#azweek2023

"My days without you are empty. I try to distract myself on missions,but my heart, my soul, every fiber of my being sings and begs to be with you."

You felt your face flushing at the words written in Azriel's fast script. He had been gone for a week and would be gone for several more, but each day he sent you a letter, a note, whatever he could to let you know that despite the danger, you were the only thing on his mind.

You added today's note into the drawer you kept locked and began your work researching the stars for Rhysand.

Lunch brought another note, another soft reminder of his love for you.

"I would rip every star from the sky and rearrange them one by one to your liking. Only then would they maybe rival your beauty." You giggled softly, kicking your feet as you held the note in one hand and your sandwich in the other. 

The lunch notes were your guilty pleasure. They were typically more embellished with his thoughts. More poetic. And that thought made you laugh. How couldn't it though? This was the male who loudly proclaimed he never needed to resort to poetry wooing you with soft scripts and gentle words. 

Bedtime brought the one today that made your heart pause. "If the death-gods were to ever see your face, they'd kiss each of your eyelids and repent." He thought your beauty could bring a God to his knees? Butterflies set in as he finally opened the bond, sending you his love and longing, and you returned it. You got into bed, that note resting on the nightstand, and held his pillow close. 

Azriel entered your shared chambers, shoulders immediately relaxing and he silently removed his bag and clothing. 

He needed to bathe before he laid with you. Blood, dirt, and sweat coated his skin like a protective layer, and he would never taint your marriage bed, nor you, with that reminder and burden. He put the leathers into the hamper, walked to the bathroom, and immediately got into the oversized tub.

He should have been savoring it, memorizing the feeling as each muscle relaxed and tension left. Instead he immediately went to work, scrubbing his skin clean until it almost glowed and washing hair and wings. He got out drying himself off and choosing not to put on clothing. He slipped into the bed with you, wrapping an arm around your waist and holding you close. Only then did he allow himself to truly feel every worry leave his body. 

A shadow came to Azriel then the bed, placing that last note he wrote on top of the other one.