Gwynriel FanFic - I think I lost our bet

Chapter 5 : Butterflies

Chapter Synopsis : Azriel’s thought process, And a bit T/W of Gwyn’s past. Only one or two lines are there, but they’re there.

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Since the last few days, Gwyn had been sleeping in Azriel’s room. Everything had been going smoothly. Azriel didn’t have to awkwardly ask Gwyn to come to his room. She just automatically came, bid him goodnight, and slept on the bed.

Gwyn was a space - occupying sleeper. At the start of the night, She would be curled up on her left side, but when the sun shone through her auburn locks in the morning, Azriel could see her legs sprayed out, one over his leg and out of the blanket, and one in it. Her hands would he resting on her eyes.

Though Azriel always felt her leg on his, her body covering 70% of the bed (despite Azriel and his wings, Gwyn occupied more space) and giving him barely 30%, he didn’t mind it and neither did he need to tell her.

He actually liked it, it made him feel like someone was constantly there for him. Even if it was a small gesture like their legs touching each other.

Azriel used to wake up in the morning much earlier than her. He used to stare at her face for 5 minutes, like a creep.

He used to count her freckles. It was the first thing he did every morning. He sectioned her face and made it his goal to count at least the freckles on one part.

He knew it was creepy but it calmed him. He was also very thankful that his nightmares were at bay. He was glad to know that hers were too.

He didn’t know for sure if she had nightmares or not. Her beautiful peaceful sleeping face revealed nothing. But he knew that something as painful as that incident at Sangravah would give someone nightmares.

It gave him nightmares. Nightmares in which he wasn’t able to protect her. Gwyn’s sobbing voice echoing through his mind as a man thrust into her - “You weren’t fast enough.”

Azriel was taken aback when he heard Gwyn slam the door behind her and very angrily lie down on the bed. Azriel said nothing but watched her with a raised eyebrow.

When Gwyn didn’t tell him goodnight for another few minutes, Azriel knew something was wrong. Gwyn always said goodnight, even on the nights in which she came a bit late and Azriel was (pretending) asleep, he heard her whisper a goodnight to him.

“What’s wrong priestess?”, he asked worriedly as he lied down on the bed beside her. When Gwyn didn’t reply he asked again, it made him worry.

Was she mad at me? Did something happen? Did someone do something to her? No. No. She’s an independent women who’s very capable of protecting herself. But did something happen? What happened?

Azriel then went towards Gwyn side, and lent on her body a bit. “What’s wrong Gwyn?”

He heard Gwyn sighed and mutter a ‘nothing’.

Not gonna let you go so easily love.

Azriel couldn’t see her face, it was covered with her hair.

Azriel wanted to see her face. Her eyes, her freckles. Her pointed nose and crinkled eyes when she smiled. Her narrowed eyes when she said something egoistic and her rolling eyes when he said or did something stupid just to see her smile.

Azriel gently removed the hair from her face. She was lying on her side and facing the wall. When he did that, she didn’t stop it or flinch away.

She felt comfortable with me.

She didn’t look him in his eyes either. She was hiding something. Her eyes were a bit teary and cheeks a bit rosy. He knew she had been crying.

When Gwyn still didn’t look at him, he felt feeling in the pit of his stomach that he didn’t like.

He took her chin in his hands.

Look at me. Please. He begged her silently as if his sanity depended on it.

And for some reason she did.

She heard his silent plea. No one had ever heard his silent pleas before. They were ignored at the most crucial of times. The moments before which he knew he was close to a breakdown. He felt like this was one of those moments.

But now he wished that she hadn’t looked him in his eyes. Because his heart leaped in his chest for some reason.

His shadows had formed a crown over Gwyn’s head

And there were butterflies in his stomach from looking at the sight.

He gulped visibly and made sure his face remained neutral, but even he couldn’t hide the emotion from his eyes when he asked, “What’s wrong love?”

A/N : This has to be one of the best chapters I’ve ever written cause I just love it for some reason. Do comment if you like this type of writing ;)