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#gwynriel imagine
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Sharing Is Caring - Gwynriel One Shot
Thread: What happenes when a bunch of warriors get bored on a mission? With a game of Truth or Dare, both Gwyn and Azriel reveal more than they wanted. But truth is the best base for a strong relationship.
Warnings: cursewords
Word count: 4.7k
 Wet. Cold. Miserable.
Azriel had pondered over the right wording for a while. Two hours, to be exact, while he and his group of spies and warriors fought their way through the colorful wilderness of Autumn court. But when he nearly slipped off a stone for the third time, he finalized the conclusion that would end up written on his report to Rhys. Wet. Cold. Miserable. And no progress to show for.
Three days and two nights they had spent on the border of Autumn and Winter court now and the spirits were getting low, despite the beautiful scenery of the woods.
“Do you think we’ll be able to find a place to stay soon?”, Emeries breathy voice travelled through the otherwise quiet evening. Gwyn, who was flanking her, just turned her pink-cheeked face towards Azriel, the hope for rest visible in her eyes as well. To give them both credit though, they haven’t been complaining much at all, unlike Bron and Orion. Both more seasoned spies trained by Azriel himself have been puffing and moaning constantly, much to his dismay.
A gust of wind saved him from having to give his partners a non-certain answer. Cassian landed through a broad space between the lines of trees, a grin plastered on his face that promised mischief. “Good news and bad new folks, what do you want first.”
Nesta let out a groan. “If you say you have found a clearing, but we need to cross a river and a mountain to get there, then I’d rather try to be a fish for the night.”
“No need for that.”, Cassian spoke with his usual loud and clear voice, but exhaustion was visible in the hollow and darkness around his eyes, “I reckon we only need ten minutes to get to the clearing, give or take. What is less than ideal is the fire we will have to build, because the space is freezing like the worst Illyrian winter.” Cass shot Azriel a look, who just nodded his head in confirmation.
They had avoided the fire for the last two nights, too fearful of being spied by autumn soldiers. With another day between them and the court though, Azriel was confident in their safety.
The promise of rest and heat spurred the group on to new and never known levels of athleticism. In no time they reached the clearing, organized and ate some of their food supplies, and built their tents. As the first flick of a flame came to life in the middle of the circle of tents, the team spirit did as well. At least for some of them.
Bron was opening his flask of whiskey, already sitting comfortably on the ground, when he declared: “I have a brilliant idea.”
Azriel had to stop himself from making a face.
“Let’s all play truth or dare!”
And now he had to stop himself from groaning.
“Brilliant indeed, I like the way you think, goldielocks.” That was Cassian, of course, because who else would support an idea like that except someone who was an actual child at heart.
Nesta and Emerie shared a glance, shrugged, and then too took their seats outside the tents around the fire, apparently ready to play.
Azriel was just about to open his mouth to excuse himself swiftly from the situation, when in his periphery, a flash of red and blue made him think twice. As Gwyn sat down in the entrance of her tent, next to Azriel, he was reminded that anyplace that had Gwyn couldn’t be so bad.
Up until he caught her eyes. And saw the plea in them. And the uncertainty. And then he physically couldn’t leave her anymore. Removing his hand from the ground where he wanted to push himself off, he placed it back on his lap instead. Gwyn flashed him a quick and small smile in return, knowing exactly what he had been about to do. Of course she did. After the year they spent training with each other nearly every night, she probably knew him better than most people in his life.
And he could sense why she was nervous. The two reasons with equally as many braincells shared between them smirked while sharing their flask of whiskey, completely oblivious to the anxious energy radiation off Gwyn in waves. If Azriel were confident in her affection to him, he might have hugged her to his side, or at least shielded her with part of his body. But he wasn’t. And he also wasn’t about to embarrass her in front of two strangers.
“Okay, let’s get this party started.”, if Azriel heard correctly, Bron already slurred his letters a little, “Cassian first: truth or dare, general?”
Cassian let an easy smirk bloom all over his face before he said, “Truth.”
Orion looked like it was the Winter Solstice and his birthday all in one. “When was the first time you crapped your pants in battle?” How he could ask a question like that with a nearly fanatic gleam in his eyes was beyond Azriel. He still glanced at his brother, waiting for his reply.
“What makes you assume I’ve ever crapped my pants? More than once, too?”, Cassian bristled. Nesta’s answering cough sounded suspiciously close to ‘Bryaxis’.
The warriors around the campfire burst out into laughter, drowning out Cassian’s colorful protests.
Even Azriel couldn’t help his smile. He remembered at least three occasions in their younger years when Cassian had swiftly excused himself before a battle, red creeping into his cheeks and a walk that told him everything he needed to know about the matter. But he was no snitch, especially not in front of Cassian’s mate.
While the group was busy joking and drinking, Azriel felt the presence of Gwyn lean into him a little more than normal, her arms pressed into his side. “I bet he’s hiding something, and I bet you know what it is.”, her whispered voice did things to him that he didn’t want to admit either. So he just leaned into her as well, bowing his head slightly to better reach her ear. “I’m known to know a lot of things.”
When he met her eye, she was already glowering at him, eyes turned into slits. “I know you’re known to know things, Mr. Vague. And I want to be let in on said knowledge.”
Azriel didn’t even feel the lazy grin coming over his face. It was a normal occurrence when talking to Gwyn at this point. “Do you think I give away priceless information just like that? Offer something in return, then I might think about it.”
If it was possible, Gwyn’s eyes narrowed even more, before she turned pensive. After a heartbeat or two, she offered: “I had my first kiss when I was 17.”
“I already know that.”, he shot back immediately. The little emotion called jealousy that snuck up on him at the thought of Gwyn kissing someone was nothing new to him either.
“Once, I burned my right bum-cheek trying to extinguish a fire.”, she tried again.
Azriel let out a near-silent laughter, even though his heart squeezed together in sympathy for the burn. “How did that happen?”
Gwyn sat up straight, eyes going back to the flickering fire. “I panicked, didn’t have a blanket or water around. So I just sat on the little flame. It worked, too.”, she finished, shrugging and a little pink-cheeked.
Azriel was at the point of biting his lip to keep himself from laughing out loud and attract everyone’s attention. “That sounds… like an interesting tactic.”
“Mh-hm.”, Gwyn smiled at him, the color of the bonfire lighting up her face beautifully, “so, I traded you a secret. Your turn, Shadowsinger.”
Azriel lifted both his eyebrows. “I said I’d think about giving you my secret once you told me one of yours. And I’m thinking … no.”
Just as Gwyn’s jaw fell open at his audacity, Orion’s annoyance of a voice travelled over to their spot. “What are you two snickering about? Mind sharing with the class?”
He had this expression on his face that promised trouble. And that seemed to wait for a punch.
“Nothing. Get on with your game.”, Azriel shot back immediately, saving Gwyn from having to answer him. He probably put a little too much bite into his voice, because Orion’s face paled just a fraction.
“Gladly”, he recovered quickly, “Shadowsinger: truth or dare?”
“Dare.”, because no way in hell would he share the answer to deep questions with just anyone. He made that mistake once and learned his lesson from it.
Orion took the time to think for a moment. During that time, his eyes flickered quickly to Gwyn - not too long to be noticed by most of the fae surrounding the fire, but long enough for Azriel to feel annoyed. And scared of what will come out of his mouth.
“I dare you to kiss the person you love most in this circle of people.”, Orion proudly announced.
And just like that, Azriel’s heart took a deep plunge in his chest. He knew who the person he loved most was. Without a shadow of a doubt. Her perfect image rarely left his mind. But he also knew that she more than likely would not want him to kiss her just like that. In front of people, nonetheless.
He felt Gwyn’s whole body go ramrod-straight by his side as he took his time in getting off the floor, wiping his trousers clean, and walking over to where Nesta sat. This was the save option.
Nesta’s eyes jumped from Gwyn to him, and then she nodded just slightly to give her okay in this. He knew she’d get it. He also knew she had at least a little understanding of the scope of Azriel’s feelings towards Gwyn, not that she ever spoke to him about it.
So, when Azriel lowered himself on his knee and pressed a tiny, gently kiss to her cheek, she didn’t protest, but smiled a sad smile.
Neither sad nor gentle were any of the emotions Cassian let out the minute Azriel’s lips met his mate.
“WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, AZ?”, he basically shouted at him, arms and wings flared out wide. He genuinely looked angry. Azriel had to admit that the reaction confused him. Nesta and Cassian were long done with their frenzy, and his brother never objected when he kissed Nesta to greet her. “WHY THE ACTUAL FUCK would you pick Nesta over ME?”
And there it was. The group erupted into laughter again while Azriel shook his head in defeat. His brother will be the death of him someday. “So, are you saying I should have kissed you instead?”
Cassian looked at him wildly, his fingers on either hand coming together to form a pinch in front of his body, “EXACTLY!”
“Next time, brother.”, Azriel mumbled before sitting back down next to Gwyn. She did not acknowledge him, didn’t move a muscle as his arm brushed against her when he lowered himself. She was eerily still, and Azriel started to wonder why that might be.
The game continued for a while longer, but Azriel barely listened to what was being said. Hell, he barely noticed anything beside the girl sitting next to him and his racing thoughts. And the only explanations he could come up with for her strange reaction was: a) that she was growing more and more anxious at the turn the game took, or b) that she had expect him to kiss her.
An eruption of butterflies at the mere thought of kissing her distracted Azriel for a moment. It wasn’t as if the idea of doing so was something outlandish. They had… moments during the past year, where he was sure that Gwyn would jump over her shadow and press her lips to his. But it never happened, and Azriel was too frightened to make the first move. Too frightened to pressure her, too frightened of rejection.
The stars were already shining bright on the small group when they started growing more and more reckless and drunk with each passing round of the game. It was Cassian’s turn again when he proudly declared: “Dare!”
And Emerie had the perfect dare ready for the take, “I dare you to catch us a bat!”
The girls around the fire snickered while Cassian fake-glowered at Emerie for a second. “Easy.” Then he got up to make a show of stretching his arms and wings, apparently ready for the challenge.
Azriel would have smiled if Gwyn hadn’t scooched away from him in the past minutes. Now he was sure, more than ever, that her behavior didn’t have anything to do with the game, but everything with him. And he was determined to make it up to her.
While Cassian was busy with his task and the rest of the group shouted ‘helpful’ tips and watched in amusement, Azriel reached out his hand to find Gwyn’s. She had both her hands placed behind her body, supporting her weight as she leaned back to watch the others. The slightest jerk of her shoulders was the only give-away when his scarred skin touched her flawless, albeit cold fingers.
But she didn’t pull away. So Azriel let his fingers trace over hers, just the slightest, feather-light touch. Gwyn turned her head to him, her face carefully blank. He taught her how to perfect that kind of face that didn’t show any emotion. But teaching her meant he also knew her tells. The tenderness in her eyes that she just couldn’t hide yet.
Right when he was about to say something, a shockingly loud clash made them both jump.
Behind Gwyn, on top of her now crumpled tent, laid Cassian. His arm was outstretched in victory, cradling a small, black creature.
“By the mother!”, Azriel groaned out, stepping away from the mess that was Cassian’s limbs, branches of a tree, and Gwyn’s tent.
“I did it, losers!”, Cassian proclaimed loudly, and way too proudly for the situation he was in now.
“Cassian! Why did you have to land on my tent of all places?”, Gwyn asked, both her hands on her head in distress. The sticks holding the fabric up had bent completely out of shape, others were even broken. Azriel’s heart began to race even harder at the thought of Cassian landing on Gwyn.
Only now Cassian seemed to understand what had happened. He hastily got up, untangled himself and then looked sheepishly in Gwyn’s direction. “I’m sorry Gwynie, I didn’t mean to land on the tent. I kind of thought I would get my wings out in time and not…”
“…fall like a rock.”, Azriel commented. Cassian was too drunk to argue with, and judging from the amused slash dazed expression of everyone else, except Emerie, the others wouldn’t be of much help either. “Okay, I guess that concludes the evening. To bed everyone.”
The group of fae grumbled, but complied nonetheless by going into their respective tents. Orion just fell backwards, his legs still sticking out the entrance. Azriel could have sworn he already started snoring while leaning back.
Emerie was the only one, despite a slightly frustrated Gwyn, to notice the problem at hand. “You can squeeze into my tent, Gwyn. It’s hardly warm enough to sleep outside all night, even if the fire keeps burning.”
Gwyn nodded, then glanced to Emeries tiny single tent in resignation. “I hope you don’t mind me sleeping on top of you.”
Emerie snorted, then winked playfully at Gwyn. But she didn’t find it in her to flash her a smile in return. The past days had been hard, both on the mind and on the body. Sleeping in an overcrowded tent was less than ideal, and both Emerie and Gwyn were aware of that.
“Gwyn, if you’d feel comfortable with it, and I definitely would, we can share a tent.”, Azriel finally found the words that were so desperate to come out the second he saw Cassian land and noticed Gwyn’s predicament. With a quiet voice, he added, “My tent is inherently bigger since it has to fit the wings.”
Gwyn looked pensive for a while, just staring at the mess Cassian made, her jaws tightening as she ground them together. After what felt like ten minutes to Azriel, she looked directly at him. “Okay, Shadowsinger.”
Azriel nodded, too stunned and frankly, too out of his depth, to formulate a sentence. Emerie acknowledged Gwyn’s decision too by taking her hand and squeezing lightly. It didn’t go unnoticed by Azriel that it was both a ‘good night’, and also a silent encouragement. Because Gwyn would spend her first night with a male since the night her temple was taken, and part of her soul with it.
So when, only a few minutes and slightly awkward maneuvering later, Gwyn was cocooned safely and warmly by Azriel’s side, he didn’t really know whether to curse or praise the Mother for his luck.
“Are you sure that your wing is okay?”, Gwyn whispered for the fourth time within one minute, her nerves visible through her fidgeting. Azriel didn’t see another option than to just lie down on his side, one wing trapped beneath his and her body. For the moment, it wasn’t too uncomfortable, but he knew it will be almost excruciating in an hour or so.
“Gwyn, calm down. My wing is fine. Or it will be, once you stop moving so much.”, he whispered back, pinning her down with his stare so she would believe him and settle down. The tent was just big enough for Azriel to lie down on his stomach with his wings drawn close to his body. With Gwyn in the mix, both had to lie on their sides, their knees touching.
Was it the most comfortable? No. Would he still prefer this to his bed in the House of Wind? Or anywhere, really? Absolutely.
Gwyn seemed comfortable enough, mentality wise. Her breathing was even, face relaxed from what he could tell in the dark. And that she trusted him like that, preferred his tent over Emerie’s, made his chest swell just a little. And wish for another night on this stupid mission.
“I will kill Cassian come tomorrow. Or I’ll force him to build me a new tent from scratch.”, Gwyn grumbled. She was so close that Azriel could feel her breath caress his skin. He’d give anything for it to be her fingers.
“You know how he gets when he’s drunk.”, Azriel tired to argue for his brother, but even to him his voice sounded off. Cassian was just a reckless, overgrown bat tonight and they both knew it.
Gwyn let out a snort through her nose. “Yes. That’s the next thing I would have a word to him about. Drinking himself stupid while on a mission.” She had a point, even though tomorrow there was just the way home to tick off the list.
“I’ll hold him down, you do the punching, priestess.”, the Shadowsinger suggested, the smile audible in his voice.
“Deal.”, Gwyn let out a sign that was less amused than Azriel would have liked, “And now I have to make you suffer through the night with one wing suffocated by me, and the other cramped to the ceiling.”
She paused, lifting her head slightly from the ground. “Hey, how about you spread the other wing over me. Then at least one will function properly for the flight home tomorrow.”
Azriel barely held back a groan. He didn’t even think about having to actually use his wings to get them back home in the morning. But her suggestion overshadowed every negative thought in just a second. Because she had really just asked him to basically cocoon her in his wings. His Illyrian blood sang beneath his skin, and he grew uncomfortably hot from just thinking about how Gwyn would emerge from the tent the next morning, smelling like him.
Clearing his throat, Azriel mumbled a ‘good idea’ and then spread out his wing over Gwyn’s form. He wasn’t able to extend it completely, but the stretch felt fucking amazing nonetheless.
It must have shown on his face. “Better?”, Gwyn asked with a shy smile. She probably still though her presence in here was an inconvenience. And that needed to change.
So before he could think about what he was doing, Azriel grabbed Gwyn’s hand and interlaced his fingers with hers, resting them right between their chests. She was still too cold for his liking, but a minute or two in his wings would do the trick. “Gwyn, I can promise you that there is no-one I’d rather have in this tent with me than you. That’s the honest truth.”
Gwyn’s eyes flicked from their intertwined hands back to his face, a small smile on her lips. “You have been avoiding the truth all night. Why not now?”
“Just because I don’t share my secrets with my companions doesn’t mean I can’t share them with someone I trust.”, he explained.
Gwyn furrowed her brows just a fraction. “So you trust me, then?”
“I do.”, was the immediate answer she got in return. He had entrusted her with information, his feelings and dreams for the past months now. Well, all his feelings except one.
Gwyn just stared at him for a while, deep in thought, while her thumb drew little circles against Azriel’s hand. From time to time, she sucked in a breath, as if she was about to say something but thought better of it. They lay like that for a while, just the noises of the woods surrounding them, while Gwyn took her time to seemingly muster up courage for something.
Then, she finally spoke. “I believe you owe me another truth, Shadowsinger.”
“Another truth?”, was his incredibly smart reply, voice going a bit raspy.
Gwyn’s features were set and determined as she stared him down, nodding courtly as if bracing herself for a fight. As if he would ever fight with her. “Another truth. You know, for the secret I told you earlier.”
“But me not giving you a secret in return was fair. I never promised you.”, he said softly. He didn’t really know why he protected himself so much still, especially around her. Gwyn did deserve a bit more honesty and forthcomingness from him, he just wasn’t sure if he’d ever be able to stop once the secrets spill out of him.
Gwyn’s eyes were cast down now, not wanting to give away any emotion to him. But she couldn’t hide the strain on her voice when she replied, “I guess so. Sorry for not letting it go.”
Then she flashed him a very quick and very fake smile, their hands still interlocked in front of their bodies. “Good night then, Shadowsinger. Thanks again for sharing your tent.”
Sharing his tent was one thing, but sharing his love for her was another. Still, he felt like a complete asshole for disappointing her like that. Holding her hand and having her engulfed in his wings wasn’t enough, even though Azriel had hoped so. True love seemed to take sacrifices, courage and determination. All of which bubbled up in the Shadowsinger now.
“Let’s play another round of truth or dare then. Ask me.”, his voice was barely a whisper as it travelled through the night and to Gwyn’s ear. Her eyes shot open immediately, but her gaze was still weary. It squeezed Azriel’s insides knowing that she was so unsure about him, and that that reaction was entirely his fault.
“Az, truth or dare?”, she whispered back after a while.
“Truth.”
A heartbeat passed, then another. Gwyn pressed her eyes close again.
Azriel desperately wanted to help her with this, so he leaned up slightly and then bowed his head down to their hands. He placed a soft kiss on her knuckles, hoping it would give her the courage to speak her mind.
And it seemed to work. “Why did you kiss Nesta for your dare, and not me?” He wasn’t sure if it was truly tears in her eyes he saw, or if the lighting just played tricks on him.
Azriel took a deep breath. “Nesta felt like the safe option. I’ve kissed her a hundred times before, so I knew she wouldn’t object.”
Gwyn nodded her understanding. “Okay.”
She seemed to think that was all the explanation he’d give her.
“I wanted to kiss you, Gwyn, believe me. You were the first and only person that came to my mind when Orion dared me. You are the only person on my mind, period. Not just for a stupid dare.”, his voice got stronger and stronger while sharing this secret, as if his heart was now eager for Gwyn to know the whole story. “I would have loved nothing more than just to turn my head and kiss you. But I wasn’t sure if you wanted it. If you wanted to experience it while being watched by others.”
“You weren’t sure?”, Gwyn interrupted him, her brows furrowed, “You mean the great Shadowsinger, spymaster of the Night court, didn’t get all the hints I’ve given him these past months? You mean to tell me you haven’t noticed the way I look at you, that I just can’t hide my admiration whenever I see you? That I have to drag my eyes off you so I can focus even a little bit on training and learning? I needed a little courage from you, just a little initiative, and I would have been yours in a heartbeat.”
Azriel was too shellshocked to speak, the silence stretching between them like a living being. Having missed all of these previous chances nearly suffocated the Shadowsinger.
“But I understand, it’s okay. You didn’t want to cause a scene.”, she finished, her chest heaving from the heavy confession. “I just wish you’d have chosen me despite the risks, tonight or whenever.”
Speaking of risks…
“I love you.”, Azriel didn’t even feel himself formulating the words, a little surprised when they forced their way out of his mouth, “And I know I have a shit way of showing you. And I know it might be too late now, that you deserved better. But if you allow me, I’d chose you every day from this day forward.”
Gwyn’s lips parted, but no sound came. Then she sucked in a breath, and the biggest smile he’d ever seen on her face lit up the whole tent. He’d give anything to see it again and again for the rest of his life.
Then she nodded, and Azriel’s hand left hers to find purchase behind her neck before he pressed his lips to hers. Her mouth was warm and soft, tentatively moving against him as she snuggled even closer to his side. His wings tightened around her as well, finally allowed the closeness they craved. The kiss turned more and more heated after a while, Gwyn gaining confidence from the way Azriel responded to her moves. After what felt like seconds, but was more like minutes, both had to pause for breath. When they finally parted, still tasting the other on their tongue, Gwyn smiled that sunshine-smile again.
“Well, now I am kind of glad you didn’t kiss me like that in front of the others.”, she giggled while burring her face into the crook of his neck. Azriel did the same but with his nose in her hair.
For a while, they simply stayed like that, in an embrace that spoke of unlimited truth and trust. Azriel was sure Gwyn had fallen asleep from the evenness of her breathing, so he started to run his hand over her back and hair, ecstatic that he could do this mundane thing. With her, it would never be mundane, he thought.
When he was drifting off to sleep himself, he almost didn’t hear her, thinking it was just his imagination playing a trick on him. But come morning Gwyn would tell him it hadn’t been a dream, that she really said it.
“I love you too, Az, with all my heart.”
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foreverinelysian · 1 year
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a/n: first fic in a while as I get used to writing again. I wrote this at 1:30am as my roommate took a shower. not sure why but it’s the fastest I’ve ever finished a fic and I hope you all enjoy it. 
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wc: 1600+
tw: possibly cringey analogies, angst, hurt/comfort (kind of) depression, suicidal thoughts, blood, gore, robbery, shooting, Gwyn’s been through it. proceed with caution. please let me know if I’ve missed anything. 
Reblogs and feedback are not only wanted but encouraged🥰
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weight·less /ˈwātləs/ : being without apparent weight, as a freely falling body or a body acted upon by a force that neutralizes gravitation
On the 2 year anniversary since Gwyn’s twin sister Catrin was murdered after a robbery, she finds herself sitting on a rooftop and staring at the ground below as well as talking to a stranger who found her. 
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Gwyn longed to be weightless. 
And as her feet dangled over the edge of the building, she imagined it wouldn’t be so hard to achieve that. 
A simple push is all she would need to fall and finally be airborne with the concrete below to greet her with open arms.  
The image of a bird with a broken wing came to Gwyn’s mind. This creature that was born to fly, to soar, was now damaged far beyond repair and was fated to live the rest of its days on the ground. No way of moving other than dragging themselves around, just waiting for a new threat to come along. Where getting food and water is a task instead of a  necessity, and staying there-no laying on the ground to die seemed more of an escape than an ill fate. 
Perhaps that broken winged bird may try to fly again. It may hobble its way up to the tallest tree in the forest, look down at the dirt below, and step off, not fearing whether it will fly or fall. For a few seconds the answer may not be important and that time between then is when the bird truly feels free as it plummets to the Earth. Because it knows deep down that it was never going to fly again. 
Oh to be weightless Gwyn thought. 
She looked down for the first time in 20 minutes and took on the view. Her hands were slightly stained with blood. 
Becoming a nurse didn’t seem like the ideal job for Gwyn, but she wanted to help people. That was what Catrin’s dream was, and what type of sister would Gwyn be if she didn’t try and fulfill that? They had planned everything down to the date. The two of them were going to the same school and then they would work at the same hospital together, helping and saving those who weren’t able to help themselves. Catrin was always selfless that way. 
Gwyn’s heart ached as she thought of her sister. 
Catrin wouldn’t be sitting here. 
Catrin wouldn’t be lifeless. 
Catrin wouldn’t want to die. 
But Gwyn wasn’t Catrin.
And when two years ago Catrin died in her sister's arms after protecting her from a robber, a piece of Gwyn died too. The death of her twin weighed heavily on her since then, dragging her down as she finished medical school, and carrying on as she started living the life she had hoped to share with Catrin, a life that was taken in just one gruesome night.  
My hands were stained with blood then too. 
Being a nurse didn’t help Gwyn at all. Too often the blood of her patients managed to leak under the band of her gloves and the red streaks reminded her far too much of the events that unfolded two years ago, flashbacks to Catrin’s once lively body lying dead in her arms as the medics urged her to let them take her sister. The worst times were like today. The patient's blood wouldn't scrub off the lines of Gwyn’s palm or the indents of her fingers and the next day she would have to wrap them in bandages or smooth ointment over her aggravated skin. 
Gwyn’s eyes shifted off her hands to the road below. It was late at this point, far too late for anyone to be walking around, much less in this part of the city. They wouldn’t find her body till morning and when they did, she would be long dead by then. 
Gwyn shifted ever since closer to the edge. She took a deep breath. 
Just one push.
One push and I’ll be falling. 
One push and I’ll be weightle-. 
“And here I thought I was the only person who knew of this spot.” 
Gwyn nearly fell off the edge of the building in shock. 
She whirled around to see a man maybe a couple years older than her, standing only a few feet away. He had dark hair that fell over his eyes, handsome features that complimented his facial structure, and the shadows of the night somehow made his hazel eyes almost glow. 
He gave her a dry smile before nodding his head towards where she was sitting, “Tempting isn’t it?” His eyes grew unfocused as he gazed at the view in front of them, “I used to come here every night and look over the side, wondering just how long it would be until I really did throw myself over.” 
He stepped closer to Gwyn before a look of almost amusement came over his face, “Never found the courage to actually do it though.” Hazel eyes cut to her teal ones. “Kind of glad now that I didn’t. I think I would have regretted it.” He paused. “You know, if I could have any feelings when I’m dead.” 
The mystery man leaned his forearms right beside where her legs sat on the ledge, he turned his face up to her and said, “Azriel.” 
Gwyn stared at him. She noticed how the moonlight and the shadows created the perfect contrast on his face. Sharp, cutting angles blended seamlessly with the soft light and he looked almost angelic before her. 
An angel to greet me before I die. How poetic. 
A dark eyebrow soon raised on Azriel’s face. “This is usually the part where you tell me your name too.” 
After a moment she took a breath and replied, “Gwyn.” A pause. “Well, technically my name is Gwyneth, Gwyneth Berdara, but I’ve never been too picky with nicknames. My sister used to call me carrot top when we were kids and that’s the only name I can recall actively hating, but everything else I’m fine with. Plus, Gwyn sounds a bit more fitting for this day and age I think.”
There was a period of utmost silence before Azriel let out a laugh. 
“I have to agree with you there.” He mused,  “Gwyn does seem to fit the twenty-first century a bit more than Gwyneth, but your sister might have been onto something with the whole carrot top thing.” 
Gwyn rolled her eyes, “Oh god, don’t ever call me that. It was bad enough hearing it from her.” 
“Alright alright, I won’t call you carrot top…” His eyes bore into hers, “but it’s nice to meet you carrots.” 
There was no stopping the smile that came across Gwyn’s face even if she tried to fake that she was annoyed. 
“I’m so happy you two will never meet.” She muttered. 
Something shifted in the air, before Azriel cleared his throat. “Where is your sister?” 
Gwyn’s smile slowly fell from her face. “Dead.” 
Neither of them spoke for a couple minutes. 
“Well that must have sucked.” 
Without meaning to, Gwyn burst into loud laughter. It echoed in the night sky and shook her whole body as the sound came from her very core. 
She wiped a few tears from her eyes before replying, “Yes, yes it did suck quite a lot.” 
When she turned back to Azriel he had a soft yet comforting smile on his face. 
“How long ago did it happen?” He gently prodded. 
“Exactly two years ago,” Gwyn sighed. “It was a robbery in the middle of the night. Neither of us heard him pick the lock on the back door until he started breaking our shit. Catrin immediately shoved me into the bathroom with a phone already dialed to emergency services and grabbed a bat before sitting with me.” 
Gwyn took a deep breath. “When the police got there he came crashing into the bathroom, probably looking for a window to get out of. Catrin swung the bat but only managed to daze him and in response he unloaded his entire magazine into her chest.” 
Azriel went stiff beside her. 
“The officers grabbed the guy right after but it was too late. She died only minutes later.” Gwyn finished, tears dripping down her face. 
“She sounds brave,” Azriel started, “and it sounds like she loved you.” He twisted his body and his arm that was once leaning casually on the ledge was now almost positioned in front of her body. “I can’t particularly blame her though, you seem rather easy to love.” He jokingly winked at her.
Gwyn giggled before wiping her tears. “You don’t even know me.” 
“I’d say I learned a lot about you in the past 30 minutes,” Azriel stated, “and I would like to learn a lot more if you’d give me the chance.” 
Now it was her turn to raise an eyebrow at him. 
A grin came onto his face, “There’s a diner not far from here called Rita’s. A sweet place that my friends and I love to go to, which also happens to be open 24 hours. Would you like to join me for a late night meal?” 
He extended a hand towards her. 
Scarred Gwyn realized his hands were scarred. 
Her eyes flitted up to the man who she met less than an hour ago and a man she found herself wanting to learn more about too. 
Ever so slowly, Gwyn got up from the ledge and swung her legs back towards the floor. She cast one more look towards the gravel below before her teal eyes met his hazel again. 
And as she placed her hand, still stained with dried blood of her earlier patients, into his scarred one, something lifted from her chest for the first time in two years. It made her stand a little taller, breathe a little easier. 
Gwyn felt weightless.
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a/n pt 2. thank you all for reading and a special thank you to @headcanonheadcase​ for beta reading this fic! 
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Week 2 prompts!
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Day 1: Favourite Headcanons and Theories
Day 2: Tropes
Day 3: Au Day
Day 4: NSFW Day
Day 5: Mates
Day 6: Domestic Life
Day 7: Free Day
If there are any questions feel free to comment them or message any of the account pages!
Art credit: @mistilteinnart
Commissioned by: @yazthebookish
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incorrectacotarblog · 4 months
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Nesta: I think I’m bi
Cassian: which one?
Nesta: wtf do you mean?
Cassian: bisexual? Bilingual? Bipolar?
Rhysand: I know
Rhysand: a bitch
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kayrakhan · 10 months
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that barbie meme
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mycadences · 2 months
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Azriel's shadows: *have killed and maimed and tortured countless people before*
Also his shadows: *turn into a puddle in front of Gwyn*
Quotes:
*Gwyn asks Azriel a question* Az's shadows danced around him.
His shadows peered over his wings at her.
Her breath curled in front of her mouth, and one of his shadows darted out to dance with it before twirling back to him. Like it heard some silent music.
Even his shadows had calmed. As if content to lounge on his shoulders and watch.
Azriel entered the warmth of the stairwell, and as he descended, he could have sworn a faint, beautiful singing followed him. Could have sworn his shadows sang in answer.
Contrast this to:
Elain sucked in a soft breath that whispered over his skin. His shadows skittered back at the sound. They'd always been prone to vanish when she was around.
Azriel said himself that his shadows "kept him company, as they always had, as they always would". His shadows are NOT evil extensions of him to be snuffed out. He does NOT want them gone. They are an integral part of him who saved him in his darkest, loneliest time, and deserve to be accepted and embraced.
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daevastanner · 4 months
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Hi. Reminder that canonically Azriel’s siphons flash and he stutters (for the first time in the whole series) when it’s mentioned Gwyn is in danger ✌️ — And this is his reaction when just a few months ago he didn’t consider Gwyn a friend 😏
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sunshinebingo · 3 months
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Gwynriel - 600 words - Fluff
***
“I can’t do this,” Gwyn complained.
This was too painful. Why did nobody ever warn her that it would be this hard?
“Yes, you can,” Azriel protested even as she felt the onslaught of emotions that flowed from his side of the bond.
“I can’t.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “It’s breaking my heart.”
Gwyn squeezed his hand with both of hers. She pursed her lips tightly, trying her hardest to keep the tears that were pooling in her eyes from falling with a few rapid blinks.
She had attempted to be strong until now. She had swallowed her emotions and pretended like this was not affecting her as much. But it was. And she could no longer deny it even if she tried. So she placed her heavy heart in her mate’s loving hands and let him reassure her instead.
“I’m here with you, my love,” he said, looking down at her with an encouraging smile. “We’ll get through this together.”
He swiped away the single tear that rolled down her cheek, kissed her on the forehead and let her lean her head on his shoulder as they looked at the two little figures with their hands intertwined as they entered the small building with the other children.
Gwyn released a heavy sigh. “They grow up too fast.”
“Do you think they will miss us?”
As if in answer to his question, their daughter turned around right before she could step inside. Their son followed his twin’s line of sight and also turned to look at their parents. While their daughter wore her usual beaming smile, their son seemed less thrilled about his first day at school. The concern in his brown eyes felt like a knife twisting deeper inside Gwyn.
She blew them both a kiss that floated on the wind. It caused a little smile to tug at their son’s lips and made their daughter giggle. Both of them waved a final time at their parents before they followed their new friends inside.
As soon as they disappeared from sight, Gwyn buried her face in the crook of her mate’s neck and cried. Azriel rubbed her back and murmured soothing words to her as he rested his head on top of hers.
Their babies were growing. And she feared that the day when they would no longer need their parents would come in the blink of an eye. If only she could turn back time and relive the moment when Azriel and her had held them in their arms for the first time.
“Do you want to fake an emergency so that we can get them home early today?” she proposed once she managed to stop her crying for long enough to speak.
She wanted to hold her babies as close as possible, bask in their warmth and innocence for as long as she could. She wanted their loud laughs to wrap around her while they complain that she was crushing them with her too tight hug.
Azriel’s chuckle was accompanied by a tug on the bond that tethered their hearts to each other. Gwyn knew that she would not be the only one who would need comfort as soon as they would be alone. He kept holding her as they started walking towards the street, past all of the other teary-eyed parents who had also been watching their children go.
“Come on Valkyrie. Let’s go home and cry some more.”
“You didn’t answer my question,” she pointed out with a sniffle.
Azriel smirked. “We’ll see.”
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starsreminisce · 5 months
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Antis:
Shadows are out for Azriel because Gwyn is a threat!
The threat:
Gwyn asked Az, her teal eyes bright, “What do we get if we finish the course?” Az’s shadows danced around him.
The young priestess smiled--and Azriel thought it might have been directed at his curious shadows.
"How was the party?" Her breath curled in front of her mouth, and one of his shadows darted out to dance with it before twirling back to him. Like it heard some silent music.
Azriel dipped his head in a sketch of a bow, something restless settling in him. Even his shadows had calmed. As if content to lounge on his shoulders and watch.
Antis:
ThAt’s BeCaUsE sHe LuReD hIm ThErE! tHaT’S a DiSpLaY oF hEr PoWeR! aZrIeL’S sHaDoWs DiSaPpEaR wHeN hE’S hApPy! UnLeSs YoU wAnT aZrIeL’S sHaDoWs To DaTe HeR? hE wOULdn’t EvEn cALL gwyn A frIEnd! whAt pArt Of hIm wAntIng ELAIn tO sIt On hIs fAcE yOU cOULdn’t rEAd?
For a group who keeps claiming they have canon on their side, y’all are sweating if y’all keep coming for Gwyn and Lucien now.
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leafsandstarlight · 2 months
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If you read any form of acotar fanfiction, I'd love it if you filled it this anonymous survey! @lalacliffthorne and I have been super curious about people's fanfiction preferences recently, so I made a silly little survey! It's completely anonymous and purely to satiate my curiosity!
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azrielslostshadow · 1 year
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Love Meter
Word Count: 203
Azriel x Reader
Warnings: Azriel is disgustingly cute in this one. 
“No way.”
“I can explain!” Azriel, normally calm and collected, had leaped off the couch at the sound of your voice. He had assumed you were still busy with the laundry. I mean it was your least favorite house chore after all!
On the other hand, you were absolutely perplexed about what Azriel was doing. 
Azriel, who was in the Special Forces, who is currently the COO of a very successful security company, who never ‘needed poetry’ to woo a woman, was sat on your couch playing Love Meter!
“Tell me you are not seriously putting our names into Love Meter 3!”
He turned his nose up and away from you, “Okay. I won’t tell you that I put our names into a love meter game to see if we’re meant to be or not.”
“Azriel,” you seriously couldn’t help but to laugh at him, “we’ve been married for four years. I would hope you would have figured this out by now.” 
“I was just double-checking. Oh! and look at that!” Azriel turned his computer screen towards you, the heart which filled all the way to the top stared you right in the face as he smiled at you, “One Hundred Percent baby!”
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hlizr50 · 2 years
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The next installment of the Gwynriel couple in bed meme:
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foreverinelysian · 1 year
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I just think that bookstore owner!Gwyn x tattoo artist!Azriel would be such an incredible duo.
Azriel always uses his break to come into the small little book store right beside his tattoo parlour under the guise that he’s just “for inspiration” but in reality he just likes listening to Gwyn talk about how this book on ancient warriors would provide amazing references (she also rambles about all the history behind the book because she’s obviously read it before).
And Gwyn? Well, it gets rather quiet in the store sometimes and she loved the company Azriel provides. She feels comfortable with him and he never seems annoyed at her constant tangents, instead he encourages her to keep talking whenever she trails off.
The few times that Gwyn has visited his parlour, she’s always been enthralled by the designs around her (she later learned that a lot of them are done by Feyre, the wife of the shop owner). The different styles that each artist had, the attention to detail, and the process itself of permanently leaving art on someone’s skin.
And one night, when it’s just the two of them sitting in the store after closing, Gwyn quietly asks Azriel if he would ever design and ink a tattoo on her. He promises her whenever she’s ready that he would be honoured to.
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shadowsxgwynriel · 1 year
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But like just imagine Gwynriel kissing like this before/after a big battle 🥹
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incorrectacotarblog · 2 months
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Cassian: ran into Azriel in the kitchen at 1 a.m. and when I asked him what he was doing he shrugged and said “these are my roaming hours”
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mmiscbutterflies · 2 years
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it takes a lot to shake cass, and even more to shake azriel. but the first time nesta and gwyn’s periods line up? devastation. the house of wind faction of the bat boys will never recover. the tears. the vomiting. the cussing. the cramping. the hormones. the horniness. it’s chaos and literal bloodshed and yes they’re like a billion years old and yes they’ve lived with mor and yes they’ve seen worse physically. but they just weren’t ready for all the crying.
and then ofc emerie swoops in and saves the day with herbal tea and a good snuggle and is like. “it’s not hard y’all are just dumb and panicky.”
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