Wounded Healers: Azriel x Gwyn

The Beginning of Always

As it turned out, real food was needed to solidify the mating bond between Azriel and Gwyn, and Gwyn fed Azriel a piece of cake on the day of their mating ceremony. It was a small but lovely affair celebrated with only the Inner Circle and Clotho, who did not have to leave the House of Wind for the event.

The sexual frenzy and over-protectiveness of one's mate that begins for newly mated couples took Gwyn and Azriel by storm. Feyre and Rhysand's hyper sex-crazed period lasted around a week; Cassian and Nesta's had lasted around two months. Gwyn and Azriel were worse than any of them: their mating bond was official in April, and they only started to calm down before Solstice.

Azriel had to train Gwyn alone for the first few months after they were mated, since there was an incident during training soon after. Cassian was attempting to spar with Gwyn when a possessive, crazed Azriel perceived him as threatening her safety rather than training her. Azriel lunged at Cassian, growling as though possessed by a demon.

Nesta and Gwyn intervened, placing themselves in front of their mates. Cassian was understanding, but Nesta looked as though she wanted to kill Azriel.

"Will you do us all a favor and just go home and fuck each other? This is ridiculous, you're useless here like this."

More than happy to oblige, Azriel swept his mate up in his arms and made sure that Gwyn experienced some form of physical exertion to make up for the lost training lesson.

After about a month of being mates officially, Gwyn took the leap of moving out of the library and in with Azriel.

You sleep there practically every night, anyway, Clotho had written cheekily when Gwyn told her the news.

Since Gwyn left the library, she started to think about how she might like to spend her time outside of Valkyrie training. Although Azriel's ample income meant that she did not have to work, she felt called to give back in any way that she could. She wanted to help the other women in the library to heal who, like Gwyn, had suffered unimaginable traumas. She had always enjoyed reading psychology books within the library, and decided that she'd like to study the subject further in a formal environment so that she may work as a counselor, as some of the priestesses in the library did.

Between their private trainings, sex, studying, and double dates with Nesta and Cassian; the months passed blissfully for the couple. Several days before Solstice, Azriel and Gwyn took their daily evening walk along the Sidra. They sometimes traveled off their normal path into the wooded region at the edge of town. There was a small cottage that Gwyn always admired when they took that path, commenting on its charm. Attentive Azriel, always looking to please his mate, took note of how much Gwyn seemed to like it.

Rhysand had pulled Azriel aside when Gwyn and Azriel had gone over to the River Estate to play with baby Nyx.

"There's been several noise complaints about you and Gwyn from your building. I'm afraid you two have been, ah - rather loud these past months despite the requests you've received to quiet down. Perhaps you two should consider moving to a more remote location, before they kick you both out."

Embarrassed, Azriel put a hand behind his head, scratching it. Cassian snickered from the corner, while he threw Nyx up and down in the air; Feyre watching panickedly.

"It's always the quiet ones you gotta watch out for," Cassian smirked at his brother.

The evening before Solstice, Gwyn did her hair and makeup; preparing for her first Solstice Eve party with Azriel's family - the Inner Circle. She looked resplendent in a ruby red, velvet dress. Azriel came up behind her while she fixed herself in the mirror, smiling at the reflection of her mate.

"Do you mean to torture me all night, with you looking like that and me having to restrain myself around others?"

Gwyn smirked wickedly, reaching behind her to rest her hand on her mate's shoulder. "No, my love. I only mean to teach you a little lesson in delaying gratification."

At this point, Gwyn was quite comfortable around the rest of the Inner Circle. Well - maybe Amren was slightly off-putting, still. But she was welcomed as a member of the family, and it meant the world to her. Since Gwyn and Azriel were particularly close with Cassian and Nesta, they spent a lot of time together outside of training. Azriel laughed inside his heart when he realized one day that two chosen brothers ended up with two chosen sisters. It made perfect sense to him - Rhysand and Feyre were always special cases among their respective groupings.

Azriel, Rhysand, and Varian laughed at Cassian's expense during the Solstice party while Gwyn and Feyre fussed and fawned over little Nyx's outfit. Azriel watched Gwyn from across the room, fitting in perfectly with his family; looking so beautiful. Not a day passed him by that he didn't thank the Mother for bringing Gwyn into his life. He loved his family, and enjoyed every second with them - but he couldn't help loving his time alone with Gwyn more. She just made everything better for him.

Gwyn caught her mate looking at her lovingly from across the room, and her smile widened. It was always like that with them. It was as if they shared the same mind - they always could intuit what the other was thinking and feeling. Azriel stood as Gwyn made her way to him, both of them knowing they were about to leave early.

Instead of going home, Azriel insisted there was something he wanted to show Gwyn first. He made her close her eyes, and allowed her to open them only when they were in front of the the cottage that he bought for them - their new home.

The windows were alight with a warm, yellow glow. Gwyn smiled, looking at her mate a little confusedly. "It's the cottage I love! Is someone living here, now?"

"Oh, yes," Azriel said, mildly amused. "We are."

Gwyn turned her neck quickly to see if her mate was serious, and he swept her off her feet and through the threshold of their new home.

"Are you serious? You bought this place?" Gwyn asked, unable to contain her smile of incredulity.

"I did," Azriel said. "You do like the place, don't you?"

Gwyn laughed ecstatically. "YES! I love it so much, Az. I can't believe it. Why do you spoil me so?"

"It's purely selfish, I can assure you. I wanted to know what you'd look like as I fuck you in every room of this house."

Gwyn gasped, feigning shock as she pulled her mate in closer. "You vile creature!"

She kissed him enthusiastically, and he couldn't stop smiling at her excitement. A fire roared in the stone fireplace, creating a cozy glow and warmth throughout the room. Azriel's blue velvet sofa stood in front - he had payed someone to move in some of their things after they left his apartment tonight so that they could comfortably spend their first night within their new home.

"You can decorate it however you'd like. But the sofa is staying, I'm afraid."

Gwyn giggled. "Then I'm lucky you have sumptuous taste in sofas. Is that really the only decorative touch you're concerned with? Shall we put a dagger under the guest room pillows, too? Or just our own?"

"Haha," Azriel said mockingly, joining his mate on the sofa as they cuddled in front of the fire.

Gwyn and Azriel loved their new life together. It was better than they ever imagined it could be. They had found deep healing and love within their relationship, and it remained ever this way as the mates continued living out their promise of always.