A Song of Ice & Shadow

Warnings: Graphic descriptions of violence, injury, blood & gore, character death, trauma, and self-blame.

As the sun began to rise, the light hit Y/n's face, and the soft breeze made strands of her hair fall on her face, causing her to stir. She blinked groggily, bringing a hand up to shield her eyes from the sunlight as she took in her surroundings. She was still outside that village, where she and Azriel watched the stars. Something hard rested beneath her head: a muscled chest. Her heart stuttered in panic Shit!

She looked up, only to meet a set of hazel eyes already locked on her. Azriel's gaze was steady,  his lips curving into a small smile. Y/n quickly rubbed her eyes and sat up, pulling away from his chest, her fingers brushing through her tangled hair.

"Good morning" Azriel greeted softly, his voice warm.

She groaned, rolling her shoulders to work out the stiffness. "Did you get any sleep at all?".

"I couldn't" he replied, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. He shifted slightly, flexing his stiff wings.

"Sorry. Did I seriously fall asleep here?" she asked, squinting at him, her expression a mix of embarrassment and disbelief.

"Yes. You slept like a baby" he teased, his eyes soft as they flickered over her sleepy face.

"Why didn't you wake me?" she frowned, still brushing her hair out of her face.

"You looked so peaceful," he admitted, his gaze unwavering. "And I know you usually have trouble sleeping at night. I didn;t want to wake you, afraid you wouldn't fall back asleep."

"And you stayed sitting like that all night?" She glanced at him, her tone now concerned as she rubbed her temples, half-asleep and not fully processing his words.

"It's not as bad as you might think" he said, his hand subtly massaging his own shoulder to hide the discomfort.

"Do you enjoy pain that much?" she muttered, narrowing her eyes at him.

Azriel chuckled softly, the sound like a gentle hum. "Only when it comes to you" he half-joked.

Y/n huffed, tilting her head back and closing her eyes briefly. "Funny. How long do we have before we need to leave?".

"Not long. Everyone should be waking up now" he said, his eyes lingering on her.

She groaned again, burying her face in her hands. "I just want to sleep some more" she muttered, her voice muffled by her palms.

"You can lay your head back, I'll wake you when everyone is ready" Azriel offered.

"I need to lie down on my soft pillows, no offense to your chest." SHe flashed him a teasing smile, though her eyes were still heavy with sleep. "Besides, aren't you tired? If anyone should rest for a few minutes, it's you. I'll even offer my lap for your head- it's at least soft."

Azriel's brows lifted, surprised at her playful tone. He was seeing a new side of her- a side she kept hidden for so long. A side she probably wasn't aware she was showing in her sleepy state.

"I'd like nothing more than to take you up on that offer," he said, his smile slowly fading. "But I'm afraid if I fall asleep now, I won't wake up in time for battle."

"All the more reason you should" she yawned, her words slurred, as she rested her head on her knees.

A soft chuckle escaped him again. His eyes softened, warmth flickering in them as he watched her relaxed state. "You look cute when you wake up in the morning" he said, almost as if he couldn;t stop the words from slipping out.