A Court of Love and Healing {ACOTAR}

Reeling and Caring

Azriel swoops down and lands on their porch with a swish and the soft thud of his boots. Gwyn had been quiet the entire flight home and he had held her just a little bit tighter than usual. Nobody knew what had happened to her while in the throes of the harp's magic, and her unusual silence gives him an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. However, he respects her privacy and knows that it does no good to pressure someone when they don't feel like talking. He had experienced enough of that in his own life to know what it feels like to be pressured to speak when you simply can't.

Once on her feet, Gwyn wordlessly walks into their home and immediately curls up on the sofa. He sits next to her, placing a hand on her leg soothingly before pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. "I am here if you want to talk about anything that went on today. But for now, I would like to simply hold you if that's okay?"

Gwyn shifts slightly to look at him, her eyes full of tears as she nods silently, curling up in his arms and clutching his shirt as light sobs escape her, the anxiety and stress finally catching up to her.

He lowers his nose to her copper hair and breathes in her scent, comforting to both him and his shadows as they bob around them slowly, at ease but as concerned for their mate as he is. Wrapping his arms closer around her, he rubs small circles on her back. "I love you", Azriel whispers.

Her shaking sobs falter as her teal eyes meet his, puffy and haunted. "I l-love you, Azriel. I never want to think of a world without you in it. Without u-us...together, in it."

His brow crinkles slightly as he lowers it to hers, bringing his hand up to caress her cheek, swiping a trail of tears away with the pad of his thumb. "I am here. Right here. Right now. So are you, my sweet melody. You are safe now. This is real, I promise."

Throwing her arms around his neck, her lip trembles and she presses as close as possible to him. "I'm sorry. I—"

Azriel's eyes slip closed as he holds her tightly. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Gwyn. Nothing at all, love. You and Nesta—you saved the day today." He pulls back and cups both sides of her face, looking into her eyes, his own a blazing hazel. "You are the reason that everything turned out alright. You were so brave. You were a true Valkyrie. Their hearts were just as pertinent to their identity as their skills with weaponry. And your heart is the purest I've ever known."

Tears spill down again and she sniffles, reaching up and holding his hands that are on her face. "I love you so much. I hope you know that as much as your head has given you bad thoughts in the past, the world would never be the same without you in it, Azzy."

His throat bobs and he nuzzles her nose, a shuddering breath escaping him. "Is this about what happened when you went unconscious?", he asks, treading lightly.

She nods, taking his hands and clasping them between them, stroking her thumbs over the scarred skin. "Yes", she admits quietly. Taking a deep breath, she looks at him, a fierce spark in her eye. "I'm ready to talk. If you're okay to listen."

Azriel leans forward and kisses her, a tender touch that sends tingles through her. "I'm always here to listen when you need me to. I don't know if you've noticed, but listening intensely is the biggest part of my day job."

She can't help the chuckle that escapes her and the small smile that appears on her face. "That's true. I hope it's not too much of a chore to have to do that off-duty, however."

"Gwyn you are never a chore. You are the calm in my chaos. The stillness to my anxiety. The warmth to my coolness. The moonlight wherein my shadows thrive. My perfect mate. Every second with you is the dream I had always craved. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me, Gwyneth Berdara."