Disclaimer: I do not own ACOTAR series or the characters. That's all SJM.

A/N: This is my first Gwynriel story. Heads up, if you have not read ACOSF OR read Az's bonus chapter, don't read this. Major spoilers ahead and you just won't understand. Not to mention, you won't know what Gwynriel is. Also, I must say this ahead of time. I am not a fan of Elain. I don't hate her, but...she is not on my top 10 list. Sorry. She will be in this story, not a whole lot, but she will be there. Also, I will be switching back and forth between Az's and Gwyn's POV. This first chapter is in Gwyn's POV. Enjoy!

Chapter One

Gwyn couldn't believe that it had been four whole months since Nesta and Cassian's mating ceremony. Four whole months since she set out into Velaris, determined to be able to go out into public and tolerate being around strangers. Of course, it had helped immensely that she had had Azriel, one of her good friends, by her side the entire time. She honestly didn't know what she would do without the Shadowsinger.

It didn't help that ever since that night, she noticed that her feelings for him have been changing slightly day by day. He was one of her best friends now, but there was also something…more. Every time her teal eyes met his hazel ones, her stomach tied itself into knots. Or when he through her one of his rare smiles. Nesta and Emerie had asked her countless times now if there was something going on between them, but she kept denying her feelings. Claiming they were friends and nothing more. Which…in all fairness, was true considering he had no idea of her true feelings towards him. Cassian was even starting to throw them odd looks when he heard Az laughing spontaneously.

She would have considered the idea that he could have reciprocated her feelings if it weren't for Elain. She knew about their past and how Az had had feelings for her since she came to stay in the Night Court. She didn't think they were together, but he also didn't really talk about himself unless she peppered him with questions like usual.

She had already accepted the fact that he may never share her feelings. She was just happy being his friend. Being in that library for 2 years, made her realize the importance of really good friends. Now she was finding she had an abundance of them and she couldn't be happier. She had already decided it was time to make the move out of the library a week ago. She had discussed it with Nesta and then with Rhys at their family dinner, in private of course. He agreed that as long as she was happy and felt ready to move on, she could go wherever she liked. He reiterated that she was always more than welcome back in the library should she feel that she need to move back in.

Nesta gave her one of the spare bedrooms that were in the House of Wind. She claimed that with the House being so empty all the time, it could use another resident. Plus, that meant they could see each other more. Gwyn, of course, was thrilled with that idea. What she hadn't been too thrilled with was the location of the room Nesta chose.

Gwyn and Nesta walked down the hallway, each carrying a box with Gwyn's possessions. Gwyn looked around the hallway they were in, recognizing it immediately. "So, which room is going to be mine?"

Nesta had a sly smirk on her face. "Well, ever since Cass and I mated, we decided to move upstairs to the bigger suite, giving us a bit more room for all of our stuff, but we still store some of his weapons and such in our old room."

Gwyn glanced over at her from the corner of her eye. "Okay…"

Nesta's smirk intensified. "Your room is going to be right here…next to Azriel's."

Gwyn's head whipped around to look at her. "What?!"

She shrugged. "You two are best friends, right? Plus he's away on missions a lot. If it's a problem I could move you somewhere else. Although I thought you said you didn't have feelings for him."

Gwyn's eyes were as wide as saucers as she looked around, making sure he wasn't anywhere around to overhear this conversation. "I don't! It's fine. It'll be fine. We are very good friends. It'll be fine."

"Say it one more time and I'll believe you."

Gwyn looked right into Nesta's eyes and squared her shoulders. "It'll be fine."

Nesta chuckled and shrugged again. "Whatever you say, Gwyn. You'll have the whole floor to yourselves, so you can do whatever you want together." She threw a wink Gwyn's way before stepping into the room. Gwyn groaned before following after her friend.

The room was three times the size of her dorm room, plus it had a four poster bed with down comforters on it. There was a huge armoire against the wall next to a desk with a mirror for her to get ready.

Gwyn shook her head in disbelief. "I'm really going to need to step up my wardrobe to fill half that thing. I own, like, four outfits. Not including my robes."

Nesta chuckled, setting the box she had been carrying down on the settee at the foot of the bed. "Don't worry, the three of us will go shopping soon. Well, it'll probably be the four of us because I'm sure Emerie will want to invite Mor."

Gwyn nodded absently, still staring around the room in wonder. "I can't believe this is all mine. I've been down in that library for two years, not seeing the light of day besides the little window I have…then you come along and my entire life…it's so much better now. I don't know how to ever thank you."

Gwyn wiped at the tears that had started to fall as Nesta stepped up to her and wrapped her in a hug. "It was my pleasure, Gwyn. You helped bring me out of the dark. It was only fitting that I do the same."

Nesta helped her unpack the few possessions that she had before she had to go get ready for the weekly family dinner that night. Gwyn had started coming every week too, so she started to get dressed as well. She never dressed up for the dinners, as no one else did either except Mor. She put on some comfy leggings and a loose top before fastening the necklace Az had gifted her at Solstice. She smiled at the necklace, thinking back on that moment when she had found out it was from him.

Gwyn leaned back into one of the lounge chairs on the balcony towards the top of the House. She had been sitting in comfortable silence when she felt a familiar feeling of shadows wrap around her arm soothingly. She looked down and smiled, finding Az's shadows playing along her arm.

Az pulled a chair over next to her and sat down. "They like you. They never listen to a thing I say when you're around."

Gwyn giggled and reached up to stroke a finger down one. "They're so curious. I love it."

She could feel Az's eyes on her, so she looked up. He had a soft smile on his face. "I'm glad they don't frighten you like they do with most people."

She shook her head. "Of course not. They're too lovely to be frightening."

She could see how happy that had made him. She wondered then just how often he found anyone who liked his shadows. Her best bet was not very often at all.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts away. "So…anything new lately? Any new missions? New dagger you have your eyes on? New crush?"

He seemed to choke on his own spit at her last question, his eyes widening comically. "I'm sorry, what?"

She flipped her hand toward him non-committedly and shrugged. "No new missions?"

He just stared at her for a long minute before answering. "I'll be leaving on a new mission in a couple of days once I hear back from a couple of my spies."

"Mm. And have you found any new daggers you like? I noticed you and Cass seem to collect them."

Again, Az just seemed to stare at her, weighing her questions. "No. I haven't had the time to look for one in a while."

Gwyn nodded and turned her attention back to the stars above, getting more comfortable in her chair. They both stayed silent for a few minutes, lost in their own worlds.

She heard Az shift in his seat slightly before he opened his mouth. "Yes…I do. I haven't told her, and I'm not quite ready to. In fact…I don't really think she feels the same way."

Gwyn stayed silent for a moment, contemplating his words. She turned towards him to find him staring down at his fingers, his brows scrunched. "If it's any consolation, I think you'll be hard pressed to find a female who doesn't like you. Whoever it is, you just need to give her a chance. When you're ready, of course. I'm sure the outcome will surprise you."

He looked up to find her smiling sweetly at him. She reached over and grabbed his hand in her own. "Also, don't forget that you can always talk to me about whatever, Az. You don't have to bottle everything up like you always do. I know you."

He chuckled and nodded, squeezing her fingers reassuringly. "Thanks, Gwyn. It means a lot."

"Anytime, Shadowsinger. Anytime." Just as she was about to lean away, her necklace slipped out of her shirt, into his line of view. His eyes diverted down to it and froze. She reached up with her free hand to find what had distracted him and found it swinging freely. "Oh, you like my necklace? Apparently a friend gave it to me for Solstice. Clotho would only say it came from a friend of mine. I've been trying to find out who that is ever since so that I can properly thank them."

His eyes moved up to hers slowly. She didn't know if it was the way he was looking at her or the reaction from his shadows now dancing wildly across his arm, but she tilted her head to the side. "You know who it's from, don't you?"

He looked away instantly, giving himself away. He ran a hand through his hard and sighed. Gwyn waited patiently while he seemed to have an inner battle with himself.

Finally, after what seemed to be the longest couple of minutes of her life, he turned back to her with pleading eyes. "You have to let me explain. Just hear everything that I have to say…and then you can bite my head off and never talk to me ever again."

She lifted an eyebrow, but remained silent, urging him to continue. He signed again, running a hand through his hair again, a habit she knew he did when he was nervous. "I think that you're aware of my previous feelings for Elain. That…her and I got close for a while after she came here. Well…I mean, nothing happened between the two of us, but we almost kissed on Solstice. Before Rhys stopped us and reminded me what a colossal mistake it would be to get between mates."

He ran his hand through his hair again, getting more nervous. She gently squeezed the hand she was still holding, silently urging him to continue. "Well…I had given her that necklace before we almost kissed…the next morning she gave it back. Don't ask me why. Anyways…I was going to just take it back…be done with it…but I couldn't stop thinking that someone ought to get some happiness out of it. And when I thought of who that should be…all I could think of was to give it to you. I wanted you to be happy. I wanted you to have something that made you smile. You didn't need to know it came from me, we weren't even that close then. I just…I don't know. I wanted you to be happy. I'm sorry."

Gwyn sat silently for another moment. "Am I allowed to talk now?"

Az chuckled half-heartedly, "Yeah. That's everything."

He wouldn't meet her eyes as she swung her legs over the side of the lounge chair and fully face him. "Az, please look at me. I want you to look at me when I say this to you."

He sighed and pulled his eyes up to hers, defeat clear in them. She wrapped both of her hands in his and squeezed gently. "Azriel, I am not mad at you. You don't need to apologize. I'm sorry that things didn't go so well between you and Elain, but…I'm glad that you thought of me enough to give this to me. I feel honored that you cared that much about me before we even got to the point we're at now. I wish you had told me so that I could give you a proper thank you sooner, but I appreciate you telling me now. And I appreciate you telling me everything. You didn't have to tell me about Elain and how it was originally hers, but you did. That takes a lot of guts and character to admit it. I love this necklace, Az, and you nothing you say will change that. Telling me it came from you, only makes me love it more."

She could see the silver lining his eyes that he was trying to fight back. He ducked his head, a smile gracing his face and a blush creeping up onto his cheeks. "Thank you, Gwyn. You're a really good friend."

Her smile widened. "I'd say we both are at this point, but who's keeping score?"

He let out a full laugh, throwing his head back. He looked back at her with a big smile on his face. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Berdara."

There was a knock on Gwyn's door, pulling her out of her thoughts. She stood from the vanity and walked to the door, opening it to find none other than the Shadowsinger himself standing in front of her as if her thoughts had summoned him.

He smiled easily at her, "Ready?"

She nodded, "I am. How did you know which room was mine though?"

They moved out of her room as she shut the door behind her. Az fell into easy pace beside her. "I asked Nesta yesterday which room she was giving you just in case you ever needed anything."

She nodded, starting to feel a little self-conscious. "Az…is it weird that my room is right next to yours? Especially, with no one else in the same hallway."

He glanced sideways at her and shrugged. "We're friends. Why would it be weird to have a room next to one of your friends?"

She bit her lip. "Well…I don't know. What if you bring a female home? How sound proof are the walls? I don't really want to listen to…that. We're close, but not that close."

He chuckled. "I don't bring females up here. You don't have anything to worry about."

"Oh. Okay. Well, I guess that's settled then."

He nodded stiffly, "I guess it is."

A/N: So? Thoughts? The Gwynriel will be a slight slow burn. I have plans for how it'll come about. If you have any ideas for anything you'd like to see happen to our two lovebirds, just review and let me know! I'm always open to suggestions. Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks! :)