A Court of Love and Healing {ACOTAR}

Would've, Could've, Should've

"Ready, love?"

"I am", Gwyn replies, a nervous smile playing on her lips as she steps forward and rubs his chest gently. "You look very handsome. I think it's cute that you dress up for your mom."

Azriel's cheeks pinken slightly. "I don't dress up for her."

"No? Funny how I have never once seen you wear a collared shirt in my life."

He is silent and she giggles, the shadows twirling around her and whispering snide remarks as well.

"Caught his tongue, sweet priestess", one hisses.

"He's always been a secret mama's boy", another adds, teasingly.

"She's the weakness he never tells anyone about, out of fear", a third lets her know.

Azriel crosses his arms. "What are they whispering to you?"

Her grin widens and she goes on her tiptoes to peck his lips. "Wouldn't you like to know, spymaster?", she smirks, poking his nose. "Away we go, my handsome sky chauffeur."

He snorts and shakes his head. "I'm almost too afraid to see you both together in the same room as me. You're oddly similar in snideness."

"Well, you know what they say. Some males choose females that remind them of their mothers. At least if they have a good one. It's not a bad thing", she shrugs, whining as she attempts to wrap her arms around his neck, her stature just slightly too short to get them all the way around.

"Ohh who's laughing now, little passenger?"

"Azzz", she groans.

He chuckles deeply and lifts her into his arms, kissing her soundly. She squeaks in surprise then smiles on his lips, kissing back and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Mm", he smiles, pulling back softly. "Ready?", he asks, stepping out onto their balcony.

"Ready, Captain", she murmurs and smiles.

Azriel raises an eyebrow and chuckles. "That's new."

"Just trying it out."

He launches into the sky and she squeaks, clinging to him tightly. "Oh, gods!"

His rumbling laugh echoes slightly as they rise into the clouds, and she nuzzles her face into his neck. "Your mom must be lovely if you are half of her."

"She is. She has done a lot of work on herself. She allowed me to stay with Rhys's family once I escaped my father and stepmother's clutches; she let his mother raise me. She was probably too broken and too depressed to be what I wanted her to be, and maybe she decided to give me a home that was safe and steady." His face falls a bit. "Of course, at the time I was angry, I thought she didn't want me. I caused a lot of hell for Darcy, and I fought with Cass and Rhys a lot. I wasn't the quieter, strategic male that I am now. I wasn't easy...to take care of or to love."

Gwyn tears up and rubs his chest. "I don't believe that. I'm sure Darcy knew and saw what you were struggling with. Children lash out when they are hurting on the inside. I saw it many times in the Temple. There were a lot of struggling people there. Pretty much anyone from Autumn who was deemed irregular ended up taken care of by the Temple priestesses. My mother was. But she grew from it and trained to become a priestess. Then she raised Catrin and me to inherit the lifestyle. It was peaceful, and being in service of those less fortunate was a good way to live. It didn't take away from our childish hijinks, however", she chuckles softly. "Catrin and I got into loads of trouble as kids. To be fair, Catrin was much naughtier than I was, if you can believe that. She was much more energetic and outgoing."