Work Text:
The Morning After
Azriel sat alone at the dining table in the House of Wind, quietly scooping up eggs while reviewing the new reports sent in last night that were waiting for him on his desk when he arose. Sometimes his spies sent reports through his shadows after he'd gone to sleep. His shadows worked to deliver information and reports across courts quickly, and would leave them for him to find each morning. This morning, his shadows swirled lazily over his shoulders, whispering reminders in his ears of forgotten facts from relevant reports plus non sequitur details from one of Nesta's discarded books further down the table, His Queen and His Lover.
Sighing at the cluster headache forming from their chaotic whispers, he paused to rub his eyes and tipped his head back, breathing in deeply through the enormous yawn forming as he stretched his wings out behind him. It was bad manners for a grown Illyrian to stretch his wings so blatantly at a table, especially if those wings were accompanied by a larger than normal wingspan that could knock out a fully grown male. Azriel, himself, has been the constant object of reprimand by Rhys’s mother as a teenager, unable to stop himself from stretching every morning as he grew into his lanky limbs, exhausted and sore after practicing flying for hours every day. However, the habit was quickly nixed in the camps, where a few badly timed morning stretches earned him fists to the face by vexed males who hadn’t yet had their morning caffeine (and who, according to whichever of his brothers was the most loudly hungover, were jealous of his wingspan. This inspired even more fistfights than necessary.). These days, he allowed himself the rare stretch at the table if he was the first to arrive after a hard fight and sleepless night.
“Well, well, well,” hummed Cassian’s voice from the doorway. “Looks like somebody had a long night.” Looking up, Azriel caught his brother’s smirk and immediately rolled his eyes, grabbing a mug of coffee to fortify himself for the coming onslaught. Cassian pulled out his chair, reaching over to take the carafe from Azriel’s side of the table and poured himself a cup of coffee. Leaning back in his chair, Cassian pulled a loud slurp from the mug before continuing.
“Nesta and I could barely get to sleep with how loud your name was being screamed down the hallway,” he chuckled. “We thought someone was being murdered but the female’s begging was a bit too ecstatic for pain.”
Azriel set his cup down with a thunk, his shadows swarming over to twist around the coffee steam while he angrily glared at Cassian. “I mean, really, Azriel, how long did you play with that female last night?” His soon-to-be-deceased brother continued, “I never thought you’d find a female who could keep up with you for so long!”
Nesta, just arriving sleepily to the dining room in her dressing robe, rolled her eyes after overhearing her mate and grabbed Cassian’s cup from his lips. Taking a long drink, she sighed in pleasure before sitting across from Azriel, tossing her sleep-mussed braid behind her shoulder. “We’re just happy if you’re happy, Azriel,” she grumbled with a slight bite, a bit miffed that Azriel would bring over some random female from a pleasure hall instead of opening his eyes to the beautiful, copper-haired Valkyrie right in front of him. But she knew she couldn’t control him; Azriel would just have to learn the hard way that a perfect female like Gwyn wouldn’t stick around waiting for him forever.
At their last sleepover, Gwyn had confessed to Nesta and Emerie her feelings for Azriel, expressing her hesitance and uncertainty at pursuing a relationship with the Shadowsinger when she was so unworthy. The two females quickly tried to dissuade Gwyn of this idea; she was the most worthy female they knew and Azriel wasn’t some unattainable god who, even then, would be lucky to even breathe the same air as she did. Still, Nesta warned her about Azriel’s centuries-long obsession with Mor and complicated dalliance with her sister, Elain. While she believed any feelings he might possess for Gwyn to be real, she wasn’t certain that he was beyond his former interests. Further, Nesta and Emerie believed Gwyn to still be wary of relationships with a sexual nature. Though Gwyn had admitted to them she was ready to try, they weren’t sure that it was something she was prepared to handle and so cautioned her to explore carefully within her comfort zone.
Though Azriel was clearly interested in the priestess, he seemed unlikely to ever catch on to Gwyn's feelings. Between the shy glances and smiles he gave to Gwyn when he thought no one was looking, he equally never noticed the same glances and smiles she returned to him. Though Nesta has dropped hints over the months, Azriel only ever grunted and changed the subject.
Nesta drained more of Cassian’s coffee before biting into a croissant, contemplating ways to slowly coax Gwyn and Azriel together that wouldn’t scare the two of them away from each other forever.
“Thank you, Nesta,” Azriel muttered, hoping Nesta and Cassian would drop it. Favor, however, was not on his side.
“Truly, Az, I hope you considered the priestesses and Valkyries coming up for training later,” Cassian continued with a slightly more serious face. “You know how sensitive they can be, especially around someone with your wingspan.” Cassian chuckled as a roll smacked him in the face, catching it and placing it on his plate before cutting it open to spread butter on it.
Azriel’s glare at Cassian intensified, his shadows mirroring his annoyance as they grew around his shoulders and slipped under the table towards Cassian's feet.
Cassian, General of the Night Court’s armies and Lord of Bloodshed, remained oblivious to the growing threat to his life, continuing his overly cheerful and unwanted morning monologue.
“Your grunting alone was enough to scare off all of the females, but the begging,” he laughed, “oh, Azriel, please!” Cassian threw back his head, eyes closed in mock ecstasy, opening his mouth to continue until a sharp pair of fingernails suddenly took hold of his tongue and silenced him.
Wide-eyed, he opened his eyes and looked questioningly into the eyes of Lady Death, whose silvery eyes glared him down while pinching his tongue harder between her nails, drawing a tiny drop of blood.
Nesta, who had noticed Azriel’s shadows suddenly freeze before swirling in a riot as a pink blush stole over his face, acted quickly to silence Cassian before he could be overheard by the person incoming. Raising an eyebrow and subtly motioning with her eyes towards the doorway, they both glanced behind them to see a coppery-haired priestess shyly entered the room wearing one of Azriel's too-large robes tightly tied around her waist, a blush on her cheeks as she glanced up at Azriel and smiled sweetly, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. Azriel’s shadows happily danced across the room to swirl around her, gently ushering her to the chair beside him.
Cassian and Nesta silently glanced at each other, wide-eyed, Cassian’s bleeding tongue still trapped between Nesta’s fingernails, as Gwyn took the seat next to Azriel with a whispered “thank you” to the House when her own meal - vase of flowers and cup of coffee included - appeared in front of her. Cassian’s tongue was released with a loud hacking cough and splat of spit, unheard by the two across from them who were apparently in their own little world, surrounded by a contingent of dancing shadows. Azriel's shadows swirled around Gwyn, twisting through her hair and caressing her arms and throat, acting as if they couldn't get enough of being in her presence. The shadows lifted up a flower from the vase and wove it through Gwyn's hair, twirling in excitement when she lifted a hand to touch it and smiled her thanks.
Gwyn’s hair fell into her face as she turned to Azriel with a smile and nod after he motioned to the carafe of coffee in front of Cassian. As she sipped from the cup, a shadow slipped out to tease her hair out from behind her ear, making Gwyn giggle. Azriel smiled, reaching up to gently tug the same lock of hair and twist it around his finger before letting it go and softly pushing it behind her ear. His hand gently followed the line of her face to brush against her lips, his own opening to whisper his own “hello” while a conversation was whispered frantically across from them.
"Cassian, they're clearly together, you have to behave."
"Are they together? How are they together? When did that happen?"
"It can't be new if they're eating breakfast together with us - she's wearing his robe!"
"I knew she was taking extra knife lessons from him, but this? Do you think it's given her an extra advantage in fighting? Can I still pair them together in training?"
"They must have hid it from us for a reason and now they're ready to tell us."
"I wonder if Gwyn knows Azriel has the largest wingspan out of the three of us."
"We have to be calm and normal so they don't panic," Nesta whispered in a panic, grabbing Cassian's forearm tightly as she repeated herself, "BE. CALM."
"I can't believe the House gave Gwyn a bowl of strawberries and whipped cream - do you think she'll share with us if I ask?" Cassian whispered with a smirk to Nesta.
"So help me, Cassian, I'll do more than pinch your tongue if you keep it up."
"You promise?"
Azriel ignored the two, hoping they would both shut up. It was already a big step for Gwyn to be in a relationship, much less stay the night with a male she'd just had sex with for the first time. He didn't want her to panic and lose any of the confidence she'd displayed last night or lose ground in how far she'd come emotionally. He looked her in the eyes, smiling at the laughter he saw in them, knowing from the crinkles around her eyes and soft smirk that she'd overheard Nesta and Cassian freaking out. He also hoped she hadn't overheard Cassian's comments before she'd entered the room, as she might feel embarrassed for Cassian to claim he'd overheard her last night - whether he actually had or not. Gwyn deserved to feel comfortable in her sexuality and Azriel wouldn't allow Cassian to ruin it for her, even by accident. Azriel felt completely besotted and was further amazed at what a strong and beautiful female Gwyn continued to prove herself to be time and time again.
He knew, though, that Cassian and Nesta couldn't stay out of his and Gwyn's bubble too long before interrupting. He and Gwyn had even placed bets on how long it would take before either Nesta or Cassian cracked and asked or commented on the two of them, agreeing for Gwyn to arrive half an hour after Azriel so it wouldn't be so obvious. However, Azriel didn't expect Gwyn to show up dressed in his own robe to the dining table, so clearly arriving from his room and covered in his scent. His brain had short-circuited as soon as she walked in, her teal eyes gleaming with shy entertainment.
Azriel tried to continue their soft whispers together before a throat loudly cleared across from them.
“So,” Cassian again cleared his throat, pointing to the two of them, “how long - oomph!” Nesta’s sharp elbow jammed against his side. “I mean,” he restarted, clearing his throat again and nervously side-eying Nesta, “welcome to breakfast, Gwynnie.”
Azriel smirked, leaning towards Gwyn as he held out a hand and whispered, "pay up, Berdara."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last night
“Are you certain it would be acceptable for me to join you for breakfast in the morning?” Gwyn whispered against Azriel’s chest, her fingers softly tracing the scars littered across his skin. Azriel’s chest rumbled with a deep hum. “Cassian may put his foot in his mouth but yes, I believe he and Nesta both would be thrilled for you to join us.” He leaned up and kissed the top of her head, contentedly breathing in her light scent.
“I don’t want to cause any trouble between you and the others,” Gwyn started. Azriel shushed her with a kiss, turning them so he could look in her eyes. Leaning his forehead against hers, he whispered, “I am confident there will be no trouble, but, if there somehow was, I don’t think even Amren would cross Nesta trying to protect her friends.”
Gwyn smiled and nudged his nose with her own. “True. And it could be fun to see how long it takes them to break," she added with a giggle. "I look forward to joining you, tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow, then,” whispered Azriel with a kiss.
“Tomorrow,” Gwyn whispered back with a smile.