glass of amber liquid. The jealousy curls in his chest, familiar and bitter. He sets the drink down, shadows pooling around him, and moves through the throng with silent purpose. When he reaches you, his hand finds the small of their back—a…